#sof squawks

[sapphic-suchoripterus]

Ah-Duo's presence in the story means so much to me. She's literally the biggest reminder to the reader that Jinshi becoming Emperor would be a trap/bad ending for both him and Maomao. She lives with the regret of losing so many years in a gilded cage, the regret of switching her son with the Imperial Brother, of feeling that its her fault he died, the sadness of never being allowed to tell her son who she really is... and at the same time she opens her heart to people who need somewhere to go, who need a friend or a mother figure... She's the beacon character for letting go of all class and gender boundaries, and just being a human.

Also she's hot af and probably can work the strap like no one else

[sapphic-suchoripterus]

kinda messed up that people are more forgiving of Jax for his own coping strategy and not Ragatha for hers... like they're all trapped here together, they all have problems, and sometimes people clash over opposite coping methods.

Its not about taking sides, Pomni wants to be on good terms with everyone. She even brought up Kinger's wife, hoping it would be an opportunity for everyone to know more about him.

[sapphic-suchoripterus]

I get that some are not happy with how Jinshi and Maomao's reunion was quick and not very emotional, but honestly what I got from that scene was an immense feeling of relief for them both.

They fall back into their banter, into Jinshi being fussy over her safety, and his tight brow got to unclench. Maomao started thinking again. She started making thoughtful decisions again. They feel normal again, even if the siege isn't over.

[sapphic-suchoripterus]

If im being honest I don't think Ka Zuigetsu is who Jinshi wants to be. He doesn't wanna be this hyper masculine crown prince, commanding soldiers and telling them who to kill, or being jerked around by imperial games. He jumped into that identity cause everything he cared about was on the line. He's wanted to shed that identity his whole life, to get far away from it

But he doesn't wanna be Jinshi the sparkly eunuch either. Using his beauty to get by when beauty is such a source of resentment and bitterness in the inner courts. Where he doesnt get to make a difference or help who he wants.

He wants that secret third thing, to be free of all the social barriers that elevate him or lower him from everyone else, especially from Maomao. He's at his best when he sheds all of that, and can be vulnerable. When he and her just get to be people.

I believe going forward he's going to continue with the name Jinshi, and continue to find that secret third thing. After all, didn't Maomao say that he'll always be Master Jinshi to her? His preferred name?

(There may be a case for Jinshi as a trans allegory but I'll save that for another time)

[sapphic-suchoripterus]

I think ace maomao hcs and jinmao shipping can coexist btw

keep in mind maomao was raised in an environment where sex is transactional and reserved for beautiful, powerful, wealthy people. She's always viewed it as something inaccessible for her to enjoy, to a point where she's completely pushed the subject down. Her feelings for Jinshi she has to work out too.

It is perfectly fine to read this as aro/ace. Its perfectly fine to read this as repressed sexual exploration. Neither make her relationship with Jinshi any less valuable.

I like to think of them as similar to Mulder and Scully from Xfiles, tbh. They can be romantic. They can be platonic. They can be both. But their relationship is at the heart of the series, and love they have for each other is important. It doesn't always have to be romantic.

Also ace people *can* be kinky... and these two are so freak4freak.

[sapphic-suchoripterus]

accidentally typed "Maki Rolo" instead of "Maki Roll"

[sapphic-suchoripterus]

I know we're all talking about Shisui/Loulan and rightfully so but holy fuck I really feel Suirei's pain right now and today we probably only saw a fraction of everything Shenmei has done to her

what's hitting me the hardest about this arc is how these two sisters raised by the same horrifically abusive parent came out of it differently, its so tragic but so real

[sapphic-suchoripterus]

I know its fun to joke about how Tenko is a disaster and she's silly and probably annoyed the fuck out of her classmates but honestly she also legitimately cared about and loved Himiko, giving her the advice she needed to keep living, and wanted to work together with everyone to escape the academy, including the people she didn't like, and she read the emotional problems of both Himiko and our boy Shuichi just by flipping them onto the floor, and she infiltrated Angie's cult and successfully resisted brainwashing just to protect Himiko. She's honestly a really interesting character despite what many see her as.