#its nice he's doing another community-care related role

[theswordwizard]

I don't think matt being a priest is hot

#call me a secular dyke but i see him in the cloth and my dick stays soft #im gonna seem like a real lame-o after my last post but honestly #its nice he's doing another community-care related role #i fear theyre gonna make him ditch it quick though :/ #also i didnt say anything that would put it in any tags so you cant be mad at me

[psychicdreamfriendoperator]

Hi I don’t know if you take Melon requests, but if not feel free to ignore this. Would it be ok to request headcanons of Melon with an affectionate caring s/o please?

MELON WITH AN AFFECTIONATE, CARING S/O

I write for all of the characters featured in Beastars and its sister series, Beast Complex 👍🏾

I get the feeling that this is meant to be wholesome, so, I tried not to lean too heavily into angsty territory. At the same time though, since Melon’s ... instability and love of violence is such a large part of his character, it would feel strange removing references to that completely.

Anyway, hope you enjoy, anon!

— Psychic

General Headcanons

It's very tempting for prospective partners to take on a nurturing, maternal or even an almost therapist-like role in their relationship with Melon.

Those past partners became so embroiled in their fantasies that they failed to remember one important fact: that you cannot “fix” Melon.

More importantly: Melon does not want to be fixed. He doesn't regret his actions, either, and, given the opportunity, he would likely have things play out the same way.

But this is a reality Melon’s s/o is well aware of.

Borders in Communication

Communicating with Melon is like communicating to an alien; although Melon comes off as suave and charismatic, his social skills are very, terribly underdeveloped.

(It is no fault of his.)

Melon learnt to communicate by studying the way herbivores communicate with each other — Melon’s entire style of communication (at least when he is actively trying to be non-threatening) can be described as “see? I’m perfectly harmless”.

That may be fine for one-off talks with co-workers or people on the street, but it is uncanny.

Melon’s attempt at masking his poor social skills comes off as endearing at best, and disturbing at the absolute worst.

But over time, Melon stops masking around his s/o.

He convinces himself that he stops because he can't be bothered to keep up the façade, but really, it's because he doesn't want to make his s/o too uncomfortable.

Melon’s s/o is very big on hugs, and other, physical displays of affection. At first, they may not be able to understand why Melon doesn't appear to reciprocate their feelings.

If left unchecked, ot may even lead to resentment.

But, an honest conversation helps. (Honest conversations are a common thing in this relationship — they're almsot required when dealing with Melon)

Small Affections

Melon's s/o is wary of being 'too' affectionate; if they are, Melon tends to misconstrue it as mockery or something else negative.

It sounds paradoxical, but the smaller the displays of affection, the more likely it is that Melon will accept them.

So, Melon's s/o is forced to start small: first with light touches (not petting -- petting Melon makes him feel like an animal), and then working slowly up to holding hands in private.

Melon's s/o knows their attempts are successful when Melon begins doing it without prompting.

In what appears to be another paradoxical trait: Melon is very affectionate in public, but considerably more reserved in private. This links back to the 'masking' mentioned earlier -- herbivores are stereotyped as being more affectionate + family-oriented, so those are the traits Melon tries to embody when in public with his s/o.

As Melon becomes more comfortable with his leopard side, he gradually decreases the affection he shows publicly -- while increasing the affection he shows to his s/o privately.

Melon's s/o has to be patient with him -- a difficult task, but one they undertake sincerely.

Adventures in Cooking

Melon's s/o doesn't understand what Melon means when he says all food tastes like sand to him.

S/O takes that to mean that their cooking is tasteless, and spends an embarrassingly long time reading cooking books and crawling related forums for help.

I'm certain Melon must've noticed the misunderstanding, but says nothing because ... well, it's nice to be fussed over. Especially since his s/o is fully genuine in their efforts to help him.

#beastars #beastars headcanons #beastars imagines #beastars melon #beastarsxreader #beastars x reader #ask #for this ask i interpreted 'caring' as 'caring enough to understand that melon thinks and feels differently'

[starlitcorgi]

Hi......If you don't mind, can I ask, what are your top 10 (or top 7) favorite media (can be books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series)? Why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before......Thanks....

Hmmm 🤔 my favs are always changing but at the moment.

1. Gokurakugai: Alma is a precious cinnamon roll who loves his mentor Miss Tao like a sister. I really love their platonic relationship and the fact that Alma is incredibly emotionally balanced. Like he's not this typical macho guy. Probably because he's surrounded by strong female role models. It's really refreshing for Shonen and I really hope it gets an anime series because I think it has the potential to be as big as JJK and Demon Slayer.

2. Jujutsu Kaisen: I love Yuuji as a ML and I'm usually a side character gal. So it's great to actually like the lead character. I've noticed in this current generation of Manga and Anime that our Male Leads are becoming much more well rounded and likeable. I love Yuuji's strength and his resilience, he definitely deserves all the love and hugs. I also of course love Gojo and I kind of hope Mappa deviates from the manga in regards to his fate because man that hurt.

3. Demon Slayer: I read the manga start to finish and loved every minute of it. The anime series is just as good. I love all of the characters in this in their own rights. From the protagonist to the villains for me at least the author got everything right. It's Shonen at its best. To be able to make your audience love Rengoku in such a short time is an amazing feat. To care so much that you feel as devastated as Tanjiro to me the Mugen train arc is a masterclass in story telling. It's sad that the series will be coming to an end soon but I think for me this will always be in my top 5.

4. Ghost in the Shell: This is the movie that started my love of anime/manga. It's a cinematic masterpiece and everyone should watch it at least once. It was well ahead of its time and it's not surprising that it inspired the Matrix.

5. Hells Paradise: I love the manga and the anime. Gabimaru is so relatable to me, I think we share the same sarcastic and apathetic nature lol. I love it as well because it gave us one of the best disabled characters in current manga generation. Shion is an epic character for the disabled community, being partially blind myself it's nice to be represented you know? And he's not full of loathing or self pity, he embraces his blindness and uses it to his advantage. He's funny, kind, strong and handsome. He never questions Sagiri's competence, he doesn't try to send her of to the kitchen like his colleagues. He recognises her talent and encourages her to achieve her goals. In short Shion needs to be protected at all costs.

6. Chainsaw Man: when I first saw this pop up on Shonen Jump I didn't have high hopes. It seemed like a crack series but this is exactly why you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. I love this series even though it hurts me 😭. Denji is a typical hormonal teen, power is a ball of chaos and Aki is just trying to keep everything together. Plus Angel 😇 is one of my fav characters of all time maybe because he reminds me of my daughter lol.

7. Elfen Lied: this is another classic anime the violence is on par with AOT but once you get past that you have this heart wrenching story. Lucy is a monster created by her environment and the abuse she suffered. This is also one of the most beautifully animated series of all time. The art is phenomenal.

8. Solo Leveling: I fell in love with the Manwha and was so excited when it got picked up for a series. I'm loving the anime so far, though I'm two episodes behind. Due to my sight loss I have to wait for the English dub but dubs have gotten way better than when I first started watching anime in the early 2000's. I love Jinwoo's tenacity and the fact that he just cuts through the villains. He never really worries about whether that makes him a bad person. Sometimes you just want to see bad people get what's coming to them. Plus this has some of the most epic fight scenes, I can't wait to see them animated.

9. Tokyo Ghoul: I spent most of Tokyo Ghoul crying ugly tears 😭. Ken Keneki has one of the most heartbreaking storylines in all of anime. It's just painful to read/watch Gege definitely took a leaf out of the Tokyo ghoul book when writing JJK. Yet still I couldn't put it down, I'm a sucker for punishment. It's a great mix of characters as well, I love that we see goth culture mixed in there as well. You do get those Crow vibes the way it's so gothic in inspiration and the art work is stunning. I think the only illustrator that tops it is Yuta Sano.

10. Attack on Titan: AOT has been deemed controversial because of it's fascist themes. However I think it's only problematic if you think Eren is the hero in this story. I actually really can't stand Eren, it's pretty obvious that he's been radicalised by his experiences early on. The foreshadowing is strong with him you know he's not going to turn out well from the start. The real protagonists for me are Armin, Levi and Hange. Like these three are definitely trying to save their comrades and people. Whereas Mikasa is constantly having to save Eren and Eren jumps to mass genocide pretty quick. Levi almost feels like he's representing the audience with his snarky commentary. I also love Levi and Hanges platonic friendship. They really get each other and their banter is a joy to watch especially in the first season.

#jujutsu kaisen #jjk #demon slayer #anime and manga #manga #gokurakugai #tokyo ghoul #ghost in the shell #elfen lied #attack on titan #hells paradise #solo leveling #chainsaw man

[crackers4jenn]

Some Ted Lasso finale thoughts

I feel like I always have to preface my Ted Lasso opinions with the reminder that I haven't seen the series in full, but! I have watched all of s3, parts of s2, and the first few eps of s1. I realize I'm working with limited context though.

I think my fave character overall was Trent. His physical comedy was outstanding, plus I just love that his role this season was basically: fly on the wall/reaction shot. I feel pretty cheated we didn't get some meaningful voiceover from him, though. You know, a bit of narration of his book. Feels like something like that would've tied in nicely within the montage.

I feel bad for the shippers (those first few minutes were especially cruel to the Ted/Rebecca shippers) but I also feel like a lot of the reactions I've seen in the tags would be way less critical if the shipper goggles weren't fastened so tightly. There's something to be said about online fandom and getting caught up in the echo chamber of it, and how that sorta amplifies your confirmation bias. You look for the things you want to find, even when they're not textually there. Before the finale aired, I kept seeing people be SO SURE that Rebecca would go to Kansas with Ted and for the life of me I couldn't understand WHY. Those two characters, in the context of tumblr? You see enough "invisible string" gifsets paralleling some of their scenes, sure. Maybe those two versions of Ted and Rebecca end up together, but the actual characters on the show? Who barely spent time together outside of work? Who thought of each other so, so platonically? I don't get it. If I have to like, deep dive into symbolism and read into stares and decode their supposed body language and break out the tack board to connect the dots because of some color scheme of the clothes they wear, with nothing actually happening onscreen telling me these people care even a little bit romantically about each other? Surely that says something about canon. If I, a casual viewer who isn't mainlining gaze-count compilations or whatever, aren't seeing what the hyperfocused fanbase is seeing onscreen with my own eyeballs, doesn't that imply some of the interpretation is fanon and not canon? Just a little? Obviously that is just the universal shipping experience, I'm not trying to be condescending or judgmental, I'm just saying: be for real. BE FOR REAL, Y'ALL.

I liked seeing Rebecca's emotions for Ted spill over in all of their scenes together (semi-related: I feel like when Rebecca was grieving Ted so hard and he was... not giving the same energy back it's because their headspaces were so different in those moments: for Rebecca, it was about saying goodbye. For Ted, it was about saying hello... to his family. Rebecca was feeling loss, and Ted was too, but he was also gaining back something big. But anyway!!) I do wish they hadn't pulled the "you go, I go" trope. For so long, so much of Rebecca's arc was about her getting back her independence from Rupert. Why, at the last moment, try and anchor her to another man? Especially after that episode where she stood up against all those old rich dudes and reminded them why they love the game, why the fans love the game, why SHE loves the game? It felt weird. If it was a panicked reaction because she was losing a really good friend, then I wish the show would've had Ted, ya know, COMMUNICATE with her instead of staying so mute, to remind her that she loves what she does, that she's earned her place, and that she can do it alone. But she wouldn't even be alone! She has literally everyone else she's always had in her corner still in her corner.

If I had been super into either Roy/Keeley or Jamie/Keeley I would be SO BUMMED that the show pulled the last second third wheel card, just to give them an ambiguous "Keeley chooses neither" ending. But I can also appreciate that the show just threw its metaphorical hands in the air and refused to make a choice. I, too, see the appeal of all sides of the triangle and don't even know what my preference would be. Besides throuple, obviously, which I also think the open-ending left a little crumb trail to set up. I will say, overall, Roy was so reactive this season in his feelings for Keeley. He broke up with her, then really only started gravitating back to her when she was with Jack, or when he was jealous about the leaked video, or jealous about Jamie. That wasn't my favorite, but he also just pines really nicely so I get the otp of it all.

All of the "Ted is leaving all his friends behind! He's got nothing to live for in Kansas except his son!" online takes are SO BAFFLING. Y'all realize this character didn't apparate from the ether into Richmond as a fully grown, fully mustached man, right? He came from a place where he ALSO had friends and family he was leaving behind, with relationships that were likely just as important to him. And he will make friends after. Like????? You'd think Ted was returning to the gallows on a death sentence or something, just to wither away after Henry grows up.

I think I'll try and watch the show from the start and see if my opinions on anything change. I've heard that all of the prime Ted/Rebecca stuff happens early on in s1, and maybe seeing them in a classic enemies-to-friends situation might reveal to me what the shippers see. And maybe I'll care more about Nate's arc and Jamie's growth.

ps; dollsome, if you're reading this and you've made it this far, look away!!! Because, I'm sorry, I love that the Dutch boat guy came back. His and Rebecca's chemistry was just off-the-chart bananas. I think the psychic stuff was set up to red herring the crap out of the fandom from all sides, I don't think Rebecca and boat guy are like, psychically fated and meant to be, but! They were lovely, so I'm glad their montaged future had them together. And with a pilot in her life, hey. Rebecca can fly out to Kansas and visit her old bud, Ted, anytime, right?

#ted lasso

[phoenixyfriend]

SW Suddenly-Omegaverse AU: Surrogacy, Worldbuilding, Obi-Mom

Truly the main irony of all this is that everyone considers Obi-Wan the Better Omega but Anakin is the one who's actually 👀👀👀 about pregnancy

Obi-Wan: I have the deepest respect for those who do it, but the idea of growing another person inside of me is weird and gross, no, thank you.

Meanwhile Anakin is like. Immediate baby fever. Someone actually approaches him like "hey... there are forms you can fill out to request an exception for pregnancy, and like... regulations" because he's that obvious about it.

I assume that if they've got safety nets for accidental pregnancies, then they're probably aware that there are people who want to do it on purpose? I feel like in an omegaverse where 'biological imperative to procreate' can be so much more intense, then maybe there's old precedent that stuck around even after suppressants got most of those hormones under better control.

Bit torn. Just know I want Anakin to Make Baby.

"Anakin, what are you--" "Do you think offering to be someone's surrogate would be acceptable to the council as a way to be pregnant without getting attached." "...what." "They'd probably accept that as a way to practice not getting attached, right?" "N...no, that's not... what?"

Anakin approaching Bail and Breha and being like “Do you... still want a kid? I would provide a kid. Do you want one here*?”

* in this dimension

Great way to give up the baby as a parent because he'd still be able to see them once in a while but also like... it's not HIS kid, technically. He can be a cool uncle who happened to give birth, which is distant enough to not be 'attached,' but close enough that his Tatooine-raised 'must ensure family is safe whenever possible' background doesn't flip out. It helps that 'Core World Royalty' is like... a top-tier family to be raised in.

(It would have to be post-war because he probably shouldn’t be risking his life while very pregnant. He needs to be reminded of that sometimes.)

Bail/Breha is an alpha/alpha relationship and while a pregnancy is still possible,* it’s a whole lot more difficult, and that's on top of Breha's canon medical issues that resulted in her heart and lungs getting replaced.

* AFAB alphas can get pregnant, and AMAB omegas can inseminate, but the success rate on that angle is much lower than the 'traditional' alpha/omega roles, as is any attempt at reproduction outside rut/heat. They're low-fertility overall for the non-dominant aspect of their reproductive system, which... ha, Anakin and Obi-Wan try to get explanations for why the senary system works the way it does, but it's a very longform history lesson that comes down to 'idk this got cemented so long ago that nobody really knows why anymore.'

AKA "why do you title these roles male omega and female alpha instead of intersex omega and intersex alpha since both parties have both genitals."

ANYWAY

Anakin: I want to make babies. But I don't want to get kicked out of the order. But I don't want to give up my own babies for adoption. But I can't keep my own babies if I want to stay a Jedi. So basically I want to have someone else's babies? Anakin: ...wait shit that's just surrogacy.

Anakin, calling up Obi-Wan: Hey are the Organas still struggling to have a kid? Obi-Wan: ...not really your business. Anakin: You're friends with Bail again though, right? Obi-Wan: I am, but-- Anakin: Do you think they'd want me to be a surrogate? Obi-Wan: What.

I can't decide if it's funnier for the Order to be like "I mean... technically there's no rules against this?" or if this is a precedent set by at least three omegas every generation because that's just how a/b/o manifested for omegas in a biological and cultural sense.

Bail: Wait, your former apprentice is... volunteering... to be our surrogate. Obi-Wan, exhausted: Yes. Bail: He barely knows us. Obi-Wan: He respects you and you're the closest people he knows that want a child and would be good parents. Bail: And he's just... volunteering? Obi-Wan: Yes. Also, you did say your primary worry was that a surrogate might be targeted for assassination and you couldn't ask someone to risk that, right? Anakin is very much able to avoid assassins, and would be staying primarily in the Temple anyway. Very safe, and not particularly scared of assassins in the first place. Bail: Your words say you approve, but your tone says otherwise. Obi-Wan: Anakin considers me his father. I'm not old enough to be a grandparent. Bail: Ah.

Anakin is a surrogate and enjoys it and everything is fine and then like a year later he's accidentally pregnant with his own and Rex's kid, and nobody knows how to ask if it's actually an accident.

A suggestion from @gelpenss:

OH MAN i.... have to drive home. But I just had a thought about like. I always want to poke at Betas in A/B/O like are they “normal” or different from our standard or.... but ANYWAY assuming they have a pheromonal thing I just think it would be neat if betas had the ability to be the Bucket of Cold Water. Like if caught early enough, and with the caveat it’s not permanent, a beta could arrest a rut or heat in its tracks until a more ideal time. Like. They aren’t birth control. But they are the remind me later button.

Okay done driving I am Returned to bring up why I brought up betas and it’s this: well okay 1. It plays nice with a popular but inaccurate dog breeding urban legend that female dogs will like, delay heat cycles? so that the bitches above them in pack hierarchy have first choice of mate selection. And I think in omegaverse it would be cool if that was a Bio Fact, and also historically enforced by the third designation. 2. It gives me an excuse to have betas have the Most Sensitive sense of smell because it’s their “job” to pick up on things before they go too far to be put on pause. 3. I’m just thinkin ‘bout a beta clone [...] just hovering around Obi-Wan because they found out how much stress his heat cycle causes and they’re like “okay cool I will help make sure it does Not”

I want to like a/b/o verses but betas niggle at me. I want to give them a hat and a Function that woulda helped before modern medicine.

I'm not sure how I feel about betas being able to delay heats, but I do like the idea of them having a more sensitive sense of pheromone smell than most. Most aliens assume it's omegas with the best sense of smell, and betas with the worst, but it's more complicated than that because they all specialize: Alphas are actually less attuned to pheromone smells, but more attuned to things that were useful back when humans were still a hunter-gatherer species. Omegas tend to be heightened towards danger smells like fire or aggression, and pheromones relating to children/care. Betas, as suggested above, are very sensitive to pheromone changes relating to mood and behavior of the community around them.

I like the idea that betas were historically the ones that ended up taking care children, unmated omegas, and so on during people's heats and ruts, because they kept their heads about themselves long enough to do things like cook and clean while someone was reeking of hormones. The checks and balances work out that betas may have lower fertility, but it makes them better able to support the network around them.

It works in with humanity's general collective history of thriving the most when working as a community.

Given that I decided that this is Jangobi, the clones might all subconsciously view Obi-Wan as Mom. Not intentionally, but, you know... Obi-Wan the not-evil stepmother. He doesn't know how he got into this situation, but he sure is here, and he sure as hell doesn't know how to get out.

Obi-Wan "I don't need to get pregnant, I have three million stepchildren" Kenobi

I definitely love "clones all want to make Obi-Wan's heats less stressful" but like in a different way from Whatever The Fuck Anakin's Got Going On.

Obi-Wan using the force to dull the pain in a Shiny's broken leg while the medic works on it and the Shiny just mumbles "Thanks mom" and everyone gets very embarrassed and pretends it didn't happen.

But then it happens again. And again.

Obi-Wan asks for an explanation from Cody and gets a halting response that, since Jango is technically their father, and his scent has been all over Obi-Wan recently... and Obi-Wan puts in a lot of effort to take care of them all.......

Anakin overhears the clones calling Obi-Wan "mom" and just. The most judgmental eyebrow raise.... Mostly in the sense of "You never let me call you dad" "Thought you said you weren't anyone's parent." "Hey, hey, Obi-Wan. What the fuck."

BOBA. BOBA ABSOLUTELY CALLS OBI-WAN MOM WHENEVER POSSIBLE. IT'S DEEPLY FRUSTRATING.

Obi-Wan eventually manages to admit that he's uncomfortable with it at minimum because of the gendering the word has for him, can they at least use the neutral 'buir' instead?

Word spreads like fire, takes like two days max for everyone to switch.

(Anakin demands cuddles as compensation for not getting to call Obi-Wan any true parental term for years.)

#Anakin Skywalker #Obi Wan Kenobi #Bail Organa #Rexwalker #Jangobi #Captain Rex #Commander Cody #Boba Fett #star wars #the clone wars #omegaverse #SW Suddenly Omegaverse #mpreg tw #phoenix posts

[usergreenpixel]

MALMAISON MEDIA SALON SOIRÉE 7: NAPOLEON (1955)

1. The Introduction

Hello, Neighbors! Welcome to the Malmaison Media Salon. Today we’re going to discuss yet another biopic about Napoleon! As if there isn’t a ton of them out there already...

Anyway, I’m talking about “Napoleon” a 1955 movie directed by Sacha Guitry, who also plays Talleyrand in it (actually he played Talleyrand twice, in two different movies). Looks like biopics about Napoleon and self-inserts go together quite well!

But, jokes aside, I first heard about this biopic while researching another movie about Napoleon (the Abel Gance’s one from 1927) for Jacobin Fiction Convention. I was unsure which review category the 1955 fits in, but I ultimately decided to do a Napoleonic review since, unlike the 1927 movie, this one barely touches on Frev so it wouldn’t make sense to call it Frev media.

So here we are. I got much luckier in my search for this movie than with the one by Abel Gance, as Guitry’s biopic can easily be found on YouTube in English, so most people in my audience shouldn’t have any trouble looking for it at all.

Personally, after a long list of failed attempts at cramming Napoleon’s life into either one movie or a short miniseries, I was a bit skeptical about the 1955 movie, but let’s take a closer look at it and see how this attempt turned out.

2. The Story

The story here consists of a series of key events in Napoleon’s life. So expect major campaigns, his time as First Consul, Frev, formative years, and so on. On paper, it sounds good, but the keywords here are “on paper”.

Unfortunately, this movie runs into a common problem. See, its length is about 2 hours yet it aims to tell as much of Napoleon’s story as possible. Yeah, good fucking luck doing that when there are just too many events to cram into a miniseries, let alone one movie!

Honestly, if you ask me, Napoleonic era and Frev are so eventful that our communities may as well do a full fucking series because that might just be the best way to portray our respective epochs without skipping over important events or rushing.

Of course, this biopic is not a series, which is why we get multiple confusing pacing issues and the story has to portray everything in a rapid fire type of way, which really didn’t allow me to get into the story or to empathize with the key characters, as there simply isn’t much time spent even on introducing them or at least telling the audience basic information!

However, I do like the creative choice of having Talleyrand of all people narrate the story. I don’t know why the idea of Talleyrand as the narrator is so funny to me, but it just is.

Moving on, as there isn’t much to add.

3. The Characters

As I said in my previous point, unfortunately most characters who aren’t Napoleon don’t get introduced or developed properly due to the rushed pacing. Also there’s too many characters which makes it hard to remember them all, especially for people who might be hearing about them for the first time.

But there are some moments I liked that are related to the characters:

- Ney promising Louis the 18th to arrest Napoleon but not doing so

- Ney and Murat commanding their own executions

- Josephine not being a bitch

- Napoleon giving Eugène the sword which belonged to Eugène’s father

- Marie Louise of Austria not wanting to marry Napoleon at first but warming up to him

These are the touches I liked. If only the characters had proper introductions that would make me care about them during those scenes...

4. The Setting

The settings are truly gorgeous, most likely due to this:

Nice! I haven’t been to the aforementioned places but those who have might be able to recognize them.

Oh, and the costumes look stunning.

5. The Acting

Honestly, I think the acting is excellent, especially on the part of the two actors who played Napoleon. I also liked Guitry as Talleyrand, but it looks like everyone did their best with the role they had.

6. The Music

Gorgeous music! I love the fact that the melody of Ça Ira (a revolutionary song) plays during the scenes showing Frev. Yay!

Unfortunately, once again, it’s not enough to make up for the rushed story.

7. The Conclusion

Well, what can I say? I think it should be obvious by now that the Napoleonic era is just too eventful for one movie. It deserves a series of its own, because otherwise we get rushed pacing, characters who aren’t given enough time to become memorable.

Here the acting, music and settings are fantastic, but the clunky story and the flat characters ruin the entire experience, wasting the potential of the final product. Which is a shame.

But, with that, let us conclude today’s soirée at the Malmaison Media Salon. Stay tuned for updates and stay safe, my dear Neighbors.

Your Neighbor,

- Citizen Green Pixel

#napoleon 1955 #napoleon bonaparte #josephine de beauharnais #talleyrand #joachim murat #michel ney #empress marie louise #history #movie review #malmaison media salon #review #napoleonic media #napoleonic art #napoleonic movies

[galadrieljones]

The Walking Dead: Episode 4.12, “Still” Rewatch

So I rewatched “Still” in honor of the Stilliversary tonight. My thoughts are not related much to Team Delusional stuff, more so just thoughts and idle analysis, but I had fun and definitely did not cry.

Here we go!

Beth is already feeling it, right away, after the trunk scene, ie: what he must think of her. She’s just another “dead girl” who needs to be protected. It is both insulting and embarrassing at the same time.

Daryl misses that squirrel and breaks an arrow! Dammit, Daryl. This is just another trial, but it’s interesting in how we see Daryl in like rote provider mode, and yet he makes a mistake.

The suck-ass camp begins with some Garden of Eden imagery: While Daryl skins and cooks the snake, Beth is admiring the beauty of a ladybug crawling on a leaf. The music is actually full of wonder. Beth sees the beauty in the natural world while Daryl sees it only for what he can use. It is an essential masculine vs. feminine moment, in terms of their individual themes, and what propels them and their actions. Their masculine and feminine energies will be subverted later though, and well-complicated, because the writing is good.

Beth brings up Hershel’s death early: “He’s not exactly around anymore so...” She wants to have a drink, maybe to rebel against her father, maybe to honor his memory, maybe to seal her own fate. It is a complicated choice for Beth. It’s not just some “dumb college bitch” moment. She knows this, but how is she supposed to communicate it to Daryl?

Daryl is like an animal eating that snake while Beth tries to talk to him. Literally, out of body. I imagine being her and just like, Ugh. Gross, dude. Then, when she leaves, Beth totally expects him to come after her. When she doesn’t see him right away, she mutters, “Jerk.” She called him a jerk in season 3, too, after he takes off with Merle. I think Beth is used to being treated nicely by boys. Ofc, Daryl, while he may not be an overt gentleman in his scarfing of that disgusting snake, was there watching her the whole time. 

“You wanna spend the rest of our lives staring into a fire and eating mud snakes? Screw that. We might as well do something.”

I sort of missed this before, the mention of “the rest of our lives.” It is a small acknowledgement that they are now “stuck together.” Ofc, Beth’s idea is to “make the most of it,” to go out into and DO something! Embrace the future! Daryl sees only the here, the now, and the past. He would prefer to stay still.

Unrelated but: God, Daryl is peak hot in this episode. 

Anyway, so, the state of Pine Vista, and what happened there. Jfc. It’s very ugly and very sad. The Dogtrot seems a reference to a dogtrot house, which is an old Appalachian style home. Basically like two shacks connected via a breezeway. I see some sort of backcountry types having moved in here and tortured the rich folk. There is evidence that “fun” was had. “Rich bitch,” etc. Maybe it’s the same psychopaths who tormented the OG Terminus crew, ultimately turning them into crazy cannibals.

Beth finds the Washington D.C. spoon. Why?? It’s such an odd, pointed shot, with a slow zoom. Is that where we’ll find her? Does anybody else know anything about this?? Anyway maybe this is a TD post lol.

Beth finds that bottle of wine and it’s a shame she has to break it! I remember feeling so bad about that the first time I watched this episode. Like NO BETH YOUR BOOZE!! She uses it to stab the shit out of that walker though, and to defend herself. She’s kind of pissed at Daryl for not helping her, again used to only the kindest of attention from boys. But Daryl isn’t like other boys (lol). He was there the whole time, once again, but he let it play out, because he knew she could do it. I like that her first (almost) drink here sort of has to become a weapon instead. Nothing is ever easy! And sometimes, the environment IS best observed, not in terms of its beauty or promise, but in terms of how its use can best be served to survive.

Tempus Fugit - Time flies! Oh, yes. Yes it does lol.

Daryl and Beth both need to escape their old selves here. Beth with her pretty cloths and Daryl stealing the cash and the jewels. They need to shake that shit off. Burn it all down, if you will. I think this episode we mostly associate with Daryl changing and having his epiphany, but Beth changes, too. She is just quieter at it.

It is 3 o’clock! The grandfather clock is this interesting motif that puts pressure on the situation literally while also bringing the symbolic pressure of time passing, running out, etc. It makes us feel detached from reality, like this is a purgatory episode. I like when The Walking Dead does this, like when they take us to a new place in which we become critically aware that this thing we’re watching is fiction, and by the rules of fiction, anything (ANYTHING) can happen.

“I know you think this is stupid, and it probably is, but I don’t care.” She just is who she is. She doesn’t give a shit what he thinks. I think that attracts Daryl to her in this moment and emboldens him. I think Daryl actually really cares what other people think of him, that he is keenly self-aware in this way. We see this fear manifest as Merle in Chupacabra, ie: that the rest of the group thinks he’s a “freak,” a piece of “redneck trash,” and that they’re all “laughing behind [his] back.” Meanwhile, Beth is just like, “You probably think I’m just some dumb bitch. But guess what, Daryl? I DON’T CARE.”

Beth sitting at that bar trying to clean out glasses: “Who needs a glass?” She clutches the bottle longingly and then cries. I would argue she is thinking of Hershel and the line of questioning that arises in this moment. Should she do this? Is she betraying him? This moment also contradicts what she tells Daryl in 4.1. “I don’t cry anymore Daryl.” This is the moment that breaks him.

Beth keeps trying to make him feel normal, while they’re walking to the shine shack. She thinks he used to be a motorcycle mechanic. But Daryl’s normal is not hers, and he doesn’t really do small talk. In these little moments, we see him being who he is. Daryl is really good at being who he is when who he is revolves around passivity and silence.

They go from country club to moonshine shack. What we see is how a class divide might differ in longevity. A country club full of walkers, made out of humans who turned against each other, every bottle dry in the house vs. an empty shine shack, no death in sight, absolutely full of booze. When societal protections collapse around us, it is the ruthless and the bereft who will know how best to survive. It’s like Beth sad about Daryl, being “made for this world.” 

They are trapped! Tropes. So many romantic tropes! Lol at people who would like to ignore that any of this happened or that Bethyl was never canon.

This: 

Anyway, I think Daryl is actually pretty mean to Beth toward the end here, out on the porch, like the way he treats her, kind of tugs her around physically. He doesn’t hurt her, but he is not gentle. This puts things into harsh perspective for Beth, as I do think that, while he is not right in how he handles her here, he is right in some ways about who she is. She is not naive but she is used to protection and safety and relying on others, the same way he is used to the opposite of those things. Both of them need to learn how to exist from the other side. 

Beth also sees what’s going on, however. I think she also might be used to this sort of quasi-violent, performative, drunken behavior. Her dad was a drunk. I think it’s interesting that so much of this episode hinges on alcohol in Hershel’s wake. I always thought this might be one reason Beth is drawn to and accepting of Daryl. We only really see Hershel while sober (I mean, mostly). We never saw him in his deep element of alcoholism, but Beth did. She is not innocent to vices or men spinning out of control. It’s why Beth responds to Daryl’s whole insane story about the tweaker and Merle with, “You miss him, don’t you?” She doesn’t care that Merle was a degenerate drug addict. He was Daryl’s brother who died. She has loved and lost an addict, too.

Before, Daryl was just “drifting.” In this episode, Beth gives him a quest. I think that’s very important. She also gives him something to look forward to:

“You got away from it.”

“I didn’t.”

“You did.”

“Maybe you gotta keep on reminding me of it sometimes.”

The hint at their future: “You gotta keep on reminding me,” he says, counting on them staying together. Beth is so kind to him here, too, even doting as she talks about him being the “last man standing.” I can’t imagine a girl has ever treated Daryl like this. I think she scares the living shit out of him.

Daryl suggests they go back into the shine shack, but Beth says they should burn the place down instead. Again, stillness vs. action. See their complimentary traits: Daryl is passive. He needs someone to tell him this is okay. Beth is active. She does what she wants. It is uniquely antithetical to their gender roles and subverts the power dynamic we might otherwise expect from a relationship like this: Daryl is older and a man. Ofc he should be the more aggressive, assertive one. The actor. But he’s not. It’s Beth who makes their choices in this episode. Daryl follows her and protects her along the way. 

The ending is so happy. Oh my god. Anyway.

Thank you for humoring me. Happy Stilliversary!! 😭🥺❤️

#the walking dead #bethyl #daryl dixon #beth greene #daryl x beth #4.12 #still #stilliversary #❤️❤️❤️

[c-c-cherry]

HELL YEAH I HAVE SOME BRUNO :D

I fuckin love Bruno. Can’t really explain it, stoic/parental characters and found family tropes are just drawn to me and writing it just gives me immense joy! It’s time to dive right in this, babey >:)

Also I’m sorry for the recent inactivity. School’s been kicking my fucking ASS and I need to put in more time for that right now, so things might be slower until Holiday break. Hope y’all can bear with me a bit :)

//content warning for whump-related shit (sickness, major injury, drugs etc..)

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Pain Tolerance

-When it comes to physical injury, he can handle almost anything with grace

-With a job like his, it always helps to be quick on your feet and resourceful enough to save your life

-He’s not stupid, either. When he’s hurt in a way that he can’t fix himself, he doesn’t hesitate asking someone who actually can help

-He doesn’t particularly like it when people help him out because he’s supposed to be this omnipotent leader figure, but he won’t be stubborn when it comes down to it. He hates wasting time more than he hates showing weakness

-No one can tell him that Sticky Fingers ≠ instant stitches because that stand can get shit done

-Is it sanitary? Not really. Does it hurt a shit ton? Yeah. Does he care? Take a fucking guess y’all >:)

-This man is used to putting up with shit in order to survive and trained himself to take pain in waves. If he can just ride through it, he’ll eventually be able to function again

-Sometimes hesitating isn’t an option. Neither is acknowledging that the bullet wound in your side is bleeding out and logically you should be unconscious from how painful it is

-It takes a certain person to quite literally hold off on their own pain to help others (partly because they aren’t ready to acknowledge it) but Bruno is definitely that saviour-complex, martyr type

-He could have a fucking bullet still in his side but he’s too busy to worry about it because Narancia might have a concussion or Fugo’s arm is broken or they can’t find Giorno amid the stand battle the possibilities are endless

-The one thing he can’t seem to shake off? Getting drugged.

-He almost always has control over his surroundings with any other mishap but once his brain is messed with like that, he’s basically done for

-It doesn’t really help that he’s a lightweight with recreational things in general, but heavy stuff used for spiking or kidnapping absolutely fucks with him

-His stand completely shuts down, he loses control of all his surroundings,,,basically everything he relied on to get through stuff in the past is off the table

-It doesn’t happen very often, but when the gang has had to deal with him like that, its like watching someone’s entire self completely break down

-Suddenly any kind of feeling or pain is amplified and it’s unbearable. It’s awful seeing someone who’s usually so stoic act in such a manner, but it’s almost,,,,cathartic? It reminds all of them that he’s human and his stoicism shouldn’t be taken lightly

Injury

Rule #1 of Bruno’s moral code that doesn’t really make sense but you can’t really argue with him on it: DO NOT BRING HIM TO A FUCKING HOSPITAL.

-He’ll flat-out refuse to go

-Things are much easier now that Giorno is on their team, but things used to be borderline nightmarish during pre-canon missions that went awry

-He’ll have no problem recommending getting professional medical help to anyone else on the team, but there’s no way in hell you could make him go himself

-He hasn’t set foot in a hospital since his father was in one, and and plans to never go in one again

-To him, the medical system failed him (even though there was nothing they could virtually do)

-It’s an irrational way of thinking, but he refuses to talk about it either way

-Even when he is injured enough to require going to a doctor he can usually repress it, usually because he’s in shock, and his mind convinces him that he’s absolutely fine

-His refusal to acknowledge when he’s injured sometimes can get him in deep shit though

-Abbacchio is beyond counting on his fingers how many times a mission will be over and Bruno will be cooking dinner or reading a book and suddenly stop and get this look and Leone will be like “you good?”

-And Bruno just sets his book down and says:

“I fractured my arm and dislocated my elbow earlier today. I should probably look at it now, shouldn’t I?”

in the calmest fucking voice on the planet.

-Sometimes Bruno will just go on about his day and won’t have the chance to tell them calmly because suddenly blood is leaking out of the side of his head or they find him passed out oN THE FLOOR INSTEAD

-Needless to say it gives them all fucking heart attacks all the damn time

-Its actually so common post-canon that the gang has to do routine checks on each other to make sure no one is “withholding any injuries” (but they all know who the rule was really created for)

Sickness

-The. Most. STUBBORN MOTHERFUCKER

-Extremely irritable and hates not being able to do anything. Most people when they’re sick either get very clingy or very bitchy and we all know which one he’d be

-This is nothing like injury. He’ll KNOW he’ll be fine because it's just a fever, so to him that automatically means that no one is obligated to know and/or care regardless of how shit he’s feeling

-He either pretends it’s not happening at all, or he hides away in his room or some zipper dimension until he’s totally fine again

-Hates, and I mean HATES it when people try to take care of him

-Maybe he wants it. Maybe he doesn’t. Either way, he feels too selfless to “make someone do all that” for him

-Though Abbacchio and Fugo would refer to it more as self-destructive than selfless (but they aren’t exactly ones to talk)

-Seriously high fever? It’s just really hot in here, better turn the heat down.

-Can’t fucking breathe because he’s coughing so hard? No no, they still have another mission today to get through. Just have some tea and you’ll be fine

-So nauseous that he can barely stand up on his own? Probably just need to drink some more water today

-The KING of sick denial. The embodiment of the “parents don’t get sick because they don’t have time to” myth

-The times when they do catch him before he can disappear is when stuff is really bad. He’s gotta be too weak to move for them to pounce on him and force him to take care of himself, and even then he will only let Abbacchio do things for him because he doesn’t want to seem like a weak role model for the rest of them ;-;

-Bruno makes the best soup for when the rest of the gang catches something but Mista pulls out the good shit and makes the best fucking food for sick Bruno and it’s very wholesome and nice :)

Emotional Stress

-Bottles up everything, and I mean EVERYTHING until his limbs are fucking shaking and he’s unable to do anything else but sit there and cry

-He feels like he has to be stoic and emotionless most of the time, and although everyone knows that Bruno’s a bleeding heart, he’s also very reserved when it comes to what he really needs

-Things like nightmares or his father or things that happened to him in the past or things that you need to talk about to get off your chest are things that he keeps to himself

-Taking on too much and overworking himself is how he distracts himself from most things. He’d rather just pretend that things aren’t happening then confront it and end up breaking down

-It always comes out in the worst ways. He’ll start snapping at people when he normally would never, stops sleeping and eating, drinks too much even though he knows that it does nothing for him

-He hates the fact that he doesn’t tell people when he’s hurting, but he can’t bring himself to do it without thinking about how weak it would look on his part

-He zips himself away and cries in secret, but everyone can always tell when his nose is too red or the light is gone from his eyes later that day

-When things get bad, his hands will shake. It's almost an unconscious action that happens when he’s thinking too much about things or when he hasn’t gotten nearly as much sleep as he should, but it's extremely noticeable and he despises the fact that he can’t do anything to stop it

-His face and body will look completely put-together but the gang’s eyes will drift to the trembling paperwork that his hands are holding

-Fugo or Abbacchio will usually pull him aside and ask him if everything’s alright and the answer is always arguably a no

-It usually ends up with Leone dragging Bruno somewhere alone or kicking the rest of them out and just letting him let everything out

-Sometimes it’ll take hours and these giant “blow-ups” happen more often than they should, but Leone’s just glad that he’s communicating, even just a little bit

-Once things blow over, they actually talk. They find solutions as much as Bruno doesn’t want to, and things really don’t seem as bad once he starts actually talking about them

-The rest of the fam comes home and makes dinner/finishes up his paperwork for him and they all watch a warm-hearted movie together :3

-He loves giving people hugs because he’s all about that family love, but asking for one is a whole other story (good thing Narancia and his impeccable emotional intelligence always swoop in for a hug when Bruno looks like he’s on his last legs) :))))

-No one said opening up was going to be easy, but he’s got his supportive Passione fam to help him out when he needs it most :’)

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I actually had some fics in mind while writing this list! If you want some Bruno whump to inhale, here’s what I was thinking of while writing this: 

The Mighty Fall by @lady-wallace​

Only Bend When It Breaks  and Night go Slower by roktavor

and Yet here he was by Your’s Truly!!

#bruno buccellati #bruno bucciarati #jjba #jjba headcanons #ask-c-c-cherry #hurt/comfort #whump #jojos's bizarre adventure #jojo's bizzare adventure golden wind #vento aureo #bucci gang

[elias-code]

My OC's relationships on the Dream SMP

These are all characters, not the actual streamers! <3 It's also not all of them since I don't watch a few of them :) I harbour no hate towards the people behind the characters that I have issues with lmao

Awesamdude - Negative relationship - basically, he let Quackity get away with putting Techno away, let Tommy die and get revived by Dream and then never apologised, and then let ghostbur die and... wtf - Yeah we aren't friends. In another universe, if he weren't the warden, we might get along.

BadBoyHalo - He kinda gives me bad vibes - After the egg stuff I just don't really like to be around him... he killed Foolish and tried to kill everyone at the banquet which I just don't vibe with - I kinda understand why he joined the egg. I mean he was there for Skeppy which I think is ok, but he really went off the deep end. If he redeems himself, I'll be the first to befriend him (cautiously)

Callahan - Alright I taught him some American Sign Language for basic communication - I go and hang out with him whenever I feel like there's too much angst on the server, he's so neutral it's honestly relaxing.

Captain Puffy - We don't know each other very well - I mean I agree with her when it comes to the egg and she seems nice but it's hard to be friends with her when her son is Dream... poor Foolish, though.

Connor - I don't know how to feel about him - I don't have anything against him but... he just seems like someone I wouldn't get along with so I don't hang out with him. He is kinda funny tho

Dream - Ok, ok, he's just an ass - I'm not even gonna list why, you know why... I'm just saying. - I do feel bad for him since Quackity just beats the living shit out of him and he's already in prison so why...?

Dream XD - I fear no man... but that thing... it scares me. - Why his voice do that?? - I avoid him but if he approached me, I would be ok with being his friend, I mean he's a god. If I don't then I might die. Might as well use it to the fullest extent I can.

Eret - I don't really understand why he joined the opposing side during the L'Manburg war - I mean she's cool! I like their outfits and it's nice to have another queer person on the DSMP - I think we'd be good friends in another life, but our friend groups don't overlap very much, so it's hard to hang with them.

Foolish - Little bit scary ngl - Lightning go brrrrrr - I feel really bad for him since he's gotta be related to Dream and he died during the egg shit. That's just cruel. - also I don't really vibe with his personality but I do like to talk to him about his building ventures since I also love to build

Fundy - I feel sooooo bad for him - He's super cute, super sweet, and he just deserves more love - I plant sweet berries around his house to brighten his day whenever I can and I also feed his fox - I love to talk to him and he teaches me dutch sometimes because it's an interesting language. Also, he just deserves a good role model in his life... Like Will kinda sucked as his dad, Schlatt was not a good role model, and his friends don't really care about him. :( - Um also (IRL) he's the reason I started watching the DSMP, I love coding and Dutch so it was a very good mix for me

George - I sleep the opposite amount that he does. - I love his mushroom aesthetic but I stay away from him in fear of Dream XD. - I don't have a lot to say about him since he's not on the dsmp much

Jack Manifold - Yo he's lowkey annoying??? - Give Tommy his hotel back??? He died??? - If he were nicer to Tommy I'd be his friend but he's gotta get his shit together lmao

Jschlatt - Fuck that guy - bruh, he ruined L'Manburg?? - He drinks too much, not surprised he had a heart attack oof

Glatt - Ghost Schlatt gives me such chaotic evil vibes - I enjoy his presence much more than I enjoy his living presence. - I like the fact that he's kinda useless and can't do anything. It's like going to a zoo to see a creature you wouldn't want to see in the wild

Karl Jacobs - I feel bad that he's losing his memory, he's such a fun character. - I like to hang out with him but he makes me sad and also our friend groups do not vibe with each other oof

Niki Nihachu - She's super sweet and absolutely terrifying. - I love to help her bake and its super fun to try out new recipes with her - People really underestimate her and in return for her help with the baking, I help her train her fighting skills.

Philza - DADZA - I get in trouble with him a lot oof, I like to troll people so it happens quite a bit. Also, I take the blame for a lot of the stuff Techno and I get up to as well as with the bench trio. - He taught me how to sew and crochet so I can make my own clothes. I also build with him whenever he asks for help

Quackity - Scared. - He's rude and evil and I dislike him... gambling bad - I like Charlie and I think he's a good influence on Quackity but tbh I feel the same as Techno in this scenario. I am not a Quackity apologist!

Ranboo - I have the same vibe as him. We are one and the same. - I keep an eye on him during his enderwalks, he worries me sometimes. - Out of everyone in the bench trio, we get along the best. I take care of Michael sometimes when he's out doing Snowchester stuff with Tubbo.

Sapnap - I mean I dislike him a little, he throws off my vibe. - He's on the wrong side of everything imo, just stop being weird, big man... - Also I mean I don't understand why he threatened Dream with torture if he ever escaped. Like you don't have to tell him that, just do it? - We have very similar voices (IRL oh no) and so I'll mess with people by doing my best impression of him

Skeppy - One of the many victims of my trolling (with techno usually) - He's fun to hang out with for a while but I can't handle being around him for too long, he gives me a headache - Sometimes I wonder if he's actually made out of diamonds... should I kill him and see what happens?

Charlie (Slimecicle) - BEST BOY I LOVE HIM - HE'S SO CUTE DAP ME UP - Honestly, we get along soooo well, he reminds me of a slime for some reason, hmmmmmmmm - I try to teach him human-ness because if he doesn't want to look like a slime then there's no reason for me to say no

Technoblade - Ah yes the best one on the SMP - He did not like me at first, I can be a bit annoying oh no - Eventually, he got a soft spot for me since we have the same sense of humour and I love to mess with people - I sympathise with him, he deserves so much more than he's getting. - I wish he didn't express his emotions as anger all the time since it really affects everyone. He's got some anger issues and I try to deal with them with him.

TommyInnit - Omg I still find him annoying but I love to hang out with him like Wilbur does. - He needs to learn some boundaries but he is still a kid, so it doesn't really matter. I think people have to stop being little shits to him since his brain hasn't fully formed, like all adolescents. - He's very sweet sometimes and I appreciate his assistance in a lot of random tasks

Tubbo - I am allergic to bees so we can't hang too much - I like to chill with him and Ranboo and sometimes him and Tommy, but I'm always telling Tommy off for being a little shit to Tubbo. - I do not approve of his governmental ways, but his heart is in the right place. Also, why do you have nukes?

Wilbur Soot - Too much government, I do not approve - not a good father - Eventually, he stopped governmenting so whatever, no more animosity from me, eh?

Ghostbur - Awww he gave me blue - how dare he die twice - I love friend, I walked him sometimes. So glad he has infinite canon lives - I wish he had more time on the SMP, he's super sweet and his vibe is amazing

Revivebur - Alright he's kinda cool, I like his hair. - He doesn't have any governmental plans thank god - He's a bit worrying but he hasn't done anything yet. I'll just keep my eyes on him.

That's it, just doing this for fun! I have a lot of things in the works, don't worry! If you're curious as to what I'm working on, take a look at my masterlist (it's on my page at the top where my asks are) If you do have any asks please give 'em to me, I love to write for you guys :)

THANK YOU FOR 80 FOLLOWERS!

#ghostbur #revivebur #wilbur soot #dreamsmp #dsmp #Tubbo #tommy innit #schlatt #dsmp glatt #technoblade #slimecicle #charlie slimecicle #skeppy #captain puffy #sapnap #dream #dreamxd #dreamwastaken #georgenotfound #ranboo #quackity #philza #karl jacobs #niki nihachu #jack manifold #foolish gamers #eret #fundy #connoreatspants #callahan

[project-paranoia]

Live Watch: Guardian  Episode One, Part One

It's Guardian!  The show that got me interested in this genre!  I love spooky things and I love mysteries and fantasy!  I simply adore it so much!  When I can't sleep I just put on a playlist of Guardian in the background.  I was aware of censorship before - every country has some version of it, but to some degree this was my first deep dive into how it might effect a piece of media.  Guardian is exceptionally acted and incredibly written, as well as suffering from obvious dubs where the dubbing voice actor sounds nothing like the previous actor and odd cuts that are disrupted.  In some ways it's the little drama that could fighting its way past their studio going bankrupt while they were filming, reshoots, and being taken down and altered several times.

In some ways Guardian's struggle fits the spirit and aesthetic of the show. Worn in like an old pair of jeans but still making an effort.  Putting emphasis where things count and hoping the kindness of the universe will make allowances for the rest.  Attention to detail where the story really matters.  It has the charm of a community production put on out of love with actors and crew who would not be anywhere else in the world for any amount of money.  That feeling of love comes through, and whether or not I'm barely literate I have so many words to share.

Part of why I love it as well is it has that feeling of 80s and 90s fantasy, like Moomin, Xena or Condor Heroes. Everything feels lived in, nothing's been spit shined except for Shen Wei's suits. It's an old city street of a show, it has history and character built in. 

*After all that I don't know that I have a tonne to say about the intro.  It's very good but it's also full of spoilers.  I think having the intro song be in English does make a difference in making it appealing to English speaking audiences as well as standing out as different and interesting, which the show is. Speaking of Spoilers!  Spoilers below!

* The obligatory beginning narration is beautifully animated, I have another post that will be done some time before the heat-death of the universe talking about the fascinating world building options.  Unlike some Make It SciFi plots, this one has legs and implications.

* Remakes rarely are able to meet the original on equal ground - and I struggle to believe the actors would Fit as well - but part of me really wants to have a chance to have the Dixingren worldbuilding really leaned into.  The writing is good enough we get implication but no real follow through.  I want fifty episodes of how Dixing functions, give me more pseudo-science behind the mutations, what are the biological differences.  I'm hungry for more!

* I love the cameos of later characters, and the way there was some effort to be discrete with spoilers.

* It's Ya Boy!  I love Shen Wei.  With that music cue and that sinister turn around they really set him up as dubious.  I wish they went with something a little different with the intro so his character wasn't spoiled.  The writing, directing, and acting was so good and spoiling who Shen Wei is kind of took the teeth out of that.

* Also cheers to the costume designer who outfitted Zhu Yilong so well and made him look jacked with the fit of those clothes.

* Also you can tell this is a real university because the staff has to sit in tiny student chairs.  I'm not joking, please be warned if you're going into academia.  Unless you have tenure life is An Adventure - and even then.

* Also shout out to Shen Wei's Prized Cabbage and the Queen of our hearts, Li Qian.  Why is this actress not in more things?  She has such an expressive and lovely face and she really goes all the way in with her acting.  I respect an artist that acts from their chest. Also that windbreaker, white skirt combo is chic and fun all at once, it draws the eye and makes her melt into the background all at once - perfect for the character.  I love her so much.

* Here's another one of Shen Wei's coats, it's a lovely color for him but it also is so thin that it looks like it crinkled up just from being worn.

* I'm being distracted by details and missing plot stuff.

* Story of my life.

* I love Li Qian hovering along behind Shen Wei like a duckling following their mother.  A) Mood and B) it quietly informs their dynamic.  Shen Wei has like one person he can trust but no one he can really confide in and it's the same for Li Qian. A ship will find a port in a storm and Shen Wei has Big Da-ge Energy. My fanfic heart hopes they found comfort in the pseudo familial relationship with each other while it lasted.

* Even in episode one we receive foreshadowing, we love and respect some excellent writing.  For those of you who missed it - Professor Ouyang is talking about Lin Jing who I love partially because he's so outrageous large but has the total opposite of intimidating energy.  

* What did they feed you Lin Jing? He is so tall and wide, but they do a lot with camera work to try to make him not quite as big.  Side note, I would really love to see the actor who plays Lin Jing (Liu Minting) both in more dramas but more specifically in a role where he was like a minister or scholar - someone intellectual.  I think the combination of being such a big gentleman and also someone who like plots or plans would be really dynamic if it was written well.  

* Also I like the exchange where without a word Professor Ouyang indicates he has one last thing to say, it's private and that he would like Shen Wei to ask Li Qian to leave. That's What You Can Do With Good Actors!

* Li Qian is just so pretty and the actress emotes so well!

* Shen Wei totally understanding what's going on with this shady research immediately and wanting to stay as far away as possible.  We see one of the first examples of him being aggressively polite to remove himself from a situation.

* "i'M jUST aN oRDINARY sCHOLAR." No one buys it Shen Wei.

* Angy Thinking Face

* One thing the show is really good at is using establishing shots really well so you always know where everything is and everything is going

* Guo Changcheng, all around good boy and angel.  We stan a nervous legend

* Zhou Yunlan Arriving.  Why is everyone on this show an Absolute Legend

* Guo Changcheng protecting himself with his certificate is too cute.  This young man is trying his best and I support him.

* Also that coat is Young, Pure, Stylish; I love it

* Zhao Yunlan, what's wrong with you? You are amazing!

* His irreverent style and disregard of usual policy makes him fit in really well with his band of misfits and special cases

* Guo Changcheng's OO face is too good, elastic face

* Da Qing my love!

* Jin Ling, I think he has an all seeing eye on his hoodie thing. Illuminati Confirmed.

* Also they filmed the shots so well, so you always know where everyone is in relation to everyone else

* Our Prized Cabbage!  I love her!

* Great handheld work: shaky and unhinged, but not migraine inducing

* Foreshadowing in the form of a shadow and reaching for the necklace

* Da Qing's cat behaviours. I really want behind the scenes of the actor discussing how cat was he going to cat

* We get our first real example of how Zhao Yunlan doesn't feel safe emoting negatively and so he uses a super sunny mask to hide his feelings, except with Da Qing who he lets his anger show with because he trusts him.

* I'm not even halfway through and I've written so much, peace and blessings to the readers of this.

* Zhao Yunlan's swagger, after his childhood having a little power must feel comforting and good

* I love how Da Qing is talking as a cat less than a meter from the medical examiner.  Does the examiner not care or does he know?  Is he deaf?

* Harassing Guo Changcheng is the new team sport

* Zhao Yunlan Realises Something Music

* Also, Lollipop Measurement

* It's nice to see Zhao Yunlan just being himself with Da Qing, he's able to really be honest and genuine with him

* Slow Look Moment

* This moment is so fascinating!  Shen Wei doesn't know what's going on yet.  He just sees an old friend who winces when he sees him and disappears.  We mostly see things from Zhao Yunlan's point of view, but from Shen Wei's perspective this is a first part of just some Odd and Confusing Happenings

* This cat though!  I love him!

* The delicate way they’re both feeling each other out.  This must be so confusing and startling for Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan is trying to figure out if this teacher is going to bust him or what.

* He forgot to let go, way to set off Zhao Yunlan’s suspicions

* “Mark Stewart” Is he though?  Who picked out that English name?

* Li Qian!  I love her and I love that striped blouse. Fashion.  Got to look good when you’re resisting a mental break. *Also she hears a meow and looks around at eye level, I love that for her.

* Zhao Yunlan!  You can’t take pictures of young ladies without their permission.  What is wrong with you!

* I love Da Qing’s very cat attitude of I Will Have Vengeance for These Wrongs

* Two for one! Shen Wei meets two faces from his past.

* Also, I get a little frustrated about people making a big deal about the 10,000 years versus 1,000 years age thing with Da Qing.  a) He has amnesia and b) the thousand years refers to the amount of time needed to cultivate to a certain stage in Chinese mythology - usually by absorbing energy from the sun, moon, or depending on the animal other sources.

* I feel so bad for Shen Wei, who knows what he thinks.  Were his friends brainwashed?  Did they forget?  Can they not say for some reason?  What is happening?

This review is getting a little long, so join in tomorrow for Part Two~~!

#Guardian #watchthrough

[hello-yue-here]

Maiko and Sukka?

maiko

I LOVE THEM. they are imo a very good respresentation of childhood crushes to first teen romance. they love each other it is so obvious. they care so much for each other and mai and zuko are both rarely seen smiling but they are seen smiling with or because of each other a fairly decent amount. i think they are adorable and i love their little classic childhood crushes to first loves w an edgy twist vibes. my least favorite thing about maiko isnt even about maiko. its about how people who dont like maiko claim that it is toxic. HONEY. they are teenagers. teenagers SUCK at expressing emotions. i should know im literally still in high school. and when one of those teenagers was abused and has anger issues and is very over dramatic and the other is repressed and never learned how to express her emotions in a healthy way because she was never allowed to and most likely emotionally abused THEYRE GONNA HAVE SOME COMMUNICATION ISSUES. every couple has fights. every couple has bumps and obstacles to overcome and maiko is no exception. and the thing is: they DO work on their issues and try to be better for each other. when people say mai was toxic to zuko i wanna slap them. are you serious? like no. she was not toxic at all. she cared for him so much and just because she wasnt as outwardly emotional as him or other characters dowsnt mean its false. she literally committed treason, went against everything she was ever taught, finally decided to do what she wanted instead of being who she had always been expected to be in order to save his life at boiling rock because. she. loved. him. she gave up so much for zuko and if you think she didnt love him you are dead wrong. zuko wasnt a perfect boyfriend either. he got jealous very easily and while its normal to be jealous sometimes especially as a teenage boy he still needed to work on controlling that jealousy and trusting mai and when they had their fight at ember island and made up they. got. better. he also dumped her through a letter which was like v sucky of him. zuko is not perfect in this pairing so dont act like he is. but he tries. he tries to do nice things for mai, particularly through gift giving and trying to impress her with food because that seems to be the best way he knows how to show his love and appreciation which is frankly adorable. and when mai came back in the finale he looked SO HAPPY. HE SMILED SO WIDE. THEIR HUG?? SO TENDER. maiko is not toxic. maiko is top tier. maiko is love. maiko is so good yall. so good. damn i think i just convinced myself to like maiko even more than i already did. its jusg a very realistic relationship to me because it isnt perfect. and because its not perfect it makes it so much better when they make up and have their sweet moments and try hard to be good for one another because that is caring and that is love. if you think maiko is toxic get out. i will not tolerate maiko slander on this blog.

sukka

ONCE AGAIN. I LOVE THEM. they bring out the best in each other. suki helps him grow as a person and shows him how wrong he was about women and he doesnt fight her on it. he admits he was wrong and sexist and immediately changes his perspective. she helped him grow and thats very important in a relationship as well. and we all know sokka is a big protector as well. and we all know suki can handle herself just fine thank you very much. when he tries too hard to keep her safe and she tells him that she can handle herself he respects her wishes and lays off a little, but its so obvious that hes doing it because he cares so much and is scared to lose her. and when she wants to kiss him and he says no she doesnt push him. the level of respect and care they have for one another is *chefs kiss* and that scene where sokka says no is so important because no means no applies to guys as well. and in book three they are able to joke around with each other and be all cutesy in their honeymoon phase and just be teenagers for the first time in their life. they understand each other theough their roles of protector and nonbender and leader and they can relate to each ither on that and they can relate to each other on the level of responsibility they have and the weight on their shoulders, but when theyre together and theyre allowed to just be teenagers and be youthful and have fun its so refreshing becUse they deserve to just be kids and i love that they get to have that with each other. so yeah. sukka<3

#tag game #i love these ships SO MUCH #easily two of my top ships #my top in canon ships for sure plus yuekka #yuekka maiko and sukka are the best canon avatar ships HANDS DOWN

[giantladywithtitsicles]

Introducing my Lavellan brothers;

Fenrir Maliel - Assassin Blades Rogue (the oldest & a shameless self insert) - 27-31

Lin Maliel - Two Handed Reaver Warrior (the middle child, and the Official Inquisitor) - 25-29

Sandu Thevael - Necromancer Mage (the youngest, the “black sheep” that isn’t actually the black sheep: the red herring if you will) - 18-24

Fenrir and Lin were originally of Clan Maliel, which was massacred in an event the elder brothers refer to exclusively as “The Trample”. Clan Maliel was caught in the crossfire between two human settlements, both of which decided to take a shortcut through Clan Maliel’s campsite. The brothers, as young as 4-7 years of age, hid during the duration of the battle. They emerged after the ground was razed, and the fires were long cold.

They were fortunate to have survived the month long journey they took to find safety, picking up scraps as they went. After that period of time, they encountered a trail Clan Lavellan left: freshly put out bonfires, Halla tracks, indents from footsteps and wagon wheels. Tired and hungry, they stumbled into the open, and were caught by one of the healers.

Fenrir is blind in his right eye, Lin has an unnamed heart condition and the tip of one ear is cut off, they both manage. They gain inspiration from the other elves in Clan Lavellan, who have lost much more than an eye or an ear.

They were adopted into the clan as full blooded members, and nobody questioned why neither of them looked or acted quite like the other elves. They trained with the masters, and became an integral part of their community.

Five years later, they go out as a junior party to scout the Emerald Graves, where they encounter another site of a wrecked elven clan. They determine a demon outbreak to be the cause. Sifting through the rubble they find records of this clan: formerly known as Clan Thevael, sister clan of Clan Maliel. They pack as many intact journals and scrolls as possible, and as they were about to leave, encountered a young Sandu. It was clear to them they were taking this child in. The Clan Lavellan healers determined that Sandu was left alone for some time, and that there was no easy way to tell his age due to malnourishment.

Sandu turned out to be a proficient mage, but he was one too many in the clan. Fenrir and Lin begged Keeper Istimaethoriel to keep Sandu around, and somehow convinced her. Sandu is timid, and does not take up more space than he feels he absolutely needs. Keeper Istimaethoriel, though careful around him, tries to make him feel welcome. It’s a work in progress.

Around the time Lin was pulled into the Inquisition, Fenrir investigated the files they found in Clan Thevael’s ruins. He read letters exchanged between his mother and a friend of hers, talking about their origins, how their clan was shunned by others. A few years after Lin’s emergence as Inquisitor, Fenrir arranged a meeting between his two brothers to discuss exactly who they were.

This meeting between the brothers enlightens Lin on many things, and when the time comes to confront Fen’Harel, he is able to put the pieces together as to his original clan’s history. Fenrir discovers why his peers hesitate when saying his name. Sandu has the closest relation to Fen’Harel, but his clan buried these records deep within their stories to protect themselves from scorn, and his exact ancestry is unrecoverable.

They do know that Sandu is more precisely Fenrir and Lin’s nephew, but they treat him as a brother anyway. Fenrir is three years older than Lin. They don’t know exactly how much younger Sandu is, but they estimate the difference to be as little as two years to as much as eleven years to Lin. Sandu’s stunted growth made it a difficult task.

If Fenrir were the Inquisitor, he would have married Cassandra (Vivienne as Divine), and travelled between his estate in Kirkwall and where the new generation of Seekers train. He abandoned the elven gods and adopted Andrastian faith, and became somewhat of a religious zealot. While running errands in Kirkwall, a masked assassin targeted him, and Fenrir was afflicted with a deadly poison. He died within days, and though Varric sent for Cassandra as soon as he could, she was barely too late to make it before Fenrir passed. They had a single child, who Cassandra named “Maliel”, after his lost clan, even though their child was not elven.

Otherwise, Fenrir remained within Clan Lavellan. He became an elder, who was tasked with training their non-mages. He was well-loved and respected, but clan members were always wary of him, as he had an edge to him that unnerved them at times. He recognized that his past experiences would always have made him cynical. Fenrir connected with one of the mages, a woman named Ghili, and they had twin daughters: Juna and Fenwe.

Lin became partners with Iron Bull, and vied to rebuild everything he could. He did not want for anyone to be unreasonably vulnerable, and so he remained meticulous in how he influenced Thedas. He gained favor from Fen’Harel because of the care he put into his actions, though he was always spiteful of the betrayal. After the conclusion of the events in Trespasser, Lin joined the Chargers, and became quite a hit. His arm, amputated from the elbow down, was a roadblock for him. He switched from two handed weapons to a sword and a shield. The shield, specifically tailored to him, acted as a prosthetic arm. Iron Bull jokes that it’s more of a boon than anything else, as its massive size is akin to an impenetrable wall. Lin encounters a small child during a job, and nearly dies protecting it. They are a human toddler, simply nicknamed “Finn”.

As the years go by, Lin’s health declines, and eventually he retires from fighting for good. Iron Bull and Lin retreat to the Storm Coast, bringing Finn along with them. The mantle of leader of the Chargers passes to Krem. Finn learns to fight the Reaver style, and alters Lin’s shield to be useful to them. Finn joins the Chargers, and makes a name for themself as the Lightning Bolt of the Chargers, “Finn the Bolt”, for short. They all find it to be a funny title.

If Lin is not the Inquisitor, he joins Fenrir in the search for their heritage, and becomes an elder as well. Lin teaches healing and non-violence, diplomacy, and culture. He becomes a father through surrogacy, and has a child who they call “Denmirr”.

Or he stays with Clan Lavellan and searches for elven orphans, adopting a bit of a clan of his own. Because of how many children he adopts, Clan Lavellan sends him away with extra members to revive Clan Maliel. Most of the children are not related by blood, but it becomes somewhat of a family of its own.

He himself develops a flirtatious relationship with one of the male warriors, Naris. Fenrir teases him often, but means well.

Sandu, as the Inquisitor, had to learn how to insert himself as the dominant party. He observed Vivienne and found her to be his greatest confidant. Not only did she teach him much about magic, she taught him confidence and that his image didn’t need to reflect who he is completely. She didn’t approve of his choice to establish Leliana as the Divine, but she respected his decision and his reasoning. Sandu felt foolish when he faced Solas for the last time: wondered how he could have missed the signs. After he disbanded the Inquisition, he returned to Clan Lavellan. He remained accessible for Cassandra to summon him when needed, but became Keeper after some time passed, and his connection to the clan became strong again. He never assumed the name Lavellan, but was referred to as that, similarly to a title.

He otherwise would become a tradesman for the clan. He sent to towns and cities to be a spokesman, and learned to deal with ruffians after being abused into a bad situation on a few occasions. In one far trip to the Anderfels, he met a surface Dwarf named Jekard (ym/yr [yim•yer]), and formed a brother-like bond with ym. They exchanged insight and advantages with each other, and both Clan Lavellan and Jekard’s guild benefitted. He met Krem once, and looks up to him like an idol. Sandu never fell in love, and really had no interest to, but took a group of apprentices who aspired to learn from their Keeper. Imposter’s Syndrome hit him hard for a very long time, before he realized he was right where he belonged.

If none of the brothers became Inquisitor, all three stayed together, and functioned as a single mind. They dedicated their lives to Clan Lavellan out of gratitude, and the clan evolved into one of the strongest outposts in all of southern Ferelden and Orlais. They all had different roles, but the future generations of the clan benefitted greatly from their presence.

If all three brothers became influential members of the Inquisition, their power would likely have gone uncontested. Their strengths would allow them to spread farther than if only one of them were Inquisitor. The Inquisition would be an empire, and almost definitely considered a threat to even Par Vollen. Fenrir and Lin would take it different directions, and the possibility of a schism turned great. Sandu would side with Lin for the sole reason that he found Fenrir’s ideologies to be extreme. The Inquisition would be built up by the brothers, and torn down by the brothers.

In that scenario, a civil war would erupt between Fenrir’s loyalists (the Fenedhis), and Lin’s loyalists (the Athim). Fenrir would slay Lin, but Sandu would defeat Fenrir. Sandu would dismiss all soldiers and scatter the army, and soon after would disappear without a trace. He wasn’t dead though- his presence was tangible even though he could not be seen.

While this doesn’t encompass all that these characters are, I thought it was a nice overview of these brothers I’ve had in my mind for a while. The inspiration came from my realization that most of my DA:I characters are elves and Qunari. I might do more in-depth timelines for each brother later. This is completely separate from Dragon Age canon, clearly, and is just a fun little thing I put together. I may revise it if there are details I want to alter.

#lgbt #wlw tag #mlm tag #bioware #dragon age #dragon age: inquisition #ea games #gaming #dragon age characters #dragon age original character #dragon age ocs #nonbinary #trans male #neopronouns #elves #qunari #dwarves

[echoesoftheeast]

Why I No Longer Support the Russian Annexation of Crimea

A few years ago, when I first began learning the Russian language and the histories of Eastern Europe, I was unabashedly pro-Russian in my geopolitical convictions. I still remember watching a documentary about the Maiden Revolution in Kyiv and how it was presented as being orchestrated by the West, how it resulted in the safety of Russian speakers in Ukraine being compromised, and how it ushered in the rise of a fascist government with Nazi sympathies that espoused a type of ultra-Ukrainian nationalism that left no place for anything Russian in Ukraine anymore. Due to this analysis of the Maidan and post-Maidan currents in Ukraine, I came to the conclusion that the annexation of the Crimea was a truly democratic action and that the war in Donetsk and Luhansk represented almost a motherly care from Moscow for the Russian speakers of Eastern Ukraine. For years this served as the basis of my understanding of the post-Maidan conflicts, particularly the annexation of the Crimea. I continued to read a multitude of pro-Russian articles that justified the annexation. According to the standard positions given, the initial transfer of the Crimea from the Russian SFSR to the Ukrainian SSR by Khrushchev was nothing more than a whimsical decision from the former party head of the Ukrainian SSR. Since the Crimea had been thoroughly under Russian administration prior, this means that the actual transfer was an historical injustice in the first place; Crimea is thoroughly Russian land and is deeply connected with Russian history. Secondly, the annexation can be justified since NATO had allegedly promised the newly formed Russian Federation following the collapse of the USSR that they would not expand into either former Eastern Block or Soviet territory. Since a multitude of former Eastern Bloc and Soviet countries have in fact been integrated into NATO, the West broke their promise so then what sort of moral high ground do they have to declare the annexation of the Crimea as illegal? Thirdly, considering that the majority of the population considered themselves ethnically Russian, since there was a referendum that resulted in an overwhelming majority of voters supporting being received into the Russian Federation, how should this act of democracy be considered any differently than say the will of the Albanian Kosovars to cede from Serbia. If an autonomous province of one country can have the legal right to cede, why can’t another? Finally (not to say that there are only four justifications for the annexation of Crimea, rather these were the biggest reasons for my previous support behind it), there was the strategic considerations of the naval base at Sevastopol. Considering that following the collapse of the Soviet Union that more and more former Soviet republics and Eastern Bloc countries have been joining the European Union and NATO (or lining up to do so), this presents a threat to Russia. Considering that the geopolitical relations between Russia and the West are at an all time low since the Cold War, it would be a strategic blunder for Russia if Ukraine was allowed to achieve its goals of EU and NATO integration. Considering the close proximity of Sevastopol to Russian territory, if Ukraine would become a part of NATO and allow for NATO to establish itself in Sevastopol, this would poise a huge military threat to Russia. Therefore, in a sort of pre-emptive move, the annexation of the Crimea was necessary to prevent any further potential NATO bases being so close to Russian territory. However, over the years as I have opened myself to more and more information from across the geopolitical spectrums, the justifications for the annexation began to slowly dismantle themselves until I came to the conclusion that the annexation of the Crimea was not only an illegal action taken by Russia but a geopolitical blunder of the highest level. I will leave why I think this was the biggest mistake they could make until the end and I will address why I no longer consider the justifications that I mentioned as valid. Before we proceed, I would like to just mention an event that was fundamental in helping me reconsider my convictions and to abandon what I can only call the Russian-Chauvinistic mentality that I previously held. A few years ago when I was on one of my trips to Chisinau, my wife and I decided to visit the Museum of Soviet Occupation (also known as the Museum of Victims of Communism). Now, I was definitely not pro-Soviet (being an Orthodox Christian, I know enough history about the persecutions against the religious in the Soviet Union and the overall atheistic ideology to keep me at arms length from having any real sense of Soviet sympathy) so I was very eager to check this museum out. Having read various books and articles that talk about some of the horrors that happened (especially during the Stalinist era), I wasn’t completely unfamiliar with the tragedies that befell different people within the Soviet Union. However, it was a completely different experience to walk through the museum and see real letters from prisoners, confiscated passports, and photos of the real people who experienced the repressions; simply because they were land owners, priests, or suspected of being pro-Romanians. What struck me most was the collection of propaganda posters in one of the exhibits. Whether they were attacking religion or bolstering the benefits of the Soviet system, the propaganda seemed to address everything. It was this moment of looking at the seemingly endless collection of Soviet propaganda posters where something struck me, “If there was this much propaganda going on back then, who’s to say that there’s not just as much now but through contemporary mediums?” So, what got me to reconsider my positions wasn’t an article, or a book, or a conversation; it was the feeling of being overwhelmed by an endless supply of propaganda. After this moment, I began to be more critical of what I would read and try to expand my reading to include sources that present both sides of a situation, as well as material from non-partisan sources. One of the most important examples was with the annexation of Crimea. I began to look a little deeper at the arguments put forward to justify the annexation. Over time, as I read more sources or would occasionally stumble upon some information, each point began to have less weight to me that they used to have, until the point where I came to the conclusion that I no longer can buy into the arguments: Crimea is Ukraine.

The first point that is often brought up is that Khrushchev simply gave Crimea to Ukraine either because he had a soft spot for the country, or that it was a gift to celebrate the 1654 Pereyaslav Treaty, or because he wanted to reward Ukraine for their loyalty to the whole Soviet system (among other reasons that are given). Now, it is definitely true that the Crimea was previously an autonomous oblast within the Russian SFSR and that Nikita Khrushchev played a major role it the transfer of the Crimea to the Ukrainian SSR. However, no matter what the reason (or most likely, reasons) behind the transfer, ultimately it was transferred and became an administrative unit of the Ukrainian SSR. After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the declaration of the new entities of Ukraine and the Russian Federation, the Crimea was legally recognized as part of Ukraine. Most importantly, in 1994 both the Presidents of Russia and Ukraine (along with the President of the USA and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom) signed the Budapest Memorandums on Security Assurances. Along with this document came the accession of Ukraine to the Treaty of the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. In return for Ukraine agreeing to eliminate all nuclear weapons from their territory within a specified period of time, they were given certain national security assurances. Some of the assurances are worth quoting in full, “1. The Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America reaffirm their commitment to Ukraine, in accordance with the principles of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, to respect the independence and sovereignty and the existing borders of Ukraine;

2. The Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America reaffirm their obligation to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine, and that none of their weapons will ever be used against Ukraine except in self-defence or otherwise in accordance with the Charter of the United Nation.” The first two points that were noted on the memorandum, signed by the Russian President, concerned respecting the territorial integrity of the existing borders of Ukraine at the time, which included Crimea, and the affirmation that they would not use force against Ukraine and threaten their sovereignty. I came across this memorandum while reading an excellent book written by the Ukrainian-Canadian historian Serhy Yekelchyk, “The Conflict in Ukraine: What Everyone Needs to Know”. This information completing undermines any king of argument that posits the initial transfer of Crimea to the Ukrainian SSR as being some sort of geopolitical injustice, and thereby justifying the annexation of it to the Russian Federation. Russia signed a memorandum to respect the territorial integrity of Ukraine, to abstain from using force against Ukraine, and to refrain from threatening the current borders of Ukraine. This leads nicely into the next point that the Western powers allegedly promised Russia that they had no intentions of expanding NATO into former Eastern Bloc and Soviet territories. As time went by, history has shown us that a number of former Eastern Bloc and Soviet republics have in fact been accepted in NATO. From the standard Russian narrative, since the West went back on their promise, then how can they oppose the annexation of Crimea? The logic seems to go that since the West reneged on their side of the deal, Russia is therefore free to disregard whatever security guarantees they provided to ensure the territorial integrity of Ukraine. However, we need to ask the question: did the Western powers ever promise this? This answer was given by Mikhail Gorbachev himself: no. The agreement that did happen was in regards to non-German NATO forces being employed in the former GDR (German Democratic Republic). When Gorbachev was interviewed and asked about the supposed promises made to Russia that NATO wouldn’t expand eastwards, he had this to say,

“The topic of ‘NATO expansion’ was not discussed at all, and it wasn’t brought up in those years. … Another issue we brought up was discussed: making sure that NATO’s military structures would not advance and that additional armed forces would not be deployed on the territory of the then-GDR after German reunification. Baker’s statement was made in that context… Everything that could have been and needed to be done to solidify that political obligation was done. And fulfilled.”

It becomes evidently clear that no such promise regarding the refraining of NATO from expanding eastwards was every actually given, so Russia has no ground to try to justify their breaking of an international memorandum on the alleged failure of the West from refraining to expand NATO. Another point is that Crimea is historically Russian land with great historical significance for Russia. While its true that some very significant historical events in Russian history have taken place in the Crimea (including the baptism of St. Volodymyr in Kherson, the Crimean War, and the siege of Sevastopol) and that from 1783-1917 it was part of the Russian Empire and then from 1921-1954 it was part of the Russian SFSR, if we want to talk about the earlier inhabitants of the Crimea, it’s impossible to overlook the Crimean Tatars. Turkic peoples had been inhabiting the Crimean Peninsula since the 6th century and the Crimean Khanate was established in the 15th century. The Tatars were there prior to the movement of Slavs into the peninsula and were the majority until a number of historical factors began to decrease the Tatar population in the Crimea (such as Tatars fleeing or being deported to the Ottoman Empire after the initial conquest by the Russian Empire, more Tatars fleeing or being deported after the Russian loss of the Crimean War, and when practically the entire Crimean Tatar population was deported to Central Asia following World War 2 by Joseph Stalin). Only since 1989 has the Tatar population been growing again when the Supreme Soviet condemned the removal of the Tatars from their lands as unlawful, and thereby allowing larger numbers of them to return. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Crimean Tatars have largely been in favor of the Ukrainian government and have a more complicated relationship with Russian rule. When the annexation was in process, the Tatar population in Crimea boycotted the referendum and have been vocal in their desire to remain within Ukraine. While the history of Crimea is a part of Slavic history (not simply Russian), the Crimea has more historical rights with the Crimean Tatars, and the voice of the Crimean Tatars has spoken and sides with Ukraine. Now, to address the so-called democratic process of the referendum held in the Crimea that led to the request to be accepted into the Russian Federation. This was probably the strongest argument in favor of the annexation since it appeared the represent the concept of democracy and self-determination. It seemed to me that when the Soviet Union was collapsing and the various republics were declaring their own independence, then why should Ukraine’s desire to cede from the Soviet Union be respected while the Crimea’s desire should be treated as separatism? Is not Kyiv becoming to Crimea what Moscow was to Ukraine? On top of that, why is it that the referendum in the Crimea is treated as illegal while the referendum in Kosovo was accepted by the West? Let’s first look at the legitimacy of the referendum first. The whole tension between the political concepts of territorial integrity and self-determination is difficult to say the least. However, in the situation following the Maidan Revolution, it’s abundantly clear that the situation in Crimea was escalated following the arrival of the little green men. Even in my most pro-Russian days I had no doubts that these were “unofficial” Russian soldiers coming to the Crimea. What this presents itself as is nothing other than a military invasion and occupation. Since the referendum took place within a context of military occupation, it fundamentally cannot be accepted as valid on an international level. While it may be true that a large percentage of the population living in Crimea may in fact have supported a move towards Russia (I have friends and acquaintances with family members in Crimea and I have been told from them that the general opinion was indeed to become a part of Russia), the context and procedures were far from happening within what is accepted on a legal basis and can be legitimized on an international level. In regard to the comparison with Kosovo, we have to recognize that their situations are completely different. While both Kosovo and the Crimea were autonomous regions within their respective countries, the Russian population in the Crimea never underwent the same atrocities that the Kosovar Albanians underwent during the Kosovo War. The context for the independence of Kosovo was largely based on the genocidal afflictions they experienced during the war from Serbia, thus giving a moral precedence to pursue a path of independence. The only population within Crimea that can claim to have any kind of similar experience are the Crimean Tatars, who have been the victims of repression and deportation numerous times throughout history. So, we can see that neither the fact that a referendum was held or the comparison with Kosovo can have any legitimacy in regards to the annexation of Crimea. Now I’d like to look at the claim that it was necessary to annex the Crimea as a pre-emptive strike to protect Russian borders from the expansion of NATO. Since there’s a significant naval port in Sevastopol, it would be a geopolitical disaster for Russia if the ports of Sevastopol became NATO bases. This argument is completely dismantled once one considers the point that Sevastopol isn’t the only port in Ukraine. This point was driven home to me during a discussion with a Ukrainian acquaintance of mine about the whole situation in Crimea. We were discussing the various justifications given by Russia and I brought up this point about self-defence against NATO. My acquaintance simply replied, “So what if Sevastopol doesn’t become a NATO base? If Ukraine would be accepted into NATO, there are ports in Odessa which could easily be used as well. Is the distance from Sevastopol to Odessa really going to be that big of a difference?” The weakness of this argument became immediately apparent to me. If we even put aside the question of naval bases, there’s still the reality of regular military bases that could be set up in Ukraine. NATO could simply set up bases in cities like Kharkiv, Chernihiv, or even Kyiv and these would all be very close to the Russian border. To pursue this line of argument would necessitate that Russia simply annex all of Ukraine to prevent NATO from establishing any closer bases to their borders. As each argument began to collapse for me, I came to the ultimate conclusion that the annexation of Crimea was nothing more than an illegal military occupation, taking advantage of the unfavorable situation that arose for Russia in the aftermath of the Maidan Revolution. In an attempt to keep Ukraine divided to at least prevent her from moving closer to the West, the annexation and the war in Donbass is nothing more than a destabilizing effort by Moscow to try and force Ukraine to stay within their sphere of influence and to prevent the West from getting to close to Ukraine. However, the actions taken by Moscow were the biggest geopolitical blunder that they could have made. If Moscow genuinely wants to keep Ukraine within their sphere of influence, the worst thing that they could have done was to annex territory and become involved in a separatist war. By trying to force Ukraine to stay, they have only pushed her farther away. While it’s unlikely that Russia will ever accept that the annexation of the Crimea was unlawful and actually return it to the control of the Ukrainian government, it’s also just as unlikely the Ukraine will return to a place where closer ties with Russia is a popular opinion. While there are small measures of truth in the propaganda employed by Moscow in regards to the situation in Ukraine (there are definitely ultra-Ukrainian nationalists as well as those who have sympathies for the Galician division of the SS who fought against the Soviets with the Germans in World War 2), it is grossly inaccurate to portray the situation as if every Ukrainian is a fascist, ultra-nationalist, who’s looking to persecute Russian speakers. While the Russian language may have less acceptance in certain parts of Ukraine, it’s still spoken across the country. At the end of the day, I realized that my thoughts in the museum in Chisinau were right: Moscow is simply continuing the propaganda tradition through new mediums. To sum everything up simply, we can say this much: not all Ukrainians are fascists, not all Ukrainian are Nazi sympathizers, not all Ukrainians are out for Russian blood. Russia signed a memorandum to respective the territorial integrity of Ukraine and to abstain from threatening it with force. There was never any promise from NATO that they wouldn’t expand eastwards. While Crimea plays a role in Slavic history, the Crimean Tatars have a greater claim through history than the Russians do. The referendum took place in an atmosphere of military occupation and therefore has no chance of legitimacy. The situations of Kosovo and Crimea are completely different and therefore are not a viable comparison. And finally, if Ukraine was to join NATO, bases could still be set up close to the Russian border even without the naval bases in Sevastopol. Crimea is Ukraine.

#crimea #russia ukraine geopolitics

[emergingsentiments]

Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha: Episodes 1 and 2 (Repost)

"Life is not easy for all of us. Some spend their whole lives on unpaved words, while some run at full speed only to reach the edge of a cliff."

What is home? And is home a place or a feeling? These are the questions the premiere episodes of Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha pose.

Yoon Hye-jin (Shin Min-a) seems to have it all in Seoul — a nice apartment, a stable job as a dentist, and her online orders. But perhaps the most important thing she owns is her principle. Ambitious as she may be, she isn’t keen on ripping off patients to earn or to pay for her shopping indulgences. Her chief dentist at the clinic, however, thinks otherwise. So despite her materialistic tendencies, Hye-jin stands up to her greedy and disingenuous boss in a spur-of-the-moment defiance, one which predictably has its professional and financial repercussions.

Now jobless and possibly in debt, a childhood memory draws her from the confines of her sleek domicile to the quaint seaside town of Gongjin, not only to seek a reprieve from her city miseries but also to remember.

Gongjin, however, is the home of Hong Du-sik (Kim Seon-ho) — a charismatic jack-of-all-trades who is as ubiquitous as the scent of ocean air in the town. He is everywhere it seems — on the boat, by the sea, at a coffee shop, or the fish market. If Hyejin’s ambitious and near solitary exterior represented the cutthroat urban soul, then Dusik’s endless list of side hustle captures the untiring enterprise needed to survive and sustain a life in the province. It’s a life that demands diligence and street smarts, as well empathy and community. Perfectly helpful to everyone in town, especially to Kim Gam-ri (Kim Young-ok), and capable of almost every form of labor, he is as popular as the dried squid Gongjin is known for.

The two meet on the beach — though not for the first time, we find out later on. It’s the perfect location for the world of opposites to collide: sand and the sea. Hyejin — the fish out of water — symbolically loses a shoe from a much-prized pair. Dusik — amphibious and with the ability to move around in any environment — finds the other heel. He returns it to her partly annoyed.

Though grateful, Hyejin seeks to find the other shoe, attached not only to its value but also because she cannot see herself walking barefoot. Dusik is not impressed. He nonetheless pities the out-of-place Seoulite and throws her his pair of slippers — oversized, overused, possibly acquired for free from one of the seaside restaurants. Walk my paths, Dusik seems to say. They are Hyejin’s welcome gifts to a town she will have to understand because it will become her home. Or will it?

Plucked from the metropolis and driven by both impulse and circumstance, the good dentist will have to figure out not just Dusik’s deal but Gongjin’s townsfolk, too. Left with no choice, she leaves behind the comforts and conveniences of the city. However, the small-town outlook and habits of Gongjin's people are unfamiliar and even repulsive to her. As hopeful as she is for new beginnings, an awkward and very public faux pas means she is also off to a rocky start. This and a series of other missteps finds her alienated from the community. Almost like learning the Cha-Cha-Cha, Hyejin’s footwork is a mess.

Dusik, who witnesses and hears Hyejin’s judgemental tirade, comes to her aid but only subtly and as a gentle nudge. He isn’t pretending to be a savior who could fix the unpleasant cracks between Hyejin and Gongjin’s people. Instead, he reminds her to meet the community halfway. For instance, he doesn’t chastise her for wearing tight-fitting running wear that scandalized the elderly women of the town. He knows its purpose; he even explained it to the elderly women. But Dusik also sheds light on the motivations behind this conservative view of his town’s people.

When Hyejin attempts to win the community’s trust by doling out rice cakes while inviting them to her clinic’s opening, Dusik senses the insincerity. Material gifts are meaningless. As the saying goes, it’s the thought that counts. Remorse has to be personal. She’s the new girl in town, after all. Hyejin cannot expect Gongjin to adjust to her whims. Dusik does what he can — secretly, too. But the city girl will have to take the initiative in building meaningful relations with the town’s people.

In both cases, we get a timely commentary on the need to understand other people. After all, we live in world increasingly adversarial, quick to respond to and mob those we disagree with. We're fast to label those who stand our way as enemies instead as partners for truth-seeking. If Homcha follows its current tracks, I'm curious to see if this wisdom of seeing both sides is further emphasized.

Despite Hyejin’s multiple setbacks, she moves forward. It helps that her inimitable best friend, Pyo Mi-seon (Gong Min-jeung), follow her to town. Mi-seon brings comic relief and relentless energy to our dentist’s new life. So through small and careful steps — and with Dusik just watching over her ever so carefully — she settles in and slowly makes amends with Gongjin’s men and women.

And what a community Gongjin is. Homcha masterfully paints a town brimming with life and populated by every character and role we know and relate to. The seaside commune is scenic and vibrant, almost too idyllic even. Its port is bustling and its homes are welcoming. From the mountains, the horizon glistens with every break of dawn. What we know from Dusik and Hyejin, however, is that the surface isn’t all there is to it.

In a telling short montage at the start of Episode 2, we get a glimpse of the townsfolk's quiet sorrows. Hwa-jung (Lee Bong-ryun), the assertive landlady, is a divorcee still hurting about her marriage’s breakdown. The owner of the town’s cafe and pub, Cheon-jae (Jo Han-chul), is a forgotten singer and one-hit wonder struggling with his confidence and purpose. Nam-sook (Cha Chung-hwa), the quirky and chatty owner of the Chinese restaurant, appears to grieve the loss of a child. Even Dusik — who seems faultless — hides a wound. Behind the closed doors of the homes of Gongjin are unspoken aches and regrets.

Home is where the heart is, they say. But often, home is also where the hurts are.

Life wounds can only be remedied by love. Homcha makes no qualms about it. It’s a love story at its core but one that explores love’s healing effects in a place closest to us, a space that has to be the safest for us. Dusik is clearly smitten by the new resident of Gongjin. He sees her in a different light. It’s easy to tell, however, he has some baggage—a suit to be specific. Hyejin carries with her a spirit of grief as well. What of her mother? What of her childhood? How their respective hurts have shaped them and will continue to define their characters will be an interesting exploration by the series. With the first two episodes out, I’m hopeful we become privy to the furnishings of Dusik’s and Hyejin’s “homes”.

Where the first two episodes succeed is not just in juxtaposing the clashing views of urban and rural. Instead, we see more of what is common between the two. Hyejin’s uncharitable remarks over the narrow-minded views of Gongjin’s people are easy to associate with the condescension typical of city dwellers. But one can say the same with the trio of halmeoni who were so quickly appalled by Hyejin’s workout clothes. Judgments, after all, know no place or time. We think of those in the province as being insular and yet we also meet a chief dentist with a small-town outlook, ready to ruin the reputation of another in a similarly tight-knit dentist’s community.

Perhaps we are more the same than different?

What makes Homcha stand out, however, is that it doesn’t try too hard. The characters — and the actors — are unpretentious. As such, we get a light-hearted and heartwarming journey as our main characters and the Gongjin community settle, work, and live. You feel as if you're part of the community, too.

From its warm colors to its penchant for nostalgic songs, Homcha lives up to its title. It evokes that familiar place we grew up in and stirs memories of the spaces and faces that have shaped our persona. Sometimes we choose to stay there—or find ourselves stuck. Sometimes we outgrow it, too, and we move on to greener pastures. But that part of our lives connected to our youth never really disappears. To survive we need to accept and love the parts of our history we are least proud of, right? Once we do, how ready are we to show them to other eyes, to let them be held by other hands?

Round my hometown Ooh the people I've met Are the wonders of my world

PS

If I had a gripe with the show, it’s the fact that Hyejin apparently has no idea how to use the forgot password feature of websites. That's all.

#kim seon ho #shin min ah #hometown cha cha cha #homcha #korean drama #kdrama #갯마을 차차차

[mariaaxescallop]

how black lightning is treating its wlw romance

(just for context's sake, i'm currently watching 3x04 of black lightning)

(SPOILERS FROM SEASON 2)

i love black lightning. it is a series about a black family of superheroes and that is the main reason why i started to watch it. the black representation is amazing, just like the way they address the struggles of black people in the usa. i also love seeing black girls (with dark skin!) on screen with different hairstyles. one of the things i love the most about black lightning is the main family. i'm so here for the family issues, not only metahuman related, but also the day to day stuff. the series addresses parental control, coming of age, leadership, the subversion of gender roles (lynn stewart? yes ma'am), dialogue, responsibility, respect, boundaries and, on top of that, the love the pierces have for each other.

besides, i can see myself on anissa and jennifer, not only because of their relationship with their parents but also in the way they interact with each other. every time they get to talk about anything, like school, race, gender, periods (!!!!), sex, clothes, their parents and, sure, even superpowers, i can't help but smile because it's so goddamn beautiful. their sisterhood is definitely one of the things that attached me to black lightning from the start. but i'm getting distracted here.

that said, i have to share one thing i do not like about the series. the way it handles its lgbt characters aka anissa and grace (mostly grace) (and i'm not even mentioning the other 3). just to point out, i didn't start watching the show because of them, if i did i probably would have already abandoned it by now. yeah, i'm mad about grace's almost nonexistent screen time. sis shows up one episode for one scene and a half and then vanishes for another three episodes. the majority of the interactions between her and anissa happen off-screen. how do i know that? i had to ASSUME that in order to make sense of their relationship. the first few times we get to see grace it seems like she and anissa are good friends. next season, when she comes back after a very long time, it looks like anissa ghosted her and is cheating on her???? and i didn't even know they were together or something??? every time i see them on screen it feels like they are on a completely different page comparing with how they were last time i saw them. at first, i thought i was missing something... until i realized it was the show that was LACKING content.

just to make it clear, i never expected the show to be about them. it is supposed to be focused on, well, black lightning. i was ok with that. i even ignored this feeling that something was wrong... and then i noticed how much screen time khalil has. i can't help but compare him with grace because both of them are romantically involved with our pierce girls and both of them have powers. even though they have those characteristics in common, it is pretty obvious that grace doesn't get as much attention as khalil does. and it pisses me off. there's also the fact that i'm not very fond of teen romance, but that's just a personal taste and i'm not going to elaborate on that while it seems like the writers keep forgetting about grace's existence, they do not forget about khalil. even after his death.

i like khalil. he is a well written, charismatic character. i find his interactions with jennifer very tender and it is very cute to see how much they care about each other. we get to know khalil's dreams, his pain, his confusion, his anger, his guilt and, finally, his redemption. his arc was so carefully done. i don't like the resurrection thing, though, but that's another story...

and then we have grace, whose life we barely know until she disappears without telling anissa a thing. while she is missing, the audience receives a lot of important information like: she was a foster kid, she was kidnapped by a prostitution ring at the age of 16 (???), grace choi is an alias and she is, in fact, a metahuman. a shapeshifter, to be more specific. and all that during her absence! i mean, she wasn’t given the opportunity to tell it by herself!!!! meanwhile, khalil manages to come back from dead before grace's return!!! and he has a lot of very long, graphic scenes!!! i mean, c'mon. i couldn't care less about the 23 martial arts he knows, and i definitely don't give a f*ck about his punch-on-the-heart thing.

not only grace is belittled as a character, her relationship with anissa has been almost insignificant to the story. jennifer and khalil had it all: cute scenes on the roof, khalil asking jennifer to be his girlfriend, sex talk, supportive moments, the drama, reconciliation, they run away together and then jen has a lot of scenes showing her coping with his loss. all we have from thunder grace is a few cute dialogues and other few kinda-arguments (which sound out of place if you watch them isolated because you have no clue regarding what happened off-screen), then we’re shown grace is hiding something, she leaves, anissa talks to gambi and jennifer about her and that’s it. WHERE IS MY DRAMA???? i don’t wanna see khalil’s muscles for the 8464th time, i just want anissa and grace to talk properly!

i love the representation in black lightning. i love watching a black family full of strong women being cute with each other and at the same time changing their community for the better. but then we have this asian bisexual woman who doesn't even have room to grow as a character, being constantly put aside. and this is not me saying that she should appear more just because she is a queer woman of color. my point is that she is a very interesting character, with a troubled past and a possibly nice personality. AND SHE IS A METAHUMAN, AN EFFING LEOPARD, what could be more related to the plot than that??? the way i see it, the story that is being told in the show would make more sense if she had more space, if she was actually part of it and not only an afterthought. she could add so much more to the plot. but it takes the writers being interested enough to put some effort on it, which they clearly don't have. by the time grace didn't even show up on season 2's finale, i felt disrespected by this lack of interest, as a bisexual woc myself and as a huge shipper of thundergrace. jennifer and khalil's teen heterosexual romance was at the center of the last episodes, meanwhile grace was mentioned a couple of times and that was it. why can't she get the same attention the other side characters do? some of them are so useless to the plot and yet there they are. am i talking about lala? idk.

grace could be so much more, she deserved more dialogues, an entire arc, actually being part of the plot. she deserved more complexity. i know grace has the potential. it is a shame that the show slept on her like that. i don’t want lgbt representation for representation’s sake, i want it for real.

#black lightning #grace choi #anissa pierce #thundergrace #lgbt #khalil payne #painkiller #jennifer x khalil #anissa x grace #representation

[bokunowritingacademia]

Would you be willing to write some nsfw headcannons for baku boy, deku and kirishima involving a s/o who's very dominant in bed? (Do i need to specify gender?? If so, female prounouns!)

Bakugo Katsuki

If you’re gonna dom this firecracker, you gotta know your shit. He’s 90% feral and won’t let you tame him without some struggle first (to the point he’s probably into it, even if he doesn’t admit to the kink in so many words). It might take a little bit to get the proper communication across so that you’re on the same page, but the outcome of having him a needy, broken mess beneath you is entirely all the work you’d put in.

If you think he’s a vocal or active love maker while playing a dominant role, then wait until you get him beneath you—Bakugo is mouthy as hell and won’t let you forget it. If you���re a particularly good or enthusiastic dom, then you’ll even get him begging a little—but just a little!—as he tries desperately to have some hold on the encounter.

Honestly, the more you'd dom him, the more you realize it seems to help him. It's obviously no substitute for therapy for half the shit he's been through, but there's something... Intimate about it, the growing trust he'd place in your hands, the way he might even let himself feel vulnerable and perhaps even small beneath your loving gaze and dutiful hands.

Midoriya Izuku

Assuming you weren't already falling into a dominant role in a relationship with him, Midoriya is surprisingly easy to dom without much fuss or reason--the intimacy in being with you is nice regardless of if he's in control of the situation or not, though that's not to say he has moments of preference once way or another. Simply put, he doesn't out up a fight about it more seems to have any interest in such powerplay like Bakugo or Kirishima.

In a related way, especially for a partner who is inexperienced in being dominant, Midoriya is very open about what he wants and what sorts of things make him feel good. Though he might be red-faced through the entire thing, he's at least a very forward, honest sort of person.

Kirishima Eijiro

If Bakugo is chaotic sub, and Midoriya is lawful sub, then Kirishima is true switch. He genuinely doesn't seem to care exactly where he falls in bed with you, but certainly expresses his love for falling into bed with you at all--with a little playful teasing, of course. If you're going to take control of the encounter, then he wants you to feel like you've earned it from.him properly, though its never quite aggressive or rough.

Even if you're acting as the dominant role, there isn't a force in the world that can keep Kirishima's mouth shut. Even trying to put a gag in his mouth (of which he found out he's really into) wound up seeing it shredded in seconds by the sharp slice of his razor teeth.

Speaking of, you better be real careful how close you let your shoulders and throat get to him, especially when he's on the receiving end of your attention and discipline. As Kirishima once said, teasing but very honest, 'If you're not careful, I'm liable to leave a couple marks on 'ya'.

#bnha #mha #headcanon #lemon headcanon #lemon #bakugo headcanon #Kirishima headcanon #midoriya headcanon #bakugo Katsuki #midoriya izuku #kirishima eijiro #writing