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shipcestuous · 5 days

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If people are looking for a good, incestuous webcomic about Greek Mythology, I can't recommend Theia Mania by A-gnosis enough. It's kind of an anthology series, with different stories about different gods, but it's currently in it's Hymn to Demeter arc, so right now there's a lot of focus on the Hades/Persephone relationship going on.

I love it because it's very well-thought-out and well researched, and the author's love for Ancient Greek literature, and history shines through every page. Plus, in it the gods are a big, messy family where everyone's flawed but (while I do have my preferences and it's easy for me to like/sympathize with some characters but not others) no one is a complete monster or a one-dimensional caricature of a villain. There is some incest-negative talk here and there, granted, but I feel it's always very justified by who's saying what and in which circumstances.

At one point, Athena fears (though that's not actually what's happening) that Zeus is going to try and come onto her because... well, I don't want to spoil it because I think the way the author went about the whole "Zeus ate Metis and then Athena came out of his head" thing is really interesting. But anyway, to me that moment feels like it's more about "I thought we were becoming close because you genuinely cared about me as a person and a family member, but now I think you might just you see me as a way to get my mom back, like I don't matter and only she does" or even "I thought you really respected me and cared about me in the platonic way I care about you, but now I suspect for you I might just be another woman to seduce and either discard or keep as a dirty little secret," plus Athena is asexual in a culture where she doesn't really have any tools or resources to help her understand what that means, so at times she's just generally uncomfortable with the way most other gods seem (from her perspective) to be constantly going on about sex and doing crazy, stupid things to get it.

Later on, Persephone is also outraged and upset with Zeus for seducing her and says that's just proof of how fucked-up their family really is... but, again trying not to spoil anything, Zeus deceived her by hiding his identity, thus taking away from her the choice of having sex with *him* or not, and then he kept disrespecting her autonomy and her ability to make her own decisions even while putting her in a very, very tough spot. Which is clearly something that has overall a bigger impact on Persephone than just the idea of having had sex with her dad.

And that's it, really, at least from what I remember. So, in conclusion, the problem is not incest so much as... Zeus.

... okay, no, that was just a joke. XD Zeus does have his good sides, too, and it's not like he's completely incapable of caring about other people, in the end. But the problem is not incest so much as men who treat women like objects, lie to them and hide things from them then expect their trust anyway, think that just because women are open about liking sex or otherwise "not respectable" in some way then they should also be "available" to them specifically, or otherwise disrespect their right to make their own decisions. Which is a point I think the entire comics makes really well, as it doesn't shy away from the problems that come with being a woman in an historical setting like this while at the same time also having plenty of nuanced, flawed female characters who never feel like they're supposed to be perfect little victims just there to show how tragic their suffering is and never have a moment of happiness or fun.

And honestly, I think that's part of what makes A-gnosis' version of Hades/Persephone just so good and engaging. They're uncle and niece, but Persephone isn't uncomfortable with that (unlike with the whole thing with Zeus) because she gets along really well with Hades, they get each other and also each other's perspectives on life, and they respect each other both when it comes to sex (which is also an interesting element on its own, as Persephone is allosexual with a high libido and generally just loves doing it, and feeling sexy, too, while Hades is demisexual and has struggled with understanding what that means to him while feeling like the odd one out among his siblings) and other things. Hades abducts her to take her as his wife after asking permission from Zeus but not her and Demeter, but he doesn't actually want to force her into anything and has a hidden motivation that he discloses right away to Persephone because it involves something that's happening to her that they have previously discussed and they're both worried about, but she's also rightfully angry at him for a bit and bluntly points out to him that he could have tried to find a better way to bring her to the Underworld and work on the problem without other people sticking their noses in their business. They have their own problems but they work through them as two people who care for and are coming to love each other, and on top of that they have very compatible personalities and even sense of humor, and it's so good to see!

Also, he's a grumpy nerd who usually gets along better with the dead (whom he's actually fiercely protective of and cares a great deal about) than the living (who he often doesn't understand, leading him to act dismissive, overly strict, or unapproachable towards them, and who don't usually offer him much understanding and compassion in return) and she's a loner with a noncomformist streak and a punk vibes. Which is an interpretation I'd never really seen before (well, not punk loner Persephone, at least) but now I'm in love with it!

Uh, and also, have you ever wished for an Hades/Persephone romance that treats Demeter as a good mother who dearly loves her daughter instead of an harpy who purposefully keeps her isolated and naive and prevents her from spreading her wings for her own gain? Well, Theia Mania's Demeter is amazing. The comic doesn't go to the opposite extreme of making her the Perfect Mom whose only personality trait is being a mother, either (if I had a nickel for every time I've seen anti Hades/Persephone people clamoring for that while somehow thinking themselves so much more progressive than the Demeter bashers... let's just say, I'd have way more than just two nickels, lol!) and so she ends up as one of the most sympathetic characters in it. She has issues and flaws and she's traumatized (and not just by the Poseidon thing I mentioned above) and, as much as she loves her, she doesn't always really get her daughter, but she's never just an annoying obstacle on the road to Hades/Persephone realizing they want to stay together, she has her own story going on that obviously intersects with theirs but is very much about her. And I just want her to clear up all the misunderstandings between her and Persephone, hopefully reconcile with Hades (she's not okay with him right now both because of his recent actions and because of something else that happened between them in the past), and be happy with her girlfriend (and I mean that in the canonical sense, btw) Hekate!

Sorry for the rant but Theia Mania is the best modern adaptation of Greek Mythology I've read in a while, and I couldn't help but spread the love!!

... er, Theia Mania anon, here again! Just realized I accidentally erase da line in my ask and forgot to rewrite it before sending! I wanted to say there's also a flashback Poseidon/Demeter thing that could maybe also be interpreted as incest-negative, as he... well, let's just say he really doesn't care about her consent, and leave it at that. She understandably feels very violated by this, but because there was a certain chemistry between them at the time and *he* interpreted it as romantic/sexual, he claims she was leading him on/only saying no out loud to protect her honor as an unmarried woman while "really" she wanted him to go on. But again, the point there is not that they're brother and sister, even if personally I got the vibe she *only* saw him as a brother she got along very well with. The point is still that he shouldn't have just taken what he wanted, he should have actually treated her as an equal and respected her wishes, without making up excuses about "what women do" and "what women really think." So, yeah, that's what I was referencing in my comment about Demeter!

How exciting to have something well written to enjoy! I love the sound of all of the nuanced characters and the complicated relationships.

Thanks so much for this detailed rec.

#asks #anonymous #first post #mythology #greek mythology #theia mania #commentary #noiv #nr #new canon #hades and persephone #comics

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jayflrt · 20 days

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Ok I’m going on anon because I’m pretty supportive on SMAU posts and I have been reading awhile. The author of that post talks about specifically Asian women, however in my time reading fic across multiple kpop and pop culture fandoms,I have seen white, black, latinx, desi, east/west asian face claims (yay diversity I guess?) though specifically east asian women are used as face claims more in kpop fics (not always though, I have seen the whole spectrum). I think you’re right that using someone’s face is a little touchy. And yes. For kids—minors in general—that’s a full on no. You can post a pic of baby shoes or something. There are plenty of free/no copyright/fair use photos online of like a smaller kid hand holding and bigger hand or something like that where it’s an image intended for use in multiple ways and no one’s identity is compromised.

I know a lot of kpop fics and other genres use either female kpop idols or actresses as their face claim as well. I kinda feel like that’s maybe less problematic? (Especially since we are already using the male kpop idols as face claims and name claims for what are technically our OCs) Those are public figures and their images are publicly shared to promote content and content creation. I guess I’m saying an author could always use like one of the NewJeans girls as a face claim. I mean if I was writing a SMAU about Karina then maybe I would use Sunghoon or Hee as a face claim (no idol shipping for me—strictly face claim). So I guess I’m saying if an author is wanting to use a face then…maybe just use another idol? Or an actress? Though some people make the same argument about influencers. That they can use their images because they are also posted online for a large audience? I personally don’t know where the line is (except with kid’s faces—that’s a clear no) and since I don’t write SMAU… But if I did… I would probably use a kpop idol or an actress as my face claim—IF I even chose to have one. (I know some people get really touchy about face claims in general though because…I mean no matter who your face claim is—even if it’s a pic of YOU the author—putting a specific face and a body to yn is less ‘reader insert’ for some readers. I mean it has never bothered me one bit, even in writing if there are distinctive features described—to me it’s just a story—but some people do get truly upset.)

i'm the author of that post just to clarify!! i just screenshot that from my twitter, but that's very true there's definitely more diversity in the face claims people use out there, i just think east asian face claims are more widely used in kpop and anime spaces maybe 🤧 diversity rep is great i just wish we could move towards more faceless ones?? idk just publicly posting people's faces in certain contexts just feels a little like an invasion of privacy but i'm sure people feel different ways toward that

and i agree in the context of smaus i think it makes more sense to use an idol/celebrity as a face claim !! i sort of see face claims as like casting someone in a role, so it makes more sense to use actors/idols who are already in the spotlight and have their pictures spread on the internet because their career depends on exposure and publicity (unless of course said actor/idol has stated that they don't want their face being used for such things). i was referring to a different sort of fic actually (not smaus) but yeah smaus could be a gray area too and i feel like the same rules should apply. i've read plenty of twitter social media aus where no selfies/pictures are used at all even from the idol and they've been some the best smaus i've read

children/babies are a hard no for me :( there's just so many ways to go about it without inserting a child's face,, so i rlly don't get it !! oh yes i've never exactly cared about how a reader insert looks because i always just imagine a character anyways but the privacy issue of whoever's the face claim is my main concern with it 🧎‍♀️

#💌 : love notes #anon

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apollo-gate · 9 months

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Hey author! Here's a bear hug for you! 🫂

I hope you're drinking plenty of water and are taking care of yourselves.

Now, I had a question. Can you tell us facts about Naamah's daughters? Were they gonna be ROs initially? What do they look like? What are their personalities and how are they different from their mom?

Oh yes, Bear Hugs!!!! thank you. And how bout Dr. Pepper, Sprite, or Root Beer. (Jk I have water too.)

Ah, the daughters Hecate and Thea.

Initially yes they were. This was because a certain choice you can make will lock several people out. But the thing is neither one would match this Mc or the storyline as of now. This doesn't mean this will be the only story they are in. So don't worry they wont be completely gone. (Alpha Two. They will be there. Just not listed yet. Man you got me to spoil the surprise JK.)

So to start off they are both guardians in a way of earth. They were selected through a process where they came from to protect Earth and its people. From anything not foreseen or forespoken. Until a chosen god comes to earth.

Facts first.

They are half-sisters.

So Hecate

Hecate is a vampire, yeah I know but she like a totally badass vampire. By Earth's standards, she is the first true-blooded vampire. (The others are like a 3/4 and so on or half-blooded.) When I say she is the first true-blooded is because she can do magic. She is not killable like no beheading or steak to the heart will do. She will be reborn like a beam of holy light will be shot down and bam she's healed.

And before you ask no she doesn't turn people and if she does it goes two ways they die or are sent to hell. This is because only one person can survive her turning. The ones sent to hell are way too out of control mentally.

There are other vampires on Earth. They are disorganized and tried to take over the world oh maybe 6 times already. hecate stopped them every time. See vampirism isn't widespread because she stops it. For humans, it is not a good thing. This is because when the humans pass away or die they go to where Thea and Hecate grew up. The next stage in the cycle. That is the only place for a vampire because they are taught and will be nurtured where they have control.

Hecate has been on earth longer than Thea. By 170 years.

Hecate was really into art at one point than music.

Hecate likes to drink from evil people she prefers women but doesn't care as long as they are evil.

Hecates bite can do two things depending on the person. 1 way is to paralyze the person. or 2 it's a slow-acting poison that will kill the person within a week. (See the problem.)

Hecate loves sex but has gotten tired of it over time as it's just meaningless sex. She rather just date for fun with no sex. (Don't tell Thea that.)

Hecate is younger by two years than Thea but looks older.

Thea

Thea is a priestess and likes to buy property and give it to people who are struggling.

Thea has no current interest in sex or touching people. (She had a very horrible experience and just needs a loving person.)

Thea likes to be around horses or dolphins.

Thea can almost always be found near the beach.

Thea has only ever killed once.

Thea has an adoptive son

Thea was bound by a soul and lost all her powers once.

Thea is a mediator between gods. And also a Lawyer in her day-to-day life.

The Looks

Thea has shoulder-length hair. She only keeps it at this length when something stressful happens. She will let it grow out a few more inches but not much.

Hecate keeps her hair up in a bun with a few strands loose. She will use a needle to hold it up.

Hecate hair is midnight blue.

Thea hair is brown.

Thea and Hecate are both tall as they got this from their mother.

Hecate has claws that get to about 4 inches long. Hecate also has a scar that runs down her spine.

Thea and Hecate both have tattoos. Thea has one on her thigh and then one on her left shoulder. Hecate has one that covers her entire back. Another is on her stomach.

Thea and Hecate take a lot after their mother in looks. like her eye color Silver (Her old eye color.)

As far as personalities they are similar to Naamah.

Thea is a lot like her mother. But is way sweeter but I will also say she is way more scary. Ex: If you hurt her or someone she cares about your life will go to hell. And that oh sweet smile means she did it. Thea is more passive. She can get so into pleasing everyone that she can lose herself.

Hecate is like her mother but tries not to be. Hecate is more physical. She loves to touch and does not care if she is hitting someone or holding someone. Hecate is a flirt and can be pretty dominant.

They are so much like her because of the way they grew up. They both hold themselves higher than humans and Thrallens. (they are in a way.)

Ultimately you have to remember they are gods themselves. They both can see things in a very logical way. Even if Hecate doesn't agree with it.

Naamah has humanity while they don't. This is because of what they did to get to Earth. Im not saying it's gone completely but it's very small.

#NaamahRO #bear hug 🤗 for you anon

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bunkernine · 2 years

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i dont know why riordan made it so jo and emmie were coerced into leaving the hunters by artemis having an exclusionary policy against bi/lesbian women, instead of just that jo and emmie were tired of immortality and wanted to grow old together so they left the hunt of their own volition. i feel like thats the main problem with the hunters, but given that its written by a cishet man who definitely does not understand aro/ace identities and the split attraction model it isnt shocking :( but i feel like a lot of the other issues like neglecting female characters are less symptoms of the hunt and moreso underlying critiques of riordans writing; there are definitely instances of him neglecting to provide female characters perspectives when it wouldve been beneficial (an example i would use is thalia, we barely got any interaction between her and jason, and im sure there are many examples of female characters not getting their time, but its been a while since i read the books so i may be misremembering?) like the neglect of fem characters is far from isolated to the hunt.. anyway yeah i didnt like some aspects of how the hunt was handled but i dont think theres a problem with it specifically if that makes sense. its hard to tell where the problems with one aspect of a story end and when that problem being imbued into the writers perspective starts, but generally i think the hunters have good aspects to them, like i think even beyond inclusion of ace/aro identities having groups of demigods and people involved in the mythical world outside of CHB/CJ is really needed, the dynamic they provide with the more organized demigod camps is interesting, and i think they fit well into the rrverse. i think the themes they represent in thalia and reynas lives about responsibility and the weight of authority are interesting insights into their characters. ok thats all idk if any of this makes sense im sleepy srry for the paragraph

Oh boy

So. Ok. Sentence by sentence I guess. Agree with no need for exclusionary wlw rule. Think he was just going for the "no romance" at all, but idk, Artemis' tale in various myths would suggest otherwise when it came to wlw.

That exclusion only made a point in TDP, which is probably when Riordan thought about writing Piper and is post the development of other LGBT characters u know, Alex, Nico, Magnus, um... The others.... LOL. So idk why he did that. Maybe to provide some cushioning for Reyna?

Split Attraction Model is controversial. Idk why you want him to touch that too much, especially after fumbling with LGBT characters prior.

And Reyna being aroace was also controversial????? 😭 do we forget fandom history so quickly? I am not getting into that because 1, I don't care rn and 2, I don't care rn 💀💀💀 but like, it's not that simple to just say "Riordan doesn't know anything" when he's literally a writer who makes explicit choices. Have little opinion on Reyna and her sexuality.

Jason and Thalia see each other in TLH, MoA, and BoO. They see each other plenty considering that both of them barely know each other and have duties that they're resigned to during the end of the world 💀 but also it's mentioned that they have seen each other between TLH and MoA, however long that visit was. Don't really say that an issue considering the circumstances, there's only so many book pages, and there's only so many ways for Thalia to be relevant in a story that has little to do with her.

Thalia's a horrible example because she's literally not a main character in most books 😭 Riordan mostly mistreats love interests. Most of the girls in the series have strong moments and arcs, but are overshadowed by 1, the sheer amount of boys (which makes sense genre-wise and why Riordan even wrote PJO), and 2, fandom perception.

HOWEVER, I will not deny that girls get to be a back burner to other characters more often. Reyna would've been a good example post-BoO: giving her a POV slides her from secondary character to main, but then completely throws out of balance what her weight is compared to Nico, for instance, who is also given a main role in BoO, but has impacted the series more obviously. 😵‍💫 I highly disagree with them having POVs in BoO partially for that reason, and what it does to Frank and Hazel later, who now have less POVs despite playing a strong role in major events of BoO and the series. Sidelining main characters.

Rachel could possibly be another example, but Calypso would be a great example from her being in TDP and never showing up again 😀 But Reyna, Rachel, and Calypso a have in common that they are introduced as love interests.

But... None of this is relevant because the topic was about the hunters so that's for later. The Hunters aren't more inclusive of aro/ace ppl than any other group in series, but they are a nice group to join if a character is aro/ace. Reyna is the only one confirmed, and it would be helpful and appreciated if more characters could be confirmed. The hunters are just... Not in relationships at the current moment 😭 which anyone could be regardless if ur aroace or not.. as shown with jo and emmie

They do fit well as an alternate to the camps though, agree. It's amusing that they know about Waystation but never told anyone. They just actively go around hunting and fighting monsters???? Didn't understand why annabeth wasn't really interested but sure

For Thalia those themes are present when she joined the hunters. That is... Literally a whole thing. For Reyna they are not at all due to the Hunters! Those themes are only present because that was Reyna's whole thing!!! Her joining the hunters directly erases them 😭😭😭😭 Reyna is genuinely a character who lost potential by being thrown into the Hunters 😭😭😭 She could've been aro/ace even without them, it's so mind-boggling to put her in the Hunters. Like... Okay. She and Thalia were bonding throughout the series in the background. She didn't need to join the Hunters to talk to her friend 😭 It's so crazy especially next to Jason who deals with the same issues and themes but is allowed to just step out and go to boarding school. WHY WOULDN'T REYNA JUST JOIN THE AMAZONS????????? WHY WOULDN'T SHE JUST RETIRE????? Absolutely baffling. There are so many reasons why Thalia being a Hunter is a Meaningful Choice, and Reyna being a hunter is a Careless Choice.

Hope that captures everything, especially after the previous asks. Feel free to follow up ofc, always up for talks about things 👍

#asks #anon #the hunters

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spaceorphan18 · 2 years

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Did you see the new slate of upcoming MCU movies/shows?? Thoughts? Anything you’re excited about?

I was tuned in last weekend when they announced all of the new things coming up. Plenty of thoughts!

A couple of broad stroke things, though...

I don't think there's anything that I'm like -- omg, I need that /now/. The MCU has gotten big enough now that it really does feel like the comic landscape - only movie form. But unlike the comics, most of my favorite characters in the MCU are dead, taking a backseat these days, or are unfortunately tied to Sony and their stupid attempt at a Spidey-verse.

After Endgame happened, I was concerned that the MCU might suffer a bit. Stories are meant to have an endpoint - and Endgame was a natural conclusion of everything that had come before it. But - also like comics - the show is going to go on indefinitely, and also like comics, you're going to have high points and low points. The MCU doesn't seem to know what it wants to be now -- which kind of makes the multiverse aspect of it work, in that it can go all over the place.

That said - I have to wonder if there's just so many things going on now, the center won't hold. It's okay if some of these superheroes aren't connected to everything else that's going on.

A lot of people are concerned about quality, but I mean, the first ten years of the MCU was hit and miss, too. The older movies, though, had the benefit of being much better constructed than the dreck that happened in the early 2000s.

I'm really ready for the return of mutants - the X-Men have always been my favorite. I'm super curious as to how they're going to bring them in. And yes, I'm excited for the X-Men 97 animated series. But I'm really waiting to see all of this live. I'd really love for a really, really good X-Men movie -- something I don't think we've ever really had.

There were a lot of open spots among phase six -- while I think a lot of them will end up being sequels of things already announced (i'm sure Shang Chi 2 will be there), I'm interested to see if they'll bring anyone new in.

I'm curious as to what's going to happen to Spidey -- and just dread what Sony's end of the bargain calls for.

Okay, so out of everything they announced, some quick thoughts...

The Movies

Wakanda Forever - This looks like it's going to be a beautiful film. I think it's going to be very women heavy, and I'm excited about that. It's also going to introduce Namor, and omg, I hope he's as bitchy in the films as he is in the comics. Maybe not, since this film looks as though it'll be serious, but Namor is a great character, and I think it'll be fun to finally see him on screen.

Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantum Realm - This film is going to be bonkers. I'm interested in seeing it, but like all the Ant-Man films, I'm not rushing out to buy tickers.

GOTG 3 - To be honest, I like the Guardians, but I'm not all that attached to them, or their stories. I'm honestly okay that this seems to be the end of the line with them.

The Marvels - I am curious as to where this goes. I've heard very little about this project, and am sort of concerned sometimes with the character because I'm not so sure MCU knows what to do with her.

Blade - I really don't care about vampire hunting, but if the original trio wasn't that bad (and those were not good films) I could appreciate a good version.

Captain America New World Order - I think I'll need to have more info before I have much of an opinion. I do think Sam will be a fine Cap. I'd also like more Bucky!

Thunderbolts - So this is the MCU's version of Suicide Squad. It could be really awesome. Or it could be just too much The Eternals. Curious to see who the characters will be.

Fantastic Four - *sigh* I just don't care about the F4. I just hope it's a good film. Whatever it is.

Avengers Kang Dynasty - I'm calling it now, this film is going to be a lot like Infinity War -- Kang will win at the end of this film.

Avengers Secret Wars - I really can't believe they're going here. (Actually I can) The Secret Wars comics were a gigantic mess. The story was stupid, and the whole point of it was to show a lot of characters beating each other up in order to sell toys. Unless they sell me on a very good story - the Avengers Season Two finale is going to be a mess.

The TV Shows

She Hulk - You know what, the trailers have sold me. I had no interest in it before that. But I am here for it being a comedy, and I am here to see the legal side of the MCU, cause it's going to be nuts.

Secret Invasion - Idk, it's going to be about the skrulls poising as people. I'm not a huge fan of the idea, so we'll see.

Loki S2 - I am looking forward to this! I loved Loki Season 1, and I enjoy time travel stories, so I hope the second season is just as good.

Ironheart - I am super curious, and maybe a little weary, of what they'll do here. Ironheart is from the Iron Man part of the comics universe. I kind of wonder if this will be a bit like Ms. Marvel, and aimed at a younger audience.

Echo - I'm not all that interested in this one, though I did like Kate Bishop in Hawkeye, so I'm happy to see the character back again.

Agatha: Coven of Chaos - I don't fully understand why this is a thing. I think Katherine Hahn will be a delight, but I honestly don't care about the project.

Daredevil - I'm super curious about how this will play out! I did like the Netflix Daredevil, and I think Charlie Cox is great in the role. 18 episodes seems looong though.

Spidey Freshman Year - Tom Holland isn't voicing it, and I have a feeling it's going to be aimed at a younger audience, so I'm not as interested in it as you might expect.

What If S2 - I didn't really like the first season all that much -- it's just too dark. We'll see.

#mcu #my thoughts #it'll be interesting

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onesemesterfilmstudentta · 3 months

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Film #8: Late Chrysanthemums

I read the original short story for one of Professor Smith's class and I just absolutely adore how this film chose to adapt Okin's story. The original had such a long narrative informing the readers of Okin's rather turbulent childhood and luck in becoming the cold but well-off money lender she appears in the movie. It's the classic "info-dump" all for the sake of the confrontation between Okin and Tabe, where she realizes she can't return to a happy, nostalgic past with him anymore. In fact, Tabe even considers killing Okin, who is all alone in the world but plenty rich, because he and she both know no one would really miss or mourn her. I think that inner monologue from Tabe is the part of the movie I feel a little sad about as it got left out. In the movie too, Okin was always observant and focused on protecting herself so this moment where she had to negotiate her safety with Tabe was a little gut-wrenching.

However, the film still nailed the theme of being alone. I don't think Otomi or Tamae were a part of the original story but I enjoyed watching their part. Penniless and working hard to fend for themselves, the one advantage they have over Okin is being mothers. The scene at the end of the movie as the two of them drinking and grievong over their children abandoning them might seem ironic but these two women are still together as friends! They live in the same home, Otomi cares for the sick Tamae, and they comfort each other as they feel the same sorrow. Neither of them are alone and that is something Okin can not compete with. In fact, it's a little interesting that Okin has a problem with men because of Seki but Okin's problem with other women seems to stem from money insecurity and the desire to retire peacefully.

Another thing this film does differently from the original story is make Okin a much more sympathetic character. Don't get me wrong- Okin is still quite selfish and shallow about her own looks. Like the film, she spent a lot of time getting herself ready and presentable for Tabe. She even injected hormones into herself as Otomi and Tamae kept complaining about. However, her past with Seki and the harm he did to her was not part of the original story. Okin was simply yearning for her past beauty and had thought Tabe had become ugly after so much time had passed. He wasn't her wonderful young and handsome soldier anymore. However, her distrust of men seems to come from the betrayal she suffered at Seki's hands. Aside from Okin saying he tried to murder her and the other characters saying it was a failed suicide, the actual events are not discussed. This is only a guess but I think Seki had been dealing with outside issues, like money problems or soldier problems, and wanted to die a lovers' suicide with Okin to get away from it all. However, he never got her consent and so what she witnessed instead was her one true love attempting to murder her for no apparent reason. Anyone would be terrified at that! That must be why she avoids Seki and maybe her one attempt at fixing her own loneliness was supposed to lie in Tabe.

The scene with Tabe is very interesting. She fixes herself up, feeds him food and wine, and plays the samisen for him. It does not play out like a tearful reunion between lovers. It plays out as if she were still performing a geisha role for him. He's not attached to Okin, the woman, but Okin the geisha. He always asks about her patron after all and he assumes it's because of a patron that she can live so well.

Well, the last observation I would like to make is how all the woman are workers in this film. Otomi the washer-woman, Tamae the maid, Okin the money-lender, the deaf girl as a live-in maid, and even that wife who helps her husband run their restaurant. If not to feed and house themselves, then for the sake of their future. What woman doesn't work for their own living?

Their friendship is so good. The "Monroe Walk", man...

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rachelbethhines · 5 months

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60 Years of Doctor Who Anniversary Marathon - McGann 3rd Review

The Adventures of Henrietta Street - Novel

Well that sucked.

I don't know why, but I was under the impression that the BBC Eighth Doctor books were generally more well regarded than the previous Virgin New Adventures. I assumed that this was because they were less try-hard edgy and fake mature because there was more BBC oversight.

I was wrong.

The Adventures of Henrietta Street is every bit as tasteless, offensive, and immature as any NA I've ever read. Worse... it's even more pretentious than any NA I've ever read, and that's really saying something!

But I'm getting ahead of myself... what is the book about?

So Gallifrey has recently been destroyed... Not by the Time War, but in some other conflict. Something to do with alternate dimensions... It's okay though cause eventually the books will reverse this decision just in time for RTD to destroy the planet again in the revival series. (No wonder he likes Chibnall's own retcon of Gallifrey's alive status.)

Therefore, cut off from his home and the Tardis, the Doctor falls ill and finds refuge in a late 1700s house of prostitution. He befriends the girls working there, and they become his 'army' against a new foe that has slipped through the cracks between dimensions now that the Time Lords are no longer around to hold them back.

His plan is to make an uneasy alliance with all the witches of the world and one man who wishes to replace the Doctor and become a Time Lord himself. And to accomplish this, the Doctor has to get married.

Did I lose you yet?

Yeah, by this time, like with the NAs, the BBC books were becoming more and more insular as they tried to appeal to their current audience of hardcore fans rather than trying to make the series accessible. So there's a lot of backstory and lore that the novel just expects you to already know.

It's not impossible to follow if, like me, you haven't read all the books up to this point, but it's not a very inviting read.

Then there's the issue with the book's 'gimmick'. Save for the opening chapter, the entire book is written like a bad History Channel documentary. You know the kind, the ones that claim aliens built the pyramids and that President Kennedy is secretly still alive.

It's annoying. I would have prefer to read the story in pure letter form like Dracula or just have a normal telling. Trying to do both with a Lemony Snicket type narrator doesn't work... mainly cause the author takes himself way too seriously.

Also I hope you don't like actual science fiction, cause none of it is to be found here. The story doesn't even pay lip service to it. It's pure fantasy with the Doctor as a wizard and ordinary humans capable of real ass magic with no explanation at all.

Oh and the female orgasm can stop time and summon daemons, apparently....

This is the part that really offends. I mean I don't care for the gore and burning the innocent priest alive on a cross is perhaps a step too tactless... but claiming women have magical powers just because they're women smacks of that second wave girl power bullshit that drives me up the damn wall every single time.

Placing women on a pedestal rather than treating them like real human beings is every bit as offensive as telling them they belong in the kitchen.

Oh and there's an unpleasant subplot where the Doctor is grooming a 16 year old girl to marry him.

To be fair, it's not intended to be romantic/sexual in any way, and he doesn't actually go through with it. But that's only because the girl runs away, and we're supposed to see this act of agency as a 'betrayal' or some shit.

It's gross.

Also it doesn't even really matter cause he winds up marrying someone else anyway and it's dubious as to if said wedding was even necessary. Like what does it actually accomplish narrative wise other then to transport everyone to the demon dimension... even though it's established in the story that there are plenty of other ways to get there?

And I'm not even going into the stupidly of the Doctor's rival being able to transplant one of the Doctor's hearts into his own chest and that magically giving him time travel. In fact everything about Sabbath is beyond dumb and I hope to never come across the character ever again.

Anything else? ... Oh yes, the Doctor's wife reminds me of River Song and not in a good way. Moffat really didn't have an original concept to his name, did he?

So yeah, I don't recommend this one at all. Hopefully the next story will be more fun.

#doctor who #eighth doctor #paul mcgann #fritz #anji #bbc

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xoteajays · 8 months

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I have another new husband again.. Maybe I do tend to get infatuated easily over someone. Way more than I would like to admit to anyone.

Exactly. There have been plenty of shows and movies that I'd actually watched where the blend multiple genres into the story. Like.. Alice In Borderland and Tokyo Revengers are only two examples when comes to this. Arisu and Usagi are romantically involved, and they do end up getting married (and also started a family) in the sequels - their whole ship with them is more slow burn romance. The relationships for a lot of the TR characters, that really varies on the relationships though.

I've seen Junji Ito's work. But I have never watched the anime, or read the manga. Though I've seen plenty of his work. Actually.. There's one of my favorite musicians has tattoos of Junji Ito's work, and Junji also did artwork for that same musician in his art gallery too. So that's just a whole win win situation for both of them. That I could really think of.

I have been mostly rewatching the original three movies, besides the shows. Not that I won't watch the other movies though. But between the show and those movies, that is where the original casting is when writing about them. So I've been watching that timeline more though.

Not at the moment.. No knew information about my characters at the moment, at least not for my H&L characters. But I'll tell you when I do though. That might take some time for me to figure some things out.

Maybe? And Ryu's mother. So far, that is two women that I know of in Kuryu group. I'll have to start paying attention to them again anyway.. Especially if I decide to flesh out any more of the other gangs like the Kuryu and possibly Warriors too. Maybe for some characters at least.

As someone who tends to always hold grudges against people, I can't say that I would actually blame her if she never wanted her mother as a mother after the life she went through. Abandoned, used or abused. That's a horrible life to live. So I can't blame the decision she chooses.

What's her relationship to Smoky? Is he a friend, a brother? Because I know everyone in Nameless City is one giant family for most of them, but was curious about their actual relationship between those two.

If she was willing to give up her valuables to save Smoky, and anyone else, who needs medical care. Medicine and medical supplies are just some necessities for everyone but are extremely expensive though.

If I ever get around to writing my High&Low story.. I was thinking that the timeline would start between the end of season two, before those movies. That's what I was thinking. Since the drama from the show is caught up with the characters - like Hyuga being out of prison, any of the turf wars, the fighting between the SWORD gangs. That would be over. So that was the idea I had in mind for the timeline for my story.

I have only been in three relationships my whole life. And everyone of the guys I was in a relationship with cheated on me, so I become very idealistic about the concept of relationships. Fictional men are always better then real men. At least from my personal experience anyway.

But yes! "Someone you claim to care about." Is a phrase I always say a lot in situations like this. If you claim to love them, then just don't hurt them. But if you're so unhappiness, they should have really ended the relationship then. Because this is never ideal for the people involved.

I forgot how much younger you are than me..

The actress might be a young person but she should have known not to do something like that. But, apparently, she did pay compensation.

"In May 2022, Kim Sae-ron was driving under the influence in Gangnam-gu, Seoul around 8:00 am, she crashed into several structures including transformers, guard rails and street trees. In the crash, the transformer broke down, and the electricity supply was cut off for about 3 hours at 57 places including nearby shops, causing damage to merchants. The following day, her agency, Gold Medalist released a statement saying that, "Kim Sae-ron is deeply reflecting on her apparent mistake. The damage caused by the crash is being compensated as much as possible. I will do my best to take responsibility until the end."

It was later reported that she left the project in the television series Trolley. On November 4, 2022, it was reported all the money that Kim had accumulated during her activities was used as compensation in the crash handling and settlement process, and she had a part-time job. Later, Gold Medalist confirmed that Kim Sae-ron had a part-time job because her life was difficult, but currently has stopped.

On March 8, 2023, the prosecutor of Seoul Central District Court asked for a fine of 20 million won. Later, Kim appealed for leniency due to financial difficulties and requested a fine of 4 million won from Mr. A, who was riding with her."

Because of her actions, she left two projects that she was producing at the time of the incident. Trolley and Bloodhounds were the shows.

But still. You would think that people who have common sense not to do something like this. Damaging any property, harming humans and animals. But people never surprise me when things like this happen.

oooh new guy?? 👀

release the romance cut, h&l! i wanna see kisses!! kizzykaito especially but i’ll settle for yamato and naomi.

the anime is a lil hit or miss, some people are very critical of it. i’m easily entertained though so i don’t mind that, but just saying. the manga books are very good tho. i’ve read most of his short stories/anthologies but i’m interested in his longform stuff too.

hyuga’s eventually like ‘eh, parents right? they suck’. i haven’t decided if ryuko actually talks to her mother or not, but i know if she did, it would be an explanation about her mother’s relationship with her kuryu father and her actual biological father; she’d probably apologise. ryuko doesn’t want to meet her biological father either tho, and would reject an apology. very grudge holding, even if it hurts.

smokey and hinami definitely have a bit of a sibling relationship. they’re not as close as smokey and lala, but hinami does view him as an older brother. she cares about him a lot and respects him. he helped look after her and sat with her a lot when she was first abandoned and recovering from her amputation. he was a comforting figure in her life, so it hits her really hard - like for all the other rude boys - when he’s killed.

i don’t know where exactly hinami’s story starts, but ryuko’s starts around the end of red rain when ryu goes back to kuryu and kills kamizono to take his spot.

since i haven’t been in any relationships, i guess i can be pretty idealistic about how relationships should be. i think i just assume that people have the same morals as me and that’s not usually the case.

people just need to break up and stop cheating on their partners.

repping born in 98!

well at least she’s trying to take responsibility more than just apologising. i know young people do dumb shit, but still, it’s such an obvious thing to not drink and drive. just get a taxi home! call a friend! stop risking your own lives and other people’s lives! there are still so many deaths caused by drunk drivers every year and it’s always so stupid and avoidable.

#tj answers #long post //#long post anon

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darklingichor · 2 years

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A Deal with the Devil, by Mark Cain

Third book in the Circles of Hell series

I'm not sure I liked this one as much as the first two. I liked the first two because they had plots, which on the surface, were very simple.

Hell's escalator broke down, Hell's HVAC system is on the fritz, our intrepid handy man Steve and his sidekick Orson Wells need to fix the problem. Because this is hell and nothing is as easy as pulling out the owners manual and a screwdriver, the job leaves plenty if room for highjinks to ensue.

Of course, just like Robert Asprin's Myth series, I know that these aren't meant to be episodic adventures where the last story has no bearing on the next ( though if any setting could get away with that, I would think it would be this cartoon like version of hell). I knew from a few chapters into the first book, there was going to be character development. And where there is character development there is pain for the character experiencing the growth. This isn't a bad thing, but since I read the Myth series I tend to dread when a huge turning point happens in a humorous series.

The Myth books started taking themselves way too seriously, it turned into a lot of characters pouting for extended periods of time. I mean, one whole book is about a character running away rather than ask if there has been a misunderstanding. Usually in comedy this makes for a pretty good adventure with plenty of laughs. But this book sort of turned into the "very special episode " and that tone never really went away, and the series never really recovered its fun. At least in my opinion.

So, while this book isn't bad, and is still really funny, it's heavy.

I can't do much to avoid spoilers for the last two books since this plot is really ties into them.

People Steve care about are vanishing all across the circles of the damned. Hell's chief of police has deputiezed Steve and Orson to find out what's happening. While trying to find their friends, Steve has to endure temptation.

See, over the course of the first two books, Satan has decided that he wants Steve to become a demon.

Damned souls have to *choose* of their own free will to become demons. Steve doesn't want to join the ranks of Hell's foot soldiers. He doesn't want to torment people and he doesn't want to lose his humanity. He's stuck to his guns even though life for a demon is better than for a damned soul. They don't get hit in the face with a pie and blasted with hell fire when they express a sincere emotion. The elevator comes when they call it, their houses aren't roach infested. None of this temps him. But while Steve is out looking for his friends, Satan has told every demon and devil to give a pitch. He could have good food, relaxation, women!

So that's the plot. Steve trying to track down missing souls and being tempted by demonhood every step of the way.

There's a lot of talk about free will, imortal souls and morality between the slapstick and puns. I enjoyed it, I just hope that it the next books don't go all mopey on me.

#books #book #book blogging 2022 #A Deal with the Devil #Mark Cain #humor

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joshslater · 3 years

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Dionysus

Similar stories and bonus material on my Patreon.

I was very hesitant when he picked me up at the nightclub. I could feel the disappointment and outright hostility from all the women and a lot of the men as the God walked up to me, started to make out, and then asked if I was up for some fun. That's what you get away with when no one ever says "no" I thought. With his incredibly handsome face, black hair, and athletic build that was probably not a word he was used to hearing. It would be impossible for him to know I was into guys, and coming on so strong could land you in hot water or rather knocked cold on the floor. Turns out he could know, and there was more to him than just utter handsomeness and unparalleled confidence. Way more.

It was back at his place he asked me if I could look like someone else, who would I pick? That's a game I've played many times before, so I instantly knew to answer Marco Albieri, the soccer player. He raised an eyebrow, took a step from me, and asked me why. "I don't know what it is about soccer players, but something about the game makes their bodies stunningly handsome. And Marco is just a step above the rest." He smiled a bright smile, made a dramatic gesture, and I was Marco. Looked exactly like him at least. It took me a moment to even realize what had just happened, but I could see myself in the full-length mirror. Or I couldn't, I should say. I saw Marco Albieri in full Paris Saint-Germain F.C. game kit. Mesmerized I took a step closer to the mirror, and Marco on the other side of the glass stepped closer as well. I looked just like him, my wettest, wankiest dream. I'd come so many times to exactly this fantasy. There was even a sheen of post-game sweat making all the skin glistening in his hallway designer lights.

He approached me from behind, still handsome but now by a much narrower margin. "You ready to fuck?" I didn't even answer but just turned around and kissed him. He wasn't shy in grouping me back. What followed was the longest fuck fest I've ever been part of. We went from room to room. It was like this body had limitless stamina, though it was the body of Marco after all, but an insatiable horny lust as well. Perhaps he had that too. It wasn't until early morning I fell asleep next to him, exhausted.

It was almost noon when I woke up, disoriented by everything. It was like it wasn't until now the craziness and impossibility of last night hit me. I could see Marco Albieri in the mirror at the other side of the bedroom, without shirt, and the most unkempt hair I had ever seen him with. I knew for a fact the secret hairstyling trick was body fluids. I suddenly felt very uneasy and exposed. Vulnerable even. I was here on vacation. How could I leave if I didn't look like my passport? How could I leave this building looking like Marco? There would be fans stopping me instantly. What the fuck am I thinking about? I'm erased from the world. No one I know, no one in my family would recognize me. Could I convince them I'm me and not a millionaire soccer player? Perhaps. But my life would be so complicated.

That's when he lazily strolled into the bedroom, completely naked showing off his chiseled body, one mug in each hand.

"You did this! How the fuck did you do this? You can't leave me like this!" "Morning!"

He handed me one of the mugs. On reflex I took a large sip of coffee only to discover it was red wine. It took me by surprise and I almost sprayed his white sheets with red mist of wine, but instead got some down my lungs and started to cough.

"Is this really the best you can think of?" he said. At first I had no idea what he meant. Then, still coughing, I realized it was my body again. The one I used to fly here, check into the hotel, and go out to nightclubs with.

"I... It's awfully inconvenient if I tried to leave with a different body." "That's it? That's the only reason?"

I felt stupid and unsure what to say. I liked my body, so why was it so hard to defend it? He took a large sip from his coffee mug of wine and climbed into bed next to me, but standing on his knees looking down on me.

"When's your flight back?" "Eh, in... On Sunday." "Plenty of time to let loose. How about going to the beach like this?"

This time I noticed the shift. The bed sagged down a bit under the extra load and I didn't even have to look in the mirror to see the freakish muscles. Two huge chest muscles peeked into my field of vision, and moving my arm I could see it was thicker than what my legs used to be.

I felt light-headed as we walked down to the beach. Probably the wine. He was subtle and classy, black Nike sneakers, black boardshorts, and a white T-shirt. I was anything but subtle. Probably twice his mass, annoying flip flops that flipped and flopped every step, white compression shorts that looked blindingly bright against my deep tan, a purple thong that peeked up over the rim of the shorts by the hips, visible because the neon yellow tank top was cropped above the belly button to show off the abs. The stringer waved for every step as my obscene pecs push out the yellow fabric like a hanging flag. It touched my body in surprisingly few places. Top of the traps and the nipples more or less.

After spending a few hours getting everyone passing by on the beach to turn their heads to observe the freak show he asked me to play floatation device for him. We went out in the water and did our best to have sex just outside where the waves broke. I think anyone who paid close attention could tell what we did, but no one could be really sure. He didn't appear to care.

"I made you something," he whispered. "What?" "A surfer," he said and begun walking towards the beach. As I wiped my long hair out of my face I understood he changed me again. No more shaved head, no more enormous meat slab. I still had a six-pack, I was still 6'-something, and my skin was deeply tanned, but that's about where the similarities ended. "Why?" I asked as I lied down on the beach towel next to his. "First dive bar opens soon, and I thought this would play better to the crowd." I was feeling woozy. "We want to play to the crowd?" He reached over and squeezed the pec closest to him. "Well, make them jealous at least."

There was something nagging at the edge of my thoughts. Some question I felt I needed to ask. I just couldn't quite put it into coherent thought.

"Did you drug me?" He made a high-pitched "Mmmm" sound. "Just a bit. To fit with the rest. Just go with it."

I shut my eyes, relaxed, and let his hand stroke me. I don't know how long we lied like that. Not too long, because the sun hadn't moved that much, but I sure did dozed off.

"Come on!" he said, like it was asking me to hurry up for the third time. A bit confused I got up from the beach towel. I wore a pair of eye-popping turquoise board shorts with black pattern and trim. Neon turquoise, if such a color was a thing. I knew it had a real trade name, but somehow it kept slipping my mind. They had a good fit, not loose, not tight, but rode low on my lithe body. Fuzzy pubes peeked out over the waistband, like a little forest edge where the treasure trail from the belly button ended. I looked around for a shirt or something to put on, but there was nothing except for a pair of flip-flops. These didn't look as cheap and fit much better than the previous pair though.

"Is that it?" I asked incredulously. "What more do you need?" he said, and looked at me like he wanted me for dinner. "Come!"

The bar wasn't far away and already busy when we arrived. He almost danced in, basically dragging me in, holding my hand. I was woozy from whatever I was drugged with, but in a way that made everything look amazing to me. In any direction I looked I was delighted by what I saw, no matter how mundane. The bar was not even half full and everyone looked as relaxed as you would expect from a bar half a block from the beach, though no one else was bare-chested. The decor was a random mix of styles, as expected by a dive bar. Tables for two or four were lined up in front of the bar at the back of the room. From a backroom somewhere behind it pumped music. I looked at my watch to see if it was already dance time, but I was only wearing a red nylon cord as a bracelet.

"You must be thirsty after a day in the sun," he said and handed me an Aperol Spritz. I could have sworn he hadn't left me for the bar, but then I didn't really trust my senses. We took a table for four and sat next to each other, facing the rest of the room. "So, tell me about your day," he continued, as if he hadn't been there for all of it.

For whatever reason I found it hard to figure out where to start, like it was all jumbled together despite nothing of consequence had happened. I began to describe how I had woken up in bed and how he surprised me with breakfast. How I had mistaken the red wine for coffee. I could feel his hand moving down my abs and into my board shorts. As he pulled out my erect cock from the shorts my immediate thought was of surprise. I hadn't realized I was hard. I continued to talk about how we went to the beach, while he was jerking me off with one hand under the table. It then hit me that I had no idea what my dick looked like, if it was big or small. I had never seen it. He had transformed me somehow into this surfer. How could I have forgotten something so monumental.

At that point I shot my load under the table. Four or five large pumps. I was suddenly aware again that there were people around us, and looking around tried to figure out if any of them could see I had my dick out. At the same time I was still feeling high or whatever it was. "I'll get a refill," he said, stood up and headed for the bar. I decided to put my dick back into the shorts.

"Hey, dude. Is he like your boyfriend?" someone standing next to me asked. How long had he been there? He was handsome, not quite as tall as I was now, but more muscled. The tight billabong shirt didn't hide much. "Him? No. We just..." I was trying to think of a good word. I wasn't sure what he was, or what was happening at all really. "Wanna check out the dance floor?" "Yeah... Yeah, I would."

I followed him towards the bar, and away to the side into the dance room. It was far from packed, but we were not alone at least. Immediately I regretted following him there, even before he started moving to the music. Once he did I knew I would look silly. I started to mimic his moves best I could. He smiled a crooked smile, though not an unkind one, when he saw what I was doing. He leaned forward and barely audible over the music asked "Are you up for a second round?"

"What do you mean?" I asked back. "I saw what that other dude did to you. I live nearby, if you want to try something that isn't over in minutes."

In the door opening I see him standing with two large drinks in his hands. He looks emotionless, which in itself was a scary contrast to how he looked before. He then drinks one of the drinks in one go, then immediately empties the other one as well. No sooner has he turned away with two empty glasses when I feel a desperate need to take a piss. He's fucking with me.

"Don't go anywhere," I say and dash towards to men's room.

It's empty. I go to the lone urinal and yank my dick out of the white thong. I'm confused, but happy I got there in time to relieve myself. Why am I wearing only a white thong to a bar? As the piss is streaming for longer than I can ever recall I look down my bare smooth legs and find a pair of eye-catching red hightops. When I'm finally done I have a look at myself in the mirror. Cute, young Latino boy with a red baseball cap on his unkempt hair, and a grey shirt. The shirt in a way makes the thong stand out even more and look intentionally inappropriate. Perfect!

I return to the dance floor and find the guy waiting. "There you are. Let's go!" he says, almost demanding. He doesn't say anything on the way to his apartment two blocks away. I keep looking his way, and it feels like my dick is growing bigger every time I look at those muscled arms. His pace is brisk without being conspicuous, he clearly wants us to get to his place as quickly as possible without being seen. In through an unlocked entrance, up two flights of stairs, and in through his apartment door.

As soon as he whisked me in and closed the door behind us he grabs me, shoves me into the wall next to us, and forcefully kisses me on my mouth. "You fucking whore! I'm so fucking horny you better know what you're doing."

He snores loudly again. I had tried to ignore it to spend a few more hours in the bed, but it's getting pointless to try to sleep any more. I carefully get up and get dressed. No need for a shower, now that everything dried. I make a final check I got everything with me that I brought in. There is that nagging feeling that I'm missing something. Well, whatever it was it can't be important. Quietly I exit his apartment and make my way out of the building. I feel restless being so quiet and calm, like it is unnatural for me to be that way. I basically explode in emotions as I exit the building and literally dance down the last few steps.

I try to think what to do next. My mind is like a spinning punch bowl of thoughts and I'm only able to fish out simple verbs. Party! Drink! Dance! Fuck! The sun is barely up, but perhaps I can find some nightclub still open.

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walkuntilthedaylight · 3 years

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The people have spoken! How can I not give them what they want?

I'm gonna put this all under a cut, since it's a bit long, and also because it's highly interpretative/speculative and not everyone likes those kinds of posts as they can be rather subjective and, I suppose, invasive. I want to give two major caveats to my thoughts below: first is that I tend not to buy the idea that Paul was the "stable/normal" Beatle, mostly b/c I view marijuana dependency and workaholism as addictions and I take them pretty seriously. Second is that I really do love this kind of tabloid/gossip/personal account shit; I think it should be taken with a handful of salt, but I don't think it should be entirely dismissed out of hand either. I read this stuff like I'm piling up sheets of stained glass: I'm intrigued by the places where the colours blend and overlap, and ignore things that fall outside the prism. Anyway, let's dig in:

Okay, so what I found fascinating about 'Body Count' is that it's one of the only sources which observes Paul McCartney's mental health during the period between the India trip and when the band breakup really got rolling. I think it's overall a fairly self-absorbed text that definitely has some lies and exaggerations peppered in there to make things spicier and more dramatic, but its broad characterization - as I mentioned in my first post - isn't exactly libelous or out of left field. Some elements that make me think it's generally if not wholly authentic are: Paul's simultaneously forceful and dorky seduction style, his terrible Liverpool diet and poor housekeeping, the bouts of thrill-seeking recklessness, avoidant adventure crafting, dark moods when drinking non-socially, the occasional hot and cold bouts with the Apple Scuffs camped out at his gate, and the way in which he underplays his drug habit, which is SO "in truthfulness we spent most of the filming of Help! slightly stoned":

These details are so bizarrely specific and have significant overlap with both sympathetic and spurned personal accounts of Paul I've read in the past, so I believe Francie is just telling "Her Version Of The Truth" here rather than crafting a piece of pure fiction. The most important and revealing anecdote in the book is this one.

There's no reason not to believe this is a fairly accurate representation of something that actually happened, imo, since we know that anxious purse strings were an ongoing issue in the unusual turnover rate within the band Wings, and there are plenty of confirmed and rumoured cases alike of extended family members feeling entitled to a "piece of the pie"; this is just like, the kind of thing that happens to working class people who get catapulted into fame and fortune. And Paul in particular already had deep-seated financial anxiety for whatever reasons he'll never fully admit (as is his right, but I think his offhand claim that he "once heard some adults arguing about money and that's why" might actually be alluding to having heard some adults - y'know, like his parents - arguing over money fairly frequently). What esp interests me about the anecdote is the way Paul seems to connect the conflict b/t his dual "identities" with these financial expectations. Perhaps the CAPSLOCK emotional hysteria related in the book is puffed up for drama, but it does bring to mind one of the most revealing comments Linda ever made about their relationship, which is that Paul needed to be told he would still be loved when the cameras weren't rolling. And that's the thing: Francie caught Paul at the exact moment that the pillars of his Smile-For-The-Camera "Beatle" identity were collapsing; the dissolution of his relationships with John and Jane.

Whatever all this could possibly mean re: the breakup of the Lennon-McCartney partnership is a post for another time. What I wanna do instead is apply the level of speculation we usually reserve for that relationship to the endpoint of Paul and Jane's courtship.

So like, Paul and Jane: I know people are resistant to this specific POV, but I honestly just don't... think it was that deep? "Not deep", mind you, doesn't mean "not significant". Paul was obviously Jane's first love (u never forget), but the feeling I get from Paul's side (as a subconscious process I mean) is that Jane's importance was primarily as a lynchpin in his London Socialite persona. He loved her family, he loved the friend group, the artistic scene dating her gave him access to, as well as the leg up he got in the class system, etc. He liked to be the kind of guy who was dating Jane Asher. But I don't know that he was the guy who was dating Jane Asher, you get me? When people describe their "great love" they accidentally tell on them (Cynthia innocently describing Paul as being pleased to have her on his arm like a trophy; John: "it was an ordinary love scene"; Alistair Taylor noting that Paul was humiliated by the breakup). Paul's a serial monogamist who U-Hauls like a lesbian, of course, so he definitely took the relationship VERY seriously, but it's telling that all of his love songs to her were either about hitting a brick wall in arguments (certainly not dreamy, fond, yearning of "sunday morning fights about saturday night"; and occasionally expressing hints of class tension too), or completely non-descript Guy With A Guitar Trying To Get Laid shit. I could extrapolate a lot about Linda just from listening to McCartney I/RAM and the Wings discography, but 'And I Love Her' doesn't tell me a single thing about Jane besides that she's pretty. It could be about literally anyone the same way 'My Love' or 'Maybe I'm Amazed' could only be about his dynamic with Linda. Some of this is obviously the natural result of getting older and gaining emotional maturity; what I'm saying is that Paul's behaviour and self-expression in this relationship does not suggest to me that it was one in which his emotional maturity was able to develop or flourish.

I want to stress again that I don't think this belittles the significance of the relationship or makes it "bad" or "fake". Like, sometimes hot people just date for a while in their teens and twenties and love each other without necessarily unlocking their inner emotional cores, usually because they don't know how to. It's, like, fine. You need to experience relationships like that as stepping stones. I simply believe that this sort of front-facing social importance being prime in the romance is a major factor in why it ultimately didn't work (and probably in Linda's reported lingering jealousy of Jane, who wasn't just an ex, but also a symbol of the life Paul ditched to build a new identity w/ her, and sometimes still pined for). With Jane, Paul was dating the "right" kind of girl (didn't put out on the first date, erudite and middle class, as serious about her career as he was, a good "celebrity" match), but the relationship often wasn't doing what he wanted it to do. Francie's observation is that by 1968 it also wasn't doing what he needed it to do either. This is the overwhelming "mood" in her affair with Paul McCartney: that he needed something very badly from a romantic partner that he just was NOT getting, and Francie couldn't figure out what it was either:

(note that she means "queer" as in "mad", not "gay")

This was an EXTREMELY roundabout way of asking: well, what WAS it that Paul needed a relationship to do for him? And I think this is Francie's big, accidental insight. The most scandalous claim in 'Body Count' is that Paul told Francie that he hit Jane and it "turned her on".

I personally think this is p. absurd absent any real proof to back it up, but like, what is Francie actually saying HE'S saying here? If she's exaggerating or lying, she's trying to make it believable within the psychological parameters laid out, right? It's not an expression of some secret desire to dominate women she's accusing him of, but emotional disturbance and confusion at the idea that the woman he was with might like that sort of forceful, masculine violence more than his softer, feminine side, which he was - yeah, we all know it - deeply insecure about.

Regardless of whether specific details are true or false (and I think there's both in this story, all hyper-magnified to make it, y'know, a ~STORY~), I think what might be true is the emotional undertow of the retelling, that this all taken together is actually representative of the side of Paul McCartney she was exposed to, at a time when his public and private facades had both become unbearable to the point of cracking and the drug-fueled optimism of the Summer of Love was getting scrubbed off of everyone and everything. It's the Paul McCartney who eviscerated frogs because he was worried he was too "soft" for compulsory military service. The Paul who modelled his masculine teen behaviour off John Lennon's fake "Marlon Brando" swagger, but was actually more fond of the velvet "Oscar Wilde" interior.

What's SO FASCINATING about all this to me, is I deeply believe that one of the key factors in what makes The Beatles music so unique and compelling is that both the songwriters experienced psychological strain from the tension b/t their parochial socially-defensive "masculine" pride, and their sensitive "feminine" core, the latter of which they were able to express in the unburdened emotionality of their music. The reason I care about doing these totally unhinged psych analyses is because I do think it reveals something about the underpinnings of the music, as well as the reasons why the band was such a hysteria-inducing phenomenon (the rise of psychology, imo, is almost as important as the rise of industrialization as a defining factor of the modern and postmodern eras; mass psychology can be understood and wielded in precise ways, and The Beatles were one of the first empires built on that). The subconscious drives caused by this tension have been ENDLESSLY picked apart re: John's psyche, but Paul's "mirrored" issues are very under-discussed (mostly b/c he's still alive so people are a little more leery about putting him on the "couch" as a historical figure). 'Body Count', intentionally or not, painted a portrait to me of someone who was drowning in their own ill-fitting celebrity "suit", collapsing under the weight of "Being" "Paul McCartney". A guy who desperately needed some sort of space to be vulnerable without feeling emasculated for doing it. By 1968, there was no one in his life anymore - and maybe there hadn't been for a while, or ever - who was giving him this space.

In other words: the thing he needed to avoid going "stark raving queer and killing himself" was simply someone who would love him 'after the ball'.

EDIT: read the comments for further clarification and discussion! ;)

#/#//#///#////#/////#the beatles #mccharmley #analysis #long post #Talking About Paul The Way I Talk About John lmfao #Taking Tabloid Bullshit Seriously #(if not literally)#*gets out my fake spectacles and jumps into the psychiatry armchair*#idk if i laid out my thoughts v well here but i hope it satisfied all the people who asked #i also tried to warn what genre of post it was for those who hate this kinda thing lol #i feel like i have more to say re: how toxic 'The Beatle' facade got for all of them by this point #and paul and john's mirrored post-india breakdowns #but francie's perspective is specifically on how it felt to be the girl he used to divebomb his relationship with jane asher SO

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euphoriyoongi · 3 years

Text

♥︎ So this is Love ♥︎ k.s.j

A Cinderella Story

Requested by: @baby-mochi123

♥︎ Summary:

As an orphan living with your late fathers disgrace of a wife and two step sisters, you’re hidden away from the world. That is, until the King gets inpatient for grandchildren, and invites all maidens to the royal ball.

♥︎ Genre: royalty au, Cinderella-themed, love at first sight, comedy

♥︎ Word count: 5.6k

♥︎ Warnings: none

m.list

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once upon a time in a far away land, there was tiny kingdom…

Ever since your father died, life has been rough.

You could barely remember the times you used to play in the grass fields with your mother, or the time you ripped the bottom of your dress as you fell.

Those memories were distant. Nearly gone. Your father remarried after your mother died, and the woman he married was more of a devil than anything. She would act all sweet to you when your father was around, but behind closed doors she disgraced and belittled you.

When your father passed away, she became more evil than before, which was hard to imagine. She was already so terrifying, but now it seemed as though she had something against you.

You were fully grown now, able to do everything for yourself. But yet, you were forced to like in a crammed attic of their home, while your two step sisters enjoyed lavish rooms and jewelry. It was unfair, but you made yourself worth living. With all of the chores and the dust and dirt you'd have to clean up every day, you still had your pride.

You lived in solidarity up and away from the vicious people you could never call family, and the only friends you could call your own were the rats that populated the walls.

The terribly loud clock broke you away from your slumber and bells began to ding, signaling it was time to make breakfast. They forced to go serve them as they lay in bed, and all you wanted was to be able to eat what you made. There would only ever be enough for the three of them and their cat—which was fittingly named Lucifer—and never any for you. That was probably why you were so thin.

"Y/n!!" Your stepmother's voice bellowed through the walls continuously, hailing you to begin her breakfast. She always yelled like she was going to starve if you didn't get it to her in time which wasn't true. She was bigger-boned and had plenty of meat on her bones, and always concealed it with a super tight corset that she would claim her real waist.

"Y/n?! Where's breakfast?" Your step sister screeched at you from her bedroom as you walked by. You ignored her and continued to walk to the kitchen. "Hey! Don't ignore me! Mother, Y/N is ignoring me again!"

You continued to walk to the kitchen and once you got there you began to prepare breakfast. You scrambled up the food and poured tea, and then placed it on 3 plates to bring to them.

As you brought them all their breakfast, your stepmother beckoned you to come into her room. Before you entered, your two ugly step sisters blocked the door. "You're gonna get it bad, Y/N."

You brushed them off again and made your way through the double doors or your stepmother's room, the cat following you in.

The cat glided it's way through the dark room and jumped onto the large bed, curling up into the arms of a dark looking figure. She didn't speak.

"Stepmother—"

"Shut it." She hissed as she pet her cat, who was as dark as the room. His eyes were the only visible part of him. "Seems like you have a lot of time on your hands. Let's put it to good use."

You stayed silent and listened to what she had to say. You knew it was going to be chores, and you just wished you could have some alone time to yourself.

"You have full chore duty today. That includes folding the laundry, washing dishes, scrubbing to floors, sewing your step sisters' dresses and oh—don't forget the garden."

You sighed. "Yes Step-mother."

You had no way out of it. It was all you could do to respect your father.

You could've swore you saw the cat smirk. "Oh yes, one more thing. Don't forget to bathe the cat."

Over the hill was the large grandeur of a palace, where the king and his son lived.

The king was getting impatient, wondering when his son would give him grandchildren. He wasn't getting any younger, and wished to see children before he passed.

Kim Seokjin, the only prince of the kingdom, hasn't even had the thought of settling down yet. He wasn't as young as he used to be, but he thought no one could be his match. The prince was away on business, but was coming home tonight.

His father decided to send out invitations to every eligible maiden in the kingdom to a royal ball, hoping at least one of them will catch his eye.

So it wouldn't seem suspicious, he figured he could plan this ball for his return, and have all the women there for him.

Tonight was the night he planned for the ball. He then sent out all the invitations, hoping for the best.

As you were scrubbing the floor, a thin piece of paper slid through the mail slot on the door and landed right at your feet. You picked it up and didn't bother reading it, you weren't the best at reading anyway. You did notice it was from the palace.

Your step family was upstairs as they were practicing their music skills and you walked up the stairs to interrupt.

You knocked softly, but your step mother screamed as you entered. "Y/n! What did I say about interrupting—"

"This just came from the palace!" You excitedly murmured, and held your hand out for your step mother to grab it.

"There's to be a ball...every eligible maiden is to attend!" She cried out and looked to her daughter's who were jumping up and down.

"We're both eligible!!" They screamed simultaneously, happily shaking the floorboards.

Your eyes lit up when you heard what she said. "That means I can go, too!" You said, covering your mouth with your hand in excitement.

One of your step sisters snickered. "Yeah, right! Her dancing with our prince! That's impossible.

"Greetings your highness, would you mind holding my broom." The other sister giggled as she mocked you.

After their laughs ended, you spoke up again. "Well, why not? I am part of the family. And it says by royal command..."

The sisters looked at each other and then at their mom. "Well...I can't see why you couldn't go..." she stared down at the piece of paper. "If you get all your work done and find something suitable to wear.."

"Yes step mother I sure will!" You smiled as you made your way out. "Thank you."

You ran as fast as you could up the steps to plan your outfit, knowing you have your mothers old dress locked away in a chest.

You noticed it was a bit outdated, so you looked through your sewing book to see any changes you could make to it.

Just as you finally thought you reached happiness it faded away just as quickly as it happened. You were beckoned again to start your chores and now you wouldn't have nearly enough time to sew the dress.

As you worked your ass off to clean and get things done, time flew. You thought you didn't have a change at going to the ball now, especially when you heard the carriage reach the chateau. You sighed. As if your day couldn't get any worse. Your step mother opened her door when she heard you walk by. "Y/nN my dear, why aren't you dressed?"

Your two step sisters peaked out of the doorframe, awaiting your answer. "Ah, I'm not going."

They all smirked, but tried to cover it. "That's too bad. Maybe next time." She cooed and shut the door to get her daughters ready.

You made your way back up to your humble living space, and your shoulders were hunched as you walked up the stairs. You really thought you had a chance for yourself this time. You hated being someone's maid, and you wished things would be different. You had hoped this was the chance to break out of your shell and this house and follow your dreams. Dreams of meeting your one and only true love.

As you entered your room you peered out the window, staining at the tree branches that blocked the moonlight. You sighed, deep in thought.

A sudden creek came from your closet, and the door began to open slowly. You nearly screeched when you saw a dozen rats run out of it, but when your eyes landed on the gorgeous dress that was hung up, you glanced at the little rodents.

"How the hell did you do that? Was that some kind of sorcery?" You stared at the dress with wide eyes, trying to figure out how tiny rats were able to stitch and sew. Maybe you were going crazy. "Thank you..I guess." You said sincerely, but still couldn't wrap your mind around it all.

You rushed to get ready and tossed on all your accessories, including a beautiful jade necklace that sat on the corner of your desk. You were unsure about how it got there, but figured it was the rats with superpowers and carried on with your plans.

You rushed down the stairs as you noticed that they were about to open the door to leave. "Wait for me!" You yelled as you ran, hoping they wouldn't give you any trouble. "I'm ready."

"Mother you can't let her go! It's not fair!" The ugliest sister growled as she tossed her hands in the air.

The other sister huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "This is disgraceful!"

"Now girls...a promise is a promise." Your step mother smirked as she neared you, reaching a hand out to cradle your jade necklace. "Isn't this beautiful, what do you think—"

"No it's ugly—wait! That's my necklace! She stole it!" She hissed reaching out towards it. "Gimme that!" As she grabbed onto it she yanked it, and the necklace broke, sending all the beads to dance across the floor.

You gasped as that happened, and the other sister barely gave you enough time to get a grip when she began to tear your dress from bottom to top. They both aggressively tried to tear it apart, not a care in the world about how you felt about it. It was your mothers dress after all, and now all that's left is the torn fabric that fell from your shoulder.

"Girls, girls. Let's not be too hasty. I don't want you upsetting yourselves." Your stepmother softly spoke, side-eying you as if she didn't see the whole debacle. "Let's go, we'll be late." She said, leaving you all alone in the large empty house, torn to pieces.

You couldn't help but start to cry. You tried your best to be able to go, even trusted rats to fix up your dress. But now your dress was ruined and you were crying, subconsciously finding yourself in the garden under your favorite willow tree.

"It's just no use at all.." you cried out as you laid your head down onto the bench, kneeling. "There's nothing left to believe in anymore."

You let your tears fall, completely oblivious to the bench that somehow turned into the lap of a man. His hand softly stroke your head, listening to you cry.

"Nothing? You don't really mean that, right?" His soothing voice spoke out, and you'd think it would've broke you out of your funk, but it didn't. You still sat there with your head in his lap and cried.

"Yeah, I do mean that—"

"No you don't, or I wouldn't be here." He shrugged and you finally realized something wasn't normal. You sat yourself back and gasped at the boy in front of you. He had dazzling blue hair and eyes to match, with a beautiful pink gown on. He looked very feminine and approachable. Sparkles danced around his figure and he held something that looked like a wand in his right hand.

"Wha—" you rubbed your eyes, trying to understand was was in front of you. First it was artsy rats, now...a fairy?!

He reached around your arms and slowly lifted you up. "Okay, you definitely can't go to the ball looking like...that." He clicked his tongue and shook his head. "We have to hurry."

He glanced around, almost as if he was trying to find something. "Now what did I do with that damn wand, I swear I lose it every time.."

Your eyes widened. "Wand? Then you must be—"

"Your fairy godfather—god that's so strange to say. How bout your god-daddy" he shook his head as he covered his mouth. "Wait no that sounds to provocative. Just call me Jimin." He smiled, and then continued to look for his wand.

You glanced at his right hand, which held a long stick-like thing. "Uh...is that it? In your hand?"

"Now who do you take me for? Im not that dumb I—wait, you're right. I guess I am that dumb." He scratched his head in embarrassment and shook it off. "Okay. I say the first thing you need is a pumpkin."

"A..pumpkin?" You questioned, glancing over at the pumpkin patch that was part of the garden.

"Yes. Now what we're the magic words?" He wondered out loud, scratching his chin. "Ah! Bippity boppity boo bitch!"

And just as ridiculous as the magic words were, a grand carriage blossomed from the pumpkin. You were at a loss for words as you glanced from the carriage to Jimin, shaking your head in astonishment. "How'd you do that?"

He smiled. "Magic, I guess." He said not too confidently, looking from you to the little rats around your feet. "Now you need horses."

You looked down and the rats and giggled. You could've sworn you were in a fever dream right now. How was all of this possible?

With the flick of his wrist, Jimin turned the cute little rats into large white horses, standing high and mighty as they were ready to pull the carriage.

You didn't even take notice to an actual horse that stood next to Jimin, patiently waiting to have his turn with magic. "Now you need a coachman.." he muttered and waved his wand at the horse, transforming it into a human man. He sat at the reins of the horses, ready to go.

"Okay what the hell is going on here?" You blinked frantically as you tried to understand what was happening in front of you. How could such a gorgeous man be a fairy, and how could said gorgeous man turn a horse into a person?

Maybe you were high or something.

"Aha. Now, it's your turn." He turned to you with his wand and winked. He looked you up and down and bit his lip, then looked into your eyes. "You're super hot and all, but that dress is a no no."

He waved his wand up to the sky and did a little twirl, and you couldn't help but chuckle at how ridiculous he looked. But all of a sudden a large wave of sparkles encased your body, spiraling around you with high speed. You looked down in confusion, then when it all stopped, what was left was a beautiful silvery-blue dress that sparkled as much as the stars.

"Woah..." you breathed, spinning around in it. It was absolutely stunning, you didn't even want to question how he did it. He then fixed up your hair and makeup, and last but not least, your shoes.

You had a weird shoe size. It was a bit too small for your body, so most of the time it was hard to find ones that fit. So when Jimin magically put sparkling glass heels onto you, you gasped in disbelief.

They sparkled even more than the dress, but all in all you sparkled more than the night sky. "This is like a dream.." you murmured in awe.

"Okay, I'm done." He chuckled, crossing his hands across his chest. "Just one more thing."

"What is it?" You asked him, on edge to go to the palace.

"This is all a façade, okay? Just like all dreams, it won't last forever." He looked into your eyes. "It won't last after midnight. Everything will go back to how it was before."

You nodded. At least that gave you enough time to try to meet the prince. "Okay. I'll be out of the palace before that."

He nodded, then gasped and it nearly scared you. "Okay, you gotta go or you'll be late."

He shooed you into the carriage and as you sat down, the horses that were once rats took off, leaving Jimin in the dust. When you looked back you noticed his little wave, then all of a sudden he disappeared into thin air, making this whole situation even weirder.

When you approached the castle, you noticed how grand it was. With it standing so tall it looked like it hit the clouds, and the beautiful stones that held it all together. This was a dream in life itself that sadly had to end, but you were going to make the most of it.

Currently inside the palace, the king organized all of the women to be introduced to the prince one by one. But everytime a promising woman would walk up, it was almost as if he would yawn at the sight of them.

The prince stood tall in the great hall, barely giving any women a second glance. He didn't want any of them, and just wanted to find someone himself. His father and the arch duke sat up high on the balcony, looking down on the scene. Seokjin looked up, noticing how aggravated his father looked.

You approached the grand steps to enter the ballroom, the sides lined with guards. You looked over at them when you noticed they were looking at you, and continued your walk up a hundred red-velvet covered stairs.

Your step sisters were currently being introduced, you took notice to that as you walked into the room. The far side wall was open, leaving only the beautiful night sky to be viewed. What you didn't take notice of was that the prince stopped in his tracks and was standing at you wide eyed.

Seokjin couldn't help himself. The two girls that were in front of him were such a bore. When he bowed respectfully to them and straightened up he noticed you, where you were directly in his line of vision with the dark sky surrounding you, making it seem like you were sparkling.

He had to meet you. The way you spun around to music that wasn't even being played or the way he just glanced at you once and could've sworn he fell in love, he knew he had to at least know your name.

He pushed past the two sisters and stepped toward you, determined to make you his bride.

He reached out a hand towards your shoulder. "Hello, miss?" Jin said politely, his dark hair pushed up to reveal his forehead. "How come I don't know who you are?"

His father took notice to his interest, and hurriedly signaled the band to play the waltz.

When the music ran through the room, you didn't even have time to answer him. He was breathtakingly beautiful, almost like a prince. Little did you know that he was one.

"Would you like to dance with me?" He asked you and held onto you hand, raising it to kiss the back of it.

You shivered in delight, knowing you fell for him at first sight. It seemed like he did, too. So much for marrying a prince, you didn't care who this guy was at this moment. "I'd love to."

He held your hand as you both made your way to the center of the ballroom, watching all of the women cry in disbelief.

He slid his hands down to your waist and you held your hands onto his shoulders. You moved in sync, your lips just a few inches away from his. His eyes were stunningly dark and mysterious with hair to match. His lips were plump, almost pillow-like and you wondered how they would feel against yours.

You couldn't get enough of him, you were lost in him. In his touch, in his eyes, in his heart. He was also captivated by you and had no doubt you were the one out of all these women.

"Who is she, mother? I've never seen her before." The step sister asked as she tried to get a good look of you from the crowd.

"We'll Ive never—wait a minute...something is familiar about her." Your stepmother wondered, but before she could get a good look, they moved their way out onto the terrace, now all alone without anyone watching.

After the dance was over he held you in his arms, brushing a stray strand away from your face. He smiled at you when he noticed your blush.

He grabbed your hand, holding onto it tightly as he took you into the garden, both of you in bliss.

You both sat down on the edge of a large fountain, not taking notice to the clock behind it. It was nearing midnight, but you were so lost in his charm that you didn't even pay attention.

He sat next you you closely, and looked from your eyes to your lips. "You're beautiful. I hope you know that." He said to you as he leaned in farther. "So, so beautiful."

His lips grazed yours softly, but before it could turn into a kiss, the clock struck twelve behind you, bellowing a loud noise. You whipped your head around and noticed the time. "Oh my god!"

You stood up abruptly, and his hand that was on your thigh flew up as you stood. "What's wrong?" He wondered with worry, noticing how frantic you were.

"It's midnight!" You cried, holding onto your dress like it was going to disappear.

"Yeah..so.." he trailed off, hoping that this night would go farther.

You shook your head and turned to leave. "I have to go." You said sadly, but his hand grabbed yours before you could run off.

"You can't leave now—"

"I have to!" You said as you looked frantically back and forth, hoping nothing would disappear right now.

"But why?" He asked softly. He didn't want you to leave. He had so much more he wanted to say to you, he didn't even know your name.

You had to make up an excuse. "I—uh...the prince! I haven't met the prince yet!" You said and nodded. "Yeah, that's right."

"The..prince?" He asked. Didn't she know it was him? "But didn't you know that I—"

The clock bellowed again, sending you hurriedly looking for the way out. "Goodbye!" You said and bowed, and ran off back into the palace to find your way down those beautiful velvet steps.

"Wait! I don't even know your..." he trailed off as he ran after you. "Name.."

Before he could catch you, all the women blocked his leave and surrounded him, all blabbing something he wasn't paying attention to. All he saw was the beautiful girl he fell in love with run down the stairs, only leaving a glass heel behind.

You ran out of the palace and jumped into your carriage which was thankfully still intact. It rode off and it started to slowly change.

The carriage began to soften like how it was before and transitioned into a large pumpkin, and the horses morphed back into the small rats they once were. Everything was a blur and all of a sudden you fell to the ground with a thud, picking yourself up and scurried with the animals to hide in the forest as the palace guards ran straight, smashing the pumpkin that was once a carriage.

It was quiet now, you stared down at your tattered dress. The cute little rats stood by your feet, trying to get you to notice that you still had one glass slipper. It didn't disappear with the rest of it.

That was all you had left of that night, and you went back home holding it tightly, dreaming about the man you nearly kissed.

The next morning the prince paced back and forth in his room, trying to figure out a way to find her.

Seokjin was never like this. He was always calm and collected, but something ticked in his mind when he met you. He needed to find a way to get you back into his arms. He didn't even get to kiss you.

He held the heel you left behind in his hand and came up with a great idea. He needed to have this heel reach every maiden's household to see if it fit. The problem is, it could fit any number of the girls. He’d just have to wish for the best. His father would never let him out of the palace to do it himself though.

The grand duke was willing. After figuring out the plans, the duke took off to find the girl of the prince's dreams.

“Y/N!” Your stepmother cried out angrily. “Where are you?” She paced up the stairs but stopped as soon as she heard you.

“I’m right here.” She spoke out as you exited one of the rooms downstairs. She always seemed to rush you even if you were doing a great job.

“Where are the girls?” The looked anywhere but you as she asked this, only ever worrying about her own daughters.

You set down the broom you had in your hand and sighed. “They’re still sleeping.”

She rushed up the steps in anxiousness and you wondered what was the matter. You walked into the kitchen and grabbed the tea for them quickly and ran upstairs, only to overhear their conversation.

“What’s wrong, mother?” Both the sisters were in the same room, both tired and yawning up a storm.

“He’ll be here any minute!” She rushed, pulling back the curtains to bring light inside the room.

“Who?” They asked simultaneously with a yawn.

“The grand duke. He’s been hunting all night.” She rooted through her daughter’s wardrobe. “For that girl! The one that lost her slipper at the ball last night. Apparently he’s madly in love with her.”

“The duke?” One of them asked, only to be interrupted loudly.

You walked into the doorway at this moment, looking back and forth at the sisters and your stepmother.

“No, the prince!”

You stopped in your tracks. So that man you met—the man you nearly kissed—was the prince?

You gasped. “The prince?” The glass teapot that was in your hands slipped through your fingers, sending shards all over the floor.

“You clumsy fool! Clean that up!”

You couldn’t even pay attention or acknowledge the fact that you were spoken to. The only thing you did was slowly fall to the floor and clean it it without paying close attention. You couldn’t believe it. You…met the prince?

“Why are you telling us this then? If he’s so in love with that other girl?”

Your stepmother side glanced you and continued to root through the wardrobe. “Because not even the prince knows who she is. The glass slipper is the only clue. So one of you must fit into it.”

You glanced up as you cleaned the mess, listening intently to what was going on. “The grand duke was ordered to try it on every maiden in the kingdom. If the shoe fits, that girl will be the prince’s bride by order of the king!”

“Bride?” You whispered in shock, still unable to wrap this around your head.

As the sisters clashed together in search for clothing you saw yourself out, blissfully dancing to the door to your room.

Your stepmother watched you as you swayed, and she narrowed her eyes. Something was certainly fishy about you, and she didn’t have the time to let you become someone better than her daughters. She sneaked up the stairs and peaked through the door, watching you as you sang lovingly in the mirror.

You coughed of glimpse of her in the corner of your eye and turned around, only to see her slide the key into her pocket and lock the door, slamming it.

“No no no!” You cried out, running to the door. “You can’t leave me in here!” You banged on it with your fists as hard as you can, only to hear her footsteps slowly disappear.

You set your back against the door and slid down to the floor. How were you supposed to meet the prince now? How would he ever find you?

You lost all your hope. When you heard the trumpets sound that the duke was here, your heart dropped to your stomach. You let a few tears fall, upset that no one here would even care enough about you. It spoke a thousand words when your step mother locked the door on you, not caring if you needed anything, or to be happy for you if it was your slipper.

The duke came into the house and glanced down at the two sisters who definitely weren’t the prince’s cup of tea. He still had to do his job anyway. He read out the decree and told the older sister to sit down first to try it on. When the glass slipper seemed like it fit like a glove he stood back in awe, that is, until she lifted her foot up and it was only covering half of it.

Meanwhile, the magic rats were up to something. The smallest one was able to gently slide into your stepmother’s pocket. The others stood by and were able to reach it when the small rat lifted it up. They hurriedly rushed the key up the stairs, but it was a bit heavy for them. This was going to take a while.

The duke sighed and shook his head. “Let’s try the next young lady.”

The next sister tried to forcibly squeeze her way into it. She kept complaining that her foot was just swollen today and kept trying. The duke sat there with a frown, knowing that it wasn’t either of these girls. “Are you sure there isn’t another maiden in this household?” He asked you stepmother, grabbing onto the heel and keeping it safe.

The rats were tired, but were able to reach the top of the steps. Now it was time for you to shine.

“No, there’s no one else here—“

“Your grace! Wait!” You cried and rushed down the grand steps of the chateau. “May I try it on?”

The duke’s eyes widened as he took notice to your appearance and smiled. He signaled his servant forward as you reached the bottom of the stairwell.

Your stepmother rolled her eyes. “Don’t pay attention to her.”

“She’s just y/n! A nobody!”

“Madam.” He stood sternly next to your stepmother. “My orders were every maiden. Now if you would excuse me.”

He motioned you to sit down in the chair and beckoned his servant to bring the glass slipper towards you. As he came closer, your stepmother stuck her foot out, only to come to the servant tripping, which sent the glass slipper flying through the air until it smashed right before your feet.

You weren’t too worried about it—since you had the other slipper—but the duke nearly cried and he tried to piece it together. “No no no, this is terrible!” He cried out. “What could we do?”

You smiled at him and then glanced to your stepmother, who was smirking. You always new she was no good for you. But now you were done. “Perhaps..if it would help?” You slid the other slipper out from behind you. “The other slipper?”

He gasped and grabbed ahold of it excitedly. He reached down to slide it onto your foot, and when it fit, he breathed a sigh of relief. The prince could finally be happy.

Bells chimed and people cried out as you rushed down the stairs of the palace in your grand wedding Dress, holding onto Seokjin’s hand tightly with a smile. This was a dream come true. A fairy tale. Everything worked out for you at the end of it.

Here you were in the back of a carriage taking you both somewhere for alone time, but you couldn’t help but blush as his hands cradled your face. “I’m so glad I found you, y/n.”

You stared lovingly into his eyes, glancing down at his lips slightly. “I’m so glad you wanted to find me, Seokjin.”

He stared at you like no one has ever before. He looked at you with such intent it nearly made you melt. His eyes glanced from your eyes to your lips and once again he leaned it for a kiss, this time actually happening.

His lips softly touched yours, slowly moving into you as his hands cradled your face like you were glass. You wrapped your arms around his neck to deepen this kiss, so in love with each other.

All this struggle, and now here you were in each others arms, happily in love and wishing it would never end.

And they lived happily ever after.

#bts #bangtan sonyeondan #bts fanfic #bts jin #kim seokjin #cinderella #bts post #bts one shot #jin x reader #park jimin

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elles-writing · 3 years

Text

Dragon Heart - IV.

Taglist: @guardianofrivendell @anjhope1 @legolasoftherings @kumqu4t @grunid @elvish-sky @artsywaterlily @alexloveskili

If you want to be added to tag list, send me a message or comment please.

Warnings/triggers: -

She looked over at Bilbo, who was stirring, and decided it would be a good idea to prepare him a cup of warm tea with some honey and milk. Y/N remembered Bilbo loved this as a child.

So, her next steps took her to the hobbit's kitchen.

Before she stepped inside, Y/N noticed one - perhaps from the older ones - dwarf, who prepared a steaming cup of tea already.

The dwarf didn't seemed to trust her - of course - but his eyes little softened, because she knew Gandalf and Bilbo.

"What tea is that?" Y/N asked instead, genuiely interested.

"Charmomile, for Master Baggins." Y/N hummed and the dwarf quickly left the little hobbit kitchen. You looked around, more concentrated this time. Then, you looked over the hall, pantry, and living room, where was Bilbo, Gandalf and some of the dwarves.

Baggins', now Bilbo's house, has never been un-practical. Maybe for Y/N by it's size, but other than that, there was everything one would need for life.

When Bilbo catched her eyes, Y/N could clearly see he was uncomfortable, upset and absolutely, absolutely done with the subject.

The dwarves.

But most importantly...

Gandalf.

You shrugged, and decided to leave him his burglar-not-burglar game. Bilbo would not be patient forever, but he was mannered and clever enough to know what to do. You were sure the hobbit would feel his Took side with desire for an adventure again.

And take his chance to escape Sackville-Baginses.

As you walked around, you noticed some of the pictures. They seemed to be new - or at least you didn't remembered them.

You walked closer, and stepped on something. You looked down, and noticed it was a dagger. You've never seen the design before, but assumed it must be one of the dwarves'. You picked it up and studied it, when you overheard a voice next to you.

"Careful with this, it's been just sharpened." You turned to see a blonde, blue-eyed dwarf, with braided moustache. He seemed to have the same twinkle in his eyes as Kili.

"I can handle sharp things," Y/N said and looked back at the knife.

"It's nice. Not too light, but not as heavy either." Y/N was thinking aloud. She completely forgot the dwarf next to her, as she studied the dagger.

"You know Master Baggins," He suddenly said. Y/N turned to him.

What the-did he just-

"I do," You nodded, and placed the dagger to his hand.

What the-no, he just didn't-

"You don't look like you are related," he continued.

"That's because we aren't." You ended the topic. Instead, it was your time to ask.

"Who are you?"

"Fili, at your service m'lady," he gently took your hand and kissed the back of your hand, his eyes not leaving yours.

"Y/N, at yours...Fili," You said.

"Oh, Y/N, can I-can I talk to you, for a second?" Bilbo came and you gladly walked aside with him, while Fili send you a wink.

"Bilbo, to answer some of your questions - no, I didn't knew-"

"I'm not talking about the, the dwarves," Bilbo looked over the room with frown on his face.

"Then what is it, my little friend?" You said quietly in attempt to brighten up the situation. Bilbo was almost adorable with frowned pouty face, hands folded on his chest, patting the floor with his foot...only if you could stand straight in his house. Your back thought the size of his house was not adorable at all.

"Well, um...did Gandalf told you to bring them along?" You looked at him with scrunched face, and rolled your eyes.

"I wouldn't be coming if I knew there were dwarves involved. So, if anything, I share your unpopular opinion." And ruffled his hair. He jumped up.

"I'm not a little hobbit anymore, you don't have to do this," Bilbo said through gritted teeth, and you grinned.

"Well, you still are kind of little," You teased him futher, until a dwarf with sharp blue eyes, long, dark hair, and the biggest grumpy and pouty face you've ever seen (not even Bilbo could do that, when he was angy little hobbit).

That dwarf shot you a glare, and also to Bilbo, who was taken aside by him and Gandalf, again.

You felt sorry for Bilbo.

When he was free, you overheard him muttering something about 'surely not going', 'not going anywhere', 'wizards', and so on. You decided to go to sleep, because all of the dwarves were asleep already, and you needed to be up early.

You woken up quickly. The first thing you've heard was the snoring. You scrunched your face, and quickly packed your things. Then, you walked out of Bag End, and decided to wait for them there.

The sunrise was nice time, especially to prepare your horse for the day.

"Shh," you cooed her quietly. It was beautiful mare, tall, and very, very clever.

"It will be okay. We will find dad, and we will go away, to live far away...everything is going to be just fine," You muttered.

"You ready?" Kili stood next to you with a grin on his face. You jumped up a little.

"I am." You said, and noticed Kili's expression as he looked at your horse. You let out a laugh.

"You've never seen a horse before?" Kili walked back a little.

"Not really," he said and you noticed his blushed cheeks.

"Kili!" You both looked over to Fili, standing between two ponies, who called him.

"Do you think Bilbo will come?" Kili asked you.

"That hobbit won't show up," Balin said. He was on his pony next to Kili, so he thought he talked to him.

"It's no surprise. Why would Master Baggins leave his home," Thorin (as was the grumpy dwarf named) said.

"I wouldn't understimate hobbits, and especially not Master Baggins," Gandalf said as he smoked his pipe.

"I am sure he is going to come," He said.

And that's when the bet started.

It wasn't even five minutes after you left Shire, when you overheard Bilbo's voice in the distance.

"Waaait!"

You looked over to Gandalf, who was hiding a laugh.

"You planned this?" You quietly asked and motioned to the hobbit, who was breathing heavily.

"Well, perhaps," he said, and you scoffed a little and shook your head, as the dwarves seated Bilbo on his pony.

The day was beautiful. It was actually quite warm, just warm so you could put down your cloak.

As the evening was approaching, and the sun was setting into palette of gold and velvet, and the sky was getting darker, Thorin decided it was time to set up camp. After a quick argument with Gandalf, the wizard left to seek company of himself. So, there was nothing easier, than to just finding the best place to place your bedroll.

You, Fili and Kili were on first watch. You laid down on your bedroll, and watched the stars. It was cloudless night, plus the crackling sound of fire, and smell of fresh night air was relaxing.

Bilbo was just coming back from his pony, when a sound in distance made him freeze.

"W-what was that?" He pointed to the distance, while looking at Kili.

"Orcs," he said in low, deep voice. You sat up. Bilbo had a part of Took in himself, but he was not that much of a Took.

"There is going to be plenty of those," Fili said, and, obviously, Kili continued.

"They come at night, no screams, just lots of blood," He looked at Bilbo, and the shadows in his face, along with his deep and low voice made it come out horribly scary. Him and Fili started chuckling, but you sighed.

"The way you two snore would make them run for hills, so I wouldn't be that worried," You said, and noticed Bilbo to relax by the corner of your eye.

Kili looked over at you. You pulled out book from your pack. He quickly recognized it, even in the darkness of the night. It was that book you flipped through back in Bag End.

You sat comfortably down, and looked over the illustrations on the pages, and softly touched them.

"What is the book you are reading about, lassie?" Balin asked. You didn't looked up.

"It's a book with tales and stories my...father wrote down," you answered.

"He used to read them to me," you shrugged.

"Would you read some of them-ow, what was that for?!" Kili whisper-yelled at his brother, who chuckled.

"You're a child, Kee," He muttered to himself, and Kili pouted. But Fili was curious as well, which Kili didn't needed to know.

"Well...this one," You flipped a few pages futher.

"This one is called Strange thief and the stars," Y/N comfortably sat and started reading.

"There was once a man. He wasn't very known by name, but by his eyes. His eyes, deep and dark, with sparkles, reminding of stars. Nobody has ever seen eyes like this before, and people were whispering he has stars themselves in his eyes," You slid the tips of your fingers over the drawing, remembering the precision your father has made into repairing them.

"Many women tried to grab his attention, but anytime they didn't sucsceeded, the sparks in their eyes were less visible, but in his as well. And that is why men has decided to call him 'the thief of stars', or a 'strange thief of stars'. He was wandering through the lands, until he found what, as he realized, was looking for,"

"What happened next?" Bilbo asked.

"That girl didn't want to talk to him. She was very kind and caring, but not naive. One day, however, she found a dragon. Big dragon, who seemed scary, but saved her from orcs. The beast's eyes reminded her of someone, yet she didn't knew of whom." You realized everyone was quiet, listening to you, as you spoken.

"The next day, she met the man. He runned into her, in a rush, in a fear - and asked her "Did you see the dragon too?". The young maiden nodded, and helped him to get to safety, as he was very nervous and scared. Since that day, they became closer and closer. One day, when a few years passed, her father - an old, wise and kind man - said, his daughter will marry someone, who gives her something very special. The young man came the next day in their house they lived in. He said," you flipped the page.

" 'I do not have much to offer - gold, silver, or gems - but I do have this," he took out a notebook out of his coat, and offered it. The girl's father took the notebook, and opened it. It was full of drawings of flowers, animals and people - but mainly of one special maiden, when she was laughing, collecting flowers, brushing her hair, cooking, reading...When she came there, and looked throught the book, her father looked at her, and she nodded. So, he looked deeply into the young man's eyes, and said 'She chose you.' "

You finished the story, and Kili giggled at how interested his brother was.

"Now who's the child here,"

#the hobbit #kili #fili #kili x reader #thorin #kili durin #fanfiction #fili x reader #bilbo #bilbo baggins #bilbo x reader #the company #the company x reader #thorin x reader

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