#spoiler warning for any of the novels i mentioned here
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ive been on a light novel kick recently
lemme summarize some thoughts on them:
7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy! 1-4: i thought it would be a standard "hypercompetent female lead in medieval europe" story and it was for the most part, in terms of convenient contrivances to make whatever whimsical actions that Rishe takes, but i appreciated the set dressing, at least. Rishe is funny and the repeated time loops makes for an entertaining premise.
The 100th Time's The Charm: She Was Executed 99 Times, So How Did She Unlock "Super Love" Mode?!: god this sucked. this honestly felt like reading a novel published by an 8 year old. so fuckin juvenile
A Lily Blooms in Another World: sometimes all you need is some simply girls who love each other.
The Apothecary Witch Turned Divorce Agent: interesting world with just enough worldbuilding, i liked that it didn't get explicitly romantic at the end, and I really enjoyed Carla's brazen attitude. Either she fit really well into the world around her, or the world was written to support her character, but either way, she felt like a complete product of her world and upbringing in a way that was really refreshing.
Did I Seriously Just Get Reincarnated as my Gag Character?! 1-2: there sure was a whole lot of talk about how much her character absolutely sucked despite being the most powerful being to the point of absurdity. i know the point is the contrast between game mechanics and expectation vs how she would be as a function of the world, but man that point was harped on a lot. as a protagonist, gotta say, trans as hell, that won a lot of points with me. "oh i'm suddenly my off-main RP character now? guess i'm a girl now, full-on. hell yeah" now that's the true trans rep we need
The Drab Princess, the Black Cat, and the Satisfying Break-up 1-2: it was alright, i feel like i would've been more invested if everyone wasn't secretly in love with her though i suppose it is an interesting subversion of the usual "plain boring princess" trope that everyone is actually super on-board for her to become queen. she's a deeply tragic heroine, honestly, and i don't think that's the intention at all.
Saint? No! I'm Just a Passing Beast Tamer 1: if this was a oneshot i'd be chill with it but the fact that it carries on somehow makes me feel so tired.
Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss But I'm Not the Demon Lord: i read the manga first and this was just more of the same. it's cute, i like Yumiella as a protagonist for the same reasons i like Carla from Apothecary Witch. i wish we had a bit more on Alicia's whole deal because she could've been interesting at the end there but instead she just made the whole thing boring as fuck. probably my favorite moments in the novel were Yumiella grinding the boss for drops and the Patrick confession scene for two different reasons
The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life 1-3: i had access to 6 volumes but i had to stop in the middle of the 3rd one. i was displeased but willing to continue in the first novel when one of Mariela's first actions as a protagonist is to engage with the slavery thing, but willing to put that aside, but then we had several monologues about how much slavery sucks alongside diatribes about how it's Jay's/Sieg's/etc's own fault that they got sold into debt slavery. the chapters in the 2nd and 3rd novels where Jay is there being absolutely fucking miserable and you're expected to nod whenever the book says "Jay didn’t reflect on his own part in this at all, spewing resentment instead." made me fucking incensed. my breaking point was in novel 3 where a minor protagonist just straight fucking rips one of his teeth out after strangling him and replaces it with a Pain Tooth of Make Your Slaves Obey More, and it's immediately followed with that above line. just. jesus fucking christ.
The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash 1-4: hey speaking of slavery, in this one they spent 2 novels telling the main character she should buy a slave, and then she gets there and is like "man this is kinda fucked actually" and doesn't, so good for her, but i read it immediately after Alchemist Who Survived so i was a little pissed at the fact that slavery was also a thing here because please that's not a system that is necessary to your world stop fucking doing it
ROLL OVER AND DIE: I Will Fight for an Ordinary Life with My Love and Cursed Sword 1-4: anyway not to continue talking about slavery but if you're gonna have it, do it like this one did, and make your main protagonist claw her bloody way out of slavery with incredible brutality and swear that she'll kill more slave traders if they lay a hand on her girlfriend. that part was great. shame it gets mega fucking transphobic at the end though, that whole bit about Mother being explicitly textually transgender and then not using the correct pronouns for her, the genitals = sex = gender segments, the gross parts where they discuss how Mother "isn't even a woman, yeah that tripped me up too, how gross is this dude". fuck that. the fight scenes and fucked up body horror parts are great though. and it's got a manga by minakata sunao, which is a shame given [gestures at novel 4]
She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man 1-8: honestly i enjoyed it more than i was expecting. mira's cute, this is another one of those trans-as-hell novels where the protag is like "i guess im a girl now! this is great!" but i do find it incredibly unsettling how everyone is commenting on her looks and whatever if she's supposed to be, essentially, a 12 year old girl. deeply gross anime bullshit aside, it's fun. i thought i had more thoughts on this one so i was saving it for later in this list but honestly thats all i got. gross sexualization/infantilization of a young girl, but otherwise just a fun little fantasy jaunt
A Tale of the Secret Saint 1-4: fia's an idiot, i want more of her taking control in battle situations and less waffling about Great Saint abilities and fake-deep "political" """intrigue""". if you say any of these stupid-ass old men are her love interests i will throw a knife at you, and if the book goes in that direction even slightly i will Murder. canopus's devotion in the last novel was borderline for me dropping it. the manic obsession/devotion to fia is supposed to be humorous, i think, but it just comes off as deeply unsettling when the novel reminds you, as it often does, that fia ruud is a 15 year old (reincarnation of an incredibly sheltered woman who died at 18, so honestly even her mental age doesn't add much here). i know this is one of those chill life fantasy novels but i honestly want fia to serve actual consequences for the insane shit she does, not just passing-by mentions of having to do more laps or take training more seriously or being teased by her superiors or whatever. it's fun enough to keep reading though, i guess.
#light novels#im not gonna tag all of these individually#thats too much of a pain in the ass#spoiler warning for any of the novels i mentioned here
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yandere!carcel escalante with ines!reader scenario
Warning: OOC, obsessive behavior, implied violence, language, mention of death, possible spoilers for latest chapters on the manhwa.
There may be possible triggers in this story.
If you do not feel comfortable venturing any further, please hit the 'back' button on your device or computer and read something much more pleasant than a possible series of unfortunate events.
You are responsible for your own Internet consumption!
Hey guys, hope you have all been well! I'd like to thank @ceeesxy-blog for providing honest feedback on the earlier drafts on this story!
For those who are wondering, I am still revising/editing the other headcanons I had written for Carcel Escalante. When they are ready, they will be posted.
With that being said, sit back, relax, and let's dive into world of romance and second chances. Or maybe four :)
The Spirit was glaring heatedly at your back again. She seemed to be doing that a lot more lately than critiquing your posture or whispering the names of the nobility in your ear to make sure you did not mispronounce it when they approached you at teeth-grinding social functions. It made you wonder what you did to upset her for the nth time behind the polite smile you gave to the blonde-haired child sitting across from you.
For the record, it had not been your intention to possess the body of Ines Valeztena de Perez in the first place. You simply woke up and found her soul occupying the same space. Two souls in one meatsack, to put it so crudely; impossible in theory, yet here is the miracle. Note the sarcasm.
Where this is her fourth reincarnation, it was your first, and you had retained the knowledge of this reality where it was the backdrop of a novel based on her life. The title? The Broken Ring, This Marriage Will Fail Anyway. Not only did include the details of her life in this timeline, but also her marriages to both the future Emperor and the painter Emiliano. One was a nightmare where she took her own life, and the second was to get away from her responsibilities and be happy for once. Her brother killed Emiliano and the child she had with him, dragging her back to the duchy she had tried to escape from.
In this life, she has already secured an engagement with Carcel Escalante on the basis that he is the best-looking young man. Her father approved because he loved his only daughter. That worked in her favor because she did not want to get involved with the imperial family again, and already had a plan in the works. This plan involved treating Carcel coldly for seventeen years and he would have numerous affairs, before and after their marriage. Once she gives birth to a child, she will divorce him and attain true freedom. But now, Ines has become a lingering Spirit which only you could see. You are occupying the Body. You are the main driver behind it. And by God, her plan is utter bullshit.
Make a child who has yet to understand communication and very much innocent in the way of how an adult’s mind works hate you by being a cold-hearted bitch? Absolutely not! That is not how you treat someone, even if you do remember that Carcel Escalante was a playboy in a previous lifetime. This is the present, do not put so much emphasis on the past.
You have told the Spirit many times when the room was empty and you were visiting her in your mindscape; the backdrop of a library and seated in a plush chair with a table that held two steaming cups of coffee that you couldn’t taste. You did not know if she or you had created it, but this was where she had closed herself off most of the time and where you would see her as soon as you drifted off to sleep. Whether she actually listened to you during these therapy sessions or just put up with your company because you were in her body is another question entirely.
“Ines?”
Jolting slightly, you looked up from the rim of your teacup and nodded at the flustered Carcel Escalante. “Yes?” Cerulean orbs twinkled beneath the chandelier’s light as he stared at you, cradling his own cup and looking…frustrated? You furrowed your brow in concern, carefully placing it back down on the saucer that sat on the table. “Is everything all right, Carcel?”
“Why?” He answered your question with a question. You played along, asking him what he meant.
“Do you really want to marry me because of my good looks?”
Oh, dear. Suppose this was a conversation bond to be brought up. You thought warily. Not even a minute has passed and already you could feel the Spirit’s menacing glare directed at the back of your head. Ines, for God’s sake, trust me. Let me handle this. You hissed in your mind.
“You cannot ruin this chance.”
Ines, I am fully aware that this is crucial to your plan, thank you. Your very piss-poor plan, I might add. You promised you would give me one chance to prove there is another way to attain happiness. I will deliver. So let me speak or so help me, I will stuff your consciousness in the back of my brain and lock you in there until the day is over. You threatened. That wasn’t a threat either. It was a promise because you had done it before, unintentionally, when the world was spinning and her nagging was not helping. You couldn’t allow her access to the Body for nearly two days.
She went silent, and the heat on the back of your head subsided slightly, but you could see her from the corner of your eye. Folding your hands neatly in your lap and straightening the curve of your spine, you spoke to Carcel with your eyes directly locked onto his own.
“Yes. You are very handsome by the Empire’s standards, Carcel. But that isn’t the only reason.”
“It…isn’t?”
“Correct.”
“Then, why?”
“To avoid being married into the imperial family. Your cousin, the crown prince, Oscar is…a twit. Emotionally immature, rude, I could go on. You recall how he arrived at my home without any notice nor any requests to visit, and I told him that I did not like him, yes? You were there, dragged by him because he can do that.”
Carcel’s face paled. “You could get punished for speaking like that about him. He is the future of our Empire.”
“And what a bleak future that will be.” You sniffed.
“Ines!”
“The Empress wouldn’t risk angering one of the founding families of this country. Without our support, they would not be standing where they are right now, the pinnacle of high society and power, so I am not afraid to criticize how her son has no regard for the consequences of his actions because he believes his status gives him an excuse to do anything he wants to do.” You squeezed your hands together. “I also believe you are much more agreeable and level-headed than him. Your good looks are a bonus…but I would like to get to know you more. Your likes, your dislikes, anything, really, that you are comfortable with sharing. Believe it or not, Carcel Escalante, I do want us to get along. Not just for appearance's sake.”
You watched his eyes widen in disbelief, his face pinken with embarrassment before he stuttered. “R-Really?”
“Yes.”
“A-And you won’t…be mean? Or ignore me?”
You shook your head. “I will not.” You said. “If I am cruel in your eyes, I would rather you say it to my face then keep silent. I will not understand how you feel if you do not say anything. Though…if the imperial family is watching us, I might have to act out of character. Not just to protect myself and my family from their interference, but yours. Do you understand?”
“I-I suppose.” Carcel swallowed. “But…will you inform me…if you have to act like that?”
“I shall.”
You answered Carcel’s questions as honestly as you could to a six-year-old child, even when you were roughly the same age as him. He seemed to believe you, as his stiffened posture loosened, and his smile was a little less forced. Eventually it was time for him to leave the estate and return to the Escalante duchy. You walked him to the door alongside the servants, and bade him farewell. When his carriage faded in the distance, growing smaller and smaller, the Spirit wasted no time in materializing, scolding you for making such promises right until it was time for bed.
But this was a positive change, you emphasized, not a negative one. Would she rather hate the two of you for saying that you liked him and then say you don’t care if he has an affair because your feelings change? That made absolutely no sense. Yes, feelings change with time, this is true, but it is still cruel in your perspective and you will not subject Carcel to such treatment.
When you received an invitation to attend the Empress’ annual tea party, a letter from the Escalante duchy was delivered to your desk the very next day. Carcel asked if he would have the honor to be your escort. You replied that you would be delighted; you were looking forward to seeing him there, and do not mind if you were acting coldly towards him if the Empress or the crowned prince were within feet of either of you.
You kept your word to him. Now, and for the following seventeen years.
If neither of your schedules were not booked with various lessons and social functions, Carcel would make an effort to visit you or invite you to spend an afternoon doing something together. He would offer flowers, and you thanked him. You idly chatted over lunch at a cafe after a shopping trip, all expenses paid by Carcel at his insistence, even when your monthly allowance was more than enough to purchase jewelry, dresses, or anything that piqued your interest during the outing.
When he was invited to a friendly hunting trip at the Valeztena estate, Carcel had been stunned into silence as you handled the recoil of the hunting rifle in your hands without so much as a sound.
The Spirit had drilled the basics of gun safety and aiming into your brain until she was confident that no one would think the wiser in the unlikely event that the two of you had to exchange control over the Body. Moreover, it put her at ease knowing she could protect herself from the crown prince. She will not allow Oscar to get the upper hand in this lifetime. Never again.
You agreed wholeheartedly with her reasoning. Now if she actually lifted some damned weights between target practice and sipping tea with her peers, that would be great. You did not want the time and effort you have put into toning your arms from swinging a practice sword in the knight’s training arena to go to waste.
Securing a competent tutor who would willingly teach a woman the fundamentals of swordsmanship, even if it’s a fucking rapier and not a broadsword like you initially wanted to learn how to use, had been difficult. If the Spirit was going to use a weapon to protect herself, then so are you.
End of discussion.
Carcel eventually became of age and was forced to enlist in the naval academy as his forefathers had done. It was the first step towards becoming the duke of the Escalante estate. Although you were a little sad to see him go, you promised to write him letters. If you were allowed to visit him at the base or a port that wasn’t too far from the Empire’s shores, you swore that you would try, weather permitting of course.
However…if you or the Spirit had known the weight of these promises…would you have known just how madly in love Carcel Escalante de Esposa was with you? Would he?
Carcel hated his time at the naval academy. As invigorating and stressful it was to learn everything about a ship’s vessel to the areas where the enemies of the Empire have attacked in recent years and even swordsmanship or rifle training, there were days when he wanted to throw everything away and just run off from Meldoza.
Never looking back, becoming a free man who could do as he pleased without the obligations.
The soldiers in his fleet understood his frustration and have offered more than once to take him to the ports and have a bit of fun with some lovely ladies, on their tap. Yet for all his ranting and grumbling, it took a single letter from his dear Ines to keep the young duke grounded.
She informed him of the events occurring in the Empire’s polite society, highlighting gossip and any exploits pertaining to his cousin, aggravated that she still cannot swing her sword at the right angle just yet even after her tutor went over the lesson several times, amongst other topics of discussion including what she has been doing since he’s been at sea. She reminded him to stay strong, keep his wits sharp, and never forget that she is here, waiting for him to return. Before he ventured out to sea for his duties, he would always keep a letter folded against his breast pocket. A reminder of why he is here.
Contrary to the rumors circulating around him, he did not elect to remain in the military for an additional five years because he was avoiding getting married at the tender age of eighteen. He wanted to prove to his future father-in-law that he is worthy to be the husband of his only daughter.
Just because he may be lacking in some areas, that does not mean he should be switched out for someone higher up or of equal ranking in the hierarchy. Or with a gentleman whom Duke Valeztena would much prefer to have as a son-in-law than him. That will never happen so long as he, Carcel Escalante de Esposa, lives.
He is a man who will get jealous if anyone would dare to approach his future wife with the intention of bedding her once he, her husband, had gotten tired of her. An absolutely foolish notion, because Carcel will remain faithful to Ines.
It would take a lot of self-control to not gut those fools right on the spot, because Ines would hate getting blood on the floor. Furthermore, he would never have a mistress before or after he exchanged his vows. Women might line up outside his door because adultery is encouraged in the Ortega Empire. Flowers and love letters might decorate every square inch of his office. Temptation will lurk around every corner, and he will burn them in his fireplace. The ladies? Well, he’d tell them to politely sod off and never darken his doorstep again.
If there were gifts from Ines, however, he would keep him.
Ines is his sun. The light of his life. No one else would even compare to the woman who is waiting for him to return from these treacherous waters. Until it was his time to leave this world, he would show Ines just how much he loved her. He would buy her anything she wanted, make her life as comfortable as possible even if she told him a thousand times that she does not need anything.
Just never leave his side. Never fall in love with another man who wasn’t him, because he cannot conceive a universe without you.
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#forbidden-sunlight#yandere x reader#x reader#yandere male#yandere#ns.fw#the broken ring this marriage will fail anyway#carcel escalante#carcel escalante x reader#ines!reader#cw obsessive love#cw obsessive behavior#tw violence#tw obsessive behavior#tw obsessive love#yandere manhwa x reader
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Content Warnings and A Lesson From Lore Olympus
As some of you may know, I write a comic, which i occasionally post about here. I'd like to address a conversation around creators and content warnings in this post as well as the general tremd of authors overstating whats happening in their story. I've seen it come up recently in webtoon discourse within my own comic.
So first off, right after my three page prologue I have an authors note that details all the topics my comic will be going into throughout the course of the story.
It follows:
These are ALL the issues I tackle within the comic and I leave it here so people can decide whether they want to continue with the story. I have labeled my story as mature. There is a warning when anyone accesses the comic for the first time on both Webtoons and Tapas. I also have warnings that come in three degrees that I place before each episode that handles one of the mature themes I mention. However, what I don't do is tell the reader what they're going to see before they see it. I don't like doing this for a couple reason, some of the most important being, I think makes the story redundant because it's already explaining what's going to happen and this in turn disrupts the narrative.
I understand why people feel strongly about warnings and making content safe on a platform with a young audience. However, seeing as this is a work I have invested a considerable amount of time in, that I'm offering for people to enjoy (which i enjoy doing), I believe it is important I tell the story in my own way.
When you pick up a book you may get a warning in the synopsis (although I find this is rare) or in other people's online reviews of the book BUT you have to go looking for those reviews. As a creator I can only testify to my own experience, but like novels, comics are stories and in my own work, the story should NOT be bisected by warnings expressly stating what's going to happen in each episode.
I feel this speaks to a general increased uninvolvement in the material readers are reading and a lack of reading comprehension to the point authors think it necessary to guide their audience through their story.
There has been a decent amount of discourse in the UnpopularLoreOlympus reddit thread about readers reading comprehension. It is now common practice to have images like the one bellow before an episode.
On more than one occasion Rachel has put warning paragraphs at the end of her episode stating without any subtext what EXACTLY a character meant during the episode, even though readers would ideally understood the subtext as communicated by the narrative.
And before that she would have warnings signs like this before episodes where the content would be present:
The above warning is actually quite common amongst comics but it should NOT be required by the audience. If an author is doing their job, they'll have the proper box ticked off when submitting their webtoon
SPOILERS FOR MANY WORKS OF FICTION.
No one tells you at the beginning of jane Eyre that there will be violence, death of children, and abuse, let alone where these incidents will occur.
The hunger games won't warn you before the start of a chapter that there will be starvation or gruesome depictions of character death or content describing mental illness.
Most movies will have warning before the whole movie but they won't briefly cut out of the narrative to tell you what's about to happen and people shouldn't expect comic artists to do this either.
As a comic creator i am rellyng upon my audience's discretion to decide on whether or not a story is safe for their consumption. However, I'm adamant in my own work that that's where my required involvement ends.
I will explain things in the comments or answer reader questions, i will be happy doing so because i get to engage with people on something Ive spent hours creating. I will go onto my discord and jump into the deep world building or explain a particular scene, but this should not be required.
Holding authors accountable for going thoroughly over the controversial issues every episode they post is unreasonable and honestly (for me) damaging to the creative work. We end up with situations like lore olympus where authors are there to explain every warning and subtext to the audience without any work on the readers part.
I know this may be controversial to some, but as a creator, it's something that's bothered me for a while and something I think we should be able to talk about in the artistic community.
#webtoons discourse#webtoons rant#creators#readers#lore olympus#netvor#comic#tapas#webtoons#unpopular lore olympus
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youtube
This opening is replete with symbolism.
Flower language has been a recent fascination of mine.
Do you want to make my new hyperfixation your problem? If so, then let's take a deep dive into the first opening before the new one airs tomorrow.
Before I start, here are a couple of things to keep in mind.
While the use of flower language in this show mostly lines up with Japanese hanakotoba, there are still a number of flowers here that hold particular significance within Chinese culture, and thus have additional meanings that don't line up with those from Japan. I’ll be mentioning them alongside the Japanese meanings where I deem it relevant.
The following will contain light spoilers of content from the novels/manga which has not been animated at the time of writing. I'll try to be vague and sparing with it, but there are a few flowers I can't discuss without them.
Past the title card, the opening begins with eight blooming flowers dancing through the frame in rapid succession. These represent the storylines covered by the first cour of the anime in order of appearance, and each can be found in the episode(s) they signify. From the top:
Rhododendron: This plant is all over the first two episodes, so I'm going to cover its appearances before delving into its meaning. In episode one, there are two shots of the buds of this plant, one as Lihua gives birth, and then again as the doctor examines her baby. They're finally shown in full bloom as one of her ladies disregards the branch Maomao used to warn of the toxic makeup. In the following episode, Gyokuyou has seemingly taken a liking to the flower that saved her daughter's life, and a few clusters can be seen in a vase during several shots before Maomao uses them as an example of a seemingly innocuous plant that could cause accidental poisoning, and indeed, if you look closely at the background during the scene with the soldiers, you can see what appear to be rhododendron shrubs. There are actually quite a few different possible meanings for the many granular varieties of Rhododendrons/azaleas. Luckily, the characters said the name of the plant out loud for me: shakunage. So, this is Rhododendron subg. Hymenanthes. In hanakotoba it means dignity and majesty, but also, on account of its poison, danger and caution. Those last two meanings clearly line up with its ominous usage in these first episodes, growing and maturing as the babies grew sicker. But in addition to their function as a warning of danger, I think there's a case to be made that they also represent Gyokuyou herself. As I stated earlier, she starts keeping them after the first episode, and Hongniang later starts growing the closely-related azaleas in the jade pavilion as well. As for how its meanings apply to her, Gyokuyou is regal, magnanimous, and never loses her composure (unless it's at Jinshi's expense lol,) but she's also described by Gaoshun as shrewd and cautious, being unwilling to hire any lady she doesn't absolutely trust, and constantly gleaning information to send back to her family. These all fit with the dual meanings of rhododendron. In Chinese culture, rhododendrons and azaleas represent womanhood and passion, as well as home and a desire for homecoming.
Cotton rose: A type of hibiscus, this represents Fuyou, decorating both her person and her chambers in episode 3. It means 'delicate beauty' and 'graceful lover.' I think these are referring to both her skill in dancing, as well as her affectation of frailty and neuroticism. As far as I could dig up, its unique tendency to change color based on the time of day doesn't have particular bearing on its meaning in either Chinese or Japanese culture, but the story itself uses it as a metaphor for Fuyou hiding her passion, will, and cunning behind a wallflower exterior.
Balloon flower: In hanakotoba, it represents undying love, sincerity, and grace. These grow in the crystal pavilion, adorn the iconography of Lihua's furniture, and likely inform her blue and violet color scheme. Its last two descriptors gesture towards Lihua's style and personality. She's elegant and staid, but she also takes everything quite seriously, and wears her heart on her sleeve. As for the undying love element, I see that as alluding to her love for her son, her agony at his passing, and her hopes of reclaiming that love again through having another child.
Violet: This one actually tripped me up for the longest time. The flowers in the opening looked like hostas to me, but no matter how closely I looked at the backgrounds in this show, I couldn’t find anything along those lines. Eventually though, I caught on that these must be the violets from episode five, even if they’re a different color from those shown in the episode. And also droopier. Anyway, violets mean humility, sincerity, and ‘a little bit of happiness.’ In the episode proper, they are crushed underfoot as Maomao narrates about the lengths she had to go to keep herself safe while growing up in the red-light district, illustrating how even the modest aspirations of an ordinary peasant are in perpetual danger in such a cutthroat environment.
Chinese aster: Daisies and asters are my least favorite flowers to identify. They all look the same. As such, I’m a little less confident about this one, but I think it’s a Chinese aster. The leaves and buds look similar, and the context in which it appears in episode six suits its meaning. As Lishu’s ladies disparage her so-called pickiness, a shot of this flower opens the episode. While the Chinese aster’s meaning changes based on color, white in particular means ‘please believe me.’ I think that speaks for itself
Toad lily: This appears twice during episode eight, where Maomao gets drawn into the mystery of an attempted murder during her vacation. Toad lilies symbolize hidden thoughts and intentions, alluding both to the possible conspiracy on the part of the women of the brothel, and to the fact that Maomao will never really know the truth of the incident, having to content herself with speculation.
Sacred bamboo: This one is easy to miss, because while the plant is in full bloom in the opening, it’s laden with berries in the show proper. This is Nandina, a.k.a. the sacred bamboo, a mainstay of autumn and winter floral arrangements in both China and Japan. It’s considered auspicious, symbolizing a reversal of ill fortune into prosperity--the precise opposite of how it’s presented in episode nine of the show. There, Maomao fiddles with the plant as she contemplates all the instances she’s seen of good fortune being struck down by tragedy, and the prospect of that same sword of Damocles falling upon her head as well, a harbinger of eucatasrophe being used to symbolize straight catastrophe. Also worth noting is the fact that the plant is very poisonous, so much so that it has a reputation for killing any birds which try to eat its berries; I think that bit of trivia might be the inspiration behind the decision to ironically invert its lucky image. In addition to its central appearance in episode nine, it can also be seen in Lishu’s chambers in episode ten, mixed in among the vases of white camellias.
Japanese azalea: These mean passion and steadfastness, alluding, in my view, to Fengming’s devotion towards Ah-duo. Fun fact: did you know that honey made from toxic azaleas, termed ‘mad honey,’ is sometimes manufactured on purpose? It’s not super legal in most of the world, but apparently it can be used as a psychedelic.
After this, we see a panning shot of seven flowers, with the top four representing the high-ranking concubines, and the bottom three representing the high-ranking courtesans. While the first set of flowers grew from buds and flew across the screen, this set consists of still images. If I were to hazard a guess as to why, I'd say that it's because those previous flowers were conveying the movement of emergent stories, while these upcoming flowers portray the relatively static personality traits of individual characters. I'm going to tackle these in reverse order, as the first three flowers to appear are somewhat tricky to talk about.
Peony: This flower represents Gyokuyou, and in addition to appearing in her non-diegetic floral backgrounds, it also decorates the tapestries of the jade pavilion. In Chinese culture, peonies are one of, if not the most, important flowers. They represent feminine beauty, pride, honor, renown, wealth, prosperity, high-status, opulence, and a nobility of spirit. They are considered to be the king of flowers, and were historically only permitted to be grown by nobility. All of these superlatives are likely alluding towards Gyokuyou's status as the emperor's favorite consort, with the best shot at becoming empress.
Balloon flower: See above.
Lily-of-the-valley: This means purity, chastity, humility, and 'happiness will come again.' While the first three all seem to fit Lishu on their face, I find myself curious about the fourth meaning. I'm only partway through the third novel, but if this indicates that, at some point in the future, Lishu finally catches a break, then I'll certainly be happy to see it.
Dendrobium: In China, orchids in general are associated with elegance, refinement, and good taste, which fits with Maomao's description of the garnet pavilion as being beautiful in a minimalist sort of way. They also represent the virtues of an ideal gentleman-scholar: integrity, humility, temperance, and nobility. Furthermore, they are considered emblematic of spring; it, along with bamboo, chrysanthemum, and plum blossom, represent the four seasons. Returning to Japanese symbolism, the flower associated with Ah-duo seems to specifically be Dendrobium nobile. Nobile in particular means 'honest and to-the-point' in hanakotoba, likely alluding to Ah-duo's candid personality, and the fact that she is on casual terms with the emperor.
Regarding the final three flowers, the show itself doesn't explicitly tie any one of them to a particular courtesan--their flowers only appear as a group in episode twelve. But, by contemplating their meanings, and with some help from the characters' wiki pages, we can make some educated guesses.
Yulan Magnolia: This one, I'm guessing, represents Joka. On one hand, I'm kind of dumping her with this because the other two flowers just seem to fit the other two courtesans better, but its attributes nonetheless seem to accord what we know of her character--which admittedly isn't very much. In hanakotoba the yulan magnolia means nobility, sublimity and a love of nature. In China, its pretty similar: purity, nobility, dignity. It's also worth noting that they're commonly planted around Buddhist temples in China, and have been for many centuries, granting them an air of spiritual profundity. Joka is said to be aloof and cold, which is part of her appeal as a courtesan. While chrysanthemums and plum blossoms have a warmer aspect to their meanings, the loftiness of magnolia hews more closely to her characterization. Then there's the matter of her name, which is apparently a stage name. It translates to 'Lady Ka' (or 'Hua,' if you want to go with the Mandarin pronunciation.) Now, the 'ka' in her name is written as 華, and in the story, that character is only permitted to be used by the emperor and his family. So, for her to use it, even as a stage name, is a pretty bold pretense to nobility.
Chrysanthemum: In Japan, chrysanthemums are associated with nobility and the imperial family. In China, they are associated with longevity, endurance, and vitality, on account of their long-lasting blooms that persist late into autumn. I think this is most likely to be Pairin's flower. She's one of the few courtesans who's in her line of work because she wants to be, and is flourishing in an environment where others are desperate and debt-ridden. That covers 'vitality,' and Lihaku can attest to her endurance, if you know what I mean... Moving on, its mentioned in the novels that she's actually in her thirties, but still looks quite young, again harkening to the chrysanthemum's persistence.
As far as symbolism is concerned, chrysanthemums do seem to fit her character better than magnolias. But, something that gives me pause is her name, which means 'white bell,' on account of yulan magnolias being white and having a bell-like shape. I still think it's most likely that the chrysanthemum, and not the magnolia, belongs to her, but it was too notable a coincidence to not at least mention.
Plum Blossom: We can safely assume this one refers to Meimei, as her name is written with the character for plum. As plum trees are among the earliest to bloom each year, and will even bloom while snow still covers their branches, both China and Japan associate them with resilience, hope, inner-strength, and renewal. We don't know much about Meimei either, but my impression of her is that she seems to be the nicest and most even-keeled of Maomao's sisters.
Following this parade of showy flowers, we finally glimpse the emblem of our protagonist, Oxalis corniculata, the creeping wood sorrel, downcast and huddled amidst the underbrush of a forest. Whereas the other flowers we've seen thus far are primarily ornamental (even if some are also edible/medicinal,) wood sorrel is herbaceous and weedy, and is unlikely to grace any vases, wreaths, or arrangements. If it were spotted in a noble's garden, it would likely be uprooted, but to the peasant who finds it growing in a ditch, it's a tasty snack.
In hanakotoba, wood sorrel means joy, 'shining heart,' and 'a mother's love.' All three descriptors, I believe, are relevant to Maomao's character. Despite her flat affect, Maomao has a strong passion and sense of joie de vivre driving her through life. Those further along in either the novels or the manga will recognize 'a mother's love' as (somewhat ironically) gesturing towards her complicated relationship with her mother. As for 'shining heart,' I think that will become apparent as we go further through the opening.
But, before we do that, I'd like to take a moment to examine the moments when wood sorrel appears in the show itself. Thus far, by my recollection, it has appeared in episodes one, three, and twelve. The opening shot of the first episode is of a wood sorrel, informing the viewer in no uncertain terms that this is Maomao's flower, (in case the opening was too subtle.) In the third episode, several wood sorrels dot the field where Fuyou sits with her lover, symbolizing how Maomao has aided and protected them. In episode twelve, a single wood sorrel is tucked inside a lavish bouquet of her sister's flowers, a visual gag paralleling them fussing and fawning over her.
Returning to the opening, Maomao is shown contemplating a subtle glow in her closed hands while a reflected, sunlit version of herself glances back at her. Then, as all the previous flowers fall away, as Maomao casts the light up into the air, its glow illuminating her face, the wood sorrel finally stands upright, and blooms in full.
Now is a good time to mention a relevant characteristic of creeping wood sorrel: it only blooms in direct sunlight. When crowded by other plants, it curls in on itself, closing both its flower and leaves. This serves as a clear metaphor for Maomao's personality; under most circumstances, she seeks to be invisible and unobtrusive, but when she's in her element, she commands attention and respect.
Following this, we have her magical girl-esque transformation sequence, with her outstretched hands forming the shape of a blooming flower as she dances through a whirl of yellow wood sorrel petals. She then bows down in imitation of the flower, taking the light back into her chest (there's that shining heart I mentioned earlier,) as she dissolves into the stoic, unassuming version of herself once more, closing out the opening. (Jinshi who?)
I'd like to end this analysis with an observation. While the real wood sorrel exists at the perpetual mercy of outside forces, Maomao is not merely reacting to a light source that exists beyond her control. The light exists within her, and she chooses when it will shine down for all to see, and when she will hide it away in the depths of her heart. To those who've gotten this far, thank you so much for reading.
#the apothecary diaries#i like being mean to a certain someone#but i will note that i'm familiar with the interpretation that the lyrics of the op are written from his perspective#and i would agree that that reading has merit
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The Shadowsinger: Three
Warnings: 18+. Minors DNI. mentions of parental abuse, mentions of violence, implied torture, ACOTAR series spoilers. If I forgot anything, please let me know!
Pairings: Azriel x Fem!Reader
Summary: Rhys asks you to be an emissary for the Night Court and Azriel volunteers to train you.
Disclaimer: I do not own SJM’s characters or plot lines, only the ones I create for the purpose of this story. This is a work of fiction. I do not give permission to repost my work on any other platform or medium. Please be respectful.
My graphics are my own. If you wish to use them, please give credit!
Series Masterlist
Prologue - One - Two
The next month was spent with you learning about Velaris and the rest of Prythian. Even though you were 20 when you ended up in the northern village, you knew a lot had changed in the 100… and 50… years since then. You couldn’t count on anything you learned from being a spy because so much was different under Amarantha.
You spent days in the Library under the house, reading books about High Lords and Illyrians. You also found some good romance novels you brought up to your room.
This city, one that was full of hopes and dreams and happiness… It hadn’t been touched in hundreds of years. Not even the people in the Court of Nightmares knew about it anymore, thanks to Rhys’s protection.
You got to know Cassian, Mor, and Amren pretty well. Azriel had been off doing his own spying, so you only got to know him from what the Inner Circle told you.
You felt like you were starting to belong here. Like you could find a place in the city. Maybe even in the circle.
“I have an offer for you.” Rhys said at dinner one day. You took a sip of your wine and rose your eyebrows, telling him to go on. “We are trying to get the Illyrians to train the females. Those who want to be trained, or aren’t being threatened by their partners, of course. And I think you’d be a good emissary to the war bands.” He said, glancing at Cassian as if to say keep your mouth shut.
“Me? I- I don’t know if they would listen to a female… especially if their High Lord is having trouble with it.” You said, glancing over to Cassian. You knew the male would probably support what you chose, but if the High Lord and Lord Commander were struggling…
“Well, then you’ll have to make them listen. And not to bring your abilities into it… but you are a Shadowsinger. They can’t deny that, and they’ll tolerate you more because of it.” He said. How lovely…
“Like they did for Azriel?” You asked, hearing the stories of the brothers from Mor and Rhys. They barely allowed him to train, being a bastard. The only reason they did was because he was a Shadowsinger, and Rhys’s friend… “I don’t know, Rhys… it’s one thing to visit those camps. But to try and convince them that they have to train females..” you trailed off. “I don’t even know how to fight. I can’t very well take on an Illyrian.”
“You know how to hunt, right?” Cassian asked and you shrugged. You hunted for Sirona and your family when you first arrived at the northern village, but you hadn’t done a lot in the past 50 years. The most you ever did was with your Shadows, and that was more described as sneaking. “Then I’ll teach you to fight. Show the Illyrians that females can fly in their ranks just as good, if not better, than any male.” He said.
“You can think about it-“ Rhys started but you shook your head.
“I’ll do it.” You said firmly. “I’m tired of being useless when it comes to protecting myself and the people I love. I’m not going to let it happen again.” You said, your shadows settling on your shoulders as if they were backing you up. You let your family down before. You let your blood family harm you and the only thing you could do was flee.
“Okay, then it’s settled. I’ll train you-“
“How about I do it?” You heard Azriel’s voice, turning to him where he leaned against the wall. A few of your shadows bolted to him like the first day you met, this time wrapping around him before coming back to you. You could’ve sworn they brought some of his scent with them. They didn’t say anything, but they seemed to like him more than anyone else you met.
“Az, when did you get back?” Cassian asked.
As smirked, “Just now.” He said
“You want to train (Y/N)?” Cassian asked, resulting in Azriel nodding.
“I can teach you how to fight with and without your shadows. And when I’ve gotta go out on missions, Cass can train you on the former.” He said and you looked at Rhys.
“Whatever you want.” Rhys said and smiled. “It’s your choice.”
You glanced between the two. You didn’t know Azriel as well as you did Cassian… but you knew he was a Shadowsinger like you. And you know he could help you hone your abilities. You also knew that he was just as much a deadly warrior as the other two males sitting beside you.
“Okay, it’s a good idea.” I said and gave him a small smile. You could’ve sworn you saw his face flush, but only for a moment before he was back to showing his unreadable mask. “Maybe you can teach me how to spy… and this time actually keep secrets when I want to.” You joked. You knew how to spy. Knew how to get information out of people. When Rhys didn’t have time to interrogate spies under the mountain, she had you do it. You still felt blood on your hands from all the lesser faeries and High Fae you harmed on her behalf.
Az only gave you a small nod before joining the rest of you at the table. “I do have one request,” you said to all of them. “I don’t go to Valorworth until I’m done training.” You said. Before any of them could ask, you continued. “I can’t see my family… My blood family… yet. What they did to me.. I was weak and a coward. I couldn’t stand up for myself so the only thing I did was run. So the next time I do see them, I want to be able to show them I’m not weak. And I won’t run from them.”
There was something of understanding on all of their faces as you looked around the table. “If you want to kill them, we’ll gladly allow it.” Cassian said with a small smirk on his face. “Hell, I’ll even do it.” Rhys said and you smiled, letting out a small laugh.
“I don’t need to go that far… yet.” You said and leaned back in the chair, happy to be able to help the Court.
“You’ll get a salary as well,” Rhys said. “You’re welcome to stay here at the House. Or the townhouse. But you can also find an apartment.” He said and you smiled.
“I’ll think about it. Right now, it’s better to stay close to where I can train.” You settled. “If staying here is okay with all of you, that is.” You said.
“Are you kidding? It’ll be so much better having you here and not just the boys.” Mor said and you laughed gently, finally feeling like you could really fit in here.
The next day you went up to the training ring, seeing Azriel already warming up. You stood quietly by the stairs, watching as his shadows moved with him as he did movements you’d seen thousands of times in Valorworth.
His shadows didn’t warn him of your presence. A couple of them snuck out from behind his legs and went over to you, circling around your hair. Your own shadows moved to join him in the center of the ring. You still barely understood the concept of Shadowsinging, even after all these years. But maybe now, with him as your teacher, you could understand it more. And learn to understand yourself.
You finally cleared your throat as you stepped forward. As much as you wanted to, you knew you couldn’t stand and watch him all day. “You certainly know what you’re doing.” You commented as you walked closer to him.
Rhys had gotten Illyrian training leathers for you, tailored to your wings and your sizes. So when you walked up to Azriel, he had to pause just to take you in. You didn’t wear dresses much, but you also didn’t wear anything as tight fitting as this. Not that he’s seen you within the past month.
You shifted under his gaze, looking up to the sky. After breakfast and before you came here, you decided to take a flight. You knew it would be getting colder, and the frigid fall air only proved you right. This would be one of the last nice days before it started to snow. And flying would be a hassle.
“I am teaching you for a reason.” He finally said and you nodded. “Come here, let’s get started.” He motioned you over to where he stood.
You walked over and set your hands to your side. You were glad he decided to train you here and not in Windhaven. You didn’t know if you could handle being seen by the males, critiqued. Cassian told you that wasn’t the only reason he wanted to train you here. Apparently, Azriel hated the Illyrians. You completely understood, too, from what you’d learn about Azriel. The things that happened to him while at the war camps. Especially before Rhysand’s mother had come along to take him in. Still, you didn’t want to start training as an Illyrian when you didn’t know anything.
You weren’t sure how or why Azriel still adapted to the training, but it was probably so ingrained into him (and useful) that he couldn’t let it go. And so you had your trainer.
“I’m assuming you never trained at the camp?” He asked and you simply shook your head, scoffing at the idea. Your father would have killed you if he saw you anywhere near the training rings. “Do you know the exercises at all? Anything?” He asked and you shook your head.
“I was 20 when I left, and I was never allowed near the ring. I’ve only ever saw my brothers train once, and I remember the beating I got for it more than anything else.” You said. “All I know is that my father had a killer left hook that would leave my face bruised for a week. Even with my healing.” You said and saw something like anger flash through Azriel’s eyes before returning to his soft stare.
“Then let’s teach you an even worse one, and maybe he’ll learn never to hit a female again.” He said and you gave him a small smirk.
“Let’s.” You agreed and started the warm up with him.
Series Masterlist
Join the taglist here
A/N: Well we see the reader finally interact with Azriel! Not much but just a little taste of it... I hope y'all like slow burns cause this one is very much that...
Tagging:
@cherry-cin @cleverzonkwombatsludge @nickisshadowsinger139
@atomolvnar @complete-randomness-2 @lilah-asteria @tele86
#acotar#acotar fanfiction#acotar fic#azriel x reader#acotar spoilers#katie writes#the shadowsinger#azriel spymaster#azriel shadowsinger
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Title: “15 Minutes” (9/?)
Author: @ageless-aislynn
Characters/fandom: Master Chief John-117/Reader, Halo the series
Summary: You're in peril but don't be afraid, help is near.
Series: How to date a Spartan (without even trying)
Rating: T (PG13)
Length: 2,568 (this chapter, 22,261 total so far)
Spoilers: Set in the Silver Timeline of Halo the series, not the games or novels. Though we began with the events of Halo 1x06, there will be no more show spoilers. We are still firmly seated in the AU Warthog, merrily driving out to places where there’s only a passing nod to canon. 😉
Trigger warning: claustrophobia
Disclaimer: Definitely not mine but I do enjoy borrowing them just for a bit! 😉
A/N: Text is both here in this post or available at AO3, however you like to read. Halo season 2 has finally arrived! However, this fic continues to zip along in the AU Party Warthog, so, while we began with season 1 way back when (and you’ll see a few more things from s1 along the way 😉), we’ll not be venturing into s2 territory at all. Unless s2 is going to take some verrrrry interesting twists, lol! Chapter 10 is in progress by hand but I hope to have it ready soon. 🤞😣🤞
The tags have been updated for hurt/comfort starting with this chapter.
If you read, I hope you enjoy! ⭐💖⭐
Taglist: @pinheadbanger @mysardencut @laurenstacy610 @sporadicbelievernightmare @ultrablackwidower @bxmxtx @jellotherelol
If you would like to be tagged in my John/Reader fics, just let me know! I also write John/Kai, John/Cortana and Kai/male Reader, so I’m glad to tag you for whatever you’d like. If you would like to be removed from the taglist, also feel free to let me know, no harm, no foul. 😉 💖
Halo fic masterlist ⭐
Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8
Trigger warning again: claustrophobia If you need to avoid the actual scene, skip the entire first section but there will be a lot of mentions of it again through the rest of the chapter, just so you're aware. I don't want to cause any distress to anyone so if you'd like a recap of what happens in this chapter, feel free to contact me here and I'm happy to oblige so you can stay in-the-know without reading something that could trigger a bad reaction. Stay safe, my friends! 🤗
You tried to gasp in a breath but there was a weight pinning you down. Smoke burned your lungs and your eyes. Your left arm couldn't move but you were able to bring your right hand up to wipe your face, trying to clear your vision. The only light in the rubble came from a shower of sparks a few feet away, emitting from a panel half-ripped from the wall. There was very little to orientate yourself by.
"Hello?" you tried to call but you couldn't take a deep enough breath to yell. The muffled ring in your ears told you that at least one of your eardrums had ruptured.
Evaluate, you thought in the tone you used when triaging patients, shoving down a wave of panic. You tried to squeeze out from under whatever was pressed across your back. No good, too much weight.
There wasn't a tremendous amount of pain but you worried at the numbness from your waist down, behind whatever was restraining you.
Evaluate.
You tested moving your legs, your feet, your toes. It felt strange but yes, you had movement.
Spinal cord potentially compromised but not severed, you diagnosed as clinically as possible.
Something overhead gave an alarming groan.
Alert help. Report your position.
"Hello? I'm by the crane operator booth. Can anyone hear me?"
You couldn't get the volume you wanted and you automatically tried to inhale deeper. You couldn't and had to fight another wave of panic. The animal part of your brain wanted to claw the twisted metal of the deck, trying to squirm free, but when you twitched, something above you groaned again.
You had no way to know how perilous the collapsed structure was. A wrong move could bring it all down.
A fresh wave of smoke irritated your nose and you coughed weakly. From far away, you heard the muffled sound of a woman saying your rank and last name.
"Here," you choked out. "I'm here."
A blue light shimmered a few feet away, the lower half of a blue-tinted woman, her upper body phased through the rubble. Then she shrank until she fit the space, adjusting like a camera lens. A hologram.
She repeated your rank and last name. "We have your location," she said, your damaged hearing distorting her voice. "Sit tight, a rescue crew is on their way."
You tried to respond but the smoke triggered more coughing, so you nodded.
"I'll stay with you for as long as the holo-emiter holds," she said, gesturing towards the ruined wall panel that continued to spark.
"Thank you," you managed to say. "Casualties?"
She glanced up and away as if receiving new information. "Reports coming in of injuries but no fatalities. Your alert gave enough time for almost everyone to get clear."
"Good." You made yourself slow your breathing down, taking shallow breaths since you couldn't take deeper ones. For a moment, your head swam and it felt like the floor tipped. Your fingers scratched for a hold on the crumpled metal.
The sound of your rank and name cut through the terror. "You're all right," the woman assured you. "You're not falling. Try to stay still. Silver Team will be back on site in a few more minutes. John will be here soon."
It gave you something to focus on other than bring trapped. The way she knew that the mention of John would comfort you, that she didn't call him Master Chief like most people did, even the mannerism of how she'd looked away, like someone was speaking in her ear...
"Your name wouldn't be Ms. Classified, would it?" you asked haltingly and tried to smile.
"That's... not inaccurate," she said and maybe it was your blurry vision but you could've sworn she gave you a fond smile, like she knew you. "I'm not supposed to tell my name."
You tried to say it was all right but couldn't draw enough breath.
"Ah, screw it," she said. "What are they going to do, fire me? My name is Cortana."
You must've blacked out because the next thing you knew, she was kneeling next to you, her small holographic hand resting atop your outstretched arm as she repeated your rank and name.
If you could get a breath, you needed a good, solid breath. Your chest instinctively fought to expand but couldn't beneath the pressure bearing down on your back. Something above you slid and the pressure abruptly worsened. You clawed, you fought, you struggled to breathe. To live.
"John, get here now! The support beam is failing!"
"Not his fault," you tried to say. "Tell him. Not his--"
Metal screamed and everything went dark.
You woke, grasping at nothing. You still couldn't get a deep breath but this time you were on your back and it felt like someone had laced a corset brutally tight around you.
"Easy there. You're all right," said a deep voice.
Your vision swam and then Spartan Vannak-134 appeared out from the dim lighting. You were still clawing at the air, trying to sit up, and he caught your hand a little awkwardly in his much larger ones.
"Where?" you gasped.
"You're back on Reach, in medical."
Once he said it, details emerged like a black and white picture filling in with color: the beeps of the monitors, the distinctive antiseptic smell. Your hearing was still deadened but not as much as before, meaning they had already begun healing therapies on your eardrums.
Anything you might've wanted to say dissolved like sugar on your tongue before the words could be spoken. Your head seemed too full. I'm drugged, you thought and that was the last thing you knew for a while.
Voices drew you from the murky depths and you tried to open your eyes but couldn't.
"Hold her hand," Vannak said in a quiet rumble. "She likes that."
A new hand gently folded around yours and your fingers instinctively gripped hold.
You woke, feeling the phantom press of metal bearing down on you, forcing the air from your lungs. You tried to sit up, your limbs flailed, uncoordinated and leaden. A second hand closed around yours and a feminine voice began to softly sing, a lullaby in a language you didn't recognize.
The room was blurry but you caught a glimpse of red hair -- Spartan Riz-028. You went under once more, dreaming of music that soothed your fears.
Later, there was a new voice to lure you up from the sticky darkness.
"Poor little thing. She looks so small."
"She'll heal. Hold her hand, it helps."
At some point, you jolted awake to find your hand cradled carefully within Kai's.
"Hey," she said, sitting up straighter in the chair next to the bed. "You need anything?"
Your head felt less stuffed with cotton than before but now that cotton seemed to have been transferred to your mouth. "Water?" you croaked.
She jumped up and returned shortly, carrying a cup with a straw in it. You intended to sit up but a searing pain in your ribs immediately convinced you that was a bad idea and you let her help you by holding the straw to your lips.
"Slowly," she advised.
Once you'd taken a couple of sips, you mumbled your thanks then promptly passed out.
You thought you'd closed your eyes for a brief moment but when they fluttered open, it wasn't Kai sitting in the chair, holding your hand.
As soon as John knew you were awake, he was on his feet, carefully brushing the fingertips of his free hand along the curve of your cheek.
You mouthed his name.
"Rest," he said. "I'm here. You're safe."
For the first time in what seemed like forever, you truly felt as if you were. Your mind let go.
"And how's our favorite mech, the Hero of the Pit?"
"That's not a very heroic name," you confessed, smiling as Maria and then Jamie entered medical.
You were sitting on the side of the bed in generic gray scrubs, waiting for Dr. Savannah to give you final instructions before your release. It had been two days since the explosion. Your hearing had, thankfully, returned to normal. The rest of you... not so much but you were on the mend.
They both gave you careful hugs.
"You look a lot less like you were squashed by a building," Jamie said sincerely and Maria punched his arm. "Hey, that was a compliment!"
"Don't make me laugh," you begged, holding your left side. They'd fused your broken ribs back together but the tissue damage would take longer to resolve. Still, aches, pains, limited motion and all, you knew you were very lucky.
"I hope they're giving you a nice vacation, at least," Maria went on.
"I should be ready for light duty in a week."
"Technically, I said we'd evaluate you for light duty in a week," Dr. Savannah corrected as she entered. "Afraid your friends will have to catch up with you later."
They said their goodbyes and, as they left, you started to stand. The doctor quickly said, "No, you don't. I don't want you walking on that leg."
"It's not broken," you argued.
"Not anymore," she countered. "Stay put. I got you a ride."
"I don't need to be wheeled back to the barracks." You tried to keep your tone confident but the truth was even that little bit of exertion had left you feeling twinges all along your left leg. Your left shoulder throbbed with each heartbeat.
"Well, good thing you're wrong on both counts," she said, winking. "And here he is now."
John came through the door, dressed in his undersuit as if either about to head to the Brokkr stations to have his Mjolnir mounted up or returning from having it removed. You didn't even realize you'd moved to rise again until Dr. Savannah put a practiced hand on your good shoulder to keep you down.
"I'll be sending PT to you twice a day, starting tomorrow," she said. "They'll help you to get your strength and mobility back. Around that, rest. Catch up on your reading, watch some thoroughly trashy movies, and keep your feet up. Not too far up, though. Nothing too strenuous. Make him do all of the work."
That got you to look at her and she waggled her eyebrows.
John cleared his throat slightly, a faint but definite flush creeping up from his collar. "Yes, ma'am."
"All right, see you back in a few days, sooner if anything else develops. You know what to watch for."
It wasn't until she stepped back and John approached that it clicked.
"You're going to carry me?"
"Yes, ma'am," he repeated in a murmur that shivered straight down your spine.
Since your left side had taken the brunt of the damage, he put your right to his chest and cautiously picked you up in a bridal carry. Despite the care, being moved set a thousand things to hurting and your breath hitched as he straightened.
"You okay?"
"Yeah," you said, your tone tighter than you would've liked. You thought, I hope nobody sees me being toted around like this, but, as soon as you left medical, you realized that no one was actually looking at you.
I think if Master Chief offered to drop me and pick up any marine, ODST or officer in this hall, they'd be hopping into his arms before I even hit the floor!
At the first turn he made, you realized the rest of it. "This isn't the way to the barracks."
"Nope," he said and you knew him well enough now to see the hint of a smile in his eyes.
You didn't have to wait for further clues, there was only one place, then, that he could be taking you. "How many strings did you have to pull for this?"
"Not as many as you might think," he demurred. "Your actions saved lives."
And they could've blamed you for failing to make sure a bomb hadn't been sent to the Pit in the first place. The curly tailed Warthog had been your responsibility, after all. You'd been curtly informed of all that when they'd debriefed you the first day you'd had your eyes open for more than 15 minutes.
You doubted they'd told that to John, though.
When you reached his room, he maneuvered so to get his thumb on the panel without jostling you too much. The lights came on as he took you through the doorway and then he paused.
"Kai," he rumbled, shaking his head. "She said studies show people heal better with color. I should've known she'd overdo it. Say the word and I'll have her in here clearing this out."
"It's your room," you said, "but personally, I love it."
The duvet on the bed and the pillows on the couch were now a rainbow of jewel tones. A tapestry with a field of sunflowers dominated the wall at the foot of the bed and you could've sworn there was a dusting of diamond glitter shimmering on every wall, sending tiny holographic rainbows through the air in all directions. But the main thing that caught your attention was overhead.
"She put up stars," you said, brightening.
"Ah, that one was actually me," he confessed. "You seemed to really like those in her room so I thought..."
You stretched up in his arms, inhaling a little sharply at the stab of pain in your left side, and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I love them, John. Thank you."
A short time later, you found yourself lying on the bed in the darkened room, looking up at those stars. John had profusely apologized for not being able to stay after getting you settled in. He'd turned down the bed so you wouldn't have to, had put your padd close at hand on the nightstand to the right along with a bottle of water and a couple of emergency ration packs in case you got hungry before someone bought you a meal. He'd even procured you a set of unthinkably soft civvies to change into, exactly your size and in your favorite color.
You couldn't imagine that a Spartan had ever taken care of a sick or wounded person before, other than in a battlefield triage situation, so he'd probably found a checklist from somewhere to guide him. His earnestness to make sure he'd done everything right sent warmth flooding through you.
Before he left, he'd paused to kiss the top of your head.
"You know," you said, lifting your chin, "my lips aren't broken."
He hesitated. "The last time I did that, an entire base fell on you."
"Only the warehouse part," you said dismissively, "and there was absolutely no correlation, I promise."
He tried to smile at that but his eyes still showed concern.
"I promise," you repeated more seriously and he exhaled as if about to make a tremendous leap. His kiss was so soft and gentle, it was barely more than a whisper against your mouth.
Once he had left, you'd considered taking Dr. Savannah's advice and watching a holo, reading something on your padd, or doing any number of things to pass the time but ultimately, you'd wanted to appreciate his handiwork.
After all, it wasn't just anybody who could say a Spartan had literally hung the stars for them.
#halo#halo the series#halo paramount+#master chief x reader#x reader#john-117 x reader#fic: 15 minutes#series: how to date a spartan without even trying#ageless aislynn#aislynn's fics#aislynn's fic
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the younger sister
->warnings: yandere theme, obsession, death mention, reader threating people, og! Penelope, Derrick being himself, some spoiler from the novel(?)
->request by anon! may i request death is the only ending for villains where the reader is penelope younger sister? she has her own powerful magic attribute which the duke sees and keeps for but she will call out on derek, reynold and staff of the dukedom (especially emily) behavior whenever they mistreat penelope or her? I'd imagine she would have beef with all the main leads tbh and plans to run away with penelope to a distant kingdom, far away from them.
->a/n: my first request in ages is finally here! i am really happy to write after spending a time without being able to write a few personal stories. Keep in mind that request still open! good reading! Link to part two
-> the infamous story about Duke Eckhart about adopting a girl from the streets after his biological daughter disappear is know for the public. Regardless of what people tend to hide their opinions, everyone thinks about Penelope as a wild spirit and a terrible lady to her family’s name but what everyone didn’t know was the other girl that the Duke brought in too, [name].
-> the younger girl with similar looks of Penelope brought attention towards the dukedom and neither the girls like it. The oldest find it hilarious how this new family treat her younger sister in a magnificent way, giving her the greatest treatment while Penelope lives in that old shack with no resources. Knowing that everyone inside the dukedom treat her older sister like that, [name] prefer to stay at Penelope’s side in that small shack, ignoring the people’s advice to stay away from her.
-> not to forget the magical abilities the little one possesses, capable of doing immense acts to help those in needs and probably to end wars in any seconds, with such amount of powers in the hands of a younger girl. Knowing how powerful you were since birth and how no one could control you, the emperor made it clear that you would be the only magical person in the empire, after all, everyone know how capable you are of destroying anyone. The Duke was in shock to see his youngest daughter the servants and even her brothers with her abilities, gaining an amount of discipline by helping him with the taxes.
-> he has to admit, your father is worried that your behavior won’t help in the future, he is afraid that you will exclude from the society and keep living at Penelope’s side forever without anyone else. Your two older brother don’t like the idea too.
-> Reynold attempted numerous times to envolve you with activities to set up a high profile at the noble society. Taking you to balls to meet up with children of your age, sharing expensive food and toys that catch interest. But none of this worked, [name] become the chaos in person during many of the balls and scaring the children, stole the food to give it to commoners and homeless people around, the toys? Reynold try to sleep in peace knowing that any of those can fall over his face at any moment.
-> The last one to give it a try is Derrick, the person you threatened to transform into an animal and to bite when younger. The older brother give his shot to make you become a properly lady, being the one to tutor you during many subjects and that means that you can’t skip classes as you used to do. In the end, you learn the entire history, geography, mathematics that Derrick forced you during those days.
-> luckily, you have days off from them and you usually spend it at Penelope’s side, taking her out to eat delicious and unique foods with your sold jewelry, buying her dresses that make her look even more gorgeous! You truly want to help your old sister live the best life at her side, yet such dream look so far away to become reality. Not to mention the abuse she has handled in the last years to help you, you know how the staff would tried if she hadn’t interfere in time.
-> in a random day, the idea of running away from the dukedom with Penelope grown stronger in your mind and without thinking twice, you two pack up few clothes with jewelry and money that you asked the Duke for with the excuse for being for expensive dresses. everything was ready and now you two need to leave the residence without noticing that you are gone.
-> the day you were waiting for never happened. The missing daughter, Ivonne has returned home. At first you thought that would be great that the “real daughter” came back, right? Like, the Duke and the others would let you and Penelope leave this place forever, but that didn’t seem the case.
-> Duke and the two brothers refused to let [name] leave the dukedom, but allowed Penelope, saying that someone with great and magnificent powers should be part of the family. Those words didn’t hurt only Penelope deeply but made her stay, as much she wants to escape from this place, she can’t leave her younger sister behind, so she endure the pain.
-> she does that in every route where Ivonne and the male leads take you away from your beloved sister, saying how you are being manipulated and dragged to a downfall if you stay at Penelope’s side. That’s don’t really matter, you speak to all of them every time, you wants to stay at your sister’s side forever and unfortunately that never happen.
-> with every route ending with Penelope being took away from [name], the poor girl become quiet and lose her sparkle of live. The once loud and chaotic girl is gone, leaving an empty shell of someone that everyone used to know and now they pity the younger Eckhart. It’s mention that in every end that [name] either leaves the dukedom to live somewhere else away from her family, teaching younger children to properly use magic or keep living at the small shack at the property, avoiding everyone til her last breath.
-> the tragic story of the two sisters always manage to make Siyeon emotional. Penelope and [name] were inseparable from the beginning to the end of their lives, something that Siyeon a little bit jealous, the villainess had a sweet sister to support each others in times where the world were against them, could she ever have someone like [name] in her live?
-> unfortunately Siyeon’s dreams become reality when she become Penelope in the hard mode, experience what the original villainess suffered along side [name], the little girl who never left her older sister side no matter the circumstances.
-> as much Penelope is angry and scared of this new life where everyone and everything is against her, constantly trying to destroy her at any moment. She is happy to finally having someone at her side to help her, at any period, to achieve the happiness that she didn’t experience in her past life.
-> She promise to give [name] the life she deserves at her side, knowing that the two of them will get their happiness after suffering for so long far way from the dukedom
@lyomeii stuff || don’t repost
#yandere headcanon#yandere imagine#yandere#yandere x reader#yandere x you#yandere platonic#yandere death is the only ending for the villainess#death is the only ending for the villainess x reader#death is the only ending for a villainess#yandere penelope eckhart#yandere female x reader#yandere derrick eckhart#yandere manhwa
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tw for theories focusing on hallucination/unreality and brief mention of potential suicide and spoiler warning for tbosas novel and movie
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okay, so apologies for my disjointed writing but I just finished the tbosas movie and my theory for Lucy Gray's fate is that I think she survived and booked it after leaving the scarf/snake trap. In fact, I don't think Snow actually shot her at all.
The snake Lucy Gray hid under the scarf seems to be a milk snake (which is native to the eastern U.S. where District 12 is) which is a non-venomous snake which indicates that she didn't intend to kill him, just to create a diversion to buy herself more time to escape and we know, particularly from the book, that she has very strong self-preservation instincts and the movie very clearly shows that she was very anxious to get as far away from Snow as possible. Therefore, it wouldn't make much sense for her to hang around to stick around like she seems to have done to taunt him with a song when she could have just bolted*.
It was also clear that at this point, Snow was clearly Losing It and he was already in a paranoid/anxious state which might have been made worse by the snake bite as he didn't know if it was venomous or not, he was also making some irrational/impulsive decisions (such as wasting all of his bullets on birds rather than saving them to 'finish off the job') that indicate that perhaps he isn't in a particularly productive headspace. I think this plus the fact that anxiety/stress CAN cause hallucinations indicates that we shouldn't entirely trust Snow's perception at that moment.
When we 'see' Lucy Gray running through the trees, it's brief and only for a moment until she's shot and then her body disappears, just like in the poem, which Snow had heard only a few days prior. There isn't really any indication of how she could have escaped provided that she was shot apart from some kind of fantastical/supernatural intervention which wouldn't track as THG is more or less an exaggeration of our own society and doesn't seem to have any other 'mystical' elements in it.
Ultimately, I think Snow hallucinated about shooting Lucy Gray/her disappearing footprints/her singing The Hanging Tree. I believe Lucy Gray did survive him, but I don't think she would have returned to 12 (at least not immediately nor permanently as she wouldn't have risked the life of the Covey like that) or elsewhere in Panem (including 13). I think it's also likely that she could have wandered until she a) found another society, whether it be fixed or another traveling group similar to the Covey (the optimist in me hopes she finds Covey survivors she was unaware of), b) died from the elements or c) took her own life.
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*Someone else on here mentioned that Lucy Gray singing as the snakes climbed on her in the arena was her doing what she loved most in what she believed was her last moment, which could also apply here provided she was actually shot and believed she couldn't run away in her condition and wanted to sing one last time/also make one last stand against someone that wronged her, like the Ballad of Lucy Gray Baird in her interview with Lucky. I really like this idea so I wanted to include it here.
#tbosas spoilers#tbosas#the ballad of songbirds and snakes#the ballad of songbirds and snakes spoilers#lucy gray baird#coriolanus snow#the hunger games#tbosas theory#the ballad of songbirds and snakes theory#tw unreality
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Hi, love your blog ❤️ especially your analysis on Jinshi and MaoMao. I have read LN till around volume 9 plus manga and I don't have any problem with spoilers.
Can you list all Jinshi X MaoMao moments? Like from volume 10 to whichever volumes you have finished...?
You see, as much as I love other characters, I'm mainly reading it to see my favourite ship sail, i.e. JinshiXMaoMao ✨ so if there are any great shipping moments in future chapters please list them, I'll give it a go. Thank you so much, really loved your char analysis ✨. This gem of a story is not discussed enough!
I can’t recall everything entirely, and the web novel I’m sure will differ from the light novel. But here are a few.
Some of the moments which I loved where when Jinshi asked to hold Maomao’s hands interlacing like in a lover’s hold. From what I read, he sort of marked her middle finger. Maomao later gets embarrassed after the fact. I’m not sure if it’s because she thinks everyone else saw them or because of the mark.
The moment I mentioned in my post was I think the end of LN 12? And also the end of WN 10 if I’m not mistaken. Maomao goes to Jinshi on her own. They end up hugging on the floor and she ends up falling asleep on him. He brings her to his bed (like the time she saved him during the ritual), and kisses her forehead for replenishment.
The recent WN arcs are quite interesting since Maomao has accepted his feelings and in her words, they’re now in a relationship (though of course as characteristic of Maomao she’s still cool towards him). There’s one interesting chapter about a night visit (haha) though nothing happens. In other words Jinshi is restraining himself. But surprisingly! It’s Maomao who’s being a bit forward now. At the end of the recent chapter in the recent arc, Jinshi is stopping himself from touching Maomao because he’ll want to hug her tight (and bite and lick her too, gosh does this man not get embarrassed at all??) and Maomao ends up tracing her finger down the back of his wrist up until his middle finger (maybe as payback to what he did in the Western Capital?) and I don’t know about you but it reads to me as her teasing him, though I might warn her from provoking him too much haha. (But then again maybe Maomao does want something to happen).
It’s also sweet to hear her inner thoughts after the night visit that she was both relieved and disappointed nothing happened and that she wants to both see him and not see him. It’s interesting to see her maybe unsure, and perhaps also a bit restless when Jinshi doesn’t call on her. Because this time she’s the one who asks Chue to call Jinshi to contact her. And finally the piece de resistance, when she wants help with something involving her Joka nee-chan, she thinks about someone she can trust, and the only face that comes to her mind is Jinshi. Arghh my heart. For this wary cat to realize how much she really trusts Jinshi. And perhaps her taking this step in accepting his feelings is her way of showing belief in his words that he will make it so she doesn’t regret them being together.
And oh! I loved the mother and daughter-in-law talk. For Aduo to finally reveal the truth to Maomao since she sees how serious the both of them are getting, for Aduo to compare herself to Maomao, for Aduo to offer her a chance to escape even if it would make her son unhappy (Chue actually interjects here! Because Aduo ordered her to make his son happy and Chue can’t accomplish that mission with Maomao gone, gah my heart. Chue the captain of the Jinshi x Maomao ship), and despite that chance and learning the truth, for Maomao to gain the resolve to stay (with Jinshi) anyway. They really have come so far.
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Hello! Can I request a Wednesday x gn!reader? The reader is also working on a novel in the genre of their choice, and when Wednesday finds their notebook, she demands how they were able to complete it so quickly, in which they explain their method: read a chapter per day, write for 15 mins, etc.
They bond over their writing and the investigation? Thanks!
Partners in crime - Wednesday x gn!reader
Summary: Wednesday finds your notebook and is intrigued by your writing style, curious on how you managed to write all this in such little time. You end up bonding over your stories and even go out on little murder investigations together, not yet knowing how your story together will go.
Warnings: some spoilers for the show maybe, doesn't have a big impact if you haven't finished the show yet but maybe go do that first if you want to, because of that there are mentions blood and murder
Word count: 1k
A/N: im really unsure if this is how you wanted the story to go so i hope you still like it, any feedback is always welcome and im happy to adjust some things if you like
Requests = open: i had so much fun writing this request and would love to write some more so please send me some, can be for any other characters too!
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Ever since the new student Wednesday Addams arrived at Nevermore, life in Jericho hasn't been the same. Exploding statues, blood rain at the RaveN, and a student murdered. You knew Nevermore would be a crazy place to live, but you never expected any of this to happen. In contrary to miss Addams, you didn't intervene in the murder cases, you would rather stick with fictional murders. Or did you?
One thing you really enjoyed was sitting in the nightshade's library late at night, writing stories while listening to some music. Your roommate didn't really appreciate the lights being on in your room and the soft piano music playing in the middle of the night, so that's why you always came down here to write instead. No one to complain about anything, just you and your novel.
One night you were getting ready for bed when you noticed your notebook not being in the spot where you usually left it, realizing you must have forgotten it down in the library when you went there to write earlier. Not wanting anyone else to find it, let alone read it, you made your way to the library to quickly take it back to your dorm. But once you arrived, you saw a mysterious figure wandering through the library with a flashlight in their hands. You thought it would be one of the other nightshade members, but to your surprise it was no one other than Wednesday.
"What are you doing here?", you asked making the girl in all black turn around and shining the flashlight directly into your eyes.
"I could ask you the same thing."
"Yeah, well I happen to be part of the nightshades so I'm allowed to be here." You try to cover your eyes a bit due to the bright light in your face, noticing your notebook in Wednesday's hand. "Is that my notebook?", you say pointing to the book.
"So you're the one that wrote this, I was wondering which other student spends their time on writing murder mysteries. Looks like I'm not the only one being inspired by the unsolved problems this town has. If I wasn't too occupied with solving the murder cases all by myself, maybe I would enjoy reading into this more."
Wednesday says while moving the flashlight away from your face, walking over and handig you your notebook. As much as you hated her reading your notebook without permission, you couldn't help but smile at her compliment about your novel. The Wednesday Addams would like to read more of your stories, everyone at school knew she was an author herself so this was a huge accomplishment to you. But of course she wouldn't actually read it with her busy schedule of snooping around town and hunting monsters night and day.
"How did you do it though? I couldn't help but notice the dates of your chapters, seeing how fast you write all your chapters."
The monotone girl asked, she was intrigued by your method and writing style. Some could say she even sounded a bit impressed, but she would never admit that to anyone.
"I basically try to read a chapter every day and then write for 15 minutes, and then I just repeat that. Listing to music that match the vibe of what I'm writing also helps me. If you want I could show you how I do it some other time? Or maybe we could have a writing session together and help one another with writing their novel. I kind of have to get going now but I'm happy to show you another day though." You propose, unsure of how she would respond to the invitation. You didn't think she would ever say yes to that, but as usual, Wednesday is full of surprises.
———————
So there you were, sitting in Wednesday's room while talking about your novels. This was now the seventh time you met up with her to write together, the previous writing sessions were a great success and Wednesday kind of enjoyed your company. After spending loads of time together, you became quite close and you even consider her to be one of your closest friends. Your shared interests being one of the reasons you've bonded really well over the past couple of weeks. But writing wasn't your only activity with her these days, she's invited you to accompany her on multiple murder investigations, you became her partner in crime. Quite literally since you've broken into houses together, tamper with police evidence and dug up graves from the cemetery in Jericho.
You weren't sure about joining her on her investigations at first, but you didn't protest at the thought of solving mysteries together. Although you never imagined you would end up in a police cell with her for one night, getting scolded by Ms. Weems or actually figuring out who the hyde and it's master were, you wouldn't want to trade your adventures with Wednesday for anything in the world. If you could do it all again, you wouldn't think twice to say yes.
———————
"Do you think people will like this? I mean it's a little gruesome don't you think? And what if no one ends up buying it?", you basically bombarded her with questions. Being very uncertain of your novel.
"I couldn't care less about what people think of our novel, and a novel can never be too gruesome. I would even read this to little children if I wasn't highly allergic to them. You need to stop worrying about the novel and how many people will end up reading it. Besides, the amount of people reading this doesn't define the quality of the story. It's a great success in my eyes, that's all that matters.", Wednesday said in her usual emotionless tone.
She was definitely right about the great success part. Once your novel was published, thriller fans from all over the world showed their love for the story. After the great success of your novel, a sequel was quick to follow which didn't let the readers down at all. The only thing the readers weren't aware of, was that it was based on your personal investigations and adventures with Wednesday that happened during your time at Nevermore. Hence the title, partners in crime.
The end?
#wednesday#wednesday imagine#wednesday fanfic#wednesday addams#wednesday x you#wednesday x reader#wednesday adams#wednesday addams x reader#wednesday addams x you#wednesday addams imagine#wednesday addams fanfic
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My favorite movie Wukongs.
Journey to the West fans love to see the monkey king represented or even mentioned in different media, there are so many versions of the character that its hard to decide which one is the best or who even is the most accurate to the novel. A lot of people grew up with Journey to the West cartoons and tv shows from China or Japan which has many of the most iconic and beloved versions of Wukong. However, this was not the case for me, my exposure to the Monkey King was when I was a teenager, when I decided to read the novel after noticing so many mentions of the character in different shows.
Aside from the recent Lego Monkie Kid, which has the cutest version of Wukong I've ever seen, I noticed that there is almost no other recent shows or movies that are successful in introducing this legendary monkey to American audiences.
So instead of shows, I'm gonna be talking about recent movies, and with the new Monkey king movie out in Netflix, I thought it would be the best time to share my thoughts about the different versions of the character in movies where Sun Wukong is the main character or is important to the plot, both animated and live action, from worst to best.
*Spoiler Warning if you want to watch these movies by yourselves.
10. Monkey is back (2021)
I have this habit of watching every movie the has the Monkey king in it, that is how I came across this one. Unfortunately, it was the most confusing and boring movie I had ever watched.
Wukong is called the Ling Ming Stone Monkey here, and he is a deity who already has people praying to him. He is turned into a human without magic and stays like this almost the entire movie.
This version of Wukong is strangely mild mannered, and just like me, he is seemingly lost through out the movie.
So many things happened in this movie that it was hard to keep track of what was going on, and it made me ask myself, when is this movie set? Before or after Journey to the West? And what did that ending mean?
9. The immortal demon slayer (2017)
I thought this movie was gonna be the last one in my list until I saw Monkey is Back. Before that, the Immortal demon slayer was the movie I actually hated for how they treated my boy by making him a human without any magic! T T
Just like in the previous movie, Wukong is a magicless human, and all he has is his martial art skills and Jingu Bang (his iron staff) to protect himself, but even Jingu Bang loses its abilities halfway through the movie. The story is basically him and a group of immortals getting stranded in the mortal realm, and have to learn to work together to save a village from a demon.
This version of Wukong is grumpy and a little tsundere because he has this potential romance going on with one of the stranded immortals. Near the end, Wukong finally returns as the super powerful monkey who beats up everyone in heaven.
The movie finally got interesting at the end, but by that point it was already to late for me to forgive the movie's boring story.
The battle at the end between Wukong and Erlang Shen with his newly acquired third eye, was the only thing I liked, that, and the adorable French bulldog that appears with little fake bat wings!
8. Monkey King: Hero is back (2015)
Not a fan of this design.
It was a cute movie, but it was lacking in so many areas. This Wukong is a legendary hero that is known by the humans. After being sealed for 500 years he seems to have lost his powers, so now he is just some grumpy tall monkey through out the movie, and I don't blame him, because he becomes a babysitter for two literal children.
Pigsy appears in this movie and he is almost entirely accurate, personality and all, but Wukong looks so weird that I forget he is a monkey, he is strangely tall, has that Chad chin, and he doesn't even have a tail, and those little monkey feet he has makes me laugh every time I see them, its like he has stumps for legs.
The reason this movie isn't lower is because it does a better job of conveying what the Monkey King is all about compared to the previous movies. The intro of the movie was pretty good.
7. New Gods: Nezha Reborn (2021)
In this futuristic world, Wukong has an important role, training the reincarnation of prince Nezha. He starts out as some cooky old man wearing a creepy mask wanting to buy Nezha's bike, but later reveals himself after saving the boy from some demons. He teaches Nezha how to use his powers and watches over him till the end of the movie.
I like this version of Wukong because it shows how wise he really is, many versions have him seem naive or even dumb, but he is actually very clever in the novel. He is also visibly old which makes sense, old monkey has been around for more than 500 years after all.
To protect his identity, he calls himself the Six Eared Macaque, who was known for copying Wukong's power and technique, but its canon that Wukong did kill Macaque during his journey to the West, so sorry Shadow Peach shippers.
Also, those little monkey clones he makes are super adorable.
6. Monkey King Reborn. (2021)
Ah yes, the movie with the edgy Wukong and where the whole group is killed near the end... But comes back to life again.
Yeap, this movie was a rollercoaster of emotion, but it does a great job at setting up the tone of the original novel and its world building.
This Wukong is edgy and mischievous, his relationship with the Tripitaka was short but very cute, I wished it was explored more, but this movie just gives us the second best thing, Wukong putting up with an adorable little baby who is just another version of Tripitaka's soul or something.
This Wukong is powerful and has a really bad temper like the original, but he still lacks that charm and sense of humor that makes the Monkey King so memorable.
And, what did they do to Sandy?!
I swear, they never seem to get Sandy right in most movies.
5. The Forbidden Kingdom. (2008)
I have a soft spot for this movie, not only was it the movie that introduced the Monkey King to my family (Who I was already a fan of), but it also made me give the novel a try, and now I freaking love it!
The story is a retelling of how the Monkey King was trapped for 500 years in a mountain, the villain being a Jade Warlord who turns him into stone, but Wukong manages to saves his Jingu Bang by sending it to the mortal realm. A teenage boy from the future gets isekaid to ancient China after touching Jingu Bang where he meets a young Jackie Chan who tells him that he must release the monkey king from his prison by returning him the golden staff so he can go back to his own world.
The Monkey King's appearance in the movie was short but memorable, maybe because he was played by Jet Lee who is not known for laughing and smiling very often. I think he does a good job portraying the character, he is strong, skillful, and very clever, but very trusting of his own abilities which is the reason he left his guard down and got turned into stone.
4. Journey to the West 2; The Demons strike back. (2017)
A movie that gives Wukong so many different appearances that I don't know what he even looks like anymore. Shapeshifting is something very common in journey to the West, so it makes sense that Wukong can look any way he wants. First we have this human form where he looks like a stinky hobo fed up with life who barely obeys or cares for his new master.
Then we have this form where he has golden hair covering his body which I thought was his real appearance.
But then we get this nightmarish thing that looks more like a demonic monkey with bright red eyes like in the novel.
And none of these forms are even close to what he looked like in the prequel, but I'll get to that later.
This movie is a comedic retelling of the story, so many crazy things happen in this movie. Aside from the fact that Tripitaka punishes Wukong by whipping him, their interactions are pretty funny, specially because Wukong wears a magic ring on his head that used to belong to a woman the monk fell in love with in the previous movie, so he thinks about her every time he looks at him.
But it's also kind of messed up because Wukong was the one who killed her in front of him so...
3. Monkey King; Havoc in Heaven's Palace. (2014)
The movie summarizes the first 6 chapters of the novel that are all about Wukong's life, from seeing how he was born from a magical rock, to the reason he attacked heaven. Wukong starts out as a sweet and naive monkey who is curious and very playful, and he even has a little love interest. However, instead of just getting angry and causing trouble in Heaven, Wukong is fooled my the Bull demon king who tells him that the Jade emperor destroyed his home in flower fruit mountain and even killed his love interest. So naturally, Wukong picks a fight with heaven, the bull demon is discovered, and our protagonist humbly accepts his 500 year punishment from the Buddha, until the actor was re-casted in the sequel.
I like how nice this Wukong was, but not how the havoc in heaven wasn't entirely his fault. He was manipulated and still got punished for the misunderstanding. Wukong is not evil, but he isn't completely innocent either, which brings me to my next pick.
2. Journey to the West: Conquering the demons. (2013)
This guy right here is a hilarious representation of how the Monkey King is described in the novel.
The movie is about the Tripitaka before becoming a monk, and is instead a "demon hunter" who tries to subdue demons by being nice and singing to them. He encounters Sandy, and then Pigsy who are terrifying man-eating demons. Sandy is captured by a woman who is a real demon hunter and who falls in love with Tripitaka, Pigsy manages to escape, but is then captured after being lured into a trap set by the two humans and Wukong, who was still trapped in a mountain.
Wukong once again looks like a dirty hobo, only this time he is crazy looking and bold, but after he fools Tripitaka into removing the seal from the mountain, he shows his true form in all his glory. He appears with his golden armor and head piece along with some fancy decorations, three demon hunters appear and make fun of him saying how short, ugly and skinny looking he is.
I love this because that is exactly how the novel describes him. Needless to say, Wukong completely obliterates the three of them easily and without remorse, and to make matters worse, he even kills the girl who Tripitaka finally confessed he was in love with.
I know I keep saying how he is not evil, but we have to remember that he was a demon, a man-eating one even, so he naturally seems evil to us because he sees humans as insects that are not worth his time, you know how many people he killed in the novel? He even killed a guy just because he called him a ghost!
The sequel did a better job of making a Journey to the West story, and with better visual effects, but this demonic version of the monkey king and how he was stopped by the Buddha was the most accurate depiction I've seen of the character.
Monkey King 2 and 3. (2016)
This is my favorite movie Wukong!
For some reason they changed the actor from the first movie, but I guess it was because of how his personality completely changed in the sequel.
These movies are the best representation of the novel, Wukong is a badass and the one who has to do everything because Tripitaka is a moron and the other two disciples are really bad at their job.
The day he met Tripitaka he asks the monk if he doesn't want him to protect him, Tripitaka being a coward says no and Wukong took this opportunity to yell at the heavens and zoom out of there, only to find out immediately that they are being forced by the gods to travel together, like it or not.
This Wukong is clever, intimidating, selfish and a little grumpy, but he still likes to play around and he does take his job of protecting Tripitaka very seriously.
I admit I also find him a little attractive, just look at those muscles!
So what are your thoughts about these movie Wukongs? Do you agree with this list? Who is your favorite Monkey King?
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As much as I know, Andragoras and Tahamine adopted Arslan because Tahamine gave birth to a baby girl, and after that she can't have baby anymore. But why Andragoras didn't try to have other babies with other women? Is there any explanation?
Okay, warning for novel spoilers.
First, the truth about the child born to Andragoras and Tahamenay. The baby was a son rather than a daughter, but unfortunately it was stillborn. This is revealed by Zahhak in Book 16:
'"If Tahamenay had given birth to the child without mishap, things would have turned out differently. Since the son born to that woman was stillborn, Andragoras panicked and staged a foolish charade. No only did he bring in someone else's son, but he also bought three baby girls, gave them the appropriate silver bracelets and sent them off to separate parts of the country. This was all for the sake of preventing the infertile Tahamenay from committing suicide."'
(Book 16, Chapter Five, Part ii)
You're right that Tahamenay was left infertile after giving birth. I assume the birth itself must have been pretty traumatic for those who attended her to know this was the case right away, as if Andragoras had believed she was able to give him more children, I doubt he would have gone to all this effort.
As for why he didn't father children with anyone else, as far as I know there are no details about this, but we can make some guesses.
Andragoras doesn't seem to particularly care about the continuation of the royal line. He sees it for what it is, and in all honestly I think he gets a grim sense of satisfaction from hinting at the unpleasant truth while never revealing it in full, and was fully prepared to let the line die out after his death. I'm sure that in an ideal world he'd have liked to have his son inherit, but when that's not possible (specifically, when it's not possible for him to have another child with Tahamenay), from his point of view, a substitute will do.
He needed an heir in order to maintain stability in his rule, which is likely a big motivation for taking Arslan. By the time Arslan is named Crown Prince and officially designated as his heir, five years have passed. During that time, perhaps he held on to some hope that Tahamenay would somehow conceive again, but after five years it must have been apparent that it truly was impossible.
I do think, in the absence of a biological child with Tahamenay, he fully intended for Arslan to become Shah after his death, but was more interested in preserving his own power during his lifetime than he was in setting Arslan up for success.
For Andragoras, I think his biggest motivation was "having". The throne. The wealth and power that came with it. Pars itself. And Tahamenay as his queen. He wanted more than anything to possess her, and he did it by controlling her since he couldn't force her to love him and he knew that without believing she had a living child out there somewhere, she would find a way to escape by killing herself. Perhaps he was even so obsessed with her that no other woman would do. I believe all of this mattered more to him than thinking about what would happen to the country after his own death. He's a very selfish person, especially compared to Arslan.
Unlike Andragoras, Arslan has no personal desire for power and does not wish to be Shah for his own sake, but rather views it as his duty. He spends his whole life wondering what an ideal ruler is like and worries about not living up to that ideal. He is conscientious and puts the future of his people before all else. He doesn't care about riches or treasure. And he does not want to marry or have an heir of his own. They are total opposites in every way.
(That last bit was a digression; I just find it interesting. Hopefully this has answered your question!)
May as well edit to add here as well as in the comments: it is also mentioned in Book 7 that part of the reason for the baby-swap is that having a son preserves Tahamenay’s status. That must have been important to Andragoras (again, for selfish reasons, not for Tahamenay’s sake).
#arslan senki#the heroic legend of arslan#arslan senki novel spoilers#andragoras#tahamenay#arslan#zahhak
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One of my favorite recurring themes with the drow-centered novels (including Legend of Drizzt and War of the Spider Queen) is that we repeatedly see a lot of characters we grow attached to realize just how fundamentally lost some of their closest friends and family are.
WARNING: Mild spoilers for WotSQ/heavy spoilers for LoD below the cut
We see it WotSQ with Ryld and Valas, both of whom are betrayed by someone dear to them (I’m being purposely vague here because I don’t want to spoil anything since I know a few people are in the process of reading WotSQ now). We see it with Jarlaxle and Arathis Hune, we see it with Artemis and his mother, we see it with Drizzt and Zaknafein (although Zak later comes around), we see it with Kimmuriel and Rai’gy, and there’s likely a ton more examples I’ve forgotten.
And each of these characters has a different reason for either failing the person they love or a different way of processing and coming to terms with that disappointment.
Ryld becomes more closed off around Pharaun, but is still capable of forming some attachments later on. Still, you can tell that his ability to trust people is damaged and he has lingering trauma over it. Ryld is definitely uncomfortable with certain aspects of drow life, but overall accepts everything stoically.
Valas is devastated but pulls through it and remains loyal to Jarlaxle and Bregan D’aerthe. Otherwise, he doesn’t seem to develop any close attachments that we know of, but he definitely does still care to a certain extend about Pharaun and Ryld. And in all fairness, he basically disappears after WotSQ and only reappears for cameos in LoD here and there. Interestingly, he’s even willing to try and build a friendship with Zaknafein. I find this *super interesting* because Zak indirectly told him that he killed his grandfather after coldly shutting him down, and while there was some tension for a moment, Valas was the one to attempt to make peace and didn’t take his offer for drinks off the table.
Jarlaxle is... well, he’s interesting and complicated in this regard. He doesn’t tend to be very open about his true feelings on things, and while he’s had a LOT of disappointments in life, we don’t see him really dwelling on them. He knew, for example, that Arathis was threatened by Zaknafein’s growing closeness to him, and initially found it almost entertaining before it got to the level that it did. But where I think this could potentially get really interesting is how it affects his relationship to Valas; we don’t see him interacting directly with Valas very many times, but when we do, they are cordial, and Valas seems to have a preference for Jarlaxle over Kimmuriel and is anxious for him to return as a leader in Gauntlgrym.
It honestly makes me wonder just how Jarlaxle perceives him, and what must have been going through his mind when Valas showed up on his doorstep after seeking out Bregan D’earthe following the fall of his house. We DO see that Jarlaxle is particularly attached to Braelin, and as I’ve mentioned before, he and Valas have a ton of things in common. And Braelin at the very least is aware of Valas, per his introduction in Maestro. He’s also roughly two centuries younger. Could Jarlaxle have had Valas train him as a scout? I think it’s pretty likely, and I wonder if part of his motivation for doing so might have been hope that:
a) Braelin, being “a commoner but of more noble heart” as Jarlaxle described him, might be a good influence upon Valas in the event he turned out more like his grandfather in temperament and morality than Jarlaxle hoped.
b) Valas would be a good mentor for Braelin and keep him away from the city, thereby limiting his exposure to the uglier aspects of their society.
c) History would not repeat itself like it did with Arathis, and he’d get two good scouts to replace the one he lost -- and it makes sense, especially since Braelin was rescued by Zaknafein at one point and probably reminded Jarlaxle of him. Maybe this is his way of making up for his perceived failure to keep the peace between Arathis and Zak?
Drizzt on the other hand does NOT take disappointment well at all. I think RAS and his books get shit on a bit more than they deserve, but one major criticism I do actually agree somewhat with is that Zaknafein’s return was handled horribly where Drizzt was concerned and it made Drizzt look like a petulant child.
I say ‘somewhat’ because Drizzt is still mentally pretty damn young by elven standards, and on top of that, he grew up absolutely idolizing Zaknafein and it never even occurred to him that Zak was STILL a product of his environment and had survived in it for far, far longer than Drizzt. Well... okay, it did, but I don’t think he really understood the full weight of it. I still think it could have been done better, but it does help to show how much more growing up Drizzt still has to do.
Artemis as we know took that betrayal VERY hard, but at least he got some closure in the end. Even better, he’s really connecting with other people now and forming strong friendship -- even with people he once hated! Some people are pissed about this, but I actually like it quite a bit.
And then there’s Kimmuriel... yeah, he doesn’t really acknowledge it AT ALL. But if you read between the lines, Rai’gy’s fall clearly had a major impact on him. He became a lot more serious about reigning Jarlaxle in, took over some of Rai’gy’s roles with magical item creation/duplication, and became even more closed off. Like Artemis, he’s starting to take small but meaningful steps in forming bonds with other people, and he’s finally beginning to open up about the traumas he’s been through. He was genuinely heartbroken over the (likely) loss of Jarlaxle and his friends, but not so much so that he was willing to immediately go for the nuclear option of taking Azzudonna to the hivemind despite fucking everyone getting on his ass about taking her there or torturing her directly.
What I also find absolutely fascinating about his development is that while losing Rai’gy was undeniably hard on him, I think it was also necessary for his growth. The Kimmuriel we saw in Servant of the Shard would have brutally and messily murdered Calico Grimm instead of settling for humiliating and sparing him. The Kimmuriel we have now actually defended Doum’welle to Gromph by telling him that his anger against her was misplaced and that she was, in fact, an undeserving victim. He also called out Gromph on his racist double-standards during their conversation about Catti-brie.
It’s taken a long time (as it should, given how extreme Kimmuriel’s tendencies toward cruelty and perceptions of other people once were), but Kimmuriel has come a long way, and I really look forward to seeing where he goes from here.
Anyway, these are my thoughts. I had no real reason for writing all this down other than the fact that I just love these characters and wanted to talk about them.
#jarlaxle baenre#kimmuriel oblodra#valas hune#ryld argith#arathis hune#drizzt do'urden#zaknafein do'urden#artemis entreri#legend of drizzt#war of the spider queen#I have too many thoughts about sad drow#and also the humans who befriend them#what's pretty interesting about all of these people here#is that zaknafein is basically the only one who came around#rai'gy might have had a chance but was killed#and realistically had he lived kimmuriel would not have developed as he has now#arathis also didn't make it#neither did entreri's mother#but zaknafein also wasn't nearly as crazed and lost as these people are#AND he came back from the dead and got his second chance#valas hune appreciation society#jarlaxle meta
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Thoughts on Demons (2014)
this was originally going to be part of my demons (2014) thread on my twitter, but i'll just be dumping my thoughts about the series here on tumblr. i'll continue where i left off from where i closed the thread.
spoilers below the cut. there will be triggering content as well (suicide, mention of blood). don't expect this to be coherent. also i haven't read the book yet (oooh when i tell you about how desperate i am in getting a copy here in the PH), so yeah.
long read ahead.
okay. the last scene i watched last night was liza nikolaevna (and mavriky) getting beaten by the townspeople after the death of the lebyadkins due to her connection to stavrogin (and stavrogin being the main suspect of the siblings' death). did they really have to beat the poor girl? why must a woman (yet again) suffer from the misdeeds of a man HGKJDGFJGHDK
also pyotr,,, maniacally dancing in the pig pen....
man. the whole thing about shatov finally getting the chance to be a father and live with a family of his own only to be shot in the head by pyotr is just. :((( my jaw was on the floor i tell you. i was devastated and utterly wrecked.
the thing with demons (2014) is that it's on a different level of insanity than, say, c&p. c&p is depressing. demons wrecked me from start to finish. i cannot stress how many times the hairs on the back of my head stood up whenever pyotr would manipulate and rope in stavrogin in his plans.
it has the vibes of like,, trying so desperately to wash off blood from your hands but the blood just "magically" keeps on getting redder and redder and it doesn't really come off
also what the fuck was that pyotr??? mans just shot shatov in point-blank range and has the audacity to eat chicken (without washing his hands, to boot)??? like OH you going to HELL hell.
this scene with kirillov's lines:
i mentioned in the thread that i had to brush up on russian history before i read/watch demons because otherwise, it would just completely fly over my head
it was pretty interesting watching how this movement that pyotr was trying to mobilize fit the existing narrative then within the context of 19th century russian politics; demons was essentially dostoevsky "warning" of what could possibly be if people who thought like verkhovensky would get the upper hand in deciding the course of the russia's future
i admit i can't really speak about this because well, i'm not russian, but i deeply appreciate the how dostoevsky was able to weave all of this in his novel in such a way that leaves even me, a foreigner, in deep thought about what the implications of such an ideology would have on a wider context outside its country of origin
ok kirillov wtf HAHAHAHAHA ang gago niya XD
stavrogin's confession.
VILE. stavrogin you VILE, VILE, MAN. i don't have any words for it at all. raskolnikov ends up looking like a saint when i put him next to stavrogin.
on another note maksim matveev's teary-eyed face in that scene is so fucking beautiful i almost cried along with him
i seriously want to ask dostoevsky why he insists on making beautiful the characters that we're supposed to dislike/critique
heck even that notion warrants much introspection
like he's about to k-word himself but he still looks so hot? okay i need to stfu
i like the bit here with tikhon talking about revolutions and such:
this reminds me very much of my country's very own EDSA Revolution (there's EDSA Uno and Dos, but I'm talking more about EDSA Uno here because it's probably more relevant to the political state of my country rn). i won't go into depth about it, but you can check the wiki of it to get an idea of what i mean.
(they can be *gets shot*)
the ending scene. okay.
i talked about this w my twt moot and according to her, the most accepted theory is that the kid there (with dasha) is stavrogin's, and verkhovensky's reaction to seeing them there was like him getting the idea to continue his failed twisted plan, but with the kid in the place of his father. just. what the fuck man. leave that kid alone.
i was also told that this scene wasn't really in the book? yeah. so there's that.
concluding thoughts:
at this point i'm quite used to ruslit plots wrecking my mental state and subjecting me to emotions that make me want to stare at a wall, so this experience with watching demons (2014) was not as jarring as i feared it to be XD as expected, there were really some scenes that left me like "huh??? 🤨🤨", but really that's because i haven't read the book. what i plan to do is once i get the book, i'm gonna read it as i revisit the series.
also maksim matveev? yeah. that man is HOT hot. i could stare at his stavrogin all day if i could.
that's it for me! thank you to everyone who engaged with the thread, it made the experience of watching demons (2014) more enjoyable.
my next target watch on the dostoevsky adaptation list is the italian tbk film!! that or the 1968 russian one. will definitely make a live commentary thread about either on twitter as well.
#shut up rin#fyodor dostoevsky#demons (2014)#devils#the possessed#russian literature#rin's stuff: ruslit commentary#nikolai vsevolodovich stavrogin#pyotr stepanovich verkhovensky#ivan pavlovich shatov#alexei nilych kirillov#darya pavlovna shatova#lizaveta nikolaevna tushina#maksim matveev
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I completely agree that Miles Upshore is queer, and Waylon is on the spectrum as well! If you have your friends analysis still plzzzzz link! I crave the content!!!
HI HI THANK YOU FOR THE ASK! 💜
I wish I had his analysis still!!! aarrrrgh it's been so long ;-; But I can try to relay some of the points he made (and add some of my own)!
This gets pretty lengthy so be prepared :')
I also added external links but they’re only there if you want to read more about the point I’m making! Feel free to skip them!
also // TW for mentions of SA
Miles
Story-wise, my friend found it interesting that Miles was the perfect host for the Walrider. Wernicke and Alan Turing were friends/lovers who worked on the technology that culminated into Project Walrider, so there's already a sense that the Walrider was founded on Wernicke and Turing's love for each other.
So, before I move on, I'll talk a bit about Alan Turing. In college, I had professors praise him for being the “Founder of Modern Computing”, cracking Nazi code, and also for being an advocate for gay rights.
More details here:
Out of every prominent scientist during the Cold War Era, Alan Turing was selected to play a role in Outlast's stories. And he didn't just happen to be openly gay—JT Petty purposefully made this significant to Wernicke's character. Not to mention, Wernicke made allusions to Frankenstein, allowing us to inspect the parallels between Wernicke & the Walrider with Frankenstein & Frankenstein's monster. When it comes to gothic & queer literature, Frankenstein is on the forefront of it, and I'm confident that JT Petty would be familiar with that (since he's a writer who's well-versed in horror/gothic art).
With Frankenstein, there's this idea to create life without heterosexual means (under the impression of cis-heteronormativity). Frankenstein's monster was also a sexualized creature—supposedly a representation of the “ideal man”—described as “beautiful”. Additionally, the novel was a critique of patriarchal norms through elements of sexualities. These aren't too different from Wernicke & the Walrider. The Walrider is arguably created through homosexual means in its abstract (Wernicke & Turing). This particular version of the Walrider that possesses Billy & Miles is stated to be the “masterpiece” by Simon Peacock—its appearance is also fairly sexual. And similarly, Outlast critiques patriarchal norms through its grotesque visuals of “masculinity”.
Frankenstein queer analysis:
Frankenstein sexual suppression analysis:
With all these story elements, there's certainly a queerness about the Walrider AND Outlast, which the devs openly embrace.
There's also many parallels between Frankenstein's monster and Miles. In the United States (and westernized countries in general), there are societal standards that function around cis-heteronormativity. Think of the traditional American nuclear family: A husband/father who's the breadwinner and patriarch, a loving wife/mother who cooks and stays at home to take care of the kids—they're mostly white, Christian, and American citizens. [WARNING: TRIALS SPOILERS AHEAD] The ideal American man is further illustrated in Officer Coyle's dialogue: “If only they were upstanding citizens like myself. Pay your taxes, do your job, fuck your wife, put a little something in the plate at service. America don't ask much.” Miles is arguably the antithesis of this, which is likely the reason he doesn't have any close friends/family—he was likely rejected by society. Frankenstein's monster follows a similar arc: he is also rejected by society and seeks refuge in seclusion. (The concept of “rejection by society” is inherent in queerness.)
With these parallels, it makes sense for Miles to be the ideal host for the Walrider. Additionally, Miles embodies queerness that isn't strictly homosexual—I mean his whole background/lifestyle is already, by definition, “queer”—but questions regarding his sexuality arise when inspecting other details of his character.
My friend pointed out the whole “Manhandler Hairspray for the Active Man” detail in Miles' apartment. There are a lot of homosexual undertones in the label, and it's hard not to think otherwise. “Manhandler” and “Active” are terms which indicate the “top” role in gay culture. I mean, it's possible that Miles is just embodying the “metrosexual” identity (basically straight men who embody characteristics associated with homosexuality) but metrosexuality is rooted in consumerism, which doesn't exactly align with Miles' character since he is openly critical of capitalism. I think the hairspray hints at queerness (or at least gender non-conformity).
Article on “metrosexuality”:
https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/22/style/metrosexuals-come-out.html
The most revolutionary detail that my friend pointed out was the fact that Miles went out of his way to roast the ever-living shit out of everyone he came across at Mount Massive, begging the question: why is he so fixated on the appearances of other men? This could stem from his own insecurities of being rejected by society or insecurities of his own vanity (considering the hairspray he uses and the fact that he goes jogging…and if he's just trying to be healthy through exercise then he needs to explain his self-destructive alcoholism…idk…jogging for mental health? It’s open to interpretation…WAIT I mean he could just be keep up his physical fitness also with all the investigating he has to do anyways fjshshkdhd). It was just interesting that Miles was so fixated on physical appearances that it makes me wonder if he'd make similar comments about women—I don't believe he would and I'll explain below.
I know that we need to take Red Barrels' tweets with a grain of salt—they're known for deleting tweets that detail misinformation about the protagonists—but I find this tweet particularly interesting. I may be looking too much into it, especially since it's just a tweet and not presented in the games/comics, but it certainly is reflective of Red Barrels' values of respecting women and not viewing women as sexual objects, along with the notion of dismantling cis-heteropatriarchy/chivalry. It certainly doesn't mean he's not straight, but he doesn't particularly view women as sexual objects either (and I know that straight men are capable of not viewing women as sexual objects). Food for thought.
Some extra stuff:
Anti-conservatism and punk ideology (which Miles explicitly embodies) are pillars of queer culture in the political sphere.
The Germanic folklore, which the Walrider is based off of, exhibits notions of sexuality (though, probably not in the best light).
[TRIALS SPOILER] Wernicke’s dream therapy is associated with Dr. Easterman’s queerness—Easterman would be distracted by Wernicke’s handsomeness (and they both explicitly critique heterosexual relationships). Again, this supports the Walrider’s themes of sexuality.
Waylon
As for WAYLON, even though there isn't concrete evidence in the games to intentionally indicate queerness, that isn't to say he is entirely heterosexual (because assuming he's heterosexual is yet another product of the “ideal American man” image in a cis-heteronormative society, and Outlast's narratives are about dismantling this notion). In fact, now that you bring it up, I agree that Waylon can be considered on the queer spectrum/under the queer umbrella.
Regarding the “dismantling the ideal American man in a cis-heteronormative society” concept…the devs, artists, writer(s), actors, and contributors to the games' development are not only open/accepting of things outside of society's norms/expectations, but many are social activists. Chimwemwe Miller (VA for Chris Walker) is outspoken about being Black, Black history, and racism—he also narrated an audiobook which discussed racism, colonialism, & imperialism. Erika Rosenbaum (VA for Lynn Langermann) organized provisions for refugees and is active in environmental causes and feminism—she also spoke out during the #MeToo movement. Shawn Baichoo (VA for Miles, Waylon, & Blake) is also vocal about feminism/racism and was a huge advocate for his character Wrench's bisexuality from Watch Dogs 2, which became confirmed in a later installment of the Watch Dogs franchise.
I bring this up because Red Barrels actually entertains the idea of Waylon x Eddie (in the hypothetical that Eddie wasn't an antagonist like he was in the game…so like, erasing his problematic features baha…this deserves an analysis of its own) without mentioning sexuality or anything like that. Obviously, this can be seen as a way to entertain the fanbase, but I think it's worth mentioning that Waylon isn't opposed to homosexuality. After all, Waylon never makes homophobic remarks in his notes nor comments on male sexuality—he's just fearful of being assaulted (as anyone would be, regardless of gender/sexuality). He would, in fact, engage in a homosexual relationship according to this hypothetical.
(Note: the term “insane” is a harmful descriptor in this context, which is why I wrote “wasn’t an antagonist like he was in the game”)
So yea! I definitely think there's queerness with Waylon's character. And I don't exactly mean this to be “representation” because there's a lot of responsibility that comes with that, but ultimately I think it adds to what the franchise and the devs are trying to do—normalize queerness and dismantle the notion of the “ideal American man in a cis-heteronormative society” (and if you've studied socioeconomics/social theory, you know that this notion is a product of capitalism, which is another important theme in the franchise).
Here are some resources about the intersectionalities of cis-heteropatriarchy, capitalism, & queerness if you'd like to read more about it :)
(this one below is quite lengthy, but goes VERY DEEP)
All in all, my interpretation is that the franchise operates on the idea that “queerness” is normal or innate, but social structures are what label it otherwise. I've seen a lot of discussion surrounding Outlast characters' queerness, and it's interesting to me that the antagonists' sexualities get more attention amongst casual players than the protagonists' sexualities (and I think I can understand why, it's just a lot to unpack).
Just as many of the antagonists can be read as queer, the protagonists should arguably be read through the same lens. I truly do think Miles and Waylon (and even Lynn and Blake!) deserve to be inspected under queer lens. Doing so aligns with the franchise's philosophy/narratives. Also the idea of “queer characters taking down capitalism” is super empowering (and actually very identifiable hehe).
(Sorry, I think I projected a lot of my own personal values and biases into this post LOL hhhjdsfh feel free to critique anything I've written!)
This is my first time inspecting Waylon through a queer lens, so thank you for the ask!! I had a lot of fun writing this up :D
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"ascendance of a bookworm" anime, episode 1, scene 1
now that the english translation of the aoab light novel has reached part 5 volume 7, i want to write down some of my thoughts about the anime's decision to make the very first scene of the entire show the memory viewing scene. it's a significant departure from all other versions of the series (web novel, light novel, and manga), yet i believe it was a genius exploitation of its medium that turns potential weaknesses into strengths and allows fans both old and new a fresh perspective on the material.
first, since the anime premiered several years after the ending of the web novel, many of its viewers were always going to be those who had already finished the story. by opening with a scene halfway through part 2 of the series, the anime reassures longtime fans that the characters and scenes they most love are on the way. for those whose favorite character is ferdinand or who are very invested in his dynamic with myne, it gives them a taste of what they love to keep them hooked until he shows up in the story proper.
on the other hand, the anime will also always be some people's first introduction to the series. for those who have no idea what they're getting themselves into, that tiny peek into what's to come in part 2 is a big flashing sign notifying them that this shumilhole goes far, far deeper than the beginning of part 1 might lead us to believe. (of course, a not insignificant number of anime-only viewers seem to ignore this warning and convince themselves that myne's life in the lower city will be the centerpiece of the entire series).
there is also the consideration that, because the first and second cours of the anime were made simultaneously without any assurance that additional seasons would be ordered, placing the memory viewing scene at the beginning of the first cour and the end of the second cour turned it into a beautiful bookend that leaves the viewer with a feeling of a journey completed. it also serves as a framing device, allowing us to imagine that we are not merely listening to myne recount her experiences but that we are re-viewing her life so far alongside ferdinand.
however, where i think this decision reaches the level of genius is the way it places the anime in conversation with the written series. for those approaching the anime after reading the wn or ln--whether you were a reader first or you are returning to the anime after reading--it's a reflection of something the reader knows, but perhaps hasn't yet considered: the scene in which ferdinand views myne's memory is one of the most pivotal--if not the most pivotal--scenes in the entire series.
once you read part 5 volume 7 (or the corresponding chapters of the webnovel), it is suddenly made clear that without that scene, pretty much none of the rest of the story happens. that one scene changes not only the course of myne's life but the course of the entire story. and, of course, once you read all the way to the end of the webnovel (or the upcoming part 5 volume 12), yet another layer of significance to that scene is uncovered. looking back on that scene from the end of the webnovel, it becomes clear that it is a nexus of multiple plot lines.
by placing that scene front and center in the anime, its creators are not merely acknowledging the centrality of it to the entire plot. they are also asking viewers to reframe their own understanding of that scene, to evaluate the place they give it in their own interpretation of the series. "look, this scene is important," they tell us. "pay attention to what's happening here." it allows the reader a fresh perspective, both on the scene itself and on the series as a whole.
but that's just my take. what do you all think?
(nb: i've done my best to make this as non-spoilery as possible, so i encourage those who wish to discuss spoilers for the things i've mentioned to do so in replies rather than in tags. for those avoiding spoilers, beware!)
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