Because Someone Is On The Ball, Turner Classic Is Playing (among Other WWII Films) The Great Dictator

Remember her

others: jiang cheng isn’t THAT great–

me:

and a shoutout to the two Māori men who travelled to Vienna in 1859, got themselves apprenticed as printers (and incidentally became accomplished ballroom dancers), and finally had an audience with Franz Josef where they charmed him so much that he sent a printing press to New Zealand….which was promptly used from 1861 to print the newspaper of the Kingitanga anti-colonial movement.

i have never, in my life, ever been moved like this by a show. i have never cried like this over a show. but that’s because this really is more than a show. this was reality for the thousands, millions of queer folk who came before us. it reminds us: we should always remember to celebrate those that made it possible for us simply to be able to exist and live and love freely. to be.

i honestly couldn’t think of many better ways to pay homage to those queer lives, especially the ones lost, who fought bravely even in the face of death than telling their stories like this; exactly as they were. intricate, raw and real. giving another voice to all that love. the fight might not be over yet, but their contributions have left a lasting impact on this world. telling these stories isn’t just necessary, it’s crucial.

i can’t thank the writers, actors and absolutely everyone else involved in creating fellow travelers enough for bringing this vital, beautiful, poignant, devastating and endlessly meaningful, impactful, important story to life. thank you thank you thank you

Elrond when Legolas rocks up to Valinor late and with a dwarf:

Elrond: NOBODY TOLD ME WE COULD TAKE OUR DWARVES????

shijie coming for jin zixun’s entire life by first respectfully apologizing to him, then raising him up to the height of pure smugness, letting him haughtily soak in his perceived win for a brief victorious moment, before swiftly and cleanly cutting off his balls in front of all these irrelevant ass men who think they can talk shit about her little brother in her presence is literally the greatest takedown of all time. we stan a queen and her name is jiang yanli.

I thought this was inherent but you have to care about trans people you don’t want to fuck too

we were absolutely ROBBED of the passive aggressive i-dislike-him-deeply-and-will-be-obvious-about-it-but-he’s-technically-family-and-i-guess-i-trust-him-implicitly-or-whatever in-laws relationship between jin zixuan and wei wuxian that we deserved

wei wuxian at a discussion conference: he may be an arrogant, vain, and unappreciative jerk, but jin zixuan is also slightly less awful than the rest of his sect and he has my full support! wwx: *turns and gives jzx an unsubtle grin and thumbs up* jin zixuan: ………………………………………………. thanks, wei wuxian.

wwx and jzx competing over jiang yanli’s attention, or rather:

jzx does something nice for jiang yanli because he loves her and wants to make her happy. to his intense annoyance, as soon as wwx finds out, he makes a big show of getting her something thematically similar but technically grander or more impressive, and then smugly smirking at jzx over jyl’s shoulder.

wwx does something nice for jiang yanli because he loves her and wants to make her happy. when jzx walks into the room, wwx remembers he exists and smirks smugly at him over jyl’s shoulder as if one-upping him was his plan all along.

the first time wwx holds jin ling he bursts into tears and sinks to the floor. jiang cheng walks out of the room immediately, jiang yanli laughs, and jin zixuan stands there surprised and kind of horrified. he reaches out to comfort him until wei wuxian bawls, “a-ling … please don’t grow up as spoiled as your dad ….”

it’s actually wwx who spoils jin ling rotten the most in the end

jin zixuan calls wei wuxian “brother” as a sarcastic jab at one point. he regrets it immediately, when wei wuxian’s head snaps around so fast he’s shocked it didn’t fly off, gives him a maniacal grin, and from that forth on proceeds to loudly and publicly address jin zixuan as his brother at every opportunity. jin zixuan doesn’t hate it.

jiang yanli: i think hanguang-jun may be … fond, of a-xian. jin zixuan: *choking on his tea* oh?? jyl: it would be nice to see a-xian settled down, but we’re all already so busy with our current responsibilities, and i would hate to lose his company further to marriage. jzx: … oh?

thus begins jzx’s plotting to set wei wuxian up with lan wangji that eventually culminates in:

wei wuxian: i noticed you’ve been inviting lan zhan to lanling pretty often lately jin zixuan: *has been carefully arranging lwj’s visits so they coincide with wwx’s* … yes …? wei wuxian: well, i don’t care how handsome you think he is! you can’t have him! for god’s sake, you’re married already to the most incredible woman in the entire world, when will you be sated? isn’t she already enough? jzx:

the thing is: jzx logically knows that wwx is only really saying this shit to rile him up. knowing does not make it any less annoying.

things are a little awkward between jin zixuan and jiang cheng, who has grudgingly accepted his sister’s marriage but still side-eyes jzx occasionally in a way that makes it clear that he believes jzx as undeserving of jyl only slightly less than wwx does. however, jiang cheng quickly becomes the more tolerable of jin zixuan’s in-laws when his habit of immediately trying to throttle wei wuxian whenever he opens his mouth comes to light.

when lwj and wwx finally start getting their shit together, jin zixuan is relieved and gratified to discover jiang cheng and - to his surprise - jiang yanli turning testing gazes onto lwj instead. finally, he will no longer be the only oppressed brother-in-law of the jiang family!

this relief lasts right up until the day jin zixuan insinuates to lwj politely over tea that the swords of lanling jin would be quite willing to avenge wei wuxian’s tears if he ever has them, and jzs realizes with abrupt and sudden horror that - oh no. he’s become the overprotective sibling.

wwx: that stupid peacock of a brother of mine is so annoying! always getting in my business and sending me tired looks at discussion conferences and saying “could you please be a little less obnoxious wei wuxian, or for the love of all that is good i will lock myself in my room and scream into my pillow for thirty minutes straight”! who does he think he is, jiang cheng? lwj: you like him wwx: *angrily* maybe so!

It’s interesting how diseases rip through schools at incredible speeds despite being in an arguably modern, clean(ish) environment. I wonder if it has something to do with the whole “you need a doctor’s note to excuse your absence of even one day” combined with the average price of going to a doctor, the lack of education on things like “you’re still contagious even after the fever goes away”, and the overwhelming message of “if you don’t struggle through it, you’re a failure!”

“I just need a break.”