#I am seeing the future. It is obvious. it is a parallel.

[the-cards-she-wont-show]

TTPD Twin Storylines weaved together & double meanings throughout! ✌️👯‍♀️💕

Attention ALL Swifties (particularly Gaylors) and associates of the Tortured Poets department

PLEASE READ!! (and read with an open mind!!)🤍

Listening to the amazing TTPD on repeat this past week, I am certain that I have made an important discovery that I haven't seen talked about anywhere else yet and would like to get the coversation going, in hopes that Taylor will see that we are all finally listening to her! I'm still piecing everything together, as there is so much to unravel and am far from calling myself an expert on her exact timelines and dates, so am looking forward to hearing thoughts from others that are more knowledgable in her history.

I have been of the belief for a while now that Mastermind and Dear Reader were foretelling of her future, and also that the album title had a double meaning (evidenced by the lack of apostrophe in 'poets'). That the tortured poet would be departing. Note that I am also a believer that she has been closeted by those closest to her and is preparing to ruin her name and perceived reputation, give up the false public version of herself and come into her own true self. Everything as we know it will be destroyed and it is all playing out now, coming together as part of her plan.

Falling in line with all of the two's - the double album, the double meaning in the album name, the two sides of taylor etc, I have found that there are two intertwining stories told throughout her tracklist, AND that all songs also have a double meaning!! None of which are about the perceived muses of Travis, Matty or Joe. The 'evidence' for those relationships are all red herrings (for example 'putting narcotics into all of my songs' - but only in the songs with obvious reference to her beards), to make it seem ambiguous and open to interpretation of who the songs may be about, which is seen often throughout her discography. She uses an incredible amount of metaphors and we must look beyond those to decipher her lyrics - do not take anything at face level with Taylor. Most should realise that she is so much smarter than making obvious songs about whichever male muse she is 'dating' at the time. She has always played into that public view to cover her true self. Many songs have themes of secret and hidden love, which juxtaposes with the public 'relationships' she is seen as having.

She tells us in 'The Manuscript' that "lookin' backwards might be the only way to move forward". Therefore we must listen to TTPD in reverse, from track 31 (13 reversed!) to track 1. I believe The Manuscript also acts as a bookend for both of her stories and should be listened to as a closer after the last song of the story 'Fortnight' ends, to get a complete picture. Once we have listened to the album in reverse order, can we see so plainly that each song tells a different story of a period/situation/muse/love/heartbreak in her life - beginning at her parents meeting in The Manuscript, to current day. I think the songs may also actually have a sister song from the corresponding album/period in time, with similar sound, lyrics or theme that connects them. I believe that each song also has a double meaning and can be interpreted as messages to her fans about things that have happened to her over the years or that are about to happen, and she is trying to communicate her feelings of being trapped, which is honestly so heartbreaking. Many relate to her being caged and forced to hide her true self, in particular by one person closest to her - her father. It is devastating to listen to.

The really brilliant part I discovered next, is that The Anthology tracks also have another hidden storyline being told which intertwines and intersects in the exact right place to fit in with her life story. It includes all of the "THE" songs and is in reverse order from the parallel life story and vinyl variants order of issue (but chronological track list order).

The Tortured Poets Department

The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived

The Alchemy

The Black Dog

The Albatross

The Prophecy

The Bolter

The Manuscript

Rather than presenting my interpretation of the timeline and each story told in every song, I urge everyone to listen to both stories, in these exact orders, with an open mind as to what she could possibly be describing! My mind was completely blown when I figured this out!! Her mind is incredible, there is no other way to describe the album, other than a masterpiece! I feel so much for the pain she has gone through. This album explains her feelings and reasons for hiding her true self over the years for any fans that will inevitably be feeling upset and deceived. We all need to show compassion for everything Taylor has sacrificed and give her what she needs. She truly deserves love, honesty, happiness and peace. ✌️💜

I'm in the process of creating a document trying to piece all of the hidden connections together just to wrap my head around this amazing body of work, so may possibly link this when I have it completed, otherwise I will add it to this post for anyone that might be interested.

I have a couple of extra personal thoughts, theories and hopes for anyone still reading…

The manuscript of her life story may possibly be the manuscript for a future book/film.

I think one meaning of "Fortnight" is a foretelling message to the fans that havent been noticing any of her many hair pin drops - she has been trying to get the message across but they aren't listening. For the fans she loses when she comes out - she touched them with this album for only a fortnight, before she lost them. She loves the fans but staying in the closet is ruining her life. I think something big could be happening a fortnight after release? Friday 3rd May is International Sun Day. ☀️ Karlie Kloss was always 'sunshine' to Taylor. According to Karlie, their first meeting was at the 2011 Met Gala on May 2, however, there is a possibility that they could have met at the afterparty - after midnight, making the anniversary May 3! 2024 Met Gala is a few days later, could they both make an appearance? If nothing big occurs, perhaps some seeds of doubt will be planted on the 3rd? Or.. It could also be a surprise rep TV (with or without Karma and Debut - surprise triple drop?) with wlw vault tracks?! Who really knows.. I honestly have no idea, but whatever happens, I know Taylor has it all meticulously planned out and everything will happen when it is supposed to.

Taylor is chairman of the Tortured Poets department - the leader of the mass coming out we are about to see. As Chely Wright put - 'we need someone at the top' to come out and pave the way for others to do the same, and to stop the forced closeting in the celebrity world. I think Travis and the majority of her former beards are also queer and there will be many more 'tortured poets' that will join 'the department'.

Karma will be album 1 (TS12) in the 3,2,1 countdown, TS13 is 0 - the album in which she gets all of her full colour back, reclaims her glitter gel pens and finally can sing her truth proudly! She has destroyed her own name and reputation, burnt down the lover house and all her former selves.

Last of all, PLEASE BE KIND! If anyone has made it to the end of this and doesnt agree, I'd love for you to have a listen to the songs in the orders above before commenting. If not, lets just agree to disagree! We all have our own personal takes on Taylor's lyricism and I would never dream of being unkind to another just for having a difference of opinion. 🫶

For Taylor - if you somehow happen to see this - please know you are truly a mastermind, you are loved and we've got you!

🌈💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛🌈

❤️ gerimegs

#taylor swift #gaylor #kaylor #ttpd #thetorturedmusesdept #the tortured poets department #the tortured poets dept #taylorswift #swifties #taylornation #tsttpd #taylor swift eras #erastour

[txttletale]

(Other than the really weird bit about "Male presenting Doctor") what were your thoughts about the specials?

pretty mixed bag, pretty messy, but good overall. i think they were very obviously a nostalgia trip for people around my age lol and it worked! i loved seeing tennant and tate back onscreen together, their chemistry hasn't aged a bit, and honestly just watching doctor who that wasn't written by chris chibnall was a breath of fresh air. they weren't boring, like seasons 11 and 12 were, and they didn't go too far off the other end into nonsense like flux did. characters want things again! the show can let itself just be silly! i was literally cheering out loud when donna and the doctor were just saying random scifi gobbledegook at each other for like a solid several minutes during the star beast.

the structure of the specials kind of baffles me. i love wild blue yonder--i think it's definitively the best of the specials as a standalone, it's absolutely fantastic, creepy and atmospheric and bringing things around to RTD's strength, which is well-written characters interacting with each other and letting good actors just act. but at the same time i dont understand why it exists? it feels like...idk. imagine if you watched the star wars original trilogy but instead of the empire strikes back the middle film was just a feature length film about luke and han surviving on an ice planet with no reference to anything that happens in the last film except the two characters' relationship. and then the next film was still return of the jedi, unchanged. it felt like that

i liked all the weird campy silliness of the star beast and the giggle, and they were both very fun! neil patrick harris gave a fantastic performance, there are a lot of very memorable sequences from the giggle, but it's very very all over the place. so many threads get kind of picked up and go nowhere. the toymaker's haunted house dimension goes nowhere. RTD's eyerolling social media commetnary goes nowhere (thank god tbh but yknow im illustrating something here). even the toymaker kind of goes nowhere, after ncuti gatwa shows up he's bascially an afterthought who loses by dropping a ball. obvious parallels to david tennant's first episode with that ball scene could be made, but just... aren't. it feels like load-bearing sectikons of the plot and themes were cut out to make room for a backdoor pilot for the stupid fucking UNIT spinoff

oh and it goes without saying i fucking hate all the UNIT wank in the star beast and the giggle. i hope space nine eleven 2 happens to their stupid fucking avengers tower i cannot stand kate stewart who is constantly a murderous bonehead (in the giggle alone she gets two pepole killed by not listening to the doctor and assuming that this teleporting godlike entity could be restrainted by Two Guys) who is both in and out of universe just a boring nepo baby with no merit of her own

um. i still dont know what happened with the regeneration. i think the implication is that when david tennant dies hell time travel back to become ncuti gatwa inside himself--at least the rehab dialogue seems to make that implication. but it's not really explained or explored? baffling. i do think that fourteen getting to settle down and live a peaceful life with his friends is cute.

oh yeah and the ask said other than that but goddd there was some good stuff in the star beast and honestly with the state of the UK media i will take any perspective on trans people that includes baseline human erespect but some of those lines made me cringe so bad. anyway overall i am cautiously optimistic for the future of the show--oh ncuti was fucking great did i mention that i instantly bnought him as the doctor he owned the scene, the moment he was there it was clear he was the protagonist, and i liked the church on ruby road well enough too--i am cautiously optimistic but i worry that a big UNIT-shaped tumor will devour huge chunks of it and it'll be annoying. also russel t davies is like 60 and i just dont want to hear what he has to say about twitter so im not looking forward to dot and bubble

#ask #doctor who

[lokiusly]

Lokius is Steggy for this multiverse saga.

#I am seeing the future. It is obvious. it is a parallel. #WILL HAPPEN #lokius #mobius #loki show #loki season 2 #loki x mobius #loki spoilers #mcu loki #mobius m mobius #loki laufeyson #loki

[zenkindoflove]

Elucien and Sarion Parallels

Ever since I finished HOFAS, I can't help but think of all the parallels between Elain x Lucien and Sathia x Tharion. It's definitely not a coincidence and it makes me have big high hopes for both ships in the future of their series. So I made a big list of all the ways their characters and situations are paralleling each other. HOFAS spoilers under the cut.

This is the most obvious parallel. Both Elucien and Sarion are strangers finding themselves in a romantic entanglement. Elucien's mating bond snaps as soon as they meet each other, effectively making them strangers who are soulmates. Sarion is a marriage of convenience trope, where before ever speaking to each other, they both agree to marry so that Sathia doesn't have to marry one of the Murder Twins. Both have to essentially get to know the other one under the circumstances of having a romantic bond between them.

Tropes Are Troping.

There are tons of similarities in the actual situations that Elucien and Sarion first meet. They are both in a throne room, standing in front of an evil Fae King who is putting Elain and Sathia in a very high-stakes, traumatizing, nonconsensual situation. Before Elain is turned Fae and before the mating bond snaps, Lucien protests what is happening to her, leading to his bondage. He breaks through the bonds once she is dumped onto the floor, running to her to cover her with his jacket to preserve her modesty and provide her with his protection. As the CC crew bargain for Sathia's freedom, which is going nowhere fast, Tharion offers himself to marry Sathia so that she doesn't have to be shackled to one of the Murder Twins forever. He's effectively, like Lucien, the only one who takes the extra step to protect her.

Meet Cute.

Given the trope that Elucien and Sarion are both in, both couples effectively belong to one another right from the start. Lucien and Elain are often referred to each other as mates and Lucien's internal thoughts claim her as his mate. "Mine. You are mine, and I am yours. Mate". In Tharion's POV, he very quickly labels her as his wife and seems comfortable embracing that label for her. Literally, one of my favorite parts about these tropes is how these romantic and intimate labels now have such a distinct and powerful punch against the background of the tension behind the trope.

My Wife/My Mate

This section really deserves a bullet point list because omg, there are so many parallels in these two characters.

Lucien and Tharion

-Redheads

-Flirty rakes who like to "dally"

-Depicted as having lots of low-commitment sexual encounters before they meet their love interest.

-This part of their characters seems to be a defense mechanism to protect their hearts.

-As soon as they do find their love interest which is an instant high-commitment, they are both singularly focused on them and loyal. Feyre states Lucien no longer enjoys the company of females now that he's a "mated male" and we no longer see Tharion flirting with or hooking up with any other characters.

-They're both self-loathing, broody sad dudes who don't have high opinions of their worth. Lucien: "I am seventh son of the Autumn Court" And a whole lot of nothing. Tharion: Captain Whatever. More like Captain Worthless.

-Both jump around in their allegiances after finding themselves in abusive power struggles. For both characters currently in their respective series, they've jumped from court/queens several times, and essentially find themselves aimless and without homes, relying on the generosity of their friends to hopefully take them in and see their worth.

-Both have had someone they love tragically taken from them that greatly affects their motivations and self-loathing.

TBH there are probably a ton more but this is just what I'm thinking of on the fly.

Elain and Sathia are a shorter list but I think that is only because we know less about them than Lucien and Tharion respectively.

Elain and Sathia

-Both are a more traditional feminine archetype. They're described as beautiful, petite, with many characteristics associated with upholding tradition and fulfilling more stereotypical feminine roles.

-Both are shown to value marriage and seek it out from men with power and influence. Elain with Graysen and Sathia in the HOSAB bonus chapter when she asks about Cormac.

-Both fall madly in love with their first love. Sathia says her separation from Collin is her "Ordeal". Elain is shown to be horribly depressed and desperately runs to find Graysen the first opportunity she gets. As Sathia does once she sees Collin again.

-Both are described as having some "vapid" traits that makes people underestimate them. Elain's interests in gardening and cooking is dismissed. Sathia is described as a fairly stereotypical rich and prissy girl who Ruhn thinks only cares about her manicures and clothes.

-Speaking of that underestimation, we see at different points in their series that characters around them are often surprised when they reveal that they are actually quite intelligent, thoughtful, and brave.

-Both have a moment of "standing up" for their love interest. Elain's famous "His name is Lucien" line and Sathia standing up to the Viper Queen on behalf of Tharion when they meet her in the alley.

-There is of course a bit of a difference between them. Elain is described as being more timid. Ruhn refers to Sathia as "a predator". So they both take a bit different approaches to how they fit into their social groups.

Elucien and Sarion both enter into their romance trope with other love interests either in their pasts or currently that they're involved with. Lucien has Jesminda, who he still loves deeply and mourns her death. Elain has Graysen, who she is engaged to but her turning Fae puts a big wedge in their relationship. Sathia isn't with Collin but clearly still loves him. It's unclear how far their relationship ever got. Tharion is the only one who is emotionally "unattached" but he is very much still in the web of the River Queen's daughter and his 10-year long engagement of duress to her.

It's complicated.

In both cases, Tharion and Lucien are effectively unattached. Maybe it's complicated but they are more free and open to the bond they now have to this stranger. Elain and Sathia are not, however. Both Elain and Sathia show that they still have a deep commitment to their former loves and take similar actions by giving into their most romantic fantasies and running after their first loves to try and save the relationship. We know for Elain, that her seeking out Graysen was the nail in the coffin for them. With Sathia, her situation with Collin is left very open ended. But both are full of angst and both show that Elain and Sathia are very romantic at heart and commit deeply to the men that they love. Both Tharion and Lucien are shown to be very understanding and not possessive of Sathia and Elain. Lucien is not present for Elain seeing Graysen but he gives her space to work through her feelings and it's known he's met Graysen and doesn't think highly of him yet its implied he has left him alone. Tharion does not go after Sathia as soon as she leaves to find Collin and even hopes that should he die she'd be free to marry Collin if he can get away from the Viper Queen.

She is still in love with her ex.

Now we don't know how Elain or Sathia truly feel for Lucien and Tharion. We have neither of their POVs. We do however see Tharion and Lucien's POVs and at least based on actions alone, Lucien is clearly more interested in pursuing the mating bond than Elain is at the moment. When Sathia leaves to find Collin, Tharion spends a lot of time with her letter and its said he can't stop thinking about her as he makes his way to help Bryce with defeating the Asteri.

He falls first.

Lucien and Tharion both go to "rescue" their love interest. Lucien desperately wants to leave Spring to make sure that Elain is okay after her trauma in Hybern. He still doesn't trust the Night Court and has no idea what they're doing to her. He crosses Prythian with Feyre, going into Autumn Court where he knows they could kill him on the spot and where he experienced some of his worst traumas. But he braves it all just so he can see Elain once and make sure she's okay. He's fully aware she has a fiance and may not want anything to do with him. Tharion, after the Asteri are defeated, is seen in his last chapter of HOFAS returning back to the Meat Market where the Viper Queen holds a bounty on his head and essentially owned him as her slave. But he returns so he can make sure that Sathia is not in danger. Similar to Lucien, he's returning to the place of his trauma, risking it all with little expectations that Sathia will "choose him"

Damsels in distress.

Lucien is an emissary and he is well known for his social skills. Elain similarly has been described as being very charming and sociable, able to befriend servants or nobles. It's a common head canon amongst Eluciens that Elain and Lucien, once they start spending time together, will find themselves in a situation where they have to act as emissaries and Elain will impress Lucien with her natural skills. We see this scenario play out with Tharion and Sathia when they try to convince the River Queen to protect some of Crescent City's most vunerable members. Tharion is impressed at how skilled Sathia is when talking to the queen, able to charm and "speak her language" which is that of nobility and politeness.

Emissaries.

Prediction: I have a feeling that not only are both Elucien and Sarion end game, but I think their end game is going to be mirror images of where they started. Elucien started with a mating bond and I think they will fall in love and choose to marry each other. And the reverse, Sarion started with a marriage but I also think they will fall in love and the mating bond will snap between them. It would just be such a cute additional parallel to how SJM has set up their characters and story arcs.

#elucien #sarion #hofas spoilers #elain x lucien #sathia x tharion #tharion ketos #tharion x sathia #sathia flynn #lucien vanserra #elain archeron #pro elucien #pro sarion #sathia hawthorne #i'm gonna need someone to tell me sathia's full name #i'm confused

[wangxianficfinder]

In the mood for a fic...

~*~

1. So after reading A Matter of Time by mrcformoso from your recent IITMF post, I'm now craving some dark LWJ who's protective over our bunny as well. You know, like the *touch her and I'll kill you* vibes but make it WangXian. FemXian is fine as well, also modern aus are definitely okay. But if there's any canon era fics similar to above-mentioned fic, then please do rec ^^ @tinyfoxpeach

~*~

2. LOVE YOUUUUUUU Thank you so much for the work you all do! 🧡💛💚💙 I am ITMF fic where Lan Qiren is blindsided by love, like, unconditional-love-at-first-sight, Lan-chosen-one style! Preferably happy ending, canon or modern AU, pre-, during, post-canon okay. I just want our grumpy old man to find him some unexpected happiness!

Yearning for Miles by Murahi (M, 378k, WangXian, LQR/SiSi, Canon Divergence, Angst, Fluff, Slow burn, Mutual Pining, seeing the future)

The Untamed: For the Love of Two Boys by YenGirl (not rated, 181k, wangxian, 3zun, LQR/SiSi, yin metal poisoning, weddings, supportive LQR, supportive LXC, acupuncture, golden core reveal, yunmeng siblings reconciliation, wedding nights)

~*~

3. Hello For the next itmf I would like to ask for soulmate au fics. I don't mind if it is modern or original time line. If you don't mind I would prefer top lwj and bottom wwx. Thank you very much in advance 😊

pastel by antebunny (G, 6k, WangXian, Modern AU, College/University, Soulmates, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Found Family, Self-Esteem Issues, Misunderstandings, Angst with a Happy Ending, Unrequited Love, but not actually, no courtesy names)

it goes like this by moonsteps (T, 15k, WangXian, College/University, Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Timers, Humor, Fluff, Oblivious WWX, in which wwx is jealous… of himself, some drunken lwj shenanigans, two idiots in love, side sangcheng)

Deconstruct by flowercity (FaoriE) (T, 11k, WangXian, Soulmates, Canon Divergence, Fluff, Light Angst, Mutual Pining, they’re so in love)

Zero by theladyofravenclaw (G, 19k, WangXian, Modern AU, Soulmates AU, Musicians, Friends to Lovers, Reincarnation)

Soulmate AU Comp

~*~

4. hi!! for the next itmf, i'm looking for fics where modern!wx meet canon!wx or even just one of them meeting their parallel counterparts

a tide in two seas by occultings (microcomets) (E, 81k, wangxian, modern w/ magic, parallel universes, post-canon, getting together, pining, case fic)

so when you go wherever it is you will go, take the moon with you by comforting_monachopsis (T, 97k, WWX & WWX, WWX & WQ, WWX & WN, wangxian, JC & WWX & JYL, past WWX/SS, past WWX/XY, canon divergence, time travel, dimension travel, modern, private investigator WWX, professor LWJ, trauma, serial killers, strangers to lovers, BAMF WWX, hurt WWX, WIP)

~*~

5. Hiii 👋 , How are you guys doing? I would like to request some fics in which wwx gets jealous/insecure of mxy - it can be modern or canon era (prefer it to be canon era) Thank you💓

Achievement Unlocked 🔓 by UseMyMuse (E, 84k, WangXian, A/B/O Dynamics, Transmigration, Crack, Sassy System, Canonical Character Death, Reincarnation/Transmigration, Bamf wwx, mild to major violence briefly mentioned, Mild/brief mentions of torture, Kidnapping, Accidental Child Acquisition)

To Share You With Others by Asmayi (M, 3k, wangxian, ABO, mpreg, heavy angst w happy ending, hurt/comfort, WWX pov, jealous WWX, alpha LWJ, omega WWX, omega MXY, beta LXC, rutting, married wangxian, wangxian endgame)

~*~

6. Hey there, mods! ITMF canon universe fics where either WWX or LWJ has to do a walk of shame & it's obvious that's what they're doing. Like maybe they had to borrow clothing because theirs got destroyed in their haste to get naked (or in WWX's case it's obvious simply because he's awake suspiciously early & that attracts curiosity). @thispatternismine

~*~

7. Hi! Can you please suggest some fanfics where book wangxian meet novel wangxian. I really like this theme? But so far I have only come across only one fic like that. @mrmrsasr-blog​

Sorry. I meant to ask book Wangxian meet drama wangxian. Thanks for the recs.

could the asker for #7 maybe specify what they mean by book wangxian meeting novel wangxian?

💙 feel better love by Anonymous (T, 8k, WIP, WangXian, implied WangXianXian, Post-Canon, Crack Treated Somewhat   Seriously, in a haha jk…unless? way, Light Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Crack, Crossover)

To Him, Love Is You. by Nanami731 (E, 16k, LWJ/WWX/OMC, wangxian, parallel universes, novel & CQL wangxian, post-canon, fluff & humor, hurt/comfort, eventual smut, love confessions, fix-it of sorts)

~*~

8. Hello lovely community! Could you recommend some canon-era fics where Wei Wuxian or Lan Wangji get injured, causing the other to realize their feelings? Thank you ❤

all the silver moons by milkcrates (E, 10k, wangxian, post-canon, hurt/comfort, getting together, first time) Not quite feelings realisation (more just getting together) but maybe close enough to scratch the itch

~*~

9. hi, i hope you have a good day. 

a) do you know any fics where juniors sees wwx and lwj as their parents?

b) can you recommend any fics where wwx turns yiling patriarch to protect/save junior/lwj? thankyou!

9A)

you are my chosen family by jinyinhua (T, 14k, WangXian, 5+1 Things, Good Kid LJY, Good Kid LSZ, Blood and Injury, Night Hunts, Drinking, Age Regression/De-Aging, Married WangXian, Fluff and Humor, Found Family, Gūsū Lán Juniors Dynamics)

~*~

10. heyyooo can you please recommend me lots of fics wwx & lwj + juniors. im so addicted to their story latelyyyy @oceanfl0wer​

unhappy stories with happy endings by Last_for_Hell (M, 30k, wangxian, the junior quartet, watching some memories not the whole series, hurt/comfort, panic attacks, references to torture, PTSD)

Lan Sizhui’s Got a Crush! by Theladyofravenclaw (T, 46k, Junior Quartet, LSZ/OFC, Humor, Fluff and Crack, Case Fic, Gūsū Lán Juniors Dynamics, Junior Quartet Dynamics, Body Horror, Mild Gore, Post-Canon) 

cherry lingers on the stone by ThreePlums (M, 26k, WangXian, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Curses, Case Fic, Post-Canon, Established Relationship, Starvation, Animal Death, Canon-Typical Violence, Cannibalism, Dom/sub Undertones, PTSD, Mild Gore)

🧡 Hello, IT. Have You Tried Turning It Off and On Again?  By overmountainandmeadow (T, 65k, WangXian, Modern AU, Office, Modern office AU, IT Director! LWJ, Graphic Designer! WWX, Father!LWJ, Fluff, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, Juniors as interns, Light Angst, Mistaken   Identity, Identity Porn, Rabbits, Cloud Recesses as a company, Happy   Ending, Single Parent LWJ)

~*~

11. Asking for the impossible here, but are there any fics where WWX kills LWJ? I know there are a few where LWJ kills WWX but I’m wondering if the opposite fics exist too.

When the heart grows cold by deliciousblizzardshark (M, 30k, wangxian, major character death, graphic depictions of violence, modern, vampires au, reincarnation, vampire WWX, found family, blood drinking, suicide as self-sacrifice, implied/refernced torture graphically) this might qualify as wwx killing lwj...

~*~

12. I’m in a mood for BAMF ladies! So please recommend ladies kicking ass, taking names, etc. (with exception of YZY, I do not wish to read about her, sorry)

💖  With Surgical Precision by metisket (T, 20k, WQ & WN, WQ & WWX, WangXian, Time Travel, Families of Choice, sibling bonding through murder) BAMF WQ

Every Mother’s Son by Chrononautical (T, 11k, WangXian, Madam Lán Lives, Madam Lán Deserves Better, Madam Lán Leaves Cloud Recesses, mentions of rape/non-con between Madam Lan & Qingheng-Jun) BAMF Madam Lan

Heart of the River by meyari (T, 23k, JYL/JZX, JYL/MM, JYL/MM/WQ, wangxian, JC/WQ, major character death, implied/Referenced child abuse, no yin iron, fire manipulation, water manipulation, drowning, war, most people live au, BAMF JYL)

~*~

13. Hello! Can you recommend me fics wherein the blindfold that covers wwx eyes in Mount Baifeng slip off and saw Lwj is the one kissing him? (Any fics where wwx knew lwj is the one kissing him because of his smell)

not a maiden by cannotsleep (examtomorrow) (T, 2k, wangxian, canon divergence, baifeng mountain kiss, open ending)

Take my breath away by laniakea314 (M, 6k, wangxian, canon divergence, phoenix mountain kiss scene, blindfold kiss, switched roles, kissing, feelings realization, confessions, fix-it, dry humping)

Nonsense Does the Trick by septune (E, 4k, wangxian, canon divergence, dub con, consensual sex, phoenix mountain hunt, praise kink, PWP, getting together, fix-it of sorts, first time)

~*~

14. hiii i'm itmf autistic lan zhan fics!

leave sooner, drive slower, live longer. series by thelastdboy (M, 26k, LXC & LWJ, LQR & LWJ, Madam Lan & LWJ, wangxian, modern cultivation, canon divergence, LWJ pov, character study, coming of age, past character death, implied/Referenced suicide, implied/referenced rape/non-con, neurodiversity, autism spectrum, situational mutism, hurt no comfort, YLLZ WWX, natural disasters, earthquakes, aftermath of natural disaster, politics, slow burn, miscommunication, taxi driver WWX, getting together, sentient burial mounds, mistaken identity, no major character death, names are magic, horror elements, references to depression, unhealthy coping mechanisms, anxiety, pining, angst w happy ending, WWX has ADHD, case fic)

The Martial Arts Instructor Fic You Didn’t Know You Needed by enbysaurus_rex (M, 423k, wangxian, LWJ & LSZ & WWX, WWX & Wen remnants, WQ & WWX & WN, modern, martial arts, everyone lives au, not canon compliant, WWX has ADHD, autistic LWJ, pining, enby WWX, implied/referenced alcoholism, PTSD, slow burn, chronic illness, found family, polyamory negotiations, JC & WWX reconciliation, Single Parent WWX, Single Parent LWJ) a favorite! Lwj is chefs kiss autistic rep. Story is queer, neurodivergent and disabled joy/love !

For a Good Time, Call by ScarlettStorm, 1st in series (E, 170k, wangxian, modern, getting together, pining, porn, onlyfans au, sexworker WWX, minor angst, mental health, therapy is good) for the spicy enjoyers! Lwj is late diagnosed. Has a series!

The spaces between my fingers are right where yours fit perfectly series by Onomatopoetikon (T, 28k, wangxian, modern, coffee shop au, college/university au, LWJ pov, barista WWX, tease WWX, flirting, meet-cute, WWX pov, WWX is a Mess, first dates, autistic LWJ, WWX has ADHD, neurodiversity, developing relationship, twin jades feels, fluff, supportive LXC, autistic meltdown, autistic meltdown aftercare, intimacy, non-sexual intimacy, non-verbal LWJ)

Time Kept Flowing by notoneforreality (T, 201k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Grief/Mourning, major character death is wwx, who comes back, Family, Autistic LWJ, Kid Fic, JC and LWJ raise the kids, Co-parenting is hard, Emotional Hurt/Comfort) 

💖 WWWWXD (What would Wei Wuxian Do?) series by deliciousblizzardshark (T, 55k, wangxian, modern, high school and forward, fluff, panic attacks, angst w/ happy ending, autistic lwj, grief/mourning)

The Bunnysitter: a Post-it Romance by theLoyalRoyalGuard (G, 9k, wangxian, modern, fluff, ace lwj, autistic lwj, adhd wwx, hacker wwc)

Extraordinary Attorney Wangji by PaidSubscription (T, 57k, wangxian, JC/WQ, LXC/NMJ, modern, fluff, slow burn, getting together, autistic LWJ, WWX has ADHD, angst w happy ending, lawyers au, Extraordinary Attorney Woo storyline, LWJ loves rabbits, neurodivergent love)

The Passion of the Cut Sleeve by Afriendlyenigma (T, 25k, wangxian, modern, teachers au, loneliness, LWJ loves rabbits, getting together, romance, autistic LWJ, ADD/ADHD WWX, intimacy, fluff, cuddling & snuggling, touch-starved, slow burn, panic attacks, WIP)

You Helped Me (Wangxian) by Sheneadra (T, 11k, wangxian, modern, autism, autistic spectrum, autistic LWJ, ADHD, WWX has ADHD, teenager, teen romance, sign language, WIP)

Bunny Baby by deliciousblizzardshark (T, 9k, WangXian, Modern AU, College/University, LWJ Has Feelings, Soft WangXian, Gender-Nonconforming LWJ, Protective WWX, Bad Parent LQR, Fluff and Humor, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Soft boys being soft, POV WWX, Autistic LWJ, [Podfic of] Bunny Baby by frostedhearth)

Make The Fireflies Dance Silver Moon's Sparkling by Sweetlittlevampire (T, 23k, WangXian, Modern AU, High School, Friends to Lovers, Teenagers, Childhood Friends, Growing Up, Getting to Know Each Other, Getting Together, Slow Burn, First Kiss, First Love, Autistic LWJ)

a new kind of silence by deliciousblizzardshark (E, 11k, WangXian, Modern AU, Autistic LWJ, Communication Disorder, Trans LWJ, Protective WWX, Pregnant LWJ, Panic Attacks, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Happy Ending, Getting Together, Oral Sex, Vaginal Sex, Soft WangXian, POV WWX) and actually I would say check out all of this author's fics in their autistic lan zhan tag cause I rec them all!

leave all your love and your longing behind by ScarlettStorm (E, 143k, WangXian, Modern AU, no magic, Meet-Ugly, Panic Attacks, autistic lwj, neurodivergent wwx, the neighborhood asshole dog, if you’ve met one then you know, Hurt/Comfort, Pining, Minor Angst, major shenanigans, Happy Ending, for everyone including the   asshole dog, Eventual Smut, switch rights, Sex Toys, horny yearning, Masturbation)

End Racism On The OTW - In my quiet sea, waves would sometimes rise by jiejieaini (T, 3k, WangXian, Autistic LWJ, meltdowns, Fluff and Angst, Adoption, Happy Ending, Established Relationship)

Falling Headlong by floraidh (T, 35k, WangXian, Modern AU, College/University, skater au, First Meetings, First Kiss, Getting Together, autistic lwj)

as fearless as by thistleghost (T, 12k, WangXian, XiYao, Modern AU, High School, Coming Out, Protective Siblings, sensory processing, SPD LWJ, Implied Autistic LWJ, Misunderstandings, implied 3zun)

Silence Spell by unnecessary (E, 4k, WangXianJue, WangXian, Modern AU, PWP, Threesome - M/M/M, BDSM, dom LWJ, Sub WWX, Collars, Impact Play, Deepthroating, Anal Sex, Cock Warming, Overstimulation, Dom Drop, Aftercare, Autistic LWJ, (It's not mentioned directly but it's there), Spitroasting)

Petrichor by SunBlueSun (E, 8k, WangXian, Top/Bottom Switch WangXian, heat exhaustion, Hurt/Comfort, Comfort Sex, Playing Doctor, Praise Kink, (mild praise kink), mention of past torture, Canon-Typical Violence, h/c meta, Autistic LWJ, Mention of switching, Dirty Talk, Soft WangXian, Cuddling & Snuggling)

Pocket Too Deep for Play by bigamma (E, 57k, Female WangXian, Modern AU, College/University, Vibrators, Easter Eggs, Sex Toys, Autistic LWJ, Female WWX, Female LWJ, WWX Has ADHD, Lacrosse, Christian Themes, Sports Medicine, YZY’s A+ Parenting, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Christian Holidays, Easter Egg Hunt, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Bible Quotes (Abrahamic Religions), Cunnilingus)

~*~

15. ITMF where Lan Zhan is a househusband @yupkook

~*~

16. Hiiiiii so for the next ITMF do you have any « 🪷 lotus pier Wangxian date » like I remember reading some but i can’t find them 😅 so lwj taking wwx’s ofer to visit ??? Thanks ✨✨✨✨✨✨ @ihaveasoftspotfora-yuan

~*~

17. Hello Please recommend chengqing fics, anything apart from modern. Love you, Thank you, God bless you @dramaqueenrolf

The Needle and the Nail by littledust (E, 119k, ChengQing, WQ Lives, Canon Divergence, Slow Burn, Memory Loss, Canon-Typical Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Fix-It, Angst with a Happy Ending, Golden Core Reveal, First Time)

Lynchpin by ShanaStoryteller (Not Rated, 103k, WangXian, ChengQing, Time Travel, Fix-It) While not a focus, definitely a goodread

Honestly you could choose pretty much anything by snowberryrose

For example Understanding by snowberryrose (G, 11k, JC/WQ, wangxian, JYL/JZX, fix-it)

Blame by snowberryrose (G, 12k, JC/WQ, wangxian, fix-it)

Sacrifice by snowberryrose (G, 12k, wangxian, JC/WQ, NHS & WN, friendship)

Apology by snowberryrose (M, 17k, JC/WQ, wangxian, JYL/JZX, canon divergence, fix-it, golden core reveal)

With Such Impossible Conveyance by Comfect (T, 99k, JC & WWX, wangxian, JC/WQ, major character death, fix-it, brotherly bonding, angst w happy ending, anger management, canon-typical violence, swearing, fluff, romance, everyone lives au, humor)

A Bell That Tells Us to Rise and Fight by DeerstalkerDeathFrisbee (T, 120k, wangxian, JC/WQ, JYL/JZX, SL/XXC, canon divergence, arranged marriage, everyone lives, women being awesome, content warning for JGS & XY & JGY, minor character death)

~*~

If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***

#wangxian #mdzs #wangxian fic recs #i'm in the mood for a fic #the untamed #wangxian fic search #wangxianficfinder #long post

[drowning-moonlight]

Public Executions in One Piece, Inherited Will, and how Gol D Roger Haunts the Narrative

Since I've gotten caught up in the manga, I am struck by how executions - especially public ones - are used as a narrative device and are even used for character development in some ways as well. Specifically in how the characters that are executed may die physically but their Wills and spirit lives on. There are the obvious ones like Ace and Roger but I also see this with character such as Mont Blanc Noland and Kozuki Oden. I see certain parallels between these government sanctioned killings that I'm sure Oda wrote the story that way on purpose.

Historically and in media like One Piece, public executions serve the purpose of not only punishing the person being killed for crimes they committed - real or perceived - but also to discourage others from committing similar crimes. The thing with One Piece though is that most of these public executions backfire on the ones in charge.

Ace and Roger's executions mirror each other in that the Marines and World Government wanted to end piracy but instead both of them being killed actually ushered in new ages of piracy.

Roger turned himself in and the Marines used his public execution as an opportunity to basically say something like, "Hey, we have the King of Pirates here and we're going to kill him in front of the whole world. This will happen to every pirate we can get our hands on. We are able to kill the King himself, we can definitely get you small time pirates too so you might as well give up being pirate!" But Roger's last words of course completely flipped this around declaring, "If you can find my treasure, the One Piece, then you too can be the next Pirate King!" He destroyed the Navy's plans with his final words and kicked off an era of far more piracy than there ever was before. He dies in body but not in spirit. His spirit and Will lives on for literal decades after his death in every single person who goes searching for the One Piece. The Marines may have succeeded in killing the man but they failed so spectacularly with killing his spirit.

Likewise with Ace's execution, the Navy wanted to end Roger's bloodline and pick a fight with Whitebeard, the strongest pirate in the world at that time. By doing this, they wanted to end this New Age of Piracy. If they could kill the son of the previous Pirate King and also kill the pirate closest to becoming the next Pirate King in one fell swoop then surely this would discourage pirates the world over and prevent people from wanting to become pirates in the future. But again it backfired. The Marines may have succeeded in killing Ace and Whitebeard but their deaths - just as Roger's - ushered in another New Age of Piracy. Whitebeard's last words especially kicked off more people becoming pirates, "The One Piece is real!" Throughout the story we see a few times when characters don't believe that the One Piece is even real, and the Navy probably wants people to think that because if there's no big treasure to find, then there's less of a reason for people to be pirates. But Whitebeard stomps on that notion with his last words:

Ace's execution, which was meant to discourage piracy and get revenge on Roger for starting the New Pirate Age, actually sets off more piracy and changes the story from here on out. Though they both die, just like Roger before them, Ace and Whitebeard's death's carry on meaning and inspiration for future pirates. The world of One Piece is forever changed from this one moment. The story and main character is never the same again after this. Again, the Marine's may have succeeded in killing their physical bodies but the inherited Will of Ace and Roger and Whitebeard lives on in the next generation of pirates.

Roger's execution is also heavily paralleled by the execution of Mont Blanc Noland in the flashbacks of Skypeia. This execution wasn't as grand or far reaching as the Marines killing Roger but the parallel is there. Noland was executed by a king for the perceived crime of lying to said king. He wasn't a wanted criminal the way Roger was but their ends are the same.

The framing of his execution is so similar to Roger's. And later in the series, Ace's execution mirrors them both as well.

The visual parallels are so striking that I doubt it was done accidentally. And just as with Roger, Noland's execution spurred on others to look for the lost city of gold that Noland had found, not knowing that it was in the sky instead of in the ocean. Nolan's death didn't necessarily start a new age of piracy but it did inspire people to go looking for treasure. Which is exactly what Roger's death caused. This search for treasure trickled all the way down to his descendant Cricket and also Luffy, furthering the theme of Inherited Will.

Then there is Kozuki Oden's execution by Kaido in the Wano flashbacks. Kaido wanted to kill Oden for the danger he posed and so that Kaido could further take over Wano without the head of the Kozuki clan stopping him. Oden also wanted to open Wano to the rest of the world and Kaido wanted to stop that. But Oden's death had basically the same affect that Roger's death did: inspiring others and carrying on his will. Even Oden and Kaido himself say as much right before Oden dies:

Is this not metaphorically exactly how Roger died too? The circumstances of their deaths are different but they both still die knowing that their Wills will live on after they are gone. They know that they will not be forgotten. "My soul will live on!! For I am a story to accompany you drinks..." Roger lives on in this way as well, especially through Silvers Rayleigh.

Again, Kaido may have succeeded in killing Oden's body but his spirit lives on to inspire others in the future and thus doesn't really die. His execution backfires and Kaido is eventually taken down by those who carried on Oden's Will.

What's more interesting about this than the other public executions in the series is that Kaido seems to be aware that the death of Oden - and later Luffy - will be remembered. "They will speak of you for years to come," he says to a dying Oden. I find that fascinating. And when Luffy "died," Kaido again mentions that he will be remembered:

It's interesting to me that Kaido is aware that their death's won't really be the end for Oden and Luffy, whereas the Marines and WG definitely didn't seem to understand that publicly killing Roger, Ace, and Whitebeard would mean that they would essentially be martyred and live on in spirit. Kaido seems to have more understanding of what their deaths will cause than the Marines do, which I find... odd... and I'm not sure where to go with that thought.

I also find it interesting that Luffy doesn't care or even want to be remembered once he dies. It's just like Oden saying, "They can forget me, for all I care," but he does go on to say he's a story to accompany people's drinks. Luffy, on the other hand, doesn't seem to see his death that way. He says he doesn't need people to tell tales of his great battle and that once you're dead there's nothing left but bones. It honestly feels like sort of a hopeless statement from Luffy and I'm not sure how to interpret it. Roger seemed to know that his last words would insure that he would not be forgotten, so this difference with Luffy is interesting.

Now what Kaido did to Luffy wasn't a public execution like all the other deaths mentioned before but I think this interaction between them still sheds light on the theme of remembering people after they die. Even though Luffy seems to be saying that he doesn't want to be remembered after he dies, I think we can all agree that he will be remembered when and if that time comes.

And it all goes back to quite literally the very start of the series. Roger's execution is the very first thing we learn about in One Piece. It's the very first scene ever shown, the preamble, the prelude, whatever you want to call it. He's the first named character in the entire series. We learn about Roger's death and his impact on the story before we learn anything at all about Luffy himself.

Roger truly does Haunt the Narrative of One Piece so much and his execution is mirrored by multiple other characters throughout the series that it can't be a coincidence.

it's just... the public executions in One Piece truly do hit different than in other media, don't they?

#one piece #gol d roger #portgas d ace #monkey d luffy #kozuki oden #kaido #mont blanc noland #one piece chapter 1 #one piece chapter 228 #one piece chapter 292 #one piece chapter 506 #one piece chapter 550 #one piece chapter 576 #one piece chapter 972 #one piece chapter 1045

[riddlerosehearts]

idia/vil is such a sweet and interesting ship to me and does not deserve to be a rarepair i'm serious. this might end up a bit incoherent and disorganized because i'm not great with words, but listen. the thing is that while on a surface level idia shroud and vil schoenheit--a nerdy shut-in with anxiety who likes to game all day and a mega famous celebrity who's strict about self-improvement--might seem completely incompatible, their actual interactions show us that that just isn't true!!

like, for example idia's starsending robes vignette is a big one!! the way that vil sees idia trying to hide when he's supposed to be at the ceremony, and idia says he's terrified that people will make fun of him, that he's not like vil and can't just go out and not care what anyone think the way he does. and then vil... tells him he's wrong, that it's the opposite, that he cares so much what other people think but has enough of a grip on himself that he can ignore it and appear confidently in public. the way vil admits to idia that they are so much more alike that he thinks.

also, the way that (in this fan translation at least, as well as in other TLs i've seen--the localization translates it to have the complete opposite meaning, for whatever reason) idia then says "so in other words, you've got to level up your ignore skill", and instead of getting annoyed at him for translating his advice into video game terms vil just says "isn't that obvious?". he's going out of his way to try and give idia genuine advice and is willing to speak his language to get him to understand it. he even does a similar thing later on in book 6, when he tells idia that it's worth taking chances because after all, the star rogue protagonist took his chances and went from zero to a hero.

and on that note, book 6 is so good for them. book 6 has idia get all excited and carried away while infodumping about star rogue, only to abruptly lose his enthusiasm and start talking quietly and stuttering. and who is it that tells him he shouldn't act so embarrassed and that they weren't judging him? it's none other than vil. vil who also shows an interest in gaming, much to the surprise of idia who believed, in his own words, that a "sparkly, gorgeous supermodel" like vil couldn't possibly like any of the same things as him! but no, vil wanted to try out the games they had and vil expressed a desire for idia to talk about his passions without fear of being judged. vil enjoyed playing star rogue and he was glad to discuss the movie adaptation with idia and ortho.

it's also vil who, when idia expresses his disappointment at the star rogue sequel being canceled and his wish for the original team to get back together and create a sequel that would be made with passion behind it, is the only one to genuinely understand where he's coming from (as opposed to jamil who's like "is it really that complicated?" and leona who suggests that he just throw money at the creators). vil is the one who encourages him to take a chance at doing what he can to make that wish a reality, to let the original team know that there's a passionate and loyal fanbase waiting for a sequel, and tells him that he just generally shouldn't give up on changing his future and achieving his dreams before he's even tried. of course ortho heard this advice too and took it very much the wrong way, but vil showed a surprising amount of understanding and support for idia and i feel like it was exactly the kind of thing he needed to hear.

also. remember the scene in disney's hercules where hercules temporarily gives up his godhood and his youth by diving into the underworld to save megara? because vil literally did the same thing to save idia. yeah, he may say he only did it for plot reasons, but like come on, how am i supposed to just not ship them after they parallel one of my favorite disney couples like that? vil is a world famous actor and model who was terrified of aging, and he still took such an insane risk!! i'm sure idia would have a crush on him after that.

i'm trying to wrap this up now because it's already too long but also idia has actually been said to have great fashion sense as his online persona and shown to enjoy cosplay and dressing up on occasion (for example, he went all out on his pumpkin knight costume and this hasn't made it to EN yet but he liked wearing the masquerade outfit). vil had pretty high praise for his design sense when he saw ortho's burst gear. and vil gets along incredibly well with ortho and is in the film club with him post-book 6, which is something i imagine idia would appreciate a lot. the contrast between them and the things they unexpectedly have in common are just so neat to me.

so, in conclusion,

i love them and i think they should be boyfriends

#twisted wonderland #idia shroud #vil schoenheit #vildia #idiavil #vilidia #i am once again forcing everyone to think about my favorite rarepair #okay also i didn't think this was relevant to the main post but like. consider. #height differences make everything better right?? #but vildia doesn't have a height difference! they're both 183 cm! #EXCEPT. apparently vil usually appears to be taller because of his 13cm/5in heels #which means they CAN have a super cute height difference. idia can lean on vil's shoulder... #also i think it would be fun if vil finds out idia actually has a bit of interest in fashion and is like SUPER surprised by it #like the reverse of idia finding out vil is interested in gaming #and they should play animal crossing and do couples cosplay together #also i have no idea if the localization for that one vignette is more accurate than the fan TLs i've seen or not?? #but the fan TL version just makes more sense to me #okay i'm done now sorry #idia x vil #vil x idia

[misscammiedawn]

Recently I've been introducing my girlfriend to Mr. Robot and last night, while watching season 2, I noticed something that made me love the show even more than I already did.

The subtle but intentional little bits of character development and motivation peppered into the show for sharp eyed viewers.

See, in season 2 we are introduced to Dominique "Dom" DiPierro, an insomniac/workaholic FBI agent who is part of the team investigating the 5/9 hack where our protagonists hackivist group managed to encrypt all of the credit and debt data for a banking system that covers 70% of the population.

I am also quite in love with her for obvious reasons (see my redhead best head tag)

During this episode she has traveled with her team to Beijing to investigate the Chinese arm of the hacking. The investigation is aided by Chinese Security Minister Zhang. Unbeknownst to the FBI, Zhang is a public face for the series villain Whiterose, a transgender woman who runs The Dark Army, a militant hacking group whose influence is felt throughout the show.

During a party Dom disappears from the party to "look for a restroom" and finds a room of clocks, an indicator/reminder to any audience member who is not aware yet that Zhang is Whiterose. After a brief discussion Zhang invites Dom to a bedroom and shows off a closet full of beautiful outfits.

She even invites Dom into her philosophy on time travel and parallel universes which becomes a major factor in understanding her motivations throughout the show.

(Incidentally this scene is lit in golden hues, a sign for the show to indicate safety and trust. Both characters are in frame for the majority of the shots. This show famously tries to isolate characters in frame during conversations to show barriers and disconnect)

Whiterose says these are her sister's outfits and by the end of the episode Dom is informed that Whiterose does not have a sister.

In a later season she even says outloud "she was showing me who she was".

I wondered why the mastermind of the plot was willing to trust Dom so quickly and with no apparent gain and allow her to survive the attack on the FBI that would happen the next day. It wasn't because of her value as an asset as The Dark Army do not attempt to recruit Dom until season 3.

Then I watched the episode again yesterday and understood why.

First let's talk about Whiterose.

Whiterose is a transgender woman who lives in China, a place where she is unable to live openly as her authentic self. She is positioned both masked in the light of day (as Security Minister Zhang) and authentically in the darkness of her secret life (as head of The Dark Army, Whiterose) as having inordinate amounts of power. By this point of the show we have seen that the CEO of E(vil) Corp, Price, capitulates to her. Price is seen as the literal devil at this point of the show and has outright referred to himself as "Master of the Universe". Yet he is not above Zhang.

With all of her power she is unable to change the circumstances of injustice that she lives in and at this point of the show that is all we need to know about her. There is more but it is not for us to know at present.

Whiterose and Eliott are both trying to change the world that caused them so much pain. Whiterose wishes to forcibly alter the world. She believes that there is no method of changing the world as it is because at some point it went wrong and the only way to "fix" it is to literally jump into an alternate version of our world where circumstances were better. She is jaded to the point of which she believes there is no future, only a better version of the past. She fights to change the past.

Eliott, in spite of everything, wants to fight for a better future. He believes that he can give people the choice to live better lives if the ruling classes allowed for such change to happen.

This is a show about healing, after all. One wounded victim cannot accept a world of hurt and injustice and wants to go back and change things. One wounded victim cannot accept a world of hurt and injustice and wants to force the world to change for a better future.

It's a good show.

So why does Whiterose let Dom see her true self?

Dom is a lesbian and the show takes place in 2015. This episode takes place on June 26th 2015.

We do not know Dom's sexuality at this point of the show but we are later given the tools to unlock the secrets of this episode and conversation and to understand how Whiterose "clocked" her.

Earlier in the episode one of the characters, Angela, meets with a season 1 character in a bar. We see this playing on the television:

It's not the focus of the shot, but seeing the footage of the LOVE WINS balloons bouncing up and down will catch the eye. As will the rainbow colored whitehouse. It is on screen for about 8-12 seconds. SAME SEX MARRIAGE LEGAL even on the ticker.

DIRECTLY after this scene is the sequence of Dom and Whiterose meeting.

During this conversation Whiterose insists on knowing why Dom is an FBI agent and after obfuscating she tells her story:

"Final semester of law school, dating who I thought was the one. At dinner, days before graduation, they got down on one knee to propose, and (this is going to make me sound wacky) but I excused myself to the restroom and left out the back and that was that."

Notice the lack of gendered pronouns?

Darlene sure does in season 3 when she teaches the audience how a character in this show can hear that sentence and know what they are doing.

See these characters all know about masking and how it's done and so they catch those little tells. Darlene understood Dom's sexuality from just "On again, off again with someone but they're not really the one or anything like that."

Whiterose likely did digging on Dom before the meeting but both that conversation and the later reveal of how we, the audience, should decode her speech allows us to know Whiterose saw that Dom was in a relationship in law school that ended with her partner offering to marry her and that was the end of the relationship.

Whiterose knows what it is like to not be able to live as your authentic self (the reminder that the legalization of gay marriage JUST happened. Literally the day this conversation is happening) and saw an ally in Dom. Saw someone who understands what she feels and what she is fighting for. Whiterose consistently through the show is patient (a trait very unlike her) and kind with people she feels an empathetic bond with.

This understanding causes her to invite Dom to see "her sister's" outfits, knowing that the lie would not hold up very long. She just wanted someone who could see her for who she truly was to see her.

This show is about healing. It is about connection. It's about trying to be understood.

...and it legitimately is one of the best television shows that has ever aired.

I love it more than I can possibly put into words.

#camden posting #mr robot #whiterose #dominique dipierro #dom dipierro #domo arigato mr alderson #media essays

[weekend-whip]

Ninjago Fic Rec Week: Day 3

Prompts: Angst / Kai Recs! *aka the best combo ahahaaaa*

Angst Recs (get ready for a lot of Wu being sad):

The Tale of the Teacher: BASICALLY a look at Wu's very tragic life through the eyes of Wu himself, and my personal inspiration for all things, well, Wu and tragic (and you do need to be logged into an Ao3 account for this one). A must-read for all Wu fans, and especially for those who are not~

Photographs: Wu reminiscences on all he's lost in the midst of Season 11 through pictures of times gone by~

No Eye For These: Wu reflects on losing his brother, right after just banishing him ;w;

It Will Rain Again Someday: Not necessarily angst but fills me with enough emotional damage to feel like it is, Wu adores his older brother so so so so much, even when they butt heads, even when they have opposing but equal opinions, even when they're on opposite sides of the battle field...probably the most potent Spinjitzu Brothers thing I've ever read. Changed my brain chemistry, man.

for want (for nothing): the staff corrupted!kai story that speaks to me very specifically snksnksnk Reading the gradually (or not so gradually) descent into enveloping himself in all that power is maddening and awesome and so very painful

Cry Me a River: Kai Post-Seabound; short, bitter, visceral, and powerful in the deliverance of emotions~

Married to the Sea: In case anyone wanted to relieve the pain that is Seabound's ending again, but with a Jay-colored coat of paint <3

half hearted-boy, maybe we'll have more connection: GUT-WRENCHING thing on parallels b/w Lloyd and Harumi. I am not the same person i was before. Tragedy does not have an age limit.

Kai Recs:

All I've Ever Known: One of the best kind of fics- Kai having to cope with team bonding during the events of the pilots <3(I have very obvious tastes). But! Has a lot of introspective Kai moments and outrospective (?) moments with him and the future team he's one day never going to imagine a time without.

Spice, and Everything Nice: Kai, in both a show of brotherly love and brotherly pride, attempts to outdo his siblings in a test of all things spice and chocolate. It's just so cute aaaaaaa!!!!

Bonfire: Lloyd wants to make a fire, Zane tries to offer suggestions, and Kai makes it personal. Slice of Life fic that would have made for a nice little episode during Season 2, honestly! And a nice look at the characters outside of their normally hectic settings~

Flicker: A story about Kai and the warmth he brings to himself and others, doesn't seem like much at first but you will be gutpunched by love and softness by the end~

Bucket List: In the category of angst and Kai with probably a guilty pleasure fic of mine, Kai strikes a deal with Morro and a horrifying journey of self-discovery ensues. It get a little dark but it's funny, gripping, heart-wrenching, and will probably have you looking at Kai in a new light by the end of it.

N Stands for Neutral: Kai teaches Lloyd to drive, chaos ensues, nuff said

Why Birds Fly: Probably not for the squeamish around eggs, insects, or ear-related agony (it's not nearly as bad as I'm making it sound I promise just being cautious) BUT another non-life-threatening crisis story that has an amazing dynamic between Kai, Cole and Jay, and their tendency to be both the best brothers you could ask for and the absolute worst.

The Process of Making Amends: Kai and Garmadon butting head and it's goes about as well as you'd expect....but, there is one thing they can reach a consensus on.

Going, Going, Gone: Vintage Classic on kai's take on Skylor throughout Season 4. Definitely Kailor, but also not exactly "shippy". It really is more of a character examination in the form of lil snippets and it lives in my mind rent-free.

From What It Was: Kai reflects on all the changes in the team post-s7. It makes me misty-eyed every time ;w;

Kai and the Futile Fist Fight: Anyone wanna see Kai and Jay have a real fight during Crystalized, with 50% more awesome fight moves and 50% more raw emotion and 100% more Kai being distressed over his sister in his own way? Here ya go!

"Mr. Smith" At Your Service: Kai pretends to be Nya's father. Nya gets far too much of a kick out of it, and it goes about a well as you'd expect snksnksnk

broken pieces: More Pilots!ninja bonding, short and sweet and ofc with a special focus on Kai! Left a very big impression on me, haha

this isn't how it's supposed to be: MOAR PILOT BONDINGGGGGGG and UNGH it's so BEAUTIFUL, especially love the character dialogue in this one!

#ninjago #the lego ninjago movie #tlnm #ninjago fic rec week #ninjago fanfiction #fic recs #kai smith #angst #long post #tell me if i junked up a link i was going rlly fast cuz i gotta leave again lmao #I’ve got plenty more pain fics on deck hnng

[this-is-krikkit]

i might be a little feverish but little talks by of monsters and men sure hits different when you listen to it while thinking of season 4 to post canon levihan and i'm going to write an essay about it.

cool? cool.

so, hear me out. first verse:

I don't like walking around this old and empty house So hold my hand, I'll walk with you my dear The stairs creak as you sleep It's keeping me awake It's the house telling you to close your eyes And some days I can't even dress myself It's killing me to see you this way

that's levihan adjusting to life right after the battle of shiganshina, right?

i mean, the old and empty house and the noises it makes while they sleep represent the now near empty headquarters that they've lived in for a decade that's become haunted with all of their dead comrades' ghosts ; and that line some days i can't even dress myself that is, imo a pretty good match for hange's state of mind (who is no doubt struggling to adjust to their role as Commander) while levi has to watch them shoulder all the responsibility of facing this new world none of them imagined as it is, and knowing it's technically his fault they're in this position

There's an old voice in my head That's holding me back Well, tell her that I miss our little talks Soon it will be over and buried with our past We used to play outside when we were young And full of life and full of love Some days I don't know if I am wrong or right Your mind is playing tricks on you, my dear

now the analogies in this verse might be a little less obvious but bear with me. hange's old persona's is still in there, beneath that much more professional exterior they have to project in their new leading role, and so the other voice saying i miss our little talks to me could symbolize levi missing his crazy close friend (who does make a reappearance once in a while, thankfully, but is mostly concealed) because things aren't quite the same as they used to be between the two of them

and of course, hange is exhausted from that burden they inherited 4 years ago and doubting themself and their decisions (especially when things start to go south with eren and later his minions), and although levi can no doubt understand that, he's still loyal to them as his leader

and then. well then comes that bridge. and i'm gonna let the lyrics speak for themselves, aight?

You're gone, gone, gone away I watched you disappear All that's left is a ghost of you Now we're torn, torn, torn apart There's nothing we can do Just let me go, we'll meet again soon

Now wait, wait, wait for me, please hang around I'll see you when I fall asleep

okay i lied, i'm still going to point out that please hang around is a very obvious parallel to levi telling hange to keep watching, or possibly a reference to his last gesture towards them when they told him to let them go and look cool and he couldn't help himself and had to break everyone's fucking heart over that intimate version of their military salute.

the I'll see you when i fall asleep i feel could refer either to levi's hallucination of all the scouts veterans, or to the fact that he's hoping he gets reunited with them when it's his turn to die, many many years in the future after he gets the rest and peace they all deserved.

anyways THIS IS THEIR ANTHEM BYE!!

#music #little talks #levihan #shingeki no kyojin #snk #levi ackerman #hange zoë #attack on titan #aot #i'm a little obsessed can u tell #honestly this has been in my mind for a solid year+half #had to come out at some point #the lyrics coloring is funky bc tumblr hates me #snk meta #(not sure it deserves that title) #snk veterans

[trashland-llamas]

I'm like <100 pages away from finishing tbosas and can't stop thinking about this one bit of dialogue that Sejanus gives Coriolanus when they're peacekeepers in district 12. Basically Sejanus goes 'I remember that about you. How in school, you’d watch people and pretend you're not watching then choose when to involve yourself.' Paraphrasing, not a direct quote. I've tried putting it into words but end up waffling each time.

Think it's b/c of the book being told from Snow's perspective that I got as much whiplash from it. Cause throughout the book, it's shown that Coriolanus doesn't give much thought to those around him unless they can be of use to him. He thinks of people akin to pawns. Furthermore, the facade that he uses as a sort of armor isn't fail proof. There's too many cracks in it to the point it's more porcelain than chainmail. And it reminds me, the reader, that I don't truly know anything about Sejanus other than what Snow has given me. And he's never been the most reliable narrator, not even in the original trilogy.

Could possibly parallel that of the future version of him & Coin, where he focuses so much on Katniss that he doesn't see that Coin is using Katniss as a misdirect. That he focused so much on Lucy Gray that he missed Sejanus. But thinking all this, I feel just as paranoid as he does at that moment. Cause not everything in this book is directly correlated to Katniss. Granted this has probably been hashed out seeing how late to game I am. Or it some captain obvious shit.

#tbosas #thg series #sejanus plinth #coriolanus snow #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #the hunger games series #booklr #book talk #books

[houseofmarcella]

Obligatory Philip/History Essay for my friends (pt1)

Recently I have been seeing various memes and art pieces (that are all lovely and beautiful) and some weird twitter discourse about Philip, the show's lore, real-life historical tragedies, and a complete misinterpretation of 17th-century christianty. I was hoping to clarify some things and put out some of my pet theories.

Obligatory: I am but a humble fan and history enthusiast, and this is all written in good fun and with the understanding that any children's cartoon depicting historical figures (even fictional ones) is not always going to portray things accurately to the finest details. To begin,

THEY'RE DUTCH (ethnically?)

'Witte' is a Dutch surname meaning white or blond. Combining it into Wittebane gives us 'the white bane', and the rather obvious allusion to the European colonization (and Christianization) of the Americas. Contrary to the common belief that the continent was only colonized by the Spanish/French/English, the Dutch were the first Europeans in the area. I have always had the pet theory that the brothers were Dutch orphans who were forced to join an English settlement.

The whole "tryed to fit in with the town by becoming witchhunters" thing could easily be interpreted as them doing their best to acclimate to their new town.

I really like how this could parallel Luz and Camilla too. Caleb 'taking care of Philip by pushing witchhunting as a way to protect him from townsfolk with hawkeyes for anything weird/of the devil. This can also feed into the 'betrayal' aspect of their relationship, where Philip feels that Caleb left him, but Caleb was older and just trying to keep them safe. (Flapjack choosing Hunter when he expresses the desire to "choose his own future" in HP feels... relevant)

Earlier in the fandom, it was a general impression that the brothers were the town founders, and not just some orphan kids from an ethnicity the townsfolk didn't like. I wonder if this was a change from the shortening of s3, but the nature of the statue seems to imply they were literate and probably did something important enough to be remembered besides disappearing mysteriously into the night.

Timeline for quick reference

1613 somehow, the Wittebanes arrive in Gravesfield, a town that should not yet exist (from TtT).

1614 Adriaen Block (dutch) sails up the Connecticut River and opens the door for the Dutch West India Company to trade for furs with local Mohegan and Pequot tribes. THIS IS THE FIRST EUROPEAN SURVEY IN THE AREA, let alone a settlement!

1634 Wethersfield, the first English/Puritan town in Connecticut, is founded, this is the town that has a historic district called 'Old Wethersfield' and was the location of the conneticut witch trials (sound familiar?).

1636-37 The Pequot War

1647-70 The Connecticut Witch Trials Occur

1664 The English take over New Amsterdam and rename it New York

Wethersfield... Gravesfield...

The town Wiki page cites Wethersfield as Dana Terrace's hometown, and though her official birth location is actually a town nearby, the parallels here are so overt I will simply summarise.

Wethersfield has a historic district called "Old Wethersfield" and just LOOK AT THIS CEMETARY! A few of the town's founders were pretty damn important to the Pequot War as well.

Most importantly, Wethersfield was the site of most of the major executions in the Connecticut Witch Trials.

The Witch 'Hunter' General & Hopkins

Matthew Hopkins (obv. the inspiration for Jacob Hopkins in show) was an English (this is in England btw) puritan who hunted women and poor people on a religious zealot murder spree from 1644-1647. He killed at least over 100 people and could arguably be held as the person who started this frenzy.

He published The Discovery of Witches and called himself the "Witch-Finder General". The change from finder to hunter in the show is probably just for clarity, but the reference is there.

Pt2, with a discussion about puritanism/calvinism, how Belos probs used his view of catholicism to build the government and religion of the modern BI, and how the grimwalkers relate to the Calvinist idea of predestination and salvation... will come soon.

Thank you @ter-claw-thorne, @theawkwardarchaeologist, @triple--a--threat--a--threat, and @died-of-ligma, for dealing with my rambling.

I apologize if there are any spelling errors in this essay, it's 2 am and I had a real history essay due two hours ago.

#toh #the owl house #philip wittebane #caleb wittebane #toh hunter #history #original post

[air--so--sweet]

Legion and the TUA of it all

I didn't want to become a Legion recap blog, especially when no one is reading these (except @soshadysoquiet despite knowing nothing about the show outside of these posts 😂) so I had planned to combine my thoughts on the last three episodes of season 2 into one post. AND THEN SO MUCH HAPPENED...so there's going to be multiple posts after all.

This post is about the parallels with The Umbrella Academy because I thought the shows were vaguely similar in regards themes and some minor character details...and then I watched season 2.

Also, just to be clear, I am not accusing one show of copying the other or anything of the sort, I think a lot of this stuff is down to coincidence and I'm pointing it out for fun. I'm also discussing the plots of both shows in pretty broad strokes here, once you start digging into the specifics of both, they diverge a lot more.

Initially, when watching season 1, David reminded me of Klaus - he's an addict, plagued by voices no one else can hear and seeing things no one else can see. I've also read several fics where Klaus' powers are mistaken for schizophrenia so I also connected that aspect of David's character to Klaus as well, missing the glaringly obvious parallel to the actual character within TUA canon who spends most of his life unaware of his powers and believing he's mentally ill - Viktor. Also, like Viktor, when David loses control, his powers have the ability to be highly destructive.

So, based on season one, David's got similarities to both Klaus and Viktor. The general themes of the show are similar, though the larger plot isn't . There's also this shot of David which is actually from season 2 but I had to include it because in the original TUA pilot script, in which Klaus still has his telekinesis powers of the comic, this is how he is introduced -

GIF via @tvshowfeels

I know neither show created the floating in lotus pose thing, but I still thought it was a fun coincidence for two already somewhat similar characters.

Then we get to season 2, and David is warned that the apocalypse is coming by a time travelling version of Syd, who is trying to stop it. Syd doesn't say the exact cause of the apocalypse, just talks of a darkness that comes after David defeats Amal Farouk and says they need Farouk alive so that they prevent the apocalypse. So, we have an impending apocalypse due in the next week or so (we're not given an exact time frame but Syd says David killed Farouk in her timeline a week from now) with the main characters learning about from a time traveler, very much like TUA season 1.

We then find out the exact cause of the apocalypse in Future Syd's timeline, and that cause is David. So now you've got a main character being the cause of the apocalypse your characters are trying to stop, like Viktor in TUA.

Then, David's loved ones finding out how dangerous he truly can be, try to stop him - with Syd almost shooting him and then with Division 3 trapping him in an energy forcefield he supposedly can't escape...but he's more powerful than they think and he breaks free. By trying to lock him up to prevent him causing the apocalypse...they may have caused the apocalypse. If you switch the order of the escape and almost shooting and swap out the forcefield for a sound proof cell you've got Viktor's arc in the season 1 finale.

And lastly, before leaving Division 3 David teleports into Lenny's sell to free her and take her with him and I couldn't help but notice the number on the wall behind them.

Number Seven, just like Viktor. This being in Lenny's cell, I believe any symbolism about the number actually relates to her, not David, but it's still a wild coincidence. Also, David who has up until now always dressed in colour, is wearing all white. Viktor, in becoming the White Violin has his clothes turn white.

Maybe this why I found Legion on a list of shows to watch if you like TUA...

Also speaking of Lenny - this is the first time in the show we've spent significant time with her where she is actually herself and not a mask for Farouk and she, not David, is the Klaus Hargreeves of the show. There are actual character similarities between the two - both are queer addicts who are seen by many fans as genderfluid. Klaus is immortal and can speak to the dead and, while Lenny doesn't have powers she is resurrected after dying and she sees the ghost of Amy (or something akin to a ghost, it's not super clear). But aside from that, there's just an energy to the character that feels very Klaus to me? I don't know how to nail it down beyond that, she just has big Klaus energy.

Also, the outfit she wears in the desert is a Klaus Hargreeves ensemble if I ever saw one.

No one can play Klaus as well as Robert Sheehan does but I think Aubrey Plaza could come close if she were to try (honestly her performance in Legion makes me feel like she's wasted in so many deadpan roles).

Also as if I wrote this many words about similarities and parallels and somehow didn't mention the dance numbers.

Specifically, the dance battles...

Oh my God I cannot believe how long this post is. Even by my standards, this is wild...I don't know if even @soshadysoquiet will make it this far...

It's also just occurred to me maybe I should have waited until I watched season 3 before talking about all the parallels...too late now! 🙃

#legion #the umbrella academy #legion and the umbrella academy #parallels #media analysis #legion season 2 #the Umbrella Academy season 1 #lenny busker #david haller #viktor hargreeves #klaus hargreeves #I basically spent several hours of hyperfocus on this...whoops #TUA

[rose-thorn]

okay so this is probably just me overanalyzing- actually fuck it, this is probably intentional:

Man in Glass and The Train From Nowhere parallel each other in a way that is almost painful:

So in The Train From Nowhere Nureyev appears out of nowhere and he decides to ask Juno for help on a heist for the greater good, juno voices his obvious distrust and heartbreak the The Murderous Mask to both the audience and Nureyev himself. He openly doubts Nureyev’s planning ability after snapping at him, learns just how intricate the plan is. Also at first they pose as newly weds. Juno tries to shove down his romantic feelings for Nureyev.

Man in Glass?

Juno appears out of nowhere and Nureyev and him are sent on a heist (which we later learn is for the greater good) posing as newlyweds. Nureyev shows spite and betrayal, but tries to suppress it as much as he can, telling himself to “file it away for future consideration” as well as his romantic feelings towards Juno, but instead of vocalizing this distrust and betrayal to Juno, he’s passive-aggressive towards him. Nureyev sees Juno as a “loud mouthed criminal novice” and tries to push him off to the side and try to complete the heist on his own. When Juno is using his very intricate plan, Nureyev’s distrust leads him to not see that it’s a complex plan, until they confront eachother and Juno explains the plan to Nureyev and Nureyev’s just like “oh.” then they work together and successfully steal the map

now what am i getting at? well…

1. one of them appears out of nowhere

2. to the other’s dismay, they go on a heist together for the greater good

3. they pose as newlyweds

4. one has obvious distrust and feels betrayed by the other, but this manifests in different ways, juno vocalizes his distrust to nureyev, and nureyev tries to shove it all away, but shows his distrust through his passive-aggressiveness and not letting Juno help with the plan

5. after one person leaving, the other tries to suppress their romantic feelings towards the other

6. one of them is enacting a very intricate plan which includes manipulating a target

7. the other doesn’t see this plan and sees it as the other being careless, juno believing Nureyev doesn’t care that juno could be killed, Nureyev believing that Juno’s being careless about the heist

8. near the climax of the plot, the two get into an argument about how one believes the other is being careless and not planning well, and in that argument, the other reveals the plan and the first person is embarrassed

9. they work together after this VIA TRUST and get away

10. TRUST IS A HUGE POINT IN BOTH OF THESE STORYLINES I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH

11. Bonus: bickering.

it ALSO shows a key difference between Juno and Peter,

Juno is very blunt about not trusting Nureyev and his own feelings of betrayal towards him, to the audience, in his thoughts, and to Nureyev

Nureyev’s entire thing is suppressing parts of himself to fit into these roles and as a coping mechanism (a shitty one at that) to not distract himself. He shows his feelings of distrust and betrayal via his actions, passive-aggressiveness, and eventually by blowing up. it’s not difficult to tell that Nureyev’s bitterness towards Juno is because of a feeling of betrayal, and a reluctance to let him close again, which he pretty much says outright.

but as i said, they both suppress their romantic feelings towards each other, because in both episodes, the last time they had seen each other, they had shared an intimate moment, then were betrayed, which is why they’re both reluctant to let each other in again, they had just experienced a form of betrayal by the other.

MAN this hurts

also if anyone wants to add to this please do!!

#the penumbra podcast #tpp #junoverse #jupeter #juno steel #peter nureyev #Juno Steel and The Train to Nowhere #juno steel and the man in glass #media analysis

[ryttu3k]

BECAUSE I AM DUMB (and it is almost 2am) I sent you an astarion ask for the ship ask, but my brain meant wyllstarion! (apparently my brain decided that astarion is intrinsically connected to wyllstarion)

Haha, all good! <3

[ship meme]

Ship It

1. What made you ship it?

lmao it was a post about that clip saying that Astarion used to dream of marrying a man like Wyll. Just the thought of Astarion feeling like he's too old and jaded and cynical for this very pure romance, but Wyll still being young and idealistic and intensely romantic and, you know what, he's going to woo the heck out of this mysterious and charming elf he's crushing on.

2. What are your favorite things about the ship?

Okay so. I have a List.

They bring out the best in each other. Wyll encourages Astarion, by his actions, to help people, to do good, to be heroic. Wyll so wholeheartedly believes in being a hero that it just... starts rubbing off on Astarion too. Conversely, Wyll can be selfless to a fault, and Astarion can sort of reel him back a bit, get him to think about himself and his own needs. I absolutely believe that left on his own, Wyll would agree to Mizora's deal and sacrifice his own freedom for his father, and Astarion is probably the one best positioned to get Wyll to think about his own future and reject the pact.

The contrasts and parallels in their story. The obvious contrast, monster vs monster hunter, starting out (more or less) chaotic evil vs lawful good, but eventually meeting somewhere in the middle (see: above point about bringing out the best in each other). And then the parallels - both of them are heavily under the influence of someone else, seemingly abandoned by the gods and any other important support structures (Astarion being cut off by Cazador from any kind of support, Wyll being disowned by Ulder who I still haven't forgiven, he was seventeen years old!!), and their main narrative arc is about breaking free from their respective tormentors, and working out who they can be as their own free people. Why not do that together?

The romance is so healing for Astarion. More one-sided here, in that it's more of a benefit for Astarion than it is for Wyll, but a slow courtship is exactly what Astarion needs, with this foundation of trust building, knowing that Wyll cares about him for more than just what he can do in bed.

The mutual attraction. They're so down bad for each other. Using your own post here, Astarion critically fails a charisma roll and Wyll is just. Lucky for you I'm into that shit.

The hands the hands. The hands!

3. Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

Honestly, I think they genuinely do work best as a poly ship (or like, a QPP thing) with Karlach. I love all three relationships individually, but I also love them together (there's a lovely post on their dynamic as a trio here, looking at them platonically, but it still holds out for a romance). Wyll and Karlach's storylines are intrinsically bound together, and indeed the only way for Karlach to have a happy ending at this point is with Wyll and/or a love interest accompanying her back to Avernus. I... can't really see Wyll being able to brush off not helping Karlach, leading to her death; I think if she does die, he'd be deeply depressed and feel a lot of guilt for it.

Astarion, too, really values Karlach. He's the most gentle about her if Tav is torn between them, there's just this very sweet dynamic between them. And Karlach clearly adores both of them too! She and Wyll become best friends, she's basically ready to go to war against Cazador to protect Astarion, there's just... so much love and care between the three of them that I can't see any one of them wanting to leave one of the others behind. My 'canon' ending for them would be all three going to Avernus (which Wyll openly offers to do and which Astarion is 100% willing to do as well), finding a solution for Karlach's engine and Astarion's sun issues, and then returning to Baldur's Gate to start working out a future - together.

So in conclusion:

Astarion/Wyll: Good shit.

Wyll/Karlach: Good shit.

Karlach/Astarion: Good shit (but please fix the Origin spawn Astarion ending, Larian!!)

Karlach/Wyll/Astarion: 👌👀👌👀👌👀👌👀👌👀 good shit go౦ԁ sHit👌 thats ✔ some good👌👌shit right👌👌there👌👌👌 right✔there ✔✔if i do ƽaү so my self 💯 i say so 💯 thats what im talking about right there right there (chorus: ʳᶦᵍʰᵗ ᵗʰᵉʳᵉ) mMMMMᎷМ💯 👌👌 👌НO0ОଠOOOOOОଠଠOoooᵒᵒᵒᵒᵒᵒᵒᵒᵒ👌 👌👌 👌 💯 👌 👀 👀 👀 👌👌Good shit

#baldur's gate 3 #bg3 spoilers #wyll ravengard #astarion #astarion ancunin #the blade of frontiers #the pale elf #bloodpact #wyllstarion #and some mentioned #wyllachstarion

[jellolegos]

Oh say more about Rojascorp queen.......

I am going to try and articulate my feelings on Rojascorp in a way that is coherent and intelligent (honestly those words have never been used to describe my writing in my entire life) BUT here goes.

What I think I really love about Rojascorp is the tension derived from the dynamic of "I love you, I hate you, I will always be a part of you" and the way that those phrases act in a fluid state throughout the course of their decades long relationship.

I think that dynamic is very much heightened by the fact that the bond between Lena and Andrea occurs in their teenage and early adulthood. It feels like a rite of passage as a queer woman to have a homoerotic friendship with someone in your teenage years that simultaneously destroys you and shapes the way you view all of your future relationships. If I can push a little further and consider the topography of Lena's life, Andrea enters at a period where she has first lost her mother but not yet had her relationship with Lex distorted by his evildoing. This means that she would (if we are to just engage with them hypothetically as romantic partners/girlfriends/whatever), likely represent a first heartbreak and first true betrayal for Lena. There is something so uniquely tactile with the combination of first love and first heartbreak, especially for a character like Lena and I find it totally fascinating! Much the same could be said about Rhaenicent.

I also think a parallel that you could draw between Rhaenicent and Rojascorp is the way that class and rank could act as further strains on a budding romantic relationship (beyond just the boilerplate misogyny and homophobia). For Alicent and Rhaenyra the restriction is very clear, they are royals who need heirs. To engage in a relationship with another woman would disrupt the social fabric in a way so devastating that they could never recover. The way these women contend with this fate is one of the main strands of the show. Rhaenyra is able to find companionship with a man and Alicent, unable to do so in a similar capacity, retreats further into her religious zealotry and role as a mother (I LOVE show!alicent, please don't get me wrong, but I think it's hard to deny the way that her religion offers a clear escape and in many ways a form of self-punishment -- I could go on and on about Rhaenicent, I love them. BUT I don't think that is what you were after)

Where this gets a little more tricky to see clearly, in part because of the CW's awful writing and in part because of the very American romanticized ideal of a self-made millionaire/billionaire, is with Lena. If we are to believe that Lena is the sole inheritor of an aristocratic legacy as a billionaire, that imposes an entirely different set of social constraints on who she could involve herself with romantically. The CW (in my opinion) does a very bad job of portraying Lena as a wealthy person (her clothes, her offices, just the general ways she lives her life are so horribly distorted from the true level of wealth she is meant to have). But if we are to even bring a fraction of the physics that apply to the normal billionaire class, you again encounter the same issue: you need an heir. Just for reference, if you look at a list of the top 10 wealthiest women, all of them (sans the Waltons for hopefully pretty obvious reasons) have children who could act as dynastic inheritors. This would further complicate the potential for a romantic relationship with a woman. Although Andrea is likely of the same class (we get hints of it when we see her with her dad and obviously she's at the same Andover/Exeter/Trinity-coded boarding school), she is a woman which I would argue imposes the exact same restrictions as it does on Rhaenyra/Alicent, especially if we are going to dive into the WASP vibes that I think are implied with Lillian/just the American aristocratic class in general. This would heighten the taboo nature of the relationship, and make the realization of the weight of queerness all the more impactful (maybe I'm just too far into my reread of Oranges forgive me if this is not making any sense).

I think these two layers of first love/heartbreak and first bite of (for lack of more eloquent wording) the forbidden fruit, are so compelling and would be so informative about Lena as a character if they were applied. Her cynicism and general guardedness would have been seeds sewn not only by her mother's death but by the subsequent tragedies and betrayals she felt with her first romantic partner. Her overreaction and decision to create a tool that would force people to tell the truth, and only the truth, would hold so much more weight if paired with a B-plot that introduced her early heartbreak and parallels to Kara's betrayal. I am a horrible fiction writer, but if I were ever to write a character study of Lena in the form of a ficlet, Andrea would have to be a part of it purely as there is just so much to explore with her as a character alone and in Lena's early adulthood.

(One last thing then I will shut up I promise haha)

In a meta sense, I think what becomes clear to me is that Andrea seems to demonstrate how not canonizing supercorp was just as much about the "corp" as it was about the "super". I think I was always under the impression that the CW kept from canonizing supercorp as it would "endanger" (sorry, I hope you get my point here) their titular character. The risk to the network was in making their main character queer, not in making Lena queer. I think Andrea really offered them an easy out in this regard. Supercorp was well established as possible among the fans, and Lena had broken up with James for a number of episodes. Inserting a new romantic pairing would be easy and introducing Andrea as a former fling would be an easy way to make Lena queer (and hopefully appease fans [I know, I know. But let's think like a showrunner here]) but still make her unavailable for pairing with Kara. Andrea's lover could have easily been swapped with a brother, paralleling Lena's own fractured relationship with Lex. Lena would do anything for Lex, just as Andrea would do anything for her brother including betraying her girlhood fling. I guess in that sense it felt like such a natural way to simultaneously please the network and the fans who (obviously, rightfully) were frustrated at the overall romantic coding of two ostensibly straight women. Alex or Sam could have also presented viable options, but I think neither fit as smoothly into the position of "Lena's-fling-turned-ex-turned-fling-and-guess-what-she's-now-evil". I was really peripherally tuned into the show/drama pre-2020 so obviously I could be missing something but I guess that felt like a very obvious missed opportunity. The only thing I can really conclude is that they valued Lena not being queer just as much as Kara not being queer (maybe two queer female couples was too much? I'm not sure).

TLDR: I love supercorp with my whole heart AND I think Rojascorp is an incredible pairing and dynamic to explore. I think they have a lot of fanon parallels to Alicent and Rhaenyra (I could go on and on about Rhaenicent/HotD/ASOIAF but I think this is too long of an answer already, haha). There are a few Rojascorp fics/fic writers that I cling to with my entire heart and soul, I love you guys <3

#ramble #misc #asks