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twig-tea · 4 months

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Cooking Crush ep 10: This Show Has My Whole Heart

I wrote about some of the things Cooking Crush is doing so well in my response to a recent ask, and so I'm particularly glad that episode 10 came through with a strong flourish to get us set up the last two episodes.

I wanted to call out a few specific things this episode did that are contributing to why it's working so well for me.

First, I want to mention that the reciprocity continues! Previously, we had Prem comforting Ten during a panic attack post adrenaline crash. In this episode, Ten comforts and supports Prem during his worries about Samsee and the competition.

Picking up on something else I've talked about before, this show is committed to its character's arcs. Fire is struggling with his sexuality and his desire to keep their relationship secret last episode led to the conflict between Samsee and Dynamite this episode. Fire showing up to support Dy in public, giving him affection, and using the petname Dy insisted on having is all evidence of Fy's increasing comfort with it. He's already said before he intends to tell his mother, and Dy has been clear he's not rushing him. The way Dy is so careful with Fire but also so receptive to and appreciative of what Fire is able to give warms my heart (pun intended). And Samsee and Prem seeing it and reacting supportively too, because they know what this means to their friend!

[The gifsearch is not cooperating but please enjoy this gifest by @gunsatthaphan.]

I also want to talk about how this conflict with Samsee hits Dynamite hard, and in the context of knowing he's lost relationships with his parents because of his sexuality, to think his relationship with Fire could have lost him a close friend must be bringing back up his feelings about being cut out of the lives of people he loves. However, it speaks to the strength of his bond with Samsee that even though Samsee is furious and not speaking with him, he does not kick Dy out of his apartment. Dy mentions that he didn't see Samsee the night before the competition because Samsee didn't come home (we find out later why, but I loved this subtle nod to the fact that unlike Dy's own parents, Samsee didn't abandon Dy when he made choices that hurt him. I AM IN MY QUEER FOUND FAMILY FEELINGS, FRIENDS).

Along these lines, Ten going to confess to Prem, noticing that these friends are having a moment, and quietly stepping away to give them space is such a good character moment for him, since previously he's been begging to be let in to their shared space even when Prem mentions he's concerned about its impact on his friends and their relationship. Ten's realizing he can't be everything for Prem, and it's better for both of them if he isn't.

That scene of reconciliation, the three friends re-establishing how important they are to one another, that got to me. And that the show prioritized it over the romance! I cannot tell you how much I love that this was an explicit decision the show made, to say 'no, this is not the time for a confession, this friendship reconciliation is more important right now'. And I love that the show gives us a solid, character-grounded reason for why Samsee reacted so strongly to being left out in the first place. We've been told Samsee has changed school majors 3 times, and it's been played as a joke as well as an explanation for why he's an older student. I love that we've now had the consequences of those changes on Samsee's friendships added to his story. Even a "joke" backstory has ramifications for the characters in this show, I am obsessed.

I also want to mention that I am loving what the show is doing with Samsee and Metha, two characters who are the "fuck-ups" of their friend groups, but who are also the most loyal and most supportive of them all. They conflict with one another around what that support looks like, even while they enable one another to continue to be the best friends to their respective besties.

Prem has struggled this entire show to use his words, and in particular he's visibly wrestled with how he can gracefully reject Chef Changma without putting his own career at risk. In this episode he manages to say 'I don't think that [a hug] would be a good idea', and he's ignored. Ten immediately steps in, but I wanted to highlight how big a deal it is for Prem to have said no to this Chef--who he's idolized, who is his mentor, and who is a judge of the competition he's in--in this moment.

When we do get to the confession, Prem continues to lead with action, and Ten continues to push him to use his words. I love so much that Ten never lets him get away with copping out of saying the words, since it's something we know Prem struggles so much with. This speaks to @lurkingshan's earlier post about how Cooking Crush shows us its leads are better thanks to their relationship (in the same way that Fire self-actualizing and being more free to be himself and express affection also speaks to this point).

Beyond character arcs, there's one other thing I am very excited for heading into episode 11 next week, and that's the conflicts in this show converging so brilliantly. So far, the show has set up a few conflicts: Ten's relationship with his father, the cooking competition, the bullies, Fire's relationship with his mother, and Chef Changma's interest in Prem. All of these have now been queued up to expertly converge as a single conflict in ep 11, based on the preview. With Changma's advance and subsequent punch being recorded and distributed (I'm placing bets that this was recorded by one of the bullies, btw), Ten's father once again steps in the way of this relationship that he sees as a detriment to his son. Prem also previously stated that he wanted to enter the competition in order to prove to Ten's dad that he has potential, so these threads were already starting to come together weeks ago. Even if I'm wrong about the bullies having been the ones to record that video, they're sitll in the competition as competitors. And of course Fire has promised Dy he'd come out after the competition, tying the last thread of these conflicts all together around this single event.

And this is what I mean when I say the writing on this show is so good. Because the characters are coherent and consistent and have clear arcs, and the conflicts are grounded in the characters, even though there are several threads, they come together easily and in a way that makes perfect sense and that work with the character arcs rather than against them.

The last thing I'll mention, because it's something I actually brought up as a negative to this show previously, is the use of non-linear storytelling. Cooking Crush has used non-linear storytelling several times, showing us a scene and then flashing back to what happened before that scene in order to fill in the gaps. This can be an effective storytelling tool, but it has to accomplish something in the narrative. The difference between unnecessary and excellently-deployed non-linear storytelling is whether or not there's a good answer to this question: What is the purpose of delaying this information to the audience, and how does that delay affect the audience understanding of what they're seeing? In previous instances, for example the kiss and then flashback to the full date, knowing that Ten and Prem kissed at the end of their date didn't add anything to the viewing experience of watching their date, and having seen their date didn't change my experience of the kiss. This is why I consider it an ineffective use of that technique.

In episode 10, however, we get the cold open that shows Ten joining Prem and Samsee in the competition, and then we flash back. Knowing Ten will be joining Prem and Dynamite in the competition helps to colour what we see about Prem and Dy trying to get Samsee to reconcile with them, as well as Samsee's absence. When we get to Ten stepping in, we have learned it was as much a surprise (and disappointment) to Prem and Dy as it was to us. Ten stepping in doesn't actually work, but it does give Prem the courage to ask if they can compete as a duo, rather than just letting themselves be disqualified without a fight. And we later find out that Samsee was so touched by the letter that he went to his hometown to dig for prawns and that's why he was late for the competition. [I also wanted to mention this because based on @respectthepetty's roundup post it sounds like the cold open was cut for the youtube version]

I lied, I have one more actual last thing, this one is obvious but I can't not say it: THANK YOU to this show for consistently queueing up the typical miscommunication fumbles that get so annoying in every BL (in most romance plots of any sexuality) and then saying NOT TODAY SATAN and having the characters choose vulnerability and honesty and bravery, and talking it out. Every time the show does this (and it's at least 2x per episode, no exaggeration) I feel a little more faith in romance writing restored.

ANWAY, TL;DR Cooking Crush continues making me so happy every week!

#cooking crush #bl meta #long post #typed so that I can stop thinking it #sorry y'all i am so obsessed with the details about this show #everything that makes it feel normal to everyone else is what is making it feel extraordinary to me

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stuffnonsenseandotherthings · 5 months

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5 QL Adaptations I'd Love To See in 2024 (or beyond).

2023 was definitely an eye opener for me in terms of finally (oh so finally) getting a chance to properly immerse myself in QL media and oh boy have I had a lot of fun with my journey so far. There have been highs, there have been lows, there have been laughs, and there have been tears. There have also been many many amazing shows and adaptations, quite a few of which I still have to catch up on.

Still, just because I have a backlist (is that the right term to use here? Probably not) as long as my arm, that won't stop me from dreaming and looking ahead to the future and look to the future I will because, up until this year, I was definitely I was definitely someone who got most of my QL fixes through reading them rather than watching them and, as a result, I have some suggestions, requests, and some wild dreams from books, webtoons, and mangas I would love to see brought to life in 2024 (or in 2025, I'm not fussy).

1. Our Dreams At Dusk - Yukhi Kamatani

Tasuku Kamame has just recently moved to a new school when a classmate nearly outs him as gay. Struggling accept his own desires and scared of facing future filled with rejection and social ostrisization, Tasuku is contemplating doing the unthinkable when he meets a mysterious woman named "Someone". This chance encounter introduces Tasuku to the local drop-in centre, a place where he finds community, friendship, and a chance to discover who his is and who he wants to become.

First serialised in 2015 this four volume masterpiece of a manga series is frustratingly and upsettingly difficult get hold of nowadays but oh my god it should be required reading everywhere (and I'm only half joking). A truly queer work with representation spanning nearly all the LGBTQIA+ acronym across a multi-generational cast of characters, it's a work with so much love (and magic) at its heart.

This could be a breathtaking drama, Japan, all you have to do is reach out and grab it.

2. Concerning Our Daughter - Kim Hye-Jin

An unflinching look at the prejudices which permeate modern Korean society (and the world all over as well), Concerning My Daughter centres around the fraught relationship between a mother and her queer adult daughter. Told from the perspective of the mother, struggling to come to terms with her daughter's choice to live openly and proudly as a lesbian as opposed to living a "normal" life, this story works to examine and unpick what it means to "fit" within society's boundaries.

A scathing but equally moving critique of homophobia, heteronormativity, ageism, discrimination, and tradition, Concerning My Daughter is not a fun ride by any means, but it is important and, in the right hands, it has a potential to be an earth-shattering drama.

3. No.6 - Atsuko Asano and Hinoki Kino

This might not be gays in space but it is gays in a sci-fi setting and that's more than enough for me. Set in the seemingly utopian city of No.6, this series tells the story of Shion, a boy born to wealth and privilege and who seems set to live a "good" and "productive" life but who finds his life completely de-railed after a chance encounter with the mysterious and enigmatic Nezumi.

A series full of adventure, intrigue, and shady government plans and topped with themes of sexuality, gender expression, class, and environmentalism, No.6 would be an incredibly fun drama to watch (although the production company might have to shell out Alice In Borderland level funds to make it reality).

4. Sasaki and Miyano - Shō Harusono

A BL manga series about BL manga, Sasaki and Miyano is honestly just a whole lot of fun. The series follows the two eponymous high schoolers after a chance incident leads Sasaki to discover Miyano's deep love of BL manga (and a bout of curiosity leads him to ask for recommendations). The story that follows centres around the budding friendship and eventual romance between the two, leaving plenty of time for comedy, hijinks, and deep dives into different BL tropes, as well as an (un)surprising amount of self-discovery, growth, and growing up.

It's fun, it's funny, the relationship is On Point 👌 and Sasaki and Miyano are two of my favourite characters I've ever had the pleasure of reading about. Make it, Japan, make it now and no the anime was not enough for me.

5. Ordinary Men - Lesh

A sweet, lively, and quite frankly lovely story about the very frazzled and done-with-it-all Nurse Jiyeon and his younger, puppy-like admirer Dr Kim, this webtoon had me tuning in every week while it was coming out and still has me coming back for more. The ups and downs of their courtship and eventual relationship are truly a joyful (and at times hilarious) ride but it's characters; their endearing traits, their growth, their relatability, and their love for each other that really makes Ordinary Men shine. You can see why they love each other, because you love them too.

Anyway, it is no secret that Korea excels at hospital dramas so now I think it's time for it to turn its hand to making Ordinary Men come to life, preferably in full length drama form.

5.5 Honourable Mentions (it's not cheating if I keep it brief)

My Gorgeous Fiancé - Kwak Sae and Teunteun

Centering around two guys getting engaged to each other because of a bet between their parents and grandparents, My Gorgeous Fiancé was perhaps the most enjoyable fever dream I've ever had and now I want to see it on screen.

You Get Me Going - Moscareto and Oh Doyeon

Bed Friends but make it Korean, that's all I'm going to say.

Our Youth - Hinoon

Take all your straight-A student x school bad boy stories and add a heaping helping of tears, I actually felt this one deep in my heart, as in I actually felt my heart lurch reading this. Yes it's a high-school romance but it's also so so much more than that and I'd quite like to share the experience with the BL watching world.

#japanese bl #jbl #korean bl #ql #ql drama #there are no thai recs because it is hear tearingly difficult to find translates thai literature atm #and the translated books on meb have been adapted already #one day though #2024 wish list #or perhaps more accurately 2024 pipe dream #but that's not going to stop me 💪#i want things I can't have #its fine #*cries*

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battyaboutbooksreviews · 3 months

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🦇 Perfect on Paper Book Review 🦇

❓ #QOTD What's the best advice you've ever received or given? ❓ 🦇 High school junior Darcy Phillips has a secret identity as the relationship advice expert behind Locker 89. Leave a letter along with $10 and she'll provide the perfect solution to your relationship woes. So far, she hasn't been caught...that is, until Alexander Brougham catches her collecting letters. He'll keep her secret...if she can fix his relationship post-break-up, that is. Can Darcy help Brougham win his girlfriend back (without strangling the entitled, rich, yummy-Australian-accent-slinging swimmer) in the process?

💜 Perfect on Paper was nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award (Best Young Adult Fiction - 2021) and it's no wonder. This was the exact book bisexual baby me needed a decade ago. Though I've read a multitude of books featuring bisexual FMCs, Sophie Gonzales is the first to capture the authenticity of internalized biphobia. I'll admit I was sheltered enough that it took me a while to realize bi was even an option for me. Bisexual erasure didn't help; once I self-identified, I was given the oh-so-cliche, "that's not real," and "it's just a phase." Bitch, I'm a moon goddess; I'm in a new phase every day of my life. ANYWAY. Darcy is authentic in her concern that a crush over a guy invalidates her bi-ness. The Queer & Questioning Club scene where Darcy's community validates her was everything (and truly got me misty-eyed).

💜 The advice column aspect of the story was brilliant. Darcy's letters are written in a tone that's patient and empathetic yet informative and encouraging. She'd obviously done her research and it shows, but you see her mentally unravel the moment there's personal bias and it's BEAUTIFUL. Darcy isn't perfect. She's a high schooler, still figuring herself out. Yes, she's flawed, but she's also self-aware, willing to grow and change and take her own advice (or the advice she gets from her AMAZING trans big sister, who I adored).

💜 While this is a queer YA romance, there are so many layers beyond that. There's a mixed bag of diversity and personal trauma (and with that, potential for growth) to explore.

💙 The story DID take a minute to pick up speed, so the beginning left me waiting for a catalyst for momentum. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'm no a fan of the miscommunication trope. HOWEVER, it does fit here, and proves how easily a tiny moment of misunderstanding can completely alter the course of a friendship. I did have to put the book down at one point, when Darcy's best friend outs her (I was super frustrated on Darcy's behalf because that betrayal was intense). I was disappointed that no one stepped forward and THANKED Darcy for her advice when she was getting attacked as the person behind Locker 89. People were upset BEFORE their letters were taken, but no one thanked Darcy until LONG after the situation cooled. Given Darcy's self-proclaimed success rate (was there a mention of HOW she knew she was successful, beyond the lack of refunds?), I expected a lot more praise for her abilities beyond one person.

🦇 Recommended to fans of Leah on the Offbeat and Imogen, Obviously, with a hint of To All the Boys I've Loved Before and Netflix's Sex Education.

✨ The Vibes ✨ 💌 Bisexual FMC (w/ Internalized Biphobia) 💌 Queer Young Adult Rom-Com 💌 Lots of Rep 💌 Hate-to-Love 💌 Friends to Lovers 💌 POC Sapphic Side Ship

💬 Quotes ❝ "Do you think there’s a chance that [...] you’re intellectualizing things so you don’t have to, you know, feel them?" ❞ ❝ I was sitting in the space between a sound and its echo. Brougham had asked a question, and I had to answer it. It was that, or keep dreaming about love, and working toward helping others find it, while never letting myself risk it. ❞ ❝ In some ways, we mirrored each other. We shared cracks in complementary places. ❞ ❝ Bi people are part of the queer community, and their identity does not change depending on who, if anyone, they happen to have feelings for or date at any given moment. ❞

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carriagelamp · 1 year

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Coming in just under the wire... my top (...or well, in some cases the most distinctive) books I read in 2022!

You know, I was startled to realize that while I did read a rather nice collection of queer lit this year, I didn't read a single Canadian novel. This is the first year in a few I haven't been able to put at least one on my list... I'll have to remedy that next year.

I'll do a brief description of the books, for those who are curious, but my more robust summaries/reviews are in the monthly reviews.

Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson -- a story about an orphan who receives a birthday gift of sand from his presumably long dead parents and gets drawn into a strange, magical adventure by his mysterious grandfather

Blacksad by Juan Diaz Canales -- a crime noir adventure comic featuring beautiful art and stunning scenery

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy -- a gentle collection of affirmations forming a loose, beautifully drawn narrative

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell -- a story about the chosen one attending a magical school and his rival - rather obviously a parody but it successfully creates characters, narrative, and romance that fully stands on its own

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming -- a story about a family who buy a very special car, one which seems to have a life of its own as it reveals a startling range of abilities and cunning that guide them through adventure

Dead Voices by Katherine Arden -- the sequel to Small Spaces, the children have survived their meeting with the Smiling Man and hope that life can return to normal... however when they get snowed in to a ski lodge it becomes quickly evident their holiday will be anything but that

Failed Princesses by Ajiichi -- a classic shoujo premise, in which a popular student and a nerd have a tumultuous first meeting but gradually find themselves warming to each other and slowly a romance begins to bloom... but now with lesbians!

Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman -- the quirky explanation a father offers to his children, to justify why he was so late getting back from the shop with the milk...

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mo Xiang Tong Xui -- the powerful and feared Yiling Patriarch has been killed and the world is better for it... except years later he has found himself summoned back to the land of the living, his soul stuffed inside a body, and mysterious crimes of the past bubbling back up

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman -- a cute comic showing the developing friendships, relationships, identities, and mental health between Charlie Spring, Nick Nelson, and their collection of friends

Holes by Louis Sachar -- classic novel of Stanley Yelnats, a boy suffering under the curse of his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather, who has found himself wrongly accused of theft and now struggling to find his place and survive at the detention center Camp Green Lake

Icebreaker by A. L. Graziadei -- a story about hockey protege Mickey James III who has a heavy family legacy to live up to and is fighting desperately for the NHL top draft spot... except his top rival is attending the same college as him and isn't going to make things easy

In Deeper Waters by F. T. Luckens -- I'll be honest, I don't remember what this book is about besides pirates, magic, and queer characters... it was a fun enough read but obviously not overly memorable

The Iron Giant // The Iron Woman by Ted Hughes -- originally published as The Iron Man, this is a classic romp about a young boy who overcomes his community's fear and befriends a massive robot which appeared one day from the sea. I also read its sequel, The Iron Woman, which may be even better, and is about another massive robot who has bears the agonies of aquatic life being slowly poisoned and has now appeared to reap vengeance on those responsible for polluting the water

Kase-san and the Morning Glories by Hiromi Takashima -- an adorable series about shy, clumsy Yamada who becomes entranced by the beautiful, outgoing track star, Kase.

Kiki’s Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono -- the novel that inspired the Ghibli film; this book is about a young witch who has set off to spend a year on her own, developing her craft and earning her own way

Minecraft: The Mountain by Max Brooks -- I found the first book very intriguing, though this sequel was only middling. The character from the first book has left his island and has found a whole new world with whole new challenges, everything from new animals, a new friend, and a whole new deadly world to explore

Modelland by Tyra Banks -- my girlfriend read this together mostly as a joke, but my god what a wild ride I don't know if I've ever laughed so much at a book. This is Harry Potter but for a deranged magical modelling based society with the most insane strings of words you have ever seen in one place

Orphaned by Eliot Schrefer -- a book about a young gorilla who finds herself separated from her family and forced to take care of her little brother, all while being stalked by a strange new sort of creature in their jungle home...

Outbursts of Everett True by A. D. Condo and J. W. Raped -- an old newspaper comic about the Everett True, a man who goes about his life giving rude, nasty, and generally unpleasant jerks the walloping we all secretly wish we could unleash

Prince of Song and Sea by Linsey Miller -- a Little Mermaid story, told through the eyes of Prince Eric, with a whole new cast of characters, lore, curses, and exciting worldbuilding

Queer Ducks by Eliot Schrefer -- a well-researched and very readable nonfiction popsci book that explores the complexity of sex and gender in the animal world

Touching Spirit Bear // Ghost of Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen -- a childhood classic about Cole Matthew who, after beating a child badly enough to cause permanent injury, has to come to terms with his anger through a form of restorative justice that sees him on a lonely island and in the path of a majestic and dangerous white bear

Witch Week // Earwig and the Witch by Diana Wynne Jones -- two different novels by Diana Wynne Jokes, first a reread, second a new one for me. Witch Week is a favourite, about witch orphans living at a bording school in which a note warns that someone in the class is a witch. The second is about orphan Earwig and her battle against the witch who adopted her with the intention to use her as a slave.

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allthefujoshiunite · 1 year

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Hi, I hope you're okay.... Please just answer my ask whenever you're free....I just read your blog about BL manga koimonogatari, and really loved your writing....also I agree with you, I wish yuiji and yamato just end up as friends...But I think it will end up with yuiji x yamato (based on the mangaka's author note in vol 2)? It is the first manga where I want the mc and male lead not end up romantically (even though I know it's BL)...Do you think it's weird? Have you ever read a BL manga where you don't ship the mc with male lead?

I hope you're safe and sound with your loved one....

Hello, thank you for the message. I and my loved ones are safe, but being okay is a different matter because the situation somehow keeps getting worse.

About my post on Koimonogatari. It was a post that I forgot about until I received two hostile comments under it in 2021. Back in 2015, my level of English proficiency was much lower than it is today, and rereading it now, there are two points that I don't agree with my past self, and some other parts I still think the same, but I'd make sure to word my opinions much differently. After those comments, I decided to write another post on this topic but I didn't have the time. So thank you for asking about it and giving me the chance to go back.

One opinion I'd word better now is that even though my blog is my own space and I'm free to voice my personal opinions however I wish as long as I maintain a respectful tone, the line between something being wrong and something that doesn't appeal to me seems blurry in the post.

I have to emphasize that the creator(s) is the sole person who's in charge of their creation. If they themselves search for reader comments/reactions and change the course of the story of their own accord, fine. But readers should never tag the artists or comment under their tweets when their work is not going the way they personally want. You can read more on Japanese fandom policy "don't like/don't read" here.

I keep saying this like a broken record, but I CRAVE for variety. Commercial BL is highly satisfactory when it comes to tropes or settings, but I still feel like there's a lack of experimentation when it comes to interpersonal relationships, specifically romance. If I were to lay it out more openly, even though two BL titles can focus on completely different settings (let's say one is a yakuza and the other is a high school BL) and the intricacies of the plot would progress differently, the relationship still goes from point A to B and then to C, or start from B, go back to A and arrive at C. This is not me boasting or being full of myself, but it's very rare for a BL title to truly impress me with its plot structure, the way it deals with the age-old tropes, or introduce a nuanced look into relationships. This holds true regarding friendship/allyship as well. Now, it's a no-brainer that by definition, BL is a genre that focuses on male/male romantic and/or sexual relationships. So at first, it seems contradictory to expect a story to focus on the friendship between a straight-identifying and an LGBTQ+ person.

Why should this be considered "contradictory", though? Why can't friendship between a straight-identifying and an LGBTQ+ person be worthy enough to study both queer and non-queer relationships in fiction? Back when I first read Koimonogatari's first volume in 2015, I was SO mesmerized by the way Yuiji and Yamato were introduced, the way they, just by being themselves, were holding mirrors to each other, the way Yamato gained strength just by being accepted and heard and in contrast, Yuiji questioned his own stance on romantic love because, in the heteronormative world he lives in, he never suspected the typical flow of his relationship with his girlfriend before.

I understand that this is partially a "me" thing. Friendship is extremely important to me to the point where I may be bold to say it's sacred. That puts shipping in an awkward position for me; on one side I love the dynamic two characters have and I immediately want to ship them, but that also means I love them as friends as well and, as I have said in my old post, why shouldn't two people just get along well? Throughout my adolescent life, I was frustrated with other friends immediately wiggling their eyebrows at me whenever I got close to a guy. Just because I identified as a woman and my friend identified as a man and we stood next to each other and got along meant that something romantic had to develop between us, and that mindset, for me, devalued friendship.

Because of my personal views and values, and the beautiful and delicate approach to Yuiji and Yamato's friendship, Koimonogatari was a very special title for me. That post, although the language sounds brusque, was meant to underline this: friendship is valuable in and of itself and shouldn't be regarded as anything but a stepping stone toward romantic feelings. I couldn't see a romantic relationship blooming between Yuiji and Yamato in such a short span of time, and I had wished for things to stay the way they are. Despite what that commenter thinks, I'm allowed to expect whatever the F I want out of a fictional work. The creator's intentions and my engagement with the said work is a completely different matter.

I've recently reread the first two volumes and admittedly, I can picture budding romantic feelings between the two if the series were to be stretched out to four volumes in total. Another point I disagree with my past self is that, if a fandom readily jumps at the Shippy Bandwagon just because two characters stand next to each other, they can ship them. I was wrong to say fandom shouldn't ship and if something annoys me or makes me uncomfortable, it's my duty to remove myself from the circle and not the fandom's job to comply with my needs/expectations. Other than these two points, I stand by my expectations of Koimonogatari and the questions I asked back then are ideas that I still play around with in my head.

In the end, we are free to expect whatever we want from a story, and the creators are equally free to do whatever they want.

Have you ever read a BL manga where you don't ship the mc with male lead?

To answer your question, there have been such works, yes. This is usually the case when there's a love triangle is introduced, and having a Second Lead Syndrome, I usually ship the MC with the person that comes along to create strain between the MC and his unrequited love. To give an example, this always happens when the MC is childhood friends with the guy whom he has had a giant crush on for years, and one day, the second love interest comes into play. MC's feelings sway but he ends up with the childhood friend in the end. I personally hate this plot structure with every fiber of my being for several reasons, thus I avoid reading series with the love triangle + childhood friends combo. But I won't go into detail here.

Sorry, l rambled too much but as I have said I've been meaning to write about this topic. Koimonogatari will forever be a special series and ever after all these years, I'm looking forward to its completion. And it goes without saying but I fully respect Tagura Tohru's choice of ending.

Have a nice day!

#koimonogatari #tagura tohru #bl manga #bl meta #yaoi manga #allthefujoshiunite answers

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absolutebl · 2 years

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This Week in BL - I have thoughts on voice overs

Aug 2022 Wk 4

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying the most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

The Eclipse (Fri YT) Ep 3 of 15 - The splinter thing was cute. I liked that they used it to show that Aye is a capable boy, and I enjoy that quality in a character. The disciplining of the 3 queer boys plot is giving me So Much in Love vibes. I’m a little confused by the friendship between Thua and Aye, did that come out of nowhere or is it just me?

Vice Versa (Sat on YT) Ep 7 of 12 - It’s been interesting to watch Sea come into his own with this show, since at first Jimmy takes up all the air in the proverbial cinematic room. But Sea is good, subtle. Do I feel a little manipulated by the external conflict? Yes. And I still think Jimmy‘s character’s motivation is suspect. In other news, it should not be as weird as it was to watch someone eat carbonara Thai style, but it totally fucked with my head.

21 Days Theory (Sun YT ) Ep 3 of 4 - They are all so cute. The side noona romance, even the side Cyrano romance. I’m deeply grateful they ff the singing trope for me! OMG its so ADORABLE when X&Q switch to using X and Q. Eeeee!!!!!!! Q is so nervous and pleased about it. I love this show so much. The representation of an elder gay advisor, teaching about proper communication and warning of damaging romance tropes, PLUS language play and high school? Everything about this show is in my wheelhouse.

My Only 12% (Fri iQIYI) Ep 3 of 15 - Well if anybody can advise a lonely confused gay boy in high school, I suppose it’s Fuse Kung. This one is moving along swimmingly, it’s complex, nuanced, and very well done for essentially a simple premise from Thailand. It’s not a pulp, but it’s not high production either. In style it’s more in the vein of UWMA than anything I’ve seen out of Wabi Sabi in a LONG time. Thumbs up.

Love Mechanics (Sun WeTV) Ep 10fin - I really loved the class conflict with these two, and what it says about the characters in their families. Honestly THIS could’ve been the plot for this whole drama. It would’ve been so much better if it had dwelled in this space of family drama, rather than the chaotic messy bi-slut cheating space. And guess that’s it. That’s the end. Sigh. In the end I went with 6/10, I compare this to My Gear and Your Gown (a classic 6/10), and find it’s about the same. Yes YinWar are great, and they were great in this, but the story was not good, and not improved by being given more time to hang itself. I like the shorter En of Love version better (yes I think they can and should be compared) and I’m was left simply hoping YinWar get more better work in the future.

Coffee Melody (Mon Viki) Ep 6 of 10 - Pleng & Yi are good communicators (now) but this show is kind of boringly slow. Jean is a KILLER flirt. Like the best, really. Yi should have taken lessons.

Unforgotten Night (Weds on GaGa) Ep 10 of 12 - I got drunk this time in order to make it through. Good thing too, I I NEEDED to be drunk. Because they threw a random threesome and a highly worrying and unstable kink in the shower sequence at me. It’s such a terrible show. TRASH WATCH HERE! I’m gonna start moving this to Thursdays and watching back-to-back with LITA for alcohol consumption reasons.

Love in the Air (Thurs iQIYI) Ep 2 of 13 - there was a spanking, so that’s something, I guess? DUMPSTER FIRE TRAH WATCH ALONG HERE.

Check Out (Sat IQIYI) Ep 12fin - hadn’t dropped yet for some reason and I could not care less.

Work from Heart (Thurs WeTV? YouTube?) from DV8 an office BL featuring lots of other couples. Stars Love With Benefits pairing Gameplay & Folk. It isn’t even listed on WeTV streaming in my territory, but it is airing to WeTV Thailand. Probubly still hunting for distribution.

What If (Mon WeTV) Is on WeTV but for VIP only (pay wall). Neighbors who grew up together and have special feelings for each other but keep it to themselves. And then... university. My FairygodBLer has provided, so I’ll be reporting in on what I can get starting next week. I must rewatch WBL2 first tho. Priorities!

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Minato’s Laundromat (Japan Weds GaGa) Ep 9 of 12 - The mystery behind Asuka and Shuu is finally explained, and as @heretherebedork points out, is being used as a foil for the main romance thread. Also, the director did this transition around which character is being filmed standing in doorways and on thresholds (from Shin to Minato) that was SO CLEVER I kinda lost my whole tiny mind for a while. I ended up doing an unexpectedly deep dive into this filming trick as a narrative technique on the SQUEE WATCH ALONG . And yes, I think it’s possible this came directly from the manga, the manga seems very very SMART.

Takara-kun and Amagi-kun (Japan Thurs GaGa & Viki) 2 of 8 - I can’t believe we are getting BOTH these from Japan right now. Japan, and I say this in all seriousness, we do not deserve you. These two are so shy and awkward and cute, and it’s so high school it’s almost unbearable. But I really enjoy the way burgeoning desire works with high school characters better than in any of the other setting Japan might choose. I gnaw on my knuckles and squeal a lot with this show. The handholding is so adorable. Also Amagi is so awkwardly jerky and angular in a way that doesn’t seem overblown like it did in Kieta Hatsukoi. Clever shooting on the erotic dream sequence too. I see what you did there, Japan. Amagi’s fears are all the fears of first love (and not just queer love, anyone’s first). I really like that. Also I really love the internal dialogue that’s happening around communication. Because part of first love should be learning how to talk to each other and communicate. The way Takara communicates is so good and so important to the genre I did a whole post about it.

Papa & Daddy 2 (Mon GaGa) Ep 4 of 8 - Taiwan handles a love triangle so differently, especially with mature characters. It’s actually kind of beautiful to watch them explore ideas around infidelity, affection, lost love, and rediscovery. Also I love the gay sibling couples sharing tips on how to manage kids and parents.

Want to See You (Vietnam YT) Ep 13 of 14 - I definitely like it better after the time jump. But I still feel jerked around by the uke’s behavior and decisions. Golden rule of BL: he’s never asleep.

In Case You Missed It

Viki has picked up old fan favorite Ossan’s Love 1 & 2 (the original Japanese version) which I don’t like very much.

Viki also got Korea’s Love Class, which I enjoyed. review here.

Japan is airing キスkissキス AKA Kiss X Kiss X Kiss Perfect Scandal starring Ryuga Akahane and On Nakano, on dTV. Depicts an “extremely risque yet beautiful forbidden love between the two idols, A and B, who were in the same idol group. The fans knew that they were good friends. However, the real relationship between them is... lovers.” WHY IS THIS NOT IN FORNT OF MY EYEBALLS RIGHT NOW? (It’s poorly rated so I am assuming sadness.) I am not alone the comment thread of people trying to get ahold of this is insane, seriously Korea why are you sleeping on this idea?

The OnlyOneOf BL universe crossover continues with part 3. Oh Kpop.

Gossip

Oh My Assistant is going for the reshoot option. Fascinating. Honestly this says a lot about the KBL industry that it’s so cheap to produce, it’s easier just to redo the whole thing when you’ve the option on a popular manwha. Original info on why I thought this one was DOA. I’m delighted to be proved wrong but remain nervous over the fact that this is Korean doing high heat.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Starting this week: About Youth turns out to be uni set, not high school (this is my sad face). Still I’m looking forward to new BL from Taiwan and it’ll be on GaGa starting Monday.

Ending: Check Out, Want to See You.

MIP (missing in production): Ghost Host, Ghost House.

Coming September 2022 we hope:

9/14 Once Again (Korea) Viki we think. From Moving Picture studio & Idol Romance (Wish You, Ryu's Wedding, Tasty Florida, Tinted With You, and Kissable Lips - also forthcoming Happy Ending Outside The Fence and The Circumstances of Pungdeok Villa Room 304) Stars actors (no idols) Moon Ji Young (also star in an upcoming BL The New Employee), Lee Hyuk Jun, and Kang Woo Jung. time-slip fantasy BL

9/16: More Than Words (Japan) Amazon Prime Video JP adaptation of Etsuko’s two mangas In The Apartment and More Than Words, starring Ryōko Fujino (Fujoshi, Ukkari Gei ni Kokuru), Yuzu Aoki (Kakafukaka), Daisuke Nakagawa (Colorful Love), and Daiki Kanechika (EXIT).

9/26 Ai Long Nhai (Thai) no international distribution as yet.

Coming September 2022 we hope:

Fahlanruk (Thai) WeTV

Comfort the Boy (Korea) - got an R15+ rating for topic & vulgarity, stars idols Jaehan & Yechan BOTH from Kpop group OMEGA X.

Happy Ending Outside the Fence (Korea ) Star Leo of VIXX.

SELF the series (Thai)

This week’s best moments?

Advising elder gay REPRESENT!!! (21 Days Theory)

Communication represent! (21 Days Theory)

This should have been what this series was about (Love Mechanics). Or they could have wrapped the fathers reservations up with Vee’s miss behavior making for a more complex family dynamic because Mark’s dad would have been partly justified.

Consider I recently did a post all about comparable Asian honorifics including how nong is (and is not) like Japanese -kun, this was very fun to see pop up on my screen. Thank you Love Mechanics.

I love this friendship group. (The Eclipse)

Such a little shit. (The Eclipse)

Honestly? Takara & Amagi hit it out of the park this week, I have a bunch of shots from it because ep 2 was SO GOOD.

(I’m not gonna tell you want’s happening in this shot, you gotta watch it. SO GOOD.)

(last week)

current earworm? Jang Woo Hyuk’s Echo

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tafadhali · 4 months

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festivids recs, part 2

Here with more Festivids recs! There was so much good stuff — I bookmarked fully 1/3 of the collection — but I've narrowed it down to some faves, trying to pick one top choice for fandoms with multiple vids. Here's a very reasonable 25 recs:

The Only Way to See (Amaury Guichon RPF): Did not know I needed a Sondheim vid for the chocolate guy, but I really really did! Such a lovely tribute to creativity.

Le Freak (Barbie): Luv the choice to use disco. Really captured all the fun of the movie and the build to Barbie's existential crisis was A+.

Drink You Sober (Bound): All of the Bound vids were a beautiful bounty. This one is just meltingly sexy.

body (David Cronenberg movies): The platonic essence of a David Cronenberg vid. Repulsive! Attractive! Could not tear my eyes away.

Nothing in My Head (Dropout TV): I am loving ALL the Dropout content (the little question marks in WTFIGO? kill me); this one has terrific timing and is such a great celebration of the ensemble.

Do What I Do (Dungeons & Dragons): All the D&D vids were super fun; Holga's my fave character and I really enjoyed this tribute.

We Can Be Anything (Everything Everywhere All at Once): This song, with its tightrope between nihilism and endless possibility, feels like it was written for this movie.

Anymore (Face/Off): Face/Off vid of my DREAMS. This was made for my sibling and it feels almost like a gift for me too. We were hootin' and hollerin' and both yelled "DOVES!" when there were doves.

if i were a fish (Fire Island): Howie and Noah's friendship was my favorite part of this movie, so love that this focuses on that as much as on the romance. Such a cute song!

Northwest Passage (For All Mankind): If I have one takeaway from FV this year, it's that I need to watch For All Mankind! This space-camp-going due South fan definitely cried a little about this song choice and the epic spacefaring; might be obsessed with Molly just from the two vids I've seen about her.

סיפור הגולם (The Golem and the Jinni): I haven't read the book yet, but this is a STUNNING example of what you can do with a non-visual source. It's such a love letter to a time and place, too!

How to make a perfect Hanukkah movie... (Hallmark Hanukkah Movies): SO funny. I've only seen one Hallmark Hanukkah movie but you absolutely get the vibe with or without having watched all of them.

I Like That (Janelle Monae RPF): Unapologetically queer and self-loving.

'Til You Hit a Nerve (Knives Out): Great combination of the two films, and the climactic build on "I can't miss" rules.

By Way of Sorrow (Les Mis): I am weak for a Les Mis vid and this one crafts such a wonderful, heartbreaking narrative about all the secret sacrifices and suffering that Cosette's parents went through! Makes me cry like a baby.

Everybody Talks (Much Ado About Nothing): This was a great year for Shakespeare vids. This is my favorite play and I love the combination of all the productions and all the great comedic beats.

No Smoke Without Fire (Poker Face): Cool, funny vid. This song is a TERRIFIC vibe for Poker Face.

Wavin' Flag (Ponyo): All the Ponyo vids were so much fun (and I loved the love for Lisa this year), but this one really warmed my heart.

magnetic (Romeo + Juliet): Super captivating and energetic tribute to Mercutio! Harold Perrineau just killed it in this movie.

Tusk (SIlence of the Lambs): Amazing character study of goddamn hero Clarice Starling.

A Better Son & Waiting for Somebody (Sports Night): Okay, I cheated! You think I'm going to pick one vid about love of my life Dan Rydell?

Ángel (Tár): A precise and chilling vid about my favorite film of 2022. The accent on the vid title is the perfect coup de grace!

Blood in the Cut (Taskmaster RPF): Yessssss weird Alex Horne vids.

King (The Woman King): Was so hoping for vids to this source and this one is just a blast. Great song choice.

#vid recs #festivids

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jay-aro · 6 months

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For ask game: 8 and 12

8. what are some of your favorite arospec characters? this can include characters from popular media or OCs.

ooo i wanna spotlight isaac and twitch from val and isaac!!! val and isaac is an awesome webcomic that i like to describe as "a slice of life comic about badass space mercinaries." if you like gay people, sci-fi, really good characters, and laughing, i highly recommend you check it out!

isaac (as you may have guessed from the comic's title) is one of the main characters, and twitch is his friend from wizard school that was introduced a few years into the comic. they are both aroace, and it doesn't come up too often, but there are a good amount of comics that involve their aspec identities! (my favorite instance of that was the backstory comic that showed how they became friends, i was pleasantly surprised to see that the plot did involve them being aroace!)

anyways i absolutely love this comic from the 2021 valentine's day post

source

isaac was confirmed as aroace in 2019, from this comic! (from the post's tags: "#isaac is aroace") (though there's a handful of previous comics with him that give off aroace vibes imo)

source

anyways read val and isaac, it's sooo good!!! it's really cool to casually see aroace characters, and there's a lot of other queerness- queer romance, Trans Icon Space Dread, etc

to read all the comics in order, you can use this link to go through the tag in chronological order (note: i don't think this works on moble app): https://tredlocity.tumblr.com/tagged/val%20and%20isaac/chrono, or go on the desktop site (on mobile browser: change page to desktop site) of https://val-and-isaac.tumblr.com/, and use its theme to navigate the comics

you can also just ping pong around random comics lmao (but there are a good deal of multi comic arcs)

12. are you romance favorable, positive, neutral, or repulsed? or is your relationship to romance more complex/complicated than these terms can fully explain?

i'd say neutral/indifferent. i do enjoy a good amount of romance in media (though my tolerance for forced and unnecessary straight romance is NEGATIVE), though i'm also just a big fan of delving into character relations in general- it really frustrates me how romantic relationships keep getting all the focus.

and for other people in real life, seeing them engage in romance/romantic gestures doesn't bother me (tbf i also engage in a good amount of traditionally romantic gestures with my qpps)

but romance for myself? yeah, no.

.....though that begs the questions of "what is romance?", "is there a meaningful difference between these actions one does in a platonic context vs those same actions in a romantic context?", "where is the line drawn, what is the line, does it exist at all?". and y'know what? idk! and i don't exactly need to know. all i know is that friendship is extremely important to me, and i really care about my friends and qpps, and i will be affectionate with them in ways that everyone involved is comfortable with. and that's enough for me!

arospec ask game

#ask #scampfire #did i use this as an excuse for val and isaac infodump time? yes.#jay answers

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tuxedo-rabbit · 5 months

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Take a shot everytime someone makes a post about people who want there to be more discussions on meaningful platonic relationships in media being homophobic and/or ridiculous.

Idk. Just. Yes, fandom is a predominantly queer space. As an aroace person I do not begrudge it being mostly romance focused (i like reading romances too!).

But it would be fun to find more passionate essays about the strong friendships bonds between characters. Or fics. It would be nice.

It also does suck a bit to have a piece of media actually center a strong friendship bond between two people, go online, and have the majority of the fandom insist it's too strong not to be a romance. And again, that's fine, I love for people to have their ships, I love for queer people to be able to read between the lines and see themselves, but oftentimes when this happens, interpreting the characters as anything except romantic is viewed as an attack. And that can be incredibly isolating as an aroace person.

And then combine this with the fact that any time a popular character is interpreted as aro or ace (or god forbid both!!) by aroace fans, we get dogpiled on about how impossible that would be actually. Oh! But also canonically aroace characters being shipped with other characters in fandom despite them canonically having 0 interest in romantic/sexual relationships is totally fine and aroace fans are unreasonable if they complain otherwise.

Idk. I think fandom has a huge aphobia problem. We literally are discouraged from seeing ourselves in fiction. And over the past couple years its become a very casual thing for people to complain about popular aroace fan discussions. It's exhausting. Aroace fans are not threatening the sanctity of fandom by wanting to see a wider variety of discussions and interpretations. I promise you. It's literally fine.

#people asking for more focus on deep platonic relationships is understandable actually #its not a threat against your ships #we can have both!!

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gealach-in-a-misty-world · 1 year

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A secret beats inside Anna Thatcher's chest: an illegal clockwork heart. Anna works cog by cog -- donning the moniker Technician -- to supply black market medical technology to the sick and injured, against the Commissioner's tyrannical laws. Nathaniel Fremont, the Commissioner's son, has never had to fear the law. Determined to earn his father's respect, Nathaniel sets out to capture the Technician. But the more he learns about the outlaw, the more he questions whether his father's elusive affection is worth chasing at all. Their game of cat and mouse takes an abrupt turn when Eliza, a skilled assassin and spy, arrives. Her mission is to learn the Commissioner's secrets at any cost -- even if it means betraying her own heart.

"We do not have to use the same words or share the same definitions to understand one another". Rosie Thor's Tarnished are the Stars is a YA scifi book with big ideas and a big heart. Set in a distant future, it follows the descendants of the people of Earth as they settled in a space station and, later, on a terraformed planet after Earth's destruction. The majority of the population still lives on the station as the terraforming didn't have the desired effect, and people are dying of a heart disease. The main characters will have to try and find out the truth.

The plot is pretty straightforward and there are no big surprises; even the few big shocking moments were a bit predictable. The timing of certain events also felt a bit convenient. But this book sticks the landing with its heartfelt exploration of abuse and self-discovery. Two of the characters are brought up in a hellish manner, abused by their caretaker. While one understands that the other is being abused, they seem blind to their own abuse, until finally the veil is lifted from their eyes too. I found that very believable. Then we have the precious moment of self-discovery of another character, who's asexual and aromantic and finds the words to describe their nature thanks to another character. Both terms are explicitly used, and it was lovely to find them in the text.

There's also a little bit of wlw romance, with a quick enemies-to-lovers that despite its startling speed packs quite a punch when a moment of betrayal eventually comes. The relationships between various female characters - including the supporting cast - are certainly quite varied and interesting, ranging from an old love, to a friendship marred by loss, to a mistress/pupil relationship turned sour. The villains' motivations turned out to be a bit confusing, but the Commissioner got a backstory that was more complex than I thought.

The world-building was simple but clear enough, and the idea of clock-hearts sounded interesting enough that I would have liked it to be explored more.

Tarnished are the Stars is a good read for a questioning teen who likes the genre.

✨ 3.5 stars

[You can find more of my reviews about queer speculative fiction on my blog MISTY WORLD]

#tarnished are the stars #rosie thor #lgbtq books #queer lit #queer #queer books #sff #books #book reviews #reading #gealach reads #gealach writes

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sunshine-in-a-bottle · 2 years

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Literally if reading Homestuck gave me nothing else then at least it gave me the concept of moirails (and using quadrants for all other media)

#ah yes this is for me its mine now #my aroace ass looking at the romantically coded friendship and going #ITS ABOUT THE LACK OF SEX ITS ABOUT THE TAKING CARE OF SOMEONE ITS ABOUT VALUING THEM #ITS ABOUT THAT QUEER SPACE BETWEEN ROMANCE AND FRIENDSHIP #.... yes i was reading about cDrunz as moirails shut up dont perceive me im a weak person #emotionally i cannot handle the concept of quadrants here because of fucking course it means Dream would have none #congrats hs the only thing (besides Gamzee) that you gave me was new ways to explore relationships #and of course thats all anyone ever gives a damn about /hj #anyway fucking. Dream starting with his quadrants at least partially filled. George in hearts Sapnap in Diamonds #Wilbur is waxing Something for him but its vacillating between red and black at all times WILBUR PLEASE #but dethronement happens and whoops now Dream has lost all his red and all his stability what will he do #Punz. Perfect Diamond. Best Pale friend. Please for the love of god give him a hug #Also gives Sap and Dreams relationship another facet of 'you were supposed to be there to calm him down to keep him from going this far'#its a palemates job to keep each other balanced and controlled so even if Dream is faking his general villainy #it still gives off the impression that he lost his diamond and Went Off The Fucking Deep End (aka Sapnap failed his job)#So Sapnap going 'Ill be the one to kill you' is actually a sort of last ditch pale. Or an attempt at forming clubs with Dream+Server #You could possibly see Techno and Dream in prison as a pale patch depending on how you characterize diamonds?#only a patch though in canon. For a multitude of reasons #yes nobody knows what Im talking about no I dont give a shit #i mean i do a little having someone to talk about this with would be nice #but thats irrelevant to me getting my thoughts out #anyway. Dream is what happens when you take the conciliatory quadrant and make it fucked up #Man's trying to vacillate the entire server to such an extreme that he's actively damaging himself and other people

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starrlikesbooks · 3 years

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Sorry if anyone has already asked this, but do you have any recs for books that have similar vibes to the Simon Snow trilogy? I just finished awtwb and I feel like I need something to fill the hole in my chest. I know nothing will be exactly like it (or as good) but do you have anything that has the same intense human connection / yearning gays / fantasy / offbeat kind of feel? Or just books that feel similar to you personally for whatever reasons. The thing I’m mostly craving is the overwhelming connection between characters and how they navigate it, fantasy is also a plus. Does ANY of this make sense lmao

Good question! I also feel that vibe

Okay, so what I always rec for fans of Carry On/Simon Snow, is In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan.

It's the same concept of turning the tried and true fantasy tropes on their heads and knocking everything off kilter, it has great characters and character dynamics, and the endgame romance is somehow very complimentary to Snowbaz (I actually made a venn diagram of this once I can link if you don't mind spoilers haha). It's a standalone, it's very funny while also occasionally punching you right in the chest, and it remains my own personal cure for a Simon Snow hang over.

Otherwise:

The Fascinators by Andrew Eliopolus is a queer fantasy with a cult mystery at its core that's reminiscent of both The Mage in CO & the cult of AWTWB. It's also very much about changing friendships, identity, and how you deal with the future

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novak is the first of a series, and if you like a good magic school trope being played with and remade, you'll find something to like here. Plus, the main character deals a lot with destiny and her own power, and her interactions with the people who skirt the line between friend and ally are really interesting and fun to watch.

Once & Future by AR Capetta & Cory McCarthy definitely hits both "off beat" and "yearning gays", with some magic to boot. There's also a lot of talk of destiny, analyzation of relationships, and a bit of emotional yearning as well.

The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune is a bit of a stretch when it comes to vibes, but if you're looking for another weird story of a dumbass in a kind of magical world who rushes headfirst into everything he does and somehow doesn't realize he's been in love with someone for many years, this is a very fun, queer story you might like.

The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon is more secret magical lands, destiny, and something that's not quite enemies to lovers and which requires quite a bit of complicated yearning. Bonus: this is mlm with a trans protagonist!

When We Were Magic by Sarah Gailey has magical friendship, very intense queer feelings/crushes, and starts with an accidental murder. It's probably the heaviest book on this list, because it deals a lot with sacrifice and connection and grief/depression, but, hey, so does Simon Snow.

A Complicated Love Story Set in Space by Shaun David Hutchinson is a weirder one to rec, but! It is off beat, funny, surprising, surprisingly heavy, and very gay. I will say- don't judge it by the first 100 pages alone.

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern, if you want something a bit more adult and grounded. We've got a magical world, a queer main character with an on page romance (which is actually very, very cute), a whole bunch of character studies to give us some interesting people and interactions with each other and with the world, and god just so much yearning. This is a strange book, but the least "off beat".

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sometipsygnostalgic · 2 years

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PLUS yes there's tons of cliche "the power of friendship saves the day at the end" "the love between boy and girl defeats the bad guy" stories but how many times has queer love saved the universe?

Okay, so, please finish reading my post below before replying, please don't read the opening paragraph and send an angry response:

Love saving the universe, in isolation, is an extremely heteronormative trope, by which i mean amatonormative - the idea that to "fix" everything all you need is some magic mcguffin power brought about by Feelings, and the idealisation of romance as the endgame strength, rather than having any remotely intelligent writing. I didn't mind how ot was done in Adventure Time (where there were multiple forms of love, an entire system for it, and sometimes it contributed to DESTROYING the world), but I am not a fan of this being done with romantic pairings.

A lot of people will disagree here, but I think replacing the straight love with queer love is about the same as replacing our obsession of straight church marriage with queer church marriage. Turns it on its head a bit, and an AWESOME way to resist heteronormativity, but not exactly a rejection of those harmful ideas that have existed to support more repressive institutions or ideals. It is a step, one we probably NEED to take, but not a final destination.

What She-Ra does right is it doesn't just replace whatever straight kiss would save the day with a random gay kiss - it is queer through and through. The entire conflict of the show, between Catra and Adora, and with Prime and Shadow Weaver in season 5, is a metaphorical struggle against all the things that tear queer people apart and make us hide aspects of ourselves:

1. Everything was built against them from the outset with Shadow Weaver pitching Catra and Adora against each other.

2. As a result of that trauma, Catra became a very toxic character, Adora became very self-repressive, and significantly, they repressed their romantic feelings for each other out of responsibility to their repressing factions - the dehumanizing First Ones, and the no-weaknesses-allowed Horde.

3. They had to resist the religious cult of the Horde, particularly highlighted in season 5 wherein Catra gets literally mind controlled into Prime's suicide cult, and Adora has to pull her back into reality, both struggling with all the pain and love of their relationship.

4. Catra and Adora, finally in the safe space of... space, are allowed a breather to work through their baggage, discover their natural selves, and start to act like the little lesbians they always have been.

5. When they were FINALLY starting to act like their queer selves, Shadow Weaver - the person who CAUSED them to start fighting - has the audacity to show up and claim Catra is "bad" for Adora, and that Adora shouldnt be getting into relationships and should instead be working for other people, because it's EVERYBODY's business what relationship she gets into apparently. "Haven't you hurt each other enough?"

6. In more general terms Prime and the Horde loves repressing the queerness of the individual, not directly in barring gay relationships but in all aspects of their identity. Scorpia has so much self-doubt instilled by the Horde that she needs a lot of encouragement by Perfuma to act true to her desires. Entrapta tries to save Hordak and Wrong Hordak from the repression of their true selves, specifically their religious self-discipline and abuse, while struggling with her own feelings of being unwanted/hated due to her uncontrollable differences. And I don't have to talk about how Prime VERY SPECIFICALLY tore apart Spinerella and Netossa, the two longest-established queer characters.

So when Catra and Adora "save the universe with a kiss", it's not just "love saves the day", not even just "queer love saves the day" - it is "embracing queer love resists and destroys the many institutions, and even the internalised self-doubt, that would make us hide our true selves".

Catra and Adora may have stopped the Heart, but that's not the important part. That kiss would have been just as beautiful if it was isolated entirely to the characters themselves - finally, Adora being happy as herself, accepting good things for herself, and Catra being able to show her love. That alone already works to shatter what was keeping them apart - blowing Prime's spaceship up into a christmas tree is just the ceremonial part 😏

#she ra #spop

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magic-is-something-we-create · 2 years

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Writeblr Reintro (Two!)

Hi! I'm Pax (he/him), and I've been on writeblr for two years now! This little reintro thing has become a bit of an annual tradition, so I figured I'd keep it going :D

The basics about me:

I'm an adult, queer, and neurodivergent

My favorite genres to both read and write are Fantasy (preferably High and/or Epic), SciFi, and Horror. The only genre I don't vibe with is romance (but I do like to hype up that of fellow writers!)

My current fixations include Stardew Valley, Minecraft, The NoSleep Podcast, and Not Another D&D Podcast

I have just recently gotten myself out of a reading slump! Now, I'm working my way through She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb to connect with my mom's favorite book <3

As for tumblr things:

I do digital art, and take commissions through Ko-Fi on occasion! Relevant information is linked in my pinned post. I've drawn plenty of people's OCs in the past, and I'd love to draw yours, too!

As for my writing:

WIPs! I have several of them!

My main WIP is called The Millennium Saga. It's a High Fantasy series planned to have between 4 and 7 installments; book one (Firebreathers) is finishing up with its first round of beta readers, and I'm about a third of the way through drafting book two (Echoseers)!

A socially anxious and PTSD-ridden revolutionary gets dragged into working with the very king they rebelled against--a.k.a. the Chosen One, who supposedly saved the world 1000 years ago and has since become Eternal, alongside his former lover and the woman who gave the two the idea in the first place. But supposedly is used with good reason, and with the help of their melodramatic and vain boyfriend, the son of a banished noble descended from one of those very Eternals, and their found family forged in friendship and fear, they might just save the world for real this time.

The rest of the blurbs will be behind the cut, since there's three of them and I don't want to absolutely wreck your dashes. But if you'd like to hear more about a Dark Fantasy crime syndicate, an Urban Fantasy road trip thriller, and a clusterfuck of a Space Opera, you should click through!

And, of course, tell me about your own WIPs! Introduce yourself! Make some funny references in the tags that I may or may not understand! I will enjoy all of the above :D

Whispers is a Tragic Dark Fantasy standalone novel set in the same world as TMS (called the Ehlverse!), but in a slightly different time and very different place.

Three unlucky lackeys are summoned north by the evil sorceress leader of a criminal ring that specializes in bastardizing the idea of a "life debt". And though escape is something one cannot do for long when running from the Shadow of Fowden, freedom is a tempting thing for those only recently bound. So when she offers it in exchange for their aid in terrorizing their culture's paragons of morality, they agree, even though they suspect she's lying. What other chance will they get? One of those paragons is still in mourning, though, almost twenty years after her childhood fell to ruin. She's not about to let this entity calling herself a Shadow ruin even more. And she's not about to hold her punches for the henchmen, because the hope of her people comes first. She'll swear it on her sister's grave.

Deity Complex is an Urban Fantasy Thriller standalone set in an alternate reality where everyone has a little touch of mundane magic.

A teenage car accident survivor desperately attempts to evade the government seeking to use them as a weapon of war by driving the loneliest, most winding backroads in America on repeat. At least doing this gives them some much-needed headspace... but that mostly ends up occupied with the struggle to not to become a cryptid sighting meme on social media. Because of course. What that headspace should be put towards, though, is coming to terms with the fact that they have an ancient deity of death, plague, and war hitching along for the ride in their brain. Like, the entity that created those very concepts. Wild, huh? But, you know, it's apparently not the rarest thing, this pocket of the brain called a Deity Complex. Which honestly? They're a bit pissed about not being told that. They had a whole breakdown about being weird, and for what? For a random girl they meet on the road to tell them she has a god of obsession in her head. That's what, apparently.

The Lost is a Space Opera that could either become a Webcomic or a novel of its own, set in a nebula lacking humans entirely (and yes, that means an all-original-alien cast. character design, my alleged passion, tries to destroy me yet again).

When the shapeshifting eldritch gladiator known only as the Champion refuses to fight the teenage fairy who was unwillingly thrown into the arena to die on screen, the coliseum goes into an affronted uproar. During that meltdown, while the audience that feeds on bloodshed froths at the mouth, an attending assassin with malfunctioning psychic implants ruins the show further by ignoring her target in favor of breaking the child combatant out--and warily accepts help from the Champion themself to the same end. Upon their escape, though, they find that a domestic terrorist-turned-janitor has ended up as an accidental stowaway, and may or may not be an unwitting point of further surveillance by their captors. They find common ground, though, in this breach of privacy, trust, and autonomy, and team up to destroy the Space Hollywood™ trauma-porn industry, one oligarch's corpse at a time.

#writeblr #writblr #writers on tumblr #writeblr introduction #writeblr intro #writblr intro #writerblr #authors on tumblr #blog intro #introducing myself #q #i know most people seeing this know me very well already #but!!! heres to meeting more friends :D

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land-of-brains-and-chocolate · 3 years

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Rec list for Eddie and Symby being vaguely to very gay?

I'm sorry for coming to you with my monsterfucker agenda 😔👊 (no I'm not)

i mean, i probably could’ve seen this coming.

venom is dominated by two opposing narratives. let’s call this the “relationship narrative” and the “control narrative”. they’re not perfectly separated, like, you’ll definitely get elements of one in the other, but generally one of them describes what the story, at its core, is using the symbiote for.

now comics are an endless tug-of-war at the best of times, much less the gayest and slimiest of times. there’s a neverending backlash and backbacklash going on between these two takes. what you want is the relationship narrative.

everything very much started out with that take. eddie and the symbiote are two characters who forge an evil alliance because it lets them do what they wanna do (kill spider-man, more or less) and they have the same kinds of neuroses and complexes and syndromes. lots of early comics are also very fun about the merged consciousness, merged identity deal. that’s kind of the textbook relationship stuff.

personally i absolutely think the original stories (venom was created by david michelinie) have romantic undertones, even starting in the villainy days. eddie describes their first meeting as “a shadow moved, caressed me.” he takes the rejection of the symbiote still being “in love with” spider-man really hard. he sobs his eyes out when he thinks it’s dead and promises to avenge it bare-handed. they totally expect to live happily ever after on a deserted island together.

then there’s venom: lethal protector, which is cute on its own, but if you’re reading for slime romance, i very specifically recommend the novelisation. i won’t even spoil it. and then, planet of the symbiotes is the first comic that i would say has outright queer themes, intentional or not.

so all those recs until now are collected in this post.

we're trucking along through the 90s, we explore elements of one take and then the other and sometimes we ignore the symbiote completely, but not too much changes, overall. the next BIG stop in Gay Venom is, of course, the hunger.

miniseries by len kaminski, just venom: the hunger. plenty of people have written their essays on it, but what’s always important to me is that it DID NOT come out of nowhere. as said above, it expanded on themes that were there, it references michelinie venom very explicitly, like you get your SECOND “tenderly touching the green glass tube” scene.

but yes this one is specifically about, like, stigmatisation, otherness, mental illness, meeting all those things with care and empathy and optimism, tentacle sex. again, many essays. a venom comic that can go “look at the twisted deviance of this relationship” and then turn it around into “but how are you looking at it” is good. god how good would it be if they also did that to eddie more. anyway.

a few years later you get the first MAJOR fucking backlash, culminating in the SECOND story titled the hunger. spectacular spider-man: the hunger, from 2003. completely reboots venom and retcons their motivations and backstories, makes very spiteful references to planet of the symbiotes and the hunger, like it is not also called that by sheer coincidence. literally starts out, in a comic that wants to tackle and redefine venom, with the line “the PROBLEM is that you guys are like an old married couple”. so the new status quo is that the symbiote only ever used eddie to be with spider-man, and eddie only ever used the symbiote to not die of cancer.

the “control narrative” that really kicks in here uses the symbiote as, you know, a thing to control, eddie’s demons personified or even a completely foreign force to torment him. if eddie is evil, it’s not because of what he thinks and believes and wants, it’s because he couldn’t control the symbiote and gave in to its inexplicable bloodlust.

this is an unambiguous downgrade in terms of complexity, in my humble opinion, completely fucks up eddie’s responsibility themes, and is also a pretty clearly petty reaction to venom’s absolute oversaturation in the nineties. the bitch was everywhere and most of it wasn’t good. so there was LOTS of “look at this creepy loser” content by writers cringing themselves into self-awareness at the time. the 00s were going to be GRITTY and MATURE.

this of course means that we get to see eddie slit his wrists and bleed to death on panel after selling the symbiote to supervillains as an attempted act of redemption???

wild fucking times! it’s not exactly worth recommending as ~shippy~, but the first real backbacklash to this first round of retcons comes from dan slott, who just kind of ignores it all in new ways to die. drags eddie back to the land of the living and relevant, makes the symbiote refuse to let its new host kill him, telling that host, and reestablishing, that it loves eddie. and then, to keep him living and relevant, slott makes eddie anti-venom.

don’t even worry about it. anti-venom is essentially eddie seeking redemption with symbiote powers, but without the symbiote, except he pretty much acts no fucking different at all, just keeps on being a murderous vigilante with cracked ideas about innocence and guilt. people still act like he’s better now because, in its metatextual ways, the hunger was right.

then fucking uuuuuuhhhhhhh. agent venom. symbiote goes to flash thompson and the us military, and the writer, rick remender, goes really, really, really hard on the control narrative. the symbiote becomes a substance flash is addicted to, gives a voice to his past abuse, it’s dark times all the times.

people very much do like that narrative for flash, like at least from that perspective it was worth it. i don’t like it much for the symbiote. for the symbiote, representing everything fucked up with flash and forcing him to murder kill bite all the time is resolved via the good guy avengers literally lobotomising it so flash can wear it without further resistance or input. imagine doing that to a human person. you’re uncooperative so we’re gonna turn off your higher cognitive functions and wear you like a meat suit. happy ending for everybody! truly we’ve conquered our demons this day.

then! at the same time, there’s a cartoon coming out, it’s called ultimate spider-man. THAT one does the control narrative take with harry osborn, but then does the relationship take with flash, making it the only cartoon to outright redeem the symbiote and let it find friendship and be valued as a person.

and people loved it! so brian michael bendis gets it in his head that he’s going to redeem the symbiote and make it partner up with flash. and he does redeem it by the highly fucking questionable means of having it be “cleansed”, aka brainwashed and relieved of its memories and personality. not that it matters for long. nothing fucking matters in comics. take this with you if it’s the only thing.

so then for fun friendship times you get venom: space knight, flash and the symbiote’s adventures in space! and then that gets cancelled. eddie is off somewhere being toxin and hunting carnage (2016). many good comics but you did not ask for them.

and THEN.

it is time for the next MOTHER of backlashes.

flash gets literally discarded at fucking roadside to put the symbiote back on eddie and turn back time on their relationship to RIGHT before the FIRST backlash happened. you know, all those 2003 retcons. gone. ignored. no more. venom’s themes are now those circa 1996 again. full fucking on relationship narrative. ROMANTIC relationship narrative, and that after the symbiote was turned into eddie’s evil shadow, after he hated it and spent a LONG time seeking to eradicate all symbiotes (and not even for the first time).

the COSTA run. venom (2016). reviled and beloved.

like this comic is fucking ANGRY about symbiote treatment. i HAD to tell you all of that so you’d understand ANYTHING it’s doing. the first thing it does is flip it completely around, puts the symbiote on a military guy who’s making IT do bad things, makes his ability to control it horrifying and abusive instead of heroic and admirable. one of the later things it does (in the follow-up venom: first host) is outright feature a villain who lobotomises symbiotes, ending on a symbiote serving him swift and sweet payback by doing the same thing TO HIM. it’s exactly as unsubtle as the hunger (2003) was about its hang-ups.

comics... are a conversation.

flash remains a symbiote friend but still got fucked over big time by it all, symbiote-focused writers slott and costa also kind of use him to literally, in case anybody hadn’t caught on, literally spell out the REAL story that’s been going on in the writer's room for the past THIRTY YEARS:

you’ll notice i didn’t actually list any of the Gay Shit for you, you’ve probably already seen it or you’ll get to see it for yourself. yes, they are deeply in love, yes, it’s fucked up and flawed, yes, it is real and taken seriously and has ultimately redeeming potential. yes the concept of that nearly knocked me off my feet and in front of the subway at one point. yes there’s mpreg

it’s also fucking riddled with events, which spin off into other comics, so either ignore those and rely on the recaps OR click yourself forward through the “next issue (story)” button on marvel wikia to know what to read.

and after that must of course come the backbackbacklash, as certain as death or taxes. in the next run, we retcon everything once more, eddie just needs to control his darkness, the symbiote was an evil abuser all along, nothing on earth is ever new.

i’m not gonna go through it, i’m just gonna point you to the backbackbackbacklash issue that came out during this time: venom annual volume 2 number 1 - it’s confusingly named, it’s the one that has a blue-skinned space lady on it. this one ignores the backbackbacklash going on very pointedly and goes “it’s not ABOUT control” again, it’s pretty explicitly romantic.

and then there’s also marvel comics presents (2019) #5, which, oddly enough, does not particularly feature the characterisation you’d typically see in the relationship narrative? but it does feature eddie and the symbiote literally fucking, so you’d want to know about it.

that’s the overall, like, frame of eddie and the symbiote being in a relationship (nuh uh) (yeah they are) (NUH UH) (YEAH THEY ARE)

some stuff that’s smaller but still notable, uh.

nova (1999) 6 - 7, that’s the “we’re space married”

venom: dark origin, that’s an ALTERNATE (!!!) take on the character, don’t expect a likeable eddie but it’s very darkly funny and gay so what can i say.

venom: the end, which i would absolutely fucking hate to be canon, i think its characterisation is quite regressive, but the symbiote sure is in love, i guess.

venom: separation anxiety, the dawn of the control narrative but eddie’s characterisation did not have to go so wrong from here, like if they’d just figured out AT THIS STAGE that he's STILL acting like venom without it... i digress. it has the symbiote going eddie eddie eddieee

venom: sinner takes all, this is the first she-venom comic so that’s. hm. interesting. healing symbiote blanket

don’t read venom: license to kill just look at this panel with me

if i think of more comics worth adding i’ll add them.

the subtext slash text is heavy enough to be present to some degree in literally every cartoon adaptation of eddie brock. spider-man: the animated series goes FULL control narrative, in fact it started the “the symbiote corrupted peter” take that we to this day cannot escape, but the first few venom episodes are VERY playful about their relationship.

in spectacular spider-man it’s canon, but horrible. eddie’s in love with it, but eddie's a good boy and the symbiote is played very, very, very abusively. i think this is an evil symbiote adaptation that works well enough, at least it’s an actual meaningful character instead of just a malevolent force to resist.

in marvel’s spider-man, the only venom episode worth watching is venom returns.

i’ve actually got every symbiote-relevant episode listed right here from when we did our communal watch-through.

also watch truth in journalism. idk if it’s exactly shippy just do it

#venom #symbrock #tl;dr i wish i could tl;dr this #no off-site links to please the gods of tagging

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sourslip · 4 years

Text

listen I hear and see critters critiquing the representation of romance and sexuality between women and as someone who quite literally analyzes sexuality and representations of it; they don't have to be perfect for them to be meaningful and important as representations. People and the relationships they form aren't perfect, and often telling the story of one person or relationship in all its flaws and unique eccentricities not only makes it more relatable to an audience but also allows underrepresented people to also have diverse types of representation

I know we're more than 100 episodes in, but until Yasha came back around episode 80-ish , Yasha didn't have much consistent opportunity to develop really interesting and deep relationships with the entirety of the Nein. Combined with the fact that she emotionally and physically distanced herself because she was afraid to feel the grief of loss meant that Yasha's only started to grapple with whatever nascent feelings she might have developing for Beau. It's incredible to find a piece of media where a queer woman grapples with loss - that isn't sensationalized as trauma p*rn - who we see open up to to the possibility of new love and how to approach that (which, flirting like that with the mirror? I am SO happy to see Yasha being playful like that, healing isn't all pain and sorrow - it's also finding new joys)

And Beau's entire character development including pre-game backstory resonates with such a central experience for wlw - how do you tell that you're in love with someone as opposed to some other feeling? Most cultural scripts tell us we're just supposed to know because it'll feel different from other relationships like with family and friends, but what happens when you explore your feelings for a best friend? Beau has had approximately 3 experiences around romance and love in her life, and that's all she's had for reference; Tori, Jester, and Yasha. With Tori, Marisha's implied it was closer to hero-worship infatuation, but Beau called it love when she told Yasha about it because that was her only point of reference. Then she developed a beautiful friendship with Jester, who she loves very dearly, and for the first time had to try and reconcile being attracted to someone who she genuinely knew well enough to love and care for, and so "oh shit, I guess this is love" isn't an unreasonable thought. But then again she's now had a new experience of having Yasha show her interest in quiet but poignant ways (and I mean, that's the kind of person Yasha is anyway) and as she and Yasha DO settle develop their own unique dynamic over time, it's also given Beau some new perspective to reflect on what those past experiences were compared to what she's just starting to feel now. So in beau's arc we get to see a lesbian learn how to make sense of her emotions in a pretty realistic way, and it tells wlw watching "oh, it's okay to not know exactly what my feelings are for this person right now or for me to change my mind later because I'll have more experience to be able to tell later"

and as far as their progressing relationship goes? It's a great example of how people can meet at different places in their lives and not be right for each other at that time, but that doesn't mean they can't be right for reach other eventually. Beau gave Yasha her space to mourn. Beau needed that space herself to grapple with what long-term emotions and relationships might mean to her and try to work through some unhealthy shit she picked up from her parents. Neither of them were in a good place for a relationship until maybe ~30 episodes ago, and we've seen a gradual buildup since then. And even still, lesbians flirt???? I know we all like to joke about how useless wlw are but we contain multitudes??? This message has been brought to you by the Mighty Nuance

#critical role #beauyasha #beauregard lionett #yasha nydoorin #sour opinions

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