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forestdeath1 · 1 month

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Magnum Opus or Great Work: Alchemical Codes in "Harry Potter"

"I've never wanted to be a witch, but an alchemist, now that's a different matter. To invent this wizard world, I've learned a ridiculous amount about alchemy." JKR. By the way, it seems JKR never became an alchemist because you can't be that evil an alchemist, Joanne. Something went wrong.

The first part about Lily and James

Voldemort – an occult alchemist, Lucifer. Snape – a Seeker who chose the wrong Path. Dumbledore – Keeper of the Tower. Hermione – Hermes Trismegistus. Harry, Hermione and Ron – the three principles for creating the Philosopher's Stone.

Alchemy is the universal path of spiritual transformation. In a literal sense, universal, this code is practically everywhere–from ancient myths and the Bible to the philosophy of Nietzsche (though in his understanding) and Jung's books. Harry Potter himself is a complete alchemist's path, but there's also a well-displayed second path–the path of the occult alchemist.

True alchemy tells us that God is in everything, like a seed present in every person. Through alchemical transformation, a person can be reborn – and become golden, divine, immortal.

Many famous people were fascinated by these ideas – from Newton to Goethe, from Walter to Mozart. Yes, Walter and Mozart were freemasons, but freemasonry is built on the Magnum Opus, it's its foundation. Who has seen the opera The Magic Flute? A completely masonic opera: the surface layer was for the people, and the deeper layer – for the spiritual elite of that time. In this opera, the power of love transforms people and makes them divine. Oh, it seems to resemble Harry Potter, hehe... Harry Potter also has two layers – one as a fairytale about a wizard for teenagers, the other – for those who can "feel" the symbols, even without knowing them.

Each symbol can be interpreted in several ways, that's the complexity of alchemical symbolism. For example, Albus Dumbledore. He symbolizes (in JKR's own words) Spirit ( he's white), and Rubeus Hagrid – Soul (red) – and they're both like two fatherly figures for Harry, distant and warm, judicious and understanding. But all this is at the character level. Dumbledore has other meanings – much more important ones. As I've said before, the symbolic level and the character level are different levels. In interpreting symbols, you don't need to interpret every line, you need to take the context as a whole. Characters operate on one level, symbols – on another.

So, alchemy is an extension of the universal idea – to be reborn, you need to "die." Like Jesus died on the cross, Orpheus on the banks of the River Gebre, and Osiris in the coffin prepared by Typhon, in alchemy, until all the elements (parts of the old personality) die, the work cannot be completed.

The stages of this alchemical process can be traced in the lives of almost all world "heroes" and in the mythology and legends of many cultures. This is a universal code.

“Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” John 3:3

Alchemy proclaims that without decomposition, the Great Work cannot be accomplished.

The past Self dies on the cross and in the retorts and becomes black during decomposition. The new Self rises from hell, like a phoenix. The phoenix is a pure alchemical symbol.

This is the creation of the Philosopher's Stone.

It is symbolically described in "The Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz". The book presents an allegorical story divided into "Seven Days" or "Seven Journeys," which tells how its author, Christian Rosenkreutz, was invited to a castle full of wonders to help with the "Chymical Wedding" of the king and queen. Harry also receives a letter in a storm (like Rosenkreutz) and goes to the castle for 7 years, chooses one of the four paths (Gryffindor), and so on.

Alchemists called the creation of the Philosopher's Stone the Great Work – Opus Magnum. This process consisted of three stages: decomposition (nigredo), rebirth (albedo), and final perfection (rubedo). Each of these stages corresponded to a specific colour: black, white and red.

Nigredo. Albedo. Rubedo.

In Harry Potter, these stages correspond to Sirius Black, Albus (white) Dumbledore, and Rubeus (red) Hagrid. The end of each stage is marked by their death. In the seventh book, it's Hagrid who carries the "dead" Harry.

There is a fundamental difference between "true alchemists" and "occult alchemist."

Tom Riddle is an occult alchemist. For him, the Great Work is also self-creation, but what kind? For him, it is complete mastery of his abilities and his future, and especially the complete liberation of his will.

Tom is a will, but his will not submissive to the will of God. It's a Luciferian will. The will of a fallen angel who began to oppose his own free will to the influence of Divine Love-Light. Instead, he sought and loved his own power outside Divinity, in himself.

"Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heaven" John Milton, "Paradise Lost"

Baphomet, or the Sabbatic Goat, drawing by Eliphas Levi, on its hands are inscriptions "Solve et Coagula." This is an alchemical principle. JKR, by the way, also has such a tattoo.

In occultism, it is believed that magic is control of one's will, and a will can control matter. After all, what did his followers choose for their motto? Magic is Might. Harry never defeated Voldemort with such magic. Because he doesn't need it.

What does Tom boast about? Tom boasts that he has mastered the deepest depths of dark magic. He went so far in it as no one before. Dark magic requires an iron will, and Tom achieved incredible heights in it. He even achieved immortality in this material universe, literally cursing his soul! Only Tom doesn't understand that Dumbledore (a true alchemist) is not interested in all this. Because true immortality is not there. True transformation is not there. Because their paths are completely different – Dumbledore is going to the "God and divine immortality," and Tom is going to "material immortality."

In general, fans of occult alchemy, the Left-Hand Path, and Nietzschean philosophy probably consider Tom a much more interesting character because here he is – the king of matter, a man of incredible will and strength who destroys the slave Christian morality and proclaims that God is dead, long live the Übermensch (homo superior)! (Nietzsche would have been proud of him…) By the way, Bellatrix is most likely symbolically – Lilith, Adam's first wife according to Kabbalistic apocrypha, who rebelled against Adam. God created them equal, and Adam wanted to have power over Lilith... In short, Lilith is the first feminist in human history, hehe.

The Fallen Angel by Alexandre Cabanel. Lilith.

In short, Tom Riddle is such an adept of broken alchemy. Where Tom is his own personal will, Harry is Faith and the will of the Spirit. Harry is also very strong-willed, but his will is different, it's not individualistic. It's a will of sacrifice, a will of love, a will of mercy, a will of trust. The main theme of the seventh book is a crisis of faith. And what kind of will does one need to show to continue the quest for Horcruxes and not go for the Deathly Hallows? Simply put, the will of Harry and Tom is completely different.

And Tom will never understand this. He's an individualist. He's a Nietzschean Übermensch. He's reached the limits of human capabilities. But for what? From dust you are and to dust you shall return, Tom...

Severus Snape — a Seaker who chose the wrong Path

And Snape, by the way, initially turns away from Lily (Lily is love of God, represented in the world). Because he's obsessed with becoming dark magic, his ego and desire for secret knowledge and being proud are very great.

Btw, Lily is a mudblood. In the sense that God is not in shining beautiful armor. This is Lucifer's mask – to be pure, to shine, to sparkle. But the real God can be found by seeking, under the feet of the poorest and "dirtiest" person. After all, for God, everyone is equal. It's the Devil who divides.

And pure-bloods, for example, the Blacks, are "false purity." Luciferian purity. Material purity, purity of shining gold. It's division. And where there's division – there's the Devil.

In short, Snape turns away from Lily because this path is difficult, he doesn't understand how to approach her, he already uses dark magic, has a lot of knowledge, and delves into various secrets, and shows what "bad" paths other seekers (the Marauders) take... (The seeker is not my term, it's from the Rosicrucian manifesto, alchemists call themselves seekers) But Lily still refuses to unite Spirit and Soul. And he calls her a "mudblood," insulting her. For Lily, this is a sign that this soul is almost lost. And there's no sincere regret in him when he asks for forgiveness. He asks her to forgive him, but his soul is still on the old Path. Lily isn't angry with him, it's not about anger or offense. Snape's soul is almost lost at this moment, closed to the divine spark and love. After all, for love to enter your heart, you first need to open yourself to it.

Only when Snape sees true face of Tom's "alchemy," in which Tom is ready to kill Love, the divine spark, essentially kill God in the souls of all people, then Snape, as a real Seeker, realizes that he's going the wrong way... And he runs to the main Alchemist, Dumbledore, to ask to preserve this love, this manifestation of God on earth.

But you can't preserve it without preserving the seeker of the right Path in your soul (James) and without preserving the possibility of the emergence of the transformed soul (Harry).

This is a very important moment, not only because you can't kill people in principle. Dumbledore literally tells him that you can't save love of God, the divine spark in your soul, if you kill in yourself the one who reaches out to God (the deer) and if you kill the POSSIBILITY of becoming this new transformed soul (Harry).

For Snape, this becomes a turning point, and he decides to switch sides to true alchemy. Dumbledore asks in return for Snape's soul, but not in the sense that the Devil demands it, he asks for loyalty to the Path. Below I'll explain the symbolism of Dumbledore and what he means in terms of alchemical symbolism (I don’t think he is God).

Snape becomes loyal to Dumbledore. But Lily is killed, as is James. The world, despite the fact that Voldemort temporarily goes into hibernation (and the Savior is alive), plunges into despair. Sirius (as a divine symbol of light) is in captivity, Remus (a symbol of a seeker with a "good but not brave" soul) is somewhere wandering the world, and Harry lives very poorly with the Dursleys... Harry doesn't know any God, and the seeker in him is also "dead". And Voldemort will soon rise again, he's just gathering strength.

Harry's path is the path of returning to God through Mother of God (Theotokos). Because it is Mother of God who is the true Spirit. That's why he meets Lily only at the end of the seventh book, when he's almost completed the alchemical transformation. For Christians, this is heresy, but for alchemists, it's not. The Son and Mother of God are one whole. The Virgin Mary is part of the Trinity, because only through the spiritual unity of the Mother and the Son is the salvation of humanity possible.

And who does he meet her through? Through Snape. Who dedicated his entire life to transforming his Soul, merging it with the Spirit, ultimately coming to God.

He spent his whole life hating James, as a Seeker of a different kind, not like him—Snape always leaned a bit towards Nietzschean stories. And James always hated Dark Magic and all dark things (although this doesn't make the souls of this type much better, they can also be egocentric). Snape teaches Potions, he knows how to bottle up Love, Death and Luck... So much power, so much pride in this...

Recently, I reposted a very interesting post. Snape wanted to recover his soul, because he was guilty of Lily's death. A very beautiful meta, but I see a bit different alchemical meaning. His soul is broken not only because Lily partly died because of him. His soul is broken overall because of the Path he chose - that of an occult alchemist, and he remains a "spy" to the end of his days, playing two roles, constantly "here and there". He dies at the hands of his former master.

Snape takes Lily's letter because he needs Lily's love (like people wear crosses), while there isn't enough understanding of where to go (Dumbledore is already dead)

Snape always yearned for Lily. And Dumbledore asks for us, the readers: "After all this time?" And Snape answers for us "Always." You must love God always. And that is salvation for the soul.

In general, Snape only understands towards the end that you cannot love Lily without Harry and even James. Only one Path leads to Lily - the same as James’s path. The path of Ego, pride, thirst for power, secret knowledge, occultism, malice, hatred must finally dissolve. Snape fully exposes himself to Harry, although he shouldn't have (he should only pass on information about death), revealing the good (and the bad) that he always hid. His revelation to him speaks of his complete acceptance. He shows him his soul, literally bowing his head to him - here I am, here is my soul, in some things I have no excuse, sometimes I have justification, but I've been seeking God, seeking love all my life.

Will you accept my wounded soul?

This is confession. The realest confession.

And Harry accepts. Of course, Harry accepts. He looks at him with Lily's eyes.

Because no matter how "bad" you are, if you truly love God in your soul, if you truly seek Him, there will always be a place for you in the City of God. Snape is the constantly replayed plot of the Prodigal Son's return.

At this moment, all the "black" in Snape dies – the nigredo. Tears - the white stage, purification – the albedo stage, purification. Blood – naturally, the red stage. The alchemical transformation for Snape is complete.

(But geniuses from TikTok will still say that Harry shouldn't have named his son Albus Severus, because Snape was baaaad. Ofc he was bad sometimes, that's the point!)

Dumbledore is the embodied Path and Plan

As I mentioned before, Dumbledore asks for Snape's soul in return, but not in the sense that the Devil demands it, he asks for loyalty to the alchemical Path.

Dumbledore, as an alchemist, besides embodying the completion of the albedo stage for Harry with his death, is also the embodied Path. Dumbledore is the highest Guardian of the Tower, who watches over the Paths of others, he is the Man of Spirit, he is the Principle, he is the Master. What is the difference between Dumbledore and Lily? Lily is a more important symbol, she is like pure divine power, God = love, as in what all souls dissolve. Dumbledore, on the other hand, is the Guardian of the Path through which everyone must pass. In short, Lily is the answer to the question "where", and Dumbledore is the "how". And Dumbledore is just a man who also underwent his alchemical transformation and who can also succumb to temptation. But Dumbledore is not GOD, imo. To personify God in a book is too much (even for me, although I’m not religious at all). I don’t like the idea of him being God and... really, where? God is transcendent and pure divine love emanates from Lily that’s why she almost an empty canvas. Dumbledore is a principle. He is the answer to the question "HOW". That's why he asks to believe in him, believe in the ALCHEMICAL PATH AND PLAN. FOLLOW THIS PLAN TO THE END. Ascend the tower, as I once ascended it. After all, he lives up there in the tower. He observes.

For Snape, Dumbledore is so important because Dumbledore is the Path, a new Path that he did not have. And Dumbledore's death is so important for everyone because now no one points them towards the Path. But they must find this Path within themselves. Because the answers are inside them. You cannot become a true Alchemist if you constantly rely on external help. It's time to see the Path independently.

"You must kill me."

There was a long silence, broken only by an odd clicking noise. Fawkes the phoenix was gnawing a bit of cuttlebone. (HP and DH)

After Dumbledore says that Snape must kill him, there is silence and a very clear symbol - the phoenix and the bone. It's time for their souls to go independently, to eat away all the old to come to rebirth. Meanwhile, they also need to save Draco, who, by "Lucifer's" order, is about to kill the Path (although you can't outplay God's plan...). And then Dumbledore reveals that Harry must die.

This shocks Snape. Like any alchemist on the Path. How so, to die? After all, we all do everything to become closer to God, to immortality, and you say – just die? What kind of Path is this?

"I thought…all these years…that we were protecting him for her. For Lily.”

After all, we were protecting Harry for Lily, because as I've already said, only through the spiritual unity of the Mother and the Son is the salvation of humanity possible. Snape is protecting the son for the mother, and Dumbledore wants to kill him? For what?

Simply put, Snape doesn't understand that no one can save Harry until he dies and is reborn. It's painful, but all heroes go through this path for rebirth.

Dumbledore knows that there is a "seed" of "evil" in Harry, as in any of us. After the fall, we all carry Luciferian part within us. This is the last thing that must die in Harry, and he himself must die for it.

No one promised that the path of the alchemist would be easy. It's understandable why not everyone loves Dumbledore, he seems too cold and manipulative, but there is no other way for Harry on the symbolic level.

The Great Work

There are three stages of the Great Work: decomposition (nigredo), purification (albedo) and ultimate perfection (rubedo). These stages for Harry culminate in the deaths of Sirius Black, Albus Dumbledore, and his own death, where he is carried out of the forest by Rubeus Hagrid.

And the result of his alchemical work should be Rebis — essentially the alchemical philosopher's stone, an androgynous being. In the collection of dialogues attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, God is depicted as androgynous. (Hermes Trismegistus is essentially the one who created the corpus of Hermetic texts).

Rebis is the unity of opposites. Day and night, Man and Woman, Good and Evil, Light and Darkness. All is one. There is no division. The wholeness of God. After the fall, we are all divided. And after the alchemical transformation, we can finally become whole and find ourselves and God.

In the form of merged men and women, sometimes depicted as the Virgin Mary and Christ, because They are one whole. As I have already said, for many alchemists, the Virgin Mary is part of the Trinity because only through the spiritual unity of the Mother and the Son was the redemption of original sin made possible. As I have already said, although Harry suffers more for James (his father turned out not to be as ideal as he thought), Lily is the main symbol in "Harry Potter".

The Nigredo stage literally means "blackness" - it signifies complete breakdown, decay, descent into the underworld, the trance of grief. It's a descent into the deepest fears, disbelief, denial, loss of self, anger, aggression. And through this - a return to the prima materia. This is what happens to Harry, "The Order of the Phoenix" is a very dark and depressing book, and with Sirius's death, this stage for Harry is completed. Sirius himself also undergoes transformations, but about this in the next part. The nigredo stage, during which a person's ego dissolves, is agonizing but necessary for further development. After the "I" meets its "shadow" and disintegrates into parts, it will need to be purified and recreated.

Albedo ("whiteness") symbolizes purification, transition to another world, change of life priorities, awakening, enlightenment. In alchemy, the transition from nigredo to albedo is achieved through the process of washing. The whole sixth book is misty, "white", "wet". "Washing" (albutio, baptisma) directly leads to whiteness (albedo). Purification. It's also silver, a lunar state. In Harry Potter, there is a character named Luna, which means moon in Latin. In different parts of the books, Luna also symbolizes this stage. With Dumbledore's death this stage for Harry completed.

Rubedo ("redness") - the final stage of the alchemical Great Work. The alchemist must establish a kind of sacrificial relationship with his inner essence. At the final stage, the so-called "alchemical marriage" takes place: the marriage of the Red King and the White Queen - Soul and Spirit. Harry (soul) and Lily (spirit) are united. With Hagrid carrying Harry this stage for Harry completed.

Bu the way, the Golden Snitch is an alchemical symbol also.

Firstly, Harry's position is called the Seeker. Alchemists also called themselves that. Secondly, the winged disc is a very ancient symbol, meaning the sun (God) and immortality.

The Snitch reveals to him the Resurrection Stone, and Harry "encounters" his main symbols, but the main one is Lily. It is her he asks not to leave him.

Harry's death here is read by everyone as the well-known plot of Christ's crucifixion. The path to this death is also a reference to the agony of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane before the Crucifixion. After all, Harry also wanted to end up somewhere, but Hogwarts is his home, and he accepts his fate.

My Father! all things are possible for Thee: take this cup of suffering away from me: and yet not what I desire, but what Thou desirest. Mark 14:36

He wanted to be stopped, to be dragged back, to be sent back home... But he was home.

Lily's Eyes

To be honest, I can assume that her green eyes was chosen at random. But what if they weren't? Her green eyes may seem illogical, as this is the colour of the snake, the colour of Slytherin, the colour of evil. But this is the occult Luciferian snake, the erroneous snake. Originally, green also dates back to Hermes Trismegistus – the god who gave the knowledge of alchemy. The most famous of the old hermetic-alchemical texts is inscribed on the "Emerald Tablet". According to legend, this document was left by Hermes Trismegistus on a plate of emerald in an Egyptian temple.

"The Emerald Tablet" is very important for alchemists." According to legend, a large emerald fell to the earth from Lucifer's head when he was cast out of heaven. From the same emerald that fell from the crown of the fallen Lucifer, angels made the Holy Grail (which is also the philosopher's stone, and the Snitch...). Emerald is a sacred green stone, and the heavenly divine world - the homeland of the emerald - a precious stone in which information about the heavenly homeland is encoded.

There is also the Ouroboros - a snake that devours its own tail - a symbol of infinity and immortality.

And the Snitch, which is a reflection of Hermes Trismegistus' staff (which has two battling snakes - two opposites, Spirit and Soul, Good and Evil and so on, and Hermes establishes unity between them with his staff).

Occultists, of course, interpret these symbols in their own way.

Hermione is Hermes Trismegistus. Mercury. Ron — Sulphur. Harry— Salt.

Hermione (Ἑρμιόνη [hermi. ónɛː]) is a feminine given name derived from the Greek messenger god Hermes. As I said, Hermes Trismegistus is the main figure of Hermetic teaching, he is also the one who predicted the coming of the Savior (traditional Christianity should not be confused with Gnostic teachings, the Church has always been against Gnosticism). In addition, Hermes is Mercury, and that is knowledge. Hermes Trismegistus shares "secret knowledge" with the world, which forms the basis of many Gnostic directions - from alchemy to Kabbalah.

Hermione is a little alchemist, she shares knowledge. It is Hermione who insists on complete trust in Dumbledore, it is Hermione who often leads Harry in the right direction when Dumbledore is not around. It is through Dumbledore and Hermione that "moral lessons" are often sounded, which often seem completely out of place. Like when Dumbledore says that James would forgive Peter. At that moment, I always want to say, "Are you out of your mind?!" although I understand that it is described on a symbolic, not personal level.

Mercury (Hermione), Sulphur (Ron), and Salt (Harry) were necessary in the alchemical transformation and were the main components. To create the philosopher's stone, all three elements had to be combined, and Harry is next to them throughout all the books.

Both Hermione and Ron are equally important in Harry's development.

Mercury is the more fluid primary principle, more rational, the feminine principle, while Sulphur is dynamic, expansive, unstable, acidic, unifying, masculine, paternal, and fiery principle. Sulphur is emotional, it is desire and passionate impulse that motivates life. Sulphur is desire. And according to Jung's reflections, it can also be foul and dangerous. Complete transmutation depends on the correct application of this variable principle. Sulphur must be of quality for transmutation to occur. And Ron achieves this quality.

Also, in mystical alchemy, Sulphur is crystallized inspiration of Mercury (Mercury).

Mercury and Sulphur are simultaneously antagonists, like the male and female elements, but at the same time Sulphur is crystallized Mercury.

So I have always been and will always be for Romione! Hehe. They were made for each other!

And as for Salt - that's Harry. It's the body. Sometimes it is called earth and body, salt is the essential body (corpus).

Alchemists say that salt was the first substance created by fire, emanating from God. In salt, all creation is concentrated, in salt the beginning and the end of all things.

Salt is associated with the ultimate elevation of matter - with matter that has acquired consciousness, achieved through the unity of opposites, including the unity of fire and water, the unity of what is above and what is below. Salt is the ultimate Philosopher's Stone, representing transcendence and ultimate knowledge.

Thus, salt symbolizes consciousness (thoughts, feelings, material, etc.), which must be elevated through alchemical processes of dissolution and recrystallization. Well, that's Harry himself.

Just love this stupid moment

Well, that's it, I think I've said everything, and from the next part, we can move on to the Marauders themselves :D

#i'm wondering if anyone but me is even interested in this at all #harry potter meta #harry potter #hermione granger #ron weasley #pro ron weasley #rubeus hagrid #pro severus snape #pro albus dumbledore #pro romione #hp meta #severus snape meta #lily evans #tom riddle #voldemort #tom riddle meta #bellatrix lestrange

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d3sertdream3r · 1 year

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I’ve noticed a lot of rancid takes about Taliesin’s characters that are annoying me, so I’m going to rant for a minute.

Tal has perfected the art of creating paradoxical characters, and I think a lot of people end up getting lost and confused in the layers. This is not a “if you don't get it, you’re dumb” type of thing. It’s just that I wish people would truly ponder his characters and why they’re the way they are because they’re not the stereotypical protagonists that North American entertainment focuses on. They’re not strictly kind and generous, intelligent and charming, or hateful and arrogant. They’re all of the above.

A lot of western media features characters that are fairly cut and dry and easy to understand. There isn’t a ton of complexity happening, and from what I’ve seen, the majority of the people hating on his characters and role-play style are from areas where they aren't used to Tal’s type of character. They’re not used to characters having multiple characteristics that seem to contradict each other all at once (even though that’s how people are in real life). I’m guessing that’s part of why they don't like them, but who knows.

Caduceus is the least paradoxical of his characters, which is why I think most people say he’s their favorite of Tal’s characters. He is the personification of a fluffy blanket and a warm hug. What’s not to love?? Percy, Molly/Kingsley, and Ashton on the other hand, are all much rougher around the edges. The point of them is to provide the opposite of comfort for the audience; they're meant to make people a little uncomfortable. They hold up a mirror to the audience and force us to look at the parts of humanity that we try to avoid. Not the pure evil of mankind that Matt’s villains often show, but something even more sad and hard to swallow.

Audiences tend to like characters that deal with trauma through humor and/or charm. People benefit from these types of characters by laughing at them or lusting over them. There’s nothing wrong with this by any means; that’s all part of the fun of fandom! However, characters that deal with their trauma in ways that are more raw and painful tend to be disliked.

Percy is filled with constant fear that his past will haunt his future. He is convinced that wherever he goes, the darkness will follow and the pain awaits. He has horrible nightmares and lives with incessant paranoia, yet faces the deadliest monsters, demons, gods, etc with nothing but his wit and a gun. He can't stop inventing, not just to glorify himself but to protect everyone. He’s so many things at once, which is what makes him so real and complex and fascinating.

Molly/Kingsley’s story is about wondering who you truly are and not meeting expectations of those you care about. Imagine that you’re not the only one comparing yourself to someone else; all your friends are too. You’re trying to figure out what defines you while feeling like everyone you know wants you to be someone else. His story is also filled with questions about nihilism and whether or not anything truly matters, including identity.

Ashton represents the endless loneliness of abandonment and feeling like no matter what you do, those you love will never care about you as much as you care about them. He pushes people away and acts like he doesn’t have a care in the world while simultaneously doing everything he can to grip onto his friends. He is jealous of Laudna for the way she died because it showed how loved she was, and how sick is that? To be jealous of someone’s death? To try and force someone to admit that they haven’t gotten over their issues because you can’t accept that it’s possible to overcome yours? What's wrong with you? If it’s possible for people to do that, why can't you? What’s wrong with you? Why is it so hard for you when it seems so easy for others? What’s wrong with you? They represent not just the physical, but the emotional chronic pain that most people don’t have to think about every day.

I have so much more to say about these amazing characters, but that would take an entire novel. They emotionally bleed all over the place. While they can still be lighthearted and humorous at times, they’re often really messy in various ways. But that doesn’t stop them from being so loving and wonderful at the same time!

TL;DR, Taliesin’s characters are incredible and I’m so grateful that he is willing to play them in such a raw and real way for those of us that aren’t always funny or charming enough about our trauma to make society like us.

#I had to get this out of my system #It's so long and I cut so much out #TALIESIN JAFFE I LOVE YOU #critical role #percy de rolo #mollymauk tealeaf #kingsley tealeaf #ashton greymoore #look at my lovely little blorbos #taliesin jaffe #his characters are always my favorite

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beanghostprincess · 5 months

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Tbh I don’t even need Shanks or Buggy to be pining 100 percent of the time, I’ll gladly would read a fic or thing where they both have moved on (for the most part because Buggy hasn’t ever been normal about Shanks ever as evidence by the earlier at chapters he ever even appeared in. Nobody who’s moved on gets flashbacks to the time a guy made you eat a fruit) but Shanks sees the opportunity to at least… talk to his old crewmate and takes it. They used to best friends after all. Just curious to see what Buggy’s been doing is all. And Buggy is just in a position where drinking with isn’t the worst he could do that day so he accepts the invitation. None of them have been “pining” for the other really. They never even really expected to run into each other like this again.

… and all it takes is five minutes of Shanks listening to Buggy rambling to remember that little crush he had on him as a child and it takes an hour for him to suddenly realize “…. Oh fuck. The feelings back. Or it never left and was just behind a layer of time that now has been pulled away. The exact same feeling. Fuck. Turns out it wasn’t even a “little crush” either. Shit. Gonna drink myself into a stupor.”

And it doesn’t even take half an hour for Buggy to suddenly remember why the idea of going for the One Piece with Shanks seemed like at least a feasible idea at one point before Shanks managed to destroy Buggy’s image of him as a shining Star so thoroughly, because Shanks has put his remaining arm around him and is laughing and there’s just this charisma dripping of him and Buggy remembers that Shanks looked kinda cute back in the day with just the slightest amount of baby fat still in his cheeks but now he’s fucking STUNNING and god why is he wondering about the “what ifs” and “what could have beens” NOW? He hasn’t questioned his choice to leave that fool standing in the rain for DECADES why is - Fuck it! Gonna drink himself into a stupor.

New dynamic dropped: “We used to be over each over but now we had one good night out that made us question everything and none of us can be normal about it for five minutes”

You literally read my mind completely with this. I am obsessed with this concept because it's, for me, the closest to their canon dynamic and characters. They're still very important to each other and seeing the other brings back both good and bad memories. Their relationship is extremely complex and full of love covered in layers and layers of years without each other and new experiences. And I'm 100% sure they constantly ask themselves what could've been or what would have happened if they had stayed together. Chapter 1082 of the manga (why the hell do I know the number? Don't ask. I am not obsessed and it's not like I reread that chapter every day) confirms that. They make me go insane. I wish I could say more about it but you've said everything on my mind???? Thank you.

#they're so silly hahahaha *cries*#they make me sob #one piece #buggy the clown #red haired shanks #shuggy

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mimikoolover · 21 days

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https://www.tumblr.com/mimikoolover/747133685011300352/funny-of-yall-to-cry-about-this-but-not-the

I guess my mom and dad are not married because i cannot tell you how many times my dad or mom have left church without telling the other person if one of them was wasting time after a long ass church service chatting with friends. My dad will just drive off and we have my mom coming to say “oh did he leave?” And no one loves each other as much as my parents so maybe this is why i am not understanding the fuzz about Jk leaving a concert without telling Jimin and how it is supposedly proof that they are not dating💀.

Some people’s idea of what couples should do or how they should behave is really funny to me because it almost seems like some of y’all don’t understand human relationships with their complexity and layers.

Don’t even get me started with this person who thinks that Tae leaving Jk alone at a ski resort is better that Jk leaving a concert premises without telling Jimin. After the members finish their concerts, do you see them going to each other to say they are leaving? Nope! They just drive off in their respective cars whether the others see them or not. Isn’t this the same thing? During PTD in Vegas didn’t Jk leave with jimin on all 4 nights while Tae left alone? For u tkkrs in lurking, do u think Jk ran to tell Tae he was leaving all those times? I’m sure Jm was just surprised they had left because he was probably somewhere else and didn’t expect that he will come out have all left and not because he was really expecting them to say bye b4 leaving.

I wonder why jimin will choose to enlist with a shitty person like Jungkook and say he relies on him when Jk is shitty enough to leave a concert without telling him. Sacre bleau!!!!

honestly! I can also see a scenario where jimin probably had to do something work-related with staff before/after the concert. taekook agreed to go to the concert together but jimin told them he can't go in the same car/at the same time cause of work. they 100% would have asked him to join them otherwise. so it was probably a situation where taekook went together and technically jimin went separately because of work so taekook wasn't expecting to leave together in the first place. people hang onto this because it's the first time ever that there's no 'proof' jikook 'knew' where the other was because otherwise they always know where the other is at/what they're doing. and technically they knew at this time too. plus it's very very likely that their destination was the same aka the restaurant they all went to after the concert. literally the only thing that happened was that jikook didn't leave in the same car at the same time. there is no way they would just dip without jimin if they thought he would be joining them in the car. it's such a nothing burger that it's so funny😆there are people that have it in their heads that jungkook is cruel to jimin and that's honestly just awful. jimin isn't a pushover, he got rid of friends because they were disrespectful to bts/bts members. if jungkook wasn't treating him right he would not be enlisting with him.

#jikook

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windvexer · 10 months

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hey not sure if this is okay to ask but i was wondering who i could even ask about something like this and you were the first person i thought of! i been using some oracle cards for years now and they are pretty intuitive and over the years we got to understand eachother pretty well to the point i understand what they mean with no problem. i decided to get a tarot deck is a very nice one (star spinner tarot) and it comes with a booklet with some information of each card but i feel like is not enough for me to grasp what they are trying to say? (also i never used reversed meanings with my other cards so thats a bit confusing) i was wondering if you have any advice for someone getting into tarot? i do have experience with like other cards, pendulums, even runes, etc. but i feel like the information that came with this one is very short and i cant understand them as well as my regular cards sorry if this is not an okay thing to ask!!

Hi, Anon.

Star Spinner tarot looks lovely!

You don't have to use reversals. I don't use them sometimes. It depends on my mood and how much I want to deal with.

For anyone getting into tarot, I would recommend starting your own notes and adding information from many different resources.

For most decks, lots online information is available for each card. BiddyTarot.com is a popular resource for more general card meanings. If you'd really like to study tarot, I highly recommend The Mystical Origins of the Tarot by Paul Huson.

As you study extended resources, contemplate meanings for a certain card as you look at the card. Consider not only popular contemporary meanings (BiddyTarot) and what your deck creator has to say (booklet with the cards), but also historical resources (Huson).

As you find meanings that resonate with you and stick out to you, add them to your notes.

Don't worry about trying to paint a complete picture of every card. Focus on the meanings that make sense to you. Most readers seem to find that their understandings of the cards are in flux and will always grow and evolve. So you're creating a starting point for where you're at right now, not the all-time ultimate meaning reference book.

Don't worry at all about trying to memorize the cards. Even professional readers you pay will still use their guidebooks and notes if they want to.

Common advice given to beginners is to start with only one-card draws and maybe do a 3-card spread if you're feeling bold, but this advice didn't work for me, and may not work for you either.

When I began reading I got so little information from each card that I had to do relatively large spreads just to get any information out of them.

It might help you to experiment with the number of cards drawn, and in what spreads you place them.

There are many exercises a person can do to try and connect with their cards more. Try forgetting the book meanings altogether and trying to craft story narratives based on what's happening in the pictures.

Another exercise that can be fun and helpful is to play with your deck while you watch a show. During the show, pull random cards and ask yourself how that card relates to what you're seeing on screen. You might want to pause and look at the book, but also look for other ways to connect:

The mood or atmosphere of the picture

The different characters on the card, what they're doing, and how they're acting

The location or setting of the card

The objects that can be found in the card

The goal of this TV show exercise is not to perform accurate readings on a TV show, but to stretch your mind and become comfortable relating the card to real world situations. As long as you can say, "this card matches because [...]," you have won the game.

Lastly, tarot is a relatively complex divinatory system with lots of moving parts and layers of meaning. It's normal for it to take a while to sink in - it's definitely not the easiest system to get into.

#answered #tarot #divination

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alwaystuesday · 6 months

Text

Ok so I'm still here. Apparently. Floating around in all your art and metas and fanfic. And it's wonderful and angst-inducing at the same time.

Some thoughts I'm mostly writing down and sharing to try to help them escape the confines of my tired, tired head. Maybe then I can have some peace? Probably not but still.

1. I dont like assigning blame or taking sides between our ineffable idiots. Love isnt a competition. People are what they are and sometimes choice doesnt come into it. Sometimes everyone loses. Sometimes people can be absolutely made for each other - absolutely 100% destined and perfect, and just what the other needs. But their pasts and their presents and their emotional needs and external ties are just too far away from each other in a moment in time. It doesnt - cant - happen. Incompatible operating systems. Sometimes things work out later. Sometimes never. That's a real life outcome people have to live with sometimes, folks.

2. Those guys are dorks. Look them both. Look at their hair style choices. Look at the angel's magic show and tartan compulsion. Crowley's ridiculous snake belt and fondness for ducks. I love them so much. I bet almost all of us can see a bit of both of them in ourselves. I'm an Aziraphale operating system with Crowley software.

3. I'm in team they both consciously know they're in love with each other at least as far back as 1967. Probably in 1941 (I really hope there's a part 3 to the London Bliz meeting in s3). Maybe Crowley knew by the time he was asking for holy water. Maybe much earlier. In some ways I think the exact moment of realisation matters less than the fact that by S1 they def know and are both already used to repressing it. Pretending has become so second nature as to be everything. Part of their lived "us". And where do you even start unpicking something that's part of "us"?

4. Whether they both have the same concept of what it is to be "in love" is an interesting question. My own concept of love has changed so much over time just during my couple of decades of adult life that I imagine 6000 years could take you to a lot of places, especially layering in the complexities and realities of queer love through history.

5. I am certain they're both living in a state of absolute terror at the implications and risks that such love creates - but in different ways. Crowley's experience of losing God's love, and the reality of the physical and mental torture that came with that and what that's done to him as an individual will hit much differently than the angel's maybe more abstract, but perhaps more encompassing fear for himself and for Crowley. Aziraphale has lost less and so has more still to lose. But the demon understands, anticipates the reality of loss much better. Perhaps it's not surprising that Crowley's default is to run away and defend what he has while Aziraphale's is to reach desperately for the outcome that maximises what he can keep (i.e. please can I keep heaven/God/Earth and Crowley?!)

6. I'm looking forward to seeing how S3 gets them through all this and to their happy ending. Because I dont believe Terry and Neil would leave those two with anything else in the end.

Kudos to anyone who managed to read to the end of this nonsense!

#they really need to put an addiction warning on this show #repeatedly taking pyschic damage #good omens #ineffable husbands #go2 #aziracrow #aziraphale #crowley #good omens s2

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strawberrywindow · 2 months

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Hey if you’re doing that ship thing….. Justin Hammer and Emil (or) Emil and Jen

Oooooh I will do both lol!

Justin and Emil

Ship It

1. I have complex feelings for this ship bc I also really like them as just platonic shitty best friends but when I do ship them I think they're very cute together in a lowkey toxic way. 😂 What made me ship them was thinking that they're essentially the evil version of the science bros ship (Bruce and Tony) and how funny it would be at how horrified Bruce and Tony would be if these two dumbasses who are both convinced they're Bruce and Tony's arch rivals started dating. And then I actually got attached to the ship, it started off as mainly crack 😂. Another big attractor was chatting with you about your Justin and Emil bc they've got some wonderful chemistry going on in your rewrite 🤧

2. My favorite thing about the ship is how opposites attract it is lol. Since we've got smarmy, fancy, CEO asshole meeting super soldier actual (reformed) nutcase who mutated himself into a monster for fun. The opposites but then also the similarities bc at the end of the day they're both wildly insecure with enormous egos and they're both sluts for money and attention. Like I feel they'd be 10/10 conmen together once they're both out of jail 💀 But those similarities also can allow for some softer parts in the relationship too bc they understand each other better than anyone else what it means to throw your life away for a revenge fueled whim and wind up taking the fall for even the stuff that WASN'T their fault. Also definitely still not being over the people that drove them to such lengths in the first place. Like they def talk mad shit about Tony and Bruce together. It's healing 🤗

3. Unpopular opinion is probably just shipping them in general agssgshdhfhf, neither of them are very popular lmao but that's why i like them. The rare pairs are always the best 😭

Jen and Emil

Ship It

1. These two make me feral, I love them so much. 😭 The She Hulk show made me ship them bc I really enjoyed how much these two genuinely seemed to grow attached to each other. Emil seems so appreciative of Jen helping him and then at the end there's the moment he protects her from the Intelligencia guys. 🥲🥲 And then Jen similarly becomes attached to him, she takes him up on his offer to come back to his ranch anytime if she feels she needs a break from the real world and then she is legit hurt that mans has been violating his parole behind her back. 🤧 I think she wants him to be better than he is willing to currently try to be, he's working on things still 💀, which just adds another layer to their relationship. I like to think if Emil has any shot at being actually redeemed in the MCU it's going to be through how he cares about Jen which just warms my heart so much. And while mans can be an asshole he's always been nothing but kind to Jen and she absolutely deserves a guy who's going to treat her well 🥲🥲🥲

2. My favorite things about the ship are how soft it allows them both to be. And also the angle of how Bruce is gonna handle it bc him being okay with Jen defending Blonsky in court is a lot different than this dude dating his cousin 😒😒😒 🤣 But mainly for Emil and Jen I just really love the idea of a more romantic relationship being a very good thing for them both. I think IF there is a person Emil will be less selfish for in canon it's probably going to be her (unless Nadia winds up being introduced in the MCU) and I think Jen would do well with being with someone that's going to move heaven and earth for her bc in She Hulk currently she's still pretty insecure when it comes to dating due to prior shitty experiences. I want her to be loved fr fr 🥲🥲 And then again, also the funnier side of things where there's the possibility of them being a couple but on opposite sides bc there's a lot of shenanigans that could ensue from that, like at some point mans will need to get a new lawyer if he doesn't shape up 😂.

3. Unpopular opinions uhhhh probably considered so by anyone who thinks that Jen can do better than Emil, which she definitely can lmfao but again, I've not seen many people also ship this, only a handful and most people who ship it seem just as in it for the vibes as I am so I'm not sure if I have any unpopular opinions for it 😂

Thank you for the ask!! Sorry for going off on a whole ass rant 🤣❤️

#ask game #emil blonsky #abomination #justin hammer #jennifer walters #she hulk #she hulk attorney at law #iron man 2 #marvel #mcu

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asmo-cosmetics · 10 months

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i didn’t mean to send that yet and i was trying to say that virgin levi is a big thing in the fandom but i can’t imagine it as a reality.

like you can’t tell me he doesn’t have sex with mammon when they’re both bored or angry, that the twins haven’t tag teamed him in their room while he was begging for them, that asmo hasn’t ridden him until he was near knocked out.

virgin levi doesn’t work for me bc the other members of the house of lamentation are right there

asks that were designed in a lab specifically for me. there are layers to this anon take my hand

in one master, none of the brothers are virgins, but in the nightbringer timeline, there's an argument to be made that they all are, because

all angels are virgins. this is a headcanon of mine and reasonable people can disagree but let me explain to you why it's so fun

SHAME. GUILT. it's canon that angels in the om! universe can be tempted by and even driven to disobedience and sin. they are naturally pious, not naturally pure – but they seem to believe they're supposed to be naturally pure, e.g. asmo asking mc if they thought the brothers were supposed to be demons all along.

it's a whole cruel mess, basically. god is the main villain of the obey me universe and i'll die on that hill.

but the result is an entire race of beings that experience sexual maturity, but due to the way their society is structured, each individual believes it to be a unique experience happening to themself exclusively, and happening to them because they are morally weak.

they're not ignorant of the concept of sexuality, because they're the guardians of humans, and humans experience sexuality. but angels shouldn't. angels, as far as any angel knows, don't.

the purest/most naïve/most loyal angels (think raphael) might not even recognize it for what it is within themselves either out of denial. like. "my brothers and sisters are so beautiful and wonderful and have such stunning features and graceful bodies. i love them very much and i love serving our father together with them. i am having a completely pure and normal reaction to them interacting with me." etc.

THIS ALSO FITS WITH THE GAME LORE. THINK ABOUT IT. LILITH IS THE FIRST ANGEL THAT EVER HAD SEX, WHICH MEANT SHE HAD TO DIE, BECAUSE IF AN ANGEL AND A HUMAN WERE TO PROCREATE IT MIGHT RESULT IN A BEING THAT DISRUPTS THE POWER BALANCE BETWEEN THE THREE REALMS. OTHERWISE KNOWN AS GODDAMN MC. GOD KILLED HER AS AN EXAMPLE TO THE ANGELS NOT TO DIRECTLY INTERFERE WITH HUMANS BECAUSE HUMANS ARE HOW THEY KNOW ABOUT SEXUALITY AS A CONCEPT okay i'm done shouting but do you understand??

(thank you diavolo for saving our grandma. you also kind of fucked up the whole universe by doing that but it's okay i get it i'm down bad for lucifer too)

anyway back to the incest stuff

the brothers were not the type of angels mentioned above. like it's been noted in the game, they were never just siblings the way all angels are siblings. they were always close. always a family. so they all experienced the solipsistic torture of loving each other and wanting each other and being sure that these feelings exist in them because they are bad and dirty and wrong

and then they were demons, and they were... free

it would've taken them a while to deconstruct everything, though

in my head, the aftermath of the war is when they became super codependent trauma-bonded weirdos. satan too, though it takes him a little longer to admit it. they start needing a lot more physical touch with each other for reassurance (cries in all sleeping in one room is canon now) and are more affectionate than before with hugs/kisses, and then asmo's sin kicks in and, well, they feed beel. they let belphie sleep. they deal with satan's meltdowns, mammon's sticky fingers, lucifer's superiority complex. they help each other. that's what brothers do.

so there's my giant lore essay. now to what's actually in your ask

you are correct

and i don't get it either (i do get it it's because obey me fans are idiots who go "ewwww incest" despite all the canon incest)

but seriously i do get why the boys as virgins is fun and i guess i could see it in the context of the brothers all being super repressed and not wanting to admit their feelings for each other? but then again. asmo.

and i get the virgin levi thing because for one thing it's cute. and for another thing he canonically has a humiliation fetish

but like that still works with demoncest levi. in fact that works better with demoncest levi. he's never had sex with anyone except his brothers. that makes him even more of a creepy shut-in freak loser.

the other brothers (especially asmo and satan) would literally teach you how to degrade him best!! hello

it's so obvious to me like bye.

also all of your suggestions are so incredibly correct. levi begging for the twins' cocks in specific has... done something to me

i will raise you, however: them DPing him. i think he could take it. and it seems like something the twins would want to do.

as i've said before levi and mammon switch bc they're both subs but mammon is the only brother i think levi's a bossy bottom with. with lucifer and satan it's "please, sir" and with asmo it's "i need you, princess" and with beel and belphie it's "as rough as you want, you won't hurt me," but with mammon it's "i swear to our fucking father if you don't put your cock in me right now i'm gonna kill you" and "harder. now." and "jesus, belphie fucks me better in his sleep, if you're gonna be this lazy turn over so i can ride you"

while i do not personally subscribe to the levi has two cocks theory i do headcanon that he is like. incredibly hung.

levi asmo belphie biggest dicks in the family. no i do not take criticism

anyway asmo's a size queen and also loves throwing shade. perfect combo

but also levi feels safest telling asmo about kinks he saw in hentai wants to try out but is embarrassed of. the first time asmo choked him out it made him come so hard asmo made the executive decision to quietly inform everyone else, who all showered him in praise after they got the same results~

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thelordofgifs · 1 year

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I'm going to mix it up a bit and ask for Fingon for the character ask :)

(character ask game!)

one aspect about them I love:

oooh I love how morally grey he is actually. He's great as a heroic warrior prince who does dramatic rescues and fights dragons - but it's the fact that he's a Kinslayer that makes him SO fascinating to me. Love a sunshine boy with a dark streak.

one aspect I wish more people understood about them

hmm see above I guess. He's complicated!! Don't make him a cinnamon roll! He's not a cinnamon roll!!

one (or more) headcanon(s) I have about this character

He was so angry with his father after his death actually. Fingon never wanted to be High King, and never really believed that Fingolfin - the wise, the patient, the steadfast! - would ever actually die. But more than that, I've talked before about how Fingon is the embodiment of hope in the Silmarillion (at least for the Exiles); and I think on a fundamental philosophical level he could not sympathise at all with Fingolfin's despair, did not understand how he could have given up when there was still hope - for Fingon there was always hope - and viewed pointless suicidal charges very unfavourably.

one character I love seeing them interact with

Hmm not to be basic but. Maedhros. I DO ship them very hard (sorry ik they're your notp!!) but even platonically I think their friendship is so excellent and touching. They care about each other so much!! The rescue!! Maedhros standing aside at Losgar!! The making of the Union!! I just love them.

one character I wish they would interact with/interact with more

getting VERY obsessed with the Fingon-Maglor relationship lately. There are so many different ways you can read it and it's fascinating. Did they hate each other? Were they grudgingly friends, or sincerely so? There's so many layers of complexity there.

one (or more) headcanon(s) I have that involve them and one other character

aahhh I think I kind of answered this above already with Fingolfin :( I do like picturing him as close to Aredhel. They're both impulsive and adventurous and maintain friendships with sons of Feanor even after the Helcaraxe!! I think Turgon tended to treat Aredhel as a Baby Sister a lot, but Fingon was rather more chill and fun with her (Fingon just has NO big brother vibes to me. Turgon got all the overprotectiveness in that family). I wonder if he ever found out (from Hurin maybe?) about her death :(

#asks #ask game #fingon #tysm bestie <3 #curufinswife

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juneviews · 8 months

Text

axelle judges non bl shows > The Jungle

summary: The Jungle are a group of good-looking men that meet regularly in the secret bar Rendezvous owned by the mysterious bartender Hunter. When certain special women approach them, their whole self-built image shatters.

where to watch: youtube

grade: 7/10

pros:

the cast is awesome!

the acting was good from everyone, though the ones who impressed me the most were my already faves off, pat, nanon, mild & lookjun, who especially slayed considering it was her first main role! they didn't have to go that hard for this show lol

the aesthetics of this show are beautiful, be it the lighting, locations and especially the outfits! each girl's wardrobe was incredibly gorgeous!

cons:

GIRLLLLLLLLLLL. the writing!!! this is one of the worst writings from gmmtv, like... ever bruh! let's analyse everything that's wrong with it:

this show is some of the worst marketing failure ever. they really done advertised a silly 6-stories romcom like a dark, mysterious murder drama bruh!!! so when the viewers started watching the show, obviously we were not gonna like it & feel like it's super surface-level & dumb, bc they had built up our expectations for a completely different show. if this show has been advertised to be in the same vain as the three gentlebros for example, we would've have accepted its three gentlebros writing. but the issue is that we expected something on the level of ps: I hate you & we didn't get anything near that.

focusing on each story one after the other impacted everything badly in this show. first of all, it makes it so every ship (except pineaugust bc they got the most screentime) looks rushed AS HELL, especially the earlier ones like lee & mook, so the romance that we were supposed to feel? isn't here babes. secondly, bc each story is so separated, the link between them feels close to non-existent and the friendship between the jungle guys feel stick thin. MOREOVER!!! since each story is so separate, once a ship get together we barely ever see them on the show again, and the later characters like nathee, hack & pine, whose stories only start by ep 8 feel non-existent during the first part of the show! you literally cannot win with this way of doing the show lol. ALSO!!! bc each story is separate, every viewer had their favorite and the one they don't care about, which means that some entire eps were super boring & people got mad some ships got better development & screentime than others.

they made their female characters look so fucking dumb & useless, oh my lord. honestly it's even more insulting considering the same team created some of the most interesting & complex female characters ever in ps: I hate you, like... makes me wonder what they were on for this. only august is written with layers & an interesting storyline, and florence is alright since she flips the usual conventions of the male lead pursuing the female lead relentlessly on its head.

the male characters aren't much better, there's so many cringy parts where they try to look cool & be defenders of women but it doesn't work at all when they've been established as players who don't respect women. btw they look pathetic bc we are TOLD that they are players but never SHOWN so they have no credibility, also I love the boys & they're all good looking or whatever but idk they weren't emanating this cool, badass energy the showrunners wanted us to feel lol.

leemook's story gave me nothing. it was the most disappointing bc it was the first so that's when I realized my expectations of a gritty series wouldn't happen, but even then not only is their story basic but there's nothing to it, it's so basic & forgettable.

the nanonpunpun story was alright, imo naanfah was probably the most interesting male character in the show (he's black from not me but in a different font lmao), but their story was rushed & didn't have a satisfying conclusion at all. also they didn't really have much chemistry compared to nanonmild imo. lastly, bc their story is so early in the show but contains what was set up as the center of the show, kaewta's murder... once it's done & we know the truth we're just left like... alright there's 8 eps left, what's even the point lol. their story should've been done differently & solved at the end imo.

the plot twist of nanon playing twins... could've been good if it was actually a plot twist??? bc the viewer is aware there's two nanon characters it just fell so flat, the reveal to punpun's character seems so ridiculous & straight out of a low-tier lakorn from 50 years ago bc the viewer is not surprised one bit bruh.

hack's character is so icky & terrible. not only is he INTRODUCED into the show using his power imbalance to fuck a student's mother, but then he has sex with irin while she's blackout drunk & thinks he's pine, which is... r*pe obviously. but then he keeps playing these games & he's just fucking terrible & icky and made me feel so gross while watching this, which is such wasted potential since he actually had really great chemistry with lookjun. but yeah throw his whole character in the trash!

nathee & florence's story is so rushed & underdeveloped, which is kinda sad bc they had good chemistry & also were very fun together. but also tbh florence's insistance on having sex with nathee when he said no 500 times is literally coercion babes, if florence was a man doing this to a girl we wouldn't find it cute.

also please for the love of god luke I'm rooting for you, but why did you have to growl like a werewolf everything you wanted to look hot & angry 😭 this man is so unserious as an actor, wishing him luck in getting better lmao

as for the augustpine storyline, imo it should've started and ended the show. the "past" should've been at the beginning of the show so that 1) we immediately get context of what brought the jungle guys together and 2) we actually FEEL the 10 years wait that pine had to feel on the show for august to come back. it would've given so much more weight to the show imo.

would I rewatch it: only the offpat parts

This was in my top 5 shows I was the most looking forward to watch this year, and goddamn did it disappoint all of my expectations except for offpat being one of the best ships ever. I would not recommend this show except for the pineaugust storyline, honestly don't bother.

#axelle judges non bl shows #the jungle #the jungle the series #bypiningbisexuals

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ahundredtimesover · 15 days

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Hey there! 😊 I just wanted to send you some love for another great chapter! As seemingly heartbreaking and devastating as the whole thing is, I am glad you chose to go this route. It can be easy to think that they can work together and still get their happily ever after, but that's not how life works and I'm glad you chose not to go that route.

I also really like your timing for these events because they now know about each other's feelings, but her leaving keeps things from getting messy. If things had played out even just slightly different then their feelings for each other could cause more problems for them in the long run. However, by her resigning now, instead of waiting until the Arts Center is finished, it keeps things from becoming complicated and allows them to have a future if they want to. I will say the one thing that drives me nuts about these two though is they act as if her quitting means they can't have a relationship at all and it just makes me want to smack them lol.

I'm also very excited about her leaving for this position at Rkive because I always liked the idea of her working at the Arts Center, she really connected with it and the ideas behind it. Working at the publishing house would give her more creative experience and time to find the self-confidence she needs to believe that her skills and abilities are what got her the position, and that it has nothing to dow with her history with the Jeons. If she were to work at the Arts Center, it would be because she loves the work and believes she could have a good impact there.

Again, I absolutely loved the chapter - you always do such a great job - and I can't wait to see what happens next! 😊😁❤

Hiii I'm so sorry this is late but I'm here! And I love these thoughts! 💕

🚧 some spoilers 🚧

I get the appeal of a workplace romance but I chose to focus on the workplace romance buildup haha and my dramatic ass wanted all this drama bc why not! 🤭 But I get the timing thing that you're saying. Imagine staying after all that... It'll definitely be awkward and messy, and people could catch on, and that's attention that neither of them wants. As for them acting as if quitting means they can't have a relationship - that's true. It's something that people around them are wondering about, too.

But remember, there's that added layer of both of them doubting each other’s sincerity because their timing was off - he thinks her feelings are tied to her loyalty to the family bc she wasn't truthful about their past much earlier; she thinks he just wants the convenience of her being around bc he kissed her after he found out about her plans. It's not as easy as saying that she's now free so they could be together (and it's also not so much of her healing/finding herself before that) bc they're unsure of what the other person is feeling. So we'll see how they address this insincerity thing and be mature enough to go for what they want.

One of the things that also I wanted to show with this Rkive Publishing opportunity is that OC enjoys working, she enjoys the grind, she's a doer - what she was missing was the meaning of all that. At my old job, I was stressed to the bone and underpaid but I loved the work, I believed in it. And that's what OC wants. It doesn't help that she's 'alone' in Seoul, so there's a lot of the intimacy and connection - to her job, to her purpose, to herself, and with another person - that she's been yearning.

I know it's all so complex but thank you for sticking around and enjoying this story! 🥹🥹💕💕

#mimianswers #fic: iwyts

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thorniest-rose · 1 year

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babe. when i first came to you with the idea for jailbait steve i knew you would get it. at most i was hoping for maybe a bit of a smutty blurb that toed the line with age appropriateness and all that.

but you took that idea and fucking ran with it and it was so so so good! i honestly do not have that words but i’m gonna try!

i love all the weird, crazy hints to you dropped about eddie. him low-key stalking steve, him jerking off to the thought of him, just everything about him being that freak that he is made my heart so full!!

steve, the little minx, was absolutely perfect. loved that he was always finding a way to insert himself into eddie’s day and playing up the innocent act!

oh god i want more i want so much more. you’re sexy and incredible and beautiful and wonderful and maybe my favourite author in this fandom!! thank you so much for writing it! i may have to go read it again right now!

p.s. the bits with hellfire were spot on as well! i loved the subtle hints you made towards gareth being intrigued by steve! (would love to see how that plays out in this universe too because i know eddie would train steve good and share him with his best friend, he’s charitable like that!)

— jailbait!steve anon 🍭

hi there!!! oh my gosh original jailbait!steve anon, all I can say is thank you so much for giving me the idea that sparked the entire fic, I'm not sure I ever would have thought of it without you, so thank you.

It was really important to me when I was writing it not just to let it be a smutty, kinky fic, because I thought the potential for it to be so much more about yearning and forbidden desire was there. Near the start of the fic when they meet in the clearing, I also write that there's a sense of recognition between Steve and Eddie, and that was my little implication that it's canon Steve and Eddie meeting in another universe after both dying during the events of Stranger Things. And that's also why they're so inexplicably drawn to each other. I'm not sure if that really comes across because I wanted to keep it very subtle but in my head that layer was always there.

And yes, I'm so committed to a depiction of Eddie that's a little more wild than you usually see in fic. I like to hc him as having a somewhat feral childhood because his parents were never around and he grew up in poverty. I also see him a survivor of child abuse and neglect, and that's given him a thick skin. My Eddie is probably a little harder than the one in canon, but I hope he still feels like Eddie! He's the same, he just has a few more edges on him. The same with Steve. I didn't want him to be a one-dimensional sexpot, but a character who's complex and who feels like the Steve Harrington we all know and love from the show, who has the capacity to be cruel, entitled and prickly but who ultimately is vulnerable and kind, who more than anything wants to be loved.

Your words about me as a writer are incredibly lovely, and I'm honoured to be one of your favourite authors in the fandom, especially considering I haven't written much! But it's always my intention to bring a different point of view and to step away from accepted fanon where I can to explore the characters in slightly different ways, and to use them to explore themes and dynamics that interest me, which is very much what I did in this fic. I would love to write more when I can, so fingers crossed this won't be the last we see of this Steve and Eddie!

omg and DON'T tempt me re Gareth dhdhdhs I already have a little fic in progress where Gareth has had a crush on Steve for years so Eddie lets him fuck Steve. It's messy and yucky but sweet and tender and I can't wait to post it so you can read it!!!

Thank you so much again for the inspiration, I'm so, so happy the fic was all you hoped it would be and more 💖💖💖

#asks #sweet boys taste like sour candy #my fics #sorry this was sitting in my inbox for a few days #i wanted the time and headspace to write you a thoughtful reply and not just capslock and flail

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frozenmoonshine · 2 years

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Things I LOVE about TR:

‌First of all, characters. And the fact that it is a fully character driven story. The way they are built, portrayed, designed even. The way they are all written to feel like real people, like they are all your own friends and acquaintances. I have no problem imagining Tōman members (founders and original members) as being just these kids from the block that hang out in the neighborhood. I have felt since they were introduced as if I've known them all personally. They have resonated with me so deeply, I cannot even put that into words. We're not even talking "kins" or simply relating to characters here. It's even deeper than that, they are basically real in my perception (and I guess I'm far from the only one).

‌I love how layered, and deep, and complex each one of them is. They have very real, very human feelings, thoughts, fears, flaws, traumas, motivations, dreams... Their relationships are genuine. Their bonds transfer to the readers. We feel them. Just as we feel FOR them.

‌Then, narration techniques. Yes, I know. Nothing is more frustrating than a bunch of unreliable narrators in the still ongoing story, and scattered clues that can't be pieced together 'cause the key pieces are always missing, and never seem to be what we think they are. BUT! That is precisely what keeps us on the edge of our seats, leaves us interested, intrigued, makes us want to "crack the code", to solve the mystery, to know what really happened, to get the whole picture. It makes us observe, analyse, speculate, come up with theories... It keeps us entertained way beyond just reading the chapters weekly. It leaves us wondering, it leaves us wanting more, and it always only teases, even when giving us some answers. They're never full, never really clear, and they always open up new questions and new possibilites. And again, bring us to think about the story and it's characters, way beyond what we're reading weekly. Almost as if the real stories are the ones going on in our heads. And if that's not amazing and impressive storytelling and entertainment skill on Wakui-sensei's end, IDK what is!

But there is indeed another thing about his storytelling that I absolutely love and deeply respect, and that is the fact that he manages to make this appeal equally to the audiences of all ages! Maybe even more so to the adults than kids and teens! And how he does that? By dressing the much deeper story in an edgy outfit, so to speak. Unless you're a surface reader, or too immature to understand what you're in fact reading, you do know that what TR is all about has NOTHING to do with biker gangs, delinquents, fights, crime, all that. Not even the time travel shennanigans! All that is just USED AS MEANS to tell a story about other stuff that really matters. But it's 'cool' on the surface, it's flashy, it's 'badass', it's larger-than-life, and as such bound to attract attention and readers. It's still technically a shōnen manga, so that much is understandable. But it's so much more than any of that!

Protagonist. Ok, this could maybe fall under the category "characters", but it's a different point I wanna make here. Takemichi is by no means among my favorite characters. In terms of direct likeability, he has none. He's annoying, stupid, indecisive, cowardly, a loser, the one that never learns. And that's precisely what makes him an outstanding choice of a personality/characterization for a protagonist! He's unique, he's different. He's not a "Luffy" who's super strong to begin with, and he's not even a "Naruto", who starts out weak but trains to become super strong. No. Takemichi is weak, and stays weak. He doesn't change. He doesn't grow. He struggles with his flaws, but doesn't win. He's still flawed. Very much so. Do we hate him for dragging everyone else down to hell with him? Absolutely. Is he inspiring in any way? Not at all. #not_my_hero Does he make the reader want to be in his place, or want to be like him? Hell no! But does all of that make him an excellent protagonist? Most certainly yes! Because a protagonist does NOT need to be cool, to be likeable, to be strong, to be a "hero" (in convential save-the-day way). Protagonist can be as flawed and human and hateable as any other character. Because that's what makes them feel real. Relatable. And that's what Takemichi is. We can all recognize at least some negative aspects of ourselves in Takemichi. And if HE, as horrible and full of flaws, and unchanging, as he is can have a whole damn awesome, badass story about himself (technically), we, readers, can learn to accept, if not love, the parts of ourselves we hate but cannot change.

#random thoughts #tokyo revengers #tokyo revengers manga #tokyo revengers appreciation #tokyo revengers appreciation post #tokrev #tokyo revengers takemichi #hanagaki takemichi #takemichi hanagaki #tr is the best thing ever written #wakui ken #ken wakui

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tasteleeknow · 4 months

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I'm rarely on here, but both of those anons commenting on "Hello Stranger" made me cranky. Your story is wonderful.

So if you'd like my essay:

~The first couple of chapters did a great job of establishing Reader as the MC; who is a complex character still working to overcome grief/trauma.

~Minho manages to firmly plant himself as a source of conflict giving our shy MC a chance to show us how she handles it.

~Hyunjin gives her the opportunity to show us who she is as a person. She's incredibly caring, loving, and understanding.

~By the 3rd chapter, we see MC maintaining her boundaries while navigating her complex living arrangement and still trying to work through her feelings of rejection.

~MC is a solid person at her core. She knows she's not perfect, she's complex, she's a badass, and we see her outward confidence grow as she learns how to better-navigate her personal conflicts. She actively works to improve her communication with her important people and tries to stop fear from letting her live her life.

~Hyunjin & MC established EARLY on that they're platonic soulmates -- which has stayed consistent (rejection-spiral-kiss aside). Their relationship gives strong ace-vibes where they can be romantic without the expectation of physical intimacy, which is refreshing. There are different types of love & this one absolutely works for them.

~We meet Minho when he's not his best and it's established that he doesn't open up easily to others. Of course our perception of him is SUPPOSED to shift as we sloooowly peel back the layers to see why he is the way he is.

~Together, MC & Minho are learning how to be better communicators and not be toxic when processing their own traumas. They're GOING to have regressions and hurt each other; that's very realistic.

~Where anon found character development lacking, I found organic character growth. Personal progress isn't linear & sometimes you've gotta fall back before you can improve.

~None of the relationships feel forced to me. It's a fantastic slow-burn story and I am very glad my friends recommended it to me. You should be proud of what you've written!

cranky ghfdj cute

you get it.. you get it

#answered

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leojurand · 4 months

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top 10 8 books of the year

i ended up reading 63 books this year, but since about 17 of them were rereads, this is top 8 out of 46.

i usually don't do top 10s or anything similar because choosing is hard, but i wanted to "force" myself to do it this year, and here are the results!

8. the secret lives of country gentlemen, kj charles

kj charles is my absolute favourite romance author, and i think her formula was perfected with the doomsday duology, even though they're not necessarily my fave books by her. out of the two, i chose secret lives because it was so perfect to me! absolutely adored both mcs, individually and together. i always enjoy the kjc novels that have higher stakes, and i was super invested in this story, and the characters, and everything that happened to them. very beautiful romance scenes. can't wait to read whatever she comes up with next!!

7. the mask of apollo, mary renault

it's still crazy to be that i've only read two mary renault books this year, because i am completely in love with every aspect of her writing. the prose is so gorgeous, and this book was so atmospheric and immersive. i love the slow pace in her novels, and there's always moments of introspection that tug at my heartstrings. and that ending!!

6. gaudy night, dorothy l. sayers

pretty sure the fact that i spent like half an hour talking to a classmate about how amazing the sayers's writing is makes her my author of the year. and it couldn't be any other way! of the lord peter wimsey novels, i think gaudy night is her magnum opus. it was a very personal novel for her, and it shows in the care she put into it. i love harriet vane so much, and i adore peter, and i'm so happy that the peak of their romance and their feelings for each other was reached in such a wonderful book.

i only wanted to choose one book per series, but my other two faves are unnatural death and murder must advertise (i have yet to read busman's honeymoon)

5. the ruins, scott smith

and the award for biggest surprise of the year goes to this book! its adaptation is a very nostalgic movie for me, and last month me and my girlfriend decided to watch it together. i decided that was the perfect time to finally pick up the book, since i'd heard so much about it being so much better, as is usually the case. and god, it is much, much better. fantastic writing, and the characters feel so much more human and real than their movie counterparts. great atmosphere, and the gore? oof. one of those novels that makes me stop in the middle of whatever i'm doing and i think "man, the ruins was so good"

4. the winter prince, elizabeth wein

now, this book truly never left my brain since i read it. i picked it up on a whim and it hit me like a truck, which i didn't expect at all from such a short story. it has one of my favourite styles of prose: simple but so, so pretty. it was so easy for me to connect with the characters, especially medraut, and with the messed up dynamics that are shown here. such a wonderful book, i can't explain

so, do i have any excuse for not having read its sequel yet? no! and i'm planning to do that next month

3. the heaven tree, edith pargeter

this is a trilogy but i think of it as one story, so this includes all three books. the heaven tree gave me everything i wanted it to give me: breathtaking prose, drama, fucked up dynamics, beautiful dynamics, characters that are complex and messed up and that i don't agree with so many times, but i could always understand (well, almost always. the romance in the first book is nonsensical and stupid, but i love these books enough to forgive it). such a beautiful story, with a villain who was as easy to hate and to admire simply by how layered he was.

2. the sparrow, mary doria russell

this is the only book on this list that i've already reread, that's how serious this is. also the most "staring at a wall for an hour after finishing it unable to move" book of the year. made me feel so many emotions i can't even begin to explain. the amount of love and pain in this book can't be measured. emilio sandoz character of all time.

1. fire from heaven, mary renault

second mary renault on the list, and one i've read! also one of my earliest books of the year, because i read this in january. and it has stayed with all these months; my love for it didn't falter for even a second. you know when you consumed a piece of media and think "this was made for me"? well, that's how i felt reading fire from heaven. everything about it was perfect to me, from the prose to the pacing to the dynamic between alexander and hephaistion. you can really tell alexander's story was very important to mary renault (she was pretty much obsessed with the guy, and how very relatable), and now it's important to me too.

so, again, how come i haven't read the sequels yet? well, i tried to the persian boy soon after finishing this one, but 50 pages in and i couldn't get into it, which is sad so i decided to leave it for another time. i think i love fire from heaven too much to fully embrace the change in perspective in the second book. maybe i'm petty because the persian boy is considered the best of the trilogy, and maybe renault's best along with the charioteer. and i just don't think i'll feel the same way! it's hard to believe that it will make me feel the way fire from heaven did. and that's why it has to be number 1 on this list, i'm so incredibly attached to it, 11 months after reading it.

and there it is! it's hard to rank books when they're completely different from each other, but i tried. i would say overall it was a pretty good year... hard to compete with last year because well. i did read 15 dorothy dunnett novels almost back to back then. but still! i'm pretty happy

#books #obviously not tagging all of those #me trying to talk about my faves: such a wonderful book.... such a beautiful story.... amazing prose #rinse and repeat

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