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ti-bae-rius · 4 years

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Malec couple’s yoga one shot

“I can’t believe you agreed to this.”

“What? Yoga is a really great training activity. It keeps your muscles strong and toned and is great for flexibility and stamina.”

“Flexibility and stamina? I do like the sound of that.”

“Magnus!”

The two of them walked along the streets of New York, both in workout gear – though that phrase meant two wildly different things for each. Alec’s runes were glamoured and he wore his training gear – sans the heavy leather fabric shadowhunters donned for battle – which mainly consisted of a pair of loose jogging pants and a t-shirt that (like all Alec’s t-shirts) had seen better days. Magnus, however, had taken this as an opportunity to acquire some truly magnificent new clothes. A tank top reading ‘I’m heavily meditated’ and a pair of tight-fitting joggers, cuffed at the ankle and tailored to hang just right, completed Magnus’s outfit. Alec had to smile. No one else, in the history of workouts, had tailored yoga pants. But then no one else was quite like Magnus.

“We don’t need mats or anything, do we?” Alec asked, as they passed under the archway into Central Park. “The information seemed really vague. Do you think it’ll run over – my mom can only handle Max and Rafe for so long.”

“All this worrying doesn’t seem very zen of you,” Magnus chastised, taking Alec’s hand and swinging it like they did when they were making Max and Rafe ‘fly’ as they walked along the paths. Alec always thought this was somewhat of a big ask from Max, who actually could fly without the aid of Alec’s arms that were usually already somewhat tired from demon-hunting all day. Nevertheless, their squeals of joy made it all worthwhile.

A small throng of people were gathered, couples stretching together and chatting, in Central Park’s Sheep Meadow. Though still busy, it was somewhat less crowded and tourist-populated than the majority of the Park. Alec squinted to look who was there as the two of them walked closer and leaned up to whisper to Magnus, “There’s more gays than I thought there’d be.”

“Oh please, couples yoga is for three sets of people: bohemian lesbians who have squeezed this in between sensual pottery and live drawing where they only draw Cate Blanchett, straights whose marriages are on the rocks and are in desperate need of closeness not derived from brushing past one another on the way to write something on their family planner by the fridge, or gay couples – that’s us – whose marriage is just where it’s supposed to be.”

“And who want a brief moment of respite from their children – one of whom transforms into a bat when annoyed and one who loves annoying his brother?”

“I don’t think that’s quite as universal as you might expect,” Magnus pointed out and Alec laughed.

Thankfully, no one else seemed to have yoga mats. Despite Magnus’s assertions, most of the couples here looked calm and happy to be there. Alec relaxed a little and when a man and woman came over to introduce themselves as the instructors, he leaned casually against Magnus’s side, content to let his husband do the talking. He glanced round, watching the sunlight filter through the leaves of a nearby tree, mottling the grass below it with little pools of soft illumination. This was pretty nice, he thought, a feeling of serenity washing over him. Maybe Magnus was right, maybe Alec did just need to loosen up and relax, try and enjoy these new experiences. Maybe they’d become that couple, the couple that did yoga in the park and had brunch with their kids where they didn’t even drink mimosas or bloody marys because they didn’t need the pick-me-up of socially acceptable mid-morning alcohol. He’d always thought Izzy would be that person.

“Right,” the female instructor said in a voice that commanded the group. Though she’d raised her voice to gather them, she still sounded soft-spoken. “Let’s all find a space and let that space be our own bubble. Today, you and your partner are one being, two halves of one yogi. Together, let your hearts find a space. Be led by your shared heartbeat.”

Magnus and Alec exchanged a look and Magnus raised an eyebrow. Perhaps this was a little…much. Alec gave Magnus a miniscule frown and mouthed “that’s not very zen”. Magnus rolled his eyes but put a hand out and rested it on Alec’s chest, then put the other hand to his own.

“Our collective heartbeat is telling me that we should get out of here,” he said, with the same whimsical timbre to his voice that the instructor had. “It also says that the guac in the refrigerator needs eating tonight.”

Alec gave an inelegant snort and the instructors looked over at them. They didn’t look annoyed – Alec wasn’t sure people who were that at peace could be annoyed – but Alec schooled his expression into neutrality.

“I think just here is fine for our bubble,” he said and Magnus nodded, eyes glittering with amusement.

“I see we have some new energies in our space today,” the male instructor said, his speech with the same gentle lilt as his wife’s. “We welcome you into our family.” Magnus tried very hard not to think of how much this sounded like late-stage Crimson Hand rhetoric. “For our new friends, let me introduce us. This is my wife, Kelly, and I’m Gareth. Family, let’s emit some extra good vibes today to make our new souls feel welcomed and cherished.”

Alec firmly kept his eyes on the instructors instead of giving Magnus the weighted look he wanted to. Okay, this seemed a little full-on, but they’d just got here. They couldn’t judge it yet.

“What we’re going to do is start with a really easy pose that will help to solidify your connection to your partner and maintain your unity throughout our time together today,” breathed Kelly. “Let’s start with a stacked child’s pose. One half of your team transition now from mountain pose down to child’s pose, copying Gareth.”

Alec and Magnus exchanged looks and Alec shrugged, watching Gareth fold himself down onto the floor, facedown, as if having an existential crisis. Alec copied, and immediately felt the grass tickle his nose. From somewhere above him, Kelly continued talking.

“Now for our other halves, gently climb on your partner’s back and settle into the same pose. This is a really easy starting position and will keep us grounded and unified ready for our next step.”

Alec was about to say something when he felt Magnus’s weight settle atop him, pushing him further into the tickly grass. He breathed around the extra weight on his spine and Magnus bent to whisper in Alec’s ear.

“Wanna admit I was right to say we should’ve left?”

“No, this is very soothing,” Alec mumbled, and coughed on the grass that got in his mouth.

“Also, why is this child’s pose? Have Gareth and Kelly ever seen a child? If Max and Rafe were laid on the floor on their faces like this, I’d call an exorcist.”

“Shhh, I’m getting in touch with my inner peace,” Alec mumbled, and spluttered again on the grass in his mouth. “And also with this dirt.”

After a few minutes of relative calm, Gareth’s voice rung out, soft but commanding.

“Let’s all return to mountain pose now, stretching our arms up over our heads to transition to extended mountain.”

When Alec straightened up again, he glanced around, just to make sure he wasn’t being pranked. But no, a dozen other couples were all doing the same as them, lightly holding their hands above their heads, arms outstretched toward the sunny sky of New York. He settled back into it a little and tried to relax, wondering if relaxing was meant to take this much effort.

“Now we’re going to move into couple’s tree pose,” Gareth instructed. “Stand beside your partner and raise the arm closest to them into the air, touching their palm with yours. You can interlock your fingers here for extra emotional support, if you so desire. With your outside leg, rest the flat of your foot against your upper thigh, and bring your outside hands together to press flat against one another in the space between you.”

“Are you interlocking our fingers for emotional support?” Magnus whispered and Alec huffed a laugh.

“I’m doing it for structural support. I’m on some uneven grass and I feel like I’m about to fall over.”

“Consul Lightwood?”

Alec spun so fast that Magnus stumbled sideways, righting himself just in time and shooting Alec a furious look. In fact, the whole group were staring at them, looking as displeased as a group of people who had dedicated themselves to inner peace could look. Which, to be fair, wasn’t that displeased.

“Is there something disrupting your practise today?” Kelly asked, and Alec gave a nervous laugh.

“Just give me one second,” he said, staring off into the treeline where the call had come from.

“The forces outside your bubble are of no consequence during your practise,” Gareth told him, but Alec was already starting to walk over to the trees. Magnus gave a shrug to the instructors and an apologetic glance to the others in the group.

“He’s got a bad knee,” Magnus explained lamely and set off after Alec, jogging to catch up with him as he spoke to two younger shadowhunters. They couldn’t have been more than sixteen and were gaping up at Alec – and now Magnus too – with wide eyes.

“So how about I report back that you guys have been doing some great work on patrol, and you don’t tell anyone about…that,” Alec bartered. The two shadowhunters nodded and hurried off, casting looks over their shoulders as they went, heads bent together as they whispered. Alec looked at Magnus and burst out laughing. “Okay, you were right. We should’ve left before it started.”

“You mean you don’t want to get in touch with our shared heartbeat and become one soul in two bodies?” Magnus asked in mock-offence.

Alec gave him a sly side-eye and took his hand. “I didn’t say that. I’m sure we can work something out. We still have the apartment to ourselves for an hour or two before we have to get the kids.”

“What happened to ‘my mom can’t cope with them for too long’?” Magnus challenged, a devilish glint in his eye.

“She’ll be fine,” Alec assured him.

“Why are we going to yoga night school?” Magnus asked as they reached the building indicated on Alec’s phone.

“Because it’s the only class I could find in the area when we had someone to watch the kids,” Alec explained. “Don’t worry, I made Simon promise to make them dinner.”

“Well hopefully this one is less traumatic.”

Alec groaned. “Don’t remind me. At least in a building we don’t risk random shadowhunters walking past.”

“Unless they’re in the class too!” Magnus pointed out chirpily and Alec shot him a glare as they went inside.

Much like the last class, people were milling about in couples. Alec gave the crowded hallway a quick scan but couldn’t see anyone they knew – thankfully. Alec relaxed a little. There were about the same number of couples here too, around twelve, and Alec couldn’t tell who the instructors were. Mostly people were talking in soft voices, sipping bottles of water, and leaning affectionately into conversations with their partner. Magnus glanced around.

“What kind of yoga is this?”

“I don’t know, tandem or something,” Alec said. “It was the only one available, but it looks good. The website said something about building trust and closeness or whatever.”

“Clearly imperative for us,” Magnus said dryly. “What with us being so distant and untrusting and all.”

Alec rolled his eyes but smiled.

Before he could respond, a door opened at the end of the hall and a woman emerged in a pair of leggings and a sports bra. She smiled at them and beckoned them all in. As Magnus and Alec passed her in the door, she turned and beamed at them.

“You must be our new sign-ups. I hope you enjoy the class and feel more in touch with yourselves and your bodies when you leave.”

No cult-like mentions of joining a family, or bubbles, or shared heartbeats. Alec heaved a sigh of relief and gave a glance toward Magnus, who was looking around the room. Everyone did seem quite touchy-feely, Magnus thought, but brushed it off. What else should he have expected from couple’s yoga – particularly couple’s yoga with a majority hetero clientele? He and Alec took a seat at the back of the studio, removing their shoes like the others had done and putting them behind their mat, and chatted between themselves until the woman who’d greeted them stepped to the front of the room with her own partner, a tall and well-built surfer-dude type.

“So as most of you know, I’m Carly and this is Dale, and we’ll be your guides tonight. As always, please feel free to take breaks as you need them, communication with your partner is encouraged, and remember to open a conversation after tonight’s class about what you learned about each other and yourself. These classes can really prompt strong feelings, and those should be embraced and discussed in a non-judgemental and loving way.”

“How intense is this class meant to be?” Magnus whispered to Alec, who shrugged, looking a little nervous. Was this for expert yoga-people? Yogists? Yogurts? What kind of relaxation came with a warning?

“While Carly lights the candles and I bring the lights down and close the blinds, feel free to come to rest in any pose that feels comfortable for you. Perhaps that’s child’s pose, a seated position, or maybe even corpse pose,” Dale said, and began readying the room.

“I’m starting to think we might all end up in corpse pose by the end of the night,” Alec hissed quietly, glancing round. “This looks like how most demonic rituals begin.”

“Maybe this is all a trap and Elyaas is just trying to get us to let him see Max again,” Magnus suggested and Alec laughed, looking round at the other couples to see how they were sat. Many were laid side by side, like bodies in mortuary shelves, but a handful of them were laid on their sides, pressed close together as if they were cuddled in bed. Alec raised his eyebrow sceptically and settled for sitting with his legs crossed before him, his back against Magnus who was in the same position.

“I’m getting in first to say we should leave now,” Alec whispered, eyes closed. “Just so if this is as bad as last time, I’ll get to be right.”

Alec felt Magnus’s shoulders move against his as he chuckled, then start a little as Dale spoke again.

“Okay, excellent. Let’s all slowly move to sit opposite our partner, ready to start the session with some synchronized breathing. You can do this in whatever way works for you. You could put a hand on your partner’s chest to feel their inhales and exhales. You could close your eyes and focus on the sound of their breath or maintain eye contact and build a direct channel of communication. You could hold hands. Or you can just meditate, keeping your inhalations and exhalations as one with your partner.”

Alec shuffled round to face Magnus and immediately had to close his eyes. Something about staring into the face of your significant other in a quiet and meditative room made you immediately want to burst out into loud and obnoxious laughter. Instead, he let Magnus’s hand find his in the dark of their closed eyes and tried to match their breaths. Despite himself, Alec relaxed, his shoulders drooping, jaw unclenching. Being a shadowhunter wasn’t a relaxing job, and it was sometimes hard to find time to de-stress. Maybe he’d judged this whole thing too quickly, put off by the last time. Actually, this was pretty nice.

After a while, Carly’s voice came softly through the haze of meditation, instructing them to gently come back to the present. Alec blinked open his eyes and met Magnus’s soft gaze, smiling. Maybe this wasn’t so bad after all.

“Okay, now we’re going to move to our first real position, yab-yum,” Carly said. “You can stay crossed-legged for this, though one of you will have to move a little. One partner will stay seated and the other will climb into their lap, hooking their legs around the other’s back, coming to rest in a lotus position. Dale and I will be transitioning into yab-yum so you can observe us if you get lost.”

Magnus beckoned Alec forward and put his arms around Alec’s waist as the shadowhunter settled onto his husband’s lap, feeling a little uncomfortable doing so in a crowded room. He glanced around to confirm this was right and found everyone else doing the same.

“Relax, we’re married,” Magnus grinned and Alec nodded, laughing to himself. Magnus was right. This was totally innocent; he was just being coy.

“Gently, you can start to rock forwards and backwards,” Dale instructed, resting his hands on Carly’s hips. “Just a slight movement is fine to start. You can time this to your breathing. Breathe in, rock forward. Breathe out, rock back.”

Magnus raised an eyebrow but shrugged, following as instructed. Alec wrinkled his nose. Was it just him or did this feel weirdly…intense? Even personal?

“Are you starting to get seasick?” Magnus teased and Alec shook his head.

“I’m just really confused. What is this meant to do?”

“Help us breathe together I guess. Though, I don’t want to brag, but I’ve been breathing for centuries and I’m pretty excellent at it. I’m currently on my high score of most breaths breathed. I bet I’ve been breathing way longer than all these assholes.”

Alec laughed and tried to relax into the exercise, but he couldn’t help feeling strangely fidgety, like something wasn’t right.

“For a more connective experience,” Dale said. “You can add extra elements, especially if you’re the partner sat on the floor. Try rocking your lower back as well and raising your hips towards your partner’s.”

Alec and Magnus exchanged confused looks, and Alec felt his eyes widen when a few nearby couples began breathing more shallowly, less controlled. Magnus covered his mouth to stifle a laugh at Alec’s scandalised expression.

“Did you know—” Magnus began and Alec shook his head vehemently.

“Is this…” He dropped his voice and mouthed, “sex yoga?”

Magnus gave a loud snort of laughter and Alec shushed him, but the laugh was contagious and the sound came out disjointed and breathless. Instead, Alec put a finger to his lips, and looked up at the ceiling, trying not to meet Magnus’s eyes and start their laughs again. It was going well until Carly gave a breathy sigh and continued.

“This pose represents the mother and father in the act of sexual union, and really appeals to both genders’ need for interpenetration.”

“Well this isn’t going to help us at all then,” Magnus muttered, rolling his eyes.

Alec lost his composure completely and gave a cry of amusement that was smothered too late by Magnus’s hand. Both of them were laughing now, bent forward towards one another with tears in their eyes. Alec could feel the disapproving stares of the other people in the class and tried hard to compose himself, but it was no use. From somewhere above them, someone cleared their throat and the two of them looked up to see Carly stood there, with a face like thunder. And who could blame her, Alec thought. Two total newbies had signed up for her class, been totally blind-sided by what it actually was, and had some kind of hysteric moment in the middle of their session. Before she could say anything, Alec climbed to his feet and pulled Magnus up after him by the hands, still grinning uncontrollably.

“I, ah, don’t think this is our class,” Alec muttered apologetically.

“Yeah, I’m sure it said Bridge club was next door,” Magnus added and Alec had to press his lips together so he didn’t laugh in the poor woman’s face. Alec swept down, grabbed his shoes in one hand and Magnus’s in the other, shoved a pair at his husband, and stumbled gracelessly from the room, weaving between yab-yumming couples, and shutting the door quickly behind them.

As soon as they were out of the building, the two of them exploded into laughter, the sound ringing out on the quiet New York streets. It was already dark, though not even gone seven, and Alec sank down onto a bench to lace up his sneakers, still shaking with amusement. Magnus was bent double, wiping a tear from his eye.

“Tantric, you idiot,” Magnus wheezed. “Tantric yoga, not tandem.”

“I don’t know what that means!” Alec protested, gesturing to the building. “Who does sex yoga at seven on a Thursday evening? It’s a school day tomorrow!”

Magnus cackled and threw his head back, reminding Alec of their very first date, the two of them howling with joy at the awful subway rappers. It was the first time Alec had remembered really letting go, really surrendering to the idea of being happy. There, walking the streets with Magnus back to the apartment that wasn’t yet his home too, Alec hadn’t thought about what anyone else would think, or if someone he knew would see him. All he could think about was those terrible performers, and the way Magnus’s laugh sounded like someone opening the door to the rest of his life, and the whisper of evening air like a great spirit whispering at him that he could finally relax.

Walking home, hand in hand, Magnus nudged a hip against Alec’s playfully.

“So, it’s super important to start a conversation after tonight’s class about what you learned about each other and yourself,” Magnus said, imitating Dale’s rolling Californian drawl.

“I learned that I should read the description of things properly before I book them for $60 a person,” Alec said.

“$60?” Magnus demanded incredulously. “You paid $120 for us to sit in a dark room with a bunch of horny couples and sit on each other’s laps?”

Alec rested his head on Magnus’s shoulder and laughed into the fabric of his jacket. “I just wanted us to have a good night out away from the kids and spend some time together.”

“I like movies, you know? And dinner, and the theatre, and literally anything where a woman doesn’t say interpenetration to me in a room full of other people.”

“Come on,” Alec urged, grinning. “Let’s at least take something from it. What did you learn?”

“I learned…that you are very, very attractive when you laugh,” Magnus said, leaning down to kiss the top of Alec’s head, feeling his husband nestle further into his shoulder. “How about you?”

“I learned…” Alec laughed shyly and straightened up, squeezing Magnus’s hand. “I learned that sitting on someone’s lap while they laugh is a unique experience that is not entirely without it’s…appeal.”

Magnus glanced at him and quirked an eyebrow. “Oh really?”

Alec shrugged and Magnus spun Alec round by the hand.

“I’m sure that could be arranged,” Magnus said softly and watched devilishly as Alec went fantastically red. “Come on, let’s go. Luckily for you we have a ridiculous life so there’s plenty of things to laugh at to get you all hot and bothered.”

Alec swatted at him and shushed him, looking around the near-empty street.

“We can start with the fact that your husband still turns you into a fumbling mess.”

“You’ll always do that,” Alec reminded him, and shot Magnus a winning smile that sent Magnus into his own state of unravelling. “We could swing by Simon and Izzy’s and get the kids early.”

“Or…” Magnus said, with a familiar look in his eyes and Alec’s mouth quirked in a smile. “I don’t know why you look so smug; I was going to suggest we sat in silence and timed our breaths to each other,” Magnus said and ducked away, chuckling, as Alec went to grab for him.

When Alec inevitably caught him, he wrapped his arms around Magnus, pressing a kiss to his neck. “What is our life?” he sighed, and Magnus tilted his chin down so his lips met Alec’s.

“Perfect,” Magnus answered fondly. “That’s what.”

DISCLAIMER

This is a fun fic - don’t take it too seriously. No not all yoga is like this, not all tantric yoga is about sensuality or sexuality, but some of it is and that’s great too. Just...take it in the spirit it’s meant.

#malec #malec fic #Magnus Bane #Magnus and Alec #Alec and Magnus #Magnus x Alec #Alec Lightwood #alec lightwood bane #magnus lightwood bane

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basilone · 3 years

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Hiiiii Eva, could I please request some commentary on the electric Dar & Ron from the first chapter of spark the embers?😍😍

“Well,” she snaps out at the imperious raise of his eyebrow, “fuck you too, sir.” Darlene doesn’t think this man is prone to easy smiles and peals of laughter the way she is, not with the rigid way he holds himself, but there’s a very obvious glint of amusement in his eyes. His gaze lights up as it slowly travels down to her feet and back up to her face again. He takes his time, unbothered and unhurried, and there’s confidence in the way he doesn’t mask any of it the way she’s seen other men do. She’s used to quick glances – flashes of interest before she allows their hands to wander – but being studied like this is..

Hi Sho!! Of course, of course. I'm giddy that you picked these two!! 💕 And this excerpt, man, the love I have for it.. made this into a wordy affair.

Electric sure is the right word for these two! Or, well, it’s mainly the right word for Darlene: the OC who started out as a background noise character and then got increasingly louder about her presence.

The thing with Darlene is that she’s got spark. She’s a little snappy, a little prone to picking a fight, and she tends to speak her mind first and mildly regret it later. Her character voice is something that practically reverberates on the page when I write her, to the point where I instantly know “she wouldn’t phrase it like that” or “that’s not her thought process here” when I’m in that vibe with her.

In this instance that you quoted, she’s just been asked “are you done?”. She’s noticed the rank on the collar of this man, but more importantly she’s noticed his tone. There’s a hint of warning in that tone of voice – something of command, something as assertive as she is – and Darlene reacts to it instantly. Her fist doesn’t relax, even though internally she’s curling up into this ball that’s going to shield her from any harm, and when he raises his eyebrow at her it’s pretty much game. fucking. over. Darlene snaps. “Fuck you too, sir.” Bam, pow, shut-that-shit-down-right-quick. She’s picking a fight – perhaps unwisely, perhaps in over her head – but she’s not backing down from the mood she’s in and she’s not curbing herself or making herself smaller for any man.

Ron Speirs – because of course it’s him, plucking this firecracker out of a fight and trying to hold a conversation of sorts with her – respects that.

The passage you pulled there is really one that tells you as much about Ron as it does about Darlene. We learn that Darlene’s prone to laughter – riotous like the rest of her – and that his joy is more of a quiet sort. You have to pay close attention to his eyes and his gaze in order to know that he’s amused at all, because the rest of him is.. very tightly controlled. Ron holds himself almost sort of stiffly, like he’s coiled in on himself or locking a part of himself up inside him, and his eyes do the talking far more than any verbal parries do. When I write Ron, I tend to be very aware of how he moves inside a space (and how he doesn’t, because he can stand still and be very much present at the same time!) and of how he holds his body. I’m always focused on his non-verbal dialogue more than on his actual verbal presence, though his verbal presence is often very direct and cut-the-crap. He’s not one prone to overly flowery descriptions – short, staccato, to-the-point is preferred – and big declarations of love give him hives. I’m always cutting corners in his dialogue and rerouting how he says things and when he says them, haha.

There’s an intensity to him, too, which Darlene notices purely because it’s different from how men normally look at her. He takes his time and openly studies her as though she’s the most interesting thing he’s seen all night, and he lets her know about it too. There’s a quiet sort of confidence there with Ron being totally assured in his demeanor, which is a diametric opposite to anything Darlene’s used to. She’s used to calling the shots and ‘allowing’ flashes of interest to lead to fleeting closeness, but this.. this is new, for her. And she’s a little off her footing for it, just a moment, but she picks it right back up when she allows herself a moment to really consider him and his actions.

A lot of the narrative sway with Ron and Darlene is that of two very prickly, snappy, guarded people blasting past each other’s walls at top speed and picking up on each other’s vulnerabilities with alarming clarity. I specifically wanted them to connect on a level where they would intuitively respond to one another while also being puzzled enough by the other to keep moving in a verbal and later physical engagement. They’re so very clearly feeling each other out, which is fun to play with.. and this passage really lays the groundwork for the rest of the fic.

#ron x darlene #notes on writing

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onwardintolight · 4 years

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A few thoughts on the Han/Leia Circuitry Bay Kiss in ESB

I have always adored this scene. In recent years, however, I’ve seen a lot of people, particularly other women, commenting on how it makes them uncomfortable and gives off toxic/icky vibes. First of all, I just want to say that if that’s what you take away from this, that’s totally valid. Everyone comes to stories with their own experiences and triggers, and if this scene rubs you the wrong way, I completely understand. Consent is SO important, and it’s not 100% clear in this scene. It can be interpreted in a way that strips Leia of her agency. That being said, I’ve personally never interpreted this scene that way, and I thought I would break down why.

I won’t even argue that my interpretation was the intended meaning of the scene—I would suspect that some of the problematic ideas about romance and sex common at the time this movie came out were part of what led them to film this scene the way they did, ideas that wouldn’t (shouldn’t) fly in this day and age. But I’m writing this to offer up a different perspective on why this scene has actually always felt empowering to me personally, a survivor who relates deeply to Leia.

First of all: how did these characters get here? What is the context of this scene?

Han has spent practically the entire movie making his intentions known to Leia and trying to get her to admit that she has feelings for him, too. She clearly does, and everyone knows it. The film makes sure that we know it, too (that long stare in the Hoth command center, anyone?). But Leia simply can’t bring herself to do it. Why? Well, for one, she lost her parents and her entire planet in the last movie. This probably makes her scared to get too close to anyone for fear of losing them, too. We also know from Leia: Princess of Alderaan that after what happened with Kier, she vowed not to fall in love again until the struggle against the Empire was over. These things alone are more than enough reason for her to resist admitting her feelings for Han. In addition, she is almost certainly dealing with PTSD from the trauma of being tortured and losing her planet. She’s likely feeling a lot of anxiety and struggling with blaming herself over what happened, which only compounds her resistance to being vulnerable with Han. Even if deep down she really wants to admit her feelings, even if she desperately craves being vulnerable and physical with him, her fear and shame won’t let her.

Han has a lot of bluster, but it’s covering a very observant and caring heart. We see this time and time again. If you look closely, you can see how he consistently notices when things are wrong with his friends and then does something about it. Despite his talk of being a scoundrel, despite the aura of cool bad boy he does his best to exude in order to hide his own vulnerable heart, he’s not a misogynistic jerk who’s just pursuing Leia for the thrill of it, to put another notch in his belt. He truly cares about her. In the first part of ESB, he’s clearly feeling very hurt by her refusal to admit her feelings for him. But even so, it seems consistent with his character that he would recognize that Leia’s struggling, perhaps even guess some of the reasons for it, and I believe that very much informs how he approaches this moment (even if he masks it to some extent with his signature bluster).

Now for the scene itself:

When Han comes up behind her in the cramped space of the circuitry bay to lend her a hand, Leia is startled and reacts in a hypervigilant way consistent with what she’s been through. She violently pushes him away, and he pulls back and gives her a little space. A conversation ensues in which she has a moment to calm down from her startle response and where they talk a little bit more honestly than before about what they do and don’t want (she doesn’t want to be called names, he wants to be treated a little nicer). This is a small but important step towards vulnerability for Leia.

When Han takes her hands, she says, “Stop that, my hands are dirty.” Her hands being dirty is just a reached-for excuse, but on a sub-conscious level, it tells so much about her inner state. She feels dirty because of all the shame she carries around. She blames herself for so much. She’s afraid that if she lets Han in, she’ll only bring more hurt to them both. Even as a kid, this struck me deeply; not because I read this scene as toxic or diminishing to Leia in any way, but because this was during a time in my life when shame and embarrassment were weighing heavily on me; when I, too, had been through some horrible things and was afraid to get physically close or be vulnerable with anybody. So I felt what Leia was feeling in a very visceral way—that sense of shame, of fear and near panic, and yet at the same time that core part of myself desperately wanting things to be different, desperately wanting to let myself be loved.

Han replies, “My hands are dirty, too. What are you afraid of?” With that, he dismantles her excuse. He addresses the shame by indicating she’s not alone—they both have fears and regrets, they’re in this together, she has nothing to be ashamed of around him. And then, he astutely hones in on the other thing that paralyses her: fear. By asking her what she’s afraid of, he’s helping her examine her anxious/panic reaction instead of just reacting. He’s helping her regain control of it all so that she can make the decision she truly wants. He’s pushing her, yes, but pushing her in a helpful way that she needs right at that moment. He’s pushing her in a way that helps her exert agency over her own fear and shame.

When she repeats “Afraid?” we see her eyes are lit up with excitement, now, another clue that she does actually want this. He points out that she’s trembling—she denies it with the hint of a laugh—but in saying that, he’s telling her it’s okay to feel the way she’s feeling. He’s giving her permission to take the opening he’s providing her. She doesn’t move away from it. She’s still wrestling with fear and shame, but she allows him to come closer, to slowly pry her doors open.

From there, Han declares out loud what she’s been too ashamed and afraid to admit: that she likes him, and that one of the reasons why is that he’s able to help her wrestle with things like this, to help her live on the dangerous side for a change, to help her set her true desires free.

She continues to argue (“I happen to like nice men”), but she’s almost smiling at this point, completely lost in his closeness, her body language speaking her desire. Her banter at this point is just a way to fill the silence and assert some control over her feelings.

She’s let him approach her this closely, and since her initial statement of shame, she hasn’t moved to leave or shown any sign of rejecting his advances. In fact, every indication is that she is very much into this. Saying what she wants out loud is still really scary, but Han knows that. So, after making his intentions very clear through his words and through his own body language, after slowly closing the gap between them and giving her plenty of time to react and reject his advances if she so chooses, he finally kisses her. It is not sudden; it does not come as a surprise to her. She does not squirm or stand there as if frozen. Instead, she meets him halfway, kissing him back passionately.

I certainly don’t mean to suggest that someone not saying no or not moving away equals consent. People can freeze under trauma. But Leia, while certainly afraid, doesn’t seem to shut down. On the contrary, she seems to welcome it and participate in it fully. Ideally, consent would be crystal clear, without a doubt, but I think there’s much in the context of this story to indicate that Leia very much wants this and that she gets to make this decision for herself.

The deleted scene is even better, because it makes her agency and consent even more perfectly clear. After an initial kiss, Han pulls back, looking at her questioningly to see her reaction. “Okay, hot shot,” she says, and initiates the next kiss herself, drawing him closer again.

Sometimes, when you’ve built up walls of fear and shame, you want someone to push past your defenses in a way that feels safe and respectful. I’d argue this is exactly what Han is doing here. Han has given her permission to be vulnerable and respond the way she really, truly wants to, even if she’s unable to say it out loud quite yet. He’s made this a safe place for her to dismantle her walls for a moment. He took things slowly, making sure she had time to react, to pull away from him, to say no. She doesn’t. She takes his invitation, and finds the moment of freedom, vulnerability, and passion she’s wanted for so long. She lets herself be known.

#HanLeia #Han x Leia #HanLeia meta #SW meta #Star Wars meta #ESB meta #ESB #LPOA #Leia Princess of Alderaan #it's taken me years to be able to put this into words #my SW meta #thoughts

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goingoverthegardenwall · 5 years

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Chapter 6: Lullaby in Frogland

Let’s look back. Way back. Back before the dawn of animation, before the dawn of film, well before Ruby or Spears or Disney or Iwerks or either Fleischer Brother. Back to 1835, in a town named Florida in a state named Missouri when a boy named Samuel was born.

Like Ub Iwerks, Sam was raised in Missouri. And like Max Fleischer, Sam’s family took a financial hit when his father’s work stopped (this time due to a premature death rather than the decline of tailory), giving Sam a practical approach to employment. He left school at age eleven to become a printer’s apprentice, then moved to his older brother’s newspaper as a typesetter and occasional columnist, writing humorous articles and drawing cartoons. But unlike Beatrix Potter or the animators we’ve covered, visual art wasn’t in the cards for Sam.

He moved to the East Coast to work for other papers, bouncing between cities before returning to the midwest to embark on a career he’d dreamed of since he was old enough to dream: piloting a steamboat. He thrived on the water, and kept writing about his work along the river, but everything stopped when the Civil War closed off the Mississippi. So Sam headed west to work for the same brother who once ran the newspaper, now a politician in Nevada (I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that this brother was for some reason named Orion). Sam tried mining, and it didn’t take, but he’d gotten pretty good at writing and set off for San Francisco to get back into his jocular brand of journalism.

It was here that he had his first success, a short story published in his paper called Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog. But, like a certain frog we’ve covered in this series, Sam wasn’t huge on permanent names. Within a month, the story was reprinted as The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, and Jim Smiley’s name was changed to Jim Greeley. Until the book version came out, when it was changed back to Jim Smiley. And this whole time, within the story, it’s a mystery whether Jim’s real name is actually Leonidas (it turns out that it isn’t, but it might be). None of this should come as a surprise for Samuel Clemens, who wrote under the names of Josh, Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass, and most famously, Mark Twain.

“I knew you were special.”

Over the Garden Wall is, among other things, a story about the importance of solid communication. After five episodes spent building up our heroes as a group of friends, all it takes is one episode of terrible communication to throw it all away. The specific issues vary, despite leading to a similar result of not verbalizing their thoughts very well: Greg’s youth stops him from articulating his rapidly changing ideas, Wirt’s anxiety leaves him too timid to speak up or too rambling to be clear, Beatrice’s true intentions make her obfuscate the truth, and Jason Funderburker straight-up can’t talk. Or so we think.

This time he’s named for American statesmen George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, which fits the continuing vintage Americana vibe of the series—while I figure it’s a coincidence, it should be noted that Mark Twain’s Jumping Frog was named after American statesman Daniel Webster. Surrounded by other frogs that walk around and wear fancy garb, our frog is more anthropomorphic than ever, standing on his hind legs and dancing along with Greg. But it’s still a shock to hear him open his mouth and sing, a shock that soon cedes to the realization that the frog playing the piano at the beginning of the series is singing the Jack Jones song in the montage that follows.

Lullaby in Frogland is Jason Funderburker’s episode through and through, so much so that it’s the first time we hear of his namesake, Jason Funderberker. This is an episode where Wirt rejects Greg’s assertion that their frog is “our frog,” a plot point that’s paid off in their last conversation in the series. This is an episode where Greg wonders aloud if he can be a hero, sees the frog set off on a diverging path immediately afterwards, and accepts it, because he’s willing to sacrifice his happiness for the good of others. And it’s an episode where the frog returns after a harrowing betrayal, showing that even when all seems lost, there’s still room for hope. Over the Garden Wall (the song) might not sound like a traditional lullaby, but it soothes us into a cold night as the sun sets on the first half of Over the Garden Wall (the show).

Adelaide’s true nature is foreshadowed by Beatrice’s sudden hesitance to bring the brothers to the pasture after several episodes of nagging, but the twist is made tragic by Wirt finally letting his guard down enough to be happy. He sings a completed Adelaide Parade with Greg and joins the dance before collapsing into the most earnest laughter I’ve ever heard in a cartoon. He’s a good enough friend to notice when Beatrice is “uncharacteristically wistful,” and takes a risk by playing the bassoon instead of just giving up. He’s still got growing to do—it’s one thing to blame Greg for getting them in trouble by throwing away the ferry fare and forcing them to sneak aboard, but another thing to literally shout “Take him, not me!” when confronted by the frog fuzz—so it’s clear that his journey isn’t over yet, but he doesn’t even get a full episode of peace before everything blows up.

The whole steamboat sequence flows between simple delights, like saluting the captain mid-chase, the revelation that the frogs love music more than they hate trespassers, and the repeated gags of three gentlemen frogs snatching up flying flies and a frog mother dropping her tadpoles. Everything just feels calm, even when antics are afoot. Wirt gets to save the day with his bassooning, Greg gets to feel rewarded in his knowledge that his frog is special, Jason gets to sing a song after being silent throughout the series, and Beatrice seems, for now, to come to a sort of peace about things after several clear attempts to sidetrack the boys. This is the only episode to feature two major stories instead of one, but the steamer segment is rich enough to feel like a full episode. If only we could’ve stopped here.

All roads lead to Twain when it comes to depictions of steamboats as a go-to American icon, which is why he preceded this discussion of Lullaby in Frogland: I’m not claiming Mickey Mouse wouldn’t have been successful if his first cartoon was about something else, but I’m certainly claiming that we wouldn’t have gotten Steamboat Willie as it was if Ub Iwerks hadn’t grown up in a Missouri whose lore was shaped by Twain’s tales of the river. But while the author is the root of the episode’s many influences, I think the most fascinating branch that we borrow from is The Princess and the Frog.

2009 was a great year for animation, seeing the release of Coraline, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Secret of Kells, the surprisingly great Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, and the first ten minutes of Up (also the rest of Up, if I’m feeling generous). The first two on that list are my favorite of the year, twin stop-motion masterpieces that I’m always in the mood to watch, but The Princess and the Frog is a brilliant last gasp from Disney’s 2D animation studio. It isn’t the final traditionally animated film they made (that would be 2011′s Winnie the Pooh), nor the final fully sincere princess movie they made (that would be 2010′s Tangled), but it marks the beginning of the end for both trends: for better and worse, modern Disney animation feels the need to loudly subvert old tropes and wouldn’t be caught dead in two dimensions.

Lullaby in Frogland’s connection to The Princess and the Frog is certainly visible on the surface level: both feature a long sequence starring frogs on a steamboat where a lead character must pretend to be another animal and play a woodwind instrument to get out of a jam, and both involve our heroes seeking help from a wise woman far from civilization (even if only one of these women is actually helpful). But it’s the somber nostalgia factor that binds these stories closer than anything, the knowledge that this is the end of the road for this type of tale. The ferry’s gotta land somewhere, and the cold is setting in as the frogs begin hibernating for the winter, but there’s still more story to tell.

The second story of Lullaby in Frogland is scored throughout by a haunting string and piano rendition of Adelaide Parade, and Adelaide herself is immediately captivating. John Cleese returns for the second episode in a row, but as both of these episodes aired the same night, it feels like a consistent through-line: in the first half, he’s an eccentric who might be a deranged maniac but is actually harmless, and now he’s a witch who might be harmless but is actually a deranged maniac.

Adelaide gets a compelling amount of detail for someone who’s barely in the show. We don’t get any explanation about her fatal weakness to...fresh air? Coldness in general? Either way, like the Wicked Witch of the West’s lethal reaction to water, it’s absurd that someone like her has managed to live this long. She never says what she needs a child servant for, why she has scissors that seem custom-made for Beatrice’s specific curse, or what her spider-like deal with yarn and wool is (she has a black widow hourglass on her back, but also reminds me of the Greek Fates with her emphasis on thread). We never find out how she’s connected to the Beast, whose theme bleeds into her music as she proclaims, without much prompting, that she follows his commands; her goal of using children as zombie slaves seems counter to his goal of turning them into trees to fuel his soul lantern. But this blend of unexplained characteristics and seemingly inconsistent motives only makes her more enthralling to me, because she feels like the major villain of another story who just happens to intersect with ours.

What makes Adelaide even more compelling on rewatch is that her scissors, despite their gruesome method for curing the curse, do end up working. Which means she did mean to help Beatrice out as part of the deal. At no point does Adelaide lie, and given Beatrice knows she’s bad news as she lures the brothers in, it becomes clear that for all her villainy, Adelaide is an honest witch. I’m always down for baddies that tell the truth, but it’s of particular interest when we compare her to the Beast, whose whole deal is lying.

The only liar in this episode is Beatrice, even if she wanted to set things straight without hurting anyone; she values her friendship with the boys so much now that she’d rather make herself a servant to Adelaide than just tell them she’s dangerous and reveal that she lied. By the time she’s willing to tell the truth, it’s too late, and not even saving Greg and Wirt by killing Adelaide is enough for Wirt to forgive her. Considering he knows in The Unknown that the scissors he uses to escape the yarn can save her family, he was also listening in on the end of the conversation before entering the house, which means he must have heard that she was willing to sacrifice herself, but that doesn’t matter either. Beatrice gave the boys hope, and no matter how badly she tried to stop it, the encounter with Adelaide transforms Wirt. Where he was once nervous and unsure, and was then briefly optimistic, he’s now sullen and untrusting.

But again, in comes Jason Funderburker, croaking and hopping on all fours once more to bring some light to the darkening series. He doesn’t do much for Wirt, but allows Greg to quickly get over whatever trauma he had about getting webbed up in yarn; he’s remarkably quiet about it, but it’s important to remember that he was betrayed, too. Whether he doesn’t understand exactly what happened or is just quicker to forgive, Greg is fine with Beatrice, allowing us to focus harder on Wirt’s reaction from now on.

It’s all rain and winter for Wirt until the end of his adventure. But the show isn’t content to leave him even slightly forlorn: when it gets too dark, he has a frog to swallow a lantern to light the way, and when it gets too cold, he has a brother to cover him in leaves, and when he falls, he has Beatrice to help pull him back up. Even the Woodsman tries to save him in his own way (talk about folks who are bad at communication). Bad things happen, and people make mistakes, but the bigger mistake is allowing that to close you off to others, or to never forgive friends that are genuinely sorry. Our heroes have taken the ferry to the other side, and now the story can shift to one about the folly of abandoning all hope.

Where have we come, and where shall we end?

On top of Jason Funderberker, who’s set up as a major rival to make his eventual reveal one of the show’s best jokes, Wirt gives Beatrice a general summary of Into the Unknown three episodes before we see it play out.

#lullaby in frogland #over the garden wall #otgw #steven universally #mark twain #the princess and the frog

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jasonpng · 4 years

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[ jeon jungkook. / male. / he/his. ] i heard han jaesung is going into business with their friends, but the twenty-five year old can’t go wrong with nine other people helping, right? they’re a former sous chef, but will be a chef at joliet bed & breakfast! their insensitive yet dependable personality is pretty fitting for that, i guess. the sight of them gives me the vibe of midnight drive-ins, humming to yourself as you work, a breeze ruffling through a clothesline and that one clip of a deflated dancing pikachu getting hauled off stage, and seeing that running across the sand is pretty sweet.

fabric softener, that one clip of a deflating dancing pikachu getting hauled off-stage, curling up in freshly warmed sheets, sizzling plates, the slow drag of a bow over a violin, bus rides with your head leaned against the window, earphones at full blast, midnight drive-ins, humming to yourself as you work, singing when you think you're alone, the beach at sunrise, a breeze ruffling through a clothesline

hi i’m miki and i’m excited 2 b here!!! this is m’boy jason (or jae, or jaesung) and he’s fairly new SO!!!! smash that like and i’ll come to u for plotting!

the stats

full name: jaesung “jason” han nicknames: jae, jayjay, jason, son, han solo age: 25 birthday: december 12 languages: english, korean, minimal japanese education: institute of culinary education graduate occupation: chef at joliet bed and breakfast, part-time food blogger hobbies: violin, eating, sleeping, collecting rock records, sketching mbti: entp blood type: b+ zodiac: sagittarius hogwarts house: gryffindor alignment: chaotic ANNOYING! sexuality: bisexual drinking, smoking, drugs: yes, yes, only marijuana faceclaim: jeon jungkook likes: rock music, classical music, herbal tea, garlic bread, any food in general, freshly washed sheets, dogs, astronomy, raccoons, coin laundries, anything vintage, horror films and documentaries, fiction books, wildlife, his motorcycle anubis (a super sexy harley davidson…he’s got that bad boy aesthetic going on but he is FAR from being one), his lil hamster bonnie dislikes: birds, horror films, anything scary, bitchy customers, stale coffee, fizzy drinks, people who are rude to service staff, cats (the film), spiders, korea’s educational system, the loch ness monster, soy milk

the biography

—o1. jason grew up in a modern korean household in maryland; his parents are more open-minded than the traditional korean family, so there’s really no dramatic backstory to write. he’s the eldest of three siblings, and they’re pretty much a tight-knit family. while he was encompassed by a totally western environment, his family never failed to remind them of their roots; they would travel to korea every summer to visit his grandparents in seoul.

—o2. as a child, jason’s favourite past-time was watching his parents cook. his father is a renowned celebrity chef of a five-star restaurant in la, and his mother was the owner of a quaint bakery in ocean city. soon enough, his father was teaching him the basics of cooking. he was a natural, and by high school, he was on his way into becoming a chef like his father. the path to his dream career had been an easy one; his parents were well-known, and through family connections, jason earned himself a spot in one of the best culinary schools in the world: the institute of culinary education.

—o3. wherever jason went, he was overshadowed by the family name. he loved his parents, he really did, but being the son of joowon han came with a privilege, of sorts. a privilege that he hated. people were convinced that jason only managed to get in ICE was because of his family background. he’d often hear whispers from peers; he was often criticised for depending on his parents—which was true, in a sense. jason didn’t have to worry about anything. while his fellow classmates were worrying over their career paths, he had a sous chef position waiting for him at his father’s restaurant right after graduation.

—o4. being the youngest sous chef in a five-star restaurant was difficult. twenty-one year olds weren’t taken seriously in the kitchen. especially not the head chef’s son, who was fresh out of culinary school and looked so out of place, with his dark leather jacket and ripped jeans. jason struggled the first few months; while the people were cordial around his father, he had to endure passive-aggressive comments about his privilege behind the scenes. jason wanted to make a name for himself; he didn’t want to be reduced to a celebrity chef’s son who just got lucky. so he worked—he worked and worked and worked until the jealous muttering stopped and he gained the respect of his subordinates.

—o5. after three years into working with his father, the enthusiasm ebbed and jason felt nothing but dissatisfaction. he didn’t want this—he didn’t want to be clinging on to his father for support his entire life. fearing that his passion for cooking will wither if he kept on working at the restaurant, he quit and moved back to maryland, getting a place for himself and eager to learn to stand on his own two feet.

in-depth

—a natural-born leader: working as a sous chef enabled jason to have a great command of handling a team. at first, he had been meek, but through determination and his sheer drive to prove the negative people in his life wrong, he was able to cultivate himself into a good leader. in the kitchen, jason is totally in his element, oozing with confidence and assertiveness.

—the dependable one: jason is organised and he’s the type of person who you can rely on for help. he prioritises his friends and family over anything else. need someone to drive you home? jason’s the guy for you. suffering from a bad hangover? he’s got the perfect hangover shake. you lost your house keys and need a place to stay? jason’s got an extra room in his apartment ready. jason is always making sure his friends are well cared for. and probably also giving them lectures whenever they make questionable choices.

—this bitch is impulsive: as much as jason has his shit together, jason can be impulsive—you might catch him splurging on the new yeezy shoes, or planning a spontaneous, overpriced trip to the bahamas. he likes having fun, and sometimes, that energy gets him into tricky situations. he really likes spending money, and unfortunately, his parents never taught him the important value of thriftiness.

—sometimes he can be harsh: jason had been pampered all throughout his life, and sometimes he disregards other people’s feelings because he is simply oblivious—brutal honesty is a double-edged sword. it takes a lot to piss him off, because he’s rather good at handling his emotions, but when you successfully do, it’s not a pretty sight. he tends to say things he doesn’t mean in the heat of the moment. in addition, jason tends to hold grudges; if someone has done him wrong, you bet your ass he’ll never look at you the same way ever again.

+: energetic, headstrong, intuitive, protective

-: argumentative, insensitive, over-analytical, rash

miscellaneous

— drives around town with his bike! he has a car but it’s parked in his childhood home… he doesn’t really use it that much unless he needs to go out of the state or something

— has a white lil pet hamster named bonnie...she is his CHILD!!!!!! — he has a food blog that he constantly updates for fun; his following is steadily going up... amazin....

— has always been an artsy kid... if he didn’t like cooking so much he would’ve pursued a career in art — always seems to be snacking on something? raw carrots in particular...... — he is also a gym rat! he eats a damn lot, so he’s gotta burn those calories, right? he usually jogs early in the morning and goes to the gym after work — he’s played the violin ever since he was a child! he wants to learn how to play the guitar but he keeps on procrastinating

the wanted connections (if any of these interest you, hit me up! some are more detailed than others but all of them are open to modifications tbh, we can develop them however we want :) feel free to choose multiple plots..,.,. go crazy)

— vibe check. - sometimes, he forgets to take care of himself and this person!!!! is his mom friend, the terry to his jake peralta, the person he can count on when he’s crossfaded in the middle of nowhere at 3 in the morning. (ivy)

— bff. - the ride or die. the one person jason would literally murder for. he loves them and considers them as his family. they are 100% with each other and? both are probably equally chaotic sfjldsdjfhsdlk (minnie)

— the squad. - i really love the idea of jason having three close friends! i can see them going on spontaneous trips and doing really, really dumb shit in general dsjfls (1/3) — the roommate. - PLS! he needs a roommate...imagine the domesticity i’m WEAK (minki)

— buzzfeed unsolved. - jason believes in the supernatural. this person doesn’t. jason spends a lot of his free time trying to convince this person that ghosts are, in fact, real, often taking them to ‘haunted’ places and attempting to summon spirits through his ouija board. (minnie)

— i’m baby. - basically, jason dotes on this person like a mama bird. he cooks them meals, drives them to places and always keeps an eye out for them. — the confidant. - the person he could say he truly trusts the most; while jason is generally sociable, he finds it hard to open up to people, preferring to be the confidant than to confide in his friends. they’re the first person he runs to when he’s upset or stressed. (sienna)

— friends. - open to multiple of all types (fellow foodie, gym buddies, unlikely, one-sided, frenemies, neighbors, etc.)

— flings, hookups, fwbs. - open to multiple. (can be messy, can be casual)

— exes. - jason has lived in ocean city all his life, so anything is possible! they could’ve been at the same high school, maybe they broke up because jason moved to new york and the relationship fizzled out, they could be on good terms or bad terms………GIVE ‘EM TO ME (sienna; exes on good terms with a tiny bit of unresolved feelings)

— the pianist. - this is a lil specific, but basically i imagine jason having participated in music competitions and performed in galas, and this person is their partner!! their other half!!! the nodame to his chiaki!!!! if ur muse can play the piano pls hmu this is just a really cute relationship that i cant stop thinkin about bc jason is a violin nerd (ivy)

— romance. - i’m a hoe for spicy plots! i don’t really want to give out anything specific, but some suggestions aaaare: opposites, exes w/ feelings, one-sided love, skinny love, a love-hate relationship…..

feel free to go through my wanted connections tag for inspiration!

#joliet.intro #hhere we go #rock n roll buckaroo

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gg-astrology · 5 years

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TWICE Kim Dahyun - Overview

Hello! 💕 I am here-- finally, doing Dahyun’s overview!! 💕💕 I got a few asks about her so I thought I’d do it now sknkj thank u for motivating me even tho u didn’t know u did!! 💕💕💕 After this--- we have Tzuyu and Chaeyoung but I’ll save them to do later!! 💕💕 Doing three readings in a row is exhAUsting but I’m!! 💕💕 Happy to deliver this now aaah 💕💕💕 Their comeback is so soon, please support the girls!! 💕💕

Disclaimer: For unknown Birthtimes we’re going to use the standard 12.00pm --and as always, please read with your own discretion! 💕

May 28th 1998 Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

Gemini Sun - Cancer Moon

I know I’ve talked about them before in my Sun-Moon combination (for this combo it’s right here)

Anon mentioned how the members said she acts like a grandma back at the dorm, and you can kinda see that from this combination as well. With Gemini being inclusive, naturally charming and usually independent-- Cancer has to ‘recover’ and spend time recuperating from the information intake Gemini brings for their own emotional well-being

Y know-- kinda like if you’re outside and meant to be socializing, you don’t realize how exhausted you are until you come home. Cancer Moon in their domestic side comes off as a ‘different’ person (to others) bc that’s where they reset sometimes.

That’s their ‘me’ time, sometimes they need a little more privacy in order to go through emotions as well. Which is why it’s such an interesting combination when placed next to Gemini.

There’s a lot of mental (intellectual) connectivity that’s combined with intuitive/emotional objectivity. This mixture of Gemini/Cancer -- you have someone who can make connections fairly easily, assisting in smoother communication/guidance and relaying information.

And supplementing that is Cancer’s emotional objectivity-- cardinality, ‘what direction are we going in/what to do’ -- who has to be where, what’s the situation at hand.

This makes for a natural leader/organizer -- but perhaps more in the term of taking in directions and then translating, relaying and making the information more hands-on afterwards for others.

A very hands-on communicator in terms of ‘so what should we actually do’ -- she assists in reality, the logistic and pragmatic nature of things.

She understands-- what she’s working with (her resource/premise -- the girls/team- long-term ) and then what the immediate command/directions are (prompters). And applying that together in a way that works is what she does best.

Besides this, it’s also interesting to note how Gemini suns are known for their youthfulness, their energy (aura) that gives other people’s strength.

But with the Cancer Moon that talks about wisdom and age-- you have this duality of a person who is both a ‘energetically youthful’ persona as well as a confidante-- someone who is wiser than her looks or her age, and can be reliable/dependable for others when they don’t know what to do.

Dahyun -- if we’re to summarize her Sun/Moon in one word-- is a practical person. She’s pragmatic, in the way she organize, communicate and direct where things/people should go/work/what happens (role in the team).

She has a clear sighted-ness about her-- and a humane level of understanding (discomfort towards certain things) that makes her raise questions/points when she needs to (not a doormat).

Rather than saying she’s overly nice or friendly, chatty or sociable. Her biggest strength is her dependability and reliability. Her emotional security in herself keeps others afloat, and her Gemini Sun engages, moves, works, and direct energy around.

She’s inclusive to everyone around her-- and tries to understand them from a nurturing stand point (like a mother) as well as a communicative stand point (language isn’t a barrier, you can just use gestures/expressions to say what you want)

From then-- she directs information of what to do/where to go, and resolve problems quickly/deftly with communication/mental prowess. So from Cancer Moon -> Gemini Sun, you have this internal intellect that transform into external communication skills.

One thing to note for Gemini/Cancer combination is that they are receptive to their environment and others emotions--- their internal alignment is about keeping control.

Security, stability-- internally. Which is why they’re so good at controlling things externally. BUT because of that need for security/control -- it can also ‘lock’ them inside of themselves.

When other’s emotions are high -- these people may tend to hold themselves back. Locking themselves away from emotionally charged situations, and thus ends up not voicing their opinion/thoughts since they feel they won’t be heard/shouldn’t assert themselves right now.

They’re receptive to other’s energy-- so be aware of how much you actually take in from your environment. You keep your own personal desires locked inside of yourself and may have difficulties voicing them out (Cancer Moon) -- if your environment/group is gloomy, stressed, depressed -- you’re susceptible to the moods of those around you and absorb them into your personal self as well (imprint-able)

You take a while longer to ‘recover’ from these moods than others do -- it’s like if the sea (Cancer) gets contaminated by oil -- it’s hard to scoop/clean it out than it is to contaminate it in the first place.

It’s important to you that you have good, energetic/positive environment around you. That you’re engaged with lighter energy/sources because you ARE susceptible to falling/sinking into ‘heavier/deeper’ ones.

Positivity is something you should discern, curate and edit constantly in your life. Making sure those around you and what you do can influence you for your betterment and not ‘fall’ into the snarky/sassy side that you’re only serving to your detriment.

Your mental strength and emotional well-being relies on these as well, not just your own. Because the environment has much more of a grip on you than you realize.

Thus-- you have to watch out for those who can take advantage of you. Especially since you’re so influenced (more than you realize) -- just the wear and tear of the day drags you down.

And whilst you might not like running away from a problem (Gemini/Cancer -- doesn’t like cowering down, backing away if it feels like it’s disloyalty/unfaithfulness -- stubborn) -- it’s important to realize how your self-esteem is influenced by others, and your vulnerabilities/sensitivity to being picked on or viewed/treated a certain way as well.

If you get backed out by an aggressive comment/lash out, drawing yourself back-- you also tend to be on the receiving end of letting people pile things on top of you.

Whilst you didn’t mean to accommodate other people (which you can do if you let yourself get swept away into it-- even when your Cancer knows it’s not something you want to be doing) --- you let them make decisions for you, because you’ve indirectly censored yourself.

You lose a part of your own confidence and self-affirmation. But this has to do with you rejecting your own emotionality as well--refusing to talk about your own vulnerabilities/feelings, thoughts or desires. Perhaps seeing certain displays of emotions as a ‘weakness’, negatively or just ‘not the right time’.

You brought this down on you-- with preconceived notions/stigmatization of certain emotions yourself that you eventually reject your own internal struggles/externalization becomes harder for you

(Passive aggressiveness can happen, as well as pettiness or grunge that can form because of your own censoring yourself projected onto others as the ‘aggressor’ in this situation).

You evaluate/think about them in private but refuses to talk about them to others/share with others to not ‘look weak’ (unless you can put them into words yourself) -- self-expression is something you do struggle with, more than you realize. Because you may feel things but you never really let yourself embrace them. You overcome emotions, and that’s why expressing them outwards can be harder for you to do.

Learning to affirm yourself without the approval of others, and embracing your emotionality without others/past experience tells you that you shouldn’t (should put on a shell, etc.) for it will help a lot.

Anyways, beSIDES this -- she also has a pretty prominent Sun/Mars conjunct (3′) and Sun/Pluto opposition at 0′06!!!

This is pretty significant, Dahyun gives off a Scorpionic vibe sometimes and it may be because of how tight her Sun/Pluto opposition is (Pluto being in Sagittarius)

In terms of what it does-- this gives a strong desire/drive to the person’s personality. With the Sun symbolizing our core-energy -- having aspects to Pluto pushes us forward externally (moving/getting to where we want regardless of enemies -- can be quite harsh despite not knowing so) along with being confident in ourselves/our ability to demonstrate and manifest thing with our will power (Mars)

Their sense of self is indeed very strong-- at the same time, they are extremely focused on having versatility to their skill-set/repertoire -- as well as a natural curiosity that turns into argumentative nature if they are stimulated/their pride is on the line-- without meaning to be.

They can be quite defensive, quick to put things bluntly and may hurt others without knowing/caring too much. Because we’re talking about Gemini which is flexible and adaptable sign-- sometimes you don’t listen to someone properly and misunderstanding can occur.

Knowing when you’ve hurt someone’s feelings (an apology is needed) with your callousness is crucial, because you may think it’s not necessary but others might not. Your insensitivity (lack of care, carelessness) can be your personal downfall as well.

Because you are naturally popular-- but you don’t know how to maintain or mend relationships when you’re careless/crass -- you discredit your actual positive side (friendliness and helpfulness).

You are clever and witty, but don’t use it as a defensive mechanism (Cancer Moon) to make quick stabs at others. It only serves to discredit you more if you don’t know how to be more thoughtful/caring. You’re an adaptable sign-- so know your own weaknesses and make an effort to fill up/work through your vices.

Taurus Mercury (3rd Decan/Capricorn)

Stubbornness exemplifies-- but also with Taurus in this decan, you tend to be much more of an ‘old soul’ than you realize

Taurusean with Capricorn decans relies heavily on their pragmatic side. Their cooler nature to get them through things, it’s natural to often see things from the bottom -> up. As in-- what’s the ‘base’ of all this and where can we go from here?

It’s not necessarily pessimistic, but more realistically-- where can we start on the low but stable point of the mountain before climbing up?

Finding good footing/grounds is necessary, and often times this comes with humbling/grounding herself with her family or those around her.

In her early childhood-- those who has been with her and have had parts in influenced her morals/views/values (that she now sees as being ‘good/will be useful’) -- are people she sticks with.

There’s always a slight fear of ‘losing the self’ when you’re floated up too high-- and with Taurus Mercury, it can be losing grounds on your own thought, personality and possession as well.

Self-confusion is what turns them topsy turvey (like mooning a cow?? is that the world when they roll over?) -- because they never want to be confused about themselves. So thus why they stick so close to the field/what they know.

Certainty and self-possession is necessary for her-- it gives her autonomy and also directory on what to do, where she goes, how she’ll handle things. It’s a part of ‘knowing yourself’ that Mercury brings-- an area that we interact with a lot in order to figure ourselves/others out.

With Taurus in Mercury she’s often pretty straight-forward, if not a little blunt with her thoughts/opinions. She can sometimes not hold her tongue, or bite it in but she has immense charm/influential voice to make up for it.

Taurus is actually quite a good sign to have in a Mercury because it technically rules the throat-- people who has Taurus Mercury often has melodious voices, and can often very persuasive and make others see/abide by her point of view.

It’s the Ultimate Defense sign-- the immovable object. If she makes up her mind on something or was told to change, she can have a hard time making necessary adjustment

Because her mind (Taurus Mercury) isn’t necessary looking forward to it.

Understanding why she needs to change is hard, adapting to it naturally may be easier for her to just ‘do’ -- but when it comes to ‘thinking’ about the change she reaches a stubborness, drag-feet-along-the-ground that Taurusean can have.

Especially with bigger, more impactful changes. Consequences are something that’s always on their mind whether they realizes it or not.

More so than the change themselves (which they have the best will-power to go through when the time comes)-- it’s thinking about what the change implies, what the consequences are, what they’re losing in terms of their personal self/experiences that makes them wait back a bit.

Taurus as a fixed/earth signs are quite impressionable. They’re rather romantic-- often times clinging to their sense of self, the sensory experiences they have.

They can be quite sentimental since they’re a very sensual/sensory sign-- sometimes refusing to throw things away for the memory/values it has to them.

Often times, a Taurus’s emotionality runs deep (and so does their thought-- deep thinker) and expressing that outwards can be quite hard if they weren’t nurtured in an openly affectionate environment.

Even when it’s GOOD to express these outwards, they can sometimes ‘give up’ on communicating things if they’re too ‘dragged down’ by their own stressors.

Eventually-- you’ll have to watch that they CAN make positive changes for themselves and not use their own stubbornness against themselves. As in-- they SHOULDN’T be so stressed/stagnant in a situation/confrontation they have to do that they just avoid it completely.

They’re a rather indulgence sign-- so when they’re avoiding something (denial) they really go full on into ‘lazy mode’ with it. Sometimes even cancelling stuff in order to take care of their own ‘well-being’ -- even if those well-being are because they brought this onto themselves and are just avoiding something else.

A Taurus Mind is often deep ravine with a lot of scenic flowers and growth that they nurtured there-- but getting to that place and getting them to move out of their own comfortability safe space can be quite hard.

They’re opinionated even if they don’t necessarily say it. Inflexible with their own morals/values/thinking. Sometimes ‘in their own ways’ -- it’s nearly impossible to get a Taurus to move unless they make those choices themselves. Thus why development sometimes can be slower for them than most.

These Taurusean Mercury are rather soft-hearted however, they are persuasive and Venusian. So there’s always that sensuality to them that allows them to charm the pants off others without making any changes themselves.

Dahyun relies a lot more on instinctive level feedback -- common sense in a way, whether it’s actually sensory, developed values or how she was nurtured. Learning for these Taurus Mercury (and how they communicate/think) is often dictated by simplicity and managing themselves for their own optimal path (make their own paths).

Aries Venus (3rd Decan/Sagittarius) Gemini Mars

This is prime Aries Venus example skdjnskjks with Gemini into the mix as well -- this makes for quite an upfront person, often times if you ‘overthink’ it it becomes a Taurus territory (and slows her down considerably)

But if she just DO THINGS without thinking about them, she can actually be very direct, forward and Daring. It’s only when she has to think or slow down-- that it becomes ‘well how do I explain this?’ (Taurus Mercury wants to be as deliberate and come across as charming as possible, not crass or ‘too much’)

So you can see how she has this side-- the Aries/Gemini that’s quite meme-y (reactionary) and ‘yeah let’s do it!’ (pioneer attitude) while her Taurus/Cancer is more of the conservative ‘oh god what did I do’ attitude.

Let’s be clear-- she DOES like challenges, but she likes challenges that doesn’t make her think too much into herself/her own flaws and introspects. She likes things that allows her to expand herself, escape a part of herself and move forward into discovering her own versatility.

With Aries Venus-- she often likes new and exciting premise/concepts, passionate, something she can fall forward into and ‘start up/can do’ about it.

She’s quite enterprising-- so areas like business endeavors can be interesting/good for her too

She’s independent, but at the same time forward-driven and wants to be forward thinking. She has a strong sense of conservative/traditionalism to her though (Taurus/Cancer) that can stop her from fully embracing this pioneer attitude she likes--- but she does her best to exemplify this general ‘can do’ attitude in her self-expression anyways, regardless of how she might feel about it later/in private.

‘If you don’t try it, then how will you know?’ -- is the main attitude Aries/Gemini has. At the same time, she only tries if she knows the consequences aren’t big or as impactful as she thinks they are.

Her Taurus Mercury is calculative and her Cancer Moon is cautious-- they won’t let her get away with doing something that will make her fall/feel the rug pulled under her (Sun/Pluto aspect) -- she takes calculated risks, but in a way-- it’s less thought-out and more instinctual/intuitive/sensual risks.

Her common sense guides her (Moon/Venus)-- and this Aries/Gemini is the crass side to her that’s ‘less thinking more doing’

This makes her playful -- and at the same time, quite professional. Aries Venus isn’t just about having fun, it’s about working hard too. As a Martian sign in a Venus placement-- these people want to be taken seriously (in a professional setting, respected for their own strength/work ethic)

There’s no room for ‘playing around’ that can lead to others making snide comments about them or pitying them-- there’s no back-handed-ness here.

Aries Venus pulls their all into what they do-- whether it’s work or play, they want to be direct because they give the same energy back. If you have a problem with the way they self-express, then say it to their face or prove them wrong.

Aries is the ram -- that’s some staying power right there. While they’re also soft and fluffy (innocent, charming, playful and fun-loving) they can also butt you again and again if you aggravate them too much.

Sometimes immediately-- if her self-expression is questioned/threatened, she can jump into the defense and ask them to sort things out right then and there.

Aries as a fire/cardinal sign-- doesn’t like dragging things for too long. They’d rather get the process done and over, so they can move onto other things.

This applies to themselves as well-- and how they treat their process/growth. They don’t wait for stagnancy-- they want to see changes immediately and now.

They want to do things, or make those happen. If they have to facilitate or DO something FOR it (to deserve it) then they will. If it’s necessary to make the changes they want to see-- then they’ll do it (action-oriented).

Combine this with her Gemini Mars--- there’s a lot of ‘freshness’ to her personality/what she attracts. In a way-- Dahyun is like ‘you attract what energy you gives out’

Even if she’s not all sunshine and rainbows-- she knows that if she put this energy forward (’this is what I like’) she’ll gain them back. Sagittarius sometimes do this too-- but more consciously, Aries tend to do this.

Because her Venus/Saturn is conjunct-- she’s often someone who embarks on her own project, as in she already has a plan formed in mind. Sometimes she can be a little old-fashioned (yes, Aries can be like that) but that’s because she sees it in terms of principality.

Is she following a principle -- rather than a reason/motivation to do it, it’s the matter of ‘following things through/proving that she can do it’ that matters the most. You can say it’s prideful-- but it’s also very dutiful and respectful of others. This is a part of her that is very personal-justice inclined. Unlike Libra who can be very wishy-washy in this regard-- if SHE feels like this is personal justice, she WILL deal it out herself.

Nobody else can really tell her what to do, since she already has her mind set on what she wants to achieve. This is on her.

She also has her Venus/Neptune square-- which can lead to a little bit of self-expressing problem when you take into consideration her Venus/Saturn from before. With Venus/Saturn is prudent, stable and restrictive. Doing as much as what is acceptable, and being accepted socially for that (as a unit) as well.

Whilst Venus/Neptune is like yearning-- yearning to be more, feel more. Sometimes even a little bit of an angst streak about fantasizing/let yourself be swept up in something and then getting second hand embarrassment because of it.

Reality doesn’t always align with our thoughts/fantasies-- even when we’re super convinced that it’s reliable. There’s always a part of her that pulls back or restrict her (Venus/Saturn conjunct) - she ‘knows’ better than to let herself get too attached, too close and too vulnerable/believe in those fantasies.

Besides this-- her other vice is that her Gemini Mars keeps her restless. Just like her Sun-- what she expels is energetic. Thus she may feel more tired than others, exhaustions from doing nothing is common in Gemini placements.

You’d think being an active air sign they’ll be active physically-- but it’s more like they’re active mentally. Physicality (or lack thereof) exhausts them. Thus why when they need to ‘exhaust themselves energetically’ (energy is not created, but has to travel through things to lose/gain) they become much more verbally communicative.

This is her chatty side-- the part that talks and entertains. This is her Gemini Mars-- also conjunct to her Sun (truthful/honest) that she uses to expels her internal energy outwards.

Using her hands can be common especially with mutable placements in mars (gestures) as well as Aries/fire placements when they’re fired up. Since she has both-- when she’s excited or worked up about something she becomes animated and expressive.

Because Gemini Mars is quite scattered--- multi-tasking or spreading themselves over activities is usually the way they go about things.

Focusing too much onto one particular thing often comes out with them losing focus, concentration or motivation to do it. Sometimes, they can drop the project and ghost if they suddenly don’t want to (isn’t supported/doing it with a friend)

What’s cool to note is that she has a Mars/Pluto opposition here as well -- just like her Sun/Pluto -- sometimes Dahyun comes across as forceful in her command/will.

She has a strong pride/ego associated-- might sometimes think she knows better than others (without like-- the holier than thou thing Capricorn/Aquarius has) because she’s trying to communicate her thinking across and gets impatient/brash when others don’t get it.

Watch out for her behaviour since it can cause distress on her ties-- she’s alot more moodier than she realizes, and with her forcefulness-- sometimes she can be careless and uncaring of the consequence ( ‘whats done is done this is just me’ ) -- maturity is needed, because you can’t just be wise and think you have the development to back it up when you don’t. You need to learn, grow and earn it as well. That’s why we’re living in this game called life (uh)

Another cool thing (last one I promise) is that she has her Mars/Neptune trine -- this is often a good indication of someone who de-stresses by being in water, around water, or going away on water.

The sea in particular may be good for her-- since her Moon is also ruled by Cancer. But more so because we can see it quite clearly in this Mars trine Neptune -- the anxiety and mental energy that Gemini carries are hard-balled by Aquarius Neptune

Conclusion

There’s more to be said about Sun/Mars conjunction in Gemini -- in this she is naturally competitive but in a way that’s encouraging/motivating to others as well.

She’s naturally self-empowering, despite her Moon being unaspected.

Dahyun’s gentle and welcoming, but she’s also someone who isn’t easily intimidated by things.

She knows her self well--- what she doesn’t like, what she does.

Sometimes she can be stubborn with these opinions -- but with the Gemini Sun/Mars -- she can often find her way through overcoming her own stubbornness if necessary (Saturn in Aries -- needs moderating)

Intimacy is something that she may struggle with concerning her placements/signs-- although she’s effable and friendly, she doesn’t really open up easily to others.

Others open up to HER because of how welcoming and dependable she is, but in terms of whether or not she relies on others/shares herself with others-- sometimes she has a harder time than others doing so.

I’d say out of all the members (so far) it’s Dahyun, Jihyo and Sana who points more to being dependable FOR others and thus doesn’t open up much/let others get to know them intimately.

It’s the Aquarius, Gemini/Aries and Sagittarius side that doesn’t necessarily like ‘deep’ feelings. Or rather-- they do have them, they just don’t like ‘sharing/expelling’ them outwards (different kind of fears/motivation for that though).

To further talk about Sun/Pluto opposition -- she can be quite harsh on herself especially her accomplishment/effort.

Things don’t seem to be ‘enough’ -- and she’s constantly looking to find more opportunities (Gemini/Sagittarius) to better/expand herself more and become more self-dependent as well.

Although she can be quite sensual and sentimental when she wants to be -- she doesn’t necessarily find it easy to ‘exert’ herself more than the Gemini/Aries kind. Often times it’s quick, momentary releases. Not prolonged self-exposure because her mutable qualities can tire out easily.

Another thing to note is her Mars/Pluto that we didn’t talk in details yet-- negativity and criticizing (obsessing over mistakes) can be common in this aspect. Particularly when it comes to finding ‘obstacles’ in their path -- they can sometimes looking for them even when they don’t have any.

Letting things go, learning that people can change/evolve and learning how to not get so caught up in instances/moments (and tunnel-visioning into them) is something these people will have to do in order to get out of this negative scape.

They can sometimes be possessive without meaning to be-- particularly a ‘do or die’ attitude towards certain things. Learn that certain intimidation and ‘ultimatum’ isn’t necessarily granting you ‘power’ like you desire (Pluto always desire power) -- rather, you need to stop deluding yourself into thinking that you’re gaining something you want, because it won’t give you any satisfaction (and you become stuck in a cycle of self-destruction if you do).

With Dahyun who also has Jupiter in Pisces and Saturn/Neptune square --- her self-confidence can sometimes stem from self-consciousness and insecurities. Just like how imaginative she is/what she hopes wishes for the future-- sometimes she can be scared of getting that pulled from underneath her, what her reality is.

Confronting her actual restriction/limitation and what she doesn’t like in a situation is hard-- she may often bury herself in order to ‘delude’ into thinking she’s content/happy in whatever situation she’s placed in--- if she doesn’t learn how to voice and accept her own emotions/thoughts.

She compensates with her Aries sometimes--- the confidence, invulnerable armor that she wears (fearlessness, strong, dependable) but she’ll also have to confront her vulnerabilities and emotions if she doesn’t want to be dragged down by them as well (Saturn in Aries-- so she’ll have to confront it eventually)

Alrighty! 💜 That’s it for Dahyun!! 💜💜 She has much more of a mysterious scorpionic charm than we realize because of those strong Sun and Mars opposition to Pluto 💜💜 I hope this reading gives you more things to love her by! 💜 Another perspective to think about/understand yourself with perhaps! 💜

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shenanigumi · 7 years

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So I finished Kyoto Winds…

Here’s the comprehensive review I promised!! Keep in mind that I haven’t always paid the closest attention (as my first priority eventually shifted to managing the walkthroughs, since I can replay them anytime), but I’ll do my best to be accurate.

As usual, I’m biased as hell so you’ll want to take a lot of this with a grain of salt, but here we go, with the longest post ever…

Overall

On the gameplay – having been expecting to get to choose the route at the beginning, the fact that I had to navigate all the options and pick accordingly was a surprise, but not an unwelcome one. I’ve always been a fan of choice-based gameplay, so really, the only sticking point I hit was Souma’s route. As you may have noticed, I had a bit of trouble figuring out which system of choices was required for me to get to his second appearance. Other than that, everything turned out fine, although the sheer number of options was a little bit overwhelming at first. | 4/5

On the art – fantastic, as always, although there are a couple CGs that look a little funny to me (for instance, I don’t think Kazama’s Ikeda CG looks much like him). I am admittedly also not a fan of the costume recolors in most cases, but it’s not like it gets in the way of my enjoying the game. Additionally, Demons’ Bond also seems to have influenced the Yase backgrounds. We all know how I feel about Demons’ Bond as it relates to Hakuōki, so I’m not too enthusiastic about the parallels, but that’s an entirely different story. | 5/5 – odd-looking CGs and a palette swap I don’t particularly like aren’t enough to knock a point off

On the translation – …ouch. Noticed a huge amount more typos, clumsily written phrases (like using ‘gruff’ to describe someone’s hands), faulty formatting, incorrect dialogue tags, out-of-place swearing (particularly concerning the word ‘bitch’), and plain OOC dialogue (especially from Amagiri) compared to the original. I also hear that Iba’s dialogue wasn’t well-handled either, and it makes me wonder about the accuracy of the ‘new’ lines as well. I don’t have a lot of faith in this one, so I’m going to say the original translation was definitely, and markedly, better. In part because it distinguished between “the Demon” (Hijikata) and “the demon” (Kazama) instead of inexplicably capitalizing the common noun ‘demon’ so it’s possible to confuse the two. Or ‘fury’, for that matter. Yeah, that just makes no sense to me. | 2/5

On the soundtrack – a few tracks are good, and most unremarkable, but on the whole I’d rank it roughly equivalent with the original. I am also a fan of the soundfont; electric acoustic is my jam. I’m also getting a distinctly Demons’ Bond vibe from a lot of them, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it does tend to melt into the background so that I can’t really tell the difference between several tracks at first listen. Not that it’s a big deal, but the original stood out a little more to me, I guess. | 3/5

Now, onto the routes! Please note that though the ratings I give the new routes are based exclusively on this game, the ratings I give the six old routes are in comparison to the same routes in the original game, with 1/5 being much worse; 3/5 being about the same; and 5/5 being much better.

Hijikata’s Route

Hijikata’s the same Demon Commander we all know and love, only his relationship and dynamic with Chizuru are fleshed out a little more. Chizuru’s role as his page is given a little more of a spotlight, as is her exact role as his page, and her place in the Shinsengumi as a whole feels a little more solid because of that development. Since the game ends before they reach Edo, they’re not exactly a couple, but since his Memories of Love are included, we see Hijikata’s feelings as well. Overall, this route strikes a good balance, and a believable platform for eventual romance. Which, of course, is ideal on any Implied Canon route. (I was Not Ok with Yamazaki’s death and burial at sea, though. Like… my heart.) | 4/5

Okita’s Route

Okita hasn’t changed a bit, but the reasoning behind his actions is made a little clearer, and his brotherly adoration for Kondou is also stressed a little more. As a character, he feels a little more complete, and I was able to understand his actions a little better without having to guess at his motives (for instance, he repeatedly asserts that he doesn’t like it when other people make inferences about how he or Kondou feels). Because of that, his dynamic with Chizuru also got a little more development, and although the game ends before they’re involved, I can already see the basis for their relationship in the sequel. While OkiChi admittedly felt a little bit sudden in the original, this half-route did a good job of slowing down and zooming in so we can see the shift a little more. Or at least, I could. Maybe it was because I was looking for it. | 4/5

Saito’s Route

THIS IS WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT. This? Right here? Perfect improvement over the original route, adding to all the right places without taking anything away. It includes just enough extra background on Saito and Chizuru and how the two of them interact to make the ship believable. Their relationship is made softer without pulling either of them out of character, and the extent of their compatibility explored. Saito offers just enough reassurance, and Chizuru is just conscious enough of her place in the relationship and in the Shinsengumi, that their development reads as very natural. Excellent. Not much else to say, just like Saito. | 5/5

Heisuke’s Route

Hoo boy. Not a lot of new content and no new CGs, but it’s not like you can do much to improve on Heisuke’s route, anyway, since it was hands down the best in the original. The few things they did add fit in well with the original flow, nothing felt out-of-place, and I was actually enjoying myself quite a bit thanks to all that wonderful HeiChi… until Sen intervened in the conflict between Kazama and Heisuke. Rather than offer herself as the mother of Kazama’s children to spare Chizuru, like in the original, she instead threatens to banish him and his entire clan for interfering with the affairs of humans. However, quite generously, she offers him amnesty if he agrees to leave Heisuke and Chizuru alone. I was… angry. Still am, in fact.

But it’s not just because I ship KazaSen; really, it’s not. It’s because altering that scene threatens the integrity of the entire plot, when you consider that Kazama will eventually join Heisuke and Chizuru in rescuing Sen. Furthermore, her authority to banish an entire clan of demons is never explained, and her threat makes no sense anyway, considering that Yase has literally worked directly for the imperial court for centuries, so she has no business telling Kazama to stand down for allying with the Satsuma. Basically, retconning that scene makes no sense, and plotholes of that magnitude have never sat well with me. I had a bitter taste in my mouth for the rest of the route, which thankfully didn’t last much longer. | 3/5 – the adorableness of HeiChi barely manages to even out the fact that my faith in the plot has been materially damaged

Harada’s Route

Yes. Good. Wonderful development between the two of them, and although there aren’t too many additions until the route split, their relationship is more firmly established—and earlier on—which makes me a little bit more okay with the more mature direction their relationship is headed. Moreover, Harada’s reassurance that Chizuru is just a normal girl and not a monster was sorely needed in the original, and I’m relieved to see that kind of closure here. Otherwise, it was largely unremarkable (in a good way), other than the fact that Shiranui talks a bit more about Takasugi. Which, by the way, was awesome; I still consider TakaShira canon until proven otherwise. | 4/5

Nagakura’s Route

Definitely sweet and enjoyable! I played this one first, so I didn’t actually get all his scenes till I focused on the walkthrough, but there were so many d’aww moments, I lost count. Honestly, they really amped up the sweetness between the two of them (including modifying some of his In Days Past to be a little more romantic), and that kind of mutual innocence is really refreshing since Nagakura’s so… ya know… suggestive. But something feels like it’s missing, and I can’t quite put my finger on it. I think it might be Toba-Fushimi, honestly; I was fine up till then, but the last couple chapters feel kind of rushed in a way I can’t explain. Still a good route, though! | 4/5

Sanan’s Route

I… really don’t have a lot of feelings about this one. I wasn’t really expecting to, considering Sanan is my least favorite, but I expected my lack of feelings to be related more to that than the fact that there’s really not much to say about it. Like, there are still a lot of inconsistencies in his personality since so many of the scenes early on are accessible on all routes, and I can’t really get a solid grasp on who he is or what his relationship is to Chizuru. The best thing I can say about his route—other than that Kaoru makes an appearance—is that Chizuru’s feelings are at least clear. | 3/5

Yamazaki’s Route

He may not appear much in the beginning, but once he starts showing up a little more often, it’s priceless. Although the relationship doesn’t have a lot of time to develop, for some reason, it doesn’t feel rushed or incomplete. Somehow, they managed to devise a pairing that doesn’t need a lot of development to be believable; they’re simply naturally suited to one another from the beginning. The dialogue and narrative can get a little saccharine at times, but I was honestly eating it up. Especially when he was holding her hand. Who’d have thought that Yamazaki, of all people, gets the closest to becoming half of a legit couple with Chizuru within the span of the first game alone? | 5/5

Iba’s Route

I… ugh… just please get him away from me. As I’ve said, you’d have to work really hard to find someone with whom I’m less personally compatible, and because I already find it difficult to put myself in Chizuru’s tabi, I could not for the life of me get into his route at all. The man’s as Mary a Sue as you’ll find anywhere. The Long-Lost, Somehow-Forgotten Childhood Friend of Chizuru, whom she miraculously remembers throughout his route, Iba is Gallant and Pacifistic and Really Nice All the Time. In fact, he Can Do No Wrong, is Inhumanly Selfless, and wants nothing more than Chizuru’s safety and happiness at any given time. He’s also On Really Good/Personal Terms with All the Captains because he also used to frequent Shiei Hall for undisclosed reasons (other than being the son of a dojo master himself—oh yeah, and he’s a master at his style of swordplay, by the way, although he’s never killed anyone because of his Incorruptible Pure Pureness).

So basically, the dude’s already wormed his way into everyone’s hearts long before the route even starts, and that just strikes me as unfair. Basically, the route relies on their pasts to create chemistry and the foundation for a ‘believable’ relationship, instead of showing how they’re suited to one another in the present. Honestly, he creeps me out more than a little. Of course, independently of his character, the plot itself is fine—if a little bland at times. I don’t exactly appreciate the reused/paralleled backgrounds from Demons’ Bond, or the random demons’ arms that just kinda come out of nowhere and don’t seem to have an apparent purpose beyond being attached to Takeda and Iba (why are they even in Yase? how come they weren’t destroyed? what the fuck?), but those are personal grudges. Anyway, yeah, definitely not my favorite. | 2/5

Souma’s Route

After the amount of heartache I had trying to get his route, I remember swearing that he’d better be the best ever. I wasn’t particularly disappointed. Souma’s like… Heisuke’s mirror image, in a way. Both are awkward oblivious sweethearts, but Heisuke’s more fun-loving, while Souma is serious to a fault. In the same way I love Heisuke and HeiChi’s dynamic, Souma and SouChi strike me as very similar. They support one another, learning and growing together, throughout the route. It’s really refreshing to see Chizuru in a different ‘kind’ of relationship, too, considering that she’s Souma’s ‘senpai’ (well, his mentor in being a page) as opposed to being one of the captains’ inferiors. There are also quite a few backstory moments in this route, which I appreciated, although a few of them read as a little bit contrived; I’d have preferred they spread it out a bit. Also, Fuck-and-Run Miki makes a great antagonist, and I’m pleased to see more of him—although I was a bit disappointed to find Kazama once again assuming the same basic role as he does in Saito’s route. Like, can we have more Heisuke’s-route-esque ‘reluctant rivalrous allies’ banter? | 4/5

Sakamoto’s Route

Okay, so… I kinda love this guy, and it’s not all because he resembles Shiranui. He’s an interesting character, and it’s nice to have a route with someone who isn’t affiliated with the Shinsengumi but isn’t also trying to kidnap Chizuru. The thing is, although I wouldn’t say the ship feels forced, Sakamoto moves really fast, like probably faster than Harada fast, considering he’s technically got the first chronological kiss CG—just not on the lips. It’s also a little less clear how, when, and why Chizuru becomes interested in him. It might just be the fact that I like the character enough to let it slide, but I didn’t have any trouble suspending disbelief long enough to squeal at their cute moments. Even though I wouldn’t say it was an incredible route, it was honestly really interesting, because it follows a completely different path than I was used to, departing from the usual set of choices. (Also, any route with more Shiranui is fine by me. I’m a shallow girl with obvious motives; so sue me.) | 4/5

Kazama’s Route

Better than the original for sure, but that’s not exactly saying much. I do like that there are actual options for raising Kazama’s affection prior to the split, because it makes the entire concept of him having a route make much more sense. I can’t say that Chizuru’s reasoning in choosing to follow him specifically makes any more sense than it did before, especially considering that she could easily have chosen to accompany someone else (I’d have chosen Shiranui, to no one’s surprise). Speaking of which, I’m also not entirely sure how I feel about Sen taking them both to Yase without the slightest suspicion about Kazama’s prior intention to abduct her, or the fact that she doesn’t instruct Amagiri to chaperone, but I can live with it because it looks like there’ll be some semblance of an actual plot this time. Meaning that Kaoru and Kodo are in league to resurrect the Yukimura clan through furies, and Kazama and Chizuru are out to stop them. Considering that Kodo’s death felt like an afterthought in Kazama’s original route, I’m all for this change. I still don’t ship KazaChi in the slightest, though. I just… can’t. | 3/5

Final Assessment

Average Meta Score (art, OST, etc.): 3.5 / 5 Average Route Score: 3.75 / 5 Verdict: Pretty Damn Good Overall [Shenanigumi Approved – Except KazaSen’s De-Canonization]

From disappointment to elation, I’ve felt it all across the board, and shed more than a few tears at varying points (and this is before I even explore the bad endings). If you don’t have this game and you’re waiting to see whether you feel like getting it or not, I don’t have any advice for you. Whether or not it’s worth it to get the game or even the system is up to you, but I hope that was enlightening!

#shenanigumi plays #shinkai #shinkai spoilers #characterization essay

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aion-rsa · 4 years

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Is Star Trek: Lower Decks Canon? Here’s How to Settle the Debate

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Spoilers ahead for Star Trek: Lower Decks episodes 1-4.

When it comes to heated fandom discussions about what counts and what doesn’t count, relative to “canon,” the only thing more hotly debated than Star Wars canon, is easily, Star Trek canon. Back in the ‘70s, if you dipped into the letters sections of certain fanzines, you’d find people who argued that the third season of The Original Series wasn’t canon because some of the episodes didn’t make sense or were just outright bad. (We’re looking at you, “Spock’s Brain.”)

The point is, debating specific aspects of Star Trek as non-canon is a pretty old argument. The direct answer to the question “Is Star Trek: Lower Decks canon?” is yes. And that’s because the creator — Mike McMahan — has said its canon, and the show actually bends over backwards to make canonical references.

That said, if you still think Star Trek: Lower Decks can’t be canon, for a variety of reasons, there is one simple way you can reconcile the antics of Mariner and her buddies with the rest of Trek canon. And it’s all about point-of-view, and the unreliability of Star Trek narrators in general.

So, briefly, here are the reasons why some might say Star Trek: Lower Decks isn’t canon.

The characters are too flippant about new alien lifeforms and break protocol too often.

Some of the senior staff could be perceived as amoral and/or self-serving egotists.

The uniform style and new combadges don’t seem to correspond to this moment in Trek history. (2380)

Now, it’s pretty easy to knock down each of those arguments with other canonical examples, from pre- 21st century Trek. For example…

TOS is replete with examples of junior officers not following protocol and putting the entire ship in danger. Case-in-point: Lt. (junior grade) Joe Tormolen took off his protective gloves in “The Naked Time,” and as a result, caused the entire ship to be contaminated with the Psi 2000 virus. Joe is the original Lower Decker. Just rewatch the scene in the mess hall where he freaks out. You can totally imagine a comedic version of this in Lower Decks.

TOS also has plenty of examples of Starfleet Captains who not only break the rules, but are total assholes. From Commodore Decker (“The Doomsday Machine”) to Captain Tracey (“The Omega Glory,”) and well into the classic films, it was difficult to find competent senior Starfleet officers on non-Enterprise ships who were as awesome as the Enterprise crew.

Relatively speaking, characters like Captain Tracey, or Captain Esteban (from Star Trek III: The Search for Spock) make Captain Freeman and Commander Ransom look like model officers.

Debating uniform canon is fun, but ultimately fruitless. Also, there’s wiggle room here for the uniforms to have changed. There’s also every reason to believe that Lower Decks will acknowledge the uniform changes in some future episode. (The show jokes about everything else!)

Okay. So, that wasn’t so hard. Still, maybe you’re still not convinced. Maybe you still think that the overall vibe and tone of the show doesn’t work within canon, and therefore, it just isn’t canon because it doesn’t feel like canon. But, there’s a way around that, too. You just have to think slightly harder about how this story is being told.

Who are the point-of-view characters in most Star Trek shows? That’s right, the characters who run the starship. Star Trek: Discovery changed this a little bit, by having the main character not be the Captain, but in Lower Decks, the tone clearly comes from the point-of-view of the Lower Decker characters. Sure, we have scenes in which none of them appear, but for the most part, we are meant to see this series through their eyes. And that means, it’s okay for them to be unreliable narrators.

Star Trek: Lower Decks Timeline Explained

By Ryan Britt

In Peter David’s New Frontier novels (which are not canon, and I’m not trying to say they are) he asserts the premise that some people at Starfleet command didn’t actually believe half of the shit Kirk reported in his logs. The idea was that some of the missions of the starship Enterprise (think: Space Lincoln in “The Savage Curtain”) were too outlandish to be true, and that Kirk embellished his logs.

Now, based on onscreen evidence, we know that Kirk embellished his Captain’s logs; he frequently did it when totally incredible things happened to specific crew members. In Star Trek: The Motion Picture he reports Ilia and Decker as “missing” and in “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” he mentions that Gary Mitchell and Dr. Dehner “died in the line of duty.” If there is an objective viewpoint in Star Trek (which is really debatable) then Kirk’s actual Captain’s Logs are unreliable.

Lower Decks has already sort of gestured at this idea. In the very first episode Boimler is recording a fake Captain’s Log, and in the same episode, Marnier quizzes him about Gary Mitchell, a long-dead officer she probably thinks was “killed in action,” since we’re aware that the official record is false.

Metafictionally, Star Trek does not have a “narrator,” in the same way the Sherlock Holmes stories are (mostly) narrated by Watson. But, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a loose “point of view.” In the original Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, “Lower Decks,” our perceptions of the senior staff of the Enterprise were briefly warped when we see everything from the point-of-view of the junior officers. In the series Lower Decks, everything about the show is arguably, from that viewpoint, which includes details that may or may not be “true.”

At the end of Lower Decks’ second episode, “Envoys,” Boimler retells the story of how he and Mariner encountered a Ferengi who Mariner was not aware was a Ferengi. However, by the end of the episode, we know Mariner was pretending not to know in order to make Boimler feel better. If you take that philosophy, and apply it to the rest of the show, it’s pretty easy to make any canon issues evaporate. This story is being told by the Lower Deckers as much it is being told for them. If you have any issues with that, well, then you’re not giving enough credit to the power of narrative voice. The people in a given piece of fiction shape the “truth” of that fiction, just as much as what happens to them.

And, if you still don’t think Lower Decks is canon, I’m just gonna say it again: “Spock’s Brain.” Oh, and Giant Green Space Hand, too.

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