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the-vampire-queer · 6 months

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The Vampires Digital Media Poll: Round 2, Bracket 2

Please reblog for a bigger sample size.

Results get posted on December 20th. at 5PM CST.

<- Previous poll | Next poll ->

If you wish to learn more about your options, either as a refresher or an introduction, press the "Keep reading" button.

What is Being Human (US + UK) about?

Summary:

US version: ""Being Human," based on a BBC series of the same name, features three 20-something roommates who each try to keep a secret from the rest of the world -- one is a ghost, another is a vampire and the third is a werewolf. The three roomies try to help one another navigate the complexities of living double lives." Source: Rotten Tomatoes

UK version: "Deciding to turn over a new leaf, a group of friends who also happen to be vampires and werewolves move into a house together, only to find that it is haunted by ghosts of people who have been killed under mysterious circumstances. As they deal with the challenges of being supernatural creatures, their desire to be human bonds them." Source: Rotten Tomatoes

Source: Being Human UK

Cast:

Russell Tovey - George Sands

Guy Flanagan (pilot) + Aidan Turner - John Mitchell (UK)

Andrea Riseborough (pilot) + Lenora Crichlow - Annie Sawyer (UK)

Sam Huntington - Josh Levison (US)

Sam Witwer - Aidan Waite (US)

Meaghan Rath - Sally Malik (US)

Mark Pellegrino - Bishop (US)

Note: Cast lists provided here are not complete lists of people and characters featured in the media being listed. These are partial lists that include some of the main characters and their actors.

Additional information: The UK version of the show came out first, airing on the BBC, dubbed Being Human (UK). Later, a new show of the same title would come out, dubbed Being Human (US).

In the UK version, two of the original three cast from the pilot would be replaced. These two would be Guy Flanagan and Andrea Riseborough, replaced by Aidan Turner and Lenora Crichlow respectively.

What is The Vampire Diaries (+ The Originals + Legacies) about?

Summary (TVD only, due to nature of spoilers when it comes to spin-offs): "This supernatural drama, based on the series of novels by L.J. Smith, details the lives of two brothers, Damon and Stefan Salvatore, who have been living as vampires for centuries. After years of moving from from place-to-place to hide their eternal youth (and bloodthirsty condition), the brothers return to the small Virginia town, Mystic Falls, where their lives as humans ended. Damon is snarky, handsome and charming, with a propensity for evil, while Stefan tries to remain noble -- in part to atone for bad behavior in his past." Source: Rotten Tomatoes

Source: The Vampire Diaries

Cast:

Nina Dobrev - Elena Gilbert (TVD)

Ian Somerhalder - Damon Salvatore (TVD)

Paul Wesley - Stefan Salvatore (TVD)

Candice King - Caroline Forbes (TVD)

Kat Graham - Bonnie Bennett (TVD)

Note: Cast lists provided here are not complete lists of people and characters featured in the media being listed. These are partial lists that include some of the main characters and their actors.

Additional information: The Vampire Diaries show is based on the books of the same name by L. J. Smith. Lots was changed in the book-to-show transfer. Some fans prefer the show over the books.

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wen-kexing-apologist · 7 months

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Bengiyo's Queer Cinema Syllabus

For those who are not aware, I have decided to run the gauntlet of @bengiyo’s Queer Cinema Syllabus and have officially started Unit 3: Faith and Religion. The films in Unit 3 are: But I’m a Cheerleader (2000), Prayers for Bobby (2009), Latter Days (2003), Blackbird (2014), The Wise Kids (2011), Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party (2015)

Today I will be writing about

Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party (2015) dir. Stephen Cone

[Run Time: 1:27, Available on: tubi, Lang: English]

Summary: Henry Gamble, a 17-year-old preacher's son, wrestles with sexuality, alcoholism and faith during his birthday party.

Cast: *Cole Doleman as Henry Gamble *Elizabeth Laidlaw as Kat Gamble, Henry's mother *Pat Healhy as Bob Gamble, Henry's father *Nina Ganet as Autumn Gamble, Henry's sister *Patrick Andrews as Ricky Matthews, recent suicide survivor *Hanna Dworkin as Bonnie Montgomery, the most miserable woman on the planet *Francis Guinan as Larry Montgomery, Bonnie's husband

(side note, I should start keeping tallies about how many movies on this syllabus come from Wolfe production company)

___

Well, we’ve reached the end of the line for Unit 3 with this one, and I have to say, I do think I like this piece from Stephen Cone better than I enjoyed The Wise Kids. (Though, honestly, I probably owe The Wise Kids a rewatch because of where my head was at when I watched that piece.)

Now, I am not religious, and I don’t have the kind of religious trauma that I think would make some of these films speak to me more, and the thing I kind of like with Stephen Cone’s pieces is that the queerness doesn’t intersect with religion as much as religion and queerness exist in the same space, if that makes sense. Like is there some internalized homophobia going on, there is some external homophobia going on, but…The Wise Kids and Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party have seemed more like stories where there are gay, religious kids, rather than the gays (or at least main gay character) suffering under the weight of religion which films such as Prayers for Bobby and Latter Days portray. [Do not get me wrong, gays suffering under the weight of religion is still present in both films, it just feels secondary to the main thread].

As such, I think I found myself connecting more, and being more interested in the plot of the mother and her daughter, Autumn as well as to the portrayal of the small town, white, religious adults. Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party is extremely legible in showing what the characters are feeling without really having to say anything about it. You can tell that Henry’s mother is Straight Up Not Having A Good Time Right Now from the first second we see her on screen, you can tell there is some level of tension between her and her husband, you can tell how tenuous Ricky’s stability is from the moment he walks in the door.

I liked how there was cross talk, and how there were references to people and to conversations that happened that we were not a part of. It makes the film seem real and lived in, I liked how easily I was able to identify the queer kids, and how I suspect a few more characters (cough cough, Jon) are queer and either not aware of it or are hiding/suppressing it.

But more importantly, I really enjoyed how much of this film was dedicated to water and to wine.

Like, every single time these kids jumped in the pool I could think of nothing else but baptism. Every time an adult poured themselves a mug of wine, and another adult complained about it I could do nothing but think about Jesus turning water to wine, and how the sacrament is taken with wine. Yet here, in the home, the wine must be hidden, the adults can’t be seen drinking around the children, etc.

And maybe it’s cause I’m no longer 17, but while Henry’s journey throughout the film is important, I spent more time focusing on Kat, on Ricky, and on Bonnie throughout this film. Kat just seems to be going through the routine, stuck in a life it feels like she doesn’t want or possibly never wanted, and being mostly ignored. Ricky is the subject of a lot of conversation and gossip, but no one really knows how to treat him normally after a suicide attempt, and Bonnie is the most miserable woman to ever walk the earth.

I think what is the most notable to me is how people change over the course of the movie. In water, Henry comes to finally accept his feelings for Logan, in water the very clearly bored adults get to have some fun, those who entered the water exited with change, and those who did not remained relatively the same. The same goes for the wine. The adults that drank wine went through some sort of change, while the adults who didn’t ended up staying relatively the same. By this I mean Bonnie, because she was the only person who did not swim or drink.

With the wine, Kat tells Autumn a secret, you know the kind that mothers only tell their eldest daughters. With the wine, Kat and Autumn heal a part of their relationship. With the wine, Larry just gets real chill with queer people real quick. With the wine, Kat and Bob end with a separation.

So I think that was the most compelling aspect. Bonnie is judgemental about sex, porn, etc. and thusly she does not approve of swimming, because of girls being in scantily clad outfits. Bonnie is judgemental about alcohol consumption and thusly she is annoyed that her husband is sneaking wine. Bonnie does not invest in earthly pleasures, and so she is just the most miserable person by a mile and she just spends all of her time making everyone around her miserable as well. She’s just an empty person who does not know how to get out of it, and her personal perception of religion is keeping her excluded from connection and joy. In my opinion at least.

Ricky is just a kid I feel bad for. He’s trying to get his life back on track, he’s trying to get back some sense of normalcy and instead he is gossiped about constantly and kept in the dark about whether or not he is going to be a camp counselor again. You can see him just constantly trying to hold it together, until he just stuck in the bathroom and can’t get out. Where it all falls to pieces. Now. We hear a rumor about Ricky that we have no way to corroborate, but considering this is a film about faith and religion, let’s just say that the intense self harm that Ricky participates in feels very much like he is trying to absolve himself of sins through some form of self punishment.

Overall, I think this film was a good one to end on and I am sure it would have a lot more to say to me if I had a better understanding of religion, but this is what I kind of found.

For/By/About

I think this one is a By and About queer people film. I don’t think enough of the plot revolved around queerness and religion to really be for queer people. This film seemed more of a rated E for everyone situation

Favorite Moment

By far my favorite moment of the film is Autumn and Kat talking in the car. I loved this quiet moment between mother and daughter, where Kat allows Autumn to see some of her flaws and where Kat apologizes for any harm she may have caused Autumn over the years. It’s a very vulnerable moment that brought me both sadness and joy.

Favorite Quote

“No. We’re doing it all wrong. You, you’re gay, that’s fine, the Lord made you that way, fine. Fuck it.”

This is said by one of the older men at the party, Larry, who is piss drunk at this point. But has just witnessed Ricky exiting the party with his mother after a super massive self harm incident, and who I think comes to some pretty quick conclusions about the ways in which religion and faith can have an extremely negative impact. The scene itself does feel a little bit like when Nomi’s mother ate a really good weed brownie at Nomi and Aminita’s wedding and was suddenly cured of her transphobia in Sense8, but nevertheless it is another moment I think of showing transformation through the consumption of wine (aka Christ’s blood).

Score

8.5/10

I enjoyed this film, found it compelling, thought there was some really great acting, and I absolutely loved how the film ends full circle with the same shot of Henry that we open the film on.

I am knocking half a point off for the fact that I had to watch a straight sex scene in this film (however brief) but there was no queer physical/romantic/sexual intimacy portrayed on screen. (Unless you want to count the masturbation scene at the very beginning of the film, but I think the jury is out on that one).

And with this I move on to Unit 4: Heartbreak Alley, a section that I am certain will be nothing but sunshine and rainbows, and which I am unsure if I should start before or after the holidays.

#bengiyo queer cinema syllabus #queer cinema syllabus #henry gamble's birthday party #henry gamble's birthday party (2015)#unit 3 #unit 3: faith and religion

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mdemontespan1667 · 2 years

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HUNGER (conclusion)

VAMPIRE DARK WALTER MARSHALL AU X READER

READER X OC JENN / READER X OC NINA / READER X OC ALESHA / COMBINATIONS OF JENN X NINA X ALESHA

WARNINGS: NON-CON/VAGINAL SEX (F/F AND F/M)/ANAL SEX (F/F)/ORAL SEX (F/F AND M/F)/VIOLENCE/DEATH/BLOOD DRINKING/HORROR

AN ONLYFANS LIVE STREAM AT THE INFAMOUS MARSTEN HOUSE GOES HORRIBLY WRONG.

This is a hot fucking mess. I really wanted to post it before or on Halloween but that didn't happen. So I'm posting this part tonight and will post the ending tomorrow night. I apologize for any mistakes, I was typing in a hurry.

AS ALWAYS THIS IS STRICTLY 18+

I apologize for any grammar/spelling mistakes. I wanted to make sure I got this posted tonight.

PART ONE

“Have you seen to her companions?”

“Yes, Master.”

“Very good Mr Pronge.”

Even though the trance was fading you kept your eyes closed, limbs slack, suspended in Alesha’s former position, listening to the men speak behind you.

“With your permission I’d like to have the whore with the big titties.”

A grim laugh was uttered.

“Try not to make a mess this time.”

“Of course Master.”

Muted footsteps shuffled down the hallway.

“I know you’re awake.”

You startled, jerking frantically at the bindings.

“Did you have a pleasant rest?”

His breath on the back of your neck was sour, fetid, a combination of damp earth, rotted flesh and, oddly, vanilla.

“Where are my friends? What did you do to them you sick fuck!”

Pain exploded as Walter bit down on your neck, pointed teeth breaking the skin.

The pull of his mouth threatened to overwhelm you.

You felt yourself floating, fire radiated from the bite, pooling between your legs.

“Sorry, Love. I couldn't help myself. I’ve smelled your scent since you drove up.”

He caressed your ribcage with his icy fingers.

“Your friends have been made comfortable. Except for Alesha. My human associate has taken a liking to her.”

He tsked.

“She’ll wish he hadn’t.”

“You, you won’t get away with this,” you screamed, “Thousands of people know we’re here. They’ll have the cops looking for us.”

“Due to technical difficulties the rest of the live stream is canceled. We’ll let ya’ll know a new time and date when we get back to fucking civilization. Sorry Kits and Kats.”

Jenn’s words spilled from her phone.

You gasped, “How…..”

“Mr Pronge is a fountain of information.”

Walter’s hand cupped your breast.

“Your cellular phones will show you left here at approximately 11pm. Your car and personal belongings will be found in a ditch outside of Chamberlain, along with alcohol and assorted opioids. It will be assumed the four of you, drunk and under the influence, wandered off. The police will search, of course, but the woods are dangerous, full of deadfalls and sinkholes. In a year or two a hunter may stumble on skeletal remains. Or not. Mr Pronge is very reliable.”

Tears sprang to your eyes.

“No, this, this is just a dream, a fucked up dream, not real, just a dream..not..”

Walter turned you towards him, lifting your chin.

“I assure you, this is very real.”

“Why?”

You were sobbing now, vision clouded.

“Why? Because you wanted this. Why else would you be here.”

“We’re sorry, so so sorry. Just let us go. We, we won’t tell anyone.”

He dropped to his knees, slinging your leg over his shoulder.

“We both know it’s too late for that.”

You shrieked when he bit down on the tender skin of your inner thigh.

“Oh God, please, please stop.”

Lifting your other leg, spreading you wide, he grinned.

“There is no God here, Only me.”

Your body bucked as he lapped at your cunt.

His tongue was freezing, like a twin popsicle.

The thrill of it against your heated folds was unlike anything you’d ever experienced.

Walter swept your nub, catching the sensitive tip, his canine prinking the delicate skin, the pulling sensation forcing you to orgasm with a jolt.

He lashed your clit recklessly, licking between the swollen lips.

A thumb replaced his tongue, swiping, while he pushed two digits in, puncturing the other thigh.

He tore orgasm after orgasm from you, alternating his hand and mouth at your core, blood and slick staining his beard, running rivulets down your legs.

Body limp, arms numb, your head fell forward.

Despite the crisp Autumn air you were drenched in sweat.

You felt Walter’s cock at your entrance.

“Please no, no…”

He ignored your pleas, wrapping your legs around his hips, his hands supporting your ass.

In one violent shove he impaled you.

His cock was huge, cold, unyielding as granite, stretching you beyond reason.

Walter gave you no time to adjust, thrusting with preternatural speed.

“It hurts….plea….please stop..”

Capturing a nipple, he pierced your breast.

It seemed like eternities passed, your body ragged out and torn, drained.

You fought the twelfth impending orgasm that now brought more pain than pleasure.

“I WILL NOT BE DENIED.”

The command echoed in your head.

Your nerve endings fired, sending tendrils of ecstasy outward.

Every sense was heightened, dissolving you into a delirious mess of longing.

Keening, you tightened your legs, desperate to force him deeper.

He pistoned faster, nipping and sucking your exposed flesh.

“NO..NO..NO..,” You wailed, unsure if it was in denial of the impending crash or a last ditch effort to save your soul.

Tremors built in your belly.

Walter’s fingers found your nub, circling the tender flesh.

You came with a gut wrenching cry, body shaking with uncontrollable spasms.

Barely conscious, you felt his hips falter.

With a grunt, Walter came, slamming into you as he rode out the tremors.

Vaguely you wondered at the warm liquid filling you up, dripping from your center.

The image flitted away, brain recoiling at the possibilities.

Gently he freed your arms, gathering you close.

An unfamiliar electricity clawed along your veins.

He kissed your forehead.

“Sleep. Later we will visit your companions.”

Your eyelids heavy, visions of writhing bodies bathed in blood danced behind them.

An awful, unholy hunger grew.

@fanfic-fangirl @caffiend-queen @americasass81 @lokislastlove @ironlady1993 @nildespirandum @jennmurawski13 @xoxabs88xox @imanuglywombat @starynighty @sapphirescrolls @xsapphirescrollsx @momc95 @sagechanoafterdark @jtargaryen18 @demonsandpieohmy @dangertoozmanykids101 @lizzystuffsthings @shikin83 @km-ffluv @punemy-spotted @sinceimetyou @rustytricycle @imdarkinme @titty-teetee @saiyanprincessswanie @littlefreya

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gohre · 8 months

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ㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ 𝔴𝔢𝔩𝔠𝔬𝔪𝔢 𝔱𝔬 𝔥𝔢𝔩𝔩 ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ㅤ 3:33 ━━━━◉─────── 6:66 ↻ ㅤㅤ◁ㅤㅤ❚❚ㅤㅤ▷ㅤㅤ↺

ㅤ ㅤ ⁽ 𝖎. ⁾ ⸻ ⅋ GOHRE ;

𝚊𝚗 𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚎 , 𝚖𝚞𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕𝚜 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚖𝚞𝚕𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚛𝚙 𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚐 𝚋��𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚞𝚕𝚝𝚒𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚏𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚖𝚜 ⅋⅋ 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊𝚗 𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚊𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚌𝚛𝚘𝚜𝚜𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜. 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚋𝚢 𝔫𝔦𝔠. 𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚋𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚜 ⅋⅋ 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚊 𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚝𝚘𝚛 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢. 𝚎𝚡𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚕𝚘𝚠 𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚒𝚝𝚢. 𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝚍𝚘 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝 𝚒𝚏 𝚠𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚖𝚞𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕𝚜 , 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞.

ᵇˡᵒᵍ ᶠᵉᵃᵗᵘʳᵉˢ: 𝘳𝘰𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘢 𝘻𝘰𝘳𝘰 , 𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘺 , 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘯 , 𝘬𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦 , 𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘰𝘥 ⅋⅋ 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴.

𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬: carrd | usft sb | starter calls 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐬: elena gilbert 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐞: bonnie bennett, stefan salvatore, dean winchester, harley quinn, aragorn & katherine pierce

alaric saltzman ⸻ pedro pascal 35 tvdu arwen undomiel ⸻ liv tyler ageless tolkien bonnie bennett ⸻ kat graham 18 supernatural damon salvatore ⸻ tbd 25/178 tvdu (hc only) dean winchester ⸻ jensen ackles 26-32 walking dead eddie munson ⸻ joseph quinn 20 fear street elijah mikaelson ⸻ daniel gillies ??/1k tvdu eowyn dernhelm ⸻ miranda otto n/a tolkien evan buckley ⸻ oliver stark 23 fear street harleen quinzel ⸻ margot robbie 28-30 batman hayley marshall ⸻ phoebe tonkin 18-25 teen wolf jack kline ⸻ alexander calvert unknown supernatural jenna sommers ⸻ sara canning 26 tvdu katherine pierce ⸻ nina dobreva 18/536 supernatural klaus mikaelson ⸻ joseph morgan ??/1k tvdu matt donovan ⸻ rudy pankow 19 fear street pamela eisley ⸻ tbd 29-32 batman roronoa zoro ⸻ mackenyu 21 one piece live action rowena macleod ⸻ ruth connell unknown supernatural ruby ⸻ florence pugh unknown supernatural selina kyle ⸻ tbd 26-30 batman stiles stilinski ⸻ dylan o'brien 18 teen wolf stefan salvatore ⸻ tbd 17/171 tvdu tauriel greyfawn ⸻ evangeline lilly ageless tolkien

#ㅤ ㅤ ⁽ 𝖎. ⁾ ⸻ ⅋ 𝒢𝒪𝐻𝑅𝐸 ; pinned post.

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kattythingz · 1 month

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Oh, and fair warning, I seem to recall you asking for this

Finally had time to watch fma03 and holy cow, the nina arc is killing me. I hate that I know what's gonna happen to her since I watched brotherhood first but in 03 they spend so much more time with her and she's so adorable.. I'm on episode 7 right now and I can already tell that 03 is gonna be so much sadder and darker than brotherhood.

Also the way that Ed and Al just happen upon little kids and declare themselves their big brothers is so adorable and it emphasizes the fact that Ed and Al are kids too.. 03 has me rolling and slamming my fist on the ground, Kat, it's so good you don't understand. The storylines that got one episode in brotherhood get more time in 03 and it really tugs at the heart strings. Nina's voice is so adorable and the way that they press the subject of Nina's mom makes me wanna hug her.. In the happy little world in my head Nina lived, Tucker burned in the hottest depths of hell, and Ed and Ling adopted her! Happily ever after the end!

"you don't understand" how DARE. YOU TAKE THAT BACK. 03 IS MY CHILD, MY ENTIRE WORLD. But yeah the Nina arc is a sucker punch of the worst kind. It only gets worse from thereon too. This is why we can't have good things, sigh.

ALSO HELL YEAH TO EDLING ADOPTING HER. Nina is my go-to edling adopted child in any au where she's alive for long enough, like in my Hamilton au. I am CONVINCED Ed would've made that little girl an Elric if she'd lived past canon. That was his LITTLE SISTER your honor. I miss them fr ;w;

#katmail #fma

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zalrb · 1 year

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Is it just me or is Elena/Katherine’s looks exaggerated way too much

Like obvi they’re attractive and Nina is v pretty but with how much the doppelgänger’s looks were verbally discussed and used in the show, you’d think they would have casted someone with a diff look

Nina is v pretty but I didn’t find her more beautiful than Candice or Jenna in tvd yet the show pointed out Elena’s appearance much more like Elijah saying the lovely Elena every two sec and Damon calling K beautiful all the time and with so many men falling for them for no particular reason, you’d think the beauty of the Doppelgängers being said over and over would lead to a person who’s uncommonly beautiful

Like I always thought Nina was pretty and all but then again she did get the best dresses and makeup and even then it wasn’t like where I saw kat graham and would think oh lord she’s gorgeous and unreal.. yet no one seems to mention how beautiful Bonnie was whereas the other females (Nina and Candice) had men existing just to fawn over them

Part of this is Tvd and it’s mistreatment of Bonnie and part of it is also casting like I feel like any other generic girl might have been Elena just as well (but they would not have been as great with Paul chemistry wise) … like kat could have been a realistic doppelgänger with this great beauty and she has the acting and charisma to portray the center of the mystic falls group and a vulnerable teen girl. She also would have worked better with Ian but not as well with Paul admittedly

For me, it was less about the physical appearance and more about charisma, I've spoken about this quite a few times specifically for Katherine where I’m like I should see her actively seducing and destroying mens’ lives, like it’s not enough to just show love scenes, I should see how and why they become obsessed with her because her playing tag twice

isn’t enough for me.

And like when she comes back in season 2 and she’s kind of giggly and bratty

and not taking things seriously

i get that but she’s framed as this Great Seductress or this Beautiful Pure Soul Before She Was The Great Seductress that men get obsessed with and die for and kill for

and I’m like is she tho?

like in Gossip Girl all the boys ever fawning over Serena always made me roll my eyes but I understood it more because I was like Serena is virtually all hair with no personality but she's supposed to be charismatic and bright and so-totally-hot-but-down-to-earth-and-cool and Blake delivered on that so I got in a very basic way why the boys would be like SERENA

in terms of Elena, I actually don’t remember her being referred to as beautiful and pretty a lot, like I remember when Stefan calls her beautiful and Damon says something like “what’s going on in that beautiful little head of yours” or whatever it was and there are moments like in 3x14 when she walks into the ballroom and it’s supposed to be this epic moment because she looked so beautiful in her dress but Caroline has that moment in 4x19, the only one who never gets that moment is Bonnie and there’s an entire masterlist explaining why even though Kat is gorgeous and would outshine the others if she’d been given the chance.

But again for me, it was more everybody loves Elena and I want to know why. I have a post in the masterlist like I get why Stefan loves her, but why Matt? Why Kelly? What does she actually do for this.

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guess-my-next-obsession · 4 months

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i'm a little (A LOT) late to this, but i still wanna wish you a HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY!!!!! i wish you get all the experiences you crave this year and all the creative energy to do the things you love the most! i hope it's the most magical one yet! 💜 also, i've seen your reblog so now the interrogation starts. i hope you're prepared. the overhead lamp is on, as well, just so you know. we're all professionals here. no messing around. my questions for you, dear kat, are: 1) what is your most favourite thing that you've ever written? 2) if you could live in one of the worlds you have created in your beautiful writing, what world would you choose? 3) what inspires you to write? 4) do you have a comfort song? or a movie? what about a painting? 5) how does it feel to be ridiculously talented and incredibly kind and such a cutie?

first off—I LOVE YOU. 🫶🏼

now onto the interrogation! and i’m glad we’re being professionals about this, detective. everyone knows how strictly business i am …

1) my favorite thing i’ve ever written is probably Ivy & Stone or my current WIP Starlight !! both, at least in my opinion, are the only series that i’ve walked away feeling 100% proud of. i think they show the most of me in them, and it’s the best writing i’ve ever done (and i lose sleep over whether or not it’s good enough to try and publish)

2) i love this question !!!! okay so ideally i’d live in a happy little warm domestic bubble with Elementary!Joel, but in reality i’m too dark and twisty for all that so maybe Starlight as long as i have some sick ass magic?? maybe Plastic Hearts as long dieter and i don’t destroy each other entirely?? maybe Ivy & Stone as long as i don’t get typhoid fever staying cramped up in frankie’s cottage??

3) all the little characters and scenes and my endless stream of thought and my need for escapism!! if i didn’t write, i think i’d actually plunge into insanity 🥰 but inspo wise, music does a lot for me! i’ve always deeply associated music and my writing, and there’s always a couple easter eggs thrown in courtesy of whatever playlist i’ve made for the story.

4) i have all three! my comfort movie’s vary but the rotation is usually the Twilight saga, anything with Paul Newman in it, and Stepbrothers for the nostalgia. my comfort songs are seven by Taylor Swift bc ✨ trauma and girlhood ✨, You’ve Got to Learn by Nina Simone because HEARTBREAK, and He Stopped Loving Her Today by George Jones because (sad warning) it always reminds me of my mom and i like to play it when the grief hits me because it makes it feel like i’m five again sitting on her lap. and my comfort painting is always always always Monet’s Water Lillies and i’ve never known why, seeing it just feels like a warm hug.

5) the imposter syndrome/self-deprecation is SCREAMING right now but thank you, i adore you, i am glad to exist here in this space with you, and believe deeply in my core that everything you believe i am you are that multiplied by infinity.

thank you for this message, thank you for existing, I LOVE U I LOVE U I LOVE UUUUU 🤍🤍🤍

#gmno asks #i live and die for these interactions #anon you have my heart and soul

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sapphiredhearts-a · 1 year

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hello! this is not meant to be a bother, but i was wondering if you happened to have a list of fcs for your muses or if you’d be willing to type one out? again very much not trying to be a bother or anything just honestly curious and would like to know!

hi friend !! not a bother at all !! almost all of my fcs are different from canon so it's probably hard to keep up ! I have a lot of muses so I'll add it under the cut ! I've been away from tumblr for a long time so if you see something that isn't super accurate please don't hesitate to let me know !! I relied real heavily on rph resources & tried to google search as much as possible but I know it's not always the best & I wanna stay true to what I can !! also pls forgive the non-formatting the list is long & I am literally copy & pasting this . ( also also if anyone's name is misspelled it's literally because I wrote this as I went & not intentional - some of them may also be abbreviated I can't remember if I went back & fixed it )

twilight

jacob black - blair redford

isbaella swan - maia mitchell

edward cullen - christopher briney

emmett cullen - adam dimarco

esme cullen - sadie sink

serena ( hybrid ) - dove cameron

sam uley - marlon teixeira

seth clearwater - booboo stewart

paul lahote - alex meraz

the hunger games

katniss everdeen - devery jacobs

peeta mellark - froy gutierrez

lucy gray - rachel zegler

finnick odair - gavin casalegno

annie cresta - lola tung

vampire academy/ bloodlines

adrian ivashkov - thomas doherty

sydney sage - sydney sweeney

eddie castile - josh hutcherson

charmed

piper halliwell - zendaya

phoebe halliwell - whitney peak

leo wyatt - jacob elordi

cole turner - michael trevino

one tree hill

brooke davis - olivia rodrigo

nathan scott - tyler posey

haley james - alba baptista

julian baker - douglas booth

peyton sawyer - penelope mitchell

f.r.i.e.n.d.s.

monica gellar - lana condor

chandler bing - dylan o'brien

joey tribbiani - rege jean page

phoebe buffay - lili reinhart

blair waldorf - leighton meester

nate archibald - chace crawford

serena van der woodsen - blake lively

the host

wanderer - kat mcnamara / tanaya beatty

ian o'shea - luke pasqualino

jared howe - theo james

original characters

analeigh ateara - fivel stewart

josie baker - natalia dyer

daisy fairstone - adelaide kane

salem cromwell - nina dobrev

tda

julian blackthorn - daniel sharman

a court of thorns & roses

feyre archeron - danielle rose russell

rhysand - matthew daddario

disney

david 'gordo' gordon ( lizzie mcguire ) - alberto rosende

miley stewart ( hannah montana ) - miley cyrus

rose ( american dragon jake long ) - madelyn cline

sharpay evans ( hsm ) - sabrina carpenter

alex fielding ( twitches ) - halle bailey

nicholas sparks

allie hamilton ( the notebook ) - abigail cowen

noah calhoun ( the notebook ) - logan lerman

will blakelee ( the last song ) - noah centineo

#☾ ` out of my mind ; ooc post .

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cherienymphe · 1 year

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It’s that image of Tyler staring Bonnie down that gets me. He used to deliver them looks and suddenly I was in love with him. He’s not faking at all!

Michael Trevino is an attractive man for sure. Of the popular love interests, Damon was the only one who did it for me 100% of the time. Outside of him I found myself really invested in Jeremy and Tyler. Kol was not a love interest but him too. Honestly I would've loved to have been a fly on the wall during early TVD filming days like-

That video of Steven R McQueen flirting with Kat from behind the camera lives in my brain rent free. Nina and Ian were just becoming a thing. All the sexy bts photos with the vamp eyes and teeth. I can't get that invested in tv show casts like that again 😭 those days are behind me

#asks

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thefaithfulwriter1 · 6 months

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𝐂𝐔𝐏𝐈𝐃 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐏𝐏 (𝟎𝟏. 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍𝐋𝐎𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐏𝐏)

𝐂𝐔𝐏𝐈𝐃 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐏𝐏 | ❝ Not really sure how to feel about it. Something in the way you move. Makes me feel like I can't live without you. It takes me all the way. I want you to stay. ❞ - Rihanna & Mikky Ekko

Summary - When love is true, distances doesn't matter. That was something she read somewhere from the internet. It proves to be true though when she meets two handsome men on a dating app called Cupid Matchmaker App. Two men she never thought would notice her even on a simple dating app. The three soon embark on a journey together finding love in each other, through texting, video calls, calls, and then finally meeting.

Pairing - Taehyung x Fem!Reader x Jungkook

Alternative Universe - Normal Life, Social Media (Sort Of), Tattoo Artist

Warnings - Fluff, Angst, Semi Smut, Language, Mention of Past Sexual Abuse, Poly. Relationship, MxM, MxMxF, FxM, May Add If Needed

Main Characters - 𝐘/𝐧 𝐋/𝐧 - The Shy Painter / Artist, 𝐓𝐚𝐞𝐡𝐲𝐮𝐧𝐠 -Tattoo Artist, 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐤𝐨𝐨𝐤 - Tattoo Artist, 𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐭 & 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 - 𝐍𝐚𝐦𝐣𝐨𝐨𝐧 - The Owner of Tattoo shop, 𝐒𝐞𝐨𝐤𝐣𝐢𝐧 - The Chef, 𝐘𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐢 - The Musician, 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐨𝐤 - The Dance Instructor / Piercer, 𝐉𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧 - Dance Instructor / Tattoo Artist, 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐚 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐬 - (Nina Dobrev -Y/n's Best friend) - Florist, 𝐓𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧 (Kat Graham - Elena's Girlfriend/ Y/n's Friend) - Photographer

Colors. Different shades of colors. Colors like blues, purple, black, and so many more. Your brush was gliding over the canvas as you painted. You had a smile upon your lips. As you watched another line painted across the canvas. It was something you were in control of. Something that you could do whatever you want with it. It gave you the peace and the control you wanted so desperately. But it would have been peaceful if it was quiet. And you would have been able to escape deeper into your imagination.

But you weren't granted with such a thing. You had someone who was in the room with you jabbering on. While you were trying to focus on your painting. But you were still half listening to the person talking. The person you couldn't ignore if you wanted to.

"Come on! Honey, just try it this once. I promise I won't bother you about it anymore after this. Please," your best friend Elena Morris begged you. You were in your art room in your house painting a new piece for a customer. You have been listening to Elena go on and on about you being single for so long for about an hour now. She was making it know, she wanted for you to start mingling and dating. Elena was there with her girlfriend Tiana not that far away.

Who was sitting on the sofa in your art room reading a magazine. She was keeping her nose in the magazine and out of your conversation as she read. Shaking your head you sighed hearing Elena. She wanted you to try out a dating app. Which was where she had met Tiana. The two of them having been together for a year now. A quarter of it started out with text out over the app that Elena was trying to get you to use. You couldn't deny that they were adorable, and you were ecstatic for them. But you just didn't want to date for reasons that Elena didn't understand.

"Elena, will you stop it. I don't want to date. Can't you get that through your thick skull girl. Tiana help me. Get your girlfriend," you sighed with a laugh. Putting the brush down you wiped your hands on the apron you were wearing. As you turned to Elena, giving her your full attention now putting your hands on your hips. Your black apron having paint smears and stains on it.

You were beginning to become frustrated though with your best friend. Because she didn't understand you were... scared. More so she couldn't tell that you were scared. You haven't told her you were scared to date or have any sort of relationship. You were scared to get that close with someone. But your attention was pulled from Elena. Who had her hands together in a begging motion as she gave you her best puppy dog eyes. Tiana, though hearing you, turned to you and began speaking.

"All I have to say on the matter is that you should try it once. YOLO. You only live once. If you don't like it, all well at least you could say you tried it. You know, and you never know what will happen. That is all I have to say on the matter," Tiana chuckled as she watched Elena. Who had a wide smile upon her face hearing her girlfriend agree with her. As Tiana put her magazine down looking from you to Elena with a smile. A sigh left you though hearing her words. As you slapped your hand against your head gently with a shake of your head. You understood where Tiana was coming from. You also knew Elena just wanted to see you happy.

"I'm scared to date. Okay! I don't want to get close to anyone or it's along the lines I'm afriad to. Plus I don't know if anyone will take their time with me. With everything you know, " you grunted. As you rubbed at your temples. You were so done with the conversation all together. You didn't want to date. But you finally told them why you didn't want to. And it was as if a weight was lifted off your shoulders, as you took deep breaths.

But your friends didn't seem to understand. But now that you said it maybe they'll back off. But that wasn't the case. You were soon slowly engulfed in a hug by Elena. While Tiana put down her magazine walking over to you both and joining the hug. You were tense at first but soon relaxed in their hold as you sighed.

"You can't always cut people off because you're scared Y/n. You got to open up. Take chances... make mistakes. Take a chance at love. You never know what may happen like Tiana said. Honey," Elena whispered to you. As she hugged you and Tiana tightly. She knew some of your troubles but not all of them. She and you had promised each other a long time ago you two would always be there for one another. Which you two haven't broken yet. The next thing the two of you heard was Tiana speaking.

"Like I said Y/n, you only live once. Life's too short. Elena's right though take a chance. It'll give you a chance to say I at least tried. But also do it because you want to not because of us, alright. Plus if you meet someone and they're the right someone they'll take all the time you need. They'll also accept you for who you are," Tiana chimed in from her spot behind you. As she unwrapped her arms from you. You sent her a small smile with a sigh.

Before thinking it over again.

You were scared to date and be close to anyone for a couple of reasons. One, you didn't want to deal with putting so much effort in a relationship and have them walk away. Which has happened many times before and you weren't even in a relationship with the people. You were afraid to become attached to the person and have them leave. Which you were a person who doesn't get attached at first but once you do it becomes hard for you to let them go.Then, you didn't want to deal with being the only one putting any effort in the relationship only to have it one sided. Again that has happened to you before.

But then there was also the thing with you and being touched. You didn't know how to initiate skinship. You didn't like being touched unless you were aware of the person touching you. Also you have never had anything with intimacy happen to you ever. After a few incidents happened when you were younger, you shied away from such things, and became the way you are now today. Scared of dating, along with touch, and pretty much everything that came with a relationship. But then again like Tiana said you only live once. Maybe you should give it a try. And maybe just maybe you'll find the right person. So with a shake of your head and muttering under your breath 'can't believe I'm going to do this.' You look at Elena and Tiana and nod your head then begin to speak.

"I can't believe I'm agreeing to this but fine. I'll try this so-called dating app. But you two owe me big time," you agreed. As you agreed with the plan. Elena was soon squealing as she stepped away from you. As she jumped up and down clapping her hands her hair bounced as she did. She was so excited and was hoping for the best for you. All she wanted was for her best friend to be happy. Sighing, you looked at her and couldn't help but send her a smile. She had always been there for you ever since you met on a website when you both were in your teens. Bonding over your love for tv shows and movies. And when you two met you were inseparable ever since.

"Yes! Okay let me help you with your profile. Let me help you get ready for the love of your life. I have so many good feelings about this. Come on! Come on," she exclaimed. As she grabbed your hand and started to drag you out of the art room. You were not having it though. That was one thing you wanted to do on your own. Set up the app and start your own profile. You wanted to put your own self into this app with no help. You shook your head trying to stop her. Though Elena was small she was strong as she dragged you. But she was soon stopped by Tiana. Who had seen your pleading look and wanted to help you. Taking your hand from Elena's with an amused smile.

"Thank you Tiana. And Ah! Ah! Ah! I want to do that on my own Elena," you informed Elena. As you turned to Tiana, sending her a thankful nod. She sent you one back before pulling Elena into her arms. Hearing this caused Elena to pout as she fell into Tiana's arms. As she crossed her arms. Her having wanted to help you with your profile. Shaking your head you giggled at her antics.

"You want me to do this. And I actually want to try and do this. But... I want to try and do this on my own. Which means the whole profile thing and talking to these people on my own. But I will ask you guys for help if I need it though," you explained to the two. As you rubbed at you arm with a bashful smile. You were hoping that they understood where you were coming from.

"Okay! Okay... I get it. We'll let you do this on your own. But you better call or text if you need anything. And when I say anything I mean anything alright Y/n," Elena ordered softly of you. As she pointed to you accusingly. Smiling, you nodded with another giggle. You just couldn't help yourself with how Elena was acting.

"Alright it's about time for us to go babe. Lets leave Y/n to it with her work. Later just text or give us a call if you need anything okay Y/n," Tiana said. As she looked at the time on her phone. Pulling Elena with her along the way out the door. Once upon a time you and Elena used to be roommates. But when things began to get serious with Tiana she moved out. Which you were sad at first but accepted. Chuckling you followed and watched as the two let themselves out. With the two of them shouting goodbye as they put their shoes and coats on. Before heading out the door with smiles and waves.

As they left you shut and lock the door. Before going back to your art room to finish painting. As you painted your tried to get lost in your work and escape into your own little world that was your art. But you could never really fully immerse yourself into your little world. Which caused you to sigh in aggravation. Because you couldn't fully escape and you couldn't get over the nagging feeling. The feeling that came with this dating app that Elena and Tiana wanted you to try. Though you were overly nervous over the whole thing. There was a small excited feeling that washed over you, every time you thought of the idea of finding your person.

Shaking your head you placed your paint brush down. You figured that you would stop for the day and clean up. Which took some time with cleaning up the paint and brushes. You soon took the painting over for it to dry and not get messed up. But then you soon walked out of the art room and took a shower cleaning yourself up.

Once done you went to your room and looked for your phone. Having left it in your room while you were working. Not wanting to get distracted. It had been a couple hours since Elena and Tiana had left. When you finally got to your phone you saw a few messages from customers and buyers.

Then there was one that caught your eyes. It was from Elena, she had sent you a link to the app with a winking emoji. It was called Cupid Matchmaker App. Which caused you to roll you eyes at her but soon smile. Clicking the link you waited for it to load as you climbed into your bed getting comfortable. You then looked at your phone seeing the app had loaded. Looking at it you breathed trying to gain the courage to download the app. The icon was purple with hearts on it.

- 𝙲𝚄𝙿𝙸𝙳 𝙼𝙰𝚃𝙲𝙷𝙼𝙰𝙺𝙴𝚁 𝙰𝙿𝙿 -

𝘿𝙊𝙒𝙉𝙇𝙊𝘼𝘿...

𝘠𝘌𝘚 𝘰𝘳 𝘕𝘖

Breathing in a deep breath you then sigh and click yes.

After answering questions you then begin to build and make your profile. Setting up a few pictures of you along with your artwork. You were soon interrupted by your vast black Maine Coon cat named Shadow. Who decided to jump on your bed laying down next to you. A smile took over your lips as you decided to put up a picture of you and Shadow on your profile.

Giggling you ran your hand over his fur which granted you a loud purr from him. Smiling with a giggle you turned your attention to your phone and began to look over the pictures you uploaded. You then sigh as you get nervous when seeing your 'About Me' blank. Taking a moment to think you put a few things in the description box then clicked for it to upload. You then started the long night of swiping on your phone and talking to people.

#taehyung x reader #jungkook x reader #bts fanfic #bts imagines #bts x reader #bts scenarios #tattoo!taehyung #tattoo!jungkook #tattoo au #tattoo!tae #social media au #texting au

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the-vampire-queer · 7 months

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The Vampires Digital Media Poll: Round 1, Bracket 4

Please reblog for a bigger sample size.

Results get posted on December 10th. at 5PM CST.

<- Previous poll | Next poll ->

If you wish to learn more about your options, either as a refresher or an introduction, press the "Keep reading" button.

What is The Vampire Diaries (+ The Originals + Legacies) about?

Source: The Vampire Diaries

Cast:

Nina Dobrev - Elena Gilbert (TVD)

Ian Somerhalder - Damon Salvatore (TVD)

Paul Wesley - Stefan Salvatore (TVD)

Candice King - Caroline Forbes (TVD)

Kat Graham - Bonnie Bennett (TVD)

Note: Cast lists provided here are not complete lists of people and characters featured in the media being listed. These are partial lists that include some of the main characters and their actors.

Additional information: The Vampire Diaries show is based on the books of the same name by L. J. Smith. Lots was changed in the book-to-show transfer. Some fans prefer the show over the books.

What is V Wars about?

Summary: "A doctor is pitted against his best friend when an ancient disease turns people into vampires; from the comics by Jonathan Maberry and Alan Robinson." Source: Rotten Tomatoes

Cast:

Ian Somerhalder - Dr. Luther Swann

Adrian Holmes - Michael Fayne

Kyle Breitkopf - Desmond Swann

Jacky Lai - Kaylee Vo

Note: Cast lists provided here are not complete lists of people and characters featured in the media being listed. These are partial lists that include some of the main characters and their actors.

Additional information: The V Wars tv show is based off of the comics of the same name. This show also features Vampire Diaries actor Ian Somerhalder, known for playing Damon Salvatore.

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bookandcover · 2 years

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I skipped directly to reading this book after watching the Shadow and Bone show on Netflix. The show felt a bit “young” to me (Alina’s hero’s journey, the seduction of the Darkling), although the world-building is great, but on episode 2 I fell head over heels in love with the Crows: Kaz, Inej, and Jesper are each so lovely, funny, edgy, and real. Reading the source text made me appreciate how much care these actors put into the details of each of their characters. I was also charmed by the Nina and Matthias plot line and when I realized that the Six of Crows features them teaming up with Kaz’s crew, I was thrilled. The book is great—a lively romp, stuffed to the brim with fun dialogue—yet it still creates space to give characters their backstories and their quiet moments. I believe these characters: their desperation, their wounds that cannot be easily healed, their insecurities and their genius, the cracks in their armor. I believe their roles in their world: they are continuously underestimated (at the peril of the estimators), in large part because of their ages.

This is a big change in the casting of the show—to age the characters up 10 years—and I’ve seen others discussing this online. While I appreciate the added layer of raw desperation inherent in the story when the Crows are a group of teenagers, I think the biggest risk in aging up the group is that pieces of the plot that rely on the Crows being perceived as teenagers (Van Eck discounts them, Pekka Rollins dismisses them, Jarl Brum’s treatment of both Nina and Matthias relies on their youth in the book). The Crows interactions with adults shift in meaning, given the context of their youth. I’m sorry to miss that piece (or curious to see how it changes the Crows’ roles in the TV series), but I think, in essence, they’ve cast such excellent actors as these characters. I believe in them and in their ragtag, found-family chemistry.

Let’s take a minute to wax poetic about Kat Brekker. I love him. I love fictional characters with moral grey area, and Kaz Brekker is one of the most unapologetically morally grey characters I’ve ever read—Leigh Bardugo commits to his character not having a redemption arc. I’m so glad for that. I love Kaz’s furious wit, his quickness, his insecurity for which he beats himself up. I love his reliance on Inej and his frustration at this “weakness.” I love his quiet swagger, his unique look (precise, buttoned up, gloved, walking stick in hand) and how these details are both essential ties to his past and perceived affectations. The actor playing him in the show has such excellent eyebrows. The fictional character’s complexity around touch—and how he both accepts and struggles against his trauma related to contact with and proximity to other human beings’ bodies—is well-developed. In his “differentness,” Kaz is relatable. He longs for love, even while he knows he cannot express or experience it in any kind of “normal” way. He’s very different than Eugenides or Chrestomanci, but it feels like a blessing to find characters like these that you fall for fully and completely.

As much as I adore Kaz, I love and respect Inej for her insistence that she deserves more. Even though she can have so much more from Kaz than he can offer anyone else, Kaz’s “more” is still dramatically less than Inej knows she needs. Her unwillingness to sell herself short, to have a relationship with Kaz that is only a sketched approximation of what she wants, is admirable and powerful. Her quiet strength, her faith, shines throughout this book. She’s talented and someone who grows dramatically to believe in herself too (Kaz saw in her the dangerous girl, and she becomes that, and then she keeps growing past Kaz). I think her character was my favorite to read in the book (compared to seeing the TV show) because so much of her is quiet, internal, and complex. Viewing her motivations, her self-awareness, her sense of purpose was one of my favorite aspects of reading the book (the scene where she climbs the hot chimney and reckons with herself, understands what will guide her, and what lights her with purpose, will stay with me).

Jesper, too, is so much more than the one-dimensional, whimsical, happy-go-lucky risk-taker. We start to see below the surface in the show, and I sensed the complexity in Jesper, and I hope the show in the second season continues to make more of his character’s depth. Jesper not so much as battles his addiction (adrenaline junky, in many forms) as gets in touch with it, knows when his body is drawing him beyond sense and logic. His need to belong thrums along underneath his banter and his bravado. His relationship with Kaz—his desire to be close with Kaz—falls into an incredible grey area at the crossroads of friendship, brotherhood, and romance. The way Kaz always falls short (for both Inej and Jesper, who tell each other “you’re too good for him”) is poignant in the contrast between how Kaz sees Inej and Jesper…Does Kaz see Jesper? Jesper often feels too seen by Kaz, who thinks and moves ahead of the rest of the gang, and feels played by him. But does Kaz see the Jesper who loves him? Love is the area of Kaz’s blindness.

In many ways, Matthias and Nina are both more straight-forward than the other Crows. Their wider worldview drives them. They are both trying to overcome, challenge, and contextualize their upbringing. Matthias’s struggle to shake off the indoctrination of his youth into a culture of violence, racism, and sexism is such an interesting plot arc. In our world today, we see many young people internalizing value systems like the one Matthias internalizes when raised among the Fjerdans to become a Grisha-hunting drüskelle. Watching Matthias progressively question, reject, and try to re-learn everything is poignant. Everyone is capable of change, his story reminds us, but changing yourself takes real work. It doesn’t happen over night. Nina’s strength parallels Matthias, but her shaken faith is narrower, more focused on him specifically and her willingness to trust him completely, in spite of his background and his identity. The two of them overcome a cosmic gap between their peoples. It feels like the most classic love story in this book. The other Crows’ love for each other flows through as much grey area and nuance as possible (Inej is just an investment, Kaz?!)

While Six of Crows gives us more of Jesper’s eyes on Kaz than anyone else, the shift toward Wylan has begun. Wylan sparks Jesper’s curiosity, his protective nature. On the surface, Jesper is scathing about Wylan’s comfortable background. But does this disparagement come from Jesper’s deeply buried fear? Never fully included, a slight step behind Kaz and Inej, Jesper cuts at Wylan’s weaknesses like he might cut at his own. Satisfyingly, Wylan has way more backbone than Jesper expected. He’s small and cute and unassuming, but he’s honest and smart, and—in an appealing way—so much more sure of who he is than Jesper is sure of himself. All these things make Wylan a compelling match for Jesper, someone who Jesper thinks at first he’ll like to tease, but will quickly realize he has ingrained way too deeply for Jesper to cut his losses and run. Unlike Kaz, Wylan is not damaged beyond repair. I have a lot of faith in Wylan and Jesper being able to “make it” in a way that seems beyond the realm of possibility for Kaz and Inej. Wylan is grounded and Jesper longs to be, but can’t seem to find his way back to stability. I’m so excited to read the second book!

The plot of this book, the development of the magical heist, the piecing together of all the details of the world (which I felt dropped into the thick of—perhaps an effect of this being a spin off of Shadow and Bone, but also, I think, just the effect of good fantasy writing) all works well. But the real heart of this book is the characters and their interactions. The plot takes a backseat to their dialogue, their development, their backstories—or, at least, it’s a tool for these things, to enhance and reveal them. In that way, this book isn’t quite the high level of political intrigue or mystery I’ve experienced with the strongest plotted books in this genre (The Thief series remains my permanent gold standard), but I’m here for the characters. I’d take a bullet for any of them.

#six of crows #leigh bardugo #shadow and bone #fantasy reads #good books #found family trope #beloved characters #8/26 books

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