dragonsinthedarkness

Latest Posts by dragonsinthedarkness

[translation] MXTX Interview - TGCF questions

this is rlly for everyone to love hc more TT // split by general/book1, book 3 spoilers, and book 5 spoilers via headings (though all are minor spoilers imo, except for the one in bk 5?)

there’s another question that pertains to TGCF’s comments, which I found interesting but have left out for now because it’s very very long. it’s half translated, so maybe i’ll finish it later

CW: domestic violence, Q.21 suicidal thoughts

the mdzs parts were prev translated here by @bigbadredpanda

original interview here

reposts and translations OK, but pls give credit!! twt @/uooongs, tumblr @uoongs, ig @/duoj1ao

GENERAL / BOOK 1 REFERENCES

Q14. TGCF characters’ heights?

Xie Lian 178cm (but can perfectly seem like 180), Hua Chen 190 (first appearance as a cute fresh youth was 185cm), Jun Wu 191, Feng Xin 188, Mu Qing 188, Mo Shui 189, Shi Wudu 187, Shi Qinxuan 186 (woman form 176), Pei Ming 188, Ling Wen 180, Quan Yizhen 184 (but has a very tall presence), Yin Yu 186 (but miraculously no matter how tall he is it’s hard to notice this person).

PS: Yu Shi [rain master?]’s cow is 150 without standing up

Q17. What was XL doing after his second time getting banished to the human realm? What was HC doing? Why couldn’t he find XL? HC previously swore to not let XL know he’s protecting him, so why did he decide to meet XL again after 800 years?

XL tried doing other jobs, but all didn’t go too well, and would bring sadness/strife to others, so could only collect trash by himself.

HC was looking for him while also working on his skills + earning money, expanding his power, and worked hard to become the strongest dude!

Really, it was because XL’s luck was so terrible and stuck to him so closely that he couldn’t meet HC. Actually, many times they almost saw each other, like in Banyue, and also when XL was Fangxin head priest, but both times they just missed each other. Finally XL ascended by himself and CEO Hua couldn’t contain himself and rushed over.

Continua a leggere

MXTX interview

This is a partial translation of an interview given by the author in March 2018, it can be found on her Weibo. There are actually 40 questions in the full interview about all three of her books, her upcoming fourth book and also about herself and her writing in general. I’ve only kept the parts pertaining to Mo Dao Zu Shi for the sake of clarity and because I doubt many people have finished reading all three books. Some parts were a bit confusing, hopefully I got it right…

Mild spoilers for the main story.

Original interview: https://www.weibo.com/6049110380/G7RfoEcj9

Where did Wangxian perform their third marriage bow? How did Lan Wangji call his rabbits?

The names of Lan Wangji’s little rabbits is a secret that only he knows, even I don’t know. 

Anyway, Wangxian’s third bow was done before their second time together.

Luo Binghe likes using Immortal-Binding Cable, Lan Wangji likes using his forehead ribbon, what about Hua Cheng? Can the skills of the three be scored? [1]

The most skilled of the three is without a doubt Hua Cheng. He is talented with his words and even more with his actions as well as extremely appealing. Even though Xie Lian is easily embarrassed, he will obediently do anything he is asked.

Lan Er is the hard-working and straightforward type, but that’s all right, Wei Wuxian can tell him himself how to play.

It goes without saying for Luo Binghe. Shen Laoshi, please be a little more patient with him.

What is Wei Wuxian like when he is drunk? Does he act any different than his normal self?

Not really, there’s no big difference between him drunk or sober. It’s not everyone that has a change of personality when drunk, it’s just really over-the-top in the case of the Gusu Lan Sect.

What did Wei Wuxian go through during the three months he spent in Burial Mound? Was there really a mysterious book artefact left there by a master? [2] When Lan Wangji healed Wei Wuxian after the massacre at Nightless City, what did he say to him? How did Wei Wuxian pass the time during the thirteen years he was dead?

Some things that were said were not to be taken seriously, there is no mysterious book from a master. I don’t really like the kind of plot where predecessors do the hard work and plant the trees and their successors can just cool off in the trees’ shade.

Please do your own research. 

He was in a confused and chaotic state [3], not quite conscious but not completely unable to feel anything either. It’s like being stuck in an unending nightmare.

When Wen Ning went berserk at Qiongqi Path and Koi Tower, was that an accident for both times? After changing into a fierce corpse, how long can he live?

When Wen Ning attacked at Qiongqi Path, it was Wei Wuxian losing control.

What happened at Koi Tower wasn’t an accident. 

It depends on the maintenance.

Is Jin Ling’s courtesy name the one chosen by Wei Wuxian, Rulan [4]?

That’s right. But he never ever uses it. Jin Ling dislikes it because it sounds sissy.

What was the relationship between Cangse Sanren and Lan Qiren and why did she cut off his goatee? Does Lan Qiren have prospects for elderly marriage? What are the criteria Lan Qiren looks for when choosing a spouse?

It was because Lan Qiren was not as understanding and sensible during his youth as compared to now. At some point it resulted in Jiang Fengmian and his servant Wei Changze running into trouble while night hunting and they almost lost their lives. But Lan Qiren deemed that he was only following the rules and that the fault was not his so he refused to apologise, angering everyone. Then Cangse cut off his beard to play a trick on him. To tell the truth, beardless Lan Qiren is still very handsome, there’s no one bad-looking in the Gusu Lan Sect! 

It’s unlikely to happen so there is no criterion.

PS. Why are there people asking for Lan Qiren’s spouse criteria…

What is the age difference between Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang and how is their relationship? Was the part of Nie Huaisang’s partner [5] that was mentioned before deleted from the book or was the design simply scrapped?

Five or six years. Although they are half-siblings with different mothers, they get on pretty well. 

Scrapped as I found out afterwards that the story remained consistent without adding this character. Adding the character would instead make things difficult and the final result might not have been satisfactory.

Translator’s Notes

[1] Skills in bed.

[2] That’s how Wei Wuxian explains his demonic powers to Jiang Cheng when he returns from Burial Mound.

[3] 混沌 (Hùndùn) means literally ‘muddled confusion’ and also refers to the primal chaos that existed prior to the formation of the world and in which nothing could be distinguished or perceived according to Chinese classic texts.

[4] Rulan (如兰) means literally 'like an orchid’.

[5] It’s mentioned in an older interview that the author had planned Nie Huaisang to have a subordinate helping him behind the scenes so the meaning was a partner in crime.

I don't think I will ever recover

https://archiveofourown.org/works/64803721/chapters/166533523

(Link also in comment)

My attempt at AgathaRio's backstory + Rio character study, inspired by mexican folklore, views of Death in literature, a lot of songs and my love for these two women.

Hope you'll like it.

What does it means to be loved by Death?

No pain

(Anne Rice)

Sorry, this quote just lives rent free in my mind since I first read it and it's just perfect for Agatha, Nicky and Rio😢

Death's beloveds

Death's beloveds

Madi ✨👸🏿

— it’s not just men who are made great by the relentless pursuit of a better world. By being unwilling to give up that pursuit, because they don’t know how. And if we don’t, we, too, can be invincible.

Oookay I think it would fun if you could do a fic where the reader has a crush on Riley and is part of same social circle as Riley and Harper so she knows what Harper did to Riley and also knows how Abby was lowkey using Riley for comfort only to go running back to Harper. So the reader is comforting Riley and telling her she deserves better but ends up confessing her feelings for Riley in the process of that and it escalates from there.

At last! What can I say, this turned out to be a pure lesbian romcom, I hope you enjoy it.

Closer

Riley Johnson x Reader (Happiest Season) Warnings: go figure, but there are none. Word count: 3.1K

‘So my parents were so attached to me believing in Santa that, even after years went by and I stopped believing, and they knew about that, still we just kept the charade going,’ said Riley.

‘Yeah,’ the blond girl sitting next to her nodded, staring into the void.

‘They were struggling, and I just felt so bad for them—that I eventually murdered them.’

‘Sounds fun,’ Abby muttered without even looking at Riley.

‘Ahem…hello?’ Riley ran her hand in front of the girl’s eyes.

‘Sorry I just…I think I need to go—’ Abby looked confused and all over the place.

'Hey, what’s happening?’

Riley got vexed as she really was trying to cheer Abby up and be there for her, knowing that being among Harper’s family on Christmas Eve could be quite a challenge, especially if you’re taken hostage and forcefully pushed back into the closet again.

‘It’s just…I was going to propose, but now it feels like she’s a totally different person. Like with me and here with her parents and…Connor.’

‘Welcome to the club,’ Riley chuckled.

‘What happened with you by the way? Harper was vague about that.’

‘Well, in school we were really close for years, like, inseparable, and in the freshman year we became…more than friends,' Riley rolled her eyes. ‘But then her friend suspected something, and Harper freaked out and told everyone that I was like obsessed with her, and she basically outed me in front of the school, which made my life awful for a while.’

‘Fuck, I’m sorry, I didn’t know that…’ Abby was genuinely shocked right now, discovering another layers of her girlfriend’s past.

‘It’s alright, it was a long time ago,’ Riley shrugged and took a sip of the red wine.

‘Do you believe people change?’ Her face was almost pale with tears in her eyes, ready to burst any second.

‘Honestly, I have no idea. How about we get you a real drink?’

‘Sounds good, thanks,’ Abby said as she gave her a nod with a strained smile and continued piercing her gaze at Harper, who was talking enthusiastically with Connor near the Christmas tree.

***

As she walked over to the bar to fetch drinks, you finally saw her up close. Riley was at arm's length and looking stunning as always. You'd wanted to talk to her for quite a long time, but it hadn't been easy since she'd been chatting with Abby furtively in the corner of the room all evening; besides, there was a bunch of people here, mostly former classmates with their families, who were eager to know everything that had happened in your life while you'd been out of town. By and large, everything that was going on at this posh party seemed bizarre and uneasy, and there was some kind of lesbian drama in the air.

You left this town first thing after graduating, and normally spent Christmas with your friends in New York, but this time decided to visit just to check up on your old parents. You didn’t have the best relationship with them, especially after your awkward coming out, but it was actually good to be there for Christmas, get lost in a crowd of familiar faces and some childhood memories. Plus, someone in a group chat said Riley would be there. You came across her post on insta and thought that…It’s probably stupid, but this Christmas you were free like a river and lonely as a wolf, so why not take a chance?

Seeing those people conjured up high school memories, especially the year Harper outed Riley in front of the students. It had been horrible, to say the least, and suddenly you remembered it so clearly, as if it had happened yesterday. You wanted to stand up for Riley then, but unfortunately you didn't have the guts to do so in those days, and you were still processing your own sexuality. Given what you saw happening to gay people at school, it goes without saying that you were shit scared of those bullies. Whatever the case, you did your best to show Riley that you were on her side and never made fun of her. Still, being a shy little person, basically a wallflower, you probably didn't get her attention, so she was unlikely to remember you.

She was now a few inches away, and the scent of her sandalwood perfume hit you hard, provoking a faint panic attack inside you.

‘Hey, Riley,’ you uttered awkwardly.

‘Sorry, I’m so clumsy,’ she said, trying not to spill the drinks, ‘hi!’ She bestowed her perfect smile upon you.

‘It’s Y/N, from a freshman year, you probably don’t remember.’ 

‘Of course I do! It’s been a while since you’ve visited this godforsaken place, right?’ Riley said.

‘It’s actually cute out there. I mean…almost poetic pastoral, isn’t it?’ You faintly chuckled, giving her a subtle flirtatious look.

‘Yeah, I know, just fooling around. Can you believe they are still doing that ‘white elephant’ thing?’

‘I think I missed that stuff. Living in New York, you know…’

‘Oh yeah, that explains a lot,’ she playfully pouted and shook her head exaggeratedly.

‘Well, I guess being there on Christmas, kinda comes with the territory,’ you said.

‘When in Rome…’ she smirked.

‘Do what Caldwells do.’ Then you both laughed, still figuring out the mood of this small talk. 

You blushed in a second, as you saw her laughing at your jokes. How could she be so gorgeous all the time? Years later, it only got hotter—a sexy brunette with sharp eyes and a deadpan expression. You could barely pull yourself together and put words in sentences, but on the outside you seemed to be nailing it.

‘Sorry, I should—’ she pointed to the lounge as she had beed expected by someone. 

‘Oh, I didn’t mean to distract you,’ you briefly apologized with a dash of disappointment on your face.

‘It’s fine, it’s just…’

She glanced back again and realized that Abby was suddenly gone.

‘Hm,’ she looked a bit lost.

‘Everything alright?’

‘Actually, I think I need a breather. Do you mind?’ Riley tilted her head pointing at the front door.

'Absolutely not!’ You tried your best not to show your childish excitement.

Looked like the party had just started.

***

You both snuck through the crowd and went outside of the house. It was cold, but the fluffy snow lying softly on the porch surface and the Christmas decorations of the Caldwell's upscale home with warm lights, wreaths and mistletoe made it look like some Hallmark fantasy. But you couldn’t take your eyes off Riley’s beautiful features and her perfect curled strands, slightly blowing in the wind.

‘Sorry if it's none of my business, but Abby and Harper?’ You finally brought up the elephant in the room. 

‘Hm?’ Riley looked a bit puzzled. 

'I mean, something is obviously off. Harper is still in the closet, isn’t she?’

Riley was probably figuring out if she was supposed to gossip about them.

‘Yeah, she surely is.’

‘Frankly, I don’t care about what’s going on with Harper, it’s just…I’m so sorry about what happened back in school.’

‘That’s okay, it doesn’t matter now,’ she stuttered.

‘It does matter, Riley. What she did was unforgivable. Period.’

‘You think so?’ She looked at you rather carefully and surprized.

'I’m sure there were ways to get out of that situation, but she chose to betray you. And…I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you. It frightened me so much, that I was sitting in my own closet until graduation,’ you said, realizing that you had just come out in front of Riley.

‘Oh, so you’re…’ Riley’s face broke into a sincere smile.

‘I’m gay, that’s right,’ you chuckled with a relief, ‘and watching you confronted everyone helped me accept myself earlier, so thank you for that.’

‘Basically I was forced, but you’re welcome,’ she chuckled, ‘besides, it was enough not to be bullied by at least one normal person there.’

‘And as I said,’ Riley added, ‘it doesn’t matter now. Honestly, that made me even stronger, so I should probably thank Harper for that.’

You felt the blood boiling in your veins. No way Harper will benefit from her own shit. Of course, you knew what Riley meant, but nevertheless, you felt jealous.

Suddenly, you heard some screams and sounds of breaking and instinctively ran inside the house.

***

‘Harper is a lesbian!’ Sloan shrieked, adjusting her messy hair. Seemed like you had almost missed a once-in-a-lifetime Caldwells performance.

For a while, there was a total silence that heavily hung in the living room, stealing everybody’s breath.

‘She’s…she’s lying!’ Harper screamed, looking embarrassed, though all you can feel now was rage. You looked sideways at Riley, and her face spoke for herself. 

As you said, people less likely to change. Especially Caldwell people.

Guests started to leave and you briefly took your coat and were standing in the doorway, waiting for Riley to join you; but she walked up to Harper as if to say something in private.

***

‘Great party,’ Riley grinned gazing at Harper, standing alone in the middle of the hall. It was hard to tell whether she was sorry for what had happened, or pleased with kind of a payback for the old days. But knowing Riley, it was probably the first one. 

‘Oh yeah…’ Harper mumbled sheepishly.

‘You okay?’ Riley asked softly.

‘I’m so sorry,’ she said with her reddened cheeks.

Riley looked right through her eyes and suddenly put her hand out to shake. 

‘She’s a really good one,’ she pursed her lips and nodded her head in Abby's direction who was standing not far away with her friend. Harper was trying hard not to burst into tears.

Riley said goodbye to other members of the Caldwell family and approached the doorway; you handed her a coat and finally you both left the house. Yet you felt that something was odd.

***

‘Is everything fine?’ you cleared your throat, breaking the silence as you walked toward the main road.

‘Yeah,’ she sighed, ‘maybe just some flashbacks or whatever.’

‘I can imagine. She’s such a coward.’

‘Well, that’s her family. She couldn’t have it any other way,’ Riley seemed to defend Harper, and you had been trying your hardest not to rant and rave.

‘I don’t know,’ you let out a loud sigh.

‘What?’

‘Am I supposed to react the way I want?’

'Yes, Y/N, you’ve been thinking too loud,’ she chuckled.

‘Okay. I get it, it’s hard to be out to parents like hers, but why the hell inviting your girlfriend to the family party, where you’d need to hide her from everyone? I think Harper’s an asshole, let alone she never said sorry to you after what happened. But you are so kind to her, feeling sorry for her even now…I mean, you must have been really in love with her. Like really—’

‘Hey that’s sweet. Thank you, Y/N,’ she gazed at you as you were walking down the road under the falling snow. ‘I guess, I left that school stuff behind and buried it deep down, trying not to think about it for a hell of a lot of time. But now it was like it triggered something.’

‘Don’t you feel angry?’

‘Somehow I don’t. Maybe seeing her so broken made it even. Or maybe I just know her family too much to judge. I’m lucky my parents love and accept me, it’s a privilege, you know. That’s why I forgave Harper long ago.'

‘Anyway, I wish I kicked her ass back then at school!’ you still couldn’t let it go being emotional.

‘That’s cute!’ she laughed, ‘I’ve never been fought over before!’

‘I’m fucking serious. You have a big heart, Riley. You deserve to be with someone who shouts their love for you from the rooftops,’ you blurted it out.

Riley giggled but remained silent, only the slight blush on her cheeks giving her away.

‘Do you wanna go somewhere, like to grab a drink or whatever? My folks are gonna sleep early, so I’m totally free,’ you said trying not to make it too obvious that you were hitting on her all evening. But probably it was a little too late for that.

‘I thought you’d never ask,’ Riley smirked and took you under her arm. The proximity sent waves of warmth and shivers to your body, and you couldn’t help but grinned as if you were in high school again and you’d just asked her out.

‘There’s one tiny problem,’ you said, ‘I don’t know any decent places in this town.’

Riley just laughed and said: ‘Leave it to me, baby.’ And that baby immediately turned you on.

***

A guy with rainbow makeup in a sparkling silver jacket opened the door, welcoming you to a local queer bar. There was a Christmas drag show, and lots of people were standing close to the scene, but gladly there were a couple of free tables. Riley ushered you to one of them, and in a minute, the rainbow host fetched you two glasses of champagne.

‘Compliments from a bar, Merry Christmas, darlings!’ he said in a high-pitched voice and disappeared into a dimly lit space with a haze of rainbow-lit light.

The music was loud and you needed some time to adjust to the atmosphere; Drag Queens were singing Christmas carols alternating with Lady Gaga songs, and everything was a far cry from the previous ‘party’, so it took just a few moments to forget about what happened before and to switch to a cheerful mood.

One of the queens approached your table and handed to you a glitter eyeshadow in a tiny box:

‘Everyone’s slaying today, don’t be shy, lovebirds!’ she said.

You looked down, nervously giggling, but Riley took the glitter without hesitation and gazed at you.

‘Want some?’ 

You shrugged and leaned over her, but the table was wide and Riley quickly moved to your side.

‘Close your eyes,’ she was bossing you around.

In a moment, you felt her delicate fingers touching your face, covering it with soft glitter. She was so close to you, that you could feel her fragrance and her breath on your face—it gave you a huge vertigo; not to mention that she was cool with the queen calling you lovebirds. Perhaps it was silly, but you got the impression that maybe she wouldn’t mind.

‘You’re so beautiful,’ she said, observing her artwork on your face.

‘So do you.’

‘Not yet! I need you to help me with this as well,’ she said, closing her eyes and preparing her face for a makeover.

‘Eyelids?’

‘Wherever you want, I trust you.’

It was an amazing opportunity to legally study her face and touch her skin. Luckily, she didn't know about your crush on her, which had escalated to oblivion over the day. 

She opened her eyes as you finished—silver sparkles were glowing on her skin, paving the way from her eyelids to her temples.

‘You look fabulous, Riley,’ you gasped, ‘do you mind?’ You took your phone to take a selfie.

‘Definitely not!’ she responded, ‘I need evidence that we’re slaying anyway.’

She pressed her face against yours while looking at the camera, and at this point, you were calculating your moves, trying to tread carefully so as not to spook her.

‘I’m so glad I bumped into you, Y/N, and that you happened to be in town this Christmas.’

‘Oh, the pleasure is all mine,’ you couldn’t believe that you were actually on a date with her, and something told you that this was the perfect moment to reveal the cards.

‘You know,’ you muttered, ‘I’ve been dreaming of meeting you this holiday, to be honest.’

‘Really?’

You took a little pause.

Was it the vibe of this bar or the Christmassy mood or champagne or whatever, you suddenly felt brave enough to caress her cheek, slowly moving your hand to twist her hair around your fingers.

Riley just smirked, gazing at you up and down, teasingly sliding her tongue along the inside of her mouth. You’ve taken your shot, but still were a bit uncertain about her feelings and too scared to say a word right now.

No words needed, in a while you felt her body respond as she leaned in and pressed her lips against yours. You swiftly cradled her face and returned a long, passionate kiss, cherishing the precious moment. Riley grasped your wrists softly, caressing them, while deepening the kiss, sending twists to your core. At last, you broke away to gaze into each other's eyes.

The glitter smeared all over your faces, with some landing on your eyelashes, creating a shimmering blur when you looked at Riley's face. She kissed you on the lips a few more times and said:

‘Dance with me.’

She stood up and took your hand, and in the blink of an eye you were on the dance floor. ‘Closer’ by Tegan and Sara was coming from the speakers, and Riley was seductively singing along, staring at you with her big brown eyes:

All I wanna get is, a little bit closer

All I wanna know is, can you come a little closer

She waved you over with her hand, swayed her hips to the beat, and flipped her hair to the other side. You were utterly spellbound by her moves, and her lips drew you in like a magnet.

So let’s make things physical

I won’t treat you like you’re oh so typical

On impulse, you put your hands on her hips, pressing against her body, merging with Riley in a hungry kiss as if you were doing it for the first time; and then she smiled and kissed you again and again and again, and you just couldn't get enough of her, bewildered like a teen at the queer prom, dancing with the homecoming queen.

‘You’re such a good kisser, baby,’ Riley whispered closely to your ear, so you could hear her through the loud beats of the music. 

‘And you’re such a good dancer, hot stuff,’ you took hold of her waist, so she was just a hair’s breadth away, her perfume intertwining with yours.

Finally the song was over, but you were still standing in the middle of the room, kissing under the disco ball reflecting iridescent colors. She wrapped her arms around you, running her fingers through your hair and giving you a beckoning smile, and you felt like the happiest person in the whole world at what was truly the happiest season.

***

The Weight Of Grief Masterlist-

A/N: this story is currently ongoing! Now that I have everything I’ve pre written posted, and ppl have shown some interest. I’ll be continuing to work on it and my intentions are to have a new chapter posted every week minimum! Plot wise you can expect at least 7-8 more chapters of this particular story, it really just depends on the flow of things. it honestly may go over, there is just so much to include✋🏽😭

Summary:

Centuries ago, Agatha Harkness was condemned by her own coven for entangling herself with the dark arts, yet when they tried to execute her she turned their magic against them, draining them of their power and leaving nothing but hollowed husks & ashes in her wake.

In the aftermath of Salem, she found solace in an unlikely love, forging an unbreakable bond with the Reader and later with the cosmic enigma herself, Rio Vidal. Their passion burned bright, but fate is rarely kind to those who defy its balance.

When Nicholas Scratch was born, he was not just your son but a child of magic, a gift from Rio—one that came at an unforeseen cost. Fearful of the price that would one day be demanded, Agatha ran taking Nicholas with her in a desperate attempt to keep him safe. But no amount of magic, no amount of hiding could change what had already been decided.

Years later, Agatha stands on your doorstep, stripped of her power and seeking aid. But the wounds of betrayal are not so easily mended and the weight of grief is not so easily forgotten. How dare she return now, after all this time—after leaving you to grieve alone. Love, loss, and the cruel hands of fate weave their story together once more, But some wounds do not heal without a price.

Prologue 

Ch 1.

Ch 2.

Ch 3.

Ch 4.

Agathario AU | Dinner with Evanora ends in disaster when Rio stands up for Agatha.

My first fic in the Agatha All Along fandom💜💚

A self-destructive Sculptor!Rio smut depressing AU inspired by crying after sex by Xana

https://archiveofourown.org/works/63173374

'You make me' by Fyval x AgathaRio

Coming from the swanqueen fandom I couldn't help doing a tribute both to this new amazing couple and to the great singer Fyval, the wonderful artist who gifted the SwanQueen fandom with a whole album of incredible songs. This one is "You make me", I thought it would fit with these two.

Love SwanQueen and love AgathaRio.

Happy Valentine's day you all!

Sorry to interrupt all the smut requests but do you have anymore heart breaking, gut wrenching, soul destroying thoughts on Nicky in your Detective Agatha & Agent Vidal universe?? Your other one killed me off and I’m looking for more 🫠🫠🫠

OH I'M GLAD YOU ASKED

once Agatha brings up Nicky to Rio for the first time, it becomes easier and easier as they progress. she'll randomly break into a memory, some particular thing he said at the playground one spring afternoon, able to verbatim recite whatever happened. Rio always listens, she's good at that.

Agatha invites Rio to look through his room after a while, figuring she trusts Rio enough to learn about him. she'll catch Rio sitting with her back against his bed, reading through one of the little thick cardboard books he had on his bookshelf. she'll hold the tiny carved rabbit in her hands and imagine his hands holding it, how much he loved it.

Agatha doesn't have any next of kin. her parents are long since dead, the only person she'd consider a family member at this point is Lilia who was a pseudo-grandmother to Nicky. Rio and Lilia didn't get along but once she learned about Nicky, Lilia softened and started to share her own stories about him with Rio.

when Rio decides to propose, she asks for Lilia's blessing. Lilia immediately gives it, smothering Rio in a hug. then she goes to Nicky's grave. she brings him flowers, some of the purple ones that Agatha had planted by the front door (ones she said he picked out). she'll sit, hand against the stone as she traces over his name as she speaks softly to him as if he could hear her.

she'll go on and on about how much she loves his mama, how happy they make each other. she'll mention she hopes he'd like her, that they'd be best buddies forever.

then she asks for his blessing. she'll wait for a moment, pressing her hand into the headstone. the wind will gently brush against her, sweeping her hair away from her face as if she was given a kiss on the forehead. she'll take that as a yes.

with her heart full, she'll rush home and propose the moment Agatha walks in the door, down on one knee and little black box in hand. on the inside of the ring she'd have it inscribed N.S. because she understands that regardless of the fact that he's gone, it doesn't mean Agatha isn't a mother anymore. she still is and she always will be, that's an important piece of who she is.

miranda james carriage scene you'll always be famous to me. regardless of whether you interpret his reciprocation of her interest as a genuinely sexual attraction or as more of an intellectual/emotional one, at the end of the day she was the first one possibly ever to directly and precisely cut through all his carefully crafted persona layers into the heart of who he truly is and encourage him to do something for himself for once without giving a fuck about Big Society. we know by the time he has the affair with miranda he's already pretty enthralled with thomas but he's still at the point of denying and suppressing those feelings in favor of fulfilling his civilized role ("my judgment is still intact", acting ashamed when he beat the fuck out of the other naval officer and hennessey scolds him)

dare i say that if it wasn't for miranda's encouragement to eschew societal expectations in that carriage that he may never have acted on his love for thomas. everything james did at the alfred dinner scene took immense courage, first standing up and stating what he believed in then ordering alfred out and then of course the thinly-veiled love confession with the "you're a good man" speech. it was miranda who first kicked him into this reckless "idgaf" mode and it was also alfred's insults to her at the dinner table which prompted his commitment to it. before miranda came to his defense at the table we can see he was still torn between listening to thomas' voice in his head vs. listening to hennessey's voice. it was the intervention by miranda which finally solidified his bravery in proclaiming to alfred (who also functions as a stand-in for english civilization) ykw this is fucked actually, fuck all this and fuck you specifically, i'm gonna confess my feelings to the man i love now.

flint's story began and ended with thomas but it could not have ever happened without miranda. she was his guardian and guide all the way through the entire journey. she was mistress when he needed love she was wife when he needed understanding she was also (indirectly) wingman when he needed courage. but first and before all she was Mother.

behind every great man (or great men in this case) is a great woman. etc.

Go tell them how this woman (and her husband) shaped this man's whole world.

Absolutely yes to all of that. I think the relationship between Miranda and Thomas is way underrated. We don't know much about it, but definitely /there was/ much. I've thought a lot about their dynamics and regardless of if they were romantic or friendly, it doesn't change the fact that the two of them had shared for years a deep bond which probably had changed both of their lives for the better. I've liked very much the word you used ti define them, twins. I've used it many time myself. I totally agree with this it. To me they were chosen brothers who had been lucky enough to find, in the midst of a society meant to cut off their wings, someone who instead was more than willing to help them take flight, and the importance this can assume in the life of people with such personalities and ideas like theirs is priceless.

I love all the relationships that bind these three characters together and sure, James' pain at losing his greatest love must have been terrible, but to me the love that bound Miranda and Thomas was even deeper, for its span if nothing else, just like the love that eventually bound Miranda and Flint at the time of her death was deeper than the love that had bound Flint to Thomas. So I think Miranda must have suffered even more than him for the loss of Thomas, considering also how it had meant for her the loss of all the life she had known. Not to talk about all the situations she had to endure once in Nassau. I mean, it might be me loving this subject, these three characters and their story, but I believe Miranda's sorrow is something people never really talk enough about.

I mean, the way she talks about Thomas with pastor Lambrick in ep.VI? That gave me shivers. What are we even talking about?

flint gifting miranda la galatea - a story involving two friends in love with the same person who agree to not let it interfere with their friendship, and more broadly as a whole, an examination of how different lives intertwine - as a means of apologizing is so impactful it literally gave me new brain circuitry undiscovered by science. just the quiet understanding between them of how much thomas meant to the other, even though their relationships with him were very different. we don't see alot of miranda and thomas together in the flashbacks but from what we do see, it tells us what we need to grasp the depths of her loss and why she misses her life back then so badly.

truly like... he was her twin. they shared such an open, playful affection. there was an abundance of free-flowing admiration in the way they talked to or about each other, they trusted each other completely with their personal lives without reservation, and their mutual happiness together was so transparent and palpable. when miranda walked into the study and they joked around together the room practically lit up (can we blame james for acting like a deer in headlights there). like their free-spirit bestie bohemian vibe was radiant. regardless of whether you interpret their arrangement as a lavender marriage or a romantic/sexual one, it would have been rare for a man and a woman in that era to find a genuinely happy partnership of equals the way they did.

so the few times we see when james oversteps a bit and acts like his grief and anger are more important than hers and miranda snaps back... miranda truly a better woman than i am because i think it would've been valid for her to hit back a little more severely. james was with thomas for ~9(?) months, but what miranda had with him was presumably years.

so when flint gives her la galatea with the inscription "i'm sorry"... yes, that's a well-deserved apology indeed, and now my neurological functioning will never be the same again

It doesn’t feel like living anymore.

I love Miranda. And this is maybe the moment I find her the most arresting and beautiful. It’s such a raw, desperate moment. Asking to be seen. I love her contradictions. How she is both selfish and self-sacrificing. She is incredibly strong in so many regards, and yet struggling to find her own agency. She is honest and yet underhanded. She is kind and petty, smug and patient. As an avowed hedonist, she comes to endure even when she’s past her endurance. An in the end she becomes a martyr, when I think all she ever wanted was to be her own person.

That complexity is reflected in her relationship with James I think. There are many different takes on it, all of them valid, obviously, so this is just my own…

I find their relationship fascinating. It’s obvious that they love each other. It’s also obvious that this love is different than the one they had for Thomas, although that shared love for him certainly plays an important role in their relationship. But I think that Miranda maybe doesn’t love like James and Thomas at all, not in this all consuming way. The way I see her, she’s also completely aromantic, but that doesn’t make her love something lesser.

Miranda loves Thomas as someone who shares her interests and temperament, an intellectually stimulating partner, a great man. They were a harmonious couple, their relationship seemingly effortless. Her relationship with James on the other hand is a constant struggle, and not just because of the circumstances they find themselves in, I think. They are both too alike and too different. The one that fit with them was always Thomas.

Miranda and James’ love for each other is mostly built on loyalty. On knowing that whatever may come, the other will stand with them to the bitter end. And because of that loyalty they both try to be more for the other, to fill the void Thomas left, and failing miserably at it.

James tries to give Miranda things that connect her with her old life: books, a spinet, delicate tea cups. Even sex. But it’s a poor substitute, and the thing she most longs for —companionship— is unbearable for him to provide, because being with her reminds him of what he lost. Miranda wants to remember Thomas and talk about him, but James can’t.

James tries to keep Thomas close by striving to bring his vision to life, finish what they started, and prove England wrong in the process. And Miranda tries to be a partner in this. She helps him plot and patches him up and harbours prisoners, but she hates it just as much. They both hate the things the other needs from them. And yet they stubbornly hold on to each other, and try to keep each other safe. It’s not a passionate love. At times it’s almost resentful. But it’s deep and true.

How hard it must be for Miranda to love James. Love him in Thomas stead, knowing that she falls short by miles. How hard it must be to see him try to love her better, and failing because he, too, isn’t Thomas. Loving each other with such loyal devotion across the divide, the hole that Thomas left. Loving each other even though it is hard, and it hurts, that’s what makes it beautiful to me. 

My translation of Chapter 1 of Mo Dao Zu Shi's Japanese manga, which released yesterday (the 17th of August 2024)

Also loaded to the internet archive as a pdf (pretty big file size though)

You can support the official Japanese release and buy the Japanese manga at cmoa.jp

it's pretty inexpensive, only around $2 per chapter!

Chapter - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4

Mangadex link

Pre-sfx version is still available at the archive.org website

Edit: I originally wasn't going to make any further edits but felt bad that someone could come across my initial rough translation and miss some details or nuance because of it. Made some changes, a changelog detailing everything and why is here. (I think) this is the final version

Just one moment of peace.

Part of this was just me wanting a bit of an extra challenge as an art project to take my mind of things, part of it was digging through my bottomless reference folder for something completely different and getting stuck with an idea about Flint and his horse? And, really, the need for small comforts, I guess.

Anyway. I like the idea of him being secretly fond of that horse, of giving it some ridiculous name that nobody would get but Thomas (although Miranda probably does, and just pretends she doesn’t). And of him taking comfort in the warmth and solid presence of another living creature, of him allowing to let the mask slip and be gentle for a moment. It’s a simple comfort, and one I can see him craving when he has so little comfort left.

GET TO KNOW ME: ♡ [2/15] Female Characters: ☆ Harley Quinn (DC)

Don't call me dumb. I have a PhD, Motherfucker.

Absolutely yes to all of that.

(warning: black sails spoilers)

every time I see a bad Miranda Hamilton take I have to try so so hard not to engage. I see so many people blatantly misunderstand her character or call her ‘annoying’ (especially when talking about season 2 episode 9 and her rant at Peter) and it pains me so much. She is just as much forged by loss as Flint, she is just as traumatised. And, on top of it, she is expected to sit around and wait for deliverance, she isn’t afforded the same opportunity to take matters into her own hands. Call her annoying all you want, but know that you’re wrong. Her rant in s2e9 is not unnecessary and it’s not overly emotional, it’s actually very fucking justified. It’s one of the only times she actually breaks her cool, allows herself to be angry, and she is killed for it. It’s a response to the revelation that Peter, once her friend, sold Thomas out for status, colluded behind their backs with Alfred fucking Hamilton to destroy their happiness. And he dares to claim it was a ‘civilised’ solution? So she says fuck your civilisation. Fuck your solutions. Fuck your pardons, your country, your empire. It should all burn for what you’ve done. And don’t miss the connotations of burning: purifying, cleansing, starting fresh. You know who else was being ‘purified’? Thomas. Rotting in a mental hospital for being queer.

She has every right to be angry. And it makes sense that she is killed for it, as empire cannot abide any challenge to its official narrative. The mere fact of her raised voice is enough to condemn her to death, yet she and Flint are treated as monstrous for their killing of Alfred Hamilton. The man who destroyed their lives and orchestrated their tragedy.

So fuck your takes. I’m so so fed up of people talking about her as if she’s just some irritating tag along. She is integral to the show’s message, and in this particular episode, Flint’s realisation that empire is not the answer. He learns that, whilst he is villainised for his use of violence in service of a noble goal, empire is allowed to practice violence with no consequences. It takes Miranda from him just as it took Thomas from them both.

so take a breath and dance with death, my love cannot be turned.

Agatha All Along week | day 5 | vampires AU

@holyblanchett : Someone said Rio closes her eyes because she can't stand to see Agatha in pain, and now I can't stop thinking about it

So glad of having joined this year too!

Thank you so much for making this beautiful event possible every year!

Long live SwanQueen!

Here is our fourth of four reveals today! 

Title: It Was Always 'Emma Comes To Town As Savior & Meets Mayor Regina'- a SwanQueen playlist 

Artist: EleonoraParker 

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/60719227 

Please go check it out and drop a review for the artist!

Check back tomorrow at 12:00 PM EST for our first reveal of the day!

I usually don't fuck with the idea of Max being Silver's wife in TI. My primary reasoning for this is how intentionally the writers set up SilverMadi as a romantic pairing. Whether you like it or not, everything in BS leads to TI. Why Madi chose to stay with Silver post-BS (in both senses of the acronym), I don't know. But Silver canonically has a Black wife in TI. So she does.

BUT there is such a good and angsty reason that Max as Silver's wife (or "wife" for whatever non-romantic reason they have to take those titles) works. Also, the character parallels it gives... Pardon me if this has been discussed before. I just couldn't stop thinking about it once I came to the realization!

Shortly after the conclusion of BS, the real-life Jack Rackham and fellow pirates were arrested and killed; Mary/Mark Read dies in jail after having their sentence postponed due to alleged pregnancy. Anne Bonny is also allegedly pregnant and has her sentence commuted, then disappears. Let's presume that these events play out for BS' characters.

Anne and Max can't marry; Jack and Anne aren't by preference. Jack and Max coexist (with the addition of Mark/Mary, maybe). Silver cannot legally marry Madi (I think? Not entirely clear on that) but certainly they would face serious backlash, especially if people found out it was a loving marriage. Plus, like the whole (ex-)pirate and revolutionaries thing. Also, Madi wouldn't marry him, at least not immediately. In this AU, Madi leaves Silver's ass (as she should), and they never speak again.

So where does that leave Max and Silver? Essentially, as a divorcee and a widow, respectively (if you ignore the complications of their specific circumstances). If you disregard questions of legality, both Silver and Max had relationships that could be defined as marriage. Max (and Silver) would also need to get out of Dodge Nassau quickly after the cards fall (i.e., Jack and Anne's capture). They've worked together before and can compartmentalize well enough to work together now - plus they're tired and lonely and hey, even if we were enemies I respect your cleverness and you're a familiar face.

Civilization won't accept an unmarried couple running an inn, and Max needs the protection of marriage in England. They would get judged still but less than Silver and Madi would. Here's where the parallels kick in. Both Max and Silver were part of a trio of some kind of romantic nature. Both are similar in their approaches to life - they were each other's first allies for a reason - and both have gotten exactly what they wanted (on paper). Max got her safety and power AND got to keep Anne. Silver kept Madi alive and stopped the war, and that now has to be enough for him, or else Flint was right. They were both married - in the purest and idealistic sense. But no more. Silver is divorced, and Max is a widow.

So now, with their dreams shattered and no one to blame but themselves (with some caveats for Max, of course), they only have each other. So they get married. Now they have a 'real' marriage that is recognized by Civilization. But it isn't authentic.

Silver got what he wanted: stability and a life away from piracy. Max got stability, retained (some) of her dignity, and (a fraction of) power. Isn't that what they wanted? And so time flows onwards. Eventually Silver returns to Skeleton Island, leaving his wife behind.

"Genesis", Oil on canvas by Matthew Cornell

I completely agree. It may seem sudden and it surely is unexpected, at least it was for me, but once you know it you finally can put all the pieces into place and that's just wonderful. I love this show for this thing they do of leaving nails all around and then giving wire to connect them all.

And yeah, that episode is not only a great work speaking about directory and scenes and all, but is also what definitely caught me in the Black Sails' web. Sure, the show has a lot of interesting point and themes that keep you into it, but making the main character bisexual in a pirate show and making of his lost love the cause of his whole fight and rage? Well, let's just say that their braveness was definitely rewarded. Absolute geniouses.

one time I looked up the ratings of each episode of black sails. I expected to see s2e5 near the top, but I wasn’t exactly surprised when it was actually at the bottom (free us from the clutches of homophobia man). I read some of the comments and they were saying that the reveal felt out of nowhere. Okay, so actually you just have no media literacy skills. For me, the revelation made so much sense that I experienced something akin to ascension. I felt I had unlocked all of the knowledge there was to unlock. My whole engagement with the show changed. That thing that had been bubbling under the whole time, in every interaction between Miranda and flint, in every mention of Thomas, in every display of rage from flint, in each one of his desperate schemes.

I just find it so hilarious that people thought it was out of nowhere? Louise Barnes and Toby Stephens were actually the only two cast members aware of the backstory from the beginning of the show, and you can see it so much in the way they act their characters. So much unspoken, but that doesn’t mean it’s not there. Season 1 ep 7 — that whole altercation they have where he refuses to apologise to England, the way she says ‘if he were here he’d agree with me’, the tension of it all. The note Thomas wrote in the front of their copy of meditations? It’s so obviously not out of the blue, it’s set up so brilliantly so as to evade perception but also to lodge itself in your brain before you even know what *it* is.

Tom Hopper (Billy) said it was the best episode of television he’s ever seen. Literally years later, in a promotional interview for the umbrella academy. I agree wholeheartedly.

saying that it was out of nowhere is just wrong. It’s either a) just a guise for your homophobia or b) a betrayal of your evidently terrible media literacy and critical analysis skills.

When I saw the episode so many things from season 1 finally clicked in to place inside my head. The enigma of Flint, for the first time, began to slightly unravel.

Rio and Agatha - Star Crossed Lovers

I'm reading this just now. I can't come back to that place. I'm over it. I was over it. Like...I'll never stop being a Swen, but I was resigned, somehow. Guess I'm digging up too many memories lately, which is not good for my sanity. But then I read analysis like this one, very beautiful and complete and explicative, and I just remember why I'll never really be over them or out of that place.

To tell it in modern terms: SwanQueen is my scar 😢

THE SWANQUEEN HUG

I completely understand why your upset Swen about this hug. Sur it was about the engagement, but it actually show us the dynamic between Emma and Regina. We know they are friends now…friends do hug.

Nevertheless, I agree that the scene was off. Entirely. First of all, Emma seems more embarrass than anything when her mother looks at her ring, and even more when Henry asks her how Hook proposed. We all know he didn’t really do it, Emma pushed him to. She could have said she found the ring and then explain how it turn out, but she chooses to tell:

“I kind of say yes before he had a chance to.”

While saying it, she forced a smile. Note that this conversation happen with Henry and more importantly Snow, the woman who represents the fairytale world and so the Savior’s title given to the blonde. The conversation feels rush, tense, like Emma doesn’t want to talk about it. Bravo for Henry ironic tone, by the way! Snow doesn’t even notice her daughter’s behavior, and the first thing she wants to do is planning the wedding. My bet, she would want for Emma to have the same kind of wedding they done in the Enchanted Forest. A fairy tale wedding. Instead of being happy, the blonde cuts her and tell her mother, the wedding had to wait.

“We’re going to wait a little while before we start planning…”

Did you notice the chill in Emma’s voice… She doesn’t want her mother to freak out at this news, but she seems more in touch with herself than before while saying they want to wait to get married. Saying yes is one thing. Marrying the man is another.

“OH why?”

Ok it’s because of the Gideon thing, but did you see Emma deflecting eyes? BOUM, downcast, like she was sad to disappoint her mother and then she brings Gideon justifying the delay.

After, we have Zelena and Regina entering the loft. Zelena is the one noticing the ring. Why that? When they enter the loft, we can see Emma going to place her hand in her jean’s pocket, as she doesn’t want other to know. Except that when you’re engaged to the person you love, you want the world to know. Emma’s hiding it to Regina. Zelena sees the ring and in a wicket smile exposes Emma to Regina.

“Is that an engagement ring?!”

Stop the video when Zelena pulls Emma’s ring to her eyes. Focus on Regina who is literally shocked to hear and see the news. The blonde is awkward in this moment and sad. She doesn’t even know how to respond. Emma’s attitude is worst than with Snow.  Zelena doesn’t say anything, not even congratulation. Nothing. Then we have this shot of Regina; open mouth, eyes cloud with tears. That’s not joy, that’s saddest.

“Hook proposed.”

Why saying this now instead of the conversation whit her mother?! The smile she gives is hypocrite, forced and a façade. So now Hook proposed. I thought she kind of say yes before he had a chance to… Way to go Emma. She chooses to say Hook proposed when Regina learns of the engagement. Really?!

“Oh… Emma…”

It sounds reprimanded no? Like she was going to add to this: “I thought I told you you’re too good for him…” Emma’s face after…Is she daring Regina to say something?! Chin held high, smugness. She is clearly daring her to say Something… and when the brunette says:

“I’m happy for you. I really am.”

It sounds like a goodbye. Regina is letting go. “Really” shows us Regina tries to convince herself. The hug was a way to feel each other close, one last time before letting go. Exactly as the conversation topic changes just after that. Remark Emma’s face in the hug. She is disappointed in the brunette, and sad that Regina didn’t say a word.

“That’s means a lot.”

Of course it does. For Emma, it means, Regina would not fight. But in reality, it means, the brunette cares so much about her that she rather watching the blonde marries a pirate than letting her know she has feeling for her. It means actions speaks louder than words. It means Regina is in love with Emma and chooses to sacrifice her happy ending in order for the blonde to have one. It means. Regina is Emma’s True Love.