#so the thing he says he likes depends wholly on context

[cubedmango]

「30歳まで売れないとアイドルになれるらしい」 (from cherry magic volume 12 special edition) — english translation

[galebrainrott]

Edit : This is a cultural thing. But I'm keeping this up because miss honey!Morena is a fun, angsty idea.

Okay so something that Gale says that has always made me wonder is when he says something along the lines of, "Oh, I'm sure Morena doesn't mind."

Now this could be a cultural difference or something but I could not imagine referring to my mother by her first name like that. Maybe during doctor's appointments but never in that way.

So I had a thought. What if Gale is some sort of talented storm sorcerer orphan prodigy and was adopted by Morena when he's around 10/12 or something (Matilda style). Which is also around the time that Mystra meets him because he's really good at magic. Morena probably teaches him the wizard ways of magic.

But because he gets adopted by Morena around the same time as meeting Mystra, mini-Gale thinks that both of these events are because of him being a prodigy. (Its not, Morena just loves Gale. Don't we all.)

This would give context to the line, "You love me for the man that I am, not the magic I command. Noone has ever loved me so purely."

Because let me tell you, I was a bit confused when he said that. Like Gale... Tara??? Your mother? I know it's probably more like a nobody-loves-me kind of speech but it did catch me off guard.

We also know that he was a very "look at what I can do" kinda kid and yeah, kids are just like that, but what if it was also a, "im still really talented, i swear"

This would make him being abandoned by Mystra so so heartbreaking. Which would explain why he never tells his mother about the orb or even writes to her during the events of bg3. Because he's afraid of disappointing her, of being abandoned by her. So he tries his best to deal with all of those problems on his own.

Of course, this would erase my beloved Mamma Mia! Morena hc and is wholly dependent on the fact that my culture just doesn't do that first name thing.

But let me know??? Is this a normal thing? Do you guys ever refer to your parents by their first names in the way Gale did?

[ruibaozha]

so I've got a question for ya

more LMK specific but since you're well versed in knowledge about him, thought I'd ask

I'm curious on your opinion of the (LMK) Nezha "shipping"?

everyone's weird about it bc of most of his interpretations being eternally 12, and y'know, I've got a neutral opinion- I don't really care if people do because immortals have really fucking weird relationships/demonstrations of age due to being very much NOT mortal, and it's a completely different interpretation, and it also HEAVILY depends on the context, so I'm just kind of all "shrug. do what you wanna do"

but I'm simply curious about what you view from it. :D

So I’ve sat on this for a while because I didn’t know how to properly articulate what I wanted to say. I still don’t wholly know, but I will do my best.

I do not personally care if someone does or does not ship Nezha with others, it is common practice within Chinese social media circles to ship and make fanart of these deities together as it is mostly harmless fun.

Nezha is not an eternal child and has never once stated to be one within his original mythos, documentation of him in derivative works, or in the ways he is portrayed in statues. This is not to deny the existence of a child Nezha as he too has his purpose, but things like his associations with lotus motifs and a number of his weapons are specific to when Canonization of the Gods was widely circulated. This is a topic itself that I have been sitting on but want to properly debunk in the future.

I understand the misunderstandings though. A great deal of information about Nezha was never properly localized into English, and the English language media available of him largely presents him as a child. This is not an excuse for remaining ignorant and claiming to have done research you did not do, as I have seen many defensive and angry fans do.

Additionally, I don’t know where the 12 number comes from. I could not find an example predating 2015 that states this, the only example I could find being Overly Sarcastic Productions’ series covering Journey to the West which is littered with various errors and should not be heralded as 100% factual. If anyone is able to locate an example predating 2015 I will be happy to receive it. I have been trying to find the root of this specific misinformation for a while.

It would be disingenuous to pretend that Nezha/Nalakubara did not undergo some form of change in the centuries he has existed and been worshipped. However it must be acknowledged that both his child and adult self hold important functions in terms of deific worship.

At the time of this answer being written I am currently researching Nezha’s extensive military career as well as his birthday celebrations during the month of April.

To wrap this up I will attach various images of non-child Nezhas. I will not further elaborate on this until I am ready.

[mellancholy-morose]

🥤🍄🍬☁️

i will restrain myself i wanna ask at least half of these XD'

🥤 recommend an author or fanfic you love

Hmm hard to choose so I'll leave a couple

Pretty much anything by Sleepmarshes @marshofsleep is good shit, most people that have been in the fandom for awhile will probably already know their stuff, most of what's up is soma stuff. They're a master of emotional whiplash and can go from comedy to serious in 5 seconds flat in a way that is both satisfying and devastating.

The Moments We Touch by tastewithouttalent

A really good Stein/Spirit longfic that has them as kids, and then later as adults going through the events of the anime while dealing with their complicated relationship. It's also one of the few times I've read a fic that shows anime scenes that hasn't bored me because it was just restating what we've already seen. The scenes we see replayed in this show new context to what's happening and reframes what we've all seen before in different light.

Pray for the Wicked on the Weekend by thought

@thought-42

Stein/Spirit again. A rare second person fic, and one that uses second person in a really effective way. I'm a sucker for second person fics after Marsh subjected me to it, and they are very rare to see. I love Spirit's characterization and thoughts in this, it's very good and honestly I should reread it again.

def pacts by LikeAFish

Stein/Spirit, one of my favorites, it's from Spirits pov and has him dealing with his relationship with Maka as well as figuring out his feelings about Stein, and their past. It sadly hasn't been updated in awhile, but its still worth a read for how good it is.

I have a bunch more I could recommend probably but this is already a lot lol

🍄 share a head canon for one of your favourite ships or pairings

This is a little hard for me cause there are very few head canons that are consistent for me, I tend to change my mind on things depending on the fic I'm writing. And most of what stays consistent my brain has grouped under characterization, not head canons.

That being said after digging through my brain a bit heres what I've got that does stay consistent. Stein is a very introspective person and so is very aware of boundaries with Spirit. While he loves pushing buttons and seeing how far he can go with something, he's also very conscious of how what he did in the past affected Spirit and attempts to not further damage their relationship/make Spirit seriously uncomfortable. (Like a lower level of uncomfortable for a joke he'd be okay with, the kind that isn't wholly negative. but if it was something more than that he'd be very aware and cautious about it.)

As for Spirit I see him as being very confident with women, but the moment it comes to Stein there's always a lack of it, some form of nervousness. Which tends to change depending on the situation I throw them in, but there's always something, sometimes its because it's men, and he has less experience/is just realizing he's gay. Sometimes it's because it's Stein and their past is so complicated how does one navigate that amidst developing feelings. Sometimes it's because of what happened in the past leaves him with complicated feelings in the present. And sometimes it's cause he has no idea what Stein's feelings might be towards him.

🍬 post an unpopular opinion about a popular fandom character

Man idk I mainly have opinions on unpopular characters I can't really think of anything for the popular characters, so I guess I'll give you something that I think is unpopular for my usual idiots.

First thought was my perception on Stein saying he doesn't understand love when fighting medusa, that he's not being very truthful with that comment. But I've already kinda voiced my thoughts about that here, while the post isn't directly related to that comment I said anything I would have touched on for it.

The only other one I can think of is that Stein and Spirit are both switches, neither one of them are purely a top or bottom. Which I only assume is unpopular based on fics always picking one or the other. But Spirit's a hedonist and Stein would want to experience anything he could just to know what it's like. And they'd both like both roles for different reasons. Spirit would like being more of a top/dominate cause making Stein who's usually so stoic into a mess of pleasure or teasing him till he's practically begging for it would make Spirit giddy, and uniquely proud of himself.

Spirit would like being more of a sub/bottom cause he's more of a sensory based guy. (like he's more on the sensing side of the perceiving axis of myers briggs typing if you get my drift, but I digress I could make a whole in depth post about both of their myers briggs types) And Spirit is the hardworking type, I don't think he remembers how to relax sometimes, so being "forced" to relax on occasion by his partner being more dominate and taking the lead is something he'd really appreciate.

Stein is used to being more dominate/leading things (meister, teacher, ect) it's a role he's used to and comfortable in outside of the bedroom, so inside would likely be no different. (Even if the universe in question he had little experience with this stuff, the moment he does he'd be comfortable with leading things) He also seems the type to me to know and remember the little things about a partners body (like an arrangement of freckles on a shoulder or something) and being in a dom role gives him a good position to observe his partner and memorize them, and their reactions to things.

As a sub/bottom Stein would like actually being in touch with his body for once, and not having to be in charge of things. He'd be happy just to bask in the sensations for awhile, or he'd have fun pushing Spirit's buttons by being a brat (if we're talking more bdsm flavored dom/sub style)

☁️ what made you choose your username?

At some point when I was a kid I was flipping through TV channels and caught a glimpse of a Shakespeare adaptation (which to this day i cannot figure out which one it was) where a character was monologing in the woods, which was first where I heard the word melancholy. I looked up what it meant, and being a bit of an edgy teen went 'yep sounds like me' I started using it for mmo's and such shortly after, which is where the double L and the Morose came from, i added the extra L as melancholy was taken a lot, and then decided I like the aesthetic's of, and the Morose came from MMO's that required a last name for your character. Idr why Morose is what i went with besides i liked the alliteration, and it sounded better than macabre.

[inlocusmads]

Hey Mads! I don’t know if you’ve gotten any yet, so please feel free to substitute with one you’re dying to answer if I give you a duplicate.

1, 4, 12, 20, 25, 33, 40, 41, 52

And I already asked too many so I will stop.

ask me some niche otp asks

1.Who would end a heated argument by defending their actions with ‘because I love you!’ ?

Depends on the argument I would say.

If it is an argument about one getting help (they rightfully need) but think it is absurd, or they think they're a burden - you get the gist, it would probably be Nora saying 'because I love you".

If it is an argument about one getting help (they rightfully need) but think--

Nah, they're both saying that lol. It's probably the only kind of argument they'll conclude with a mutual 'because I love you'. Again, depends on the kind of argument. Other times they are more likely to come to a conclusion/compromise/understanding. It's always the subjective ones.

4. Which one is more protective? Who needs to be ‘protected’?

Nora's more protective in everyday fashion, but is probably the one who needs most protection. Trystan loves feeling secure, but is the first person who'd be willing to draw blood for you.

I love how I don't give out any straightforward answers lmao

12. Do they have many heated arguments? How do they smooth things over?

Answered here.

The short version: Usually ends in some kind of understanding. They aren't the kind of people who would give the other 'the silent treatment' (trust me they have had enough childhood trauma to not follow down that path). There's some conclusion there. Whether it be ending on a sour note or learning something new about each other they should be wary of, or a subject the other isn't fond of bringing up, etc. No argument is left astray.

20.Choose one song that perfectly describes their relationship.

First off, how dare you. Jk jk.

If I had to pick one, it's a very obvious answer. I reference it regularly in my fics, it almost became somewhat of a cultish chant but it is You're My Best Friend by Queen. It perfectly describes their relationship because Trystan's someone who sees the good in people and usually admires them, bordering on a crush but would love a friend, but Nora's the opposite - someone who deals with allies and friends every day in her line of work, but would love a partner (not in any romantic, platonic sense but in a partner-ish sense, y'know?).

It's hard to describe it but the song does it beautifully.

25. Do they have any hobbies they share?

A decent metric ton, actually. Crosswords used to be Trystan's thing but it became Nora's thing over a couple of weeks. Ever since she fixed the basketball hoop in her office, Nora cultivated her dying hobby in that sport before Trystan swooped in and fell in love with shooting hoops (at the cost of many dented furnitures)

33. Who’s the better cook?

If you want a quick, easy, wholesome meal under ten minutes that's equally nutritious, ask Nora.

If you want something elaborate, maybe a medieval recipe thrown in the mix, something five-course-esque, consult Trystan.

40. Who has an insatiable appetite? And what does the other do to help?

Assuming 'insatiable appetite' refers in a food context:

I think Nora definitely does because she kind of grew up with an athlete's diet as a kid (not to mention Chiense households will ensure you are fed until your stomach explodes) and sometimes the portion she consumes isn't wholly enough. She kind of ends up suppressing her appetite, which isn't great because her job is very active at that.

Trystan ensures she eats enough throughout the day, but he is no patron saint either. They kind of decide that if the other's famished, they'd stop by some place to get food or stock up on it at the very least.

41. Which one would take their jacket it off and drape over the other one because they were visibly shivering?

Nora does.

Trystan's one of those "oh i am from drakovia, we eat winter for breakfast" but then completely melts at the early sign of New York winter. Nora's better prepared for such circumstances since she's lived there all her life. She usually layers two jackets and gives one to Trystan no matter the circumstance.

He ends up stealing some of her jackets anyway, so it is a win-win. Trystan doesn't have to catch a cold and Nora can die happy knowing she's dating a pickpocket.

52. Describe their weekend getaway?

Technically Trystan's still yet to clear up his records, so for the time being, they can't travel outside of New York just yet. Weekend getaways aren't a staple, cuz Nora has work on the weekends too. However, if they happen to take a trip or something, they'd probably go visit a couple of art exhibits, book shops, maybe a couple of theme parks (just for the target practice stations).

It's very impromptu. Trystan would suggest a place. Nora would jump in with full enthusiasm. They get tired midway and stop elsewhere. Shenanigans ensue. They end up having a fun time anyway, even if it is literally a Saturday trip to the department store to stock up on groceries.

***

Thank you for the ask Elsa! (tbh you can send me like a million questions and I'll never get tired of them lol)

[onionjulius]

Book Sandor is irredeemable ll

Oooh, hmm, depends on how we define redemption! I am not a religious person so I don't really have strong views on sin as it were, and therefore I feel a bit at a loss as to what can "pay back" for sin specifically and what the objective authority is on that (and of course I would say ASOIAF is similarly undecided).

I don't think that you can ever erase the bad things you've done, though I don't think that's what paying back sin means anyway. In a modern (universal?) context, I do believe in restorative justice, I think you can seek forgiveness from those you have wronged and it's possible that you would be forgiven. I don't think that is likely to happen in ASOIAF, I don't see Sandor going to people he's hurt and asking to be forgiven. Maybe he will feel regret, maybe he already does (I mean I would guess that he already does, whether or not we the reader have directly seen it). He's cynical but his cynicism is torturous to himself, IMO, and that means something. He is still capable of acting in ways that could be argued to be "equal and opposite" of his sins and of making those actions a way of life for himself (in other words, devote himself to good deeds). But he would have to have enough faith in ... existence in general ... to decide to do that in the first place.

I'm a bleeding heart and I tend to believe everyone is capable of change and worthy of more chances. At the same time, not everyone will make those changes, and then there is the issue of whether or not Sandor would ever feel like the society he lives in accepts that he has changed. That would take a lot of visible heroism, and Sandor would have to get over any frustration at having to prove himself to a society of flawed hypocrites if he wanted their acceptance. Really, I'm not sure whose acceptance Sandor wants, and that is part of his tortured nature, he is hurt by things he says he doesn't believe in. If he could decide what he believed in, the next step would be to have the courage to stick to that, regardless of what anyone else said. This is actually a very big thing, just said in simple words. There are always going to be hypocrites, and judgmental people who don't know your specific history, or even much about life in general. Ultimately you have to move past them, and not care if they credit you or not. If Sandor believes that he will never be credited by the authority that counts, he is never going to behave in redemptive ways, and will lose out to despair. It takes a certain courage to believe that you are redeemable, after all.

So I guess my tl;dr is that he is not irredeemable, but that isn't enough to guarantee that he will behave "redemptively", and personally I come from a place of religious agnosticism saying this. I have focused on forgiveness and good behavior as (additive? substitutive? IDK!) qualifications for redemption, reflecting my vague identification with secular humanism. I hope this isn't a wholly disappointing answer! It is a very deep question and I am possibly not a sufficiently deep person 😬

[canidkid]

Number 9 for the self ship agere ask game! ^^

HEHE THIS IS SO OBSCURE OKAY!! /vpos

Ok so- a long time fav of mine has been Trevor Lefkowitz from CBS Ghosts!

Context ->

The time we spend together is pre-canon! So he hasn't yet ended up as a ghost at woodstone. He's just,,, Trevor! And it's like the 90s!

<- pls ignore the way the flags r sitting Tumblr is so broken for me I literally cannot fix it

🪐 🌱 🌻

As a CG...🫧

He is such a classic dad I SWEAR TO YOU omg..I can't do anything without being called a silly little name !!

And he loves showing me how strong he is all the time (usually fails) by picking me up an trying to toss me on furniture or something. Like, pa, we are physically the same height. That is not happening.

Does not know things..in the kitchen. He's lucky I always always am able to make myself food otherwise I would be living off nothing but cereal and apple slices. (I'm being mean he actually does make some banger stuff but... I wouldn't consider most of it real food)

Big on PDA (save me) we cannot be together anywhere ever. Because he's either grabbing my hands or putting his hands on my shoulders or back or MY HEAD???? I can't style my hair because he'll mess it back up over the course of the day!!

I will say....I enjoy..........the kissies....

BED TIMES ARE SUPREEEEEMEEEEEEEE!!!!! He'll let me lay on him while he reads stories or tells me about his own life (it gets wild) and he makes sure to keep his tone nice and low and even and HFSNSFJ he's so warm?? Like a human space heater?? - and if I'm being a little menace about going to sleep we make my plushies fight in a boxing match...if mine wins I get an extra 5 minutes before he leaves >:]] stonks...

I call him "dad", "pa" or "daddy" ! He's one of the only people actually allowed to refer to me by feminine terms. He's such a girl dad how could I not let him princess me tbh?? "Princess" is one nickname he likes for me but it's so many all over the place,, some of them just turn into a complete jumble. "Kitty" "kittycat" "kittygirl" "prettykitty" (idk why he likes calling me kitty I am quite literally a dog therian?????) But also stuff "squirt" "goober" "tiger" !! I'm still waiting for him to come up with his own trademark obscure dad nickname...time will tell.....

As a regressor....🧃

-> This is usually set during his college years!

He...is....tired..he comes to my room wholly unannounced at ungodly hours of the night, usually after some big frat party. Things depend on what went down there - some nights I can barely get him undressed before he just crashes in my bed.

Small. Sometimes not,, but usually. He's pretty insecure of how much support he actually needs sometimes - wants to be independent and big but it's just not gonna happen. Especially when he's overtired I need to be a bit sneaky with helping, otherwise we risk some tears. I'd place him at maybe 3-5?? Just in that space where a kiddo wants to try being a little person for the first time.

He really likes super heroes! Spiderman is his favorite. Anything Spiderman themed he's gonna absolutely beg me for. Doesn't matter if it's clothes, toys, comics....etc. we're busting out the puppy eyes. And he is GOOD at the puppy eyes. The amount of money I've dropped on him is unholy!

Cuddly. It doesn't matter if he's my pa, my boyfriend or my little bug...he needs to be touching me at all times. He'll take any excuse too - like crossing the street - I don't even have to ask for his hand, it just magically appears in mine! We're in proximity of a couch? We're on it. Actually, no. I'm on the couch, he's on me!

Very cute nicknames. For such a big little dude - he's called such soft things. "Bunny" "puppy" "dove" "babydoll" "angel"...I gear toward those when he's younger (which is most of the time) but when he's in an older headspace I straight up just call him "dude" or variations of "little man" HEHEH

Puppy regressor!! Black lab specifically! His favorite things are head scratchies and fetch! I'm not kidding with fetch. He'll bring me any random objects and try to get me to throw them. I've had to take flip flops out of his mouth. - One thing he does when pup regressed is just chill at my feet and I love it. He's so content to just quietly stick to my side while I work on stuff or relax. I actually got a dog bed to put under my desk for that exact reason!

That's all I'm gonna put in this post for now!! Cause I don't wanna make it too too long PFF--

I'm so bummed about the images being BROKEN but I can always edit my posts when they're fixed >:[[[

[damn-daemon]

I’m being consumed by HotD lore lately. What are your opinions for some theories floating around about HotD? I found some interesting ones, some are weird or just mad, but I love how people come up with these:

- Alicent is a lesbian, and she once had feelings for Rhaenyra;

- Rhaenyra herself is bi and had feelings for Alicent;

- Nettles was never Daemon’s lover, but his bastard daughter (and that’s why she could tame a dragon);

- Laenor is going to come back as Alyn of Hull to fight for the Blacks;

- Daemon is responsible for Laenor’s death (in the books);

- Visenya’s deformities were caused by blood magic (no idea who did it though);

- Daemon survived the Dance;

- Viserys leprosy was actually a consequence of wounds caused by the throne, which rejected him as a monarch;

- Otto and Alicent murdered Viserys (in the books);

- Jacaerys is actually Criston Cole’s son;

- Aemond is secretly in love with Helaena;

- Otto hates Daemon because he deflowered Alicent (in the books);

- Helaena’s daughter, Jaehaera, was murdered;

- Some lords supported and sponsored the Dance with hopes that house Targaryen (and dragons too) would be extinct in the process.

Do you have any theory of your own?

I feel like I don't need to comment on each one, but I'm gonna do it anyway.

Absolutely possible, and I think the girls played it that way.

Ditto.

In the book, Nettles is speculated as either Daemon's daughter or his lover, depending on who you ask, and while it is wholly possible she was one or the other, she may have also simply been neither. I would like to hope she is neither, purely because Nettles is the only female dragonrider not related to him. Rather than having her be competent on her own, the narrators decided that clearly Daemon only has an interest in her opinion/skills because she's related to him or fucking him. Anyway, #NettlesSupremacy.

Laenor coming back as Alyn of Hull means he eventually marries his niece and has kids with her, so I'm not a fan of this theory. It makes no sense for his character. If he came back as Addam, who rode Seasmoke, it would make more sense, but I still don't care for it.

Daemon being responsible for Laenor's death in the books is entirely possible - more plausible to me than his supposed involvement in Harwin's death - as after Laena's death, Laenor was the only thing standing between him and Rhaenyra.

Every time I read about a Targaryen child been stillborn with deformities, I honestly roll my eyes. I don't think Visenya was born with deformities. I don't think Maegor's or Dany's children were. I think people just say that to emphasize some kind of inhuman trait the Targaryens have. I think it's all a myth.

Daemon surviving the Dance is a theory I am clinging to for dear life when it comes to writing my story. No body, no death. You can pry this theory from my cold, dead hands.

I honestly figured Viserys's ailments were obviously caused by the throne. Maybe he was a man too good and too kind and the throne corrupted him physically since it couldn't do it morally. Maybe I'm making shit up.

Is it possible that in the books Otto and Alicent murdered Viserys? Sure, but I don't think it's very probable. They would have had multiple, probably better occasions to do so. I think they were okay with playing the long game.

Jacaerys is definitely not Criston's son. Rhaenyra implied that before she was with Harwin, she and Laenor tried to have a child on multiple occasions and were unsuccessful. I'm not sure of the time span between episodes 4 and 5, but even if it was a week, it wouldn't make sense given this context. Also Criston would probably have some sort of subplot about it if he was the father.

Aemond being in love with Helaena would be a fun theory, and she does deserve someone who cares about her, although the foundation of this idea initially was just Aemond saying he'd be okay fucking his sister for the family, rather than idk taking an interest in what she's doing, so until I see them interact more (if I do), it's just kinda weird?

Honestly, highly doubt that Daemon did anything with Alicent. I think that's just gossip people would add into the story to make it juicier.

Jaehaera's death could easily go either way. There's evidence enough in both directions. We just don't know enough.

I think plenty of households would have been fine with the Targs dying out, either for their own power or because they still held grudges over the conquest, so I say it's possible.

anyway, aside from what I stated above theory wise, I don't think I have any theories I've put much thought into currently. After season 8 of Game of Thrones, I try not to get too deep into this stuff.

[theprice-cffreedcm]

KH11 - How does your muse feel about the use of various toys? Are there some toys they prefer to others? Do they have a type of gag they prefer? Do they prefer vibrators or dildos? Do they like sounding? Do they like violet wands?

Kinky Headcanon Prompts

A lot of toys he's pretty indifferent towards, but it's also context dependent.

He's attempted to use toys on himself in the past, and broken almost all of them. While he knows that isn't a problem with the toys themselves, it's still left him a bit unsatisfied. So, particularly toys with electrical components, he's not super thrilled about. That isn't to say he's opposed to the use of them, but for himself he's not found much that works well for him. Sounding is a hard limit for him, though, for himself or a partner.

On others, though? Absolutely. Toys make for a good substitute when he's not feeling confident he won't hurt someone; it's a way for him to help his partners feel good, and he thrives on that. He still doesn't wholly trust vibrators, he's more comfortable using a dildo, and he likes using plugs on his partners quite a bit.

With a longer-term partner, the idea of size training through the use of plugs not only appeals to him, but if offered by a partner makes him feel much more comfortable about thinking about their future in a sexual light. If someone is willing to size-train just for his sake, it makes him feel pretty special.

Gags are very much an "if discussed" kind of thing for him, and if he were to go with any it would be a rubber gag, if only because the idea of other ones kind of looks uncomfortable to him. A dildo-gag wouldn't necessarily be something he'd be opposed to, either, with similar discussion. As for violet wands - he has no idea wtf that is, and if he did he'd be intrigued, at least.

[gwynbleiddyn]

major arcana q's! Mio: 01, 02, 17; Kve: 06, 10, 13

maahes

01.  the magician  :  how does your muse feel about fate ? do they believe they can change their own destiny ?

he believes so wholly in the domain of the gods whether or not they fall under his personal faith, that it would be kind of ridiculous for me to say he thinks fate is a malleable thing when he's aware that the Raven Queen oversees that domain. so i think in the context of faelethris, mio fully believes that fate is a thread already spun and his own ability to play on that thread is limited to dreams and idle thoughts. he cannot change what he is meant to be because that notion was given to him by someone else, and he is largely at peace with that -- but other people can influence that fated thread, and have done.

he doesn't believe he can affect his own destiny, and destiny is certainly a sore subject for would-be kings lol he definitely feels entitled to certain responsibilities and privileges, even now. he was made in his father's image for one reason and one reason only: to sit on the sundisk throne. he has never reconciled that loss, and i doubt he ever will even if he willingly abdicates his entitlement to it, depending on the mess we uncover in akhenaton.

02.  the high priestess  :  how does your muse make decisions ? do they trust their instinct or would they rather trust their heart / their logic ?

this is an interesting point for me because mio's intelligence is derived - currently - from a headband of intellect. it was a lucky find in-game, but a serendipitous one; his knowledge of the working world is derived from the way he learned about the world i.e through akhenaton's eyes, and through the eyes of a king.

he understands diplomacy and government, treaties and agendas; things that exist on a grand scale where sweeping demands and compromise are the order of the day. he has no problem making those decisions (probably was most obvious recently when tackling the issue of Alar's champion w/ Ash in pelor's temple)

conversely, he struggles with the decisions he has to make on a smaller scale and especially when it involves his emotions, the ones he can't filter. he would rather cause fights in order to make a big snap decision than muddle through the muck and try and make a series of smaller, and arguably far more important decisions. he has a long, long track record of putting his heart last. it's the way he's been taught to operate, and that hasn't really been unlearned.

17.  the star  :  what does your muse take inner comfort in knowing ? what guides your muse ?

i think the most important thing to him is that home still exists, though he doesn't know in what capacity yet. alongside that, the guidance he receives from the twin gods he holds above pretty much everything and everyone else.

kveða

06.  the lovers  :  how important are relationships to your muse ? do they value having a significant other ?

not important in the least. it's not something he's actively seeking out - not right now, anyway - because it seems senseless to leave even more behind when he eventually finds a way out of the world. the less strings, the better. beyond that, his love is of a shallow kind, i think -- he does not like letting people in, and i think he keeps them at bay with superficial or surface-level sentiments.

10.  the wheel of fortune  :  how well / badly does your muse take setbacks on their goals ?

kind of hard to say for kve, given his goals are very loosey-goosey and mostly centered around finding the most glorious exit LOL but he is nothing if not doggedly persistent, so he keeps going regardless of any kind of setback, because what else can he do?

13.  death  :  is there anything in your muse’s life that they should be letting go of ?

this is an ironic card for sure lmfao but yeah he has got to let go of the notion that there is nothing out there for him. he's resigned himself to the life he leads because he cannot see any other way. we know that isn't true but he sure doesn't, yet.

[thenovelartist]

Boys as Dads - Tears of Themis Headcanons

I've been sitting on this for days, writing it after @luke-appreciator mentioned the boys as dads and henceforth planting the idea in my mind.

Luke

LOOK! Luke is living past his three year “time limit” goshdarnit! He gets to see his kids grow up!

And he has several of them with his MC (I’m thinking four or five.)

They were all mostly planned. (They were just rolling with however many they were blessed with until they decided to stop.)

When his first child was born, he cried. He didn’t think he’d get this opportunity, but now he’s a dad and feels overwhelmed by the blessing.

He is as involved in his kids’ lives as he possibly can be.

He’s the dad that will teach his kids how to fix everything.

Totally the hands-on dad of wrestling and headlocks and ruffling their hair.

Yes, even his girls, but in a slightly different context. Uses those moments to teach them self-defense. (Yes, he’ll do that to his boys, but he’s more concerned about his girls.)

That said, he’s very protective of his kids and wants to give them all the knowledge he can to make sure they can keep themselves safe.

Will try to get his kids into Sherlock Holmes.

One of his kids is named John after John Watson. It was actually MC’s idea, much to Luke’s surprise and delight.

When he’s away on mission (which already makes him sad because he doesn’t like being away from his precious family), he hates it when he has to go full dark mode. Because he’d at least like to call them and tell them good night if he can’t be there.

The king of pictures.

There are cameras scattered throughout the house so he can easily steal a picture whenever he wants to.

Will put together scrapbooks upon scrapbooks of photographs for all kinds of events. The kids get in on these activities, and it has become a bit of a family event to arrange the pages together.

Not a day goes by he takes for granted. Does not matter if he’s cleaning up diapers or one of his kids is sick or he’s having to do damage control when something gets out of hand. He cherishes all of it.

Vyn

I see Vyn having one or two. Both were totally planned.

Mostly, he just sees children as patients, but now, he’s got two children he actually raises.

And the moment his first child is placed into his arms, he realizes with sickening clarity that his actions have a direct impact on their lives.

While he knew that beforehand, there was a moment it clicked, and Vyn felt himself change that day.

He strives to be the best father he can, minding everything he does to lead by example.

He didn’t have the greatest childhood, meaning he does everything he can to make sure his kids never have to experience the things he wished never happened to him.

He’s a bit of a helicopter parent despite knowing he needs to not be. All he wants to do is protect his kids, is that so wrong?

However, because of that, he happens to understand and sympathize with parents more now. His kids wrecked him in ways he didn’t think possible.

It’s a bit of a learning experience for him to allow his kids to learn on their own. He knows so much and wants to just tell them everything they need to know, but realizes that he can’t do that. He has to let them learn and grow in their own ways.

He wants to give his kids the best, from quality schooling to extracurricular activities. But he’s also is more than happy to teach them their way around the kitchen and garden as well as play games and do puzzles with them.

Also really enjoys reading them books at bedtime. A habit that will linger around for surprisingly long while.

He’s the dad that is glad to help with homework whenever they need it.

Always offers to listen to them and talk them through things. It would be pretty shameful if the psychiatrist couldn’t help guide his own kids through their own mental hurdles.

And he knows he did something right because his kids are comfortable talking with him about a lot of things, even in their teenage and young adult years.

Ends up the dad who has the best life advice that his kids eventually learn to always listen to even if they don’t appreciate it when they’re younger.

Artem

Ends up with a large family, both adopting and raising his own.

Probably two of their own, and two or three (or four… maybe five) adopted.

The kids they had were planned; the ones they adopted… not always. It tended to be a “this one grew on you unexpectedly” situation.

Loves all his kids equally, whether they’re his own or adopted.

Super supportive dad. Probably spoils his kids in praise and hugs.

That being said, he won’t coddle them. He’s all for supporting them, but knows when to allow his kids face the negative consequences of their actions. He’s an attorney, after all. This is his “justice” side showing.

But he’s fair. He will guide them the best he can but will let experience be the teacher if he needs to. And if experience is the cruel teacher of the day, he’ll be there, whether to pick them up, dust them off, and offer hugs or to talk them through how to best navigate the consequences and avoid the situation next time.

His schedule revolves around any and all events in his kids’ lives. Which, considering the size of his family, is a balancing act.

Days off are sacred. That is his time to spend with his family.

Nightly family dinners are a big thing in the Wing household. Game nights on weekends are even bigger. And louder.

He’s the dad that can go from tutus and tea parties to action figures and lego sets. Whatever his kids are up for, he’ll gladly participate.

Every year, for each kid’s birthday, will spend one-on-one time with them and do whatever they want to do for an entire day. With a big family, especially with the adopted ones, he knows it might be easy to feel lost in the crowd and doesn’t want any of his kids thinking that.

Once a year, they go on a week-long vacation somewhere in nature. No phones, no technology; this is family bonding time and time for kids to just run around and be kids.

All in all, grade A dad.

Marius

Ends up with two or three.

The first one was a surprise, and likely one more after that was not planned, either.

But the moment he holds his first child, a switch goes off in his mind and Marius matures, knowing he’s got not only his girl to protect and keep safe but now a helpless little one who’s wholly dependent upon him.

He’s probably the second most hover-y of the boys behind Vyn. And that’s less because he’s a helicopter parent and more because he knows he’s a target for people and is very concerned for his kids’ safety. So he’s hypervigilant of everything, including what school they go to, who they’re friends with, where they go, etc.

Their house… oh my…

He’s an artist, and he will inspire that in his kids. There’s paint, stickers, crayons, and markers freaking everywhere.

Oh, and art taped to practically every wall. And a few in his office.

Marks every major event down on a calendar. His assistant knows there will be hell to pay if there’s a scheduling mishap.

Never let him help with homework (unless it’s art). Because he’s the guy who will teach his kids the smartass answers to some questions, even if it gets his kids in trouble.

(Spoiler: his kids never mind and instead pick up his bad habits.)

(Much to MC’s chagrin. Will make Marius go sit in the corner, much to his children’s delight.)

Will put his kids into any extracurricular activities they want growing up.

Totally spoils them in that way.

But the minute they turn into little shits about their wealth? Say good bye to your technology for the next few days. Marius is all about spoiling his kids, but not rotten. Even he hates snotty rich people he has to deal with, and he’s not gonna let his kids be like that.

Loves spending time doing things with his kids. Up for anything from the midday ice creams when mom told them no to spontaneous adventures. Oh yeah, he’s that dad.

[nehswritesstuffs]

Why does everyone keep calling 12 and Clara toxic? To me they are soulmates who happen to have bad timing, hid their feelings and tragedy. There’s nothing that says that indicates that had 12 and Clara been honest about their feelings earlier on and Face the Raven hadn’t happened that they wouldn’t have had a chance at a happy romance with each other. I wish Doctor Who had a spin-off show like Marvel’s What if and then we could see an alternate timeline where 12 and Clara had a happy romance.

Ooooh, I like this ask. This feels very meta-y.

Personally speaking, Whouffaldi is a very complex relationship that I don't think is easily broken down into terms like "toxic" unless it's something that's thrown about in a long conversation/meta piece that has a ton of context and includes that as merely one of the facets. The word toxic is a phrase that very much has an interesting place in current Anglophone lexicons, as it's one of the It Terms in use with certain circles (other examples include feral, iconic, wholesome, and chaotic**). The biggest problem with that is that because it is a popular way to describe something, it can be misused fairly easily. Is it wholly wrong or incorrect to describe Whouffaldi as toxic? No. Is it right or correct? It's not that either. That's why I feel like--outside of affectionate jokes, mind--the use of an It Word like toxic to describe something without a ton of context risks highly misrepresenting what is honestly one of the best ships I've ever seen.

'Cause, like, I get it: Clara and the Twelfth Doctor aren't entirely good for one another. She becomes more like him as time goes on, which isn't necessarily a good thing... especially for a creature as cosmically fragile as a human. He becomes dependent on her so much that he is willing to destroy time and space itself to be with her... and that's after she told him to let her die. They push each other so, so far--galactic adrenaline junkies, the both of them--and then keep going. They are an entity that can literally change the course of history, and that is terrifying. The universe almost ended because of them. Ended. I don't care what you think other xyz-ship is... rare is the ship on this level of danger to the characters involved and their surroundings.

HOWEVER, along with that, they are a force of good too. Clara's influence is what helps the Doctor work through a lot of stuff, from old soldier's guilt to him being just so, so tired and cranky with the universe. By being with the Doctor, Clara is able to see wonders and make great use out of her potential, doing things that average humans wouldn't be able to dream of accomplishing. Did anyone really think that "Laugh Hard, Run Fast, Be Kind" just came from nowhere? No, it didn't. We got to see the end result of Whouffaldi on the Doctor, and I think part of why that stings is because we never really got what felt like a final result with Clara as well, due to the fact she was killed off sort of in the build-up of her game. She told him to remember to be a Doctor--to be the good he pledged himself to be--while she became more and more like a Time Lady and yet... it didn't come to full fruition. I honestly feel like Clara not becoming a fully-realized Time Lady is about as disappointing on the same level as Ace McShane not getting enrolled in the Time Academy, just for clearly different reasons.

Something that I think is important to note when it comes to Whouffaldi is an It Term from days gone by: emotionally constipated. When you break things down, Twelve and Clara are very emotionally constipated, whereas they have all these feelings pent up inside, things they want to act on, and yet, for whatever reason, they can't/don't/won't. Such a thing often manifests in things such as posturing (going from "I'm not your boyfriend" to showing off the goods in 2.6 seconds as if to ask for approval for being husband material), avoiding saying "love" ("Did you really think betraying me would make a difference?"), and putting emotions into acts and nothing verbal (the way they hold each other omg my heart). They very much work on a sort of odd status quo, where their attraction is easily interpreted as something that is just sitting there in the middle of the room without being addressed. It is also easy to interpret that we see less and less of their relationship as time goes on, that we are privy to fewer beats, and that there's so much to them that we don't know and never shall. Both s8 and s9 have them grow a ton as far as their emotional and behavioral habits, but as the s9 finale showed us, they still weren't wholly there yet.

So that's the long answer. Short answer, the tl;dr, is just that people need to stop using one word with traditionally strong connotations as the sole descriptor of a ship, especially when there's so much to it that that, since that can easily and often lead to damage. There are worse ships, in this show and others, that don't get called toxic that are more genuinely so than Whouffaldi, so yeah.

I mean, just look at them. So confused and concerned by some people's lack of media literacy, whether it's their fault or not, and how they attempt to rectify that.

I don't know how I'd like a What If...? style show where these two get a proper romance and life together though. It could be really neat, but considering how many conversations I've had about these two getting married and being space-parents involves how absolutely dangerous of a father Twelve would be if his family came into even the slightest bit of genuine mortal peril. Obviously that's one of my jams... but still... it's something that I'm sure wouldn't be broached properly because it seems like although there are plenty of people who ship it in all levels of production and fandom, it's the ones who don't for whatever reason (ageism, anti-Clara rhetoric, being idiots, etc.) who seem to have lots of final says (or, at least act like they do) and that's frustrating.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

**there is variance between It Terms and regular old slang, as there is some crossover, but they are not fully synonymous with one another. It is not uncommon for an It Term to be a newer, more slang-oriented definition of a word, for example: when gay transitioned from happy and carefree to homosexual, in a variety of tones and contexts (this is also a good example of slang that eventually became widely-accepted/adopted terminology). However, there are regular slang words I wouldn't necessarily categorize as It Terms, such as pog or cheugy. Does that mean they're stuck there? Not at all, since language is always evolving and adapting to new generations and the situations they find themselves in and the things they need to express.

[robininthelabyrinth]

Spilled Pearls Extra 1

- ao3 -

Lan Xichen spent a lot of time learning his family’s rules.

They were important to his uncle, who raised him, and that meant that they were important to him. They were his heritage and his birthright, and anyway he loved his uncle and it made him happy which was good enough for Lan Xichen, but that didn’t make learning them easy or anything. Each rule had to be learned both by itself and in context with others; it wasn’t as simple as memorizing a list and calling it done. You had to learn them and know them and then live up to them to the best of your ability, and that was the work of a lifetime – which Lan Xichen, now six years old, had been informed was an awful long time.

Moreover, though his uncle had never said so, Lan Xichen had heard from the other people in the sect that learning the rules was important because following the rules would make sure he didn’t turn out like his father, who had let down so many people in their sect. Many of the elders said things like that when his uncle wasn’t around, though his uncle never did – his uncle spoke well of their father, although in abstract tones, but sometimes he looked sad about it, too, and therefore Lan Xichen was determined to listen and learn the rules well so that he would never disappoint his uncle the way his father had.

Of course, there were other advantages to learning the rules.

The commentary, for instance.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1

Talking behind other people's backs is prohibited.

“Unless it’s really funny,” Lan Yueheng said, and – as always – seemed not to notice the way Lan Xichen’s uncle glared at him. “Oooh, actually, let me give you an example, I just heard the best story –”

-

“If you don’t understand those around you, you will be at their mercy, rather than they at yours,” Wen Ruohan said, perfectly poised and with a sharp smirk, just the way he always was unless he happened to be talking to Lan Xichen’s uncle. “How better to learn to understand people than to know what others say about them when they are not around?” His smirk widened. “Look at what people say about me.”

-

“What are you supposed to do if you don’t?” Lao Nie asked, grinning wickedly. “Say mean things about them in front of their faces instead? I can do that!”

-

“I mean, if it’s news, it’s not gossip, right?” Cangse Sanren said, tapping her cheek while pretending to be thoughtful as if it would hide her great big smile. “I’m sure that’s how I learned it, and I was a very good student – no, no, don’t listen to what your uncle says!”

-

“Well, I wish my mother would do less of it,” Wen Xu said, rolling his eyes. He’d come along to visit with his father again the way he always did – he was always tagging along with his father, really, and his father indulged him more often than he probably should, according to both sects’ elders. Not that Wen Ruohan listened to anyone but Lan Xichen’s uncle. “Sometimes I think that’s all she does! It’s boring!”

-

“If you mean what you say and say what you mean, then your friends will never doubt you whether you are in front of them or not,” Nie Mingjue said, then frowned. “I mean, I think?”

-

“Listen to A-Jue,” Lan Xichen’s uncle said when Lan Xichen reported on the discussions, throwing up his hands in disgust. “He’s the only one of the lot of them worth anything.”

“It’s his mother’s contribution,” Lao Nie opined.

“It’s certainly not yours,” Wen Ruohan said. “Anyway, what was wrong with A-Xu’s answer? It was accurate.”

“It has nothing to do with the rule!”

“That’s because I’ve already mastered it years ago,” Wen Xu said cheerfully. Surprisingly cheerfully, given that Nie Mingjue was sitting on him again; maybe he’d gotten used to Nie Mingjue always winning.

Lan Xichen’s uncle rubbed his forehead. “A-Xu, if you really want to go copy the rules on humility a few more times, you don’t have to wait for me to instruct you to do so –”

“He’s right, though,” Cangse Sanren cackled from her husband’s lap. “Madame Wen is an amazing source of gossip, but it does get a bit boring sometimes. You can’t punish him for being right!”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2

Do not succumb to rage.

“Unless there’s a very good reason,” Lao Nie said, picking Lan Xichen up in one arm as if he weighed as little as a feather, and Nie Mingjue in the other just as easily, even though he was much bigger. “In the world there are many injustices, and it is your duty to fight against them with everything that you have – if you are wholly above the feeling of rage, then you have forgotten your empathy, and soon will follow the crooked path into indifference.”

-

“The issue is succumbing to rage,” Wen Ruohan said. “You can be angry, or even furious, but you should always maintain your self-control. Once you’ve mastered yourself, you can master others.”

-

“He means get revenge,” Wen Xu said knowledgably. “You get angry, then you get even.”

-

“Oh, rage?” Cangse Sanren asked, rolling up her sleeves. “Well, as it happens, I’m going to go have a chat with your mother, I’ll give you a good demonstration of –”

“You are doing no such thing,” Lan Xichen’s uncle said, exasperated. “Get back here.”

-

“It’s a waste of time,” Lan Yueheng said. “Getting angry takes time and energy. Why not be happy instead?” He thought about it. “Well, I mean, sometimes cursing a little bit when something goes wrong is nice. Even the calmest concoction needs to blow off steam sometimes to retain its equilibrium!”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3

Do not disrespect your elders.

“And I,” Wen Ruohan said, looking positively gleeful, “am the eldest.”

“Don’t listen to him,” Lan Xichen’s uncle said at once. “Xichen, you hear me? Don’t listen to him.”

-

“There’s a difference between disrespect and disobedience,” Cangse Sanren said. “Being old doesn’t mean being right, it means that there’s a greater probability that they’ve encountered something in their lifetime that will give them an insight you lack. You should honor and respect their insight, but always make your own decisions in the end.”

-

“I mean, you could always listen to me, instead,” Lao Nie said. “I’m your elder too, aren’t I?”

-

“Don’t listen to either Uncle Wen or my father,” Nie Mingjue said, looking long-suffering. “They both like to play tricks.”

-

“Wait,” Lan Yueheng said. “I’m an elder? Since when? That’s a terrible idea!”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4

Do not take advantage of your position to oppress others.

“Don’t listen to Wen Ruohan,” Cangse Sanren said.

-

“Don’t listen to Sect Leader Wen,” Lan Yueheng said.

-

“Definitely do not listen to Hanhan,” Lao Nie said. “At all. In any way.”

-

“Probably best not to listen to A-Xu’s dad,” Nie Mingjue said, and glanced over apologetically.

“No, no, you’re right,” Wen Xu said, nodding furiously. “He’s kind of awful about these sorts of things.”

-

“They’re all being absolutely ridiculous,” Wen Ruohan said. “I’m perfectly reliable on such matters. After all, what’s the point of working so hard to obtain and maintain power if you don’t oppress those that deserve it? If you don’t take advantage, who will?”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5

Do not make assumptions about others.

“I used to assume that Cangse Sanren was  a normal human being,” Lan Yueheng said. “Goes to show what I know, right?”

-

“I used to assume that Wen Ruohan was a perfectly normal self-absorbed murderer that would keep his greedy hands to his own people,” Cangse Sanren said, sounding irritable. “And not have perfectly ordinary rogue cultivators followed around by complete weirdos because he’s secretly worried about them like a mother hen!”

-

“I used to assume that people would be grateful when someone rescued them and their husband from near certain death,” Wen Ruohan said.

-

“I used to assume that the funniest thing in the world was watching Hanhan argue with your uncle,” Lao Nie said, chin on his hands. “Little did I know that adding Cangse Sanren to the mix made it even funnier.”

-

“Grown-ups are stupid sometimes,” Wen Xu said. “That’s why you have to verify everything they say for yourself.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6

Embrace the entirety of the world.

“By being righteous,” Nie Mingjue said.

-

“By taking it all over, as far as I can tell from my father,” Wen Xu said.

-

“Depends on what you define as the world, doesn’t it?” Lao Nie said.

-

“Be ambitious,” Wen Ruohan said. “Define it broadly.”

-

“I mean, I don’t think your arms are quite long enough yet, the world’s pretty big,” Lan Yueheng said. “But I pick you up and swing you around, maybe they’ll stretch a little. Want to try?”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7

Do not associate with evil.

“I mean, it’s true, but you have to think carefully about what you categorize as evil,” Lao Nie said. “Just being a man-eating nation-destroying inhuman amoral nine-tailed fox isn’t automatically enough to qualify, right?”

-

“That’s, uh, a really weirdly specific example,” Lan Yueheng said. “I feel like at least three of the things on that list probably rise to the level of evil? Or have I missed something?”

-

“Lao Nie said – oh no, not again,” Wen Ruohan said, and patted Lan Xichen on the head before he stalked out the door. “I’m the only evil you should associate with, you hear me?”

-

“I bet she’s got teeth in interesting places,” Cangse Sanren said. “I’ve got to meet her…hmm? Evil? Does that really matter? It’s going to be funny.”

-

“She’s not evil,” Nie Mingjue said. “She’s pretty nice, actually. She calls me ‘meatball’ and ‘pork bun’ and says I’m so cute that she wants to eat me right up.”

-

“I’m pretty sure she means it literally,” Wen Xu said. “Gear up, Xichen! We’ve got to go save Mingjue!”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

8

Do not tell lies.

“People don’t believe the truth, so why not tell it?” Cangse Sanren said.

-

“Using the truth makes your misdirections more believable and your critiques more devastating,” Wen Ruohan said.

-

“Why would you even want to lie?” Nie Mingjue asked, puzzled.

-

“There’s a difference between not telling lies and not having the slightest bit of tact,” Lao Nie said, rubbing his face. “Maybe you can help A-Jue figure that out.”

-

“Silence is always a good alternative when you don’t want to admit to stuff you’ve done that maybe, just maybe, might annoy some people,” Lan Yueheng said, looking over his collapsed laboratory with a wince. “Not that I’d know anything about that, of course.”

-

“Telling a lie will only get you into more trouble later when they figure it out,” Wen Xu said. “Because then they’re angry at you for what you did and for lying about it. It’s just not worth it!”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

9

Do not disregard the rules.

“Unless they’re really stupid,” Lao Nie said.

-

“I mean,” Nie Mingjue said, wrinkling his nose. “As a general rule, yes. But it’s different if following the rules would permit injustice to happen, that’s for sure.”

-

“It’s a matter of picking what rule is the relevant one,” Wen Ruohan said. “Be thoughtful, and you can have the moral high ground in any situation…your uncle is irritatingly good at that.”

-

“You’ve got to know what the rule is before you break it,” Wen Xu said. “That way you can decide if it’s worth the cost of breaking it or not.”

-

“If there’s any you think are wrong, you should say something,” Lan Yueheng said. “The rules are a gift handed down from our ancestors and ought to be respected, but each of us has a duty to put in our own thoughts as well – our contribution to the next generation down. Anyway, your uncle will probably be able to put together a reasonable argument as to why changing the rule is appropriate and truer to our sect’s principles than the version carved on the wall. He’s good at that!”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10

“I want the rules to be a foundation under your feet,” Lan Xichen’s uncle said. “They should give you confidence in your actions and pride in your family and sect; they should not feel like they are binding you. If they are, you’d tell me, wouldn’t you?”

Maybe if it was just Lan Xichen and his uncle, the two of them and maybe also little baby Lan Wangji and the rather unreliable Lan Yueheng and the even more unreliable Lao Nie, Lan Xichen would immediately and unhesitatingly agree, and then never say anything anyway no matter what he felt. He loved his uncle so much, and every one in a while his uncle seemed so sad; he couldn’t bear to be the one to add more pain and burden to his uncle’s shoulders, already weighed down with the expectations of the sect that should have been his father’s responsibility and would one day be Lan Xichen’s.

But it wasn’t just them, and Lan Xichen frowned a little, really thinking about it. “Maybe,” he said after a while. “Or maybe I’d tell Uncle Wen about it, and then he’d find a way to fix it, or to tell you about it in a way that didn’t make you sad. Does that work, too?”

His uncle looked amused.

“Yes,” he said. “That works. Just remember –”

“Don’t listen to him about ‘oppressing others’?”

“Exactly.”

[bettsfic]

Hi Betts. Do you have any advice on describing facial expressions? I find myself returning to the same old "furrowed brows" and "raised eyebrows" etc. and can't seem to communicate the subtleties of the expressions that I see in my head. Thank you so much!

unfortunately, while prose is an excellent mechanism with which to describe the internal experience of being, it is a deeply ineffective one with which to describe our external reality, despite what the show-don’t-tell purists would have you believe. the more i think about the idea of fiction as existing in part to render reality, the more i wonder why historically so many english novelists have chosen to shoot themselves in the foot by committing to that ideology, considering how fucking hard it is. 

i plan to touch on this in a different sort of context in february’s newsletter which will be about the depiction of compulsory reality in fiction, but for now let’s focus specifically on facial expressions.

part of the magic of fiction is being able to “see” something in your imagination, condense that image into language, write it, and then have it be read by an audience who can then see that very same image, or at least their approximation of it, in order to derive meaning within a narrative. and isn’t that all raised eyebrows really do? what does it mean to witness someone raising their eyebrows? in fiction, writing a non-pov character raising their eyebrows means:

you, the writer, have defined the non-pov character’s cognition > you, the writer, have then developed that cognition into a facial expression for your pov character to witness > you, the writer, lend language to the depiction of that non-accessible cognition cum facial expression through the pov of accessible cognition > they, the reader, witness the image of the non-pov character’s raised eyebrows > they, the reader deduce (through the pov character’s narration, through the non-pov character’s action, through the non-pov character’s non-accessible cognition, through you, the writer’s, intention) that the non-pov character is surprised

so with all that said, how the FUCK can you be expected to do that transaction elegantly.

first i’m going to tell you what i think most writers and writing teachers would tell you, and then i’m going to tell you how i see it, and neither of them are going to be fun answers.

many writers, particularly of the show-don’t-tell variety, would tell you (and of course they’d never show you, because they’re hypocrites) that it is simply your job as a writer to understand the english language well enough -- and take enough time on the page to -- describe, as you say, the subtleties of the expressions that you see in your head. but of course, those same writers may also tell you never to use adjectives or adverbs, to elevate your verbs, and complicate your diction. they would tell you that if something is worth rendering (and to them, everything is worth rendering), then it’s worth rendering meaningfully. it’s worth taking an entire paragraph to artfully convey the exact way one’s eyebrows rise up one’s forehead, without resorting to “telling” the reader that one is shocked. 

oof city. i mean, i get it. fiction exists to lend us the witness of alternate realities we can’t otherwise experience. but also it can also only ever be a facsimile of that experience through what is basically groupings of squiggles on a page. with writing, to paraphrase an ancient text, you’ve gotta pick your battles. and then, pick fewer battles. put some of those battles back.

so here’s my answer, which is easier but also in some ways harder: you can never truly convey the subtleties of the expressions you see in your head. the work of the writer is not, as much as we may like it to be, the same as a cinematographer or an actor. at some point, you have to let go of the idea of descriptive control. once it’s out of your head and into someone else’s, it’s no longer in your grasp. eventually, a story belongs to its readers.

i know, this is a deeply unpopular opinion and one which does not make me any friends in the literary community. it goes wholly against the entire history of “show don’t tell” and the lovely work of early novelists to lift the form to its present regard. 

what i’m saying is, sometimes you just have to fucking say “he looked surprised” and move on.

so, that’s all the theory surrounding raised eyebrows to hopefully offer you some deeper insight, or at least an alternate perspective. here’s some practical application you can play around with to see what works for you:

when editing, remove ALL of your descriptions of facial expressions

i’m sorry if you feel like you’ve just been socked in the stomach. bear with me here. do a revision where you get rid of all of your descriptions of facial expressions to see how the piece stands up. you will very quickly see the narrative gaps, the places where you lose or flatten meaning. then, add only those expressions back in. you’ll be surprised how little you need.

play with telling over showing, or vice versa

replace a few “he raised his eyebrows” with “he looked surprised.” replace a few “he looked upset” with “he lowered his head and glanced down at his clasped hands.” see how they differ? “showing” is factual and requires the reader to interpret the action. “telling” is an interpretation/conclusion drawn by the narrator and conveyed to the reader. one is not inherently superior to the other. they both do different kinds of work, and have different narrative effects.

use facial expressions to complicate or conflict with dialogue, not confirm it

“he raised his eyebrows. ‘i’m surprised,’ he said.” <-- that’s a very silly example, but i just want to show you how sometimes you can let the dialogue do the dirty work. if a character says something, and their facial expression matches the thing they’re saying, it is maybe not worth mentioning the expression. or vice versa, maybe they make an expression instead of saying something. or maybe there’s a reason you do need both. it’s going to depend on the scene and your narrator.

however, if what their face is doing is in conflict with what they’re saying such that it would alter the meaning of the dialogue, then perhaps it’s worth noting. 

“he glanced down at his clasped hands. ‘i’m fine,’ he said.” <-- in this case, the factual description of his action gives us, the reader, the sense that he is l y i n g.

bonus: “’i’m fine,’ he said, but he looked upset.” <-- what’s wrong with that? nothing. it’s simple, it’s concise, it tells us about the perception and capacity of the narrator. no, it doesn’t allow the reader to “see” anything, but as i’ve mentioned, i don’t think the work of fiction is to “see” things. it’s to experience them, and sometimes that has more to do with the capabilities and limitations of your narrator than it does by clinging to the belief that you have to render the shiny surfaces of reality.

i hope this helps! more on the depiction of reality in february’s newsletter. 

my carrd | writing advice masterdoc

[shanastoryteller]

i read another one of those posts that was discussing the difference between i-societies and we-societies and how that difference effects interpretation and fandom and they used lan xichen as their example of this, specifically how people view his reaction to lan wangji’s punishment - either as perfectly understandable and expected aka totally morally fine, or see it as heinous crime that goes against basic decency 

which immediately caught my attention because i’m sure y’all are aware i have some Feelings around lwj’s punishment and his clan

the reason i’m not responding to this post in a reblog is just because the op said that this was just their opinion and they weren’t looking to engage in discourse. so i’m just making my own post instead

the reason this caught my attention is that my Feelings really don’t have anything to do with the appropriateness of lwj’s punishment at the time that it occurred 

the clan decided that wens needed to be killed. the clan decided wwx was culpable of the many crimes of which he was accused. not only did lwj go against his clan’s decisions, he injured his clan members in the process, either by protecting wwx or the wens depending on the media. 

we live in a society

do i think that the clans deciding they really needed to kill a bunch of old people is morally reprehensible? yes. do i think they should have reevaluated their perceptions after no army of cultivators was at the burial mounds? obviously. 

but they didn’t. they ignored evidence to the contrary and decided to go forward with their perceptions. however i feel about that, it’s what happened, which means from their perspective lwj went against them and injured his clansmen for no justifiable reason

of course they punished him for it. why wouldn’t they? if they didn’t, that would be insane and go against everything shown in the untamed universe and the lan clan in particular about punishment and responsibility

lxc is the clan head. regardless of his personal feelings, he has a duty to uphold the law and order of his clan. if he doesn’t, how can he effectively lead it? especially considering how his father broke away from those rules

all of this is true in universe. it’s what we have to work with. i may handwave or twist things in fanfiction for my persona satisfaction, because that’s what fanfiction is for, but this is what canon has given us

here’s why i don’t like lxc specifically in connection with lwj’s punishment 

multiple members of my family have gone to jail. more than once 

they committed crimes. they were guilty. they were judged by a trial of their peers and a sentence was passed down by a judge 

while there are many things wrong with our criminal system, i know for a fact that they really were guilty of the crimes they were accused, and that their sentences were not overly harsh in proportion to their crimes 

we live in a society

i would never say that this shouldn’t have happened or is unfair because it’s important to me that i live in society that has a way to deal with and manage crime (ignoring my specific feelings about the effectiveness and appropriateness of the current criminal system)

but i was always sad about it

i never wanted them to go. i worried about them while they were in there. they’re my family and i care about them and even if they brought it on themselves i don’t like seeing people i care about suffer. i didn’t want it to happen. i regretted that it was happening to them. 

sometimes they committed crimes against me specifically or in ways that involved me. stealing from me and other members of my family, or getting in a physical altercation in front of me that i felt the need to try and break up

even when i was personally hurt and affected by their crimes, they were still my family, and i love them, and i’m still on good terms with them today. family can be complicated. love is messy 

while lxc may not have been able to stop or lessen lwj’s punishment, and while as the clan leader he couldn’t speak out against the actions of his sect, that’s not really what my specific feelings are about 

he never voices regret for lwj’s suffering, except to blame wwx for it. he never says that he didn’t want it to happen and that he hated that it did and that if he could have stopped it while still upholding a functioning society, he would have. even after the truth of everything comes out, and it turns out maybe lwj had a reason for his actions that should have been taken into consideration, he never readjusts his perception or voices that change in perception out loud. sure, you can argue that maybe these things happened off screen because this is a story from wwx’s perspective. but maybe they didn’t

the punishment is instead wholly correct and good without room for personal suffering

i like lxc for a lot of reasons. i find his reaction to wwx and all the accusations against jgy after the time jump to be admirable, for one. i’m perfectly happy to read stories and interpretations where’s he’s a pure badass cinnamon roll

but

the question for me was never really was lwj’s punishment appropriate in the context of his society or what social responsibility to lwj did lxc have as a member of society or as clan leader or his brother 

it was: does your love exist outside of the bounds of social acceptability? 

is your empathy able to exist outside the realm of responsibility? does your care and worry extend even through the societal failures of someone who matters to you? 

if the answer to those questions is no, well

i’m just not going like you very much 

[thevalleyisjolly]

Ok, I’ve rewritten this post several times because I really want this to be a productive and respectful discussion, but this is a conversation that does need to be started.  I’ve been thinking about the whole cultural appropriation story line in this season of The Unsleeping City so far, and of course I think it’s great that Cody is starting to realize why that’s wrong and that Murph is making it explicitly clear that it is wrong, but I want to reorient the conversation away from Cody now and talk about Ricky as a Japanese-American character.

Because when Zac went “Just to paint a picture for you...” during the museum fight episode, there was quite a bit of surprise from non-Asian people in the fandom that this was really a serious issue, and one that Ricky would be bothered by or speak up about.  But why wouldn’t he?  I mean, the character is Japanese-American, and so is the player.  Doesn’t it make perfect sense that he would at least be a little bothered by a white person appropriating Japanese culture?  Asian fans certainly noticed and pointed it out before that episode aired.  Ricky/Zac certainly noticed - go back through the episodes and observe how every time Cody pulled out a kunai or threw a shuriken, Ricky was cringing or facepalming with an uncomfortable laugh.  Even with seven different camera perspectives to watch at the same time, it should have been pretty clear in the fandom that this was an ongoing issue that would bother and was bothering Ricky.

And I think there are several different facets to this, but the one I want to address is how there’s a tendency in fandom to ignore or erase Ricky’s Japanese heritage.  Not literally (although there is a particular sting every time I see another Ricky fancast where the actor is of another Asian heritage than Japanese - Asian people are not interchangeable).  But especially prior to Season 2, there was a general trend in the fandom that liked to simplify Ricky’s character and overlook him as a complex player character because of traits that are very common in East Asian immigrant cultures.

Perhaps it’s because my heritage is East Asian and I’ve had more exposure to general cultural customs and behaviours among East Asian immigrants, but Zac’s portrayal of Ricky has always read as a very obvious Asian-American child of immigrants to me (and, y’know, Zac and Ricky are actually Asian-American children of immigrants).  Not expressing negative emotions out loud, not verbally articulating thoughts and feelings but expressing them through actions, deferring to other peoples’ needs first instead of expressing his own wants because it’s not about him.  With the caveat that I’m Chinese and not Japanese, these are common practices that I’ve observed in my own family, among friends and acquaintances (of various Asian heritages including but not limited to Chinese), in broader experiences with other East Asian immigrants.

(Asia is not a monolith and I’m not familiar with the immigrant cultures and experiences of people from other Asian heritages.  I specify East Asian here because that is broadly what I can speak on and because Ricky is Japanese, but other Asian people please feel free to discuss your experiences as well)

And obviously, these are not monolith traits observed at all times, I’ve definitely met plenty of East Asian immigrants who did express their emotions loudly, who used their words, who were assertive about their own needs and wants (this is not the post to be getting into different generations of immigration and the culture differences between those generations).  And it also depends on the context - from my own experience, in private within families, both emotions and words can get extremely loud (if you dare to risk the wrath of your elders by arguing with them!)  But my point is that the habits I pointed out above are still relatively common in East Asian immigrant cultures, even if not all individuals follow them at all times.

Particularly prior to Season 2, there was a common perspective in the fandom, usually couched in “uwu, I love that Zac is playing a hot dummy!!” that would go along the lines of “Ricky doesn’t have a character arc, he doesn’t get into conflicts with other people, he doesn’t say anything and is just happy to be there, he’s a shallow character who’s just a himbo.”  All of which I’d dispute, (*insert post here about Ricky as a character reclaiming Asian masculinity*), but I want to focus on how the main traits -refraining from overt emotions, remaining reserved in speech, not bringing up his own needs and wants- that were brought up and used to simplify and dismiss Ricky’s character were traits which are commonly found in East Asian immigrant communities.  The whole “remaining reserved/trying to avoid conflict” is something a lot of East Asian-American kids pick up at home because what you say or don’t say isn’t as important as what you do or don’t do.

And I mean, so much of Ricky is about doing things for people, showing his feelings through his actions, not his words.  Just because he wasn’t getting into PC conflict in Season 1, or expressing his emotions in the same ways as other PCs, doesn’t mean he was just a silent, cheerful himbo.  Which there’s nothing wrong with being a himbo, and it can be particularly empowering in Ricky’s case as an Asian man (see above linked post about Asian masculinity), but that’s not all there is to Ricky’s character!  And don’t get me wrong, I personally love that part of his ongoing character arc in Season 2 is speaking up about his feelings and expressing to other people what he wants (because there’s the “American” part of the Asian-American experience that’s not just about having Asian heritage but is also about negotiating that relationship in a place with different norms and customs).  But it doesn’t negate the “Asian” part of “Asian-American” either, which does impact and shape the way Ricky interacts with people and the world.

In hindsight, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that interest and meta in Ricky skyrocketed once he did start being more vocal and assertive in Season 2, which are common traits in many Western cultures.  And it’s not the only reason that there’s a deeper interest in Ricky now (shout out to all the Asian fans and allies who’ve been really diving into Ricky’s character this season!) and I choose to believe in good faith that it isn’t intentional or malicious (audiences do tend to gravitate more towards tangible moments of conversation and conflict rather than background acting).  But I think we as fans need to start questioning why as a whole, we really didn’t start giving deeper thought to Ricky until he began displaying more typically Western traits, because I think it’s emblematic of how, very subtly and unconsciously, we are used to privileging white “American” behaviour and ignoring or glossing over Asian (immigrant) traits.

In many ways, Ricky prior to Season 2 (and very arguably up until the museum fight), has been perceived in the general fandom as a sort of post-racial American-melting-pot character.  Fans don’t wholly ignore that he’s Japanese-American, you can’t really do that when his family name is “Matsui” and when the Season 1 finale showed that his interactions with the American Dream pretty strongly involved his parents’ immigrant experience.  But knowing intellectually that Ricky is Asian doesn’t always translate to actually perceiving him as an Asian person with all the implications and racial dynamics that entails.

An example of how this manifests: Ricky and Esther become a canon couple.  Numerous posts begin to appear (and periodically still do) that express opinions along the lines of Ricky/Esther being the only tolerable “het” couple.  Ignoring the fact that we don’t know Esther’s sexuality and we only have an offhand Ztream comment for Ricky, Ricky/Esther is a canonical interracial relationship between two non-white people, a Japanese man and a black woman.  Interracial relationships are already extremely poorly represented in media, to say nothing of interracial relationships between non-white people.   Yet we overlook the racial dynamics and only focus on the perceived queerness (or not) of the ship.

Or, for another example, taking the discussion on cultural appropriation and making it all about Cody’s flaws and character development, rather than considering how it affects Ricky as a Japanese man to see a white man disrespecting a part of his cultural heritage.

Anyways, I really urge D20 fans, especially if you’re not Asian, to start questioning and challenging how you really perceive characters, what kind of characteristics you tend to privilege and be drawn to and why, and what kind of fandom environment you shape in your interactions with the show and with other fans.  This is not to say that Ricky should be everyone’s favourite character or that you can’t dislike him, but it is important to think about why we have the preferences that we do.  I especially urge you to remember that Ricky Matsui is a Japanese-American character, that this was a deliberate choice which has been repeatedly brought up by Zac (who is a Japanese-American actor), and that you cannot and should not ignore Ricky’s heritage when you think and talk about him. 

(And if you think Ricky is being an “asshole” to Cody just for being, frankly, mildly perturbed in his direction because Cody spent most of the season so far being very offensive to Ricky’s cultural heritage, I really encourage you to think critically about your opinions and why you hold them.  And if, after thinking critically, you still don’t see why they’re wrong, please don’t let the door hit you on the way out.  Your conscious racism is not something that is welcome in this fandom, and Asian fans are not here to teach you better)

((White and non-Asian people can and should reblog this, but don’t clown around.  Productive, respectful discussion is welcome.  Asian fans are more than welcome to add their perspectives/agree/disagree, especially people with Japanese heritage))