#which i suppose is some kind of twisted love isn't it?

[yuzuna123]

Today was the day Kirito freed everyone from SAO :') in a year this will be the day it happened in the actual story.

[strawcherrily-ish]

love when a story has the characters get angry at another character for not being in the know... "why are you judging x character so harshly... you don't know what they've been through. they have secret reasons as to why they're like this" and everybody else knows the secret reason except that one other character. the secret reason isn't really a secret. this is how it goes for several episodes.

[lurkingshan]

Phee, New, and a Masterful Misdirect

I know I already said as much, but this week drove home again how strong DFF's writing is. Because the way this show used Phee to throw us off the scent until the end game was so, so smart.

In the first four episodes, our attention was deliberately drawn to Phee. He was established as part of one of the two romantic pairings, and we were encouraged to wonder wtf was up with his relationship with Jin. We were also given many subtle hints that Phee was acting suspicious and seemed to be intentionally investigating the boys, while Tan stayed kind of vague and in the background. Tan seemed to know Phee better than the rest, and many guessed he might be helping Phee, but for the most part, the focus was on Phee.

Then as we moved into the flashback, Tan disappeared for four entire episodes, while we get a major reveal about Phee's relationship with Non and lots of time spent on its dissolution. So of course, the prevailing theory becomes that Phee is the one orchestrating this whole investigation and tormenting these boys in the woods. And the assumption is that he's doing this because of his deep love for Non, his shame for not supporting Non when everything hit the fan, and his conviction that he was done wrong. Tan is once again assumed to be helping him, though theories differed on why, with some guessing he was Non's brother and some speculating on other reasons.

But it turns out, Phee isn't running this operation at all. "Tan" is New, and he has been the driving force the entire time. It's his guilt over leaving Non alone to go abroad that motivates him to investigate, and he pulls Phee along with him.

And Phee? Well, he's not quite as broken up about Non's death as we thought. Sure, he wants to understand where Non went and why, for closure. But he doesn't seem to be carrying any huge burdens of guilt or shame, which makes sense because aside from Non's screenplay that alludes to culprits he doesn't name, he doesn't actually know the truth about Non's situation with Keng or what any of these boys did. He jumps into a romance with Jin incredibly quickly, and it's clear the attraction and his feelings are genuine even as he justifies it to New by claiming it's for the investigation. He takes Jin to the place where he asked Non to be his boyfriend, so apparently this is not something he holds sacred. The morning after he has sex with Jin, Phee is in Jin's room while he's asleep, and does not take the opportunity to investigate. Instead he moons over Jin, cuddles up to him, and instigates morning sex. He is still staring off into space smiling to himself about it until New accuses him of cheating on his brother, at which point he remembers what he's supposed to be doing, makes his excuses, and puts up walls with Jin.

And from then on, they don't seem to learn much of anything, and I suspect that Phee doesn't really want to, because he likes Jin and doesn't want to know what he did to Non. Phee, as it turns out, is just an immature high school boy who liked his boyfriend, but moved on pretty quickly once it was over. He would not be doing any of this if it wasn't for New, and it's clear his heart isn't in it. New is the one who feels deep guilt, who wants to learn what the group did to Non, and whose trauma compounds until he snaps and hatches a plan to trap them at the vacation house and dose them with hallucinogens. Phee goes along with it, but as we saw, his motive seems to be more about reconnecting with Jin before he leaves the country than actually caring about punishing these boys for what happened to Non.

What a great, nuanced little twist to this reveal. New has been the one running the show the whole time, and the show managed to keep that from us via a classic misdirect with Phee. I love that this show manages to keep finding ways to surprise us even when we have some of the picture figured out.

[thegoldencontracts]

May I request Ace, Deuce, and Riddle taking care of a Ramshackle Prefect reader who’s come down with the flu or something? (I hope requesting multiple characters at once is okay…)

Of course, multiple characters is okay! Thank you so much for requesting!

Sick Days

You're sick. Lovely. But at least your fellow schoolmates are there to make this a bit less awful.

Notes: Sickfic, my beloved, small fics for each character, reader has no pronouns, reader's face isn't mentioned to turn red, no size/hair type giveaways, etc, please tell me if I've added a description that makes the reader difficult to relate to!

You woke up feeling like absolute garbage. You felt hot and cold at the same time, your head hurt, and you were so, so dizzy.

There was a paw on your face. Grim.

"Myah, human, took you long enough!" he said. "Class already started, but the Great Grim stayed behind just for you!"

It took a second for his words to register.

What? Class already started? You're late, this is gonna be terrible, you're late, and-

"You're burnin' up!" Grim said, which was probably true, now that you thought about it. You didn't really feel like addressing his concerns.

Instead, you gave your own very intelligent input.

"Ugh."

"You should probably stay home, human. Get better, so you can get back to serving the Great Grim faster."

Even when he was concerned, Grim just had to be- well, Grim, didn't he? Whatever. You just wanted to sleep. You'd call in absent later, or whatever.

You went to sleep. Tried to, at least. It was half tossing and turning, a quarter trying to get comfortable in your blankets, an immeasurable amount of time sneezing and sniffling - Grim managed to get you a tissue box with his paws at some point and maybe one percent actual resting.

After what, according to the clock was a few hours worth of suffering, you heard a knock on your bedroom.

"Who is it?"

Ace Trappola

"Vil Schoenheit, duh." You were not letting Ace diss you while you were sick. Not a chance.

"Don't come in."

"Jeez," Ace said, seeming pretty concerned. "You sound awful. I'm coming in."

So kind, Ace. So kind. Truly, that man deserved an award for his raw tact.

The door slammed open, and you could see Ace's smug grin fall for a moment before coming back up.

"You got sick?" He said, giving you a once-over.

Obviously you were sick! What kind of question was that?

"No, I'm actually better than I've ever been," you said. "That's why I didn't come to school. To celebrate my raw level of health."

"Whatever. Can't blame you for that, but you're still and idiot for those thick blankets. You're supposed to lower your body temperature when you're sick; even Deuce knows that."

You weren't going to stand for this slander of your mutual friend - no matter how much those two tried to deny their friendship.

"Take back what you said about-"

"And get some food in your system! I'm getting you some soup."

Before you could even say anything, Ace was gone.

Was he- concerned about you? Actually, yeah, that was probably it. Ace was just built like that.

After a while, he was back, with a bowl of soup and a wet towel in hand.

"Trey, uh, had some soup leftover," he said, pressing the towel to your forehead. Cold. So cold. You wanted it off. "And the towel'll help get your temperature down. Don't take it off."

For all you made fun of Ace, he was actually so street-smart it was scary sometimes, and that included being able to read your thoughts.

"I won't," you said, more like mumbled, because your throat was so sore you'd think someone shoved a bunch of needles down it.

"You sound awful," he said with a snicker. "You need water. I'll go get it for you."

You didn't even mind the fact that he was making fun of you right now, you were just thankful for that sweet, sweet water. Your throat was dryer than the Sahara - which, funnily enough, didn't actually mean anything, since the Sahara didn't exist in Twisted Wonderland and was therefore just gibberish.

Lo and behold, he came back, carrying a thermos filled with water.

"Drink some," he said, holding the bottle up to your lips.

That gave you pause. What was next, him feeding you the soup?

Still, you needed the water, so you drank it without thinking.

It felt so good. Finally, rain in the Sahara!

You didn't have much time to rejoice before Ace held up a spoon of soup to your mouth.

"Say ah," he said, evidently very amused.

"I'm not a little kid, I can feed myself."

Ace just looked at you, unimpressed.

"Your hands're shaking so hard I can see them through the blankets," he said. "You're an idiot if you think your hands can take that soup anywhere but all over your blankets."

He was mean, but he was right. Curse him.

You opened your mouth, and he fed you a spoonful. This was how it went until the bowl was gone.

"You can leave now," you said.

"Nah," Ace replied. "You clearly need help getting better."

He was staying, wasn't he? And there was nothing you could do to change that. Whatever, maybe being babied wouldn't be so bad.

Besides, this was his own way of showing he cared, and it was one you didn't entirely mind. It'd be rude to push him away.

"Fine, fine," you said.

"Good."

And so, with Ace's help, getting better wasn't so bad.

A week later, however, Ace himself got sick. He really should've seen that coming.

"Here, say 'ah'."

"D-Don't feed me, idiot! I'm not a baby, I can do it myself."

How the turns had tabled.

Deuce Spade

"It's me, Deuce."

That was a relief.

"Come in," you said. "It's not locked."

The door opened, and you could make out the blue hair and black mark of none other than Deuce, one of your two friends from Heartslabyul - No matter how much Ace tried to deny he cared.

"You look terrible, Prefect," he said, and you knew he didn't mean to insult you, but it still hurt.

"I know," you said. "What'd you come here for?"

"You didn't come to class, so I was worried," Deuce said. "Now I know why. Anything I can do to make you feel better?"

There was one thing you wanted, more than anything.

"Water," you croaked out. "Please."

Right now, you and water were star-crossed lovers. Maybe Deuce could change that.

"Right away."

Deuce scurried out of the room, and, after a few, agonizing seconds, came back with your beloved water.

"Do you need help drinking?" he asked.

For a second, you thought that question was offensive. You could get it yourself. Then. you tried to reach for the bottle, and realized that his question was a very good one.

"Yep," you said, because your trembling hand were not bringing that bottle up to your mouth. The task just seemed daunting.

He put the bottle up to your mouth, and you drank up. Finally, your throat was parched. Relief.

"Anything else you need?" Deuce asked.

Although you didn't feel particularly nauseous right now, you weren't going to risk it with a meal. Right now, you just wanted someone to accompany you through your misery.

"Just stay with me," you asked. "You don't have to, I mean, I know you probably have a bunch of things to do, but-"

"No," Deuce said. "I'll stay with you. You're my friend, a-and, I want to do anything I can to make you feel any better."

He looked away.

"S-Sorry, I know how stupid that sounds," he said. You were going to correct his inaccurate statement.

"Deuce."

"Y-Yeah?"

"I'm pretty sure that's the nicest thing anyone's said to me."

"Thanks." Deuce scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Anyways, do you wanna know what stuff in class we learned so it's easier for you to catch up?"

You smiled.

"I would love that."

Deuce made that sick day so much better. Somehow, he didn't even get sick. You honestly envied that good immune system. It was good that he didn't suffer for trying to help you, though.

Riddle Rosehearts

"Prefect, I was informed that you were absent from class today. Do you have an explanation?"

"I'm sick," you said, miffed. Riddle was actually great to be around, but god, you didn't have the patience for getting lectured right now.

Silence. More silence. Sheepish scurrying.

After a while, you hear another knock.

"Prefect, it's me," Riddle said. "I would like to apologize for my discourteous behavior prior."

The door opened, and there was Riddle, carrying a bunch of stuff.

"Aagh," was your highly intelligent greeting.

Riddle walked up to you, getting out a towel. He cast a water spell on it.

"You look quite disheveled," he said, putting the now wet towel on your forehead. "I really do feel terrible about the way I addressed you earlier. Trey had some soup leftover, would you like some?"

You nodded. You wanted something warm right now, especially with the cold cloth on your head.

"I'll get it for you, then."

From his bag, he took out a canteen, a spoon, and a napkin. He was really well-prepared, wasn't he? That really wasn't a shock. This was Riddle, after all, top student and ultimate over-preparer - actually, maybe Azul or Jamil took the latter role. Nothing could beat seeing Azul's backup-backup plans for the serious affair of buying cheese from Sam's.

Riddle handed you the soup, waving his magic-pen.

Your hand weren't trembling anymore. Weird.

"That was me," Riddle said, noticing your confusion. "The spell will temporarily let you eat in comfort."

"Thanks," you said, taking a sip of the soup. It tasted so good to your empty stomach. The nausea'd worn off some time ago, and now you were left with the burning feeling of hunger. You scarfed down that soup in no time, leaving Riddle with a concerned look.

"Are you not worried about vomiting?" he said.

You shook your head.

"I don't feel nauseous," you said. "Not now, at least."

That seemed to be a good enough answer for Riddle, who nodded.

"Is there anything else you'd like?"

"Can you help me catch up on the stuff I missed?"

"Of course," Riddle said, summoning a massive notebook. You gulped.

This was going to be a long day, wasn't it? Oh, well, at least it wouldn't be as bad as it would've been without Riddle.

Only three days after helping you get better, Riddle also got sick. You felt so bad, he was a stickler for attendance and now he was missing school because of you! You had to help him.

"I'm so, so sorry, Riddle, I swear!"

"You- achoo! H-Have nothing to- to be sorry for, Prefect."

[allwaswell16]

A fic rec of One Direction fics that are romantic comedies or have a rom com vibe to them as requested in this ask. If you enjoy the fics, please leave kudos and comments for the writers! You can find my other fic recs here. Happy reading!

—Louis/Harry—

🧡 You Drive Me Crazy (but it feels alright) by MrsStylinson

(T, 102k, movie au) Bridget Jones' Diary AU.“Harry is not short for Harold,” he corrects, his voice as thick as molasses. He lowers his eyes to Louis’ sequined lapels, rubbing one between two fingers. “Is this small or extra small? It looks lovely.”

🧡 Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow by @1diamondinthesun

(NR, 84k, movie au) the American high school AU loosely inspired by She's All That.

🧡 Gemma's Dad (Could Use A Guy Like Me) by @lululawrence

(NR, 82k, age difference) Louis wasn't planning on getting home and learning that Gemma's dad had gotten the house in the divorce and was dealing with things by focusing on work, the house, and his newly planted garden. It becomes obvious early on that Harry is a bit lost and Gemma is worried about him. To help both of them, Louis is more than happy to help Harry find himself again.

🧡 Let Our Hearts Collide by @crinkle-eyed-boo

(M, 76k, movie au) When Harry, a lonely transit worker, saves the life of the handsome commuter he's been secretly pining for, an innocent mistake results in Liam Payne's family believing that Harry is engaged to their son. A While You Were Sleeping AU

🧡 i must admit i thought i'd like to make you mine by @disgruntledkittenface

(M, 50k, girl direction) Blindsided and scrambling to save face, Louis lets herself get talked into a fake relationship with her new friend Harry. 

🧡 From Dust to Lust by jacaranda_bloom / @jacaranda-bloom

(E, 45k, Australia) the one where Louis and Harry are fly-in-fly-out mine workers, coincidences are totally a thing, karaoke is an underrated form of foreplay, and the universe most definitely works in mysterious ways.

🧡 Love Isn't Always on Time by @softfonds

(E, 45k, movie au) Falling in love with your best friend sounds like a good idea, until he comes back from a work trip engaged to another man. A Made of Honor AU.

🧡 Until That Day by @kingsofeverything

(E, 44k, movie au) Hoping to witness Harry leave another groom at the altar, Louis heads to Holmes Chapel, where nothing goes as planned, and he finds himself falling for the serial heartbreaker. A Runaway Bride movie AU

🧡my only working remedy by YesIsAWorld / @louandhazaf

(E, 42k, famous/not famous) His Team steps it up a notch when Harry is in between movies and they do a promo by launching the contest “Win a Date with Harry Styles!” Everything goes wrong for Harry's Team when the winner is a guy, Louis Tomlinson. 

🧡 crown me with your heart (your love is king) by @perfectdagger

(G, 41k, movie au) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Wedding au in which Harry is the Crown Prince of the small island of Eroda and Louis’ uncle is trying to take the throne from him, with a slight a/b/o twist and some more.

🧡 Set the Sky Alight, Oh Holy Night by LadyLondonderry / @londonfoginacup

(T, 33k, roommates) One house, five almost-strangers (plus Niall), six new beginnings.

🧡 From the Start by @allwaswell16

(E, 32k, fake relationship) Louis has no idea that one act of kindness will cause his life to spiral out of control. But that's what happens when his new friend fake proposes to him and a video of it goes viral.

🧡 Making Waves by @haztobegood

(E, 30k, movie au) the one where Louis can’t remember, Harry needs money, and Niall has a plan. An Overboard AU.

🧡 Supposed to Be by kikikryslee / @flamboyantommo

(M, 26k, movie au) the Geek Charming AU where Harry's a film geek, Louis' a popular jock, and they both need each other to get what they want.

🧡 Retiens la nuit by TeamLouis / @teamlouis2023

(E, 26k, movie au) Everything is too much for Harry. His exboyfriend, his job, his whole life actually. Flying across the globe to find a quiet place for Christmas holidays is exactly what he needs. The Holiday AU

🧡 And I’d Marry You Harry (Because You Forced Me) by @2tiedships2

(NR, 24k, movie au) The Proposal AU featuring Harry as Sandra Bullock, Louis as Ryan Reynolds, and all the fun a fake relationship and forced engagement can bring.

🧡 in the end I started thinking about the beginning by @infinitelymint

(E, 21k, wedding planner) When Louis returned from Malaysia to attend his best mate Zayn's wedding, he hadn't expected their wedding planner to be Harry Styles.

🧡 i'd never sing of love if it does not exist by wildestdreams / @lavendrhaze

(M, 20k, movie au) “This…,” Louis said. “Use each other for sex…at all hours of the day and nothing else.” or a No Strings Attached AU

🧡 Your secret's safe with me by lightswoodmagic / @lightwoodsmagic

(M, 7k, royal) when Louis' favourite singer comes back and announces he's performing again, him and the rest of his group chat decide to go. When Haz, the man Louis' fallen in love with without meeting him, says that he can't, Louis tries his best to convince him with a drunken phone call, hearing his voice for the first time. 

—Rare Pairs—

🧡 Eight Days by LadyAJ_13 / @ladyaj-13

(T, 22k, Liam/Louis) Louis and Liam got hitched in Vegas, completely forgot about it for more than a decade, and it comes back to bite them. Sort of.

🧡 I Got the Recipe (And It's Called Black Magic) by @fallinglikethis

(T, 10k, Liam/Louis) Louis needs to believe in love again, and with a little help from Almost-Liam Payne, Harry makes it happen.

[kerubimcrepin]

Dofus: The Production - reviewing the Xa and Tot interview

pictured: 7yo Joris, 10yo Joris, 60yo Joris, and 584-585yo Joris.

Funnily enough, this interview will touch onto something already mentioned in the artbook I already reviewed.

The origins of Joris as a character.

Sadly, it is machine translated, but I think we'll understand it well enough.

Here we learn that Joris was inspired by Vivi from Final Fantasy. I am sad to report I had never played Final Fantasy, and all my knowledge of him comes from hearsay at best, but Id do find there to be some very funny and twisted parallels between Vivi and Joris, beyond their troubles with lifespans (Vivi's being extremely short, Joris's the opposite...)

Like lol. Lmao even. (laughs fondly at the memory of having drawn fanart of Kerubim and Joris cannibalising one another as symbolism for Kerubim's selfish exploitation of Joris for his own emotional needs and regrets, — and Joris growing to derive pleasure from being exploited by Kerubim, and being a willing participant in the mixture of parentification and infantilization he experiences after the 600 years of living with his dad.)

Anyway,

Joris's progression as a character being "joke character -> character Xa created to be cool and awesome in a moment of inspiration, despite Tot's brief -> he bewitches them both fully" is so funny to me.

I always found it funny that Tot doesn't really see the forest (dofus aux tresors de kerubim) for the trees (child neglect and the psychological horror of Joris Jurgen's entire existence).

Not even going to comment on not knowing what the hell "epic-burlesque" is supposed to mean.

Now we move onto my favourite part of this interview: Tot's thoughts on Joris as a character.

I'm glad he said that they've worked on his life story through multiple centuries. Gives me hope that Tot has given thought to Joris's experiences during Leorictus Sheran-Sharms silly, perhaps even whacky reign.

I want to note the word choice here, — Joris isn't mysterious, but jaded. All of his caginess and "mystique" is attributable in equal part to his distrust of others, cynicism, and exhaustion with the horrible things he has seen throughout his life.

Which would very likely include being cagy even about his class, considering the whole "huppermage gencocide" thing that happened after Leorictus Sheran-Sharm.

The thing about Joris is that it is hard to appraise him from our own point of view. I had always liked how this franchise treats immortal characters, — they are beings with feelings, who make mistakes, who have issues.

But it does not make them any less incomprehensible.

In a way, he is so compelling to me, because I find his existence terrifying — Joris is someone who started out with all these ideas of kindness and justice, but can someone who is 600 years old really uphold them?

Judging from Waven, we know the answer to this question.

I think that with Joris's character, as well as Kerubim and Atcham, one of the major themes is stagnation.

While at times their immortality, and the freedom it provides, is referred to in a bit of an "optimistic nihilism" way,

Especially with the themes and motifs referenced in Aux Tresors de Kerubim, (especially with the ending directly referencing Diane Ardant's monologue,)

It's such a painful mixture of stagnation and endless freedom. There's a horror of never being able to escape, — not from having to experience the horrors of history, not from your own childhood house.

And then there's the horror of moving on from everyone you ever loved. While Kerubim and Joris share this one, I associate it more with Kerubim simply because he is so obsessed with the stories of his youth. It feels as if what was two hundred years ago is just yesterday, to him...

While with Atcham it's just speculation and my own headcanons, the sort of immortality, stagnation related horror I associate with him is dependency. He is not the same, strong person he used to be when he was alone. If he had to go back to Brakmar after all this time, he wouldn't be able to adjust. It's like all this time has declawed him.

Joris never really knew a life outside the all-consuming relationship he has with Kerubim and Atcham, but for Atcham it's different. And with every unchanging year that passes, he settles more and more into this peaceful existence, — and if he were torn away from it, just like Joris and Kerubim, he would not be able to function.

I think that the theoretical endpoint of where Kerubim, Joris, and Atcham could end up is whatever is going between Qilby and Shinonome.

Being one another's only meaning, in a world devoid of meaning, for better or for worse. Probably for worse.

[actual-changeling]

He asks him exactly once.

Some months after the world almost ended, Crowley still smells smoke and tastes fire whenever he first enters the bookshop, and so every single time he stays into the evening, he gets drunk. It's not the ideal way of dealing with it, but it works, and, really, it's not going to last forever.

(Right?)

Either way, it's past midnight and he's absolutely shitfaced. Aziraphale pulled out the good whiskey around eleven, and while he is still nursing his second glass, Crowley has lost count of how many times he has topped off his. Looking back, it is hard to tell why that evening, why that question at that time - not that it matters much.

The room is spinning, he is less than artfully sprawled across the sofa and only held in place by a stern look Aziraphale had leveled at the cushions at some point; they wouldn't dare to let him slide off.

"Stars, angel," he says, responding to... something, surely.

"The whole bloody sky 's full of 'em, but you only see such a tiny teeny sparkling sparkle."

Pushing himself a bit more upright so he can face Aziraphale in his armchair, the liquid sloshing dangerously, Crowley impatiently waits for a response, flopping onto his back when he doesn't receive one within seconds.

"Y'know, 's all so pointless, innit?"

Even with his gaze tracing colourful swirling lines on the ceiling, he knows exactly what kind of frown falls onto Aziraphale's face, half worried and half thoughtful. Distantly, emptying his glass and miraculously not choking, he wonders what his concerned little pout would taste like.

"Maybe we're simply not supposed to know the point, my dear, the-"

"The Almighty 's not here, angel, She doesn't care 'bout my stars."

His interruption ends on a sigh, a puffy exhale laced with the first sparks of millennia old angry frustration, and his mind is jumping between centuries and memories alike, leaving him uncomfortably dizzy.

"D'you think," Crowley begins, his voice oddly steady, "She's still- does She care 'bout me?"

If he were fractionally less drunk, he would have sobered up before the words slipped past his lips, but he isn't, and he doesn't. Regret comes all the same, immediately and forcefully enough to punch the air out of his lungs. Home, he needs to go home, needs to take the question back, needs to run before the pity undoubtedly radiating from Aziraphale hits him. His limbs are dipped in honey, unresponsive to his commands, and he screws his eyes shut just long enough to get rid of the worst of the vertigo.

He does not know the answer nor which answer he wants to hear, and yet he has whispered the question to the stars countless times, receiving nothing but cold silence.

(I still love you, he wants to tell her, sometimes, hoping that maybe-

You made me and I still talk to you and you're my Mother, you're the heat burning in my the stars, you're watching us, me and him, and you have yet to punish us him)

With considerable effort, he pulls himself upright with one hand gripping the backrest, dropping his empty glass onto the floor and swinging his legs down next to it. His vision is a blurry haze, his mind too heavy to fully comprehend the panic raging behind it, and a familiar rush of blood in his ears is drowning out Aziraphale muttering in concern.

"Sorry, 'm leaving. See you t'morrow, angel."

"Crowley-"

Making it to the Bentley with nothing but a twisted miracle, he shakes off Aziraphale's fluttering hands, and falls into the driver's seat; she knows where to go, whether he's actually driving her or not. Loneliness seeps into his bones while the engine cools, and he forbids himself from thinking about the response Aziraphale might have given him if he had stayed.

The stars above London are distant and quiet like they always are, and not for the first time, Crowley accepts the silence as the answer it is.

(He asks the sky again three weeks later, he never did know when to stop with the questions.)

(Deep down, he thinks knows hopes if he just keeps asking, eventually She will answer; he hates Her almost as much as he misses Her.)

(Almost)

[fandoms-and-salt]

The main problem with Ruby gillman movie is that it sends a message that "bigotry is actually justified and your racist grandparents are right". The second, closely related problem is it's villain.

Firstly, if we look at the film without the spoiler-y marketing, Chelsea/Neressa is written as a twist villain. Like Hans Frozen type twist villain, with little foreshadowing and those "sympathetic" scenes that actually don't amount to anything and might just as well be a lie. Even with the marketing, i think the movie still tricked people into thinking that Chelsea might be a misunderstood villain or have a redemption arc or what not. And twist villains could work well, usually if their turn to villainy makes sense with their preestablished goals and personality (eg. Disney's Atlantis). Or a liar villain could work well if the audience knows of their malicious plans, but the heroes stay in the dark (eg. Scar from Lion King). In general, if the twist or reveal makes the story/conflict less interesting and/or didn't have proper foreshadowing, viewers are bound to dislike it.

Secondly, Chelsea is our only mermaid. And she is, well, evil. It would have been better if we had other good mermaid characters, but she is the only one, which, coupled with Gramamah's generous description of mermaids, makes it seem like all mermaids are as evil as she is.

Thirdly, yes, stories for young children about pure good fighting pure evil are generally fine, it teaches them right and wrong, so they can later consume media with more complex lessons. But in those stories the good guys are usually the underdogs fighting an oppressive evil. In mermaid vs kraken conflict, it's actually mermaids who are at a disadvantage. Krakens are big rulers ("protectors") of the ocean with superpowers. The characters themselves admit that Granmamah is a warlord. Mermaids are small, weak and need a magic trident to even match the power of krakens. Their only "advantage" is being popular with humans, while krakens are feared and hated, but humans have no effect on the story or the conflict. If the story was that mermaids are actually more powerful rulers of the ocean, or the kraken family were the just rules but got conquered/overthrown by evil mermaids, or if both species were of equal power ruling their own parts of the ocean and mermaids decided to go and conquer the peaceful kraken kingdom. Then the good vs evil conflict would have looked less like "how dare these evil inferior minorities challenge the rule of our superior race".

Speaking of which. Ruby's first instinct, even after finding out that "mermaids are actually evil" from her granma, is to judge Chelsea as her own person and assume that mermaids can't be actually evil. Which is, you know, a pretty fair and mature response. When she hears that mermaids suffer from terrible conditions, she actively tries to fight what she sees as injustice. But what lesson does she learn? That she should never question her elders, since they do know better. The story is fighting for the status quo to stay the same, while Ruby is punished to trying to change and improve it.

That's all i can say for now. Other complaints i have are:

humans are virtually useless to the story (including the love interest, tho he had some cute moments), they are just damsels-in-distress and trophies for Ruby to save and get approval from. This movie just as well could happen all under the sea with some minor tweaks.

The human designs are weird and uncanny. Otherwise the visuals are fine.

Ruby's arc is kind of all over the place with her main arc being the classic "believe in yourself", which she mainly gains through hanging out with Chelsea. But isn't Chelsea supposed to be the villain who "leads Ruby astray" from being a good citizen who is not skipping school, lying to her mom or ignoring her friends and crush? Make it make sense, movie.

[normal-person-i-promise]

overcoat

inspired by!!

"...Arataka. What are you doing."

Your tone is flat; unimpressed, as he slides one arm out of his coat, leaving the other in.

"...Making sure my beloved employee doesn't freeze her little fingers off, that's what."

He grins at you, a mischievous glint in his eye as he lays the side of the coat he isn't wearing onto your shoulder, shoving your arm in.

i havent written anything for a while so this. might not be up to par with my usual stuff

edited to change reigen to arataka because reigen is his surname i. think

★ ★ ★

Snow pelts against the window as you gaze out the glass, watching the white snowflakes fall to the ground and add to the growing white blanket. The tree's frostbitten branches adorn the sky, their black branches a stark contrast to the almost pure white of the freshly fallen snow.

You can't really focus on the view, though.

Arataka sits at his desk, his legs propped up on the wood. the fading light of the setting sun backlights him, casting a golden rim of light that traces the outline of his body. One leg crossed over the other as he takes slow drags of his cigarette, and his eyes, half-lidded, aren't fixed on you — though yours is fixed on him — as he reads a newspaper, the grey paper crinkling each and every time he adjusts his grip.

You can barely keep yourself from stealing glances at him, trailing your eyes from his shiny leather dress shoes up to where his fingers delicately grasp the cigarette, held close to his mouth.

Thank god he doesn't notice; you're practically drooling over him like some dog.

Arataka calls your name, and the way it flows off his tongue makes your heart skip a beat.

"You can go home now," he says plainly, not looking up at you. He rolls up his newspaper with a hand, setting it on the desk as he brings his legs down.

Not so much as a "how do you do"...

You bring your gaze up to meet his, smiling politely despite your disappointment.

"Thank you," you say to him, beginning to pack what little things you brought.

"Ah... It's snowing quite heavily outside, though..." He mutters to himself, cradling his chin in a hand.

You hum in response as Arataka brings his gaze to look at you, watching as you slip on your jacket.

"Mmm, I suppose I wouldn't mind...

Shall I walk you home?"

It's nothing more than an act of politeness, but it makes your heart flutter. He's usually so... Indifferent to you.

Sure, he's brought you out to eat with him — alone, a few times, but you doubt that really matters to him. Maybe he has heartfelt conversations with you occasionally, his laughs twisting your stomach into knots, but that's just a way of paying his employees.

He's not interested you or anything. He clearly doesn't care, what with how he behaves around you.

Though you can't see it — too preoccupied in wearing your jacket, which is definitely not going to be enough to shield you from the cold — Arataka's scanning your face, analyzing every little feature for some kind of reaction.

Please react in some way, he's screaming to himself. Please tell me that you love me, too.

People are so easy to read! Why are you so hard?!

You finish off buttoning your jacket just as Arataka's done securing his scarf around his neck.

You step out the door, Arataka opening it for you like a gentleman. Your cheeks flush, and it seems like his do, too — but that's just the change in temperature! There's no way he's blushing, right...?

...The walk is relatively quiet. Neither of you really initiate conversation, the both of you more than content to be together in a comfortable silence.

You can't help but steal glances at your employer every now and then. His blonde hair is a wonderful contrast to the pure white of the snow that coats the ground; his eyes, not really taking much in (you're not surprised; he hasn't really expressed much interest in anything) seem to almost... Sparkle, when those dark irises reflect the shimmering white of the snow; his cheeks are flushed from the cold, a lovely colour against the cooler tones of the pathway you both walk on.

You only realize that you've been staring for a few moments too long when his eyes meet yours. Your face heats, and you cast your gaze to the pavement in front of you, trying to ignore the loud beating of your heart in your ears, focusing on the way your boots crunch the snow.

...Out of the corner of your eye, you can still see Arataka. His cheeks seem to... Redden, slightly, before he quickly shifts his eyes to the buildings to his side.

...That must be your imagination, right? There's no way he just... Blushed, right?

You hug yourself slightly, the cold getting a bit much. You really wish you hadn't brought just a thin jacket to keep yourself warm.

Rapidly clenching and unclenching your fists, you can feel your fingers almost fall off regardless of the mittens you wear.

You risk a glance at Arataka.

He seems to be doing fine, based on how he's acting: his hands in his pockets, his gait even... You gaze longingly at the thick coat he wears, and he notices this, grinning smugly.

"Finally regretting your choice of winter clothes, huh?"

You blush, huffing in annoyance as you shove your hands in your jacket's pockets.

"Oh, come on. I'm fine."

He hums uncertainly at your words, fixing you with a worried look for a moment before it's wiped off his face, replaced with indifference, maybe even annoyance.

"You should plan for the future more often. You need to think of all the ways things could go wrong, so that you can prepare for them before they happen and take you by surprise."

You roll your eyes at his words. Of course he'd use this as an opportunity to lecture you. He's always doing that.

"...I'm fine, Arataka," you repeat, flashing him what you think is a reassuring smile. Arataka just frowns slightly, his eyes searching yours for some reassurance.

...He doesn't fine any.

He's quick to hide it, though. What if he's overstepping his boundaries? What if he's being too concerned about you? What if you don't like him back?

He sighs in feigned exasperation, beginning to undo his coat.

"...Arataka. What are you doing."

Your tone is flat; unimpressed, as he slides one arm out of his coat, leaving the other in.

"...Making sure my beloved employee doesn't freeze her little fingers off, that's what."

He grins at you, a mischievous glint in his eye as he lays the side of the coat he isn't wearing onto your shoulder, shoving your arm in.

You scowl, but find your cheeks flushing. The warmth of his body pressed up against yours comforting, serving as a means to hinder the frigid cold that bites at your extremities. This is definitely a step up from just now.

It's not like he's deliberately pressing himself against you, he's just trying to share the coat, thats all. It's not like he's deliberately snaking his arm around your waist, he's just trying to keep you warm, making sure you're comfortable.

...It's silent again, the two of you walking together as one.

Your gaze is trained on the snow, the ice turning gold with the light of the setting sun as you crunch the snowflakes under your feet.

When you steal glances back to Arataka, you see his face disinterested. His eyes are empty, his expression neutral as he walks alongside you on the empty sidewalk, not meeting your gaze.

It's a little... Disheartening to see this, especially when he looks so attractive — the golden light of the sun reflecting in his dark brown eyes, half lidded; the dirty blonde of his tousled hair settling nicely above his eyebrows; his skin, almost glowing in the setting sun's golden rays.

He brings his eyes to meet yours as you stare at him, and you quickly avert your gaze, blushing.

You keep your eyes off Arataka once he notices you staring at him for the upteenth time, though it's hard to not cast brief glances back to him every once in a while.

You're getting a little more used to feeling his body pressed up against yours under the thick coat, your expression neutral, the blush gone from your cheeks — now only there because of the cold. You can sort of say you've calmed down now, your heart beat normal, your breathing even.

Arataka, though he appears to be calm, is freaking out.

He struggles to keep his breathing even, fighting to ignore the rapid beating of his heart, trying to ignore the butterflies he feels in his stomach.

You played along when he teased you, you didn't argue when he started to share his coat, you didn't say anything when he put his hand around your waist—

...Should he try... It, now?

You reach your little flat, and you thank Arataka for walking you back as you slip his coat off your arm. You're more than a little disappointed to leave his side, missing the body heat already as you begin to climb up the stairs.

...Before you can get too far, though, Arataka is following you up.

"...Arataka?"

You arch a brow at him when you reach your floor.

"Oh, come on," he says, a grin in his voice as he leans in close, close enough to feel the warmth of his breath ghosting on your face.

"You're definitely still cold."

He tilts his head slightly, and as his half-lidded eyes fall to your lips, he speaks in a voice smoother than a heated knife through butter.

"...I could help you with that."

Your cheeks flush. He's not... Asking to kiss you, is he?

You nod in response.

Arataka's grin widens, and he leans in...

Before abruptly pulling away, quickly undoing the scarf around his neck and throwing it in your face. It falls into your hands just as he's sprinting to the stairs.

"You should plan for the future more!" He calls from the stairwell, his voice echoing as his heels click with each step he takes.

"You'll catch a cold!"

You stare at the green scarf in your hands, the fabric soft as it tumbles between your fingers.

Arataka's scarf.

[ddollfface]

𝐀 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐉𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐲

𝙆𝙞𝙮𝙤𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙞 𝙆𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙪 𝙔𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙣𝙨 (𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙩 1.)

Warnings; reader is a girl, yandere behaviors, misogyny, groping, letters/stalking, Kiyosumi is just an asshole, obsessive thoughts/idealizations, ngl this is a little rushed, bad writing, and me rambling some more :) If I missed anything, then please let me know ♡ Heyy, this is part two for the Kiyosumi headcanons. I'm still so confused as to why there's a word limit on Tumblr, nor do I know how I'm exceeding it?? Like I swear I've seen other authors go far pass what I'm writing (?). I don't know man... but we live on anyways :/

The second type of reader I can see Kiyosumi with is a spit-fire darling, someone who doesn't take any shit, and will call you out on it. She may or may not have some anger issues, willing to scream in your face if she thinks you've disrespected her (or someone she's close to). I like to think of this darling as an enemies-to-lovers troupe, and this darling is likely a fighter of some sort, bonus points if she practices karate.

Now, Kiyosumi originally hates you, absolutely wanting nothing than to tear you into pieces, pound his fist into your face.

Everything about you pisses him off, down to your stupidly soft hair, your firey eyes, your smooth skin, and god dammit, your muscles look abnormally nice today-

Okay, he may have a thing for you, but what can he say? You're a girl in the martial arts world, something that's not common whatsoever. And you're mildly attractive, just a pretty thing to look at, that's what he thinks anyway.

Kiyosumi will try to degrade you, saying that you're just a trophy wife, some inclusion hire, or some crap, anything to push off his feeling for you. He hates that he finds you attractive, strong, and all the things. He's jealous. He wants to be you, you, you.

Why do you get all the recognition? What does Doppo fawn over you, congratulating you on your success, teaching you new things? Why didn't he get that same treatment? It just isn't fair, he's just as good as you, no, he's better, stronger even.

Kiyosumi is no doubt a misogynist, someone who doesn't respect women on the level he should. He doesn't believe that women should be in the martial arts world, something about how they're far too weak, not capable enough to survive in that type of environment (if you're wondering, I think majority of the fighters have this type of sentiment, some more than others).

So imagine his surprise when he sees you waltzing into the arena/dojo, or whatever fighting environment the two of you are in. At first, he laughs, not beliving his eyes, then he's taken aback, eyes blown wide when you take down your opponet with ease. Now his ears are bright red, completely embarrassed that you clearly surpass him strength-wise.

I'm not too sure if you know this quote, but I first heard of it from this Holocaust survivor named Elie Wiesel, and he stated, "The opposite of love is not hate, but indifference..." I believe that to be immensely true, especially in this situation with a yandere Kiyosumi!

His hatred quickly turns into this selfish want, into a need to prove himself to you and keep you for himself. Though his thoughts were already twisted; how can they not? Especially when all he could think was how much better you'd look with your face crushed in, his hands bloody, and your legs contorted in all which ways (not like that). Nothing better than to see that kind smile wiped from your face, replaced with tear-stained cheeks and puffy eyes. Yeah... he likes that far better.

But what is he supposed to think when those dark desires become... warped. Now, when he thinks of you, he thinks of how pretty you'd look covered in... him, not blood, but something different. He begins to think you're pretty, not just covered in blood, with teary eyes, but in a sundress with your hair up. Not only that, but he stops cringing whenever you smile, instead, he thinks that the way your eyes crinkle is pleasing to the mind, or how your hair frames your face nicely. Your fighting style isn't stupid anymore. Now it's fuckin' awesome! And how dare those other men even glance at you while you look so badass? Who do they think they are? Do they think they even have a chance with a babe like you? Hell no, that's for him, him, him.

Oh boy, and when you meet Katsumi? Sheesh, that's when things go downhill. Kiyosumi is now paranoid, obsessing over you, you, you. Everything you do is monitored by Kiyosumi, whether you know so or not, wanting to know what you're doing at every waking moment. Kiyosumi has strayed from his original intentions. His feelings for you become warped as he slowly drifts further and further away from reality.

If you really think about it, Kiyosumi is like Katsumi but far grosser. Actually, I take that back. As yanderes, Kiyosumi and Katsumi are on the same level, but Katsumi hides behind this boy-next-door mask, allowing himself to get away with far more. Kiyosumi doesn't have that privilege, so he turns to... unorthodox methods of courting you.

Now you have these creepy ass fotos of you appearing at your work, doorstep, hell, even your purse! They're everywhere, and all you know is that it's from "K...", as your stalker titles it. (Kiyosumi is drunk out of his mind when he sends you these little letters, meaning his penmanship isn't the best... half the time he can't even write his whole name, leading to the K to be pronounced, but the rest of the letters to turn into scribbles lol)

Not only that, but now you feel like you're being watched, like there's a pair of eyes always on you, especially when you're taking a shower... creepy. It's as if there's some kind of shadow always looming over you, causing others to steer clear of you, not wanting to have to do anything with your stalker. It's as if he's right next to you.

And you have a hinting suspicion that it's Katou, seeing as he can't keep a straight face with you, baring his heart on his sleeve. Besides, you can't help but feel unwary whenever he's around.

He stands far too close to you, taking every chance to spare with you, touch you, smell you. Yeah... let's just say you've beaten his ass once or twice. The guy just won't take a hint! Now, it's beginning to piss you off, and you're just about ready to give him a piece of your mind!

Like who does this guy think he is? Touching you as if he has the right? Letting his hands wander down your thighs when you're just supposed to be having a friendly match, does he think you're going to let that slide? Yeah right! His advances just make you punch harder, and him fall deeper.

It's an endless cycle that's coming to a climax rapidly. This onesided romance is just brewing tension between the two of you, one is romantic, and definitely sexual, while the other one is spewing vile hatred.

Kiyosumi doesn't even take a hint when you scream in his face, telling him to fuck off. All he does is adjust his pants and grin, loving how heated you're getting, which just encourages your anger more.

He wants you to keep running your mouth. Yeah, get mad at him, yell at him, tell him how much you hate him. God, it really gets him hard when you talk to him like that, sweets. Don't you know you have quite the mouth? Don't worry, babe, he knows you love 'em, just give it time, time is all he needs.

[gamerbearmira]

Resident evil 8 Au where Mother Miranda kidnapped Mirabel when she was like 8 or so after watching her family from a distance for a while she infects Mirabel with the black mold instead of the cadou so she is more on power level with Mother Miranda and doesn't have an obvious mutation kinda like Karl. Like Karl she hates mother Miranda but does as she says because she isn't as powerful as her and won't be able to beat her. She doesn't see her family again until they are kidnapped by mother Miranda when she's around 15 maybe 16 they are a gift to her from mother Miranda for her "devotion and hard work". she is the kindest most benevolent of the Lords actually taking care of the people in her territory and trying her best not to be violent like the rest of them though she will kill anyone who tries to hurt her family.

RESIDENT EVIL I LOVE RESIDENT EVIL LETS GOOOOOO TRCTVHUVRDT I’M SO EXCITED

I think that Mother Miranda using direct Cadou makes sense. She actually probably wanted to use her as a vessel. But much like Heisenberg, she despises Miranda. She's just better at not showing it. Unlike the others, like you said, she doesn't have any inheritly noticeable mutations (Lady D, too tall, Donna her eye, Moreau...yeah.)

I think Mother Miranda's favorite in this AU is Mirabel, rather than Karl. I mean obviously. Karl actually doesn't like Mirabel (he doesn't hate her tho), mostly because she's quiet about Mother Miranda and doesn't want to take her on. She knows better. Lady D actually sort of likes her, and treats her with some respect, because Mirabel treats her with respect. Moreau tries to manipulate Mirabel, but as she gets older, she stops falling for it. Donna and her are somewhat?? On a friendly basis, she makes new dresses for her dolls.

Mirabel is freaked out by the big ass baby in the basement. It literally terrifies her 😭😭

I think Mirabel does have a mutation, she just hides it under clothes. I was thinking her power has something to do with bugs, mostly moths, though she likes butterflies and has a butterfly house. Ironically, she had wings, but they're folded under her dress, and they're sort of weak, so she can't fly for too long. Her clothes are supposed to sort of look like a beetle or a ladybugs wings. But she has dragonfly wings. The family dresses up similar to the bug Mirabel associates them with.

Many people in her part of village actually like her. They don't mind her among the lords. Other people from the other villages likes when she visits, and give her (somewhat crude and often disgusting,) gifts. Mirabel hides survivors in the deeper part of the village. She's not supposed to, but she helps them escape. Miranda knows, but doesn't really stop her because she's the favorite. Mirabel sometimes refers to her part of the village as "her own little Encanto". She hates the Black Mold and refuses to acknowledge it as any kind of "god", instead just out right calling it mold. A parasite.

Mirabel deeply misses her family, but she never brings it up to Mother Miranda. Miranda knows, once again, but doesn't act on it. She wanted to keep it a surprise when the Madrigal family, absolutely terrified and traumatized, were brought to her doorstep. No one knows what happened to the (original) Encanto Village, but...you can guess. Mirabel house, which is pretty much a replica of Casita, is alive. Granted, it's a little twisted, and dark and...gloomy. But it's alive. Miranda does give her the candle (she swiped it, because magic), after learning that she has no use for it. Whether the Madrigals have their gifts is up to debate. Mirabel does infect them with black mold. Only a small amount. Like Ethan, they can keep regenerating, or at the very least don't take much damage and repair wounds easily. They essentially can't die, much like her/Ethan. Miranda let's her do it, because Lady D did the same thing with her "daughters", so why can't she? Though...it did sort of mess with their gifts. Biological black mold and magic surprisingly mixed and changed somethings.

Come Ethan (because Mirabel was likely taken in the 1940s), she does help him. The people in her territory don't really like Ethan, I mean they're brainwashed, but they don't attack him unless he attacks them. Ethan is very relieved to learn that Mirabel is kind enough to let him stay in her Casita as a safehouse of sorts. She also just outright gives him her piece of Rose (much to Miranda's dismay). Mirabel, though not have the torso, was give the heart of Rose.

After the events of the game, the BSAA finds out about Mirabel and her family. They are relocated back to Colombia, and out under a protection program like Rosemary.

[bottlepiecemuses]

Vivziepop Wishes She Could Pull Off What Oda Can Do In His Sleep

One thing that really that continually disappoints me with Vivziepop is that she takes archetypes either plays them in some annoying cliche matter or subverts expectations while plundering it. In the case of the demon lord archetypes, she butchered it so much. The biggest cases being Stolas, Asmodeus, and Beezlebub. First with Stolas, at first he was supposed to be the morally dubious benefactor who scared Blitzo a bit, but is later demoted into a whipped sad boy who only wants love enough he destroyed his marriage, alienated his daughter, and coerced the guy into getting the book. Also with Asmodeus he was looking promising until it was revealed he promotes consent to lust, which contradicts the fact he's one of the deadly sins which is supposed to promote unrestrained self-destructive behavior. The same thing with Beezlebub by trying to subvert the girlfriend love rival she ends up also contradicting her sin by trying to say that overindulging to forget your problems isn't gluttony when it freaking is, because it's still indulging yourself. The point is that Vivziepop neuters these guys into seemingly, harmless and approachable. Her episode of "Oops" even tries to say that Asmodeus is the least intimidating sin even though he's still a fucking sin. None of these guys feel like they truly live up to their reputations of powerful demons and just as a result feel so weak in execution.

Even though One Piece is a manga about pirates, I say it diverses itself with other kinds of common archetypes from scientists to even devils/demons. In this case, we see with one of the Five Elder Stars, Saint Saturn, he twists the motif of a demonic lord so well with his devil fruit. He and his ilk are the uppermost members of a group called the Celestial Dragons who practically run the world and are considered above the law due to being labeled "gods". In chapter 1095 of One Piece, one of the things that was found out about these guys is that they oversee regular genocides every three years like it was a sport. He and his fellow stars practically take orders from a being called Im who is implied to be eons years old and is the true ruler of the world who will obey his every command. He and his fellow stars see the rest of humanity and others like insects and as a result treats their lives as irrelevant. He caused a guy's head to explode for daring to look at him and not be of a high enough rank to do so. The guy pretty much is someone who values no human life and treats them all like they are pawns, so it's fitting his devil fruit would be demonic and his entrance even had him appear out of a pentagram like shape.

[poordeadsejanus]

lets talk colours of roses that coryo has/wears + the little bonus symbolic rose that is tigris:

okay, so reaping day he's wearing a red rose. red roses are classic and pretty much the first colour you think when you imagine roses. they symbolize love and courage -- coryo gets physical representations of love from his family on a day that he's supposed to bring home money that will help them get out of poverty (tigris altering the shirt and the grandma'am giving a rose). the courage part of it is interesting to me because while he doesn't know it at the start, very quickly into the day, he's going to need some to get through the rest of it (and to figure out how to move on without a prize he was essentially guaranteed). [more under the cut]

red on its own -- just the colour symbolizes passion and strength; again, 2 things coryo needs to get through the day and figure out his plan going forward. it also symbolizes danger. and it's the first rose we see on him. roses in-universe become synonymous with president snow, someone very dangerous. so, to show us a red rose on him from the jump is just a reminder of said danger. something we might be liable to forget; after all, how could something so pretty mean danger? (+ with it being the first colour rose on him, perhaps it symbolizes the danger to come -- especially with which roses are directly involved: connecting with lucy gray, which proves to be dangerous for coryo and nearly fatal for her [or actually fatal, depending on your interpretation of the ending])

the next rose we see with/on him is the white one. white roses symbolize new love and loyalty -- one of which he is trying to subtly show her (loyalty, to help her survive the games), the other is something he isn't intending, but happens nonetheless: new love. he's taken by her from the moment he sees her, and in person it is just the same.

white on its own symbolizes hope and innocence. and again we have the conscious/unconscious thing at play here again. consciously he wants her to feel hopeful and motivated to win/try so that he can get the prize to which he feels entitled. subconsciously, he's portraying an air of innocence: like he really just wants to help her, he's surely not doing this for his own benefit! (+ all the things he thinks/says/does that shows the complete opposite of innocence to her, about her, and just in general). the colour white also symbolizes coldness. the connection here is pretty obvious to me: none of his in-book thoughts have much, if any, warmth to them, translated slightly into the movie (though i think the movie does a lot more to make him sympathetic, but that's another story). then, once he's president snow (and even before that, when he takes the turn to becoming the real hardened, twisted, villain that he is near the end of the movie), coldness is just a given in regard to his personality. cold... almost like.... snow.... and not the "pure as the driven" kind of snow, if you catch my drift.

to me, this white rose is him (both consciously and subconsciously) him trying to prove his trust and reliability. inherent romance of roses aside, this is the only thing he has to give her, something that means so much to him -- though she doesn't know this. she also doesn't know the danger he will pose to her. there's a little bit of foreshadowing at play here because again, how can something so gorgeous be dangerous.

(kind of an aside here, but the parallel between coryo giving lucy gray the white rose almost like an olive branch and symbol of his positive intentions with her versus the white rose(s) being left for katniss in mockingjay pt. 1 to show his ever-present surveillance and his undying power makes me sick to my stomach...)

yeah.....

(hey! don't worry about how similar the positioning is between katniss and coryo in these pics vs. the emotion behind them!!! best not to even think about it at all!)

okay! day 1 of the games and the next rose! this time it's kind of a yellowish-orange. (i can't really tell if it is truly yellow or orange, it kind of looks like both depending on the lighting, so i'll give a brief rundown of both colours). yellow roses symbolize friendship (which he wants to show to lucy gray, not that she even sees this rose, but it gives away a bit of his thought processes) and energy (something he will most certainly need for the process of the games. orange roses symbolize high energy and general positivity -- again, something he'll need to win the games.

yellow on its own symbolizes positivity and orange is optimism and enthusiasm. these two colours also have pretty negative meanings attached to them. yellow is cowardly and deceitful; coryo is cowardly many times, but the most obvious to me is all the times he goes after people who are weakened (either physically or emotionally) and taking cheap-shots (more on that in another post!). as far as deceitful goes, it'd probably be quicker to explain the ways that he isn't instead, which i won't do because i know you all know this. the negatives of orange, most applicable are superficially, which coryo exemplifies from his personality, to his dependence on markers of wealth/reputation, even to some of the relationships he's in -- and domination, which coryo is all the way down to his bones for again, more reasons that i could even list here.

finally, the last "rose", though this one is a metaphorical and symbolic one. from my recollection, this is the first time in-movie that we see him without a rose (?), but very interestingly, he instead has tigris.

she is dressed all in pink, so we can view her as a pink rose! pink roses symbolize gentleness, kindness, and innocence. this is especially apt given her conversation with him the previous night: "people can be good. you can be good. you are good. just believe in that.” lets keep in mind that he's just beat a boy to death less than twelve hours ago. tigris here is meant to exemplify her desire for him to remain kind and gentle and good, which is how she knows him.

in general, pink is red and white mixed together. red is a powerful, dominating, dangerous colour -- one which we see coryo in quite often. white is connected to feelings of safety and nurturing. to me, tigris' pink shows that she is still very much like coryo, smart and willing to do whatever it takes to help her family, passionate, and maybe a little bit dangerous (given the naming links to tiger which is a pretty dangerous predator), but her nurturing coryo and being such a big part of his safety, mellows out the red.

also, red (which coryo's always wearing) + white (the colour of snow) = pink (tigris' colour here). i don't have anything eloquent to say about this equation in particular, but the important thing to take away from tigris in general in this scene is that she is serving as the representation of kindness and gentleness and a positive attitude, which coryo certainly needs after the night he's just had.

i don't have anything else to say here, but just look at her <3

[mimisempai]

All these little things

Summary

Sharing a coffee with their friends, while Aziraphale is away for a few minutes, Crowley is faced with a question from the curious Muriel: what does he love most about the angel.

Notes

Muriel, you nosy little bee…

On Ao3

Rating G -  649 words

They were all having coffee and cake at the bookshop.

Crowley, Aziraphale, Muriel, Maggie and Nina.

The unlikely group of friends formed by a twist of fate.

Aziraphale stood up and called out to the group, "I'm going to get coffee, who wants some?"

The response was unanimous, although Aziraphale smiled at Muriel and said gently, "Yes, I know, for you it'll be hot chocolate."

Then he walked to the back of the bookshop, Crowley's gaze following him.

"Awwwww..." 

"Disgusting..."

"Too cute..."

Crowley turned sharply back to his friends and raised a questioning eyebrow as he asked, "Who? What?"

Nina scoffed and didn't answer.

"What are you laughing at?"

Nina mockingly replied, "At you, of course.

Maggie winked and said in a tone of wonder, "It's beautiful, a demon in love..."

As for Muriel, they giggled behind their cup.

Crowley huffed, then shrugged. But even though he resented being the focus of their friendly teasing, he didn't try to deny the obvious. He wasn't ashamed of his feelings for Aziraphale, and today was not the day to start, especially in front of those who now knew almost everything about them.

Muriel said gently, "It's obvious to everyone that you care for him, but I'm curious, what do you love most about Aziraphale? "

No longer surprised by Muriel's eternally inquisitive questions, Crowley complacently answered.

"What do I love most? When you've known someone as long as we have, it's an accumulation of many little things rather than one big one. There's the fact that he's always found a way to baffle me, right from the start, you know, like the story we told about his flaming sword, or the trust he's had in me almost from the start, despite our supposed status as hereditary enemies, or the fact that he's always looked at me the same way, whether I'm an angel or a demon, the fact that he's a bookseller but won't part with any of his books, his incredible appetite for all human pleasures. It's probably a little bit of all of that."

Maggie leaned over and insisted, "Isn't there one little thing in particular?"

Crowley seemed to think for a moment, then looked as if he had had some kind of revelation and nodded before answering, "There's one thing that used to bother me a lot, and still does sometimes, or that I still find hard to accept, and that's this constant telling me that I'm a good, kind person. I mean, have you seen me? Mr. Grumpy through and through? But he's always seen the good in me, despite my demon statute and the fact that I've done everything I can to disabuse him of that. So yeah, that's probably what I love most about him."

He added, mumbling, "Even if it still annoys me." 

When his speech was over, he was surprised to find nothing but silence. Then, looking at his friends, he felt a little embarrassed by the affectionate looks they were giving him, and decided to chuckle in a reaction of deflection.

Then, with a mischievous twinkle, he added, "And last but not least, he kisses divinely, which is normal when you're an angel and I..."

A hand came to rest over his mouth, forcing him to be silent.

Their friends laughed as Aziraphale set the tray of coffee on the table, "And you, you say a lot more than you should, my dear."

Crowley grabbed Aziraphale's hand that was still over his mouth and kissed it before saying in an innocent tone, "I was just telling the truth, Angel."

Aziraphale, his cheeks slightly flushed, nodded before sitting down, and Crowley didn't let go of his hand. As each of them took their cup of coffee, Crowley and Aziraphale shared a knowing glance, unaware of the loving expressions on the faces of their three friends, happy to witness such a beautiful and real love.

_________

Still not beta'd

Still not my native language

Still hoping you'll enjoy this story  🥰

Still thanking you for bearing with me 😝

Ineffable Growing Love - Series post S2

Part 1 Story 1-99

Part 2 Story 100-?

Ineffable Husbands masterlist : here (Before season 2)

[hajimeshoe]

overblot squad with an MC/S/O who was done with life the second they entered twisted wonderland.

The no bullshit type who also instigates when in goofy moods. They don't smile often.

Anyone who threatens them... it kinda goes like "give me a reason... I dare you..." and s/o will fuck your life up if you physically harm them.

They have a resting bitch face, and they ALWAYS look angry or annoyed. A lot of people ask if they're upset.

When in contact with overblots, instead of trembling with fear, they act like they just got told to do chores as they started doing chores.

And when they deal with overblots in fights, they genuinely get annoyed when the overblot squad acts like they're the only ones dealing with that kind of stuff. (Literally looked at Jamil and told him he was a slave to people born richer than him just like everyone else)

A realist and pessimist at the same time.

Sleeps way more than Leona, and will not wake up until they feel like living. And their social meter is extremely low.

They eat a lot. Like- a lot. And they will sleep it all off

MBTI is an INTP to give you the rest of the context

Coolio! I'm an ISTP-T, which I found out while trying to figure out different MBTI personality types because I was hella confused. Also, We don't technically know who's overblotting from Diasomnia yet, right??? So I can leave my precious dragon boy out of this, right??? No? Well, it was worth a try *cries in not wanting to think about a Malleus overblot* -Sorry this took so long! I just moved and had no wi-fi until today

OB!Gang with INTP S/O

Riddle

Would honestly be frustrated

"You've broken fifteen of our 810 rules in less than an hour! How DARE you!"

He was apologetic after he overblot and stopped getting on your case for every dorm rule you broke.

No wonder you're friends with Ace and Deuce

Wants you to stop causing fights so badly

Like, why are you either causing fights or sleeping??? Are you secretly related to Leona???

"Wait, you told Jamil WHAT?"

Leona

Bro gets sick of you when you're awake at this point-

Like, he threatened to turn you to sand during his overblot and you just held out your hand with a sarcastic smile-

Honestly, though, he's glad you aren't opposed to his naps or sleep schedule, a lot of the time he'll also be willing to nap with you even if he's already had one

But if Ruggie wake's him up, then he's trying to wake you up too <3

Fairs fair, after all

He doesn't give a fuckk if you instigate fights, he'll watch it in amusement

Azul

You would get along with Floyd so damn well and Azul swears on what little of his sanity is left that you two are never meeting

Both of you would be causing fights together left and right-

He loves you, he does, but- OH FUCK THE TWEELS ARE HERE! Take a nap while he locks you in his office where you three can never meet, yeah?

He's also low-key wondering if you're Leona's secret sibling or something despite the fact that you're magicless

He'll let you sleep in his office when you need to

He also does everything in his power to try to get you to smile and gets a little insecure when he's unsuccessful

Azul just starts to have some self-doubts because "I'm their boyfriend, why can I never make them happy?"

However, cuddles and reassurances can fix this!

He did get a kick out of you looking at Jamil and telling him to get over it

Jamil

Jamil is just glad that you don't need 24/7 supervision

You won't burn down the house trying to cook, you won't somehow accidentally cut your arm off with a spoon and you can be left alone longer than a toddler without anything going to hell?

In this case, he practically considers you perfect with how often he's dealing with Kalim

Also, you were egging him on when he overblotted???

What's wrong with you? You have no magic-

Oh, wow...you won...

"Everyone's a slave to richer people, Jamil, get over it and eat a snickers or some shit!"

Okay, first of all, you're audacity-

Aaaand now he's stuck with you

"Isn't it supposed to be "You kidnapped me, I'm calling the cops?"

"Nope! You kidnapped me, so you clearly want to put up with my bullshit!"

The only actual issues he has is when he has to go drag you out of a fight or get you to stop hyping others into fighting for your entertainment

Then he just hypnotizes you and pulls you away while scolding you like some sort of child

Honestly looked up child leashes on the twst version of Amazon to see if they had a two pack (one for you and one for Kalim)

Vil

"Love, don't start fights, it's not beautiful at all", "My sweet potato, sleeping too much can be bad for your skin!", "SPUD! As much as I love you, if you do not cease this nonsense then so help me-"

All are common phrases from Vil when it comes to you ❤

Just tell me- how did he fall in love with you??? Like, you're a cross between Kingscholar and Epel and he is about ready to pull an evil queen on both of them some days

But he adores you despite your incorrigible habits that he tries to help you break

Don't expect to sleep in when dating Vil, though. Once he decides you've had enough? He's cursing your bed, pillows and blankets

All in the name of love, he swears!

Idia

Idia tries to get you to just stay in his room with him to stop you from getting into fights

He's respectful - lets you sleep for as long as you want

Although he get's a little loud when he plays video games sometimes

Ortho will honestly bother you more about your sleep schedule than him

Malleus

Confused dragon boi <3

He's a sweetheart and is confused as to why you're starting fights "Because it's fun"

Totally did not ask Sebek to accompany you during school hours in order to protect you, keep you awake during lectures, and keep you out of fights- definitely not, how rude of you to accuse him of that

he would never, Malleus is completely innocent!

"Malleus Draconia, I am TRYING to sleep so if you do not get your screaming cucumber from my bedroom then so help me nobody will be able to save his suicidal ass!"

Oh, you're pissed off now

Welp, time for him to go save Sebek from his (surprisingly dangerous) magicless Child of Man

[that-ari-blogger]

Wicked And Worldbuilding (One Short Day)

The medicine journey is a stock storyline across a ton of literature and mythology. It's the hero's journey, but broader. The protagonist must go to a place (physical or metaphorical) to retrieve a thing (the medicine) and return home. Sometimes the medicine is enlightenment, or a secret suitcase with the MacGuffin the spies are all after, or even literally just medicine. The story focuses in on this journey.

The Wizard Of Oz follows this plot in a roundabout way, and its prequel, Wicked looks like it is doing the same. But Wicked is a satire, and so it takes this plot and twists it in a different direction. Before it can do that, however, it needs to plant its heroes in a new location.

Enter One Short Day, a song that is essentially just a transition piece to show the audience that the geography has changed. But this song manages to do a lot of worldbuilding for this place, and for some of the people who reside in it.

Let me explain.

SPOILERS AHEAD: (Wicked, Annie)

So... the Emerald City is New York City. Not explicitly, this isn't like Aslan, and the argument for the metaphor is shaky. I'm talking about vibes here.

Speaking as a non-American, New York has the stereotype of being "the big city", the place that is fast moving and cosmopolitan and chaotic in that way that you can't help but love. I don't know how well it lives up the image, but I'm guessing it's slightly more complicated.

Anyway, that's what Oz is, that stereotype, but with complications. And just like any stereotype, the closer you look to it, the more it diverges, and we will get to that.

But first, you know why I associate this stereotype with New York? And why I associate the Emerald City with that stereotype? Annie, which has this exact song, but for New York.

For those who don't know, Annie is a 1977 musical and a half decent 2014 film about a billionaire named Oliver Warbucks who adopts an orphan for the hell of it. There is a lot more to it, but you don't need to know that for this post.

During the story, Warbucks decides to show Annie around New York, and the audience is treated to a song called N.Y.C, which has lyrics like this:

"The city's bright As a penny arcade It blinks, it tilts, it rings." "To think that I've lived here all of my life And never seen these things"

Compare that to the following from One Short Day:

"There are buildings tall as quoxwood trees" "Dress salons" "And libraries" "Palaces!" "Museums!" "A hundred strong" "There are wonders like I've never seen" "It's all grand" "And it's all green" "I think we've found the place where we belong!"

So, there's very much a common link between the two. You, the audience, are supposed to feel awe for this new place. The characters are small fish in the sea and everything has a sense of wonder.

But did you catch Annie's line in N.Y.C? "I've lived here all my life and never seen such things." Annie has some themes that, while not the focus, are far from subtext. In this case, New York City is a great and wonderous place... for rich people.

Wicked does this kind of thing a lot, because in this story, duality is a core tenet, and the first thing to talk about is the sycophantic nature of the citizens. Although that isn't exactly the truth, is it?

"Who's the mage Whose major itinerary Is making all Oz merrier? Who's the sage Who sagely sailed in to save our posteriors? Whose enthuse for hot air ballooning Has all of Oz honeymooning? Isn't he wonderful?"

This doesn't read to me like spontaneous love for a leader, especially since the Wizard is established later to be looking into improving efficiency through a system of spies, and his second in command is his press secretary. Is it that far out of the question that this might be, in some way, propaganda?

That reflects on to the rest of the song. Oz is wonderous, but it feels fake. The actors are playing characters who are putting on a show by everything they do. All the citizens of Oz are living in a delicate balance of seeking popularity and coveting the popular. Everything is fake, and the fact that the real-life actors manage to get that across intentionally is really impressive.

I went to see the musical in Sydney twice (I knew one of the cast members), and the difference in performance between the first performance and the last was incredible. Not in terms of quality, but in terms of the emotions being conveyed. Most notably, Courtney Monsma's Glinda and Sheridan Adams' Elphaba changed from joy and wonder the first time, to the kind of disbelieving amazement of watching a drunk friend do something somehow both stupid as hell and genuinely impressive at the same time.

"We're just two friends." "Two good friends." "Two best friends"

Ah yes, the totally platonic and completely "just friends" maneuver of immediately relocating your entire life after your friend quietly asks if you want to come with them.

It is also notable that Glinda is the one standing out in this place. This is Elphaba's world, and Glinda is highlighted in it in gold. Just something to point out.

But, back to the worldbuilding, I think its important that Elphaba fits in here, because Wicked is a story about dreams and reality colliding, and part of that is Elphaba's dream of belonging, and freedom from ridicule. It feels important to the gut punch that she comes so unbelievably close to getting what she wants, but it isn't her that's the problem here, its the falseness of the Emerald City and Oz as a whole.

"You look positively emerald."

Suddenly, Elphie is in a place where green is a compliment. This is the defining abnormality, the thing that everyone, even her father, used as an insult.

And if you want something incredible to drive home this point, in the books, the Emerald City isn't even green. The outer wall is green, but the inside only looks that way because everyone is wearing mandatory tinted glasses make it look that way. The Emerald City's name is a lie. Everyone is just so caught up in the moment that they don't notice. It's like rose tinted glasses, but emerald.

The green-ness is actually fascinating, because the colour is usually associated with sickness and evil, but the story has been chipping away at that association through Elphaba's entire deal. So, the thematic of a specifically green city is confused, and I don't actually know what to take away from that.

Also, the Wizard dancers look like... well I'm not going to explain what they look like because I want to keep this vaguely PG. But suffice to say this: It is a cool piece of visual storytelling that, under all the facade of heroism and wisdom and magic, the wizard is barely more than a bellend with a bow tie.

Final Thoughts

I have a completely irrational love for this song, derived entirely from my time performing this musical back in high school. I was the guy at the end who shouted, "the wizard will see you now", and that's all it took to get me to like it.

The song still isn't my favourite, however. I'm going to keep y'all guessing about what that is until we get there.

Next week, I will be looking at Sentimental Man, a song that deconstructs the musical's idea of truth. So, stick around if that interests you.

Previous - Next