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bonefall · 7 months

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Now this had me thinking... Would Willowpelt die in the same way as canon (although to another creature im assuming since bb!badgers aren't as dangerous as they are in canon)? If she's getting kept around longer, maybe Cricketclaw is the one who sacrifices herself instead? That sounds like a fitting way for her to go, considering she couldn't protect her own siblings?

I feel like I should add a TM to anything that I'm working on in my drafts that has significant progress and is blog-plot-relevant, that will explain something exactly like this LMAO

Forgive me I am, at heart, a bear that eats half a salmon and then forgets I had a fish at all

Willowpelt's brush with death is staying, and is actually a bit plot relevant in Firestar's Quietus! I have a very specific scene which is actually totally written out-- actually fuck it, I'll just post it here

Context and narrative purpose of this scene:

Firestar is informed of a boar on the territory, and gathers a little scouting patrol to try and figure out what sort of hog it is.

VERY IMPORTANT SEGWAY. Because of how Willowpelt gets bitten here and Firestar loses a life saving Sorrelpaw, they all end up in the Cleric's den where Ferncloud is telling a story both to practice her new job as upcoming Educator and to comfort everyone.

The fact Willowpelt is not dead is how I get Littlecloud away from Runningnose and Firestar

Runningnose has a hunch, in this moment, that goody two-shoes little Firestar might be the perfect person to help Brokenstar, and teases the visions and revelations he's about to have

Establishes that boars are the new Big Bad Beastie of BB

Presents Sorrelpaw's epilepsy and demonstrates how it is a danger to her safety

(this is a lot of buildup but this is actually pretty short lmao)

So anyway before I let you go on to the readmore and a preview of Firestar's Quietus, no one takes Willowpelt's death here, and Willow is going to hang on for longer. I wanted to make sure I have a good amount of cats to kill off in the carnage of the White Hart's destruction.

Wherever Cricketclaw dies, it will be for a purpose. Either to show how bloody the TNP conflicts are, or in a greencough epidemic because I'm trying to make sure those aren't just "Kill a bunch of randos offscreen" disease anymore.

WILLOWPELT'S BOAR

The patrol is Sandstorm and Sorrelpaw, Willowpelt, Longtail and Sootpaw, and himself. It's just supposed to be for scouting, hence why the apprentices are coming along.

Unfortunately the hog has other plans, lunging out of a bush and going for Sootpaw

Willowpelt jumps in the way and gets bitten instead

Sorrelpaw acts quick, slashing its sensitive nose, drawing its attention and bolting as fast as she can

RIGHT as she crosses the Thunderpath, her body goes limp and she falls to the ground

She is having an absence seizure, and fallen flat on the road

The hog is hot on her heels, bowling after her, when a monster screeches to a halt out of nowhere

The hog is frozen in the headlights, Firestar bursts into action to pull Sorrelpaw out of the road

(i hear your heart beat to the beat of the drums) BUMP BUMP

The boar and Firestar have been hit by, have been struck by, an automobile

When he sees StarClan, they're about to greet him with love. But their faces turn to shock and fear, the scenery becoming sinister and trees falling down.

A fifth oak tree is crashing down towards them. Firestar stares at it, dumbstruck.

Just before it strikes him, his eyes snap open

Firestar resurrects with a burst of energy, dragging Sorrelpaw off the road and into the safety of a fern on the ShadowClan side

The humans are coming out of the car to examine the boar they struck, but Firestar doesn't have time to consider that or his vision.

Littlecloud's head pokes out of the foliage and he springs into action, checking them both for injury. Breathless, Firestar points behind him and rasps, "Willowpelt!"

Littlecloud nods and bolts across the road.

Runningnose saunters out from a different angle-- one where he would have been able to see the road. Everything that happened.

His gaze is unsettling as ever, pausing, eyeing the leader up and down.

He starts tending to Sorrelpaw, then mumbles,

"Brave of you."

"It's what any leader would have done."

"No. It's what you always do."

Firestar doesn't know how to respond to that, but he's glad Runningnose isn't staring at him anymore.

But continues, "You will learn terrible things in the days to come, Firestar, and StarClan will not answer the questions that find you. If you seek the truth, meet me by the mothermouth on the night after the next gathering."

Sorrelpaw is leaning up now, her eyes dazed and confused, as if she's trying to figure out what happened.

#So Crick could still get killed in the Boar Attack of BB!TNP #But I'm unsure yet. It's not a pressing matter either though #Because I also wouldn't mind just keeping her around until a Po3 epidemic #But there's THREE deadly events in TNP so it makes the most sense for her to meet her maker there.#Firestar's Quietus #better bones au

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firstkanaphans · 1 month

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genuinely what do you consider high heat then? boston and nick were fucking hard every episode, boston rode top to freedom in that car, etc etc. maybe you have a different definition of what that means

I wanted to wait to answer this until I had the results of that poll. 347 total people responded with the majority agreeing that they do not consider Only Friends high heat (54.2% said no, 32% said yes, and 13.8% selected “show results”). The biggest argument I saw in the notes for OF being high heat was some variation of “But Boston rode Top in front of both God and Mark Pakin. What more do you people want???” So I will attempt to answer that question here.

The problem, obviously, is that what someone considers high heat is entirely subjective, so I can only speak for myself, and for me, high heat isn’t just about the presence of sex in a narrative. It’s about how the narrative treats and frames those sex scenes.

The sex scenes in Only Friends are short, there’s little to no simulated nudity, and camera angles frequently come into play to lessen the audience’s presence in the scene. In higher heat BLs like LITA or KP, the sex scenes are intensely choreographed and often several minutes in length. They are given equal importance to any other scene. If the sex scene was not there or if it faded to black, you would lose plot and/or character development. Sex scenes in these shows are part of the narrative themselves.

There’s also just more realism in shows that I would consider high heat. For instance, in Only Friends, there are two separate scenes where Sand puts his hand down Ray’s pants and you are supposed to believe he is touching him. It is very obvious in both cases that he is not. And that’s fine! Maybe the actors weren’t comfortable doing more or maybe the network wasn’t comfortable showing more, but Porsche literally gave Kinn a foot job on camera, so…

I don’t have any hard and fast rules about what I consider high heat—it’s more about vibes than anything else—but considering Only Friends is able to be shown on YouTube uncut, it seems like someone out there agrees with me. To me, high heat would automatically earn an NC-17 rating. These are shows it would be inappropriate to show to young teenagers.

So while Only Friends is certainly high heat by GMMTV’s standards, I would not call it high heat in general. In fact, I don’t even think it’s the highest heat offering at GMMTV. The Warp Effect takes that one.

I’d love to hear other people’s thoughts because I’m sure someone probably has a more nuanced take than me, but I do wonder if maybe there’s a cultural aspect to this as well because some people seem absolutely appalled by the idea that anyone wouldn’t consider Only Friends high heat.

I would also just like to say that this is in no way meant to be a value judgment about whether high heat is better. I adored Only Friends. It’s just not the show I’m going to rewatch when I’m in the mood for something horny. Love in the Air takes that spot easily.

#now i want to rewatch lita #asks

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shadowetienne · 4 months

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OnlyOneOf "give me the lOve, bitxx" Lyrical and Thematic Analysis

OK, so, I have a lot of thoughts about this one! I think that there are several ways to interpret it! So some notes before you start reading:

I am looking at this through a queer lens, if you want to do a non queer reading, good for you, that's not what I'm discussing here

Some of my interpretations are going to go multiple potential ways, and this isn't an essay I'm writing for school or actual publication, so I may leave some trailing thoughts or slightly stream of consciousness style explanations

I am fascinated by the lyrical structure of this song, so bear with the fact that I'm going to babble about that a bit before I dive into the details of lyrics/meanings.

If you've not listened to the song in full yet, here's the official version:

youtube

And here is the wonderful translation done by Imbabey on YouTube that I used for reference:

youtube

I would love to hear other people's thoughts on this song! It's fascinating to me, and I think that it's a really important part of the lyrical story of the album as a whole!

This is about to get really long, so the rest is under the cut:

SONG/LYRICAL STRUCTURE

So, I'm going to start out with talking about the construction of this song because I think that it's really interesting! We start and end the song with the chorus, and it repeats a total of 4 times within the song. That chorus takes up about half of the entire song! It's important and we should be paying attention to it.

We also have a 2 part Prechorus that repeats twice (before the 2nd and 3rd version of the Chorus) with the very first line of it changed each time. This is interesting in part because that's more repeated lyrics taking up a lot of the song, but that also points to that changed starting lyric as being super important!

Then we have our three other Verses: Verse 1 is short (only 4 lines), Verse 2 is longer with some rap and builds up to the development, and Verse 3 acts as the Bridge into the final chorus and has a really different sound to it. Verse 3/Bridge is also quite short (only 4 lines). So little of the total song is in these storytelling verses, but a lot happens!

THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

I will talk about more of these later, after I dig into the lyrics more specifically, but I want to reference a few songs that I will bring up in thinking about this one.

First off is actually one of their covers, KB and Junji's cover of "Heather":

youtube

While this song is a very different angle, like "give me the lOve, bitxx" I feel like it deals with the issues with dealing with being queer in a society that does not want you to be, and how that can build resentment. OnlyOneOf is very thoughtful in how they pick their covers, especially the ones that they make fancy videos for, so I think that they are a lens that we can think about their own discography from. This was actually one of the things that I thought of right away when I got the full lyrics for "give me the lOve, bitxx" so it's worth having it in mind when reading the rest of my analysis.

Another older song of theirs with an MV that I want us to look back at for the context of this song is "angel":

youtube

I am considering this song specifically as a lens of how heteronormativity creates a narrative of how people need to react/act in society, and how that can lead to overcompensation, and also sometimes some pretty obsessive patterns (doing relationships right, having the right appearance of interest even if there is not actual interest). Obviously, "angel" is a song with many different interpretations, and I've considered writing something longer form about it, but again, remember that right now, this is a reading through the queer lens. This is a song and MV that I've got in my head as context for "give me the lOve, bitxx" so I want to make sure it's fresh for you as well.

Important note to carry with you in this echo of "angel" in the interpretation: In "angel" the narrator has idealized the idea of this girl, of the perfect straight relationship that will make him fit in society (again I know, among other things). In "give me the lOve, bitxx" he has that relationship, and it hasn't fixed things for him. He still doesn't fit, and in fact kind of seems to feel even worse.

I think that there are themes present in a lot of their songs that are echoed here, but those are the two big lenses that I wanted to bring up before we get into the thick of things.

OTHER OVERARCHING THEMATIC THOUGHTS

We're almost to talking about the lyrics, I promise. But there's a big thing that I want to discuss here that leads to two very different readings of the song.

I think that one possible reading of this song involves the narrator addressing two separate love interests: a guy who he has had his first taste of queer attraction and love with recently and the girl who he has been dating in an attempt to feel "correct" in society.

I will be addressing this potential second person I think getting talked to in a few places in the song, but also try to reference what I think the interpretation would be if these parts are addressed to the girl or not.

THE CHORUS

Don't make me pull the trigger [girl*] Once you know more you'll get hurt Don't come near Maybe I could be dangerous Give me your treasure [what] What's there to laugh at? Oh I can't hear anything right now, freeze

*I have added the two adlibbed words that I caught from what the translation above has transcribed in brackets. However, the first adlib "girl" only appears in Choruses 1-3 and is omitted in the final Chorus.

These lyrics are aggressive, and kind of nasty towards the girl. They are reminiscent of a hold up, an attack, but also a threat to end a relationship ("pulling the trigger" on something to end it). Whatever the case, there is some threat involved in these lyrics. The narrator views himself, or on some level wants to be viewed, as "dangerous." He also seems to want the end to the current relationship, at the same time, he wants to just ignore everything and have things stay where they are and "freeze."

He doesn't think he's good for the girl, he doesn't really think that he's good for himself here. There's a certain amount of hopelessness in this chorus. He's got this whole persona, this "bad boy" image too, and that definitely makes me think of overcompensation. A lot of times, queer people will make the decision to lean really far into heteronormativity to protect themselves, and this bad boy vibe that the narrator has going definitely leads into that.

I think that it is really interesting that the "girl" adlib drops for the final chorus. If the male partner is also being addressed, by dropping the girl from the chorus at the end, it can also be interpreted that what is bringing up these feelings of needing to end the conventional heteronormative relationship is the new relationship with the male partner that has made the narrator realize that this current relationship is creating something dangerous for him, and he can't get the love that he wants in it (and that he actually does want love that is not socially expected/accepted).

THE PRECHORUSES

The first line of the prechorus is the only line that changes between the two. In the first prechorus it is:

It kind of bothers me.

And in the second prechorus it is:

It feels kind of weird.

I think that this change in the lyrics is leading into the feeling that the narrator is figuring out what he wants over the course of the song. It's changed from being something annoying without really having a clear direction of that, to feeling weird or uncomfortable to what the narrator wants.

I've divided the prechorus into two parts in my mind at least. After that first line, the rest of the prechorus goes:

What the hell do you want from me baby? Foreign personality, style Somehow I'm injurious, so dangerous.

I feel like this really draws in the idea of the narrator feeling like he doesn't fit the expectations of society and how he should behave in it. He doesn't know what his partner wants from him, he feels "foreign" and "injurious" in his roles and interactions.

This version of him talking about being "dangerous" also feels much more confused, like he's been told that the way he is would make him "dangerous." That word "Somehow" carries a lot of weight in this. He feels conflicted about it.

We follow this into the second half of the prechorus, which is unchanged between the two:

When you hug me tight from behind I feel broken, I can't explain it Love Don't come near, no way

This set of lines actually really interests me because I feel like it could be absolutely addressed to both or either of the girlfriend and the male partner.

One of those big queer experiences that a lot of us have been through is feeling broken and wanting to hide from it. In the narrator's heteronormative relationship that should make him fit, he's not enjoying these experiences and doesn't want them, and that makes him "feel broken."

But at the same time, if addressed to the male partner, when he experiences these sorts of things, he does enjoy them, and that potentially scares him just as much. He doesn't want to let the male partner near because that experience feeling right makes him "feel broken" by society that has said that it's not an OK way for him to feel.

So either here, he's telling the girl he's been dating as overcompensation to get away from him and leave him alone because he's not feeling it, or he's telling the guy that he's into and struggling against the feeling to stay away because the very possibility of that makes him feel weird and scared and he doesn't know what to do with it.

VERSE 1

This is the verse that gave me the idea of the song being addressed to two different people! It's actually the set of lyrics that initially made me think, oh huh, this sounds like it might be addressed to the guy that he's been thinking of. Especially in the narrative succession to "dOpamine" where he's got some obsession going on. I think that it can be read as addressed to either though.

I think of your face all day long I look strange to myself I can't think about anything else Why do you keep getting stuck in my head?

If this is addressed to the male love interest, it makes a lot of sense that the narrator is sitting there going: I have this "perfect" in the eyes of society relationship, one that I should be so happy with, but all I can think about is this guy that I'm into. Why can't I leave it alone?

On the other hand, if this is addressed to the girlfriend, it can also read as trying to force himself into the right way of thinking about his relationship. And because of it looking "strange" (weird, uncomfortable, not right) to himself. He's getting "stuck" on this idea, and not getting anywhere with it. He can't get that sort of love he wants in the relationship he has, and he's uncomfortable with that.

VERSE 2 (the long verse)

Like with the prechorus, I see this as being divided into two parts. This verse is rap heavier, and it really feels like a lot of the development of the feelings and understanding of his feelings that the narrator has.

Why are you so clingy anytime I see you? I'm speaking, but you cover my mouth Yeah, because of you Again, seeing my sudden bewildered expression makes her stop her words

This is actually another section that I think can be addressed to either partner! And maybe the "her" in the final line of this part of the verse is a translation artifact that I'm reading too much into, but it does make me think, is "her" different from "you" here.

If this is addressed to the girlfriend, it reads as really just not actually wanting the relationship, as feeling silenced from his actual feelings by the demands of society represented in the girlfriend and the fact that he feels the need to have a girlfriend to compensate, and that's starting to really grate on him now that he has seen/experienced another option. It implies that the girlfriend is starting to see the cracks in their relationship and know that something is wrong, maybe she's even trying to make space for him to say something, and he's not saying it.

If this is addressed to the male love interest, it's a really different vibe. It's the questions of: Why are you risking showing this in public? Why are you stopping me from talking? Why are you both showing this so much and trying to keep me from actually talking about it? In this reading, the girlfriend is noticing whatever is going on between the narrator and the male love interest, but maybe doesn't know what to say about it or if there is anything to say.

The second part of this verse is much more focused on the internal feelings of the narrator as opposed to the interaction with others.

I hide my feelings, thinking of each other I close my eyes Well I gotta play dumb, making it pump, sick of it numb, pick up the phone Relax now (Boogie on and boogie on)

So this part of the song is definitely at least in part about sex and intimacy between partners. Who is the "each other" here? Well, I think that it can be the narrator and the girlfriend, where he's closing his eyes to hide from himself and his lack of actual interest. It could also be the male love interest where he's closing his eyes when with the girlfriend to better imagine what he actually wants and his fighting himself over.

I find the part "pick up the phone" really interesting. He's having this unfulfilling experience in the relationship that he's supposed to want, the one that is supposed to be perfect for him in the eyes of society, so he's reaching for his virtual world that lets him get away from that (and where I suspect he can contact the male love interest, or at least see things about him). He's relaxing by getting away from what is supposed to be his important intimate relationship.

VERSE 3 / BRIDGE

There is a big change in tone with this verse, and I think that this is where the narrator accepts what he is feeling, and that he doesn't actually want to be with the girl, he doesn't want what society thinks that he should want. He's still conflicted and scared, actually maybe more scared, but he's starting to realize. I think that that's part of why the "girl" adlib then proceeds to be dropped in the final chorus that comes after it.

Tasty like a raindrop, oh my I can't get used to it at all You know what? Actually I'm afraid you will leave Give me a chance to kill my doubt

I think that the first half of this verse is referring to his experience of queer intimacy with male love interest, the first time he's actually enjoyed it, and referring back to "dOpamine" that "thirst" that he's experiencing (with the "raindrop" lyric).

The second half is another one of those things where it could be addressed to either the girlfriend or the male love interest.

If it's addressed to the girlfriend, even though he's realized what he actually wants, the fact that it goes against the directives of society, and what he feels like he should want, he just wants that one more chance to see if maybe it could work with the girlfriend, that he is scared of what is past this relationship that isn't fulfilling but is at least safe.

If it's addressed to the male love interest, I get the impression that there's an element of the male love interest having basically said "look make a decision," and the narrator has been hesitating. Not feeling safe. And now he's saying, wait I'm more afraid of the idea of not having a chance with you and something that actually feels right than I am of leaving my safe by social standards relationship. Give me one last chance to taste this possibility and make myself sure before I jump into this relationship that feels dangerous but fulfilling.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Whoever the song is addressed to ("you"), the narrator has very much built up feelings of resentment towards social expectations and the girlfriend that he has put those social expectations on.

He's sort of billed himself as dangerous because of how society views what he has realized about himself. He knows he isn't being good to himself, he's not being good to the girlfriend, he's hurting everything in his path because social expectations are weighing down on him and telling him he's awful and hurting him.

A big part of the song is him kind of breaking under that, realizing that he can't keep going the way he is going, but struggling to make that final decision to leave and actually face his queerness and the possibilities that exist in it.

#OnlyOneOf #give me the love bitxx Analysis #Things I Can't Say LOve album #I don't think that I realized just how much I had to say about this song until I started saying it #I feel like I'm leaving things out still too #I'd love to hear your thoughts about it too!#Youtube

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thricedead · 1 month

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ATP i don't wanna add "i am enjoying this critically" disclaimers when I read stories with upsetting elements bc this phrase has deteriorated into total nonsense to me and it still assumes that the content is being "enjoyed", ergo "consumed for the sake of gratification" rather than being "studied for the sake of experience". I like reading stories (with higher writing quality!) in which terrible things happen to people, both those with good execution and with bad, cause at the very least you can analyze the points you disagree with and build your writing repertoire thru reacting to others' work. I am a narratologist, a literary theorist, before I am a human person. I interact with media in a fundamentally different way than fandom people on the internet, because I am someone who will approach even a yaoi one shot very studiously from all angles and view even the most barebones characters as narrative tools who are controlled both by an internal theatrical force and the external intent of the author (and also never forget... intentional fallacy is a thing) I will never see the characters as my boyfriends I will never succumb to my own revulsion and pass up a story im interested in! In other words, you know me well enough to know I dont read with my dick in my hand. If you dont know this of me, well okay... but I think the existence of the proship label (which i do not align myself with whatsoever, and find abhorrent both as a csa victim and because any identity built around shipping is feeble) has pushed everyone who is rightfully in opposition to it to place themselves on the "other side", as though "morals + literacy" is an on/off switch. Like its not the existence of imbalanced relationships, sexual assault etc in stories that is vile and disruptive, it is that certain people AND LARGELY THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN VICTIMIZED BY THESE ENTITIES IRL react to them and spew blatantly untrue literary misconceptions that disfigure the relationship between fictional portrayal of abuse and the real world mechanisms of abuse to justify jacking off to cartoons. Ok well I think its stupid to jack off to cartoons even if you're ethical about it so I dont do that 👍🏻 and don't assume this of me

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quinnyundertow · 3 months

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When I Catch You Gege

Summary Reader is Isekai'd into JJK with the determination to change canon and make sure she rights the wrongs of Gege. Oh and enjoy her time there...yeah that too. No manga plot spoilers. Reader x everyone. All characters 18+ unless otherwise stated.

Content Warning: Canon typical violence, torture, suicide, Non-con, extreme bullying, angst with a happy ending.

Pairings: Reader x Nanami Kento, Haibara Yu, Gojo Satoru, Geto Suguru, Junpei Yoshino, Okkotsu Yuta, Toji Fushiguro

Chapter 2

Memories & Missions

Y/n = First Name L/n = Last Name

Yu Haibara’s mouth gaped open like a fish at your exclamation. His face like yours was fairly expressive and wasn’t able to hide his emotions; surprise and confusion flitted across before he settled as embarrassed and guilty. He abruptly bowed at the waist, his hands by his sides, “I am so sorry! I’m usually really good at faces! This is so embarrassing I apologize!” he practically yelled from his 90 degree angle.

You quickly realized you had called him by his first name only initially; implying you and him had some sort of history. You waved your hands frantically in response, “Oh no it’s okay…” you respond rapidly trying to find something to explain away you knowing his name in the least creepy way possible, “It’s been a really long time…I wouldn’t expect you to remember me…” your voice faded off at the end as you looked to the side nervously. Yu looked up quickly, his body still remaining in his bow while his face scrutinized yours with a somewhat pained expression.

At the revelation that you were standing across from Yu Haibara the waves of confusion and concern surrounding you quickly faded into the background in your mind. Your consciousness immediately settled on that you must have fallen back to sleep and were currently having an amazing dream. Your boss was going to be pissed when you no call no showed but honestly just seeing a character from a series you love was totally worth it. I mean sure it would be cooler to dream about running into Geto or Gojo but Yu was an adorable cinnamon roll who deserved the world.

At the moment he was looking fairly awkward and you attempted to relieve his anxiety, “No really it’s okay. We..were in the same elementary school together. I was…” you pause trying to pull some story out that could make sense. “...picked on a lot and you defended me. Which is why I remember you! I’m y/n, y/n l/n” You smiled happily, liking the narrative that you came up with. Haibara is a good guy and the last thing you want is for him to feel bad not remembering a person he never met.

Haibara stands back up to his full height, his mind clearly trying to find a place where you would possibly fit into his childhood. You figured, if Haibara’s personality was similar as a child to what it was now he definitely was popular on the playground and probably defended other kids all the time. There had to be a place some random girl could fit in. You smiled as sweetly as you could while thinking, Come on Yu, would this face lie to you? God he looks adorable when he’s confused.

After a moment there seems to be a flash of recognition in his eyes before he slaps a fist into his open palm. “I-I think i remember you. I’m sorry y/n. You look a lot different now…i think." The last part is under his breath as you try to keep your expression under control.

You flush when you realize he immediately started calling you by your first name taking what you said as truth that you were childhood friends. You give a small laugh, “You look really different as well. I almost didn't recognise you. Thank you for helping me out there.” you gesture towards the main sidewalk behind you. “I’m not so great around…crowds.” you finish the sentence confidently despite the pause. That wasn’t completely untrue. You definitely weren’t a fan of being crushed in a wave of bodies.

“Ooooh,” He smiled at you gently, unconsciously stepping forward a little closer to you. “Are you feeling better? You sure you don’t want a candy?” He wiggled his hand with the candies in front of you as if to emphasize them.

You felt yourself laugh. Speaking to him felt natural, “No, but i really appreciate the off-” You stopped short as a sudden influx of energy appeared behind you.

“Haibara!” a disgruntled voice barked in annoyance at your back. The speaker abruptly paused, realizing Haibara was not alone in front of him. Turning you saw a teen even taller than Haibara had come in from the crowd, his school uniform mussed up like he had been fighting for his life in the mob behind him. Your jaw dropped as Nanami Emo Hair Kento stood in front of you in all his awkward teenage glory. Nanami looked at you uncomfortably as you tried to get your expression of awe in check. He raised a brow at Haibara, clearly asking him what he was doing in a random side street with some girl.

“Ahhh sorry Kento, I got distracted again and forgot the time.” He looked somewhat shamefaced as if this was definitely not the first time Haibara had not showed up to what you were assuming was a mission on time. Shoving the sweets back into his pocket Haibara’s face quickly broke into a cheerful grin when he walked over to you and wrapped an arm around your shoulder gesturing you forward towards Nanami. Your entire body felt like it was on fire when he laid his muscled arm across your shoulders.

Haibara had taken to you like a duck to water, not even bothering to question anything. You couldn’t help but think uncharitably, No wonder this guy got himself killed.. Haibara’s cherry tone continued not registering your beat red face, “But Kento look! I ran into y/n, we’ve been friends since we were little back in Hokkaido. I can’t believe we ran into each other all the way down here in Tokyo, what a small world!”

You felt yourself choke when he mentioned Hokkaido. “Yes, very..small”. You nodded awkwardly, grateful he let you in on that little detail of “your childhood” as Nanami looked at you suspiciously.

Nanami took in your red face and awkward expression before responding in a bland tone, “I see...Nanami, Kento” he introduced himself with little fanfare as Haibara grinned even bigger.

Haibara gave your shoulder a little squeeze before letting you go and exclaiming, “I am so pumped now! I never thought you’d get to meet any of my friends from back home. This is great we should go do some Karaoke-”

“No!” Two identical “No” rang out at the suggestion of Karaoke. You panicking at the idea of being trapped in a small room with these two men and being forced to perform. Nanami balking over the very idea of Karaoke in conjunction with Haibara forgetting the mission they were supposed to be on now. Before Haibara could start up again Nanami ground out, “Haibara we have someplace to be.”

Haibara looked like he deflated at Nanami’s comment before blinking back at you dejectedly, “I forgot. Y/n let’s trade numbers so we can all hang out sometime. How long are you in Tokyo?”

“Ahh, yeah about that…i’m not really sure..and my phone broke.” This dream was really getting into the weeds. Did you even have a cellphone? Probably not. You literally just met the cinnamon roll, emo haired, dream team and they were going to run off and leave you standing here until you woke up. You had to have like…some ability or something right. I mean it's your dream after all. What’s the worst that could happen? A curse pulverizes you and you wake up and go to work. You glance around awkwardly before deciding you're not ready for this night to end yet, “I mean… I could probably help kill a curse or two…typical tuesday night right?” You had no idea what day of the week it was but it probably didn’t matter. You expected dream Nanami and dream Haibara to take this in stride and welcome you into their curse hunt. Instead they both stared at you in horrified shock.

Nanami immediately began to sputter in an attempt to respond, nothing coherent managing to come out. He whipped his head to Haibara with an accusatory look as if to say, what did you tell her?

Haibara meanwhile froze looking at you before laughing a little too loud to be convincing, “Ah ha ha! I forgot to tell you Kento, she's a jujutsu sorcerer like us?!” Despite addressing Nanami, Haibara's eyes were glued on you in wonder, “That explains the strong energy I felt before I ran into you in the road.”

Guess that means I’m able to do something, you thought with surprise at Haibara’s last comment. Going to play it off you smiled at Nanami before raising your hands up and waving your fingers, “Surprise!”

Haibara jumped on to your comment and did a somewhat identical pose on the opposite side yelling, “Surprise!” You were seriously going to have to keep an eye on this Haibara kid. There was trusting and then there was this. Even if this was a dream he needed to be a little more suspicious.

Nanami adjusted his weight onto his other foot ignoring Haibara for the time being, “You’re a jujutsu sorcerer?” At your nonchalant nod he continued, “What grade?”

“I was homeschooled. Aren’t you running late? I don’t have to come if it’s a problem, just wanted to offer help to Yu.” Remembering Nanami’s disdain for overtime and extra work you added, “Figured we could get done faster… go read or ..listen to sad music faster?”

Haibara laughed as Nanami seemed to actually think it over. “Fine since you’re Haibara’s friend and it will get us out of here faster.” He turned to lead the way out into the open city air, “But if you get in the way we are leaving you behind” he muttered more to himself than anyone else.

Thankfully, it didn’t take very long for the major city congestion to clear; your small group finding its way into lesser populated side streets. Nanami led the way about half a block in front of you and Haibara; only stopping briefly to consult a paper map before trekking off quickly ahead again. You watched Nanami work from behind with a sense of awe that this somewhat gangly looking emo kid was going to fill out into the beefcake that is Nanami Kento in Shibuya. Not that present Nanami wasn’t adorable. I mean sure he could use a hair cut but he was over six feet tall and had legs for days. Plus, as much as you liked thick boys like older Nanami you had had your fair share of crushes on sickly thin emo boys with bags under their eyes. He wasn’t as broad as Haibara yet but his form was lithe and had this casual but confident finesse about him. God you were no better than a man. You averted your eyes before you burned a hole in Nanami’s back.

You felt Haibara’s eyes on you from your right side. He had positioned himself nonchalantly earlier so that he was on the side of the walkway closest to the road. You could more than handle yourself but the gesture was kind and it made you feel a little warm and fuzzy on the inside despite the chilly autumn weather. He was too good for this world and way too trusting, “Yu, you really need to be more careful about trusting just anyone who walks up to you on the street.”

The boy tossed you a lazy grin while scoffing, “Are you saying I shouldn’t have trusted you?”

You pouted, sticking out your lower lip a little, “Well no… but what if I was a curse user? You need to be a little more critical in approaching others.” You lightly scolded.

“Finally someone with common sense.” Nanami tosses the words backwards despite neither of you realizing he was listening in. “If you won’t listen to me, listen to your friend.”

Haibara smiles a little wider at Nanami’s complaint, “Kento you say that like we’re not friends.” At Nanami’s grunt in response Haibara raises a finger up to his chin and taps it like he is thinking, “I dunno…I’m a pretty good judge of character.”

You remember him saying something similar to Geto before he fell off the deep end. “Right…just be careful. Please.” You didn’t want to sound like a nag when you just met the guy but the image of him on a gurney in the morgue keeps popping up in your mind.

“Will do!” He flashes two thumbs up and gives you a wink. You feel yourself flush at the silly gesture before returning one thumbs up back. “So y/n are you planning on enrolling at Jujutsu High? That would be so cool. You know me and Kento are a two man team-“

Nanami stops in front of a dilapidated building that looks like it used to be some sort of apartment complex. Before Nanami speaks you feel this foreboding feeling emanating off of the building in front of you. A chill runs down your arms and the hair on the back of your neck stands on its end. “We’re here. Ijichi should be here to set up our veil.” Nanami comments looking down the street for a sign of the other young man.

“Ijichi is in our grade but he’s training to be a window.” Haibara explains but you already remember the shy man from the show.

Nodding, you look up at the complex ahead. If you focus hard enough you can see the purple tendrils of an aura leaking from the area. The feeling is overwhelming and very obvious now that you’ve seen it once. It’s like a searchlight cutting through the night sky. “It’s kinda amazing that normal people can’t see this when it’s so jarringly visible to us..” you whisper. Part of you is relieved you can see cursed energy and hope that means you will be able to fight halfway decent.

Haibara looks like he is about to respond but is cut off when Nanami announces, “There he is.” A black car pulls up to the curb and turns its emergency lights on before the driver hops out in a hurry, running to where your small group is gathered in front of the complex. “You’re 15 minutes late.” Nanami states matter of factly to the newest member of your group.

The newest arrival is sweating and nervously squeezing his hands “Nanami, I’m sorry I had trouble getting ahold of one of the schools rental cars and then I ran into Gojo-“

“Just put up the veil so we can go home.” Nanami interrupted.

Ijichi stood ramrod straight before acknowledging, “Right, very sorry.” He raised his arms forming a specific hand gesture before clearing his throat, “Emerge from the darkness, blacker than darkness. Purify that which is impure.” As soon as the words were released you felt Ijichi’s aura flare followed by a dark shade of purple oozing over the apartment complex. Despite the seemingly liquid consistency it formed a half circle barrier surrounding the entire complex and its immediate surroundings.

Before Ijichi even released his seal Nanami was stepping forward, “Let’s get this over with. ” he muttered stepping through the veil and out of your vision.

Haibara grinned, glancing at you and raising a brow, “Ready to go?”

You returned his eye contact with a half smile before turning serious, “Let’s do this!” As you stepped forward after Haibara you noticed Ijichi staring at you in confusion clearly trying to place where you were from. You flashed him a quick grin and a little wave before stepping under and into the newly created veil. You couldn’t help but laugh as you saw a blush race up his neck to his pale cheeks. Ijichi really didn’t look any different than his older self. He still had the salaryman haircut and nervous expression. The only real difference was instead of his signature black and white suit in the anime he now wore the same school uniform as Nanami did.

You sped up your step a bit until you were beside Nanami before addressing him, “Is there anything I need to know before we get started?”

He glanced over at you, giving you some consideration before he responded. “Shouldn’t be anything overly difficult. Two curses, at least one family went missing before the place was evacuated. The higher ups don’t expect us to find anyone alive.” You nodded your mouth becoming a grim line as he continued, “If you have any doubts about proceeding you need to leave now.”

You rolled your shoulders before flexing your fingers a few times. Since the moment you woke up here there was this underlying current you could feel. At first it was like a soft moving static but upon Nanami’s appearance the flow began to define itself more. It wasn’t like you felt it, saw it or even heard it. This newly awakened sixth sense was an automatic involuntary function; like hearing or smelling. It just existed now and you were now left to interpret the signals. You focused on this new sense and tried flexing the current inside you. In response cursed energy raced down your arm to arc between your finger tips briefly. “I’m good.” You responded with a confidence you weren’t sure was warranted. “From the outside it looked like this place was three floors. Do we each want to take one?”

Nanami watched you as you spoke, assessing the look in your eyes and maybe even your cursed energy output. You could only guess what others could sense given your lack of experience in actually wielding cursed energy. Nanami usually took the lead in these missions but given there was a new factor that had a connection to Haibara he glanced at his friend for the response.

Beside you there was no more sign of the goofy looking golden retriever boy. Haibara’s face was serious, “Okay, Y/n If you need anything give a yell. We rely on each other to complete these missions. We may separate but we are not alone in this. Me, you and Nanami are a team now.” He maintained eye contact while he spoke before giving you a thumbs up. Even Nanami nodded in agreement, his face serious.

You couldn’t help but smile at Haibara’s words and Nanami’s concurrence. Even if this was a dream the idea of being accepted so totally by these two gave you this sense of belonging you hadn’t felt before. “Alright let’s kick some cursed ass.”

Chapter 1 - Chapter 3

#QuinnyTheLibrary #WhenICatchYouGegeChapters #jujutsu kaisen #jujustsu kaisen x reader #fanfic #fluff

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absolutebl · 2 years

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This Week In BL - The Floodgates Have Opened

Oct 2022 Wk 1

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

Ongoing Series - Thai

The Eclipse (Fri YT) 9 of 12 - Aye is such an intense and focused little thing. The eye contact with these 2 is beyond eye fucking into something more like eye soul-mating. The pool kiss was fine, but they looked cold. GMMTV loves a pool kiss.

My Only 12% (Fri iQIYI) 9 of 14 - this show makes me cry. Fee is a wonderful friend. This was a good episode, it was fun to see Eiw come into his own. I look forward to the reunion next week.

Ai Long Nhai (Mon iQIYI) 2 of 10 - I figured it out, this is Make it Right the uni years! That’s why I like it. Nhai Is apparently flirtier and gayer when drunk. I’ve known some British lads like that. OK so sex happened. I like that there was some kind of confused drunken consent. But also serious regrets and bisexual identity crisis. Poor Nhai: You can’t have your friend and eat him too. This plot is moving quickly: it’s ep 2 and they have slept together and confessed, plus a one month trial relationship. I like it. This is messy gay in a way I appreciate.

Ghost Host, Ghost House (Weds YouTube & Gaga) 1 of 8 - I'm enjoying the lead pair, the meet cute, and the combative nature of their relationship. I’m not wild about the premise but I like how different it is from all the previous “my ghost boyfriend” takes on this concept. More “our human pet.” I’m beginning to be weirdly charmed by how bureaucratic the Thai afterlife always seems to be.

Big Dragon (Sat Gaga) 1 of 8 - Basically we have player love-rivals (a girl)/enemies to lovers + a rich/poor pairing: Yai & Mangkorn. It had a good hook but most of the ep was dull; thankfully Gaga has a 1.5x speed. The acting is bad but the sex scene was fine: dominance struggles, lots of switching, and verse stuff. *we likie* This show is using drugging (impaired judgement/dub-con/both men), sexual extortion, and blackmail as a plot device not unlike LITA. But it’s using antiheroes and presenting everything, including the characters, in a negative light. Thus right now in BL we have a great example of how the same plot device can be depicted differently and result in an entirely different perspective and watcher experience. In other words: a narrative I’m hating in LITA doesn’t bother me here, because of characterization.

Work from Heart (Thurs YouTube) 3 of 7 - The agro yet deeply in-crush behavior of our tsundere seme is kinda fun, but the fashion remains truly terrible and the most unpleasant performer in this show. Although it’s got competition.

Love in the Air (Thurs iQIYI) 8 of 13 - the premise and blackmail set up for this couple really fucked with me (because Sky is a broken angel-baby and Pai is an irredeemable pustule). I am not happy about it: DUMPSTER FIRE TRASH WATCH ALONG HERE. That said, there is a GREAT analysis of Sky’s character here (that I totally enjoy and want to be true, but I think gives Mame too much credit).

Fahlanruk (Sun GaGa) 4 of 12 - So Fah’s bf cheated first? Okay, still doesn’t justify his behavior. Honestly, I really can’t stand this show. Now we are playing a game of how long can I go before dropping it.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Takara-kun and Amagi-kun (Japan Thurs GaGa & Viki) 7 of 8 - these two pretty much define awkward. Takara because he is trying desperately to keep his cool reserve (and perform perfect seme) while simultaneously being so in love/lust with Amagi in high school where desire is, by definition and practice, uncool. Amagi is all frenetic movements and angles, like he cannot control his limbs or his emotions, everything is deeply confusing to him including Takara’s affection. Watching them stumble around each other and agonize over every little movement and conversation is an exercise in joy, patience, and agony. It’s all so “teenager” I can hardly stand it. This episode, however, was more about Tanaka coping with learning his friend is 1. not straight and 2. deeply in love with an adorable weirdo. It was a quieter ep than I expected but sweet. “He said something cute and I couldn’t help myself“ is so traditional Japanese seme in one sentence I can’t even.

Kabe Koji (Japan Mon Viki) 1 of 10 - basically this is A Man Who Defies the World of BL + Senpai This Can’t be Love (as @heretherebedork said). Nakao Masaki playing a sunshine bouncy himbo character is a fucking revelation, I didn’t think he had it in him. But our tsundere uke is far too tsundere for me, and despite the premise (AN IDOL LOVE INTEREST!) I do not not really like it. I just hate the stalker photograph obsession thing (My Engineer, SCOY, STCBL, now this) and I can’t support a character that starts out this way, it’s apparently a trigger I didn’t know I had until BL tried to romanticize it. I love Nakao Masaki (in a non stalker, no photos kind of way) so I might muscle through but...

Once Again (Korea Fri GaGa) 7-8fin - Cute date plus hand holding and a mild but sweet moot kiss does not a satisfying ending make. They are great boyfriends even if only for a few days. As expected, like Kissable Lips, this one ends sad. Can’t stop the Koreans when a temporal paradox and death is on the line. They do love their tragedy, not to mention unavoidable fate. 2/10 NOT RECOMMENDED

It’s Airing But I’m Not Watching It

War of Y - 20 eps A spy have reported in on a spoiler assessment of the first 2 installments here. 2 more to go.

Oh My Sunshine Night 16 eps - I’m scared it’s gonna be sad, so I’m waiting for spies to tell me it’s safe, so far reported to be quite the soap opera.

To Sir With Love AKA Khun Chai 10 eps - dito OMSN, so I’m holding until it finishes its run.

My Roommate - 32 eps of 2 minutes each? Terrible production values, worse than the pulps. I not bothering.

In Case You Missed It

180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us had a sad end, or at least, not a happy one, so I will not be watching it. I’m happy to leave it permanently listed dnf. 2022 will be the year I dnf’d the most BL, partly because there’s so much of it. (Thailand is at 108 BLs and counting this year).

I talk a lot on this blog about linguistics (language intersecting with culture) here’s a fun podcast from Hidden Brain on How language shapes our perspective on life.

Gossip

HIStory 5 is coming! Called HIStory5: Love in the Future. Since it’s going to be the only one under the 5 moniker I’ll probably default (like it did with H4) to just calling it H5.

That omegaverse Thai BL got cancelled. Probably because of the fuss being kicked up about it. I am sad. No trash watch for me. Maybe Japan will still do one at some point.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Starting: Remember Me starts tomorrow, Thai (Sun Gaga)1 of 8. 2 Moons 3 Thai (Mon ??) 1 of 10. Roommates of Poongduck 304 (Korea Thurs Viki) 1 of 8. SELF Thai (Thurs ??). My Tooth Your Love (Taiwan Fri Gaga & Viki) 1 of 12. Hard Love Mission Thai (Sat WeTV & iQiyi?). Wish Me Luck Thai (Sat ??).

I’m traveling so I may not be able to watch the ones I already have in rotation, let alone track down the new babies. You on your own peeps, best of luck!

Honestly Thailand, too many. You gotta stop now. We saturated.

FULL October 2022 line up is here.

This week’s best moments?

The return of That Staircase in Eclipse!

Tell us something we don’t know, Aye.

Breaking news: Cute bit is very cute.

Work from Heart: I just love the sniff test trope (AKA I like the way he smells) one of my favs.

Although neck kisses are good too, thanks Ai Long Nhai.

Activating seme agressive tendencies.

Bisexual rep, yes please!

And a direct address of drunk one night stand regrets. You’re doing well little pulp.

Such boyfriends.

The most seme line in a BL ever.

(last week)

Current earworm? The Rose’s Sour

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xivu-arath · 8 months

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actual finale thoughts:

I was salty about nynaeve at first but. after a night's sleep I do really like the building on her block (and plus associated trauma from the archways and her fake life within??) in a scene that was already juggling so many characters. plus it does set up her next arc really well. it stings for a finale but every wot finale until the last one is also inherently a bunch of setup, so! I'm More Chill Now

I knew how this would go with hopper the moment I saw a whitecloak presence and I got so teary at him jumping... (I do think the book death hits harder, the being pinned down with lances as he tries to leap...) But Still. I do feel it was early but also... well. it's important he die

I saw something in the tags about renna's death but honestly I feel it really works narratively for egwene at this moment, and for what mental space she'll be in for the next season

moiraine and lan <3 . great scenes, no notes. also I wonder who the big part of the fire banner was from, because it was very much filmed to draw attention to it being from a wholly different angle

the age of legends scene killed me. gonna be rotating "I know how much you hate being alive" and "I'm sorry but I can't do this again" and the repetition for YEARS

thinking about how the second after lanfear and ishy cuddle and affirm "we need each other" they both then move to betray each other with zero on screen regret. they know each other so well. this is how things go. I'm So Feral

speaking of isha'mael... his resignation when rand refuses! his extremely disinterested battle where he only does one weave and does not even try to change things up. he also knows how this will go, and there will be other chances for this to change before the end. at least he has a brief reprieve (:

(I also noted out loud that his dissolving into ash and crumbling away looks very similar aesthetically to how the heroes of the horn are pulled back. just wanna make that association)

mat's stuff was great <333 the awful lurch from feeling like he knows where he belongs to fucking it up. his frantic explaining it was a mistake

it feels like uno being a hero was either a gift to fans or a confirmation of a theory I'd never heard? honestly I'm p neutral on him so I didn't get much from it. I was however happy to see amaresu and birgitte!

I didn't expect to see the heron brands given how comparatively small and detailed they are, so that was such a gift. the scar looks so awful and grody too! wonderful. rand angst also fed really well for the future

everything with lanfear was great. her schemes! selling her coworkers to dump in the ocean like discarded pokemon! making sure she could fuck up isha'mael's contingencies. strolling into a total victory only to be fucked up by her least favourite coworker!! she's not my fave forsaken but she's been amazing all season and I'm glad for her

#wheel of time #wot tv spoilers #wot tv #tried to limit my book knowledge on here but still was unsuccessful lmao #it just spills out sorry

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spade-riddles · 1 year

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Submission: The Bait & Switch Theory

Lately I've been hate-reading a pop culture subreddit. It's not focused on Taylor, but people have been posting about her a lot lately (for obvious reasons). The overall vibe is pretty negative towards Taylor, but I usually skim the comments to see what casual fans are saying.

I want to share some recent comments I've seen (no usernames, and I rewrote some parts so they aren't word-for-word). Warning, you will probably get frustrated reading them. I did. But these are theories from casual listeners, non-swifties, who believe that Taylor really dates men, and they see this situation from a totally different angle than we do. While you read them, see if you have any new ideas about where Taylor might be going with this MH thing. I'll share my own thoughts after the comments. Another warning: this is a very long post-- sorry!

(These are all from a thread discussing a DailyMail article about how Taylor and MH are allegedly writing music together for her next album. I'll come back to my thoughts on this.)

On the subject of Midnights and MH, has anyone else gone back and listened to Question…? with him in mind? It all makes a lot of sense. Bejeweled too (the 1975 call themselves “the band”) and Cardigan.

Also “I swear that it was something/ ‘cause I don’t remember who I was/ Before you painted all my nights/ a color I’ve searched for since” from Question sounds a lot like “Look at this godforsaken mess that you made me/You showed me colors/You know I can't see with anyone else” from Illicit Affairs.

^^ Comment 1. Bolded parts from me.

All of it makes sense in context of falling in love with MH.

Anti-hero? She knew this relationship wouldn't be well received.

Midnight Rain? Joe was "sunshine she was midnight rain. He wanted a bride, she was chasing that fame."

Snow on the Beach? "Weird but fucking beautiful, you wanting me tonight feels impossible."

Labyrinth? "Uh-oh, I'm falling in love again. I thought this plane was going down, how'd you turn it right around?"

The entire album was about MH the entire time and we had no idea.

^^ Comment 2. I bolded the last sentence.

I don't understand how Taylor TOLD US Cardigan "was about" MH while on stage, into a microphone, and people are still denying it.

She wasn't trolling. She was revealing.

Cardigan is about him. And it seems like they weren't ON in 2014 and OFF for the next 8 years. Instead it's looking like they've gone back to each other again and again.

^^ Comment 3. This is the one that was most illuminating to me. Bolded part from me.

I think if they break up soon, she will phase him out and never mention him again.

^^ Comment 4. I'll come back to this one too.

Okay. So. Let's consider some hypotheticals.

Let's say Taylor wants to reintroduce Karlie into her public life.

Let's say they want the public Kaylor narrative to be as close to real life as possible. Let's also assume that they don't want to out anyone and that there are contracts limiting what they can say about their beards.

Let's say there's someone else Taylor has known since about 2014: MH. A dude with an awful reputation, definitely worse than Karlie's.

Let's say the narrative they want people to believe, one day, is that Karlie is the one that got away from Taylor. They were a couple a decade ago, then they were together on and off, having an illicit affair with each other the entire time they were "in relationships" with JA and JK. And after Taylor and JA broke up, she privately reunited with Karlie and they lived happily ever after.

Let's also assume, maybe incorrectly (idk), that Karlie is the real William Bowery, and that Taylor wants people to know that JA didn't write or produce any of her music. Conveniently, MH is ALSO a musician. They're rumored to have written music together in the past, although we've never heard it, and now they're seen at the studio together.

So I wonder if Taylor and Karlie are limited in what they can say or imply, especially when it comes to the Karlie/JK timeline. Instead, Taylor is briefly introducing MH as her boyfriend and letting everyone speculate about how she's been in love with him for ages and how she cheated on JA with MH for years and how they write music together. She spells out the ENTIRE fucking story for everyone, and they finally start to piece it together. The only part that's wrong is that the story has the name MH where it should say KK.

What if this is a bait and switch? Where MH totally disappears from the picture, never to be mentioned again, but only after she uses him to plant a narrative. We don't get any musical collaboration after all. Maybe MH, being a loose canon, even alludes to faking a relationship with Taylor.

And then 5 seconds later, she switches out MH for KK. They do the exact same things together. KK goes to shows, they go out to dinner, maybe she's seen leaving Electric Lady, or she's seen with an LV bag going into Taylor's building. Maybe TS11 doesn't feature any songs with MH, but William Bowery is still credited even though JA is long gone. And maybe they just let people connect the dots over time. Like a folk tale, where no one really knows for sure what happened between Taylor, Karlie, JA, JK, and MH, but it's generally accepted that Taylor and Karlie have loved each other for a long time. Over the years, people forget some of the details and accept the Kaylor folklore as fact.

I'm so curious as to what you all think.

By the way, I know this is long enough already, but I do just want to say that I don't want to minimize MH's disgusting behaviors. I do believe it's morally wrong to prop up people like MH (and JK), because it lends credibility to dangerous ideas and disguises wolves as sheep. I think this is a line T & K are okay with crossing, and they are probably in a very complicated situation, but I'm not trying to excuse them for their roles here.

#submission #great post #it really makes sense

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tatzelwyrm · 1 year

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After beating jedi survivor twice i have one issue with it. The villains are so boring!!

Dagen is an angsty whining final fantasy looking jerk

Bode was fun UNTIL HE WENT EVIL. And then he reminded me of dagen with his crappy attitude.

Rayvis had me very intrigued and couldve been a great villain… if he didnt have a collective total of like 15 minutes of screen time before dying.

Frankly after such a great antagonist in trilla when playing fallen order, it was really a disappointment dealing with these fools

I am with you on Dagan and Rayvis, but Bode haunts me.

Dagan in particular is very forgettable, which is a shame, because a 200-year-old High Republic era Jedi with a grudge is a fun concept. But, in the end, he might as well have remained a vision encountered entirely through Cal's psychometry. Him being there in the flesh didn't add much to the game apart from 3 boss fights.

Rayvis is your standard proud warrior guy with a life debt who lives for war. He sounds like the voice actor had fun, but there's nothing much to him that interests me. But then, as you say, it's not like he's really in the game all that much.

Neither of them is as fleshed out or has as much of a presence as Trilla.

But Bode just haunts me.

I suspected he was gonna betray us the moment he showed us a picture of his little daughter, but despite his betrayal being expected, I ended up enjoying the details a lot.

I've said elsewhere that I believe that the phrase "doomed by the narrative" is overused but that I believe that it fits Bode perfectly and that's why I enjoy his story.

[Detailed spoilers follow.]

I am compelled by how trapped he is. How he trapped himself long before we ever meet him.

He is so driven by his fears that he would rather live alone with his daughter on an empty planet than share it.

He is so driven by his fears that he can't trust anyone. In his eyes, anyone could be a spy, anyone could betray him and Kata to his masters. Why is he so convinced that anyone among the Hidden Path could be a spy? Because he is one himself and betraying people is his job. It's delicious.

Cal is also driven by fear of loss. His goal in this game is to gather everybody he cares about and hide them away in a place where none of the evil in the galaxy can touch them. It's a fantasy so naive that, a week later, I still can't believe he pulled it off, even if only on a surface level (which is my one problem with the game. The ending is too open. I kept waiting for the consequences for Cal's brief touch with the dark side. I kept waiting for him to realise that keeping Tanalorr a secret and the compass out of the hands of the Empire is going to be enormously complicated, maybe even impossible, especially given that he mentions making copies the compass... I hate when AAA games do cliffhangers, given how much time it takes to make one).

But one difference between Cal and Bode is that Bode can't trust anyone. Cal's goal is explicitly to share his mythical paradise planet with as many people as possible while Bode is so paranoid he apparently wants his daughter to grow up a hermit on an empty.

Bode assumes the worst of everyone because he himself is the worst vs. Cal who assumes the best of everyone and offers second chances like candy (to Caij, to Rayvis, to Trilla in Fallen Order, to Bode himself).

Bode is another dark mirror for Cal, like Trilla, like Dagan (nothing new here, it's a narrative staple, but a good one in my option, I enjoy it, and I like the way it's done in Fallen Order with Trilla and I like the way it's done with Bode here). Bode is what Cal could become if he lets his fears of loss consume him.

There is still hope for Cal though while there was never any hope for Bode. He was on that road long before we met him.

While I'm personally not a fan of stories that explore that whole "attachments are bad if you're a Jedi" angle (and I suspect we're getting a lot more of that in a potential sqeuel), Bode is actually a good example in my eyes.

Bode offered himself to the Empire. The game (in particular the Force Echoes on Nova Geron) makes it very clear that Bode is the one who approached the ISB, not the other way around. This wasn't a situation in which he was held at gunpoint and offered the choice to work for the ISB or die. He also wasn't tortured into working for the Empire like Trilla and other Inquisitors. Bode himself put Kata in the hands of the Empire because he was a slave to his fears.

It's what makes him so tragic. He never could have acted any differently. Nothing we could have done could have convinced him to truly trust Cal. Bode is simply in too deep.

By the end it's clear he doesn't even really care about Kata as a person. How is living alone on an empty planet good for her? How is living on an ISB base good for her while Bode is away all the time? He ends up hurting her over and over in name of protecting her, even physically, in the end.

By the time we meet him, all that matters to Bode is that she is alive and he can keep clinging to her and to the handy excuse she represents. It's the way he lives.

There is a Force Echo on the Lucrehulk in which Bode hopes that Cal is safe after they're separated. But once Bode remembers that he is going to betray Cal eventually, he buries that sentiment very quickly with the mantra of "I'm doing this for Kata".

Bode needs to keep telling himself that every horrible thing he does is for Kata, because if that ever stops being true, what does that make him?

Bode can't be saved just like the Ninth Sister couldn't be saved in the beginning of the game. Honestly, when we killed the Ninth Sister in the tutorial level I was wondering why she was even in the game, given how quickly we dispatched her.

But by the end it made sense to me. She was there to mirror Bode's fate. Cal hesitates a long, long time before dealing the killing blow to her. He talks to her (at her, rather, given that this is a very one-sided conversation). He calls her by her name, her true name. She never answers. She just stomps and snarls, too consumed by her anger to form words. Cal's final words to her are "it's time to set you free". He realises nothing he could do could make her turn from her path. She's going to keep fighting until one of them is dead.

It's the same with Bode. Cal begs him to surrender. Bode never stops fighting him, consumed by his fear. When Bode shoots first, Cal realises nothing he could do could make him let go of his fear. Bode is going to keep fighting until one of them is dead. Dying is the only way in which Bode could ever be free from his fears.

Perfect bookends.

I hate Bode because he killed sweet old never-did-anything-wrong-in-his-entire-life Cordova (right in front of BD-1, too!) and because he uses Kata as a cheap excuse for everything, including leading countless people to their deaths, betraying Cere's location and leaving Kata herself trapped on an ISB base (and, eventually, potentially, on a peaceful but empty planet).

But mainly I feel so sorry for him because he's so tragic. He dug himself a hole and never stopped digging...

#jedi survivor #bode akuna #cal kestis #masana tide #ninth sister #anyway here's my 1000 feelings on bode akuna #bode is going to keep haunting me #jedi survivor spoilers #spoilers #through a glass darkly

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mdhwrites · 11 months

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I think you’ve referenced it before, but could you explain some more about the found family aspects in toh? Like personally, I never found it very believable that Luz would consider Eda family especially when she already has such a loving mother. But when I watched Amphibia recently, the relationship between Anne and the Plantars (esp Hop pop) feels so genuine. And Anne does have loving parents as well but there’s something about the writing that makes it believable despite that. It’s like with Amphibia, I can totally understand why the character would risk her life and leave her parents again to go back and help this family, but with The Owl House, I only believe it because the characters are saying it if that makes sense. Like a lot of the dialogue mentions being family so we kinda just have to go with it even if it doesn’t feel earned (?) but with Amphibia, you can see that Anne has become part of the family without the characters even saying it.

I feel like this might just be an example of the old adage, show don’t tell. Thoroughly written stories can’t just have the narrator or protagonist tell us something; they also have to show us within the narrative that something is true. For example, I think of The Hunger Games. Katniss volunteers to be in the games in the place of her sister, and the narrative supports the decision. We learn about how Katniss took on a parental role with her sister after the death of their father which left their mom riddled with grief. We see how much she cares about her in the flashbacks and present when she spends the whole time wanting to win the games because if she doesn’t no one will take care of her sister. Like I wholeheartedly believe a character like Katniss would do this, and it’s because the narrative supports this.

Basically, I’m curious about how two shows with a similar premise both set out to explore the topic of found family but only one appears successful in my head.

Do you think it’s a matter of writing choices that hinder the success or is it a bias within myself that’s making me perceive these end results differently? For context, I watched toh first and fell in love. I watched Amphibia in the last couple of months and felt pretty indifferent to it, but by the end, it earned my respect.

So I have actually done a blog about this before! And I've talked a lot in the past that TOH has a very real problem that you just have to believe what the characters are telling you versus what they're doing. Their actions so rarely match up properly with their words after all or the context of a thing is just a problem.

An element I didn't talk about back then though, that Molly McGee actually gets right like Amphibia does, is that friction to me is necessary to sell a found family. Now, I know that might sound weird but hear me out. Everyone has heard of that meme that goes "A friend bails you out of jail, a best friend is in there with you," right? Or some variation of that?

Well, for found family, you need it to be "Your found family is in there despite being against it." It's the idea that even if they disagree, so long as the disagreement is just annoying and not harmful, they're willing to work past it because, well... You're family. Most people do shit for their family they would literally never do for anyone else because they're family. Not even best friends get this level of treatment because you don't live with them nor would you commonly want to.

Amphibia shows this off CONSTANTLY in the first season and not all of it is actually for the found family angle. Part of it is to showcase how Anne needs to grow, though the Plantars also accommodating for things like her being sick is important. But how about the cook off episode? That's pretty early in their relationship still but Anne recognizes how much effort they put into trying to make the pizza her way so when she doesn't have to join them, she still does. She suffers the consequences with them because that's part of being a family.

The episode to me though that highlights them as family instead of friends is when Sprig and Anne have to share a room together. They are very different people and don't get along entirely but there's an attempt at respect but family is frustrating. It's not perfect and it's not simple and the concessions we make to them aren't either. There is a friction but also a clear connection and care for the other. And again, that's early on.

Molly McGee's big episode on this is the CHORE BOARD! Scratch just doesn't want to do chores though and that causes conflict but also once his schemes end, he does them willingly. Just him being included in that is actually really heartwarming to me though because he doesn't have to be. You don't ask a guest to do chores after all. Even with your best friend, you might tell them not to do something because they're here to hang out, not to help. Family? You can inconvenience. Not be a real problem, not be a parasite, but you can inconvenience them.

As a note, that episode also actually shows just really great family stuff because I am competitive. I don't play multiplayer games because when I lose bad, it gets to me. But I also know my dad is competitive so when it's time for family games? I manage to not take it as seriously because if I get in a bad mood from losing, or celebrate too much from winning, it will put him in a bad mood and I don't want that, just Sharon didn't want to cause her family's competitiveness to get even worse.

None of this is really present in TOH. We get stuff like Luz and King liking telling breakfast puns to each other but I mean... That's just getting along with a roommate or a housemate. That's frankly a LOT of what TOH feels like. People who live in the same place just getting along. I've lived in a place with like twelve other people who all had to share a kitchen. You bump into each other and you start conversations and treat each other friendly because, well, you have to coexist.

But you don't have to inconvenience them. We never asked each other for anything. We never just buried the hatchet on something. You had a problem with someone, it STAYED a problem. But I also had HOURS long conversations with these people about politics, about their interests, etc. like that. Did that even make them my friends? Well, two years later and I haven't talked to literally any of them since I moved out.

That's the vibe, especially for the ENTIRETY of S1 that TOH gives with how the characters treat each other. They don't hate each other and they might do something nice for one another if they feel like it but they're INVESTED in each other. The closest that comes to it is the fact that Eda helps Luz get into school and then makes Luz her cloak but like... If your roommate was freaking out about a job that could help ease the pressure of rent and get them out of your hair more because they'll be gone more and you could help them? Why wouldn't you? And Luz is leaving and the experience has been nice and Eda seems to have literally nothing better to do so why not spend a lazy afternoon making a farewell gift?

Even come like S2 with Reaching Out, Luz is in pain when Eda wraps her Grudgby jacket randomly around her (why does Eda even have that on that day frankly?). If you saw someone sobbing, let alone a roommate, would you not try to do something for them? Give them a bit of comfort and some advice?

None of it's technically bad and if they just tried to sell it as friends I would go "Yeah, I believe that." But family? Family is more. And for the fact that almost ALL of Luz's relationships are incredibly shallow and quickly give up on having any friction in them, any contrast frankly as everyone just starts trying to become S1 Luz, saying ANY of them are found family, including Vee who only gets the title because Camila effectively adopts her, NOT because of her relationship with Luz... It's almost insulting to the fact that family does mean more than just that asshole who you make jokes with.

Found family must be found. You do not find something as important as family easily. You have to work to dig and find the treasure that is there. Anne worked. Scratch worked.

Luz? Was given. And that's the exact opposite of found family as the only family you're given in this, saddled with, is your biological one. The fact that TOH doesn't understand that means it was doomed from the start.

#the owl house criticism #toh critical #Found Family

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frumfrumfroo · 4 months

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Are there any big no-no's when it comes to time skips and/or separation in romantic arcs that span multiple entries?

I mean, if you're asking me personally, the no-no is doing it at all. I dislike time skips and separations as a general principle lol.

But as far as telling an effective story, I think it's just a case of making sure that it actually serves a necessary purpose, that it feels authentic both in that it's something the characters would actually allow to happen and in its effects on them, and that you aren't just killing all your narrative momentum by doing it. Because I think that's the main issue with a lot of separations in romance- it can totally destroy the tensions and build up that your audience is there for.

People seem to forget a lot, but romance is in many ways a kind of suspense, and to sustain that sense of anticipation without exhausting the audience is already a fairly delicate balance, so introducing a big separation can be a gamble. You risk losing the immediacy, you risk losing investment, you risk making it seem like the relationship maybe isn't that important to the characters involved or to the narrative arc.

So basically, it has to be justified. It has to feel like an obstacle put the in path of our couple which they cannot avoid but must overcome. When it's something we go through with them, we can be rooting for them and kept invested by their pov and their struggle, but when it's something like we left off at a cliffhanger and the next installment picks up two years later... That, I would say, has to be earned and it has to come at a place in the arc before any romantic resolution has been accomplished.

If you're going to do that, some big shit better have changed when you pick back up. eg: the TLJ cliffhanger is a breakdown in communication after Rey and Ben thought they were on the same page and discovered they weren't, both desperately wanting to be together and having it fall apart because of internal obstacles which manifest as an external space battle. The way to have a time skip is to radically shake up the circumstances so the internal obstacles can be approached from a different angle. We come back to discover the First Order is still using him as a figurehead, but actually Ben's gone missing, we come back to discover Hux has formed a splinter group within the ranks and there's a power struggle, etc.

You don't want character or relationship development of your pov characters to take place 'off screen', ever, because that's the thing we care about. But plot events which leave them floundering or throw them into turmoil, which triple down on their emotional state and position them to address the flaws that put them in the situation we last left them in, those are good reasons to have a time skip.

The big no-no, imo, is the classic bad kdrama time skip/separation, where you take people at the end of their romance arc, who have resolved their feelings for each other but haven't figured out the way forward yet, and are headed into their happy ending, and then randomly waste 1-3 years of their lives for absolutely no reason before then having an anticlimax final episode where they finally actually get together, but it's mid and awkward because all the urgency and momentum is gone. That's just aggravating.

#writing #tropes

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basedkikuenjoyer · 5 months

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A Marvelously Wonderful Life

1102 was a very tough chapter to write about. I usually have a draft ready from the Raws, but here there were a few angles I had to look at it from. So y'all are getting a Christmas bonus. On the surface this is just a cool, cool chapter. We split between Kuma and Bonney's stories, showing the former's side of known events. It's so moving in it's own right, do remember part of why I choose to focus on the meta narrative aspects is because it's hitting very close to home. And y'all this one's a doozy. Bookends. So this flashback begins with Ginny saving the day at God Valley the way she did and now ends with Kuma setting a precedent for the exact narrative trope we're looking for? Showing hidden sides of known events.

That's it, that's like...the entire foundational building block of all this weird shit I've said. Kiku was perfectly set up to do this with all of Wano, but it'd really start looking like a new recruit narrative fast. It's not just saying that the same way anyone could do that, we've pointed out several specific places where you could guess something happened based on context clues. Miss Unassuming is kinda the #1 archetype to pair with a twist told that way. In essence, this flashback starts and ends by setting a precedent. That's one way you could look at it, given I can tie both to Victoria Cindry is blowing my mind.

You cheeky lil shit. Don't worry, I'm not getting ahead of myself. This could just be a last note of the flashback and next chapter we're back to fighting Saturn. Kuma pops in to save the day with a last ounce of humanity, the miracle we didn't see with Cindry. Tomorrow we'll talk big picture, why I still wonder if this is a red herring walking the same line as Yamato. But first we have to ask the basic question, where does 1103 go from here? Because it can do that...but did we see it? A repeat of how we came back from the big cutaway. When we skipped the night in the lab. Is this the start of us coming back to that? Don't forget that was a double-bluff too.

That is an intriguing possibility. Always cool when you see the concept you expected but in a different way that's instantly so much better. Yeah, that is the way to play with the flow of this narrative. Skip the night, get to the high drama, fill in the night, finish the fight. To me, if that's what we're doing then this is almost assuredly heading towards the "Double Rashomon" idea. There'll be one more segment away. Maybe it's the alternate take on Wano. Maybe that's through Sword and Drake's report. Maybe it's the two Stussys as a pretext to let Marco do it. Maybe it's something completely different with or without alt-Wano as the fourth, real one. Neat right?

Crackle. Oh man, story's picking up another frequency again. There's something I'm left with here. Kuma's a total patron saint of teddy bears and genuinely good dudes everywhere. He's so cuddly and sweet and I know some of y'all are gonna hate me for this but he's also kind of a trusting idiot. So it's interesting you have that "Bakura" split personality element seep in.

We've broached this subject before, it's where Okiku was an evolution of Himura Kenshin. Which is really just the difference between a man making big, grandiose axioms about nonviolence vs. a sensible, pragmatic woman who will bear the burden of doing what's necessary as a last resort. Remember how much Kuma's sacrifices troubled Ginny. A little more grit and realism from the very spiritual Kuma probably would have been better for everyone involved, but at least people end up remembering you as a figure like Oden.

Makes this little crackle very interesting. It theoretically works as a Chekov's Gun; a way for Kuma to have a happy ending if Vegapunk snuck it in anyways. Or it works as a roadmap for where Kuma, saintly as he may be, fell short and is part of something bigger. Recall, we do make a point of showing something similar out of Vivi losing her cool in a tense conversation with Cipher Pol. (Psst, and Stussy setting up still struggling with personal identity issues that are silly to worry too much about.)

#one piece #post wano musings #chapter 1102 #bartholomew kuma #jewelry heckin bonney

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