#THE FOUND FAMILY THE SISTERHOOD OF IT ALL I LOVE WOMEN

[wlwcatalogue]

A few sapphic film recs!

Just a few recommendations for sapphic films under 2 hours which may or may not have flown under the radar:

Moonlit Winter / 윤희에게 (1hr 45m, 2019, dir. Lim Dae-hyung)

Professor Marston and the Wonder Women (1hr 48m, 2017, dir. Angela Robinson)

Who's the Woman, Who's the Man / 金枝玉葉 2 (1hr 50m, 1996, dir. Peter Ho-Sun Chan)

Sisterhood / 骨妹 (1hr 37m, 2016, dir. Tracy Choi)

DEBS (1hr 31m, 2004, dir. Angela Robinson)

Farewell, My Queen / Les adieux à la reine (1hr 40m, 2012, dir. Benoît Jacquot)

Bonus - short film: Love Does Human / 사람 하는 사랑 (24 mins, 2019, dir. Oh Seon-ju)

Commentary under the cut!

1. Moonlit Winter / 윤희에게 (1hr 45m, 2019, dir. Lim Dae-hyung) - IMDB | MyDramaList

This movie is about a daughter (Kim So-hye) who finds out about her divorced mother’s (Kim Hee-ae) past with another woman (Katase Jun), and how in encouraging her mother to reconnect, the two finally open up to each other as well. Dry stuff on paper, but there’s more to it: the mother and her former lover didn’t just break up, they were split apart by their families as teenagers and the mother was forced to marry a man against her will. In short, it deals with the aftermath of the typical “bad ending” of older stories featuring WLW characters, wherein schoolgirls in love would be separated and married off to preserve the heteronormative status quo.

Although the queer relationship does not get much screentime at all – the two characters share a single scene, there are no flashbacks, and there’s not even a hug – queerness remains at the heart of the movie. It’s a rare depiction of how the repression of queerness leaves scars on people which affect how they engage with the world, but which also shows that as long as they are alive, there is still hope that those scars can be healed. Also, despite the heavy-sounding subject matter, it’s a very gentle experience: there are no direct depictions of homophobia and no sensationalism, just a little story of human connection unfolding in a snow-cloaked Hokkaido.

2. Professor Marston and the Wonder Women (1hr 48m, 2017, dir. Angela Robinson) - IMDB

The blurb on IMDB says that this movie is about “psychologist William Moulton Marston (Luke Evans), and his polyamorous relationship with his wife [Elizabeth] (Rebecca Hall) and their mistress [Olive] (Bella Heathcote) who would inspire his creation of the superheroine, Wonder Woman”. As someone who is not particularly drawn to biopics, male protagonists, polyamory, BDSM, or Wonder Woman, I assumed that this movie wouldn’t be my jam and so didn’t watch it until quite a while later – which is when I discovered just how wrong I was.

First, the two women take up just as much of the movie’s focus as Marston. Elizabeth, Marston’s wife and fellow psychologist, is highly intelligent but equally highly-strung; she does not know how to deal with her husband’s attraction to new research assistant Olive, nor Olive’s attraction to both her husband and Elizabeth herself, and this internal conflict (even after the three enter into a polyamorous relationship) features heavily in the story. Second, although it declares itself to be “based on a true story”, the movie is not especially interested in recreating or representing the past. Rather, the historical elements are used as a framework to explore certain ideas: Diana’s Lasso of Truth symbolises how progress and healing must be first founded upon honesty, for example. The polyamory and BDSM is also not at all sordid or sensationalised, but rather presented in a nuanced (though still sexy!) manner. More than anything, this is a movie with a big heart and big ideas, and should be judged on its own merits.

3. Who's the Woman, Who's the Man / 金枝玉葉 2 (1hr 50m, 1996, dir. Peter Ho-Sun Chan) - IMDB | MyDramaList

All you need to know going into this sequel of 1994 movie He's a Woman, She's a Man (金枝玉葉) is that main character Wing (Anita Yuen) is a woman who has found both fame and (heterosexual) love while disguising herself as a male idol, and that her relationship with record producer Sam (Leslie Cheung) is known to the general public— although it is perceived as being homosexual in nature due to her persona. At this point, you might be wondering why an M/F romantic comedy is on this list, but this movie is a bit odd in that instead of focusing only on problems such Sam’s internalised homophobia and misogyny (both of which are addressed in the story), one of the new obstacles facing the couple is the female lead meeting female pop star Fong Yim Mui (Anita Mui)… and both starting to fall for each other.

I was surprised at how sensitively Wing and Fong Yim Mui’s respective arcs are handled, especially for a mainstream movie from the 90’s starring two of Hong Kong’s most popular performers at the time. Instead of giving the two women a meet-cute and leaving it at that, a lot of care is put into showing them processing and coming to terms with their feelings in their own time. Romantic and sexual attraction is also highlighted separately, which is refreshing given how they are usually depicted as inextricably linked even now… Obviously Wing and Fong Yim Mui don’t end up together, but their feelings aren’t dismissed and – relative to the narrative constraints – the ending is a warm, optimistic one. Also, Anita Mui gives an absolutely award-worthy performance in one of the scenes with her character and Wing, so fans of her should definitely give this movie a try.

Important note: Although there’s much that’s good about it, Who's the Woman, Who's the Man is far from perfect. Early on, there’s a masquerade party where two of the characters are wearing masks which look like racist caricatures, and the masks are crop up in multiple scenes in the film. More serious is the subplot about a male character who keeps trying to win over a lesbian, culminating in her agreeing to sleep with him once while he’s dressed as a woman (CW: transphobia, homophobia) – though this storyline ends with the man accepting that she really is gay and parting on friendly terms. That said, these problems are already mild compared to the actively hateful transphobic and homophobic jokes present in so many of its contemporaries, so if you’ve watched a 90’s Hong Kong comedy before, chances are that your tolerance level is more than high enough.

4. Sisterhood / 骨妹 (1hr 37m, 2016, dir. Tracy Choi) IMDB | MyDramaList

Sisterhood opens with tragedy. Originally from Macau, main character Sei (Gigi Leung) is living quietly in Taiwan with her husband after the 1999 Handover when her life is overturned by a newspaper personal ad informing her that her long-estranged friend and colleague Ling has passed away. The movie is shot through with flashbacks to earlier times, tracking a young Sei (Fish Liew) as she starts doing sex work and is taken under the wing of the more experienced Ling (Jennifer Yu) and her friends. Memories of togetherness and community are juxtaposed against sequences of present-day Sei struggling to navigate her grief, the tensions of the now-fractured friend group, and a Macau that has changed just as much as she has. The acting and script can be clunky in places but the sentiment shines through, especially after the first third, at which point the movie starts honing in on Sei and Ling’s relationship. It’s not a happy story, but nor is it defined by sadness; instead, it posits that the past is not merely to be mourned, that it is instead something that can shape and provide a foundation for the future. I won't talk too much about how queerness figures into this story, due to spoilers, but rest assured that it is present and important!

5. D.E.B.S. (1hr 31m, 2004, dir. Angela Robinson) - IMDB

Okay, you've probably heard of this one before if not watched it already, but anyway! This was the first WLW movie I watched, and for a long time, the only one which I actually enjoyed. It’s about an elite spy (well, more like an honours student at spy school) (Sara Foster) and a criminal mastermind (Jordana Brewster) falling for each other, a premise which is just as fun and over-the-top as it sounds. The movie does a great job of mixing action, humor, and romance, and it doesn’t overstay its welcome – it’s got a nice compact runtime and a cracking pace. There’s still nothing quite like it in my opinion, though I’m very welcome to any recommendations in this line (my askbox is open if you have any!).

6. Farewell, My Queen / Les adieux à la reine (1hr 40m, 2012, dir. Benoît Jacquot) - IMDB

Loosely based on Chantal Thomas’ novel of the same name, Farewell, My Queen is a portrait of French nobility in decline, following maidservant Sidonie Labarde (Léa Seydoux) who is in the service of Marie Antoinette (Diane Kruger). It's a beautiful, lavish production which effectively conveys the perspective of a servant locked in the gilded cage that is Versailles during the French Revolution, and is a rare case of a historical figure as famous as Antoinette being presented as queer in a serious historical drama.

That being said, the queerness is mostly background, coming mainly in the form of Antoinette’s crush on? relationship with? duchess Gabrielle de Polignac (Virginie Ledoyen)— though a case can be made for Sidonie, whose outward opacity belies an unwavering, almost unsettling, devotion to her queen. Also, be warned that the movie has many a dodgy shot of cleavage, and two instances of unnecessary and voyeuristic nudity... but other than that, it really does have gorgeous cinematography.

Fun fact: there really were rumours about Antoinette having a scandalous relationship with the duchess, although these have nearly always been written off as baseless reputation-smearing.

Bonus - short film: Love Does Human / 사람 하는 사랑 (24 mins, 2019, dir. Oh Seon-ju) - MyDramaList

Some say that the best science fiction puts a spotlight on some part of the human condition, and this short film does just that. Main character Tae Eun's (Kim Min-ju) girlfriend Joo An (Jang Sam-yi) no longer has a human body: after carrying out a medical operation which transferred her consciousness to a computer system, she now has a web-camera for her eyes, a speaker for her mouth, and control over their home's devices for her hands. And although the change was by Joo An's choice and Tae Eun was supportive, the pair struggle to adjust to this new reality, and are confronted with the need to communicate and to consider each other's perspectives. Love Does Human has a bit of a slow start, and there were points where I didn't understand why the characters were reacting in a certain way, but it all comes together beautifully in the end. Through its sci-fi premise, viewers are encouraged to think about real-life problems using a different angle, and the movie never gets too heavy. Also, shoutout to some excellent voice work from the two actors - Joo An is performed nearly entirely through voice but she feels deeply human and present, and Tae Eun's actor also has a standout scene featuring some great voice acting. All in all, it's a short film that's well worth checking out (especially since the director has made it available for free, with English subtitles, on Youtube - embedded above)!

#sapphic #lesbian #gay #wlw #wlw media #moonlit winter #professor marston and the wonder women #debs #farewell my queen #love does human #wlw recommendations #list #sapphic films #whos the woman whos the man #金枝玉葉2 #sisterhood 2016 #骨妹

[wyn-n-tonic]

Books by Black Authors for Black History Month!

I wanted to share a list of books I love and books that I'm looking forward to reading that are by Black authors in acknowledgement of Black History Month. I feel like a lot of my fellow readers (especially my fellow white readers) always go into a, kind of, reading slump in February and I don't know if that's because the month of January is just ten years long that February feels like a hangover or if it's because they feel the desire to read books by Black authors but then the majority of what is marketed is usually books that are steeped in trauma or nonfiction books. And, like, yeah, nonfiction books are so important but when they're the only kind of book marketed it can make finding the other kinds of books that much harder but I believe that if you read the fun books and the happy books and the fantasy books it will make you want to seek out the nonfiction resources. I'm blabbering so long story short, I thought I would make a little list to do some of the legwork for my fellow readers to find stories that they can check out.

I used GoodReads links (and one StoryGraph) link, you can choose who to purchase from yourself (although I will suggest BookShop.org as your purchase does go towards indie bookstores, I also really like the Libby App which is just your library and it works with your Kindle/Nook/Kobo/iPad). All authors that I have included in this are American or have strong ties to the USA which is why I did not include authors such as Bolu Babalola, Talia Hibbert, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie but I do highly recommend checking them out if you haven't because they do write gorgeously.

Kennedy Ryan has an extensive backlog and beautiful writing, beautiful prose. She had a book called Before I Let Go (Skyland #1) come out in November 2022, it is a second chance romance between a married couple. It has been on my shelf forever, the cover is beautiful and I've heard nothing but truthfully incredible things. I have listened to snippets of the audiobook but keep putting off getting the actual audiobook because Kennedy is the kind of author I want to read the grammar, syntax, wording of everything from. This book actually got optioned to be adapted into a television show and there's a second Skyland book coming out in March called This Could Be Us that has the ARC readers going wild.

Jasmine Guillory is one of my favorite authors. She is a Bay Area native and has a law degree from Stanford. Not only do I think that she writes beautifully but I cannot even describe to you the way that I kick my little feet and twirl my hair. I feel like my favorite of hers changes. Up until a few weeks ago, I would've told you that Olivia Monroe in Party of Two was my favorite Jasmine girly but I listened to Royal Holiday to kick off my reading for January and Vivian Forest is such a beautiful character. She's a 56 year old Black woman who is a veteran social worker who thinks it's too late for her on several fronts and then she gets swept off her feet while on a vacation with her daughter AND THE ROYAL FAMILY. What?! I also think that Jasmine writes, like.... character appropriate sex scenes if that makes sense. Like, Vivian's scenes are more reserved than Olivia's were, Vivian's more closed door than Olivia's were. She also has a Beauty and the Beast inspired book called By The Book and I kept texting my friend the entire way through and then made her buy a copy so she could text me right back with all her thoughts. Amazing. I love her.

You want cozy fantasy romance with monsters and happy Black women being loved by their hot monster lovers? Kimberly Lemming has GOT YOU COVERED.

Plugging my new author friend P.J. Leigh and her book Olawu. She actually responded to my request for some indie author recs on Threads and sent me a copy of Olawu that will be here on Friday and I'm so excited. She describes it as: "Set in precolonial East Africa with romance, action, sisterhood, found family, and a feisty but flawed female lead." I cannot wait to dig into this one.

Another author who messaged me is indie author Quiana Glide. Her bio is that she is an unabashed fangirl and her books feature pregnancy trope, cosplay, professional wrestlers and cafe owners solving murders. Her books sound fucking great and they are available on Kindle Unlimited for my KU girlies (gender neutral).

Celestine Martin messaged me as well and she writes paranormal romance with Black witches, emo mermen and fae princes. I tripped over myself running to my Libby app to place a hold on the audiobook.

25 to Love! by Joye Johnson is another one available on Kindle Unlimited for my KU girlies (gender neutral). The synopsis is: "TV's hottest dating show is '25 to Love!'. To nab a guy from her past, Lola signs on as the token girl of color. All's fair in love and ratings--can a week on TV get Lola closer to the one that got away?" You know what I love? Second chance romances, besties, that's right.

Splinter by Jasper Hyde was another I was recommended. Jasper writes paranormal, LGBTQ+ books. Jasper Hyde is a pen name for Georgina Kiersten who also goes by Rian Fox. The pen name denotes the subgenre that they write. Georgina does go by they/them pronouns and writes plus sized rep and neurodivergent rep too.

Kelly Cain. That's it. That's the tweet. THE EVERHEART BROTHERS SERIES????? If you know anything about me, you know that I have a hearing issue and so I've used audiobooks before but I never really clicked with them or got the hype. Turns out I had boring ass narrators (look I did the audio version of a lot of nonfiction books I had to read about old dead white guys in college so of course I had that feeling). THE EVERHEART BROTHERS AUDIOBOOKS ARE WHAT CHANGED ME. Deanna Anthony, the narrator, is so engaging and I didn't feel like I was listening to an audiobook, I felt like I was sitting across the table at brunch having a gossip session with my bestie. If you read it and you didn't like it, that's fine, but I didn't lie to you and enjoyment of art is subjective but also you're wrong and argue with a wall.

I've been seeing a lot of talk lately about Pride & Protest by Nikki Payne. This is a Pride & Prejudice and one of the reviews says, "If you ever wanted P&P to feel more like watching a swoony, steamy episode of Insecure, this is the book for you."

Currently, I am reading You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi. It deals with themes of grief and romance and also bisexual representation. Absolutely beautiful prose. Akwaeke is Nigerian and has been in the USA since college. They are non-binary and go by they/them pronouns.

I also cannot end this list without mentioning Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow. This follows three generations of a southern Black family in the neighborhood of Douglass in Memphis, TN (I was born a couple miles away in Raleigh) . Now, this book does have quite a few trigger warnings that I won't put here but I do encourage you to READ THE TRIGGER WARNINGS before you purchase this book as it does deal with some pretty heavy subject matter.

I'm also going to end this by saying to keep an eye out for anything done by my best friend, the person who I have shared so many amazing, beautiful, life changing experiences with ALL OVER THE WORLD for the last fourteen years: Isana Skeete (Isana does not use pronouns). If you look at the GoodReads account for Isana that I linked, you'll see lists made with recommendations of books with queer POC rep and asexuality representation.

#long post #black authors #book recs #book club #booklr #kennedy ryan #jasmine guillory #kelly cain #kimberly lemming #tara m. stringfellow #akwaeke emezi #nikki payne #georgina kiersten #jasper hyde #pj leigh #joye johnson #celestine martin #romance books #paranormal romance #contemporary romance #i'm posting this now and then will rebagel in the morning

[fbfh]

girl dad!steve x reader hcs

wc: 900

pairing: dad!steve x mom!reader (no pronouns used)

warnings: mentions of pregnancy, steve has six little nuggets, steve is a good dad, steve is raising his daughters right, lots and lots of glittery girly hyperfemininity

a/n: I'm thinking and planning and plotting and scheming!!! good things to come!!!! also happy almost new year (as of the time I'm writing this lol)

tags: @yesv01 @hopefullhearts @littlewinter1917 @thatawkwardlittlefangirl  @Sad-brunnettee @ilikemypolarbear @lubsana @cowboylikekelsey @paris-loves-dustin @girlfriendwhoseawitch @the-snake-pit @hxgemxscles @demirunner @cosmiq-cloud @if-only-i-was-fictional @brinaslittlefreak @almostjollypizza  @mystic-writings  @babiesimagines @Fictionalcomforts  @lizziebitch33 @urmum-xoxo @legramilis @mrscarolscaramoucheplease

Steve Harrington is 100% without a doubt  a girl dad

He knew 

Even before any of your girls were born

That they would all have two things

His perfect hair and winning personality

Unfortunately he knows there’s also a pretty good chance they might have some of that mean girl streak he retired in high school

He’s fully aware of that going into this

And he doesn’t want his kids to make the same mistakes he did

So he really prioritizes teaching them from a young age to be compassionate and think about how their words and actions could affect other people

To look out for the kids that are shy or lonely or don’t have anyone to play with

He teaches them to use their powers for good, like aunt El

But before we get into any more of that

When Steve realized all six of your kids were going to be girls???

He was so over the moon

He initially was hoping for three girls and three boys

You had two girls back to back at first

Then for your third pregnancy, you found out you were having twins

Both girls 

After your fifth girl he realized you could go 6 for 6 all girls

The idea made him way more excited than he expected to be

In the second trimester of your sixth pregnancy, the doctor looked at the ultrasound closely before turning to you and steve with a smile

“It’s a girl!” 

Steve was so happy 

He couldn’t stop hugging you and crying 

Kissing your forehead, thanking you for giving him such beautiful children, such a beautiful family 

When you were pregnant with the twins, he really started stocking up on girl stuff for them

He realized he’s going to jump from two daughters to four

And if Steve Harrington is anything, he’s a provider

He gets your oldest two to help him pick out stuff for them and their new sisters

Barbies, baby dolls, nail polish, hair accessories, dress up costumes, my little ponies, polly pocket sets, and much more

All picked out by them 

Soon find their way into your living room and nursery 

Not to mention the books and movies about princesses, fairies, fashion, friendship, and every other hyperfeminine childhood dream

And all the classics about sisterhood too

Vhs tapes of pride and prejudice, little women, sense and sensibility, fiddler on the roof

Even my neighbor totoro 

Are all quick to become favorites at your house 

A few years later when all six of your girls are here

Steve has become a master at being a girl dad

He can braid hair like a champion and he’s never met a tea party he didn’t like 

And every time one of your girls brings home a new friend, quietly telling steve that they were playing by themselves and she didn’t want them to feel lonely 

He knows he’s done his job well

Don’t get me wrong, there have been times where someone’s copped an attitude and been grounded from lip gloss or butterfly clips for a few days to keep that in check 

But for the most part they remember and follow every word of their dad’s advice

As mentioned in another post, sleepovers are a huge deal 

Once a week you’ll rent a couple movies for your girls so they can watch and play barbies while you and Steve plan and coordinate schedules for the upcoming week 

There’s usually some birthday party or sleepover 

And there’s definitely more than a few play dates to coordinate too

Plus ballet classes, gymnastics, girl scouts

Not to mention the horse riding lessons your twins have been begging you for

You both sit down with some coffee or tea and get everything planned out

It takes some effort to coordinate pick ups and drop offs and homework assignments 

But it means his girls are happy, so he really loves to do it

The only flaw in Steve’s parenting 

The one thing you’ve been warning him not to do too much 

Is spoil them

But your stevie really is a provider at heart

When his girls beg him for something with puppy eyes 

Especially if they all ask together to wear him down

He doesn’t stand a chance

Besides, he really really loves spoiling them

He loves seeing his girls happy 

Every time he caves, it’s always followed with a “alright, now let’s pick something out for your mom” 

Because holy shit he loves spoiling you too

He loves you so much

He loves everything about you

And he especially loves the beautiful family you gave him 

Every day his daughters remind him more and more of you

And he really couldn’t be prouder

He’s looking forward to when the years full of makeup and dates and prom dress shopping 

And everything before and after that 

He’s so proud of who they are and who they’re going to become

He’s so proud to be their dad

And to get to parent them alongside you

There’s not one day that goes by without glitter and lisa frank stickers and lip gloss and hair clips

And there’s not a day that goes by without laughter and smiles and hugs a

And Steve telling all of you how much he loves you

#steve harrington #steve harrington headcanons #steve harrington x reader #stranger things #stranger things x reader #stranger things headcanons #dad!steve harrington #girl dad!steve #girl dad steve harrington

[wangxianficfinder]

In the mood for...

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1. ITMF growing up together/teen fics? Are there any fics which focus on the time before the characters all meet at the Gusu lectures? WWX and LWJ could meet as children on diplomacy visits, for example. The story could follow as they grow up and take on duties within their sect (like, how did WWX work hard and prove himself to be worthy of head disciple?), and then eventually catch up to canon when they hang out during the lectures. Thank you for any recs you can give!

the heartlines on our hands by occultings (microcomets) (E, 47k, WangXian, Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending, Mutual Pining, First Time, Canon Divergence, Canonical Character Death) Starts when LWJ is 8 years old. It a beautiful story

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2. Hello! Do you have any recs for Wei Wuxian being raised as a servant, not as the head disciple of Yunmeng Jiang? He is treated as a servant by the Jiang family, maybe goes to the Gusu lectures as a servant (not as a student), in the Sunshot Campaign he is just another footsoldier/servant. Something along these lines, thank you!

The Myrmidon by Basingstoke (E, 33k, WIP, WangXian, SangXian, XiYao, WWX raised as a servant, spiritual weapons, gusu summer camp, Flirting, lots of flirting, they're young, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon-Typical Behavior, War) It was recced recently in another itmf and it was pretty good! WWX is brought up as a servant/bodyguard for Jiang Cheng.

Fangs of Desire by @museywrites​ (E, 39k, wangxian, JC/LXC, WQ/MM, JYL/JZX, SL/XXC, rape/non-con, graphic depictions of violence, vampire LWJ, hellhound/banshee WWX, dub con, sexual assault via vampire venom, addiction, recover, war, attempted murder, modern w magic) Vampire AU, but the rest fits pretty well :))

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3. In the mood for: a non-villainous Jin Guangyao and Wei Wuxian (and if possible, Nie Huaisang) working together? I read a great fic where the three of them put their sneaky brains together and they made some instant message boxes (I can't remember the name of that fic TT) and I would love to see more of them being smarty pantses! I love when brains are used over brawn. Thank you! @gloriousclotpole

scorpion, before the frog by Stratisphyre (T, 59k, NieLan, 3Zun, Canon, Dragons, Found Family, Pre-Relationship, Mutual Pining, Parental Abuse, Hurt/Comfort, warning for JGS behaving exactly as expected, sometimes a redemption arc is just dragons and kids and found families, allusions to noncon because of JGS, derogatory references to sex work, suicidal ideation and attempt) the focus is more on jgy and nhs than it is on jgy and wwx, but i think scorpion, before the frog by stratisphyre might fit the bill

Meng Yao vs. the Board of the Homeowner's Association Series by Ariaste (M/T, 119k, WIP, XiYao, WangXian, Modern AU, Established Relationship, xiyao and wangxian are both already married, Family Feels, Domestic Fluff, Family Bonding, Slice of Life, Discussions of Past Trauma, wwx's canonical kinks, HOAverse)

Collaboration of Dangerous Minds by JustAWanderingBabbit (T, 14k, JGY & WWX, JGY & QS, canon divergence, unexpexted team up, fix-it, canonical sibling incest)

Alliance of the Traveling Pants by JustAWanderingBabbit (G, 112k, 3Zun, WangXian, WIP, Canon Divergence) Instant messaging is a game-changing element in Moxiang Tongxiu Crack and Drabbles, Chapter 11: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by JustAWanderingBabbit (M, 159k, Drabble Collection, tags vary per story), which served as the pilot for Alliance of the Traveling Pants; the women invent it, but Meng Yao quickly learns it and it spreads through Team Sunshot.

Bait and Switch by JustAWanderingBabbit (T, 14k, 3Zun, WangXian, Canon Divergence, body switch, whatif, Weird Cultivation, Mojo's post) WWX and JGY wind up bodyswapped in a Sacrifice Summons gone awry (WWX, comatose rather than dead, has been cared for in secret at Lotus Pier.)

Really? Me Too! by mercyandmagic (M, 59k, XiYao, WangXian, JC/QS, Angst with a Happy Ending, Crack Treated Seriously)

Ch.46 of Moxiang Tongxiu Crack and Drabbles by JustAWanderingBabbit (M, 159k, WIP, Drabble collection) Chapter 46 of Moxiang Tongxiu Crack and Drabble has Wei Wuxian, Jin Guangyao, and Nie *Mingjue* thrown into a conspiratorial bond when a talisman accident enables them to see each others’ chibified Inner Selves.

~*~

4. Hihi! I've been on a 'secretly wealthy' Wei Wuxian kick after binge reading H_Belle's 💖 One Can Keep A Secret. I love those stories where Wei Ying becomes rich and famous by being himself. One of those ideas is that Wei Wuxian (canon timeline, not modern AU mostly) writes, novels. I have read a few but unfortunately I have been unable to find one of them. Basically, Wei Wuxian in the Burial Mounds Days writes novels that become famous and post Resurrection deciedes to take it up again. Any luck? @goddessa39

Chapter 14 of "WWX November Mayhem Prompts" by demoniqt (G, wangxian, one-shot, author WWX) But he's not rich.

💙 Away from Trouble by Ilona22 (M, 15k, WangXian, Not JC Friendly, LWJ/WWX Get a Happy Ending) might qualify. WWX is not secretly wealthy, but he does make a name for himself as both a cultivator and an artist under a pseudonym, and is living comfortably.

Come Around and Stay by trippednfell (M, 160k, WangXian, NieLan, Modern AU, Slow Burn, Kid Fic, Found Family, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, PTSD, Blood and Injury, Dissociation, Angst with a Happy Ending, POV Alternating, Yunmeng reconciliation (eventually), Friend Zoning, Literal Sleeping Together, Hurt/Comfort, Panic Attacks) also has a secretly wealthy/successful WWX

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5. Fot the next I'm in the mood for... I'm in the mood for a fic where wei ying just decides to trust lan zhan and tell him about the core and his three months at the burial mounds after they meet again. So not lan zhan finding out by accident, but wei ying trusting him with it. Thanks! @ranfused4ever

Swordless by WithBroomBefore (G, 32k, WangXian, Established Relationship, Canon Divergence, WWX goes to Gusu, Golden Core Reveal, Trans Character, AFAB LWJ, philos)

Red Flower With One Hundred Petals; Smoke Carried on the Blue Dusk Air by carolyncaves (T, 32k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Post-Sunshot Campaign, Alcohol, Mental Health Issues, Angst, Tenderness, Golden Core Reveal, Hurt/Comfort, thoughts of death/dying, Marriage Proposal, Wedding Fluff, Family Feels, Literal Sleeping Together, Shotgun Wedding, angry wedding planner JC, Yunmeng sibling drama and fluff, physical affection, Terrible Parties, Happy Ending)

~*~

6. hi! itmf fics that play up the effects of Wei Wuxian not having a golden core? He gets cold more quickly, needs to eat more, needs to sleep more, can't keep up with the cultivators as well, etc. Bonus points if Lan Wangji dotes on him to make up for it!

they who refuse to be blessed by sysrae (E, 7k, WangXian, JC & WWX, Canon Divergence, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Whump, Golden Core Reveal, Developing Relationship, Bathing/Washing, Confessions, Sharing a Bed) I /suppose/ they who refuse to be blessed by sysrae would work? Definitely points how terrible conditions were in the Burial Mounds and what that physically would do to a recently coreless wwx

it rains, it pours by jublis (Not Rated, 38k, WIP, WangXian, Hurt/Comfort, Humor, Food as a Metaphor for Love, Case Fic, Established Relationship, Angst with a Happy Ending, Soft WangXian, Canon Compliant, Post-Canon, Protective LWJ, Protective WWX, YLLZ WWX, Rogue Cultivator LQY, LQY & WWX Friendship, BAMF MM, Horror, wwx-centric, Friendship/Love, Ghosts, Junior Quartet Dynamics) there is a story by jublis that plays into this esp in the first chapter, its a wip in progress, also a sequel (the first story is also amazing!)

DanTian Series by ArchiveWriter (E, 150k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Happy WangXian, Slice of Life, Established Relationship, Fluff, Domestic bliss, Family fluff, Tags Vary per story) this is a persistent theme in DanTian, by ArchiveWriter. WWX isn’t getting a new core, and LWJ (who has renounced immortality to age along with him) tenderly pampers him to the extent their austere mountain retreat allows.

Like a Water-Worn Stone by meyari (T, 41k, wangxian, major character death, hurt/comfort, chronic illness, serious injuries, self-medication, disability, PTSD, depression, self-worth issues, implied/referenced child abuse, prisoner of war, identity issues, tw JGS) these two have a same theme: wwx has chronic pain and because he didn't have golden core, he is not healing as fast as normal cultivato.

Elder, an Aesthetic by MarbleGlove (G, 8k, JC & WWX, fix-it, post-sunshot)

let the sun go down on your anger; let it burn you to sleep by enbysaurus_rex (Not Rated, 78k, WIP, WangXian, WWX & WQ, Narcolepsy AU, Chronic Illness, Chronic Pain, YLLZ WWX, Oblivious WWX, Sleeping Beauty Elements, Sleeping Beauty Fusion, tags at the beginning of every chapter, Body Horror) (link in #9)"let the sun go down on your anger; let it burn you to sleep" also works great here. WWX has been mitigating the effects of his undiagnosed narcolepsy with his core and has no idea how much his condition truly impacts him until he gives up his core

silt, or scurvy series by astronicht (M, 11k, wangxian, modern w/ magic, chronic illness, Podfic: The Silt or Scurvy Series by raitala) modern cultivation AU; the combination of corelessness and resentful energy immersion is causing WWX chronic illness and pain.

~*~

7. A) So I was reading Keep Holding On by abCEE and it was amazing. There was a part where we get to know that Wei WuXian's father WCZ is actually a young master of a wealthy, famous and powerful merchant family. The whole arc was really really good.

So this is an IITMF request: are there any fics similar to this? Like WWX being loaded af. And only canon era fics please, 'cause I've read a few modern fics with this theme, but WWX was a lot older in them.

Thank you so much for your precious time 💜

B) Hey!! Give me some NMJ and WWX friendship please :)

C) Are there any fics where there is no Golden Core theory at all? Like what would've happened if there was no such theory written by WQ.

@utxqia

~*~

8. itmf pov outsider fics that watch lwj fall in love with wwx or vice versa please 🥺

💙 Su She Eats his Heart Out by KizuKatana (T, 16k, WangXian, 3rd person pov, implied offscreen wangxian sex)

~*~

9. in the mood for a fic where the golden core transfer is described in excruciating detail :3

let the sun go down on your anger; let it burn you to sleep by enbysaurus_rex (Not Rated, 78k, WIP, WangXian, WWX & WQ, Narcolepsy AU, Chronic Illness, Chronic Pain, YLLZ WWX, Oblivious WWX, Sleeping Beauty Elements, Sleeping Beauty Fusion, tags at the beginning of every chapter, Body Horror) this fic has a long core transfer description

Chapter 1 of Departure in Autumn by chomrafy (Not Rated, 6k, Angst, golden core transfer, Whumptober, Wwx and jc have matching scars, Food, Family, Cooking, Xuanwu Cave, Fall of Lotus PIer, Cynophobia, First Seige of the Burial Mounds, Hurt/Comfort, But also, Hurt No Comfort, Suicidal Thoughts) a detailed description of the core transfer from WQ’s POV; warning for torturous medical experimentation and moral injury.

Core-Thieving Hand by x_los (T, 5k, WangXian, WQ & WWX & WN, Body Horror, Fullmetal Alchemist Vibes, Nuclear Horror Vibes, Found Family, Neon Genesis Evangelion Vibes) showcasing WWX and WQ (and WN!) as Science Siblings; canon diverges in the middle of the operation, with the result that core research takes an even darker turn that nonetheless winds up saving more lives; an examination of the terrible decisions scientists face in wartime and thereafter.)

Family Ties by archipelago (E, 3k, WQ & WWX, NingXian, graphic depictions of surgery, Blood, Gore, Protective Siblings, siblings willing to do terrible things for each other, Pain, Emotional Trauma, Physical Trauma, wwx is awake for surgery, Canon Compliant, Golden Core Transfer, cql)

Glow by Quiet_crash (G, 2k, WangXian, Junior Quartet, JC & WWX) it’s fairly brief, but WWX recounts his corectomy (as well as his donghua-exclusive destruction of WZL’s core) to the Junior Quartet.)

~*~

10. Hello! For one of your upcoming “in the mood for” posts, does anyone have any First Jade!Lan Wangji? @emrysmerlyn

The sea and sky and everything in between by apathyinreverie (M, 8k, WIP, WangXian, LXC & LWJ, Manipulation, but in a good way?, Fluff, creature blood, Dragon LWJ, Siren WWX, First Jade LWJ, Possessive LWJ, Oblivious WWX, Possessive WWX, Romance, courting, Older LWJ, not Jiang friendly)

~*~

11. Itmf fics where wwx gets to raise and watch a-yuan grow? It can be at gusu or the burial grounds, wangxian centric or not, I just want to read about him getting to be the best dad in canon setting

both of these fit to an extent but since wei wuxian isnt actually *alive* (not a spoiler, its ghost time babey) in either of them they may not fit what the asker was looking for.

the moon, grown full by Deinde (T, 22k, LSZ & WWX, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Spirits, Identity Reveal, discussion of war crimes, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Hopeful Ending, Homecoming, reclaiming your name and identity, Names, Families of Choice)

Response by Aki_no_hikari (G, 12k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Family Feels, Love Confessions)

The Intervening Years by roserocksrapidly (G, 11k, LSZ & WWX, LSZ & LWJ, WangXian, Canon Divergence, LSZ centric, Parent-Child Relationship, Wangxian is background, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort)

~*~

12. Hi there! I'd like to make a request for a future itmf if thats okay? I know you guys have the comps for parent wx but I was wondering if I could get some fics featuring pregnant wwx? Genderbend, mpreg, a/b/o, modern or canon au, I'm fine with anything! I've just been reading a few lately where wwx is pregnant and it goes through the months of his pregnancy and so I was hoping to find more like that. Hope this ask wasn't too weird 😅 thank you so much for all that you do!

We actually do have a Pregxian & Pregji Fic compilation! Though I am sure our followers will have plenty more recs for you ^^

A Mother's Love by FirefliesNLightningBugs (M, 152k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Unreliable Narrator, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Happy Ending, Miscommunication, Family Feels, PTSD, Post-Sunshot Campaign, POV Multiple, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Good Brother In Law JZX, Genderbent WWX, Intersex WWX, not a/b/o, Expanded Universe, Unplanned Pregnancy, Golden Core Reveal, WWX Has No Golden Core, Bisexual WWX, YLLZ WWX, Parent-Child Relationship, Getting Together, Protective Yúnmèng Jiāng Sect, MXY Lives)

~*~

13. Thanks for all your amazing work! I’m in the mood for fics about wangxian sworn brotherhood. Maybe wwx is all excited about having an official(ish) family for the first time. Maybe Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli have feelings about it. Maybe exploration of "historical" marriage and how that is or isn't what they want.

~*~

14. This is an a specific ITMF request; I'd love any fics where, post-canon, the Gusu elders give WWX so much hell that he decides to leave, and in solidarity with his beloved LWJ secedes from the sect to go with him.

❤️ Attempting the Impossible by Ariaste (T, 36k, JC & WWX, WangXian, Reconciliation, Adoption, Adopted Children, JC POV, Family Feels, Family Fluff, the Yunmeng Bros make up, Post-Canon, the Wangxian Need More Kids agenda, Original Character(s), Kid Fic, Family Drama, Fluff, and like a tiny dab of angst, [PODFIC] Attempting the Impossible by Ariaste by lunatique) its specifically lan qiren that is rude which causes lan zhan to leave CR

~*~

15. Hiii!! I’m itmf doted on wwx. LIKE: imagine yanli…but make it wwx. Just basically most people actually like him and are protective of him (if he has a sorta weak cultivation, or has a delicate constitution, that would be a plus). Ty in advance!!! :D

some things go forward by everythingispoetry (T, 75k, wangxian, modern, hospitals, teenage drama, slow burn, hurt/comfort, fluff, happy ending) For 15! It's wangxian with both of them having cancer (it's a happy ending though! No sad!) But wwx is in remission but has days that are bad and he gets doted on and cared for by his whole family, including madam yu.

A Burning Cold by MountainRose (G, 29k, Chronic Illness, Pre-Canon, Nirvana in Fire Fusion, Character Study, Wen Bullshit, Suibian, Snow Beetle Poison)

~*~

16. Hello wonderful mods! ITMF fics where LWJ makes bad mistakes? I recently read this incomplete 2 chapter one where he dated WWX on a bet. I was hoping for something like this. But generally, anything where the fight/break up is LWJ's fault. (All the better if WWX doesn't immediately take him back). Thanks!

(Un)forgettable by Edens_Cat, VividestList (E, 67k, WangXian, Misunderstandings, Angst with a Happy Ending, Kid Fic, teenage juniors, Teacher WWX, the juniors are the wwx protection squad, Amnesia!, Protective WQ, protective LSZ, Matchmaker LJY, A-Yuan is Wei Yuan, Single Parent WWX, Riding, Dirty Talk, Anal Sex, Anal Fingering)

The Architecture of Heartbreaks by tigersugargirl (T, 5k, wangxian, modern, college/university au, fake/pretend dating, break-up, panic attacks, implied/referenced abuse, rich LWJ, scholarship WWX, architect WWX, rebuilding, healing, found family, WIP) the story in #16 is the architecture of heartbreaks by tigersugargirl. Damn shame it hasn't been updated in a while.

🧡 Life as a House by Terri Botta (Isilwath) (T, 55k, WangXian, Modern AU, Post-Divorce, Father-Son Relationship, Reconciliation, Therapy, Angst with a happy ending)

Honesty is the Best Policy (Except if You're an Asshole) by piecrust (E, 22k, WangXian, Porn with Feelings, College/University)

the earthquake in the room by phnelt (E, 39k, WangXian, College/University, Modern: No Powers, Canada, Getting Together, Mentions of lwj/others, inter-faculty romance, strangers to lovers to frenemies to lovers, mostly book characterisation)

~*~

17. Hi, I guess this would be for the next in the mood for post but I was wondering if anyone knew any fics where LWJ points out some of the hypocrisy of the Lan or Cultivators in general. Or fics where LWJ helps Wen Ruohan? I have read a few fics where WWX goes back and time and sides with the Wen but none where LWJ does that. I've read some where he'll go back and side with the Wen Remnants but never the Wen as a whole. Thanks! @kasey1939

~*~

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

[waitmyturtles]

I finished The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House this weekend, and I feel like I’m still laid out flat by what I watched. I’ve been so consumed with QLs lately, that jumping into a wholly different world of filmmaking was a touch of a shock. IT WAS ABSOLUTELY STUNNING, and I have to wholeheartedly RECOMMEND IT as a must-watch for 2023. LONG post!

First off: Koreeda Hirokazu. A MASTER director and screenwriter. His taking on the canon manga, Kiyo in Kyoto, had fans in anticipation for The Makanai to premiere on Netflix. My two favorite films of his are After Life (1998) and Like Father, Like Son (2013). He doesn’t shy away particularly from difficult stories about families and complicated relationships, and tends to cast familiar faces, especially Lily Franky. His latest film, Broker, has been on the awards circuit this season.

A couple of quick definitions and explanations before I move forward. This is a show about what us in the West called “geisha” culture in Kyoto. A maiko is an apprentice geisha, and geiko is the word for geisha in Kyoto’s dialect. A makanai means a person who cooks staff meals, say, at a restaurant or another kind of business where staffers get fed. 

Kiyo in Kyoto is about the teenage protagonist, Kiyo, becoming the makanai of a maiko lodging residence in Kyoto, after she follows her best friend, Sumire (later known as Momohana), to Kyoto to apprentice as maiko. Sumire has a natural talent for this work, while Kiyo is a carefree, unburdened soul who isn’t committed to much in her young life. Kiyo is expelled from her maiko apprenticeship, but asks to become the makanai of the lodging house, and is able to stay in Kyoto, and close to Sumire, as Kiyo had promised to remain by Sumire’s side during their journey into apprenticeships. Both Kiyo and Sumire are from the same town in Aomori Prefecture, the northernmost prefecture on Honshu island, just south of Hokkaido. In Aomori, Kiyo lived with her grandmother, a local doting soul, and her grandmother’s kitchen is where Kiyo first found her passion for food and cooking. Finally, Sumire is in love with their mutual friend, Kenta, who is a high school baseball star in Aomori. It’s not clarified directly, but it’s apparent that Sumire’s love is unrequited, and indeed, it’s indirectly indicated that Kenta might be more inclined towards Kiyo. Kenta is shown sitting with Kiyo’s grandmother for many meals, including holiday meals, without explanation as to his own family.

So that’s already A LOT to manage, and still, Koreeda takes on more -- he takes on the unbelievable setting that is Kyoto and the Gion district, as well as flashbacks to winter-strewn Aomori; he takes on rivalries, regrets, sisterhood, and more among the women of geiko and maiko culture; he takes on the breathtaking theme of unrequited and resistant love, and he takes on the theme of complicated -- very complicated -- friendship, leveraging Kiyo as an unburdened foil and mirror to reflect on the complicated natures of the people around her.

First off, if you are at all inclined to be taken away simply by cinematography, you MUST WATCH THIS SHOW. I haven’t watched anything more beautiful in a VERY long time. This brings up for me the wonderful conversation that took place last month regarding the sense of space in QLs; in regards to the sense of space and how ma (that very intricate concept of place, time, and space) is incorporated into doramas -- I haven’t seen a show that does it better than The Makanai at the moment. 

The way Koreeda captured seasons. The way he incorporated fashion -- what geikos and maikos wear during performances, on their off-time, during celebrations -- my GOD. The way he used COLOR. The way he used quiet, and sound, to lift up conversations outside in spectacular settings. The way he held shots. SUMPTUOUS. I was totally taken away.

Two shots that moved me: Kiyo in a sento bathhouse, humming to herself. (She’s later teased, without her knowing, by some of the maiko, for being like an old man, scrubbing and humming in the sento.) 

Kiyo, Kenta, and Sumire, a flashback to Aomori, Kiyo and Kenta shoveling snow while Sumire built a snowman. And an immediate cut to Sumire watching Kiyo shovel snow in Kyoto. The quietness and the beauty gave me physical chills. 

Kiyo as a free soul, moved by her passion for cooking and not much else, is leveraged so beautifully as a means of a young woman being in a place at a particular time, without carrying the emotional burden of existence that many of us place on our shoulders. She’s not the person who asks why something is happening in her life. She’s the one who’s feeding the people who are doing that asking unto themselves, and suffering either because of that inquiry, or suffering simply because of an inability to transcend what they’re going through. Kiyo is clearly a Zen-like foil -- even though she’s treated often as someone “with a screw loose,” as the geiko Momoko says to Sumire in the last episode. But I think Kiyo is far more in touch with the world than anyone else that surrounds her in the show. She’s the human embodiment of ma.

So, speaking of cooking: the reason why I picked up this show is because friends of mine recommended it to me as a cooking dorama, and certainly, a lot of news coverage in the West focuses much on the food of the show. Many of the Western articles, I think, miss many points about the show, and I think it’s in part for a lack of understanding about how food and cooking are so emotionally interwoven in unspoken aspects of Asian cultures. (A lot of commentary I’m reading just focuses on the dishes -- and the dishes are incredibly important, especially in how Kiyo interprets them from her Aomori taste, adjusting seasonings and techniques for the group of maiko she’s serving who hail from across Japan. But the dishes are not the only, or the most important, aspects to this show.)

Kiyo is often asked if she’s okay with being the makanai. She kept her promise to her friend, Sumire, Sumi-chan, to stay by Sumire’s side. Sumire would ideally like to keep Kiyo by her side -- if Kenta likes Kiyo, it’s better to keep Kiyo in Kyoto. But also: Sumire is primed to be the next best maiko and geiko in Gion, as Momoko predicts (Momoko is the star geiko of Gion), and Sumire will need an ally. Kiyo is Sumire’s ally -- and we’re not sure if Sumire has Kiyo’s best interests at hand.

But Kiyo insists that she’s okay, that she wants to be the makanai. Even at 16, she says, this may be the job I was intended to have. Kiyo radiates simplicity in a fantastic, uplifting way. I think Western critics are missing this. Western food media tends to absolutely glorify, many times in horrific and ignorant ways, dishes without the cultural context of the cooking, preparation, or history of those dishes. In other words, Western media erases the stories behind the cooking.

The Makanai is ALL ABOUT THE STORIES BEHIND THE COOKING. Kiyo is a makanai, and to Kiyo, that’s just fine. She doesn’t find it demeaning because she is not demeaned. She even seems surprised when she’s asked by a lodge okkasan if she’s okay with this job. 

Food brings comfort, memories. It satisfies hunger, needs. Comfort, memories, hunger, needs -- these are HUGE, huge. Kiyo does that? That’s massive emotional work. She knows exactly what she’s doing.

So, what all does this show have? Absolutely EXQUISITE cinematography, and an unwinding, mature story focused on the journeys of two teenagers, with ambition, rivalry, regret, love (requited, unrequited, unresolved), and beyond unbelievable acting. 

It’s an absolute CRIME that I can’t take screenshots (eff you, Netflix), but here’s two. Hashimoto Ai, as Momoko, is on the right of the first shot. Imagine her kimono as brilliant sky blue. The fashion choices and colors in this show were mindblowing. Hashimoto Ai, by the way -- I STAN. What a CONCRETE performance.

The reason why I chose the second shot, of Sumire in her daily lessons, is because the light from the windows reminds me of when I first started to learn how to meditate years and years ago. The Makanai is one of the most meditative shows that I’ve seen in years, and I CANNOT recommend it highly enough. Utterly breathtaking.

#the makanai cooking for the maiko house #mori nana #natsuki deguchi #hashimoto ai #tokiwa takako #hirokazu koreeda #after life #like father like son #broker #netflix #netflix japanese dramas

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🦇 Women of Good Fortune 🦇

❓ #QOTD If you could pull off a heist, what would you steal? ❓ 🦇 Lulu, Rina, and Jane have long considered themselves The Leftovers; non-married women considered far past their prime by Shanghai’s society. Now luxury-focused Jane is trapped in a loveless marriage, career-dedicated Rina keeps getting passed over for promotion, and Lulu is engaged to Shangai's most eligible bachelor. Lulu's wedding is their golden opportunity to get what they've always wanted: freedom from the standards and expectations that have trapped them for too long. The cash gifts from Lulu's wedding could transform their lives...IF they can get away with it.

💜 Sophie Wan's debut novel is a stunning study of how society treats women--and the hoops they need to jump through to make a life of their own. Each woman has her own distinct motivations and own clever voice. The real focus of the story is the found family these women built between them, their friendship stronger than the strain society's expectations set on their shoulders. Wan explores a number of important themes, including sexism, beauty standards, classism, and the weight of familial standards. While the romances in this story aren't the main focus, Rina and Vic's enemies-to-lovers sub-plot is the primary source of humor and entertainment. Each women grew to reconsider their primary motivations, leaving us with beautiful character development.

💙 For a heist story, this novel is all tell and very little show. The lack of descriptions or layered character-building makes the story dry and distant. The women only have one primary focus each, making them very one-dimensional and unrealistic when they could have been layered, diverse characters. We're given very little time to connect with them on any emotional level, making it difficult for us to root for their success. The pacing drags as the story establishes each character's world, stressors, and motivations when a heist story should feel action-packed and fast-paced. I love stories that delve into different cultures and provide us with an intimate look into someone else's point of view, but most of the cultural details are rushed through, as if readers would already understand them. I wanted so much more from a diverse, women-centric heist story.

🦇 Recommended for fans of Ocean's 11 and Crazy Rich Asians.

✨ The Vibes ✨ 🧧 Heist Story 🧧 Sisterhood/Female Friendship 🧧 Chinese Culture Rep 🧧 Multiple POVs 🧧 Debut Author 🧧 Wedding Story

🦇 Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

💬 Quotes ❝ It's helped me to see how much we let the people around us inflate our views of something that might be objectively worthless. ❞

❝ Purpose is something you choose. You can't rely on others to give it to you. ❞

#books #reading #book review #aapi authors #booklr #debut novel #batty about books #battyaboutbooks #book: women of good fortune #author: sophie wan

[adreamareads]

Adreama Writes

I have been thinking for a while that I need to have a pinned post describing my stories. So here we are! These are all Red White and Royal Blue (all book verse unless otherwise specified!) with one Percabeth, you know, as a treat.

Adreama Writes on Ao3 : 20+ works and counting!

Nora and Shabbat

Rating: T | word count: 2848 Nora hosts a Shabbat dinner for June, Alex, and Henry, sharing her Jewish traditions with them as they all celebrate the Jewish Sabbath - but in the Nora way. Some tradition, some tweaking tradition, and a lot of fun and friendship between the White House Trio + Henry.

Yrs 

Rating: G | word count: 4078 14-year-old Hudson has been at the Fox Foundation Shelter for LGBTQ+ Youth for nearly six months. He volunteers to clean out the former office-turned-storage-room, and finds remnants from a love story that starts with a piece of a note or a letter. The only thing that remains on the letter is the signature: “Love you. Yrs, A”

Yrs for ever (sequel to Yrs)

Rating: G | word count: 3709 When he was 14 and staying at the Fox Foundation shelter for LGBTQ youth, Hudson had found remnants of Henry's relationship with Alex. Now, ten years later, Hudson is attending the Fox Foundation 30th Anniversary Gala and he seeks to connect with Henry again, to show him that he understands what it means when someone says yrs.

Nora and the High Holy Days 

Rating: G | word length: 3152 Nora returns to DC with June for the High Holidays: Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. While she's there, she makes a new friend who looks out for her safety.

Nora and Chanukah 

Rating: T | word count: 13,962 | 8 chapters Eight days and nights, eight chapters of Nora celebrating Chanukah! Featuring heavy doses of Junora, lots of friendship and family time. Nora gets to share her Chanukah celebrations with June, as well as with Alex & Henry, with her family, and other friends.

Gentle Fires

Rating: T | word length: 2647 Alex doesn't know where this new thing that Henry has with candles came from, but he's not complaining. They are pretty nice.

Nora and Purim

Rating: T | word count: 2454 Nora gets ready for a Purim celebration and tells June all about her holiday, with a feminist twist, of course - that's the Nora way!

Super Six Seder 

Rating: G | word count: 8153 Nora leads the rest of the "Super Six" (June, Pez, Bea, Henry, and Alex) in a Passover seder, livestreamed for charity.

Sisterhood 

Rating: G | word count: 6597 Martha would love to be close with her sister-in-law Bea but all Bea ever talks about is her friend June. (or 5 times Martha is jealous of Bea’s sisterhood with June and 1 time she is sisters with Bea.)

Nora and Sukkot

Rating: T | word count: 5707 Nora enlists June plus Alex & Henry to help her build an official government sukkah at the Vice President's Residence (AKA where her grandparents live) for the Jewish holiday Sukkot in the fall.

Fiercest Protector

Rating: T | word count: 11,586 | 6 chapters June and Bea want nothing more than to protect their little brothers. Here are 5 times the sisters were there for their brothers, and one time the boys were there for their sisters.

Nora and Tu B'Shevat 

Rating: G | word count: 1309 June surprises Nora on her holiday with plans and a gift. Happy new year for the trees!

March Book Club

Rating: T | word count: 17,388 | 2 chapters A kid at Henry's shelter inspires him to pick the Little Women series for his book club with June. Meanwhile, Alex is there, by his side, supporting him always, and Henry starts thinking more about their future in all the good ways.

Blanket Fort 

Rating: G | word count: 600 Alex is anxious during a storm, and so is David. Henry has a late night at the shelter.

of fathers and sons 

Rating: T | word count: 7245 Henry stays with Oscar Diaz his father-in-law while he's getting the new LA shelter up-and-running. It's a bit of an adjustment, but it's actually nice. He even picks up a few new skills in the kitchen to show Alex!

June and Weddings 

Rating: G | word count: 1216 5 weddings June is in + 1 time it's her own

talking about feelings is a sapphic cliche 

Rating: G | word count: 1200 Nora and June have a serious talk about the future after June makes a big decision.

Christmas Visit 

Rating: G | word count: 3525 It's Christmas Eve at Kensington. Alex's niece tells him about the ghost she saw the other day. Then, in the middle of the night, Alex sees him too.

end of an era 

Rating: T | word count: 4602 It's New Year's Eve 2024, and it's the last "Legendary Balls-Out Bananas White House Trio New Year’s Eve Party." Alex, Nora, and June are co-hosting with the President-Elect's kids. Alex and Henry reflect on the last four years and what's in store for them.

H. Fox Live at the Strand

Rating: G | word count: 3007 Join us for an in-person event with bestselling author H. Fox for the launch of his new book Dreaming of You. Joining Henry in conversation will be journalist June Claremont-Diaz. This event will be hosted in the Strand Book Store's 3rd floor Rare Book Room.

"...and then they became friends!"

RWRB MOVIE-VERSE! Strictly Movie! Rating: M | word count: 6783 It's Henry's birthday, and Alex surprises him at Kensington. He gets to crash Henry's birthday plans which include tea with Bea… and a visit to the children's hospital.

Watch it All Unfold 

ratings: varied | word count: 100 per chapter A series of mostly unrelated drabbles. We jump around in time, visiting different characters at different times. Each chapter stands alone and complete.

Fandom: Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus

The Question

rating: T | word count: 5552 Post-graduation from college together in New Rome, Percy & Annabeth are spending one more summer at Camp Half-Blood, and Percy is working on a Plan, one worth of a daughter of Athena, to ask her an important question. 

#adreama writes #rwrb fic #rwrb fanfic #firstprince #red white royal blue #red white and royal blue #red white & royal blue #percy jackson #percabeth

[ukrfeminism]

5 minute read

Full text below the cut. TW: gang violence, rape

Teenage girls are being raped by several boys as part of their boyfriends’ gang initiations, youth workers have told i as they raised concerns about education on consent.

One practitioner described being shown footage of a young girl who was coerced into performing oral sex on nine gang members.

“Her boyfriend was off-camera and you could hear him encouraging her, saying: ‘Go on babe, you can do this.’ It was a rite of passage for him and she did what she was told,” the youth worker said.

“The gang members – all teenage boys – were goading her, laughing and making misogynistic remarks. There are lots of videos like this circulating online.”

The youth worker, who works in east London and asked not to be identified, said: “Sexual violence is often used as retribution against their gang member’s partner or they are forced to perform these acts if their boyfriend wants to be one of the top dons.

“When I speak to girls linked to gangs they’ll often say, “This guy from a rival gang came and boxed (punched) me in my mouth and beat up my sister…he did it because my mum found and destroyed his stuff’. This could be drugs, weapons or stolen goods,” they said, adding: “I don’t think we’re aware of how our girls exist in these systems – and it’s often around sex.”

Donna Murray-Turner, director of Another Night of Sisterhood (ANOS), a grassroots organisation offering services to support families and young people in Croydon, south London, said the issue of consent is a “huge issue” — but it should “not be the responsibility of girls and young women”.

Ms Murray-Turner told i: “Some women don’t have autonomy over our bodies – even in their own relationships. Older women are having conversations online and saying, ‘I’ve realised I’ve been raped throughout my marriage because I’ve never told my husband when I don’t want it.’ In terms of how we view sex, that’s deep. This is how it manifests if people don’t understand consent and their right to say ‘No’.

“We need to tell our boys: “If you’re having sex and she says she doesn’t want it – stop. Unless we’re having these conversations, we’ll see the worst sexual violence.”

Statistics relating to gang-associated girls and women are scant and existing figures do not encompass all four nations. Three years ago the Children’s Commissioner for England suggested 2,290 girls were linked with gangs – 34 per cent of all gang-associated children. Meanwhile, females accounted for just four (0.2 per cent) of the 1,906 individuals on the Metropolitan Police’s Gang Violence Matrix, according to quarterly data published in March [2022].

Ms Murray-Turner, whose organisation receives no government funding for its work with predominantly black, Asian and minority ethnic women and girls, said: “We need more consent workshops for all young people because we’re not having nuanced conversations about it – and it’s how we teach emotional intelligence.

“ANOS has run sessions in the past and it was clear that girls did not know about consent. Young women turned to us in disbelief and said: ‘What? You mean I can tell him I don’t want to have sex?’ They don’t understand that forced oral sex is rape. I would say this is on the rise. We would love to run more workshops but the funding is never enough for small, community-based groups like ours.”

The Home Office said tackling violence against women and girls is a “top priority” and explained how its Young Women and Girls Fund (YWGF) aims to improve services for those experiencing gang-related harm and exploitation. Officials will award £2.7m over three years to local authorities in 20 police force areas that account for 80 per cent of serious violence in England and Wales. 

A spokesperson said: “The Government recognises that the ways in which women and girls experience gang related harm can be different from that of men and boys, and can often include sexual exploitation. The YWGF, due to begin delivery in a range of local authority areas this year [2022], will provide direct support to young women and girls affected by gang exploitation and harm.”

‘We can’t expect teenage girls to be strong women if they grow up feeling undervalued and disrespected’

When Britain emerged from the first national lockdown in summer 2020, youth workers noticed gang-associated girls attended hospital accident and emergency departments with knife and gunshot injuries, abdominal pain or PV bleeds (vaginal bleeding).

“We believe it pointed to teenage girls being involved in roles usually carried out by men who are often on the frontline of serious violence. Young women are often exploited to carry drugs and weapons because they’re less likely to be stopped and searched by police,” said a south London-based youth worker.

Now, a year after all Covid-19 restrictions were lifted in England, assault presentations among young girls “remain high” while mental health presentations are increasing, according to Redthread, a youth work charity which has staff working in 12 hospitals across London and the Midlands.

Brian Willmore, director of services at Redthread, said: “The increase and severity in mental health presentations has noticeably increased through and post lockdown and it’s very concerning.”

Two thirds (67 per cent) of assaults are likely to be non-weapons based but practitioners recorded referrals for assaults with other bladed or sharp objects such as bottles and paper cutters. Staff said one young woman was referred with a gunshot injury. 

Under half (48 per cent) of assaults referrals, with and without a weapon, were for young girls aged 11-14. The charity said 360 young women presented at A&E between January and April this year [2022] – up from 327 (+10 per cent) in the same period last year.

Mr Willmore said poverty, being unable to access services owing to funding cuts, feeling isolated at home and in school are “always contributing factors” in cases dealt with by Redthread youth workers, adding: “We’ve still got some way to go in understanding the full story of what life is like for young people.”

When asked what more can be done to help girls and young women harness their agency, he said: “It’s about opportunity, access and self-worth but if young girls feel it’s not attainable or they live in a household or community where they don’t feel valued or respected, thinking they can be a strong independent woman is quite a reach when they’re confronted with these issues.”

[dilirebas]

My review of New Life Begins // 卿卿日常

Quick blurb: Li Wei (played by Tian Xiwei) arrives in Xin Chuan for marriage selection into the royal family, but she secretly hopes to return home unselected. Yin Zheng, a withdrawn and overlooked prince with hidden ambitions, strategically chooses her to be his wife. As they begin a new life together, they slowly fall in love.

This drama is firmly planted in the comedy genre. I got hooked so fast because of how funny it is. The writing is hilarious, the actors are hilarious, the sound effects are hilarious, so honestly I could not stop laughing

But as the drama went on, there were parts that felt a bit slow or boring. It wasn’t a struggle to finish or anything like that, but the story definitely isn't paced consistently.

Both Li Wei and Yin Zheng are fun characters who shine in their individual storylines. And they're quite cute together as well. But, if I'm honest, I found Li Wei a lot more shippable with the other girls in the drama... Li Wei x Yuan Ying was my favourite ship LOL

The political storyline, while interesting, is super unserious and dumbed down compared to what you see in more sophisticated palace dramas. But I was fine with that because this is a lighthearted comedy drama. There's basically no angst. It's pure fun!

There's a strong "girls help girls" theme throughout the story. There are all kinds of different women who are all kickass in their own ways. The sisterhood between them is really lovely too.

There's a lot of food in the drama and it all looks suuuper tasty, so remember to have snacks with you while you watch hahaha

#New Life Begins #cdrama #Bai Jing Ting #Tian Xi Wei #actor #actress #ancient series #period drama #my thoughts #review

[hollymbryan]

Blog Tour: Top 5 Reasons to Read CITY OF VICIOUS NIGHT by Claire Winn! #tbrbeyondtours

Hello and welcome to Book-Keeping! I’m happy today to be hosting a spot on the TBR and Beyond Tours blog + bookstagram tour for the conclusion to the Requiem Dark duology by Claire Winn, City of Vicious Night! I’ve got all the details below, plus my top 5 reasons to read the book/series.

About the Book

title: City of Vicious Night (Requiem Dark #2) author: Claire Winn publisher: Flux release date: 23 May 2023

For the most hated crew on Requiem, the only way out is up. It’s been four months since runaway heiress Asa crash-landed on the matriarchal outlaw colony Requiem, bringing a nasty AI and a host of deadly secrets with her. Now, she runs with her almost-girlfriend Riven’s smuggler crew, stealing kisses between gunfights and heists. But when a mysterious hacker sabotages their latest job, other gangs turn against them, blaming them for the destruction the rogue AI caused. Nowhere in the city is safe. The only way to protect their crew is a series of trials for control of an underworld faction–and vying for a matriarch’s throne is a dream Riven can’t let go. But as the trials intensify, the saboteur hounds Asa and Riven’s every step, determined to kill Asa and right her father’s wrongs. When the saboteur reveals a horrific conspiracy threatening all of Requiem–one involving the crew member they thought they’d lost–the girls must decide whether to risk their own skins for a city that loathes them.

Content Warning: death, violence, body horror, references of sexual assault

Add to Goodreads: City of Vicious Night (Requiem Dark #2) Purchase the Book: Amazon | B&N | Bookshop.org

About the Author

Claire Winn spends her time immersed in other worlds—through LARP, video games, books, nerd conventions, and her own stories. Since graduating from Northwestern University, she’s worked as a legal writer and freelance editor. Aside from writing, she builds cosplay props and armor, tears up dance floors, and battles with boffer swords.

Connect with Claire: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Facebook

Top 5 Reasons to Read

I had wanted to read the first book in this duology, City of Shattered Light, since it came out but hadn’t done so yet, so I loved getting to binge this series for this tour! What amazing fun this set is! Below are my top 5 reasons to read City of Vicious Night, which really goes for the whole series, just FYI.

1. These books are such a great example of both sisterhood and the power of female friendships. Asa would do absolutely anything to save her sister Kaya, and book 2 really digs deeper into their sisterhood.

2. We have an incredible group of misfits and outlaws that are an amazing example of why I love the found family trope so much! Riven, Asa, Ty, Samir, Diego, Kaya...I love them all separately but together they’re unstoppable!

3. I love the LGBTQ+ rep in this series; kind of like in the best TV show ever, Schitt’s Creek, it’s just a version of the world in which people are what they are and love who they love and there’s not really any need for explanation or justification.

4. We’ve got heists and deadly competitions -- in space! Enough said.

5. AI, cybernetics, and spaceships, oh my! Seriously, everything we love about cyberpunk sci-fi is here and I just love the world Claire Winn has created with this series.

Really there are more reasons to read this (both kick-butt and ridiculously smart women, budding romance, the sweetest pup) but these are my top 5. I hope you’ll check out the Requiem Dark duology today! Both books were 5-star reads for me.

**Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for purposes of this tour.

Make sure you check out the Bookstagram tour too! You can find my post here, and the full schedule is here.

#city of vicious night #city of shattered light #requiem dark #claire winn #cyberpunk #sci-fi #scifi #science fiction #sciencefiction #space opera #Duology #requiem dark duology #flux #may 2023 #may release #may reading #ya lit #ya literature #yalit #new release #new releases #newrelease #newreleases #top 5 reasons to read #5 star reads #tbrbeyondtours #flux books

[rosafulmen]

random  wishlist  of  ideas  i’d  love  to  explore  for  light  (  kind  of  an  ice-breaker,  kind  of  like  a  springboard  )  :

anything  in  her  verses  tag.  or,  when  looking  more  at  the  themes,  explorations  of  guardianship  and  its  failings,  what  makes  a  god  a  god  (  the  question  of  benevolence  verses  malevolence  ),  clawing  oneself  from  the  brink,  themes  of  found  family  and  love  despite  unfathomable  odds.

explorations  of  the  verses  xiii  lore;  including,  but  not  limited  too  :  the  influence  of  etro,  light’s  memories  as  ‘the  saviour’  and  what  that  means  for  this  new  world,  watching  the  war  of  a  world  she  helped  bring  about  (  all  the  while  knowing  most  of  the  world  has  no  memory  of  her  or  her  friend’s  sacrifices  ),  themes  of  faux  gods,  worship  and  the  suspension  of  vahalla.  there  are  so  many  themes  that  can  be  snatched  from  both  xiii  and  xv,  take  your  pick.

i  have  to  properly  write  out  my  kingdom  hearts  verse,  but  literally  anything  in  that.  lightning  and  her  sister  were  from  radiant  garden  but  she’s  very  estranged  from  the  main  crew.  let  her  mentor  the  kids.  let  the  kids  crack  past  her  protective  layer  to  all  those  themes  of  hope,  perseverance,  and  strength  of  heart.  watch  light  panic  when  serah  runs  off  to  help  them.  let  her  begrudgingly  assist  because  she  claims  she  ‘doesn’t  care  about  them’  (  she  absolutely  does ).

anything  to  do  with  the  horror  /  existentialism  of  being  the  saviour???  the  very  fact  light  had  no  guarantee  she  would  remember  people  in  the  next  world  and  vice  versa  so  every  ‘saving’  was  just  a  heralding  to  death.  that  liminal  space  of  being  like  ‘we  have  no  promise  of  tomorrow,  so  let’s  live  for  today’.

same  deal  with  l’cie,  just  a  different  topping.  what  if  tomorrow  our  brands  advance  and  we  lose  ourselves.  what  makes  us  who  we  are.  what  makes  us  monsters  ?  just  all  the  horror  of  gran  pulse  and  seeing  those  cie'th  stones.

angst.  i  am  an  angst  fiend.  again,  the  xiii  verse  deals  with  a  lot  of  themes  of  loss  /  death  and  how  people  cope  with  it.

anything  where  light  is  a  bodyguard  sounds  absolutely  hilarious.  let  her  make  flying  commentary  under  her  breath  while  your  muse  holds  it  together.  let  them  take  her  to  places  she  would  HATE.

i’ll  probably  expand  on  this  later,  this  is  just  a  dump.

character  specific:

hope  —  to  this  day,  i  have  still  not  roleplayed  with  a  hope  and  i  am  DESPERATE  to  explore  the  bond  between  them.  give  me  all  the  themes  of  family  and  light  coming  to  terms  with  how  poorly  she’s  treated  serah  through  him.  let  her  do  right  by  hope.  let  her  love  him,  protect  him  and  watch  him  become  a  man.  give  me  all  the  themes  of  how  his  name  embodies  what  he  is  to  her.

serah  —  a  lot  of  the  same  themes  as  hope.  ALSO  if  serah’s  want  to  indulge  in  my  snow/light  angst  i  will  just  eat  that  up  for  breakfast.  it’s  the  absolute  self-hatred  lightning  has  that  her  sister  is  in  crystal /  dead  and  she’s  alive  and  she’s  still  managing  to  ruin  her  life.  how  serah  responds  is  totally  up  to  you.  also  themes  of  sisterhood  and  companionship.  let  them  go  to  coffee  shops.  let  light  teach  her  how  to  do  her  hair  and  makeup  when  their  mother  died.  PLEASE.

snow  —  hi,  i  ship  them.  outside  of  that,  just  the  development  of  their  bond  ;  where  light  once  considered  him  an  adversary,  now  he  is  a  friend.  how  his  staunch  optimism  imprinted  on  her  to  the  degree his  ambivalence  in  returns  gave  her  the  worst  anxiety  attack  of  her  life.

fang  —  how  two  women  can  be  the  same  but  also  very  different.  themes  of  guardianship  and  looking  after  those  smaller/weaker  than  you  (  the  costs,  the  sacrifices,  etc  ), drawing  strength  from  each  other.  the  growing  pains  and  awkwardness  of  two  people  primed  for  war  now  having  to  all  but  domesticate  at  the  end  of  LR.

vanille  —  a  lot  of  the  same  themes  of  sisterhood  that  i  applied  to  serah.  exploration  of  godhood  and  its  flaws  (  girlie  you  absolutely  did  not  need  to  pull  your  shit  in  LR,  love  you  ).

sazh  —  dajh’s  awkward  babysitter,  lightning.  i  love  the  role  he  took  in  xiii  as  a  sort  of  semi-parental  figure  /  guide.  he  wasn’t  overbearing  or  pushed  boundaries,  but  there  was  a  mutual  exchange  of  ideas  and  advice.  let  him  complain  his  bones  are  old  and  creaking  but  he’s  loving  every  second  of  it  and  light  just  smirks  so  sardonically  and  ups  the  anti.

#* ORIGIN OF STORMS ( headcanons ) #hi #(:

[true--north]

Greatqueenanna's post gave me food for thought. I write it down here, because the question was adressed not to me.

❄ So, validation through Mother. For many years before F2 came out, the parents have been seen as negative figures, who made all the evil in the sisters' life. Dysfunctional. Abusive. But now we got a chance to see them in another light, to see their last will to help Elsa. Frozen is a film about family, and they could not be left as this: no, we see their love and trying to help, even if they made mistakes. They were not abusive. And Elsa loved them despite the fact that she stopped to follow their rules about her powers. I highly recommend to read Dangerous Secrets, the book about Iduna and Agnarr. I know very well that in real life things are not so cloudless but this is the fairytale and mythopoetic story, so good must defeat evil.

With the memory of Iduna Elsa finally got a relief to her self-blaming. She and we, saw that her mother loved her always. Isn't it heart warming, especially if things are not like this all the time in real life? Motherly approving and reconciliation with a mother figure is important, especially for young women, as Lee said in the documentary(Elsa had already got validation and reconciliation from her sister in F1, so this sisterly line was done.)

Also the deep maternal symbolism applies to Ahtohallan herself, as Mother Nature and Mother of All Spirits and gives Elsa even more understanding and validation from the high that she is a gift, not a curse. (Because it was Ahtohallan who awakened the cry for help of Iduna from the memories and transformed it for bringing Elsa back home to the North, the homeward bound who was found.

Making Iduna important for the plot helped to reveal the autochthonous origin of Elsa, and through this create a higher calling for her–to be the Northuldra Tribe's Noaidi and to reunite her with the lost part of the big family – following the family story narrative.

❄"It's only at the end that Elsa remembers Anna and realize what she's done (and what she'd lost)."

I don't understand this. What's bad that Elsa wasn't thinking about Anna every minute and had a special experience and decision destined only for her(and vice versa)? In her last seconds before freezing Elsa sent Anna the message because she knew that Anna is the one who's capable to do this–to continue their plan of liberating the Forest and saving Arendelle. When all is lost then all is found, and Elsa and Anna, completing their mission together against all the obstacles, found this all.

❄ Elsa's sacrificial path. Of course, Elsa had to sacrifice herself, because Frozen is the franchise about sacrificial love. "Love is putting someone else's needs before yours" and "greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." This is the core of the franchise as it has been since the beginning.

❄ The ending was two-dimensional, focused on the sisters's destinies according to their big roles. Elsa got her mythic ending: she has become the Ruler of the Nature Elements, the Snow Queen. Anna got her fairytale ending: marriage and the kingdom. This, the developing of the characters was the point, the main focus, not them "going separated way" itself. The separated way is not the problem for the narrative, it's the achievement, because the characters were developed to their highest levels.

❄ "They're separated". And what's wrong with it? They had already solved the issue with this(In F1 they lived under the same roof but were as distant as ever, now they are the opposite) at the end of the first film, and now it's time to move on, to open up new horizons, a great wide somewhere. Their sisterhood will withstand any even greater distance(I will not mention that they see each other, it's doesn't matter here). But I'd want to remind, that Anna and Elsa are not a romantic couple who broke up. They are sisters who live in different areas, are not like a "boyfriend and girlfriend."

Letting someone you love go is a big growth, and Anna did it, and she's cool. As she has found her own strength in The Next Right Thing, so she let Elsa found hers.

❄ Elsa canonically is not immortal. The point of being the incarnation of Ahtohallan's divine powers and the bridge between the magic and people(the Fifth Spirit and the Fifth Element) is being an actual human, to unite both worlds. We can speculate on the topic(I even wrote somewhere the reasons that Elsa could be immortal (in a way like elves are) as a headcanon and personally I'm not against the idea) but we don't have this in the actual canon.

❄ And yes, accepting change is the biggest and hardest and the most useful lesson Frozen 2 has taught us.

#fandom thoughts #elsa frozen 2

[angeltreasure]

It's your tumblr penpal Cecilia here, hoping your Lent is going well thus far. I came back from the retreat last weekend, and it was both enlightening and left me with more questions. So for sure at this point I am not wanting to get married or at least God didn't make me that way. The weekend pretty much confirmed it for me. There were 7 of us, 2 men and 5 women, 3 of us currently teachers in different parts of the state/out of state, lovely people they were. We also had stayed at a retired nun's place/motherhouse. So I think I'm more called to be a sister rather than nun at this point, didn't know the semantics when I first felt called. I had been able to talk to the Precious Blood Brother priest that was one of the counselors, alongside a Fransiscan sister who was there and felt a good connection with. She said to me that she felt from my personality and my descriptions of my calling cloistered life was not for me, probably either apostolic or evangelical sisterhood is more for me, being extroverted. They gave us tools to be able to help us find out our charisms, and also contact info for different orders around the dioceses. Also there is another retreat where we get to visit other sisters and their orders at the end of the month, hoping I can go to that for sure. Otherwise been busy for Lent, following the fasting and abstaining the best of my ability. My questions now going forward are what order/orders are a best fit for me and how to tell my family, one being an atheist brother who's trans/nonbinary and my mother who is a lukewarm Catholic who doesn't want me to be a nun because I've mentioned to her before about the idea and she wanted me to get married and have kids. So otherwise God Bless and I'm hoping your spiritual life is being fruitful and blessings on you/the family.

Good Evening Cecilia!,

I’m so happy that you had the chance to experience this! It must feel like a lot of weight off your shoulders. God works in mysterious ways. 😊 even if you do pick an Order and join it you can always change your mind to join another or opt out all together.

Sr. E told me that once we tell family that we are discerning religious life, our relationship to them may never be the same as it once was. In the end, don’t let anyone force you into something you don’t want to do. I have family on my mom’s side already talking about me and one even said oh she doesn’t wanna do that. Keep strong and keep the faith. God hears you. Remember you have your free will. If you do become a sister or nun you will become a mother to everyone.

Lent has been going surprisingly well this year! I think my mom’s having a decent one too. It’s definitely the most unique one yet. Ash Wednesday we went to a church I found driving around one day, and it was so windy almost hurricane winds. No priest showed up for Mass so we had the extraordinary Communion people draw the ashes on our foreheads. The wind was so loud it sounds like what my mind images as the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost! It truly felt like entering a desert. Now my step father’s back East for work. My official three year count down begins. May God bless you and your family as well.

#Cecilia #asks

[lesbianmarrow]

i watched legends of tomorrow 5.12 “freaks and greeks” i enjoyed it a lot :) it is so bright and colorful and wacky, which is nice since last episode was very spooky and sinister. i enjoyed the college setting even though it was nothing like my own college experience it was still very fun to see. i also liked the focus on astra and on sisterhood/community, and how those two story elements came together. very nice episode :)

astra is the greatest i am already so down with her joining the legends. especially bc she’s so tall and she makes everybody else look short. this episode does a really good job of exploring how unmoored and out-of-place astra feels now that she is no longer a crime boss in hell or working with lachesis and instead is allied with a bunch of people who were her enemies. she has the trauma survivor problem where she has the skills she needs in order to survive in the situation she has recently left (literal hell, in her case), but she doesn’t yet have the skills she needs in order to get by in her current life now that she has left that situation. so she’s cruel and aggressive and independent, but only because she had to be. but now she has to learn to be different. 

astra accuses the legends of not accepting her as she is and trying to change her to fit in with them, and that’s not entirely untrue. but as charlie explains, the legends are very accepting of difference and only want to help astra become more functional and happy in her new life, and that will inevitably change her in some ways, but that’s not a bad thing, and she will still be her. i really really love that this episode explored the dynamic between astra and charlie, as that’s a dynamic i was really looking forward to seeing. if there’s anyone who understands the pain of being betrayed and manipulated by lachesis it’s charlie. and she also had a rocky start when she first joined the legends. it’s also kind of neat bc i feel like there havent been 2 Black women on this show at the same time so that’s interesting to see. i guess there was amaya and kuasa but they had a very different relationship. 

i think it makes a lot of sense that the legends would create a sorority in this episode since the cast has become so female-heavy in this season. it just makes sense to focus on those bonds of female friendship for an episode. i like how the legends’ sorority is a place where people can just be themselves instead of forcing themselves to fit into the standards that the other sororities dictate. it’s very in line with how the legends are all about helping each other to be their best and truest selves. i feel like this storyline shows how community is so important and you need the support of other people in order to thrive. and then the emphasis on finding community with other women is also really nice. idk i just liked it. and i liked how zari was especially excited at the idea of forming a sorority. it was cute. she looked nice this episode and also i liked her flirting with constantine a little. hehe

the mick and lita stuff continues to get me in my heart....i think it’s really good how this storyline thematically ties into the main storyline about not caring what the wider society thinks and just being yourself and knowing that the people who care about you will love you for being yourself. i know i keep saying it but it really is such a queer theme of this show, the importance of finding your found family and disregarding the people who look down on you for who you are. for this storyline in particular there’s also a class aspect which i think works really well. and since mick is an ex-convict it’s also a little about that. i just love how this father-daughter relationship is developing i just think it’s so sweet and touching always ;-; 

um i don’t think i actually have much else to say. super exciting that everyone is gonna be immortal for a day. can’t wait to see how that goes down

#legends of tomorrow #astra logue #legends charlie #zari tarazi #syl posts

[lokisasylum]

Books I would love to read again for the first time:

I haven’t exactly been an avid book reader in the past years, unless you count post-master’s degree and starting work at a museum where I mostly read books related to “work” (art, history, ect).

Nothing really self-indulgent. But if I had to go back in time to when I read tons of books back in the day and choose a few to read again for the first time...

#01. “The Dream Trilogy” by NORA ROBERTS

I used to be a HUGE fan of Nora Roberts back in college, always found lots of her books at the local drug stores, walgreens or walmart. And though the list is LONG, if I could choose a specific series by her, it would be ‘The Dream Trilogy’.

The story follows the life of three women: Margo, Kate & Laura. The three were raised together in the same household as sisters and best friends, but as each girl reaches the rite of passage into womanhood it is clear that each one has their own ambition in life. The first book follows Margo, who always dreamed of something greater than just being "the housekeeper's daughter" and who's natural beauty landed her a successful modeling career since the age of 18. A career that years later plummets as a result of a scandal from her former lover and must return to the very home she grew up in to unwind and start over again. The second book follows Kate, a headstrong businesswoman who's career also suffers as a result of a scandal and just like Margo, Kate will need to take a break from her fast-paced lifestyle to reevaluate herself and what she's been really missing in all her life. The third and final book follows Laura, the pride and joy of the Templeton family (who are basically like the Hiltons, who own a large chain of hotels and are super rich blahblah). Through all her life Laura was always believed to be PERFECT, with a perfect life, perfect academic record, perfect married life, perfect husband, ect...But now that she’s an adult at the beginning of her 30s she finds herself as a divorced woman and single mother of 2 with her fairy-tale life nonexistent. And just like Margo and Kate, it is Laura’s turn to reevaluate her life choose what’s best FOR HER.

What i loved most about this trilogy is first off the sisterhood between all 3 women despite their hardships. And secondly how the 3 were tied together by an urban legend they used to recite and believe in when they were younger that also involved a hidden treasure.

#02. “WICKED: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West ” by Gregory Maguire  

- I don't even remember how far along into college I had been at the time when I picked up this book off BORDER's, but I remember being fascinated to want to read "the other side of the story" to the Wicked Witch of the West from Wizard of Oz. The reason why I wish I could read this book again is because I wish I had picked it up farther along the way; maybe at a time where I was more mature and open minded because this story goes into some very deep, dark philosophical shit that I just know at the time I prolly skipped because I didn’t care about it as much as I cared about the main character which is Elphaba. So I might dig this one up again someday to re-read it for old time’s sake and analyze it.

#03. “The Way of Shadows” by Brent Weeks

First of a trilogy called "The Night Angel". This first book follows the life of Azoth, an orphan living on the streets of Cenaria City . Azoth dreams of one day he will finally leave the guild and escape the constant harassment from Ratt, the oldest boy in the guild and self proclaimed leader, who has done nothing but terrorize and abuse of all the younger kids (including Azoth's 2 best friends Jarl & Doll Girl who is mute). He thinks the only way to achieve this is to become a "wetboy" (assasin) and becoming an apprentice to Durzo Blint, the most notorious and best wetboy that has ever existed. From start to finish we will see Azoth’s transformation from a worthless orphan to a highly skilled wetboy under the facade of his new identity Kylar Stern, which he uses to mingle with people from high society and even befriending the future King of Cenaria.

I gotta be honest, as much as I loved The Night Angel trilogy, I really can only recommend the first book. I think the story was perfect as it was and it should have ended the way it did in the first book. The second book just feels like a HUGE FILLER where we get introduced to so many characters whose names we wont even pay attention to?? And many plot holes that were left without solving. And I don’t even want to talk about how disappointing the “real ending” was during the 3rd book, like... why drag on the story for so long only to end it that way??

So yeah, if I could re-purchase this series again (since I lost them during a move) I would only buy the first one this time.

#04. “The Last Battle” by C.S. Lewis

if you’ve read the Chronicles of Narnia then you will know that this book is the LAST one of the series. The reason why I want to re-read it again for the first time, is because when my brother bought it for me I was really young, like maybe 12 (he was part of some book club online so he would buy tons of books really cheap) I knew NOTHING about the Chronicles of Narnia or that it was a series that you needed to read in sequence to understand it (like imagine reading the last Harry Potter book first and then realizing that ‘Oh, its a whole ass series’). All I saw was a unicorn on the cover with a bloodied horn and thought I was about to read this epic story about magical beings going into war or maybe he was the last unicorn of his kind and.... well... yeah... it was more like an acid trip LOL.

#05. “Devil May Cry (Novel)” by Shin-ya Goikeda 

As a gamer and fan of the Devil May Cry series I was curious when I found this novel at maybe a freaking Electronic Boutique lol. But I was pretty hooked on it from start to finish as it served as a prequel to the events of the of the games and even the manga? What I liked most is how we got to see the two sides of Dante BEFORE becoming the one we know and love from the games. And also the person behind the birth of Ebony & Ivory.

#06. "The Historian” by Elizabeth Kostova

My brother gifted this book to me when I was near the end of my bachelor’s degree in History. I felt it was more of an ‘ironic gift’ than a book I would have been interested in at first glance. And I think I just read through it for the sake of pleasing him like ‘yes, look, i read it, leave me alone’.

I know that the ending had a very cool plot-twist, but the reason I want to re-read it for the first time is because at the time that this book came to me I was too immerse in college to actually “read for the sake of reading”. So I didn’t appreciate the story at all, some parts I felt too long and boring at the time, so I would like to see what my perspective of the story would be now that I’m older.

#07. “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry  & “The Little Ending” by Ricardo Martí Ruiz .

A timeless classic, I think most of us have read either one or both books by now. Probably re-read them more than once to see what changed since we were kids up until adulthood (a LOT).

Its not so much the epiphany of wanting to re-read it again for the first time. Rather than I wish the sequel (The Little Ending) had come out sooner rather than 20+ years later, but I supposed everything has a purpose.

#08. “DEMIAN” by Hermann Hesse

I want to read this again, but without the influence of having already been in the BTS fandom, because I want to see/feel if it would still hit differently.

Books and Authors I just could never vibe with:

“The Alchemist” by Paulo Choelo

- I just COULD NOT with this book or the amount of people that kept shoving it in my face like some type of guide to make me a better person. And I generally can never vibe with anything related to him.

“Chronicles of a Death Foretold” by Gabriel García Márquez

- Listen... i fucking HATED this novel in highschool and I continue to hate it to this day.

ANYTHING by Daniel Steele

“The Traffickers” by W.E.B. Griffin

- I bought this book for less than $5 because I needed something new to read at the time and thought a police/mystery novel would be great.

It wasn’t and I regret buying it.

The “ERAGORN” series by Christopher Paolini

- The first book was pretty cool, the second one was pretty neat, by the third one I just wanted to burn them. They now reside with my best friend as an improvised “wedding gift”.

The whole “T/wilight” Saga by Stephanie Meyer

- I cannot tell you the amount of times I wanted to punch this one bestie I had in college who was disgustingly OBSESSED with it and would not SHUT UP about these books and how she really thought they were the epitome of what “true love” really is.

And that’s why she’s still single to this day.

#loki's shitpost #loki's slice of life #books #books and reading

[alexsfictionaddiction]

Alex Recommends: July Books

Ok, first things first -I am delighted to announce that as of October, I will be a postgraduate student of Information and Library Studies. I am really excited about where this new adventure is going to take me and I’m hoping that it will lead to a career for the rest of my life. This has come after months of inquiries and work experience, so I’m delighted that it has finally paid off!

In July, I went on my first ever hen do. That’s a bachlorette party to American readers! Next month, I will be a bridesmaid at the wedding of two of my best friends and I can’t wait for that. It was really lovely to spend time with my closest girlfriends and celebrate moving into a new phase in our lives. Sometimes, I forget that we’re in our 30s now and that the next few years will almost certainly bring some big changes. It’s a strange time!

It is getting insanely hot here in the UK. We’ve had a few scorching days recently, including a day where it reached 40 degrees Celcius, which I believe was the hottest day ever here. I have to remind readers who don’t live here that in the UK, air-conditioning isn’t everywhere. Our houses and buildings are built to hold in heat rather than keep us cool. So, you can imagine how unbearable it was for us to have to endure such high temperatures. I think we are due some more warm days in August too but I’m really hoping it doesn’t reach that level again. 

In the mean time, I’ve been reading a lot of excellent books that I have to share with you. There is a great mix this month, so I’m pretty sure that you’ll find something to devour!

-Love, Alex x

FICTION: Honey & Spice by Bolu Babalola.

Kiki Banjo hosts the popular student radio show Brown Sugar at Whitewell University. She avoids relationships and does her best to make sure that the African-Caribbean women of her university don’t fall for the campus players. Enter Malakai Korede, who Kiki kisses to get rid of her own situationship but then sees listening figures for Brown Sugar nosedive. To get her listenership back up in time to apply for a fantastic professional opportunity and to rescue her reputation, Kiki begins a fake relationship with Malakai, who definitely won’t steal her heart. Kiki and Malakai are very easy to root for and I loved that female friendship and taking down the patriarchy reigns supreme in this cute, heartwarming rom-com. I really appreciated the glimpse into the world of Black creatives and the struggles they face, as this felt very authentic. A really fun, easy read!

HISTORICAL FICTION: Joan by Katherine J. Chen.

In 1412, France is rapidly losing its war with England. The king has vanished and the country’s hopes lay at the feet of a teenage girl, hell-bent on victory and peace. Joan is an epic story of resilience and unimaginable strength. I knew little about Joan of Arc before reading this captivating novel but I now know that she was a woman that everyone can aspire to emulate. It’s a truly heartbreaking tale but the stroke of hope at its end reminded me that the even the darkest times eventually pass.

MIDDLE-GRADE: The Double Trouble Society by Carrie Hope Fletcher.

Maggie and Ivy have been best friends their whole lives and they’re always looking for adventure. Crowood Peak has a dark history of missing children and it’s apparently happening again. The strange thing is that the adults don’t seem to notice. Hokum House has long been empty but now, it appears to have someone living there. Someone who looks a bit witchy. Could she be the key to discovering the truth about the missing children? This whimsical, magical story is so cute and thoroughly engaging. With themes of sisterhood, found family, empowerment and love conquering all, The Double Trouble Society is wonderfully cinematic. I can see it being an adorable Halloween-esque animation! Perfect for fans of Robin Stevens’ Wells & Wong series but with a healthy dose of witchiness!

FANTASY: Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson.

As young girls, Helena, Elle, Leonie and Niamh joined HMRC, a secret government department founded by Queen Elizabeth I. Decades later, Helena is High Priestess of the coven but the others have left the outdated organisation behind. Now a powerful warlock has been captured by authorities and causes a huge problem for Helena. Can the four witches come together to do what’s right? Or will tradition be more important? This heart-rending, unique witch book explores transphobia and sisterhood. There are some great characterisations, dealing with themes of bigotry, acceptance and fighting for what’s right. It leaves us on a huge cliffhanger too, so I can’t wait for the next instalment!

THRILLER: The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell.

Human remains have been found on the banks of the Thames and DI Samuel Owusu finds that the bones are linked to a cold case from 30 years before. Lucy Lamb fled London years ago but now she’s finally back with her children. However, her brother has taken off in search of the boy who was so prevalant in their past. Rachel Rimmer has just heard that her husband Michael has been found dead in his house in France and the police have some questions for her. As these mysteries unravel, it becomes apparent that they share some intricate connections. Following on from The Family Upstairs (yes, you do need to read that one first!), The Family Remains is a complex family drama with a lot of moving parts. There are some fascinating characters embroiled in themes of conspiracy and revenge with a very satisfying ending.

#july books #book recommendations #recommendations #books #bookworm