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genericpuff · 4 months

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I was kind of curious: What do you think of Persephone's therapy scenes in episodes 160-161?

I personally liked them, but you and many other LO critics always seem to see things that totally flew over my head (I mean that in a positive way).

I think the idea behind them was fine, just the execution that felt really half-baked. Rachel doesn't like scenes to sit too long so the therapy scene, of course, wound up being rushed in the course of 2-3 episodes (meaning she had to have Persephone dump everything all at once) and while Persephone's dialogue is handled relatively well, the direction of the scene itself feels entirely mismanaged (which is both a side effect of Rachel's directionless writing and the fact that she clearly doesn't want to do more than one of these kinds of episodes so she needs to speedrun it).

TRIGGER WARNING: Discussion concerning sexual assault ahead!

Like, let's start with Persephone's intent in going to therapy. Wanting to pursue therapy doesn't just happen suddenly, there's usually a "trigger event" to make someone realize "I need help", whether it be hitting rock bottom or even just going "I feel like I don't have the skills or tools necessary to deal with what I'm dealing with, I need a professional opinion".

Despite Eros advising her to go to therapy all the way back in S1 to address her assault-

-she actually finally goes to therapy in S2 not to address the assault, but to address... how she feels insecure in comparison to Hera who she just found out Hades had a long-term affair with??? At least that's definitely the implication.

And then of course the therapy session itself segues immediately into "Persephone is a high achiever and it's because of her mom being overbearing" which Rachel doesn't connect at all to either the SA or her feeling insecure compared to Hera (which, by the way, barely even has anything to do with her, but she didn't - and still doesn't - have the emotional maturity or self-respect to realize that Hades is a serial cheater-)

That's where the first therapy episode cuts off, and then the next episode immediately opens with Persephone writing her entire backstory on a whiteboard, so we can assume time has passed and she's talked about everything from her childhood up until this point.

Then we get Chiron asking Persephone... what could go wrong if she leaves TGOEM??

Even though we never saw any of the actual sequence so it just feels like a question that's coming out of nowhere? Like did Persephone say during that schpeel that she wanted to leave TGOEM? Isn't that something we should have seen to connect these two trains of thought?

Ah, right, because we have to get into Hades. Because this comic fails the Bechdel test so hard it can't even have a character talk about their trauma or childhood without it seguing into "well there's this one specific main character guy I just really wanna sleep with-"

Don't get me wrong, if Rachel is trying to "deconstruct purity culture" here, I can get her angle with this, if Persephone has been "groomed her entire life" to be an eternal maiden then there's clearly some thought processes about sexual attraction there that are being challenged by her attraction to Hades. But it just feels so rushed purely for the sake of getting her through her trauma and childhood problems and everything that Rachel tacked onto her backstory (in an attempt to make her seem more than just a self-insert) so that Rachel can get her back on track to sleeping with Hades, the one and only man she's clearly ever felt sexual attraction to enough to want to leave TGOEM and question her entire childhood.

And then we get this and I just-

Like first of all, again, Persephone being a complete airhead and not realizing that it has less to do with her possibly being an inadequate partner and more to do with Hades being a serial cheater who also used her as an emotional affair partner;

but ALSO the fact that the conclusion is some "eureka" moment of "you're a bad decision maker" ??? I was a fan of the comic still when this scene happened and even I went "huh?"

Like she doesn't bother to try and connect it to everything she just learned and said about her childhood and how she wants to be the "perfect daughter" who will make everyone happy, Chiron just reduces it to "oh you just suck at making decisions". As if "sucking at making decisions" isn't like, a reactionary extension of deeper problems. She's treating it as if Persephone is some "puzzle" to be solved and her being a "bad decision maker" was the answer when it's undoubtedly just one of many side effects of her upbringing. It feels like she's addressing the cough and not the virus.

Also a little off topic but-

Gotta love how we've never seen Persephone actually employ this homework from her therapist because she's constantly stapled to Hades and the only thing she cares about is his happiness. Literally, I don't think Persephone could possibly answer that question because she's never been independent enough to even learn what makes her happy - she's jumped from wanting to make her mother happy to wanting to make Hades happy but we're supposed to condemn the former and celebrate the latter.

Buuut of course we don't get her answering that question because again, Rachel can't spend more than 30 seconds on a single scene because that would demand too much writing and thought from her. So we cut to Hera having a discussion with Asclepius regarding her scars re-opening, yadda yadda.

By the time we cut back to the therapy session at the start of the next episode (that's three episodes that have been spent basically accomplishing nothing because none of the thought threads tie together in a meaningful way beyond what the audience has to assume) Chiron is conveniently wrapping things up and it's then and only then does Rachel try to actually incorporate the SA plotline that was Persephone's ORIGINAL MOTIVATION in going to therapy.

Now, the scene for the most part is fine, I don't really like how the therapy session was written leading up to it, but her describing her freeze response and how she feels guilty she couldn't "fight back" is a very real feeling that I can definitely say was well written.

My one gripe with it though - and sure, this might be nitpicky, but here me out - is this:

I don't particularly like that Chiron the therapist just found out about her patient being a rape victim - someone who's also said she doesn't like people grabbing her / touching her without her consent - and then decides the best course of action is to comfort her... while touching her.

Now I want to make it perfectly clear, it's not against the law or even the code of ethics to make physical contact between a therapist and their patient. Loads of patients have made breakthroughs with their therapists that have called for hugs and while some therapists may not be okay with it, there are definitely therapists who are who fully understand that hugs in those moments are the best thing for a person. But it's still a general boundary that is there and even with patients who aren't victims of SA, consent needs to be asked for / given.

So Chiron just... coming over and touching Persephone on the knee, while undoubtedly seen as a "warm and comforting act" by those who have had similar sessions with their own therapists or even just those who have no clue and see it on the surface level as being "sweet", really irks me, because it just seems so tone deaf to do with a character like Persephone who is supposed to be a victim of having her bodily autonomy taken away from her.

Again, it's a small criticism, and undoubtedly a nitpick in the eyes of some, but a simple "can I give you a hug?" from either Chiron or Persephone would have gone a long way in accomplishing Persephone's need for consent and bodily autonomy a lot more than just having Chiron come up and touch her leg without her consent. Please, for the love of god, let Persephone have some autonomy, asking for consent doesn't ruin the moment.

And that's pretty much it, Persephone talks about how she feels like she's tethered to Apollo, and Chiron assures her that's not the case, session over, Persephone goes outside to Hades aaaand notice how we never actually tackled that "I feel insecure because of my partner having former partners?" thing? Notice how the best we got was her talking about her fears of being an "inadequate partner" which focused entirely on her not being "enough" for Hades and being a "bad decision maker" rather than pointing out 1.) Hades' own faults in being a serial cheater that would undoubtedly contribute to her insecurities and 2.) what Persephone could do for Hades rather than what Hades could do for Persephone? It's always "I don't know if I'm good enough for him" and never "I don't know if he's good enough for me."

Yet another F-- on Lore Olympus' Bechdel test. Every single thing tacked onto Persephone's backstory is meant purely to get her with Hades - TGOEM is just an obstacle preventing her from having sex with Hades, the assault is just a framing device to show how much "better" Hades is for Persephone than Apollo, her overbearing childhood is just to show how much more "free" she is now that she's not living with her mother and is living with Hades instead, etc.

No agency, no autonomy, no character, even when it tries.

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squirmhoney · 1 year

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What about daemons daughter from rhea that was living in kings landing bc daemon abandoned her and at driftmark he tries to steal her away to go to dragonstone after she defended aemond and alicent but she runs away to kings landing and years later when they go to defend luke they walk into or hear her and aemond having sex and see that they have kids now and are married, daemon does something to anger her and aemond at the dinner where she wears green and sits next to aemond and maybe jace asks to dance with her and she has a look of disgust on her face constantly

A/N: I felt like these requests were super similar so I put them together. The only thing is I didn’t write everything that was suggested because it just got so long. I hope you’re happy with it. It’s Velaryon reader but still with a relationship with Daemon. Also I age up the characters so they can have so many children as I don’t think of them doing anything until they are 18. Warnings: smut, oral (m and f receiving), squirting. angst. Just lots and lots of smut Pairing: Aegon Targaryen x Velaryon!Reader (niece) x Aemond Targaryen Word count: 7.8k

Master List

In your Abandonment

Abandonment was something you had become accustomed to growing up. First you had been abandoned by your father, being the only other person that knew what truly happened that night on Driftmark. The second time was by the person that you considered to be your second father, as Daemon left you at Kings Landing on a trip he planned for the two of you. You weren't sure which one hurt more, each came so unexpected.

At least when Daemon tricked you into a trip to Kings Landing, he had the decency to look you in the eye when he left you there. Years away from your family gave you time to dwindle on the reason for them leaving you. The one moment that stuck vividly in your mind being the time you defended Aemond on Driftmark, distraught on how he had been mauled by your brothers. Your mother had glared at you, a scowl evident on her lips as she looked at you with pure disgust. That was the first time you had felt a horrible pain, feeling as if a dagger had been shoved into your back and each time something happened it was them twisting it again.

You loved them but over time with not being able to escape the four walls of your dim room in the red keep, you started to despise them. A bile rose to your throat every time you closed your eyes haunted by the memories that were your family. You wept for weeks in that room unable to escape the torment of their voices you heard in your head, feeling your skin crawl as if there very presence was still with you. You had sent letters in the first few months begging for your mother to take you back to Dragon Stone or for them to at least write back to you.

Eventually after not hearing from them within the first year, the mere thought of them became a distant memory.

In your pain you found solace in two people, your uncles.

Aemond was of course drawn to you. How could he not be after you defended him so valiantly when he lost his eye. But after the incident he lost all his confidence and struggled to even talk to you.

It was Aegon that had approached you first, seeing your sad frail figure in the gardens and finding himself stopping as he towered over your frame. He saw something of himself in you that day, or that's at least what you believed, two broken souls neglected by the people meant to love them most.

"A drink?" Aegon asked, swinging the bottle of wine he had stolen in front of your face.

You peered up from your book with your tear stained face and puffy cheeks as you shook your head.

"It helps," Aegon added, taking a swig from the bottle. "Well sometimes."

"I don't think the queen would appreciate me getting drunk with you uncle," you told him, speaking so timidly he almost didn't hear you.

"So formal, call me Aegon. We are practically the same age," he chuckled, taking a seat next to you. "What the queen doesn't know won't hurt her?"

"We are in the gardens, anyone could see us." You looked around, blushing at the indecent thought of drinking your sorrows away with Aegon.

"Well, we can go somewhere private." He wiggled his brows, taking your hand as he pulled you up.

Aegon found peace with you, enjoying your presence every time he felt the pressures of being the eldest son weighing on his shoulders. These times where you both escaped together, you found yourself finding some sort of enjoyment finally not being alone in the Red Keep.

It took Aemond a while to approach you, it only happening when he stumbled on you looking after Aegon in his drunken state.

You hadn't expected out of all the people in Kings Landing, Aemond to be the person that helped you drag Aegon to his rooms that night. While you had gotten tipsy that night, Aegon had got past the point of speech. Both you and Aemond having to drag him through the halls not saying a word to each other until you safely dropped Aegon into his rooms.

"Shall I escort you to your rooms?" Aemond asked, walking over to the door.

"I think I will stay and look after Aegon. I don't want him to choke on his vomit in his sleep," you told him, sitting next to Aegon's laid out body.

"Why are you so kind to him?" Aemond questioned, eyebrows furrowed as he looked at you.

"Aegon has been there for me when no one has," you confessed, the alcohol making your lips loose. "I was alone and Aegon was a friend when no one else was."

"Well if you feel like having another friend, one that doesn't convince you to drown your sorrows but instead to talk about them, you know where to find me." Aemond's hand reached for the door, giving you a small smile as he turned to leave.

"Aemond." You made him halt in his tracks, looking up at him with the deepest sincerity. "Would you stay and be that friend now?"

Aemond nodded, walking back over to the chair opposite the bed. There you spoke, not about everything but finally you felt yourself able to open up about the pain that your family made you feel, finally allowing it to free you in some sort of way.

You never knew when exactly it happened, maybe among the jealousy as the pair of boys fought over you, but you started to fall deeply for them. You confessed your feelings one night, after your name day celebrations. The suitors had been thrown on you, making you feel dizzy after all the dancing and chatter. When you finally escaped to your rooms with Aegon and Aemond, you realised there was no one else you wanted but them. The words spilled from your lips that night and both Aemond and Aegon reassured you with heated kisses and passionate touching as they took you to bed.

You married both of them a few nights later under the moon and the stars. Eventually you fell pregnant with your first child and you had to confess to everyone especially the Queen and King.

While the alliance between you and Aegon was a shock to Alicent's very core, she realised the advantages to it, not that she would ever admit that to you. She wasn't happy that you married the pair of them and did argue that you could only confess to one marriage to the public. Aemond never minded, he knew that he was in your heart constantly and beside you in your bed every night, who cares if people didn't know you were married. The suspicions were there anyway, the servants and knights seeing the way you clung to both of the princes.

You were happy, contended in life.

Until you saw a familiar face walking in the gardens of Kings Landing, one that you didn't think you see for a long time.

"Princess," Lord Vaemond greeted you, bowing slightly as he stopped.

You stood mouth parting as you found no words for a moment. "I'm so sorry Lord Vaemond, I had no idea you were here," you told him, eyes wide as you looked him up and down.

"I'm sorry that you have not been informed. I'm sure you'll be seeing your mother and brothers soon though," he told you, acting as if it was common knowledge.

Your stomach fell into knots as your face dropped slightly but you tried to cover it with a smile. "Important business I assume. I must get back to my husband, please do excuse me Lord Vaemond."

You were furious as you stormed the halls of the Red Keep, your guardsman trying to ask if you were okay but you just waved your hand at him unable to answer.

Once you reached your shared quarters, you were pointed into the direction of your daughters room by Ser Erryk. You nodded and gave him a quick smile before you stepped in. You were quiet as you closed the door behind you, noticing how Aegon read to Daenys, your daughter, a story. Her gentle snores relaxed you as you watched how Aegon pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead before walking over to you.

He grinned widely taking your hand in his as he dragged you out of the room. Aegon could sense your tense body, he had seen all your emotions over the years and could tell how upset you were now. But he didn't dare question it in front of Daenys, not wanting to frighten her.

"My love," Aegon said, wide eyes looking at you with concern. "You seem unwell."

You yanked him into your shared rooms, slamming the door behind you to make sure you had privacy.

"Did you know?" You interrogated him, pushing against his chest with your fists. Your voice laced with venom and anger. "Did you?"

"Know what?" He asked, grabbing your wrists into his hands.

"That my mother is coming because of something with Lord Vaemond," you said, voice dropping at the thought.

Aegon could see the pain and sadness that still lingered there, body trembling and eyes brimmed with tears. "It might of been mentioned in one of the council meetings," Aegon confessed, trying to rack his mind back. "But you know how I don't listen to anything in there. If I had remembered, I would have warned you."

You pulled yourself away from him, shaking your head in disbelief. You felt that dagger back again, twisting it's way in your stomach now as you hauled yourself over a bucket. A sickening taste rose up your throat as you puked into the bucket, collapsing to your knees.

Aegon ran to your side as he stroked your back helping you get everything up. "This stress isn't good for the baby." He turned his head to the door voice shouting now as he called, "I need a Maestor, now."

The door barged open, Aemond sprinting in upon hearing Aegon's voice through the door.

"What is it? What's happened?" Aemond was quick to ask, running to your side.

"She heard her mother is coming and she's worked herself up over it," Aegon told him, still hovering over your frame with deep worry in his eyes.

It wasn't long before a Maestor came, prescribing you some herbal calming tea that could help with the sickness and stress. But he was quick to tell both Aemond and Aegon to get rid of the cause.

Not really much they could do when the cause was your mother.

Aemond slipped into bed beside you, hand resting over your bump as he tried to comfort you. "I'm sorry, I didn't tell you."

You tried to push him away, wanting to be angry with him in the moment. Anger was easier than sadness, the latter just reminded you that you still weren't over the years of abandonment you felt.

"My love," Aemond sighed, pulling your back to his chest. "It is not good for you to shut us out like this. It is okay to be mad at us but please do not bottle up your emotions."

"Talk to us," Aegon chimed in, sliding in in front of you. His hand reached out to cup your face, thumb rubbing against the skin of your cheek.

"You can't make me see them again," you stammered, tears pouring from your eyes as you looked between them. "I won't do it. I wanted to forget about them like they forgot about me. Here is my safe haven and there very presence threatens to destroy that."

Aemond's hand rubbed up and down your arm, trying to soothe your trembling body. "We won't force you to do anything. You can do things when you are ready or not at all."

"The queen will make me see her." You shook your head at the thought, feeling like you were that little girl pleading for her mother to take you back to Dragon Stone. "I just know it."

"I will talk to mother," Aemond said.

Each day passed, your nerves erratic as you practically kept to your rooms scared for the arrival. When you did venture outside your quarters, you'd find yourself jumping into empty closet rooms at the sound of someone walking down the hallway. Your personal guardsman had started to find you very amusing, sometimes even hiding with you not to alert whoever was walking down the hall.

Today it happened on your way to the gardens, hearing the voices of chuckles from the around the corner and you scampered into an empty room. Your personal guardsman caught off guard, didn't follow you this time but did wait outside the door until the coast was clear.

The door opened slightly, Aegon's head poking in with a wide grin.

"What are you doing?" He jested, stepping into the room.

"Hiding," you stated, leaning against some old book shelves. "Clearly."

Aegon poked his head out, pulling someone into the room with him. It was Aemond who was shaking his head with a smile that matched Aegon's as he noticed you.

"This isn't funny," you hissed at them, fingers rubbing at your temples.

"This is kind of funny," Aegon joked, closing the door behind him.

"What's not funny is the stress that you are causing yourself," Aemond said, tutting as he walked up to you. "You are constantly looking over your shoulder paranoid that they will be there."

Aegon's body pressed up against your back while Aemond pressed against your front, both trapping you between them.

"Let us take your mind else where," Aegon suggested, licking at your neck as he started to grope at your ass through your dress.

"In here?" You turned to look at Aegon, only for him to catch your lips with his in a heated kiss. You shifted around, facing Aegon.

"Yes in here," Aemond whispered, fingers undoing the laces of your dress. His mouth hovered over the skin of your neck, making the skin prickle in delight until he finally smothered it in kisses. He started to make a trail, licking and sucking as he peeled your dress off of you, making his way down your back.

As soon as your dress was pooling at your waist, Aegon attacked your breasts, firmly wrapping his lips around your nipple. He used his hand to play with your other tit, pinching at your nipple, massaging the skin of your tit. You whimpered at the feeling, head leaning back into Aemond's shoulder as you did.

Aemond covered your mouth with his own, licking his tongue into your mouth to find yours as he gripped onto the back of your head to deepen the kiss.

It was Aegon that ripped your dress completely off of you, getting frustrated with the material between your bodies. His fingers instantly dove to your cunt, coating his fingers in your slick as he slid it around. He found your clit, pinching it which had you gasping into Aemond's mouth.

"You're so wet for us," Aegon chuckled, fingers finally sliding against where you desperately needed him. He circled your clit, moving slowly as he got you worked up. "Brother, you really should feel how wet she is."

Aemond hummed, hand sliding down as his fingers grazed the skin of your ass before he placed it betweeen your thighs. His fingers prodded at your entrance, teasing you with them. "She is so very wet, so easy for me to slip in." That he did, fingers slipping into your spongy walls with ease as you moaned out at the feeling.

With both of boys working on your cunt, you weren't sure how much longer you'd hold out. Aegon's free hand grabbed the back of your face, yanking you towards him in a heated kiss. His forehead rested against yours when he pulled away, eyes dilated with a deep hunger as he stared at you.

"I want to look upon your face as you cum on our fingers," Aegon confessed, quickening his fingers as they worked against you.

You held Aegon's gaze, as you felt your walls flutter around Aemond's fingers. "Oh heavens," you cried out, cumming hard without warning. Your hand grabbed a hold of Aegon's shoulder, both their bodies holding up as you rode out your orgasm.

"That's it, angel." Aegon's hands slowed down as he brought you in for another kiss.

Aemond pulled his fingers out of you, giving you a soft slap to his ass. "I think she's ready."

Aegon peered at Aemond over your shoulder, snearing at him. "Maybe for you brother."

Aemond proceeded to ignore him, pushing you down by your back, lifting your hips up as he carried you over to a table. He had you kneeling on the table, perfect height as your ass pressed into his crotch. You arched your hips back into him, rubbing your cunt against him and leaving a wet patch on his trousers.

"Needy little thing aren't you," Aemond mocked, grabbing your ass cheeks with his hands. He parts them slightly bending down to lick a stripe against your cunt, humming in delight at the taste. "Tell me, what do you want from me, wife?"

"Fuck me, please," you pleaded, arching your ass back into his face. "I need you."

His hand slapped your ass, soothing it over with a kiss. You heard him undoing his trousers, his cock springing up and hitting your slit. He rubbed it up and down, eliciting a whimper from you as it prodded against your entrance.

"Please, Aemond." You looked back at him, sticking your bottom lip out as you pouted.

He shoved his cock in, letting out a guttural groan as your walls clenched around him. He rutted his hips into yours, using his grip on your ass cheeks to fuck into you.

You completely forgot your whereabouts, lewd moans escaping your mouth as you grinded your hips back into him. Your eyes squeezed shut, hand grabbing the end of the table to ground yourself, so overcome with pleasure you found yourself slipping into the seven heavens with the way you felt.

"I think she's going to come again," Aegon teased, coming to stand in front of you. He gripped your hair, turning your head to look at Aemond. "I want you to stare at Aemond while you cum. He needs to see how he makes you feel."

Aemond stared down at you, eyes completely blown out and his mouth agape as he groaned. His fingers grazed your back, moving around your front till he reached your cunt.

"Look at you so brain dead as my brother fucks you," Aegon taunted, rubbing himself over his trousers. "Just desperately waiting for release."

His words rung true, your mind blank as you whimpered.

"Cum for me," Aemond demanded, feeling how close you were.

You were brought to the edge, your core clenching hard around him as you you came, pulling his own orgasm from him. His pace became sloppy as he spilt into you, hot cum painting your walls. His pace slowed down, slipping out of you as his cum dripped out of your cunt.

"Finished already, brother," Aegon chuckled, pushing his brother away to get behind you.

Aemond punched him on his shoulder to shut him up, having Aegon hiss as he massaged the sore spot on his chest. Aemond just rolled his eyes at his older brother, moving to the side of the room.

Aegon flipped your body over, back on the table so you could look up at him. He pulled you up, chest to chest as he kissed you. "By the time I'm done with you, dear wife, I would have fucked another babe into you."

You giggled, arms wrapping around the back of his neck. "That's not possible if I'm already pregnant."

He nestled his head into the side of your neck, sucking and nibbling on your throat. "You'll see what I mean," he whispered against your skin.

Aegon grabbed his cock, only yanking down his trousers slightly, his thick cock resting against your slit. He rested his forehead against yours as his arm wrapped around your back, supporting you.

"Put it in for me," Aegon directed, guiding your hand towards his cock. Your legs wrapped around him, pulling him towards you as you centred his cock at your entrance. You moaned together as he slid in, feeling full again as your walls hugged him. "Gods, that's my good wife."

He gently placed you down back against the table, hovering over you as he did. He kissed you roughly, pressing himself deeper into you as he started to fuck you at an agonisingly slow pace. He lifted himself, breaking away from your lips as he watched your tits with a wide grin.

Your tits bounced for him as he fucked into you hard, making sure to come all the way out and back in. You were gasping, grabbing onto his hand as you gripped it tightly.

"Faster please," you begged, not being able to take the slowness anymore.

"I like it when you beg." Aegon leaned down, his lips turning up into a mischievous grin. "Do it again."

"Please, Aegon. I want it so badly," you pleaded desperately, holding onto his arms.

His hips started to pound into you ruthlessly, moaning into your lips as he rested on top of you. You were so lost in him, consumed by him as you started moaning obscenities from your lips.

Suddenly, the door opened, familiar voices pouring into the room. Your head snapped round to look, trying to wriggle free as you caught sight of your mother stood there.

Rhaneyera's mouth hung up, staring at the pair of you with utter shock. Next to her was Daemon, a scowl on his lips.

Aegon didn't stop his movements, holding you down with the weight of his body as he stared at Rhaneyera. "Sister," he chuckled, kissing the side of your face as she glared at the pair of you.

Aemond stood in front of the pair of you, pushing his way out and closing the door behind him. "We must not disturb the married couple," he said, the smirk evident in his cheery tone.

"Aegon." You looked up at him, wide eyes with panic. "Stop-" the sound of swords being drawn was heard "-stop now."

He peeled himself off of you, groaning as he quickly pulled his trousers up. You followed him scampering to get your dress back on, not bothering with the laces as you held it close to your body.

Aegon yanked the door open, covering your body with his as he stepped out.

The guards were stood between Aemond and Daemon, both with swords out ready to fight. Luckily Alicent stormed round the corner, the Queen stopping the commotion immediately.

"What is going on?" Alicent asked, standing by the side of Aemond.

"Your son defiles my child, that's what is going on," Rhaneyera shouted, gesturing to you and Aegon at the door.

"Children please return to your chambers," Alicent ordered, eyes following you all as you walked away. "It seems I need to catch up our guests on some matters."

Your heart was pounding out of your chest once you returned to your rooms, falling onto the bed in a heap. Aegon joined you, ripping away at your clothes that were still not tied up. He was still hard as he pressed himself against you, easily slipping in to your core as he pushed himself into you.

"Aegon, really," you gasped, hips arching into him. "After all that just happened."

"I still need to cum," he told you, pounding his hips into yours. "Besides I think if me and Aemond kept fucking you, keeping you so docile like this, there would be no second for you to have to worry."

You couldn't help it as your lips turned up into a smile, his words amusing you. "I like that idea."

He pushed your legs, wrapping them around his shoulders to reach a deep angle, laughing menacingly as you moaned beneath him. Tears brimmed your eyes as he carried on fucking you, not knowing if you could handle the feeling anymore.

Within seconds you were cumming, your core pulsating around Aegon's cock. His lips hovered on top of yours, moans escaped both of your mouths as he came on top of you, filling you to the very brim. He held you there, not sliding out as he collapsed onto you. Both of you tried to catch your breath as you looked at each other.

"I forgot how good your cunt feels when you cum," Aegon hummed, unwrapping your legs to allow you comfort. "You could make any man cum within seconds with that cunt."

"My love," Aemond's voice called to you, sat on the other side of the room. He looked up at the pair of you and looked back down as he noticed Aegon's ass. "Brother, would you mind moving so I could look at Y/N?"

Aegon sighed, thinking for a second as he looked down at you. He moved, pulling you with him as he flipped your positions, still staying buried deep inside you. You sat up to look at Aemond, grinning widely as you clenched your walls around Aegon's cock making him groan.

Aemond stood up, striding over to you in long steps. He cupped your face with his hand as he reached you, giving you a gentle smile as his thumb brushed over your lips. "I'm going to go check on the little ones and then to training if that's okay with you? Aegon can keep your mind off of things in here." He pressed a soft kiss to your lips as you nodded.

Of course, Aegon had to steal the moment pressing his hips up to elicit a moan from you.

"Of course, my husband," you said, pulling him in for a deeper kiss.

Unfortunately, Aegon wasn't having any of it as he repeated his actions laughing as you broke the kiss to whimper in Aemond's mouth. Aemond glared down at him, shaking his head.

"Sorry, brother but you know you could always stay and join us," Aegon jested, fingers grazing the skin of your stomach.

"Childish," Aemond retorted, giving you a sweet smile as he walked off.

You turned to Aegon, slapping his chest as you scolded him. "Be kind to your brother."

The door closed behind Aemond, leaving you and Aegon alone.

"I was just trying to entice him," Aegon stated, rocking his hips up into yours. "I know how you like it when we both take turns fucking you. But you know I love it when I get you to myself."

"That you do." You smirked, biting down on your lip.

His hands gripped on your thighs, helping you go faster as you started to ride him. He stared admiringly at your tits as they bounced up and down for him. "Gods, you are so fucking beautiful."

Aegon loved reading to his daughter at night or even listening as you or Aemond did it. Pampering your children in love felt like it made up for the years of neglect he felt himself growing up. He also found he wasn't as great with babies and he didn't like to hold your son, Aenar, much, scared to not hold his head up right.

That's what Aemond was good for, cradling Aenar till he fell asleep. From the crib, Aegon could watch, cooing at him as he brushed a finger gently down his face.

"Brother," Aemond called from the door, stepping in to the room.

Aegon placed his forefinger on his lips as he hushed Aemond, closing the book he had been reading in his lap. He places a fallen strand of hair behind Daenys' ear and a gentle kiss to her cheek before he strides over to his brother.

"How is Y/N?" Aemond asked, opening the door for his brother.

"I must say I definitely exhausted her," Aegon said, very proud of himself. "She's knocked out."

They both walked together into your shared chambers, Aegon taking a seat by the table while Aemond made his way to the bed. You were curled up into the bed, gentle snores filling the room as Aemond approached you.

Aemond stared down at you, a frown sat on his lips as his fingers played with your curls. "She's going to hate me tomorrow."

"Why is that?" Aegon questioned, pouring two glasses of wine.

"Because mother wants us to show a family united tomorrow." Aemond shook his head. "Our older sister has also requested to see her daughter and grandchildren tomorrow. Apparently the king has approved it and there really isn't anything I could argue to get it stopped."

"Fuck." Aegon handed his brother a cup of wine.

"I was hoping she could just rest here." Aemond took a sip of the wine, turning to look at his brother now. His eyebrows furrowed, taking in the sight of what Aegon was wearing. "Is that Y/N's night gown?"

Aegon looked down at the gown and nodded. "It's super comfortable brother." He grinned striding over to the bed on the other side of you. "You should try it sometime."

"Aemond," you whispered, eyes fluttering open to your husbands' voices. You shifted your body, turning to him as you reached out your hand. "Come to bed, my love."

Aemond stripped himself of him clothes while Aegon slipped in behind you. Aemond pulled you onto his chest as he got in the bed, letting his finger trail over your stomach. Your hand reached back, pulling Aegon closer to your back as he wrapped his arms around your body.

Within moments you'd fall asleep like that, content in each others arms.

You were woken the next morning to kisses being pressed to your face as a hand snaked it's way between your legs. You were still so sensitive from your antics with Aegon that you hissed when two fingers rubbed against your clit. Your thighs instinctively snapping shut on someone's arm, looking down to notice Aemond between your legs.

"My love, it is so early." You said, opening your legs slightly to allow him entrance.

"I know but unfortunately today we all need to be up early," Aemond said, in his croaky morning voice. His breath fanned across your cunt making you hiss at the sensation.

"Why?" You asked, sitting yourself up on your pillows.

"I hoped to tell you after I brought you to pleasure," he said, cutting you off from saying more as his tongue reached for your cunt. He lapped at your folds, licking up the juices that rested there.

Of course you were wet already, having Aegon prodding his cock against your side all night left you like this.

He sucked on your clit, holding your hips down as you tried to grind on his face. You whined at his slow pace, your stomach already tingling from how over sensitive it was.

Aegon woke next to you, eyes peering to see what was going on before turning over for more sleep. You laughed at his reaction, shaking your head as you looked down at Aemond who was grinning against you.

You moaned as his tongue worked faster against you, arching your back slightly as you found yourself coming close to the edge. His hands reached up to your tits, pinching your nipples with his fingers. Within seconds your thighs squeezed around him, pleasure washing over you in a rush as you cried out to him. You were seeing stars as you gripped onto the sheets, feeling like you were about to black out.

Eventually you opened your eyes again, wincing when Aemond brought you a soft towel to clean you up. He was gazing down at you with a smile that was wavering as he opened his mouth to speak.

"I have to see my family, don't I?" You asked, face sinking at the thought.

Aemond nodded, sighing deeply as he moved to pick you up on. He lifted you up off the bed pulling you into him as he shifted positions, having you sit on his lap. You hid your face in his shoulder, tears escaping your eyes as you held him close to you.

"I'm sorry," Aemond whispered, fingers dancing up and down your back. "We all have to go to the throne room today but you won't have to speak to anyone there. However, Rhaneyera has demanded to see you and our children afterwards and she went to father which of course he agreed to."

You felt another hand rub your thigh, realising Aegon must of got up due to your crying.

"I will be with you the whole time," Aegon said, trying to reassure you. "And Aemond will be standing just outside the door."

You lifted your head up slightly to look at them.

"Anyway you are a dragon, my love," Aemond told you, wiping the tears from your cheeks. "You have the strength of a dragon and courage. Do not let them make you feel any less than them because you are more than all of them combined."

Aemond's word stuck with you through the morning and while at first you felt as if you were going to puke from nerves as you walked through the halls, your stomach settled as you realised they could do you no actual harm.

You held onto Aegon's side in the throne room, eyes glaring over to the other side as you noticed your family. A part of you grew sad at how much your brothers had grown of the years, you barely recognised them. But even that thought turned sour, reminding yourself how that opportunity to grow up with your siblings had been ripped away from you.

As you glared at Daemon and Rhaneyera on the other side of the room, your heart filled with anger and hatred, for all the pain they had caused you over the years.

You were quick to return to your quarters after Daemon swung his sword through Vaemond, leaving your stomach in wretches as you almost hurled on the floor. You gathered your strength up in your chambers but still your skin crawled as you waited for your mother.

It wasn't until the afternoon that your mother arrived, your guardsman opening the door to let her in. The silence lingered in the air for a while as the servants poured you wine and plated food on the table.

Daenys toddled over to Rhaneyera, poking at the end of her dress. Your mother gleamed at her, leaning down towards her.

"And who you might be?" Rhaneyera asked, reaching out to stroke her hair.

You were quick to pull Daenys away, placing her on your hip as you gave a tight lipped smile to your mother. "This is Daenys," you introduced, stroking your daughters hair. "Named after the dreamer that-"

"Saved us from the doom of Valyria," Rhaneyera finished, hand stroking against your face. "I'm guessing you named your son Aenar as well after her father." You nodded. "You were always fond of the stories of old Valyria as a child."

"If it wasn't for that dream, none of us would be standing where we are today." Your eyes welled with tears at your mother's soft touch.

A hand pressed to your shoulder and your attention was brought to Aegon. He wrapped an arm protectively around your back as he smiled down at you. "My love, shall we sit."

Rhaneyera retreated a hand from you, scowling at Aegon now. "May I speak to my daughter alone?"

You looked up at Aegon who was opening his mouth with a smirk evident on his lips.

"Husband." You cut him off, handing Daenys over to him. "Please take the children, I will talk with my mother alone."

"Are you sure?" Aegon asked you, eyes wide with concern.

You smiled up at him, nodding. Aegon pressed a long kiss to your forehead. As he turned to his sister staring, he reached down to your lips giving you a heated kiss. He stared at his sister as he slowly broke the kiss and finally departed the room.

Rhaneyera reached out grabbing your hands as she looked at you with fear in her eyes. "Return with me to Dragonstone," she whispered, pulling your hands up to her chest. "You'll be safe there from my brothers, I assure you that."

You furrowed your brows and laughed, confused at her reaction. It took you a second to realise what she meant by it.

"I chose to marry Aegon and Aemond," you told her, ripping your hands from her. "It was me that confessed my love to them first and it was me that convinced them to marry me."

"Why?" Rhaneyera asked, squinting her eyes at you.

"Because I love them."

"Why?"

"Because they've been there for me when no one else has," you shouted defensively, stepping away from your mother. "Because when I was alone here and lost, they comforted me through it all. Through all the pain and sadness."

"This can't be," she protested, holding onto a chair for support. "They turned you against me and married you to Aegon so they could-"

"No." You pointed your finger at her, shaking your head. Tears brimmed at you eyes as you tried to ignore the lump in your throat, swallowing it down. "The only person that turned me against you, was you. You when you conspired with your husband to leave me here. You when you ignored every single letter I sent begging you to take me back to Dragon Stone."

You brought your hand to your mouth trying to hold yourself together.

Rhaneyera just stared at you completely speechless.

"Aegon comforted me on nights when I would lie sobbing in my beds. He'd tell me jokes and take my mind off of the pain I was feeling," you confessed, hands reaching over your swelling stomach. "Aemond listened to me when I needed someone to talk to, reassuring me it wasn't my fault you abandoned me. That it wasn't something I did."

"I'm sorry." Rhaneyera stepped closer to you to reach out to you. "I am truly-"

"Get out," you shouted, flinching away from her. "You have seen me and my children but I do not need your apologies or an explanation for why you did what you did. I made my peace with it and I am happy here. This is my home now, Aegon and Aemond are my home."

"I see," Rhaneyera said, walking towards the door. She looked back at you for a second, a shared look of pain in your eyes as you stared at each other.

But you turned away, looking anywhere but her.

Dinner was no better than you thought it could be. Every time your name was mentioned or a comment was thrown your way, one of your husbands would defend you mercilessly. A wide grin spread on your face at how they protected you at all costs. Luckily you missed the commotion, returning to your chambers once the king had been sent to bed.

When you reached your quarters, you helped put your children to bed, hoping that they didn't feel you had neglected them after the last few nights. But Daenys smiled at your presence, curling up to you as you told her a story.

Then you returned to your own chambers, hoping it wouldn't be long before your husbands were back. Your servants undressed you helping you into the thin night dress you picked out. A dress that was practically see through in the candle light.

You sat on the bed, waiting for your husbands to return.

Both of them stormed in together, smirks on their faces as they stepped in. They were both laughing together, something you hardly ever saw.

"Husbands," you called, directing the attention towards you. "You seem to be very happy, should I be concerned?"

Aemond was first one to greet you, yanking your body towards him as he gripped the sides of your face. He gave you a searing kiss, mouth practically sucking yours.

"Let's just say we defended you gallantly against your family," Aegon boasted, heading straight for the wine on the table.

Aemond wasn't letting up as he pressed you down into the bed, hands grabbing at any part of your body he could get to. "I need you," Aemond told you, parting your legs so he could push his hard on against you.

"Take me," you directed him, helping him out of his clothes. "I want to show you both how proud you've made me tonight."

With your help, Aemond's clothes were peeled off in moments and your night gown was ripped apart in his hands. He held your thighs down to the bed as he climbed above you, cock prodding against your entrance. Without warning he shoved it in, making you gasp in delight as he bottomed out. Within seconds he was pounding into you furiously, not caring that he hadn't prepared you like he normally did.

"Aemond," you whimpered, your cunt squeezing him for dear life.

"I'm not going to last long," Aemond grunted, head resting against yours to look at you. His hips snapped into you like never before, pushing you to something you never felt before. "Gods, this cunt is gripping me so fucking much."

His cock was hitting a certain spot inside you, making you unable to speak as only whines and whimpers fell off your tongue. You felt something overtake you as your pussy clenched around him, a sensation you had never felt before as you squirted on his dick. It sent him over the edge, his cock squirting inside of you, filling you to the very brim.

Aemond collapsed on top of you, nestling his head in the crook of your neck as he relaxed.

"What was that?" You asked, not knowing what had just came out of your body.

"I don't know," Aemond said, kissing your neck. "But I liked it. Maybe we should make you do it again."

You giggled, wrapping your legs around him instinctively.

"Do what again?" Aegon questioned, peering around the bed to look at you both. He already stripped down most of his clothes, only his night pants.

"Just our wife's spectacular cunt draining me of my cum," Aemond jested, rubbing his cock up and down your folds.

"Time to move, brother." Aegon tried to push him but Aemond slapped his hand away.

"You had her all of yesterday, I think you can allow me to have her the rest of the night."

"You were more than welcome to join yesterday but you didn't so-"

"Would you both stop," you laughed, pushing Aemond up slightly. "You can share." You crawled to the end of the bed, forefinger motioning for Aegon to come to you. "Come here."

Aegon pressed his lips onto yours as you felt Aemond start to toy with your ass. You broke your kiss, biting down on your bottom lip as you looked up at Aegon seductively. You positioned yourself, back arching with your ass stuck out for Aemond and your head at the end of the bed as your hands reached out to Aegon.

"Now let me show you how proud I am of you," you whispered, pulling Aegon's cock out of his trousers.

Your licked at his head, tasting the salty pre cum there as you hummed in delight. You opened your mouth, taking him in as you started to suck on him, hand stroking the parts you couldn't manage.

Aemond positioned himself behind you, sliding into you again. The pleasure of his cock pushing into you had you moaning around Aegon's cock. Aegon moaned at the sensation, your mouth now vibrating around him.

Each time you needed breath, you'd pull away an attachment of saliva from Aegon's cock connecting to your lips. Aegon's hand gripped onto your hair for support, almost taking over as you took more of him.

"Fuck, Y/N," Aegon hissed, staring down at you completely entranced by the way you looked.

Aemond started to hit into you faster, hand reaching down between you as his fingers found your clit. He circled your sensitive nub, knowing how you'd moan out, practically screaming around Aegon's cock.

You grabbed onto Aegon's hips, taking him fully down your throat. You gagged every so slightly but never let up, allowing him to fuck your face as he thrusted himself in there.

With the feeling of your moans and the wetness of your mouth, Aegon came undone easily. His cum hitting the back of your throat as he spilt his load in your mouth. He pulled out, allowing you breath for the first time as cum dripped from your lips. He reached down using his hand to clean up your face, only to have you suck the remaining bits off of his fingers as you stared at him.

"With the way you're acting, I am going to get hard again," he admitted, pressing a soft peck to your lips.

Aemond quickened his pace, cock hitting into you unforgivingly. You were a wreck, eyes falling closed as you came undone. This time you weren't sure you could hold up, practically collapsing on the bed as Aemond held your hips up. It wasn't long before he came, his cum leaking from your hole when he pulled out.

You were exhausted, thinking you could last long. At last yesterdays antics caught up with you and you found yourself barely able to move.

Aemond pulled you up as Aegon peeled the covers up. Both of them together helped you get into bed as they slipped in beside you. Before they could say anything, you were asleep curled up in your favourite position.

And for a moment Aegon and Aemond shared a knowing look with each other, completely happy in their bliss with you. Both of them cuddling into you as they fell asleep beside you, finding solace in your warmth.

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#aegon targaryen x reader #aegon targaryen #aegon targaryen smut #aegon targaryen imagine #aemond targaryen x reader #aemond targaryen smut #aemond targaryen imagine #Aegon Targaryen x reader x Aemond Targaryen

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legitimateluffy · 9 months

Text

I was going to touch on this in my overall thoughts of the OPLA, but then I realised I had a lot to say about it.

This, to me, might have been my favourite moment in the One Piece Live Action:

And here's why. OPLA spoilers under the cut.

Nami and her character arc are the things that got me really hooked to One Piece as a teen. I was 13 and at the time, I had no idea if I'd ever finish (at the time) a 600 episode anime. But Arlong Park cemented me in as an OP fan for the rest of my life.

Obviously the Help Me scene was the thing that really got me in for life. But as I grow, I think it was also the way Oda made each moment with each character feel small while also being grand. The small moments make this arc for me. It's complex, and purposefully so.

Throughout the arc, and even prior, Nami is built up with small throw away lines and actions. Questioning why people do things for others, her over generalisation of pirates, her belief that she has no freedom.

She's an exact opposing entity of Luffy. Luffy IS free. He's the concept of freedom. Nami, by default, is not. She not once ever felt free. Her original village was destroyed, her mother killed due to lack of money, having to work for Arlong to survive. She never had freedom.

There's cases like this all over the manga. She's materialistic due to her trauma of lacking freedom. She has to do what she has to to survive. She will put her desire for money (to save the village) FIRST. Because if she doesn't, she will never be free.

I remember this moment so clearly when I saw this for the first time, the thought ingrained into my mind. When I saw she left and abandoned the crew, I was so MAD. I couldn't express my anger. But when I saw this scene, all I could think about was "I feel so bad for her."

I didn't know what was coming, but this scene alone made me feel so sad. And I didn't even know WHY. I felt gut wrenched for her. Looking back, seeing her finally no longer have to do everything herself and allowing herself to break down and ask for help, it also struck me.

However, this moment, now as I've aged, doesn't hit just because it's a relatable feeling. Finally breaking down and getting hope after you've felt so helpless. So many people want that. I wanted that. And seeing it there in front of me hit me hard. The reason why I think this ultimately made this moment work for me was this theme of freedom. The strawhats made her feel like she was safe for even a short moment. She could forget. Nami, for the first time in her life, even for one second, WAS free. She was!

Nojiko highlights this. It's a small panel. It's less than 5 words but it highlights an important aspect of Nami's character. For one moment, she was free, and that's why leaving them hurt her so much.

Usopp describing something as normal as having fun is something we take for granted. But Nojiko knew that this was an important moment for Nami. She knows she's never been free. Remember, Nojiko & the rest of the village KNOW what Nami is doing. Her sacrifice. Her lack of freedom.

So this bring me back to OPLA. There are so many short scenes of Nami where Usopp and Luffy are just goofing around and bantering with each other. Hell, she's not even participating! She's just watching! And then the moment happens.

She laughs. She's free! This one small moment, this blink and you'll miss it scene. THAT, is pure and utter freedom. And to me, that's what One Piece is. It's freedom. Nami, for the first time in her life, is free.

This scene hit me hard, because immediately I thought to that scene with Usopp and Nojiko. Everyone behind the live action understood the core aspect and themes of One Piece. It's freedom. It's always been about freedom. That has never changed. And seeing freedom be portrayed as such a small and humane action such as LAUGHING, for all of a few seconds, really encompasses what this series is, not just to the characters, but the audience.

#one piece #opla #nami #nami and her arc was also so important to me as a teen #and seeing how arlong park is still one of if not my fave arc this made me feel something #one piece really is special #lozza.txt

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tskei · 7 months

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The Ascension and the sexual implications of it

We all remember the post from a few weeks ago that circled here. I didn't go through with the Ascension from a purely game sense "this is clearly evil " standpoint. I didn't really understand why it's evil or even more why it's sexual. Some analyses have floated around here and tumblr that mentioned it's because "vampires are a sexy fantasy". Well, yes but you're getting a vampire either way, aren't you?

I didn't manage to connect the dots until I started looking into possible ways for him to walk in the sun. It seems the only reliable one is a “Wish” spell. But that seems to turn the vampire mortal again. Now, that didn't sit right with me. If Ascension was changing him, this was even more of an "I'll fix him" situation. But I thought, would he even agree? He's so power hungry probably giving up on being a vampire would be the last thing he'd agree on. But the more I thought about it, the more it became clear to me that he actually has a strong dislike for being a vampire. If you tell him his reflection is a small price to pay for vampire powers he answers "To you, maybe." He loves seeing the sun again, all the colors. He can't see or remember his eyes, which if we take into literary view, eyes being the windows to the soul we could say it shows his disconnect with his soul, with his humanity. He absolutely hates the hunger urges that come with vampirism, saying they make him pathetic and it's the worst version of himself. And of course, the sexual part. He hasn't actually seen any perks of vampirism, just that it makes you an object of desire, a thing used only for sex. That is the only side of vampirism he has managed to experience and that is what he connects it with.

The point in the story that clearly connects his vampire nature to sexuality is the talk with the blood merchant. She is a drow, her society already views men as slaves good for one thing. But she doesn't ask him for sex, she asks him for a bite yet it's just as sexual. It shows the player that vampires are sex objects yet again. But whatever is left of him, of his soul and humanity is very separated from his vampire form. He doesn't take being a vampire as an identity but separates himself from it, calling it an affliction, or condition. So why push him further into nature that he doesn't accept or enjoy?

At many points he mentions there's almost nothing left of the man he was, whatever little is left of his soul, etc. He believes he doesn't have much to offer, especially after sex is off the table. That is why it's so important to remove sex from your romantic relationship for him. While obviously, it's a time for healing, it's also a time to actually connect to the person behind the vampire. The person he used to be before he became a sex object.

And that is the same if you choose his spawn romance ending. You pick the man he managed to remain despite everything that happened. That's why his post-scene at the grave is basically a rebirth of him, of his humanity. While the romance post-scene of the Ascension is a rebirth of you. You chose to reduce him to a vampire, to an object, and even went as far as to objectify yourself as well by accepting the vampire nature. And ultimately, that's all that's left of him, the vampire. The person he was is gone completely.

I'd just like to add that a lot of people like to bring up that they let the other characters make their own choices but that's a weak point. Shadowheart's choice is very influenced by your choices/approval and let's not forget she would actually kill Lae'zel if you don't get involved, you literally have to choose if you sell Wyll's soul or not, and Lae'zel would kill you if you don't stop her.

Also, there is the argument that he wants this. And for that, I can only guess based on my speculations, that despite all the power hunger brought from whatever feelings, survival, fear, selfishness -until the very last moment he hadn't made up his mind. He even tells you this before you enter Cazador's chamber. He won't know what he'll do before he faces him. His turmoil is obvious. You can tell him this isn't him, not really. And he responds that it should be, he doesn't want to be pathetic.

The choice for the ascension never was his, as it never was for him. He himself saw no way out, just like when he was under Cazador. And the temptation that was obviously present at the idea of being just like Cazador. The choice there was for you.

For the player, whether it'd be as a lover or a friend.Do you want the man or the vampire?

#astarion #astarion ancunin #astarion bg3 #baldurs gate #bg3 spoilers #ascension #astarion ascended

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jazjelspen · 11 months

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leaving on wild charted waters [pt.4]

(what if our mc got tired of Night Raven College and all it's inhabitants?)

(what if our beloved mc has...(voluntarily) been helping with decorating for the ball that will be happening in the next few days!?)

(just a “filler” chapter but it's just pure fluff and our mc having a great time with their new RSA friends + fleshing out some RSA students that I may use in future chapters/will get back to angst but as many of you know: our mc needs to be happy!

p.s Neige is actually a nice person in this series, he just doesn’t mean to come off as fake. I just wanted to write a nice version of the character for this!)

(fluff/splash of angst but it's very short)

the ball: part 1

you couldn't be more relaxed. you are currently chilling with your new friends and Rielle on the same shore you stepped your shoes in on your first day here. you all decided that after a long day of studies, activities, and fun ballroom decorating that it'd be a great idea to just relax beside the waters with everyone having each of their favorite snacks and drinks.

you and your friends were quiet since all you could all do was take in the refreshing sea air and the feeling of the breeze kissing your faces, the sound of the water sloshing and splashing also added to the calm ambience of the scene, and of course it wouldn't be complete without the screech of a seagull or the cute chirps of birds. I just can't forget to mention the same beautiful sunset that came upon your first day here also appearing in this exact moment, it really did always take your breath away. 'god, nothing could beat this view' you thought.

you noted how this time when you volunteered to help out with ballroom decorating, that no one actually ever left you on your own or ditched you. everyone did their part, some mishaps here and there, but it wasn't anything none of you could fix. you actually felt as if the work was much less with everyone actively doing their job and not slacking off or disappearing when they have the chance... these guys actually sticked by you and didn't let you down in the slightest. it was as if a splash of the freshest water just hit your face and took off a lot of stains that you had from NRC.

you all reveled in the moment until someone finally spoke up, "today was no joke." your friend, Alex Underlan, spoke in an exasperating tone as he laid with his arms and legs spread as if he's about to make a snow angel in the sand. "it felt as if this day would never end."

the next to speak was Neige Leblanc "we did take awhile to set up the decorations for the ball. thankfully we managed to finish just in time before the setting sun left!" he spoke with a smile as he looked up to see his little blue bird friends sitting comfortably on his hat. "we have to admit we did do a pretty good job on the decorating."

Chenya, an acquaintance from NRC and now very good friends with in RSA, stretched his limbs out in the sand with a loud yawn "beats me, I'm just glad that the hard part is over and we can now nap like kittens!~..."

"I agree with Neige though, we did do a pretty great job with decorating! along with the help of our fellow animal friends too it made the whole thing a bit more hectic yet fun." Rielle chirped in "I do have to admit-- Raps and _____ did an amazing job painting the ceiling and walls for the occasion! it's like those really detailed murals from waaay back then!"

Raps then replied with a bit of a sheepish smile "aww thanks Red, but obviously I wouldn't have been able to get it done in time with my favorite assistant _____ here!--" Raps shook your shoulder gently with the entire group chuckling with each other.

"hey! I'm your only assistant!" you replied with a light giggle "Raps I seriously have no idea how you're not afraid of falling from such a height-- you have immense trust in your hair." you paused " but then again i was hanging onto your hair while painting-- so I actually can tell why you have immense trust in your hair." you all just fell into a fit of laughter together in harmony at the hilarious memory of you freaking out a bit while clinging onto your friend's hair over how high you were to then feeling confident and relaxed while painting the ballroom walls and ceiling with Raps.

after you all calmed down the excitement for the ball started rising in your chest once again "honestly... i'm so excited for the ball. mostly because it's the one ball where I most likely won't have to deal with any people that have underlying personal issues that I have to deal with." you let out an almost happy sigh.

Chenya snickered, knowing well what that referenced to "nahh, no overblots here. don't remember there ever being one since I first came to this rabbit hole." he then closed his eyes as to take a light cat nap.

"me either!" chirped in Neige "but no need to fret or fear, in case an issue does come up we won't ask you to have to take care of it for us. with what you've told us you have seemed to have gone through so much already--" he spoke this next part more lowly " I should've... noticed it back when the VDC event was happening..." Neige sulked a bit but then gave you a small smile "I'm just glad you still came all this way to give RSA a chance _____!.."

"thanks Neige, that's actually... very kind of you to say." you smiled back as one of Neige's little blue birds landed on one of your knees and chirped a small song for you.. how cute and charming. "actually back then at the VDC event I honestly thought you were probably hiding under some super cute and friendly facade but turns out that it's really just you being naturally kind and well... friendly!" almost everyone either choked on their drinks or giggled, basically all collectively agreeing that everyone else thought that too in the beginning of meeting Neige at some point.

Neige paused a bit and looked at you with wide eyes and a genuinely confused smile, processing what you just said as he let out a very confused "huh?--"

"Raps Belleflowe!"

a loud interrupting and snarly voice boomed from behind the group of six, so loud it caused the little birds that rested on you and Neige to fly away! you all simultaneously turned to look at the tall and dark figure with voluminous black curls awaiting for one of you.

Raps sighed in immense disappointment as he packed up any snacks he had out back in his satchel, now looking all gloomy. "well- I'll see you guys tomorrow!.."

Chenya then turned to look his long haired friend with an almost disappointed look too "leaving so soon blondie? not staying over to grab some full grub with us?"

Raps shook his head "ahh...not today guys! maybe next time--" he was about to walk out before he quickly faced the group who all groaned in disappointment together " hey how about to make up for it I treat you all to lunch at school!" everyone still seemed disappointed yet each still gave Raps a thumbs up at his idea.

you all watched him scurry to his father who seemed to be less than pleased, almost scolding him before they both walked seemingly back to the dorms.

"I don't like Raps's dad... always gave me the heebie jeebies, keeps Raps from us outside of school-related stuff, and always gives me low scores on my biochem tests!..." Alex grumbled as he looked up at the sky.

"he is an intimidating individual.. but he seems to be very attentive to Raps and always seems to help him with all the countless hobbies he has!.." Neige tried to seem a bit positive, but he does agree with Alex on the first two things.

"a bit too attentive, I know a helicopter dad when I see one." Rielle huffed before he yawned. "well let's get a meal before we all head our separate ways and sleep like sleeping beauty."

Chenya and Alex both seemed to agree very much with this idea with how quickly they both to stood up in a weirdly comedic way.

you chuckled at this "guess we don't have to tell you two twice."

Alex laughed at your comment "you really don't!"

while the other three got up Neige gently tapped on your shoulder before you got up as well. "hey _____! if you don't mind-- could we take a photo together for my Magicam? I've posted photos with everyone except you, and I wouldn't want to leave you out!" he gave you these puppy dog eyes as he asked, you couldn't help but chuckle at this and nod.

"of course Neige, I'd love to be in your Magicam." you spoke before a bright smile grew on his face and you both set up a pose together in front of his phone's camera.

"1...2..!" and right when he was about to say three he clicked on the camera button and now he has a memory of you two! he looked over the photo "look at us! we look great!"

you nodded in agreement, genuienly impressed with how good you two looked "huh!.. we really do don't we!"

you both giggled together before a loud and sharp 'ahem!' interrupted you both. both pairs of eyes looked up to see all three of your standing friends waiting for you.

Chenya groaned "let's get going slow pokes! Im starting to mistake Alex's stomach growls to that of a lion's roar." the cat tittered before Alex gasped and punched him on the arm, not hard enough to actually hurt him.

"no they do not! fleabag.." Alex sneered.

"awwe! that hurt, blondie #2..." whined the cat.

the rest of you three lightly laughed at the scene before you as Neige and yourself got up together. once the two wrapped up their play fight you all as a group started walking to the nearest shop for a quick meal.

guess you didn't realize that with Neige posting the picture of you two later on in the day that it'd rise hell onto the campus of Night Raven College-- unbeknownst to all of you.

(really short compared to other parts but next chapter will be when the actual ball will happen and all the silly funzies stuff too. as mentioned once again this chapter and the next are basically just fluff and "filler" and to flesh out most of mc's new friends +adding sprinkles and splashes of angst here and there to at least keep it interesting!)

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tobiasdrake · 28 days

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Thinking about redemption yesterday got me thinking about fallen heroes today, and how rare it is to see a character initially painted as a hero be driven to heinousness for legitimate reasons.

Often times, if a hero goes bad, it's because of an external force corrupting their mind. Or it's a misunderstanding and they were secretly still good all along. Or they were just having a rough day and they'll be good again in five minutes.

We rarely see get to see heroes go sour purely on their own merits. Maybe because their values weren't so benign as they'd seemed when pushed to a natural conclusion. Maybe because they expected too much of themselves or of others. Or maybe personal experience taught them to believe something else.

Whatever the case, as often as writers will attempt to examine the transformative power of better angels, we rarely get to see the transformative power of worse devils.

Which brings me to....

Sayaka Miki is a character that holds a special place in my heart, not for overcoming her flaws but for being consumed by them. She's a cautionary tale into the perils of righteousness.

I need to preface this by bringing up that the characters of Madoka Magica are children. They're irrational, judgmental, ignorant of risk, and quick to throw themselves into horrible mistakes with absolute confidence. Because they're children. That's how this works. The villain of the series is a psychological predator who feeds on the impulsivity and poor judgment of youth, grooming them into self-destruction.

The entire system of Magical Girls exists to give these children enough rope to hang themselves with and then to kick the ladder out from under them. That is the plot, with Sayaka being the primary means by which the show demonstrates the complete journey from rope to ladder.

I just. I need you to understand that even at her worst, Sayaka is a victim of predatory incentives and calculated coercions meant to cultivate her worst traits while stripping her of hopes and dreams. To drown her in mistakes she could never take back. She didn't have the life experience to know better. That's why her predator targets children.

Sayaka's rope is woven from virtuous self-image. It's not immediately apparent when we meet her, but Sayaka's fatal flaw is ego. Her moral compass is wound extremely tight, and it's only later that we realize it's wound around her neck.

Like many children, Sayaka is trying on an identity moreso than expressing her inner self. She wants to be altruistic. She wants to be selfless. She wants to be a true hero. She wants to live by nothing more than high-minded ideals, expecting no reward for her efforts (but receiving it all the same).

She wants to be the kind of person that Mami was.

But she has no idea who Mami was. She wasn't there to see Mami fracture. To see her break down in vulnerability and express the isolating misery she lives in.

Sayaka didn't see that. She only saw how cool Mami looked when she was killing Witches. So when she tries on an identity, she's specifically trying on the identity of Mami - blissfully unaware that her interpretation of Mami was nothing but a mask. She is emulating the behavior of a victim already consumed by the predatory incentives she's accepting.

Sayaka was doomed from the moment she made her wish.

Once again, the show does a brilliant job of concealing this at first. Right off the bat, it's easy for Sayaka to be the hero. She saves both her BFFs Madoka and Hitomi from a Witch in her debut adventure, before being immediately thrust into a moral argument that's super easy for her to win.

This is what a hero looks like! Should we stand by and let monsters eat people YES/NO

Sayaka says no. Sayaka says letting monsters eat people is bad. Solid Bioware-level moral dilemma she's got here. Sayaka won +10 Paragon points for the choices she picked out of this conversation tree, lemme tell you!

Moments like this work to disguise what's going on here with Sayaka. Obviously Sayaka's making good choices and doing the right thing when the alternative is Kyoko going "Want me to break your crush's limbs so he needs you for life support?" That's awful, so since Sayaka's against it then that means she must be right. Right?

Kyoko is the devil. Sayaka is the paragon.

But this is a story about nuanced and complex people. Sayaka isn't that person. Sayaka likes the idea of being that person. She's being dishonest - With herself, with others around her, and with the universe.

She's trying on an identity, not fully understanding who she really is or what her limitations are.

Incidentally, so is Kyoko, which is what makes their Yin and Yang dichotomy so potent. Having never been tested like this before, Sayaka is more selfish than she truly understands - While Kyoko, damaged by trauma, is more selfless than she wants to believe.

The thing Sayaka doesn't quite grasp is that, to an extent, it's okay to be selfish. It's okay to want things for yourself. Again, the identity she's trying to live up to was a lie to begin with. She only saw the mask; Never the humanity underneath. So she fails to recognize her own humanity; Her own needs and wants and desires.

She imprisons her own mind in a cage of altruism.

Sayaka is warned multiple times against spending her wish on another person. But she doesn't understand the perils of it. She lacks the necessary perspective to grasp the level of sacrifice she's making. (Because she is a child. I cannot stress this point enough.)

When she makes her wish, Sayaka wants her sacrifice reciprocated. She wants to be rewarded. But she doesn't want to want that. She wants to be the selfless hero for Kyosuke. To silently grant him a miracle because it's the right thing to do for her friend. But she expects, without consciously thinking about it, that the universe will deliver her nice things because she is good.

But life doesn't work like that. It doesn't give you things you aren't willing to reach for. Sayaka said she just wanted him to be happy. She just wanted to help people. She just wanted to dedicate her life to virtue and altruism, with no wants or needs or desires of her own.

Kyoko was being cruel and unfeeling when she suggested crippling Kyosuke; She was trying to express a mask of selfishness, the same way Sayaka's been trying to express a mask of selflessness. But she wasn't the only person telling Sayaka that it was a mistake to do this. She's just the only person who said it after the fact.

So the universe calls her bluff. While Sayaka waits for her sacrifices to be rewarded, fracturing more and more from learning what those sacrifices truly entail, someone else claims her prize. The work gets harder, not just physically but emotionally. And she only gets what she asked for. Nothing more.

This is what a hero looks like. She wanted to be Mami.

Remind me. What was Mami's reward for her sacrifices?

Oh. Yeah. That's right.

The thing of it is, there is a reward for a Magical Girl's sacrifices. There is a prize you're meant to receive for the unjust hardships and self-destruction that you're volunteering to undertake.

It's the fucking wish.

That she, in her righteousness, gave away.

Sayaka's rope is woven from virtuous self-image. Her fatal flaw is ego. She was undone by arrogance expressed in ignorance, not of glory the way we often think of egotistic people, but of righteousness. She held herself to a standard no reasonable person could ever live up to, and it crushed her as it came crashing down.

And yet, she was a victim all the same. Because she was walked, hand-in-hand, to that pier by a predator. Children are meant to learn from their mistakes. Not to die for them.

#puella magi madoka magica #sayaka miki

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gothicbarbie · 5 months

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MY TOP 10 BEST BL COUPLES OF 2023

So I guess I'm a little late considering it's now 2024 in most places, but well, better late than never. I tried and failed to rank top 20 or even 10 kisses... I just couldn't remember them all or even choose... but most of my top couples have some pretty great kisses, so at least there's that! I can, however, rank my favorite BL pairings from 2023, so... let's do it! I will be ranking these from least favorite to favorite because I think it's more fun that way... Also I credited all the gif makers at the bottom but I did list the tumblr user for each specific gif underneath. If someone wants me to remove their gif, please let me know and I will so! I just wanted to pretty up the post a bit.

Also, to clarify, any couple on a show that is currently airing and not complete yet is not eligible to be on the list for 2023. Trust me, there were many I wanted to include!

Honorary Mentions:

Tinn & Gun | My School President

So, spoiler, a different GeminiFourth pairing will be on the actual top 10 so I didn't really want to include both pairings on the list, but I really did love the two of them in My School President. G/F just have such a wonderful and natural chemistry. The way they always look at each other just feels so pure and sweet. I really like pairings where one is secretly pining for the other, but Tinn/Gun also sorta had a hate/love ISH thing going for a little while. The progression of their relationship to actual boyfriends was just so fun to watch and really well done.

Dong Wook & Do Hyun | A Breeze of Love

I watched this BL so quickly that it didn't really resonate with me as well as some other series, which is why these two didn't make the top 10, however, I really enjoyed their relationship on the show. I love hate to love pairings and I found their backstory scenes really sweet as well. I also thought they had a really nice chemistry and there were some strong kissing moments for a kbl.

Jihan & Jaejun | City Boy Log

I didn't include these two on the main list for two reasons, one: the show is not over yet... i don't think? and two: this technically isn't a BL drama? IDK anymore, but regardless I love this series and this couple so dang much! I love the realness of them filming themselves and how their relationship is portrayed so subtly until their feelings just sort of emerge. They have some really wonderful and special scenes or moments together that we don't typically get on other series. I am anxious to see where the rest of the story goes and I hope the actors get another opportunity to work together. The side pairing is great too!

Top 10!

#10. Ai & Songkhram | Destiny Seeker

These two were so damn fun to watch, I really loved the hate to love thing at the start that quickly turned into love (Or I guess always sort of was???). The actors had such a great chemistry together and they had so many fun little moments and bantery scenes together. While the rest of the series felt a little flat for me, their connection continuously kept me interested.

#09. Ze Rui & Zong Yi | Kiseki Dear to Me

Honestly don't even know what to write about these two or how to explain why I like them, because there wasn't anything particularly special about their dynamic that typically draws me in, but I just really enjoyed the actors chemistry together and I really liked the progression of their relationship and how well they meshed together. Their kissing was extremely natural too.

#08. King & Eua | Bed Friend

Firstly, these two are HOT AF, and I really loved the friends with benefits storyline between these two, but more than that, we have a perfect character imo with King, who was continuously there for Eua and always trying to help him and make him understand how much he really cared. The show could be very dark at times but I love that King was always sort of the shining light for Eua.

#07. Segaski & Yoh | My Personal Weatherman

I can admit that the big draw to this show for me originally was the sexy scenes and moments, and while I do think the series could have done with some more scenery changes and better storylines, considering the time frame, I enjoyed watching the relationship between the two characters develop. It's nice to get a friends with benefits type of relationship and see how it progresses into more than that. And for a JBL it was nice to see some high heat with a happy ending.

#06. Su Yu & Wu Bi | Stay With Me

SIGH. THESE TWO. So I mean, I understand the criticism of this show and their relationship. So many things are implied but personally I felt like the end half made it pretty clear that these two were 100% a romantic couple. (just wish it was clarified when that change happened) But the progression of their relationship from hate to love was so beautiful to watch. Even if it was just a friendship it was worth it imo to see how close they got. Fair warning, the finale episode is not the best lmao, but I hope we get a second season to sort of fix it? Fingers crossed on that one.

#05. Wan & Ki Tae | Our Dating Sim

This was definitely one of the cutest BL's of the year and this couple falls into that category well too. I really loved seeing them re-connect. I love that they were old best friends (with feelings) that had a lot of issues to sort through and we saw some adorable flashback scenes as well as current scenes. I also love that they got together and were mostly happy instead of having a lot of intense drama.

#04. Li Ming & Heart | Moonlight Chicken

These two... so much to say about them and yet I don't really know where to start. Gemini and Fourth just work so well together and I felt like this duo was even deeper than in MSP. They started out on bad terms but quickly became close and I really loved the progression of their relationship and then I adored how we also got to see them together as a couple too. My favorite thing about them was how hard Li Ming worked to try to understand Heart and how he learned sign language for him and encouraged him to get to know others like him and to put himself out there. They also had such a fun banter with playful moments and scenes. It was just so damn pure and sweet to watch with no unnecessary or stupid fillery drama.

#03. Jae Won and Ji Hyun | The Eighth Sense

Something about this pairing just felt so much different than the typical KBL pairing. The show itself was so much deeper and had a more serious tone than we typically get, which was amazing. The actors nailed the roles and you could really feel the tension and longing between them right from the beginning. I loved their storyline so much and the actors seemed so comfortable together.

#02. Yamato & Kakeru | I Cannot Reach You

This was one of my favorite BL's of the year and their relationship was a huge part of it. I thought I was more into hate to love, but clearly, based on this list, that isn't always the case. There is something so sweet and adorable about best friends turned to lovers. I really love too when we see one side pining for the other, so this couple was extremely enjoyable to watch!

#01. Chen Yi & Ai Di | Kiseki Dear To Me

Good Lord these two... they had the perfect formula for my favorite type of pairing. Hate to love, drama, tension, angst, one-sided pining... it was so painful to have to wait every week for more. But god, it was worth the wait and their chemistry was just so good, their kisses were phenomenal too. Def. a memorable pair and a show I will be rewatching very soon!

THANK YOU to all these wonderful humans for making the most amazing gifs that I used in this post!

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sillysillygoofygoose · 6 months

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Miguel is the type of man who loves a strong woman.

He loves a woman who will put him in his place when he deserves it. A woman who will throw the "hard to get" act right back at him. A sarcastic, sassy, but sweet woman. A woman who's not intimidated by his brooding facade. A confident woman.

A woman, not a girl.

He loves a woman who knows what she wants and knows how to effectively get her point across. An assertive, emotionally thorough, and grounded woman.

You take a deep inhale, realizing how much the situation has escalated during the past five minutes of back and forth nothings.

"Miguel, I feel like this is counterproductive. Let's just sit down and talk, okay?" Your calm, steady voice immediately eases half of the tension in the room, just like that. He shook his head in agreement, almost as if to rid of the hostile thoughts that were slowly building a crooked wall at the forefront of his mind.

"It really upsets me when you prioritize work over our relationship. I know it's important to you, but you're important to me. I just want us to have more time together. How can we compromise?" You state your feelings and hopes, laying out the option for Miguel to vocalize his as you look him right in the eye.

Miguel never realized how much his previous relationships or flings lacked solid communication until that moment. You didn't have to yell or pout to make him get the message. Your deliberate words stood just as strong as screams. No. Stronger.

The ability to stand up for yourself, what you want, and what you believe in without being purposefully disagreeable and difficult is one you possess. You can stand on your own two feet without anyone supporting you. You believe in yourself. And it's so attractive to Miguel.

Something that makes you so womanly is your ability to be gentle and caring... maternal. Being bold and strong-willed often has people leaping to the conclusion that you're a heartless bitch. But that couldn't be further from the truth. You're just authoritative. But you know how to be soft and understanding. You're a beautiful balance.

Intelligence. What could be more powerful than intelligence? Though, you're not just book smart... you're people smart. You know how to communicate, how to start and hold a conversation. So goddamn sexy...

Just as much as you know what you want in life, you know what you want in bed. Miguel is more than happy to fulfill your every command.

How he eats you out, how fast he should thrust... even how many hickies he's allowed to leave on your chest. You're playful and feisty, sex often leading to a pure fight for dominance.

But you're just so beautiful. A warm and welcoming character shielded by a powerful aura, all laid out for him. His woman.

His woman with a grown body. Hip dips, cellulite, stretch marks, with hair protecting your most feminine parts.

Miguel is not one to be scared off by broad shoulders or a strong frame because you're a woman. A grown, strong woman.

His strong woman.

Hope you enjoyed! Xoxo

*Don't get me wrong, I love a dominant Miguel making a stuttering slut out of a pretty, shy girl... buutttt I think he has a soft spot for outspoken, foxy women 🤭*

#fem reader #atsv miguel #miguel o'hara #miguel headcanons #miguel spiderverse #miguel x reader #miguel spiderman #sub miguel o'hara

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some-pers0n · 7 months

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Okay after seeing that nuclear bad take about Albatross being a "fucking psycho", here!! Get another one of these emotional rants of mine.

Albatross is a character I think a lot of people misunderstand. I think a good chunk of the reason why this somewhat new obsession I have over him was kick-started by just how many times I saw people on Reddit or in YouTube video comments go on and on about how he was insane in the membrane and was a pure evil dragon. It reminds me of my thoughts on Orca as well, where I don't want to take her at face value and see her as this dragon who just wanted to take over the throne. That's boring. I like the idea of her being something more.

But with Albatross? We've got a lot more evidence pointing to him being more than just "crazy old dragon". Reading the text, you see that Albatross is just kinda..sad? He's miserable and I personally get the feeling that he regrets having spent decades being bossed around by Lagoon. That he's tired of being seen as this freak-show dragon who could snap at any moment. He did once all of those years ago, and now it haunts him ever since.

Lagoon (and Sapphire to an extent) and their impact on Albatross's life is one that I find extremely overlooked. I don't know how people can think Albatross had no reason to do any of this and was just "snapping because he lost all of his soul" when Lagoon literally was egging him on just minutes before the massacre happened. He was being shown like a disfigured and disturbing trophy to the SkyWings. Statues of herself built by Albatross for no other reason than to have statues of herself. Lagoon flaunted her control over him and how he could do anything for her, mentioning ideas for enchantments that'll make her immortal. When Albatross speaks up, she shuts him down. She emotionally manipulates him by bringing up Sapphire again, saying that he'll never live it down. She then goes on to say how happy she is about how Fathom is an animus, excited to finally replaced her old, snappy, and unreasonable brother.

How much more obvious can you get that Lagoon was manipulating and controlling Albatross? For god's sake we even see this in the guide as well, with Lagoon bringing up Sapphire again. Lagoon uses that one tramatic event as leverage for everything. Something that she did is now Albatross's fault forever because he swiped back. He didn't want to be beaten down and made fun of anymore. He didn't want to be tormented by them any longer.

It's a moment that haunts Albatross. He regrets it deeply. It was an accident, but Lagoon won't ever make him forget it. She used the guilt that Albatross felt and made him do anything she wanted. How could he do such a thing? Cut off his sister's talons and drive her to madness? Lagoon knew how much this incident impacted Albatross. She wanted to make sure he always knew that it was his fault. That, no matter what, he will never live down being the one to ruin Sapphire's life.

His entire life he's more or less been just a means for Lagoon to exploit. A tool for her to use whenever she wanted something. The Summer Palace was more or less a vanity project, where Lagoon could show off how she has two palaces now. I don't think he ever used animus magic for himself. The only time he acted of his own accord, he would be snapped at by Lagoon. Him being mentioned to have traumatized dragonets by setting the trees ablaze during a Talons of Power ceremony was, again, brought up by Lagoon so that she could remind him of how he's unstable and should listen to her.

Not to also mention that he was described by Fathom as kind, albiet distant and somewhat cold at times. I don't think he was evil. He was a dragon who was spat into a world that was unkind and took advantage of him at every moment. Him being different than the others was the catalyist for everything. He was told he would be nothing more than an unstable, murderous dragon who could snap at any moment.

And he did just that, didn't he?

#wof #wings of fire #albatross wof #I am THE No. 1 Albatross sympathizer and don't you get that wrong #Hdodhekdbkehre again like. I don't condone his actions or think he was right to kill Lagoon (shocking I know)#But to dwindle him down to “lunatic with a knife” is ASININE #Treat him like the misunderstood and tragic villain he is #sp-rambles

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shannankle · 3 months

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DFF, Found Footage, Technology, and the Real

Okay so I've been slowly looking into horror and technology since watching Shadow, and now DFF has me going down a related research spiral. So let's call this a sibling post to my Shadow technology series (which I am slowly working on I promise).

I just thumbed through a great book on found footage horror and a few other pieces on technology and wanted to use these as a lens to think about DFF and how it's navigating a number of themes including the distinction between reality and fiction.

DFF draws on the concept of found footage films like The Blair Witch Project. Even if DFF's main framing and style isn't found footage, the film the characters are working on is. And we get our most direct reference to a horror film when Jin references The Blair Witch Project--an iconic found footage film. So I want to start by thinking about the Blair Witch Project.

Part 1: The Blair Witch Project and DFF

Part 2: Paranormal Activity, DFF, and the Myth of the Real

Part 3: Films within Films, Surveillance Technology, and Other Connections (Man Bites Dog, Cabin in the Woods, Shutter)

Part 1: The Blair Witch Project and DFF

While found footage horror doesn't purely originate with the Blair Witch Project it certainly rocketed the concept into the popular zeitgeist. I watched the film for the first time this week, and while it didn't scare me*, I could easily see how influential it would've been at the time. The media landscape looked very different in the late 90s, and the film's marketing deliberately played up the idea that this was real footage in a way that simply couldn't be done today with our current media landscape and familiarity with the found footage genre. We're now much more familiar with fakelore as a concept in general.

*The scariest part of watching was the censored subtitles! Stop that please! They seriously were replacing things like "Oh, fuck" with "Oh, boy." I also got a car add about going out to enjoy national parks, and how they can be accessible to Deaf people, which was an interesting moment of double irony.

In her book Found Footage Horror Films: Fear and the Appearance of Reality, which I will be citing quite a bit in this post, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas notes that the Blair Witch Project came out at a time when amateur films were still relegated to home videos but entering public viewing through shows like America's Funniest Home Videos. The style was thus associated much more closely with trying to capture reality than tell a fictional story. The marketing played into this heavily--for example: using the actors' names for the characters, circulating missing persons flyers in areas where the film was being shown, and creating a website that gave background on the Blair Witch myth and information on the "missing" trio of amateur filmmakers. I chatted a bit with @slayerkitty who saw it in theaters. She explained how part of what made the film scary at the time was how real so many people thought it was and the tension of being in the audience.

TBWP and DFF Similarities

Let's start by going over some of the ways DFF might be directly pulling from the film or making homages before jumping into what I think are probably the more significant thematic connections with found footage.

Myths and an Ambiguous Antagonist:

The Blair Witch Project is set against the backdrop of a local myth about a witch in the woods. Three young adults (Heather, Josh, and Mike) go to make an amateur documentary about the witch, get lost in the woods, and are then hunted by an unseen presence. We get information about the myth through interviews with locals and a book Heather reads aloud briefly called The Blair Witch Cult. We learn about the slaughter of 5 men (which is described almost like a ritual), disappearances and deaths, and a man who was compelled by the witch to slaughter children. Similarly in DFF we have our Janta cult, which slaughters people in the name of a supernatural or spiritual force. Now I'd say this could be a nod to TBWP but it also draws on plenty of other ghosts stories and urban legends about the woods. I'm sure there are also particularly Thai valences as well beyond just being Buddhist on the surface.

Like the trio in The Blair Witch Project, the group in DFF goes into the woods to film--though they aren't traipsing through the woods, and the horror they're filming is a story of their own creation. In the present, however, the horror becomes much more than fiction, just like in TBWP. In the film, we see and hear signs that something or someone is following the trio but it's ultimately unclear if it's supernatural, locals scaring them, or them slowly cracking and turning on one another. In DFF's opening episodes it's likewise unclear if what's happening is being caused by a person, hallucinogens, or something supernatural.

Maps and Marketing:

TBWP also shows the characters turning on one another, arguing, and cracking in a way that fundamentally sabotages their survival. At one point, Mike reveals that he threw their map, their only lifeline, into the river. This is paralleled in Fluke turning away their transport and means of leaving. The map is an important focus in the film. We see Heather orienting the group and insisting she knows where they're at, while Mike insists they're lost. This culminates in them losing the map as things start getting worse. DFF slips in what I read as a potentially more direct reference to the film in episode 8. An odd new detail in the group's film where they rely on the hope of a map to get out before they're attacked by the masked killer again.

Another potential similarity to draw on has more to do with the outside marketing of TBWP. Interestingly it was marketed to appear like an indie film despite having pretty extensive funding. This makes me think of the group's film in DFF. This is meant to be a student film but they received a huge boost via Por's dad giving them extra money for a camera.

Smoking and Being Alive:

One other parallel I find interesting is the emphasis on smoking. To be fair TBWP is probably not the first or last horror film to have people smoke (the pot head is a character trope of it's own), and I was likely primed to notice because we already had "Tan smokes and has asthma" on our list of clues for DFF. Now clearly the writers of DFF are smart and are using Tan/New smoking in plot relevant ways. These details feel purposeful to the story they're crafting. But let's briefly look at how smoking shows up in TBWP.

The characters all smoke and drink alcohol. As they get lost and the days tick away they run out of food and smokes. Josh has moments that could be attributed to withdrawal where he laments that they're out of cigarettes. However, after he disappears, Mike finds some remaining cigarettes at the bottom of one of their bags. Mike comments "We're still alive cause we're smoking." For him, it signals even if briefly that they are still alive, that they're surviving.

But in DFF, smoke seems to be attached to death and dissociation. We know that New is a smoker, something he perhaps picked up in England. It starts then as a sign that he has a life, one outside of being Tan. Yet it's that very life, being abroad, that led him to be so far from Non when he disappeared. For New, his life is now tinged with guilt and loss. As @syrena-del-mar noted here, there are moments where he forgets he is supposed to be New. But the smoking becomes his one reminder that "New" is still alive.

Yet this reminder turns more and more painful. Under the exterior of Tan, he is haunted by New, the brother who didn't make it in time. And this spirals further when his mother and father die. Each time he's a step closer but still too distant to stop their deaths. At this point, he starts getting high to a dangerous degree--dissociating, hallucinating, torturing himself with visions of Non. When Phi steps in we have a parallel moment to Phi stopping Non from taking pills. Smoking turns from a sign of life to one of death as New tries to commit suicide, telling Phi "I don't want to live anymore." And New takes this further when he drugs the rest of the boys. Perhaps he didn't intend it to go so far, but he certainly is happy with the result. His drugs, his smoke have caused fear and death, rather than hope and life.

Except for the map I feel like most of these parallels can as easily be chocked up to direct inspiration as they can be attributed to both pulling on a similar well of genre conventions. What I find more interesting is the thematic conversation TBWP brings to the table for DFF.

TBWP and Thematic Resonances with DFF

Filtered Reality:

In her work on horror, Brigid Cherry remarks that The Blair Witch Project is "about the way in which technology gets in the way of seeing" (qtd in Heller-Nicholas 23). Heller-Nicholas further notes how the camera is constantly in contention with the audience's desire to look at what we want to see. In the film itself, one of the characters even remarks that looking at the world through the camera is "like a filtered reality" because you "can pretend everything isn't exactly like it is."

This looking but not seeing resonates to me with Jin. He looks at Non through the camera, seeing him as innocent, in need of protecting. But there's so much he doesn't see about Non, including the reality of poverty. Jin's perfect view of Non breaks at the moment he sees Non with Keng. But as Jin's filtered vision of Non cracks, he adds a new filter. He frames Non as a slut, someone guilty in his mind, at least in the he heat of the moment. So he records him. In doing so, he papers over the nuances of the situation, that it is SA and that there is so much of Non's life that is outside of Jin's lens.

After Non's disappearance Jin doesn't stop using his camera lens to view the world. In episode 9, he watches the others play soccer and then Phi through his camera. He is pretending nothing happened just like the rest of the group, but for him to do that he has to filter his reality. And just like with Non, Jin isn't able to see the full story around Phi from this small frame of a perspective.

I also think it's worth noting how the show, especially in the flashbacks tends to use strong framing (I note some of this in episode 5 but it persists strongly at least up until episode 9). While they aren't using a found footage style, there's still a sense at times that the camera is limiting our view as it closes in around the characters. It's as if the camera frame becomes hyper-visible, similar but not exactly like in found footage. I'm not entirely sure how to read this just yet, but it feels appropriate for both a mystery and for a story so deeply invested in perceptions. There's a strong focus on what is made visible and what is rendered invisible by the characters, by the story structure, and by the frame of the camera itself.

Gender, Space, Control:

In her discussion of TBWP, Heller-Nicholas discusses the gendered dynamics of the film and how scholars have read the film as invested in the horror of female control. This is captured in two ways. First in the way the woods as a space become imbued with the horror of the Blair Witch (pulling on a tradition of witches being women), and thus the feminine. Second, in the way that Heather, who is the director of their film, leads the group to folly. Scholar Linda C. Badley, has argued that "Heather represents a serious breach in having taken possession of the conventionally male--and often murderous--gaze" (qtd. in Heller-Nicholas 108). Heather thus enters the domain of the typically masculine and the results are disastrous.

I find it interesting to compare DFF with TBWP in this respect because they've taken a genre that often is infused with binary gender dynamics and given us all men, and predominantly queer men. This is obviously a dynamic of BL, but it's interesting to consider how this plays with the themes of gender that often proliferate in horror. This is a much broader topic, and @brifrischu and I are currently reading through Carol Clover's seminal work Men, Women, and Chainsaws so I wager we'll have more to add to the discussion at some point.

But let's look at a few things. First, if the Blair Witch imbues the woods as a space of feminine horror, DFF paints the woods as masculine. After our cold open, we are introduced to the group as they ride into the forest via Por's narration about the legend of Janta. The subtitles at the very least, refer to Janta using masculine pronouns. I don't want to assume that Thai gender coding and dynamics are identical to western ones but we might consider the way that the group of boys, packed into the back of a truck paint this as a masculine, homosocial space.

This is reinforced by the mention of Por's father. Por says "My dad warned me that, so I had to listen to him." This masculine authority is doubly highlighted by the campaign posters that literally mark his control of the space. To go any further the group must pass through these signs as a threshold to the space. Here we have not just masculinity being signaled but wealth, power, and control--something that contrasts distinctly with Non, for example, who has none of this. And of course, as we move through the story much of the horror comes from the actions of the core group of boys rather than the masked person we started with.

I find it interesting too that as Por tells the tale, it's White who comments "You almost had me scared." They then have a discussion about Tee liking to teaser "the younger ones." This focus on White as the most vulnerable is interesting given that he reads as perhaps the least traditionally masculine of the group*.

*Another reason why I'm excited to read Clover's work, is because she came up with the final girl formula in her discussion of gender in horror. I'd love to think about how we apply that in a queer context, especially given how so many of us have collectively felt White will be final girl. What might DFF be doing re: gender within the context of queerness, and what might it be asking of us as an audience?

The second aspect of this is the directorial gaze. In TBWP we have a woman taking on the control of a film project. This is important not just because Heather takes on a typically male profession but also because of the way films are imbued with what Laura Mulvey has termed "the male gaze." The view from which we see the world and the terms on which stories are told are traditionally male, while women are objects to be looked at--something Heather bucks and is punished for.

In DFF we have a similar struggle over authorship and directorial control. Instead of a strict division between feminine and masculine gazes, we get a struggle that is imbued with distinctions of class first and foremost. Por stands in as the more traditionally masculine director. We see the violence he does in trying to maintain control of the project. Of course he mostly does this through exerting his wealth. In contrast, Non doesn't fit the more aggressive masculine role, he comes from poverty, has mental illness, and is generally at the bottom of the social pyramid. His authorship comes into tension with Por's desires for directorial and social control.

There's a strong thematic exploration here of not just who gets to tell the story, but who's story gets to be told. In the end, the camera is Por's, his wealth and framing win out, and Non's authorship is buried. Much like the male gaze relegates women to objects rather than directors or authors, the only film that Non gets credit for is the sex tape in which he becomes objectified by the camera.

Of course we then have the fact that, in the present, Non's revenge script is being played out. There's a new director here, and clearly it's not entirely Phi (who tries his hand at directing in episode 1). Regardless of who is orchestrating these moves, we have an inversion of power happening. While we can't say for sure until the show has wrapped up, I suspect that DFF will lean into this inversion, rather than, like in TBWP, punishing this transgression of the norm.

That's all for now on TBWP, but certainly not all on DFF. I'm going to turn now to another important found footage film, Paranormal Activity, to unpack a bit more about DFF and it's themes.

Part 2: Paranormal Activity, DFF, and the Myth of the Real

In her work Heller-Nicholas notes how, after Paranormal Activity hit the screen, our view of found footage as a genre shifted. It was no longer seen as necessarily authentic per-se but a stylistic form. Heller-Nicholas puts it like this:

As these more popular found footage horror films made their way to the forefront of the genre, what became important was not that the audience necessarily believed that they were real, but rather that they offered a framework to knowingly indulge in a horror fantasy of the real. The solidification of a recognizable found footage horror style meant that horror audiences understood and identified them as such, defining a subgenre where an authentic style (rather than claims of authenticity itself) prevailed (Heller-Nichols, 128)

I won't go into smaller parallels between the film and DFF (partially because I haven't seen it, so if you have please add anything you notice), but I want to cover a few thematic resonances.

Heller-Nichols sketches out a few ways that critics have interpreted the film. First, as an allegory for materialism in the context of the US housing market crash of the time. Second, as a reflection on surveillance and the way changes in technology changed our relationship to cinema.

The first theme, materialism and consumption play out in the film through both the financial disparities of the characters and the more metaphorical spiritual/demonic possession that takes place. Both DFF (at least episodes 1-4) and Paranormal Activity take place in a luxurious house and themes of greed and materialism are present. In DFF, Por takes this role, flaunting his wealth and using it to get what he wants. Of all the characters, he is the one most willing to steal credit from Non. In Paranormal Activity the wealthy boyfriend even brags about buying a nice camera on only half-a-day's pay. Similarly Por brags about getting the nice camera for their film with his father's money.

One thing that set Paranormal Activity apart from earlier found footage films like The Blair Witch Project, was it's use of security camera footage. It relied on a new type of gaze that made the private public in the context of shifting surveillance technologies. While DFF largely centers itself around a film camera, it also includes other forms of technology in the background, including surveillance cameras. The CCTV cameras in Por's house come to mind as a significant way this technology comes into play. On the one hand, it helps Por identify that there is an intruder, and it helps the group find him when he is hurt. On the other hand, it encroaches on the private, capturing White and Tee having sex. This private vs public line is of course horrifically crossed when Jin records Non and Keng and when this video is circulated--surveillance right in our hands via cell phone.

Heller-Nicholas notes that post-Blair Witch, and by the time Paranormal Activity was released, audiences were much more genre savvy. She notes that the genre's "pleasures are not reliant on our gullibility, but rather our willingness to succumb to the myth of the real that these films offer..." (26). Relevant to DFF, I want to stress the "willingness to succumb to the myth of the real." I discussed earlier how Jin doesn't see Non; instead, he is happy to succumb to a myth of what could be the real Non.

But it's not just Jin who does this. Almost everyone around Non believes they see him correctly--as "Greasy", as a bad son, as a cheater, etc. This takes on even more public dimensions as the police enter the picture, as the sex tape circulates, and as the police report that he has run away with Keng. What people see and believe about Non, the narratives they tell about him, help reinforce people's existing understandings of the world--their prejudices, their assumptions, their myths of how the real world works.

And of course, film is at the center of this. The police believe that Non wasn't with the group when he disappeared because any footage he was in was hidden from them. Non is erased from the film (both in the footage and in terms of credit). The entire film premier is one big moment where everyone in the group is playing into this myth. It is taken as fact that Por's name being in the credits means this is his work--that nothing or no one of note was hidden behind the frame.

In her work Heller-Nicholas points to discovered manuscript fiction (such as Dracula) as a precursor to found footage horror. This connection highlights the way these works rely on the fiction that someone has organized the documents apart from the original author. The fictional framing of found footage as pretending to have an original author or filmmaker other than the actual director, hides the fact that The Hidden Character has in many ways literally stolen credit from Non. The genre expectations obfuscate the real story.

And then there's the sex recording (the only film Non gets credit for). We see a number of reactions to the recording from people in Non's life as well as those outside of it. The social media posts in particular stress the way Non's vulnerability is quickly slotted into pre-held narratives of sex and sexuality that refuse to see the reality of SA.

Non's SA is taken as truthful evidence of his consent via social media, while the film the group made is found footage but not seen as real. I think this marks an interesting change in the aesthetics and narratives we find "real." Horror and found footage are legible, a chance to engage in "a fantasy of the real". Meanwhile, the real story behind the film is erased, just like Non. Sadly, the most legible narrative of a young queer boy is that the phone footage is slutty or even hot. No one questions the authenticity of the recording, it is viewed as real. Ironically, compared to the horror film the group shoots, the sex tape is the real found footage film. Yet the "reality" it shows is filtered through interpretation. Non's reality gets buried.

Meanwhile, as an audience, we have the opposite reaction. We are slowly given insight into the discrepancy between Non's reality and the myths people hold. We keep asking why other characters can't or won't see the truth, why they won't help Non until it's too late.

DFF may not be found footage itself, but it is certainly interested in exploring and extending the thematic conversations about authenticity, reality, and narrative.

Part 3: Films within Films, Surveillance Technology, and Other Connections

Despite the fact that DFF references and dialogues with the found footage horror genre, it formally has more in common with films that center around technology and films within films. So I wanted to cover three more films that I think dialogue in interesting ways.

Man Bites Dog:

I'll start with Man Bites Dog since I have the least to say about it. It is a 1992 French mockumentary and black comedy, that Heller-Nicholas notes is a pretty significant and well-acknowledged precursor to the found footage horror genre. I'm not sure I want to get to deep into themes with this one. But I thought the parallels were interesting. A film crew decides to make a documentary where they follow a serial killer named Ben around only to be pulled into the crimes and become culpable themselves. That is, until Ben is killed and the film crew are taken out one by one by an unknown killer. We have a film crew that slowly gets involved and more culpable in wrong doings, just like in DFF we have the group working on a film while slowly becoming more and more culpable in harming Non. Meanwhile in the present both "film crews" are suddenly being hunted and picked off by an unknown party.

Cabin in the Woods:

Cabin in the Woods is a 2011 film that satirizes horror. A group of college students go to a cabin in the woods and are slowly picked off. The twist is that this is all orchestrated by an organization that is simultaneously surveilling and orchestrating their deaths to appease ancient deities. Many of the shots are done through drone's and other similar visuals to highlight the way the group is being surveilled. In a chapter from a collection on horror and gender, Hannah Bonner looks at Cabin in the Woods and a few other films that include surveillance and social media. She discusses the way technology in these films revolve around slut shaming young women. As she puts it, "It is the 'fact of being constantly seen', whether by high key government surveillance systems or by judgemental peers, that throws these characters into disarray or death" (89).

For Cabin in the Woods one thing Bonner examines is the way the film frames the group's "slut" character Jules. Jules and one of the guys go outside to get intimate. And the film moves between this scene and the men surveilling them who watch eagerly. Bonner reads this as a commentary on the violent gaze with which horror frames women. She makes a distinction, noting that "The voyeur is no longer just the audience, squirming in their seats from Michael Meyers's point of view as he tracks down his naked sister and her boyfriend in Halloween...now the audience as voyeur watches the voyeurs watch the surveyed" (90).

DFF makes a similar move by staging multiple instances of filming (a film within a film, or in this case a film within a show). We get a moment in episode 1 where Tee steps forward to block the group watching the CCTV footage of him and White. But this denial is in contrast to other moments. The show draws us most into being voyeurs watching voyeurs, when Jin films Non. I think it's important to note that both the moment that Bonner discusses in her chapter and this moment in DFF are sexual. In CITW, Jules is literally labeled by her surveillers as "the slut", a role she must fulfill and be killed for to appease the gods. Her lack of agency is made quite apparent. In DFF, Non is also slotted into the role of the slut by those around him, including Jin when he films the moment out of anger. While the show is not as on the nose about the whole thing, it's still clearly establishing a discrepancy between how Non is viewed by those around him due to the tape and the lack of full agency he possesses.

Moreover, by making us viewers voyeurs of this voyeurism, DFF creates a critique rather than simply a simulation of voyeurism. I am considering how this might not just be a commentary on sex shaming, but sexuality within a space where BL has historically crossed the line at times in terms of depicting SA. Or even the way that BL actors in Thailand are often expected to blur the line between the private and the public through fan service. It's interesting because clearly the show also doesn't shy away from letting us be voyeurs to sex. The show perhaps draws a distinction between representing queer sex and SA. But it's fascinating how this is mediated through voyeurism and the camera's gaze.

Shutter:

I couldn't wrap this post up without talking a bit about Shutter. Shutter is a 2004 Thai horror film (and probably Thailand's most well known horror film globally). It was part of the horror boom of the late 90s and early aughts in Thailand and Asia. If you throw Thai horror and cameras my way, I will think of Shutter. I watched it as part of some research I've been slowly doing on late 90s/early 2000s Asian horror and technology (writing meta for Shadow the series). It's a story about haunting that takes inspiration from the idea of spirit photography.

The film follows a couple, Jane and Tun, both photographers, who start seeing shadows and faces in their photos. Jane discovers that the ghost is a girl named Natre who Tun used to date in secret. They proceed by trying to figure out how Natre died (suicide) and how to get her to move on. Meanwhile Tun's friends suddenly start killing themselves. Ultimately Jane learns that Tun's friends raped Natre, and Tun not only didn't stop them but even photographed the assault at his friends' request (so Natre wouldn't snitch). Jane confronts Tun who expresses his regret, that he "never forgave [himself]." In the climax of the film Tun uses a polaroid camera to try and find Natre's ghost in real time before being driven out the window. Natre let's him live, in a near catatonic state, unlike his other friends because his betrayal hurt the most.

We once again come back to themes of voyeurism, SA, peer pressure, and culpability. The film has strong focus on the effects and betrayal of being a bystander, much like DFF does. Again this parallel is made quite strongly with Jin. Non may not have had feelings for him, but he is the kindest of the group, making his betrayal hit strongly. Jin filming Non and Keng has it's own nuances within DFF, but it certainly parallels Tun photographing Natre's assault. Similar to Non, Natre disappears in the aftermath, while Tun and his friends go on with their lives.

On a smaller note, both Tun and Jin use polaroids in what is potentially a reference to the film.

As the truth is revealed, Tun goes from a protagonist to a villain, and Natre goes from the horror of the story to the victim. DFF seems equally interested in the idea of how truths get hidden and justice withheld. It also gives us an inversion of the source of horror. By the time we end episode 5, the group we've gotten to know over four episodes are clearly villains in our minds, their cruelty becomes the horror rather than the masked killer who we come to empathize with (or at least root for to some degree). Now how this fully plays out in the end might shift things. But currently (up through episode 9) this is a horror story locating horror in power and cruelty rather than simply reinforcing a more conservative world view of the non-normative monster.

Concluding Thoughts

Dead Friend Forever is mixing genres in a smart and deft way. It's clear that the writers and director are well versed in horror and are ready to play with genre conventions to deliver their ideas and themes. Some of the connections I'm making here might be happy coincidence where the works speak to each other mediated by my own perspectives and interpretation. But I also believe that the show is building on themes and traditions in horror and found footage horror specifically in smart ways. From the framing of shots, to the way they deftly speak to themes of (in)visibility, power, reality vs fiction, agency, and sexuality (among others).

Through all this, DFF has been incredibly genre savvy. While found footage plays on the idea of reality, DFF shakes that up by throwing a who-done-it mystery our way. Like in The Blair Witch Project, for much of the show, we don't know what's real or what's in the characters' heads. DFF, however, picks up where TBWP stops. At the end of TBWP, the characters are likely killed off camera, the source of the horror still left up in the air. DFF gives us this ambiguity, but then pivots and makes the show a mystery to solve rather than locating the horror in ambiguity. This is because the horror lies elsewhere. Like in Shutter, the monster becomes the victim, our sympathies are played with, and we're left with a show that is as interested in social and political critique as it is in having fun playing with horror tropes.

Sources:

Heller-Nicholas, Alexandra. Found Footage Horror Films: Fear and the Appearance of Reality. McFarland & Company, 2014.

Badley, Linda. Film, Horror, and the Body Fantastic: Praeger, 1995.

Bonner, Hannah. “#Selfveillance: Horror’s Slut Shaming through Social Media, Sur- and Selfveillance.” Gender and Contemporary Horror in Film, edited by Samantha Holland et al., Emerald Publishing, 2019, pp. 85–99.

Cherry, Brigid. Horror. Routledge, 2009.

Shutter (film, 2004)

Cabin in the Woods (film, 2011)

Man Bites Dog (film, 1992)

The Blair Witch Project (film, 1999)

Paranormal Activity (film, 2007)

#i think next i want to write a piece on Tan/New and the way the show is drawing on the mad scientist sub-genre #dead friend forever #dff the series #dff meta #my posts #my meta #dead friend forever meta

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