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sweet-as-an-angel · 3 months

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Hello there! I've been a fan of your work for a while now and let me just say, your original works and characters have me absolutely captivated! (Your yandere outlaw is one of my top favorite fictional characters! And your yandere cult leader is rapidly rising in the ranks 👀) You put so much detail into all your writing and you really delve deep into the psychology and personality of every one of them so beautifully, not to mention how diverse they all are from one another. Each and every one has such dimension and they're so believable in their actions and reactions! (And can I just say I think it's very clever that your yandere!Milf/Dilf's names start with the acronym's initial)

And your MCs are also quite vibrant and while they remain easily relatable they still have distinct traits that the characters get attached to. Thank you for making and sharing these amazing stories and characters with us, it really makes my day whenever I see you've posted something new.

Now, I know this ask is getting pretty lengthy (sorry about that ^^" I tend to ramble) but I was going through your Yan!Dilf works again and I wanted to ask, how would Dominic react if his darling was someone who's maybe dealt with manipulative people in the past or is highly emotionally intelligent and observant who could tell he wasn't being entirely genuine? But instead of pulling away from him they try to understand what he wants from them and was open about it? Would he ever even become obsessed with someone like that or allow that kind of situation to happen or is he too cautious for it to be possible?

I know you've had a lot of asks so please don't feel obligated to answer this! But in any case thank you again for sharing your works and I hope you have a wonderful wonderful day! 💖💫

My Lovely, you have positively touched my soul with your endearing sentiments ! Truly, you have made my day and I cannot thank you enough for being such a loyal enthusiast of my work, your time is valued more than I can ever hope to express <3.

Your question is an incredibly fascinating one, my Dear; thank you for sharing it with us ! I wish you the happiest and most prosperous of days, Sweetie ^^

TW: Manipulation, Dominic Being Dominic, Vulnerability, No Pronouns Used For Reader Except 'You'.

♡ Dominic is, as you suggested, initially extremely cautious around you. However, he knows he can't just drop you like a sack of potatoes; it would be far too obvious to the people around him, which would surely cause others to find him out as the serpent he is if they ever went digging around his character.

♡ But, when you show him, gradually, like a keeper feeding a feral animal, that your endeavour is not to oust him as an un-human but rather to understand what made him like this in the first place (and all the lace and frills that come with such a monumental task), he regards you...differently than he did before.

♡ Sure, he thought you were very attractive and that you could offer him something other than the resplendence his life is steeped in, but now...

♡ He feels exposed. Seen. Vulnerable.

♡ All things he tries to push back against. Things he tries to bury beneath a grandiose tale of a childhood spent in the most accommodating of educational establishments, lavish mansions and the lap of luxury.

♡ He tries to lead you a merry dance down a version of his life that he wants you to see, rebuttaling your attempts at making him crack.

♡ You tell him you can see past that. He, feeling his eye twitch, believes you.

♡ It will take a long, long time to get Dominic even close to admitting a scintilla of how his psyche works. Or, rather, doesn't work.

♡ And it's only if you manage to grind away at his need to hide his most precious secret - the parasite that wears his skin and controls his mind - that he'll open up.

♡ Fractionally. Piecemeal. But he opens up, nonetheless.

♡ He'll grow to love you in ways unfathomable even to him.

♡ If you thought he was bad without having a background in combatting the manipulation of others, he is insidious now.

♡ You become to him what he could never be for himself; a safe haven. The only person from which he does not hide.

♡ Sure, he keeps the more...dangerous aspects of his personality hidden for a lot longer than others, but you can topple these columns, can shake Dominic from his perch forged from the ivory of a devil's horns.

♡ You can tame him in ways unimaginable. You have only to see him for who - what - he truly is.

Reblog for more content like this! It helps creators like myself tremendously and it is greatly appreciated :-)

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#sweet as an angel #yandere #male yandere #yandere male #original yandere #yandere x reader #yandere x you #yandere x y/n #yandere x darling #yandere oc #yandere oc x reader #yandere dilf #yandere dilf x reader #yandere writing #yandere blog #tw yandere #original writing #writers on tumblr

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simplystaticstrike · 2 months

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📺 *⁠.⁠✧ VOX × READER *⁠.⁠✧ 📺

｡⁠*ﾟ⁠+ WARNING:

Cursing. Insults. Manipulation? Degradation. Rude behavior. Mentions of depravity and loneliness.

｡⁠*ﾟ⁠+ GENRE/THEME:

Hate-Love. Loving hatred. Unrequited attraction. Speculative attraction.

｡⁠*ﾟ⁠+ SYNOPSIS:

Vox is known for being a cocky and confident overlord, famously known for his Vox-Tech. His behavior is rather rash, and no one even thinks about standing up to him. Well, all apart from this one determined critic who is looking out to make his flaws known.

｡⁠*ﾟ⁠+ AUTHORS NOTE:

This is technically my first time writing an OFFICIAL fanfic, so apologies if it isn't TOO great or professional. This isn't proof read so try to look over the mistakes, if there are any!

Always striving for personal growth, Vox was a motivated individual constantly preoccupied with his numerous responsibilities. He cherished the VEES, as their workplace possessed an air of authority that lead to carefully considered decisions, having a lasting impact on thousands. Embracing a luxurious aesthetic from its granite walls to lavish mahogany floors and comfortable handcrafted desks, the high ellipsoidal ceilings grace each room with both spaciousness and importance. There was no room for anyone else or any kind of hobby with Vox's overbearing passions and works. Being alone, however, made him reflect on his decisions in life. He wondered if he had chosen the right path. As a child, he had always dreamed of a family of his own. Yet as a young, independent adult, he found himself more alone than he had ever been. Despite the joy and cheer he saw all around him, specifically emitting from Velvette and Valentino, Vox just couldn't feel it too. Truly and genuinely at least. With no one to share his thoughts or feelings with, he often sat by himself in his room, contemplating his life choices. He found himself wishing for a companion, someone to celebrate his accomplishments with and make him feel less lonely. However, another part of him told him that what he was looking for wasn't another person and he only assumed that because of the undertaking tension that festered within past relationships. He didn’t particularly like to think about that. Instead, what seemed to be his main purpose to live involved business and business only. He lost himself in the worlds created by successful businessmen, savoring every detail; their days were spent in a routine of hard work and introspection. They found solace in their businesses. Vox wanted that too, more than anything.

The VEE headquarters was its usual tranquil self, with employees busily typing away and chatting on the phone in their spacious cubicles. The labyrinthine workspace seemed to stretch on forever, each area was a unique world populated by a diverse array of individuals. There were the quiet ones, the loud ones, and those who loved to boast about their sadistic affairs. Vox, on the other hand, was as usual, on the move, determined to make progress. He strode confidently over to the excited crowd awaiting his approach,

Vox was ready to tackle his next challenge:

"Hello, my lovely patrons! I'm assuming you all are looking for some form of reassurance after that crazy battle at lil princess morningstar's hotel, yeah?" The overlord questioned the chaotic crowd, his voice loud and clear.

"Yes, sir!"

"Are you still working on those angelic securities?" The angels will definitely come back with full force next time, right?"

"why, of course! Your safety is our priority after all!" Vox declared, outstretching his hands out in a gesture of triumph.

"but, sir! Is that even necessary? I mean, the princess and her band of misfits kinda showed those angels up! So, wouldn't we just need some angelic weapons?" No cameras and shit, right?"

Vox was taken aback by the sudden question, and his voice was infused with disbelief: "Heh, I mean weapons aren't ALL you need. Have I ever stood you all wrong before?" He crossed his arms, quirking a single brow.

Silence.

Then a scoff.

Vox's jaw tightened as he trained his eyes on the customer that dismissed his statement. "excuse me?" He watched as they stepped forward, pushing past the other customers determinedly. "And you are?"

"Y/n," They stated, extending their hand out for a hand shake. "Professional critic; Been following you for a long time, Vox."

“Really now?” Vox questioned quietly, hesitantly accepting the handshake. He crossed his arms, continuing broodingly, "What do I need a critic for, eh?"

"The truth is bound to come out eventually, right?" The critic began, also crossing their arms as if they were mimicking the overlord. "So, I must say that it is because of you and your not so delightful personality, sir. I have heard countless of statements from employee's who are just tired of working for you. Now, I'm not saying you're a bad person. You're just hard to deal with and that's just me being conservative."

Vox blinked, craning his head to look back at his subordinates who quickly scattered away in worry. Looking back at Y/n, he forced a polite smile. A part of him had expected that answer, but another part had hoped for something entirely different.

“I can be demanding at times and may push the policies here and there to achieve success, but that's not enough reason to complain, now is it?” He narrowed his gaze onto the critic, as if he were challenging them. “Tell me, what did I do that was so terrible and difficult to deal with? What have you heard? Please, tell."

Y/n winced, pausing before answering, "Vox," they began, pulling a notepad out of their bag before they started reading off some statements from employees, "working with him was enjoyable at first, but over time, it became exhausting as he relied too heavily on me for things that didn't even fit into my department. It felt as if he was just using me to cover up his back."

Vox took a deep breath and clenched his fists. His screen glitched in frustration as he addressed Y/n, "They are MY employees. It's their job to cover my back and handle the workload. That's what they're getting paid for. What else am I supposed to do as their mentor? Play golf?" He took a step closer to the critic, his expression intensifying greatly.

Y/N flinched, "I understand that," they responded cautiously. "But THEY don't enjoy doing so much, and I don't feel like you appreciate them. You think of them as your servants and expect them to go above and beyond their duties."

Vox grimaced, taking a step closer, closing the distance almost entirely. “I'm doing the best I can, so please stop portraying me as the villain. I'm not asking too much from them. All I expect is for them to fulfill their responsibilities. If I were such a terrible supervisor,” he then muttered begrudgingly, “then my employees are even more terrible workers. They're only staying to be paid half of what their worth, but just enough to keep them coming back for more."

"are you kidding me?" Y/n asked cautiously, trying to hide their apprehension. "You--"

"Ya know, I am an honest man." Vox interrupted and jumped at the critics side, invasively wrapping an arm around them. "As honest as one could be! And to be COMPLETELY honest, I don't think being a critic is really the right career path for you, my dear. How about..." He paused, tightening his hold around Y/n. "A day laborer? You've got the look and a solid reputation to match, so why not consider a day laborer position? Although the work may be menial and leave you covered in dirt and grime, you'll do a great job, I’m sure. However, let's not kid ourselves – this is no cushy gig. But, given your lifestyle, you're more than capable of tackling it.”

“What the hell?!” y/n exclaimed, visibly offended. They pushed Vox away forcefully and slammed their notebook to the ground below, “That's so degrading!"

“It's yours. The job offer, I mean.”

“Wha— this is . . . why are you like this?”

Vox expression feigns solemnity, “You’re right. I haven’t appreciated my employees as much as I should have been. I know I’m a bit difficult to work with, but I’m sorry for taking them for granted. Their presence will definitely be appreciated from now on. I’m sure of it. Just as YOUR presence would be appreciated anywhere but here."

“You’re literally saying I’d be perfect doing unglamorous tasks, you fuckin' prick!” Y/n argued, defensively.

"Think twice and check yourself before you speak if glamor is what you're seeking, babes." Vox mused with a hint of sarcasm, booping the critic's nose. Then his voice got exceptionally lower, "But, I will admit, my dear, no one has ever stood up to me like this before. It's quite riveting.

I just might continue my distasteful behavior if it means you'll stick around and talk shit about me."

Surely, this was all a part of Vox's facade. He could careless if you come back or not, or at least that's what he told himself. Maybe, just maybe, if he had to choose to spend his time with anyone, it'd be y/n:

Because they surely were something.

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very-feral-lesbian · 1 year

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the season six finale has officially become the lowest rated episode of 911 ever. here's my thoughts as to why season six as a whole is bad. this is long. it is needed.

objectively, the show has become repetitive.

kirsten reidel has no creativity when it comes to the storylines of buck and eddie. i am going to be focusing a lot on buck and eddie during this talk due to the fact that they have been the most neglected characters when it comes to relationships, and because there has been some serious, queerbaiting throughout the season alongside the worst of the show's writing.

this is our third love interest that buck has had that was representing one singular aspect of himself that becomes suddenly prominent due to the plot at the time. ali made buck realize that he needed someone who was going to appreciate his line of work and that it was a non-negotiable part of himself. abby served as a tool for buck to realize he could be in a serious relationship involving something more than sex. and now with natalia, she just represents this part of his life where he gets himself into near death situations and how to deal with them. these are all important aspects to buck’s personality and life; however, they don’t represent him as a whole.

buck deserves someone who knows him for all parts of who he is, and this show refuses to do that, because if we go from a logical standpoint, if eddie was a woman, and they still had the kind of relationship that they have now, they would be together. their personalities match, they are fucking coparent, and their lives are parallel to one another. 75% of their storylines outside of the emergencies at work are intertwined and coexist with one another.

the only other people with such interconnected storylines are the other couples and the families.

yes, hypothetically if they introduced a character who is basically like a woman version of eddie, and genuinely had this chemistry with buck then i wouldn't be mad. yet they actively choose people who do not have chemistry with him. especially with natalia having chosen a woman who failed a chemistry read with him (oliver) for a fucking romance movie. how are we, as an audience, supposed to ignore their lack of chemistry?

and i will say there was also something that happened in an interview with oliver that made me mad. as we have seen throughout the show, chris has become one of, if not the most, important person to buck outside of his sister. he fathers chris like he wished his father did to him. and oliver has even discussed this in interviews before, stating that buck is coparenting with eddie. but in his most recent interview, he made it seem like the idea of parenting is completely new to buck.

i don’t wanna put the blame on oliver, but the way that he is speaking so differently within such a short amount of time about these relationships, indicates that there was a change at some point. because during the second interview, it was very obvious that they were treating Buck like a second parent to christopher. they said that he was giving him the parental love that he never had. and now they are acting like buck has never experienced what it’s like to be a parental figure, which we have seen (and been told in the past) is the furthest thing from the truth.

before i get into eddie’s relationships, i do want to point out a couple things that also did make me mad this season that are smaller, but still important.

there was a scene between hen, karen and hen's mom when denny was trying to have a relationship with his father. hen's motherly "said that a boy needs his father". this is homophobia. it’s not even subtle. saying to two fantastic mothers of a child that that a child needs a father figure to grow up correctly. this show prides itself on having diversity, although a negligent amount. having a black lesbian family can go so far and be great representation. but now they are just throwing all of their work away by having this character say the most homophobic shit.

in general, the show is very good at not including repercussions of actions or situations. we have not gotten discussion about athena‘s father since the episode about him. they completely abandoned hen's medical storyline, giving an unjust ending that felt incomplete. and bobby’s storyline about that sponsor of his was just dropped like nothing. yes this happens a lot in procedural dramas. however, that doesn’t mean it should happen. this show is nothing without these characters, they make the show. yet, they set up all these gigantic plot lines only to not follow through or provide any insight about how it’s impacting the character going forward, leaving so many things feeling incomplete. and this leads me to eddie.

last time that we saw eddie date, christopher literally ran away from home to bucks because he was upset. and now, with zero resolution about christopher‘s feelings, with little to no talks about it, eddie has allowed chris to have information regarding a woman that he might possibly date before even dating her. this makes no sense for who eddie is as a person. his number one priority is his son, and he has made that clear several times that his son comes before dating. why suddenly is he spreading this information to christopher like it’s nothing? yes, chris has grown up a lot since then, but it was still an unresolved plot line that heavily impacted two of our main characters, but it was dropped like nothing.

i want to talk about the couch theory. oliver had hinted that the couch theory was very important and was going to come to a head at the season finale. i find it extremely difficult to believe that the couch theory that has been set up since the beginning of this season was created to be finalized with a character that we have seen for less than 10 minutes of screen time and has been in less than three episodes. you cannot begin to tell me that all of this work towards this metaphor that has been beautifully written is now just finished with a random character, that we know little to nothing about except her job. hypothetically, if we go with the idea that this was what it was meant to be from the beginning, they did a terrible job doing it. that is really undeniable. but if the originally story involved buddie due to the heavy involvement of eddie and chris in this metaphor, why change it? there have been undeniable parallels throughout the season and an almost frame by frame shot of buck and christopher doing the exact same thing on eddie’s couch, only for the answer to buck's "couch problem" to be natalia? i dont buy it.

as for this season six finale, it was a fucking disaster. for a drama about fire fighters, for all they have been through, a bridge collapse is nothing. there was no moment where i thought one of our main characters were dead. there was no intensity and very little emotion about the scene, except from maddie.

it was only made worse by the jumpcut at the end where all the characters are just fine. eddie had several broken ribs? nope, he's all healed, let him cheer and jump in the air. chim had a rod through his abdomen (that he proceeded to pull out because despite him being a paramedic, he definitely wouldn't know proper procedure)? he's perfectly fine, no mention of any repercussions of that injury. and cap had no injuries after being crushed by a literal bridge? of course, makes perfect sense!

when comparing this season finale to other plot lines like the tsunami, the earthquakes, the texas fires, the lightning strike, the firetruck on bugs leg, and countless others, this felt so subtle. and it was only exasperated by the last 20 minutes of the episode feeling incredibly out of place, like someone wrote it without seeing the first half of the script.

in general, i think that if 911 continues to have the same show runners and writers from this point forward, it is going to be a repetitive nightmare of a mess of a procedural drama. it is no longer good, there is no creativity in the show anymore, they have created these backstories for all of their characters and refuse to follow through with them.

i have loved this show and the community of 911 since season two when I started watching it, and it is undeniable that there have been some masterpieces of storytelling in the show. nothing will ever beat the tsunami, or any of the "_____ begins" episodes. that is where they peak. they peak when they focus on their main characters and showing their history and how human they are. and yet with every new episode, they undo the work.

i don’t like to throw queerbaiting around for a plethora of reasons, but season six has changed my mind on that. if they truly created the couch theory just to have it end up with natalia, then why include buck being on eddie’s couch then parallels it to their son? why would you cast someone who failed a chemistry test with your main character to be that character's love interest? i legitimately want a reason. because at this point it is just homophobia. they don’t want to do the storyline because it would mean that two more of their characters are queer. and it seems like they want the minimum diversity possible. they already have one gay couple, so why have another? they already hit the gay diversity mark.

there’s a reason that this episode is the lowest rated episode of 911 of all time. If ABC does not listen to 911 fans, season eight will be the last season of the show.

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mdhwrites · 3 months

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honestly, Amity's hair color is the perfect metaphor for her character. She's still hiding her true colors, she's just trying to match Luz instead of Odalia.

So even at the time, when I was still deep in the paint of TOH, I had a major problem with it as far as the themes, metaphors and just designs of TOH went. Put both Amity and Luz at that time into their Hexside uniforms. Then silhouette them so you have no colors. Now try to tell me which is which.

It was a genuine problem for me during that time period where I'd see sketch fanart of Lumity and have to look for Amity's ears because otherwise the two are indistinguishable from each other. Like yes, it's a MUCH more boring hairstyle and I'm with others that there's just way too much purple in the show so Amity's green hair helped her actually stand out but this really was a big problem and got worse as I got more critical of Lumity. After all, this moment of making sure she has her own identity, stands out from others and will decide her own fate... And she looks the fucking same as another character now, blending in more easily with them. Then she just goes on to slowly have the rest of her personality and life (which were already doing this, thank you "your grades are slipping" from Escaping Expulsion for that one) consumed by her role of girlfriend.

It makes what should be such a character defining moment anything but that. Hell, it isn't even a complete schism from her family's desires and wishes. She still goes on to effectively helm Blight Industries after all, or so I presume unless she started her own competing abominations factory which still doesn't fix that that's STILL what Odalia would have wanted had Amity failed to get into the EC. It's still living in the shadow of her father's legacy and following in his own footsteps.

It's actually the one major cue from Hunter that Amity takes for her arc which really doesn't help the two feel like they aren't the same character. At least with Hunter, we only have one action that's confirmed as being the same as those he's supposed to be rejecting so as to find his own personhood: Rejecting Belos. There's a lot more we can claim but that's the only one 100% confirmed.

Amity though? Her future includes dedicating herself to a potentially unhealthy degree to her partner while also commercializing her magic into mech-infused abominations. Even if Lumity is healthy post the series, nothing about Amity's behavior doesn't imply she'd drop everything for Luz at a moment's notice and Alador gave the same impression. So... She just became her dad? Why?

Then again, when you are a show that seems to actually struggle to write a diverse cast of characters (I mean personality wise, not ethnicity), this is going to happen. Dana is a good enough artist though that the silhouette problem shouldn't have happened. That should have been caught and stopped immediately, not when it's so antithetical to the point of the moment. I guess you could say it's to show she still needs to make another step to becoming her own person but that never really happens, does it? And we explicitly know they didn't have proper plans for it to happen.

So yeah, it really is just perfect for who Amity became, even right down to being a worse design to go alongside girlfriend Amity being such a worse character.

======+++++======

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

#the owl house criticism #toh critical #toh #the owl house #amity blight

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foxes-that-run · 6 months

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Walking in the wind

Harry Styles has a gift for answering a question and not answering it at all at once. In the Made in the A.M track by track he said WITW was inspired by Paul Simon’s song Graceland.

youtube

I love how Harry's solo work draws modern inspiration from his diverse music tastes and he encourages his fans to broaden their tastes. Hindsight being 20/20 you can see where he went with his debut in that short video and this song.

When Simon wrote Graceland he and Carrie Fisher were divorcing and his relationship with Art Garfunkel was bitter. Simon said Graceland was a metaphor for the journey to mend a broken heart. Much like 2015 Harry who had broken up with Taylor and was on tour as One Direction ended. Simon also went to Africa to make this album, much like Harry went to South America for debut.

Timeline

Made on the AM was written in Japan in February 2015. Harry talked being able to just write 'good songs' because it wouldn’t be toured which made space for a song like this. WITW was probably written between February and May 2015. Harry and Taylor had been close at the end of 2014, it was over on or by his 21st birthday 2 February 2015. His smile when he saw her at the start (0:29) of BBMAs showed no animosity, but it’s unlikely WITW was written after the BBMAs in May (Woman). He also started looking even sadder live then.

To rolling stone Julian Bunetta said:

“That title was born in Japan. Just the title of it and the idea of it. Everyone’s different experiences of what they’re going through, whether it’s this or that, I’d like to think that these songs can apply to more than just [one instance].”

Lyrics

[Verse 1: Harry] A week ago, you said to me "Do you believe I'll never be too far?" If you're lost, just look for me You'll find me in the region of the summer stars The fact that we can sit right here and say goodbye Means we've already won A necessity for apologies between you and me Baby, there is none

The relaxed and happy tone depicts their romantic friendship that continues. I think they genuinely cared for each other, are nice people who both prioritised their careers. To me, “the fact we can say goodbye means we’ve already won” shows that mutual respect for each other.

To me “Do you believe I’ll never be too far” is agreeing to be apart while they focus on being massively famous and together in the future.

In the context of their later work about being end game, the 1, sushi is about having only a piece of your persons life, in as it was and golden he sings about it being time or feel her taking over.

Harry does not have anyone that would never be too far in a literal sense, and although at that time he was always with 1D they have spoken in interviews that year of that not being good.

[Pre-Chorus: Niall] Ah-ooh, we had some good times, didn't we? Ah-ooh, we had some good tricks up our sleeve Ah-ooh, goodbyes are bittersweet But it's not the end, I'll see your face again

Taylor has a similar lyric in The 1 “But we were something, don't you think so? / Roaring 20s, / tossing pennies in the pool / And if my wishes came true / It would've been you” this is about appreciating the relationship.

[Chorus: All] And you will find me Yeah, you will find me In places that we've never been For reasons we don't understand Walking in the wind Walking in the wind

Where their earlier work on Red and other 1D albums sung about always wanting to be together and coping in their career by Made in the AM and Reputation onwards they started singing about being connected but apart, on faith they’d come back together.

[Verse 2: Louis] Yesterday, I went out To celebrate the birthday of a friend But as we raised our glasses up to make a toast I realised you were missing

This may be referring to Lily Aldridge’s birthday where they both were. Harry’s 21st birthday was 2 weeks later but Lily and Taylor were in Nashville. In Hunger he sang about making her cry on his birthday, if it was for Debut the 1 year to 2 timeframe line up for that. (Hunger also sings of “your stuff” as in music, doesn’t taste the same, as in Two Ghosts)

Later on 27 February he posted the overgrown winding wheel and she started dating CH.

[Bridge: Harry] And I know we'll be alright, child Just close your eyes and see I'll be by your side Any time you're needing me Oh, yeah

The bridge is similar to Fine Line, which also ends on “we’ll be alright” in Fine line he’s reflecting on being friends with someone he’s in love with. Here he is asking his muse to have faith that although they are not together he’s there for her. Also Sign of the Times "Just stop your crying / It'll be alright"

I just wanna love you leak

youtube

In September 2023 a leaked song, I just wanna love you referenced WITW with “A week ago you said to me: "We've started running out of time" / Crying over memories that we lost and cannot be found / Why don't we stop talking now? / (I just wanna love you)” which to me, in the sound and this lyric is the sequel to WITW, he’s saying it’s time. It also refers to Late night talking, and The 1 and Question…? Where they explore friendship with someone they love, in WITW they seem to agree to leave a live unresolved, on Harry’s House and Midnights they are contemplating that unresolved love.

#Youtube #made in the am #haylor #one direction haylor #one direction

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hopelessromanfic · 1 year

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GLADIOLUS

A Willel ficlet

It’s late one night when El comes into Will’s room after a nightmare, it’s routine by now after a few years of living together as siblings. She’s laying in his bed, the warm light from his bedside lamp illuminating the room in a soft glow.

He doesn’t shut it off, he knows it helps her just as it does him.

The room is silent as he waits for her to speak first, if she wants to. He is no stranger to silent nights following nightmares, taking comfort only in the others presence. A sign that they are still here, that they won the war waged against them from the midst of their childhood, despite how it bled into their adolescence.

She runs a trembling finger across her wrist, her breath shakes with each inhale.

“I wish it would wash away.” Her voice shakes too, her words bitter to hear, he’s sure they’re even bitter to the taste.

His eyes land on the two black marks on her wrist, just an inch south of her palm. A cruel reminder of all she’s been through, a sick mark of trauma that has just barely faded with time.

“I hate it.” Her voice is softer now, her eyes drifting from her wrist to meet his. “I hate it, Will.”

He understands. He understands in the same way Jonathan understands, how Max understands, Nancy and Dustin.

Physical marks left on them. His scar on his hip from his possession, Nancy and Jonathan’s scars on their palms from cutting them to lure the Demogorgon, Max’s loss of vision and the slow of her mobility, Dustin’s limp from his leg never healing quite right.

The scars fade over time, sure, but hurt like an open wound at the slightest glance. They serve as a reminder of what was taken from them, stolen from their tiny grips like they ever stood a chance. Cruelty branded, a permanent mark everlasting on their bodies. On their minds.

His eyes drop to her wrist, his hand cupping hers gently as he runs a finger along the dark marks on her pale skin.

��Maybe, when you’re eighteen, you can get it covered up.” He says, looking up to see her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Her head is cocked to the side.

“Covered up? I can do that?” She looks down at her wrist, her eyes a little brighter now. “With more tattoos?”

“Sure, if that’s what you want.” He traces along the numbers again. “Would you?”

She smiles, a gentle yet genuine smile pulling at her cheeks. She nods. “But what would it be?”

“Anything you want.” Will adjusts in the bed, his blanket falling completely into his lap and pooling around his legs. “Something you find meaningful or, if you want, just something you think looks nice. Something you like.”

She thinks for a moment, silence stretching on as she stares at the mark on her skin. Her smile only widens as the seconds tick by. He knows that look, the sparkle in her eye shining iridescent in the low lighting of his bedroom.

“A flower?” El glanced up at him. “I like flowers.”

“Hold on.” He smiles, getting up from the bed and making his way over to his bookshelf. He searches for a moment, producing an old cloth-bound hardcover book, the golden accents shimmering in the dim lighting of his lamp, the title ‘The Language and Poetry Of Flowers’ glittering. “Did you know flowers can have meaning? Like, symbolization of different things.”

“Really?” His sister perks up then, craning her neck to see the book as he flips over the cover and carefully leafed through the pages. His eyes skim through the words as he glances up, nodding with a small smile.

“Really.” He stops at the page he was looking for, grinning a bit to himself. “Mom loved picking flowers from the meadow when she was little. Hawkins gets some pretty diverse kinds of wildflowers, so my grandma got her this book so she could learn what they meant. These ones were always her favorite, but they’re native to South Africa, so she only ever saw them through her book.”

He turns the book towards her, the page showing a mix of pink and red and yellow flowers. She stares in awe.

“Gladiolus?” She breathes, a gentle hand caressing the page.

“It’s Latin for sword,” He leans closer, his finger pointing out the text below the picture. “Some people believe Gladiators from Ancient Rome wore them as protection. But it’s also means strength and courage, to overcome. Just like you always do.”

“I love it.” El sniffs a little, her eyes wetter than they had been before. “It’s perfect, Will.”

He smiles, reaching over to his nightstand and ripping out a page from his sketchbook before marking the page and handing the book to her. “Here, so you have a reference when you decide to get it.”

“Could…” El chews on her lip, her fingers fidgeting with the corners of the book. “Could you draw it for me one day? I want it to be from you, if that’s okay.”

Her words twisted into his chest, squeezing around his heart like a warm hug. His face broke into a smile.

“Of course,” He says, taking the book back from her outstretched hands. “I’d love to.”

She smiles at him, laying back in the bed with an expression of serenity. Her hand fell from her wrist for the first time that night and suddenly, it felt like everything would be okay again.

#willel #willel fic #willel ficlet #will byers #el hopper #el hopper byers #the byers family #byer hopper siblings #byler #<- target audience as well #it’s 6am when im finishing this #i haven’t slept yet but i couldn’t get the idea out of my head #El’s tattoo #idk if Will would ever be a tattoo artist but I do know that he would gladly design tattoos for his friends/fam #fluff #willel fluff #slight angst #if you squint #didn’t proofread bc im too tired :)

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riverwithoutbanks · 1 year

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All this talk about V*lma has made me rewatch some Scooby doo episodes and one thing I’ve noticed is the sheer heart of it. It’s just well meaning and kind, the writers seem to love the characters. It’s fun, it’s light, there are small details everywhere that are genuinely fun to notice.

Idk, I thought we were over the all ‘uuuuuuhr let’s darkify that universally loved thing cuz it’s so cool to be edgy’.

I like the idea of a more diverse cast. I even like the idea of a Scooby doo show with more complex mysteries that might appeal more towards an adult audience. Hell, it works, too! Just look at Scoobynatural. That was a riot.

Violence, sex, drugs, and general edginess do not an ‘adult’ show make. I might not be talking for everyone here, but I don’t want nor need more gloom in my life. Something fun and clever, on the other hand, would be brilliant. Deconstruction is interesting, but I wish it wasn’t all that was done with mature adaptations… And when it is, i wish it was done well.

#scooby doo #small rant

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uncaught-coolfish · 1 year

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ok ok imo there was defo some planning to the bees becoming canon and to deny that is kinda silly to me. that doesn’t mean that planning and eventual execution was good.

•Yang losing her arm is apparently a “sign of her love for Blake” because of that line Adam had in V3? …I thought y’all despised his ass, when did we start believing a word that came out of his mouth??

•On that note, paralleling the two, when the latter was literally the abuser of the former’s current gf, is…..😬

•Also on that note, the objective infantilizing of Blake. All she really does now is whimper and be meek around Yang until another “bee moment” or until the plot remembers to use her for something. Yes, because turning this once feisty character into this shy nervous little meow meow who can’t even fight on her own anymore after she’s revealed to have been an abuse victim is totally not gross.

•Yang prioritizes her new GF over her little sister who is clearly in a horrible headspace, and when she finally breaks down, instead of attempting to calm her down or console her she steps in front of a COWERING BLAKE and just says “Hey!”. YOU TWO ARE BOTH OLDER THAN HER WHY ARE YOU ACTING LIKE THIS

•The scene in which they finally confess was literally forced out of them by a storm. I…I thought we learned to not do this? Guys? Um…

•The 10 year queerbaiting smugly disguised as “planned from the start uwu” that Voltron Legendary Fucking Defender wishes it could have achieved. Does that mean it was always planned that you’d write your hatesink character to have been a branded child slave? Does that mean it was always planned that you’d write the confession of these two’s love for each other to have been forced out of them? Does that mean it was always planned that you’d confirm your main queer couple two episodes before said couple did nothing to save their 17 year old leader from taking her own life on screen?

•Saying the quiet part out loud when an employee tweeted that “The bee kiss alone hopefully green lights V10.”

•Also, the immediate merchandising of it. Ugh.

Before I go on, no I do not believe the bees were “forced diversity”. No I do not believe Adam was killed to push it (he was killed because the writers wanted a quick way for people to forget how abhorrently racist this show fucking got anyways). No I do not believe this is a bad pairing, and if you accuse me of being an [insert hetero Blake/Yang ship here], I ship fucking Monochrome and Thundercats, dude. But what about the rest of this show’s LGBT representation? Is it any b

No.

•Our first on screen rep is in the form of Ilia. I really like Ilia, genuinely, she’s honestly one of my favorite characters. But why did they write their first lesbian character in the “psycho lesbian” trope? Also, why did their first indigenous character start out as a villain who had to be redeemed by learning violent protest bad all lives matter and ANYWAYS—

•Coco leers at women and her allusion is a fucking Nazi. She sucks. •The wives from V6 (Terracotta-Arcs??) are fine. Probably the most decent rep we’ve got, even if they were just a one off thing. They’re cute and I’m happy for em. Slay.

•We’ve got a single gay man in the entire cast (Scarlet) and he’s confirmed in a book. A single gay dude in a show infamous for its character bloat. Obviously we know why but man.

•3 non-binary characters. 1 is in a spin-off, 2 are animals. In this latest volume in which the last two are present, one is revealed to be a villain, and the other goes out Green Mile style. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaay….

•And lastly, May. I also do like May! However, her character is not the problem.

What is the problem with all of this, no mater what, is the people, company, making this show.

Rooster Teeth is not your friend. Rooster Teeth does not care about you, or putting that loving care into representation.

Why are half of the villains disabled? Why are half of the villains in universe minorities? Why are half of the villains POC? Why are half of the villains a combination of two or all three of those traits?

Why is the only freedom fighting, minority rights organization terrorists? Why does their WOC leader die the scene we meet her? And why is her killer revealed to have been in fucking slavery the same episode he dies on screen in? And why is this organization taken as a serious threat, while two openly racist antagonists are portrayed as goofy and comical?

Why are any and all plus-sized characters portrayed as jokes? Why does the disabled-coded girl get her disability ripped away from her so she can “truly be human”? Why does another disabled character have him losing an arm to mean he’s lost his humanity? Why does this show portray so many misandristic tropes? Why does this show portray so many misogynistic tropes?

Why was this show’s first LGBT character a villain? Why was the next based off a Nazi? Why are two out of their three non-binary characters animals, and why have those two either been “killed” or turned into villains? Why is there only one gay man in this huge cast?

And why is it so many just let it slide that, while before and during the production of the volumes featuring the show’s first transgender character, Rooster Teeth treated and abused that character’s VA like absolute garbage?

Are the lives of those real people less important than those sweet, sweet “bee moments”?

In conclusion, the bees were not forced. I am glad they are canon. But I am not glad that it has nearly managed to conceal all the deplorable shit the racist, homophobic and awful company behind it has done.

#rwde #this one is seriously unarticulated but that’s like. ok #just thoughts that have been on my mind for a whiiile

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asimperingswannsong · 11 months

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A Spouse for a Ser?

Part 3

Ser Brienne of Tarth/Lady Lyla Mooten

Summary/Warnings: A wedding proposal is accepted; fluff and smut; and fluffy smut?

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Lady Mooten reached up and brushed a lock of disheveled, wavy blonde hair out of Brienne’s eyes, tracing her fingertips gently down over one eyebrow and further over her cheekbone to her jaw. Brienne stared intently at her, relishing the tenderness of her touch.

“Do you know how beautiful you are?” Brienne knit her brow together as her brain supplied her with a montage of everytime someone had used the term beautiful or beauty to describe her.

Yes, many people had referred to her in that manner, but all of them, even Ser Jaime, had meant it in a malicious or derisive way. No one had ever said it genuinely until now.

Brienne felt her eyes prick with tears. She was startled by the intensity of her response, and turned breaking eye contact looking toward the window for a diversion. She felt Lady Mooten reach out and take her hands in her own, drawing her attention back.

She backed up leading Brienne over to the bed. She sat down on the edge and Brienne knelt down in front of her. She cupped Brienne’s face running her hands back tangling them into her hair and pulling her close. She stopped short of kissing her and waited for Brienne to close the gap.

It was a chaste, tender kiss. Brienne pulled back and Lady Mooten ran her thumb over her bottom lip, smiling warmly at her. She placed her hands on the armor covering Brienne’s shoulders. “How does this come off?” Brienne showed her the straps holding the shoulder piece in place, and Lady Mooten gently untied them, removing the first piece.

Brienne watched as Lady Mooten carefully worked her way down one arm then the other, gently untying each strap and removing each piece. Brienne decided this was a much preferred manner of removing the armor to Podrick’s usual rough, bumbling assistance.

The chest pieces came off, Brienne stood and the leg pieces followed. Lady Mooten even unlaced her boots before Brienne reached down and pulled removed them. Lady Mooten grabbed the bottom edge of Brienne’s stiff, leather doublet, “and this?”

Brienne unlaced the front of it and slid it off her shoulders, leaving her in her under shirt and trousers. “Much better,” Lady Mooten said standing. She switched places with Brienne and pulled down on her hand for her to sit.

Lady Mooten slipped her sandals off, gathered the bottom of her gown up, and climbed onto Ser Brienne’s lap.

She placed one hand back into Brienne’s hair and pulled her in resuming their kiss. This one lasted much longer. They only stopped when then had to for breathing purposes.

Brienne had never experienced anything like this embrace. Ser Jaime was her only basis for comparison, and their exchanges had been more forceful and needy, almost rough, from the very beginning. She had not disliked that, but she felt she preferred this.

Tracing her thumb along Brienne’s lip again, Lady Mooten asked, “Do you wish to continue?” “Yes, my lady,” Brienne said enthusiastically. She leaned back in, but Lady Mooten pulled back slightly. Brienne gave her a confused look. “Lyla,” she said. “Lyla,” Brienne repeated as they continued.

The kiss deepened, turning into a full make out session as they explored each others mouths and caressed each other. When they parted Brienne rested her forehead against Lyla’s as they tried to catch their breaths. Their lips were pink and swollen.

Lyla smiled at Brienne before pushing her gently to lay back onto the bed. She crawled after her so they could resume their exploration of one another.

Lyla rolled her hip gently down onto Brienne as their kisses continued; pressing against her core. Brienne broke the kiss, gasping slightly at the contact. Lyla smiled down at her.

Brienne placed both of her hands on Lyla’s hips and pulled gently down encouraging her to repeat the motion. Lyla complied rolling against her again. Brienne felt a current of pleasure run through her core. She stared intently with her pupils dilated slightly.

Brienne reached back up with her mouth chasing after their kiss and they continued making out as Lyla ground down on Brienne’s lap. Lyla reached her hands down while maintaining their kiss and unlaced the front of Brienne’s trousers.

Brienne reached up running a hand along Lyla’s jaw and into her hair as Lyla slipped her hand down the front of Brienne’s trousers parting her slit with her index finger and applying a gentle pressure to her clit.

Brienne threw her head back with a moan and Lyla used the opportunity to wrap an arm around the back of her head and lean in to place open mouthed kisses on the pulse point of her exposed neck as she continued to tease her clit.

Brienne was lost in the delicious sensation in her core when Lyla suddenly stopped and crawled down and off the bed. Brienne sat up confused. “What’s wrong,” she asked?

Lyla didn’t respond; she just slipped the straps of her dress off of each shoulder and pushed causing the gown to pool at her feet. She was nude underneath.

Brienne stared at her open mouthed for a moment before sitting up and scooting to the end of the bed. She reached out a hand and caressed Lyla’s belly and hip before pulling her in to her so she could place kisses along her belly.

Brienne was accustomed to fighting, traveling, and working with men who were coarse and hard from battle. As a result, Brienne was coarse and hard. Her body covered in scars from hundreds of fights. But Lyla was all softness and curves.

She was so clean and smooth and she smelled wonderfully sweet. Brienne continued kissing as much of her torso as she could while running her hands down her back, cupping her ass with each hand, before continuing down the backs of her thighs and her calves.

Everywhere she touched and everywhere she kissed was soft and warm and no matter how much she kissed and how much she caressed her, Brienne wanted more.

She was frustrated slightly when Lyla stopped her, gently pushing on her shoulders for Brienne to sit back from her. Lyla was enjoying Brienne’s touches and kisses, but she felt Brienne was entirely too covered for their endeavors.

Lyla pulled at Brienne’s trousers, pulling the down and off of her legs before lifting her shirt tails up. Brienne pulled the shirt off and tossed it aside, leaving her nude as well.

Lyla pushed Brienne back down on the bed and crawled back onto her. As she took in the sight of the hard muscles of Brienne’s abs and upper body, Lyla traced her finger along a particularly large scar on her stomach.

“White walker,” Brienne said simply. Lyla knit her brow together worriedly before moving on to one at her ribs. “The hound.” Lyla continued to look at her with concern, until Brienne stopped her hand by taking it in her own.

Brienne looked into her eyes and Lyla smiled, bending down and gently kissing her again. She lifted back up and shifted her position on top of Brienne.

She lifted Brienne’s leg from under her knee and turned slightly placing her leg underneath Brienne’s. She splayed one of her hands open on Brienne’s stomach and held the back of Brienne’s raised leg with the other.

Brienne was confused by the position until Lyla rolled her hips down once again. At this new angle, Lyla was able to press her core directly against Brienne’s and the result was intensely pleasurable.

Brienne groaned and fisted both hands into the sheets as Lyla began to fuck herself against Brienne. Brienne laid back losing herself in the pleasure she had no idea they could give one another until now.

When she opened her eyes she saw Lyla with her head thrown back, pressing down with one hand on her stomach, and pulling herself forward against Brienne using the hand on the back of her knee.

She was breathtaking, fully nude, and lost in the sensation of their cunts grinding against each other. Brienne reached out, caressing Lyla’s breasts gently before placing one hand on Lyla’s belly and the other on her lower back, gently pulling her down as Brienne started to buck her hips up into her helping Lyla to fuck herself against her.

As they both felt their orgasms growing, they movements became almost frantic. Lyla began softly pleading, “Please, Brienne. I’m so close. Please. It’s so good. Please.” Brienne moaned in return, too lost in the sensation to form sentences.

As Lyla felt herself falling over the edge, she reached down between them and rubbed Brienne’s clit causing Brienne’s hips to stutter. She threw her head back and moaned as she came pressing down onto Brienne. The sight and sound of Lyla cumming, caused Brienne to finish with her.

As they both tried to catch their breaths, Lyla let go of Brienne’s leg and turned repositioning herself, and collapsing down on top of her. Brienne wrapped both arms around Lyla and they lay pressed against each other.

As their breathing calmed, Lyla crawled up and to Brienne’s side, laying her head down on the pillow next to Brienne who looked sleepily at her. “I don’t know about you,” she said, “but I think we can manage this whole satisfying each other thing well enough. What do you think?” “Mmhmm,” Brienne hummed agreeably.

Lyla found the sleepy, tousled look very sexy on Brienne. So, she wound an arm around her head and pulled her forward into another kiss. She reached forward to deepen the kiss and crawled back on top of Brienne. Brienne cupped each of Lyla’s ass cheeks in her hands and pulled her down against her as they made out.

Lyla lifted herself slightly to slip one of her hands between them, reaching down and opening Brienne’s slit. She pressed her index finger inside her and hooked it upward pressing against her wall. Brienne broke the kiss and Lyla resumed her earlier attack on Brienne’s pulse point.

She sucked marks onto her neck as she slipped a second finger inside her and fucked her faster. Brienne reached up with one hand to grab the top of the headboard. She squeezed Lyla’s ass cheek with the other, kneading the flesh with her hand.

Lyla felt Brienne’s orgasm building as her walls clenched down on her fingers. She continued fucking her as she kissed up her neck and along her jaw. When she reached her ear she nibbled lightly at her earlobe before pressing her lips against her ear and whispering, “I love you, Brienne.”

Brienne came hard, kissing Lyla’s shoulder and pressing her mouth firmly against it to muffle some of the loud groans as her body was wracked with pleasure.

Lyla pulled her fingers from inside Brienne as she huffed deeply at her shoulder trying to catch her breath again.

When she was finally able, she immediately sat up, shifting Lyla as she did so that she straddled Brienne’s lap as Brienne cradled her upper body against her own. Brienne turned her head from Lyla’s shoulder and captured her mouth in a kiss before pulling back slightly from her.

They gazed into each other’s eyes before Brienne spoke, “My lady, I will marry you if you will have me. I will honor you, serve you, and protect you and I will love you for the rest of our lives.”

Lyla smiled happily at Brienne. “I can’t wait to be your wife, Brienne.” They kissed and then stayed in each others arms. Brienne rested her head against Lyla’s breast while tracing lazy circles along her back with her palm. Lyla ran her hand through Brienne’s hair, gently massaging her scalp.

Eventually, Lyla placed a kiss on Brienne’s forehead and said, “Why don’t you join me in the bath so we can clean up before going to dinner, ser knight?” “Mmm,” Brienne replied.

Lyla chuckled at how Brienne slipped into a semi-verbal state when sleepy and sated, reducing her responses to a series of grunts.

When the pair failed to show for dinner, King Bran surmised that they had sorted out the finer points of their intentions toward one another.

#my fic #original female character #brienne of tarth #game of thrones #got fanfiction #gwendoline christie #fluff

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timemachineyeah · 1 year

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Hi, I really appreciate your points on Madoka! Thank you for providing that insight that is so desperately needed! Because I am so sick of dudebros acting like it's better than female-empowering Magical Girl works aimed at girls, or how whenever I or somebody else critiques the storytelling and message we just get told "Madoka is perfectly feminist actually and if you don't think so then you're just too stupid to understand how DEEEEEEEP it is go back to your stupid sweet and fluffy anime that's for GUUUUURLS" or alternatively "oh so female characters can't ever suffer ever and have to be happy all the time ever or it's misogynistic trash?!?!?!?! check and mate bitch" like I am just so tired. I'm glad to see your posts even though some of them are quite old. I have to say thank you once again for your genuine critique of Madoka because at this point I feel like I'm being punked whenever I talk about what's wrong with it.

Sorry! I saw this earlier and completely forgot to answer!

My few posts have given me a reputation as a Madoka hater (and, fair enough, because I certainly don't blame anyone who is. Please hate Madoka all you like). The truth is I really do like the original show quite a bit, but YEAH.

YEAH.

I think the thing that gets most exhausting for me, over and over, is bringing up these criticisms and being told, "No! Because Madoka fixed all that!" and even ignoring Rebellion (which I am inclined to do anyway), the girls still die.

They die.

The happy ending is a montage of girls dying. Which is a happy ending only because what they were getting before (specifically as a consequence of choosing to be a magical girl) was a fate worse than death.

And it's worth noting how the incubators are portrayed. They aren't portrayed as malicious. They aren't "evil" in that sense. What they are is practical and indifferent. They are taking advantage of inherent factors in the universe, not creating those factors.

Which means that there's something about PMMM that is saying, this is reality. At least in this fiction, this is the reality of femininity. And it is inherent to femininity! Kyubey even explains - it's weird! But only teen girls are like this! That's why we use them!

I think it's fair to be like, hey, that's fucked up. What kind of gender essentialist fatalism? Bro?

And it's also just denial to pretend it isn't about fanservice or a male audience.

As anyone who's been on my blog recently will know, I'm kinda super into Love Live! right now. It's cute. It scratches an itch.

And there's a lot of plausible deniability built into it, and a lot of pushback from English speaking fandom about it, but, uh, Love Live! is an idol game but it's also a waifu collector.

It's also a catalogue of nonthreateningly sexual anime teenage girls specifically designed to appeal first and foremost to lonely awkward Japanese young working men with disposable income.

And, idk, knowing that doesn't impede my ability to find it cute and wholesome and fun and escapist. The fact that it is that does lead to some of creative decisions that make the series less fun for me (it's not very diverse, for example. The yuri elements are subtext for another. And I either wish the girls were less sexualized or older, personally). But I'm not going to deny what it is.

I'm not even particularly interested in shaming the men its aimed at for liking it, or shaming the creators for making it that way per se (well, okay, sometimes I am interested in shaming the creators a lil bit). But I do think most the things about it that read as feminist to me as an American read that way because I am so far outside the original intended subculture. And I think the same is true about Madoka. You can absolutely read feminist messages in it. I certainly do. But placing these works in their original contexts tells a very different much more... regressive? picture. They were not made for women and girls. They are not made to uplift women and girls. They CAN! And they DO! Both in Japan and elsewhere! But that's anywhere from (at best) a secondary market to (at worst) a complete accident.

It's hard for some people to wrap their heads around because in America at least I think the idea of a "cute" (even if that's subverted in Madoka) media starring a large cast of only girls being for men is pretty alien to how we do stories and marketing. Here we understand playboy magazines and swimsuit editions, but we don't understand men collecting merch of a cute fictional girl they like. It would be seen as emasculating.

We understand the reverse. We get that boy bands and anime like Free! can be aimed squarely at women while being comprised entirely of men or male characters. Which is part of why I'm not shaming the male audiences, because... desiring anime tiddy isn't inherently predatory anymore than a lady desiring anime ass. And that's a crass way of putting it anyway. We don't frame hanging a boy band poster up that way, or playing a game like Mystic Messenger. It becomes more complicated because we live in a complicated patriarchal structure that protects and empowers men and women differently and unequally, but that seems like a poor reason to try to tell individual men they aren't allowed to enjoy things in a way that is obviously natural and parallels how... most humans like to enjoy some things sometimes.

But that also doesn't mean we can't look at those broad cultural patterns and... make observations. And have criticisms. And talk about how it affects people, and the back and forth between media and culture.

But, Madoka is for men first. The girls' suffering is a form of male gaze, and pretty unambiguously a kind of very very softcore torture porn for male gamer types. That's not a judgment against it, that's just its literal intended share of the market. It's a pretty easy read if you understand the context in which it was released and the culture it is coming from and catering to. My Little Pony is a little girls toy franchise. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sells toys to boys. Home & Gardens is for housewives. Top Gear is for car dads. These are true even if other people like them. When an adult fan of children's cartoons (I say, as an adult fan of children's cartoons) tries to say, "But it's not really a kids cartoon!" I feel about the same way I do when a feminist fan of some clearly male-centric media says, "But it's not really!"

And that's - own your shit. Own it. It's fine. It's fine to like it. It's fine to love it. It's fine if it means the world to you. It doesn't mean there's something wrong with you if you like a media that maybe isn't the most mature or progressive masterpiece out there. Just don't pretend there's no validity in obvious criticism. I love some real garbage made by real garbage people. I have survived.

Madoka exists in a fictional universe where the laws of that fictional universe are that 1) girls are uniquely emotional, 2) that emotion and their own aspirations can easily be harnessed against them in such a way that in the best possible universe all it does it kill them. In the normal universe it turns them into evil witches. That's just true. That's the world. I'm allowed to look at that, especially in conversation with magical girl media that came before, and go, "you know what? in that context, that's pretty fucked up" and it doesn't even mean that I stop liking the show, so I don't see why everyone else has to get so defensive about it.

(Y'all have no idea. Those posts are old now, but I got so many asks. I had to block so many people. I'm not trying to take your precious anime away calm down.)

Idk if I completely agree with the tone of my original posts - there's a little bit of offhanded vilifying of "men" as a shorthand for... all the bullshit... and I no longer love that language. I love men. Men are people. Some men can be shitty, but shitty individual men and patriarchy aren't the same. But I do still agree with all my broad points.

Plus, yes, also. The thing of a new (often male) fanbase getting into something you've been into for a long time with some new entry and acting like it both invented and fixed everything about the genre (PMMM and magical girls, Friendship is Magic and girl cartoons, Stardew Valley and farming sims) is frustrating, and to hear many an incurious nerd tell it, magical girls were floundering before Madoka! And I hate that.

Anyway, oops, I went on a little rant. That still makes it look like I don't like Madoka. I actually really do like the original series. I have rewatched it multiple times and probably will again. I even tried to play Magia Record (briefly - I couldn't really get into it). I can't speak to the many many spinoff media - but those have so many different writers and so much different lore that I think it'd probably be hard to try to pin any kind of single ethos to the franchise as a whole any more. But while I couldn't get into Magia Record I'd bet there's a short manga story or something that I'd love at this point. When you make like 200 magical girls or whatever that's bound to happen.

Thanks for the ask. Sorry Madoka fans are still so hyper defensive apparently. I hope you are able to survive them and find some better magical girl series out there. <3

#timemachine wuz here

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mormonbooks · 7 months

Text

The Bollywood Lovers' Club Review

This book absolutely wrecked me (affectionate)

4/5 Stars!!!!!!!

Amrita Sidhu moves away from her home in California, leaving behind a community and extended family where she knows who she is. Her new home in Ohio is cold and lonely but at least she has a couple of classes with Dave Gill, who is sweet and funny and awkward and Mormon. Amrita is Sihk and is not supposed to be dating anybody, certainly not a Mormon kid that her family doesn't even know. Dave is already struggling with how to tell his parents he won't be going to college like they expected, and he's still undecided on a mission. Falling for a girl outside his religion just adds another secret into his life.

This book centers around religion, faith, family expectation, and personal goals. I wish I'd had this kind of book to read growing up. For once I felt like my high school experience was accurately portrayed.

Spoilers under the cut

1. Well written - 5 Stars

Admittedly, you could probably find flaws in the plot if you looked. It's a High School Romance. Some things are cheesy or happen too fast or whatever, but personally I found the story and writing style engaging, realistic, relatable, and anxiety inducing at time.

2. Fun level - 5 Stars!

I love to read, but it's not often a book can hold my undivided attention for 4 hours straight. This book did. Every time I picked it up I felt myself sucked into Dave and Amrita's world. It might not be everyone's cup of tea (it IS a high school realistic fiction novel. No magic or spaceships) but I was entertained the whole way through.

3. Complex faith - 5 Stars

This is my favorite representation of Mormon life that I have EVER seen. It is exactly the kind of book I am looking for in this project. Dave is Mormon. He goes to early morning seminary and helps out in his ward. He loves his faith but he's also not afraid to ask questions about how things pertain to him personally. He grapples with his faith, and with what people have told him to do, before coming to his own conclusions.

Importantly, Amrita's religion is portrayed just as complexly throughout the book. And neither Dave nor Amrita ever consider giving up their faiths or converting or anything. I appreciated that they included Dave's grandfather, who converted to Mormonism from Sihkism, and explored how Dave feels this disconnect when he visits the gurdwara, like it's a place he should belong, but doesn't.

This book treats religion as a mixture of personal beliefs, family tradition, and community belonging, which is how I feel about my religion.

4. Homophobia scale - 2.5

Absolutely no mention of queerness at all. So it just gets the most medium score. There was no preaching but no gay people.

5. Mormon weird - 2

We had Dave explaining his green jello video project at one point, and a portrayal of Mormon wedding reception in the church gym (someone in Dave's ward at the beginning of the book). But overall it was light on the things that make Mormonism unique. Which I think worked for the story it was telling but does get it a low score in this area. It made me feel all the more represented for that I think.

6. Diversity of characters - 4

There are only like, two white girls in the whole story. Everybody else is Punjabi/Indian. Although that's really just one demographic, I am giving it a high score here because of how much it showed of Punjabi culture, and how much respect and honor those traditions were shown by the narrative. It wasn't just a ton of token characters, it was genuinely working to share a kind of story that doesn't always get told.

7. Other problematic stuff - 5

Didn't notice anything more of note.

Conclusion:

This is the kind of story I wish I had been able to read in high school. This is the kind of book I could recommend to someone as just, genuinely a good story and also it includes mormons. And Mormons done well! I feel like a lot of Mormon media I've seen focused a lot at making fun of ourselves, and I love that this book doesn't do that at all.

The end was heartbreaking. But I like that it allowed each character their choice, and it gave honor to prioritizing something other than romantic love.

#mormon #mormon representation #religion #The Bollywood Lovers' club #james goldberg #janci patterson #side note: interesting how both this and daughter of the deep have an indian girl and a mormon boy #gonna recommend this book to everyone who ships gem and ana/j #book review

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lotrmusical · 9 months

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post about poto italy

quite genuinely the most i've ever enjoyed watching phantom. i've been trying to figure out why and i think it basically boils down to a couple things:

- one of the things i like most about phantom is the metatheatricality, and one of the things i like most about theatre in general is suspension of disbelief. poto italy played into those things (both deliberately and inadvertently). any moments that lacked 'polish' (which there undeniably were, if you compare it to the london production) really worked for me to keep up that sense of immersion. we are in a theatre. this is a work of artifice. being able to see through the gaps in the performance and understand that this is something people are working together to make 'go', while still at the same time buying in to the world that it presents... idk. delicious chaos. if it were any other show, and if the cast hadn't all been singing their hearts out, it might not have worked. but as it was i think it being less polished than the london production actually made me enjoy it more

- on a related note, the other thing i like about phantom is how stupid it is. half the songs are overtly comedic and the other half are the world's schmalziest most over the top secretions of lloyd-webberage and the plot doesn't make any sense. so when i'm watching phantom i'm already psychologically primed to react to things with 'sure!! why not!!'. the sillier it is, the better. and boy did this production deliver on silly

- credit to alw, i think this is because the music is so genuine and compelling that it makes a strong enough tissue to hold the show together and preserve the emotional sincerity despite how objectively silly it all is. it's a rubbery sort of show. you can fit a Lot of silly into it without any risk of tearing the immersion.

- i don't even know what to say about characterisation tbh since i think it's fairly clear i don't watch this musical for the characters. i do not think that character depth is one of phantom's strong suits. nevertheless here are my takes.

christine felt like she had less agency than normal (already not a high bar) but compensated by responding to situations with genuine emotion/stress/fear and delivering a wishing you were somehow here again that made me weep.

i sort of enjoyed the unhinged all i ask of you. it makes christine and raoul more interesting to me if they're both obviously having a terrible time. i like raoul struggling with trying to be the Guy Who Fixes Everything in a situation that he's realising is actually beyond his abilities to fix.

diversity win/loss: this phantom stims. obviously one wishes they hadn't chosen to code the stalker and murderer as autistic/Ambiguously Mentally Unwell. like i think we can all agree we probably wish they had made a different choice there. that said, as someone who does rock back and forth in times of emotional stress, it did sort of work to get me to like him better. ah well.

- favourite things about this production: revolving set, deliberate arson and insurance fraud, the anastasia once upon a december thing they did during the overture, spinning piano, lesbianism, the masquerade staging

#dont get me wrong there were also things i did not enjoy about this production #but they are less fun to talk about #i think what it actually is tbh is seeing a DIFFERENT production was refreshing #if phantom was only be a good show bc of its particular staging and costuming and effects then that would be one thing #not that those arent a part of what makes it good in london etc!! ofc they are theyve got the wow factor theyre loved for a reason #but it's interesting to appreciate the show outside of that and see what still works and what doesnt #this is ludicrously long also vin i literally do not need to tell you any of this you were THERE WITH ME #we debriefed already!!!!!!#nevertheless i have complied with your instructions #gay belligerence #i dont want to put this in the tag i'm not a phantom person ive only seen in london twice. no this will not stop me from having takes

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a-world-of-whimsy-5 · 11 months

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Hi! Can I request Namo x reader and the fluff prompts of: "there it is, there’s that smile!" and "i haven’t laughed like this in a long time." Thanks!

Pairing: Námo x Reader

Themes: Soft

Warnings: None

Word count: 700 words

Summary: Námo is in need of a diversion, something to distract him from the tediousness of his duties.

Rules and tag form here.

Námo had been vexed all week. So much so, that the slightest inconvenience would be answered with a look that could make Melkor himself sink to his knees, begging for mercy.

It was the Fëanorians that did it. Judgment had come for them, and Námo had to decide the fate awaiting all of them. He could not be too severe or cruel or heavy-handed. It went against his nature and his purpose. Still, it vexed him greatly that he could not do more for those who should have known better.

You watched from the shadows as fëa after fëa came to him and pleaded their cases. Some were genuinely remorseful and wanted nothing more than to make amends for their actions. Others did not know what was happening until it was too late, and they found themselves being swept along with the tide. As for others, those who were unrepentant and uncaring of the harm they caused? They were sent away to the darkened corridors to while away their time in seclusion. If they repented, then a second chance awaited them. Alas, that would never be the case. Námo had already peered into their hearts. They were beyond saving.

"It is finished." Námo rose and walked down the steps that led to his lofty throne. He needed a moment. Just a moment to clear his thoughts and lighten his mood.

And you were ready. "My lord," you said, dipping into a deep curtsy when he reached you. "Are you... are you all right?"

Námo sighed and slipped his arm around yours. "As well as I could be, little raven. Come, let us leave this place for a little while."

The two of you walked in companionable silence. You glanced at Námo. His eyes were like chips of ice, and his jaw clenched tight. He was angry.

A distraction. Námo needs a distraction, but what?

You thought and thought before settling on an idea. "Tis a beautiful day, my lord. The world is all gold from the light of Laurelin. Perhaps a turn in the gardens, if it please you?"

Námo did not set foot outside his halls unless he was overcome by the urge to wander. And that was also a rare thing. His duties oft kept him at home.

I should get away from this lot, he thought. And savor a change of scenery.

"Very well, little raven," he said, "lead the way."

The gardens were just north of the halls. Marigold and pomegranate and yew grew wild here, as did white roses, cowslips, and poppies. Everything was wreathed in a gossamer veil of golden light and looked all the more beautiful. Námo took a deep breath of sweet-smelling air and sighed contentedly. His cares slowly drifted away.

"I wish I came here more often." Námo let his fingers drift over soft, velvety rose petals.

"Mayhap we should." You stood still while he tucked a rosebud behind your ear.

"Indeed." Námo took your hand and led you to a pomegranate tree in full bloom.

You spread your cloak over the soft grass before sitting down. And you studied Námo. He still looked worn by the many burdens on his shoulders. The turn in the gardens would not serve. He needed another distraction. Something to amuse him. You glanced at the flowers, drinking in their colours. Another idea slowly took form.

"You take too many burdens on your shoulders. It is starting to show." You look up at him with nothing but sweetness and innocence. "Perhaps you should charge one of the Fëanorians to amuse you."

"Little raven, you know that is not..."

"Fëanor capering and singing while in motley and bells and doing anything else you could think of. Would that not be a sight."

Námo opened his mouth to argue. Then, an image of the proud and mighty Fëanor in bells and clad in cloth of red and blue and green diamonds came unbidden. Visions of him prancing around the throne room, singing for his supper, came unbidden. Another vision, this time of Gorgumoth playfully chasing Fëanor, came unbidden. A slow, creeping smile tugged at his lips.

You grinned triumphantly. "There it is. There is that smile!"

More and more images of Fëanor in motley came in a rush. Námo snorted. The visions proved too amusing to resist. Soon he burst out laughing, the sound echoing around the quiet garden. His chest rumbled, his sides hurt, and tears soon stung his eyes.

"Oh," he said, wiping his eyes. "Oh my. Thank you for the diversion, little raven. I have not laughed like this in a long time."

tags: @cilil @edensrose @fictionfordays @asianbutnotjapanese

#Námo #námo x reader #námo mandos #Námo imagine #Námo soft #the silm #the silmarilion #the silm imagine #reader insert #reader request #x reader #fanfiction #writeblr #💫a world of whimsy writes

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runawaymun · 2 years

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Not to sound like a boomer but I genuinely am starting to feel that Netflix is one of the worst things that happened to television.

It’s all the same now.

And I don’t mean like, genre diversity. I mean the art form. Like Netflix has really just cursed the world with television that now has an absolutely breakneck, relentless pace. So few shows are casually watchable anymore. It’s hard for me to find good new comfort shows. All of mine are older. Seasons used to have 15-30 episodes, sometimes more! They used to be episodic. So you could literally just drop in at any point in a season, nearly, without having to remember where you’re at or be sucked in by cliffhangers for twelve hours. You could just sit down with your favorite characters for one episode and be done.

And sure, people still marathoned favorites, but that wasn’t the norm. And the thing is, shows like Psych, Stargate SG-1, Babylon 5, Doctor Who etc? I remember distinct episodes. I can name them, and I’ll go back and rewatch them over and over again independently. With newer shows I just don’t. If you ask me to name an individual episode of Cobra Kai, I can’t. If I’m rewatching then I’m rewatching the whole damn show and I just don’t have that kind of time, usually, so then I just don’t rewatch and it’s onto the next series— which gets super exhausting. Sometimes I don’t want that commitment.

And you lose a lot of character depth in my opinion. The beauty of episodic longform shows is in the sheer room you have. Yes. Seasons had arcs, but usually the plots were contained to an episode and the season arc was purely character development. And you had room for dumb episodes where characters go to the beach, or a party, or just dick around and live their lives. The viewer had time to get attached— which is why so many older shows still have such strong, old, thriving fanbases who are immensely loyal to their show.

And also??? Shows didn’t used to be cancelled for a bad first episode or season. That’s not normal!!? Netflix and other provider’s habits of cancelling shows that “flop” in their first three episodes or first season isn’t normal. With older shows it was just sort of accepted: the pilot and first season are like the first ugly pancake. Give the show some time. And that time is worth it. That’s why shows could run episodically for 6, 7, 14, 20 seasons, because people just accepted that some seasons are better than others and that’s okay. Some episodes are better than others. Shows didn’t used to rely on cliffhangers to keep their audience. They relied on characters. That was what we were watching them for and why we kept coming back.

I just really am starting to hate how every single tv show is now essentially a really long movie tbh. Give me my episodic, campy, 30-episodes a season shows back. They really are worth it and I’m so sad that those seem to be actively squished by tv providers. It’s an art form in of itself.

It’s just a symptom of late stage capitalistic churning of things for mass, quick comsumption. Like the fast fashion of film. Don’t get me wrong, I have a lot of new favorite shows I genuinely enjoy like Schitt’s Creek, House of the Dragon, Cobra Kai, Gentleman Jack, etc, but I just wish I had more options in terms of length/number of episodes/and how episodic a show is. It feels like a damn shame that episodic shows are being pushed out in favor of quick, bingeable ones. It also feels like writers are no longer being given the time to really craft a good story. There’s so much pressure and time crunching from studios and drive to cram your story into less than twelve episodes and that’s why you get, rather than a mediocre season, absolutely genuinely ruined seasons like the last season of Game of Thrones and the most recent season of Stranger Things. Both literally needed more episodes to make their story make sense. (If we ignore the dumb bran ending.)

Anyway this is your latest “old man yells at cloud” by your friendly neighborhood old person. Thanks for coming to my tedtalk.

#out of uniform #fandom #fandom culture

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havenpelt · 14 days

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maybe this is my ""hot take"" for the warrior cats community, but are we really as a fandom complaining about the songs people are using in maps?

i can understand it from a "there should be more diverse music used" standpoint, but getting genuinely upset with younger people in the fandom using hazbin hotel songs or making the 100th rasputin map or whatever isn't the way to get your point across-

(the only reason you should really be mad at kids using hazbin hotel songs is the fact that they're kids using hazbin songs, kids need to get as far away from that as possible, it is a very adult show- not overly relevant but thought i should get that fact out of the way; or i guess people probably shouldn't be making maps using poison, that is the least appropriate song you should be using at all, but at the very least hazbin songs as a whole are just not thematically appropriate regardless of the fact that they're too mature for kids to be using)

the same goes for tearing into people for their music tastes

i thought there were more adults in this fanbase, but considering the amount of people i've seen have that attitude makes me begin to consider otherwise

is there REALLY no better way to get across the message that there should be more diverse songs used in warrior cats maps? i guarantee you, people will be 100% more willing to get on board with that if you stopped tearing other people, their music tastes, and their own projects apart

i also think that there's a serious problem with people in the map community being put on a pedestal-

i think people are forgetting that the warrior cats map community is a part of a fandom and ISN'T a funded studio making full tv shows or whatever, you all need to really stop talking and thinking about it like that, do you not realize how harmful that is?

the warrior cats map community is a group of warrior cats fans who like to animate characters from a book series to music they like, THAT'S IT

the people in the community are not celebrities and the majority of them are doing it for fun in their spare time and do not plan to be/are not professional animators or creators and on top of that, many of them are beginners or kids looking to have fun so trying to tear into them for having fun doesn't make you anything other than an absolute ass in my mind

it's one thing to go "man, why are there so many hazbin hotel maps popping up? what about hazbin hotel screams 'turn me into a warrior cats animation' at all?"

but it's another to start loudly complaining about how "UGH THERE'S NO GOOD WARRIOR CATS MAPS ANYMORE, I WISH SOMEONE WOULD START MAKING GOOD WARRIOR CATS ANIMATIONS AGAIN LIKE *insert whatever maps you want*"

i would like to remind you, warrior cats maps are fan projects- you are also a fan! make that map you have an idea for!

"but what if no one joins it? what if not enough people join and it doesn't get made? what if i fail completely? the warrior cats map community is hard to get into"

valid concerns! but isn't at the very least *trying* better than sitting on twitter loudly complaining and waiting for someone to do something for you? that sounds much more fulfilling to me at least, and even then you can try again!

maybe it's just my corner of the internet, but i don't see a whole lot of people advertising their maps, i see people *complaining* that not enough people are making maps that they want to see and i think that's something that should really change

i WANT to see more diverse and creative warrior cats maps, but i also don't want to stop seeing people making the maps that they want to make, whether that be the millionth mapleshade map to a breakup song! i don't care, let people have fun and make what they want to make as long as they're not hurting anyone!

#warrior cats #warriors #warrior cats map #wc map #mini rant #i am not used to ranting like this online #at least not like... in posts like this so this is a bit odd for me #i'm usually the type of person to just keep my thoughts to myself but this just really annoyed me #when did fandom spaces become so antagonistic? i have no idea when but twitter is one of the WORST places #it's not necessarily why i left twitter #i left it because it's being completely run into the ground but it's still not the most appealing place to be #i will give it one point though #it sure is better than tiktok!#i wonder if anyone remembers me from when i did fnaf fanart and i got like 30K followers on tiktok #does literally anyone from that period of time even follow me anymore? i'm honestly kind of curious alkdjsfkl

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