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liquidstar · 3 months

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wait speaking of getting isekia'd via truck, a couple weeks back me and a friend on were talking abt portal fantasy/isekai tropes (mostly bc i was infodumping abt rz again), and it made me think abt a fun concept for an ocverse. tho its possible similar things have been done obvs with just how inflated the genre is, just hear me out OK

story starts in the normal world, with a typical Nerdy Guy going about his daily life, expositing about how he feels bored and longs for adventure and magic, just like in all of his favorite media. as he's crossing the street, distracted by his mobile game, he doesn't notice The Truck(tm) coming straight towards him. except he's not hit by it- he's pushed out of the way in the last second, saved by a passing girl who gets hit in his place. this is who the story is about now.

mc gets sent to that sort of intermediary dimension that some isekai have, where she meets the Goddess Lady or whatever that was in charge of the whole isekai situation. goddess lady proceeds to freak out, because she nabbed the wrong person, and she's going to be in SO MUCH TROUBLE. she starts questioning the mc, only to find out that this kid has a good social life, does well in school, is in sports, and has barely ever played a video game. basically the opposite of the socially introverted, underachieving, repressed, genre-aware guy she was supposed to have reincarnated. for the sake of fulfilling somekinda hero prophesy or whatever. and the mc kinda bargains to be sent to the fantasy world anyway bc, well, its that or death i guess. so the two of them kinda have to team up to course-correct this mix-up.

mc is kinda given a list of tasks to do that basically mirror how a typical story like this Would Go, expected to fall in line with the tropes in order to achieve the ultimate goal, but kinda ends up failing at all of them... or not? failing backwards, maybe. doing it in a way different from how its meant to go- using the wrong formula, but somehow getting the right solution. while sort of continuing to question the insanity of the whole situation, and the nature of this whole fantasy world. just fucking up all the tropes.

but a layer i'd wanna add on top of all that is the fact that the hero prophesy (or whatever) called for a man. so upon arriving to this new world, the mc is basically put into a "gender swapped" body and... doesnt seem to mind. this isnt an uncommon isekai trope either, but i hardly see it tackled with much care to really explore whole Gender Thing beyond gags about the "mismatch" (which can be in poor taste) or the conclusion that "well because their Body is now this gender, their gender identity changes to match" which i feel is a pretty shallow and binary take-away to draw abt bodies and identity.

but i think there can be more to explore w the prospect if you actually wanna get into gender stuff. in this case, i'd particularly wanna get into the idea of imposter syndrome. the main character was not MEANT to be... the main character. seen as a phony fighting tooth and nail to meet expectations, and constantly fumbling. not a real hero, or a real man. but its meant to be an act anyway, so why does that bother her? it was like that back on earth too, trying as hard as possible to be the perfect girl. a good social life, does well in school, is in sports.... but that good girl thing always felt fake too. or desperate. what was she trying to prove? how long as this BEEN bothering her, actually? why does it feel easier to breathe in this body, despite everything? the way this whole act makes her happy is scary, because its fake isn't it? but wait, which part was fake? the before or after? is it all fake? isn't this all just a mistake?

was it really a mistake? who is more heroic; a guy too focused on a mobile game to pay attention to those around him, or the person who risked their life to save a stranger? but the hero prophesy was for a "man," right? what does that even mean?

#the end is all questions bc if i ever did anything w this i would want to explore them basically #i dont know if i ever WILL its mostly just a concept im throwing out there for rn. brainstorming #but i think it could be fun #the only other isekai/portal fantasy type ocverse i have is the one w the dream traveling ocs. i wanna get back to them also #so many small oc projects that ive posted abt very briefly but i have not forgotten abt any of them i still think abt it #same w this even if i never really elaborate more on it im sure the idea will stay in my head #its obviously very much in its first draft baby phase rn a lot of ironing out the creases to do if i did wanna follow up in some way #like again its basically just a concept i dont have concrete characters or worldbuilding or anything just ideas. thata all

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hannigramislife · 5 months

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for my own gratification bc i just ran into nie mingjue hate in the wild, would you mind making a post that defends my poor good boy? he worked so hard and got gaslit to shit before getting murdered terribly ;; literally everyone sat there telling him "youre being too harsh" and he's just responding appropriately. like yeah, if you witness a murder, ya kinda got to do something about that as a clan leader. its kinda your responsibility, even when you care about the person who did the murdering. he was also a really young when he took on the role of clan leader and idk, it just made me rlly sad to see people dunk on him cuz wtf he's literally just trying his best in an impossible situation WHILE being perpetually fucked over by his clan's own traditional cultivation cuz now the stronger he is as a leader, the closer he is to going literally insane and dying bc of it. (mingjue did nothing wrong i will die on this hill) ((sorry for going on a tirade, im just sad and defensive of my good boy rn))

Oh no! I'm so sorry you had to go through Nie Mingjue hate! Truly tragic. I went through that once when in the beginning of me reading the books, when I still had no proper opinions, and never again.

I'm more than willing to make a post about Nie Mingjue! I'm always down to talk about Nie Mingjue tbh, he's my heart and love and if I were to have been given the opportunity to be his right hand person, I would have simply never betrayed his trust and married him. Rip Jin Guangyao but I'm different.

Anyways, I, huhhh, actually think you?? Covered it all??? Pretty much?? Yet I will talk about it. This will be long and non-coherent, because I don't have the books rn to find quotes in them and honestly, I could write essays on Nie Mingjue either way.

Nie Mingjue is a central piece of the narrative, despite the limited amount of appearances he made, and the fact that he wasn't close to the main characters at all. The entire second part of the plot revolves around him- it happened because of him. His murder is a tragedy; literally, by greek standards, man has Cassandra Curse all over him, so I don't get how people can tell me, confidently, that his death was warranted. I've been told the man had asked for it, and this has mostly been by Jin Guangyao apologists.

So let me make something real fucking clear.

Nie Mingjue did not deserve to die. Let's get that out of the way, anyone can fight me on that. Nie Mingjue had more good qualities than half the people in this fucking story, despite his flaws. After his father was brutally murdered when Mingjue was only in his teens, Nie Mingjue stepped up as clan leader. We can only speculate the hardships that await someone leading a clan at such an early age. Yet, political challenges weren't the only thing he had to battle; Nie Mingjue knew about his clan's harmful cultivation, and he knew he was going to die young. So what did he do? His best. Literally his best, always. He was always giving 100% of his abilities, because that's who he was.

Let's talk about who Nie Mingjue was, shall we?

When Jin Guangyao, still Meng Yao then, describes Nie Mingjue, he finds himself perplexed, because Nie Mingjue isn't like other men. He is not frivolous, and he has no vices; Meng Yao describes how Nie Mingjue never showed an interest in arts, or alcohol, or women. All he did was train, and fight the Wens during the war. It shows that he had a one-track mind from the start, and has got a strict discipline; yet this strictly disciplined man, leader of a clan that prizes strength, continuously indulges his lazy and undisciplined half-brother, his one and only heir, despite not understanding his interests. We gather, pretty quickly, that Nie Mingjue is a bleeding heart for his brother, and for the ones he loves in general. We see the same softer side displayed in the presence of Lan Xichen, and of course, for some time, Meng Yao.

People seem to think Nie Mingjue took Meng Yao's betrayal too harshly. As if somehow seeing a man he thought to have been just and honest commit premeditated murder, then cover it up, was something he was just supposed to get over. To this day, I can't believe how Lan Xichen was so understanding of it. But not only did Nie Mingjue catch him in a cowardly act - Meng Yao proceeds to manipulate him, using the fact that Nie Mingjue cared about him, to stab him in the back. Or front, however it happened. I get that Meng Yao was in a difficult position, that he suffered at the Jins, that he felt backed in a corner; but Nie Mingjue was a man that had extended his help to Meng Yao before, and even then, he went to find Meng Yao in righteous fury, ready to help him again. To Nie Mingjue, the idea that Meng Yao "had no other choice" but to kill - to kill in the manner he did - it could have been nothing but a betrayal.

One thing that I personally highly respected Nie Mingjue for was the fact that he did not judge Meng Yao for his background. This is not up for debate; Nie Mingjue stood up for him, quite publicly, quite vocally, when Meng Yao was being insulted over it. And not only that, but he promoted Meng Yao to be his right hand man, just like that. Because he's impulsive, and to prove a point, but it was still huge of him to do. Not even Lan Xichen would have done that - In a society built on power dynamics between social classes, Nie Mingjue was one of the few characters who did not let that define his actions. It wasn't because he was born privileged (though he was) but because he he didn't let anything other than his judgment direct his actions. Nie Mingjue also never shied away from anything; if it had to be done, he did it, no matter the cost.

Nie Mingjue was decisive, and had an iron will. When Meng Yao killed the Nie disciples in Qishan, he wanted to kill Meng Yao. Meng Yao told him, paraphrasing, that "don't you understand that if I hadn't done that, it would have been your corpse up there?" and Wei Wuxian takes it to mean "Translation: I saved you so you can't kill me, because that would mean you're in the wrong." So Nie Mingjue hesitated for a second, then said: "Fine! I'll kill you, and then take my own life!" And the only reason he didn't, was because Lan Xichen was there. Otherwise, Nie Mingjue would have killed his former friend, then followed him to whatever afterlife awaited.

Nie Mingjue is often portrayed like he doesn't understand stuff, like he's stupid, simply because of his black and white sense of morality. That's not correct: Nie Mingjue understands motive, but he doesn't accept the ends justifying the means. Scratch that, he doesn't accept or justify either, if they're unjust. The murder of the Jin commander, the murder of the Nie disciples, not executing Xue Yang - how can Nie Mingjue possibly understand Meng Yao's decisions, when Nie Mingjue would rather die, any day, than live thanks to vile actions?

And then, Nie Mingjue starts falling into qi-deviation. We know that it affected his temper the most, and his judgement. I don't understand how it works, really, so I don't know by the end how much was Nie Mingjue and how much was the mess that the spirit made of him - maybe a combination of the two. But what is certain, is that the rapid qi deviation changed him.

But I could write a hundred more pages on him, meticulously going over every single scene he has ever appeared in, because I find him that interesting. I find him the most interesting, and the most appealing character, because in a story where the navigation of the cultivation world's complex politics and hierarchies with tact and diplomacy is crucial, Nie Mingjue stands uncompromising in his principles, choosing duty and honor over anything else, even when it's hard.

#the untamed #mdzs #cql #mo dao zu shi #nie mingjue #nie mingjue had his flaws #and he had his virtues #i will not allow slander on his name #when he always did what he thought was best and just and good #when he was loving and kind and hot-headed but he was also just in his early 20s with the weight of the world on his shoulders #cold absolutely freezing day in hell when i'm over him

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carmyboobear · 3 months

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trans carmy. TRANS CARMY. Just. (Falls to my knees) listen to me. It just makes sense

It starts with him growing up an awkward kid, the outcast. I feel like he felt different than others in a way he couldn’t place which is so trans of him. I mean also his cptsd which is a big part of his character for me but that’s another gigantic post.

There are physical aspects that really add to this well. For one, he’s a short king. So trans of him. Another thing is his staple trans masc fit. White t shirt and jeans give him gender euphoria and he is sticking to that. Also the little chain…. Not universal ofc but my fellow transmascs and I love a good chain. Even him being muscular asf is so trans, like bulking up when you go on testosterone bc it’s so much easier to is so real.

AND HIS TATTOOS. UGH. The tattoos are a layered thing. It makes me think about that awful head chef carmy worked under. The lines I’m thinking about are when he’s saying to carmy like, “you think you’re so tough, you’re worthless, you have those tattoos so you can feel like you’re tough but you’re nothing”. I think the tattoos are epic but also an extension of how he expresses his gender. it validates his masculinity for him.

He’s really eager to prove his masculinity to the world, particularly to the culinary world. I mean masculinity in the sense that he wants to prove that he’s man enough, that he’s made himself into a man that’s just as good as the cis men around him. I think there’d be a ton of pressure to feel like he’s up to par, especially in a super competitive field with a lot of men.

It’s even in his name. Carmen. Carmy. The way it’s masculine and feminine, the way he might’ve been born as Carmen and just decided to keep it that way. The way he goes primarily by a chosen name, even if it is just a nickname.

I feel like it even adds layers to his relationship with Michael, too. I see Carmy, who feels isolated from his peers for being trans (and just different in general), and Michael being one of the only people to really affirm who he is. Carmy and Mike were best friends. I have no doubt that Carmy really felt secure around him, which is why the betrayal of not letting him work at the restaurant hurt even more than it already did. Why Mike’s death would be even harder for Carmy to stomach.

His transness is why Carmy is the black sheep of his family. Why he doesn’t come home. Why his relationship with his mother is strained. Of course, I think this is all primarily because he has a dysfunctional family and lots of trauma, but it still adds to my vision.

Anyway I could go on but these are the main point. I just think Carmy is transmasc as hell

#carmen berzatto #carmy berzatto #the bear #the bear fx #trans carmy berzatto #trans carmen berzatto #my blurbs #kinda #JUST LIKE OUGHHHHHH #I have some ns/fw thoughts about this as well but that’s a whole other post

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linddzz · 4 months

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Dreamling Nonsense Masterpost

Looking for a fic? For a shit post? For a long winded au thread? Playlists? Got it here. Keeping it Dreamling for now until I really have the time to scour through my various fandom posts to collect the Big Hits.

Audacity in Human Form: E. main WIP. A post season 1 "let's see these two figure their shit out" exploration that's best described as two character studies stacked inside of a fanfic shaped coat. My main tagline for it is "it isn't unrequited, Dream just needs therapy." The fic exploring how the two weirdos I have in my head got together.

Fics/Tumblr Ficlets

"Audacity in Human Form" Series

Not exactly a structured chronological series. I have a pretty set version of my Dream and Hob in the canon!universe, so all the fics I write of them are just the same two dolls I'm bumping together in the same sandbox. They can be read in any order or separately, but there are characterization threads and things mentioned that tie them all together. I like to think that put together they can give fun context or more depth to each other :)

I'm less into Big Plots and more into just having fun bumping these dolls together and playing with how they interact!

It's a WIP and I write slow, as my job takes a lot of mental bandwidth.

(Other fics in the same series can be read even while the first isn't done! They don't really spoil much except for the fact that they do end up together. But of course they are.)

In Which Hob, a Shitty Wizard, Meets a Supposed Demon: Gen. Drabble ficlet on Tumblr as I start exploring my Shit-wizard Hob AU. More of a rough draft concept fic

Obviously: E. smut prompt fill one-shot. PWP. Dream is a needy eldritch pissbaby and also violently romantic. Hob scruffs him for some much needed gentle domming.

This Isn't the Trope: Teen. Lots of cussing. Johanna is agressively investigating an immortal man, Hob is looking forward to being dramatically rescued by his hot supernatural boyfriend. No one but Morpheus has a good time.

OTHER FICS/DRABBLES

Audacity in Human Form related posts (esp the ones that broke containment)

"Oysters have nightmares like this"

"Jokes on you, you're into that shit"

Hob: "no. Shut up. I'm talking now."

Characterization Notes aka: I'm gonna start bullying Morpheus

Other mutterings about writing or snippets are under the tags "#my fic" and "#audacity in human form"

AU Cooking:

I'm honestly better at coming up with every single detail for an AU without actually writing the fic, but I like playing in the sandbox and other people seem to have fun with them too :)

Human!AU. There are kinda two versions of this that I'm starting to meld together.

Red Flags AU post: Hob is hired to be the party ruining messy boyfriend, but cannot begin to compete with the insanity that is the Endless family and the Hot Mess Express Morpheus, who hired him. They fall in love instantly. "Why would I fix him??? He's perfect."

Red Flags AU 2: slight deviation from the OG where everything is the same, except Morpheus' messy friend Johanna accidentally introduces them and instantly regrets it. She did not anticipate Hob reacting to Morpheus' red flags like a charging bull.

Assorted Human!Morpheus facts

Shit-wizard Hob AU: where Hob is still immortal, except Death is his Endless buddy. He first meets Morpheus when trying to take up occultism at Fawney Rig (he's bad at it but is gonna stick around now. For reasons.)

Meta-ish Shitposting:

Hob meets Thessaly. Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend" starts playing ominously in the distance when she doesn't appreciate how much of a needy clingy freak Morpheus is.

Spotify Playlists:

I process Blorbo feelings with hyper specific playlists. Putting Dreamling and other fandom ones here bc I guess it's about time I share more of them

Audacity in Human Form PL: 1h33m fic specific. Set up to alternate Dream/Hob POV. Blatant "2012 fandom brain" indulgence in here.

Hot Mess Endless Express: 1hr45m the general Dream playlist. Not ship specific, all romantic songs are how I just see him in any relationship. Mostly serious, except when it isn't but especially when it isnt

The Devil of Fawney Rig: the playlist I imagine goes in Dreams head when he's stuck in a fishbowl and horny for revenge. Made with the shit-wizard Hob AU in mind

Newton Goes Kaiju All Over Everybody's Ass: 1hr it really is too bad that there was never a second Pacific Rim movie but wow isn't Dark!Geiszler a great concept? 🙃

EDDIE I MADE A PLAYLIST EDDIE: 44m Venom made a playlist for Eddie, isn't that nice?

Mountain Son: 1h30m Bagginshield Thorin feelings ahoy. Made with Mahrâna in mind.

The Bacchae: 1h. The soundtrack for the dream production of the Bacchae in my head. Meant to follow the progression of the play

The Huntress and the Maenad: 1h30m insane sapphic bitch in the woods solidarity

Mysteries: 7+hours!!!!!! The ongoing playlist for joining the cult of Dionysus and eating a billionaire in the woods

#masterpost #look i finally did it

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aliasrocket · 1 year

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I wanted to say something for an anonymous comment about feeling less embarrassed of having feelings for Rocket. I must say I totally understand that.

A month ago, when GOTG VOL 3 was released, I went to see it at the cinema with my mother, I spent the whole movie very excited for Rocket, but right in that scene where he is on the verge of death and he meets Lylla again, SOMETHING INSIDE IT CHANGED ABOUT ME, because when they were hugging I realized I was JEALOUS, and in my mind I thought "OH NO, IT'S HAPPENING TO ME AGAIN", because I always fall for characters that might be unconventional or weird to other people , then I start looking for fics and I realize that there are not many for the same reason, or there are many where it is more platonic and I think "IT IS NOT ENOUGH" And it's more complicated for me because my first language is not English and in my language there is NOTHING. So meeting people who write Rocket the way I imagined really makes me very happy. I'm even thinking about writing some one shots myself but it's hard, I've never written NSFW and I find it kind of funny that I want to start with Rocket.

Oh my god this was absolutely sweet.

Yes!! Everyone IT IS OKAY TO LIKE UNCONVENTIONAL CHARACTERS. LITERALLY, IT IS NOT A BIG DEAL!! JUST BE YOU!!!

And I’m really sorry there isn’t much fics in your language, but on the bright side I’m really happy that you’re at least able to read and write in english even if it isn’t your first language!

Also, yeah, in my experience, besides sighing the whole goddamn movie (except for the first 10 mins, I will give myself that,) I remember leaving the theatre in a sigh and going on ao3 like “ah shit, here we go again” bc this is the 1982838th time I’ve visited ao3 for some really obscure ship or an x reader fic for a very underrated character.

And about that Rocket smut, I understand how can it be daunting and I’d really love to help you!

Ykw, let me make a quick guide for anyone who’s scared of writing Rocket smut!! But for those of you who wouldn’t wanna read some real ugly/stupid stuff, don’t press the ‘keep reading’ line, haha.

a quick (and definitely unhinged) guide to writing Rocket smut XD

OBVIOUS NSFW WARNING!!! It gets ugly guys please THIS IS YOUR WARNING I’M NOT JOKING!!

If you’re uncomfortable with heavy nsfw please turn away now!!

written by aliasrocket (89P13 on ao3 hehe)

Suitable for any smut involving Rocket! (Looking at you guys, roquill shippers. Don’t worry, I welcome all ships on my blog <3)

This is supposed to be a writing smut guide specifically meant for Rocket so I’m not gonna go into the basics of writing smut, but if you’re a total beginner, here’s some pointers to help :

the genitals, legs, muscles, brain : main places that tend to be the most stimulated, exhausted or absolutely wiped. That being said, you can use these as a starting point for describing the feelings the characters or the reader may feel in the moment.

besides the main thing, you could try to set the mood by maybe mentioning how the moans sounded like, (screams, squeals, cries etc.) and other things the characters were doing to ground them in the moment, like gripping the sheets, gripping the other person’s shoulder or hips, etc.

Okay, so, about Rocket in particular …

Yeah, of course writing smut about a fucking Raccoon isn’t going to be fucking easy. But don’t worry, as someone who has studied all 3 gotg films and slowed down quite possibly every single Rocket clip in existence (enough to know Rocket … is genuinely CANONICALLY is very particular/skilled with his fingers, he knows where he’s putting them and knows EXACTLY which buttons to press on any tech, so … definitely good at using his fingers if you catch my drift) I think I might have gotten the hang of it to help some of you guys out.

So first off, when I write Rocket smut I always imagine he’s his comic height instead of his mcu height (don’t search it up, you’re just gonna be depressed about it trust me) so all you have to know is that if he pressed you up against a wall his head would be around your shoulder blade area. For missionary, he’s probably around your collarbone.

Rocket canonically has sharp and absolutely grown out nails. No, they’re not retractible. I’ve done research on this, but if you’d like to write him fingering someone, Rocket can have his nails trimmed.

It would hurt if Rocket bit you. Like, it would fucking bleed. So I’m sorry to say to those biting kink girlies (those are me hi) but Rocket can only afford to give you or someone else some nibbles on the skin unless you guys want some serious bloodplay on your hands. This is because he has protruding fangs on both his upper and lower row of teeth, his lower ones more prominent than the top.

Rocket can, however, eat you out. Don’t wanna get too into depth with this but basically his tongue can stick out his muzzle pretty well and his nose makes for a good clit-stimulator HAHAHAH

!!! : (this is going to be a description of the average raccoon penis so skip this if you don’t wanna know about this because you can DEFINITELY write Rocket smut without having to know this so please be free) I had to research this for a very specific request (pls ily shameless anon/pos) and I almost cried out of the loss of my sanity but anyway, raccoons have a baculum bone which is basically a bone in their penis that helps with copulation, its average length is about 4 inches but can be longer if you catch my drift. The genital itself is a like a rod with a ‘spiky’ end (it’s not actually spiky but it looks that way) compared to human genitalia, kind of like a cat’s but much longer and it is a very dark shade of brown or just plain black. Feel free to use any of these for a possible description if ever you need it, though I never really talk about it in fics, especially the whole ‘spiky’ thing. That being said, Rocket should not have an issue with size, as the the average human male genitalia is about five inches, meaning he can hit anyone’s g-spot just fine.

I might add more points if I have any more but this is all I got right now. I really hope this somehow encouraged you to write that nsfw fic you wanted, and just know everyone’s got interests, it’s fine if not a lot of people irl are into Rocket that way, because that’s literally what the internet is for!

#omg I am so sorry guys please forgive me #but if you are considering writing your own Rocket smut this might be helpful #this is so unhinged omg HAHAHA #guardians of the galaxy #rocket raccoon #rocket raccoon fanfic #rocket raccoon imagine #rocket raccoon x you #rocket raccoon x reader #rocket gotg #ask reply #ask response #ask away!#thanks for the ask!#send dirty asks #.alias.help.

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soullessjack · 5 months

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mm ok I have something to talk about finally ! so something I’ve noticed in a lot of discussions/meta around the TFW2.0 family dynamic + cycles of abuse is that it almost always opts to frame jack as a perpetual victim of [sam and] dean’s mistreatment who can’t fight back, and while I don’t mean to say it’s completely without merit, I feel that it does a slight disservice to Jack’s character by always reducing him into a helpless child (even if he is seen as older by the poster) who cannot/should not bear any responsibility in any of his relationships with his fathers.

to start, the cycle of abuse coincides with an imbalanced power dynamic; someone with more or higher power and authority over you (ie parent, boss or teacher) uses that authority to exploit, control, and/or freely mistreat you. i will note that it doesn’t necessarily have to be framed this way to be abuse, like a situation where blackmail grants someone authority over their target; there are also some dynamics that are inherently imbalanced without being inherently abusive (see above examples). the abuse relies on that dynamic being manipulated, not the dynamic itself.

in the majority of posts I’ve seen, the power imbalance between TFW2.0 almost always puts jack at the bottom of the totem pole, in a constant state of victimhood because he’s constantly at the mercy of [sam and] dean [and cas].*boxed these in bc people rarely pick on sam or cas for their transgressions and whether or not they’ll kill him. clarifying again that i understand where this comes from, but I also think it’s a fairly dated perspective on their dynamic that should really be re-examined—especially with Jack’s autonomy more in mind—and i believe @shallowseeker has a post about the exact timeframe of Cas’ death and Dean’s widower arc/mistreatment of Jack that i recommend for it.

but onto my main point, I feel that this representation of their dynamic is inaccurate, and doesn’t really take jack into account beyond the Helpless Child Victim narrative. for the sake of staying on topic let me just summarize a few things:

A) Jack is the most powerful being in the universe and is functionally immortal/unkillable. He is a greater threat to TFW than they are to him, and so he is the one with power in the dynamic, not the other way around. It all hinges on his personal choice to not harm them (because he loves them of course).

B) Jack is and always has been painfully aware of his power, the threat he poses, the dynamic it creates and the underlying tension it constantly causes with his relationships. The majority of his actions and motivations are rooted in his own self-fear, and the determination to prove he’s good/safe.

Another small point I’ll shove in is that Dean canonically never forgave himself for his mistreatment of Jack, and spent almost the entirety of their relationship trying to make up for it (especially in 14x06, 07 & 08). Likewise, Dean’s promise to kill Jack in 13x02 and that scene from Moriah are both often misunderstood as more Textbook Dean Abuse with **Jack’s perspectives (ie: “dean said he’d kill me, and maybe he should,” his admission of guilt and willingness to let Dean shoot him) (also, his choice to forgive dean at some point offscreen) being largely overlooked.

**obviously it’s not healthy or good for Jack to basically consent to being mistreated or killed because he thinks he somehow deserves it, nor does it make Dean’s actions excusable or justified in any way, but i still feel that it’s worth pointing out as examples of Jack’s autonomy and awareness in the aforementioned power dynamic.

Jack’s responsibility is also pretty unaccounted for in these dynamics (especially when it comes to Mary’s death) which I think stems equally from the fact that his soullessness—and by extension, his soulless actions—were caused by Sam and Dean’s actions and the general perspective of him as a child [who doesn’t deserve the burden he carries, and should be carefree], so nothing is directly his fault and nobody can get mad at him either or that’s also seen as unfair mistreatment). I also personally just think it’s odd because Jack in canon is very adamant about being able to take and hold responsibility (as it relates to his autonomy and wanting to be seen as a separate person from his parents). and, going back to Mary, Jack not only becomes psychotic with guilt over killing her, but after his soul is restored in S15, he has a complete breakdown from the sheer horror of what he’s done, and because, in his own words, it’s all his fault.

I won’t go into the worm can of people blaming Dean for how he handled reliving to his root trauma, but suffice it to say: he had every right to be angry, he was well within reason to act unreasonably, and stop trying to fix his conflict with jack by parentifying him with an innocent baby when he already has parentification trauma and that baby is merely an excuse to absolve Jack of any responsibility he had in the conflict.

I will always and forever love the meta side of the fandom, and I honestly owe my blog’s existence to it, but I still think we have a long way to go in terms of how jack is represented/portrayed in these discussions, and likewise, how that portrayal frames/reflects on sam, dean and cas ^_^

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purecantarella · 2 years

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The Promise

i've had this in my head for so long, but i never got around to writing it but i actually thought this would be really good. but there were timing issues bc there were situations like this irl and i didn't want to be insensitive. but i hope you all enjoy!! also i wrote this from a different pov, i thought it would be more effective in terms of story telling to write it from a certain perspective jennie x soldier!reader disclaimer/s : big angst, mentions of character death, and all-together some really heavy stuff, please read with a level head. and of course, cursing.

I would never forget the silence that rang in the recording studio that fateful day. I was standing in the recording booth, from the corner of my eye Lisa and Rosé were subtly flirting while Jisoo filmed them with a proud grin on her lips.

In all regards, it was a regular day for the girls.

Teddy gives me instructions on how he wants me to sound, I do as he says. My eyes glued to the sheet music and lyrics in front of me. I took my eyes off them for what could have only been three minutes or so but when I look back up, I see Teddy's face darken.

A manager whispers something to Jisoo, and the grin on her face slowly melted away, she drops her phone in shock. I saw the anguish on her face as her gaze jolts over to me but her hand is on her mouth before I can ask anything.

"Is everything alright out there...?" I ask, a nervous laugh following in a hopeless attempt to lighten the mood. I pull the headphones off my head, the song's backing track being the only thing I could hear. I stammer out awkwardly, "D-Did I sound that bad?"

For a moment no one dared to look me in the eye. Fear, anxiety, and frustration built in my chest before I could no longer stand the tension hanging in the air. Jisoo and Rosé both sobbed into their hands, Lisa stared at the ground not bothering to comfort her girlfriend beside her. "What's wrong?" I ask, ripping the headphones off my neck and stormed into the main room.

With no response, I roll my eyes and stomp towards the exit only to be stopped by our manager. I shoot a glare his way, I was not in the mood for these games. "I...Jennie. I don't know how to say this. I really, really don't—"

On edge, I finally cry out, "For Christ's sake just tell me!"

Another silence fell but before I could snap again, "Major Y/F/N's unit flight was taken down by an unnamed and unidentified object." He rushed out before ducking his head.

I stare at him time freezing and speeding up at the same time as he adds, "Due to it being a potential act of..." He gulps and trails off before he shakes his head, "Assistance operatives can't send for aid."

My blood ran cold.

It was a lie. A sick joke.

You weren't...you couldn't.

My mind raced, heart pounding. I began laughing, looking around for the one face who couldn't hide the practical joke. No one looked me way, they couldn't.

Slowly, the soft laughter morphed into a hysterical screaming, I waited and prayed that it was a joke which never came to anything, until the sound crumpled into deep and loud sobs. My knees crumble under my weight and I'm sitting on the floor. Everything around me numbs but is somehow still cold.

Jisoo reaches out to me with shaky hands but I only push her away, my throat is raw as a ear-piercing scream falls from my lips. I curl in a ball, clawing at my hair trying to find some sense of , no longer caring about the

For days, the crash was on the news and online. I couldn't escape it. Blinks and family members were all asking me how I was, if I was coping right. They meant well and I knew that, but each time they asked it filled me with unbridled rage and sorrow.

After that day, the days dragged on. Each morning I waited by the phone in hopes your commanding officer would call and tell her you were home. Weeks and nothing came.

Each time I did though, I thought back to the night before you left.

"I can't believe they're shipping you off before our comeback." I pouted as I watched you fold one of your extra uniforms and placing it down on the bed. You chuckle to yourself, muttering that you'd stream the song anyway while pulling out one of your hoodies from our shared closet. My eyes shoot to the familiar F/C fabric, "Not that one!"

I jump to my feet and snag the jacket from your hands making you laugh again. "I need something to keep me warm, angel!"

Still pouting, I wrap my arms around your neck, "You could take me with you, Major."

I see your smile brighten. You've always loved when I called you by your rank and I did too. It always reminded me how hard you worked for the life we had. It was an added bonus that you always got so flustered at the mere mention of it.

You lean down and press your lips to mine, gently. You were always so gentle with me and I adored it. I pull you closer, adding pressure to your lips, savoring each moment I had with you. You pull away but don't stray far, your nose still brushing against mine.

"I would love to take you with me, angel." You pause, taking the time to lift your hand, stroking the top of my cheek, staring at me adoringly. I feel my skin heat up at the mere way you looked at me, strangers did it all the time but there was something more when you stared at me like that.

I could tell you loved me unconditionally.

You peck my lips again while I'm lost in thought, bringing me back to reality with you. "...But I can't risk anybody tearing you away from me." You kiss the corner of my lips, then my cheek, until I can't help the giddy giggles as you pepper more and more kisses across my flushed skin. I feel your lips upturn into a tiny smile. "You're my only weakness after all."

I pull away laughing before smacking you across the chest. For a moment I bask in the warmth of your touch. It'll be the last one for a while after all. I feel my stomach sink though, as it always does before you're deployed.

I raise my eyes to meet your adoring ones. I smile somberly before placing a hand on your cheek. You lean into the touch, smile growing tender as you raise your own hand to touch mine. I feel you pick at the edge of my nail. On a normal occasion, I'd scold you but there's an overwhelming and unexplainable sense of dread that fills me.

Your grip around my waist tightens. You know what I'm thinking, you always did. "I'm never going to leave you, Jen..." You draw closer, your nose bumping into mine gently, "I'm with you always, whether you see me or not. My heart's always with you, my love."

You adjust yourself to press your lips gently to my forehead, knowing full well that I'm seconds away from bursting into tears. "You'll be safe, won't you? You'll come home." I want to cringe at how broken and fragile my voice sounds but you only smile against my forehead as you drop my hand to place it on the top of my head.

"When I have you to come home to? No man on earth can stop me. I can promise you that."

I jolt out of bed as the dreamlike memory swirls in my mind. My head is pounding, I feel how chapped my lips are as I wipe away the remaining tears from my eyes. I steady my breathing as you taught me to.

It's been months.

I've pushed all my responsibilities aside and I know full well what it's doing to the girls and the group's reputation. But I couldn't help it. Every time I so much as closed my eyes, I saw your face. In every melody, I missed your voice.

I missed you.

I look over to your side, flashes of your image dance around my mind. Sleeping in after a long day of training for both of us, long evenings spent catching up after you'd been deployed or I was on tour, and the sweet nights spent tangled around one another after we'd both had too much to drink. I breathe a deep sigh as I curl up into a ball, wondering what we would be doing right now.

Before I can get lost in my thoughts, my phone pings beside me. I run my hands down my face in attempts to wake myself up from my dazed state.

'Studio in 20. Will pick you up.' The text read. I groan and fall into your side of the bed. I cuddle up to your pillow, your smell faintly coming from it, offering me a sense of comfort. I muffle out into the pillow, "I don't wanna go, N/n..."

No response. Like I expected anything different.

Finally, I pull myself out of the duvet and I drag my feet over to the closet. As I swing the door open, I eye your side of the closet. Uniforms pristinely hung and unchanged from the day we'd both moved in. I smile at the memory.

"Are you really going to stand there organizing your hangings all day?" I ask you from the floor, pulling our another frame of the two of us seated beside your parents from the moving box. I smile at the photo before looking back up at you, still hyper-fixated on the way your clothes were hung.

I put the frame down and get on my feet before walking up to the closet. As you speak I can hear the warmth in your voice, "It's a learned trait, I suppose. We'd get the hell beat out of us if this wasn't orderly when we were training."

I look up at you and you're already looking at me. I flush as you do and I avert my gaze quickly. As I do so, my eyes fall onto your favorite hoodie, the perfect shade of F/C. Without thinking, I pluck it from the anally organized closet bar. "This is mine now."

I begin to walk away when you tug me into your arms, hauling me up into the air. I squeal and kick but I laugh as you do before you fall into the bed. "Sorry but it's mine, angel."

I grin up at you, taking your jaw in my hand, "Over my dead body."

You can't help the smile from breaking, you lean forward to nuzzle your nose against mine. There's a certain serenity that came from the moment and I know you feel it too as you close your eyes, pressing your forehead to mine.

"I love you, Jen. I'm so glad we finally did this."

I place my hand on your cheek, tenderly stroking your cheek. "I love you too, Major."

I stare at the F/C jacket from your side, my hands touch the soft cottony fabric. It was a stark contrast from your rough and rugged military uniform, but I always thought that that's why you took such good care of it.

To some degree I thought it made you think of me. Which is why you always wanted to take it with you when you were dispatched, but I never let you.

'I never let you...' I think to myself as another round of fresh tears prick my already sore eyes. I take a deep breath before pushing the hoodie to the side and plucked a dark colored, loose shirt from my side.

"Another day." I mutter to myself before I trudge to the bathroom, my mind plaguing me on how I was going to survive the next day.

Another few weeks pass, there's a sense of normalcy in the chaos that was my day-to-day since the crash. My mom offered to let me stay with her again, she knew how much the apartment reminded me of you but I couldn't leave the home we made just become a tomb.

Jisoo, Rosé, and Lisa were kind enough to offer to stay over every now and then but it wasn't a permanent solution. So as hard as it was, slowly, I built myself back up.

The life we built together, the one you so desperately craved, being the only thing keeping me going.

But that isn't saying that I didn't get lonely.

It had been one of those empty nights.

Jisoo was at home with her family while Lisa and Rosé spent a cozy night in with Hank and the cats. I couldn't blame them, after that day I had become a bit of a drag to be with.

Numbing the loneliness, I took to watching one of those sitcoms you loved so much as I nursed a cup of cheap wine from the fridge, eyes only halting the tears from how sore and swollen they were. I was on the cusp of falling asleep when the phone rang.

I look at the clock, it's nearly one in the morning. Anxiety fills my stomach as I stare at the ringing device. I let it ring for a few seconds longer, before I nervously picked up the call.

My throat ached as I spoke, "Yes, hello who is this?"

"Good evening, miss Kim. This is Colonel Jung Donghyun." My body stiffens, I knew that name well. You'd often cursed the respectable man out for giving you much harder work than you'd liked. I stumble to my feet from the couch. I stammer, "Y-Yes. Good evening, sir. How are you?"

My mind races as the army officer is silent on the other end of the line. He clears his throat, brushing off the niceties of the question, "I wanted to contact you directly, ma'am. We would like to invite you to come to the camp tomorrow." He pauses, seemingly choosing his words, "We would like to discuss a logistical concern with you in regards to Major L/n and her unit."

The next day, I show up to the camp, after several fits of hysteria of having to face the fact you were never coming back to me again.

I sat in the sterile and almost irritatingly bright office. As I look around, I see many accolades collected by the Colonel and think how much of a spot on his record your unit going down was.

Then again maybe you were merely insignificant. The idea made me shudder that you, the most important person to me, was a mere one of thousand casualties.

"Ah, miss Kim. I hope you haven't been waiting long." I don't move but I nod and mutter, "It was no trouble." I pause to meet the older gentleman's eye as I bow. He seems calm, almost cheerful in fact, it almost made my blood boil.

I take a deep breath as he sits in the office chair in front of me. He tilts his head to the side as he leans forward. "I'm sure the past few months haven't been easy. I apologize for never getting back to you after the news broke miss Kim."

I clear my throat, uncomfortable sharing my personal life with my girlfriend's superior officer. He notices the discomfort on my face before he continues. "We never stopped looking for their unit and we'd almost given up hope. No radio signals, no flares..."

I shot daggers to the colonel, "Are you saying Y/n was incompetent?"

He is startled at first, but slowly he smiles at me warmly, "I will not lie, ma'am. I'd lost hope on the Major..." He trails off but his words make my head shoot from my hands to his face. I grit my teeth together as I stare him down.

How dare he speak ill of you and your competency as a soldier. "...But I seem to have underestimated Major L/n's skills and determination." My expression grows confused and before I can ask him what he means a voice cuts me off.

Suddenly, everything around be has gained color again, my blood pumps with adrenaline, and I feel myself come to life.

"I had good reason to come home, sir."

I feel my heart jump as I push myself out of my chair. I turn and a gasp falls from my lips. It had been like every dream I had. You just standing there, the same polite, curt, and heartwarming smile. Albeit I saw new scars on your once well kept skin, but I knew it was you.

It was unmistakable yet so unbelievable.

"Hey, angel." The way you say my name has me overflowing with emotions. I stand there stunned for a moment as your smile falters as you hold back tears.

You pull your hands out of your pockets, opening your arms to me. I feel hot tears fall down my face, I'm sprinting before I even realize it. For the first time in months, I feel your arms wrap around my waist, and I sob into your neck. Your grip tightens as you bury your face into my neck.

I pull away to look at you properly, my hands finding their way onto your rough cheeks. Your eyes are sunken in and tired as you sob into my hands, clutching them as you shake. Once you catch your breath, you chuckle softly, the smile I thought I'd never see again on your chapped and pale lips.

"I told you, I'd find my way home to you." You mutter as you place your forehead against mine.

A couple days later, once you're cleared for physical and psychological tests, they allowed me to take you home. For nights you stayed awake, when you thought I was. And I knew that you didn't want to burden me with your experiences.

On the rare occasion when you were able to fall asleep, I hear you whimper and struggle in your sleep. I never pressed you though until one night you wake up screaming and kicking awake.

I jolt awake as I hear your strained voice. You panic and writhe as you force yourself to sit up. "Y/n! N/n? It's alright. Shhh..." I call as I get on my knees, and force you to look at me. The panic in your eyes slowly dissipates and your breathing slowly steadies while I rub your back comfortingly, ushering you into a sense of security. "You're home. I'm here. You're safe." I remind you, pushing the hairs from your forehead back.

I press my forehead to yours as your breath falls back into it's regular rhythm. You mutter a soft, "I'm sorry, I woke you..."

"No, no, it's fine..." Your eyes downcast in shame as tears well in your eyes. "I...I'm...I can't..." You stammer uncontrollably. You'd always had such control and cadence in your voice, hearing it so fragile make my heart sink.

"You don't have to talk about it..." I pause as your gaze shifts back to me, your hands finding their way onto my cheeks, squishing them as you did before. I smile a little, "...I just want you to know that I'm here for you. No matter what. I'm here for you. I promise."

You're silent for a moment, but the corner of your lips curl into the ghost of a smile. "I simply don't deserve you, angel."

I shake my head and press my lips to yours, feather-light and gentle, before I run my hand through your hair, like you always loved. "I love you so much, N/n."

I knew that there was more work to be done for you to be alright again, but nothing was going to stop me.

That was my promise to you.

i'm weak and i'm so emotional while editing through this???? like i wish i was kidding but this hits so hard for me and i can't really comprehend why 😭 i hope i didn't trigger anyone but ye )): also probably a part 2 of how you cope after the trauma all a work of fiction in this regard. but in any case i hope you enjoyed this!! i will see you all tomorrow for some more fluffy content!! i love you all vv much and keep safe everyone!! byeee - r

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winterrhayle · 12 days

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rank all of the 6 lunar chronicles books! i've asked a few of my friends irl this and ive seen very differing opinions so im curious (and ive seen how much you like ranking so..😂)

LOLLLL yeah ranking is my favourite thing ever ever ever ever ever ever its so fun okay (this is kinda long sorry hahaha) :

winter - this probably isnt a shocker, bc well ^^^ my url😭 literally what does this book NOT have. its 800+ pages, it contains so many perspectives, every single ship, every character dynamic is fully formed, the plot is insane and weaves together so well, the drama, the luna visuals, JACINTER, MISS WINTER HAYLE BLACKBURN.... like......... name a better book.... exactly. winter > everything. this is my go to book to reread and i think that its actually etched into the grooves of my brain. i have 2 copies of this book and they are my prized possessions

fairest - okay this ranking might be controversial, and i hate levana as much as everyone else does(just a disclaimer lol). but I LOVEEEE a character study, specially when said character is a villain. i read fairest after i'd completed all of the main 4 books and it just added so many more layers to the lunar characters (winter, levana, jacin etc), and also introduces us to evret, who is talked about in the main series but as we know he dies before the events of tlc :( but i loved his character and i found this book so interesting, also as a winter girl it was cool to see her parents, and her as a baby / toddler,, and also the og trio winter, jacin and selene / cinder own my WHOLE soul bc they are soooo <33333333333333 this book actually breaks my heart soo bad every time but i still crave rereading it bc its so good

cinder - ahhh when everything was somewhat simple, i like rereading this one to just go back to square one and like. reminisce on how everything begun and look at all of the seeds marissa planted (like that brief mention of winter and the descriptions of jacin aka the blond guard or whatever it was they described him as) . and i just love the kaider of it all of course and idk this one is just so nostalgic to me

scarlet - something about this book just keeps me on edge every time i read it. i literally cannot put it down once i start it and even though i know all of the plot twists and everything now im just constantly hooked. i love the visuals of this book, with the farm in rieux, and futuristic paris, and the fight in the abandoned opera house, soo cool. also i love how well this book in particular ties into little red riding hood because every single time i read the part about michelle actually being ran under glamour, aka the wolf disguised as the grandma like in the og fairytale, i am GAGGED its such a cool way to tie it into the lore of this series. annndddd i feel like i do talk about scarlet on here a lot because of winlet but i do NOT talk about wolf enough so let me just say something: wolf is such an interesting and complex character andi loveeee him and i love how much his personality varies from babygirl to actual killer hahhah

cress - i love this book to death BUTT i feel like some of the desert chapters kinda did drag on a little, especially as ive read this book so many times they're the scenes i tend to skim through (and this was true even BEFORE i became a cresswell hater tbh), but other than that this book is 10/10, i love the farafrah chapters especially, and i loved watching jacin be annoying and also i loved watching the rampion crew start to fill out and become bigger, ALSO this book has that iconic miscommunication scene where thorne and cress reunite with the others but thorne is blind so he didnt know that 'the wolf' cress was talking about was just our wolf (ze'ev) and the chaos of all that and cinder and dr erland and them almost getting arrested and escaping on the rampion / iko was pure chaos ALSOOOO this book had the technical introduction of winter bc you hear her adopting scarlet to save her which is fun so yeah !!! if they took out the cresswell of it all this book would be higher bc theres so much to love (and i mean this literally, this book is SO LONG)

stars above - this feels weird to rank because it isnt one full book, its a set of short stories, and the reason why its down here is because the only ones i consistently go back to are something old something new and the princess and the guard, if those two were full books they would probably be in the number 2 or 3 spot tbh (specially princess and the guard), but the thing is with stars above is that theres just a little too much filler for me,, like thornes chapter is pointless and is not interesting at all, and the little andriod actually is really sweet but i wouldve happily sacrificed that and thornes chapter to get more content with the other short stories, as i feel like they had a lot more to say (i do love cinders cameo in the little andriod tho)

#asks #anon #tlc #the lunar chronicles #mine #apologies again for the yap sesh i dont know how to condense things

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azure-firecracker · 3 months

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ATLA Live Action Episode 7: Overall Thoughts.

Right so this episode was a mixed bag for me. On paper I should have loved it: it’s two big moments are Azula/Katara scenes and they parallel each other. Those are my two favorite characters and I love exploring how they mirror one another. But the actual execution of some of the scenes was…lacking.

Okay I legitimately forgot that Zhao tried to blow up Zuko’s boat in the original and it was funny bc I was reacting like it was something new this show did…nope lmao. Speaking of Zhao, I feel like this show can’t really decide what they want him to be. In the OG it was pretty clear: he was an asshole with lots of resources and therefore a threat, but he was also cocky and delusional and not very good at his job. Here I feel like this show is flip flopping between having him be legitimately threatening or a delusional idiot. Both are fine choices individually and honestly I don’t really care what they do since it’s not like he was a main character in the OG, but they do need to pick one. Like, objectively, from a writing standpoint.

I know some people disliked the changes to Yue and Sokka’s relationship, but I thought they were cute. I liked that they used the extended time at the North Pole pre-attack to flesh out their relationship more and give them some more bonding moments. It makes me buy into them more (I was never a love at first sight girlie). I agree that Yue’s character in the original was a really well written example of the good and bad things that come with being as loyal/dutiful as she is and that is missing here. But unlike our main cast, if you look at her without the lens of the original, she’s still a fleshed out, decently written character. I think she works (except for her hair of course).

Sokka on the other hand…I like that they’re allowing him to express his insecurities and trying to give him an arc, but I didn’t like Yue saying his heart was the most important thing about him. It’s such a generic line, and out of all of our main cast, it seems to suit him the least. It made it feel like they’re trying to give the whole main trio the same arc, which I…did not appreciate. But he does have good chemistry with Yue.

Speaking of generic arcs for the main trio…dear god I hate what they’re doing with Aang. It’s not offensive but it’s so overdone. Every fantasy protagonist in history has this conflict, and while it works for an episode of a cartoon, it does not work as Aang’s central conflict. Gordon’s doing his best with his lines, but I get bored watching his scenes. Also I didn’t love the stuff with Kuruk. Stay away from the Korra Spirit World stuff. Y’all can’t handle the material you have.

Okay onto my main girlies:

Azula’s arc definitely goes into the “it’s a different choice from the original but it works on its own category.” If you don’t compare her to OG Azula, these writing choices make sense. They work, and they go hand in hand with how this new Ozai is different from OG Ozai. OG Ozai really didn’t seem to care about his kids. They were tools in his play for power. We never got the sense that he’d really thought about either of them succeeding him, and or that he’d ever thought about his own death. This Ozai seems to be trying to turn both Azula and Zuko into younger versions of him (as we saw in the Agni Kai last episode), and he brings up the “heir to the throne” title a lot. This means he wants his kids to have a fighting spirit, a drive. It makes Azula’s defiance all the more twisted because it’s supposed to be this empowering moment for her…but really it’s exactly what Ozai wants. It’s objectively really good writing, and both Lizzy Yu and Daniel Dae Kim do a great job acting it out. At the same time, I feel a little loss of OG Azula. OG Azula was so busy fighting for Ozai’s love, being perfect, that she never had time to think about what she wanted because she was so stifled in the “golden child” role. That’s a type of abuse we don’t see depicted a lot in media, and I do wish the live action show had taken up that challenge. On the other hand, the arc we got was objectively good and I’m not sure they could have handled that subtlety. Overall, my feelings on these scenes are mostly good with some doubts in there. It does make me wonder what they’re going to do now that we know we’re getting a Book 3. Azula’s original Book 3 stuff with Ozai really wouldn’t work now that she’s already become so defiant.

Okay my girl Katara: FINALLY she got an episode to shine rather than being a side piece for Aang or Sokka’s arcs! Funny that all the filler episodes they cut were the Katara centric ones…but I digress. I understand not wanting to cut the stuff with NWT sexism, and I DON’T THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE. But with all their worries about Sokka’s sexism not translating well to a live action, they should have considered the fact that such heavy handed sexism might come off as cartoonish in a live action format. Most real sexism is more subtle, albeit just as frustrating and wrong, and I’m sad the show passed up their opportunity to portray that. I did like that Katara finally got to show both her anger and her hope. I felt like this was the first episode where she really felt in character. While some characters work while being different from the original (mostly FN characters), Katara’s changes made her an objectively more hollow character, so seeing sparks of OG Katara was awesome! She still felt a little flat, but it’s definitely a HUGE step in the right direction. (And Kiawentiio did awesome. Glad she’s finally getting to showcase her range). The end of the Katara/Pakku fight was a little weird but I’ll let it slide because she had that AWESOME line to Aang where she was like (I’m not going to get this exactly) “Fighting is my decision, not you or Pakku’s or anyone else’s.” I was CHEERING! This is the Katara we need more of.

I know I was largely critical in this review, but I really enjoyed this episode. This episode really solidified my belief that you have to think of these characters as totally new people. Different choices are being made, and that’s okay as long as they’re still good characters with ties to the original. Sometimes it works (Azula, Yue) and sometimes it doesn’t (main trio) but if you can enjoy it when it works, you’ll enjoy the whole show a lot more.

I’ll give this one an 8.5/10. Kind of the opposite of the last episode. With that one, there weren’t any great new choices they made (most of the best moments were straight out of the cartoon), but there was also nothing I really disliked. This episode made some great new choices that I thought were interesting and took some steps towards fixing some of the characters they butchered, but there was some stuff in here that I actively disliked (namely Aang and Zhao).

#atla #avatar the last airbender #atla live action #natla #netflix atla #atla stream of consciousness #azula #katara #zhao #yue #sokka #aang #kuruk #yuekka #master pakku

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lloydfrontera · 10 months

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I bet ksh wrote the "what if Lloyd wasn't a useless drunk" fic right after ppl who read the "Lloyd dies at the beginning and everyone is better off bc of it" fic accused him of hating Lloyd's character lmao. Just to be like "see i don't hate him (more than normal fans do)!" And then it started new discourse about the only palatable way Lloyd was avoiding death/getting significant screentime in his stories was if he was totally ooc lol

about this au

askhdjksah "see i don't hate the guy!" (<- wrote a completely different guy with the same name)

some people accused him of character bashing and even when most of his readers pointed out that he wasn't writing anything that wasn't either canon or completely in character, suho still decided to see if he could write a fic that involved lloyd frontera as a main character without being an antagonist. and it turned out it was really fucking hard lol

so he just. changed a few things. couple little nothings.

the thing is i can kinda see suho. despising. lloyd's character alskhkda

is just that. the guy has everything he would kill for. he has his parents, a little brother, financial stability and a potential loyal friend right there and he wastes all of it by being a complete bastard. he would want to wring his neck sooo bad ajkskda

maybe in a particular bad night when he misses his parents, feels really lonely and only had one cup of ramen to eat the entire day, he reads a part of tkbi where lloyd acts especially nasty and gets really bitter so he writes a rant fic about how things would've been so much better if lloyd had just died and stopped making his family miserable.

once he gets it out of his system, he probably feels a bit embarrassed about how angry the fic turned out but he does see a glimmer of a good idea there so he turns it into a tamer version of an outline, where he strips away most of the raw emotion and changes it into a bittersweet tale of how the death of someone irrevocably changes the lives around them in ways that sometimes aren't predictable.

it's not even a "he died and everyone was happy about it" fic as that would be 1) in bad taste and 2) not in character. it would've been more about how lloyd's death paralyzed the fronteras so much in their shock and grief that some key events in their downfall would've been missed. how the absence of abuse would've allowed julian to flourish onto himself even as he dealt with mixed feelings about the way he feels about his older brother and whether he wishes to forgive him now that he's dead but can never make amends to him. like. that kinda thing.

and because it turns into a genuinely good fic it escapes containment from ksh's usual readers circle and ends up being a hot topic into the general fandom.

which is divided between those who think is a very bittersweet fic that doesn't bash the character but does point out his canon actions and depicts his death as tragic while acknowledging the consequences both bad and good it has. and those who think it's still in poor taste to write something that basically boils down "if he died everything would've been okay" and point out the narrative itself does carry heavy negativity against lloyd.

it is. messy.

suho isn't really affected by the criticism he gets but he does try not to project too hard onto his fics and some called out it almost seems personal so he kinda panics and writes something that deflect the accidental emotional vulnerability that slipped through and writes the other fic and he even makes lloyd suffer just a little bit in this one. compared to what the fic would actually be if he was being more honest. it is after all an attempt at making it seem like he doesn't hate the guy (more than normal that is) lol

of course that fic starts other kind of discourse but! i do see lloyd being a divisive character in the fandom in general, a lot of people would really dislike him based on his abuse on julian, his meanness to javier and the contempt he shows for his parents, but i can also see some people woobifying him and thinking he just needed some,,, idk, love ig?? (*cough* ignoring the fact he had a family that loved him and he alienated by his behavior *cough*). so the discourse that ensues after his second fic is less targeted to him and more in line with the discourse that would surround og!lloyd anyway so it's fine.

i also kinda love the idea of suho being the kind of cryptid writer that doesn't really leave author notes or has any online presence besides their ao3 notes. so he just drops the most compelling pieces of fiction people have read in the entire year and then vanishes again, only replying to nice comments with a "thanks!" or "happy you liked it :)" and a "👍🏽" or "ok" to assholes.

so he drops his "Lloyd dies at the beginning and everyone is better off bc of it" fic, drops from the face of earth to everyone else, sees the discourse it starts, writes the "what if Lloyd wasn't a useless drunk" fic, drops it and then sees an even bigger discourse start all without commenting a single thing about it askjdksa

he drops two consecutive atomic bombs on the fandom and then dips out. he has two jobs he's got no time for disk-horse after all aksdjkla

#hey i got an ask #Anonymous #tged #the greatest estate developer #kim suho #fic writer ksh au #i. didn't mean for this to be so long. oh my god.

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fearlessinger · 1 year

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Haven't read the book, can u explain why you feel bad for will? What's going on with him?

I waited to reply to this bc I wanted to finish the book first, just in case things miraculously improved at the end (they didn’t).

What’s going on with Will in TSATS is that nothing is going on with Will in TSATS.

He used to be a reasonably fleshed out side character with a pretty full complicated life, but there’s no trace of that in here anymore. TSATS stripped him of every single thing he used to have that did not directly link back to Nico. This was the book that was supposed to finally promote him to main character, but instead it demoted him to not even a character anymore, just a prop in Nico’s story.

Out of Will’s alive siblings only Kayla and Austin exist, and the moment they exit the stage, which happens almost immediately, they are out of Will’s mental & emotional landscape forever. He does not have a single thought to spare for them at any point after that, not even when he finds himself on death’s door, which btw happens quite frequently. He’s not sad abt the prospect of not seeing them again, he doesn’t regret leaving them behind to pick up the pieces, face the same trauma that Lee and Michael’s deaths had put HIM through.

And of course he doesn’t, because according to TSATS Will does not have dead siblings and does not have trauma at all. In fact, Will’s arc in TSATS is all about learning to understand, accept and accommodate NICO's trauma. Bc Nico has it, and Will doesn’t.

When Nico asks him whether he’s ever wished to be normal, to not be a demigod, Will’s immediate answer is “no”. Why would he? According to this book the worst thing that ever happened to Will was being attacked by some birds when he was 10. He’s lived an entirely blessed trauma free life, and got cool healing powers (which he’s not allowed to show off at any point in the book, mind you) as a bonus. This answer is NEVER challenged by the narrative; it in fact is implicitly confirmed to be true later on, when we get a nice little scene of Nico opening up to Will and confessing that he, on the other hand, had a rather difficult life and is suffering the aftereffects of it even now. Will struggles to relate, but he really makes an effort to understand, and that, the book and Nico’s narration tell us, is what matters.

But despite this being the book’s main thesis re: Will, the book can’t acknowledge the canonically established good parts of Will’s life either. Kayla and Austin, like I said, barely exist for a handful of pages. Gracie, Jerry and Yan have been erased from continuity. Will has no friends at camp either, it looks like. The book can’t avoid mentioning Apollo but it makes absolutely sure to never mention him in a clearly positive light. In fact, he’s retconned into having been absent from Will’s life before TOA, and Will fully expects to never see him again after that.

But mind you, Will’s not allowed to angst about this. Because Will can’t have trauma. He can’t have anything that would divert attention from Nico, the sole star of this book, who needs to be simultaneously the most traumatized and the most supported, most loved person in the world. Yeah this book is a 5 year old’s first Nico Sue fic. It would be cute if it had been actually written by a 5 year old.

This is the logic that governs the entirety of this book’s narrative choices and, following this logic, the handful of tiny additions to Will's backstory in TSATS amount to

him arriving way too late at camp to be plausibly next in line to be head of cabin after Michael (unless even more of Will’s siblings were massacred in the battle of Manhattan than we had been able to count, which would make the book’s insistence that Will’s never been traumatized even more ridiculous than it already is),

apparently not seeing his father for years after that despite this contradicting actual prev established canon, and

having a cool if flawed mom who has a cool relationship with his dad and was totally on board with baby Will getting a sun tattooed over his heart to honor Apollo, his newly retconned super mega turbo absent dad who nevertheless has a really cool relationship with Will’s mom, at like. What. 12? 13? 14? years of age?

and this is why this book makes me feel bad for Will, even though I can’t take anything that happens in it even remotely seriously at all.

#tsats #tsats spoilers #solangelo book spoilers #will solace

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buckevantommy · 1 year

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totally completely fine

ok. i'm not a fan of australian tv or movies bc they're always overdramatised or too darkly themed or comedic in a way i don't gel with bc i'd rather watch american comedies (not sitcoms, they need to die a firey death). plus i've never really liked the aussie accent, i've found it weirdly unsettling hearing characters speak with aussie voices and maybe that's bc being an aussie myself and wanting to use tv and movies as an escape so having that stark reminder of my own reality means it's harder to suspend and enjoy a different one for a spell. or maybe it's the fact that i, like a great deal of non-americans, have grown up watching american tv so now any non-american accent just sits weird in my brain.

but that's why i need to express my love for this show.

everything from the casting (diverse faces and bodies) and the actors chemistry to the setting and set design, cinematography and soundtrack, and of course the plot and characters themselves. It's so well done. It's a heartfelt dramedy that makes you care keeps you interested in wanting to know how things progress and ultimately turn out. the various relationship dynamics are full of ups and downs and it feels real in that messy way life is.

the premise: vivian is a young mess of an adult who lost her parents in a car crash that she was also in when she was a kid. she's the youngest of 3 siblings who were raised by their grandfather who dies and leaves viv his cliffside beach house. the twist: the house backs onto a picturesque ocean cliff where people go to commit suicide. the grandfather used to try and stop them, and now it's up to viv to try and do the same.

intense stuff so far. but this show is hopeful, it's not super dark even though it does deal with strained relationships and mental health and suicide attempts/ideation. the characters are distinct and the way their lives entwine don't distract from their individual journeys; viv is the main character but enough screentime is given to every supporting character that they all feel like main characters in their own right which is how it should be because that's how life is.

more good news is it's short: only 6 episodes at just under an hour each (it doesn't mince screentime) so i binged it all yesterday when i wasn't feeling great and just. wow. i haven't found anything mentioning a second season but if they did more i'd watch it - but the thing is it ends with both closure and the potential for more exploration of the characters, so it feels like a realistic open ending and works as a single season story.

i don't know if it's available overseas because it was created by and aired here by Stan (which is like our homemade Netflix) but i hope if you guys are interested you'll find a way to watch.

bonus thing for me: seeing this story play out in my home (settings and details) was actually grounding in a way i didn't expect. like i mentioned above, most of us grow up on american tv and maybe some uk stuff and while that's good for an escape it can actually be jarring to get back into our real world. but (with good quality programming like this show) i realise aussie productions can make it a lot easier to connect with the physical world around me (not the digital world), to not feel so alone, and to know that it's worth finding productions from your homeland and they don't hinder the escape of fiction in fact they can aid in grounding it in a believable way.

anyway. just one aussie who doesn't really like aussie-made stuff telling folks to give this show a go because i was pleasantly surprised.

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youtube

(note: if anyone has any questions or concerns about triggering content please message me or reply to this post and i'll fill you in on stuff it does or doesn't feature)

#totally completely fine #watchnotes #aussie tv #.txt #my only criticism is the title music is offputting atonal noise that reminds me of the white lotus title music. it does my head in #though to be fair it suits the darker themes of TCF and the swirling deadly rock-based wave footage #queer characters #diverse characters #storytelling #mental health #there's some behind the scenes interviews on youtube if you want to check those out but they do have spoilers so #tv recs #Youtube

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the-sage-libriomancer · 6 months

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Was randomly in the mood to read a Tadashi Lives/Hiro Dies au for BH6, but then I remembered that I was never able to find a good one bc all of the fics were just boring remixes or even outright retellings of the movie's plot with Tadashi in Hiro's role. So since I'm in the mood for outlining and also super bored here's my vision of what a good "Hiro dies instead of Tadashi AU" would look like:

(this is split into acts bc apparently Tumblr has a character limit and this got unspeakably long lol)

Act One

A little before the fire starts, Hiro runs back into the school for whatever reason and is in the building when it explodes. Obviously he doesn't make it and of course Tadashi is completely devastated.

Most fics I read showed Tadashi falling into a depressive funk the way Hiro did in canon. I actually think he would react the opposite way: Hiro was so brilliant that he lost motivation easily bc it was so hard to seriously challenge himself, but Tadashi strikes me as the sort of person who needs to Do Something when things go to shit. So in this AU he becomes a workaholic, working on a brand new project that requires a LOT of time and effort.

Tadashi's new project is an "emergency bot" (aka EB-1) that is basically a more proactive version of Baymax centered around search and rescue. EB-1 will be capable of saving people from car accidents, natural disasters, and yes, fires. Tadashi is obsessed with completing it and forgoes everything else.

Unfortunately Baymax is pushed to the wayside by Tadashi, as just looking at him brings up memories of Hiro that are currently painful. A small running gag is that Baymax keeps inflating when he senses Tadashi being self-destructive (ie every ten minutes) and Tadashi keeps shutting him down, until finally Tadashi brings him back to Cass's place and leaves him there.

Tadashi's friends are more heavily involved this time around since this is one of their best friends. They do everything in their power to make him take care of himself, but he's heavily resisting because he is Going Through It and refuses to relinquish his unhealthy coping mechanisms.

A couple of weeks after Hiro's death, Tadashi is snooping around town in search of a good place to field test the EB-1, and he happens upon the warehouse that's hosting Callighan's microbot making operation. Tadashi accidentally tips off Kabuki Man while getting some pictures and barely escapes Kabuki Man's clutches.

Furious that someone has apparently stolen his little brother's tech and is mass producing it, Tadashi gets his friends involved. They're initially skeptical even with the pictures (which are terrible quality lol), but Tadashi convinces them to come see the warehouse with him so he can prove himself. Since they get a jump start this time, they end up catching Kabuki Man red-handed as he's still moving the microbot-making equipment.

Obviously Kabuki Man chases Team Tadashi, and there's a brief chase scene. However, Tadashi came prepared: he brought EB-1 (hastily modified to have some fighting prowess) and unleashes it on Kabuki Man for its first "test run." EB-1 successfully fills all its initial parameters before Kabuki Man bails, which Tadashi is excited about - his invention works! His friends are considerably less excited about all this and vote to go somewhere to recuperate.

Safe at Fred's house (because we NEED that reveal), Tadashi and his friends put their heads together to figure out their options. One thing leads to another, and the five of them end up pinning Krei as a main suspect - not necessarily as Kabuki Man himself, but definitely as someone who might be involved.

One fic I read was such an unoriginal rehash that it literally repeated movie scenes verbatim with Tadashi speaking Hiro's lines (AU authors please don't do this) BUT the one place it did try to be original was by replacing Hiro's gadgets-making montage with Team Tadashi literally flying up to Krei's office on the top floor (using Baymax no less) and interrogating him, and I honestly can't think of a more ic way for the group to go about it. If you asked me "what would a bunch of tired and desperate STEM majors do when they need to talk to a rich businessman they can't contact" that would be it lmao.

Interrogating Krai goes about as well as you'd expect: he refuses to give them any information, but does make a compelling enough argument that Team Tadashi is forced to leave him alone. Tadashi still doesn't trust him but reluctantly rules him out as a Kabuki Man suspect. However, Krei accidentally drops a couple clues about Silent Sparrow that will become relevant later.

Team Tadashi dejectedly calls it quits, and the team tries to convince Tadashi to focus his energy elsewhere. But Tadashi isn't giving up just yet.

#bear with me there's plenty more coming #sage speaketh #au tag

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