Shoshana Grauer

Author | she/they | autistic | queer | Tanthamore fan | Rep: Jennifer Azantian, Azantian Lit

[sonidoreyes]

✨THE BROPOSAL COVER REVEAL✨

Two best friends/roommates decide to get married so one of them can get a green card, but falling in love for real was never a part of the plan

Art: Charlotte Gomez

Design: Jessie Gang

goodreads and preorder links

on some computers, you might have to scroll up a tiny bit to see ALL the preorder options for some reason, but you can preorder here!

I'll also make sure to answer all questions submitted on goodreads by the end of the weekend!

[shoshanagrauer]

Y’all better preorder this book look at that lil cactus I stg I love it

[cnwolf-brainrot]

Y’all have no idea how important this is to me.

Rogue is a character who constantly has to hold on. She’s had to hold on to her control and hold herself back for pretty much her entire life. She can’t touch another person, which means she constantly has to hold back, to keep herself in check, to grasp tight to anything that makes her even a little bit “human” less she be deemed nothing but a monster. This episode is all about Rogue letting go. Letting go of her control, letting go of her morals, letting go — or failing to let go — of Remy… she finally cuts loose, and we see how powerful she is. We see how cut-throat she can be. We see how much she feels, how much she fears, how much she grieves. But this… this moment? When she finally feels the grief through the rage? We see her drop her final defenses, and when she lets go she falls. She completely falls into this embrace and she presses into it. Rogue has spent her entire life holding back from touch, so to sink so fully into a hug like this shows just how far gone she is. This isn’t a quick hug where she’s making sure to keep a layer of clothing between skin contact. This is a full-body embrace with no care for anything but contact and comfort, two things that have been denied Rogue for so long.

This episode tore Rogue down to the deepest parts of herself and forced her to let go, and when she did Kurt and the other X-Men were there to catch her.

also it just makes me really happy to actually see Kurt and Rogue’s relationship acknowledged on screen, they are one of my favorite pairs of siblings in media and seeing them like this is extremely important to me.

[animentality]

I don't really ship straight relationships ever but Rogue and Gambit are one of my very limited exceptions.

They're the OG and they're perfect. I want them to have romantic and sexual tension long after I'm dead.

[1spooky2me]

A Very Human Moment (Part 1)

if y’all ever want to see a part 2 this better do numbers

[st-pam]

[re-bee-key]

I feel so desperate and frantic. I love Willow so much. And what if it doesn't get renewed? What if the story is left unfinished?

I keep trying to think of ways to get people to watch it. Even just to try it out. Just one episode.

But no one seems to want to! And like, why? On tumblr of all places, is it not doing better?

I understand why dudebros dont like it. Its a story written for women about female empowerment and has lesbians and men who are in touch with their emotions.

But tumblr? Why? Cause it has some bad reviews? Cause it dared to be different? Having modern music and humor in a fantasy setting?

Someone said its cause tumblr sapphics dont trust anymore. And like I get it. But Disney isnt Netflix. I mean... like I know they are bad in a lot of ways.

But! The fact that they made a show with a canon disney princess and the sapphic romance being the main one is Amazing! And the fact that all 3 main romances are interracial is also something amazing! Like!

Please. Im begging at this point.

The Willow series is so good. I promise. It has amazing sets, filmed on location, high-quality costumes, a salamander animatronic puppet, deep rich lore with ties to mythology, and one of the prettiest soundtracks Ive ever heard.

Please please give Willow a chance. Especially if you already have a Disney+ account.

Like any show, it needs views to convince Disney to continue. The show is set up for 3 seasons, so its not asking a lot. If it doesnt get the views itll be canceled.

I know its not popular or trending or have thousands of pretty fanart to look at. But it could. If you gave it a chance.

Think of your favorite show. And how youd feel if it was cancelled. Or if it was already canceled. Then you know how I feel.

So please. Im being super cringey, I know. But Im begging, please watch Willow.

[scavenger-rey]

„I really do… love you“

„Yeah?“

„Yeah“

[shoshanagrauer]

Reccs For Feral Willow Fans Part 1

I know y'all are as desperate as me for season 2 news. While we wait, I figured it might be nice to have some media that could scratch the same itch

First up: Cosmoknights by Hannah Templar

"Pan’s life used to be very small. Work in her dad’s body shop, sneak out with her friend Tara to go dancing, and watch the skies for freighter ships. It didn’t even matter that Tara was a princess… until one day it very much did matter, and Pan had to say goodbye forever. Years later, when a charismatic pair of off-world gladiators show up on her doorstep, she finds that life may not be as small as she thought. On the run and off the galactic grid, Pan discovers the astonishing secrets of her neo-medieval world… and the intoxicating possibility of burning it all down."

Looking for more genre fiction that showcases masc-leaning and butch lesbians? Rag-tag found families? Do you wonder what things may have looked like if Kit made her escape and left Jade to deal with the fallout?

Now take that all and set it in an immaculately-designed, neon fever dream of a journey through space.

I've loved this webcomic since long before Willow dropped, and I hope that maybe y'all will love it too! You can read it online as it releases weekly (every Friday!) at the Cosmoknights site or order copies of Volume 1 (out now!) and Volume 2 (pre-order for release in June 2023).

[shoshanagrauer]

Fancy furby

[shoshanagrauer]

Just realized that Kit's so deeply in denial that she would ask Elora for advice on how to talk to Jade in episode 5 that she--at least for a moment--OVERCOMES THE TRUTH PLUMS and tells a lie

[somewillwin]

I just need kit to be loved ok? And who better than jade for the job

Ko-fi

[somewillwin]

I need more fics of kit and jade immediately after the lake. That whole thing was glossed over so much I need it

[shoshanagrauer]

On Enoughness

More Willow musings because I cannot be controlled.

One of my absolute favorite things to both consume and create is explorations of the nature of enough. When does a character believe they are enough to breech whatever threshold they've set before themselves. When are they actually enough? When is enoughness not the question but they're too afraid to acknowledge the truth may live outside of them.

Willow does a lot with feelings of enoughness, which is probably why I love it so much.

There's Elora, who doesn't think she's strong enough to bear the mantle of The Chosen One. Who thinks she has to be enough to justify the trail of sacrifices in her wake that she never asked for. It's easier to feel undeserving of these sacrifices than it is to confront that like it or not, people will die for her. Ultimately it's their choice, she can't save everyone.

With Graydon, it's when will he be enough to outrun the shadow of his past. When will he allow the toxic ideals of his father to snuff out all of his goodness and softness and become someone who can atone for the awful things other have done while in control of his body. Because those crimes are ones he sees as his own, and he'll never be enough to carry their weight. How can he forgive his hands when his heart knows they've done wrong?

For Kit, she doesn't think she's enough for anyone to stay. For anyone to pick her when every other option is better than her in some way. Everyone leaves her in the end, and so she must choose herself. But people are messy, and sometimes they think the need to sacrifice those close to them for the greater good. Kit can't be more than the greater good, but she can choose to grow and be a good person. To get to a place where she finally sees the people who do choose her and accepts that they're sincere, that she's enough for them to do so.

And then there's Jade, for whom duty is everything. She's not enough unless she's serving something greater than herself, something outside herself. There's no room for her personal feelings, her want isn't enough. She hangs onto to her duty for dear life, never really crossing the river of feelings that separates her from Kit for fear of just the raw feelings rattling around in her chest not being enough. She tells herself she's jumping off the edge of the world for everyone and everything but herself, but Willow calls her on her bullshit. Her love is enough.

There's definitely more to this theme, Willow, Boorman, Airk, and Sorsha come to mind as interesting dissections but I'll save those for another wildly long post.

[life-is-more-than-just-surviving]

This is the fucking hottest moment of the kiss

Kit's hesitation

Kit's hand that gently caresses jade's throat

THEY'RE BOTH FUCKING SMILING

Jade waiting and anticipating the kiss

Their noses touching, breathing so close to each other

Jade's hesitant hand initially closed because she doesn't know if she can touch her (honey she's kissing you, you can)

And then FINALLY the kiss

[shoshanagrauer]

On Displays of Physical Intimacy

Welcome back to another episode of Shoshana Talks For Too Long About Why She Likes A Choice That Understandably Most People Are Kinda "Meh" About.

Namely the lack of physical displays of intimacy and affection between Kit and Jade in the finale, namely from Jade.

While watching episode 5, I remember being kinda baffled that Elora would say Kit couldn't love Jade back because SHE'S BASICALLY ALL OVER HER. Well, that's a gross exaggeration, but Kit's constantly touching Jade in this casual, comfortable way that's somewhere between "I need to reassure myself you're here" and "hey I'm here for you."

In short, I'm obsessed. In long, it was pretty obvious to me from the jump that while Kit is much more comfortable with physical affection both when they're alone and in front of people, Jade is most certainly not.

Jade's been repressing her feelings for probably at least a decade, of course she's gonna be reluctant to touch Kit pre-confession. Even post-Jade's confession, some of the few times we see Kit and Jade touch pre-kiss are the adorable hug, which is more mutual, and Jade touching Kit's arm post-daddy issues sword extravaganza (which we kinda get a repeat of in the finale).

We only really see Jade break and touch Kit in a more intimate way RIGHT after she almost drowns (I will forever be bitter we missed the moments right after Kit got launched outta wyrm lake). There's also the moments when Jade's helping out waterlogged Kit post-drowning, but those felt more like Jade could rationalize that away as continuing to do her duty to both Sorsha and Kit. The more distance Jade can put between herself and her feelings, the better lol.

I feel like even though Jade maybe feels more safe expressing herself with Kit physically one-on-one once their feelings are out there, she CLEARLY doesn't feel the same in front of the rest of the group (we really only see them physically touching in a more relaxed way in front of the others that one moment on the beach, which is ADORABLE). Jade's got a long way to go before she fully shakes off the whole "can't touch the princess I shall pine from afar" baggage.

So like even thought my little shipper heart was screaming "hug her" when Kit popped out of the dust pile after Allagash's possible sacrifice or in a million places during the finale, it really tracks for me that Jade wouldn't be in that place. Physically comforting Kit isn't her first thought like it seems to be with Kit for Jade (which we literally get as early as episode 1). Like even when Kit is a disaster because she thinks she's gonna have to off someone she loves, an experience Jade both has had and wanted to protect Kit from experiencing, she's standing back clenching her fists because she doesn't see herself as belonging in that moment. It was for the royals, not for her. That little voice will always be there in the back of her mind.

As much as I wanted All The Content in this first season, I also would like more seasons, which means this relationship needs somewhere to go. And aside from any potential external conflicts that may pop up, I love a potential growth area for Jade being her becoming more comfortable initialing physical affection. I'm usually one for slowburn in terms of when the characters get together, but I think a slowburn in terms of characters growing more comfortable and taking more ownership over what they want to be in their romantic relationships is also fun as hell.

I also deeply need some more Jade Gets Hurt content next season. It's all I want, I am a hurt/comfort girlie.

[shoshanagrauer]

It’s one kind of fun to have watched the cliffhanger gauntlet that is eps 5, 6, and 7. But oh the glee when you make your friend who is completely unspoiled watch and cackle at their reactions

[acre-of-wheat]

Everyone ready for an unhinged theory about The Gales from Willow 2022?

So obviously they’re a dark mirror for our protagonists, and they function like a lot of teams of baddies in media– they tie up each character in combat scenes by either having skills that subvert what the heroes are good at, or are simply just better at the same skills the heroes have.

Have a fast and dexterous fighter like Kit? Throw the Scourge at her and it overpowers anything she throws at it. Have a knight commander in full armor? Toss the Lich at him and have it bamf out of existence every time he swings his sword at it.

But I think there’s more to them than being battle foils for the characters. When Elora and Kit are hemmed in by the Gales and Airk, he tells them that the Gales are, “not what you think they are.”

So much of Willow has to do with the past, and choices, visions and alternate futures, recursions and cursed blood. I think that the Gales actually are our heroes, from a time when they gave into the Crone’s temptations.

Spoilers under the cut.

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