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haveyouseenthisskeleton · 3 days

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What if the skeletons S/O is this very soft, gentle, cutesy person yet casually blasts death metal the minute you step into there car. They’ll sing along to the lyrics all while wearing pastel pink lol

Undertale Sans - The first time, it's really surprising. But he's not judging as he knows someone who does that too, and that person is his own brother. He didn't expect you to have so many things in common with him, but he's glad. After the first few times, he's not even flinching and sleeps through the death metal songs lol.

Undertale Papyrus - He gasps. HIM TOO! He's so excited now, and you two are having a fangirl/boy moment as you're both talk about your favorite bands and singers. The whole time, you're screaming because the song is so loud, to the point a small crowd had formed in front of the car as people thought you were fighting.

Underswap Sans - He's staring at you, a bit in shock. He didn't expect that, but he guesses it's ok. He still lowers the volume slightly because damn it's loud. He doesn't really understand that kind of music, but he can try to understand why you like that.

Underswap Papyrus - He jumps in surprise as the music explodes in the car, then he stares at you in complete confusion. What? He would have never known you like this type of music. He's not a big fan, but he can tolerate it for a short car ride. He's still in shock though.

Underfell Sans - The loud noise startles him and he quickly jumps out of the car in fear. While you're driving. You stop the car and immediately pull over to check on him. Yeah, Red doesn't like loud noises. He's fine though. Just give him a warning next time.

Underfell Papyrus - You got him the first time. But he hates death metal. So after that, every time you go in the car, he jumps on the radio and growls at you to prevent you from touching the buttons lol. He's choosing the music, he climbed in the car first.

Horrortale Sans - He's grimacing every time you put death metal in the car. It never fails to give him a headache, but he loves you too much to say it out loud. He's gritting his teeth during the whole trip.

Horrortale Papyrus - He's singing out loud with you and he even screams with the song, which can be very surprising as Willow can be very loud when he wants to. He loves death metal so he's very happy you two can share each other favorite songs in the car.

Swapfell Sans - He has his eternal poker face right now. He doesn't know what to think of this. He guesses he misjudged you. Also, his non-existent ears are hurting. Can you switch to classical music now? He's begging you.

Swapfell Papyrus - He's headbanging in the car just to make you laugh. Well, until his skull smashes against the dashboard, effectively making him shut up as he knocked himself out. You're panicking, asking him if he's alright again and again. Thank Toriel he wasn't driving.

Fellswap Gold Sans - Is this what you young people call music these days? Damn. That's not music, that's people screaming. He's judging you so hard right now.

Fellswap Gold Papyrus - Uh... Ok??? He's a bit confused about what's going on, and he moves slightly closer to the windows and farther away from you lol. He's a bit uncomfortable, but he's glad you're having fun.

#undertale #underswap #underfell #horrortale #swapfell #fellswap gold #sans #papyrus #undertale ask blog #undertale asks #undertale imagines #undertale headcanons

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fairyvtale · 2 days

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part two UNFORGETTABLE ━━━━ joost klein f! reader

(part one)

──── ✰࿒࿎྇ ༃࿐ ❛ she’s unforgettable ❜

˗ˏˋ꒰ 🕸️ ꒱ the next day you received a message from unknown number, that contained only link to some restaurant’s address (but in that case the word ‘restaurant’ is a misunderstanding) and short description ‘be there around 2pm’ you already knew that it was from joost, so you immediately saved his number and send him a like emoji. you weren’t even wondering what happened to ‘hello, how are you, my name is. . .’ honestly you loved this directness. it was one of the most attractive character traits that men could have, back then you didn’t knew that you will discover more positive things in his personality.

˗ˏˋ꒰ 🕸️ ꒱ ‘restaurant’ that he choose was a small döner kebab almost at outskirts of amsterdam, the cherry on top of that meeting was joost who looked like typical — very stereotypical — eastern european, wearing adidas set and some cheap vodka in his hand. when you saw him, you couldn’t help but burst out in loud laugh, you could feel tears in your eyes.

“what you laughing at? you said that you will help me improve my dance skills, so i needed to get into character” he said, with fake russian accent, which makes you laugh even more.

“your unbelievable”

“that’s only a beginning, honey”

˗ˏˋ꒰ 🕸️ ꒱ and he wasn’t lying. his hilarious appearance was just the first stage of the iceberg. after saying quick hello, you both ordered kebab, which in joost opinion was the best one here and you couldn’t agreed more. the vibe of eating fast food & sipping cheap vodka was just incredibly good, but maybe it was that just great company. after eating all of your food, you both were a bit tipsy at this point, but it made your mood even better.

˗ˏˋ꒰ 🕸️ ꒱ after very romantic and luxurious lunch, joost said it was the perfect time for a little dance practice at the local park. you were taken aback again when he took mini speaker out of his pocket and play hard style remix of some popular song, all people that were in the park seemed to be intrigued by the whole scene. at first you thought it was a crazy idea, but after seeing that other people do not mind loud music, you let yourself got carried away. joost were sincerely impressed by your moves in this kind of dance, immediately knowing what you meant by saying that his choreography wasn’t ‘good enough’.

˗ˏˋ꒰ 🕸️ ꒱ the whole day was something new to you, but it was also the best ‘date’ you had in your entire life. even after few days, the videos where you, joost and people — that joined you two — dance to some crazy remixes, were popping up on your feed. watching those videos made you grin like a fool, you can’t remember when you had that much fun with someone (of course don’t tell this to m&m, because you also have fun with your twins, but it’s the whole other experience).

˗ˏˋ꒰ 🕸️ ꒱ after the date, you both tried to text each other almost every second. you were excited to get to know joost better. the fact that the contest was soon, made you both happy and stressed at the same time. happy because you will have chance to see joost frequently, and stressed because you didn’t wanted to disappoint twins by accidentally ruining their performance, which was their dream since childhood (even if they assured you many times, that you will be great)

back then you didn’t know that this dream, will soon be a nightmare for you and mr. blue pants.

. . .

part 3 will be soon:)) hope you liked it!!

#imagines #fluff #joost klein x you #stand with joost #free joost #joost klein x reader #joost x reader #justice for joost #joost klein #eurovision 2024 #europapa #headcanon

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soybento · 2 days

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So. Here's the Thing. The drama SEVERELY changed parts of the MDZS novel. Enough that Wei Wuxian's character AND as a result (off the top of my head), Jin Guangyao, Madam Yu, Jiang Cheng and even Su She's character. This is going to be a whole thesis so here we go.

Let's start with one of the largest topics of debate in the fandom, Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian, and specifically Wei Wuxian's position in the Jiang Clan and the heat about Jiang Cheng's actions. In the novel, Yu Furen doesn't like him for her husband's preference of Wei Wuxian over Jiang Cheng (this is the same in the drama) and his supposed previous love interest, Wei Wuxian's mother (debated, ambiguous). Added to this is Wei Wuxian's ambiguous position in the clan. Jiang Fengmian never specifies what his rank/position is (as other people have pointed out) and as a result, all the Jiang Clan members kind of...have their own relationship w/ him courtesy of their own projections. For example, Yanli's relationship with Wei Wuxian is the simplest, mostly because she's the daughter, not a strong cultivator and is destined to eventually leave the Jiang Clan. She chooses him as her brother. For everybody else? It's a lot more complicated. Yu Furen (understandably if not justifiably) does not want to treat Wei Wuxian as her own son (aforementioned reasons). She sees him as a threat to her son's right of inheritance and also, doesn't trust the origin of his birth. This is definitely Jiang Fengmian's fault since he took in his servant's son but also not exactly since it's complicated by their close friendship and his unreciprocated feelings for Cangse Sanren. Consequently, Yu Ziyuan projects her insecurities not only on Wei Wuxian but also Jiang Cheng (we know this) and constantly compares the two of them. She wants her son to be better.

Jiang Cheng is a product of his parents and sister's relationship w/ Wei Wuxian but what I think the drama changes is the fact that Jiang Cheng cares for Wei Wuxian as a *martial brother* and a future right hand man. He gets the brother stuff because his sister has loved Wei Wuxian as her didi, he gets the firm ideas of Wei Wuxian's future position in the Jiang Clan from his mother (and also the lack of denial from Jiang Fengmian himself). He doesn't see Wei Wuxian as a brother *only*. Instead, he partially projects duty and destiny onto him because of how they were raised. This is why I don't think it was wrong of him to refuse to take in the Wen Remnants. He had a duty to the Jiang Clan that he chose to prioritize to keep himself out of the political tension that Wei Wuxian was in the center of. He didn't see it as disowning a brother but as a strategic withdrawal from the situation for his sect. Say what you will about him but I don't believe that he's unjustified in wanting to ensure the safety of his Sect (especially as clan leader). Growing up, Jiang Cheng did get a lot of conflicting opinions on his own worth. He fell short in almost all his relationships because he would approach Wei Wuxian w/ the anger and competitiveness his mother expected of him only to disappoint his sister who expected them to be siblings in the truest sense of the word. He disappointed his mother because he *did* see Wei Wuxian as more than just his fellow disciple, not just a future servant. He didn't disappoint his father but his father never made his affection for Jiang Cheng clear and this lack of communication led him to draw his own conclusions on Jiang Fengmian's preferences.

My issue with the drama is that much of this is not clearly defined or explained. He is villainized for his eventual estrangement with Wei Wuxian because we're operating from the assumption that his feelings for Wei Wuxian *are* of the sibling kind and not the messy duty vs martial brother type. His position is understandable after reading more of the novel. Plus all the changes about the siege led by him (which I'll talk abt) and Nightless City and the Qiongqi Pathway Ambush and him rejecting the Wen Remnants. And the ending at Guanyin Temple makes sense. Wei Wuxian is released from his commitments to the Jiang Clan and that is the kindest thing Jiang Cheng could do for him (again, others have pointed this out, I'm simply reiterating it). Because Wei Wuxian *does* care for Jiang Cheng as a brother but his feelings for him are also complicated by duty and obligation to the Jiang Clan and dealing w/ the complicated myriad of expectations from the Jiang family. That and less of him being a brother is what leads Jiang Cheng to think Wei Wuxian betrayed him. It's like he betrayed his duty to the Jiang Clan and not just their brotherly commitments.

Now coming to the second point, it's the drama's portrayal of Wei Wuxian as a martyr. And he can be but he's so much more complex than that. To start with, I believe his character would not have endeared himself to me as much if I hadn't started with the drama but now, I enjoy the complexity of the novel Wei Wuxian more. For example, novel villains Su She and Jin Guangyao are a lot more complex than portrayed in the drama. Because the drama kind of made them scapegoats (ironic as they portray Wei Wuxian that way) for Wei Wuxian's continued innocence. The Ambush at the Qiongqi Path is so much more complex than in the drama. Jin Guangyao *does* set it up and Su She curses Jin Zixun out of spite and Wei Wuxian *is* wrongfully cornered. But he also loses control of Wen Ning and accidentally kills Jin Zixuan all because he loses control of his emotions. I won't comment on whether this is right or wrong because Wei Wuxian was cornered. He was fighting his way out of an ambush. He made mistakes like escalating the situation by antagonizing Jin Zixun, not believing Jin Zixuan wanted to help him, and not calling off Wen Ning when asked to by Jin Zixuan (because he believed he'd be shot by the archers) and accusing Jin Zixuan of working w/ Jin Zixun to ambush him. By taking away these mistakes in the drama, it takes away the complexity of the situation and what the choices say about him. Jin Guangyao did not intend for Jin Zixuan and Wei Wuxian's confrontation to end the way it did. He wanted to put Jin Zixuan and Jin Zixun against each other in the novel (correct me if I'm wrong tho). He isn't innocent of course but his motivations make more sense than him just killing Wei Wuxian on behalf of his father with no deeper mechanations at play.

Secondly, the battle at the Nightless City. In the drama (and possibly in the novel but this isn't confirmed) he commits suicide but the timeline is important. He does lose control of his puppets in Nightless City and making Jin Guangyao the scapegoat for his loss of control *again* simplifies his character as someone that can do no wrong and is hopelessly plotted against by the rest of the world. The puppet that hurts Yanli (not fatally) is one that Wei Wuxian has lost control of and not one that's been controlled by Guangyao or Xue Yang or Su She. She sacrifices herself to save him and he *then* slaughters the rest. After he finds that Wen Ning and Wen Qing have died and they plan on leading a siege on the rest of the Wens, he raises the corpses and loses control and accidentally hurts Yanli who asks him to stop. He tries, she dies, and then he slaughters a bunch of people.

And in the novel, there are a few months between the Nightless City Massacre and his death. He defends the Wens from the siege led by Jiang Cheng (and *this* is the siege that he leads which makes MUCH more sense than the siege he supposedly led in Nightless City as shown in the drama) and when they die and he realizes he's going to lose, he kills himself (probably out of guilt?).

The implications of this are major. His sister's death doesn't push him into suicide, it pushes him into war (and Wen Qing and Wen Ning's death). It's the wtf this is a lost cause I'm fucked and everyone I wanted to protect is dead that eventually pushes him into death.

Looking at this from Jiang Cheng's perspective things make a lot more sense. He is under the (almost rightful?) assumption that Wei Wuxian lost control and killed Jin Zixuan (also Jin Zixun but lol fuck that guy). He is also not clear on the details of the ambush and while we don't know this, is given the same explanation for the ambush as everyone else. That Wei Wuxian cursed Jin Zixun. And Wei Wuxian does say that if he killed Jin Zixun he'd do it a thousand times better (worse). Following this, Jiang Cheng's sister is hurt and while her actual death is a choice that she makes, he blames Wei Wuxian for it.

I won't deny that Jiang Cheng is morally ambiguous but so is Wei Wuxian and so is Jin Guangyao and Su She. The drama is almost a softer, nicer version of the novel where the protagonist is the hero and not just the person whose perspective we're getting. But in doing so, Su She, Jin Guangyao and Jiang Cheng's character are changed to fit the narrative.

What the drama also doesn't get across is that demonic cultivation isn't a good idea!!! Lan Qiren, as much as I dislike him for his rules or whatever, did have a point. It goes against the natural order of things, there's a reason why demonic cultivation should not be taught and why Wei Wuxian never took in disciples. It would result in cultivators like Xue Yang. When drama says that Jiang Cheng was hunting and killing off demonic cultivators because he hated Wei Wuxian, it takes away from the fact that demonic cultivation does actually harm the body and soul! It does in fact require human sacrifices! Just because Wei Wuxian didn't use any does not mean that the others won't! Jiang Cheng is sure to have had a personal motivation but fanon misses that those accounts have been of the crowd and the cultivation world, not from Jiang Cheng directly. His killing of the demonic cultivators was likely not as simple as fuck that guy, I hate everyone like him.

Finally, Yanli. Surprised? I have a lot of thoughts on her though so I'm gonna have to keep going. She's at the centre of the storm and also severely sidelined. She's a motif and she's a character fighting to make choices that the world does not allow women and especially women that aren't cultivators. I think thinking of the story from *her* perspective (novel or canon) makes my appreciation for her even deeper. She is, despite Wei Wuxian's perception of her, a flawed character. But she's flawed in the same way everyone else is. She grows up in a volatile family and her mother doesn't share her sentiments but she chooses to love Wei Wuxian as a brother. Although she means well, this brings about a conflict of interest for Jiang Cheng. She's perceived as this all forgiving character by Wei Wuxian and it makes sense, we're looking at his POV *but* it takes away from the fact that she consciously chooses to be that way. I think her character brings about some very interesting ideas in society about womanhood and specifically motherhood. Her role in Wei Wuxian's life is more motherly than it is sisterly and thus, her sacrifices are almost expected. What comes to mind is that her feelings on things really aren't considered. Remember when Jiang Cheng lost his golden core? Wei Wuxian comes in and he sits across from her and he tells her that this is all his fault. She's dealing w/ the loss of her parents, her brother's sudden injury and her worry over Wei Wuxian. But she's gotta tell him gently that no, that's not true. In reality, this isn't ABOUT Wei wuxian. His continued insistence that things are his fault does bring about a degree of self centeredness because it takes away from where his attention should be. After he kills her husband, his focus is on his own guilt over his actions but less on her pain (I'm not condemning him, I'm just pointing it out). Being a martyr (as depicted in the drama not the novel as much) is incredibly selfless but also incredibly selfish. When the audience doesn't see this, Jiang Yanli's actions almost seem expected. Of course she's gotta see him for the person that he is and know that he didn't mean it etc. But these expectations take away from the very real choices she makes to continue to forgive and love and forgive. She does this with Jin Zixuan and although from Wei Wuxian's perspective, he sees it as she's too nice and kind and forgiving, it takes away from the fact that she *CHOOSES* to forgive him and it doesn't just happen as a part of her character profile. Being kind is a choice, not a personality trait. Being nice and agreeable and open etc can be personality. but altruism? That shit is where the credit is due.

The narrative does minimize her (I'm not sure if this is intentional) by making her an accessory to Wei Wuxian's development. She's sidelined during important moments like the war, the rebuilding of Lotus Pier, even the times that their parents die. She steps in when Wei Wuxian or Jiang Cheng need help or a guiding hand. She steps away when the story has to focus on other conflict. She could've easily turned against Wei Wuxian for killing her husband but she chooses to see him again and later, die for him. Jiang Cheng uses her in his own way, and so does Wei Wuxian. I do not particularly mean this as a criticism but I think it's worth noting that Jiang Yanli was a traditionally feminine character whose strength was a very conscious choice on her part and is not more or less than if she had chosen to go into war w/ the rest of them. If she didn't hold back on so many things like not protesting her engagement, playing a supporting role and staying in the background for much of the narrative until the death of her husband pushes her into the spotlight, waiting for her brothers to get back from war, waiting for Wei Wuxian to tell her what's wrong when he comes to Lotus Pier and fights w/ Jiang Cheng and seems to, supposedly, not want to be there, the story would've been different. Idk different how but definitely different. She chooses not to take up space and thus, narrative attention. She doesn't push, and she doesn't demand, and she defends quietly. I think that's why traditionally feminine characters are kind of a double edged sword when perceived. Are these qualities inherent? If yes, then they're taken for granted and...minimized. Are they chosen? If yes, then it begs the question of what a traditionally feminine character is at all. Sacrifice, standing back to let other people shine, being quiet and letting other people's actions (even those that you love) control what happens in your life. I cannot imagine that these are traits that someone is simply born with and thus, give Jiang Yanli credit because she chose to be that way!!

Ending this with, I don't believe there's a wrong medium with better or worse portrayals of the characters. I think I like the drama for some of its kinder aspects and the novel for its complexity. I just think it's important to note that Wei Wuxian is more than a martyr, Jiang Cheng more than his brother (he's in his own right a sect leader and plays an important role outside of his relation to Wei Wuxian) and Jiang Yanli more than a mother figure. And we love Lan Wangji ofc, sorry he didn't get a mention. Give more thought to characters like Jin Guangyao and Su She (yes Ik ik) and Xue Yang as portrayed in the novel. There's a theme here of classism that I don't think is appreciated enough.

The very point of this post is not to condemn or acquit any of the characters. It's just to point out how none of them are black and white.

That's it for now and I hope I didn't forget/mistake any of the details in the drama or novel!!

#mo dao zu shi #the untamed #wei wuxian #jiang yanli #jiang cheng #jin guangyao #analysis #novel vs drama #i apologise for the sheer length of this post #i swear it wasn't on purpose

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blacclotusss · 23 hours

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No Pain

My thoughts and opinions on IWTV s02e03: No Pain

Talamasca

This whole scene with the Talamasca agent did confuse me for a bit. It threw me off when he began acting as if he were talking on the phone, but I was definitely locked into it. He's the RJ sending Daniel things as he's talking with Armand and I want to know what he knows and how Daniel will use it in this situation. I need to know what his role will be in unpacking all of whatever is going to come out in the end.

Lestat & Armand's Relationship

Dumpster fire, just as I thought. I can see the appeal of it and the way Armand showcased his power was everything to me. Him knocking and turning Lestat every way but loose was hilarious, but I always love seeing Lestat lose. I called it a dumpster fire because you could kind of tell that it wasn't anything deeper than the lust they had for each other, at least in the way Armand told it. There seems to be a lot of omission on Armand's part and I wish I could search his brain to see exactly what it was he left out. Maybe as the season goes on, we'll see more of what's inside that head and underneath that mysterious exterior. 

Louis and Armand's First Dates

In the words of Johnny Gill: My. My. My. The way this date took so many twists and turns I could hardly keep up. Firstly, it was fun to see their little banter about the blocking of thoughts. Even when it got a bit intense with Armand clocking every time Louis thought about that man, it wasn't too crazy and we were able to see them reel it back in. Louis mentions letting Armand in instead of allowing his thoughts to spill and I want to know if Louis even trusts Armand that much to allow that if he could block his thoughts. But, the real kicker was when the two stopped to talk by the river. Flirty Louis is one of my favorite facets of the man and he was laying it on thick. Everything from the way the words rolled off of his tongue to the head movements to the accent was pure perfection. And the way he walked up into Armand's space as if he were going to kiss him...chef's kiss on everyone's part. I loved the way Armand was taken aback, yet intrigued, with Louis' responses as well.

Now, the intensity of the date in the little bar was through the roof. I'm still wondering why Louis is calling himself a whore for being out with other men. I know there's a reason, but I can't get my thoughts together on it. Maybe someone can help me out with that. Is it him still feeling attached to this man as his first real love? Is it the pain and brokenness coming through? Is it guilt for killing his love and leaving him back home? And the way Armand picks his brain apart and gets him to confess his relationship with Lestat was really something. It's pretty sad to see Louis' thoughts, feelings, and pain affect him like this. He deserves some happiness.

Claudia Talking About Bruce

Wow. This woman has been through so damn much in her life it's baffling. In season one, we see Louis omit the details of her assault so we didn't know the severity of it. Here, we still don't have gruesome detail (thank God) but to just think about the fact that she was not only assaulted once, but multiple times and kept under the floorboards by him. Do you know how insane that is? To not know when it'll ever stop. When they'll get tired of your "gloomy faces"? Every person Claudia has encountered has done her wrong. Every. Single. One. And that including Louis as well because he didn't even have to have her turned in the first place. I know the coven is going to put her through it even more than they already have, but I'll save that for later. Oh how I wish she could live her life the way she wants with no one in her way or trying to put her in a box.

Armand Choosing Love

Oh these two. THESE TWO. Every scene with them has my stomach doing flips. Firstly, can we talk about that tunnel scene? It's a scene that should put fear in your heart for Louis, but it's simply a build up for their first kiss in my opinion. Louis is ready to die and he's preparing himself for it while Armand stands behind him like an ominous being running his fingers through his curls and down the back of his neck. It just sends shivers down your spine in the best way. "You walked me home?" "Did I?" Please! The little moment the two share before Armand walks up to him...whew. I don't know if Armand is telling the truth about being hurt (I have an inclination that he is), I'd like to think he is, but the wavering in both of their voices hit me in the chest. The kiss?! Resuscitate me, immediately! The caresses on the face and the way Armand pulls him back in each time! I had to fan myself each time I watched it (yes, I watched it numerous times and no, it's not weird.) Just when you think it's over, Louis invites the man upstairs and I need to see the tape! But, Armand choosing love and choosing something for himself definitely opens the door for the coven to do as they please with Claudia since Maitre isn't doing his job and this frightens me.

Claudia and Her Role in the Coven

Were they hazing my girl in this episode?! All this for a speck of a spot in this coven? Electric chair just for that. And as soon as Claudia thinks she's in and has met her people, they betray her by making her play a little girl...and for 50 years at that. She's been trying to get out of this "little girl" role for the longest and now she's stuck. I can't imagine the way she's feeling about this. And we also see Armand getting involved with her physically, which...oh boy. It's just a hot mess all around. I now see what Armand meant when he said his name was in those pages and why he wouldn't want them seen. Some part of me is still being delusional about her fate. Maybe she will survive and live her life the way she planned (yes, I know this is not reality.)

#interview with the vampire #amc interview with the vampire #vampterview #louis de pointe du lac #claudia iwtv #the vampire armand #lestat de lioncourt #daniel molloy #talamasca #the vampire claudia #the vampire louis #iwtv

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jegulily-stuff · 3 days

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It's been a while but I'm back with a ficlet. A little Reg and Lily conversation about predestination.

...

"You know," Lily says conversationally, "I found out yesterday that our Divination professor's first name is Claro."

"It's Latin." Regulus says still looking out over the balcony. "It means bright. Or famous."

That's kind of missing the point.

"His name is Claro Voyant. And he teaches Divination."

Regulus turns to her.

"His family have the surname Voyant because they were known for being Seers in the past - it means 'seeing'. That isn't a coincidence. He inherited a bloodline gift."

Nevermind, he just disagreed with the point.

"But Claro is still really on the nose, isn't it?"

"His parents probably went to a Name Augur, and she sensed that he'd reawaken that gift in their family and suggested an appropriate name. If you think that makes it 'on the nose' then I suppose it is."

Name Augurs, huh. Lily lets that sink in.

"You know, so much more makes sense now. I didn't know you had a whole system to name people after what they were going to do in the future."

Regulus frowns. Maybe at her ignorance.

"I think it's slightly vaguer than that. The augur is drawn to a name but doesn't necessarily see the child's life. Divination is rarely explicit."

Lily crosses her legs up on the bench. "How much of it is nominative determinism, do you think? You know, self-fulfilling? Like, does being named after something make you more likely to choose it."

Regulus hums.

"Sometimes I wonder if all divination is self-fulfilling." Lily continues, "Like if you think its going to happen, you're more likely to make it happen, or at least interpret that it did happen."

It's been bugging her lately. The free will thing. Whether her own intentions matter.

"I think," Regulus says, "That if a path is laid out before you, you ought to take it. The universe has a structure."

And we all have our places in it, Lily finishes. He doesn't say it though.

"Were you named like that?" She asks, to change the subject.

He frowns again. This time it's definitely because he thinks she's said something silly.

"My family have a set naming tradition. We share our names with stars and constellations and other astronomical bodies."

He's had a pretty level tone the whole time but here it gets a little snooty.

"There's still a lot of choice within that." Lily argues. "It was a fair question."

Regulus considers this.

"We don't use Name Augurs." He answers. "They're considered tacky among people of higher stations."

Lily fails to choke back a snort of laughter.

Regulus doesn't seem to notice.

"Sometimes I wonder though, if parents can end up picking names that fate already set out, without even asking a Seer - I mean, with Sirius-"

He stops, falls quiet again.

Lily thinks about that. Sirius, named after the Dog Star, the brightest star in the sky. Does that really count as a prediction?

She knows that Regulus thinks Sirius is a very impressive wizard, outshining everyone else. But from the outside, not having been compared to him for her entire life, she isn't sure she agrees.

I don't think he's better than me, just flashier.

Maybe that's the prediction.

"Narcissa isn't a star, or a constellation." She says instead. A late defence of her not picking up on the family naming pattern.

"Or a planet, or a galaxy, or a moon, a comet, or an asteroid." Regulus agrees. "I think Aunt Druella got to name her. Her third daughter, with two already named under their father's tradition, that time she got to have an input. And I think the naming of daughters doesn't need to be so strict because they don't stay in the household forever. They'll have a different surname eventually. It's boys that have to embody the house for their whole life."

Lily searches for a topic to pivot to.

"My grandmother was called Melania." Regulus says distantly, before she can come up with anything. "She was a Macmillan. Her parents went to a Name Augur, even though it wasn't very classy - they were Hufflepuffs." Ah, of course, Hufflepuffs - no decorum. "Melania means black. That was the most important part of her life as it was predestined, that she was going to marry my grandfather and bear my father and my aunt. She died before I can remember, and I couldn't tell you anything else about her other than that." He sounds a little sad. "And without her, I wouldn't be here, able to spend my life fulfilling my own duty to my family and my blood, and to magic. For us, the universe has that path of duty set out from the very start of our lives, to the very end."

I feel like you're so close to understanding that's a bad thing.

Lily decides not to push that today.

Regulus starts tapping his fingers against the bench.

"My sister and I are both named after flowers." She says eventually. "I liked it at first because I always loved the outdoors and I thought a plant name made me part of that. And then I realised girls get named after flowers because flowers are pretty and delicate and I stopped liking it so much."

"I don't think your name should be looked at as a prediction." Regulus offers.

Because my parents are cut off from the magic of the universe?

"Lilies represent purity." She says.

"I know." The response comes a little too fast.

"But they're actually kinda poisonous. And have you ever seen water lily roots? They look monstrous."

Regulus looks away. She isn't sure if she's baiting him to say something about her blood, or her background, or if it's her who's thinking about it.

Petunia stands in front of her in her mind's eye. If muggles are dangerous because they so easily hate us, could I be bringing something bad into this world without meaning to?

I'm magic. Surely it's me that needs rescuing from the muggle world, not the magical world from me.

Regulus is staring off out from the balcony when he speaks.

"People pick flower names because they're pretty. I don't think you can make too much of them when it comes to fate."

She gets the rather uncomfortable sense that he's trying to be diplomatic.

"My cousin, Narcissa, as you mentioned, she's named for a flower. Narcissus. She isn't self-absorbed, like the flower represents. And I can't think she's going to lose her life to obsessive pride."

Ah, Lily thinks. Unfortunately, I don't agree at all.

She turns to stare off the balcony too.

Maybe I will bring destruction then.

She doesn't want to. She wants to believe that everything can be good and that there can be a world where violence isn't necessary. Where her friends are wrong that Sev is dangerous, and his friends are wrong that she is. And where one day Regulus could admit that she's his friend and not some deadly secret.

She sighs.

At least my entire life isn't marriage and children. It would be awful to only be remembered like that.

#regulily #<- platonic i guess #or pre-romance anyway #lily evans #regulus black #jegulily #<- to me #snippet #my posts

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seth-burroughs · 3 days

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rain code characters opinions on employing children to work in coal mines

Yakou Furio believes you should NOT make children work at coal mines. It is simply too dangerous AND incredibly gruelling work, not to mention an absolutely unhinged thing to just do or allow. He will go a step further and say that children should not work to support their parents at all, and would like to also say that in fact nobody should work or do anything for society in order to obtain basic necessities, however he's a bit scared of the surveillance drones listening in to this conversation and getting his sub blown up for the 34th time this year

Makoto Kagutsuchi thinks it's very sad that some children have to work at coal mines but that is just one of the harsh realities of our society and there is truly nothing he can do about it. He reassures you, however, that the child employees working at Amaterasu Corporation's secret mineshafts all were properly educated on basic mining safety as well as what to do in case of an emergency, and given hard hats along with a water bottle in case they get thirsty on their 8th hour underground and are being paid fair wages in exchange and-

Yomi Hellsmile believes it is perfectly fine for children to work at coal mines. He says that he worked in a coal mine as a child himself and he turned out fine. In his words, the supposed dangers of employing children at coal mines are being purposefully blown out of proportion by a communist psyop conspiring to stage a coup in his company for their own financial gain. In fact, parents at Amaterasu deciding to employ their children to work for the company as well could bring massive benefits to all parties, and should be the norm. Besides, the children yearn for the mines. occupying them with this kind of hard physical work will help them get all that energy out and make them learn many valuable skills they will need in the future. It is a very enriching activity for them. Furthermore, no parent should worry about the safety of their kids in the mines during the week, as Amaterasu Corporation is gracefully choosing to supply them with education on basic mining safety, hard hats, water bottles, a fair wage, and the affirmation that they're greatly helping to benefit both their family and society as a whole with their service.

Dr. Huesca loooves employing children to work at coal mines and gains huge pleasure in watching them suffer and die because he fucking hates kids. But, as we all probably assumed, the main reason is not any earthly pleasures he has sworn off of many years ago in order to devote himself to scientific research feeling celibacy. In truth, his favourite thing about employing children to work at coal mines is that after they complete their shift they are usually too exhausted to resist as they're getting taken away to his secret laboratory to get injected with radioactive dna altering chemical turning them into superpowered mutants that he forces to be his minions to do his evil bidding forever. For research purposes

#mine #rain code #yakou furio #makoto kagutsuchi #yomi hellsmile #dr. huesca #anyway you're still welcome to ask me abt the swap au and i will answer the ones already sent in timely fashion i promise i just had to get

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prince-liest · 21 hours

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Dr Prince! You have very effectively infected my brainslug with ‘Lady’s First’ (fire name, btw. the meaning hit me in the face when typing this and you would only know when checking the spelling) I can’t stop thinking about it.

Sorry beforehand, this may bully your inbox with a wall of text.

There are so many things I want to write and analyse about this, but right now I’d like to focus on Vox:

(also: feel free to ignore this if my insane ramblings go off the rails, lol, they tend to do that)

So I find it fascinating how both of them interact in this. Clearly they were talking about emotional and personal things way more than male Alastor. It’s very hard for me to put into words, not gonna lie. Vox, I feel like, has experienced a very different kind of ‘hell-socialisation’ in this version. Since it’s not ‘my gender is eldritch monster’ Alastor he’s looked up to but Alastor the woman who also happens to be the mighty Radio Demon, things turned out very different.

We can all agree that friendships between men and friendships between men and women are different. We can’t forget that Vox is also playing a role here. His presentation is carefully crafted to be the ‘man’s man’. He is all ‘I’m going to present as toxic masculine as I have learned men to be during my lifetime’ -> probably very much imitating the way that his boss used to present. Because that’s what a man does, of course(lol)! The competitive edge, so to say, is missing that would be present between ‘old-boy’ male friends. This is laced with the fact that Vox is also queer as Hell and not immune to his own upbringing. So he was able to clock Alastor’s insecurity IMMEDIATELY and tried his best to dispel them (even though it was for different reasons than one might think initially). Because he’s probably been subject to the same thing when he was alive. (Again, ignore if I’m being stupid about this, it’s just my own interpretation and I’m INSANE)

Also it kinda feels like talking about feelings is something that comes more naturally to Vox and thus, things like him being transgender and them having talked about his vast collection of dildos beforehand is interesting but I also can’t quite put my finger on WHY, exactly. Is it because a male Alastor would have absolutely snooped around Vox’s room as well, taken note of the dildos and just not given a shit? I don’t know! And Vox being so soft and considerate throughout the whole thing hit me in the face out of left field, not gonna lie.

Now, coming over to Alastor for a moment. You can almost see the gears turning in her head that led to this decision. All the little hints beforehand and the interactions throughout. As you said: socialisation as a woman dictated to her that if she wants to have a meaningful friendship with a man, it is expected of her to give herself over. She clearly likes Vox enough but I think there are also other layers to this. There is also that “choosing a partner” vibe. She is just as curious and wanting to try things as her male counterpart. She also already knew she probably wouldn’t enjoy sex but she’s not above trying it out nevertheless -> combining all the things: Vox being a friend that is near and dear to her heart that she also doesn't feel ‘weaker’ to, if that makes sense. Vox can’t ‘take’ her power or perceived status away the same way a non-Overlord would in this scenario. I interpret/project a lot of “men sleeping around are heroes, women sleeping around are sluts” into this. Then there is Vox being trans and having had very similar socialisations during his lifetime. It almost created a safe space for Alastor. If it was going to be ANY man she was ever going to try this with, it would be Vox. (Of course that notion of ‘safety’ is a very flimsy and badly worded descriptor that goes out the window the second we bring hypnosis and the fact that they are DEMONS in HELL into the mix but I’m very bad at describing my thoughts in this otherwise)

Phew. ok, so that was so many words to say: I love this stuff!

Now I wish that it was a series but my brain already can’t comprehend how this masterpiece even saw the light of day so….

Thank you so much for this!

HENCHY THIS ASK WAS SO LOVELY <3 No apologies, I love long comments (though for continuous conversations I tend to start putting things under a cut, haha).

I think you're very on-point with a lot of this, especially with Vox feeling like a safe enough option that Alastor was able to get far enough as to try this in the first place. And it's not just because she thinks Vox understands where she's coming from, having experienced life "as a woman" (in Alastor's eyes, though that's not precisely actually true to the trans experience), but also because they're from similar enough time periods that she thinks Vox has a proper understanding of how things should be. Vox in this fic has been historically actively more respectful to Alastor in a very gendered way because he's socially canny enough to pick up on the fact that Alastor expects him to be, and he cares enough about what she thinks of him to continue behaving that way even decades after they met when it's not actually the 1950s anymore.

Chivalry is dead, but they're both in hell with it!

And talking about his feelings comes more naturally to Vox in this fic because he's talking about them to a woman rather than another man, so a lot of society's "men shouldn't have soft squishy feelings (unless it's to their mother or female significant other)" bullshit doesn't register, especially to a guy who, y'know, has a vested interest in performing masculinity "correctly." If that makes sense! >:D

Anyway, thank you so much! I didn't expect the sheer amount of interest and positive response that this fic would garner and it has brought me a lot of joy. I'm really happy that you enjoyed it!

#ask #personal #henchy5824 #t #my writing #long post #nsft #lady's first

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