#she uses her uniqueness to interpret magic in new ways

[alicenpai]

believing is your magic! i made buttons for one of my favourite manga rn! ✨ in my store! 🖋

[bestworstcase]

Hello! I’ve enjoyed reading your rwby analysis posts, especially the things you’ve had to say about Penny. The amount of care you put into thinking and writing about her is great. I’m curious what you thought about Penny getting turned into a human, because… I personally really didn’t like it. It just really hurt me that after she was attacked repeatedly because she was built differently, that the solution to that was to remove everything which was different/unique about her and make her “normal.” And then have the actual physical representation of her differences violently die and then be obliterated like they were some horrible, hideous thing.

A good chunk of her story seemed to revolve around being just as much a person as anyone else even though she had a body that worked differently. And I sure did relate to that irl! But then turning Penny human seemed to send the message that Penny could only actually be a full and happy person (such as immediately discovering how wonderful hugs feel) if she was normal. I want to believe I’m taking that scene the wrong way, but… I’m not sure how else I can interpret what happened. So yeah, I’m curious what you think! I’ll be interested to read your thoughts, whatever they may be.

ooh, well, i’m not keen on the way the fandom writ large interprets the scene (as ‘penny became human’/‘penny became real’) and i like how it was done because imo it is really NOT framed as a positive transformation?

there’s an element of relief and joy to it of course—because everyone’s glad that penny survived this ordeal with the virus—but, as you say, the self-destruction of her robotic body is a big focal point of the scene and it is done in a very horrifying way, with the camera moving between penny’s POV as she watches it happen and her robotic body’s POV as it desperately tries to reach her before succumbing to the virus. and penny herself is profoundly disturbed by the experience—she’s not happy to be ‘free’ of that body at all, and ruby hesitantly asks if she’s alright because penny clearly isn’t. 

so while penny does then find a small thing to appreciate about her new flesh body and that momentarily alleviates the horror… the tone is very much set by the amount of focus given to penny watching a part of herself die and, after that small burst of joyous relief, watching her old body crumble into ash and flinching away with horror again. 

to me, this reads as a rebuke of how flippant yang was about the loss—“the mechanical parts are just extra,” except penny’s body isn’t truly equivalent to a prosthetic, right? that’s just her body. 

it’s not all she is, but it’s also a lot more like the arm yang lost than it is like the prosthetic yang got afterwards. penny loses a core part of her identity…

…which is reinforced later, inside the portal, when penny is taken off guard by the abrupt realization that she no longer has floating array. weapons are a fundamental part of huntsmen identity, seen and understood as “extensions of our selves,” and penny’s is literally destroyed by her involuntary transformation—involuntary in the sense that it’s a choice she was forced to make under extreme duress thanks to watts—and she has to recreate that piece of herself with magic.  

and there’s smaller, subtler things wrong, too. i think the amount of focus put on her bare feet is meant to highlight that she does not have thrusters any more—an essential aspect of her natural mobility is just gone, again leaving her dependent on the maiden powers to do something she used to be able to just DO. 

or consider how disoriented she seems right before cinder gets her. in her original body, penny had sophisticated tactical software built into her sensory array which among other things made her virtually immune to emerald’s semblance. she could see infrared light and aura and the tactical analysis program worked much, much faster than any human could keep up with—because her physical brain was a computer! and then she loses that and spends the entire fight mainly getting clobbered and then struggles to keep track of what’s even happening when cinder gates her off from her allies!

her new body is healthy and whole by human standards, but measured against what penny had before… the narrative gives, like, a LOT of attention to signaling that penny has been measurably disabled in a multitude of ways. if she wasn’t also the winter maiden—& bear in mind that penny only became the winter maiden BECAUSE of what her original robotic body could do!—penny would have been rendered utterly helpless by this transformation. no weapon, no flying, in a much more fragile and vulnerable body that could feel pain. (think about how much screaming she does during that final fight, compared to the time she gets flung several blocks by a grimm so hard there’s an impact crater and she’s like “ouch! :)” about it)

and obv, that fragile new body is the only reason cinder was able to kill her at all. i think that’s sort of the point: penny did the equivalent of *barely* surviving a debilitating illness, went from her sickbed to a battlefield, tried to fight like that, and died because she in a state of extreme physical vulnerability due to recent illness. that’s why all of her friends were so insistent that she not participate in the fight—she wasn’t ready to be fighting! if she’d lived, she would have needed to spend quite a long time recovering, learning and accepting her new limitations, and training within those new limits.

so, to me? the narrative framing of the transformation feels somber, with “she lived! it worked!” being the silver lining on what is otherwise a tragic outcome. watts infected her with this brutal, horrific virus and the only way to save her life was to sacrifice a fundamental part of her self, in this acutely traumatizing way. i think the fandom collectively sort of tunnel visioned on the pinocchio narrative of ‘becoming a real girl’* to such a degree that the bittersweet framing and the underlying horror of what happened to her gets widely overlooked. and i don’t think those tragic/horrific notes are there by accident—the narrative puts quite a lot of emphasis on them, and deliberately bookends the joy of “do hugs always make you feel this warm?” with those moments of intense horror with the violent death and then destruction of her robotic body. 

(*something that… really isn’t a prominent theme with penny?, because her struggle with personhood is centered on how *other people* treat her like an object and i would argue her pinocchio ‘becoming a real boy’ moment is actually her acceptance of the maiden power—not because that ‘proves’ she’s a person or whatever, but because it’s a moment of emotional self-actualization where she chooses to do the right thing according to her own judgment instead of mindlessly following orders like the puppet ironwood expects her to be. it’s symbolic! & that gets called back to explicitly by winter, later, with “you were *always* the real maiden, i was the machine,” the ‘realness’ in the pinocchio narrative here is about emotional authenticity and refusal to sacrifice conscience or heart in the name of following orders.

rwby is… pretty profoundly uninterested in the question of ‘does the robot girl count as a person?’ because it answers that within literal seconds after revealing that she is a robot with an emphatic ‘yes, obviously, she has a soul, zero ambiguity here’ lmao. what it does do is leverage pinocchio to explore themes of dehumanization and personhood within an authoritarian military regime.)

so yeah, that’s how i read that. it’s joyous because she lives but it’s also not a victory earned without grievous loss, and the tragedy is exacerbated because she *does not have time* to catch her breath / process / learn how to live in her new, disabled body before cinder… cinders.

[quibbs126]

I just saw you’re doing parent requests, and I might as well throw my hat into the ring! Can you do your interpretation of Cherry Blossom and Cherry Cookies’ parents? I’m curious to see what kind of parents resulted in such different cookies.

I’m finally done with these two; took some time but I got them down

Okay now I just want to talk about them

So Cherry Powder is a fireworks technician. She’s very smart, probably has a chemical engineering degree, but she chose fireworks just because she likes them and wanted to make them. She’s also very outgoing and energetic

Plum Blossom on the other hand is a florist. She’s very chill and serene, and really likes flowers, to the point of hyperfixation. Though some times she’s a bit too chill and goes along with things she probably shouldn’t because everyone’s enjoying themselves, if that makes sense

They met when Cherry Powder was looking for flowers to use in some new fireworks, and she ended up going to Plum Blossom’s shop to look for some and asking her about flowers that could work for her research. Plum Blossom started excitedly explaining about all sorts of flowers and Cherry Powder excitedly listened to her. Basically their relationship started because they both would and liked to listen to the other’s interests

During the drawing process I considered making Plum Blossom an actress, probably in part due to the current update, but I tried to keep her a florist because it was the fact that she was one why the two met and I really liked that

I'm realizing I may have drawn them looking a bit too young, they're probably at least 40. I guess because I don't really know how to draw older characters (although I think for Cherry Powder it might just be that she looks young). Ah well, I guess this could have been when they're younger

Also, while I didn't draw them, I imagine that there's also a grandma on one side (to complete the Red Riding Hood look that Cherry has going on), and Cherry Powder also has a sister that's Cherry Ball's mom. Also I've decided that basically this entire family, at least on the cherry side, is comprised entirely of women. Don't know why but why not

Oh also, I have their concept sketches, with PB's eyes open. I think I forgot that they wouldn't be seen so I had them closed

So anyways, on to design stuff

So Cherry Powder and Plum Blossom are named after their respective objects, with CP being the cherry (also I believe cherry powder is Cherry's Magic Candy ingredient), and PB being the flower part that Cherry Blossom gets her name from and also not cherry. Also I believe that plum blossoms and cherry blossoms look very similar, so there's that

Cherry powder and plum blossoms:

So I had some amount of an idea for their head designs (Cherry Powder far more than Plum Blossom), but I didn't really know what to do for the outfits. That was the implied struggle at the beginning, I was dealing with that all day

I mean, I think by the end what I got wasn't bad, maybe it's just that the struggle makes me not see them that great

So I made only CP have the eyelashes because for the sisters it's supposed to mimic cherries, which PB isn't

I also made Cherry Powder's hair red because most of the images I could find of the stuff turned out red or pink. But the white streak is supposed to reference Cherry's hair color, maybe she gets it from a grandparent. Also it makes CP more unique looking

Plum Blossom's dress is supposed to reference the actual plum blossoms, but I'm not sure how well I did. Her outfit was what I struggled with the most

I also have no clue how to draw bouquets

To be honest, I noticed somewhere through drawing that typically with the official designs, they reference the Cookie's ingredient multiple times within their design. Like for example here, Cherry Blossom's pigtails, front bang, and pink part of her dress all reference cherry blossoms in some way, and for Cherry, she has her big cherry bombs. And as I stated prior, their eyelashes also reference the stems of cherries, as well as gives them a similarity between each other since they're sisters

I bring this up because I feel like I don't do that enough in my own designs, and I need to do that more. I especially don't like giving my characters objects, at least not anymore, because it's a lot of effort to try and figure out how to implement those and draw those accessories as well. That's why I gave Plum Blossom her bouquet, to at least give her something to hold (though they're not plum blossoms, just generic flowers). I suppose that's something I need to work on

But regardless of what I've been saying about how I'm dissatisfied with them, I do really like these two, and honestly I want to draw more of them, like them kissing or hanging out or just them with their kids

I hope you like them too!

[beezusvreeland]

dear reader - chapter 3

summary: Miguel took the reader’s love and friendship for granted. Something he learns reading her column, when it’s too late…Or is it?

ship: miguel o'hara x f!reader // matt murdock x reader

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Chapter 3

Two weeks passed, but it might as well be an entire lifetime. Edinburgh suited you very well. The cold early mornings that turned into very nice afternoons and ended with you making sure the heater was on for the night. You woke up at the dorms provided by the school, made yourself a nice Earl Grey tea, got ready and walked your way to class. 

You picked a different path every day, but there was no denying that walking by Victoria Street in the Grassmarket area was your favorite way to get to university. It was just so charming: bright colored walls, cobblestones and unique shops. You had even read somewhere that it was the inspiration for Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter books. There really was something magical about that city.

A couple of mornings a week, you had a writing workshop titled “The Self and Others: translating feelings into words”, which you couldn’t even believe was a real thing. There were a few familiar faces in the class, but you were drawn to Jessica Drew, the girl you met on your first day, and a younger kid who she took under her wings called Miles Morales. The three of you would always sit next to each other. It was kind of nice.

The workshop was led by professor Otto Octavious, whose passion for writing was infectious. So much so, that your peers affectionately called him “the last romantic” behind his back. 

“Today is a beautiful day to increase your word count”, the teacher joked, making the class erupt in laughter. “Usually we start the day with a discussion, but I’d like to do something a little different today.”

“Always keeping us in our toes, huh, professor?”, Miles teased.

“You know it, mr. Morales”, professor Octavious said, a smile on his face. “Most of you have been writing for a long time, so you probably have already learned about one of the biggest challenges a non fiction writer faces: most times, what happens in real life is so unbelievable, it doesn’t translate well to the page.”

The professor gets up from his chair and writes the name “Dani Shapiro” on the chalkboard. “That’s the name of one of the most prolific non fiction writers today. She has a quote about our craft that I always carry near my heart: ‘Writers are outsiders. Even when we seem like insiders, we’re outsiders. We have to be. Our noses pressed to the glass, we notice everything. We mull and interpret. We store away clues, details that may be useful to us later’.”

The room was quiet, except for professor Octavius’ voice. You could tell, even without looking to your classmates, that what he read had resonated with all of them. It was a perfect description of a sentiment you always had, but were never able to describe. You just thought there was something wrong with you. But there wasn’t. And you were not alone. 

“Let that sink in for a moment”, the teacher smiled. He knew exactly how the students felt the quote deeply. “Today I’d like for us to do something different. For the next hour, I want you to write about a detail you kept to yourself for a long time. The idea is to describe it and explore the reason you shelved it into your minds for so long. It can be about anything, as long as it is meaningful to you and that you allow yourselves to dive into your own vulnerabilities.” 

After the hour passed, you and your peers would share what you wrote with the rest and discuss it.

You opened a new document on your laptop, taking a deep breath. Obviously you had a whole storage of small details inside your head. But you felt uneasy, something you kept shoving to the side slowly creeping back to you. Or rather, someone. 

As if reading your mind, a notification appeared in the corner of your screen. A new email from no one other than Miguel O’Hara. 

Hey there, how are you? How is Scotland treating you? I hope you are drinking as many pints and visiting as many castles as you can. Congrats about the scholarship, by the way. It’s a big deal and you deserve it. I’m sorry about the whole dinner thing, I really fucked up and haven’t been a good friend to you. I’m sorry about that too. I don’t expect you to forgive me, but if you do, I promise I will do better. 

Anyways, enjoy your time there as much as possible — Hobie and Pav have been complaining that you haven’t sent them pictures so far, thought you should know. 

Miguel

PS: Do you remember my roommate from college I told you about? Peter B. He’s back in town and just the other day showed me an interview you did with Mary Jane Watson. It turned out really good. You always ask very thoughtful questions. 

And just like that, the Miguel area of your heart exploded again.

***

Dear reader,

Just the other day I was talking with my girlfriends about the romantic gestures in books, TV and movies that made us create insane expectations about love. The impromptu declarations, the running in the airport, the showing up unannounced — any decent human being knows you have to at least send the other person a text saying you are coming by. 

I have always been more drawn to the caring gestures and the acts of service. Maybe because that is my own love language. There is a scene in Say Anything… (1989) where Lloyd is walking Diane, the girl he has loved throughout high school, home after a party. They are talking and he is paying so much attention to what she has to say. All of the sudden, Lloyds stops her. There were pieces of glass in her way on the floor. He kicks them to the side and keeps walking, as if it was nothing, just the way things are supposed to be. It gets me everytime. 

I love to bring my friends coffee or even bake them food when they are having really intense weeks at work, helping them out with some errand or impossible shore. Sometimes I feel really silly about it. Especially when it comes to the guy . I know I shouldn’t, but when it comes to him, I feel insane. 

I feel insane because I always have his favorite ice cream in my freezer and the drinks he likes in the refrigerator. In my love drunk brain, these can be excuses to ask him to come up to my apartment, to have him stay more, even if it is just for a few minutes. This is not a tip, by the way. If anything, it is a warning: seeing the person you love enjoying their favorite dessert can make you lose your mind. Be aware.

Once I planned a Fast and Furious marathon. But only from the 5th movie on, when things get out of hand and the franchise becomes something else entirely. It was a way to spend a rainy sunday with snacks and drinking games. I spent saturday cleaning the apartment and buying everything the two of us would need. Imagine my face when some of our other friends showed up as well, because he had invited them. And I love all my friends, but only wanted to spend time with him.

There is also another fictional gesture that has been stuck in my head since I was a pre teen. Before the show, the Gossip Girl books were a huge deal, and I read almost all of them. Each chapter was told from a different character's perspective and Blair’s were my favorite. When she is mourning her relationship with Nate, who was in love with Serena, Blair remembers what they had gone through together. Once, wanting to impress him, she sewed a heart pin inside the sleeve of a sweater she gifted him for a special occasion. It was a way to show him that he literally had her heart under sleeve. It was such a simple and meaningful gesture. Except Nate never noticed. Not while they were together, at least. Isn’t that always the way?

Maybe we were supposed to focus some of that energy on ourselves. The hours of disappointment for the retribution that never happens won’t come back to us. 

I wish I had a more uplifting message today, but this is all I could manage. I hope you understand. 

Meet you here next week. And remember: never take advice from someone who’s falling apart.

Love, 

The writer

***

Miguel felt anxious about your lack of response to his email. He kept trying to reason it in his mind: you were probably really busy…or you were still mad at him. He was sure the fact it took him so long to write to you didn’t help. But the constant checking of his emails and all social media and waiting for a life sign from you was exhausting. Is that what addiction felt like?

Miguel tried to distract himself by taking more workloads and secretly reading your columns. It was fascinating getting to know that side of you, and he wondered why it was so new to him. You were more reserved, of course, but never failed to be there or show interest in his life. He couldn’t remember the last conversation you had that wasn’t about him and his work. It felt horrible knowing that maybe there was a lot you wanted to talk about and he never gave you space to or asked questions about you. Miguel asked himself when he had become that person, or if he had always been that way. And what he could do to make things better, because an apology didn’t seem like enough. 

He took a break from his spreadsheets to check his email inbox and social media. Nothing. So he went back to Bliss ’ archive and read another one of your older columns, the one where you wrote about romantic gestures. That last part had him so confused, he decided to ask for help. Miguel was that desperate.

“Lyla”, he called on his office phone.

“Yes, boss.”

“What is Gossip Girl?”

Lyla remained silent. Miguel was about to call the thing of, saying it was a joke, when she answered, her excited and teasing tone coming through:

“Why do you ask?”

“It’s classified.”

Lyla chuckled. She had noticed her boss had been acting weird lately, but couldn’t quite point her finger at why. 

“Is it for an Alchemax project?”, the assistant tried to keep her language professional. 

“It’s for…a personal one”, Miguel regretted everything, his eyes closed in embarrassment, even though Lyla was in another room.

“Okay…What exactly do you want to know about Gossip Girl?”

“Who are these people, Blair, Nate and Serena? What’s the story?”

She laughed. He should’ve known his assistant would have too much fun with it.

“Lyla…”, Miguel complained.

“Okay okay, sorry, boss, it’s just these are names I never thought I’d hear you say.”

“Just tell me the story.”

“It’s a big one, actually. The show has six seasons.”

“Does Blair end up with Nate?”

“Hell no”, Lyla scoffed. “She marries Chuck.”

“Who the hell is Chuck?”

“Nate’s best friend who, in his own twisted way, actually gave a shit about her.”

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dear reader playlist

[yumeka36]

After hearing all the hype, I finally decided to watch Frieren. I was 99% sure I would like it based on what people were praising about it. And now that I've watched all (currently) 28 episodes...yeah, it's really good.

I knew it was gonna be a slow-paced series that's mostly driven by the characters and world-building as opposed to an ongoing, impending plot...and I'm totally okay with that. While I do enjoy series with a lot of flashy action and emotional angst, I also like when series don't pander to this typical way of being entertaining. Cool fights and suspenseful plots will always be popular, especially for anime/manga, so I greatly respect a series that dares to be different and still delivers. While the characters in Frieren do have an ongoing goal, it's not the main focus of the series: the focus is on their interactions with the world and each other. This is especially unusual for a series that takes place in a D&D fantasy world with monsters, demons, and magic. Such a world is full of potential for fast-paced fights and angst-ridden action, but Frieren does it differently. The handful of battle scenes in the series so far are handled very "matter of fact" - they're not given any more fanfare than other things that happen. Anyone who's watched a decent amount of shonen anime is probably used to all the intense violence and raw emotions that pour out during fight scenes, so seeing how relatively calmly the characters in Frieren handle similar situations may not be for everyone. It even took me a while to get used to how the more suspenseful action scenes in Frieren are handled compared to most other anime.

One of my favorite things in anime, or any medium really, is having characters with appealing but also unique relationships - relationships that can't really be defined by "typical romance," "typical friendship," etc, but something special and unique that I want to see develop as the series goes on. This is a big reason why I like Spy x Family so much, and why I like Frieren as well. The relationship between Frieren and Fern is something like this: On the surface they have a "master/student" relationship, but there are so many more layers to it, like Fern often being exasperated by Frieren's obsession with new spells or the fact that her interpretation of time is so different from that of humans', that sometimes Fern acts like the more "mature" one of the group. But at the same time, despite her elegant air, she has a childish side to her in how she pouts and sulks whenever she's upset with Frieren and Stark, plus her no-nonsense personality that often clashes with Frieren's easy going approach to things. But despite this, we still observe the intimacy between them and how comfortable they've gotten with each other over the years. Then there's Fern's relationship with Stark, that I find incredibly adorable mostly because, again, of how nuanced it is. They're not constantly emoting or yelling at each other, yet you can tell there's something going on between them based on more subtle things, like Fern giving Stark a hard time compared to how she relates to everyone else, and Stark being sensitive to her mood changes.

Another interesting thing about the series is how long the timeline is. Over 100 years have passed for the characters, Frieren in particular of course, since episode 1 to episode 28, yet nothing seems rushed. The series focuses on the bits of their lives that matter through flashbacks here and there, and that makes the series' world more engrossing when you have an idea of all the events that transpired over such a long time. Characters who aren't even alive/present during most of the story, particularly Himmel and his group, can have so much influence in the narrative. All the scenes where Frieren is reminded of things Himmel says and does make so much sense, not just because he was such an important person to her, but because someone who's lived for as long as she has is bound to have these deja vu moments where she had experienced a similar situation before.

The latter part of the series involving the mage exam made me a bit apprehensive, since I don't like when series introduce a bunch of characters at once in a competition with the protagonists. When there's so many new characters that need to play a role in the current plot, they probably won't be well written. But honestly, by the end of the series, I thought they were all interesting characters. This is mostly due to, again, the series giving ample time showing how each of them thinks and strategizes, how they work together with others, what their motivations are, etc, rather than just showing off their powers. Even a character like Serie who's shown to be an antagonist was still interesting as I could at least understand her motives and beliefs.

There's more I can say about Frieren but I'll stop there. Overall, an excellent series and one of the best I've seen in recent years. Looking forward to more anime, and I may even check out the manga!

[clueless-fan-critic]

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur: Now That’s Moon Girl Magic!!!

 One 

In my opinion, Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is one of the best new Disney shows in the 2020s and I’ll calmly make an argument for anyone who thinks otherwise. It has popping color, even poppier music, excellent characters, and strong storytelling all wrapped up in this fun, groundbreaking Disney show. With Season 2 coming out, I thought it was time to share what I got to say about its revolutionary ways and how it may even set the bar for future Marvel projects and even MCU ideas.

The Characters

Lunella Lafayette, played by former X-Factor contestant Diamond White, is one of the most bombastic but relatable super-genius black girls at the time I write this. I love how her intelligence isn’t just her sole personality trait as she’s confident, sassy, and optimistic. Lunella is still a young teen who worries about fitting in, cares about her family, and tries to be the best person she can be.

I liked that they don’t make her into a bullied nerd like Peter Parker, which would contradict the whole message about protecting her community. She’s still pretty social around her fellow students but doesn’t have that social finesse which makes her have a lot of friends.

She’s a flawed character: she’s over-competitive and obsessed to the point of disregarding her work and other people. She does overcome and learn from those issues in order to become a better person in the end.

Devil Dinosaur is more than a pet sidekick meant to be cute or the comic-relief. He does get his time to shine from his insecurities of being too big to a fear of jellyfish. With basically growls and snarls made by Fred Tatasciore, Devil conveys a huge range of emotion from joy to sadness to anger.

Casey Calderon is the best friend and manager of Lunella whose savvy with fashion and social media. She’s pretty much what you expect from the girl who’s into social media as exuberant and charismatic, but never shallow or vain. She genuinely wants to use her skills to help Lunella’s message spread. She’s the support to the superheroics of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur in making the heroes more human in the eyes of the LES.

Many other characters have not only impacted the story but also the main cast itself with the Lafayette family and various members of the LES.

The Lafayettes have their times to shine in their own ways whether as shoulders for Lunella to get support from or voices of reason that plays into the lesson that she must face. Adria Lafayette acts as a strong moral compass for Lunella to follow like protecting the LES from gentrification. Both James Jr. and Pops aren’t as big as the Lafayette women, but they do get there times to shine throughout the show.

In the finales “O.M.G. Issue 1 and 2”, we get the reveal of Lunella’s grandmother Mimi, played by MCU alum Alfre Woodard, is the Original Moon Girl or O.M.G. who helped build the portal generator that Lunella rebuilt years later. It gives us a deep look into how the super-genius doesn’t fall far from the tree.

The Beyonder, voiced by the famous Laurence Fishburne, is a fun and interesting character that acts more of a reality warping nuisance to Lunella than an actual villain. Combined with Fishburne’s comedic delivery and stylish  animation, the Beyonder is a hilarious trickster learning about humanity the best way he knows: messing with superheroes.

The Villains do create a dynamic with Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur by creating various conflicts both externally, internally, even symbolically. The first villain of the show Aftershock was an electrical villain who literally stole power from the LES, putting businesses at risk of closing, which can be interpreted as someone taking away others’ autonomy from their homes. Another set of villains were the Muzzlers, basically high-powered tech giants wanting to gentrify the LES and take away anything unique from the people. They even “silenced” the people with their tech and rendered them voiceless, but the people prevailed together.

The show not only showcases obscure Marvel characters in new, refreshing ways, but also creates their own stellar ones that put together what it can showcase.

The Animation Style

The most eye-popping way it stands out is the animation. The colors and style beautifully blends with the music. Every time a fight scene happens, the colors become much more vibrant with heart-pumping music from various artists. You can really tell that the animators put a lot of love and passion into making something both familiar but also standout with its fight scenes.

One of my favorite scenes is in Episode 3 “Run the Rink” with Moon Girl fighting Gravitas to a Childish Gambino song. A Childish Gambino Song! You know that you got a hit when you get a hit song from a famous rapper.

All the musical scenes play into the story in an entertaining way while fueling the animation on a higher level.

The Stories

Almost every story plays into Lunella’s development throughout the first season from self-love and self-acceptance to fighting for one’s community. One of my favorite episodes is “Hair Today Gone Tomorrow” that perfectly addresses various issues about one’s hair. I think a lot of people, especially black women, can understand how we can get insecure about themselves. “O.M.G. Issue 1 and 2″ highlights how people of color, especially those in STEM fields, were essentially erased from the work they did and all credit was taken from them by the higher-ups. The main villain of the finales Maris Morlak is both a terrifying and relatable person whose motivations are sympathetic in how his work was taken from him and was erased.

What’s Next For Moon Girl?

With Season 2 coming out of woodworks, I’m hoping to see more adventures, heart, and fly music that elevates Moon Girl to a different level and even set more bars in terms of storytelling and animation for both Marvel projects and even the MCU itself.

[elijahlittle]

I have been scouring this fucking app for Julian fics, never really occurred to I can just request some lol.

So yeah, if you're up for it I've got a little plot/trope set up that'd id love to see. Outsider(fem)reader/julian.

Something along the lines of a reader moving into the park from the southern us, new to Canada and parks in general. As an outsider, Julian expected you to be trouble or judgemental, so he acts like a dick to you at first. Later on, he starts to see instead how kind you are to everyone, understanding and totally up for doing ppl favors even when there's nothing for you in the end. This makes him feel real guilty for bein an ass to you, and also makes him start to feel other things towards u.. Take the fic in whatever direction you'd I wanna see u work ur magic

( + no pressure 2 write it ofc!!)

pairing: julian/fem!reader fandom: trailer park boys tags: smut (cis man/cis woman), fluff, a bit of angst, idk this is one of my more normal ones, heavy plot some porn (i kind of felt more plot focused with this one), julian is kind of hung (he gives me big dick energy)  author's note: i'm much more of a ricky kinda guy myself but when i got this request, i got really fucking excited. i loved the idea. i will say, this fic isn't structured traditionally. it's very dialogue heavy and kind of leaves some things up to the imagination. i wanted to establish relationships between the reader and other people in the park as well as share some of julian's private conversations about her. i'm really proud of the way this has turned out, though i'm sorry if it's not the interpretation you might have been hoping for (i'm a little insecure about the way i interpret storylines). i hope you like it, though. i worked hard on it and i'm pretty sure it's the longest julian/reader fic currently on the internet so i'm going to take that fucking win rn. also, i actually live in the southern united states. (fun fact: i'm looking to move because i'm a trans man and life here is kind of ass if you're trans), so i gave the reader a backstory that's kind of unique to what a woman in 1999-2000 would have gone through. i'm not satisfied with the ending though, i'm sorry if this fic is a little lackluster, but we can only go up from here i guess. text blocking this shit was a fucking BITCH. word count: 6,442

everything i've ever let go of has claw marks on it.

The cultural climate of Sunnyvale Trailer Park wasn't exactly the most inviting. There were people who lived in the park and then there was everyone else. For the most part, newcomers never lasted more than a few weeks. The bottle kids drove away the weakest among them, but if those kids weren't effective usually Ricky's antics drove away the remaining lot. Sure, there were a few people here and there who moved in quietly, but those were usually the kind of people that minded their own business because lot rent was low enough for them to just ignore Lahey.

But in general, new people were not welcome. Especially know-it-all hipsters trying to live the simple life by casting away their possessions in an expensive storage unit and downsizing to a more humble trailer. Those were the kinds of guys that gave up quickly. Plus, new people threatened the balance of park politics. For the most part, Julian was well-liked and well-respected among the others due to his caring nature and dedication to his loved ones. He protected his own. And if there was one thing Julian didn't like, it was newcomers coming into the park without already knowing someone in it.

"Barb, I really think you should reconsider letting this girl in. I mean, you don't even know who she is." 

"Julian, this is a business, not a family estate. Her credit was just below decent, she has an okay-paying job, and paid three months of rent in advance. From a business perspective, she seems like she'll be a reliable tenant. It's a good thing you've grown close with your community, but you have to remember at the end of the day, this trailer park is here to make money. Whatever fit of paranoia you're suffering through, deal with it on your own time. Next time you come here with a complaint, make sure it's a business one." 

And just like that, Barb had shooed Julian off. What more could he say to that? Well, he had a lot more to say to that but she didn't want to listen. Every time he opened his mouth to speak, she only guided him further to the door. If Julian thought he was the one who ran this trailer park, he had another thing coming for him that's what. This dump needed more reliable tenants - normal folks who didn't like to get into trouble. Barb was trying to turn the park's image around.

"Julian, I just don't understand why you're so against this lady stayin' here. You know I'm no fan of newcomers myself, but she's been mindin' her own. She actually keeps her yard clean, which is pretty fuckin' nice if you ask me. It's nice to pass a yard that doesn't have a million fuckin' pieces of trash thrown all over the front. She even has one of those pink fuckin' yard flamingos in her yard. It's so bright and colorful. There ain't nothin' wrong with a little bit of color, Julian. Ain't nothin' wrong with a little bit of change." 

"Are you even listening to yourself talk Bubbles? Can you hear what you're saying? You're saying change for this park is good. Who knows what she believes in. She might hate dope growers, she may be workin' with Lahey, she could get nosy and bust us for dope and you know Ricky and I are growin' a lot of dope -" 

"- I know, I've seen that big fuckin' setup you got in that fuckin' trailer in that shitty little lot -" 

"- so then Bubbles you should know that new people aren't good. We can't trust new people, especially not now. Especially not when we're so close to selling them to those prison guards and retiring. A stranger could compromise the whole thing. Remember those bible scammers that came through here? I've learned my lesson since then and I'm not tryna repeat old mistakes." 

"Jesus Murphy Julian, you need to calm down. Those fuckin' assholes were obviously scammers, it's not like this lady is goin' door to door scammin' people." 

"Sure maybe she's not taking advanced orders on bibles Bubbles, but she is goin' in and out of everyone's house doin' favors for them. Why does she need to see the inside of everyone's house? Do you think she's lookin' for something?" 

"Have you ever stopped to think that maybe she's just a nice person doin' a nice thing? Nice people exist. You've been dealin' with dope and crime and jail so much that it's like you forgot how to trust someone. All you think about is dope and how you're going to protect it from everyone else." 

"You're only defendin' her because she brings you boxes of canned cat foods for your cats. She's buyin' you off and you don't even know it." 

"So what if she's helpin' me take care of my kitties? My kitties are the most important things to me and unlike you, she fuckin' knows that. If someone's offering to help take care of my precious little kitties, who the fuck am I to say no?" 

"Bubbles, look -" 

"No, no, nevermind." Bubbles tucks a gray cat further into his arms, his posture becoming more rigid. It's clear that he's done with the conversation, no longer interested in trying to hammer commonsense into Julian's brain. He couldn't see past his own paranoia and it was infuriating. In Julian's mind, everyone in the world was out to get him - even the nice lady across the street who helped his friend support his kitties. "You just don't get it, Julian. I'm goin' back home, come talk to me when you get it." 

Julian was still convinced he was right about this girl. If the bottle kids didn't run you out, he'd just take matters into his own hands. He didn't care whether or not Bubbles helped. Julian was a man of many connections, and even if he couldn't find someone else to get the job done he had no qualms with taking care of the situation himself.

"I mean, if you think that lady's dangerous then you know I'm gonna follow you Julian 'cause you got the brains and stuff behind the projector, but I just gotta let you know I'm still workin' on my grade ten so whatever idea you have you got to make sure it's not illegal 'cause I can't go back to jail, not right before Trinity's birthday. That means we can't do any property damage or breaking and entering or any shit like that." 

"I promise you Ricky we're not gonna go back to jail, we're just gonna annoy the shit out of her until she leaves. I was thinkin' maybe you and Cory and Trevor could host like a really loud party across the street tomorrow night, you know - something to keep her awake. If we get a noise complaint, we'll just shut it down, but then once the cops leave we'll start it back up again. We'll do this for a few nights until she finally decides to move out." 

"That's a pretty fucking good idea, that's smart. Plus, since it's a party we can get drunk and high."

It's 2 a.m. and that fucking party is still going. There were several times you considered calling in a noise complaint but you decided that it was a better idea to just wait it out. It had to end at some point and overall, it was never a good idea to get involved with parties like that because sometimes they got out of a hand, and you were too smart to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Though when you stepped outside to 'check your mailbox' - spy on the party still going on into the early hours of the morning - you find yourself tripping over something. You stumble onto your hands and knees and it's only when you pull yourself up do you really get a good look at the man passed out by your mailbox. It's Ricky, and he's mumbling things almost incoherently. He mutters something about dope, bitches, Trinity, more bitches, Lucy, and good booze. It's a pathetic way to be, but you can't help but feel bad for you.

You use the toe of your shoe to rock his face awake. Ricky sputters before waking up in a drunk panic. He's angry and yelling incoherently, but your promise of a hot shower and a hot sandwich satiates his anger. He struggles his way through a shower, though almost slips a few times. He eats hand to mouth, chewing loudly, and drunk conversation ensues. He shares a lot with you - stuff he probably wouldn't have shared sober. He eventually passes out, not remembering much in the morning. That morning you share breakfast and a little bit about each other. He tried to hate you, he really did, but you were charismatic in a friendly way. There weren't any ulterior motives, you just enjoyed conversation.

"I don't know Julian, she seems fine to me. I mean, she's not all that bad. Her yard is pretty clean and you know, she has that pink little flamingo in her yard and honestly it's pretty fuckin' cute. I mean yeah she's kinda annoying and I hate that fuckin' southern fuckin' cowboy accent she fucking has but whatever. I think you're gettin' worked up over nothin'. You've been so busy tryna push out this lady who hasn't done nothin' wrong to you while I'm over here slavin' away watchin' after these fuckin' dope plants and tryin' to study for my grade ten all while play peepin' tom spy guy on some poor fuckin' lady." 

"You're just saying that 'cause she let you spend the night and made you breakfast."

"You know what I sure as fuck I am! She made me breakfast and kept me from sleepin' on the fuckin' ground drunk as piss and let me use her shower and shit and I didn't even have to put out! It's not like I trust her or anything like that - I didn't talk about dope or nothin' like that at all." That was the truth. "It's just at this point anything is better than fucking Cory and Trevor. I'm not sayin' you gotta like her or trust her, but she's not all that bad Julian. Maybe if you actually got to fuckin' know her like I have you'd see that you're just being a paranoid dickbag." 

"You know what Ricky, you don't anything about her. You're just seeing what she wants you to see. But I'm smart, so I see right through it -" 

"Come on Julian don't be like that -" 

"- and since nobody is going to take care of this fucking situation then I guess I'll have to." 

Julian felt like everyone around him was failing him. Nobody else seemed to feel the same way he did about your existence in the trailer park. As each day passed, Julian grew more overtly snide. When approaching Ricky and Bubbles, Julian never took the time to acknowledge you. It was obvious that he was just being an ass, so you opted to ignore it, preferring not to fight. Silence was Julian's strongest weapon. But as the days ticked by, the tension between you and Julian only seemed to mount itself higher.

It's not like you inherently disliked Julian. In fact, you liked to believe that there was good in everyone and you prided yourself in your ability to be able to pull even the toughest people out of their shell. However, Julian was no easy project. Every time you tried to approach him, he simply brushed you off. You weren't even sure that the two of you had even exchanged any greetings. He hadn't even said hello. So when trying to talk to him didn't work, you simply tried to stay out of his way. This was frustrating for Julian because what he wanted you to do was to blow up and make it a big ordeal. But you didn't. You simply kept to yourself and resumed helping others around the park without complaints. 

There were times where Julian thought about approaching you in the way Julian thinks about approaching any pretty thing in a summer dress that talks to him. But he remains strong in the face of adversity. Gone were the days of chasing anything in a dress. He had a dope business to worry about.

But sometimes the thought would creep up onto Julian ever so slowly. Sometimes, he'd get this kind of fantasy in his head - especially on the Sunday afternoons you'd spend gently pushing yourself back and forth in your rocking chair, enjoying the summer sunlight. He could think of a million ways you two could enjoy the afternoon together, but he often pushed the thought out of his head. He had a park to protect. Friends to protect.

"You know, you have some real nerve comin' up here in this trailer park and putting on a show like you're doing." 

You look up from the rocking chair you were gently pushing yourself back and forth in and offer Julian a small smile.

"So you're Julian?"

Julian can't help but be a bit enamored with your slight southern drawl. It sounds like you're somewhere from the deep southern United States - one of those more rural provinces like Texas or Alabama. He can't quite pinpoint the accent, but he secretly finds it endearing.

"And how do you know that?" 

"I mean, with how much you do for the people here it's kind of hard not to know who you are. Plus, Ricky and Lucy both never seem to shut up about you. You know, if I didn't know any better I'd say they're both in love with you or something. Also, yesterday you came to pick up Ricky and he pointed right at you and said well, there's Julian, see ya later. I just put two and two together." 

"I'm not here to make small talk, (name)." 

"Then what are you here to do, Julian?" 

There's silence. What is he here to do. There wasn't anything that he could reasonably do and he wasn't the terrorizing type if he didn't have to be. Fuck, he had even promised that his greasy trouble-causing days were over. But here he was, standing at the edge of the patio stairs, contemplating whether or not he should threaten a woman.

"I'm just here to ask you about your intentions with Ricky, that's all." 

You can't help but laugh out loud at the comment. "Oh, please. There's nothing going on between us." 

Julian knows that because if there was something going on between you and Ricky, Ricky wouldn't shut up about it and the whole park would know. But he's trying to be covert about his intent to interrogate you.

"Yeah, well . . . there better not be . . . Ricky's a good guy and I'd really hate to see him get hurt . . ." 

"Why are you really here, Julian?" 

Julian stands in silence, thoughtfully cradling his glass in his hand as he tries to come up with a clever lie - but it's hard to think when he catches a glimpse of your thighs pressed together underneath your thin summer dress. He squints and then looks away briefly.

"I just wanted to stop by and tell you more about the culture of Sunnyvale. You know, we're really tight-knit. Like family."

"I know." 

"And you know, family protects family." 

"I know." 

"And you know, I'd do anything for my family." 

"I know." 

"Anything." 

"What are you getting at?" 

"I'm not getting at anything, (name). I'm just givin' you a little more info about our park, just trying to get acquainted with you." 

"Oh, you're trying to get acquainted with me? This is the first time I've spoken to you in the month I've been living here." 

"Well, you know, I was busy with the business I'm running -" 

"- that lawn mowing business you and Ricky got?" 

Is that what Ricky is calling it? "Yeah, we've had a lot of customers so I've been having to do a lot of bookwork to keep up with the business you know. But it's been busy, so I haven't had time to talk, but now I do and I want to get to know you." 

"You want to get to know me?" 

"That's what I just said isn't it?" 

"Well I'll tell you what Julian," You push the chair backwards in thought, looking up at the bright summer sky. The sun shines in your face, warming your skin. It's a nice feeling. "If you really want to get to know me, you'll come over for dinner tonight." 

Julian wasn't going to admit it but he was excited at the prospect of dinner. The last time he shared time - much less a meal - with a woman, she ended up stealing his dope plants and lying to him about being in love. In all fairness, most people would have been wary of someone saying I love you within the first week of getting to know them, but Julian (for the most part) was a hopeless romantic. He liked the idea of a life with someone else. 

Julian told himself that this was strictly business - that he was here to set the record straight. This wasn't get-to-know-you dinner, this wasn't a date. He was just here to let you know that he wasn't going to tolerate funny business. He just happened to be wearing his nicest clean black shirt and he just happened to be wearing one of his nicer pair of jeans - the ones that didn't have the holes in them. Julian knocks on your door. The two minutes he waits for you to answer feels like an eternity but when you open the door, he's glad he's waited. 

"You got a hot date you're going to after this?" 

"What, this?" You look down at the pink summer dress you're wearing, "This is casual." You had always been the more feminine type, enjoying softer clothes and pretty dresses. Plus, unlike jeans dresses were more comfortable. You usher him inside and he obliges, being careful to not spill his drink when he steps in. 

"Dinner is served." Dinner being a massive fucking bowl of macaroni and cheese with cheap ass hot dogs. "Sorry it's not exactly the best, but -"

"It's fine, don't worry about it." Julian sets his glass down. He's actually ecstatic. Macaroni and cheese and fucking hotdogs? "You know, I don't know where you're from but around here this is a five-star meal." 

You give a dry laugh. as Julian picks up his fork to eat. "You'll have to forgive me, I'm kind of new to the whole trailer park life and the whole being poor thing." 

"Oh yeah? Where are you from?" 

"Southern United States." 

"What state?" 

"Texas." 

"That's a long way from here, basically on the other side of the continent. Why'd you come up this way?" Julian tells himself that he's not trying to get to know you because he's interested in you - he's trying to get to know you to get dirt on you, to know what he's up against. 

"I needed an abortion." You answer dryly, "And even though it's been legal for some years now, no physician was wiling to perform one on me." 

"Why come to Nova Scotia? Why not just go to another state?" 

"Well, I figured things were just better here than they were there. Don't get me wrong, it's not perfect by any means but it's better than where I was from. At least here I know if I need the service again, it's a little more reliably accessible. Plus, it's not like I had anywhere or anyone I could turn to. So I just kind of . . . stayed." 

"Heavy stuff." Julian sets down his fork, "Didn't have any family to turn to?" 

"No, and even if I did they're not the kind of people I'd want to be around." 

Julian could relate to that.

"So you just came to Canada for an abortion and then decided to stay? You know, when Americans come to Canada they want to go to Quebec. Nova Scotia isn't exactly on the top of the list, let alone Dartmouth. Let alone fucking Sunnyvale Trailer Park. Nobody just moves in here. Come on, (name) . . . what's the real reason why you're staying here?" 

Your mouth runs dry as you consider answering him honestly. "Well, uh . . . you know . . ." You twiddle your thumbs a bit, "I came to Canada with my passport and got my abortion and then . . . I just uh . . ." There's a long pause as your appetite disappears completely. "I didn't have anywhere to go to so I just . . . never left . . . this place was the only place that'd rent to an illegal resident . . ." 

"Holy fuck you don't have your papers?" Julian wasn't sure what kind of story he was expecting but it wasn't that. Now he feels like an asshole. "How did you get a job? How did you even afford this place?" 

"Well, I had some savings so that was a good cushion, but when that ran out I was able to find a job working as a waitress at that little restaurant just out of town. I'm not technically on the payroll, they just don't make me report my tips, and any extra money is kind of . . . earned under the table." You respond sheepishly.

God, Julian feels like such a fucking jackass for being a raging asshole to you. 

"That's . . . hard." Julian doesn't really know what else to say.

"Yeah." 

"Well, I've shared my deepest darkest secret with you. Do you want to share anything with me?" 

You and Julian talk well into the early hours of the morning, swapping life stories, funny anecdotes, and talking about all of the small things in between. Honestly, he feels at ease with you in a way he hasn't felt at ease before. The conversation flows naturally and even the silence you occasionally fall into feels comfortable. It's nearly two in the morning when you both look at the small clock hanging on your wall and realize the time.

". . . well, it's a little late . . ." You stretch in your chair, still sitting across the table from Julian. You don't really want him to go, but you've both run out of things to talk about and you still have some errands you have to run before work tomorrow. "You know, I have some things I gotta do tomorrow . . . but if you're feeling nice, maybe you can pay me back for dinner by making some for me. I'm usually too tired to cook when I get home . . . you know, only if you want to." 

It's hard for Julian to say no to that face.

"What time do you get off work?"

. . .

Julian continues to insist that he doesn't feel some kind of way, that he's just taking the opportunity to really get to know you - you know, in case you ever pose a threat - but the nightly dinner-dates seem to differ. 

"Why is it so hard to admit that you have a hard-on for (name)? It's so fucking obvious." 

"It's not like that Ricky. You know, I have somewhere to be so why don't you just fuck off and give me some fucking space?" 

"Oh yeah I know exactly where you want to be, all up in -" 

The truth of the matter was that even though Julian fantasized about it at night, truly nothing had happened. You were sweet, kind, intelligent, patient, compassionate - a truly wonderful person. And that was the problem. Normally, Julian found himself happy to jump into a relationship, but he found himself afraid of making a fool of himself. Guys like him didn't get with girls like you. Simple as that. Besides, love just wasn't in the cards for Julian. It just never worked out like that.

Tonight was yet another night of disappointment. You had lingered on Julian's doorstep after dinner, hoping that maybe he'd make a move and at least give you a kiss goodnight - but the two of you simply stood there awkwardly until he nodded, saying he was probably going to go off to bed now. It was frustrating because you thought you were sending all of the right signals. Light touches, flirtatious giggles, risque comments - the works. But yet again, you find yourself leaving empty-handed. It wasn't that you weren't satisfied with the friendship, you really liked the dynamic the two of you had. You liked that Julian showed you ways to save money, ways to spruce up the trailer home so it felt more roomy, showed you around town a bit - but it left you feeling a bit stupid because you could have sworn the two of you had something more. You could just feel it. But he never addressed it and it drove you crazy. 

You knock on the door nervously, your hands shaking.

Julian answers the door again. "What's going on?" 

"I don't want to go home just yet. This is about the time J-Roc films his adult films. Can I just sit here for thirty more minutes? He usually finishes up around one in the morning or so." 

"Uh, yeah, sure, come on in. You can hang out here. I have to shower because, you know, I got somewhere to be in the morning -" Tomorrow was the day he was supposed to drop off the product with the prison guards, "- normally I'd wait up but I got some important stuff I gotta take care of tomorrow. I'm about to get ready for bed, so you can just leave whenever you're ready."

"Alright." 

You find yourself sitting awkwardly on the couch as Julian disappears into the bathroom. The trailer shakes a bit when he turns on the water and you can hear the pipes rush before the water falls like rain into the tub. You sit in silence and contemplate. You couldn't keep going back and forth like this, it'd get nowhere. He had hinted a few times at maybe having feelings. Sometimes his hand would linger on the small of your back too long when he was moving past you, or he'd stand too close to you - so close your shoulders would touch - whenever he got the chance. But nothing would ever come of it, and you were tired of it. You think about maybe joining him in the shower but that's too ballsy of a move, so you simply sit there and listen to the shower run until it's turned off. There's more shuffling and you can hear him go into his room. The hallway light turns off and the door clicks close. You should probably get going by now, but you can't bring yourself to just leave.

. . .

You feel like a psychopath drifting down the hallway. You only came down here to use the bathroom, but now you were standing at his bedroom door - contemplating whether or not you should knock on the door.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Ricky, is that you? I told you to stop picking my fucking lock -" 

"No," You answer meekly, "It's me. I uh, wanted to take that book back I lent you before I went home. I didn't see it in your living room so I figured you might be keeping it in here." 

Julian stares up at the ceiling in thought. Julian is pretty book-smart and it doesn't take a genius to know the game you're running. He's been down this road a thousand times. He wants to say yes, but there's still the lingering fear of ruining the good friendship that's already there.

Julian turns his head to look at his nightstand, the small paperback book sat there. Shit, maybe you weren't playing any games.

"Yeah, give me a moment, I'll come bring it to you." 

"You don't have to go through that trouble, I'll just come get it real quick . . . if that's alright with you." 

". . . that's alright with me." 

You gently push the door open, slipping through before gently closing the door behind you. You can only see the outline of Julian's body in the dark, a few shadows illuminated by the moonlight that drifts in through the blinds. 

"It's right over here." You see the shadow of Julian's hand reach over and grab the thick book. Infinite Jest.

"I'll come get it." You pull yourself up onto the bed, you're knees on either side of his feet. Gently, you shimmy your way up, crawling over him on your hands and knees. Julian shifts a bit. Both of your breaths are heavy and as you sit yourself comfortably on his waist, you watch his chest rise and fall with heavy breaths. Gently, you pluck the book from his hand. "Thank you." 

"You're welcome." Julian's voice is barely over a whisper.

You thumb through the thick book, landing on a page barely illuminated by the moonlight, reading the page you've thumbed to. "Everything I've ever let go of has claw marks on it." Truer words have never been spoken. Like everything in life, Julian has sunk his fingernails so deep into it he's drawn blood. He likes to pretend he can let things go, but he can't. 

Julian's hands gently grip at your hips, squeezing them softly - almost like he's afraid that if he squeezes too tight he'll hurt you. His fingers grip at your waist, gently pushing your hips backwards, guiding them in a gentle rocking motion against him. Your hips follow the movement of his hands, rocking against him with a pleased hum.

"Is that right?" Julian asks in a whisper.

"That's right." You respond gently.

"Me included?" He can't hope that you want him so bad that you'd sink your nails so deep into him that he'd never be able to leave you, even if he wanted to. And even if you wanted to leave him, he'd probably stay around and beg for you to take him back anyway.

"If you'll let me." 

If he wasn't rock hard before he's rock fucking hard now. "I want you." Julian's voice is hoarse, completely contradicting his typically firm and masculine present. He melts under you. Whether he wanted to believe it or not, Julian was a romantic and the touch of a woman he really valued meant a lot to him. His breath is labored as he guides your hips against him, "Please, I want you." 

If this were someone else in the park, it'd be a different story. Sleeping around with people in the park for Julian wasn't about emotions, it was about releasing a physical need, and when you can't keep a boyfriend sometimes you have to turn to your neighbors for some help. Everyone slept with everyone. But you're not them, this isn't just casual for Julian - he doesn't want to fuck it up. He shudders when your fingertips drag across his chest, tracing patterns and circles into his shirt as you rock against him, grinding your hips downwards to create more friction. You're a tease, you take your time, and he hates it but he loves it. Two large hands reach up to cup your breasts over your shirt gently, His hands trail downwards, over your abdomen, grabbing gently at your stomach for a short moment before finding themselves at the hem of your shirt. 

"What are you waiting for?" You ask him between small breaths, still making rhytmic riding motions. It's a softly-asked question but also a plea for action. "Please, Julian. I've wanted this since the moment I saw you." 

"God, fuck you're so fucking hot." It's like a flip switched in his head and he can't hold himself back anymore. Strong hands placed firmly on your hips flip you onto your back. Now he's on top of you, every part of him everywhere. His lips touch yours in a kiss, teeth pull at the skin of your neck, and tongue sooths the freshly bruised areas by rubbing itself on it in small circles. Like always, he can't help himself, and unlike recently, he stops wasting time.

Your shirt is the first thing to come off - Julian helps shimmy it off of you, throwing it to the side. The next thing to come off is your pajama pants, which he also tosses to the side after helping shimmy it off of you. He has half a mind to compliment the pretty color of your underwear and tell you it looks good on you, but he doesn't pay it any mind since it's about to come off anyways. His hands lift you up by the small of your back just long enough for him to unclasp your bra, letting you fall back down onto the bed. His hands hook underneath your knees, lifting them up and pushing your legs up so he can help slide your underwear easily off of your body. You're left naked under him while he remains fully clothed, lowering himself onto you before you can complain that he hasn't undressed yet.

His thumbs roll against your nipples, gently pinching and pulling at them before taking them into his mouth. Julian has never been the most gentle lover, especially when he gets excited, always eager to take matters into his own hands - but that's part of his appeal.

Kisses trail down your stomach, followed by him dragging his tongue along the skin, pushing your legs apart. He takes his time adorning your inner thighs with kisses, sucking on the skin and taking it between his teeth. He likes the way he makes you whimper and moan, it's intoxicating. But eventually the teasing becomes too much even for him, he's growing impatient, so he lends his tongue to you, circling it around your clit, strong nose pressed into sensitive skin.

Your body writhes as you feel a familiar pressure build in your abdomen, thighs tightening around his head so tight he thought he might suffocate. What a way to go that would be. Your fingers curl into his short hair, gripping and pulling at his hair while your toes curl. You whimper but that only encourages him to slowly push his thick index finger into you, followed by a second after you properly adjusted. His mouth and fingers work in tandem, his fingers curling and pressing inside of you in a come hither motion while his tongue continues to stroke your clit.

"Fuck, Julian, god, fuck -" But before you can climax, he's gone - pulling away. If Julian enjoys anything, it's edging. There's just something about bringing a woman to climax and leaving them nearly in tears that turns him on. 

"You look disappointed." Julian catches a glimpse of your lopsided frown illuminated in the moonlight, "Don't worry, I'll take care of it." His shirt is pulled over his head, exposing his bare chest. When you touch the muscle, it's firm from years of consistent working-out. You trace a tattoos that look like they were done with a sewing needle and ink - probably stick and poke tattoos - but Julian frowns. He doesn't like those tattoos, he's not proud of them and he's not proud of his time spent in jail. But you only offer him an encouraging smile and place your palm over the tattoo before dragging your hand down to his belt, pulling at the buckle. Julian offers you a half-hearted smile. "Can't wait?"

Julian pushes your hand out of the way gently, taking his time to unfasten his belt and slowly pulling it through the loops. The belt is tossed to the side, along with his pants and underwear, leaving you both equals. Two hands hook themselves underneath your knees, placing your ankles on his shoulders while he uses his right hand to stroke his cock a bit, helping to harden himself up more. Sometimes the nerves just get to you.

"Holy fuck Julian you're big, you gotta be careful with that thing you're carrying a whole fucking concealed weapon -" 

Julian chuckles a bit at the comment but presses a gentle kiss to your ankles. "I'll be careful with you if that's what you're trying to say." 

The tip is pushed in slowly with great discomfort, pushing himself in. There's a stiff moment of silence as you let out a labored breath. 

"You good?" he asks.

You nod, dragging your teeth over your bottom lip. Julian takes his thumb against your bottom lip, peeling it out from underneath your teeth. His thumb drags your bottom lip down, exposing the inside of it before pushing his thumb into your mouth. Your lips wrap around his thumb, letting your tongue slide against the skin, sucking on the appendage as he pulls out just a bit, repositioning himself before he thrusts back in. Your body pushes upwards with the motion, head pressing against the headboard slightly. His thumb is still pressed in your mouth while his free hand keeps hooked underneath your knee, pushing it backwards so he can angle himself better - each thrust pushing itself deeper inside of you. Sweat coats his chest and runs down the side of his face, abdomen flexing the closer he gets to coming, but he restrains himself - wanting to ride it out for as long as he could. 

"Fuck, fuck, fuck." 

"Oh, God, Julian -" 

"Fuck, (name)." 

"Julian -" 

"(Name), (Name), (Name)." 

"I heard you did a real good job of running that girl out of the trailer park last night, Julian." 

"Hey, Barbara, why don't you fuck off?" 

[andreabandrea]

So, I am absolutely not the smartest Undertale or Deltarune theory crafter out there, not by a long shot. But sometimes I think about how I called it with regards to the abilities of the red soul without really trying to.

In early 2018, I wrote a (too-edgy, really) story called 'Unname the Fallen' in which a post-No Mercy route Frisk learned magic when starting a new run through the Underground (in the interest of not rambling about my unfinished fic and making this post even longer, I'll leave it at that).

(I later deleted it because I was embarrassed by the Ow The Edge factor.)

In the fic, Toriel was teaching Frisk how to use their newfound magic.

“I believe a stick is a wonderful idea! The ability to summon multiple will come in handy. Perhaps one day you will encounter multiple dogs who want to play fetch. You’ll need lots of sticks for that,” she said. It took a moment to resume her pedantic, teacherly front rather than her dorky mom side. “… Anyway.”

(Excerpt from Unname the Fallen.)

She taught them that every different soul color has a type of magic associated with it, and that magic can be projected onto other beings.

For example, blue souls could make others turn blue (like the way Papyrus could. Even though he had a monster soul, monsters could use magic associated with soul colors-- like Undyne turning you green, and Muffet turning you purple, and so on).

Now, every soul color in Undertale has a sort of virtue associated with it, right? Cyan is patience, yellow is justice... we learn these from the 'ball game', but we never learn one for the red soul. Fan theories have gone around on the red soul's true nature. 'Hope'... 'Determination'...

And smarter people than me, again, have written about how it's unlikely that the red soul is 'determination', since all human souls have determination. So I interpreted the red soul as 'individuality'. "Try as you might, you continue to be yourself," the ball game says. "Despite everything, it's still you."

"But Andrea," you're saying, "other theory crafters suggested that already! You didn't come up with that!"

You're right, I didn't. But what I did come up with is how 'individuality' could be projected onto another being.

You might think that turning another soul "red" would just give them freedom to move around the box however they want (and possibly to grow little legs and flee from combat). The way I interpreted it is that projecting red soul magic onto a monster is that it gives you control of them. You project your individuality- your will- onto them.

This time, red bathed the monster slowly, spreading like a disease. Its little arms became immobilized, and it tried to run, but then its legs followed suit. Something interesting: now they could feel everything it felt. The pounding in its chest. The wideness of its beady eyes. [...] They moved Ice Cap’s legs as if parts of their own body-- no magic words, no moving their own arms, they were simply able to turn it around and walk it toward them like a remote-controlled toy. Its face was frozen in fear at what was happening to it. They walked it around more, experimentally, even making it jump and crouch.

(Excerpt from 'Unname the Fallen'.)

Using the power of the red soul, Frisk was able to control monsters. It was a power unique to them-- unique to the soul. This, rather than the red soul being 'individuality', is what I think I predicted.

Later that year, in 2018, Deltarune Chapter 1 was released. And we learned that Kris is possessed by the red soul, which is controlling them.

And in 2021, with Deltarune Chapter 2 and the weird route, we learned how the red soul can be used to manipulate monsters-- even when the host is down.

Granted, the red soul didn't literally possess Noelle and make her walk around against her will, but it did command her nonetheless.

I'm sure I'm not the first one who came up with the idea. The Undertale community is full of extremely clever and creative people, and like I said, others had thought of the red soul as 'individuality' before me.

I'm not trying to claim to be the first one to come up with this idea, and I certainly don't think I came up with it before Toby himself or anything. I just remembered my old fic the other day and I thought it was funny, so I wanted to post about it.

"Why are you only posting this if you think it's funny?" Because it's my blog. You're at the circus, you might as well watch the clown dance.

BONUS:

“I am sure you are aware of auras. Most humans cannot see them. They are extensions of the soul. The auras of humans are quite powerful because you have physical forms,” she said.

^ Excerpt from Unname the Fallen, early 2018.

^ Screenshot from Deltarune Chapter 1, late 2018.

The idea of Frisk using magic came from screenshots of early builds of Undertale in which Frisk could use a 'spell' command.

'Talk' was later changed into 'Act', of course, and 'spell' was never implemented. We do know that humans can use magic in some capacity, since they sealed the monsters underground with "a magic spell".

With more chapters of Deltarune upcoming, and many questions still surrounding Hometown and the nature of magic in the light world, I'm excited to see more regarding magic and the red soul in the future.

This has been me rambling over a now-deleted fanfic, thanks for reading if you made it this far.

[msjarvis]

9 people you’d like to get to know better

thanks for the tag to the amazing and so, so talented @notjustjavierpena ✨💖✨

last song: Thunder Road by Bruce Springsteen

color: purple.. in all its nuances, variations, undertones

currently watching: actually nothing. An unfortunate combination of lack of time, lack of motivation and battle with not the best headspace. I have so many titles between movies, series and animes in my "to watch" list that it's kind of embarrassing… 🤦‍♀️ Last things I actively watched (months ago now) was Ted Lasso. Kinda binged it in two days and LOOOVED it!

last movie: I rewatched Up From The Poppy Hill by Gorō Miyazaki (Studio Ghibli movies are my go to when my anxiety kicks really hard)

currently reading: the wonderful works of the stellar authors here on Tumblr. I'm kinda new in the Pedro Pascal / The Last of Us fandom and I am constantly amazed by the absolute talent of the writers. You guys are really all rockstars. In particular I'm slowly reading and rereading the works by: @notjustjavierpena : last amazing author I had the luck to find. Her Husband!Javi series is extraordinary, emotional, superb.. 🥹 @wheresarizona : first author I've found in the fandom. I know, I started with a bang..😃 All her works are absolutely stellar. Her Learning To Live series is breathtaking.. 😍 @kteague : the one who introduced me in the incredible world of Francisco Morales. The day I've found her Because of You series I've thanked the algorithm Deity! 😆 That series is truly one of my happy place.. 🤩 She also has series about Javi and Joel (this last one I still have to read it but I'm sure that it will blow my mind.. 😊) @macfrog : the Queen of cliffhangers and (sometimes) angst. She has a unique way to write about Joel... just unbelievably exceptional! 😌 @undercoverpena : if you are looking for a master author that will make you tear up, cure your soul, put a constant smile on your face and blow your mind with a Javi and/or Francisco story.. well you have found it... 🥹 @softlyspector : her writing is distinctive, special, unmatched... Her Honeyed series is a precious, rare gem.. 🥰 @bageldaddy : she's is the kind of author who manages to transport you to other places and other times with her writing. Her I Know It When I See It series is just astounding. It's more than a fanfic. It's a screenplay of a wonderful movie where while you read you can hear sounds, music, voices, noises, reactions. Just.. wow…🤯 @hier--soir : all her works are exceptional.. and her A Lover's Pinch series?!? Stuff to scream into the pillow for its greatness… 🫨 (and she has a detail of the painting "Narcissuss" by Caravaggio as a header in her blog! How 'effin cool is that!!) @darkroastjoel : stumbled upon her talent for her Javi fics. Her Javier has distinctive and specific "voice" that is just incredible. 🤩 Then I've found out that she also write for Joel.. and she has one series that I still have to read but, just from the summary, I am sure it will rip my heart in two. In a superior way, of course. 😬 @fuckyeahdindjarin : a valuable voice in the fandom who has my gratitude to introduce me in the weirdest world of Dieter Bravo and the magical one of Jack Daniels.. 😍 (still have to read her last installment of her Palomino series. It's just.. I'm not ready.. I'm not strong enough..🥺)

sweet/spicy/savory: erm... I can I say all three?!?!?😂

relationship status: single af

current obsession: is it really an obsession if makes you happy and helps you in the hardest of time?!? 🤔

last thing i googled: synonyms of the word amazing.. 😅 oh the joy to be bilingual (or at lest trying to) and having a brain that farts most of the time.. 😂

currently working on: being present... and happy.

tagging: well.. the ones up there. no pressure at all, of course.

Side note: Just realized that I most likely got the purpose of this tag game wrong. Or, at least, I probably didn't interpret it to the best.😶

I should do a proper fic/author rec list... I need to do a proper fic/author rec list....... I'll do a proper fic/author rec list. 😬

Ok... byyeeeeeeee!!! ✨💖✨

[fountainpenguin]

your hc for your vivian and roy

I only watched the first 3 episodes of "Fairly Odder" before it was pulled, but Roy is my absolute favorite <3 I've drawn some doodles of him, but I don't know where they are atm.

So obsessed with the popular boy who literally wanders around with a broken leg and all he does is wish for stuff like golden pants. Everybody loves him and he'll happily leave his own party - or cancel his party - to check up his beloved stepsister. He adores her. He's everything I want in a character.

The whole back-and-forth wish set-up followed by Roy immediately withholding his wish so that Vivian couldn't use hers to get away from him was hilarious. I think he was a great "second take" on a "perfect fairy stepsibling that the other envies" after how Chloe's introduction ruffled so many feathers.

I really didn't like the love interest girl who hung around him with a camera for the "school paper," but I did think it was funny that she ended up being Viv's friend... Now Viv has a friend in a scary new town and the new girl has a way to get close to Roy that's a little less stalker-ish. Also the "Don't you think Roy is hot?" / "He's my stepbrother" / "Mm. Too bad for you" was pretty funny.

I've always interpreted Timmy and Chloe as fairy stepsiblings, so having literal stepsiblings was amazing. I enjoyed them as a duo, but a lot of the writing for the show was flimsy and I couldn't get very far into the show- strong pilot, awful 2nd episode, blatant low budget during the....... "wolf" appearance on Midas, and I lost interest and they removed it before I saw any more episodes.

I do regret not watching a little more, but those were really long episodes that were a struggle for me. I've never been into shows with laugh tracks before, so it was jarring for me, and I usually like more fantasy in my fiction, and "Fairly Odder" did struggle a ton on that end since it was live action (i.e. not even showing the "wolf" onscreen while everybody looked towards the "cameras" and cowered over how scary the wolf was, I think they even narrated what it was doing like "It's getting closer" and... yeah).

I'm glad the new series will be animated because "Odder" was pretty painful. Like I said, mixed feelings about what's to come, but if they're doing this then I'm glad it's animated. I think they also changed Wanda's pants color, which I like because it gives her just a slightly more unique design.

From what I recall, Viv is the daughter of Tyler, who is the younger brother of Timmy's Dad - with Tyler spontaneously racing back to Dimmsdale to marry his high school sweetheart and hopefully open a dance studio with her, and all those two lovebirds like to do is dance around when they're together and that's big "cartoon parent" energy and I love that - and Viv is Timmy's younger cousin by 5 years. The name I gave Timmy's Dad also starts with a T, so I think Tyler is a great name for him.

I've outlined WIPs for stories about Timmy's extended family (both sides), and Viv might get mentioned a few times if I ever decide to go through with those pieces, but Roy probably not since they're stepsiblings.

I love Timmy as much as any FOP fan - he's a good boy - but his suburban life doesn't capture my imagination as much as the Pixie lifestyle and Anti-Fairy government and all the magical politics, so we probably won't see them in my 'fics, and I don't have a lot to say about Viv or Roy because I haven't seen them in a long time and only scratched the surface.

That said, I did appreciate how Timmy and Viv had a close relationship and I thought Roy was hilarious. Refusing to fix your broken leg because "I'll do it later" and then refusing to fix it because "You'll wish to be away from me" was so funny and I ended up watching the pilot twice just for that. I really liked him.

[groundbreakingdot872]

Midnights - BBC Merlin-coded ✨Part 1

It’s me! hi, I’m the problem it’s me 👋 (equating every TS song to Merlin again 🙃)

Let’s roll! (for @firefly-fez 💖)

-*-

💜✨Lavender Haze 💜✨

Meet me at ✨MIDNIGHT!✨ ;)

-*-

…This is such a GWEN song it’s hard to hold it together

Gwen has had such an incredible development from season 1 to season 5, from painfully shy and reserved, to becoming much franker and more open about her own emotions and the state of the kingdom.

Every rewatch, seeing Gwen come into her own is so satisfying, and honestly, the only character development I could fully support: it's just very positive!

At the end of season 4, we see Gwen ascend the throne, which was a culmination of Morgana's prophesied vision but also the climax of the love story Gwen and Arthur had been building together from season 2...

She's dressed in LAVENDER, which is a color commonly associated with strength, vitality, leadership and peace; all of which are qualities we can associate with her character. I think that golden age post-Camlaan can be termed a lavender haze ✨💜 instead, as that's the color that best represents her.

Also, she just wears purple a lot! 😂

From s2's iconic purple dress with the embroidered corset (in 'Once and Future Queen') to s4's infamously remembered lavender dress ('Lancelot du Lac'), nearly all of Gwen's important moments have been in purple.

Her coronation gown in s4 (in both the vison and in 'The Sword and the Stone') are purple.

Purple is just her color!

In season 5, she wears a darker, more mature purple, which I think comes to represent her experience as carefully navigating her Queenship, as she's way past any 'rookie' mistakes that she might've made in those 5 years from s4 - s5.

However, I think this song could be a great interpretation of those doubts and insecurities of becoming Queen, and how Arthur's reassurance of her capability helped to put to rest any anxieties that plagued her.

To start, the beat of this song is this thrumming, electric rhythm I fell in love with almost immediately. Taylor's quick intro, "Meet me at Midnight" set the tone right away: this song is an elegant retelling of one woman's journey to prominence, with a sexy beat to accompany it!

[Pre-Chorus] I been under scrutiny (Yeah, oh, yeah) You handle it beautifully (Yeah, oh, yeah) All this shit is new to me (Yeah, oh, yeah)

Gwen has always admired Arthur's strength and gentle nature, 'he handles it beautifully', when it comes to ruling Camelot, and his advice and support is something she came to rely on heavily, in those first few years.

He was always quick to counter her doubt with the reassurance that she is just as capable, even if attending council meetings, drafting treatises and speaking with royal allies is all new to her, she can handle it all just fine!

I specifically remember an instance in "The Wicked Day" deleted scenes, where he pulls her away to give him advice in an alcove. They were discussing whether Arthur should be open to using magic to heal Uther, and when Gwen hesitated to guide him, he reassured her that her that 'he values her opinion above all others.' Arthur has always been Gwen's biggest cheerleader to speak up!

All of those years, she'd seen him manage the court and the knights from the sidelines. As a servant she had a unique perspective on his ruling, but never any authority to make changes herself. She did the best she could with what little she had, speaking up against any injustice or wrongdoing in Arthur's presence and absence.

Gwen was also a constant structure of support for her friends and Arthur, someone they could also rely on to give quick and valuable guidance.

All along, she had the traits of a capable Queen! She just needed the opportunity to prove it.

[Chorus] I feel the lavender haze creeping up on me Surreal I'm damned if I do give a damn what people say No deal The 1950s shit they want from me I just wanna stay in that lavender haze

I mean, the 'medieval-era shit-talking' was probably alone the same lines of talking down to Gwen, not only because she was a woman, but also because she was a servant and had no authority.

Of the main four (Merlin, Arthur, Morgana), Gwen had never been in a position of true power; either magic-born or of noble-blood. But the scene where she confronts Agravaine in 'The Darkest Hour Part 1' reminds everyone that her quiet strength and reserve is to be revered and was very much a brilliant tool for her to exercise against the egos of noblemen who thought so little of her.

Marrying Arthur and attaining Queenship was only a steppingstone for her to fully exercise her strategizing qualities and quick wit. By not 'giving a damn' to all the baseless things people had to say, of all the hardline decisions she would make as Queen, she was able to fully cement herself in power.

[Verse 2] All they keep asking me (All they keep asking me) Is if I'm gonna be your bride The only kinda girl they see (Only kinda girl they see) Is a one-night or a wife

I'm sure there was some heavy skepticism of Gwen and Arthur's relationship the entirety of season 4, either from Agravaine, or from other nobles of Camelot who couldn't entirely believe that Arthur had fallen in love with a serving girl...

Even amongst their close circle, there must have been some doubt on the longevity of their relationship (especially post- Lancelot du Lac). Truly, only Gwen and Arthur knew the strength of the love between them.

I think at some point, it was more of an open secret that Gwen and Arthur were together. Arthur wasn't entirely secretive about his affections (I mean a gaurd literally caught him sneaking off to Gwen's house in 'His Father's Son' 😂), and even after 'Queen of Hearts', they may have kept it on the down-low, but anyone who knew them well, could tell they were secretly still courting.

Gwen's fellow servants may have pitied her for pining after the prince, and then King, with no ring to show for it; and may have cautioned her to cut him off, before another 'politically valuable' marriage broke her heart.

Arthur may have, conversely, been mocked for letting Gwen pull his heart on a string and told to follow in his father's footsteps and marry advantageously.

However, the fact they both were able to put aside their doubts and marry for the sake of their enduring love, was more of a nod to their individual characteristics of quiet resolve, than trying to prove this 'status quo' wrong.

[Pre-Chorus] I find it dizzying (Yeah, oh, yeah) They're bringing up my history (Yeah, oh, yeah) But you weren't even listening (Yeah, oh, yeah)

OK, but this is such an 'Arthur' thing 😂

Sometimes he's just hilariously obvious to everything else, his impassioned 'I LOVE her' to Uther in 'Queen of Hearts' comes to mind immediately - the boy has eyes only for Gwen!

After the whole shade-Lancelot debacle, cheating rumors, Gwen's banishment and then sudden ascension to the throne, there were probably enough rumors swimming around to fuel traveling bard songs for years lmao

They're 'bringing up Gwen's history', and maliciously, in an effort to rue her destruction, but to Gwen, the only person who she cares about to hear those rumors, literally does not care about them.

Arthur is incredibly single-minded when it comes to his Guinevere, so it's no surprise that he provides all the reassurance she needs to take on the throne 💖

-*-

♥️Maroon♥️

The beat that starts this song off is a steady thrum, a little sensual!, and slowly builds up to the chorus; giving me a sense of longevity, a years-long relationship, and a dynamic that's been rebuilt and restored over and over again.

- and it's clear from the lyrics that this isn't their first rodeo [the lovers], the two them are very much aware of everything they have to lose, and yet… they still embrace all the possibilities of a new dynamic!, with all the grace of a falling star... 💫

Yes…this song is technically *not* a love song: it's really it's more of a nostalgia-washed remembrance of a love long-lost.

But! I still think it's relevant to Mergwen, considering Merlin's immortality and the events and years that passed between them. It's a love song of that remembrance, of holding onto someone because they're the only one left that matters - it’s a love song to the survivors.

I dubbed this song Merlin x Gwen (post-Camlaan) for so many reasons, but most of all for the color - MAROON - (a deep red which represents maturity, courage, passion and an enduring love!)

They are the two survivors of the original four, the ones left to pick up the pieces of Arthur's destiny; the two best candidates to rebuild the Kingdom back to the shining fortress it once was.

Can a friendship remain static, (an understood dynamic) between two people? Of course. But in this case, I think, because of the lost romanticism between the two of them, a friendship can delve deeper, from gently consoling to suddenly electric, and bleed into some other version of themselves that's entirely unfamiliar and terrifying; yet tempting enough to lose themselves in.

Who else better understood the full spectrum of grief and tragedy that buried the Kingdom than Gwen and Merlin? And who else could play an important part in rebuilding what was lost than the two closest to the late King 💜

[Verse 1] When the morning came We were cleaning incense off your vinyl shelf 'Cause we lost track of time again Laughing with my feet in your lap Like you were my closest friend "How'd we end up on the floor, anyway?" you say "Your roommate's cheap-ass screw-top rosé, that's how" I see you every day now

The imagery is so vibrant here!

Gwen and Merlin, sitting up late after a council session, her feet in his lap, sweet wine in both of their breaths, recounting some forgotten memory that you had to be there for. And then... a spark ✨

Notice how there’s a pause between “Like you were my [mine]… closest friend.” You can hear the longing in the narrator’s voice, something they can’t even admit to themselves, something they try to deny: they want their best friend.

Rebuilding the kingdom brick by brick, reuniting families, strategizing new allyships, and waging small battles to retain peace: these are all tasks that can only be undertaken with the resolve of a hundred brave knights, seemingly insurmountable - or two close friends who know the kingdom better than anyone.

Finding new purpose again after Arthur, and channeling their grief into purpose, is something that would be much easier with someone who truly understands.

They see each other "every day now” and it’s comforting.

[Chorus] And I chose you The one I was dancing with In New York, no shoes Looked up at the sky and it was The burgundy on my t-shirt When you splashed your wine into me And how the blood rushed into my cheeks So scarlet, it was The mark thеy saw on my collarbone The rust that grew between telephones The lips I used to call home So scarlet, it was maroon

I've written about a small ficlet about this line: "The one I was dancing with" and another analysis of "Dancing With Our Hands Tied" for Mergwen because I go insane for metaphors between dancing and friends-to-lovers 🥹

Being able to free yourself around the person who knows you the best in the entire world is so special; it brings to mind the feeling of home.

The One can be real and true, but afterwards, when the curtains close and you’re left alone to wish for more time… a second chance can be found in the most unexpected of places.

Gwen had already chosen The One in Arthur, her perfect match, the King of her Heart, and the man whom she trusted the most.

Then tragedy struck, and those short few years of their marriage and rulership seemed like nothing without him by her side.

It was devastating.

But then there was Merlin.

For both of them, it was a second chance, a new beginning but not a rewrite to their story. Memories can't be replaced or put away; instead, it's very important to cherish the time they had with Arthur, and persevere after him, despite his passing.

Reminds of different lines from a different song by blondie: “There'll be happiness after you/ But there was happiness because of you/ Both of these things can be true”

Their little moments outlined here: "how the blood rushed into my cheeks/ the mark they saw on my collarbone/ the rust that grew between telephones/ the lips I used to call home" give off the sense of a slowly engulfing love; between a Queen and a Court Sorcerer.

For me, the line "the rust that grew between telephones" is especially significant: I'm sure they must have kept up a correspondence somehow, with Merlin traveling all over the five kingdoms to restore peace diplomatically and Gwen giving him directives while reviving a personal connection with her people.

It's a gorgeous image of them sending letters back and forth, filled with funny anecdotes, shared moments and even painful memories; and all the while an unfamiliar sense of longing builds up...

Can this be the new beginning?

Can we begin again?

[Verse 2] When the silence came We were shaking, blind and hazy How the hell did we lose sight of us again? Sobbing with your head in your hands Ain't that the way shit always ends? You were standing hollow-eyed in the hallway Carnations you had thought were roses, that's us I feel you, no matter what The rubies that I gave up

There were fights, there was uncertainty "blind and hazy" that distorted the image of the young people they once were, and the strength they had to build up in the meanwhile.

They were changed definitively now, no longer their younger, bubblier counterparts from more than ten years ago. And as circumstances hollowed out a deep-set melancholia, so did they, sharpening and reforming into more mature, yet more bitter versions of themselves.

Can love ring true ever again?

From someone who knows the hidden reasons for everything you do, and in crystal-clear clarity, it will hurt the most to hear "I'm not ready" from their lips.

The political drama, the gossip, the baseless rumors, all boiling over into lines crossed, harsh words, and a chasm of grief reopened.

Losing him would be like revisiting the past - again.

Losing her would be giving up on everything he once believed in.

I find “Ain’t that the way shit always ends” especially poignant, and references the cycle of tragedy and rebirth that Arthuriana holds dear. More than anyone else in their world, Gwen and Merlin bitterly understand that this is how it always ends, but does that mean, they are never allowed happiness in that 'meanwhile'?

"You were standing hollow-eyed in the hallway" THIS LINE - why is it so BRIGHT, Merlin standing in the hallway outside of the Queen's chambers, relegated as servant again. For Gwen, the past and the present are colliding again, and miserably.

But they overcome it, the scarlet indignity of the past washes over them, and leaves them in a vibrant MAROON.

[Bridge] And I wake with your memory over me That's a real fucking legacy, legacy (It was maroon) And I wake with your memory over me That's a real fucking legacy to leave

“The Mark of Nimueh”

Here, the double meaning of maroon comes to play - the deep red bleed of maroon melts into an actual, physical marooning.

You are Alone.

What better way to describe an immortal man, countless loves gained and lost, than as marooned? Drowning in a sea of his own endless and condemning memory…

Merlin is Marooned.

But the Legacy lives on because of him, the legend of King Arthur, Queen Guinevere and the Knights of the Round Table live on through his constant remembering of the story to a modern audience.

The love lives on too.

The act of remembering for the sake of love, is a powerful theme on the show, and I think a very specific to this song. The narrator remembers better times, gladder times, and although it pains them to do so, revisits those times with the same mindless misery of reopening a wound. It hurts to remember, but it hurts good.

The remembering of Gwen, white in her hair, creases in her eyes, the woman he got to get old and gray with, is immortalized in his memory for his and Arthur’s sake.

He remembers her, and loves her eternally ♥️

-*-

❌Antihero 🏳️

“An Antihero” “A Traitor” “A Savior”

I don’t necessarily believe that Merlin fits the exact mold of an antihero, but the contradictory qualities and actions he sometimes heralds, and all of the decisions that lead to the climax of season 5 gives some weight to the word.

Merlin is cunning, sometimes hasty, compassionate and sometimes cruel; but he leads with the idea that he makes the right decision most of the time, which propels his destiny to dizzying heights and astonishing lows.

As an added metaphor, Merlin's good fight with destiny always reminded me of Jacob wrestling with God for control of his own fate, and eventually coming up as the victor with injuries to prove it

As an audience to Merlin’s struggle with destiny, we expect to see some formula of character development emerge over the 10 years we share with him.

Merlin expresses this endearing naïveté and strong sense of justice from seasons 1-2 which takes a very dramatic turn in season 5, something that isn't exactly easy to understand or rationalize for the viewer.

How did Merlin go from:

“The Mark of Nimueh”

A burning desire to do good to:

“The Dsir”

A bitter resignation to the way things have to be...

[Verse 1] I have this thing where I get older, but just never wiser Midnights become my afternoons When my depression works the graveyard shift, all of the people I've ghosted stand there in the room

Grief

Grief is one plausible explanation for Merlin's downfall and overall resolve to just trudge along by the time the finale swings around.

Merlin, more than anyone, has the full knowledge of all those he's lost, and all he has left to lose; and he unfairly blames himself for all of these losses.

Will, Balinor, Freya, Lancelot, Elyan, Daegal, Aithusa, Morgana, Arthur, and so many others, the list goes beyond a bulleted 'survive/deceased' on a paper.

Merlin has lost so many to his crisis of destiny.

At around 18 he was given the power of a God, or maybe the illusion of one, and chased the fickle call of destiny for the rest of his life because it was the only constant he knew after enduring tragedy after tragedy. The tragedy of Morgana’s evil, Lancelot’s sacrifices, Balinor’s Death; all pivotal moments that further grated on Merlin’s soul for being so powerless, so helpless to completely control his destiny.

How can one man, even if given a shoddy 'blueprint' of Albion, have the capability to follow through?

When his destiny continued to allude him, whether or not this was by the choices he made, Merlin became all the more determined to control the course as much as he could: he would save Arthur from himself, damn it all! Unfortunately, the random draw of fate is not so kind to impassioned gods…

[Pre-Chorus] I should not be left to my own devices They come with prices and vices I end up in crisis (Tale as old as time) I wake up screaming from dreaming One day, I'll watch as you're leaving 'Cause you got tired of my scheming (For the last time)

When Merlin is left to his own devices, he is given the fate of the entire kingdom to juggle himself; this is an alienating responsibility, and every decision he makes comes with a hard price.

As seen in 'The Crystal Cave' knowing one's future, preventing a future, creating a future are all threads of fate that are pretty much impossible to untangle. Who is to really know the exact consequences of every choice? But Merlin burdens himself with the thought that he should always know.

The course of destiny, or at the very least Arthur's, is described as a circle of fate, a never-ending cycle.

It's a 'tale as old as time' now, a legendary sequence of events that drives young people to do better, and to learn from Merlin's and Arthur's mistakes.

But to Merlin these were moments he lived and breathed through, where his capacity for goodwill might've failed him or his courage to keep going might've faltered; the extent of which is unknown to a modern audience.

Merlin's life story, spilled on a page like blood, is a 'tale as old as time' but a continually revived memory for him. That is the price of keeping Arthur the 'Once and Future King' through oral tradition, Merlin must pay the price of remembering him too.

"One day, I'll watch as you're leaving/ 'Cause you got tired of my scheming/ (For the last time)"

The day his friends realized the true extent of authority he had over their lives was one Merlin dreaded; he hated to be revealed as the one who might've pushed the fates of Camelot one way or another with everyone else oblivious. He even revealed his magic to Arthur in literally the very last moment, for fear of being exposed as a sorcerer but also the fear of how people would change how they viewed him.

In season 1, he was much more open to revealing his magic, mostly to Gaius' chagrin, but later he would grow comfortable with the idea of keeping big secrets from his friends, even his best friend. It was just too terrifying, the not knowing.

Although Arthur did his best to pry, Merlin always shielded the worst parts of himself and his past, (Balinor's death, Freya's death, his involvement in Uther's death), in the reckless hope that destiny need not be substantiated with trust.

True, Arthur was on a pedestal, constantly in the public eye, and Merlin knew everything about him as consequence of being his servant and constant companion. But does that necessarily mean he should've kept all of his self hidden? There's no right answer.

[Chorus] It's me, hi I'm the problem, it's me At teatime, everybody agrees I'll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero

The 'tag line' of the chorus really hits hard for me as a motif of Merlin's life.

From the very beginning he was denoted as the 'antihero'; not exactly the shining and glorious protagonist Arthur was always meant to be, or the dark phoenix of a villain Morgana became, but something stubbornly in-between. (Of course, veering towards Good).

The very nature of him having to keep his magic a red-tape secret meant that Merlin's actions would always be shrouded in dark, no matter the intention. Curing Gwen's father could lead to Gwen's death sentence, saving the Kingdom meant poisoning Morgana and an attempt to bring back magic to Camelot could mean emotionally manipulating Arthur with Uther's life, and other examples...

I think one of the most divisive decisions he made was denouncing Magic in an attempt to kill Mordred, a choice he blamed for all the trouble the knight rued later on in season 5. Merlin's ulterior motives and troubled choices, usually supported or condemned by Kilgarrah or Gaius, lead to some patchy decision-making, and we rarely see Merlin make decisions from a place of hope rather than fear (saving Aithusa's egg, bringing Morgana to the druids and warning Arthur about Valiant for the first time).

As the series wound down, it was difficult, at times, to root for the 'antihero'.

But I, and the rest of his captive audience, still rooted for him, regardless...

-*-

👁️You’re On Your Own, Kid 👁️

It’s the Greek tragedy of the everyday, losing your hero.

How does it feel to really look someone in the eyes and come to the realization that they aren’t your role model anymore? That the flaws, usually buried under devotion or a powerful affection come up in a sudden rush that almost makes you sick.

And all those things they’ve done, embraced and hurt, are woven into who they are. Flaws that reverberate through your life, long after they’re gone.

That echoing ‘telephone pole’ sound pulsing the background is the embodiment of that emotion, something so hard to describe. A visceral, and distanced running-and-returning feeling that has you calling up your past indefinitely.

And it's no surprise that I equated this song to Arthur...

One of the most powerful themes on the show is the idea of Legacy; whether it is decaying, glorious, corrupted, repeating or born anew, the idea of leaving behind a memory or imprint of the life you led is something that influenced every character on the show, importance to the plot aside.

Morgana and Arthur share a similarity in that they are equal parts intrigued and repulsed by their father's legacy: at one point each Pendragon avows never to lead a life like he did, at another, reverts their promise. It's cliche in the nature of a self-fulfilling prophecy; it's nearly impossible for them to escape the trap of their own heritage as it is for them to remake it.

In the series, Arthur always spoke of destiny in a distanced manner, he had been trained to fulfill the quota since he was born, and he was much less impassioned of a 'golden age' than the day-to-day chivalry he could show his men.

“Arthur’s Bane Part 1”

I'll never stop thinking about this conversation specifically! For me, it encapsulates this whole 'tug-of-war' between loyalty and legend, destiny and reality.

Here, Arthur gently but firmly reiterates to Merlin what he believed his destiny was always meant to be: living and dying by the side of his knights. It's always been Arthur's destiny to die on the battlefield, not for any particular choice Merlin might've made, but because Arthur would rather it be that way.

The moments he put his life out on the limb for them, feeling the rush of adrenaline as he swung his sword of justice in real-time; and the blow of injuries he sometimes felt he deserved for sins his lineage implied; this was the legacy he lived and died for. Something Merlin never really understood, even after 10 years by his side.

Towards the end of the series, he constantly reminded Merlin of how much friendship, loyalty and love for his people meant to him, so much more than the title 'Savior of Albion' ever did. The legacy he built came from his eye-to-eye interactions with his people, fighting by their sides, putting himself into the thick of battle long after he was supposed to retire and just being there.

He came to realize that the legacy he was destined to build meant kneeling down and bowing before Camelot as a servant, a much gentler admiration than the roaring thousands Merlin intended for him to reign over. This was the very antithesis of Uther's legacy.

The soundwave from YOYOK, courtesy of wavevisual./com, clearly shows how much bigger the emotion and instrumentals get towards the end of the song.

It's not all at once, but a very gradual expansion, and I just thought it a neat visual for how the lyrics seemed to expand too

[Verse 1] Summer went away, still, the yearning stays I play it cool with the best of them I wait patiently, he's gonna notice me It's okay, we're the best of friends Anyway I hear it in your voice, you're smoking with your boys I touch my phone as it fits your face I didn't choose this town, I dream of getting out There's just one who could make me stay All my days

Season 1 - I'm Yearning! 😭 Anyway...

Arthurs’ always had the responsibility and expectation of 'playing it cool with the best of them', and if he's unable to keep up, it could very well mean the end of his life on the line in any scenario.

When we were first introduced to him, he's this cocky prince with a big sword and an attitude problem; and an insecurity big enough to match.

He's stumbling, looking for approval in the wrong places, guarding his ill-got reputation in court, and sneers at friendship with a servant. Through Merlin's help, he's able to lessen the sting of disapproval and invest all of the energy of his swagger into something much more substantial: a genuine respect and comradery.

I always likened the line 'I wait patiently, he's gonna notice me' to a younger Arthur constantly looking for approval and sense of belonging from Uther.

Spending hours before sunrise beating the black and blue out of a training dummy, his face glowing bright on the tournament field from the smallest nod of approval.

Burning away any scant reminder of his mother with a feigned indifference; at any moment, his posture, an unconscious gesture, his laugh, could draw Uther back into a bitter remembrance. The silver sigil, her worn wedding ring, rare mementos he tossed into dark corners of his chambers to forget, forget, until one day, years later, he's able to look into the likeness in his mirror without a touch of self-hatred at the memory he sees imprinted there.

Even after Uther passes, Arthur holds onto the hope that he will be noticed and commended for the changes he makes to his father's lineage. Most times he's able to ignore the nagging feeling that he'll never be enough, and with friends enough to populate a round table, Uther's looming shadow can slink off into the dark.

[Pre-Chorus] From sprinkler splashes to fireplace ashes I waited ages to see you there I search the party of better bodies Just to learn that you never cared

From an awkward youth with a breastplate too big for his boasts, to the Man he grew up into, Arthur has become the King his father could never live up to in comparison.

But he does not truly believe it.

For all of Merlin's resolve in a glorious, endless destiny, he was always a true believer in Arthur's distinction from Uther. He was the better man by far, and the better Legacy, but Arthur still shirked from this fulfilment in the fear that his father's expression would be lost to the ashes of his blazing fire.

His determination to see him again on Beltane was borne out of a desire to be enough, that no one really understood the true depth of. This wasn't the first time Arthur had sacrificed his own integrity, and sometimes the safety of his friends and loved ones, all on the line for something he would never entirely attain.

If Excalibur was the epitome of the Arthurian legend to the modern audience (or the most well-known motif) than Uther was to Arthur, the embodiment of that same visceral Hope.

When Uther said, "I will not let you destroy all that I have built!" Arthur may have finally come to the realization that he must destroy that very center of himself, the child still eagerly awaiting a word from his father, in order to rebuild the Kingdom in his own renewed Legacy. To build he had to destroy. To take up the helm of power, he must cast away.

[Chorus] You're on your own, kid You always have been

How isolating are these legends, these bigger than life imaginings of our heroes from Arthuriana? How endless and universal they must be, in order to hold the faint hopes, wishes and prayers of millions in an eternal safe-keeping?

And Arthur, at the center of all of it.

Two sides of the same coin is all well and good, but truthfully, there's one man standing in the spotlight and the other in the dark; and the white light is a harsher halo of judgement than the darker shadows of self-condemnation…

These lines remind me of that pivotal scene from 'The Moment of Truth', where Arthur gave the villagers a reason to keep battling Kanen’s gang,

"And if you fall, you fall fighting for the noblest of causes: fighting for your very right to survive! And when you're old and grey, you'll look back on this day, and you'll know you earned the right to live every day in between! So you fight! For your family! For your friends! For Ealdor!"

It gives me goosebumps every time I rewatch it: the misshapen original round table, made up of peasants and paltry substitutes for noblemen, but all the braver in Arthur’s eyes because of their steadfast belief in the world he promised them. And later, in the 'Coming of Arthur', he comes to resurrect the ancient tradition of a round table for a renewned success.

But it's very lonely being this 'epic hero', and with Merlin's determination to keep the truth about his magic away from Arthur for as long as possible, the destinies of two is really the destiny of one (at least to the public eye).

I've always wondered to what extent Arthur acknowledges that his life and acts of bravery will 'live long in the minds of men.' Was that just an oft-repeated phrase to him? A comfortable armor of nobility, while he went off to fight in battles, each time thinking it might be his last?

I think we get a partial answer in the very last episode of the series, in the very last words he utters to Merlin.

"Everything you've done. I know now. For me, for Camelot. For the kingdom you helped me build..."

Merlin: "You'd have done it without me."

Arthur: "Maybe..."

The King's lonely passage as Once and Future ruler of Camelot, was never something he believed he'd done on his own. He continuously acknowledged all the work of his subjects, Merlin his closest friend, and Guinevere the love of his life, had done for him, and credits their bravery, loyalty and compassion as the true tenets of the Kingdom that came to be.

He was never really worried about the state of the Kingdom after he passed (after marrying Gwen), knowing that the epitomized Glory of Camelot was not something he had solely come to encompass.

It's bittersweet, it's admirable, and it's a very inevitable cycle of rise and fall for Arthur Pendragon to hold hope for, as predictable as his own waning breaths.

I think it's the most beautiful thing in the world, that he died believing that his Legacy came from the people he surrounded himself with, rather than the high-and-mighty version of the legend he came to represent. It's a very clear deviation from the prideful man he was in season 1.

[Bridge] From sprinkler splashes to fireplace ashes I gave my blood, sweat, and tears for this I hosted parties and starved my body Like I'd be saved by a perfect kiss The jokes weren't funny, I took the money My friends from home don't know what to say I looked around in a blood-soaked gown And I saw something they can't take away 'Cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned Everything you lose is a step you take So, make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it You've got no reason to be afraid

I think these lines of the bridge are pretty on point in terms of Arthur's stages of life, but oh! :( It hurts me as a viewer to remember all these specific moments of betrayal, growth and everything in between.

As the successor of Uther, he had no obligation to entirely change the status quo. But he poured his ‘blood, sweat and tears’ into this!

He ‘hosted parties’: feasts, on his birthday and celebrated with all of his friends and family; while fighting away the feelings of unhappiness knowing it was also the anniversaries of his parents’ deaths.

He believed that a great romance ♥️ with Guinevere would save him with a ‘perfect kiss’ even when all others urged him to let her go.

He was a great romantic, a genuine friend and a faithful King, who never expected to be be anything more than a good memory in the minds of his people.

He would’ve never! expected all of the magic, hope and wonder modern audiences would come to project onto his legend, but I wish, more than anything, that Arthur might’ve had the chance to see the endless love in how the world has grown to memorialize him, a final and lasting tribute to his character Merlin undertook as a way to say, I understand I understand I understand

When he ‘looked around in a blood-soaked gown’ he saw the the ragged Camelot army heralding him as the King after pulling Excalibur from the stone.

He sees Gwen smiling back at him, as bright as a spring flower, after she was crowned Queen by his side.

In his last moments, he sees Merlin’s face as a beacon of hope and reassurance that his Kingdom will not falter, while those he loves still walk the earth.

And that ‘something they can’t take away’? That legacy?

He sees the Once and Future, without him.

And he knows it will go on.

So yes! ‘Make the friendship bracelets and take the moment and taste it’ because every moment he shared with his friends and family were held as dearly to him as a long-prophesied legend.

Arthur came to understand that those moments were not mere passing seconds, but something so much more ever-lasting and precious, a legacy within themselves and a confirmation that he had done the right thing, he had loved and lost and he was happy with leaving it all behind if he knew it would outlive him.

He prophesied the future of Camelot by doing everything to ensure it’s continuation without him, and therefore, ensured it’s immortality: a comforting thought for the far horizon as a dying man says his last goodbyes.

Gwen’s warm gaze and soft laugh, the creases in Merlin’s eyes as he fires back a quick jab, Morgana’s slow smile and rare words of praise - those memories! were what he held dear in his last moments.

A warring fate and fickle destiny, a creeping evil and and an unfortunate circumstance may have ensured his death, but Arthur’s stubborn hope against it all dares to reassure the audience of something he learned through great trial and tragedy.

[Chorus] You're on your own, kid Yeah, you can face this You're on your own, kid You always have been

Yes, “You’re on your own, kid”

But with the glorified ‘myth and magic’ of the legends, comes the gentle reminder that he was never truly alone, and left behind a great memory that was only ensured through the love he gave and was given in return.

A love that ‘always has been’, and in it’s brilliant simplicity, epitomized the Legend he came to be.

And in turn,

so you, will always be remembered too ✨

-*-

Thank you so so much for reading 💖 I really appreciate it :)

@taylorswift @taylornation you guys wanna join the immortal fandom? Lol

The link to Part 2 (final) will be here! (once I finish it lol)

[mikesavagenewcanaanusa]

Mike Savage New Canaan Exploring the Captivating Photography Art of Ana Aceves

Photography is a powerful medium that allows artists to capture moments, emotions, and perspectives in a single frame. Among the many talented photographers, Ana Aceves stands out with her captivating and thought-provoking work. Her unique approach to photography transforms everyday scenes into extraordinary works of art.

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[aashi-heartfilia]

I was initially very shocked and bothered by the news of Yukino gaining Star Dress. I like Yukino and I'm not really against her being able to Star Dress, but what bothered me was how easily she was able to obtain it. Rather the moment itself was just so underwhelming and rushed. I was bothered by this at first, but then I started thinking about in a different way. Yukino is a side character who uses the same kind of magic as Lucy, the main character.

When Lucy Star Dressed for the first time in Tartarus, it was this big, grand and amazing moment and it was the same as the second time she did it after reuniting with Natsu and Happy. It makes a lot of sense. She's the main character. Almost anything she does has a lot of significance, especially gaining a new power. Even more so when you take in to account her background and journey to getting stronger.

Yukino has been practicing magic longer than Lucy. She was already able to open two spirit gates before Lucy was able to, something that is considered impressive in itself. Honestly, Yukino getting Star Dress so easily kinda makes sense.

When Yukino Star Dressed, it was nothing. Like there was nothing to it at all. Literally. Like, 'Poof' there it is! Now let's move on. I think that was the point. The moment felt insignificant because it was. The things that Yukino does (including Star Dressing) aren't as important as the things Lucy does because she is a side character and not the main character.

I truly don't mean any disrespect towards Yukino or her fans nor am I trying to defend the writers. This is just the way I chose to interpret the scenes. I understand and felt the frustration and outrage of the fans of both girls. Yukino deserved to have a great moment and Lucy deserved to have her struggles recognized and sympathized with.

That's another thing I took away from this. Lucy's reaction to Yukino.

I know it was there for comedic effect, but I couldn't help but look into it more. Lucy's always insecure about her own abilities and calls herself weak. She doubts herself quite often. When she saw how easily Yukino was able to Star Dress, it must have really shocked her since it took her a year to learn how to do it.

I think Lucy must have felt somewhat insecure right then and maybe even incompetent. But that isn't the case. I feel like Lucy tends to hold herself to the standards of her peers (Natsu, Gray, Erza, etc.) and that's why she feels inferior.

However, one of the things that make Lucy who she is is the fact that she does struggle. Everything that Lucy has achieved she worked hard for. She's someone who perseveres. There are times where she fails, but she gets back up, learns from her mistake and trys again. Lucy learning nine Star Dresses in a year is way more impressive in my eyes than Yukino learning two in two minutes.

It's why I wished there was some sort of separate chapter that really explored Lucy's training while Fairy Tail was disbanded.

So, I don't think Yukino getting Star Dress and the way it happened takes anything away from Lucy, at least not anymore. I think it was poorly handled and would much rather it not have happened at all, I don't think it makes Lucy any less unique. She's a unique character after all.

She still has Urano Metria, can summon three Zodiac spirits at once and can combine two Star Dresses together to make a more powerful form. Heck, even Yukino said that that skill was way too advanced for her. So, Lucy is still the number one Celestial Spirit wizard (Oh, and casted Gottfried by herself since she used her own magic to make copies of Yukino and Hisui).

P.S. I honestly don't think Yukino's Star Dresses are going to make frequent appearances. Though I guess that depends on how present Sabertooth will be in the manga going forward. If they do make multiple appearances, I'll treat them like how I treat Lucy's fan service; unnecessary, uncool, unwelcomed and sometimes pretend it doesn't exist (I'm referring to Yukino's Star Dresses, not Yukino the character nor Sabertooth). But I'll put up with it because I enjoy Tumblr and Lucy Heartfilia.

2nd P.S. In my personal opinion, Yukino's Star Dresses don't look that good to me. Lucy's forms are more simplistic in concept and design and Yukino's just look like they're doing too much. But I'm curious about what you think and sorry for the long ask. This is my first time writing anything on Tumblr and I went over board.

Yes! More or less, we cannot change what has happened. It was a bad decision on his part nevertheless. I'll just ignore its existence for now, Yukino SD that is.

[onewomancitadel]

Hello. I'm a fan of your story and new to your blog. I just wanted to know whats your opinion on Jaune's semblance being used for combat? We know he can do this since Miles & Kerry confirmed that it's amplification and not healing which is something people get confused by. We also know he can use it on himself and when he did he managed to harm Cardin by super amping his own Aura. What are your thoughts on the combat applications of Jaune's semblance? Why do you think fans often ignore it?

I wrote about the nature of Jaune's Semblance here and what I think it actually is. I don't take Word of God that seriously because God lies, but it is true it's not specifically healing because that's just part of what Aura does. I also think that relying upon Word of God to form interpretation is where all good and interesting thought goes to die, but that is neither here nor there.

Combat application is a byproduct of the ideas at hand. Certainly, Rule of Cool is at play, but ultimately if you're dealing with a story with gunswords, superpowers based on how special each individual is, monsters and maidens, knights and towers, the magical breath of life, the energy between all things, and reincarnation, it's not a particularly realistic story about how economic each individual superpower is. It's going to be rooted in psychological/magical/emotional melodrama.

That is, at the heart of it, the conflict of Ironwood and Atlas with the rest of the story. It's the thematic lynchpin. You can't nuke Salem, there's never going to be a weapon powerful enough to kill her, nowhere you can hide. Because she's an eternal, ancient bad witch who has seen everything, but was also the first girl in the tower, the first fairytale, the Lost Fable, the secret of the world. The key to helping her is not killing her. That in itself is the dramative, narrative irony: of course Salem can't be killed.

If you want a story with absolute, realistic combat, then you are probably watching the wrong show from the get-go. On the other hand, I think Jaune's Semblance is more important and powerful than whatever combat application it has (and that's even true of other Semblances, clearly).

Right here you see the inherent conflict between narrative literalism and metaphorical readings of narrative. The only way these kinds of magical stories exist is pretty much if they can exist on their own terms as being magical. If you wanted a literal story, you can't really be watching a gunsword anime show about fairytales, because using swords when you can guns is itself silly. Ironwood would be right. The fact that he's wrong is indicative of what they are trying to do. You have coincidentally touched on the heart of a current crisis in media interpretation, where cynicism flourishes. Which is once again ironic because Ironwood, but also because Cinder is a wounded idealist and I think Jaune can restore it.

We also know he can use it on himself and when he did he managed to harm Cardin by super amping his own Aura.

Harming Cardin with his Semblance is really bad and probably more meant to indicate the direction of Jaune's emerging Semblance than it is meant to tease anything. For that matter, Ren uses Aura to kill the snake in Volume 1 to the snake, but I think that idea was eventually abandoned because the thematic conflict of protective Aura with harmful Aura breaks everything. The idea that Tyrian can pierce through Aura is really bad and it's what makes him so villainous.

Of course, I also think the implicit assumption underscoring this discussion is that Jaune's Semblance is only meaningful or interesting if it has aggressive application. I think there's an anxiety here about the purpose of healers/supports and an anxiety about Jaune as a knight figure. Jaune helping Penny stave off the corruption or Jaune saving Weiss aren't considered unique or interesting narrative acts despite the fact he's literally the only person who can do it. In my opinion he's literally the only person who can help Cinder and his Semblance embodies that. He's special in a way he doesn't even totally realise or know, which I find hilariously ironic because it seems like none of the fandom really gets it either.

I do readily allow that the format of the show with big gunsword fights means that most of the discussion is naturally going to bleed into the direction of where/when/why is Jaune not big fight kill man, but on the other hand, he literally is the only person who can heal anyone at this stage in the story. He's got an interesting blend of the chivalric knight and the sword and the shield and then the healer, both coming with codes of conduct that I think are really interesting. My favourite theme is that the healer has the bloodiest hands. Violence/protection intertwined is very unique to him and I think there's a reason his Semblance isn't used the way you think it should be used. Because it's not an accessory or a weapon.

I get that there are some Jaune fans who get annoyed with him being typified as only a healer, but people who ignore the meaning of that are making a mistake in underestimating it narratively. Course-correcting by trying to make Jaune fit a different narrrative ideal (aggressive and uncompassionate and good for killing) that conflicts with his character (particularly weirdoes who think he should kill Cinder) because of personal taste is not something I'm interested in doing.

That is to say, I think he occupies a unique position in the story, and poisoning his Semblance by reducing it down to combat application is actually defeating the entire point of it.

As I outlined in that post linked earlier - which I'm assuming you've read - I think the results of his Semblance use are even more long-term and have greater consequences on Aura than single-use. It could be building up to something greater than that, but I wouldn't solely look at it from the perspective of fighting. In my case, I think that there's the potential he uses it on someone who is extremely conflicted, and otherwise the Semblance is an expression of his support for her.

If you are a fan of my story, you can see this ideology expressed, no doubt. I love healers. I love characters who care and want to protect people. I don't really want to to be thinking about the mathematics of combat. What would be cool? I don't think it's as simple as Jaune being reduced down to a battery pack, and then once you go down that path it's messy. Huntsmen who hunt fairytale creatures of darkness are not the best answer to an ongoing and perpetual monster problem that react to bad feelings.

I think that the ultimate purpose of his Semblance (which is paralleled to Ruby's silver eyes) is related to Cinder. Like Ruby's eyes, they're not laser beams to kill monsters with, they exist to protect life. (Ruby isn't daddy's special little girl like Qrow said but she IS mummy's special little girl. In other words, they're the gift/legacy of her mother). So whatever they decide to do with the fights to represent other ideas and then involving Jaune is going to be saying things about what his Semblance/what he's meant for.

But again, we're also dealing with violence as a narrative language, and violence preceding all other powerful narrative acts. Jaune doing magical things independent of that aren't necessarily going to be reading the way it should be because of that. I bemoan it.

For that matter, for his character going forward, I wrote a post expressing this recently you can see under my Jaune Arc tag - he needs a major expression of nonviolence related to his Semblance and some personal redemption of his inability to save Penny. That could happen during Vacuo (as Vacuo reprises Haven structurally) but I'm not sure what it's going to look like. It would be fitting if it's another Maiden and if that potentially foreshadows him helping another Maiden.

Jaune is connected to Maidens for some reason, almost like his ultimate purpose is helping the most conflicted and sad and evil and Byronic and melodramatic and special and not romantically set up with anybody else Fall Maiden when he couldn't help the Fall Maiden candidate.

You can read more under my Cindemption tag, Knightfall, or Reverse Ozlem tag. I think he's inextricably linked to Cinder's character so it's hard to read him without her.

Now, if you read my response and wanted something different, I can't really apologise. I hope that my work speaks for itself, and if you lurk my blog you would probably understand me more, but this is the only answer I can give you. I don't agree with the fundamental premise of your question, though I do think Jaune is a very interesting (and not disposable) character and he's always been my favourite with Cinder. I am making some assumptions about the background of your ask and can only speak at large about my fandom experience and understanding of the different fandoms (platform to platform, they are different) and what I think might be motivating some of the discourse. I also appreciate that you may be coming from a radically different narrative perspective than me (I understand there is some segment of the fandom that resents 'symbolism' and 'metaphor' and 'themes' and by extension 'character' and 'plot', and I have no idea how to bridge that divide. Mostly, I write posts complaining about it and leave them alone, and hope that they, similarly, leave me alone).

I think that understanding Jaune and the way they portray his Semblance is part of understanding the thematic drive of the story, the same as Cinder. Some might say because I am not wholly concerned with combat application of his Semblance (once again, underestimating his Semblance) I am ruining his character/ruining everything/etc., but in actual fact I feel that my approach is the one that emphasises how important he really is. What I love about the Haven sequence with Cinder is that she denies him heedlessly killing himself and in the process he realises what he's really meant for, which is not heroic masculine self-sacrifice but reaching out and trying to help and protect. I love how her violence is intertwined with his protection, how, together, they make such an inordinate amount of sense. I adore it.

You mentioned you were a fan of my story. If you want to understand where I think his protective yet violent nature intersects, a great - and possibly my favourite example - is in Chapter 14 of The Distance Which Fools the Skimming Eye. It's possible to write Jaune in a way that doesn't diminish whatever you think he ought to be doing in the story combat-wise without having to make thematic or character sacrifices. In addition to that, I also think that if you've linked Jaune with Maidens, well, his Semblance and the Maiden powers are connected too.

On the other hand, the story is focussed on a particular act with particular consequences which is monumental. If there are some people who think Jaune's ability to heal people is accessory, uninteresting, boring, or unimportant, I can't change their attitude; however, I can take it as seriously as I want, and write about its impact on the meanest baddest bestest Fall Maiden.

Thank you for your ask and hope you have a nice day. Thanks for reading my fic as well, I really appreciate it and I hope you enjoy it.

Again, because I can't be sure of your background and I don't know if this discussion is going to evolve, I do want to note that my policy on concrit is that I only want it when asked for, and I really don't want this to become a discussion about how I choose to characterise Jaune in my fanfic and whether you like it or not. I took this ask to be mostly about Jaune in canon. However, whether people like my characterisation of Jaune is partly up to how they understand him in canon, and the wall I am up against is that it seems like my interpretations of Jaune and Cinder run rather divergent. I would be happy to be left alone on this front since fanfic is transformative analysis of canon for me but also very self-indulgent and where I go to have fun. I enjoy discussing canon though.

Also sorry I used memes to break up the text I was all out of ideas.

[walkingwiththegods1]

Paganism Class 101: Kinds of Witches

    Note: I apologizes to any reader, if this list is incomplete: I have found 75 differents kinds of Witches, and probably there are more than I don't know; because I'm not a Witch, myself. (As far, as I know... Despite I have always said that all women are witches, 'cause we can changes the world around us; mostly for good, in creative and positive ways!) Also... I'm not good in dealing with negative energy, so... If you don't see a kind of witch, is because I can't research to those kinds myself; and you will have to search them online, in "Types of Witches"; and read through differents sites, to have an idea of the vast choices that exists: Thanks for your understanding, and... For reading my post!

   You feel more drawn to Magic or Witchcraft, than with Paganism; in general?!... Don't worry: You can be a Witch, and that doesn't make you less of a Pagan!

   Witches, were a very common part of Communities in Ancient Times; and were very well treated and respected in general, before The Christianizaction of The Ancient World.  Now... How you decides, "What Kind of Witch, Am I?!..."; is really simple: Just read the list that is given below, and; after reading the list, pick the kinds that you feel more drawn to: Investigate them first, and then starts to ask to someone; that is already that kind of Witch. (If you feel drawn to more of one type, don't worry: Many witches, rarely practices or works; with one type of witchcraft!)

     Good luck! And now... The List!

Air Witch: Works with anything related to The Air Element, and drawns energy from The Wind/Air; for their rituals and spells.

Ancestral Witch: Is the magic practicioner, that works and pays tribute only to their ancestors in general; instead of Deities

Animal Witch: Is one with a strong connection with Animals, specially living animals; and even, with spirits of animals. They drawns energy from any kind of animal.

Animist: Believes that all has an spirit, and drawns energy from living beings and inanimate objects in nature; like rocks, soil; and natural places.

Angelic Witch: Is a witch who works, worships; and drawns from the positive energy of Angels.

Art Witch: They are very creative, and puts magic behind any works of art.

Atheist Witch: Is the one that doesn't belong to any religion, and don't worships or believes in any Deities. (Most of them, are Secular Witches; too.)

Augury: Is a witch that interpretes omens and signs, to the person that consults her/him. She/Him, works as an translator of sacred or divine signs; for the Human World.

Baby Witch: Is what is called to a new witch, that is starting her/his path in witchcraft; no matter what is their real age.

Bruja: Is Spanish for witch, and uses a blend of witchcraft; from The Old and The New World: They buy all they need in an special shop called Botanica, and are common in Latin America; where there are many kinds of witchcraft, including; Haitian Vodou and Santeria. (The last one is the most popular, and practices in Hispanic Communities in The US and Canada; Central America, South America; and, in The Caribbbean. In The Dominican Republic, The Santeria is very unique; 'cause it blends elements of Spanish Catholicism, with African Deities and The Pantheon of Taino Gods.)

Candle Witch: Is a witch that uses candles for their purpose, depending of the candle's color.

Ceremonial Witch: This kind of witches, works mostly with rituals; and uses spirits to help them, during the same.

Chaos Witch: Drawns their power, from any kind of Chaos.

Closeted Witch: Is the one that sadly, has to practices in secret or makes witchcraft in subtle ways; for personal and familiar reasons; and/or for their own safety. (Reads my post of "Paganism Class 101: Kinds of Paganism", in the part of Witchcraft, so you can be careful in the Regions of The World; were is not a good idea to practices Witchcraft, openly; or... To say to anyone, than you are a Witch!)

Color Witch: They uses and drawns their power from Color, and... Wears them, for the same purpose.

Cosmic Witch: Called too, Celestial Witch; they drawn their power from all Celestials Bodies, and... The Cosmos, itself!

Country Witch: They practices hearth and earth-based magic, follows Deities related to The Country; and lives in the country. (Or... Dreams with living in that way, someday!)

Coven-Based Witch: Is the one that practices magic, with a group of other witches.

Crystal Witch: They drawns power from gems and crystals, and uses them in their magic.

Dark Witch: Is one that practices magic, with the intention of hurt; or manipulate others. (Is called, "Black Witch"; but, I prefer this term; 'cause the other term is racist, like calling to beneficial or positive magic; "White Magic...")

Death Witch: They works with the spirits of the dead, and communicates with them.

Desert Witch: They drawns energy from The Dessert, works with its energy; and with the natural elements found in it.

Dianic Witch: Is a witch that worships Diana, (Artemis, for The Romans) as her main deity; but follow other goddesses as well, and is a very exclusive coven: All the members, are women.

Divination Witch: Is the one that uses tools to see the future. (Tarot, Tasseomancy; Palmistry, Runes, Gazing on a Crystal Ball, etc.)

Draconian Witch: Are the ones that drawns energy from Dragons.

Dream Witch: Is a witch that uses magic in dreams, and drawns energy from The Moon, Darkness and The Night; in their sleep.

Druid: Is the one that worships Celtic Deities, works with beings from The Celtic Mythology; and practices Earth-Based Magic.

Earth Witch: They drawns their power and magic, from The Earth; works with earthly elements, and practices in nature. Their altar, has elements from The Earth.

Eclectic Witch: Is the one that uses differents kinds of Magic. Ex.: A witch that works with Colors and with Angels, or that works with Dragons; Dreams and with Art. (If you feel inclined with two or more kinds of witchcraft, then; you can be... An Eclectic Witch!)

Elemental Witch: Works and drawns energy from The Five Elements. (Commonly, a Elemental Witch works with only one element; most of the time.)

Faery Witch: They works and drawns energy from Nature and The Faeiries.

Fire Witch: Drawns power from Fire, and works with it. (If you are a minor, please... Wait to be of legal age, and be careful with; or around fire.)

Floral Witch: A witch that works with flowers, and knows their magical and medical uses. Usually... They have a little flowering garden, that is very well care.

Forest Witch: This kind of witch, drawns energies from all in a forest; from animals, plants and rocks; until from spirits of the forest, and practices their magic; there.

Garden Witch: A type of Green witch, that works in their gardens; and uses their herbs, flowers and plants for heal.

Green Witch: Drawns energy from Nature, and practice mostly Earth-Based magic.

Grey Witch: Are the ones that uses dark and white magic, in equal parts.

Healer: Is the witch that uses and focus mostly, in healing magic, and uses any kind of alternative medicine to heals anyone; including themselves.

Hearth Witch: Is the one who works magic in, or around the home. (They are called too, "Cottage Witch"; or "Home Witch".)

Hedge Witch: Is the one that walks or lives most of the time, in the limits of a town or city; and easily walks in and out, of the Spiritual World. They are mostly, solitary witches. (The Myth of "Th  Witch flying in a broomstick...", started with this kind of Witch.)

Hellenic Witch: Their magic, comes from following to the Ancient Greek Religion and Magic.

Herbal Witch: Is the one that uses herbs in spells, divination and rituals; likewise to create potions and medicinal remedies, for magic and healing.

Hereditary Witch: Which family, practices witchcraft for generations; and pass these unique practices and knowledge, to the next generation.

Kitchen Witch: Is the witch, that creates magic or healing; in the food or recipes they makes. They put love and positive energy, as the key ingredients in their practices.

Lunar Witch: Is a witch that works and drawns energy from The Moon and its phases, and is very sensible to its changes.

Mental Witch: They works with their mind, and they works only in the mental plane; where they drawns their magic.

Music Witch: A witch that uses magic through sounds, instruments; or even... Their voice! They enjoy many kinds of Music, and/or Dance.

Natural Witch: I know a person, that seems to be borned with magic inside; so... Is possible to be, a Natural Witch.

Nature Witch: They drawns their power from Nature, and from all that is in it: Rocks, the soil, animals and plants; and they are mostly, outdoors. (Forest, Mountains; Dessert, The Woods, near a River or Lake, Beaches and Coasts; etc.)

Nocturnal Witch: Is one that drawns their power from darkness and the night.

Norse Witch: Is one that follows Norse Tradition and Mythology. The kind of magic they practices, is called "Seiðr"; or, "Seidh."

Pagan Witch: Is the one that worships and works with Pagan Deities, in their spells and rituals. They drawns their power from The Gods, and from the faith they have in them.

Plant Witch: Is one that works and drawns power from all types of Plants, and their parts. (Root, trunk; branch, leaves, flowers and fruit.)

Pop Culture Witch: Is the one, which drawns inspiration from Pop Culture for their magic.

Psychic Witch: Is the one that blends magic with their psychic abilities.

Religious Witch: Is one that worships and works with a Deity or Deities, as part of their magical practices; and life.

Sand Witch: One that works and drawns energy from the Sand, don't matter where it comes from.

Sea Witch: Is the one that works and drawns energy from any body of water. They can feel the energy of the water, and their altar; have elements from The Sea.

Seasonal Witch: Is the one that drawns energy and works, with one of The Seasons of The Year.

Secular Witch: Is a very spiritual witch, but whose practices is devoid of religion; and its rules: They doesn't worship Deities, and they doesn't pray to any God.

Shamanic Witch: Is a witch, than helps by using alternative medicine; spirit work and magic.

Solar Witch: They drawns energy from The Sun, and its Light. They works in daylight.

Solitary Witch: Is the one than, or doesn't have found a coven yet; or... Decides to practices witchcraft, alone.

Spirit Worker: Is the one that works with spirits, in spells and in rituals; and with any kind of spirit, including spirits of nature; or ghosts. They are called too, "Spirit Witch."

Storm Witch: Is a witch that drawns energy from all kinds of Storms.

Swamp Witch: They works and drawns energy from the Swamp, and the elements in it.

Techno Witch: Is a kind of Witch, that combines Technology with Magic.

Traditional Witch: Is a witch that works with magic, than was teaches in their families for generations; or, within their local communities. They are called too, "Folk Witch."

Urban Witch: Is the one that drawns energy from The City, and probably blends Technology with magic; too.

Village Witch: Is a witch, that lives and helps to people in their village; with magic and alternative medicine.

Water Witch: Is the one that works mostly, with all that is related to the Element of Water in all its forms; and drawns energy from it.

Weather Witch: Is the one that works and drawns energy from the weather, and can manipulate it. (I know a person, that didn't know she was able to control weather; until she cause a horrible storm with heavy rain and lightning, for being angry by an injustice she suffered, the day before the storm came!)

Wiccan Witch: Is a witch, that belongs to The Religion of Wicca; and follows its rules at heart. There are 5 types of Wiccan Witch: Alexandrian Witch, Gardnerian Witch; Correllian, Celtic Witch and Seax Witch.

Witch: Is any person that practices magic. A witch, is too any person that uses divination tools; manifestations, makes potions or natural remedies, and uses their psychic powers; to the ends of predicts or create, an outcome. They are mostly benevolents, and works mostly for the wellbeing of others; of Nature, Plants, Animals, Communities... And The World, at large.

White Witch: Is a witch that uses magic for the betterment of the lifes of people, and dedicates their lifes in using their powers only for good. Most of the witches, belongs to this kind. (Sorry for using this term: I wished to uses "Witch of The Light", but... White Witch, is the term that generally is most known and use.)

    I know how very confusing is taking a path; once you realize you have found you true calling, but... Don't fall in despair: It took me years to realizes than Paganism was a valid choice for me, and this list; (like many of my other Class of Paganism for beginners... Are made for that purpose: To makes this process less confusing and painful, as it was for me!) This is a little notch to push you, to whatever kind of Magical Practices you wants to assumed; and once you already did your choice... Ask to any person than practices your choosen kind of magic you want to start to learn, what is the basics steps; memorizes the terms, do a least one thing related to it daily, follow the instructions, and take baby steps, because most of the Witches in History; start exactly like you: Asking a lot of questions, constant practice; studying and researching daily, and recieving guidance of the more experienced in their practice!

       And, this is all: I wish you, to embraces your inner Power; for now on... So Be It!

[on-poetry]

On Tenderness in Fiction

Excerpted from the December Fiction newsletter for Writers.com. Enjoy!

Short Story Recommendation: “Confessions of a Shinagawa Monkey” by Haruki Murakami

Read it here, in The New Yorker.

This story is peak Murakami—a Japanese author who often straddles the border of Surrealism and Magical Realism. In this story, the narrator meets a talking monkey who has the ability to steal the names of women he loves. For most authors, this story would sound impossibly silly. For Murakami, it's so believable, you might meet this monkey tomorrow.

In speculative stories like this one, the intrusion of the fantastical into everyday life often acts as a metaphor for something. Only this name-stealing monkey—who himself was not born with a name—is "out of place" in an otherwise normal world. What does he represent? How should we understand him vis-a-vis the unnamed narrator? And what makes this story so successful?

Pay attention to the narrator, how he seems to be a vessel for the story's oddities. But wait, shouldn't all characters be unique, believable people? Certainly—and this one is, too. We learn a lot about this narrator based on the questions he asks the monkey. It's never stated, but the narrator also seems to be a lonely person. Why else would his line of questioning veer so quickly into matters of the heart? Why else would he believe something so impossible—that a monkey can steal a woman's name, fold it into his own heart in such a way that she forgets the word people call her?

I think we learn the most about the narrator when he says this:

"Theme? Can’t say there is one. It’s just about an old monkey who speaks human language, who scrubs guests’ backs in the hot springs in a tiny town in Gunma Prefecture, who enjoys cold beer, falls in love with human women, and steals their names. Where’s the theme in that? Or the moral?"

This kind of meta-commentary rarely flies in fiction. Here, it works, because the narrator isn't realizing how much the monkey's story reflects his own psyche. Great fiction, particularly surrealism, does this: reveals the landscape of a character's personality.

I would argue that there is a theme here, though a lot of it comes down to the reader's own interpretation. I think that the monkey is a character that many readers can relate to: unable to find love among his own species, and incapable of being loved by any other, he resorts to desperate measures to keep his own heart warm. Sure, he feels guilty about hurting some of the women whose names he's stolen, but what would happen to his own heart if he didn't steal them? What do we do, as people, when we don't feel loved and accepted, to fill the time between now and when we'll finally belong? To go on living despite one's existential loneliness is no mean feat, and though we try to carry on while causing as little harm as possible, survival always requires sacrifice.

Of course, the monkey might represent something entirely different to you. That's the power of fantastic fiction, such as this: its metaphors are like jewels spinning in the light, showing us something different each time we look at it.

Notes on “Storytelling and the Art of Tenderness” by Maria Popova

Storytelling is sometimes described as a type of empathy work. In her acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize in Literature, Olga Tokarczuk takes this a step further, describing storytelling as an inquiry into tenderness—the type of selfless love that connects us to one another, or even connects our humanity to the universe around us.

Tokarczuk writes that there is an "endless system of similarities" between ourselves and the world around us. This is the case at both a micro- and macroscopic scale. It's true: societies flourish like bacteria in petri dishes, and our own brains resemble the connections of galaxies when we zoom out far, far away. This act of metaphor, this meaning-making is hardwired into our psychologies. What's more, it's at the core of literature.

Our instructor Jeff Lyons describes a story as "the combination and interplay of character and plot that is a metaphor for a human experience leading to emotional change." So, a story is a metaphor, and a metaphor is an act of tenderness, finding selfless connection between two seemingly discrete things.

Stories are bridges connecting us to our shared humanity—and beyond. In Murakami's story, the narrator's attention to the monkey's strange story is also a form of tenderness. And, that monkey's story being a metaphor for our own loneliness is Murakami's way of reaching into the void and there, somehow, touching us.

Why do we tell stories? No two writers have the same reason, and I doubt that "tenderness" is the word that comes to mind for many of us. Nonetheless, tenderness is at the core of this work—both the work of writing and the work of reading. if you're stuck on where to take your story next, or even where to begin, imagine your pen reaching into the murky stillness of the universe, and touching someone on the other side.

Read Maria Popova's essay here: https://www.themarginalian.org/2022/11/21/tenderness-olga-tokarczuk-nobel-prize/

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