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#what the writer considers to be feminine
dayurno · 3 months
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What is the thing you disagree with in most fanon portrayals of Neil?
i used to think it was because neil was shoehorned into 'feminine' roles (whatever i thought that may be, looking back) and ultimately changed as a character to fit whatever the narrative required of him, but now that i am older and (?!) wiser i do believe my original feelings towards the ever mythicized ooc feminine neil were born from a place of rejection for gender non-conforming people, and an overall aversion to the idea of femininity (arguably one of the most important aspects of who i am, true then and true now) being tied in any way with sexual expression and preference.
i will say this. i think the knee-jerk rejection of saying 'not all gay men are feminine bottoms!' to content where one of them is, in fact, a feminine bottom, is not unlike lesbians in my own community who protest to the idea that all lesbians are man-hating hairy dykes (and try not to swoon just at the mention!). we reject gender non-confomity; we don't want it to represent our communities. we want to be one of the good ones. i'm a lesbian, but i'm not like those masculine dykes. i'm a gay man, but i'm nothing like those hyperfem sissies. fandom had come to a point where we genuinely thought conformist gender expressions were somehow lacking representation; we sincerely believed the idea that a couple made up of two masculine, gender-conforming men were somehow closer to the real deal than a couple where one of them was either feminine-presenting or had traits that can be associated with femininity.
i lived with this idea for a long time, until i started frequenting queer spaces in my area and realized that actually, in the material world, where i live, where you live, effeminate gay men do not have it easier than their masculine counterparts. the idea that they can be 'over-represented in media' is null. my feminine male friends don't allow themselves to be seen out on the street in so much as a crop top. one of the most common dealbreakers in dating apps for gay and bisexual men is gender non-conformity. a lot of arguments against feminine men who prefer to bottom in media is that 'no gay people are like this', but that is just patently untrue; my best friend in the whole world is a feminine-presenting gay man with a strict preference for being in the bottom. a girl i bought a beer for was a stone top, hyper-masculine, touch-me-not butch. for queer people, gender presentation and sexual activity cannot always be cleanly separated.
i guess (and sorry for how long this is clearly i have Thoughts) my ultimate point here is that i let my own personal disagreement with how neil is portrayed to convince me that there is something wrong with him (and, at large, any male character) being portrayed as someone who is feminine, or has strong sexual preferences, or has personality traits traditionally associated to femininity. i think that is never, ever, ever a solution for anything. there is never going to be a time where we would be right to shun and scoff at content written about gender non-conforming characters, even if they are not canonically gnc. do i still think neil is written in ways that go directly against how his personality is portrayed in canon? yes, but that is a personal opinion, and not something i should try and rationalize in social justice terms, if you get my point. i can just not like it. and i don't. no hard feelings involved :)
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musical-chick-13 · 9 months
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"but there just AREN'T any well-written women in aNyTHiNg I interact with"
DO TEN MINUTES OF RESEARCH.
WATCH BETTER SHOWS. READ BETTER BOOKS.
THERE IS A VERY SIMPLE SOLUTION HERE.
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comradekatara · 3 months
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it’s actually really funny that despite being given ample evidence that sokka is a good hunter (he is described offscreen by the writers as being a good hunter; it is a role he clearly takes pride in and defines himself by, ie, “the meat guy”; no one ever starves when he’s around; there’s the way he can accurately describe the events of an entire battle through simply looking at some footprints and scorch marks on the trees; and most crucially, his impeccable accuracy with a boomerang that has been a mainstay across his entire arc clearly required practice at some point, and considering it is literally a hunting weapon, i’m not exactly sure what else he’d even be practicing on), we never actually see him hunt successfully. every time he does attempt to hunt onscreen, he is thwarted by the elements, and his attempt fails disastrously (and comedically). and yet, there is no doubt in my mind that he is, in fact, good at hunting.
some people, however, do take katara’s claim that sokka doesn’t do any work around camp at face value, which is understandable, not only because we never actually see him properly hunt, but because he’s also just an asshole, generally, who undermines the value of domestic (ie, feminine) labor to attempt to bolster his own precariously fragile ego. the thing about katara’s rage in those early episodes is that it is undeniably cathartic and powerful, but also quite misplaced. gran gran making her do chores isn’t the enemy, and neither is sokka. they’re both overprotective to the point of stifling her freedom and dismissing her desires, but it’s for good reason. she is in direct danger, and they feel an existential need to protect her. her enemy is imperialism, not her overbearing, cynical family members. she deserves to be angry, and she deserves to scream and yearn and rebel, but that doesn’t mean that everything she says is correct. for example, just because we first see sokka through her point of view, “playing soldier” and pretending to be a real man, doesn’t mean he isn’t pulling his weight in multiple ways at all times, even if his narrow worldview does need to be challenged (but then again, so does hers).
so why do we never actually see sokka hunt? well, atla is, fundamentally, a children’s show. there are some things that they just simply cannot depict. someone killing, skinning, and cooking an animal would probably disturb children, even though it is also an everyday, normal occurrence and how all the meat they constantly allude to is produced. it’s funny what lines they’ll draw in the sand. especially because we never actually see sokka kill any animals with his boomerang, and yet he does kill actual human beings with it. but i suppose nickelodeon said that was fine.
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daskolas · 9 months
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MOON IN HOUSES
Moon is a fast moving planet. It moves from one sign to another in approx 2 days 6 hours. Moon is considered as queen in Vedic astrology. Moon shows feminine energy and represents mother.
Moon in 1st house
These individuals are very emotional
Their nature is very changing i.e they can feel anger or sadness or any other type of emotion very quickly.
They can adapt to any situation quickly. Mutable in nature.
These people are also very caring. Some of them can even cry if they see their loved one crying or going through a hard time.
Individuals with moon in 1st house can be little chubby, if not then they are prone to gain a little weight
They are romantic. They often listen to their heart rather than brain.
These are the type of people who will know how to react in what situation.
They also have etiquette. Like the type of people who have tons of table manners and all those things.
Their eyes are very pretty just like moon. However, they have weak eyesight.
They have a lot of influence of their mother on them. Their mother could also have been more dominating at home.
Moon in 2nd house
Their money is always fluctuating. Like some month they are earning a lot but next month, their income isn't as as strong
Their financial gain is also not equal. There will be tons of up and down financially.
Despite having unstable income. People with this placement tend to make a good living for themselves. It does show that individuals will earn a lot of money.
If moon is strong, then they will be attached to their family and will also get a lot of happiness from their family.
Some of them are also very scared of dressing up even though they like to as they think that people around them are judging them.
They spend a lot of money. People with this placement most often tend to fall for retail therapy.
Natives with this placement are interested in helping people. They like to do social work. Their career choice can also be effected by this.
They also very caring and want to fulfill needs of people around them. Depending on rest of the chart, they may or may not show their love and affection for others
They also have very positive view towards life.
They tend to get attached to any non-living thing.
Moon in 3rd house
They never feel satisfied. Their heart is always wishing for more and more.
Individuals with this placement cannot feel relaxed. As their mind is always wandering off. They are always thinking about different topics.
The more they desire to have a relaxed mind and heart, the more stressed they can get.
They are very hardworking. As the moon which denotes heart is in house of hardwork.
They have a lot of mood swings.
They will not have stable relationship with their mother. Their will always be love and hate in their relationship. This is because relation of 4th house is in 12th house from its position.
They will be very attached to their neighborhood and thei younger sibling. They are also prone to reminiscing their primary school life.
They are good writers. As they have a broad imagination.
People with this placement also have easy go attitude.
They want to learn about many things. They have a mind of researcher, always digging deep.
Moon in 4th house
Individuals have emotional attachment towards their mother or hone.
Individuals do not have any control over their heart. They have a hard time having some self control.
They like to stay in their comfort zone only.
They like luxurious items like jewellery or even an expensive phone
They are imaginative. If they have creative placements then they can be good in art. Given their imagination they can create something really good.
They gain security from relationships. If a relationship gets affected somehow then they can feel insecure and think they are not good enough
They are way too much dependent on their relationship with other people and materialistic items.
Person is very calm and patient. They also are very emotional.
It is believed that individuals will have a lot of assets like home, vehicles etc in their life.
You can be prone to people-pleasing.
Moon in 5th house
They will have a very close relationship with their kids. They also are attached to them and love them unconditionally.
They can have a good luck in stock market. They can even be interested in learning about different shares
They are very creative and are very interested in creative things like drawing, singing or dancing.
This placement gives a lot of curiosity. They are interested in learning about different things and expanding their knowledge.
They have a lot of empathy. They can easily put themselves in other person's show.
This is a placement that shows that the person is a great listener. They also give good advices.
Individuals with this placement are very welcoming and care a lot for other people.
These people give way too much and do not receive on that level. You should learn how to not drain yourself.
They will also be able to connect with the opposite sex more. They will also have many romantic relationship.
Their higher education will be successful. As 5th house rules it.
Moon in 6th house
They are very shy people. They also feel very hesitant to ask for things. They are the type of people who will not correct their order when they receive them wrong.
Individual is introvert
They always are thinking about past events like thinking how they could have done something differently.
They also are very indecisive. They are always weighing down different options. And even if they select one then they think about it a lot rather than moving forward with it.
They also have weak immune system. They can fall ill easily.
They will always their enemies on their mind. Which will have effect on their mental health. They will also be thinking about their competitors and enemies.
They can have a strained relationship with their mother or have some kind of childhood problem in any way.
Their mother can work in the service industry like a nurse, caregiver etc.
Individual worries a lot. They are most of the time overthinking about different scenarios which can effect their mental health.
CW: MENTION OF INFERTILITY
They can have problems with kids like they can be infertile.
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(credits: @flickr on Pinterest)
Moon in 7th house
Spouse will be very emotional and romantic
They will have a lot of influence of their mother on them.
They are prone to mood swings.
They will also be good looking. They will also have kind looking eyes.
Individual will know how to talk with people. They will know how to work the crowd.
Individual will know what to say and when to say it. They will be socially intelligent.
Individuals can be good at handling daily issues. Whether it is work related or household related, they can handle tasks easily.
You could pursue a profession related to business, legal field, marketing etc. You will also be able to excel in your career. As this placement is considered lucky
You are loyal to your partner. You will put your whole energy into anything, it doesn't matter if it is work or relationships. (Negative result if the moon is weak)
If the moon is strong then they will be emotionally intelligent, however if it is weak then the result will be the opposite.
Moon in 8th house
People with this placement are incredibly sensitive to the environment
They also are mysterious regarding their studies or they like studying occult subjects. They are deeply interested in topics which you do not read about in daily life.
They also are incredibly good in hiding their feelings. As moon is weak in this house, therefore they are not able to express what they are feeling.
They also are deep thinker. They want to understand why a person reacts in a way they do.
Many people with this placement have high libido
This position also indicates that the person is not good with kids or they are not interested in having them.
They also are interested in researching things. Many people of this placement also tend to he interested in getting PhD.
People with this placement are also not able to handle themselves emotionally. They feel too much inside
Many people with this placement do not talk much. They are very silent and also prefers to stay in a quiet environment
They are very hardworking and will do anything to achieve success.
Moon in 9th house
Individual will be religious. They will also travel to many religious places.
People with this placement put a lot of effort for succeeding which also increases their chances of being popular
They are interested in philosophy a lot. They like to share their experience or hear other's experience.
They will get benefit from their mother
They will have influence of their teacher for their entire life.
They also are more logical. They like to live their life in a certain structure and only work according to it.
As, this placement is neutral so the native will have many up and down in their life.
Many of them also tend to be philanthropists.
They are peace loving individuals who will avoid conflict at any cost. Many of them also have trouble confronting people.
They do really well in their higher studies. And they may also want to travel to another city/country to get a certain degree
Moon in 10th house
This isn't considered good placement as the person will be constantly changing their profession. They will go from one job to another or will change their business fastly
It'll be good for their career, if they can get into a profession through which they can travel.
Their will be tons of up and down in career. It will not be stable
Individual wants to work. They like to put all the efforts in their work
They get satisfied from their work itself. They are also perfectionist
Individual's father is very caring. He will also care a lot about native. Father or their mother in law will have soft nature like nurturing, calm, patient. They don't hurt other people with their words.
Same as their father, people with this placement are also caring and nurturing
They like learning about new things. They want to gain as much as knowledge they can. And may want to become "jack of all trades but master of none."
They also want to present themselves in a certain way. And when they do not they may start feeling anxious or insecure
A person is also able to connect with many influential people in their life which can help them bring closer to their goal
Moon in 11th house
Person will do only those things which they think they will get benefit. They won't learn anything which will not benefit them
They even put efforts in those relationships only which will be fruitful or if they can get something from the person in return
They will have a good relationship with their elder siblings. They will even get benefit from them like they can give them advices or anything.
They can understand easily from where the other person is coming from. They see two sides of the coin. Therefore, they can be good mediator
Individuals are extroverts. They like to socialise with other people a lot. They also know how to network
This is a placement which also works as a wish fulfilling placement. If they really desire something then they can manifest it
They will also feel happy and more content with themselves when they will spend more time in social environment
They will feel like they are good at many things so what exactly to pursue. This can make them feel anxious about their future
People with this placement are also very imaginative and dreamy. They have big dreams for their future
People with this placement are not the most emotionally stable
Moon in 12th house
Person will have trouble sleeping. They also tend to develop insomnia.
They can have trouble in their left eye. Or their eyesight is weak.
They will also have to go through a lot of emotional difficulties. They can face many issues which can make their emotions heightened.
They also have to go through loneliness in their childhood. They tend to be ostracized by their peers or even family members.
They tend to have strained relationship with their mother. There will be some distance between them or they will not get any support from her.
They tend to have a really hard time in earning fame.
They hide their feelings from other people. They don't express themselves much which can lead to emotional outburst.
Many people with this placement tend to have prophetic dreams. They can foresee the future or have really good intuition
They have problems with depression, anxiety, fainting etc.
This position also indicates that the native has weak memory or suffer from some mental problems.
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maidenvault · 21 days
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Okay so, Crosshair’s hand.
Has anyone pointed this out? When Crosshair kills Nolan, he doesn't use his shooting hand.
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He uses his left. Just as he very significantly has to in the series finale.
I don't know if the writers knew as far back as "The Outpost" that Crosshair was going to lose the use of his shooting hand and by extension everything he believed made him strong, a "superior" clone, and safe from being discarded when he was kind of fascism-pilled. But it feels extra significant in retrospect that his first action taken against the Empire is not done with the hand associated with the terrible things he did as an Imperial sniper. And it's after he just got a difficult lesson about how his own personal strength and skills aren't enough to protect him - he was saved twice by Mayday, then possibly only survived through the night because he wouldn't leave him behind and could share his body heat. He may be using his left hand when he shoots Nolan because his other arm is tired from supporting Mayday all the way back, which only adds to the symbolic touch I love that Mayday is using his rifle as a crutch to help him walk as well (and of course, he's at close range so quite meaningfully Crosshair doesn't use the rifle to shoot here either). It all supports the idea of this as the first huge moment of transformation for Crosshair when he's finally turning his fire on the real enemy out of a desire to protect others, however futile and too late it is in this particular situation.
Going back and noticing this really reinforced for me that Crosshair's hand injury probably isn't just meant as a manifestation of his trauma related to Tantiss. It would make sense considering it's his shooting hand that it also has something to do with his inner conflict regarding his changed relationship with violence and killing.
The Batch were introduced as these stereotypically macho soldier characters, an impression that's softened a little as early as the pilot of TBB but still distinguishes them a little from other clones. In a kind of funny way you can look at the whole series as being about these guys who were only brought up to fight gradually discovering and finding peace with their more traditionally feminine sides - literally because of Omega, a female version of themselves who shows them the possibilities of being a family and living for others instead of for violence.
For Crosshair this journey is much more difficult and like a painful rebirth than it is for anyone else because being a soldier was so much of his identity. He's always been the one to most pointedly distinguish his squad from regs because of their "superior" traits that he thinks will make the Empire value them, and he clearly internalized the way the Kaminoans only care about clones as weapons to be used in war. And it all betrays how little value Crosshair actually believes he has deep down. It was easy to go into S3 being especially worried about his fate because he's believed so long that he's not good for anything but fighting and he's the character it was the hardest to imagine adjusting to a different life.
But in retrospect, it was stupid to think they'd let him off that easy and of course the whole point is that it takes a lot to get him there. What exactly he went through on Tantiss beyond the electroshock torture we've seen is never delved into but personally, I think being a soldier is something that's poisoned for Crosshair after he becomes a victim of the Empire himself and subject to their attempts at reconditioning. He's not psychologically able to be that person anymore, but for a long time is still trying to largely rely on himself and his own strength. He tries to sacrifice himself for others because he's still holding onto that part of himself in a way.
But for once in Star Wars we've gotten a fully realized redemption arc showing that sometimes what's harder than giving your life in a redemptive way is to actually have to figure out how to live with the bad things you've done and be better. Some of the people Crosshair hurt were his family, and he has to learn he can only make things better by being there for them. He has to learn that he actually can survive and figure out a way forward from his life as a soldier if he lets himself rely on them, just like he only survived Barton IV with help from Mayday. As @moonstrider9904 explains so well in this post, that is what's so important about Crosshair losing the hand and making that final shot to save Omega with Hunter's support. Symbolically he's had that toxic part of himself actually cut off and it's the final, most painful part of his rebirth. But because of that he's forced to find that he can live on without it, that he's surrounded by people who love and believe in him anyway, and that having superhuman skills as a killer was never what gave him worth.
No, having his shooting hand cut off doesn't "fix" anything or mean that Crosshair is healed. He's probably only begun to recover from everything he's been through. But all we really need to see is that he's firmly found his place as part of a family instead of a squad, and he's not going to be alone as he deals with all of that.
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absolutebl · 6 months
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Pit Babe - it's time for a Trash Watch!
I had to. Well, no I didn't, but COME ON. It's like Thailand is negging me. Let's burn rubber, shall we? Burn rubbers...?
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The things I had been told going in about this show:
it's about car racing (this bores me)
it stars Pavel (my BL ult bias, he is my icon for a reason)
it started as an omegaverse y-novel but the A/B/O aspects would be stripped from the BL series
it's high heat
(There some chatter about whether point 3 was a mistranslation of something the author said, but don't bother me with trifles.)
Here's a definition of omegaverse:
Omegaverse, also known as A/B/O (alpha/beta/omega), is a subgenre of speculative erotic fiction, and originally a subgenre of erotic slash fan fiction. Its premise is that a dominance hierarchy exists in humans, which are divided into dominant "alphas", neutral "betas", and submissive "omegas".[1] This hierarchy determines how people interact with one another in romantic, erotic and sexual contexts.[2] (Wikipedia)
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In my experience and opinion, omegaverse archetypes and tropes are often used to strip out female characters (and The Feminine) and as a tool to excuse extreme hyper-masculine behaviors without a critical feminist lens (leading to lazy characterization). Just as heat is an excuse to get nkd quickly, A/O/B is often an excuse for taboo and dubious consent actions and behaviors. Do I get why writers/readers enjoy it? Yes I do. Do I personally like it? Not particularly. (Although there are always exceptions.)
Putting all that aside, the above represents my foundational knowledge before Pit Babe started.
Oh and that the familiar BL faces appearing in this show were follows:
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Pavel Naret (aka Pavel Phoom) from 2 Moons 2 & Coffee Melody - Pavel is a fluent English speaker, a bit of a drama monger, and a motorcycle rider/car-dude, this role suits him
Nut Supanut from Oxygen & Something in My Room - has an amazing voice, his somewhat wooden acting has improved steadily since Oxygen
Pon Thanapon - one of Star Hunter's stable first seen in the Gen Y series (where he stole the appeal of an intended pair), also v good in Make a Wish, I wish he'd get a lead role as he has a likable screen presence
Pop Pataraphol from La Cuisine - he's playing the Alpha rival and I'm not convinced he's suited to this role
Michael Kiettisak from Love Sick, Oxygen, Call it What You Want, Till the World Ends - playing the comic relief this time rather than his usual tortured stoic... huh
All the rest are either fresh faces or older experienced actors. Interesting mix. They must have some money behind this.
And now, get out your marshmallows! The dumpster is on fire! Let's start the roast.
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Episode 1 - Platypus, Pickles, Pavel, & other Smoking Hot Problems
This first segment told with a 4 day retrospect, because I decided to do a trash watch only after @aliceisathome said I should.
My initial reaction:
the sheer audacity of Thailand being like "PitBabe is not omegaverse" and then serving "Alpha" to us on a platter in the first sex scene is
how dare
but also
what the actual fuck is going on? what world are we living in where a/b/o is LIVE ACTION ON OUR SCREENS?
we getting heat, knotting & mpreg next?
apparently this is my reality now
I'm not sure what weird quantum time stream I've jumped into but someone was all,
yes the whole world is hella screwed, but also...
Thailand has decided live action mm fanfic is gonna win it the culture wars
and I'm beginning to think they may be right
BL is now the platypus of the film industry
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4 days later:
Considering how much chatter this caused there's a part of me that wondered if it was all intentional and a marketing ploy (to say it wasn't omegaverse when obviously it is). In which case... brilliant Machiavellian tactics, production.
But Thai studios are rarely this calculated in their promo. So I think it's all accidental. But it certainly caused a raucous few days on Tumblr.
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On a completely different note, Babe's house looks like it started life as a particularly inventive Olive Garden. Or is that just me?
More random thoughts:
Pavel has had work done, why honey? You were the definition of perfect.
The smell thing is great, I love stuff to do with scent and necks. If omegaverse brings this to the table, fine. But...
Being all Alpha perfect butch manly man = I do not like Babe at all, I kinda want him to be brought down a peg. (Woo... pegging!) I never like narratives that glorify the captain of the football team (side eyes Cdrama CEO romances and Love O2O), Babe better have depth and damage (forget the pegging) of some kind or his behavior will get old FAST, faster than he drives (also, forget the pegging idea)
Nut is ideal in the Beta role. I mean, that's Way's character right? We all can see that. If it's not intentional, it's a miscast. I love how soft he is as as screen presence. He's great in this part.
None of the other characters are sticking out to me yet, but I'm prepared to love the side dishes in this, please make them swoon worthy!
I'm glad they didn't hold the Charlie = trickster reveal off, I like knowing he is a double agent up front.
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Finally, with respect to an adequate trash watch, I'm in a pickle.
How am I going to drink for this show when there is so much else airing on Frigay? I can't keep track, if I'm drunk.
I need a strategy for this trash fire if the puns and snark are to spout forth! (HA Fourth!)
Controlled burn?
Anygay, see you all next week.
Episode 2 - Side Dish Addiction + Second Lead Syndrome are both infecting me at once
[FYI I gotta have my backup computer to watch this so that's why Imma sometimes be delayed getting the trash out to the curb.]
3 minutes! 3 minutes in and I needed to pause and wax snarkful. (Ouch, bet that hurts. Is waxing snark similar to a Brazilian but for BL? Is that why they all so hairless in The Sign?... I digress, where was I?)
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Okay so the subber said Daddy but I don't think that word means what they think it means. Because Way said simply nong paa.
Usually they'll use the English word Daddy (pronounced Dah-deee) for, ya know, Actual Daddies (tm).
Wait wait:
Calling Daddy Actual
(My dumb sci-fi loving arse will see myself out the back before I start drawing Battlestar Galactica = Pit Babe connections. TOO FAR ABL. Too far.)
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Look, I like the tension in this show. It's good to set up an unlikeable Alpha dog and then immediately turn him into an underdog, makes him a bit more likable. I still don't like Babe, but now at least I'm on his side.
Charlie = cute but v sus. Fortunately for him, Babe = cute but v thick.
Everyone calls Charlie Babe's dek. Yes sounds a bit like what you think but also means kid/child and SHOULD be translated as boy in this show. Why doesn't the subber get that? They a sub...ber after all. (I'll see myself out.)
Honestly, the script writers might know what they are doing with abo but our eng sub translator sadly does NOT. I'm so glad this is coming now in my BL watching life. When my ear and knowledge of Thai is so much better than it once was. Others much be SO CONFUSED.
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Snicker. They just fucking with us, but it's fun to watch the mpeg speculation abound.
File this one under: Thailand's trouble with ESL plurals and also "you should have Pavel helping with these subs" sweethearts.
Production knows entirely what it's doing with this show and its omegaverse shizz (even if the subber doesn't) and I am very much enjoying the online carnage that results.
This dumpster fire continues off screen into the blogosphere and I continue to roast things over it.
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Meanwhile, hi Pon! You so adorable! When you gonna lead out a BL for us?
Is Idol Factory stealing all of Star Hunter's talent? Are they the Red Racers of the BL world? These are the questions I ask myself as I watch this.
Is that AGE GAP I smell before me?
Is the 20 yr old college kid meant for the pit boss? Cause you all know I am a slut for age gaps.
Moment of a/b/o: Jeff's fear of touch/heightened personal space would be a plot marker for "baby doesn't want Alphas close cause he smells like an omega" but of course this show it not omegaverse. Not omegaverse at all.
nuh-uh
Linguistic corner!
Lung (sounds a bit like loo) is uncle(ish) it means basically a male relation older than phi. So Alan is the oldest in the crew.
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Alan calls Jeff nu (which the subber translated as boy I would have gone with cutie or little one). Nu is a diminutive affectionate term that's technically gender neutral but is most often used by/on cute girls/women. Jeff did NOT like it. Then Alan sort of dodges through pronouns/particles settling on phi for I, ger for you, and ja for a particle. This is interesting because ger & ja kinda lower his age and status into a casual sphere. Not more intimate more equal to jeff... fascinating.
I love the new "Korean" red racer, he drinks my brand of soy milk. He is now my baby snake in the grass.
Get it? Snake.
He and Babe should end up together.
The fight wasn't bad, do both actors have kickbox training in their backgrounds?
Who am I kidding, I care only about Uncle Alan and Nu Jeff now. All others are irrelevant to me.
Also...
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WHERE IS A BOY FOR WAY?!!! Or a Daddy. I do not care. (Methinks nether does he.)
I am now captain of the Way Appreciation Society. Let's all find a way... to get him some dick.
Also the BTS stingers are tons of fun. Looks like the set was a blast.
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Finally, and I mean this kindly. Why isn't Noh Phouluang in this? He should have been cast as Winner. Bah. I'm biased.
But one should be with Noh.
Episode 3 - Side Dishes Delux
Gayest bridge n Thailand has made its obligatory appearance.
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How much do I love uncle & nu? They are SO damn cute. Also nu flustered is the best kind of nu.
I could not care less about Babe and Charlie. Except I do love the smell thing.
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Way will break my heart by getting his broken. He is right tho.
Tra la la. I feel like this is a bit like KP 2.0.
Charlie is a such a princess (and ace manipulator). Good thing Babe clearly likes being buttered up.
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Babe's backstory was more interesting than I expected, I didn't think we would go so far into the paranormal side of a/b/o. I like it and I hope they lean into it quite a bit more. Make it part of the plot.
Unlike the kissing thing which seems to have been gotten over rather quickly.
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I gotta say I'm enjoying the corporate sponsorship jockeying and tension more than I thought I would. I'm curious as to who Jef and Charlie are working for and what their motivation is. The plot itself is keeping me intrigued and that is rare for me with BL.
So no trash talk this ep, I was largely absorbed and entertained. I didn't event need booze. Shocking behavior on my part.
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#giveWayaboy2023
Episode 4 - I (who never ship) am shipping the impossible
Here’s the thing. I just want this to be a better story than it is. Right now it’s kind of like a soap opera. I don’t hate lakorn, I really don't. To Sir With Love is a glorious chewing of the diamanté scenery (completed with death glitter). But...
If this is gonna be a soap opera it needs to lean into the messy side more than the tailored high concept side. Support characters and evil needs more screen time.
Instead, right now, I don’t know where I am with this show because it doesn't know where it wants to be. I’m kind of dangling in the middle of a dirty situation. It’s uncomfortable for me, and the show feels uncomfortable for the performers. 
Also... I have questions.
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Yes, of course I want to know what Charlie & Jeff are up to. Why can Jeff see the future?
But more importantly I NEED to know why Babe has a flying saucer bed?
That kind of lighting makes nobody look good, especially not at that angle. It’s very traumatic and I’m not wild about the shag rug either. I have concerns about Babe's taste. I guess is what I am saying. 
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On a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT note:
There’s absolutely no chemistry to justify this, but I have decided that I am going to personally advocate for, and ship, Way and the interloping not-really-Korean. They are both sort of own-moral-code types. I have tiny crush on Kim, and Nut is the prettiest, and Way is Best Boy so there it is, I would like them to hook up, please & thank you.
#giveWay2Kim2023
Arrow guy is cute, too. Will we get to see him bone?
Is he going to be another one of the adopted alpha super-kid pets?
What the hell, throw Arrow Boy a bone! All hot boys in BLs deserve bones.
Plot thickens.
Hah.
Thickens.
(I am an immature idiot.)
Episode 5 - wait wait way-t, can arrow boy have Way?
Look, BLabies, I didn’t get any screen caps this episode because frankly there wasn’t anything worth capturing.
I guess Charlie really does love Babe? Very dramatic if idiotic saving from the burning car. But Babe has gone to the broken Alpha place of extremely unlikeablability (frankly he was almost there at the start). If I were Charles B Spectacled I would be OUT by now. 
Is that?
NO.
Don't get the plastic bowl.
No white towel sponge bath. Please kill this trope.  
I mean, it's not as bad as singing, but that's because NOTHING is as bad as singing in a Thai BL.
AND the main boys are back together.
I don’t find their relationship or Babe’s lack of senses a particularly interesting aspect of the plot.
Unless, of course, Babe is pregnant and that's why he lost his Alpha sniffer.
BUT I do love the sides.
Jeff = the introvert precog who can’t/wont do people and Alan = the extrovert people person who WANTS but doesn’t understand him. 
Were Jeff and Charlie ALSO raised by Evil Daddy MacEvilPants? 
I liked the way Arrow CEO & Way looked at each other. Way, hon, give up on Babe (he sucks) and get thyself a billionaire bf with great aim and BDE.
On a completely different note, the best thing about this show is the blooper reel. That thing with the green smoothie going down his pants was hilarious!
In conclusion, this was a green smoothie down the pants episode. I was entertained, and it’s probably gonna be good for the plot in retrospect, but it was kind of squishy and unpleasant at the time.
Episode 6 - Are they actually listening to us now? Is Tumblr bugged?
This was a fun ep full of like actual racing and shizz.
Whatever.
Charlie is on the team now. All the teams, apparently.
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Can we talk about Jeff and Alan?
The apology scene! Did you hear that Alan dropped to chan/ger? Eeeee!!! So cute. (He equalized their relationship in a soft way.)
Get it with that language play hottie. Next up: lengua play.
Please & thank you. 
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Meanwhile, as all of the Internet knows, they went fully in for omegaverse - no bars.
I have to say, one of the greatest typos (or whatever) in existence is enigma instead of omega.
That's where I personally would rank in the omegaverse.
Hello, my gender is... enigma.
 Apparently it's a/b/o and sometimes e!  Also sometimes switch-ee 
Oh I'm very proud of myself with that one.
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Funfunfun
Charlie. Babes. When a man asks to be thrown up against the wall. You throw him against that wall.
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OMG is that arrow boy looking at Way in the bar?
3 seconds later.
Noooo.
Wait come back.
Noooooo.
That’s what I actually want to watch! 
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OMG. Who said nu was the first step to teelak?
I flipping love Alan. 
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Ah the boyfriend ep. Thank you, but I still don't trust Charlie.
Poor Way.
But nice crying jag, and I don’t say that often in Thai BL.
Now let him go, Way.
A boy with his arrows is waiting. 
(source)
Note for the future: tumblr has a bug that stops allowing edits after a certain time/number, thus my full trash often occur in 2 segments as a result. Click on the "abl trash watches bl" tag for the full thing if you're reading this and later episodes are missing.
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reunionatdawn · 3 months
Text
Weighing in on ATLA shipping discourse
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Iroh: You're not the man you used to be, Zuko. You are stronger and wiser and freer than you have ever been. And now you have come to the crossroads of your destiny. It's time for you to choose. It's time for you to choose good.
Why did Zuko have a fever after decided to let go of his Blue Spirit mask? Well, the imagery suggested that he experienced a Kundalini awakening. A Kundalini awakening is a profound spiritual experience that involves the activation and rising of Kundalini energy, located at the base of the spine. In Hindu and yogic traditions, Kundalini is often depicted as a coiled serpent, symbolizing dormant spiritual potential.
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Ida and Pingala are the two energy channels that run alongside the spinal column and correspond to the left and right sides of the body, respectively. Ida is associated with the feminine or yin aspect. It is linked to qualities such as calmness, receptivity, intuition, and nurturing. It is also associated with the moon, coolness, and the element of water.
Pingala represents the masculine or yang aspect. It is associated with qualities such as activity, dynamism, alertness, and willpower. It is associated with the sun, warmth, and the element of fire. In the yogic tradition, the balance and harmonization of Ida and Pingala are considered essential for achieving physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.
Once the two energies combine at the crown chakra, a person's consciousness is supposed to transcend duality. What does that mean, exactly? It means to move beyond the perception of reality as consisting of opposing or dualistic concepts, such as good and bad, light and dark, right and wrong, or self and other. You understand that these apparent opposites are part of the same unified whole and are interconnected in a deeper, more profound way.
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"I was head writer of ATLA, and this is exactly how I see it! There was some controversy that Zuko made the "wrong choice" at the end of season 2. A lot of fans were ANGRY! But it had to be this way… we wanted him to get everything he thought he wanted. The triumphant return. His father's respect, and a seat at his right hand. Only then could Zuko truly outgrow these things, and choose to do the right thing in a meaningful way." (Aaron Ehasz)
So, the symbolism definitely favors Zutara in that respect. Katara learned through Zuko that the Fire Nation is not innately evil. Even though he hurt her with his "wrong" decision, part of her character arc was understanding why he did it and being able to forgive him. And because he made that choice, she could trauma-dump onto him and that led to her gaining closure about her mother's death.
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"I was head writer of ATLA. Azula and Zuko's relationship was not always well understood, even by the team internally. Azula loved Zuko, more than anyone save her father. She also felt competitive with him for their parents' attention of course, but since she had alienated herself from her mother, she focused her energy on pleasing dad… which of course meant acting in more and more intense and possibly evil ways." "By the end of the series, of course, her loss of her friends shatters the part of her identity that she could somehow control affection and love through intimidation. As a result she spirals… I did however intend to leave a kernel of humanity, and had we made a season 4 Azula would have completely bottomed and we would have explored the possibility of a path to redemption. True story!" (Aaron Ehasz)
But it's not even just Zutara. What I found interesting was that Azula was the blue dragon and Iroh the red dragon. Azula was crazy and needed to go down, right? By siding with his sister, you're meant to think that Zuko chose "evil" instead of "good". But it looks like some of the writers meant for it to be more complicated than that. There was no "good" or "evil" choice. Azula had a softer "yin" side, too.
Zuko wanted to get along with his sister. He did not want to kill her, even though Iroh thought that was the only option. The fact that Azula never got her redemption arc did a massive disservice to Zuko's arc as well. The fact that Azula had good in her is exactly why Zuko's choice in BSS couldn't truly be called "wrong" or "evil".
Azula loved Zuko and that idea wasn't conveyed very well in the cartoon. She was the one person on that beach who actually did understand him. She was jealous that Zuko chose the Avatar over her. And she knew that targeting Katara with her lightning was the best way to hurt Zuko. Katara found a non-lethal way to defeat Azula for Zuko's sake. Because after seeing how hard it was for him to fight her, she finally understood why he made his choice in Ba Sing Se.
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"[Azula] had not bottomed in the end of season 3, she had further to go. At the deepest moment in her own abyss she would have found: Zuko. Despite it all, her brother Zuko would be there for her. Believing in her, sticking by her, doing his best to understand and help her hold her pain that she can no longer hold alone. Zuko — patient, forgiving, and unconditionally loving – all strengths he gained from Uncle Iroh." "And I always imagined that after coming out the other side, she would be one of those people who hilariously over-shares her own feelings all the time, and that she would be a bit over-apologetic. Like a Canadian version of Azula." (Aaron Ehasz)
The first episode of Book 3 was called The Awakening. Aang literally awakened to the energy twisted up in the middle of his back. He did not complete his spiritual transformation. The Kundalini energy did not reach his crown chakra. It was still blocked because he had an attachment to Katara that he hadn't worked through yet.
Zuko's awakening was figurative. Mai didn't understand how he felt. Symbolically, when she turned his head to kiss him, it showed the audience the scarred side of his face. When Zuko lied his sister, the unscarred side of his face was shown. I suspect that the writer for the episode, Aaron Ehasz, wanted to hint that Zuko did still feel a connection to Katara and didn't want Azula going after her and Aang.
Zuko in The Crossroads of Destiny was not supposed to be the same Zuko from The Avatar State. Both versions of Zuko still wanted to go home. But 201 Zuko was motivated more by selfish attachment. 220 Zuko was more motivated by love. He loved Azula unconditionally. Even with all of her twisted, ugly, and cruel behavior. His consciousness had transcended the duality of Iroh and Azula being opposites where one is "bad" and the other is "good". During The Beach he was fantasizing about a time when Iroh played with both of them as little kids. Back when they were all a family.
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Mai: You know what will make you feel better? Ordering some servants around. I might be hungry for a whole tray of fruit tarts. And maybe a little palanquin ride around town. Double time.
I don't dislike Mai. I think she is an interesting character who was not a bad person or anything. I just thought she served a very specific narrative purpose. She was there to show how Zuko wasn't compatible with his old lifestyle anymore.
Mai wanted a typical socialite boyfriend. They really didn't get along too well or have much to say to each other during The Beach. She didn't like him when he started talking about his trauma and showed his uglier side. Zuko was insecure and jealous because he was not even sure if she really liked him. And she didn't even know the person he was after his banishment, only the person he was as a child. When he turned his head away from her, his unscarred side was shown.
Zuko: When I got to the meeting, everyone welcomed me. My father had saved me a seat. He wanted me next to him. I was literally at his right hand. Mai: Zuko, that's wonderful! You must be happy. Zuko: During the meeting, I was the perfect prince. The son my father wanted. But I wasn't me.
He walked out of that war meeting with the scarred side showing. Mai didn't love Zuko. She loved the perfect prince. The fantasy she built up in her head and the role Zuko was acting out at the start of the episode when he was ordering her the fancy fruit tarts.
Mai: I guess you just don't know people as well as you think you do. You miscalculated. I love Zuko more than I fear you.
Mai stood up to Azula to save Zuko, and she genuinely believed she loved him. But he left her behind to be with his new companions. If not for Ty Lee, she would have died. That should have been the end of that relationship. I thought it was very weird that they got back together. The NATLA writers should definitely find a different way to conclude Mai and Ty Lee's character arcs. Especially Mai. She deserved a more dignified ending than being left in prison and then threatening her ex-boyfriend to take her back.
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"I love that even though Aang is sort of not in this story very much, to me, he's-his presence is in all of these scenes 'cause you know he's like the little angel on her shoulder [...]" (Bryan Konietzko)
The main reason I think the shipping discourse in the ATLA fandom is so toxic is because the creators Mike and Bryan saw the narrative differently than the other writers. They seemed to have a completely different vision for the story and characters compared to the head writer. So, there were two conflicting visions and fans who liked one over the other could argue their side indefinitely. Bryke saw things as more black-and-white and good vs. evil. You can see it in some of the interviews and commentary, particularly with Bryan.
IMO, there really was no "good" and "evil" side in The Southern Raiders. There was no "angel" or "devil" sitting on Katara's shoulders. To Katatra, what Aang said must have sounded like nothing more than a trite platitude. It's true that in the end, she didn't choose violence. But I don't think Aang's words were very pertinent to her decision-making when she finally faced Yon Rha, LOL.
It's understandable why Aang would come off as preachy, though. He was just a child coping with his own grief. The Air Nomads' philosophy was one of the only things he had left of them, after all. Such a teaching was no doubt his own personal coping mechanism.
Aang was right in the sense that Katara didn't need to resort to violence in the end. But ya know, maybe she would have if she didn't have someone by her side who understood her inner darkness and accepted her even if she had chosen violence. Just like how Aang might have killed the sanbenders if Katara hadn't been there. And Katara would not have condemned him if he had done so.
"Zuko and Katara might have shared some sparks, but sometimes there are people along your 'journey of love' who are there to teach you about yourself and what you really need, but don't necessarily end up being your partner. Come on, kids! 'Zutara' never would have lasted! It was just dark and intriguing." (Bryan Konietzko)
Zuko was a character of duality. Yin and Yang. Light and shadow. His two sides were represented by the scarred side and non-scarred sides of his face. I think Bryan viewed Zutara as a "dark" ship because a big part of Zutara was about Katara's shadow side.
Just like Mai did with Zuko, Aang built up a fantasy version of Katara in his head. The perfect, well, "waifu," I guess. The endlessly patient feminine maternal figure. The sweet beautiful girl with such manageable hair. But that's only half of who she was. There was another side to her that he never saw. One that used bloodbending. Angry, hateful. Yes, even ugly. And that's not a bad thing. It's human.
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ozzgin · 8 months
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I love your work! It is so hard to find good Baki writers. Could you please do a Yujiro x Female fighter reader. I feel like Yujiro would actually start falling head over heels with a reader who fights well and is as sadistic as him.
Thank you! And yes, realistically speaking - or at least what makes most sense in my opinion - Yuujirou would go for someone that not only is submissive to him (because any human would then suffice), but also shows impressive skill and strength. There’s an interesting idea that I once read in the introduction of “The Gates of Janus”, the book written by serial killer Ian Brady. The foreword author argued that Ian is what you’d call a rat king, an alpha above most alphas, and that for such personalities, most of the time, an equally dominant woman is sought for as a partner. Naturally she’d submit to him still, but only a woman of high dominance could keep up with this kind of intense character. This mentality felt a bit outdated and potentially misogynistic to me, but I think it really fits in the case of Yuujirou. Sorry for the ramble.
Yandere! Yuujirou Hanma x Fighter! Reader
Featuring The Ogre and a female reader that nearly matches him in strength and ruthlessness. TW: Dubious consent, violence.
[Baki Masterlist]
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Yuujirou can have anyone in the world, whether man or woman. It’s not up to them, really. It’s up to his mood and whims. And when he can have just about anyone, actually finding someone worth his interest becomes a difficult task. He doesn’t need an extra weight to drag around and as far as he’s concerned, commitment is not something he requires in his life. What would be the point?
No, for someone of his status, commitment doesn’t come as moral etiquette or requirement for a relationship. He has considered it, and in theory it could only be offered out of his genuine interest and never demanded by someone else. For The Ogre himself to fixate on one person and never wander eyes anywhere else… They would really have to impress him. Guarantee him that this is a one time deal never to be found again. And once that person is found, they’d do well to perform their role as his partner because there is no way out of it.
Lamentably, such temptation has never crossed his path. That is until a feminine figure strides into the ring of the Underground Arena. Yuujirou is ready to burst with laughter, but he’s quickly silenced by the rather abrupt end of the match. The mysterious character remains unfazed by the opponent’s blow and uses the opportunity to swiftly twist and crush the offensive limb. With the same indifference plastered on the face throughout the agonizing wails of the much larger man, she delivers her ending move and within seconds the arena is quiet again. After recollecting himself from this unexpected succession, Yuujirou turns to Strydum that’s been watching with similar amazement. “Who the hell is that?” He grunts. “I don’t know. Should I find out?”
Sometimes Yuujirou will replay the encounter in his head. He still gets shivers of raw excitement whenever he remembers your eyes back then. That utterly defiant glare. Strydum had asked you to meet them in private and as you entered the room, you immediately demanded to know why you’d been summoned. The Colonel begun fumbling in terror, almost begging you indirectly to not upset the redheaded man. “M-Mr. Hanma wished to see you, Miss (Y/N)-“ he was interrupted by your resounding snarl. “And who the fuck is Mr. Hanma to afford such audacity?” At that moment Yuujirou stood up, hands in pockets but visibly tensed up. You instinctively clenched your fists and frowned at the unspoken difference in power. The Ogre was halfway expecting you to fold and apologize, but after a minute your expression relaxed and your confidence returned. “Bitch. You’d rather die than give up your pride, huh?” He smirked at the thought. There was something about your attitude that greatly pissed him off but also turned him on at the same time.
The hardest part is getting you to accept him as your partner. See, Yuujirou will never beg or ask nicely. On the other hand, he’d rather not kill you, and severely damaging you in any way would take away the fun that caught his attention in the first place. That’s the dilemma: you’re stubborn and he can’t use force. Then again it’s not like he’s a mindless brute. Quite the opposite, only if he feels like it. A little charm with a dash of intimidation and you should be convinced, right? Don’t push it, (Y/N). If he really has to choose, he’d rather have you dead than belonging to someone else. It’s either him or nothing.
Really, it’s to your advantage if you learn to behave. He can give you everything you desire. He’s rather experienced in spoiling his women, and for you he’ll go the extra mile. Knowing he tamed you of all people is all the payment he could ever ask for. The satisfaction of putting you in your place, of having you cling to him fills him with greedy pride. A cocky smile distorts his features whenever the realization hits. If there’s such a thing as a soulmate, he’s found his. Although he doesn’t believe in that kind of bullshit.
A frightening pair in the eyes of most people. The Ogre relishes in the fact that displaying you as his woman has further increased his reputation instead of signaling any trace of weakness. As the time passes his conviction only strengthens: there’s no other place for you. You’re all his. Yet his favorite detail, what makes him flushed and dazed and addicted, is that no matter what he does to you as you lay there sprawled, naked, broken, your dignity never leaves. That prideful gaze that leers back at him makes him feel like he’s facing a mirror.
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asumofwords · 9 months
Text
The Sublet - Roommate!AU
Warnings: She/her pronouns, slow burn, angst. Tags will be added as the fic goes along. Angst (come on its me), feelings of sadness and betrayal, discussion of domestic abuse.
Pairings: Modern!Aemond x Reader
Summary: Living with Helaena Targaryen was one of the best decisions you had ever made. Meeting at university, the two of you became thick as thieves and quickly best friends, moving into a flat together. But what will happen when Helaena has to leave, and her quiet, brooding, brother moves in?
Notes: I was stuck in a bit of a writers funk there for a moment, but I think I'm out of it which hopefully means I can start slanging dick from my requests. Also as a side note, abusive relationships are really hard to escape, and often very confusing for the victims and people around them. Anywaaaaay, enjoy! <3
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Chapter 11: Scars Of The Past
Work had been something you wished would go faster, eyes cast up to the clock on your wall, watching the seconds tick by painfully slow.
You glanced intermittently at the time on your computer, or the one on the screen of your phone. The day seemed to crawl at a snails pace as you eagerly wished to get home to see him. 
Aemond had changed, for the better, and the dynamic that had grown between the two of you had, in your opinion, perhaps gone past a casual escapade.
Cregan had never spent days on end with you in your bed, nor had he cooked every single night for you. Nor had he read to you, or indulged you in your every want and wish.
This was much different to the casual dynamic that you had with Northerner, and the more you thought about it, the more you wondered what you were to Aemond. Did he feel the same way? Was he too having these thoughts today? Watching to clock slowly roll by as he waited at home for you?
Was he jogging to fill the time until you would return?
Did he feel the same pull? The same shift? The same longing for more?
It was something that you clearly needed to talk about, and something that you planned to tonight. You weren’t one to beat around the bush, and you felt that Aemond was the same. 
When the clock finally struck 5, and the work day ended, you all but raced from the office and to the train, stopping by the grocery store to buy ingredients to cook him your favourite meal, grabbing your shared favourite ice cream tub to share afterwards as a treat.
You had to force yourself to not skip home, a sweet giddiness spreading into your chest warmly as you sped walked with grocery bags in tow, work bag slung over your shoulder. Your heart raced in your chest as you thought of if he would like your meal. 
It raced even faster when you began to roll words around your mind on how to ask him what this was. It was too heated to be casual. Too chemical to be a one time thing. Too high strung for just a month of fun. And you had hopes that it would continue after Helaena came back.
Helaena.
That was another hurdle that you would eventually have to take. 
After your talk with Aemond, of course.
When you got to the door of your apartment, you had to juggle your bags to reach for your keys, placing the groceries on the floor awkwardly as you fished around in your work bag on your shoulder. 
When the tips of your fingers sought them out, pulling them from an inside pocket, a sound inside the apartment caused your ears to prick up. It was a sound that should not have been there, all things considered. 
Your heart began to race in your chest. 
But the sound persisted, low and steady.
Behind the door of your apartment, came the hum of a feminine voice.
Your brows pulled together. 
Was Helaena back early? She hadn’t told you that she was coming back yet. 
Something uncomfortable settled in your gut. 
You pushed your keys in the door and opened it slowly, careful to not make noise, picking up your groceries as quietly as you could to enter, shutting the door behind you. You placed your keys in the bowl, heart sinking into your gut.
You could hear it now, a singsongy purr from a woman and the quieter, softer timbre of Aemond.
You got to the end of the corridor and your eyes fell to the couch.
Aemond’s head flicked up to you, hair tied back away from his face in a low bun, wearing all black with his shoes on. 
It looked like he had been out for a run.
His body was tensed, shoulders rolled back and hands in fists at his sides.
Beside him, a woman you recognised.
Alys Rivers sat prim and pretty on your couch. 
In your apartment. 
Next to your-
Next to Aemond. 
She wore a green top that hugged all of her curves, breasts pushed high and forward on her chest, cleavage on show by the low cut of the top. Her waist was tiny, pulled in by high black pants, and on her feet were a pair of shiny, black stilettos. Her dark hair was brushed over her shoulder, long and straight, and her red lips pursed as she looked at you. 
Bright green eyes became narrowed, and all of a sudden you felt unwelcome in your own home. 
You watched as her lips parted and her tongue pressed into the tip of her canine before she shut her mouth, saccharine smile pulling on her painted red lips as she turned to Aemond, hand rested on his knee.
“Aemy, you didn’t tell me you had a friend coming over.” Her voice was melodic, and if you didn’t know about her character, you would say that she sounded almost sweet. 
But you knew it was a sirens song.
Your hands tightened around the bags handles, “I live here.” You grit out.
Alys turned her head back to you, and your eyes stayed on her as her thumb stroked against his knee, his fists tightening at his side, pale knuckles looking paler. But Aemond did not tell her to stop, and only looked at you with an expression you couldn’t decipher.
“Oh.” Alys responded, eyes roaming across the apartment at your furnishings slowly, far too slowly to be admiration, subtle judgement in her eyes, “It’s a lovely home. Quaint.”
Heat rose in your cheeks and you had to force yourself to move, unsticking your feet from the floor. You moved towards the kitchen, sparing Aemond a concerned look as you began putting away all your groceries.
“Thanks.” You told her stiffly, back turned, eyes narrowed at the splash back tiles of the sink.
“How do you and Aemond know each other?” She enquired from behind, and before you could turn to face her and tell her, Aemond answered for you.
“She’s Helaena’s roommate.”
Your heart sank.
Helaena’s roommate.
Not friend.
Not lover.
Not undecided whatever the hell you were. 
Helaena’s roommate.
Anger began to rise inside, followed with jealousy and hurt. A most dangerous trio.
You wrenched the freezer open, carelessly tossing the ice cream inside. 
Why was she here?
Why did he let her inside?
Why was she touching him?
You turned back to the couch standing in front of Aemond and Alys.
She stood, tall on her long legs and reached a hand out to you, red painted nails like sharp claws pointed at you, “Alys.”
“I know.” You looked at her hand, not dignifying her with your name nor pleasantries. 
She was an abuser, and with the way her face fell, the smile dropping completely, you knew the act was all fake.
Alys dropped her hand and stepped back to sit back down on the couch again, using it as an excuse to sit closer to him, thigh against his and hand back on his knee. You watched as Aemond’s eye flicked down to the hand, lips parting as he breathed shallowly.
The tip of her nail scratched against his thigh.
A false laugh fell from her lips, “Bad day at work, I’m guessing?” She smirked at you.
Your teeth ground against each other, “Work was fine. Just wasn’t expecting…” Your eyes flicked to Aemond, wishing he’d look at you, give you any indication that he needed help, but he didn’t, and when his eye met yours, there was resignation in it, “Company.” You spat.
Her pale hand lifted, tucking a strand of stray silver hair that had fallen in front of his face, behind Aemond’s ear.
He didn’t flinch.
He didn’t shy away.
He sat stiffly and allowed it.
“It was a spur of the moment visit.” A small giggle fell from her lips, “It’s been so long since we have seen each other, and I thought a reunion was in order. We have had a lot to catch up on.”
“Have you?” You asked, but your tone was directed to him.
Please give me a sign you need help.
Give me a sign you want her gone. 
Aemond hummed, nodding in agreement.
Your heart sank again.
“I was thinking of cooking-“
“-Oh, we’ve already eaten. Haven’t we?” Alys interrupted you, looking at Aemond with a wide smile.
Your lips parted, and it felt like she had dug her perfectly manicured claws into your chest, gut turning.
Aemond didn’t meet your gaze, eye looking anywhere but you.
“I hope he hasn’t been causing you trouble.” The woman lightly joked, hand rubbing up and down his thigh.
The urge to cry reared its ugly head inside of you.
“He’s been the perfect gentleman.” You responded quietly, feeling all hope be sucked out of you.
You didn’t know what to do.
Another laugh, the sound grating in your ears, “That doesn’t sound like you.” She purred, double meaning not lost on you. 
A blush creeped across your cheeks, and Alys narrowed her bright eyes at you once more.
Silence settled over the three of you, and you wished he would say something, or show you a sign that he wanted or needed your help, but no matter how long you stared at him, he refused to meet your gaze.
Alys cleared her throat primly, eyes sweeping across the room in mock discomfort, “I’m sorry, we haven’t spoken in some time.”
She was trying to dismiss you. 
In your own home. 
The anger was back.
Your arms crossed over your chest.
“And?” You held your ground.
This was his chance. 
His last chance of an out if he wanted it.
If he needed it.
Alys sucked her tongue, jaw shifting in annoyance as she looked at you. 
She thought this would be easy. 
“I had hopes that me and Aemond could catch up…” She looked at you pointedly, “Alone.”
“You’re in my house.” You all but sneered.
“Y/n.” Aemond’s voice finally rose from the couch, but it did nothing but serve as a warning to you.
Stand down.
One last chance.
You looked at Aemond, pleading him with your eyes, asking him if he needed an out wordlessly one last time, but he didn’t take it, nor did it look like he needed it.
Aemond nodded at you with a slow blink. 
And there it was.
Your dismissal.
Any hope that you had crashed back down to earth, shattering into a thousand different pieces as Alys smirked at you triumphantly. You set your jaw in a hard line, and turned on your foot, heading straight to your room and closing the door behind you.
Tears immediately overflowed from your eyes, sliding down your cheeks wetly. Sharp pain twisted in your chest and stomach, and a sense of shame and embarrassment curled around you. 
How stupid had you been?
Why did you feel this way?
Did he invite her here?
Did he want to get back with her?
Were you nothing to him?
The way he had dismissed you hurt. The way he had stopped you from coming to his defence had hurt. And the way she had looked at you in triumph, the way she had touched him, and the way he didn’t stop her, hurt. 
You laid in your bed, not bothering to get changed and cried into your pillow until the room grew dark, and the realm was bathed in night. You laid numbly in bed, stomach grumbling with hunger. 
You checked your phone.
10pm.
Fuck.
You didn’t want to go to the kitchen, to eat and see her again. You knew that your eyes would be red, that you would be teary and emotional, and you didn’t want to give her the satisfaction.
Not too long after, you heard footsteps behind your door, the steady click of heels disappearing down the hall before you heard the front door open and shut softly. Your heart raced in your chest as you sat in the dark, listening and waiting to hear his footsteps disappear into his room so that you could leave yours.
You listened to the soft footfall as it came up the hall, pausing at your door.
Holding your breath, you sat up in your bed, looking under the door, the shadow of two feet blocking the light from the lounge room.
Time seemed to stretch forever and then finally-
Knock Knock.
You let out the breath you had been holding, looking at the crack beneath in the dark, mind turning a million miles an hour. 
Do you go to him? See if he was okay?
Do you respect your own need for space?
Did he need comfort?
Was he angry?
A new thought turned in your mind. More bitter than the last.
Why would he be angry? 
He’s the one who dismissed you in front of her, and all you could see was her smug smirk at you when he had done it. It had made you feel so small, so foolish, so unwanted and like a child again, sent to bed with no supper.
Knock Knock Knock.
You stared at the door. 
You didn’t know what to do. 
You didn’t know what you could do.
“Y/n. Please.” His quiet voice came from behind the door.
You blinked in the dark, feeling tears begin to gather in your eyes again. Time stretched, and you watched his feet shift his weight and shuffle.
Aemond sighed from behind the door and you watched as his feet disappeared from view of the light underneath. Your stomach clenched, and an ache spread further into your chest.
You waited until you were sure that he was gone before you crawled out of bed, stomach pulling painfully in hunger.
You pressed an ear to the door, listening for any sounds of him outside, and when you heard no sign of his footsteps or the tv, you decided to leave your room. 
You were halfway to the kitchen when you saw him, head in his hands on the couch.
He looked halfway to defeated, shoulders hunched forward as he breathed slowly. But he had heard your approach and you watched as all vulnerability bled out of him and he straightened, lifting his eye to look at you.
You locked in a stare, unsure of what to do as you looked at him, hoping he would speak first, hoping he would make the first move, because you didn’t know how to in that moment. 
Didn’t know how to move forward or talk about what had just happened. 
It didn’t help that you felt used. 
And hurt.
And cast aside.
And you knew it was more complicated than that, but there was just something about the way he had dismissed you in front of a woman who had done so much damage to him. Dismissed you as though you were nothing. Called you his sisters roommate and not even his friend. Acquaintance. Someone he had spent over a month getting to know. Someone he had spent over a week sleeping in their bed, cock or tongue between thighs. Gentle whispers in the morning, soft smiles in the evening. 
It made you feel like nothing.
It was clear that Aemond wasn’t going to say anything as you waited another pregnant pause, so you tore your eyes away from him and continued into the kitchen to make yourself some two minute noodles, meal that had been planned for the both of your forgotten.
You could feel his gaze on the back of your head, heated. It made your skin ripple in discomfort. 
Filling a pot with water, you set it on the stove to boil, moving as quickly as you could to pull down a bowl and grab the noodle packet from the cupboard, tearing the sachet open and dumping the flavouring into the bowl.
You felt his presence behind you before you heard him speak.
“Are you okay?” He questioned you, and you fought to not scoff. 
Why was he asking you that? 
“Are you?” You replied back, turning to face him against the bench, waiting for the water to boil.
“I’m fine.” He said flatly, and you raised a singular brow at him in question.
Aemond’s face remained stoic.
“Why was she here, Aemond? If I had known-“
“-Why does it matter?”
You blanched.
Why did it matter?
Why did it matter?
“What do you mean why does it matter? She abused you, Aemond! I was worried about you.”
His brows pulled into a frown, “She didn’t abuse me. We just fought a lot.”
Denial.
“Aemond,” You said, voice softer this time, “It was abuse.”
Anger rippled across his face, “I wish you would just drop it. I shouldn’t have even told you.”
You stepped back in shock, hip bumping into a drawer handle sharply.
“I won’t just drop it. I’m worried about you.”
Aemond sighed through his nose, “I don’t need you to look after me.”
The water began to boil, and so did your patience, “I’m not saying you need me to. I care about you, Aemond. And so naturally it was a shock to come home and find her in the apartment after what you had told me- what- not even two weeks past?”
“She’s my ex, what did you want me to do?” He asked you incredulously, and you turned to dump the noodles in the water, watching them be swallowed down into the bubbles.
“I just don’t understand why you would bring her here in the first place without even telling me.” You looked up into his eye, and you could tell he was noting the way your own were red and puffy from crying. 
His lips pursed and then flattened, “I’ll make sure to tell you before next time.”
“Next time?” You had to force yourself to not yell, feeling anger and sadness swirl around in your gut like a whirlpool, dragging you under.
“I didn’t- She just rocked up.”
You scoffed, “Yeah, but how did she know where you were, Aemond?”
The man stayed quiet, and there was something about it that made you step back away from him.
“Are you getting back with her?” You asked, voice quiet and weak, praying that you didn’t sound as pathetic as you thought you did to your own ears.
Silence again. 
You blinked, feeling the sting of tears in your eyes again.
“After everything we- After- I thought-”
“-You thought what?” His voice was cool and even, void of any emotion, as though he had put himself behind a very thick door, lock and key.
“Are you getting back with her?” You asked again, voice uneven, cracking at the end heavily with emotion, thick lump stuck in your throat that wouldn’t go away no matter how hard you swallowed.
Again, silence, though something flickered behind Aemond’s eye, and you watched as his brow pulled froward.
Your heart raced in your chest, “Okay. So what was this then? Was this nothing?”
Aemond’s lips opened and then shut, once, twice, three times before a large sigh came from his lips, “I don’t know.”
Pain ravaged you sharply, tugging at your chest as you looked up at the man. You moved to the pot, straining the water out, turning your face away from him as you blinked away tears. 
“You don’t know?”
His gaze was hot on the side of your face as you plopped the noodles into your bowl, turning to face him again, biting the inside of your cheek to keep yourself from crying. The only thing keeping you together, the process and mechanical way you made your dinner.
“I don’t know anything right now.” Aemond’s voice was low, “My heads a mess. Seeing Alys-”
Oh.
A terrible realisation dawned on you.
He still loves her.
A lone tear fell down your cheek, and you watched as Aemond’s hand twitched at his side, arm beginning to lift towards you. 
You shook your head angrily, stepping away, swiping up the bowl of hot noodles, “I need to think.”
“Y/n, wait.”
You didn’t wait, and stormed away to your room, kicking the door shut behind you as you sat down, noodles forgotten beside the bed, sobs wracking your body as you cried. 
He still loved her. 
He still loved her, and you had been a fool to think that what you shared was anything else than casual to him.
At times you could have sworn his gazes lingered moments too long to be anything casual, but you guess you were wrong. 
Wrong about it all.
An idiot.
But some of the grief that you felt was for him. He couldn’t see. He couldn’t see how bad she was for him. Couldn’t see how he didn’t deserve it. He was trapped, and there was nothing you could do to make him see. 
People will only accept help if they allow it. And you could not force help on him. It was something he had to come to terms with on his own.
What was more, the guilt inside of you had been steadily eating at your resolve, gnawing away at you as you betrayed your best friend by sleeping with her brother. 
But not only that, you think you were falling for him.
You reached for your phone, calling the only person you knew who would listen to you.
“Hey scuttle bug!” Helaena’s voice chirped sleepily from the other end, “Don’t tell me you’re drunk.” She joked, and a sad sob passed through your lips at the sound of it. 
She was going to hate you.
She was never going to talk to you again.
And you deserved it.
“Hey,” She cooed into the phone, voice suddenly alert and filled with concern, “What’s wrong?”
You sucked in another sob, chest aching and stomach feeling wrought with anxiety, “You're going to hate me.” You cried, hiccup stuttering your uneven breath, “You’re going to hate me so much, Hel. I’ve ruined everything.”
You heard shuffling in the background, as though Helaena had sat herself up in bed, “What?” She listened to another broken sob come from your chest, “Y/n take some deep breaths, okay?” 
You did as she said. 
“What’s happened?”
This was it. 
It was now or never.
No going back now.
And once the words would leave your lips, you would be banished from her life forever. 
You were about to lose two people you held dearly to you.
You swiped tears away from your face in agitation, angry with yourself for what you had done, “I slept with Aemond.”
Silence on the other end.
Your heart broke.
“I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, Hel. I’m a terrible friend. I know I fucked up, I just don’t know what to do. I'm sorry. I know you hate me, I-“
“-Hey, hey, hey, slow down, bug. I don’t hate you.”
Your nails dug into your palm as you apologised again and again, the words tumbling from your lips before you could stop them. 
Helaena tried to calm you on the other end, asking what happened, and so you told her everything, from start to finish, all the way up until your encounter not too long ago, bar the personal things about Alys that Aemond told you. That was his story to tell.
“I know what I’ve done is wrong, and you’ll never forgive me-“
“Y/n,” Helaena cooed on the other end of the phone, “I don’t hate you at all. Disappointed you didn’t tell me sooner, yeah,” You winced, another tear falling from your cheek, “But I had a feeling it would happen.”
You sniffled, “What?”
Helaena laughed on the other end softly, not at you, but in a knowing way that she always had, “I mean, I always assumed it would. You’re both so similar. You’d be perfect if he wasn’t such an asshole.”
“He’s not an asshole.” You immediately defended him, cringing at your own voice.
Helaena hummed in a way that Aemond usually did, and it made your heart clench. 
You heard shuffling on the other end of the phone, followed by some muffled whispering.
“Where are you right now?” Helaena asked softly, mumbling to someone again.
Confused you responded, “In my room?” 
You thought it would be obvious where you were.
“Daeron’s just organised a ride and a plane for you to come to the Keep.”
You blanched, surprised, “Hel, I can’t. I have work.”
“Fuck work.” She exclaimed on the other side, “My best friend needs me, and I need her. Besides, can’t cancel it now, the drivers on his way.”
“What?” You were breathless, panic rising inside of you.
You heard Helaena yawn on the other end, “Better pack your bag quickly, should be there in like twenty if we’re lucky. I’ll tell mum to tell Larys you need time off. He won’t and can’t say no to her.”
“Hel-“
“No ‘ifs’ or ‘buts’. You’re coming.”
You smiled sadly, grateful that she was such a good friend but feeling like a burden. She was going to fly you to her, whilst her dad was sick, and because what? You had fucked her brother, developed feelings for him, and he had all but rejected you?
But Helaena knew you too well.
“You’re not a burden, and you need some space right now. Aemond does too, and he won’t come here. He needs some time alone to think of what he wants and process seeing Alys.”
You bit your lip and chewed on it softly, “Okay.” You paused not sure what to do, “Thank you, I know I don’t-“
“-Shush. You already had an invitation to come here anyway, so no time like the present. You can atone for your sins by giving me a hug when you get here and telling me the longer story of what has happened. Not to mention get Aegon out of my hair. He’s been such a pest.”
You chuckled softly. You didn’t know what you would do without her, you felt relieved that she wasn’t going to cast you out of her life, though the guilt still lingered, multiplying tenfold by her generosity.
Helaena stayed on the phone with you the entire time as you packed, telling you what to bring and what not to bring. By the time your bag was full and you were ready to go, the driver was downstairs. 
You opened your bedroom door, darkness shrouding the apartment.
Your eyes immediately flicked to Aemond’s. 
It was closed.
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atopcat · 4 months
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"baela is daemon's favorite daughter" so favorite that he doesn't say a word to her the entire series like (???) the way they treat baela and rhaena in the series is sad and problematic, the two just sit in a corner saying absolutely nothing and every now and then giving little smiles
The treatment of House Velaryon in general is an actual joke, Ryan Condal expects us to give him a pat on the back for doing the bare minimum by casting black actors whilst simultaneously ignoring everything about them.
Look at Baela and Rhaena in the show:
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Does this tell you anything about their individual personalities? All I see are two girls who don’t have much going on other than standing around looking pretty, they might as well be cardboard cutouts with how little they’re given to work with.
Now compare this to fan art:
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(art by chillyravenart) (art by dalberadiata)
Straight away I know Rhaena is feminine and sweet, whilst Baela is more assertive and a fighter.
George has told us so much about Baela:
She’s wild, willing and fearless
She was considered more boyish than ladylike
She was overly interested in boys
She loved riding her dragon so much she cropped her hair so it wouldn’t whip around her face
She was often chastised for wrestling squires
She was quick to anger
What does the show tell us? Absolutely nothing. We just needed ONE scene, a scene where Baela stands up for herself when Aegon is a creep instead of them making it all about how great Jace is. She refuses to leave Jace’s side in the books, why couldn’t she have a line where she says just that? The idiots even robbed us of her scene with Rhaenys where she shows her fearlessness as a Targaryen princess because apparently Larys being a creep is more important. The show is literally going out of their way to screw her over because she is brimming with personality in the books!
Ryan has told us absolutely nothing about Baela the Brave and Sweet Rhaena of Pentos because he didn’t think of them to be of any importance. He didn’t think the girl who takes down King Aegon II Targaryen and her sister who becomes the last dragon rider until Daenerys Targaryen are of any importance. It’s been left to fans to fill in the gaps and stress the importance of House Targaryen’s final girls because the show refuses to.
These writers are racist af because you just know if they were cast instead it would be a completely different story.
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marsprincess889 · 8 months
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JYESHTA
The battle, the loneliness and the cost of victory
Mercury ruled, Mars's sign.
A very lonely nakshatra indeed. Jyeshta means "the eldest" and it's also known as "the best". But what does that all mean?
To understand Jyeshta, we have to remember that it's fully in the sign of Scorpio. The previous nakshatra- Anuradha, also fully in Scorpio, is its yoni consort. Scorpio is the natural ruler of the 8th house of death, transformation and the occult. It's shrouded in secrecy, yet Jyeshta nakshatra still manages to be one of the most notorious lunar mansions.
Jyeshta's symbol is a round protective talisman or an umbrella. It's ruling deity is Indra- the lightning god and the king of the gods, who is covered in eyes and thus sees everything. The goddess associated with Jyeshta is Dhumavati- an old hag who's always hungry. Jyeshta natives are known for their success in the material realm, but little do most know that there's a lot more to it than that.
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We begin the story of Jyeshta with a somewhat outcasted underdog. They're not that understood, they are independent by nature, and most importantly, they do not trust a soul. Why so defensive, some might ask, but that's the eyes from which Jyeshtas see the world. Despite humble begginings, they're usually not pitied or treated as a victim. Since they do not like asking for help, they rarely get it, and honestly, that's the way they like it.
The underdog enters the world stage, immideately attracting attention because they do not follow anyone else's rules, but rather- their own. They have their uniqueness that protects them. Combat by combat, they defeat each and every one of their opponents and soon are seen as a new threat. With that comes jealousy, with jealousy comes resentment and/or respect. With all that comes fear. Jyeshta's power is "to rise, conquer and gain courage in battle". The battle is life, but what does it mean to rise and conquer? How does one outsmart their opponents? The answer is you simply do not fight them.
When you view someone as an opponent you automatically set yourself up for losing. The opponents are equals but since you're an individual and since you know that you can't trust anyone but yourself, why would you play by their rules? Why would you equate yourself to them? Jyeshtas honor their own uniquness by protecting their energy (mercury rulership, very similar to Ashlesha) and learning their lesson from the previous mercury-ruled nakshatra- Ashlesha, they only engage in a fight with worthy opponents. Jyeshtas know they're only one worthy opponent for them and that's themselves. So, they just work on being better and better, not getting distracted by petty and unimportant squabbles, literally rising above the unnessecary conflict and thus conquering everything they rose above.
But is success all there is to life? Jyeshta is the survivor, always thinking about the next step and enjoying the independence despite being so widely disliked because of their difference, because of their uniqueness and success. Sure, they're content being themselves, but as natural loners they struggle with emotional intelligence, hence their reputation as insensitive jerks for masculine people or rude bitches for feminine people.
A Jyeshta story- The Queen's Gambit
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I want to analyze a fictional Jyeshta story that has been brought to life on screen- The Queen's Gambit. The writer of the novel - Walter Tevis had Ketu in Jyeshta nakshatra. Ketu represents your stored primal creative energy, past lives, the past in general, the father's lineage and a person's daemon. A daemon is basically the opposite sex version of you who is the personification of your creative and sexual energy. Walter Tevis wrote about the archetype of a Jyeshta woman, making her the protagonist of his story. Considering that I haven't read the book, I'll analyze the Netflix series that it inspired.
Chess overall is a very Jyeshta game. It's a competitive sport but it requires concentration, intelligence, discipline, talent and skill. If you make one miscalculation, then you're lost.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Our protagonist, Beth Harmon, begins as an 8 year old girl who lost her mother and was taken to an orphanage. There she never looked at elders the same way that others did, having a critical mind and an independence and uniqueness to her that set her apart from others from an early age. She was exceptionally good at maths and unusually so, considering her age. One day, she goes into the basement and finds the custodian_ Mr. Shaibel playing chess with himself. She's immideately drawn to the game and doesn't leave him alone until he explains the rules. Since then, she's hooked.
She eventually leaves the orphanage, getting adopted by a childless couple at 15. She already thinks like an adult and treats her new mother's authority like it's nothing and she's not really challenged in that. Jyeshta is the stage where you're the authority, you're the only one who's responsible for yourself, you're the eldest, the wisest and that energy makes others want to depend on you in one way or another. It's where you find the strength in yourself to make everyone else submit. So, Beth started to earn money by playing chess. It's important to note that her new mother had a drinking problem and despite that, Beth didn't drink herself before she thought she deserved it. Only after achieving some success does she slowly start getting addicted to substances, her addiction increasing as her success grew bigger.
Being the best in the game was not exactly easy for Beth, as she struggled with her love life. Jyeshtas are often not concerned with the emotional aspect of life, despite having a certain sensuality to themselves. They're naturally closed off and because of that many people find them mysterious. They won't hesitate to to attack anyone though, but their every move is calculated and planned.
Beth was bullied at school and that's a common Jyeshta theme (see my The Princess Diaries post) but she never paid any attention to it and later we see the mean girl she was at school with living a completely different life than her- the one that she would not want. The scene perfectly captures the difference between the Jyeshta archetype and the masses. Jyeshta is focused on winning, defeating themselves and by that defeating their opponents so they have little time for anything else. In contrast, her high school classmate was married and with a child, living a typical suburban American life.
In another scene, we see her success and loneliness turn to arrogance and rudeness as she encounters and old opponent, friend and ex-lover who was living a simple life and showed his contentment with that. That shows a more negative and quite a sad side of the Jyeshta archetype.
She hits rock bottom, starts to lose her focus and at the last minute, when she has no money to fly to Moscow for the tournament, a helping hand comes in. We'll get into why she accepts that help.
Her helper was her childhood friend from the orphanage_ Jolene, who was snarky and honest to her from the start. It's very telling that she was Beth's first friend. Jyeshta is a full-circle moment, it's the growing into your own power after you've defeated your past self, after you've managed to move on from past pains. When Beth had had closure with Jolene and after attending Mr. Shaibel's funeral, she goes into the orphanage and enters the basement. She sees how he had all the newspaper pages about Beth taped to the wall. Beth breaks down and cries. After confronting the core part of herself, she accepts help from Jolene because she's already healed that part of herself, so she'll have no unwelcome ties with Jolene, only the one she chose. She's conquered herself from that time and now is free to rule it. The only thing that was left to do was to go out there and be herself, because after you defeat yourself, there's truly no one else to defeat.
She defeats the Soviet champion and and makes peace with all parts of herself. When she's about to leave Moscow Beth gets out of the car and takes a walk, truly enjoying life. With the war with herself behind, she remembered why she's so good at chess, because she truly loves it so much. She enjoyed the competition and the tension, she loved the battle. There was no reason not to, not when she was unafraid of being who she was. After all these combats, she realized that there was only one real enemy-herself, and defeating that enemy requires bravery, the strength to bear the hardship and skill, a lot of skill to survive and all of that based on cunning.
When you realize that, the world is your oyster. It's all a game, and it's your game, you're alone.
She sees a big group of old men playing chess with each other in a park. Beth stops by, and the men, recognizing her, invite her to play. Beth sits down, smiling, knowing they'll both enjoy the game she takes her gloves off and says...
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If you liked this PLEASE like, comment or reblog, or even message me. If you have jyeshta or if you know them or if you like The Queen's Gambit, definitely let me know what you think. This was a bit stressful, considering my ketu is in jyeshta and it was not easy to dig into the deepest parts of myself. This series came out while i was going through a ketu antardasha that shook me to the core and it spoke to me so much. Anyways, thanks for reading, love you and take care 🤍.
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moonlightazriel · 11 months
Text
Do you love me? /// Aemond X F!Reader
Summary: Ever since the accident, Aemond has been insecure about his appearance, but things get even worse when he hears those nasty words reach the ears of his future wife.
Warnings: Nothing much, just angst
Word Count: 2,2K
Notes: Okay, I was rewatching HOTD and became obsessed with Aemond again, but the difference is that this time I’m a writer and decided to give it a try on writing for him cuz why not? And yes, it’s based on that lovely scene from Queen Charlotte, who cares?
Main Masterlist
“Perhaps you should not get too close, my lady.” The man behind her warned, but she couldn’t help, her feet carried her closer to the giant animal. Its leathery nose sniffed her scent before the large dragon rested its head on the floor.
“They are fascinating creatures.” The beast’s golden eyes watched her closely as she extended her arm, letting her fingers brush slowly over the dragon’s nose. Vaghar huffed, the warm breath fanning all over her body, and she smiled as the dragon allowed her to continue.
“You think so?” Another voice, deeper and serious, sounded but she didn't bother to turn around, a hushed whisper was shared and the sound of boots sounded against the stones.
“Of course they are. And those afraid of them are fools.” She replied, and a low chuckle sounded, she liked that sound. “My father told me tales about King Jaehaerys and Queen Alysanne, when they did us the honour to visit our family, how those beautiful creatures flew over our home.” She kept rambling. “I have been dreaming with them ever since, being so close to the stars, feeling the breeze in my face, perhaps I might ask my dear husband-to-be for a special ride, if he bothers talking to me, ever.” She turned around, regretting every word that left her lips as Prince Aemond stood before her.
“I am sure he will consider such a request from his future wife.” She felt the heat in her cheeks, slightly embarrassed for what she had said.
“Your Grace.” She bowed to her betrothed, and the Prince gave her a small smile, watching in delight as she rushed out of the dragon’s pit.
⋆˙⟡☾𖤓☽ ⟡˙⋆
His soon to be wife, was a true beauty, her hair was always falling in curls behind her back, she was always wearing dresses in various shades of blue to honour her house, a true born Tyrell. She had left HighGarden when the Hand suggested that the King should marry her to his second son, to strengthen their alliances, Aemond would do everything to fulfil his duties to the crown. A marriage for allies, never for love.
But as he spotted her walking quietly by her Lord Father’s side as they entered the throne room, he knew it wouldn’t be hard for him to fall in love with her, a kind, well educated and beautiful lady.
She never looked at him with disgust, always seemed rather interested in what he spoke and how he carried himself, he had caught her gaze fixed on him as the two sat by the library to read, more times than he could remember. He knew she didn’t deserve a scarred, one-eyed prince as a husband, and she was too gentle to say so, he knew deep down that she would never love him. And he accepted that, as long as he could call her his wife.
⋆˙⟡☾𖤓☽ ⟡˙⋆
“What is it like, Lidia?” He stopped in his tracks as he heard her sweet, melodic voice coming from the garden.
“What, my lady?” The servant replied and the other woman sighed, if he closed his eye, he could see her blushing, the red tainting her face, until it reached the roots of her beautiful hair.
“The first night after the wedding!” She lowered her voice, and he heard the servant giggle. “You’re married, are you not?”
“I am, my lady. I can assure you that it’s going to be fine, Prince Aemond will take good care of you.” The reply came and he smirked with that.
“But, my lady..” A third feminine voice sounded, one he did not recognize. “Do not forget to ask for him to keep the eyepatch, you will not want to be looking at that deformed face on your wedding night.” The comment was followed by a few women laughing. His heart twisted in his chest as she didn’t say anything.
He was used to the looks, the whispers, the frowns and the ladies in court running away from him, but the idea of her being one of those people, it hurt him deeply. He left without waiting for her reply.
“You should watch your tongue.” Y/N pointed to the lady. “Or else, Vaghar might want something different for dinner, and I heard that the meat from the Stormlands’ is quite good.” She turned her back to the group, marching towards the Keep.
⋆˙⟡☾𖤓☽ ⟡˙⋆
She stood by the door, the fancy nightgown hugged her frame as she shivered in the cold night air. Aemond looked at her, his lilac eye glowing in the dim candle light.
“We do not have to do anything.” He simply stated. Y/N looked at him confused, with her eyebrows knit together in a lovely frown.
“We have to, it is what’s expected from us, Lord husband.” She said, walking closer to where he stood, next to the big bed.
“Duty, right.” It was all that left his mouth for the rest of the night as he laid bare with her, only the eyepatch covering his insecurities, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, he touched her with adoration and worshipped her body as he made love to her. But the way she didn’t look at him, how her face would contort in something he didn’t know what it meant, this told him everything he needed to know.
⋆˙⟡☾𖤓☽ ⟡˙⋆
“How was it, my lady?” Lidia asked as she brushed through Y/N’s locks.
“I was so scared that I could not even look at him, and Gods help me, I am still not able to walk properly, it was really painful.” She said, looking at the woman.
“It is normal, when you do it again, it will be less and less painful, until all you can feel is the pleasure growing in your belly.” Her toes curled in excitement as she thought of going to bed again with her husband.
But it died as soon as a servant handed her a note, in his fancy handwriting, he stated that the two fulfilled their duties graciously, and now she should go back to her chambers. She felt the tears pricking in the corner of her eyes, what she might’ve done to offend the prince?
⋆˙⟡☾𖤓☽ ⟡˙⋆
Y/N wandered alone through the halls, it’s been months since she had a proper talk with her husband, he was always too busy to be near her, so she would spend her days alone, reading, embroidering, sometimes alongside her dear sister Helaena, or having tea with the Queen.
It was in one of those afternoons that she felt something was wrong, the warmth in the Keep was too much to handle as she sipped her tea, the Queen was speaking with Helaena about the twins.
“Excuse me, Your Grace…” she said, suddenly feeling everything spin around her.
“Are you okay, sister?” The princess asked, noticing how much paler she looked, and the sweat coating her forehead.
Y/N couldn’t muster a response as the ring in her ears got too much and her body collapsed. She blinked, feeling the fresh air coming from the windows in the Queen’s room. She felt embarrassed as she noticed the Queen, some servants and a Meistre, all of them looking at her with worried eyes.
“Are you feeling well darling?” Queen Alicent asked, squeezing her hand.
“Yes, your Grace, perhaps it was the heat?” She inquired, her eyes landing on the man in front of her.
“I am afraid you are wrong, my Lady. You are with child.” The older woman smiled at her, leaning to hug her. She felt her whole body shaking, a child was a blessing, but how would she tell her husband, who doesn’t even acknowledge her, that he was going to be a father?
“This is great news, I am sure Aemond will be just as happy.” Alicent spoke, getting up and urging everyone to leave the room.
⋆˙⟡☾𖤓☽ ⟡˙⋆
“Come in!” The Prince answered, and Y/N pushed his chambers doors open. She gasped a little when he turned to her, she barely got to see him for months, and he was just as handsome as she remembered, this time, the eyepatch was discarded and his scars and the sapphire eye were on full display, he was beautiful. “What are you doing here?” He asked, starting to turn his back to her.
“I am with child.” She blurted and he stopped, his lilac eye looking at her, she walked closer, until she was right in front of him, she grabbed his hand, placing it on her belly. “You are going to be a father.”
“That is great, I am sure the King is very happy.” He said, walking backwards and removing his hand, the smile that tugged at her lips quickly vanished at his reaction.
“What about you? Are you happy, Lord Husband?” She inquired.
“I am thankful that we were able to do our parts in this court.” It was all he said. “I am busy, you should go back to your chambers.” It broke her heart hearing that, when his own was almost bursting out of his chest with happiness. She looked at him incredulously, tears sliding down her pretty face.
“Did I do something to offend you, Your Grace?” The pain was evident in her voice.
“Not at all.” His tone was dismissive.
“Do you love me?” She inquired, stepping closer to him once again.
“What?”
“Do you love me?” She repeated, louder and firmer this time.
“I am trying to protect you.” She looked hurt, and angry.
“Do you love me?”
“I cannot….. This conversation is leading no..” She interrupted him.
“Do you love me?” The question hit him hard, of course he loved her, more than anything, but all he did was out of love for her.
“Y/N, please. Stop!” He begged, she paced around the room, breathing heavily.
“Is it because you do not believe that I could love you?” She fixed her gaze on him once again, tears falling free from her eyes. “I do.” He almost repeated the words to himself, she loved him.
He looked at her without saying a word, not knowing what to even say, but she continued.
“I love you Aemond, in fact, I love you so much that I will do as you wish.” He looked at her confused. “If you do not love me, all you have to say is you do not love me, and I will go. I will go back to my chambers now, I will stop bothering you, I will go back to my life and we can have our separate lives and I will have this baby alone. But first, you have to say that you do not love me!”
She was sobbing, while she hugged her own body, shaking, all the sadness pouring from her soul.
“You have to tell me that I’m utterly alone in this world.”
He looked at her astonished, his heart ripping in half at her confession, how alone and isolated she must’ve felt all these months, he always thought he was doing the right thing, sparing her from having to be seen by his side, his lips parted and the words left his mouth before he could stop himself.
“I am a monster, everyone knows that, I don’t deserve you, you deserve better than this.” He pointed to the scar.
“Do you love me?” She asked again, tired.
“You do not wish a life with me for yourself.” He felt the tears in his own eye. “No one wishes that.”
“Aemond!” She protested. “I will stand with you between the heavens and earth, I will tell you every day that you’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen, that your scar doesn’t scare me, and that I love you just like you are. “Her words were so pure, honest, that his heart jumped in his chest. “Do you love me?” She asked for the last time.
“I love you.” He shouted, so loud that his throat burned. “From the moment I saw you with Vaghar, I have loved you desperately, I cannot breathe when you are not near. I love you, Y/N. My heart calls your name.”
He couldn’t hold himself anymore, closing the distance between the two, he held her face in his hands, pulling her closer as he kissed her, her lips tasted like salt and cinnamon, and they were so soft against him, she held him too, afraid that he would disappear, that they would go back to that torment.
“I am so sorry for everything, I wanted to be with you, hold you in my arms everyday. But I could not, what they spoke, how they looked at us.” Y/N looked at him, her eyes puffy and red from crying.
“I do not care for any of them. All I care about is you, about us, and the family we have now.” He rested his hand on her belly.
“I heard them talking, the day before our wedding, I thought you agreed with them.” He confessed.
“You what?” She raised an eyebrow. “In fact, my love, after those nasty words about you, I threatened to feed her to Vaghar.” He looked at her, smiling as she traced the scar on his face.
“Perhaps I should take you flying to compensate for the time apart. As I remember how badly you wanted that.” He offered and she smiled brightly at him.
“It will be an honour, my Prince.”
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sharkboywrites · 4 months
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Hi! Can you pls write halsin and astarion (Gale too if u can) with a trans male (transitioned) who feels insecure about appearing too feminine and thinking about cutting his long hair cause he thinks they’re too feminine? Sorry this just my insecurities. This morning I cut my hair and gold I wish I hadn’t cause I loved my hair but ppls told me they were girly so.. yeah. Regrets. Sorry about the mini rant. So Uhm would love if u could write so,è comfort, no worries if u can’t! Thx for being a mlm writer and love that u started writing for bg3! Have a lovely day!
Halsin, Astarion, and Gale with a Dysphoric FTM S/O
A/N: Took me about two years but I'm finally trying to get back to writing after falling down shitposting hell, yaay. So sorry to hear about your problems with hair (and also that it took me so long to get to it :/), hair can be a really complicated thing when you're trans and even though I cut mine as short as possible I still end up feeling too feminine most of the time. sorry that these are kinda short, I'm easing myself back into writing after a while of not writing at all, even personal works, after a family emergency.
Ftm reader, male reader, he/him pronouns used, heavy themes of dysphoria
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Halsin
Halsin makes his morals clear, that things should be as nature intended it
This includes things like hair, and that hair growing out is a natural thing whether you're a man or woman
Obviously he's okay with hair cutting, his would be much longer if he hadn't, but he also supports the idea of letting your hair grow out, letting nature choose it's path, his hair is still near his shoulders after all
So when you come to him about your worries of your hair being "too feminine" he's very adamant that this is a normal thing
He assures you that hair is natural, and that people can have any length and it will not affect who they are as a person
Whatever you decided, cutting your hair or keeping it long, he will continue to assure you that no matter what hair length you have, you are still a man and the man he loves
Just know that Halsin loves you no matter what, you are a man and he will do everything in his power to make sure you know that
Astarion
Like Halsin, Astarion is really doesn't think much about hair length and it equating to gender
Astarion had met plenty of men in his life, many of which having long hair, some even long enough to go all the way down their legs to their ankles
And yet these men were still just that, men
Some quite masculine still, and not any less attractive to him
When you come to him with your troubles, he's immediately going to try and help you
He'll help you style your hair to find a way that you like it
He'll tie it all up, tie only certain parts of it up, twist it and braid it, until you find something that you like
Every time you find a style you like, because of course he'll keep going until you find multiple you're comfortable with, he'll tease you about how silly you were for thinking having long hair made you feminine
I mean, look at this man
His hair is short, but it's stylish, he takes good care of it, and he'll for sure know how to make it so that you'll like this
He'll make you feel as masculine as possible while playing with your hair, making sure you know just how loved yu are, as you are, a man
Gale
Gale himself has longer hair
Obviously it's not very long, about a bit longer than his shoulders, but he's confident about it most times
When he does get insecure about it, it's not because he doesn't feel masculine, it's because of his general insecurities with himself
So when you open up to him about your issues, he's not exactly sure how to help
He'd never considered that this could be a reason someone would be insecure
He encourages you to keep your hair long, although he's not very good at comforting you
He may try to mess around with your hair like Astarion, and he doesn't do as well, but he does well enough
You find a few styles that make you feel better and he promises to do his best to try and make it right every morning just for you
If you do want to cut it off, he won't stop you, even supervising to make sure you don't mess it up too bad
If you regret it later, he'll hold you close in an attempt to comfort you
Again, he's not great at comforting, but at this point he's also more comfortable and it does the trick
Before or after cutting your hair, he may use astral projection to try and make you feel better about your physical appearance if you really want it
Gale may not be the best in these situation, but he tries his hardest to do what's best for you and what you want, comforting you all the way through
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Wooo I'm back to writing, ty for reading and have a nice day!
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I saw something in the fandom that made me upset and I need to rant about it. It’ll be below the cut so I don’t clog up people’s dashes!
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I cropped the name off of this post because I am not trying to start drama, but I found this under the “Matt Murdock x Reader” tag and found it INCREDIBLY disheartening to go through to comments/reblogs and see how many people agreed.
I am in no way trying to dispute the fact that fandom spaces and self-insert fanfiction is heavily white washed/influenced by white writers. As a white woman myself, I catch many little slip ups in my own work that make my writing less accessible than I want it to be. I understand being frustrated that there aren’t many stories where you feel your appearance has been considered.
However: fanfiction, fanart, gif making and coloring, edits, and other forms of fan-made-content are usually completely free to access. No one is entitled to them—they are a privilege, not a right. Which means that people are allowed to write whatever characters they want, even if it’s not completely unique or what you want to read.
My issue is with OP’s critiques of weak/feminine/sweet/innocent readers and the way they voiced their opinion (again, not disputing the appearance stuff). I know that many readers are sweet or innocent, but as someone who is rarely given the space to be the “damsel in distress” so to speak, I enjoy writing characters who are taken care of and protected. Regardless of my or any other writer’s reasoning for writing the characters this way, we are allowed to do that. It’s our fucking work.
If you don’t like something, no one is forcing you to read it. If you notice a lack of fics that appeal to you, write some yourself. It is inconsiderate to chastise people spending hours of their free time to give you content that you can enjoy just because it’s not exactly what you want to see.
Also, don’t threaten to block me if you don’t like how I write. Just block me. It is your responsibility to curate an enjoyable experience on this app, not everyone else’s.
In summary: I am not trying to say that fandom is perfect or inclusive or that critiques of my writing aren’t welcome. This person can have whatever opinions they like and are welcome to post them on their blog. I would just like to point out that the delivery could’ve been more polite and that authors don’t need to change the plots/characters’ personalities they write just because others aren’t happy with the outcome.
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goodomensafterdark · 4 months
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Writers Guild Cock Fight
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Art by woaini_ogelskerdig
Summary:
Crowley wants Aziraphale, but does Aziraphale want Crowley?
Moreover, Crowley has the hots for Aziraphale, hasn't ever had the hots before, and isn't even sure what "hots" are supposed to feel like. He can't even cuss properly because every sex-related cuss word just reminds him how fucking (see?) confused he is.
But there's help on the horizon -- in the form of one Greek demigod they just happened to rescue off the side of a mountain. Not that our ineffable idiots have the sense to ask for help. But they're getting it anyway.
Written by startledplatypus, find them on Reddit and AO3!
Word count: 16,049 words
Trigger/Content Warnings: Explicit; dubcon; sex pollen; anal sex; oral sex; masturbation; mild exhibitionism; naga sex; snake sex: Ancient Greece religion and lore
Excerpt:
Crawly woke up on a low couch covered in deep navy velvet studded with tiny gold stars. A matching neckroll pillow nuzzled his head. The air was warm but pleasant, scented with cinnamon and cassia and… myrrh.
F---
“OH, my God,” he heard from across the… room? Well, it was more cylindrical than that, with fluted columns around its circumference and a ceiling lurking somewhere above. Night-dark curtains of tassel-edged heavy damask hung between each pair of columns, masking whatever lay beyond. Tiny lanterns floated here and there, strobing saturated, shifting colors across what little he could see of the lush, carpeted floor.
The Greeks did not have carpet any more than they had soap.
“OH, my GOD,” he heard again. This time it sounded less surprised and more mortified. And more familiar.
It sounded like Aziraphale when he’d realized one of his “rare statuettes” was a dildo.
Crawly groaned. Quietly. This was not going well. He thought about calling out to the angel, but changed his mind when he looked down.
He was starkers. Even his sunglasses were gone. And he was very… male.
Something made a muffled sound from not nearly far enough away. Then there was a thump, a quavery curse which might have been that awful “f” word, and a rather desperate groan. And a cream-colored neckroll pillow with pale blue stitchwork came sailing toward the demon’s head.
Crawly, too busy considering the ramifications of this situation, failed to duck. The pillow flumphed into his face and fell onto the couch-bed. It was, of course, tartan.
Shit.
A feminine alto laugh echoed around the chamber. And something ssssed.
“What the FUCK,” a very Aziraphale voice shrilled… and all the lanterns flared, revealing a too-tall woman standing on a low, round, central marble platform with a long, sinuous snake coiling up her linen-draped legs, over her cloth-covered shoulders, and down her bare arms. Its great head lifted, amber eyes lazily opening.
“Ohhhh,” it said. “Guessssts.”
Read more on AO3!
Special thanks to!!!
For beta-reading: DoonaRose, harlotupdog, ckocek, Paperclip_Ninja, and blackjeans93
For snek-jucation: blackjeans93
For ao3 formatting help: cheeseplants, GaiasEyes, mrscakeishere, and polychrome
For ART!: woaini_ogelskerdig
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hotvintagepoll · 3 months
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Propaganda
María Félix (Doña Barbara, La Mujer sin Alma, Rio Escondido, La Cucaracha)—Maria Felix is still possibly the most well-known Mexican film actress. She turned down multiple-roles in Hollywood and a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer in order to take roles in Mexico, France, and Argentine throughout the 1940s, 50s, 60s. She was so famous and so respected as a dramatic actress that she inspired painters, novelists and poets in their own art--she was painted by Diego Rivera, Jose Orozco, Bridget Tichenor. The novelist Carlos Fuentes used her as inspiration for his protagonist in Zona Sagrada. She inspired an entire collection by Hermes. In the late 1960s Cartier made her a custom collection of reptile themed jewels. She considered herself to be powerful challenger of morality and femininity in Mexico & worldwide--she routinely played powerful women in roles with challenging moral choices and free sexuality. But even still, years after he death, she is celebrated with Google Doodles, and appearances in the movie Coco, and holidays for the anniversary of her death.
Frances Farmer (Among the Living)— has multiple songs written about her, a mentally ill icon, sexy as fuck and a feminist icon
This is round 1 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.
[additional propaganda submitted under the cut]
María Félix:
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She's Thee Hot Vintage Movie Woman of México. She's absolutely gorgeous and always looks like she's about to step on you. you WILL be thankful if she does.
"María Félix is a woman -- such a woman -- with the audacity to defy the ideas machos have constructed of what a woman should be. She's free like the wind, she disperses the clouds, or illuminates them with the lightning flash of her gaze." - Octavio Paz
María Félix is one of the most iconic actresses of the Golden Era of Mexican Cinema. La Doña, as she was lovingly nicknamed, only had one son, and when her first marriage ended in divorce her ex-husband stole her only child, so she vowed that one day she’d be more influential than her ex and she’d get her son back. AND SHE DID! María Félix rejected a Hollywood acting role to start her acting career in Mexico on her own terms with El Peñón de las Ánimas (The Rock of Souls) starring alongside actor, and future third husband, Jorge Negrete. She quickly rose to incredible heights both in Mexico and abroad, later on rejecting a Hollywood starring role (Duel in the Sun) as she was already committed to the movie Enamorada at the planned filming time. Of this snubbing she said, quote: “I will never regret saying no to Hollywood, because my career in Europe was focused in [high] quality cinema. [My] india* roles are made in my country, and [my] queen roles are abroad.” (Translator notes: here the “india” role means interpreting a lower-class Mexican woman, usually thought of indigenous/native/mixed descent —which she had interpreted and reinvented throughout her acting career in Mexico— and what abroad was typically considered the Mexican woman stereotype, with the braids, long simple skirts, and sandals. This also references the expectation of her possibly helping Hollywood in perpetuating this stereotype for American audiences that lack the cultural and historical contexts of this type of role which would undermine her own efforts against this type of Mexican stereotypes while working in Europe) She was considered one of the most beautiful women in the world of her time by international magazines like Life, París Match, and Esquire, and was a muse to a vast number of songwriters (including her second husband Agustin Lara,), artists, designers, and writers. Muralist Diego Rivera described her as “a monstrously perfect being. She’s an exemplary being that drives all other human beings to put as much effort as possible to be like her”. Playwriter Jean Cocteau, who worked with her in the Spanish film La Corona Negra (The Black Crown) said the following about her, “María, that woman is so beautiful it hurts”. Haute Couture houses like Dior, Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Hérmes, among others, designed and dressed her throughout her life. She died on her birthday, April 8, 2002, at 88 years old, in Mexico City. She was celebrated by a parade from her home to the Fine Arts Palace in the the city’s Historic Downtown, where a multitude of people paid tribute to her. Her filmography includes 47 movies from 1942 until 1970, and only two television acting roles in 1970. She has 2 music albums, one recorded with her second husband, Agustín Lara, in 1964 titled La Voz de María y la inspiración de Agustín «The voice of María and the inspiration of Augustín», and her solo album Enamorada «In Love» in 1998. Her bespoke Cartier jewelry is exhibited alongside Elizabeth Taylor’s, Grace Kelly’s and Gloria Swanson’s. In 2018, Film Director Martin Scorsese presented a restored and remastered version of her film Enamorada in the Cannes Classics section of the Cannes Festival and Google dedicated a doodle for her 104th birthday. On august 2023 Barbie added her doll to the Tribute Collection.
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