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nerdygaymormon · 10 hours

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Happy Pride

I want to wish a Happy Pride to:

Green Carnations

In 1892, Oscar Wilde had some of his friends wear a green carnation on their left lapels to the opening night of his show. An elegant and witty character in the play—who paralleled real-life Oscar Wilde—wore a carnation as part of his costume. Why green? It was an unnatural color for a carnation, Wilde chose this since it was said that homosexuality was unnatural. The green carnation became associated with Wilde and his flamboyant friends, and spread as a secret code to show others that you're gay.

"Be Gay, Do Crime"

The slogan "Be gay, do crime" has existed since at least 2011. The slogan suggests that crime and incivility may be necessary to earn equal rights given the criminalization of homosexuality around the world and a reminder that the Stonewall uprising was a riot. The slogan stands in contrast to the polished, corporate version of contemporary Pride, and shows that queerness has always been transgressive, regardless of its legal status. Part of being queer is being willing to push boundaries and protect one's self from the law since we have traditionally been attacked by it.

Peppermint Patty and Marcie

Peppermint Patty defied traditional gender norms. She played all sorts of sports at a time when it wasn't common for girls to do so. All the other female characters wore dresses, but Patty wears a t-shirt, shorts and sandals and the only other female character not to wear dresses is Marcie.

Peppermint Patty regularly flirts with Charlie Brown and has a strong bond with Marcie. While we don't know for sure, it certainly seems that Peppermint Patty is bi and her best friend Marcie is a lesbian.

I can imagine Peppermint Patty organizing the school's GSA or an all-inclusive dance, and loudly calling out any queerphobia. I like thinking of Patty getting a man's suit from a thrift store and going to Prom where she dances with both Marcie and Charlie Brown

Absolute Vodka

In 1979, Absolute entered the American market, but sales were slow. In 1981, Absolut starting targeting the LGBTQ consumer with the idea this group are trendsetters. Since 1981, Absolut has had print ads in queer magazines, sponsored events in gay bars, donated more than $40 million to queer charities and causes, sponsors the GLAAD Media Awards, and numerous major LGBTQ events in the US annually. Absolut has commissioned many openly gay artists to create ads, such as Andy Warhol, Nereyda Garcia Ferraz, David Spada, Keith Haring and Kenny Scharf. Supporting the queer community in 1981 was risky, but they have invested in the community and earned loyalty in return.

Pink Triangle

In the 1930s and 1940s, just as Nazi Germany required Jews in the concentration camps to wear a yellow star of David, gay men, bi men, and trans women, had to wear a downward-pointing triangle on their chest. The symbol was reclaimed in the 1970's by the queer liberation movement as a symbol against homophobia, and then was adopted widely by the LGBTQ community. The community took this symbol from the holocaust to show we are stronger than the worst done to us.

The pink triangle has largely been replaced by the rainbow Pride flag, and a reason for this is explaining why a pink triangle is the symbol of the community required an explanation of its dark past and therefore was about what others did to us rather than a symbol representing who we are and our hopes & aspirations. Although it isn't used much anymore, it's important to remember the pink triangle as the first widely-adopted visual symbol of the queer community

Ace & Aro Rings

Beginning in 2005, wearing a black ring on the middle finger of your right hand became a way for people to signify their asexuality. The material and design of the ring are not important as long as it is primarily black. It’s about carrying a reminder on our hands that there are others like us, and it's a way to identify each other. A white ring on the left hand of the middle finger is the aro equivalent.

Eyebrow Slits

Eyebrow slits was a trend in the hip hop community in the 1990's and called "eyebrow cuts." The trend fell out of style, but was brought back in the 2010's by some male artists and models as an edgy fashion statement. Lesbians quickly adopted this trend, perhaps as a way of showing they aren't beholden to gendered fashion rules, and it quickly grew in popularity on social media as a way for members of the queer community to express themselves and signal to each other. It seems natural that a fashion style containing an underlying rebelliousness appeals to a group who are marginalized by society. The eyebrow slit trend largely has faded except among the LGBTQ+ community, and so has become associated with us.

Nautical Star Tattoos

For centuries, sailors would get tattoos, often of images with symbolic meanings, such as the nautical star (which represents the North Star) and was believed to ensure a sailor’s safe return home. In the 1940s and 50s, lesbians were navigating the choppy waters of societal norms and expectations and this five-pointed star tattoo became their compass, helping them find others like themselves. They'd get this tattoo on the inner wrist because it could be covered by a watch strap during the day, allowing women to hide their identity when necessary for their safety or professional lives, but reveal it in safe spaces, which contributed to a sense of community and unity. This symbol was revived in the 1970's and is still observed by some to this day.

Online "Am I Gay?" Quizzes

A common experience of people who are gay, bi, and pan, is they find an online quiz that will ask a few questions and then determine whether you are gay, or will reveal how gay you are (as though this can be graded like a school test). Sometimes the questions are lighthearted, while others try to be more serious. Here's the thing, more than any quiz results, searching for this type of quiz is probably the biggest indicator that a person experiences attraction to people of their same gender. It can be helpful for someone to have a "confirmation" of how they're feeling, and thus these "am I gay" quizzes will remain a rite of passage many.

Subaru

In the early 1990's, Subaru was struggling. Sales of their dependable but plain cars were in decline. Subaru knew teachers, healthcare professionals, IT professionals, and the outdoorsy types bought 1/2 their cars in America, and they targeted advertisements at those groups. Soon they realized there was yet another core group, lesbians were 4 times more likely than the average American to purchase a Subaru.

Subaru began printing advertisements that made subtle nods to lesbians in a way that slipped past the notice of other Americans, such as having the license plate "XENA LVR" on a car. Many ads had taglines with double meanings. "Get Out. And Stay Out" could refer to exploring the outdoors in a Subaru—or coming out as gay. "It’s Not a Choice. It’s the Way We’re Built" could refer to all Subarus coming with all-wheel-drive—or an LGBTQ identity.

Subaru noticed a group of customers and created ads for them, a group which often felt unwelcome and invisible. The campaign was so successful that it became a stereotype that lesbians drive Subarus, even leading to the word "Lesbaru." Polls show that the queer community views Subaru as the most queer-friendly brand.

#happy pride 🌈

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kat-rose-griffith · 2 days

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I am waiting for part 2 to see the season in full before I form an official opinion on it… but if they were going to do all of these side storylines then I wish they would’ve done them in a way that built up Colin and Penelope’s stories outside of each other. My main gripe is that Colin and Penelope have established friendships with side characters that feel neglected in their own season.

My personal favorite friendship, Penelope and Madame Delacroix, have barely interacted. Giving us more scenes of them being partners in crime besties, even just casually hanging out, would have been so fun and been an interesting parallel with Eloise’s friendship with Cressida, both of them exploring genuine friendship outside of their previous codependent bond. It would’ve been great to see Penelope with a friend aside from Colin who she can let her hair down and be herself with. It would’ve been really funny too if Penelope talked to Genevieve about the advice Colin was giving her and she went “omg no” and gamed her up with real flirting advice. She would’ve also provided a great contrast to the toxic environment of Penelope’s family. Giving Penelope and Francesca more casual friendship scenes together would’ve been fun too and great for both of them as they were coming into their own this season.

On Colin’s end, I was hoping from what happened last season that he and Will would’ve become closer friends this season, but again so far they’ve barely interacted. I think that their friendship would’ve provided some great contrast to his surface level rake friendships. Colin needs more real friendships anyways and Will is a great friend to have. To top it all off Will is exactly the kind of man that Colin wants to be. Will knows the struggles that Colin is going through, the difficulty in the world they live in to be an honorable man, to follow your passions, and to be a good partner. A further explored friendship with Will could’ve shown him that all of what he wanted was possible, it may not always be pretty and you have to work for it constantly but it is possible. More scenes of the relationship between Colin and Benedict (instead of the Tilly Arnold stuff) would’ve been really great for both characters too. Both of them are really lost right now trying to find their purpose and passions in life, that bond basically writes itself. Also scenes of Benedict being very aware of Polin would’ve been iconic. It would’ve been especially great if Will joined in, they started all 3 hanging out for fun more, and they became a friend group that carried over into Benedict’s season.

It’s stuff like that, those casual fun moments and relationships outside of the main romance, that I think could’ve added to the story instead of feeling like a distraction.

#bridgerton #penelope featherington #colin bridgerton #polin #madame delacroix #genevieve delacroix #will mondrich #benedict bridgerton #francesca bridgerton

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noxtivagus · 2 years

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guess what i'm thinking of again 🥹🫶🏼 ( .. ffxiv & gbf )

#🌙.rambles #CERTAIN CHARACTERS IN PARTICULAR #hermes ofc for ffxiv.. idk he's just rlly special to me #n for gbf it's. definitely not belial #definitely Not belial #lucilius my beloved 🤍#i'm so sorry lucifer's still my fav from the lucifaces but.. lucilius #he's so cool #r pretty fictional characters that end up destroying the world or wanting to in some way #is that. one of my types 💀#funny thinking abt it bcs #hermes n faa r really so similar but. not #they're both v smart. vv intelligent.#scholars in a way ?#but hermes is. yeah he's emotional i think sensitive he's sad n yeah #lucilius is more on.. a rather apathetic end iirc #both charas i relate with smh 🥹#they kind of have a lil companion too #hermes w meteion. lucilius w belial #the.. parallel. they contrast each other in a way #meteion. innocent n bright but uhh yk the thing w despair but. meteion in elpis yk very. young #belial is very evidently not for kids ykyk 💀 but.. IDK HOW TO WRITE IT BUT. there's this certain sort of #grr melancholy i get from him #or maybe that's just me wanting him to be a lil more sad n all #there's more i'd write but i'm just afking in ffxiv rn n i wna. play a bit or idk other games on my phone too before i sleep hopefully soon #i wna write :c so little time oh man #hermes..#he's just a sad lil guy who likes blue. n birds. n flowers. n the sky. n stars. we're just the same he means the world to me 🥹#i really want to write smth but i genuinely rlly usually write sad stuff. i might just make him even sadder w my words lmfao #longing. yearning. hmmm i'm hesitant to put it into words. maybe it'll force me to stop denying some things i've buried deep in myself

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etoilesombre · 5 months

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[id: a set of eight images from Black Sails. The first image shows Mrs. Hudson speaking to Woodes Rogers, with the text "She said you should trust that her commitment to you remains inviolable." The second image shows Flint and Silver together in Madi's house after her presumed death. The third image shows Eleanor in the fort firing on Rogers' ship, with the text "and that this is no betrayal..." The fourth image shows Flint taking the cache ashore on Skeleton Island, viewed through a spyglass. The fifth image shows Eleanor and Rogers talking in bed, with the text "...but an act of love." The sixth image shows Flint's face during the Dragons speech. The seventh image shows Eleanor lying dead in Flint's arms, with the text "An act she is determined to see through to its end." The eighth image shows Silver pointing a pistol at Flint on Skeleton Island. /end id]

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the-obnoxious-sibling · 2 months

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https://x.com/captainh4ndsome/status/1774282734288138451?s=46

I saw this series of quotes and why do you think that hat has three stabs from buggy? Is it truly connected to shuggy? Could shuggy really be that important???

so, here are the tweets in question. (one of which is from @goingbuggy! hi there! this is, what, the third time someone’s asked me to talk about your tweets? i guess at least one of my anons is a fan.)

i have wondered a time or two whether in oda’s early planning it might have been buggy who gave shanks that three-slash scar. (i’ve heard that oda originally had a five year plan for one piece, though i’ll admit i’ve never sought out a direct source for that.) in that case, the slashes through the hat might have been intended as foreshadowing.

but since buggy wasn’t the one to make that scar, instead it leads us to draw comparisons between these characters who both have wielded three blades on one hand. and maybe it’s just because they were both written as foils to luffy, but i find comparing buggy and blackbeard very interesting!

similarities:

former warlord of the sea/current emperor of the sea

devil fruit user

served on a big name’s crew back in the day

intentionally went under the radar/overlooked for years

doesn’t really buy into concepts like “loyalty” or “honor,” happy to turn on a crew mate or backstab an ally if it’s to his advantage

used to wield three blades but these days prefers explosive-adjacent weapons

not happy to see red-haired shanks at marineford

differences:

fell into those positions by chance/years of plotting to get into those positions

a devil fruit with zero combat utility (besides avoiding damage)/possibly the devil fruit with the most combat utility? (though, unusually, he can take damage while wielding it)

their reasons for going under the radar (fear of being hunted down/working towards a secret goal)

the consequences for overlooking them (for shanks: losing buggy/losing to bb, or at least taking a very bad wound from him; for others: misinformation on a global scale/the literal paramount war)

buggy is a strong believer in the captain-crew bond, which bb absolutely does not buy into

type of three-bladed weapon (three throwing daggers, suggests flexibility, hidden motives, a preference for distance fighting; claw weapon, suggests light-footedness, straightforwardness—you know when a claw wielder is about to start fighting, he’s gone and put the claws on)

type of explosive weapon (bombs, suggests pre-planning, a preference for distance fighting, maximum damage for minimum effort; guns, suggests a flexibility on distance vs melee range, a willingness to threaten rather than kill outright)

why they didn’t want to see shanks (ugh, that guy pisses me off/i think that guy might literally kill me lmao)

#asked and answered #one piece #buggy #shanks #marshall d teach #*narrative foils #if there’s one thing nart did right it was paralleling most of its chars w the protags & making the protags narrative foils of each other #bc when two characters who are both foils of a third character meet… ohh it’s ALWAYS compelling. the themes of the story just shine through #(see: the gaara-rock lee fight. they had no personal beef but the nart foiling & the sask foiling & the nart-v-sask foiling of it all…)#idk if buggy and bb will ever meet but if they do… i hope oda doesn’t throw away the potential in their contrast for the sake of a joke #anyway to actually answer your question: imo it’s not that shuggy is so important to the story as much as it shows us a pattern #shanks has this character flaw: overlooking ppl right under his nose. & maybe it’ll happen again? maybe this is how shanks will die!#…that said i 100% agree w cap that if buggy had still been around shanks wouldn’t’ve gotten that scar #idk if buggy would’ve taken the hit for him (& been fine obvs) or just seen bb’s attack coming but one way or the other: scarless shanks

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chorus-the-mutate · 3 days

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#berserk #casca #guts #griffith #wyald #judeau #I'm tagging these peeps specifically because they're gonna be the most relevant characters of the rewrite #as much as I love my boy Guts Wyald isn't a good villain for him because the ways they could parallel each other are never explored #so the rewrite is gonna be more Casca centric since Wyald would best serve the narrative as a rival to her #not only does Casca's current struggle to save the Hawks contrast with Wyald's selfish hedonism it also parallels with his past #but worry not my gender neutral guts and griffith girlies your boys will still get into plenty of drama #ash makes polls #ash might write

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lunesart · 9 months

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While I do love dramatical theater as cute, lovable sapphics, imagine the opposite. Hatred and jealousy twisted with attraction. Rivals of love fall in love. Idk I’m not good at flowery imagery. Hashtag toxic yuri forever

#bmc #christine canigula #chloe valentine #dramatical theater #chlostine #I read humiliationsheets’ fic today if you couldn’t tell #I think the thing about chlostine that makes me like it so much is that. It’s a rare pair. They only interact once.#But they’re also narrative parallels?? Foils that contrast each other #whether or not they were intended to be that way.

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vampiregokudera · 2 years

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Day 24 of limetober - Icon

Batman and Superman are icons of Gotham and Metropolis respectively 😌

#limetober #limetober2022 #intober2022 #vampiregokudera #dc #batman #superman #batfam #superfam #this was a cool one :)#inverted parallels and themes #the way they are each other's perfect contrast <3 #i would've gives them backgrounds but my ink pen is dying #bruce wayne #clark kent

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poptartmochi · 9 months

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suddenly thinking about the oracle again... idk if she would be so friendly to lana, if we're being fr

#on the one hand she functions as a way for s4 to resolve and thus she has to Be Helpful #BUT.. wouldn't you Also feel some type of way if all this shit started going down in your lonely abandoned desolate Fuck Off Dimension #because your old friend and compatriot was upset that the reincarnated soul of your OTHER friend didn't care abt them #and also your upset friend was possessing the body of your THIRD friend like a meat puppet #and then a You .009 Inches to the Left shows up to try and fix everything (same thing that you did milennia ago that left you stuck in the #desolate fuck you dimension) like... surely the jaded and calloused You would feel some type of way about #the ghosts of your past fucking up your melancholic silence to do the same shit all over again #and then to see a version of you come to fix it again.. it'd feel like an affront right? like somebody laughing at you?#i think it'd be fun if lana had to beat the oracle's ass in a duel and have a monologue about the Power of Friendship #something the oracle lost sight in the passage of time.. cynicism has taken over your heart etc etc #like.. the oracle sees it as a fool's errand (haha like the fleet foxes) to try and resolve this because haou yubel and. uh. the prince ??#they cannot be reasoned with in a way that matters. if they're all together again then they will devour each other and the world around them #and it's better that they've returned to the Fuck You Dimension to do it‚ because less people will be caught in the crossfire now #sorry to the high schoolers who foolishly followed these people here lol 🤪#but if we all just die in the fuck you dimension then it will Finally be Over‚ as it should have been so long enough #and lana is like... 1) FUCK you 2) SEEK THERAPY?#and she whoops the oracle so thoroughly that the oracle realizes that these kids are Not Actually the Same #in which case.. huh.. maybe there is something redeemable here.. ok i guess i will be ur comrade now #loosely thinking abt it‚ i think that parallels aster's fuck you love is real moment this season.. AND #it contrasts syrus' disillusionment arc.. the oracle would probably loove syrus lol! they said these bitches hopeless! fuck you jaden yuki!!#sriracha.txt #lana #oracule momence

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ninas-gf · 2 years

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(spoilers for shinobu’s hangout below the cut)

one thing that i did really like from this hangout was how… relaxed sara sounded when she was talking to shinobu. usually she has a very serious/tense tone to her voice (at least, her english voice), but here she was smiling and even laughing a bit (which is rare for her, she smiles the least out of any inazuma character i believe) and her voiceline about sparring with sara… well you know how i feel about genshin women sparring in private together…

#i am now realizing that they contrast and parallel each other in a very neat way…

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comradekatara · 3 months

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i feel like the reason aang isn’t as adored and beloved as he should be is because he’s the protagonist but he’s also not an archetypal western classical hero. i don’t agree with the entirety of that “avatar aang: feminist icon” essay because i think the role of patriarchy and gender in atla is more complex than what that essay posits, but he definitely complicates the masculine ideal of heroism and generally does not conform to patriarchal notions of masculinity. which is very deliberate, especially as contrasted with sokka and zuko’s explicit struggles with the imperialist/colonial standards of an aggressive, militaristic, and chauvinistic masculinity. aang is subversive because he represents an absence of war in a world ravaged by it. through his link to a (somewhat more) peaceful and harmonious past, he represents a better possible future. as katara would say, he brings people hope.

but people don’t like that he’s not visibly edgy or tormented like zuko is (even though he’s a far more tragic character than zuko is, just fyi), that he isn’t “cool” (even though he’s literally the coolest kid ever, just fyi), that he “gets the girl” (even though if anything, she gets him) despite being twelve and bald and nice (the horror!). katara is the more classical hero of the narrative, as its narrator and its catalyst, the adventurous revolutionary who gradually learns to control and use her powers and eventually becoming a force to be reckoned with. zuko is the classical anti-hero of the narrative, his “redemption arc” constantly hailed as one of the greatest character arcs in television. so people expect katara and zuko, as very obvious narrative foils who parallel each other every step of the way, to be the obvious couple, because based on every romance narrative we’ve been inundated with throughout our lives, within our patriarchal society, they “just make sense together.”

but as much as katara is a protagonist in her own right, aang is the show. the title quite literally represents the central thematic tension of the entire narrative, the colon illustrating the implicit divide between his duties to this brave new world in desperate need of justice and balance, or his duties to his extirpated culture as the last true voice among them. aang is the central figure because this tension represents the crucial ideological battle happening across the entire show. aang is the avatar because he is the only person in the entire world whose values have not been shaped by war.

people constantly laud zuko, in particular, for being the most interesting, complex character in avatar. but i personally don’t even think that’s true. which isn’t to say that zuko isn’t fascinating in his own right, of course, but rather that he’s certainly not the only complex character this show has to offer. he just happens to monologue about his anguish constantly. but aang wasn’t raised as an imperial prince, and so he approaches the world, and his own pain, in a very different manner. the reason he immediately goes to ride giant koi on kyoshi island, mailchutes in omashu, and otherwise goofs around after learning of the shocking ramifications of his people’s genocide is because that’s how he copes with his pain. unlike zuko, who never stops talking about his aches and yearnings, aang represses his trauma and hides his tears behind a mask of upbeat cheerful goofy twelve year old antics.

until he can’t anymore. until he snaps. both katara and zuko wear their hearts on their sleeves, and that includes their rage. but aang’s rage is dangerous specifically because it represents that he has been pushed past his limits, that the conditions of this world in which he is a perpetual stranger, temporally displaced and dispossessed, are intolerable. that peaceful reconciliation is impossible. and the fact that he persists beyond that breaking point, over and over again, to firmly and resoundingly establish his ideals even as they conflict with everything he has learned about this world, a world that is not his own even as he can never return to the world he once knew, is what makes him so unique, so powerful, so beautiful.

i know that aang isn’t the typical hero, neither narratively nor aesthetically, but really, that’s the entire point. the world, our world, needs something other than what we have now. we need someone who will not succumb to the ideals of domination and victory through violence to assert themselves. we need someone who stands firm in refusing to kill the firelord, even as everyone he knows tells him otherwise. we need someone who knows that darkness cannot be vanquished through more darkness, but can only truly yield to purifying light.

and sure, aang is a child, and often acts childishly. sure, he’s not conventionally handsome and alluring. but one thing i will never understand is how that somehow negates his appeal to the masses. because even if you don’t appreciate how crucial he is to the themes of this narrative you all seem to love so much, how can you not love his adorable little face? his precious little laugh, his zest for life, the infinite well of love and kindness he holds in his heart? people who hate aang are crazy to me. because you are, quite literally, hating the world’s most precious baby boy.

#aang #katara #zuko #analysis #hot takes #sorry this one is kind of all over the place #very stream of consciousness bc it’s loving aang hours #and he’s not only meaningful narratively #but he’s also just SOOOOO CUTE #I would literally pay money to babysit him #which I think defeats the point of babysitting but whatever #he’s just. so precious 😭😭😭#also fwiw I don’t really fw kataang either but like. it does make more narrative sense than the alternative #and if it had been executed better . well. who can say

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webq84 · 14 days

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soft yandere dream boy whose existence suddenly manifested through your dreams. you didn't know how or when, maybe it's because of how lonely you are that you unconsciously created him inside your mind. but in the midst of your sleep one particular night, he barges in. inviting himself in the land of your slumber.

soft yandere dream boy who didn't know how to explain why he seems to be the only person in your dreams who doesn't act and resemble the others, standing out from the rest of them. it was almost like he was a person with a mind of his own, having his own thoughts and colorful personality, sometimes even getting sassy with you through his remarks.

soft yandere dream boy who likes to scare and surprise you by appearing out of nowhere when you finally allow sleep to lull you into your dreams. he's always playful with you, eyes filled with mischief. a complete contrast to your more gloomy and quiet personality. he makes comments about it from time to time, not really understanding why you're like that at the moment.

soft yandere dream boy who likes to play pretend with you, especially when the setting is inside a school. he assumed you had some odd attachment to it with how frequently your dreams would end up in a school building. he never leaves you alone. joining you in random classes and pretending to be a student there as he never fails to take the spot as your seatmate, stringing you along into his troublemaking ways which always leads to the both of you getting scolded by the teacher.

soft yandere dream boy who is beginning to notice something weird is happening within your dreams. the places looks a little darker than usual, the gloominess of each area resembling pieces of your personality. the people in your imagination grows more and more unfamiliar to what is once human. some bearing grotesque expressions that are so deformed that he could only describe them akin to being a monster in someone's nightmares.

and when he asked you about it, he finally understands everything. you told him that you find it much easier to compare their appearances to monsters, because no human is more evil than them. you've forgotten how human they actually looked like because of how they treated you.

it's the reason why your dreams only consists of you being in the school. why you're constantly nothing but a floating dark cloud of somberness. every single little thing inside your dream is a reflection and parallel of your miserable life. only, you expressed it more creatively in your dreams. he felt awful for not realizing it sooner.

soft yandere dream boy who defended you against those monstrosities when he bumps into you in one of your dreams, being cornered and surrounded by those deformed images of your classmates, his eyes seeing red as he watches them litter your poor little mind with such horrible thoughts.

soft yandere dream boy who decides he wants to help you. help you take your mind off of these horrible things in your life. somehow he can also change the scenery of your dreams. often times, he'll bring you to a beach where the two of you could just sit on the sand. he would encouraged a small activity between the two of you, giving you a small canvas to paint on while he has one of his own. then afterwards, the two of you will show each other what you painted.

he can't lie that he's doing this to prevent something predictably dreadful from happening after finally understanding what you truly feel. he's not quite sure if he is actually able to cheer you up in those moments when you're with him, but he's trying his absolute best just for you.

soft yandere dream boy who can only stand wide-eyed behind the forming crowd of deformities around your bleeding corpse. you had jumped from the rooftop of the school building, shattering your bones into pieces. he was too late. and he deeply regrets that he couldn't actually help stray you away from those agonizing whispers that pushes you to do this. if he only he had reach you in time...

soft yandere dream boy who didn't hesitate tackling you to the ground when you reappeared again in your dreams the next night after he just saw you die in front of him. you're alive! he scolds you for hours while tears are running down his face. he really thought you were gone! that you're never coming back to him and he'll be all alone.

but no matter what he does or how much he pleads, his words never reaches you. ever since your mind registered that you can't fully die in your dreams since you're afraid of feeling pain, you've somehow fallen into an addiction of trying different ways to end yourself before waking up back to your own world.

there's no doubt that sooner or later, he's just bound to snap. who knows what he would do. maybe he'll just take over your realm of dreams so he could stop you from doing this to yourself. he'll create you a new world where you won't have to suffer relieving the horrifying events of your reality. maybe you can even just start living here! where you don't need to wake up and can always be happy. living in everlasting sweet dreams with him by your side ‹𝟹

#𝐒𝐔𝐈 𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 #𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 #reader is a lucid dreamer!!#soft yandere #yandere x reader #yandere x darling #yandere x you #yandere fic #yandere imagines #yandere oc #yandere #yandere headcanons #yandere x y/n #yandere concept #yandere x gn reader #yandere drabble #yandere writing #male yandere #yandere angst

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alexiethymia · 3 months

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I’ve always thought it but Gyokuyou’s line, “If I said I was jealous of Concubine Fuyou, would I be a terrible woman?” seemed to point at two things, her jealousy of her being free to finally leave the inner palace, and secondly, the freedom to love and be loved in return.

I mean though she may be the Empress, and though she may be the most favored by the Emperor, I’m sure she’s clever and shrewd enough to think that she wouldn’t actually ever have his love. And that is what makes her so intriguing in that regardless of her own feelings, she can still be human and feel some sort of sadness about it, at the what-ifs.

Considering the latest chapters in the web novels, the parallels and contrasts between The Emperor (Yang) and Aduo, as well as Jinshi and Maomao being driven so hard just hurts so good.

That conversation between Jinshi and the Emperor revealing their chosen actions regarding their ‘one cherished flower’. The Emperor choosing to bind her to him, and cherishing her and protecting her vs Jinshi’s decision to let her go rather than trap her in the inner palace, such that it drives Aduo to tears because she sees in Jinshi and Maomao what could have been.

It’s so painful precisely because the Emperor and Aduo were where Jinshi and Maomao were ending up toward if not for the development they underwent. Contrast the Jinshi of earlier volumes who I think, in his desperation, would have chosen the same course of action the Emperor had in regard to Aduo and the Jinshi of now, who has matured.

But in the same vein that none of these characters are perfect, and are intriguing in their flaws, I think Aduo is the same as Maomao. Except that Maomao now finally was able to accept and let herself love, whereas Aduo used and still uses that ‘familial’ tie and even Yue as the reason why she still chooses to stay with Yang.

This just may be my own interpretation, but I think Aduo truly loved (loves?) the Emperor in her own way, as more than a ‘sibling’ or a ‘friend’ and that she is an unreliable narrator in her own right, same as Maomao. But alas, I don’t think Aduo and the Emperor managed to communicate properly on this part of their relationship, unlike other aspects where they can be free with one another. And now it’s too late, because the Emperor in his foolish youth made that irreversible choice and clipped Aduo’s wings.

That four way conference was perfect in that it was basically both pairs seeing mirrors of them in each other, of the past and the future, of what was and what could have been. And though the Emperor made mistakes, I can’t find it in myself to judge him too harshly because, as one analysis puts in, he didn’t have the same freedoms Jinshi has now, nor did he have the same people around him who could have guided him on the right path. Suiren and Gaoshun who were there to see what happened with the Emperor and Aduo, are probably doing their best to nudge Jinshi and Mamao in the right direction such that they wouldn’t repeat past mistakes.

It’s that one post you know? The love was there, it was always there. But perhaps, even then, it wasn’t enough.

#the apothecary diaries #knh #kusuriya no hitorigoto #jinmao #jinshi #maomao #gyokuyou #aduo

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lunahearts · 5 months

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Okay I'm doing it. I'm chapter 96 posting.

This is not meant to be a big analysis post this is mostly just me sharing all the little moments that Marcille & Laios show their care for each other because they are SO beloved to me. Join me on the journey if you wish.

(but also the above statement may be a lie. I do have a point here, it turns out, and the point gets at some of my Big Feelings of what Dungeon Meshi has to say about the nature of friendship & living in the world)

So, first of all, the conversation about Laios being king at the start of the chapter. Just in general Laios insisting on presenting himself in his own way here is so good. Character development!!

Before the events of the story he hadn't shared his inner world with anyone but Falin. Now he's like Actually I'm gonna dress up in the discarded remains of my monstersona and that's just how it is.

And even though there are a LOT of parts of the story and bits of character growth that go into this, I think it specifically highlights some interactions from a few chapters ago.

After all, his initial reaction to having been in that monster form & coming out of it was trying to hide from everyone.

And I think everyone helping him put things in perspective here contributes to how he is able to present himself as king. They assure him that he is accepted, despite having just been seen by EVERYONE at his Peak "Weird Monster Guy" mode.

Highlighting what Marcille says here especially:

Going out to "face them with a smile" is EXACTLY what he does. Not right away. He's still pretty stressed in the following scene in this chapter. But he is able to face the crowds with a smile, eventually...

As king. Dressed in the memory of his most vulnerable moments, the most honest expression of his desire.

BUT I'M GETTING A LITTLE AHEAD OF MYSELF. Before the King Laios speech, there's a little moment with Marcille I want to highlight, because...

Did y'all know that by the end of the manga, Marcille isn't like... grossed out by eating monsters any more? Or at least, she's definitely changed her reaction to it. It's Namari who makes the "yeah it smells good despite what it is" comment, not Marcille.

We even get shots later of Tansu, Shuro, and Kabru being kinda grossed out by - but still going ahead and eating - the different Falin foods. Chilchuck also throws out a line about it being surprised that it's good.

But there's no disparaging comment from Marcille, despite the Everything of the situation. I just think that's also a nice little detail. She may not be as far in the monster eating game as Laios, but she's more willing to roll with the weirdness.

So after this little moment, this is when Laios comes out in his new regal outfit. And first of all...

This is such a good contrast to the moment when the group goes to save Marcille in chapter 84. The monsters had stopped attacking, and everyone's reactions to Laios and the others framed him as unsettling. Creepy. Maybe even traitors.

They even use some of the same labels (lord of the monsters/lord of the dungeon, dark lord/demon king)., but the context is that they are disgusted. The parallels in this manga....

Have a tendency to destroy me. What a difference in reception.

Anyway, after this moment, Laios stops to talk to the group... and I'd like to point out again: MARCILLE ISN'T FLIPPANT HERE EITHER!!

Chilchuck is still Chilchuck, of course, and I want to be clear I love that, too. Chilchuck is who he is to his core. His little jabs are very affectionate in this chapter.

But Marcille... Marcille only points to the Winged Lion symbol as being weird, not the monster bits. And like, considering what she's just been through with the lion, being skeptical of that part is... fair.

(don't get me wrong, her "that's fine and all" isn't exactly excitement. BUT the point I'm trying to make is less about her completely changing her feelings & preferences. It's more about how she expresses them, and how she treats Laios and HIS feelings & preferences)

And she continues to be so encouraging!! Wah!! Like, despite, all four of these people definitely caring about Laios, it's Marcille specifically who tells him to relax and just be honest. And you know what? I think that's what Falin would have said, too.

Please also note how cute everyone's little faces are in the crowd:

(see, Chilchuck loves him too!! Look at that fond face, and the cheer. and Senshi! and Namari! They really are such a family)

Laios' short speech actually has a little bit I'd like to highlight as well, since I think it is a nice little reflection of his choice to keep the lion insignia on his new outfit:

"Eat to your heart's content," he says. Not just "enjoy," or "let's eat."

Dunmeshi does such a wonderful job of framing so much about the Winged Lion with nuance, and this is a good example of that. Desire is not bad! Craving and consuming is beautiful. As Laios says when explaining the lion insignia...

It's not just something to get rid of.

So then... on to the feast!

And not only does Marcille not express any grossed out feelings, as I mentioned before... she even helps to gross out Chilchuck!!

Her weird girl powers are only just in their infancy. She will only grow more powerful in time...

As the feast goes on of course we get the group's realization about her hair, and I'd like to point out:

I really feel like they have such similar reactions to finding out about how the other has been affected by the Winged Lion

Just... the quiet concern. Not making a huge fuss, but... worried. Understanding. A little heartbroken for each other.

SPEAKING OF HEARTBROKEN REACTIONS THOUGH. WHAT COMES NEXT REALLY GETS ME.

After Chilchuck braids Marcille's hair for her, the topic of her needing to leave everyone comes up and...

God, these expressions. Every Time I see these panels I think about about what Laios saw in her nightmare. Her fears. The weight of inevitable loneliness, and the way it has marked her. As much as Marcille tries to keep things light when talking about it, he knows what this means to her. And it HURTS.

So he doesn't accept it. But do you notice how he frames this. Do you see. Not "do you want me to fix this." Not "hey I have an idea."

"Would you be willing to stay."

He doesn't know whether she will accept. Whether she will hate the idea, actually, of staying here with him. He's putting himself out there fully prepared for rejection & dismissal, as he has faced many times before.

But his pitch, his proposal to her, it's not JUST an excuse to ask her to stay, either. He's put thought into this. Into what Marcille could mean and do here. Not just to and for him, but for the people of this area. The place he has taken responsibility for.

He's also thinking about Falin. And about all the other little girls, the people of all sorts, just like her. He's thinking about the people who have been killed (burned at the stake???), hurt, shunned. About the people who have been abandoned. The people who are still alone.

He's not just offering Marcille an out from her isolation, he's offering her a new purpose. A new way to continue her work, to do the things she cares about. He SEES her! he understands her.

BUT ALSO HE'S SO NERVOUS OUGH. FIDDLING WITH THE PLATE. UNSURE IF SHE WILL CARE. UNSURE IF HE HAS IT RIGHT.

HE'S NOT GOOD WITH PEOPLE HE'S NOT GOOD AT THIS.

BUT THEY UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER. AND SHE WANTS THIS LIFE HE'S OFFERING HER.

Still... it's not that simple for her, even if for a moment she is swept up in how much she wants this.

Again here, Marcille is working so hard to be chill about the whole 'going west with the elves' thing. She looks absolutely devastated in the first panel, but puts on a smile in the second.

Maybe she doesn't want to bring down the mood. Maybe she doesn't want to burden everyone with what seems like the only option she has. Maybe she had already accepted the cost that might come with bringing Falin back. Maybe after everything with the Winged Lion, she doesn't want to risk letting herself fight for her desires too hard.

But hey. Desires aren't always bad. They aren't something to just get rid of.

A small bit of visual storytelling here... I love that Marcille is confined by the panel, but Laios is stepping outside of it. He's literally pulling her outside of the box she feels trapped in.

Also, I love that his first acts as king are:

1) welcome everyone to a big feast

2) stand by his friend and help her find happiness

It's great stuff and it's so Laios.

In addition to that, I love how this whole act actually plays out. I love that, while getting the elves to let Marcille go, he gets to be extremely cool and protective...

but also like. Not THAT cool and protective.

No really, I mean it! I think it's important! It's important that cool 'suave king guy Laios' is a front he puts up when he needs to deal with these strangers, and one that he completely drops once it's just him and Marcille.

He's not trying to impress her, or convince her he's cool and suave. Why would he? He trusts that she's okay with the messy, often unimpressive, sometimes kinda gross reality of who he is.

And isn't that what Dungeon Meshi is all about? Messy, unimpressive, gross reality. And how beautiful, how wonderful, how very precious it is

Especially when you get to share it with your friends.

#dungeon meshi #delicious in dungeon #laios touden #marcille donato #dunmeshi analysis #dungeon meshi spoilers #posting on this blog bc I'm not sure the sideblog is showing up in tags yet :/

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beescake · 3 months

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PLEASE PLEASE MEGADUMP THE ARASOL!!! PLEAAASEE MR BEESCAKE I AM ON MY KNEES BEGGING YOU

HFHGHD GLADLY aaa i’ve been adding notes to it here and there for months but just hesitant to post it bcs im 🧍‍♂️🧍‍♂️🧍‍♂️🧍‍♂

also this is just my own takeaway of the events, it doesn’t necessarily comply to the Ultimate Truth of Canon-Alignment or represent the actual facts of what hussie intended! v sentimental smh but hopefully its still interesting to read

i love when characters inform each other by proximity, it's one of my fave things to see in media :') it feels even more significant when two characters deliberately choose to stick together, so that when one operates, you can tell the other is similarly aligned in associative solidarity.

sollux is a keystone of this trope — whoever he aligns with is a wordless statement, a nod of approval. this stood out to me bcs the main four humans were alr friends by default, but once you reach hivebent you realize the trolls can actively choose who they want to hang out with.

and as we all know, after assessing every troll's biases/loyalties, sollux is the only one who maintains his selective preference for innately Good 👍 people.

aradia is such a beautiful character honestly, she evokes such incredible feelings in me. she might not have been consistently written with care but the best parts of her character are truly stunning. i think it's easy to remember sollux as the self-sacrificing one bc he's so open about it (and his friends frequently react to his Moments) but when you compare him to aradia, it's always struck me

how much more. raw it is

to be so alone as an agent of time, having to orchestrate immeasurably harrowing events nobody understands or gives a fuck about

with your role painted in the story as one who must tend to the needs of the narrative, responsible to match every next note

because when you're given the capabilities, it becomes your duty to carry it out.

it becomes expected of you to keep experimenting and arranging the machinations to work for everyone, dusting off hundreds of necessary failures to keep going

and having to be so unwavering in your drive knowing miserably that there's no one who can help you but yourself.

or alternatively: to make things fun! so other people won't think twice about letting you go off on your own.

sure she's had some very good buds, notably thanks to Team Charge v Team Scourge antics.

and yet, at the end of the day, the one friend that kept choosing her time and time again was the friend with the highest standards.

i can see why people like to define arasol as moirails/matesprits but surprisingly i find the nondescript, unlabeled aspect of their relationship more straightforward to understand.

there's no shortage of people who would accommodate sollux. most of the surviving trolls are his oldest friends bcs he’d chosen them well. his transparency with his feelings had built him strong friendships that won’t falter or break, regardless of how much of a dick he can be. they’ve already seen and accepted him at his worst, and they still like him for who he is.

contrast that with aradia, who'd been so approachable, friendly and reliable in her exchanges it was super fun to talk to her. but the moment she became depressed, all her connections broke down.

her friends became hesitant to interact with her (until she became god tier, “happy” and amicable again) because her gloom and resignation didn’t serve them. she dealt with it alone.

there’s def something of note here abt the disparity between the way male & female characters are written+perceived in homestuck (esp parallel arasol with davejade) but i won’t go into that lmaoo

with this in mind i like to think of sollux as a gift to her, a loyal companion given to complement and commend her resolve. she's capable of doing so much alone but hussie took the time to build her and sollux's relationship as one of a unit; a set.

the ambiguity of their status does complicate things, but i do believe it makes sense with their characters. aradia's relationship with romance is a rocky one, the dubious stringalong equius had with her is a pointed reminder that her feelings of attraction are ultimately controlled by the author writing her.

unlike the other trolls who can openly address and own up to their crushes, aradia had romantic emotions forced upon her (especially when hussie implies 'she kissed equius back on her own volition'). and it seems like her character is so intrinsically neutral abt attraction that even when forced by the almighty powers above, she's unable to retain it wholly.

however, looking back to pre-game when she could actually "choose" her own feelings, she did have a crush on sollux.

their soft spots for each other were so obvious to the point where other people could see it.

taunting aside, when vriska comments on their unit as bf/gf it actually informs the audience that arasol's relationship is romantic in nature despite not aligning with the quadrant system.

even while dead, aradia could still describe her care for sollux, expressing that she would like to see him happy. if they had more time to explore their relationship on alternia, it's possible they could've settled in a quadrant once they grew older.

but going back to the lack of labels, their dynamic was affected once more when aradia became god tier.

to me, her ascension was both the perfect culmination and possible closure of her character. it's the light at the end of her journey toiling through countless of timelines where she had to actively assess and participate. that's why it's cool to see her being silly and having fun giving guidance, passively exploring and watching other people do their parts.

and yet the joy of her freedom makes it hard to explore further introspection. if we take her by her word, she'd already come to terms with the hurt she's been through and forgiven those involved.

i can't help feeling attuned to how impersonal and detached it can be, to devote and meld your identity so completely with your designated position as Maid of Time until you've become hard for your old friends (and even some readers!) to personally connect to.

idk post-canon but i assume there’s some degree of similarity to be bridged here with aradia's god tier and how the hs2 humans' Ultimate forms was described as a consolidation of all their possibilities. since aradia's classpect is inherently of service to Time, going god-tier may have elevated her beyond personhood with the "game construct" possessing her entirely. sollux doesn't realize the extent of it bcs he's still mortal, but a part of him may have subconsciously understood this.

i think there is a core aspect to aradia that was lost to the dehumanizing glory of god tier — a core aspect that may have contained an element of why sollux enjoyed talking to her in the first place.

to him, aradia hadn't just been a nice girl, she was a cool girl. despite not having much in common, he's still willing to chill next to her so she's not alone while she does what needs to get done.

back on alternia, they held a mutual and equal-level regard for each other that could've definitely settled into something permanent. but now, he's placed himself in a position where he can be kept around or left behind at will. the parameters of the relationship are largely in aradia's court, so any label she suggests to identify their relationship with he's likely to accept.

but that's why it's so difficult to label it. because god tier aradia may not necessarily Want quadrants or relationship labels. rather than the initial romantic attachment, their commitment to each other had evolved into one fundamentally of companionship.

no label? ok fine. no matter what, he still thinks she's a good soul worth latching on to. the best, actually. aradia > everyone else.

even if it gets stilted at times. there's an unexpected struggle to connect when sollux's go-to default for talking points is his feelings about things, and aradia may not want to talk about emotions all the time.

not to mention god tier aradia became an observer, especially of chaos. but sollux's avoidance of involvement comes partially from his innate pressure to get involved if something goes wrong. and he can't always tell when something goes wrong, because aradia doesn't mind if things go wrong anymore.

it's a non-negotiable preference that causes them to take the occasional time apart, a new boundary that wouldn't have existed before the game and aradia's god tier.

but just like how his friends tolerated his moods, sollux accepts aradia as she is. with no quadrants, their connection doesn't break down because there's no implicit romantic expectations to be disappointed by or resentful over.

sometimes when i see hs content that deliberately distances sollux from aradia, i assume this is the dissonance people might have felt. people might find it "easier" to be cynical about them bcs of this strange tension.

but idc lmao. grab that shit by the neck

lack of easy resolutions and cleanly tied ribbons is pretty standard of homestuck and imo it doesn't make arasol's dynamic any less incredible. with the right affection and consideration, there's still so much potential to develop the nuance of their relationship outside of the popular quadrant-based depictions.

hs has a lot of really great character compatibilities but the way aradia and sollux are in their own special orbit is why i can write this much about them in the first place. it's that frail innocence between first loves that makes it so sweet to me, two kids who grew up too fast playing guesswork without being clear where they're going.

ultimately i do think you're meant to feel a little tragedy for just how much they care for each other, even if they can't quite establish it in simple terms.

maybe they keep taking breaks to progress their own paths. maybe they remain as anchor partners while seeing other people. but even if you decide to separate them, they're still (awkwardly) texting each other updates all the while. and when they reunite it feels like coming home.

and well. more than anything, i like to believe that they do want to be exclusive.

they're just afraid. after all, they're still learning how to love, beyond the projections of the foursquare quadrant system they had inadvertently distanced themselves from since young.

they might not have everything figured out, but they'll get there eventually if you just hold them together and write them there.

optional post-canon segment:

one of the limitations of main hs is that (monogamous) relationships are often written as the go-to solution to wrap up character growth; it's an easy "patch" to imagine characters getting their happy ending because they have a partner, and those who don't end up with someone don't get that closure (most notably jade).

hs2 reaffirms this by suggesting that aradia's character cannot progress without letting sollux go, because happily settling in a relationship automatically locks your potential.

that pathetic panel of sollux staring emptily into the sky is still my fave hs2 spoiler ngl i find the impact of their parting so emotionally provoking precisely bcs they were written in original hs to be each other's forever, coming back together again and again

but now, they're subject to the decisions of the post-canon authors who might choose to deviate from that.

it's not new for them to part, but now there's an underlying worry that her dropping him off this time might be the last time. while i think the prospect of shattering their stability to make them grow separately sounds fun on paper, no amount of me desperately hoping for a good execution is gonna guarantee it

idk. i guess prediction-wise im expecting sollux in classic dramatic-hs2 fashion to tell dave to back off aradia LMAO. otherwise it's just gon be sollux and karkat pathetically watching aradia and dave from a distance swimming in their unresolved feelings for narratively-powerful time players smh obvs it sounds corny as hell but who knows its still plausible

srsly tho i hope they take the opportunity to develop arasol's relationship in a fresh direction that doesn't hurt me too badly...... and i hope they force sollux out of his comfort zone. i like watching him struggle :-)