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#tong is the real stand in

heretherebedork · 21 days

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I just cannot get past how thrilled Joe was to be building this home with Ming, to be chosen by someone, to feel like he was being loved and feel like he had a reason to go home and a place to be himself only to constantly have that thrown in his face by Tong and then to have Ming drunkenly lean on his shoulder and call him Tong and to realize that everything he thought he was building and making was a lie and then to still put Ming in bed. To still bring him to the bed and not just leave him on the floor? To have to learn that he was a stand in and then to have to clean up the couple mugs that had made him so happy a second before and now represented a betrayal so thorough he doesn't even know how to handle it?

And he still put Ming in his bed. Ming left him on the floor of his own home and he took the time to tuck Ming in before he cleaned up the shards of his heart that shattered across the floor.

All Joe wants is a home where someone is happy to see him, where someone he loves awaits his return and he thought he had it, he thought he had the family and love he wanted and now he's realized that what he has is nothing. Just broken shards and the jagged edges of their names mingled together on the floor.

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yemme · 18 days

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'My Stand-in' is Sloppy... Sloppy...

Did I say SLOPPY!? The stench that I can smell off the mountain of dead caucus and fecal matter... You mean to tell me pretty boy Joe has to play second fiddle to this no good dog Tong who seems to want to fuck down both the brother and sister out of selfishness... As Ming is accepting of it... as long as he gets a taste when he can... even though the person he fell in love with at first sight wasn't even Tong but it was actually Joe from the back of the head... Bumboseed...

Joe... my condolences...

#my stand in #my stand in the series #SLOPPY #This some Telenovelas shit...#spoilers #Did Tong set this child up to die... now he New New...#my stand in spoilers #My Stand-In #Who's gonna tell Ming who his real love is...#MethodToMyMadnessYemme

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blluespirit · 3 months

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Overall NATLA Thoughts

Okay, now that I've watched the series, I can give my thoughts.

Overall, I thought it was good!!! I had fun watching it! I'd rate it a solid 6.5/10. It's nowhere as good as the original, but it was definitely enjoyable and made some nice changes here and there that I liked. There were also some things I was also Not a fan of too.

I said in another post that it's best to treat this like an AU of the original. There will things that are great and things that are bad. That's the nature of adapting something.

Having said that, I need to get my initial thoughts off my chest... here we go.

Things I thought were good:

Sokka's characterisation - I really enjoyed him! I thought Ian did a good job! He played the funny moments well and retained the underlying seriousness/cautiousness. It wasn't perfect, but I enjoyed the changes a lot and think it was overall a solid performance.

Zuko's characterisation - Like Sokka, I do think I was most satisfied with their performances. A lot of Zuko's moments from the cartoon are sometimes... well, cartoonish and definitely wouldn't translate to live action, but I think Dallas did a nice job at balancing Zuko's desperate anger and that occasional sassiness well.

Zuko and Iroh moments were great. Had me on the floor crying. As it should have.

The bending looks a trillion times better than the movie - I understand it would not have been easy for the actors but, overall, I was very happy about it.

The scenery was stunning. It just looked so beautiful. I loved it so much.

Absolutely ADORE that they made Zuko a good calligrapher and artist. I read a fic about a million years ago where Zuko is a fantastic calligrapher and I thought it was perfect and made so much sense, and now I can say it's canon. This is perfect for me.

S U K I

The Freedom Fighters were ✨ perfect

They were so real for making Oma and Shu lesbians

Koh, Wan Shi Tong and Hei Bai looked fantastic, but I have more to say about all of them below, unfortunately.

I actually like the change they made that Katara is Aang's sole waterbending teacher.

Aang is not perfect, and needed more goofy scenes HOWEVER, I did like how they've had Aang's guilt more prominent in the story. The original didn't do a very good job with that, imo.

Zuko entering is breaking and entering era by breaking into an impenetrable Earth Kingdom prison is just perfect.

In Masks, I like how Aang and Zuko got a longer conversation - that was pretty cute.

I liked how they changed Yue a bit and got her out of the arranged marriage... how Yue saw Sokka in the Spirit World before meeting him in the real world.

Things I didn't like:

Far too much info-dumping/exposition. So much spelling things out. It was not as egregious as the movie, and I get there's a lot of information that needs to be conveyed well and quickly... but sometimes it really took me out of the show.

Why are Mai and Ty Lee here.... I was hoping the live action would give them a bit more depth (and they might as it goes forward!), but why put them in season 1 at all if they're just going to stand around???

Some odd changes - putting this as one point, but there are some bizarre changes that didn't make sense to me, as they did not benefit the story or deepen the characters. I have two main examples: a) making it so Aang didn't run away from home, and b) making it so Zuko actually fights Ozai in the Agni Kai.

Characterisation of Katara was Not Great. I don't think I got many hints of the reckless, compassionate, badass Katara until the end when she fights Pakku and rallies all the women together to fight (which happens off-screen). She was sweet and kind, but she just lacked the fire that OG Katara has.

Azula's characterisation - Azula is desperate to impress Ozai and so her character is just…. brewing with anger, frustration, desperation. I was SO excited to see the Azula we are introduced too… perpetually and irritatingly calm, calculating and ruthless. She's perfect, she's terrifying! She's literally the character of all time. But this Azula had more Zuko vibes? I don't think there's anything wrong with giving Azula more concrete motivation by wanting to impress Ozai and establishing that Ozai is abusive to both his kids, but I do think trying to do that right off the bat is a mistake.

WHY is Wan Shi Tong here. I love Wan Shi Tong, but like I said: Why Is He Here? Why could we not have his iconic, ominous as fuck introduction from The Library, and instead he's introduced in a random season 1 episode giving Aang Information(tm) about the Spirit World.

When Aang gave Koh the statue, and then he just takes it and immediately lets all the villages go, and neither of them even say anything, I actually laughed out loud. Like, I am so sorry, but what in the jesus fuck was that.

Speaking of Koh - I think Koh is better the less we know about him. Roku saying ~all Koh wants is a family like the rest of us~ just pissed me off?? I like my Koh the Face Stealer Terrifying and Unknowable, thank you.

NOTHING EVER REALLY HAPPENS WITH HEI BAI!!?? where's my precious spirit bear?? Like Aang never really does anything with him and the replacement Koh story is boring and it sucks.

Bumi.... sorry I just didn't vibe with him at all.

Things I can't decide on:

Fancy spirit knife to kill the moon spirit annoyed me a bit, but I guess they wanted to Kuruk something to work with and a little bit more interaction with Aang which I get but idk. I really flip/flop on this one.

I've been very on the fence about having Azula (and Ozai) being in the show in season 1 in general. I'm not sure if it benefited either of their characters.

Azula & Ozai's dynamic - Okay, so, I think they're trying to give Azula more depth, right? They're trying to establish what it was like for Azula to live with Ozai and that she's also (like Zuko) trying to desperately prove herself to him, but Ozai using Zuko's... achievements to do that just felt so weird. I get he's doing it to manipulate her, but that just felt so wrong when in canon it's very obvious that Ozai just didn't give a single fuck about Zuko. Ozai pits Azula against Zuko by saying he's a failure, he's a bad bender etc. Azula is born lucky, Zuko is lucky to be born - like, Ozai says that to Zuko's face. I don't know if I am communicating this point very well, but it just didn't seem right to me??

Zuko vs Zhao in the Siege of the North... I genuinely do not know how to feel about it! I didn't love it, I didn't hate it. I don't know how to feel about Zhao telling Zuko that his mission is a sham and that Azula is the prized one... It feels like it's saying the quiet part out loud? In the OG we all know that Ozai sending Zuko on that mission was an excuse to get rid of him, but we can work that out, no one actually says it. And then Iroh just fucking killing him/mortally wounding him instead of the Iconic scene where Zuko reaches out to save him despite everything Zhao has done to him, but Zhao's own pride gets in the way from letting him accept help from Zuko.

Zuko’s crew being the 41st is not necessarily a bad thing at all!!! But I do just want to say that in the original, the attack goes ahead, and presumably, those soldiers die. It’s horrible. Zuko’s sacrifice is in vain, and it was always going to be in vain because the Fire Nation as it stands would not allow Zuko's compassion to win. Ozai would not allow it. While not necessarily a bad choice (all the soldiers bowing to Zuko on the boat was so sweet I loved it!) but I think it does take away some of the horror of Zuko’s story (same as it does with making Zuko fight back in my opinion) because the whole point is that Zuko did the right thing - and he was punished for it, and those soldiers died anyway.

anyway...

Okay!! got that off my chest. I know I just had a big whine here, but I still had a lot of fun watching this show. I think some of the backlash is a bit over the top and unwarranted. It was never going to stand up to the original - and that's okay.

Enjoy it for what it is!

#zuko #sokka #katara #aang #yue #iroh #zhao #azula #ozai #jet #koh the face stealer #wan shi tong #hei bai #natla #avatar the last airbender #atla netflix #avatar netflix #jack talks #live action series

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bicth-and-in-that-order · 8 months

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Rambling thoughts of various Yuri manga I’ve read

1. Kase-San and Yamada (Morning Glories sequel series) by Hiromi Takashima

notice how Kase’s name is first, which is representative of her being the main one to cause problems in their relationship

If you asked me what my favorite yuri manga was like 2-3 years ago, I’d say Morning Glories and Kase San everytime. Every avid yuri fan has either read or watched Morning Glories because, at the time in 2010, it was groundbreaking, and I stand by the fact that the original series still holds up to this day. It was cute, sweet, wholesome and only had a few obligatory “we love each other but we’re giRLs😳😳😳” moments. Most of all it wasn’t a pseudo-incest-straight-male-porn-pandering-garbage-fest—also known as “Citrus”. Was it cliche at times? Yes, but they all are lol. Did they add to the dumb ass “blonde femme and dark hair masc” trope? Also yes. But it was adorable and it was my first ever yuri so it holds a special place in my heart.

And it SEEMED like it was only going to get better in Kase San and Yamada, the sequel. The girls would be heading to college and the story could theoretically focus on more mature topics while they navigate their new relationship. Keyword: theoretically. Unfortunately, instead of exploring interesting relationship dynamics and storylines, the plot of each story arc boils down to: Kase is insecure because a man breathed next to Yamada or Kase is being completely insensitive to Yamada’s feelings…again…—> ✨miscommunication drama ✨—>big over dramatic apology scene—>boring makeup sex or other romantic gesture.

Literally that’s how every single plotline goes. Kase is so goddamn dumb and insensitive to Yamada’s feelings and Yamada’s a complete doormat who can only stay mad for 0.2 seconds before getting pussy whipped like a spineless ass bitch. And for all that Yamada sacrifices for Kase; her hometown, her dreams, her apartment, what does she get in return from Kase? Oh that’s right; bare minimum romantic gestures and a neglectful partner who can’t even call her “girlfriend” in front of others:

Like I thought we were over this shit. It’s been THREE years of them together, a whole anime production, and god knows how many irl years and we’re going back to “we love each other but we’re giRLs😳😳😳” WHY???

And then Kase later goes onto bet her entire three year relationship over the ugly bitch in the next panel, so now I’m questioning whether or not Kase even loves Yamada with the amount of bullshit she’s put her through. Which COULD be an interesting plot point, but Kase never gets any consequences for her actions and the creator genuinely thinks this is romantic and full of tension so I’m 10000% positive that this arc, just like all the others, will end with some makeup sex and we’ll be right back to step 1. Sigh.

2. Tamen De Gushi by Tan Jiu

Tamen De Gushi’s problems are interesting but it’s NOT because of the Chinese government💀

So today’s dark haired masc and blonde femme of the day are Sun Jing and Qiu Tong, respectively. Their personalities aren’t anything to write home about, if you read ANY high school yuri romance, then you know exactly what happens in this story beat for beat. But, BUT, however derivative it is, I find their dynamic very endearing and down to earth. Idk maybe it’s just the translation, but other yuri stories often have this very inauthentic “anime” vibe to it. Which is to say the characters act very cutesy, overly dramatic, and have this stilted, caricature-esque acting of how the creator thinks teenage girls are supposed act.

However, I’m happy to report that Tamen De Gushi is a breath of fresh air in this regard. The characters and interactions they have are grounded and feel organic, which makes them feel like real people, not aliens pretending to be human. This really elevates the humor in turn, oh did I mention that Tamen De Gushi is super funny? Because Tamen De Gushi is super funny, here’s one of my favorite panels and it’s all because of Sun Jing’s goofy ahh expression:

Like go girl give us nothing

If you’re wondering why I haven’t spoke much about the actual romantic relationship between the girls, that’s because there isn’t one💀 Which, okay, that’s not a fair assessment, they have a ton of romantic tension and they flirt a lot. It’s certainly building to a great romantic relationship, but it can’t quite get there due to legal/political reasons sadly. 😔

Edit: I received new information in regards to what happened to Tamen De Gushi. While I reached my limit for posting pictures, I want to point out that the Chinese government had nothing to do with Tamen De Gushi getting censored, rather it was a dispute between the author and the publishing company. The prior information I received was false and I prob should’ve looked it up more so sorrrry. The fact still remains though that after their big lesbian kiss towards the middle of the story and maybe a few other moments, that’s just kind of it. You’re stuck waiting for something to develop, but nothing really happens. The comic very quickly becomes a collection of slice of life segments and cute pictures that imply a relationship between the girls, but not really ;) ;). Now things are just kind of left in purgatory for the foreseeable future and, well, that’s Tamen De Gushi y’all.

Compared to Kase San and Yamada, the characters were much better, which is not saying much, but without an actual romantic storyline, there’s just not a lot for me to comment on to be honest. It’s really pretty though, look at this art :

3. Beauty and the Beast Girl by Neji

my personal favorite and the BEST yuri I ever read

So next on the list is Beauty and the Beast Girl (I’m going to abbreviate to BatBG from here on) , which I already spoiled my feelings on the matter so this will basically be me gushing about this story for several paragraphs straight, enjoy.

Contrary to what the title suggests, it really has nothing to do with Beauty and the Beast’s story except in name. The main girls are Lily Blind, who is actually fucking blind 💀 and Heath the monster girl. Already I’m happy because instead of blonde femme and dark hair butch, it’s blonde femme and of-course-you-have-purple-hair-and-pronouns masc. Lol, all jokes aside, Lily, unlike her blonde femme counterparts is quite assertive and voices her opinions all the time. In fact, she’s the one who pushes Heath to be more open and communicate with her rather than the other way around. This is, in part, due to the story BatBG is trying to tell. I say BatBG is in name only to Beauty and the Beast because Lily isn’t trying to find the “beauty” within Heath or learning to love a beast or whatever, she’s fine just the way she is and her love for Heath is unconditional. Plus the only thing beastly about Heath is her appearance…which I’ll harp on later, but her behavior is in no way different from a regular human except in very rare, specific moments.

At its heart, BatBG is a story about forgiveness (the creator literally says as much) , but it’s also about the cycle of violence that results from being outcasted and deprived of love. BatBG is set in a world of humans and monsters, where the monsters are outcasted and either have to stay away from human society like Heath or assimilate themselves by hiding away their monster like traits, which is a really queer narrative on top of an already queer story. I don’t want to go into too much spoilers, but sometime before the beginning of the story, Heath in-directly hurts Lily before they ever meet. However, it’s not about Lily needing to forgive Heath, or trying to get over the pain she inflicted upon her, rather its Heath learning to forgive herself and in effect, learning to love herself as much as Lily loves her.

Another big aspect of BatBG is disabilities, Lily Blind is in fact Blind lol and while there are times she struggles with her blindness, she never views her disability as something she needs to be ashamed of and never, ever, blames Heath for it or holds it against her unlike what many, many, many, many other stories end up doing. Her blindness isn’t treated like a super power either, it’s a legitimate disability. She just accepts that it’s a part of her and goes onto say that if not for her blindness, she would’ve never met the love of her life, which I found to be an incredibly profound thing to say.

Now that I’ve gotten this far, I suppose I can add a bit of a disclaimer. So BatBG is waaaaay more explicit about the physical affection between the girls than in any of the previous stories I talked about. Heath and Lily are constantly kissing on, hugging, and almost always flirting with each other, and make no mistake, these girls do be fucking. The sex scenes are never perverted or gross, but genuinely super sweet and romantic, which makes it way hotter imo (huh imagine that🤔). And aside from being hot, it also serves a purpose! Lily’s pretty damn horny underneath all her nice girl antics and while it’s not a major part of her character, it does give a slight edge to her personality and, most importantly, balances out the dynamic between Heath and Lily. It would’ve been very easy to fall into that boring trope where Heath is aggressively horny and Lily is the submissive blind girl, but by making Lily be the one to initiate the sexual encounters, it not only compliments Heath’s more reserved nature, but breaks the stereotype that people with disabilities are pure precious being who couldn’t possibly have sex, which is ableist af btw. Many people think the existence of any sex scenes at all is superfluous, but in BatBG, it truly elevates the story, the characters, and the romance in ways that wouldn’t be nearly as satisfying without it.

Now, with as much praise I gave BatBG, there is one criticism I have, but it’s a quibble really, and it can be explained in a single image:

There is a dissonance between the story and the art, the story says: “Heath is a big, ugly scary monster”

The art says:

And like yes, it can be argued that Heath is simply regurgitating the things bigoted people have said to her, but at no point in the story is this ever challenged or brought up in any meaningful way. Lily is blind so she doesn’t know what the hell she looks like and the other characters aren’t any help either. It’s not a big deal or anything, it just would’ve elevated the story if Heath was actually kinda ugly/more monstrous and not incredibly beautiful because right now it’s giving skinny girl who calls herself fat all the time, and it’s like, babe, who tf are you fooling? 😭

Other than that, BatBG is incredibly profound despite its premise being so deceptively simple and I love it to pieces so …yeah! READ IT.

4. Superwomen in Love! Honey Trap and Rapid Rabbit by sometime

Well, at least there are no blondes

So imma just abbreviate to SiL btw

Alright, let’s get started. The premise is that a villainess falls for the super hero girl and then that plotline is dropped in about 16 pages. I’m not even joking, the villainess falls for the hero, loses her job as a villain and then joins the hero all in one chapter. The REAL plot is actually about a council of evil alien-humans who want to destroy humanity because of generic super villain reason #434: the leader of the aliens is sad and misunderstood :( I’m not even going to lie, I had 0 interest in “X” (the generic ass name of the main villain) and her band of useless lesbians. They did literally nothing in the story except be a nuisance and contribute to X’s incel breakdown at the end. Their inclusion actively made SiL worse because the story has this weird tonal problem where in one breath the villains are portrayed as complete jokes and then you turn the page and now they’re shooting children like girl what💀 And these useless lesbians hog sooooo much of SiL that desperately needed to be given to Honey trap and Hayate to develop their relationship.

When the story DOES actually focus on Honey Trap and Hayate, it’s pretty good, even cute at times, there just wasn’t enough time given to them to flesh their relationship out. As it stands, Honey Trap and Hayate don’t have much of a dynamic, or personality for that matter. Honey Trap’s main gimmick is that she’s extremely horny for Hayate and delulu:

Aside from that, she’s a great value version of Heath, but even a watered down character is better than, like, nothing. All I really know about Hayate is that she’s nice, heroic, likes wearing tacky clothes and ….that’s it. She loves Honey Trap because…………they fought together a few times so why not🤷‍♀️ I’d say at least that’s better than Tamen De Gushi, but actually it’s not because these grown ass women don’t even kiss , all we get is a love confession and their gremlin love child and that’s supposed to be satisfying I guess.

And the worst part is that SiL has the audacity to pretend the romance was something that it clearly wasn’t:

Girl…yall were “””enemies””” for 10 panels.

Now, it’s stated they have been rivals for a while, but I guess Honey Trap forgot all of that because the moment she sees Hayate’s face, my good sis is pussy whipped for life. And that’s in spite of apparently being the evilest one out of the evil group because Honey Trap has no grudge or baggage toward Hayate. She immediately turns good with no issues and Hayate is only distrustful of Honey Trap for 1 or 2 speech bubbles and then she’s not. Anything else that happened was off screen, which means it didn’t happen. Ironically, the very next entry on this list will do a MUCH better job at an ex-villain love story, but for SiL, there’s just not much going on.

Another reading of this story is to call it a “parody” but…no, it isn’t. SiL isn’t a comedy, yes there are comedic moments that poke fun of the genre, but the rest of the story genuinely wants you to take it seriously. Except it can’t. X and her league of dimwits are boring as piss and they oscillate between Saturday morning cartoon villains and child murderers seemingly on a whim. So I can neither be endeared to them nor take them as a serious threat. Honey Trap and Hayate are there, but I lament on all the potential lost from what could’ve been an amazing relationship.

5. Yamujiburo/Kianamaiart’s Hanamusa webcomic

This one is kind of cheating, but I also don’t care let me talk about hot MILFs💀

So the final entry on this list is a webcomic series by one of my fave artist: kianamaiart! And it’s right here on tumblr so check it out!

I stumbled upon this webcomic a few weeks ago, fell in love and now I want to talk about it. This yuri pair thankfully has no blonde femme in sight and instead features two popular Pokémon characters: Jessie from Team Rocket and Delia Ketchum, Ash Ketchum’s mom. What I love about this ship and the world Kiana creates around them is that it’s a very unconventional pairing. There’s just not many romances where a single mom falls in love with an ex gang member and the best part is, Delia being a mom is a big part of her character and she doesn’t ignore Ash in favor of her new relationship with Jessie. She has time for both and doesn’t prioritize one over the other, which many ppl fail to do even irl so good on you Delia!

Now, as for the romance it self, Jessie and Delia are a unique pair. Jessie’s overconfident, brash, drama queen personality doesn’t automatically put her in the “dominant” role and Delia’s sweet, motherly personality doesn’t automatically put her in the “submissive” role. Their dynamic in the webcomic actually plays out in the reverse, Jessie is the one who gets easily flustered and Delia’s…intense, to say the least:

(But Tbf if Delia looked at me like that I’d be at her beck and call too💀)

This subversion of these tropes creates a fun dynamic for the couple and it’s super adorable to see how their energies bounce off each other in each new situation Kiana puts them in. I also love how both Jessie and Delia inspire each other to live out their dreams and they become better versions of themselves by being together.

And one last thing, I don’t have any smart commentary to go along with this, I just really like this drawing of Jessie:

no thoughts, head empty

Final Thoughts

Soooo yeah, that’s the end of my dissertation on yuri comics. I know I ended up dragging a lot of popular yuri, but it wasn’t my intention to make you guys hate any of things I talked about. These were just my thoughts as an avid yuri fan, so let me know your thoughts as well, especially if you read any of the yuri I talked about. And even though I’m super picky about the type of yuri I read, I’d still love to hear any recommendations. Who knows, it might dethrone the undefeated champ that is Beauty and the Beast Girl.

#Yuri #yuri manga #long post #Anime #manga #lgbt #lgbtq+#wlw post #kase san and morning glories #tamen de gushi #beauty and the beast girl #superwomen in love #hanamusashipping

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respectthepetty · 19 days

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As if My Stand-In wasn't rude enough, remember that poster of Ming new Joe first saw when he was leaving the hospital?

It's the same shirt Ming was wearing when he broke Joe's heart.

And remember when I wrote Joe had core strength because he was lifting Ming's shirt up with his mouth since his hands were tied behind his back?

He is wearing the same hoodie in episode four's preview, which means Ming is probably going to do some real stupid shit for Tong.

Remember those ridiculous pillowcases Joe bought?

How could we ever forget them?!

They are laying on each other's in this scene. Ming is on Joe's and Joe is on Ming's.

But Ming takes his when Wut shows up.

Oh, and in the trailer, Joe is laying on his.

And Ming is leaning on his.

And they are clearly in Joe's house because the picture on the nightstand is the same as the first time they had sex.

But . . .

On the very first night they tried to have sex, Ming was wearing white pants and Joe had on these yellow-ish boxers.

And in the trailer they are wearing the same outfits, YET we didn't get THIS scene in the first episode.

BUT . . . those damn matching pillows are on the couch.

They normally are on the couch AFTER JOE BOUGHT THEM!

So that scene from the trailer isn't their first night together. It's later! But how much later? Because these bowls show up in odd places too.

You know, the green and gold bowls Joe bought before Ming broke his heart?

The ones they ate off of like a cute couple when Wut brought them food?

Yeah, the bowl is behind Joe in this scene from the trailer.

And that shirt is the same shirt under this jacket from this scene in the trailer.

Ming is also wearing the blue watch in this scene.

And we know Ming had that suit in the past because it was hanging in his closet.

And we know the fight continues to the house because of this promo picture.

Which would make sense why Ming is sitting there all sad with the green and gold bowls waiting for Joe to return.

BUT . . . why would they be kissing by the gold and green bowls if they are breaking up in episode four and Joe is about to die?

So either Ming wakes up, Joe says nothing, Ming puts in a great effort to cook and sex up his man, only to fuck him over for Tong which leads to them fighting in the street and death.

Or Ming is still living in Joe's house in the future with their green and gold bowls and king of heart pillowcases and we will see those two scenes later.

Or Ming could eff over Joe and still be living in his house two years later since this is the same guy who broke a man's heart in a blue and red striped shirt and wore that same exact shirt a year and a half later when he started working for the same company his ex worked for.

Which is something he never had an interest in.

So to recap, Ming is possibly a sentimental asshole who has been holding onto meaningful items and conversations from his relationship for the past two years and he is acting because he no longer wants to be himself since he doesn't have Joe.

Cool beans!

#my stand in #my stand in the series #this show is rude #and I will write eighty million posts about it #I thought Joe being tied up would be sexy #but NOPE!#Ming is gonna eff him over I just know it #RUDE!

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bunnakit · 1 month

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my stand in episode 1 thoughts, feelings, etc.

OHOHOOO FINALLY. FINALLY I FEEL INSANE ABOUT A SHOW AGAIN. poom phuripan my absolute beloved, i've missed you so fucking much.

the show really eases you into everything and so far i don't mind the back and forth, i think it's interesting to see the direct consequences and THEN the story of how we got here. i don't know if my opinion on that will change later but for right now it's really pleasing me. i also really like this gradual introduction we're getting into everything and the sort of thriller/mystery vibe to it all. it's giving me some very loose/vague manner of death vibes.

i immediately don't like the vibes of tong or wut but i'm reserving any real accusations until later, but i'm def side eyeing them. i've got my eye on you two.

it really took my brain some getting used to to understanding the joe we're seeing is joe's consciousness and everyone else is seeing the joe that was shown in his reflection in the hospital (i've never seen vice versa or many other shows that do this, forgive me) but once i wrapped my head around it i actually quite like it. mostly bc it means i still get to see a lot of poom.

anyway - thus far this has one of my favorite romance tropes; guy who is used to being treated badly/ignored and man who has too much love to give (to someone who may or may not deserve it, judgement withstanding on that rn.) joe is just such a heart eyed fool and i'm so glad to see poom in another role of lovesick, unfairly attractive, dork. it's a role he plays so well and he immediately endears you to joe so fucking much.

throughout most of the episode i was like ooh this is a bummer but the angst isn't too bad. and then. AND THEN.

ming coming over to joe's house and making a move on him, again, from the perspective of behind joe - where he looks so much like tong. the lamenting about him being a virgin and joe offering himself up to him. and then ming turning him back around to face the mirror. this way he looks so much like tong, he can pretend it's tong, and yet at the same time joe's face is right there, reflected back in the mirror, inescapable. i'm fucking eating this up, finally some good fucking food.

idk i'm probably not touching on everything i want to, it's been a long ass time since i've done one of these, but this is just what immediately comes to mind. now time to go make a gifset lmao.

(if you give me novel spoilers i WILL hunt you for sport)

#bunn meta #my stand in the series #my stand in #my stand-in #my stand-in the series #poom phuripan #up poompat #usersasa #clairedaring #<- lmk if you want to be added to tags or removed for future eps!!

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vegaseatsass · 8 days

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Rewatched My Stand-In eps 2 and 3 tonight, and I'm definitely newly fascinated with Ming POV/Ming's internal concept of what was happening between him and Joe that entire time. I forgot just how much we got of Ming's home life and family in episode 2, and my brain is abuzz trying to connect all the dots. His relationship with May is so interesting. She clocks that he and Joe are together on Christmas, and is immediately careful to conceal it not just from their parents but from Tong. May and Ming have this "us against the world" vibe where they protect and cover for each other, going back to May giving herself pneumonia saving Ming from drowning. I absolutely believe there's more going on in their family than mom pressuring Ming to marry women any time he goes home - I actually suspect things about his family are being obscured for future painful reveals - but May is a safe space for him. Until Tong is added into the picture, and Ming has to flee the country for four years to get away from his big feelings. It's just kind of bonkers to me that he had this intense, safe and presumably very grounding relationship with his sister, but made his obsession with a random movie star the centerpiece of his world instead. Why did he imprint on Tong? Is it really just Joe's sexy back muscles that drew him in? Did he think if he could land a famous movie star his parents would accept him being with a man? Was it subconscious self-sabotage of his only safe relationship lol? I genuinely have no idea!! What I am stuck on though is when he told May he was working through something, and would tell her when he was ready, but he promised he'd get through it. On rewatch, it seems very obvious that what he's talking about is the torch he's carrying for Tong, so to me that's a reveal that he's deliberately trying to move on with Joe - not using him as a sex doll replacement, but throwing himself into something real. (What's messy obviously is that Ming started this for the proxyfucking, but I think overhearing Joe confess his love for Ming to Sol is when Ming started making a determined effort to choose Joe.) There's also his reaction to Joe's Christmas gift where the watch becomes a metaphor for Joe himself (vs. Tong): Ming doesn't need the "top" one, why can't he want the "normal" one?

The first time I was watching this, I assumed that Ming just has no internal awareness of how important Joe is to him, he just feels pure need and acts very very normal when his emotional support stand-in is ripped away. I assumed Ming believes he's in love with Tong and thinks he's just passing some time with Joe. It doesn't help that every time Joe presses him on anything emotional Ming shuts him down or outright negs him lolllll

But like for example, in the scene where they're shopping together and Joe gets excited about the couple mugs, first Ming snaps "What makes you think we're a couple?", then he tries to mitigate his slip by playing it off: "after living with me, you'll realize you don't want me as a boyfriend." His kneejerk impulse to shut Joe down and say cruel things is imo a defense mechanism, a really maladaptive one that helps convince Joe later on that there was never any love there, but I'm starting to think it's triggered in response to actually wanting the intimacy and primacy that Joe is pushing for, and being terrified of that.

It would make so much sense for somebody who is terrified of needing anybody else, of being vulnerable or feeling anything real, to decide they're in love with a complete asshole movie star who uses their family for money and them personally for favors, and shape their life around that. Especially now that I understand how young Ming was when he first fixated on Tong (17ish??), I just feel like that entire imprinting is your classic teenager-who-is-not-ready-to-be-in-a-real-relationship parasocial spiral. I used to do it with male celebrities too!!! (I am a lesbian. lmfaooo)

It's interesting because while there's something conceptually romantic about the back Ming first got obsessed with being Joe's all along, it ultimately doesn't really matter to me WHO the onscreen person that he fixated upon was. What matters is how ill-equipped Ming has proven to handle real feelings for a real person in front of him, and the journey he has from here to learn how to human. I can't wait. P.S. Other thing I forgot happened in episode 2: - Ming made drunk!Joe sleep on the floor of Joe's own home - BEFORE Ming moved in or had any claim to the space - AFTER Ming told Sol he would take "really really good care of Joe" as a way of trying to claim Joe in front of the competition His journey to human is going to be a loooooooooooooooooong one, methinks... 😈

#this post is huge but i am also fascinated by tong and his possessiveness over joe as his stand-in #and manipulation of everyone around him #and expectation that joe is with ming for the same reason tong would be with ming #(the reason tong is with may):#opportunism #it also makes me wonder what tong's like with may and if he CAN act for more than 5 minutes at a time when motivated #but he really brings out ming's worst and it's soooooooo interesting that ming is afraid for TONG to know what he has with joe #(and that tong does immediately try to use that. IMMEDIATELY)#my stand in #dear diary #mingjoe

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seattlesolace · 5 months

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Heeseung

He’s the type to be dragged anywhere, will be okay with any suggestions you make, be it dinner at a fancy restaurant, a budget food chain, or even just a cozy night at home with delivery food.

When ordering, he’s also the type to let you pick, answering with “I don’t mind,” or “sure, let’s get that.”

Is a very neat and quiet eater, which makes for the perfect dinner partner if you are the talkative type. If you’re not, then you are both comfortable in silence.

Does not say much but still eats a lot. If he sees some food on your plate untouched, he’ll ask if you’re going to eat it.

Proactively orders for you or calls the waiter whenever you need anything.

Orders dessert from the start, knowing your order by heart.

When you offer to split the bill, he reluctantly agrees, but then ends up giving his card to pay full.

You still want to hang out at a café after dinner, and of course he’ll say yes.

Jay

Will opt for a bougie restaurant or a self-grill place where he can showcase his cooking skills.

If you’re at a restaurant, you’ll be asking him about each menu and he’ll tell you everything he knows about it.

If you’re grilling your own food, expect to never touch the tongs, for he will be in charge of all the cooking and plating.

When he confidently says something and the owner or the waiter of the place does the opposite, proving him wrong, you just shoot him a little smile to reassure him that it’s fine.

Seems to fit a lot of food in his mouth but gets full fast, will try to match your pace in eating.

You need a napkin? He’ll reach out for it first. Your chopsticks fell? He’ll give you his before he asks for a new pair. You got something on your mouth? He’ll nonchalantly wipe it away with his thumb.

Don’t even try to offer to split the bill, you won’t even have the chance. He’ll excuse himself to the restrooms and the next thing you know your meal is already paid for.

On the walk home, he’ll discuss with you the plus points of the place you just ate in, and he’s already planning the next dinner date.

Sunghoon

Actually decides on a fixed place before you get the chance to suggest one. His go-to menu: steak.

Recommends the best cut and the best doneness, but in the end let’s you choose according to your taste.

When the meal comes, he asks the waiter to put your plate in front of him, which confuses you, but then he quickly cuts up the steak into pieces before handing over your plate to your side.

He will then listen to you talk while you eat as he cuts his own steak and also try to match your pace.

He’s the type to let you know if you have something on your teeth or your mouth, tapping his own lips while tilting his chin, then offering you a napkin.

Is a bit dad-like in the sense that he encourages you to finish everything on your plate, but if you’re too full then he’ll finish it.

Makes sure all the food you ordered are cleared out before ordering dessert, or offering to get dessert someplace else.

You beat him to paying, and he sulks a bit, but then promises he’ll treat you to the next dinner date.

Jake

Is absolutely delighted when you said you found a new place, asks a lot of questions about it on the way there.

Spends a lot of time figuring out what to order, wondering how big the portion is, also wondering if the owner would be kind enough to give extras.

Places the order for you both and accurately calculates the total that you have to pay later.

When the order comes and he sees how thick the meat is, he dramatically stands up (and you quickly tug his sleeve to pull him back to his seat) while exclaiming “is this for real???”

Is actually, secretly an expert at cooking the meat. He still actively talks to you but never burns a piece or has anything undercooked.

Despite his occasionally embarrassing loud voice, his table manners are quite good. He faces the other side when checking his teeth in your pocket mirror, and he makes sure there’s nothing on your face either.

You both cleared out all the food on your table and he is just looking so proud of you for eating a lot.

Happily splits the bill with you but then he takes you to a café for dessert and ends up paying more, which he doesn’t mind at all.

Sunoo

He has been looking forward to having dinner with you for so long that he almost gave up lunch just so he can eat more with you.

Looks at the menu thoroughly, mentioning each dish and asking what you think about it.

Insists on ordering different menus so you can try each other’s dishes, and so he can switch with you if you’re not fond of your own choice.

Claps softly when the food arrives and then glances at you and just bursts out laughing when he sees your amazed face.

Talks a lot with you when he eats that you literally need to remind him to have a bite before the meal turns cold.

Dinner with him takes hours because you both are slow eaters and active talkers.

You have some leftover in the end, and he suggests that you take the food home in case you get hungry by midnight.

Still takes you to an ice cream place after, claiming that there is always room for dessert.

Jungwon

Shows up at your door with several places to choose from, having done research beforehand. You ended up picking a place that he somehow talks so highly of, sensing that he really wants to go there.

Is just giddy by the time you arrive, and you end up being impressed just by the interior of the place.

Decides to be adventurous and orders a dish you both have never tried before, assuring you that if you don’t like it then he will finish it.

Very polite to the staff and waiters, to the point that he even uses slight aegyo just to get the attention of the workers (adorable, not annoying).

Comments on the taste of food every time he takes a bite, encourages you to take a bite to and anticipates your reaction with wide eyes.

Places food on your plate when you’re too busy talking or commenting on your surroundings.

Beats you to the cashier to pay but then finds out he doesn’t have enough cash, so he sheepishly grins and turns to you.

You both stop by a convenience store on the way home and he gets you all the snacks you want to stock up to make up for it.

Ni-ki

He is team meat all the way, just like Sunghoon, but he is honestly happy to eat wherever you take him.

When reading the menu, he is super focused and quiet that you literally have to wave at him to get his attention, and he ends up asking you what each dish means since there is no visual aid.

Becomes intrigued at every single dish you explain that he then has a hard time deciding on one.

You decide to order three dishes to split between the two of you, and he is sceptical at first but eventually trusts you.

As soon as the food arrives, he takes his chopsticks and split the dishes equally, separating your side from his.

When he sees you take a bite, he notices the doubt in your face, and then when you push your spoon towards his side he gets the memo and ends up finishing the dish you didn’t quite like.

He eats a lot and drinks a lot of water, and by the end of the meal he has to excuse himself to go to the restrooms.

When he comes back, you are already done paying. Feels slightly guilty even though you insist it’s alright, and ends up transferring you his part of the bill on the way home.

back to masterlist; back to navigation

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babyangelsky · 3 days

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Can we talk about these two shots? And how completely dwarfed Joe looks in them, how the hospital and the rapidly accumulating medical bills it represents are all but looming over him?

Can we also talk about the phenomenal way Poom acts with his eyes? Every time the camera pulls in on his face he looks so desperate. You can see his stomach drop when the doctor tells him about his mom's diagnosis. You can feel him panicking. You can hear him ask himself where and how the hell he's going to get the money to pay for his mom's care.

This moment? When he has to stop for a second outside his mom's room to pull himself together and put on a happy face for her so she won't worry?

Absolutely broke my fucking heart. The entire episode broke my heart. It hit entirely too close to home and got way too real in way too personal a way for me and I'd wager for anyone that has also been in a similar financial situation.

This is a man who can feel himself drowning, who's gasping for air and clinging to anything that looks REMOTELY like a life preserver because he has no other choice.

Joe will do what he has to do even if it means being Tong's stand in again and even if it means accepting Ming's offer. And you know what, I'm not going to blame him for accepting. I hope he can squeeze every single baht out of Ming that he can because lord KNOWS this man deserves to get something in exchange for all his suffering.

#i will not blame my boy #i will not be upset with my boy #he's doing what he has to and i would 1v1 god the devil AND ming for him #joe #poom phuripan #my stand in #my stand in the series

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tungtung-thanawat · 22 days

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The editing for my stand-in has to be one of the best and most clever use of scene transitions, framing and b-roll to support the narrative as it moves forward.

Absolutely love the instant noodles parallel of their relationship status. Ming and therefore the show’s obsession with not just Joe’s back but also Tong’s is such a wonderful obfuscation of who is truly in Ming’s heart.

The juxtaposition of Joe holding the engraved cat couples mugs while Ming drunk out of his mind calls him Tong while hugging him from behind.

The shot of Joe dropping them and the mugs breaking but Ming is still holding him.

Who’s the real Ming? The one that bought those cups even though he thought they were stupid because it would make Joe happy. Or the one that calls him a stand-in.

What are Ming’s true intentions? The ones with which he left the Christmas Dinner (to be with Joe). Or the ones spurred by his heartbreak (when he learns about Tong and May’s engagement)

And most importantly, who was Ming reminded of when he saw the new Joe from the back?

The visuals and narration of this show is very rich and vivid but stays solidly away from becoming corny. It pushes the narrative forward and additionally heightens it to an almost thriller like state.

#my stand in #I trust this show a little too much for it to be only 3 eps in #but rich empathetic assholes are my weakness apparently

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miss0atae · 1 month

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More thoughts about Ming in episode 2, My Stand-In the series.

One thing I noticed about Ming is that he never answers any questions with a real answer. He always asks another question or change the subject. He is a master in this!

When Joe asked him why he was questioning him about his preference, he answered his question with another one:

When Joe wanted to know why they were always doing it the same way, Ming didn't answer. He just ask another question again!

When he didn't want to admit he was indeed very jealous, he just retort the same question Joe asked him.

Ming wants to avoid at any costs revealing more about himself to Joe. He mostly see Joe as an emotional support. He likes how Joe gives him attention, intimacy and follow his desires. As long as Joe does what he wants or needs, he is happy. When things are not following what he desires, he lashed out and verbally abuse him.

When Joe wanted to flirt with him, Ming smiled because he got what he wanted.

He also knows Joe really wants to please him and don't hesitate to play with this.

But at the same time, we know Ming is attracted to Tong, who is his sister's boyfriend and Joe looks like him when you don't see his face. In the first episode they really emphasize this part. In this episode, we could see how sad he was that his crush is dating his sister.

However, is Ming really in love with Tong or is it because his sister is dating him and this attraction he had for Tong makes him unattainable. Humans desire things they can’t get, including unattainable romantic partners. Rare things are precious and as we value what we know is rare then Ming could want Tong because he knows deep down he will never have him.

Does it mean, he acts the way he does with Joe, because he believes this love is too common and it doesn't have the taste of impossible that he finds in his love for Tong? Ming has desires. He likes having sexual intercourse with Joe. We still don't know if it's because he feels the need of having them or because he can create in his mind the fantasize of having them with Tong. 🤔

#thai series #thai bl #bl drama #bl series #my thoughts #my stand in #my stand in the series #about ming #episode 2 #ming's relationship #ming x joe #ming x tong

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heretherebedork · 21 days

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Tong is the real stand in. Ming fell in love with Joe's back but assumed it was Tong and then Tong flirted with his sister and chose her and Ming held onto that hopeless love and he thinks Joe is a stand in but the truth is that Tong is the stand in all along, the fake one, the one whose back lies about who he is and turns his back on everyone because once he turns his back no one knows who he is because his back is not his own. Joe is the real person but no one sees him.

#my stand in #my stand in the series #thaibl #thai bl #bl series #thai drama #thai series #asianlgbtqdramas #bl drama #asian lgbtq dramas #thai bl series #thai bl drama

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daddyjackfrost · 2 years

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Chapter 2: Hello, Again

╰┈➤ ❝ [stay with me ; morpheus ] ❞

morpheus x fem!reader

warnings: third person pov, 7k+ words (wtf), not a lot of morpheus in it (sorry), each break is a time jump, if u don’t like it don’t tell me i’ll cry. i obviously haven’t read the travels of marco polo… so

read chapter 3 here

stay with me ; masterlist

A light, summer breeze brushed against Y/n’s cheek, like a parent greeting a child for the first time.

Fluttering her eyes open, Y/n stared up at the bright blue sky. The grass beneath her was soft, a pillow of green scattered with bright flowers.

Pushing herself to sit up, Y/n took in the scenery before her. She laid in a beautiful clearing, one filled with flowers and tall grass. There was nothing beyond the field, not a tree or person in sight.

She was completely alone.

Breathing in the crisp air, Y/n stood. She smoothed her dress, a colour she did not recognize, but instantly fell in love with. Spreading her arms, she twirled. The grass tickled her feet but her laughter came from within.

Y/n began to walk. She had no destination, but her curiosity would not leave her still. The clearing, one she was sure she had seen before, had to have an end.

“Am I… dreaming?” Y/n asked herself, softly. She was afraid she might have disturbed the peace if she spoke normally. Bringing her fingers to her face, she began to lightly trace the structure of her face. Although she felt like herself, she could not be too sure.

A sudden thunder-like noise erupted around her, causing the land beneath her feet to shake. The once blue sky cracked, revealing darkness before it stitched itself back together.

Blinking, Y/n found herself standing in a forest. The empty field had been replaced with tall trees. The peaceful hum of wind was now accompanied by the sounds of birds. The forest felt different, dangerous, luring.

Y/n heard hurried, rustling footsteps approach her. Hiding herself behind a tree, Y/n’s eyes fell on a man dressed as a merchant. His hair had become unruly and his eyes were crazed, like an animal locked in its cage for too long.

“I am Marco Polo, and I am lost.” His words were slurred, hurried. Y/n watched him as he stood in between two trees, head darting to the left, and then the right in a loop. “I am Marco Polo, and I am lost.”

Stepping out of the tree’s safety, Y/n stood in the open. If this is a dream, surely I cannot be harmed, she reasoned. Taking a step towards the man, Y/n put her hand up in greeting. “Hello, there.”

The man, Marco Polo, jumped, letting out a quiet yelp. Snapping his head to Y/n, his eyes grew in size at the sight of her. Minutes later, he raised his hand. His lips parted but he shut them quickly, looking disheartened.

“My name is Y/n.” She smiled at the man, eyes trailing his dirty, worn out clothes. “Are you truly lost?”

The man nodded, solemnly. Licking his cracked lips, he spoke. “I am Marco Polo.”

“Greetings to you, Marco Polo. How long have you been lost?”

Digesting her words, Marco Polo held up both hands, spreading his fingers. He pressed his lips together, stopping himself from speaking.

Raising both her eyebrows, Y/n’s mouth fell open. “Ten years?” Her heart broke at the sight of his insanity. Staring at the man, she tilted her head. “Am I not dreaming? Have you been lost within a dream?”

Marco Polo nodded, his lips turned downwards. He wanted to tell Y/n his story, but he had lost the ability to speak normally long ago. His language consisted of eight words, and they had been his companions for a long time.

Y/n pursed her lips, in thought. She was sure this was a dream, but the man before her felt real. His anguish felt real. With a softer voice, she asked him, “have you forgotten how to speak?”

Nodding once again, Y/n sighed. “I wish you could speak more than eight words, Marco Polo. I would love to hear your thoughts. Your story.”

As water flowed through the Nile, words flowed down Marco’s throat, rushing to his head. His eyes widened as he tasted his thoughts on his tongue for the first time in a long time.

Y/n watched as Marco Polo’s eyes brightened, she took the slightest step back as he jumped, clapping his hands.

“Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

Y/n let out a disbelieving laugh, her eyebrows furrowed as she clapped along Marco Polo. “You can speak!”

Marco Polo danced around Y/n, singing a merry song. She relished in his joy, deciding to put aside her curiosity. This is a dream, she thought. Anything can be possible.

Smiling brightly, Marco Polo grabbed Y/n’s hand, kissing it. “May you reign The Dreaming forever, Y/n. I will remember your kindness and worship you. You shall become my home’s patron.”

A confused smile rested on Y/n’s lips. “Pardon me, sir? I am afraid I do not understand.”

“You are a Goddess, yes? A ruler of The Dreaming?”

Y/n’s eyes widened and she brought her hands up in protest. “I fear you have mistaken me, Marco. I am not a Goddess. I am human. I do not know what I have done.”

Marco Polo’s eyes narrowed, raising an eyebrow.

“You wished me to speak.”

Y/n’s eyes widened, understanding him. “I wished you could speak, Marco. I could not have wished you to speak.”

Marco Polo did not understand. He smiled easily, waving his hand in dismissal. “Politics do not worry me. I have been separated from my father and uncle for far too long. No one here has yet to aid me.”

Looking desperate, he grabbed both of Y/n’s hands gently, capturing her full attention. “Help me, Goddess. Wish me home.”

Feeling helpless, Y/n played into the man’s fantasy. She could not wish him home. She was only human. She had no power, and he was just a dream.

“What is home?”

Marco Polo sighed in delight. “A caravan. It is old, but beautiful. Filled with candles and honey.”

Squeezing Marco Polo’s hands at his yearning, she whispered. “I wish you could go home, Marco Polo. Back to your beautiful, honey filled caravan.”

Y/n and Marco Polo stared at each other, one with hope, the other with sadness.

The sound of crushed grass and bricks travelled to their ears and they turned towards the sound. Trees to their right disappeared and in their absence, a path of brick lay. The brick path was long, fading into the distance.

“You have done it!”

“How?”

Marco Polo and Y/n shared a look before he dropped her hands, running to the path. Y/n watched with confused amazement as Marco Polo ran down the path, waving to her. She raised her hand, waving limply.

“Goodbye, Y/n! Bless you!”

Y/n watched Marco Polo disappear. Curious, she yelled, “Marco?” After a beat, from a distance, she heard a response. “Polo!”

Walking to the path, she crouched down and brushed the red bricks with her fingers. Solid under her fingers, she stood and stepped upon the path. Walking slowly, she thought of the strange man’s words.

The Dreaming.

Goddess.

She was not a Goddess, she knew that much. She was human. A human who had dreamed for the first time in over two hundred years. “I wonder why that is,” Y/n questioned herself.

Looking ahead, Y/n found her path coming to an end. The bricks ended and a new path, one made of stone that crossed a moat greeted her. Past the vines and stone, Y/n saw two beautiful homes.

Stepping off the brick path, Y/n’s feet swayed beneath her. Noises invaded her ears and she began blinking harshly. The stone path before her began to flicker, and Y/n let out a small sigh.

She was waking up.

“Next time,” she whispered. Y/n fell to her knees and shut her eyes. When she opened them again, she was looking up at her ceiling.

A secret smile on her face.

Finding herself at the entrance to two houses, surrounded by forest and green, Y/n was back in The Dreaming for the first time in ten years.

Every night for the last ten years, Y/n had tried to dream. She had tried every tea, herb, and scent, and yet she slept dreamless.

It was an odd feeling, to be back. And to have been gone.

This night had been the one night in ten years where Y/n felt truly alone. She had laid in her bed content, filled to the brim with love, but had wished to share it with someone. Immortality was a blessing hidden in a curse. And yet, she wished to live.

Being alone was a privilege Y/n had great acquaintance with, but she loved it. She had trouble identifying the difference between freedom and loneliness.

Lifting her maroon dress, Y/n walked towards the stone path she had seen ten years ago. She could hear faint voices from the houses.

Stepping on the stone path, Y/n felt a chill press into her skin. With each step, the chill pressed harder and harder until Y/n was gasping, in pain. Pushing herself, Y/n reached the end of the path, and laid her eyes on two houses. Before her eyes fell on two men.

“For heaven’s sake, Abel, if you cannot keep your gargoyle’s waste off my property, I will kill you.”

“Sorry, Cain. I promise Goldie’s trying.”

“Do not blame the gargoyle, Abel. They are intelligent creatures. You on the other hand…”

Y/n slowed at the sight of the two men. They were both short, with similar dark hair, beards, and brown skin. The one slightly taller had a sharpness to him. He was dressed slightly less proper than the other, shorter one. His ears were also pointy. The shorter one, Y/n noticed, had a softer look.

Staying on the edge of the stone path, Y/n raised her hand. “Hello, gentleman!” She called out.

Both of the men whipped their heads to her, mouths falling agape. The taller one tightened his grip on his yardstick. The shorter one smiled, raising his hand.

Y/n slowly walked towards them, taking in the beautiful scenery. She noticed how both houses complemented each man. They resembled countryside cottages.

Stopping before them, she smiled. Before she could offer her name or another greeting, the one with pointy ears spoke first.

“Who are you?” His eyes narrowed. “What are you? How did you get here?”

Before she could answer his questions, the shorter one cut her off. “Be nice, Cain. She’s a visitor!”

Cain turned to his brother, ready to wage a war. Y/n, having been quiet long enough, spoke.

“My name is Y/n. I am human. And I woke up here.”

“What do you mean you woke up here?” Cain’s words were accusatory, loud.

“Last time I fell asleep, I walked along a path that brought me here. Then I woke up. When I fell asleep today, I dreamt of being here.”

Cain and the other man she assumed to be her brother, stared at her. The other one’s eyes widened.

“You are a human?”

Y/n nodded. “Yes. Mind I ask what your name is?”

“Abel. I am Abel and this is my brother,” he pointed at the man next to him, “Cain.”

Y/n blinked. Once. Twice. “Cain and Abel? As in the sons of Adam and Eve?”

Cain and Abel looked at each other and then at Y/n. They both nodded. “Yes and no,” Cain said. “We are dreams that embody who we once were on Earth.”

Y/n’s eyebrows furrowed. “Dreams that embody…” She glanced at her hands, making sure she had ten fingers. “This is my dream. Have I dreamt you?”

Y/n felt confused. First, it was Marco Polo. A man she had never met, nor heard of. Now, it was Cain and Abel, men who had died a long, long time.

Cain scoffed. “We are not your dreams, we are part of The Dreaming. And you should not be here. You do not belong.”

“Cain,” Abel said. “She’s the first visitor we have had in a long time. I want her to meet Gregory! Oh, and Goldie.”

Cain’s eyes burned with rage, but he swallowed it. Y/n tried to remember their story, but all she could recall was murder. Unconsciously, she shifted closer to Abel.

Abel and Y/n looked at Cain, expectedly. With a resigned sigh that promised a war, Cain nodded.

“I suppose since you are already here, we can entertain you.”

Abel smiled at Y/n and waved her closer. As soon as Y/n stepped onto the grass, the land beneath her rumbled and her knees buckled. Cain and Abel held each other.

Once the land stopped shaking, Cain and Abel looked at Y/n. “Are you sure you are human?” Abel asked her. Y/n nodded, hoping to convince them and herself. “Promise.”

Abel, satisfied, smiled at her. “Well, come on then. Let me show you my home first.”

Y/n walked towards Abel. He motioned towards his home. “This is The House of Secrets. It is a focal location here, in The Dreaming.”

Y/n took in the cottage. It looked welcoming. “It is very beautiful, Abel.” Abel smiled, pleased. “It changes periodically,” he explained. “Secrets change, develop, as does the House.” He stopped just outside the door, frowning. “This is as far as I can take you.”

Y/n smiled, content. She had already seen so much.

“Thank you, Abel. Can I ask you a question?”

Abel nodded, giving Y/n his full attention. “What is The Dreaming? How can I dream…this?”

Abel scratched his beard. “Well, this is The Dreaming. When humans sleep, they come here. As for your second question, you should ask Lucienne.”

“Who is Lucienne?”

“The chief librarian. She has almost all the answers. However…you could ask Lord Morpheus. If you ever meet him.”

A wave of warmth washed over Y/n at the name. The pit of her stomach fluttered and her heart skipped a beat. “Lord Morpheus?”

“Yes,” Abel said. “He is the Ruler of The Dreaming.”

“Of course,” Y/n said. “How can I meet Lucienne?”

Abel raised an eyebrow, bringing his finger to his chin. “Not sure. Human’s can not enter the Heart of The Dreaming.”

Before Y/n could ask anymore, a small, golden, winged animal flew by her, landing on Abel’s shoulder. Y/n watched with utmost curiosity and amazement at the animal. Its large eyes looked at her, and she could have sworn it smiled.

“Y/n,” Abel smiled at her. “Meet Goldie.”

Y/n’s eyes softened at the animal. She gently reached out, hovering her hand over its head. Goldie tilted his chin up, her fingers brushing against his head.

“Beautiful,” she whispered. Looking at Abel, she asked him: “What is it?”

Abel blinked, he had never met anyone who did not know what a gargoyle was. With a jolly laugh, he patted Goldie’s head. “Goldie’s a gargoyle. Just a baby, though.”

“A gargoyle?” Y/n thought back to palace statues and old paintings. They did not look like this. They had been used as symbols of fear, but Goldie looked anything but.

“Have you yet to meet a gargoyle?”

Y/n nodded, suddenly shy. “The animals where I come from are not so… magical.”

“Would you like to hold him?”

Y/n’s eyes shifted from Goldie to Abel’s smiling face. He scooped the gargoyle in his hands and held him out. “Goldie is very friendly. His baby teeth have yet to come in.”

Y/n put her hands out. They trembled softly. She had been fine with mysterious lost men and biblical brothers, but a gargoyle felt different. Real. A proper dream.

Placing Goldie in her hands, Abel stepped back. Y/n laughed when Goldie rubbed his head against her thumb. His skin felt similar to the scales of a snake, yet softer. She brought Goldie closer to her face, smiling at him.

“You are exquisite,” she told him.

“Abel!”

At the sound of Cain’s loud, thundering voice, Abel and Y/n jumped. Frightened, Goldie flew out of Y/n’s hands and back to the roof of the House of Secrets.

Y/n and Abel turned to find Cain standing with his arms crossed, an impatient look on his face.

“That is enough,” Cain said. “Send her to my side so she can leave.”

Abel nodded, frowning. “Thank you for visiting, Y/n. I hope to see you soon.”

Y/n smiled, patting Abel’s hand. “Thank you, Abel. I shall never forget this.” Before Y/n walked to Cain’s side, she leaned towards Abel. “Cain is harmless, correct?”

Abel laughed but his eyes felt strained. “Do not worry, Y/n. The only person Cain will ever harm or kill is me. You will be fine.”

Mortified by his confession, Y/n wanted to ask questions, but Cain’s expectant voice interrupted her.

“Any day now!”

Smiling at Abel, she walked to Cain’s side. She noticed how his cottage was taller and darker looking. It looked imbalanced, like a story with one truth told many times.

Cain waited for Y/n with his arms crossed, his foot tapping the ground beneath him in a rapid, steady pattern.

Once she reached him, Y/n smiled. “Your house is very beautiful, Cain.”

Ice melted from Cain’s eyes and he dropped his arms. “Thank you.” He began walking and Y/n followed him. “This is the House of Mystery. My home.”

Y/n’s eyes followed the intricate patterns of the vines, each leading to its own mystery. The cottage had its own tower at the very top, with a dark window.

“Does your home change as Abel’s does?”

“No,” Cain answered, shortly. After a moment, he sighed. “Come. I will let you meet Gregory.”

Cain began walking towards the side of his home, and Y/n quickly followed behind him. Her eyes wandered, taking in the scenery. There was a shed and piles of flowers, scattered along the property.

Cain stepped aside and Y/n’s eyes fell on a large, sleeping gargoyle. Letting out a surprised laugh, she looked at Cain, amazed.

“This is Gregory.”

“He is… green.”

Cain blinked, surprised at her conclusion. “Yes. Gregory is green.” He raised a bushy brown eyebrow at her. “Not very bright, are you?”

Y/n stared at Cain before breaking out in a wide smile. Her smile blinded Cain, and he looked away.

“I have been told worse.”

Ignoring her, Cain tapped Gregory’s nose. Gregory released a long breath through his nose, fluttering his eyes open. Waking his body, the large gargoyle pushed himself up, shaking away slumber.

For the first time in her presence, Cain smiled when Gregory brushed his nose against his hand. Watching him, Y/n realized how much love Cain truly carried within him.

It was not his fault, Y/n thought, that his story had been written this way.

“What a good boy you are,” Cain whispered.

Gregory, with his large eyes, shifted his gaze to Y/n. Curious, he tilted his head. Grunting.

“Yes,” Cain answered. “She is human.”

“You can understand him?”

Cain nodded, stepping aside. “All residents within The Dreaming can understand Gregory.”

Gregory stared at Y/n and she smiled, unsure of what to say. “Hello, Gregory.” She raised her hand in a limp wave. “You are magnificent.”

Gregory grunted, and Cain looked bewildered. His eyes darted to Y/n before settling on her.

“Are you sure, Gregory?” Cain asked, hesitantly. Gregory grunted, to which Cain stepped back. Looking at her, Cain spoke his words slowly. “Gregory would like to speak to you. Alone.”

Y/n eyes widened and she looked from Cain to Gregory. “I cannot understand him.”

Cain’s lips lifted into a lopsided smile. “Yet, human. Yet.”

Cain turned and walked away, leaving Y/n alone with a large gargoyle. She threaded her fingers together, trying to keep her excitement and fear at bay.

Stepping towards Y/n, Gregory lifted his head. Striking eyes stared at her, swirling with wisdom she had yet to earn. Gregory parted his mouth and licked Y/n’s cheek. Y/n stared at Gregory, her mouth agape in surprise.

Y/n felt Gregory’s drool seep into her skin, she reached to her once wet cheek with awe. She looked at Gregory with questions that rested on the tip of her tongue. “What have you…?”

Y/n felt a soft prodding within her mind. A push at her conscience. With little hesitance, she opened her mind, welcoming a rush of warmth.

A low, slow voice whispered in her mind. It felt ancient, all-knowing. “You are not human.”

Staring into Gregory’s eyes, Y/n knew the gargoyle was speaking to her. “I am,” she responded. “I am human. I have always been human.”

“May you always be connected to your humanity, Y/n. Immortality is water, and you are but a stone. Slowly, with time, you will erode. Fragments will wash away and your humanity will dissolve.”

Y/n stepped back. Gregory’s words felt remorseful, promising. The concept of immortality had been left untouched by Y/n for years. She simply wished to live a mundane life for as long as she loved.

“Thank you, Gregory.” Hesitantly, Y/n lifted her hand and rested it upon Gregory’s snout. “You said I am not human. Why?”

Gregory’s head shook slightly. “Not all curiosity is welcomed, Y/n.”

Receiving the message, Y/n nodded. She rubbed Gregory’s snout, enjoying the feeling of his skin under hers. She breathed in the fresh air, feeling content.

Y/n heard footsteps approach her and she turned her head, smiling at Abel and Cain. The brothers watched her with a newfound appreciation, once she could not place.

In the distance, a loud caw echoed. Y/n lifted her head to the sky. She had heard that sound before. Y/n, Cain and Abel, and Gregory watched as a black and white raven landed on a nearby tree.

Narrowing her eyes, Y/n smiled. She lifted her hand off Gregory and waved at the raven.

“Jessamy!”

Jessamy croaked in response, watching Y/n with the same precision she used in the Waking World.

“You know Jessamy?” Abel asked Y/n.

Y/n nodded. “Oh, yes. I must have dreamt her here. She is a friend from…”

“The Waking World?” Abel finished.

Y/n smiled at him. “Yes. I wonder why I dreamed of her here.”

Abel opened his mouth, but Cain dug his elbow into Abel’s stomach, quieting him.

At her stare, Cain lifted his shoulders. “I think you should leave, human. Follow the raven back to your own dream.”

Y/n sighed, feeling dreadful. She did not want to wake up. She loved it here. It fulfilled her heart and yearning for company.

“I see,” she said. “Thank you for having me, Cain and Abel. I shall remember you both forever.”

Y/n turned, walking towards the stone path. Abel waved and Cain stood still, his arms beside him. Stepping onto the stone, Y/n turned back and smiled at the brothers. With each step further away, Y/n felt the thread of loneliness tighten around her heart.

Walking towards Jessamy, Y/n noticed how she looked bigger, more regal than she did in the Waking World. Nearing the raven, Y/n smiled. “Now, why would I dream you?”

Jesammy’s head tilted. She had been a raven for Morpheus and The Dreaming for a long time. And yet, she had never met a woman like Y/n. The raven, Morpheus’s most trusted, quite liked watching over the human.

Jessamy perched on the branch before she flew off towards the edge of The Dreaming, guiding Y/n to the place meant for her. The part of The Dreaming Morpheus instructed Jessamy to bring Y/n. Making sure the human followed, Jessamy flew low to the ground.

Y/n ran behind Jesssamy, wind brushing her hair and tussling her dress. The trees pulled towards her, grass parted as she stepped, and the air hugged her. She felt young, free, and so infinitely loved.

Jessamy stopped on a low hanging branch. She had reached the edge of The Dreaming. Looking down, her black orbs stared at Y/n’s huffing figure. Letting out a final caw, she flew off towards the heart of The Dreaming. Returning to Morpheus.

Y/n watched Jessamy fly away. She tasted a tinge of a bittersweet goodbye. Although it was a dream, Y/n could not help but feel that when she woke, she would never see Jessamy again.

“Goodbye, friend.”

The smell of cigars wafted through the air, mixing with the sweet smell of flowers and freshly cut grass.

Y/n’s eyes opened to the sound of haughty laughter. Brushing her hair away from her eyes, she pushed herself up into a sitting position, her gaze settling on a black raven and a man with a pumpkin head.

Shifting her eyes from the odd pair, Y/n breathed in the fresh air of The Dreaming, glad to be back after thirty years. She stood, patting down her soft pink dress. At the sound, the raven and pumpkinhead turned to face her.

“Merv, she’s awake!”

“I see that, bird. Great observation.”

Anxious as to what her time in The Dreaming would show her, Y/n waved at the pair before she walked towards them. Upon closer inspection, she realized that the man with the pumpkin head had a body made out of wood, and he was smoking.

“Hello, there.” Y/n smiled. “My name’s Y/n.”

“You shook The Dreaming when you appeared, Y/n.”

Y/n blinked. Thirty years was enough to forget about the magic The Dreaming held. And a speaking pumpkin was beyond her imagination.

“Merv,” the black raven sighed. “Just introduce yourself.”

Blowing out cigar smoke, Merv extended his gloved hand towards Y/n. “Mervyn Pumpkinhead, at your service.”

Y/n carefully grasped his hand before gently shaking it. She could feel the hardness of wood beneath his gloves.

The raven cleared his throat. “And I am Matthew, Lord Morpheus’s most trusted emissary.”

That name, Y/n remembered. I have heard it before.

Staring at the raven, Y/n smiled, remembering her old friend. “I did not know ravens spoke. The only raven I knew, Jessamy, never spoke.”

Merv and Matthew stared at Y/n before Merv narrowed his hollow eyes. “You know Jessamy?”

Y/n nodded. “I do. I have not seen her in years, but she was a friend.”

“Interesting,” Merv said, curiously. He glanced behind Y/n before looking at her. “Any reason as to why the ground shook when you appeared here?”

Y/n pursed her lips. She did not know why The Dreaming always had a moment of imbalancement when she made an appearance. Instead of answering the man that resembled bogeyman that farmers used to scare away birds, she clapped her hands.

“I have not visited The Dreaming in quite some time. Would you care to show me around?”

Matthew nodded, cawing. He spread his wings and lifted off the ground, setting himself on Merv’s shoulder. “Merv was just doing rounds. You should join us!”

Before Merv could disagree, Y/n smiled and began walking. Merv looked at Matthew with exasperation before following her. His legs were long and caught up with her quickly, until they walked side-by-side.

“Are you a dream, Mervyn?”

The pumpkinhead sighed, seemingly annoyed with the conversation that had yet to begin. “Just Merv, please. And yes. I take charge of the construction, maintenance, and demolition work in The Dreaming.”

Y/n hummed, listening. “I see. I did not realize that The Dreaming did not repair itself.”

Merv scoffed. “Oh, kid, trust me. It can. Dream can will The Dreaming to change. I exist because of free labor.”

Y/n’s eyebrows furrowed. “Funnily enough, I know someone named Dream as well.”

Y/n looked at Matthew. “You called yourself an emissary?”

Matthew nodded. “That’s right. Ever since Jessamy chose jobs in the Waking World, I have replaced her as Morpheus’s raven.”

“Can I meet Morpheus?”

Merv halted midstep, turning his head to stare at Y/n with his mouth agape. “Humans do not meet the Ruler of The Dreaming. He’s dramatic that way.”

Disappointed, Y/n’s shoulders sagged. “Oh. Very well, then.”

“Say,” Matthew began. “What were you doing just laying there?”

“I always lay on the grass before I open my eyes.”

Matthew and Merv shared a look Y/n was desperate to translate. Before she could ask, Merv pointed to their left. “I have a house to repair there. Let’s go.”

Turning, they walked towards the house. Y/n’s eyes deceived her as the scenery changed from a forest to rocky mountains.

As if stepping into a new world, her eyes soaked in all it had to offer. A small cottage sat in between two mountains, a river intricately placed, protecting it.

“How is this possible?”

Merv glanced at Y/n before knocking on the door. “The shorter answer is magic. The longer answer is too long.”

A winged woman with pointed ears and light hair answered the door, her dress shimmered in the sun. Y/n’s mouth parted in awe, having never seen a fairy.

Merv tilted his head upwards in greeting. “What is it this time, Fae?”

“Back door, Merv. I keep hitting it.” Her voice was soft, child-like. Bright, golden eyes met hers and Y/n grinned. The fairy smiled, waving shyly at her. “You brought a guest, Merv.”

“I came too!” Y/n was unsure whether ravens could frown, but she assumed Matthew was doing so.

Fae giggled, motioning them inside. “Matthew! How lovely to see you.”

The inside of Fae’s home was magical. It was beyond anything Y/n had ever seen, and she had seen many homes. Merv walked through the cottage as if he owned it and pulled a singular tool from his belt.

Y/n watched Merv work from afar as Matthew and Fae spoke to each other, quietly. She basked in the normalcy she felt being here, in The Dreaming. It was unlike anything she felt when awake.

“Can I offer you anything?”

Y/n turned to find Fae looking at her with shy eyes and a small smile. Shaking her head, she introduced herself. “My name is Y/n.”

“Fae,” the fairy responded. “Are you a new dream?”

Y/n’s eyebrows lifted. “A new dream? I do not think so. I am human.”

Fae’s nose scrunched and she looked at Matthew before looking back at her. “Human? But you are here.”

“Yes,” Y/n said. “Merv and Matthew brought me along.”

Fae was beyond comprehension. She chose not to speak further and simply smiled at Y/n.

“Done,” Merv said. He turned to look at Fae with a frown. “Try not to break anything for some time.”

Fae smiled a secretive smile. “I shall try.”

Merv and Matthew walked out the open door, and Y/n followed. She turned to look back at the fairy and waved. “Goodbye, Fae!”

Fae raised her hand, smiling. “Farewell, Y/n.”

Turning, Y/n found herself back in her treasured, familiar forest. Mervyn leaned against a large tree, smoking. Matthew flew in circles, stretching his wings.

The sight felt comforting to Y/n. A small part of her wondered if this is what she missed in her waking life. The magical nonsense an immortal being should be surrounded with.

“Well, kid,” Merv smiled. “Duty calls elsewhere.”

Matthew landed on her shoulder and Y/n pet his head. “Can I ask you a question before you leave, Merv?”

Merv nodded. “What is it?”

“Can a human… stay in The Dreaming?”

Laughing jadedly, Merv shook his head. “Funny, kid.” At her wide eyes and downturned lips, he sighed. “The Dreaming is a realm for humans to visit.”

“Unfortunate,” Y/n tried to smile. “I suppose I will have to visit often, then.”

Mathew chirped beside her. “When you visit next, come find me! I’ll give you a tour.”

Y/n grinned. “Thank you, Matthew.”

Mercy pushed himself off the tree, beckoning Matthew to follow. “See you later, kid.”

Y/n watched the pumpkinhead and raven walk away until they disappeared within the trees. Releasing a long breath, she decided to wander until she woke up.

Walking in the opposite direction, Y/n mulled over all she had learned about The Dreaming. She had yet to meet other humans, and she wondered about the Ruler of The Dreaming.

Lord Morpheus.

A warm pull tugged at her, making her stumble.

“Careful, there.”

Y/n’s eyes snapped to a man with golden hair and white clothing. He leaned against a tree, his eyes covered with round, black lenses. His smile was menacing, and everything about him, despite his light look, felt dark. Dangerous.

Y/n smiled at him, pushing away ill feelings. She had yet to meet an unpleasant creature in The Dreaming.

“You alright?”

Y/n nodded, smoothing out her dress. “Yes, thank you. I’m Y/n.”

The well-dressed man pushed himself off the tree and walked towards Y/n, the way predators stalk their prey. Y/n tried her best not to cower.

Extending his hand, the man bowed lightly.

“Corinthian.” He kissed Y/n’s hand. “A pleasure.”

Y/n smiled. “I was just walking aimlessly. Would you like to join me?”

The Corinthian’s smile was unlike anything Y/n had ever seen. It repelled the forest, pushing the trees away. “It would be an honor.”

Linking arms at the elbows, Y/n and the Corinthian began walking. Their skin did not touch, but Y/n could feel chills run through her.

“Are you a dream, Corinthian?”

Corinthian let himself dwell on the notion of being a dream for a moment before he answered.

“Unfortunately, I am not.” He watched Y/n’s reaction. “I’m a nightmare.”

“A… nightmare?”

The Corinthian nodded, feeding off her slight fear. She hid it well, Corinthian mused. Very well.

“Does that frighten you?”

Y/n considered her answer. It did not frighten her as much as it surprised her. In her mind, nightmares were dark and terrifying creatures. Words she would not use to describe the man beside her.

“No,” she decided. “A human must dream and have nightmares for a balanced life. I suppose I did not expect a nightmare to be so… charming.”

The Corinthhian smiled, pleased. “Is that right?” He swiftly turned them towards the direction of the Gatekeepers. “Can I ask you something, Y/n?”

Y/n nodded. “Anything.”

“What is it like to be human? Free?”

Y/n tilted her head in thought. She had not been expecting a question about freedom. After a few quiet moments, she answered.

“To be human is to be alone. Wrong. Free, yet not completely. I am fortunate enough to be able to do what I please, but many others cannot. Freedom is not definite, and means something different for each person.”

The Corinthian said nothing as he digested her words. Her words were human enough, and they quietened the hum in his heart.

Y/n’s eyes grew heavy and she slowed. She recognized the feeling. Her body was waking, and she silently cursed it.

The Corinthian unlinked their arms, tipping his head. “A pleasure, Y/n. We will have to do this again.”

Before she woke, Y/n watched him walk away until the world around her grew hazy and she shut her eyes.

The smell of oak and ink invaded Y/n’s nose as she opened her eyes, finding herself at the entrance to a vast and never-ending library.

Aisles and aisles of books surrounded her. Some with names and others with titles she had never read. Low, yellow lights illuminated the library, reminding her of her own library. She swallowed her disappointment, replacing it with awe.

With a gentleness only a scholar could afford, she traced the spines of the books as she walked down an aisle, whispering the titles under her breath. It had been seventy years since Y/n had visited The Dreaming for the first time, and she was glad she had dreamed of a library instead of a forest.

Reaching the end of the aisle, Y/n found a staircase leading to a higher level. Curious, she climbed the stairs quietly. Walking down the corridor, she found herself mesmerized by the architecture of the library. Much like her own, this library was made completely of wood and metal.

Reaching large wooden doors with intricate designs made by vines, she pushed them open. The walls of the room held an uncountable amount of books, and in the middle, a large pedagogical desk rested. Walking into the room, Y/n’s eyes drank in the room.

The organized chaos was pleasing to her. It resembled her own library, her life. She silently praised the occupant of the room, hoping to meet them. An inkling told her she would be good friends with them.

Brushing the spines, she breathed in the familiar smell of ink and wood.

“Can I help you?”

Startled, Y/n spun to face the office doors. Her eyes landed on a black woman wearing a brown suit. Her hands were locked, resting on her stomach. Her shaved head displayed her pointed ears, which resembled Cain and Abel’s. Circular, vintage eyeglasses rested on her nose.

“Oh my, you surprised me.” Y/n placed a hand on her resting heart, willing it to slow. At the woman’s expectant eyebrow, she explained herself. “I apologize,” she said. “I woke here and began to wander. This room looked very tempting. All these stories…” There was awe in Y/n’s voice.

The woman’s eyebrow lowered until they furrowed.

“Woke here? In the library?”

Y/n nodded, giving the woman her full attention.

“Yes.”

The woman pushed her eyeglasses back onto the bridge of her nose. “That is not…” She paused before smiling. “I am Lucienne. The chief librarian. This is my library.”

A relieved laugh escaped Y/n before she grinned. “Lucienne? Oh, how I have wanted to meet you. I am Y/n.”

At her name, Lucienne’s smile dropped and her eyes widened. Y/n watched an infinite amount of emotions dance across Lucienne’s face before she settled on nonchalance.

“A pleasure to meet you, Y/n.” Lucienne’s words seemed earnest, but Y/n was no fool to faux pleasantry. She had, after all, spent centuries with all kinds of men and women.

Lucienne walked into the room and sat at her desk. She motioned for Y/n to take the opposite chair.

“Please,” she said. “Join me.”

Y/n joined Lucienne, sitting on the opposing chair. Both women looked at each other before smiling. Y/n’s eyes travelled along the book titles. “The books,” she began. “I have never seen nor heard of many of them.”

Lucienne laid her hands flat on the desk. “My library consists of the books and stories that have ever been dreamed, volumes that do not exist in the waking world.”

“That is magnificent,” Y/n whispered. Lucienne could not help but smile at her awe, knowing Y/n loved books as much as she did.

“The names…”

“The library consists of records of every human’s life in the Waking World as well as The Dreaming.”

Y/n’s eyes widened. “Does that mean I have a book?”

Lucienne pursed her lips, contemplating. She was unsure of how much to share with Y/n.

“Not entirely,” Lucienne finally answered. “You are a special case, Y/n.” Before Y/n could ask questions, Lucienne spoke again. “I am afraid I cannot share anymore.”

Deflating, Y/n sat back in her seat. She decided she would add Lucienne’s words to the never-ending list of questions and the unexplained. Changing course, she asked Lucienne a question that had been on the tip of her tongue.

“Abel said you had all the answers. Do you, Lucienne?”

Threading her fingers together, Lucienne tilted her head, curious. “That would depend on the question, Y/n.”

Hesitancy dancing on her tongue, Y/n pursed her lips. Sighing, she met Lucienne’s penetrating gaze. “Is it possible to meet someone here, in The Dreaming?”

A list of potential names appeared in Lucienne’s mind. “It is.” After a moment, she asked, “who are you looking for, Y/n?”

For the first time in a long time, Y/n felt nervous. After many years, she finally understood why she had begun to dream.

“Immortality is a blessing,” she said. “I am thankful for it everyday. I have loved and lived. However… I never realized how lonely it would get.”

Lucienne drank in her words. Her interactions with humans were limited, and hearing Y/n speak opened Lucienne’s mind to human wants and needs. Books could only teach so much.

“There is a man, well, not a man, but a being who visits me every century on the same day. He is not a conversationalist, nor has he many manners, but his company washes away the loneliness. Perhaps it is because he too is immortal, and understands.”

Lucienne’s breathing stopped, and her heart sped up. From context, she knew it was Morpheus that Y/n spoke of. Lucienne assumed it had been a loved one, perhaps a husband or friend that Y/n yearned to meet.

Lord Morpheus had never been an option.

“This… being,” Lucienne kept her voice light, “what is his name?”

Y/n smiled. “Oneiros.”

Against her better judgement, Y/n missed the strange man’s company. It was comforting to know she would see a familiar face when those around her passed, and that he would find her anywhere.

A hundred years was too many years. Even for an immortal.

Lucienne released a long breath. She could not tell Y/n that the being she wished to see was the King of Dreams, the Ruler of Nightmares.

“I have never heard of him.” Lucienne’s voice wavered.

The lie burned Lucienne’s tongue, a dark mark on her once clean record. Lucienne was not a liar, but she had become one now. For The Dreaming, she reasoned. That is all.

Y/n’s shoulders sagged and she frowned. Years of interactions had her fluent in human behaviour. She knew Lucienne was lying, but Y/n was in no position to call on a dream.

Compared to Lucienne, Y/n was a singular file, one in millions.

“I see,” Y/n hummed. “Perhaps that is for the best. I will see him in thirty years.”

Lucienne smiled. Her eyes drifted behind Y/n for a moment before settling back on her. “I apologize, Y/n, but I have business to attend to. You are free to explore my library as you wish.”

Y/n smiled at Lucienne. “It was very nice to meet you, Lucienne. I hope we meet again.”

Lucienne walked out of the room and turned down the hall, disappearing. Y/n sat in the chair for a minute before standing and making her way back to the main floor. The closed walls and infinite books soothed her spinning mind.

Strolling down a random aisle, Y/n said every name she read outloud. These were stories of actual people that lived, had lived, or would live. Y/n’s eyes landed on a name she had not thought about in years.

Pulling out the maroon book, she read the title softly, a laugh bubbling in her throat.

“The Travels of Marco Polo.”

Flipping through the book, her eyes widened as she saw her name. Sitting down, she read the passage written about her out loud:

“‘A dream holds enough treasure to please an ordinary man, but an ordinary man cannot be lost in a dream in search of treasure. He [Marco Polo] had been trapped in a dream for ten years before he met a Goddess. Her name was Y/n and for the first time, his wish was not for treasure or for travels, but home. His dream had changed, and it had come true. With the kindness of a Goddess, Marco was sent home.’”

“Well ain’t that just sweet?”

Y/n lifted her eyes from the page to the familiar face of Mervyn Pumpkinhead. She smiled at him, shutting the book. “Hello, again.”

Merv raised his hand in greeting. “Should have known it was you.”

Y/n raised an eyebrow. “Sorry?”

“The shaking? It broke a shelf and Lucienne asked me to fix it.”

Y/n stared at Merv before glancing at the books around her. “I did not feel any shaking.”

“Huh…” Merv shrugged his woody shoulders before looking above her. “You’re an interesting thing, kid. See you around.”

Merv walked away and as Y/n called out to him, small soft grains of sand hit her face and she grew immensely tired. The book slipped from her hands and her eyes drooped.

Slumping, Y/n’s head rested against a shelf. Before she shut her eyes for good, a blurred familiar face whispered in her ears.

“Sleep.”

Lucien was a proper and sophisticated dream. She was the chief librarian of The Dreaming. She had innate responsibilities and yet, she could not find it in herself to walk to Morpheus’s throne room.

She ran.

Pushing open the doors, Lucienne bowed hurriedly before threading her fingers together.

“Not even a knock, Lucienne?”

Tilting her head to the ground, Lucienne winced. “I’m sorry, my Lord, but there has been a significant development.” A pause, and then, “about Y/n.”

Morpheus stood on the tenth step, facing his throne. His back was to Lucienne but he could sense her worrisome mood and distress.

“What is it?”

Lucienne stepped forward, her throat dry. “She appeared in the library, sir. She woke up there and walked around it. It is very rare for a human to make it close enough to the gates, and yet she reached my library?” Lucienne rubbed her hands together. “What is she, my Lord?”

Morpheus listened to Lucienne with his utmost attention. He could not tell Lucienne that he knew she had woken in the library. Morpheus did not know how to explain to his librarian that he knew when she was here because he felt a pull in him and it did not let go until she was gone.

Morpheus could not declare to Lucienne that everytime Y/n came closer to him, he allowed it. There was no explanation for his behaviour, for his unconscious need to quiet the hum she rose in him.

Morpheus would not tell Lucienne that Y/n washed away his loneliness, and that his curiosity about her overpowered his need to implement his rules.

And so, the Ruler of The Dreaming said nothing of importance.

“If she brings no harm to The Dreaming, Lucienne, then she is welcome. Just as all humans are.”

“Do you believe she is human, sir?” Lucienne could not believe that her Lord would dismiss her concerns as so. “She sent Marco Polo home. She appeared before Cain and Abel. She visited another dream. Humans cannot do that.”

Morpheus turned, facing Lucienne. His librarian was distressed, and to ease her mind, Morpheus spoke again. “There are some humans that are stronger dreamers than others. I will look into her, Lucienne. You shall not worry.”

Lucienne pursed her lips before nodding. After all, it was his realm.

“Understood, sir.”

Lucienne hurried out of the throne room and Morpheus sighed. In thirty years, he would see her again and ask his questions.

Morpheus would know the woman haunting his dreams.

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circusclownproductions · 4 months

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This place is so funny cuz everyone will be under a post like “UGH SO REAL” and the post is like “sometimes when it’s raining I stand on my roof with metal tongs to try and give God a chance to be rid of me faster”

#🍱

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negrowhat · 4 days

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What are the top three shows you are watching right now?

Hey Anon! Hmmm my top 3 current series???

Wandee Goodday. I love every single thing about this series! I love that these two idiots are already in love and pretending to be in love while fake being in love with other people. It's a messy little love square but not really. I think Wandee is a sweet and talented doctor whose competitive streak raises some concerns and I think Yoryak is one of the kindest green flag bisexuals out there. I hope the relationship balances out as they get closer and become more real. I enjoy the sex positive tone of the series and how it promotes safe and communicative sex and bonus points for having a canon ACE character with ACE people problems. so far the series is a 10/10.

My Stand-In. What a messy ass toxic ass series. And I eat up every bit of it every single week. I love to hate Ming but secretly I'm rooting for them. But I'm also looking forward to Joe making him work to get him back. Ming is an asshole and I don't think it's going to change but he realizes the bag he's fumbled and he's going to work hard to get Joe to return to him. Joe has the opportunity to take back his power and do things his way this second time around. I love Joe to bits but I view him as I did Mark from Love Mechanics; you can't save that hoe until he wants to be saved. Tong can choke tho. Also Sol is a good noodle and I want nothing but the best for him.

City Boy_Log. The way this fake lil vlog-style Korean BL has me choked up. It is soooooooooo messy the way reality tv is messy. Jaejun doesn't know who are what he wants but he always seems to gravitate towards Jihan. And Jihan is just a big ole softie who goes for what he wants and tells it like it is. It's interesting to see Jaejun make the absolute worst decisions and still find a way to be cute and charming and make Jihan (and me) forgive him. I just want him and Jihan to be happy. Also I find it interesting that the actors are using their real names for this fake almost alternate reality it is a very delicate line to walk and at any moment could truly backfire in the Korean media.

#wandee goodday #yakdee #my stand in #my stand in the series #mingjoe #city boy log #cityboy log #jihan x jaejun #2j

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respectthepetty · 1 month

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This is gonna sound very weird but I hope as we go on with the show you won't stop making posts about how much you love Ming's toxic ass cause they make me laugh and I'll need them when in the future I'll feel the urge to somehow strangle Ming through the screen. No pressure but please help a girl in need if you can!

You're writing to the person who is openly praying that Ming gets worse (amen), so I am not one to call others weird.

Something about those who live in a glass house shouldn't throw stones, you know?

Because, once again, I want Ming to be awful to Joe, and only Joe, which I know is kind of weird of me, but I'm just too happy to care.

A few people have commented that Ming will get worse, and I'm giddy from the mere thought of it, so I'll be here all season being unhealthy about Ming's behavior.

Because in the first episode, he was awful, which I LOVED, and I don't think some people really see just how bad he was simply because he is being played by Up, which was a brilliant move by casting, so I love that the show directly told us he is a nightmare, and we could judge all his actions accordingly.

Regardless of Tong's fake personality, Ming just showed up at the set without any warning and ambushed Tong at his job

Ming only wants to eat alone with Tong, and it's of course because he likes Tong, but he even hung up on his sister mid-conversation after she threw him a little welcome back surprise (sidenote: I think he and his sister might be similar personality-wise because her call while Tong was eating with Ming was convenient)

Ming doesn't tell Joe his name or how he got Joe's number

He called Joe drunk and obviously pissed off, then snapped at the staff for being shocked by his behavior

He doesn't tell Joe he thinks of him, but instead reversed Joe's statement to point out that Joe thinks of him

He doesn't compromise

And none of these have to do with sex and Ming wanting to fuck Joe because he looks like Tong because Ming's toxicity isn't just about sex.

This is about how meek Ming is around Tong

Compared to how aggressive he is with Joe.

Pushing Joe down and standing over him, which in the heat of the moment doesn't seem like much.

But Joe took Ming to his house because Ming told him to. Joe doesn't eat instead opting to watch Ming eat. Joe lets Ming spend the night because Ming asked. Joe gets on the bed because Ming tells him to. Joe goes to Ming when called. Joe bottoms because Ming wants him to. Joe does everything Ming wants.

With Tong, Ming can't control anything, but with Joe . . .

Ming's gonna control everything.

Or at least that's what I'm hoping!

So I'll be here all season, cheering every single time Ming does something truly fucked up because he is going about his issues in the worst way by trying to exert dominance on a stand-in of Tong since he is weak for the real Tong until he ends up regretting it once he loses Joe and tries to replace old Joe with new Jo which restarts the vicious cycle that began this entire shit show in the first place! *deep breath*