#anyway I love it when a bit is anchored in like character development | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

dirtyoldmanhole · 6 months

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your gunter brainrot is oddly inspiring, it is honestly nice to see someone so passionate about a character. i am curious, is there any other gunter ships you are interested in or want to explore? any dynamics that stick out to you?

awww shucks, thank you!!! I don't know if I'd call it passionate as it was a straight up possession lmao, but you're very kind. :> It's been fun!

Gunter/Corrin is still my ride or die OTP to end all OTP's buuut there are some other ideas through these playthroughs ~

Gunter/Flora is still nibbling at my mind, whether it's a platonic scene or if something romantic naturally develops out of those DLC holiday supports. contrary to the translator's comments i don't see Flora's offer to take care of him being familial-related at all. :p a lot of Flora's lines in general across the routes are dedicated to Jakob being somebody she pines for, so imagine the meat you'd get when she gets to know who trained Jakob and was essentially his dad (lol). delicious semi-sweet, semi-skeevy potential there! (doubly so if you take the more morbid interpretation and have flora projecting her jakob feelings on him and then gunter projecting his corrin feelings on her.) they're both quite shy about their feelings so I don't know if either one of them would actually work up the courage for anything more than an unusual amount of chemistry, but I could see low key not-really-serious flirting that they secretly enjoy.

For very complicated grief-related reasons (possibly a meta post after this fic?) I can't really see Gunter sticking around long post-game if he doesn't have a romantic anchor to be a reason for existence, but I can see Flora genuinely being a notable exception.

haven't even touched on the fact that both of them betray Corrin in at least one if not more routes (and still love and care for her anyways), so there's that emotional coldness/pragmatism to also play with.

Gunter&Azura - last playthrough of Rev really made me realize just how many parallels they have. :o both perceived as/are traitors, both keep really tragic secrets about their families for decades, both don't come anywhere to showing their whole "self" even if married or in just one route.

there's also that bit how Azura was stolen away from Nohr as a child and how Gunter blames himself a little bit for that. like. what's up with that, how would Azura take that? Would she forgive him for his particular betrayal against her post-Revelation?

also think a support conversation between Gunter&Silas would be super cool because I strongly headcanon he was the one to nearly execute the poor boy after getting in trouble for sneaking Corrin out. Silas keeps mentioning in all routes how the guards nearly had him killed, and Gunter's kind of the de-facto castle commander (or so the routes imply). Would Silas be nervy about meeting him again? Would Gunter be able to genuinely apologize (would he feel the need to?) Would they be able to move on and reminisce about Corrin?

In a similar way, Gunter&Jakob's got underutilized potential but I haven't quite cracked that nut there. there is one amazing as hell porn fic with them that i know about though :D

( also special shout out to @lululeighsworld and their summoner with him. :D from one selfshipper from another game to another, it is suchhhh a delight to see the kinds of exploration you can't get with base game stories. gotta shake those old man characters like a bag of marbles to get the juicy bits out!! )

#ty so much anon. ;a; you're sweet!#also lmao @ me realizing i have more gunter/flora feelings than i thought i had

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countessofravenclaw · 11 months

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Anchor imagery and Gastina

I don't know if anyone has noticed that Nina wears a weird amount of Achor patterns on her clothing.

Let me show you:

S1E78

S2E9

S2E36

S2E48

These are just the ones I remember. There might be more.

The interesting thing about these is that she wears anchors in a lot of scenes that have something to do with Gastón. Their first kiss, the scene where he teases her about learning to skate, and the scene with Xavi where Nina literally described her relationship with Gastón as "too intense".

Anchor biblically symbolizes hope and it part of the Faith, Hope, Love trio.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

- 1 Corinthians 13:13

Anchors are nautical devices that provide stability to ships during harsh storms, protecting them from being tossed around at sea. Throughout history, anchors have served as a much-needed device for sailors. In the Bible, an anchor is used as a symbol of our hope in Jesus which gives us stability and steadfastness in life. In ancient days, the anchor was used in artwork and engravings as a symbol of Christianity. Anchors appear in the Roman catacombs on the tombs of Christians, showing the Christians’ steadfast hope in eternal life.

I don't mean to get too preachy here and we don't even know the religious stance of DCLA, even when can just assume that everyone is catholic. That being said, I do Hc just a little bit that Gastón maybe grew up a little bit more religious than the rest, and I feel it first with his parents getting themselves out of poverty by a bunch of small miracles. This is not the point of this though.

Anchors symbolize hope and stability. Something that Gastón represents for Nina.

She is a divorce child from a broken home. She has been fought over by her parent for who knows how long, but long enough for it really to impact her mental health and self-esteem. She doesn't feel worthy of any love, because she has been fought over like an object with no free will for most of her life.

Gastón was probably one the first people to just love her unconditionally, without having some need to prove that he loves her more than someone else, and she herself was enough. (I don't mean to leave Luna out of this. We'll come back to her later) Gastón loved Nina for who she was, and who she could be for herself.

I don't think Nina has ever known a happy whole family life without her parent fighting. Gastón is from a nuclear family with two parents happily married (Technically my headcanon, but I think canon speaks for it very strongly). I think Nina was definitely taken into his family right away. His parents very possibly were one of the first exposures that Nina had to a healthy long-term marriage.

Anchor represents hope for steadfastness and security. We didn't see this much, but it is pretty fair to say that Gastón probably was quite protective of Nina, Gary would have not gotten even close to her in S3 if he had been around. He often provides her with stability, full-on physically by often having an arm around her shoulder or waist or just by emotionally. With him, she has a hope of a better future and life for herself with him

These are things she lacks in S3 a lot. She doesn't know what she wants to do, and struggles with clarity and writing, especially with the skating site. Her anchor is gone so to say, and she drifts off to sea.

None of this meant to say that she can't be her own independent woman, she absolutely can and is, but that doesn't mean that she can't consider the person she loves as someone who provides her security and stability.

Anyways, these are the reasons why Nina backtracks in character development. She still has Luna as support, but how I view her development is that she needs both, Luna and Gastón. Luna got her on skates in S1, but it was Gastón who helped her almost as much with it. He taught her how to stop and assured her that it was okay to fall and that nothing bad could happen to her. Luna was the one who Nina moving, but Gastón was her anchor.

When you view things like that, you alos notice how similar Gastón and Luna's backgrounds are. They are both from happy homes with two parents with healthy relationships. This can be also kind of applied to Matteo as well, since he is from a broken home in a different way, and why Gastón and Luna were the people for him too.

#Soy Luna #Gastina #Lutteo #Hope #Faith #Love #This imagery can't ba just coincidence #Hopefully you have missed my essays because they are back

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vonlipvig · 1 year

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Not to be another anon NFB ask or anything but I'm glad there's like one person in the fandom that appreciates Megan Wolfe. She leads most of the broadcast and developes from messing up "welcome back" to becoming news anchor through the most unexpected means and had to be brought down with Channel 1 and devolve to mindless entertainment. I don't see people talk about her enough aside from her angry bits (albeit funny) which is so criminal so thank you for your service

(nfb asks, anon or not, are always more than welcome, this game lives rent free in my mind anyway lmao)

BUT YES, IT'S ALWAYS LOVE AND APPRECIATE MEGAN O'CLOCK IN THIS BLOG, BABY

but yeah, as you said, i love joking about her as much as the next guy and i'll always find a way to mention TAKE A HIKE, BRUSH BOY--because god, she's so freaking funny--but SHE'S SUCH A GOOD CHARACTER. she starts out as this young newbie who's wildly ambitious and willing to network and align herself with the people who will boost her up that corporate ladder (advance, even sophia rymmington), but at the same time she loves what she does and understands the responsibilities she holds and she comes to regret a lot of the things that got her there in the later game, but finds that her hands are tied after all.

(and there's something to be said about how she doesn't react the same way jeremy does in that situation, not only because she has seen how much damage that did to her friend, but because she doesn't have the...freedom to do so? she owes a lot more to advance than jeremy ever did. i also think that it has something to do with her being a woman, which kinda parallels with julia's position a bit. food for thought).

and yeah, she's so flawed, and i love all those flaws in her! she's fun and friendly, she's a bit of a diva, she's hardworking, she's a bit of a kissass, it's great! we see her grow--both in her career and as a person--and you can always see how much she cares. one of my favorite scenes is in the 20 week war during the clement laments sequence, when peter is like "and you know what? you get more like him every day", and she stares him down and goes "i will take that as a compliment", like AUGH IT KILLS ME (even more so if jeremy is dead).

and of course, how the different finales affect her character can vary in such interesting ways. the jeremy dies/alan dies branch, especially if you play the tape, absolutely destroys me. when she says “We were journalists. The gatekeepers of truth. And now? Now we’re this shit-show. The great misdirection played nightly, so bright and fun and shiny that you can’t see what’s happening right in front of your face. Well, that’s on us. That’s on me.”? LIKE HELLO WHAT A CHARACTER ARC. it's great and I will never stop hyping her up.

and also, like....she's really hot. that's purely a bonus, but man, she's really hot lmao.

anyway, megan wolfe appreciation hours are 24/7 baby i love my babygirl so much.

#not for broadcast #megan wolfe #juli answers #nfb asks #SORRY ANON YOU PUSHED THE MEGAN BUTTON AND I HAD TO RANT #i also forgot half the things i wanted to also say but like you get it #like her saying to lil c that she'll be proud and to be careful? OK SORORITY #her being a MOM. SHE'S LITERALLY STACEY'S MOM HAS GOT IT GOING ON.#when she's being very cunty to jeremy but then she turns to him like 'you know i would never...' like SHE CARES SHE LOVES HER FRIENDS #so much stuff i love her so much i could CRY

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knightotoc · 10 months

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Spock's deal as developed over decades:

logical, stoic, superhuman strength, superhuman precision, green blood, pointy ears, scientist, musician, vegetarian, friend to animals, telepath, hippie sympathizer, idealist

has more powerful emotions than humans, so he has to hide them

over years of cold professionalism, forms incredibly deep attachments to coworkers Kirk and Bones, even though their human lifespans are tragically shorter than his own

a complex reflection of an imperfect but remarkable and beloved real person (Nimoy's two biographies are called "I Am Not Spock" and "I Am Spock"); because of this, Spock is famously Jewish-coded and expressed many of Nimoy's strong personal values and creative ideas

historically significant gay interpretation by an important fandom and published writers; in the wider fandom, Spock's sex appeal surpassed the actual lead actor's

he has some romances as a young man, but he ultimately dedicates his life to the noble cause of Romulan reunification

bizarre alien libido on a fuck-or-die 7-year cycle; this silly premise is taken extremely seriously

difficult relationship with his Vulcan father and human mother

complex relationship with Starfleet, especially w/r/t Pike, Kirk, and Romulans

has a secret half-brother who darkly mirrors Spock's own struggles with emotions, forming bonds with other people, and faith in God

sacrifices himself out of pure, logical love and gets reborn through the misuse of a terraformer-turned-superweapon

the platonic ideal of a nerd

In 2009, Spock was recast, but this version is from an alternate timeline. There are two significant changes to the character, which are not as appealing to me, but I still appreciate them:

his homeplanet was destroyed. This enormous tragedy gives us a character who is much less stoic. In my opinion, this takes away from Spock's uniqueness. But as a Star Wars fan, I appreciate that Spock's grief for his planet gets to affect him in a way Leia's never did

he has a relationship with Uhura. This is a fun decision, especially as these characters had some chemistry in the original show, but it is a bit spoiled by the creepy tracking device subplot

This recast is a fundamentally different character. In my opinion the best thing about him is when they lean into that difference; Quinto's Spock knows about Nimoy's, and has profound feelings about his alternate self. This was handled beautifully after Nimoy's death, and I am grateful that his protege's version of the character got to grieve with us in the real world.

In 2019, Spock was recast for a second time, and this version is supposed to be the same character as the original. But they have made multiple changes to the character anyway, which I mostly dislike. I haven't watched SNW since I feel this interpretation of Pike is even more ableist than the 60s version, but I am trying to keep track of what this franchise is doing with their best character:

Spock now has an additional secret sibling, an adopted human sister Michael. The reveal that Sarek chose Spock over Michael for Vulcan Science Academy, which Spock refused anyway, is some fun drama. It makes me feel bad for Michael and angry with Spock, which is a bummer. I do not think we needed to have Trek's first Black woman protagonist anchored by her relationship to a legacy character. I enjoy their dynamic, but I don't see a fundamental mirror of challenging topics with them like I do with him and Sybok. And of course this bond isn't going to be able to influence Spock in the future, as his bond with Sybok will

Spock now also has dyslexia; I appreciate the representation, but again this isn't going to influence him at all in the future; Spock in "The Menagerie" is an ableist character by modern standards

he's in a love triangle with Chapel and T'Pring; to me this is OOC for all three of them, and unnecessarily makes original Spock into a big, insensitive jerk. While he is a passionate character, the whole point is that he controls his passion, even to the point of choosing his love for humanity over his love for individuals. His deep friendship with Kirk and Bones is only possible since they have grown old together, which is the main theme of the original movies

where'd the chest hair go

Peck's interview where he says they're pushing Spoimler and he enjoyed acting with Quaid because they're both from acting families = so this actor's input into this once highly personal character is just queerbaiting and nepotism

The reason I wrote this post is because, in the newest SNW ep (spoilers), Spock becomes somehow humanized and, as a result, happily eats bacon. First of all, "I love bacon" is like, the definition of cringe outdated internet humor. More importantly, this is a nonsensical and possibly offensive move for a character who is Jewish-coded and vegetarian. Vulcans can eat meat, but they choose not to as part of their strict code of ethics. Spock in particular has a deep love for all forms of life, and his telepathy even gives him the ability to understand every creature from the Horta to the whales. Of course Federation meat is synthesized, but, at least in my interpretation, I can't imagine Spock even symbolically enjoying eating one of the smartest animals on Earth.

Of course every beloved character will develop over time, sometimes even in prequels. But these changes ought to make them more complex, or more personal to a new creator. The things that made Spock special are draining away. He is becoming more fashionable, straighter, more ordinary. Most fans seem to enjoy the new version, but I am left reeling at these odd decisions.

#star trek #spock #long post #lots of adverbs here smh im too upset to write well ig

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freuleinanna · 2 years

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Hi I just found your blog so I was wondering In your playthrough were you able to keep everyone alive? Do have any fav scenes? Who are ur fav characters/and leave fav?

Hiii welcome!

In my first playthrough, I think I only killed Abi accidentally, because I got both her and Emma bitten and whaddayaknow, turns out, Emma still kills Abi :D Even though Emma was bit later than Abi, she turned and killed poor Abs anyway. I thought I was a genius for having two wolves in the same room, I thought they'd just be like okay, two werewolves hanging out, no killings. Big nope on that :)

My fav scene, for reasons that are between me and God, is when Laura bites Ryan. It just plays on every werewolf string I have in my whole entire body :D I also love the Travis-Laura-Ryan fighting were!Chris scene, and I LOVE the one where Dylan pushes Kaitlyn out of the way when they find were!Emma. My sweet boyyyy!

And if I have to list the fac characters... Here we go!

Travis - because family drama is my everything, and he's an immensely interesting character to think about.

Laura - because my girl pulled a Sarah Connor and turned herself from a typical genre character into a fighter with her will, her wits, and her eye patch.

Dylan - he's the best most wholesome protective dude ever, I just love him!

Kaitlyn - the game doesn't show her a lot which is a crime, but I love her spirit and her no-nonsense attitude. Plus she really kicks ass!

Max - he's just a bit puppy and I adore what they have with Laura! He has that sidekick-but-also-an-anchor-to-the-main-character thing going on, and I respect that.

Emma - because she's a multi-faceted character and I admire her street-smart vibe when it counts. She holds herself like a pro. Also, taking a werewolf pic? Best girl.

Jacob - when it comes to him, I'm that Office meme: - You don't have all the facts! - Which are? - I love him. 'Nuff said.

Ryan - I didn't particularly like him, although his dry sense of humour was really cool sometime.

Nick - LISTEN I hated that shit but then I made myself feel sorry for him and now I don't hate him as much. Still, me no dig. I saw a post somewhere and the person said that Nick's story never changes no matter how you play the game, he's always there, then he gets bitten, then he fucks off. Couldn't agree more. (also if the author sees it lmk I'll tag you or reblog your post!)

Abi - I'm sorry, she was just bland and boring. I'm nagging at this game for not giving the characters any particular development, but and Abi here is the worst case. On that note, I'm watching Modern Family now and I didn't recognize Ariel Winter right away, but then I did and I have to say, she's a much better actress than I could have thought of her from the game.

Feel free to leave more asks! Those are fun!

#asks #the quarry #the quarry thoughts #laura kearney #travis hackett #dylan lenivy #max brinly #kaitlyn ka #jacob custos #emma mountebank #abigail blyg #ryan erzahler #nick furcillo

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90363462 · 1 year

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Inspirational Anime Couples That Are Absolutely Perfect for Each Other

Steven JohnSeptember 24, 2022

Think about some of the most famous couples from arts and literature, not to mention from world history. There is the tragic love of Romeo and Juliet, of course, and the ill-fated bond between Antony and Cleopatra. Far more recently, Marge and Homer Simpson (somehow) endure, while David and Patrick from Schitt’s Creek inspire relationship goals. Those relationships, from plays, films and television, share little in common, except for an undeniable love. A similar bond can be found elsewhere, too, among some of the best anime couples.

RELATED: 120 of the Best Anime Quotes of All Time

As any fan can attest, there are numerous anime couples every bit as compelling as any presented by Shakespeare. Among the many cute anime couples are some from famous properties like Dragon Ball Z. Others are more obscure, at least to anyone who isn’t an anime fan. However, they will charm those who give them a chance.

Before we discuss some of the best anime couples, let’s first make sure we’re on the same page when it comes to the medium.

What Is Anime, Anyway?

Dragon Ball Z

Long story short, “anime” generated refers to animated television series or movies that originate in Japan. However, in Japan, it’s a blanket term for any animated work, regardless of where it was produced.

The word itself is not shorthand for the English term “animation.” Rather, it’s how “animated cartoon” is said in Japanese. There are aspects of anime that are seen as typical, such as dramatic action, and exaggerated expressions and body movements. But in terms of the storylines and settings, the field is broad. That’s one of the reasons there are so many wonderful anime couples. Their love stories can be found anywhere the writers and illustrators can create.

Here are six of the best anime couples you can find.

Misaki and Usui, ‘Kaichou wa Maid-Sama‘

Often called simply Maid Sama!, Kaichō wa Meido-sama! (“The Class President Is a Maid!”) is based on the manga series by Hiro Fujiwara. The title mostly gives away the premise. It’s a romantic comedy that centers around Misaki Ayuzawa, the first female student council president of the former all-boys school. Although she develops a reputation for disliking her rowdy male classmates, Misaki secretly works after school at a maid cafe, to support her family. Unfortunately, Takumi Usui, a popular boy at school, discovers her secret.

RELATED: 15 Amazing Female Anime Characters and What Your Favorite Says About You

Maid Sama! work so well because the main characters are in a classic “opposites attract” scenario. Initially it seems as though there’s every reason for them not to become romantically involved. Heck, they should actively repel each other. The series endeared fans to hard-working Misaki and to Usui, the archetypal big man on campus. They love how, even with the decks stacked against them, these two stuck it out.

Winry and Edward, ‘Fullmetal Alchemist‘

Winry is one of the most popular female anime characters. That shouldn’t be surprising, given the role she plays in Fullmetal Alchemist. Created by Hiromu Arakawa, it follows brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric as they try to undo the damage following a failed attempt to bring resurrect their mother.

Winry keeps Edward going, quite literally, using her mechanic skills to restore his prosthetic arm and leg, as needed. Their bond, which began in childhood, grows into true love. They become one of the best anime couples of all time, anchoring the beloved steampunk world of Fullmetal Alchemist.

Mikasa and Eren, ‘Attack on Titan‘

Attack on Titan has delighted fans since the manga debuted in 2009. The anime adaptation, which premiered in 2013, won’t air its final episodes until sometime in 2023. Created by Hajime Isyama, Attack on Titan is set in a world where the last remnants of humanity live in cities encircled behind enormous walls, and battle flesh-eating giants known as Titans.

RELATED: These Disney “Failures” Prove Your Idea of Success May Be Wrong

Arguably the most enduring element of the series is the love story of Erin and Mikasa, which is all the more poignant because it is doomed. Much will be spoiled right here, so be warned. So doomed is their love that it’s none other than Mikasa who slays Eren. Given his turn to darkness, she has little choice. Before she does, however, they endure — even when their relationship is strained beyond belief.

It’s not a pretty romance, but the feelings between Mikasa and Eren are undeniable, if undeniably sad.

Yuki and Kaname, ‘Vampire Knight’

What is it about vampires and their romantic lives that we humans find so difficult to resist? From Bram Stoker’s Dracula to Anne Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles to Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight, people love when vampires fall in love, especially when the objection of their desire isn’t another vampire.

RELATED: She-Hulk’s Sexual Liberation Is Crucial for Marvel and Disney+

That’s certainly the case with Vampire Knight. Based on the manga by Matsuri Hino, the romantic storyline is a complicated one. As usual, a human, Yuki, develops romantic feelings for a vampire, Kaname. But in this case, Yuki is also the object of the affection of Zero, her adoptive brother, who is an avowed vampire hater and hunter. That would complicate matters enough on their own. But, as it happens, Zero is leading a secret double life … as a vampire.

Meliodas and Elizabeth, ‘Seven Deadly Sins’

Don’t worry, Meliodas and Elizabeth have a happy ending in Seven Deadly Sins. After the defeat of the Demon King and Cath, they even get married and have a child, named Tristan. However, it takes this popular anime couple a long time to get there.

RELATED: Walt Disney’s Life Story: A Mouse, Eternal Life, and a Stolen Rabbit

Both characters are shown to have had difficult lives before Nakaba Suzuki’s Seven Deadly Sins even begins. And we do means lives. In this series, the characters are reborn many times over. Set in a magical world resembling medieval Europe, the story follows seven knights, each of whom represents one of the Deadly Sins (pride, wrath, envy, greed, lust, gluttony and sloth). The leader, Meliodas, is tasked with reuniting the knights after they disband in disgrace. His love story with Elizabeth dates back generations, during which time he has witnessed her die time and again.

With each death and rebirth, Meliodas gets closer to becoming the good person he wants to be — and to not losing Elizabeth again.

Trunks and Mai, ‘Dragon Ball Z’

One of the mot influential anime of all time, Dragon Ball Z predates the other properties on this list. The 1989 sequel to Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball, the anime continues the adventures of Son Goku as he battles the enemies of Earth. That includes everything from evil robots to alien invaders to magical monsters. That may not sound like a premise ripe for romance, but it certainly was. Only not for Goku, always seems more interested in training or fighting than in romance or family.

No, the true romantic couple to watch in Dragon Ball Z is Trunks and Mai. Although Mai is a “mere” human she bravely fights beside Trunks’ side. It only makes sense that both of these characters survive the apocalypse, and that their romance is not only intact but stronger after the many trials and tribulations.

KEEP READING:

Chris Evans Reacted to Captain America’s Virginity Reveal – Why Is It a Big Deal?

Steven John

Steven John is a writer based near New York City (after 12 years in LA, four in Boston, and the first 18 just outside DC). When not writing or spending time with his wife, son, and daughter, he frequently jogs and bikes, sometimes gets in a kayak, and occasionally climbs mountains. He writes for several major outlets, and his novels can be found on his website stevenjohnbooks.com

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absolutebl · 3 years

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This Week in BL

May 2021 Wk 3

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs.

It’s a cray cray Friday when Vietnam gets its eng subs up before GMMTV Thailand. What alter-reality are we in? Well, the Vietnamese offerings are better right now anyway. (Oooo, feel that burn.)

Ongoing Series - Thai

Top Secret Together Ep 2 - pulping it up in the best possible way. Sure sound and production values are pants, and in classic Thai fashion the editing in post is exacerbating (rather than fixing) pacing issues, but it’s still CUTE AF. I don’t even mind the added university storyline, because they’ve got good chemistry (and a confident gay fresher after a panicked gay hazer is an old favorite... what can I say, SOTUS was my first love). We aren’t spending too much time with any one couple, so it’s weighted a lot better than Brothers was, but also character development is slow.

Siew Sum Noi Ep 2 - Unfortunately, it’s just too hard to find, plus no subs. I’m dropping it in the hopes it comes back on my radar some day.

Y-Destiny Ep 8 - (Thurs) It’s rough having a ghost boyfriend, half your friends are scared, the other half think you’re crazy, and kissing shortens your lifespan. This was a cute couple even if I wasn’t wild about the surrounding story.

Close Friend Ep 5: (Dear My Star/JimmyTommy) - about high school penpals. It had to rely entirely on voice over work as the actors only meet face to face at the end. It’s a good thing they are appealing screen presences on their own, with good vocal control. It’s hard to imagine any other BL pair carrying this kinda plot. It’s by far my favorite of the series so far, and I’m not even a big JimmyTommy fan.

Fish Upon The Sky Ep 7 - no subs. Do we care? Not really. Because we have...

Nitiman Ep 3 - currently my favorite out of Thailand. It’s the university Thai BL i’ve been waiting for since... when was the last good one? My Engineer? Yowza. Anyway we got: head on my shoulder, baby is a floppy drunk (but still wants to be in control), proximity alert, boyfriend’s closet, seme gets seriously jelly, and a cute twist on feeding him. There’s something fun and complex about Jin’s character. He’s not a panicked bi. He knows exactly what’s going on, he just hasn’t decided if he wants Bb or not. He clearly enjoys being looked after, the compliments, and the attention, but he’s not sure if he’s going to like what happens if he gives in. I like that twist on the usual tsundere uke archetype a lot, cautious rather than willfully obtuse or freaked out. We can see Jin realizing in stages: I like this person, I like that they like me, I like the romantic attentiveness. But in the background is... do I actually want to f*k him? It’s a dynamic we don’t often see on BL.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

HIStory 4: Close To You (Taiwan) Ep 10 fin - the most ridiculous show using BLs worst tropes in a sort of weird smoothie of bitter greens and too ripe banana. The ending was the sappiest cheesiest thing ever, like cheese syrup tapped from the cheese tree. So of course I loved it, but I’m pretty sure I giggled through all the bits meant to be profound. Because, in the end, to tolerate this show at all, you just can’t take ANY of it seriously. RECOMMENDED (with some SERIOUS reservations and trigger warnings.) Full review here.

Be Loved in House: I Do (Taiwan) Ep 1-2 - I don’t mind a damaged seme character but this one is a bit weird for me. Like creepy Cheese in the Trap level weird. On the bright side, the story has given our tsundere uke good motivation for his angst and great existing friendships, loyalty, and likability. Plus I’m invested in the cafe owner/innocent puppy side dishes. So if it’s only the seme character I’m not jiving with, and he’s the most established actor, it should all turn out fine. I believe in you, Taiwanese BL.

Papa & Daddy (Taiwan) Ep 6 fin - speaking of belief. This such a good show but they gave us a cliffhanger ending. Now we must hope against hope for season two. That’s never guaranteed with Taiwan tho. So, I’m docking a few points and saying, RECOMMENDED so long as you realize it’s a cliffhanger.

Love is Science? (Taiwan) Ep 1-9 (BL subplot) - this is a good het romance, but the fact that the BL subplot is a beautifully acted disaster bi + confident gay means you’re hearing about it whether you want to or not. Plus they just added in some GL! Come on! I gotta support Taiwan normalizing queer to this extent. They are fighting the good fight and if I also have to watch a career lady and her much younger softest straight boi get it on, too? Twist my arm with that service sub subtext. Go on Taiwan, TWIST IT. It’s on Viki. Join the revolution. * Incidentally if you actually like the D/s het dynamic of this show, I highly recommend Japanese Kimi wa Petto - career woman keeps a hot young dancer boy as a pet. Oh yes, an actual pet, that IS the pitch. Never doubt Japan when kink is on the line. It’s also on Viki. Go get your kink on, thank me later. (If it helps: That was not a request.)

Most Peaceful Place 2 (Vietnam) Ep 2 (AKA 5) - love triangles aren’t my thing, but if you’re gonna do it short form, by all means bring in the lead’s other BL pairing so the chemistry is on point. Now I've no idea who I want him to end up with. Can’t they just be in a poly triad?

My Lascivious Boss (Vietnam) Ep 7 - I’m still enjoying it a lot. It’s still unabashedly queer and the tension is ramping up. We now have secret identity, blackmail, femme fatale, faen fatale, and incoming seme confrontation. Best of all, the series is still airing, which makes it longer than any other Vietnamese BL I’ve seen (aside from Tein Bromance - which is just too weird to count).

Gossip - Thai BL

SEVEN PROJECT TEASERS

No one is entirely sure what Studio Wabi Sabi’s Seven Project/7Project will entail.

It might be like Close Friend (1 episode per couple, no linking),

or Y-Destiny (2 episodes per couple, loosely linked),

or The En of Love (4 episodes per couple, linked but independent consecutive stories).

They’re giving the couple’s arcs separate titles. So each one would be what? Seven Project: Once Upon a Time or the like? We’re in Taiwanese title territory people and NO ONE WANTS TO GO THERE. Anygay...

Once Upon a Time is the BounPrem (og UWMA) anchor story, and seems to be the most dramatic and likely saddest. These two can handle most of what’s thrown at them at this juncture, so it should be good.

Vs Love is a BoomPeak (og Make it Right) university vehicle. Since I thought Boom was done with our nonsense, I couldn’t be more thrilled and surprised this pair is doing another show together. I don’t think either of them are the greatest actors but I find Peak very endearing and Boom charismatic on screen, so I’ll watch.

Would You be My Love is the hotly anticipated SantaEarth launch. They’re a (cultivated) IRL ship and Earth is an established BL actor. They have great chemistry and high energy so this could be lots of fun.

We are also getting a GL from this series from established BL actresses Samantha and Pineare. Nothing teased yet on that, but I’m looking forward to this installment the most. Also curious to see how the ladies handle the branding and promo side, not to mention the culture. (Thailand variety shows gonna force *girls* to play the Pepero game?)

Secret Crush on You upcoming Thai BL with no release date, co-produced by and featuring (but NOT staring) Saint and directed by Cheewin (sigh) with all fresh faces. (Previously known as Stalker the series.) It looks like pure pulp and I’m not wild about the plot but could be better than expected as it’s adapted from a novel. Cheewin is an okay director when he has an actual story to follow.

Don’t Say No the series. Coming from the producers of TharnType this is the JaFirst vehicle many have been waiting for. Friends to lovers + a good boy/bad boy pairing on a sports romance foundation. It’s basketball so they tapped Meen as well (he’s semi-pro). The bad news? You get one guess as to who is writing the darn thing? Yep it’s MAME. So, ya know, expect some slam dunk kidnapping, a light dribbling of rape, and me turning into a basketcase. AKA...

Will I have to live blog this series in order to survive it? That seems to be the only way I can. So probably. Which means the bad sports puns will continue. Look, if I’m suffering, SO ARE YOU!

Rumors of a new YinWar vehicle The Best Story (mini series) coming in July. Also rumors that their previously announced Love Mechanics (full length series) has either been delayed, is facing money issues, or is moving studios, or all three.

Breaking News

DELAYED (I’m talking these three off the watch list until we get new airing dates)

Love Area’s release was pushed out but it got a trailer.

Golden Blood was supposed to drop Weds but comments in MDL report that it is delayed due to C19.

Love’s Outlet (Taiwan) is supposed to have started a 50 episode run (only 3-5 min each, what utter nonsense). Sadly, this delay is due to a surge in cases in Taiwan which was doing so well, but also doesn’t have many inoculations.

Bad Buddy has started workshopping at GMMTV actual.

Kang Insoo’s BTS for Nobleman Ryu’s Wedding is SO FLIPPING CUTE. You have to watch it. Trust me, I don’t rec behind the scenes stuff often.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Some shows may be listed later than actual air date for International accessibility reasons.

Upcoming 2021 BL master post here.

Links to watch are provided when possible, ask in a comment if I missed something.

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hannigramficrecs · 3 years

Note

there's a hannibal extended universe?! omg pls, it would be incredible if you could recommend any fics related to this. thank you so much!!

OMG yes. I’m actually thinking of starting a section of my index of just HEU fics! I currently have a Spacedogs tag— which is the ship of Hugh Dancy’s character from the movie Adam (2009) and Mads Mikkelsen’s character from Charlie Countryman (2013), but I was thinking of adding more from all the different universes I’ve read so far as well! Anyways, here are a couple of the more popular pairings to get you started!

Spacedogs:

Space Invader by Devereauxs_Disease [words: 28,512]

Nigel isn’t handling his divorce well. When a good Samaritan starts leaving him gifts on his balcony, Nigel gets suspicious. What could go wrong?

The Set Up by Devereauxs_Disease [words: 4,178]

Nigel decides if he can’t have Adam, someone great should. So he plays wingman for his friend/secret crush and sets Adam up on a date with a gorgeous woman. What could possibly go wrong? OR—The fic where Beverly Katz learns to see the fun in blind dates.

Beth Finds Out by victorine for Devereauxs_Disease [words: 3,160]

Beth doesn’t want to date Adam. She doesn’t really want to date Nigel either, but he’ll work as a temporary measure to discourage Adam. Of course, she’s not expecting the two of them to hit it off…

Marbles by Llewcie [words: 5,561]

Adam moves to a new neighborhood and promptly loses a prized possession to the neighborhood bully. But when the tables are turned, Adam extracts a promise from Nigel that will follow them through the years. The friendship that develops as a result will end up meaning more to them than they ever could have anticipated.

Pochemuchka by slashyrogue [words: 1,441]

Alpha Nigel gets roped into taking the empty bartender spot on Omega Speed Dating Night where he happens to meet a certain blue eyed omega.

I Was Still Blind, But Twinkling Stars Did Dance by DarkmoonSigel [words: 12,010]

Beth sets Adam up on a blind date. Sex happens.

King Arthur (2004) — which Mads and Hugh both starred in!

To the Place I Belong by halotolerant [words: 14,823]

“I am going to have to see you eventually, Galahad,” Tristan pointed out. “Or else undertake this mission blindfolded.” Abruptly, the door in front of him was flung open. He had to fight not to take a reflexive step backwards. “If you even begin to laugh…” Galahad threatened, hissing. Tristan surveyed the sight of him. No, he still didn’t feel like laughing at all.

Over the Mountains and Under the Stars by starkaryen [words: 19,397]

Galahad wasn’t a fool. He knew perfectly well that the feelings he had harbored for Tristan for some time now would never be requited. But Tristan had never joined the knights’ jokes about this particular matter, and he had always inwardly thanked him for that…

Not-So-Innocent by QueenofLit [words: 1,238]

Tristan had been warned off Gawain's little brother quite violently. In fact, he wasn't allowed to so much as see the younger man until Gawain was certain he wouldn't try to seduce him. As a brunette angel serves Tristan's coffee with promises of sweeter things to come, the universe proves how monumentally bad that decision was.

The Tale of Sir Galahad and the Ridiculous Chicken by Devereauxs_Disease [words: 4,928]

Tristan's hawk takes a sudden interest in Galahad, stealing his things whenever Galahad isn't looking. Tristan is unhelpful at solving this problem. Fluff and crack in the time of chain-mail.

Courtship by Chifuyu [words: 2,837]

Galahad can't stand Tristan. Tristan can't stand Galahad. Everybody else is pretty much done with their antics.

Alphabet by cognomen [words: 2,392]

"I don't know how to get through to him, Gawain," he laments. It is pointless to protest - they have been brothers in arms long enough to read each other this well at least. "Have you tried getting in his tent and arranging yourself naked on his bedroll?" Gawain suggests outlandishly, but Galahad is willing to consider even such a dramatic gesture.

Late Bloom by victorine [words: 4,318]

Galahad and Tristan are constantly arguing. The other knights are done. There's only one way to sort this... FIGHT!

Skirts by stratumgermanitivum, whiskeyandspite [words: 3,702]

Come nightfall, the boy’s stance had developed a bit of a falter, but he had no complaints. He sat by the fire, one knee drawn up, and Tristan knew that if he shifted just an inch, he’d flash the lot of them. Something had to be done. Otherwise, the skirt would be nothing more than a belt by morning.

Blood Red Apples by kipsi [words: 1,032]

He had always been secretly jealous of how Tristan handled his knife, his movements precise and steady.

A Bride's Price by Devereauxs_Disease [words: 5,930]

Galahad doesn't know how to woo Tristan, so he asks for advice from the knights. All of their advice is terrible. Please don't ever ask these idiots for advice.

Bondless by Llewcie [words: 9,305]

Galahad runs an Omega club with the best security on the eastern seaboard. Tuesday nights are Alpha Night, where alphas can pay dearly for the privilege of buying an omega a drink. Tristan is willing to pay just to look on Galahad from behind the glass security wall. Galahad is pretty sure he wants more.

Hugh’s character from Ella Enchanted (2004) and Mads’ character from Vallhalla Rising (2009)

Found You by Kateera [words: 5,151]

Prince Charmont was born without a soul mark and hidden from his kingdom to keep the shame a secret. When his parents send him away on a diplomatic mission, he's forced to watch a man fight for his life and is inexplicably drawn to the silent warrior. He has to meet him.

Trope: From Sex To Love (Valhalla Enchanted) by TigerPrawn [words: 14,355]

In a land where alphas and omegas are rare, the omega prince Charmont is in need of an alpha to see him through heat until his betrothed arrives from a distant kingdom. The recently freed slave one-eyed mute is just hideous enough to be the perfect temporary alpha to service the prince. Falling in love is the last thing anyone wants.

Trope: College AU (Valhalla Enchanted - Modern AU) by TigerPrawn [words: 9,186]

When Char mistakes an alpha’s true appearance for a costume he means to apologize, but ends up doing much more than that!

Blood on Steel by MonstrousRegiment [words: 9,488]

Inside was—a man. Something like a man. There was a shackle around his neck, like a dog’s collar, and the heavy chain it was affixed to run through a thick ring hammered into the wall, and then to a strong-looking anchoring post several feet away, well out of reach of the cage.

Forgemaster by Llewcie [words: 11,946]

Charmont, the newest Dionysus, loses a bet to his roommate Aphrodite, and is required by her to go on three dates with a god of her choosing. Before he even gets out the door, he scathingly insults the gentle, mute Hephaestus, and then must scramble to make amends. Char is not prepared when it's the gentle, one-eyed Forgemaster that refuses to take HIM to bed.

Hel by Llewcie [words: 4,285]

On a road trip to find something he has been missing, Char's car breaks down and leaves him in a quiet suburb of Chicago, with only a seedy hostel and a strange little pub open late at night. Forgoing soiled mattresses for a late drink, he encounters a bartender who doesn't speak but pours a mean pint of mead. Its a better place to lay his head than he thought he would get.

#hannibal #hannigram #hannibal fanfiction #hannigram fanfiction #spacedogs #heu #heu fanfiction #heu fanfic #hannibal fic recs #hannigram fic recs #spacedogs fanfic #nbc hannibal #hannibal tv #will x hannibal #replies

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lilacandladybugs · 3 years

Note

I personally am not religious at all but I've always tried my best to respect those who are and I think it's pretty lovely that you have something like that to help you feel safe and comfortable!

I hope this doesn't come across as demeaning but, I kinda find it interesting?? to have that sort of blind faith and belief is just interesting and kind of neat to me I suppose

I don't understand but I'm happy that you have something like that to keep you up in trying times :]

I'm glad that you feel that way! Also I'm not offended lmao you guys are all really friendly and I don't think you want to offend me so I will always take it that way. I am going to clarify something but I'm pretty sure this isn't what you mean so just for passersby~

Blind faith in anon's words i think means like belief in something that I can't see, which is valid, but some people use it to mean faith beyond reason so I'm going to briefly walk you through some thought process so you know that I didn’t just randomly choose this lol

I think the real reason I believe in God is this realization that we all to some extent believe in something, have faith in something. Even if you are agnostic, people still have to choose how they actively live their lives. Agnostics usually end up functioning as atheists, they don't know who God is, and so they function like he doesn't exist.

So we all at some point end up betting our lives on some belief system. We bet our present life, and any potential future life, on what we think we can understand right now. We bet our lives that God doesn't exist, or we bet our lives that he does. And even if someone chooses not to think about it, they're betting their lives that it isn't important.

We also all have to have a level of blind faith (imo), we believe that we can think, we believe that goodness or badness exists. We believe that reason exists, we believe in logic, in science, in our senses. Faith is just an assumption that something is true, and you can’t use logic to prove that logic is valid, so at some point you have to take it on faith. All premises are at some level an act of faith.

So then the question becomes, since I can’t know anything 100% certainly but I literally have to choose something, what do I choose? What seems most likely?

To me, it seems more likely that God aligned the stars and placed the Earth precisely where it is than that it happened by chance. It seems more likely that information came from an informant than that it came from no where, and it seems more likely that life came from a source than that life came from death.

It seems more likely to me that Jesus was who he said he was than that he was just a good person, because good people don’t lie, they don’t mislead entire populations to bet their lives on a lie. But Jesus claimed to be God and he seemed like a good man. It seems more likely to me that the Bible was the word of God than that it was able to be constructed over thousands of years by people who never knew each other in three different languages and still survived thousands of years.

And the one that hits the most is that I think it is more likely that people matter than that they don’t. It’s more likely in my mind that morality exists than that it doesn’t, and if it does exist it must have been defined by someone outside of ourselves, thus making it more likely to be God.

Here is an excerpt I wrote from this post, that explains a little bit more:

Nietzsche, Kant, and Epictetus are all similar in that i have the same issue with all of them. They all want to put the anchor of meaning within the individual human. But i swear to god when i say that i want to hug my brother again i dont just mean i want to hug a person, i mean that i miss that person, that there was something that was valuable about him not just to me but that was valuable to the entire universe, and that when he died that piece of the universe was lost. epictetus’ argument was that human beings are simply mortal beings, and so grieving them is an unreasonable reaction to that fact of reality - we are all going to die, so why get attached to people like they’re immortal?

Which raises the question for me, why do we grieve like we’re meant to be immortal? Why is it that the world trembles under the crushing weight of death? That even birds miss their mates when they die, that elephants linger by the graves of their ancestors, that dogs continue to look for their masters once they’ve passed? Are we, like epictetus nietzsche and kant too, are we the only possible anchor for meaning? Do things in and of themselves mean nothing except in relation to us, so we can’t say, “death is bad,” but only, “death is bad to me”? it just doesn’t seem true

That’s who I’ve come to understand God to be. Things are complex and full of logic and information and cohesion, because when God spoke the universes into existence he planned it out carefully and tenderly. Things want to be loved and cared for and valued because God is triune, he exists as one God with three persons, loving one another for all of existence, and creating life to share in that eternal love with them. Human beings grieve one another’s deaths like we aren’t meant to die because we weren’t meant to die, death was a natural result of our decision to part ways with the giver of life, and leaving him meant that we die, and it isn’t how it’s meant to be, it’s one of the greatest tragedies to ever occur. When my brother died it felt like the universe lost something that was intrinsically valuable, not just to me, because my brother was created for a purpose by our creator, and his meaning is anchored not in my human flesh that will pass away but in the very foundation of our known universe, in the character of who God is.

Anyway if you’re interested I can send you some philosophy and history behind why I believe what I believe, it for sure wasn’t developed out of no where I’ve spent years questioning it and thinking about it. But most people don’t want to read that much so if you want more you can hmu in messages or send another ask idk XD

Thanks anon! Sorry for hijacking your ask I know you aren’t that interested lol

#long post #religion #religion tw #eslyea #christianity #christianity tw #i save all posts about god to @in the whisper

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sunmoontruth-stiles · 3 years

Text

Ok this is gonna be long. I’ve literally been slowly working on this for… too long. I’m just in a mood to have a long discussion about ships. I’ll be looking at canon and not, so bare with me. I don’t ship all of these personally. I’m mostly just picking the most popular ones. I chose to leave out a few that I just don’t want to talk about. I tried to keep this loosely chronological, but that quickly went to hell. None of this is meant to be hate towards anyone’s ship, just my personal opinions on each of them.

Canon:

Scott x Allison: True Classic

Scallison is so sweet as it is truly the epitome of young love. Romeo and Juliet, except Romeo is even more of an idiot and Juliet is a badass who dies for a cause. They’re moral and ethical codes are both highly valued by themselves, even if they don’t align with others very often. They loved with everything they had. They were beautiful. We’re they soulmates in the end, or just the first love who will always hold a special place in your heart? Who knows, but I’ll always love these immature kids who thought their love could change everything.

Stiles x Lydia: The Long Awaited

Stydia is as slow burn as you can get. Unfortunately their actual getting together was slightly rushed in my opinion. They didn’t have time to find their own as a couple because Stiles just wasn’t in the show enough at that point. I know the reasons behind it, but it did leave this couple at an awkward stage of official-but-not-shown. The idea that Stiles loved her as a kid, immature and infatuated, and he saw her for who she really was, will always be cute. Then they grew, changed, became friends, and found other people. Them finding each other later on, having real love that’s developed slowly, is a wonderful arc. Though, a part of me will always believe they should have pursued other story lines in the wake of Stiles’ absence from the plot. They’re finally together! …but we don’t get to see it.

Jackson x Lydia: The Image

Oh Jackson and Lydia. Honestly, I love them. Their connection at a time in their lives when they couldn’t open up to anyone else, just hits me right in the feels. I mean, god that HUG. You know the one. Always brings me to tears. I’m so sad their relationship was almost entirely depicted during Jackson’s kanima time when he couldn’t think nor truly act for himself. Those small moments of scared vulnerability when he wanted to protect her from himself… I’ll miss these two. They deserved to find other people and remain life-long friends. I loved their moment in the last episode. I wish they’d gotten to see each other grow. Also they had such bixbi solidarity vibes, and I’ll die on that hill.

Scott x Lydia: Leaders

Ok, I’m gonna be honest here. I ship it. The power couple they would have been?? Also them coming together after they lost Allison would have actually made sense. A part of me kinda wishes the writers had moved on from Stydia as a romantic relationship and leaned into them growing as friends and Stiles moving on from his childhood crush. Scott and Lydia actually would have had good chemistry. They were both very headstrong heroic types, but Lydia would have balanced Scott out well intellectually. They had the history, and I think it could had worked if they wrote it right. Plus, Scott and Lydia would have been a better endgame that Scalia.

Scott x Kira: New Beginnings

These two were adorable. Kira was a badass, don’t get me wrong, but she let herself be soft in a way Allison was always afraid to. This couple was truly Baby. Absolute dorks. I can definitely see the lasting quality between the two of them. They saw things very similarly, and had a ton in common. I do think Kira deserves more characterization outside of their relationship, like more of her friendship with Malia. Overall, her departure from the show will always be sad to me. It was bad writing. Scott was over her far too quickly.

Aiden x Lydia: Pretty People Herd

I honestly didn’t see much between these two other than mutual attraction. The best thing to come out of this relationship was Lydia’s line, “You’re not just a bad boy, Aiden. You’re a bad guy. And I don’t want to be with the bad guys.” Good character development moment.

Ethan x Danny: Step to Redemption

Danny really was the thing that made Ethan look outside of the pack for what he really wanted out of life. They had a few cute scenes. Gotta love Danny’s final remarks, “Dude, it’s Beacon Hills.”

Allison x Isaac: Unexpected Rebound

Ok, I like these two. Isaac could match Allison’s snark in a way Scott couldn’t. They both fought the progression of the relationship slightly. They didn’t expect to fall for each other. They were less willing to let someone in close. I’d love to have seen more… but unfortunately their time was limited. On a side note, sometimes their relationship did feel like ‘we both are in love with the same guy, let’s cope with each other’, but I find that completely valid. I’ll talk about Scallisaac later though.

Stiles x Malia: Anchors

Ok but, them <3 I love what they did for each other. Stiles was able to help Malia connect to her humanity and other people. He never tried to isolate her in their relationship and encouraged her growth. Malia offered Stiles the emotional support he never asked for. She defended him, fought for him, and loved him fiercely. Stiles needed that so much after season 3. I think they were a love that wasn’t meant to last, but the impact of it was forever. I wish we’d gotten to see a real end for them where they agreed that they needed to grow as individuals but would always still care.

Liam x Hayden: Three’s a Pattern

These two’s characterization stopped whenever they had storylines together. Their relationship was built on Scallison references. Hayden’s character could have been interesting, but they never really gave her a moment to shine. Liam has the worst plots when they revolved around her. Cute couple, poor writing.

Derek x Braeden: Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girl Boss

Derek deserves to be happy so much. Kate and Jennifer were just... jeez. Him and Braeden were cute and deserved more screen time. I think her intensity allowed for Derek to let go of control a bit more comfortably. Let Derek Be Soft. Anyway, love them.

Corey x Mason: Gotta Have That Rep TM

These two could have been cute if they were shown for more than two seconds at a time. I highkey forget Corey even existed all the time. Kinda just felt like a relationship to fill TW’s gay quota.

Jackson x Ethan: The Callback

Honestly? Loved them. Loved the chemistry. Loved the dynamic. Best twist. I know it was probably written in like that because Colton came out during his time away from the show, but it absolutely fit his character. Jethan is top tier.

Melissa x Chris: BAMF Parent Duo

Ok, so like, Melissa deserved this plot. She deserved someone to care about her. However... what the hell? Chris? In canon, his wife died like 2-ish years prior? His daughter died 1 year prior?? Is Chris really in a position to pursue a new relationship?? Also, like, Scott and Allison dated and loved each other up to her death. Kinda weird to have their parents hook up. I don’t hate it, but I don’t ship it…?

Scott x Malia: Lead up? What’s lead up?

These two came out of nowhere I stg. Like, 6B really tried to tell us this was something that had been slowly developing in the background? Also, I understand that they are their own people, adults, and completely in charge of their own romantic pursuits: but did Scott seriously never call Stiles? Like, Malia wasn’t just his first girlfriend. She was his first. Like, dude that’s your best friend?? Not even a head’s up? No, ‘hey would this bother you?’ Oof. Plus Malia was way too chaotic for Scott. She existed in gray morality that always prioritized her immediate circle, and Scott was a very black/white type of heroism. I just didn’t feel like they fit.

Non-Canon:

Scott x Stiles: Childhood Best Friends

Ya, sorry, I don’t ship Sciles at all. I get it. Like, I totally understand the ship, and I mean no judgment at all. I just see them as friends. I really value good male friendships in media because I feel like we don’t get enough, and I always liked these two.

Stiles x Derek: Enemies to Lovers. 100k. Angst. Hurt/Comfort.

God these two really are what fanfiction was made for. I could write a much longer discussion about Sterek, and I probably will eventually. I’ll try to keep this brief. These two weren’t always on the same side, but their approach was the same. They were very similar at their core. Plus, wow the chemistry. This should have been canon. Jeff’s a coward.

Allison x Lydia: Powerful.

This ship is so great. They really had a great dynamic, and a romantic plot would have easily fit the established narrative. Lydia’s confidence in herself and Allison’s confidence in her own abilities crossing over to each other because that’s what the other lacked? Iconic.

Danny x Jackson: He Gets Him

Danny really saw Jackson for everything he was and still cared. I wished we’d gotten to see more of them. I want more background with Jackson’s eventual coming out and his friendship with Danny. Like, they ended up dating the same guy. What did Ethan have to say about that??

Stiles x Jackson: Bastards

Ok these two had a super fun dynamic. The asshole-energy between them was, great. The snark was always so entertaining.

Melissa x Noah: Family

How were these two not endgame? Their sons were practically brothers already. They had amazing chemistry. The flirting? Not to mention, their timeline would have made way more sense. Missed opportunity.

Chris x Peter: The Opposite of Love is Indifference, Not Hate

Ok so like, this was definitely one of those ships that I had absolutely no knowledge of before I was pretty into the fandom. Like, this was not something I would have guessed just after watching the show. That being said; my god the chaos alone…

Scott x Isaac: The Disaster Duo

Okay ya I love these two. Two dumb asses who act like idiot puppies. Such a fun dynamic. Plus?? Chemistry??? Hellooo

Scott x Allison x Isaac: Three Heads Are Better Than One

This ship is definitely one of my personal favorites. I very rarely poly-ship. I just feel like most of them are just love triangles with an ‘easy solution’, when two of them have no real connection. That is so not the case here. I feel like all of them have such great chemistry with each other. They also have a great dynamic as a group. Season 3A was really just Scallisaac rights.

Stiles x Isaac: I Hate You, jk…Not Really

Ok I loved their banter, but I really just don’t see this ship. Idk, I don’t personally ship it. Would have loved to see their friendship develop more tho.

Erica x Allison: Duo that would stab you with a stiletto

I don’t ship it, but I do wish we’d seen them become friends. I feel like they had a very artificial ‘girls fighting over a boy’ dynamic? They could have been such a badass duo.

Stiles x Erica: Batman x Catwoman

Ok I’m not sure exactly how to express my feelings for these two so bare with me. OMG I love their dynamic so much, and they are sooo cute. Their energy? Amazing. Chemistry? Great. History? It’s there and has so much potential. 10/10. Love them. But, no, I don’t ship it lol. Just really love their friendship, but with the underlying history of crushes.

Boyd x Erica: Was This Not Canon?

How can anyone not love Berica? Ugh they are adorable. These two deserved so much better.

Boyd x Cora: Survivors

Honestly I don’t really see it? Like they definitely had a connection, but it never felt romantic. I really feel like they just had to lean on each other and bond to make it through captivity, and it just lasted.

Boyd x Erica x Cora: The Pack

I literally learned this was a ship a couple days ago. Similar feelings towards this as Bora, but with the added hesitancy of we never actually saw Erica and Cora interact.

Cora x Stiles: Slow Build Up

These two were clearing being lined up to be a thing before Cora ended up leaving. I can’t say I’m disappointed they never happened. Kinda felt like they just wanted to straight-code Sterek.

Cora x Lydia: Mean Lesbians

Not much interaction to actually go off of, but yes I 100% support. They have very different approaches to problems, which is fun. Very ‘opposites attract’.

Malia x Kira: “Maybe you could date the coyote?”

Another one of my favorites!! They really complimented each other. Also, how full circle would they have been? They were introduced in back-to-back episodes. Malia stalking her as a coyote? The line from Kira’s dad about dating it? It would have been so funny if that ended up happening.

Malia x Lydia: Beauty and the Beast, but make it wlw

These two were fun. I liked their friendship, but I don’t really ship it. Though, rip Stiles that would have been hilarious.

Parrish x Lydia: The Cop and The Minor

Must I say more? Like, Parrish’s character, so sweet and big rule follower, did not make sense for what went down with Lydia. I love Parrish, but the dynamic just felt off. It didn’t feel consistent with the rest of his characterization.

Parrish x Stiles: The Cop and The Minor, but gay?

Ok, same reasoning as above, but also they had absolutely no connection romantically.

Scott x Theo / Stiles x Theo: Sometimes The Villain is Hot

Ok I’ve put these together because I have the same opinion for both. I don’t ship it. Neither had any rebuilding of trust, and Theo really hurt both of them. I just don’t really think they work.

Mason x Liam: Sciles Puppy Pack Edition

Similar to my feeling about Sciles, I just don’t ship these two. They had a good friendship, from the little we saw of it.

Theo x Liam: Anchors 2: Electric Boogaloo

Another personal favorite! I really don’t even understand why this didn’t go canon?? The elevator scene was just, so intense. They helped each other grow in 6B, and I really loved their dynamic. They should have hooked up.

Honorable Mention?:

Parrish x Laura: What’s canon?

I’ve seen this in fanfic a lot, and I actually really like it lol. I thought I’d add it in here because I do love the creativity of fandoms.

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one-more-offbeat-anthem · 3 years

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i only chose this because of you

jimmy novak character study for father’s day, 1.3k. read on ao3 here.

Everybody wants to be a father.

Oh, you don’t need children to be a father--you can parent a dream, you can foster hope, you can say a kind word to a lonely person.

There, you’re a father.

But Jimmy doesn’t believe this.

He’s unable to understand what his friends feel when they speak of marriage, of fatherhood, of new life in this world. He feels like something’s missing; is there something wrong with him, that prevents him from feeling this way, like he’s supposed to want all of these things?

When Jimmy meets Amelia, he doesn't love her immediately.

He likes her. A lot. But like is not love and so at first they are study partners, friends, each other’s ride homes. Then there are first kisses, first dates, and first fights. A first time, that they are both sure God will condemn.

But fire does not rain down upon them, and they live. Graduate. Marry. Buy a house.

He is not sure who he would have married if not her.

Because the others--no.

He has heard it enough at church, shouted from the pulpit. People like that will burn in the fire of hell.

Jimmy is safe with Amelia, and he is happy with Amelia.

But something is still missing.

------------------------------------

Two years later, Amelia gets pregnant.

For their families, it’s a great source of joy. A grandchild, a niece or nephew, someone to coddle and pin the Novak hopes and dreams onto.

It’s more complicated for them.

What their families do not know is the woe of many doctors appointments, of nurses’ worried expressions during sonograms, of medicine and praying and laying on of hands.

This child could die before they even get to meet her.

Jimmy’s relationship with God is tenuous--they used to be friends, Jimmy thinks, before people started telling him he was going to die in God’s name.

(If they did not know they were speaking to Jimmy--does that make it okay? No, he decides.)

But he needs something to believe in, so he prays anyways, and maybe God is listening at the time, because when their daughter is finally born, she is healthy. More importantly, she is alive, and that was all Jimmy had let himself hope for.

They name her Claire. It means bright and clear, and she is certainly a light in Jimmy’s life. He is beginning to understand those who want to be fathers--because there is no one more precious than Claire. The silence, the cavern inside of him, is deafening, but when he is with his daughter, in the late night hours in her nursery with a bottle, it feels a little bit fuller.

And Amelia is happy, with a child around.

So he has no choice but to smile.

------------------------------------

Amelia gets a job.

It’s at the library, and she loves it, wears cardigans and floral dresses and runs out the door, off to do something very important.

Jimmy sells ad time and he doesn’t love it at all. He feels lonely and like he’s not doing any good in the world by trying to get people to buy things. His God warns of overabundance, but Jimmy is empty most of the time. He lies awake at night, his wife asleep, Claire in the next room murmuring to her stuffed animals as she drifts into slumber.

Amelia’s job is less flexible than Jimmy’s, and so he begins to be the person who takes Claire everywhere. Dance recitals, soccer practice, school, friends’ houses...her car seat takes up permanent residence in the back of his car, the pockets of his trenchcoat filled with candy wrappers, tissues, rocks she found on the playground.

He learns how to dress her, and then how to argue with her about how he’s dressed her, how to plait her long, blonde curls. Claire is developing a personality--stubborn, funny, clever, curious.

Full of heart.

He loves her more each day, even as he slips away from this world, anchored only by her drawings from class on the fridge and her sparkly, light-up sneakers left right in front of the door.

Then the voice comes.

------------------------------------

The voice’s name is Castiel, and Castiel is an angel.

Jimmy hears Castiel only when he is alone--on the radio, in pictures on the television, or just in his head. Castiel tells him to do many things--prove your faith. Prove your strength. And Jimmy does them.

The things his pastors and fellow churchgoers have said must be done to prove one’s faith are far less painful than what Castiel asks of him. Castiel says there’s a task for Jimmy--that Jimmy is the only one who can do it. The hole inside him is starting to fill with echoes of the angel’s voice, night and day.

Claire notices nothing different--she still pulls him to her room to play with dolls, still shows him all her assignments from school. He puts her 100 on a math test on the fridge, stacks up her books for reading class. Bridge to Terabithia. Charlotte’s Web. The Westing Game. Kids sure talk a lot about death.

But Amelia notices, and she tells Jimmy’s doctor, but he doesn’t take the medicine.

Amelia thinks he’s slipping.

Jimmy thinks he’s better than ever.

When Castiel finally asks him if he can borrow Jimmy’s body and use it as a vessel, Jimmy only asks one question.

“Will my family be okay?”

Castiel promises yes.

So Jimmy replies in kind.

------------------------------------

For almost a year, Jimmy watches the world through the angel’s eyes. He hates and loves Castiel at the same time--for wearing his face, for wanting the Righteous Man, for saying to his daughter I am not your father.

He just hopes Claire is safe, like Castiel promised.

From inside his own skin he watches his hands smite and heal and hold and when he finally gets out and as himself meets the Winchesters, those for whom all this trouble was apparently worth, he vows never to go back.

It’s like being strapped to a comet, he tells them.

He gets to have dinner with Claire again.

Amelia is wary, and Jimmy understands. The angel has burned him, carved the hole wider instead of truly filling it, and Jimmy wonders: if this is an angel, what is God like? Where is He, if this is what is happening on His earth? Monsters and Lucifer and the apocalypse impending?

Jimmy cries over dinner, cannot pray. Not to God. Not to anyone. He is ready to return home, to hang up that trenchcoat--he is done traveling--and leave this behind. Leave saving the world to the Winchesters and their friends.

But instead a demon comes.

There is a scuffle, ropes and burning and Jimmy is nearly dead by the end of it all, delirious as his hair is smoothed back by his daughter, but it’s not his daughter.

“Your time is done,” the angel says.

Jimmy shakes his head. This can’t be how it ends--Claire doesn’t deserve to get her soul carved out, but Jimmy does, he’s already halfway there.

“Take me instead,” is what he says to the angel wearing his daughter’s face, but what he means is, let this not all be in vain. Let my last act be saving her. Let her live.

Castiel says Jimmy will die.

Jimmy says he knows this. He knows, deep inside, he was dead from the beginning. It just took some time to accept it.

The angel agrees to the deal, and Jimmy Novak is burned out from the inside, and is no more.

------------------------------------

Years later, in Heaven, a guest arrives, a woman who looks familiar, who has tears in her eyes, who rushes into his arms. His wife. Amelia. All he can ask is how is she? And Amelia tells him, she is beautiful. You would love her.

Jimmy does love her. That is why he did not watch her grow up.

#offbeatwrites #sorry everyone #the last line made me cry to write it #implying that Jimmy Novak is queer my beloved #in this house we love Jimmy Novak <3 Love To Study That Man

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misseffect · 3 years

Text

Writing Tag ✍️

Thanks for the tag @otemporanerys :DD

Tagging @shudder-shock, @shretl and @skjeter

How many works do you have on AO3?

Seven, but four of those are from the Normandy Detective Agency series

What’s your total AO3 word count?

27,839 which is wwaaaaay more than I thought actually

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Can You Feel This? - post-destroy ending, Garrus POV ft. Castis and a very pissed-off Joker. Fun fact: I've never played the end of ME3 so didn't realise when I wrote this that the Normandy doesn't stay on Earth lmao

Different - ME2-ish one shot about the first time Garrus gets Shepard's clothes off. Tragically non-explicit. Probably made the no.2 spot by virtue of being the oldest.

Third Time's A Charm (tNDA) - definitely made the no.3 spot by virtue of being the horniest you dirty, dirty dogs

Flux (tNDA) - the first and probably my favourite in the Normandy Detective Agency series so far. The grey morality. The trust. The totally-platonic slow-dancing. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

Tinderbox (tNDA) - WE DIDN'T START THE FIRE

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

I think it's good manners. If I leave a comment and don't get a reply then I sometimes wonder if I shouldn't have bothered, unless they've got hundreds of comments in which case, fair play. And I just really fucking love talking about Mass Effect.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Oooff I don't think I've ever really written one. CYFT probably comes closest, just because it's mixed in with uncertainty about how much Shepard will ever be able to recover.

The next installment of The Normandy Detective Agency is angst-central though, which is partly why it's taking so ffffffucking long to write.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

I know how roughly how tNDA is going to end and it's happy because god damnit they deserve it

Do you write crossovers? If so, what is the craziest one you’ve written?

No, never had much interested in them

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Nope

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yes. The kind that never uses the phrase bundle of nerves. We have the right to use proper anatomy words and I wish to God we'd exercise it.

idk what the second part means really, but I like to read sex that feels grown-up and intimate and believable so that's what I try to write.

Sometimes I think smut can feel a bit too fanfic-y. It's hard to explain without sounding like a snob, but fic sometimes has quite a specific style of writing (I saw a post a while ago which was a PERFECT illustration and now I can't find it for the life of me - it was part of an article from CNN about, I think, Biden and Obama? Anyway, it was exactly that kind of very fanfic-y style except it was in a news article lmao) and I feel like smut is where that style sometimes becomes really concentrated. There's inherently nothing wrong with it, it just doesn't do anything for me.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Also no

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, but basically everything I've ever written has been co-brainstormed with @shepgarrus c:

What’s your all-time favourite ship?

Guess lmao

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

Looking For Ilos. Writing a really nasty Shepard was a lot of fun and I think the shakarian dynamic had potential, but the AU concept just wasn't rich and engaging enough to carry the story in between. tNDA really benefits from having the historical setting to anchor it and in hindsight that's definitely what LFI was missing.

What are your writing strengths?

Pacing. I can't stand stories that dawdle (I just finished reading LotR and MY GOD was it a slog) so I try to keep my own writing moving along. Unless there's specific value in watching a conversation play out, a thing that would take pages and pages of dialogue to talk through can usually be zoomed through in a few paragraphs.

And for AU specifically, I think I'm good at adapting from canon - especially keeping the themes, characters and key story elements recognisable in a new setting - and that's definitely the bit of tNDA I'm having the most fun with.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Change. CYFT suffers from this a bit in the sense that Garrus doesn't really develop much from the start of the fic to the end. Shepard is awake and he's talking to his dad more and he's on good terms with Joker, but this is all stuff that just kind of happens to him; he's not really any different in himself. And maybe that's not always necessary but I think it can make a story feel like it's just spinning its wheels. You get to the end and think 'ok but what was the POINT?'

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I have sections of dialogue in the next tNDA installment which are being spoken in German, but I've just written them in English and italicised them lmao

The only context I like foreign-language dialogue is for pet names. That's the cutest shit I've ever seen.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Published? Mass Effect. Otherwise, when I was a kid I used to make up what were - in hindsight - Harry Potter self-insert stories. If I'd known about livejournal and FF.net back in the day, I definitely would've been into HP fic in a big way.

What’s your favourite fic you’ve written?

tNDA. It's just so. much. fun.

I've got a soft spot for Different too, partly because it's my first published fic but honestly some of the metaphor is just so 🤌✨🤌 I can't believe it came out of me.

#tag post #itsa me #fanfic tag #shakarian fic #mass effect fic #i'll talk about tNDA until everybody wants to kill me tbh

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grumpydevilfellow · 3 years

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Major Movie Spoilers

So I just finished the movie that ends the Trollhunters series aka Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans. Holy moly wow this movie. The only good thing it had going for it was animation and getting to see the favs I’d grown emotionally attached to. Writing however? Bruh... So the original Tales of Arcadia series is good, but it has this problem of just being PLOT PLOT PLOT, that barely anything else gets squeezed in. You feel like you’re on a rollercoaster ride of exposition because everything hits hard, hits fast, and the moment you think “wow we can finally settle down a bit and idk... introduce some CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT” the latest fucking problem launches into you like a bowling ball shot through a window and then you’re back to the PLOT PLOT PLOT routine.

Rise of the Titans takes that formula of PLOT PLOT PLOT, multiplies it x20, and THEN fills said plot with SEVERAL MAJOR inconsistencies. And no I’m not talking angry, over-dramatic, nerd rant inconsistencies like Argh’s fur accidentally being red instead of green for one scene. (note this doesn’t actually happen) I’m talking inconsistencies that break the entire fucking movie.

Why did Jim burn his hand with the horngazel when Toby is standing right there with gloves on to pick up the hot thing? Why did Claire need a horngazel to leave when Jim is literally in the outside world as an emotional anchor? Why did Dragon Cat and Dragon Dad assume they’re trapped in Asian Trollmarket forever when Claire can literally use them as an emotional anchor for her shadow magic?

And before yall say “But you need a horngazel to leave/get in Trollmarket” no you don’t. Claire literally portal’d her friends and a shiton of trolls out of Trollmarket and into the human world. Again, that was a literal major plot point that the movie ignores. All you needed was an anchor; and speaking of Claire anchors, what happened to Notenrique!? Where are all the liberated babies??? Why did Toby claim he never climbed a rope for gym class as some kind of major movie plot point when he’s literally done that in previous episodes of Trollhunters? Why did Jim ask Stuart, a guy I haven’t seen Jim interact with once, to fix the amulet when Krel is the one who BUILT IT and is the alien super genius of the team?? Like what did they need him there or something? He didn’t do shit. What could he have done??? AND IF THEY HAD A FUCKING MAGIC TURN OFF MACHINE WHY THE ABSOLUTE FUCK DID THEY JUST ATTEMPT IT ONCE AND THEN LIKE NEVER AGAIN UNTIL THE VERY END OF THE MOVIE!?

Literally all of this for nothing. I don’t even KNOW what Nomura was attempting to accomplish besides dying pointlessly, Strickler as well if I’m being real. Like the Titan wasn’t even attacking the castle, it still had several thousand miles to go before reaching it’s destination. It was literally just slowly fucking walking away and Strickler is like, welp time to suicide bomb. Clearly didn’t have to time to think about or do something better.

Bruh, and Toby, oh my god poor Toby. After all the shit he has done, this movie made him a joke. The railcar brake scene? That shit hurt it was so bad how lame they made Toby from the very beginning of the movie to the point of being excited over finding a dirty penny on the fucking ground. I hate this shit man. And the dying pointlessly thing? A 3rd pointless death but this time it’s because “Toby did something right for once in an explosion of bravery and valor” or some bullshit like that. He could’ve literally just asked his friends to help with his plan of DUH USE THE FUCKING MAGIC TURN OFF MACHINE and like no one would’ve died.

And like I’ve shat on Tales of Arcadia/Trollhunters writing for this entire post, but I REALLY NEED TO POINT OUT, that I KNEW BEFORE EVEN WIZARDS HIT THE RELEASE DATE back in 2019, that time travel was gonna be the end all solution that fixed everything. I fucking knew that shit was gonna happen. I went into this movie COMPLETELY BLIND outside the first trailer knowing that shit was gonna happen. I’m not even disappointed because I didn’t care. What? You think I’m expecting to be surprised by good writing at this point? No. I was BANKING on them doing something so predictable for one and ONLY one reason. Because that means MY BOY DRAAL CAN COME BACK! And when they’re going over the time travel plans and Blinky goes “Yeah you can go back in time and bring back all of our friends”, while he lists all the loved ones that died, he doesn’t even fucking MENTION Draal. I’m so done with this movie bro.

The only saving grace this movie has is the ending of what if better writing, you get to see your favs again that died, oh and Toby ( a chubby character) is no longer the butt of fatphobic jokes, but actually the protagonist of the series and Trollhunter now. I mean we’re not actually going to do any of that because the series is ending forever, but what if right? Maybe if you really hype this series and give us more money/ratings we will. (we won’t)

The way this movie comes off is as if the writers wanted to make it a certain way, but the producers were like “No do it THIS way” even though their way made no fucking sense and the writers were like “Fine!” and then they slapped this shit together and barely bothered even trying to fix the inconsistencies the producers had created with their poor decisions cuz they knew everyone was closing shop anyways and the series was ending. Ultimately the writing for this movie felt rushed, choppy, and just plain bad and no amount of absolute steller animation can fix that surprisingly even when the ENTIRE MOVIE is stellar animation. So thanks Rise of the Titans for proving that point.

#trollhunters #trollhunters rise of the titans #tales of arcadia #spoilers #trollhunters spoilers #tales of arcadia spoilers #long post #oh boy what a mess #rant

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tenshindon · 3 years

Text

if i think about tien fretting over chiaotzu and yamcha’s safety one more time i think i might explode so For Once i’m writing out my thoughts in the main part of the post :)))) under the cut of course :))))))

We all know that Tien’s concerned over Chiaotzu’s well-being all the time, like that’s a defining part of their relationship. Even when they’re already dead Tien’s still horrified at the prospect of Chiaotzu dying during their spar with Piccolo. However it isn’t until Resurrection F that we’re given a notice that Tien’s concerned over Yamcha as well. Whether this was a development exclusive to Super or it’s just been a background thing that’s only now manifesting in the subtlest of ways, we will never know <3 Either that or my memory of Everything Ever is very hazy <3 however I will talk about it anyways because my brain is decaying as we speak because holy shit

Like through Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, we repeatedly see Yamcha extending his heart out to Tien: Yamcha repeatedly pleading with Tien to reconsider learning the mafuba, Yamcha granting Tien reassurance before he goes off to fight Tao and subsequently understanding Tien needs time alone after the fight, Yamcha wishing to stay with Tien and Chiaotzu in the afterlife, and so on. From these instances alone, we know that Yamcha is certainly more open about his affection and care towards his friends (which is a whole post I can make on its own, Yamcha’s incredibly emotionally intelligent and it’s so good).

However this type of care isn’t exactly reciprocated towards Yamcha- or not as obviously, anyways. Which isn’t all too surprising; pardon Chiaotzu and especially by Z, Tien’s very reserved and generally just keeps to himself and Chiaotzu.

However, as aforementioned, Tien remarks that he left Yamcha and Chiaotzu behind away from the fight. It’s a rather innocuous line when you think of it: on the surface, Tien’s just clarifying- well, he just left Yamcha and Chiaotzu behind because he feels it’s too dangerous for them. But then you have to ask the question: since when did Tien have authority over what Yamcha did? And why was Yamcha so willing to listen? Was Yamcha just not clued in on what was happening and Tien figured he wouldn’t tell him?

Chiaotzu is understandable; despite Chiaotzu being just five years younger than Tien and thus being in his early 40′s by Super, Tien still treats him like a younger brother and as his guardian. So when he so casually adds Yamcha to this- to just so naturally say “I left Chiaotzu and Yamcha behind. The danger seems too much for them,” it just really makes you think a bit. Because Tien made a conscious decision to leave Yamcha behind for his well-being.

In this instance Tien is putting Yamcha on the same- or at least similar level as Chiaotzu, someone we’re all very well aware that he would literally kill someone for, even if that someone is himself. The meta explanation for this could very well just be Toei didn’t want to bother giving Yamcha and Chiaotzu anything to do during the movie, and since they were already perceived as the weakest among the cast it was much easier to leave them out of it entirely (though that’s a rant for another day). The issue that arises however is that Toei accidentally (or maybe intentionally) adds a layer to Tien and Yamcha’s relationship, or at least shows us that Tien does care about Yamcha’s safety and shows some type of growth to Tien. As I talked about before, Tien is reserved and doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeve- so for an action like this to occur on his part, it demonstrates a great leap in his development as a person and opening up.

And the thing about this is that it’s not entirely out of Tien’s character to leave people behind to protect them- it’s completely in character, in a way. During the Saiyan Saga, Tien initially attempts to dissuade Chiaotzu from attending the Saiyan fight, forming a similar excuse as that it would be too dangerous for him. With an instance like this, it shows us that if Tien isn’t confident he can protect Chiaotzu on the battlefield, the most he can do is make sure he’s at home and assuredly safe. He does this again during the Cell Saga by leaving Chiaotzu at Roshi’s abode, once again asserting that it would be too dangerous for Chiaotzu.

During Z Tien doesn’t show this type of concern towards Yamcha, which isn’t wrong or even irrational. Amidst Z, Yamcha was more than capable of taking care of himself and looking after his own back; Tien didn’t reason it would make sense for him to look after him. Not only that, but Tien and Chiaotzu’s relationship is just seemingly more natural to him: he’s known Chiaotzu since he was a child, it makes sense for his care to be more open and at the ready. Tien knows Chiaotzu and his boundaries, and vice versa.

The important thing about Tien though, as I already mentioned right- he’s reserved. Coupled with the fact he was raised by Shen and Tao of all people, it’s probably hard for him to make deep connections with people, let alone traditionally express care. That’s why Chiaotzu is such an anchor for him: he’s really all he has at the end of the day, if not himself. And he’s already demonstrated he’d rather die than live without his brother.

Shifting to Yamcha, it’s... a topic that really should be touched on more. When Yamcha dies during the Saiyan Saga, the anime offers a particular reaction shot on Tien. It’s not much all things considered, but it does allow the viewer to be able to identify that Yamcha’s death had somewhat of a significant impact on Tien specifically, as he’s the only one with an isolated reaction shot (which is especially telling considering Krillin was friends with Yamcha longer and logically would be more devastated and more deserving of a singular shot. He gets this, however by actually checking on Yamcha’s body but I could touch on that whole topic another time). Later on in the Cell saga, Tien is subjected to watching Yamcha die (or be on the precipice of dying) again via Dr. Gero; Tien is the first of the Z Fighters to show up to the scene, thus giving us another Tien-specific reaction shot.

Obviously, Tien’s reactions to Yamcha and Chiaotzu differ severely; we’ve already gone over why Chiaotzu has a greater bond to Tien, and despite the friendship Yamcha and Tien have been able to build over the years it would be near impossible for Yamcha to ever be totally on the same level as Chiaotzu. But at the very least and looking at the Resurrection F dialogue, Yamcha’s deadly experiences have had a lasting impact on Tien.

It wouldn’t be improbable to assume Tien suffered from guilt from Chiaotzu dying during the Saiyan Saga- he even warned Chiaotzu about coming along, so being helpless to protect his brother as he watched him be bashed before he ultimately kills himself could have been certainly traumatizing. Chiaotzu’s death in the Saiyan Saga, in my opinion, is more devastating than his King Piccolo death.

Against King Piccolo Chiaotzu was killed swiftly, and he was at least able to leave a body behind. Of course, there definitely comes feelings of guilt at the fact Tien was the one who instructed Chiaotzu to get into danger in the first place- which is probably why he’s more open to the idea of letting Chiaotzu sit a fight out in the future. During the Saiyan Saga, Chiaotzu is thrashed over and over again and rammed against mountains while Tien is found in a similar position of being physically incapable of protecting him. The whole display definitely lasts much longer than the King Piccolo incident, and it’s far more agonizing as Chiaotzu telepathically communicates with Tien during this. All for it to culminate in Chiaotzu uselessly sacrificing himself, Tien even hallucinating Chiaotzu amidst delirium.

Tien best shows his care through action and protecting those he loves- he’s just incapable of verbally saying he cares and thus best does it through service. For Tien to implicitly order Yamcha to stay away from the fight with Chiaotzu, it shows us that he harbors similar feelings of fear, guilt, and care that he does towards Chiaotzu towards Yamcha as well. Tien does his best to keep Chiaotzu away from fights because he’s afraid of losing him again because he wasn’t strong enough to protect him- it’s a fair-enough bet to wager this fear extends towards losing Yamcha as well.

Which not only makes Tien’s underwhelming reaction to Earth blowing up so fuckinnnn aggravating like oh my god like fucking he actually kept his loved ones behind and they still died can you imagine the fuckin turmoil and angst jesus christ im going insane Also this is why I needed a fucking scene of these three knuckleheads talking about chiaotzu and yamcha staying behind like toei im begging you throw me a bone LMAOOOO

#snap chats #long post #i hate being so shit at words but yeah holy shit im going insane #this shit has fucked me up for motnhs #and it makes me so upset with how its handled- or how it isnt rather #like theres SO much to unpack #again im not very good at words and ive probably repeated myself or like #everything might be incoherant as fuck #all that matters tho is if my homie gets it :)#i will find that out in four hours when she wakes up #this honestly turned more into an overview of chiaotzu and tien's relationship??#i dont even know what the focus was here fuck dude #again this is literlaly just me RAMBLING #god help me make a coherant thought #i might touch this topic again when like. i know how to fucking WRITE #but yeah #i hope everyone nkows im dying inside because this shit is like #like holy FUCK dude jesus CHRIST #ok bye dont look at me #im not proofreading this any more im tired of looking at this #no one's going to even read it who cares we outtie baby #i feel like i want to say so much more but jesus chrit im so bad at words #i really just cannot express to you guys how impotrant this is to me????#or at least how interesting it is to me

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a-for-alternative · 3 years

Note

Hello, A! So I was wondering do you have any headcannons about how you and B were like at Wammy's together? PS. I thought dead men tell no tales lol (sorry about the joke if you didn't like it)

// Oh do I ever... Alternative has such potential to highlight things about B’s character that develops him into the killer of Mello’s novel. The lore surrounding the first generation (and the notion of Mello writing about a dead successor that previously filled his position - his predecessor) is more poignant than I think it was intended to come across but here are some headcanons~

Wammys House:

A & B are the first to receive their secondary alias after which it becomes a kind of right of passage for other successors, choosing their own (though often not official) - to A & B, only theirs will ever be legitimate.

A is introduced to B after only 1-2 years of being at the house

A, before becoming a letter, was taken into Wammy’s due to his intellect but only later is selected as the first attempted L-backup, probably pulled from a satellite home

Alternative & Backup (A’s perspective):

His introduction to B is a pivotal moment for him. After so much loss, he sees this as an opportunity for redemption and a return to a clear path forward, and now it is under threat. B represents for A the physical manifestation apathetic fate, he is foreign in every sense, they cannot even communicate when they are initially introduced. His presence signifies A’s disposability - B is the backup plan for when A fails, like a vulture circling over head, it looms over him like a prophesy he is trying to outrun.. though, B can also overtake him at anytime, relegating him to a future that, from A’s perspective, is neither known nor the success story that he has put so much hope in. The world for Alternative at this point in his life is an unreasonable and precarious place. All he knows, up to this point as a seven year old, is that everything is fragile and must be hard won - and there is no guarantee that one can keep what they have fought or sacrificed to obtain. --- after all, he is in line to replace L and L is about as far from vulnerable as he believes a person can get --- Maybe, B also represents a challenge that requires a level of maturity that he does not yet possess - the inevitable dilemma, that this position is of such consequence to the world, that it needs the best person for it, — and that may not be him...

There is nothing genuine in the sweet smile.

The way he extends an open hand, how his soft, his boyish voice offering “ Hello, Alternative ” …

A feels an unpleasant sensation snake up his spine like a fever’s chill, empathetic aptitude ringing in his ears with all the incongruence rolling off this boy.

His gentleness feels scripted, words trilling out of his mouth- practiced and angular; absolutely, wholly contrived. A has never meet anyone with such an emptiness in their words and actions…

A returns the greeting with a stony, silent stare - I know what you are.

They slide up from the open palm to meet the foreign boy’s gaze - Blue eyes resting soft, knowing and stormy, heaven’s skies empty of angels. Alternative is standing his ground, refusing to pretend they are not here for a reason, telling himself, “I’m not afraid…”

But, he has never seen anyone with such deep eyes.

They are the windows into an empty soul, a black abyss, absolutely apocalyptic…

Alternative is capricious in his treatment of B, vacillating between animosity and empathy- at times he’s even conspiratorial , allying himself with B and undermining their superiors- beginning to identify with B (even in spite of the language barriers). Backup is clever and naïve and careless, and unreserved in a way that A wishes he felt safe to be. B is the only one that can truly grasp what he is going through but he is also very strange... -- Alternative struggles with trials & setbacks that roll off Backup’s back with ease. B is several years into his understanding of his eyes and it shapes how he moves through the world, what he feels is worth his pain, what ultimately just doesn’t matter. A is, in some ways, what B might have become if he were a little more ignorant, spared the ever present reminder that this is all so temporary.

Alternative has many faces that none are as acutely aware of as B- it is why he doesn’t take the quips and backhanded apologies personally. Alternative’s identity has been tailored to his circumstances — so much of it he had to leave behind to become this -- to his superiors, he is mature, disciplined and motivated -- exemplary if not a bit too austere. To those that benefit him, he is considerate and trustworthy- and honest. To those that he fears will take advantage of him, he is an arrogant and harsh - conniving and spoiled. When he is caught without a persona on hand, he is awkward, reclusive, and reserved. Despite this, his cardinal traits are eloquence and persistence, he thinks deeply about his place in the world and who he should be but not enough on who he is — Only B is audience to moments when he is short sighted and immature, when he is undone or humiliated - when he is elated or truly.. afraid of what lay ahead of them. When he is sick or less than who he wants to present himself as, B has been there whether he wanted him to be or not.

Alternative is attracted to B though it is initially a disquieting realization, one even he doesn’t entirely understand. It isn’t that B is unusually good looking or charming — though perhaps A has peculiar tastes that B unintentionally satisfies (I can’t imagine him actually trying)... The level of intimacy involved in knowing someone this long, on such a personal and inescapable level has made B a source of unwavering acceptance, — because he had to be. The alternative would have been sleeping next to someone he would gradually come to despise any who really wants to live that way? Yet, B comes to represent stability and unconditional regard that feels a lot like love. There is a fraternal element to it in that B anchors who he is. B is someone that has a history with him that hasn’t been erased or eroded -- that contradicts A’s perception of the world as fragile or finite - it is comforting to have something seemingly permanent ... and terrifying that he cannot start anew, if he doesn’t like who he is and cannot be hidden in the obscurity that L enjoys.

When B begins to insinuate an interest in something more, A is not initially receptive and becomes genuinely distressed. This doesn’t translate with any logical sense to B, who believes it’s born out of A’s latent fears of realizing his own sexuality... But, by the time they are entering late adolescence, A is more concerned with the prospect of romance and that becoming L is destined to be a lonely path. He sees their childhood in it’s twilight as a tragic loss that cannot be reclaimed or rewritten, and B’s subtle advances as destructive to the purity of their friendship -- but he can’t stay a child forever even if he feels a sense of unfinished business surrounding it and he can’t keep B there either... It takes B’s attention shifting elsewhere for A to begin softening to the idea that B isn't ruining what's between them but expanding on it.

Alternative has experienced depression -- at some point he was prescribed SSRIs, as a part of basic care for successors. While it does alleviate the depth of his lows, he begins to worry that it is dulling the sharpness of his mind, which he has come to see as central to his self-worth. It may have no foundation in reality but A develops an inconsistent relationship with any medication prescribed to him out of those fears. In the end, - there are some things medicine cannot fix...

A few other small things:

- A loves the smell of lavender and grass, it reminds him of his home though as he gets older this memory is more elusive and he begins to wonder if they memories from funeral flowers or even if they are impressions left over from a dreams.. did he even attend his parents funeral?

- A knows they aren’t allowed to take pictures of each other in Wammy’s for good reason but when Y sneaks a camera into the house one summer evening, he is can’t deny there is something precious about having pictures of B perched on the railing of the back steps - his hair sweep by the wind just as he turns his eyes to look, soft unfocused, — like the tender look he gives him just as he wakes up in the morning before he remembers who they are. A traces the lines of his face while lying beneath his bed, where he tucks it between the boards. It’s only a few years later that he will see how much his friend has matured. -- B hates photographs and will place them face down when they go into Roger’s office. Roger has never understood why.

- A drinks his coffee and tea black as tar. B thinks it is terribly bitter but will bring it to him anyway, unaltered. There is something uniquely enjoyable in knowing that B doesn’t need to be told what he likes~

- A is borderline masochistic though perhaps only B has any inkling of it. He would probably never acknowledge it openly... it is degrading to get a charge out of being hurt.

- A loses his faith around age 10 but still believes that he might as well act as though there is a purpose in being good and not just adept and ruthless. The only alternative, from A’s perspective, is to believe that everything he has been through meant nothing and he will ultimately change nothing. And, that may be too painful a philosophy for him to embrace.

- A’s worst injury occurred when he was deliberately shoved off the roof by an irate B ( thatvhe provoked). While it was a watershed event for A coming so close to death and experiencing the consequences of pushing B beyond that point of caring about consequences... For Backup, this a was also critically informative event, an exercise proving the numbers were infallible -- he was genuinely surprised that A survived the fall and, to a greater degree, surprised that he felt regret in having done it ... left alone in their room to wonder for days, searching for the contraband pictures from that summer A had hidden that could prove if A was even still alive....

#death note #beyond birthday #wammys house #death note a #the first child

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