#| v. isn't it all so magical? what a happy ending.

[sitp-recs]

Thank you so much for your recs—they are fantastic! I wondered if you had any for Draco and Harry becoming friends at (and eventual lovers) at Hogwarts (doesn’t have to start with 1st year, but can!). Thank you!!

Hi there! Happy you’re enjoying the recs 😊 I got a couple recs, the majority is 8th year since I don’t really read canon rewrite AUs. I hope you enjoy these!

Thermodynamic Equilibrium by DorthyAnn (T, 5k)

Harry's far too hot. Draco's always cold. And somehow against all odds, together they create a perfect equilibrium.

Good Company by Greenflares (T, 8k)

With Hermione and Ron always together, Harry's return to Hogwarts to complete his education isn't exactly fun. Somehow, it's his unlikely friendship with Malfoy that keeps him sane.

Stand Back: I'm About to Perform Archaeology by Blowfish_Diaries (E, 10k)

A new Muggle Studies professor takes the Eighth Year students to work on an archaeological excavation. In which Draco is lazy, Harry is sweaty, Hermione is drunk, and Ron turns red.

Nice Things by aideomai (M, 22k)

The first thing that happened was Theodore Nott came back from France.

Makes Me Stronger by Lomonaaeren (E, 29k)

Rita Skeeter’s Harry James Potter: An Unnatural History is a best-seller, mostly due to the fact that Skeeter’s collaborated with a photographer who’s infused the pictures in the book with Harry’s actual memories. As Harry struggles to survive the storm consuming his eighth year at Hogwarts, Draco Malfoy becomes an unexpected ally.

On Our Way by evils (E, 30k)

Draco is trying to spend the summer keeping his head down, but a repair project and a certain snowy owl have other plans for him.

Eager for the Sky by @oknowkiss (E, 35k)

It was announced, just as the Triwizard Tournament had been, at the start of term feast. A year-long, international Quidditch varsity match — the inaugural Wizarding Academy Cup. In which Harry is Hogwarts' star Seeker, Draco is on the bench, and they both have a thing or two to learn about playing for the same team.

Like Lightning at Your Fingertips by potterwatch (T, 43k)

The problem with living with another insomniac is, eventually, they find out you’re one, too. When Harry and Draco return for their eighth year, they think they’ll see very little of each other. Then McGonagall assigns them to room together. And the castle starts breaking. And there’s that thing with Potter’s magic.

The July Tree by @oknowkiss (E, 51k)

Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail… nor well-meaning friends, nor questionable communication skills, nor seven years of hating each other’s guts can keep Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy from falling in love.

The Promise of Summer by Omi_Ohmy (M, 67k)

How was Harry supposed to know that coming back for eighth year would be so confusing? Everything is the same, and yet not the same. And nowhere is this more obvious than with Draco Malfoy. Harry finds himself once more watching and following Malfoy, trying to work him out. When they are drawn together to heal the castle, Harry doesn’t just find Malfoy - he also finds himself.

Azoth by @lol-zeitgeistic (E, 88k)

Now that Harry is back at Hogwarts with Hermione for eighth year, he realises that something’s missing from his life, and it either has to do with Ron, his boggart, Snape, or Malfoy. Furthermore, what, exactly, does it mean when one’s life is defined by the desire to simultaneously impress and annoy a portrait? Harry has no idea; he’s too busy trying not to be in love with Malfoy to care.

Helix by Saras_Girl (E, 93k)

Seven months after the end of the war, Harry is feeling lost. Fortunately, he is about to be offered an unexpected and sparkling chance to find himself again.

Changing Tides by carpemermaid (E, 109k)

Draco has spent half of his life spouting the things his father has taught him without much thought about how he feels about what he says. When he unexpectedly comes face to face with the Dark Lord, he grapples with the harsh realities of the world and struggles with his changing views on life.

Written on the Heart by who_la_hoop (E, 114k)

Unnerved by the attention he’s attracting from everyone – the Slytherins are the least of it, to be fair – and struggling with a raft of changes to Hogwarts itself, Harry wishes he could be happy that one constant remains: Draco Malfoy really fucking hates him.

Twist of Fate by Oakstone730 (T, 300k)

Draco asks Harry to help him beat the Imperius curse during 4th year. The lessons turn into more than either expected. A story of redemption and forgiveness.

[theyapper0]

FIRST PART OF "DISHONORED GUESTS"

(A "Welcome to Heaven" rewrite for my Hazbin reimagining)

(Before I get into it, I gotta give some context...

The "Dad Beat Dad" episode didn't happen (bc I don't want Lucifer at ALL in season 1 so there is a better build up to his character. I think he came WAY TOO SOON in canon LOL) 

Charlie doesn't ask Lucifer for the favor to get a meeting to Heaven, instead Alastor encouraged her to contact Adam and DEMAND a meeting as the Heir of Hell) 

(There are also 5 parts to this btw 😋)

____________________

The episode starts w/ a flashback. It's all blurry and all the viewer sees is blurry flashes of colors. 

You can hear Vaggie's voice, she sounds slightly younger. She's shouting out military commands. 

Then you hear another voice, it's the same voice that you heard from the first Episode, the Exorcist Angel that accompanied Adam during Charlie's meeting w/ him (Lute) 

A hand is placed on Silhouette!Vaggie’s shoulder, she's looking up at her, “Easy, soldier”

Lute then tells the rest of the division to “Try not to take the kid to seriously, she still cries about imps under her bed”

There's laughter from a group of Exorcists

Vaggie: UGH!! LUTE!! THEY SAID I COULD LEAD THIS TIME! YOU'RE RUINING IT!!!

Lute laughs, “Okay okay, I'll be quiet. You're doin’ great so far, V. Keep it up”

The dream ends abruptly. Vaggie is woken up to Charlie, who's buzzing around their bedroom. TODAY IS THE DAY THEY GO TO HEAVEN!!!!!!! AAAAHHH!!!! 

Vaggie goes to grab her spear but Charlie puts her hands over hers, “Maybe… don't bring it?”

Vaggie tries to protest, "What if it goes south?”

Charlie: I know but… I wanna make a good impression on Heaven. ‘show them we're not just violent beasts who don't trust anyone

Vaggie hums… 

Charlie: Come on, Vaggie! Nothing bad’s gonna happen! It's Heaven! ^^

Vaggie sighs and lets go of her spear, “Yeah… That's exactly what I'm worried about…”

Her spear is dull anyway, her blade sharpener broke the other day and they haven't had the time (or the money) to get a new one….

Angel, Husk, and Niffty still go to the club with Cherri Bomb

So Charlie and Vaggie go through the portal to Heaven and they walk go the gates of Heaven. 

I'll put the rest under the cut since this is LOOOOOONG

St. Peter isn't there at the gates, Emily is though. She's been waiting for their arrival!!! 

Emily introduces herself as Emily Eveningale!!!! and explains to them her job, making the people of Heaven happy. And then she's like “IT'S SO GREAT TO MEET YOU!!!!!!!🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩”

She explains that the Trial will be starting the moment the clock strikes midnight and that she'll be putting a magic timer on them to ensure they don't forget! 

Charlie's like, “MAGIC TIMER!!!??? SWEET!!!”

But then Vaggie then steps forward and is like, “Yeah, you can just put it on me, we won't be straying too far from each other anyway”

Emily: Ok! 

Emily graces the magic timer on upon Vaggie's wrist. Picture like an animal branding thing. 

Vaggie winces as it's put on.

Emily is like “Yeah, I’m really sorry if the stamp hurt! The trial will be starting at midnight!”

So they’ve got basically the whole day to waste LOL

The Heavenly Gates open and Emily brings them inside, she’s taking them to the Head Seraphim, Sera Eveningale.

So the three are walking through Heaven. Charlie and Emily are yappin’ and yappin’, getting along GREAT!! They meet each other’s energy super well and are basically like two hyperactive puppies at a dog park LMAO!

Charlie and Emily talking 

Vaggie is sota hanging back…. She looks on edge and keeps looking around.

Adam is walking with Saint Peter, they're talking and just having a grand ol’ time. Lute is trailing behind them. (she's still like Adam's bodyguard when she isn't training the Exorcists)

Lute spots them walking past with Emily. She sees stupid shitty fucking Charlotte and…. VAGGIE….. 

Adam looks too, but only focuses on Charlie and Emily. He heard Emily say something like “So what’s Hell like??? :O”!!

He’s not gonna like that.

They get to the Heavenly cathedral (it looks like the one in Hell (where Charlie had her meeting with Adam), just less run down and ugly). It's beautiful!!! 

Sera greets them with as much hospitality as she could muster 

They all talk for a while :) 

“A very interesting belief, the redemption of a Sinner…. And an even more interesting method of doing so with your hotel”

Charlie was gonna go into detail about it but Sera cuts her off and is like “Ah, we can save it for court” 

Sera repeats that the trial starts at midnight. “

“We'll show you to your chambers for the time being” 

So Sera and Emily are leading Charlie and Vaggie to their chambers.

While they're walking there, Emily speaks quietly to Sera… “Can't we give them something…. Nicer?” 

Sera just looks at her and doesn't say anything.

(Keep in mind the title of this episode)

So they get to the chambers and…..

Yeah, it's basically the dungeon in the basement. 

It’s dingy, dark and cold. They don't complain too much bc they're used to stuff like this in Hell but COME ON!!! They just saw a whole bunch of beauty in Heaven, they really couldn't have a nicer room!

Emily is like er… sorry, I wish I could give you a better place to stay. Charlie's like no worries? It's fine! ^^ 

Emily says they don't need to stay here until the trial, I could show you around!!! 

Charlie's like !!! Really!!!!

Emily is like yeah!!! 

Sera: Emily…

Emily: What? Oh come on, Sera!! It's fine! Nothing bad’ll happen! 

Sera is like “ok fine but,” She snaps her fingers and these white cuffs appear on Charlie

Vaggie is like HEY!! GET THAT SHIT OFF HER! 

Sera tells her to relax and is like “dw, it's just Heavenly cuffs. It disables Miss Morningstar’s satanic powers for as long as she has them on” 

Charlie is like “oh nonono I'm not gonna do anything, I swear”

Sera is like I'm sorry but you can never be too careful 

Sera leaves like “see u in court”

Emily hums, slightly annoyed but quickly hides it and smiles again. 

Emily asks Charlie if she's ever been to an aquarium and Charlie is like NO!!!!! Is it really as blue as I've heard?? And Emily is like the BLUEST!!!! 

Emily flies out like “race you outside!!!!” 

Charlie goes to run out but realizes that Vaggie hasn't moved, she's like “U coming, Vags?” 

Vaggie shakes her head and is like “nah, I don't think I wanna see Heaven…”

Charlie laughs, “What? Scared you'll love it and actually give redemption a shot?”

Vaggie smiles and they come closer to each other, she cups her face, “You know I'd never leave you”

Charlie smiles at her and holds her wrists. Vaggie looks down at the cuffs on Charlie and frowns

Charlie: You're worrying, Vaggie. Everything's gonna be okay, I know it

Vaggie hums, “Just be careful, okay?” 

Charlie nods, “Of course”

They kiss.

Charlie: So you're SURE you don't wanna come? I mean, I can stay here with you”

Vaggie looks at her, “Babe, we both know you wanna go see that aquarium, you're literally tap dancing in your spot right now. 

Vaggie: Go. I'd rather stay here :)

Charlie says that she'll bring her back something, from what she saw, the food in Heaven looks DELICIOUS!!! 

PART 1

PART 2

PART 3

PART 4

PART 5

[navybrat817]

OMG NAVYYY HII HOW ARE YA😭😭😭 ever since i watched seb's scene in ghosted ive been so... well... there's no way to say this diplomatically but anyways it got me thinking- you know god spends a lot of time waiting.. for his targets or sum shit.. he must get... bored(wink wink) ya know??? so maybe sometimes his gf comes along with him.. to keep him company.. in that car😏😏😏 and i dont think i need to say anything else you can work ur magic✨✨✨

ANYWAYS BYE LOVE YOU ❤️

Not too bad, nonnie! Hope you're well and hope you enjoy this.

Gentle Sin

Pairing: God the Bounty Hunter x Female Reader Summary: You keep God company. Word Count: Over 1.05k Warnings: S/mut, c/ockwarming, p/ossessive behavior, talk of v/iolence, God the Bounty Hunter (he's a warning, okay?) A/N: Um. This was unexpected! Happy Sinday, lovelies? 🔥 Not beta read and written on my phone, so any and all mistakes are my own. ❤️ Please follow @navybrat817-sideblog for new fics and notifications. Comments, reblogs, feedback are loved and appreciated!

It wasn't unusual for God to hide in vehicles or other places to track and collect whatever criminal or individual he was responsible for. The private agent possessed a certain level of patience suited for his job. It didn't mean he always enjoyed waiting, even when the payoff was more than enough. Which is why you were only half surprised when you got a message to meet him in the back of some random car.

"Come keep my cock warm, Angel."

It wasn't a suggestion and his demands weren't something for you to ignore.

"You know one of the things I love about you? You act as if this isn't where you belong, but your pussy knows exactly who she belongs to."

Fucking traitor.

You breathed in and out slowly through your nose as two of his fingers slid across your tongue. He hardly spoke a word when you showed up in the darkened parking lot, both of you careful not to draw too much attention to yourselves as you shuffled around in the backseat. He didn't have to tell you to lose the panties. They were gone the moment he reached out. 

"Did you know there are two main reasons why it's painful for people to wait for things?" he asked, changing the subject.

Loves the sound of his own voice.

"Mmm," you replied, unable to say anything with his fingers pushing deeper into your mouth. What would he do if you bit them? You could figure that out another day.

"One reason is the unknown. They don't know what's coming and they can't stand it," he said, rolling his hips beneath you. Your warm pussy didn't seem to distract him from his mission, the gun in his other hand ready for him to use. "The other is dealing with something they don't want to deal with in the first place."

You moaned when he brought his mouth to your neck and dragged it along your skin, the light scratch from scruff bringing goosebumps to the surface. Every sound you made, every clench of your wet walls fueled his ego. The sin he carved into you was gentle in comparison to the wrath you knew he unleashed on others.

You were special in his eyes. 

"You think you know what's coming, Angel, but I have a surprise for you," he said as he removed his fingers.

"And what's that?" you asked, wondering if he planned on using his ring tonight. "Me coming on your cock and you coming inside me? Not much of a surprise."

Was it too much to admit you loved how he filled you to the brim? That you craved when he spilled hot and thick inside you and claimed every inch of you as his? But you carried power, too. Your cunt did wonders on this man and it was a weapon you enjoyed wielding.

He brought his wet fingers under your skirt with a grunt, seeking out your clit with an expert touch. You didn't have to see the smirk on his face when you arched your back to know it was there. It was a look engraved in your mind the moment he made you his. "That's not the unknown. We already knew the night would end like that because I always get you off."

Cocky bastard. I get you off, too.

"Then what is it?" you asked, whimpering as he teased your bundle of nerves. Your essence soaked the curls as the base of his cock at this point as he tapped the glass with the gun. 

"Your ex-boyfriend skipped bail," he answered, his voice softer and deeper than before. "I don't have to tell you his name and I better not hear you say it."

You managed not to shriek when he pinched your clit, a ripple of pleasured pain causing your toes to curl. You knew exactly who he was talking about and it was one of the reasons he was your ex. Funnily enough you'd end up with someone who is both worse and better. "God, is that why you wanted me here?"

He had no lesson to teach you because you did nothing wrong.

"Partially why. You'll worship no one else before me and I want you to remember that," he said, tapping the glass again like he wasn't playing you like a finely tuned instrument. You wanted to point out you didn't even know the bounty hunter when you dated your ex, but you bit your tongue. "And I have to wonder if I'll shoot my load into you before or after I shoot him."

Was he going to kill him for merely skipping bail? Wasn't he supposed to bring him in alive? Why did the thought scare you and turn you on?

You gripped his arm for purchase when your body began to shake. During one of his ramblings to you, he mentioned he attuned his senses to everything around him. The orgasms he pulled from you proved that and you understood where some of his confidence came from at least. He also knew how to keep you on the edge without sending you over. 

God, just let me finish. 

"My beautiful, wet angel. Does that get you off? Knowing I want to shoot someone just because they touched you?" he lightly taunted, pressing an affectionate kiss against your shoulder. "Wasn't the tune you sang when I shot your partner, but I changed that, didn't I?"

"Don't talk about him," you snapped.

"Still sore about me doing my job?"

You shut your mouth. You couldn't fault him for that, but it was bad enough you willingly slept with the guy who killed your partner. Would good sex ease your guilty conscience?

"Well, your ex has no idea what's going to happen and he doesn't want to face his crimes. Too fucking bad," he said, pulling his fingers away as you teetered on the edge. "And I want him to see what it's like for a god to take you apart. I want him to see you're mine now. Then I'll take him in. After shooting him for good measure."

He shoved his fingers back in your mouth before you could respond. 

"That's it. Taste your sin on my fingers. Plenty more where that came from before the night is through."

I couldn't help myself! Love and thanks for reading. 💙

Masterlist ⚓ Ko-Fi

[milgram-tournament]

MILGRAM Best Song Tournament, Round 1, Match 4 HALF vs. MAGIC

Propaganda for both options under the cut!

Propaganda for HALF:

kazui may just be an old gay man but HE CAN SING.

its. literally stunning.

like aside from his character and everything else, half is just really really beautifully written

THE INSTRUMENTALS.

HIS V O I C E??? its so pretty

heartbreaking lyrics. i dont love kazui as a character but i have bawled to half

GAY RIGHTS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love amane but she will undoubtedly win when her purge march poll rolls around, so lets let the old man have a win shall we?

---

half propaganda let's goooo sorry i'm sobern't in true kazui style so this probably won't make a bit of sense

theatre kid man. i love him, incredible mv.

this song is pure ASMR to me

visually aligned with Cat and it's so lovely to see that continuity

the GRAINY MOVIE DOTS THING ON THE MV <3

kazui is so dramatic. i love him i love him

dapper gentleman. such clothes

the key change is so well done

AND THE . THE PART WITH THE. THE ENDING SORT OF LYRICS OVERLAID WITH SPEAKING. and then his quieter singing and, and, and o h my god. im sorry. im not very coherent abt this rn

every part of the song is amazing but once it gets to the key change and after it keeps stepping up the amount of being perfect

kazui is in it

um

kazui is in it

go my psionic warriors vote for everyone's favourite failhusband

no children were tortured in the making of this MV (cough looking at You magic)

---

Allow me to present my Half propaganda!

- The slower tempo adds a very relaxing feeling to the song. Kinda ironic, but I like it! It sort of reminds of old indie songs from 2012 (especially with what I think is whistling added in the instrumental in-between chorus and verses.)

- Kazui’s voice. Enough said.

- It’s very easy to listen to, and I find it’s one of the only songs from Milgram that I like to listen to out of context (besides After Pain, Backdraft, and Purge March, oddly enough.)

- The MV is rife with imagery, and is used to beautiful effect. It really makes you feel for Kazui and his situation.

- The scene with him and Hinako before the key change… that makes me so emo.

- The overlapping part at the end… the lyrics combined with the dialogue in the background makes me really sad in a way I can’t explain.

Propaganda for MAGIC:

MAGIC MY BELOVED MAGIC!!! Its one of the best MVs in the entire series, even including T2. Magic is visually stunning and has some fantastic art direction but also is very clever in how it conveys its themes and ideas. Magic doesn't really hide anything from you, not really. It's all symbolic but it Tells You Things. It shows you the abuse, it shows you the cat. There's a fun little relationship going on here where, In Magic. Amane's pain and suffering isn't taken seriously by the people around her and the Audience we are discouraged to take it at face value due to the fictionalized nature of Magic. It's so cool. I'm so fond of the song as well, it's one of the best in the series purely cause of the Layers in it. The implications of this Inability to be good is seeped into Magic. Amane knows this isn't reality, Magic knows it's a show, she watches it at the end. And it's so Sad to me that even in her fictionalized happy world she Cannot be a good girl. It's a standard completely out of reach for her and that idea is just conveyed so well visually.

Im not even talking about the goddamn cat yet- the cat symbolism goes Deep. That cat is HER it has the same wounds Amane has in Purge March. I- I cant talk about the intertextuality of Purge March and Magic here this is Magic propaganda only- I- there's so much good stuff to Magic. I Re watched it over and over again. It has some the Best Writing and Visual Communication in Milgram and I will Die on this Hill.

---

shoutout to magic for having pretty props AND being vague as fuck about the crime! diversity win!

seriously though amane looks SO cute in it! the mv has such a pretty and colorful style and even with that it's able to show the horrors of what amane went through.

adding onto my last point. that scene where the cat is hyperventilating and you see the camera shaking???? that scene where the mascots find amane helping the cat and they're all standing over her? CHILLS. im repeating myself but the fact that they were able to portray the awful things amane went through in a genuinely emotional way while still keeping the cute cartoon look is soo impressive

there are SO many layers to itill the entire cartoony style making it look like a tv show… utilizing the cartoony effects and bright colors to show amane downplaying her own pain… the transformation after she gets punished barely changing anything to show just how manipulated she was from the start… ueueueue

ALSO ALSO ALSO THE SCENE AT THE END WITH AMANE STARING AT THE SCENE? OHHH ITS SO GOOD it adds such a feeling of dread and reminds you on top of this whole thing that all of this is truly horrifying! something is going on here!

this song is so catchy it gets stuck in my head CONSTANTLY

"Dear wise one, Am I worthy? Is it ok to spoil myself?" AMANE... UEUEUUEUE

the little ding sound effects in the instrumental?????

amanes voice is ADORABLE

THE INSTRUMENTAL IN THAT PART WHERE SHES HELPING THE CAT HAS THAT GODLY TYPE SOUND YOUD TYPICALLY ASSOCIATE WITH CHURCHES AND STUFF AND I DONT KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN IT PROPERLY BUT JUST RELISTEN TO IT AND YOU WILL KNOW WHAT I MEAN. ITS SUCH A NEAT DETAIL

i could go on about this mv for days but i am not a theorist unfortunately. just. magic sweep

[austinslounge]

Austin could've gone if he really wanted to. Presley brought his girlfriend, so you know Kaia was offered a plus 1. Especially a boyfriend of over 2 years. (side note, Prelsey's girlfriend and Kaia don't follow each other on Instagram....) But Austin seems to be distancing himself not only from Kaia but from her family as well. I don't think Austin and Kaia are in a good place in their relationship where he attends intimate family weddings. Plus her parents have been making comments about Austin, and this relationship, off and on since January. So I think her parents aren't fans of Austin anymore. They are probably just letting Kaia figure things out on her own. But I can't imagine this relationship lasting much longer.

I feel bad for that fan that bumped into them the other night because she only follows Austin on social media. I don't think she wanted Kaia in the picture but didn't want to seem rude by asking her to not be in it. Maybe she thought it would upset Austin if she asked for his girlfriend not to be in the pic? I doubt Austin would've been mad. But his smile didn't reach his eyes. Even in just a fan picture, he's giving off uncomfortable vibes with Kaia around.

I know it's a coincidence, because it was a fan that bumped into them, but the fact that Austin went 3 weeks without being spotted (other than at a club but no pics) while Kaia was in Paris. As soon as she gets back they magically get spotted out together in NYC. Weird.

Austin could've gone if he really wanted to. Presley brought his girlfriend, so you know Kaia was offered a plus 1. Especially a boyfriend of over 2 years. (side note, Prelsey's girlfriend and Kaia don't follow each other on Instagram....) But Austin seems to be distancing himself not only from Kaia but from her family as well.

This 100%. Men do what they want to do. Remember that ladies!! Like you said, he had full capacity to go if he really wanted to. With that said, I know Austin can get pretty deep in focus when it comes to certain things, and I'm sure this is probably one of those times?

If Kaia isn't happy/accepting of that, then she will have to just find a new man to date lol, because based on what I've seen, that's just how Austin is.

Vanessa was probably used to it (maybe up until the very end) because she had been dating Austin for years. At the same time, it kind of seemed like their lives and families were a lot more integrated with each other too though. I mean, V was in his sister Ashley's wedding for goodness sakes. 👀 Austin brought Vanessa to his sister's wedding. That is pretty huge. Most men aren't bringing you to the wedding of a family member, especially such a close one as a sister, unless they think you're "the one".

Plus her parents have been making comments about Austin, and this relationship, off and on since January.

I'm not sure how much stock I should put into the L&S articles (I'm just not familiar w/their reputation), but what I will say is that it does seem very odd that here we are, already in August, and the last time Austin was photographed with her family was back in early Jan of this year when they were coming back from Cabo. 👀 True, just because there aren't photographs, it doesn't mean that people aren't spending time w/each other, but, think about all the times we saw Austin and her family together last year, and now, compare that with THIS year. 😬

But I can't imagine this relationship lasting much longer.

This relationship is definitely going downhill. Nobody in a happy and thoroughly fulfilled relationship looks like this together. JMHO. He looks like he's slowly pulling away, or just tolerating her at this point. This doesn't look like a man who has found the love of his life imo.

I feel bad for that fan that bumped into them the other night because she only follows Austin on social media. I don't think she wanted Kaia in the picture but didn't want to seem rude by asking her to not be in it. Maybe she thought it would upset Austin if she asked for his girlfriend not to be in the pic?

I got that vibe also lol. 😅

No offense, but Kaia looks like she's 3rd-wheeling in that fan photo. Austin has his full arms around the girl, the girl is leaning into him, and meanwhile, Kaia is standing awkwardly next to the girl and doesn't even know where to put her hands lol 😅 The fan didn't even bother to put her arm around Kaia rotfl. She's like NOPE! lol

[from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras]

I'm back to talk a bit more about Teddy! (I love that you call him that, lol. Also, thank you for answering my questions!) Since I haven't read UT yet, and there's isn't much about Theodred's character in LOTR books, would you happen to know (or maybe even share some of your own headcanons) what kind of person he was? Passionate and somewhat hotheaded like Eomer? A bit more levelheaded? Really tall, or a bit on a shorter side? I know he was a strong and skilled warrior, but apart from that, I know almost nothing and I'd very much like to 😀 Thank you so much!

UT is definitely the best source for everything we know about Théodred as a person, so let’s start there and work our way forward!

What’s straight-up stated in UT: Théodred was a “vigorous” man, “devoted to the king” and “high in his affections.” He “remained steadfast” in his loyalties to Théoden and Éomer despite Gríma’s best efforts to turn them against each other.

What we can infer from UT: He was an excellent leader – his men are “well trained” and execute maneuvers in “good order.” He was INCREDIBLY brave – even after realizing that Saruman’s forces at the Fords were coming for him personally, he stood his motherfucking ground and went down fighting. He was beloved – Grimbold and Elfhelm nearly died rather than allow Saruman’s forces to carry his body away. He was strong – he took a fatal wound (likely from an axe) but hung on long enough to give last words to his men at the end of the battle. And he had an amazing sense of duty and love for his family – those last words were a request to be left at the Fords long enough to see his cherished cousin Éomer arrive and take up the defense of Rohan in his place.

What I believe to be true of him (i.e., my HC):

–Growing up in a house without other kids and with a busy father, he spent a lot of his early years alone or with his Aunt Théodwyn. He gravitated to solitary activities as a result. He liked reading, for example (Rohan’s royal family was literate!), and he got a love of plants from his aunt. He thought using the sun, some water and his own hands to bring beautiful flowers to life was the closest thing to magic that he’d ever experience.

–His best friend was Boromir, who he met on visits to his grandmother’s family in Gondor. They bonded over the shared pressures of being an heir and the shared loss of a mom, and they remained friends their whole lives, which ended within 24 hours of each other 😭. (I love a good Borodred romance fic as well, though that’s not my personal HC!)

–He was unafraid to challenge tradition. He accepted duty that was for the good of Rohan, but resisted anything that only worked to control him as a person. That’s why he was still unmarried in his 40s. He wouldn’t marry for expediency or for an heir; he held out for love and was just as happy for the crown to pass to Éomer’s line after his own death. He also tried to advocate for others in the royal family (*cough* Éowyn) who felt constrained by tradition.

–He was much calmer and more measured than Éomer. Part of that is age (Éomer was 13 years younger), and part of it was in their natures. Théodred was born a little introspective and thoughtful, whereas Éomer has canonical hotheads (i.e. Éomund) in his genes.

–It’s v. important to me that Théodred had joy in his life since otherwise it’s pretty tragic. I gave him a fiancee, Eadlin, who loved him FIERCELY and made him very happy, and I also gave him a dog – the kind that looks huge and scary but is actually a big goofball – because dogs are the absolute best and all my faves have them.

Now I risk blabbering on at even further length, so I’ll stop there. But thank you for asking about him! ♥️♥️♥️ Teddy is one of my absolute FAVORITES, and I love to both talk and hear about him!

[ncoincidences]

all the fics I read this year, part II — drarry edition

Here's where you go for part I (jily). Drarry is my second top-ship of 2023! Personally, I am so awed by the drarry writers on here, their wonderful & unique fics out there, plus the many podfics! I hope to enjoy more podfics next year ❤️ For now I'm highly grateful to have read all these incredible fics which have comforted me during hard times ❤️🫂

Magic Man by @dracogotgame = dracogotgame - Draco is a Muggle Magic Performer, and Harry's sure he's using real magic, which he isn't allowed to do, and naturally sets up to investigate, but what follows is a fluffy romantic fic instead!

Tiny Dragons & Where to Find Them by @tasteofshapes  - Harry's tiny dragon is missing! It's with Draco 😳😏😍🥰

Little Deaths and How to Avoid Them (or Draco Malfoy's Guide to Stop Dying and Start Living Instead)* by dustmouth, nerakrose asexual Harry! This fic was so amazing, the vibes were soft and p calm ❤️

Far From The Tree by aideomai - GOSH THIS FIC. goodness where do i start. It's like enemies with benefits except we know we're not going to end up together because your future kids accidentally time travelled here and at least i don't end up in azkaban in the future also there's an evil swordlady trying to kill us all AND MORE. this fic has a great concept, amazing execution and a PERFECT ending.

Nice Things by aideomai - every drarry fic list must contain an 8th year fic! This one also has some interhouse friendships and the vibe is quite cosy. This is the fic where all the 8th years are accomodated in a house called 'Gatehouse'. Kind of gives off a bit of a 2012 Avengers fic, iykwim.

The Star Splitter by @oflights - ahsvgdjsknbvghk this WIP is the bane of my existence the object if my desires etc etc. Latest update has left me hanging! It is heart-healing but angsty at the same time, and has lots of world building. Features 35 yo drarry, plus lots of time-travelling. I'm putting a lot of trust in that "happy ending" tag!

if the bees know by fanfairmod, oflights - everything about this fic screams fall amd spooky season. it is cosy, starts a bit sadly but ends on a beautiful note. also feat. cute harry & scorpius moments!

go to it laughing by oflights - v cute meet-cute!!

along each garden wall by oflights - veela Harry! Feat. A Draco who wants to whisk Harry off in his hot air balloon and a time-stopping ship. It's funny and a nice read overall.

the first in line by oflights - so many misunderstandings in this one oh my god!!!! overall it's a funny and comfort fic feat. Vet!Harry 🤩😍

Close Behind* by oflights - angsty angsty fic! Betrayal, death, lots of worldbuilding and a gripping plotline!

Byzantine by oflights - alexa play jealousy, jealousy by olivia

What dreams may come by @lastontheboat  - i LOVE the unique concept this fic is based on! Amnesiac Harry has his memory regained by Healer Draco, but in the process they must have sex! The smut was incredible.

Assumptions by  @indigo-scarf - asexual draco with hurt and comfort that patches you back together!

Tomorrow by space_wingding - Harry and Draco are older, Harry's dying, Draco's a biographer, and this is how the fic starts. In the process of writing, they fall in love as they discover more about each other ❤️

It Was All Just a Game (Rewrite) by write_me227 - holy shit is this a ride. This is angsty, adorable, angsty, romantic, etc and has all the rockiness of a teenage relationship accompanied by lies and dark lords and wartimes. it had me totally under its powerful grip.

hear me (with your whole body) by @teacup-tai - this was an interesting fic, focussing on the intricacies of drarry, how miscommunication and not enough talking planted misconceptions in their minds about their relationship

[Podfic] GOODNIGHT FROM YOUR FUTURE HUSBAND by GallaPlacidia by greenmegsnoham, PhenomenalAsterisk - truly phenomenal podfic, so many fun moments and laughter! this was my first podfic, both the fic and the reading were great, i loved consuming fic in this form ❤️

*[Asterisk marks a fic i haven't completely read.]

[rajanilefreak]

villainess writing prompt

So I found myself thinking on all of those villainess stories going around the other day. And while the existing concepts are amusing as fuk I was wondering what would be an idea that hasn't been used yet and got an idea to start off with.

at the most, the people who get isekai-ed to a villainess Au go up to two but never three or more and usually the villainess one has the knowledge of the otome game it's based on. So I was thinking... three people get brought in:

one of them is a mega fan of the otome game and immediately recognizes it... but unluckily they get cast as a background character that they only recognizes because they are that big of a fan. let's call them BGC for now.

one of them knows the game somewhat, enough to have some characters they like. they get cast as the main character and are incredibly thankful for it because now they know some of the options they have in front of them so they are less likely to misstep in a way that gets them killed/exiled/expelled (depending on what sort of otome it is). let's call them MC.

one of them knows nothing of the game, probably had a rather dull or miserable life and thinks they just got isekai-ed to some sort of fantasy world (if it has magic and other races and all of that) and is unaware they're the villainess. let's call them V.

Imagine all the shenanigans that this could lead to!!

BGC is now determined to befriend the MC at all costs just to lead them away from their favorite love interest. they'll, of course, help MC with any of the other available love interests, so long as that specific one stays free. Then BGC will try very hard at winning them over for themself. (don't care if BGC succeeds in getting their man or not, maybe they do or maybe they end up falling for another along the way instead of their 'one true love'. but this is mostly meant to be a softer AU so they get their happy ending all the same)

MC doesn't care much about the getting together and marriage part. they mostly see it as the price to pay if they are to survive since it's the easiest way to go about it but their heart isn't really on it. they do find BGC's attempts at befriending them a bit weird since they don't remember that character at all but chalk it up to them just not knowing enough about the game. Honestly, they would be satisfied if they got a normal job that got them enough money to live happily and not have to deal with heavy handed politics and all that jazz. (once again I don't have a defined path for them to take. maybe they do eventually fall in love with one of the romantic interests and get married, or maybe they do away with all of them and instead get a very successful business, we stan a aro queen in the house. again, so long as they are happy with their life by the end I'm good with it) V thinks they got isekai-ed into mayeby a fantasy adventure world and is just having a blast exploring the different culture. At most they're annoyed at any societal constrictions they might have due to their character's background since villainesses are more often than not ladies of high standing, usually engaged to one of the love interests, usually the prince. Honestly they barely pay attention to any of that beyond said annoyance when they get barred from doing something they want or expressing gratefulness that their stature allows them to do some things they otherwise wouldn't be able to. They also completely befuddle MC and BGC since they act nothing like what the character was supposed to. BGC is conflicted, thinking that somewhere along the line they must have altered the story in their rush to befriend MC that meant that V now lost all her bitterness and that might make things more complicated because BGC would feel bad if MC decided to go for V's fiancé. MC is just thinking that they didn't know the game very well and now considered it to be a shit game if it meant turning this person into an enemy when they didn't deserve the bad things that would happen to them and is resolved to avoid that happening. V is just happy that they now have two dedicated friends they can talk lore with. (again, don't care if they get with the prince or have they engagement broken off and get together with someone else or even neither option, but they are going to enjoy every second of exploring this new world as some sort of adventurer). So this is my idea. I tried refering to the characters by gender neutral terms (despite my tendency to refer to them in the female because most stories have them as being female) because I don't care what genders them have (heck take the chance to make one of them transfem and be thrilled that them waking up in this world means they get to have their real gender and no dysphoria. I'm always up for that).

I'm also up for this to be used as an AU of an existing fandom (even if I don't know the fandom, I think I would read the fuk out of it if it got written all the same.)

So, if anyone takes this on, just send me links so that I read it later.

[lizpaige]

Hello!!! 2 & 20 for the fanfic asks if it's not too late! 💕💕

hiiii! not too late thanks for the ask! 💕

2. What’s next on your to-read list? (fanfiction or otherwise)

These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever and I got the first book of aftg cause I feel like I have to give it a try.

20. Do you have a favorite fanfic or author? If so, tag them/post a link and share the love!

omg i have 140 bookmarks on ao3 🫣🫣🫣 lemme go through a couple recent ones from there and from my history. but just know its v hard to pick favorites!!

The Raven Boys, Chapter One: The Church Watch by @miseria-fortes-viros This is like the biggest gift to the TRC fandom - the tv series we were promised but never got. I don't want to spoil because this first chapter is such a joy, but give it a read!!

Slow Cinnamon Summer by @infinite-of-sky Post-TRK AU where Ronan/Adam and Blue/Gansey aren't together yet. I love Post-TRK fics and this AU was a fresh take. Super great characterization of Ronan and Adam imo I loved it.

Please Don't Leave Quite Yet by blue_violets Ronan follows Adam to college and pining and drama ensue. Happy ending tho! I love lots of blue_violets' fics so if this one isn't for you, still check out their works for more.

saw all your warning flags; good thing I'm color blind by @zephfair "Gansey decides his two best friends really need to go on a date, so what could go wrong?" WHAT COULD GO WRONG, INDEED? I love this even though it's not finished yet. I am biased and love p much every pynch fic zephfair has written 😇

Uncanny by @iammistressofmyfate Such a unique story/different magical AU. Adam is a psychic medium, Ronan is from Ireland. I really enjoyed this fic and also enjoy all of Sarah's fics (and she blesses us with so much pynch content so plz give em a read if you haven't already).

Extra Ordinary by YOU @mychemicalrachel Is it bad to mention one of your fics? NAH. An Adam/Declan fic? I never would have tried them, but I trusted you and your writing and I am in love. So good. Can't wait to read more of this and more of your fics.

[huntunderironskies]

I know this isn't what anyone wanted when it comes to WIPs given what I'm known for but as you might know I've been trying my hand at translating and I still don't feel like I'm good enough to share my stuff outside of friend groups but I do like showing that I massively overthink things. I think I've said a few times there's something of an expectation of literal translations in order to "preserve the spirit" of the source and that's part of the reason I'm paranoid, the other issue is that honestly my Japanese is not that good and I pretty frequently run into words I don't know which is why I work with about three different dictionaries open at any given time. Thankfully for all of its quirks, JP pronunciation is very consistent compared to every other language I've learned so as long as you can pick out each phoneme you'll know exactly what to look for.

Anyway. Here's something I've been working on and I'm hoping I can have in a presentable state before the upcoming plot arcs they're gearing up for. Lots of rambling so I'm putting it below the cut.

Context: this is the music project V-Kei Sentai Executioner. The characters in this specific drama track are a group of phantom thieves who turn into a magical superhero visual kei band and had their superpowers granted to them by a demon who they are also forced to live with because he won't leave them alone. They have to use their powers to free the world from time loop causing 1999 to repeat infinitely that's slowly undoing the fabric of reality and will eventually end the world. This only kind of makes sense in context. They have just experienced their first (as far as they're aware) iteration of the time loop.

Yes, I know, I forgot to capitalize some letters in there, I will fix it, I just keep editing other things instead--

So this is admittedly a bit of a personal flourish, but I'll try to walk through the logic of why and how I veer off of totally literal translations.

Exactly what Astaroth says here with a very literal translation is "Yo, kosodoro-domo! Akemashite omedetou da na!" (lit."Yo, thieves [mildly derogatory suffix i can't translate into english]! Happy new year!") And Kiyoshiro responds "Dare ga kosodoro?" (lit. "Who are [these] thieves?")

For further context: kosodoro is a somewhat demeaning term for a thief, by my understanding, several of the dictionaries I looked at translated it specifically as "petty thief." You're more likely to hear dorobou used, at least in all the media I've watched. However, the Asta boys consistently call themselves kaitou-dan, or a phantom thief organization, and all of them seem to take a lot of pride in that. Phantom thieves have entered the not-weeb public consciousness a lot more due to Persona 5 but if you need a refresher, phantom thieves are specifically heroic thieves who operate under a code of honor. It's a pretty different connotation.

Anyway, yeah, I could have just done a literal translation but in my own head there was a chance to try and get everyones' personalities across a little better in English. "Phantom thief" might be understood by weebs but not necessarily a general audience. Now, admittedly, the English-speaking audience that isn't a weeb for this sort of music project is probably nonexistent to the point I haven't doubled back and changed any uses of "phantom thief" in other parts of the translation (and probably won't at this point) but I still wanted to go a little bit off script to try and get my point across. I could've had Kiyoshiro correct him that they're phantom thieves and that probably could've worked but I didn't like that pass. There's a couple reasons, I didn't like the flow of it being one. I also had used the word thief/thieves a lot and the thing about English is that word choice and avoiding repetition matters a lot when you're writing.

Here's what I went with instead and my personal read on the character dynamics. Astaroth is trying to be as insulting as possible. Meanwhile Kiyoshiro isn't necessarily mad that he's being called a criminal, that's objectively true. But he's a criminal who's performing a very valuable function to society and he's also very good at doing it, thank you very much.

I feel like Asta is the one group where the red sentai member isn't the sole moral center of the group, which is also why I'd call them the most unambiguously heroic. Even if he is a utilitarian, Kiyoshiro seems to have a pretty well-thought-out philosophical outlook on art and aesthetics-- he was completely psyched to be stealing from an art hoarder because by his reckoning, depriving everyone else of the joy of looking at sublimely beautiful art is evil. He is the government-mandated kuudere of the series so the first time you get an indication of just how excited he is comes from him aggressively infodumping about the paintings they're stealing and why they should be shared with the world instead of being hidden away in a private collection but it's also the most we see him talk at one time in the entire drama track. He really, really cares about what they're doing.

I still don't know if italicizing the "useless" part is getting my vision 100% across and I might change it in pass #23523 but this feels like it gets the point of their characters across really well while still retaining the meaning of the dialogue. Spirit but not the letter, I guess.

Also the highlighted bit in Shiyuki's dialogue is one of the things I do in my drafts. There's...a lot of them, especially in his lines because it's more slang-y and I tend to leave the original JP in since they end up getting edited the most. In this case the actual line in JP is "akeohayon~" which is smashing together both "akeome" (very casual way of saying "Happy New Year" and "ohayo." I tend to put notes for basically any nonstandard

...oh, this isn't even getting into the other issue which is that the humor in their dialogue is very heavily inspired by manzai which does not track over into English well, and there are several jokes completely contingent on Momiji lying about having a Kansai accent while two of his other brothers do genuinely have one so I did the thing everyone hates and had to do a semi-phonetic Southern accent (I tried to lean in more on regionalisms, speech patterns, and slang instead of spelling it inasmuch as I could.) Yes, I know, the more recent argument is you should use a New Yorker accent instead of a Deep South one since it's culturally closer to Osaka but I'm going to have a significantly easier time writing a Southern accent since, you know, I live here and I hear it all the time.

You see why I don't talk about my process or translating at all much, since this is the kind of thing I get mired down in.

[noirandchocolate]

Round 3 super fun happy comments post time!

Match 1, Vimes vs. Rob

Vimes I love you buddy but there is no way you can handle a Feegle going down your drawers.

--@purpledemoncat

Vimes would probably get adopted by the clan. He has a similar distaste for lawyers. All they need to do is get rid of his penchant for following the law.

--@missnotlob

Feegles are superstitious Rob would see the following dark and bugger off.

--@shiftyfly

But also this poll missed a golden opportunity for Rob v Adora Belle. Because there's plenty of people Rob could beat who could also beat Adora. But I firmly believe no male feegle could ever beat her. You really think that someone afraid of the pursin' o' the lips and the tappin' o' the feets could beat Spike??? I do think after the fact all the rest would be terrified of her but Rob would actually become great friends with her. (Much to Moist's terror.)

--@myidealhousehaschickenfeet (This is so funny, yes I definitely want these two to meet.)

Match 2, Granny vs. the Librarian

Granny would just Borrow him and we'd have a "stop hitting yourself!!' situation.

--@purpledemoncat

Granny turns the Librarian back into a human, or headologies him into doing it himself. He spends the next week crying and trying to grab things with his feet.

--@missnotlob

I once again point out that Granny Weatherwax is somewhat unclear on the concept of a friendly fight and very unclear on the subject of Granny Weatherwax losing anything. The Librarian ain't no fool. He's either pulling a Rincewind or backing away very slowly.

--@the-damn-things-overlap

The Librarian is a clever ape. He takes the bag of peanuts Gytha Ogg brought, thoughtfully eats one, shakes his head and points to Granny. He isn't gonna fight her.

--@msmeiriona

I feel like the fact that the Librarian is an inherently silly figure is what could lead to an upset here. Granny can rise above any serious threat and will herself look silly sometimes in handling minor ones like say raindrops or her broomstick. But I don't know how well she'd tangle with an inherently silly threat. And I think the Librarian could actually snag this one.

--@omicheese

Match 3, Vetinari vs. Nanny

@pourablecat did fanart of this match's outcome!

I can't articulate why I voted Nanny but I looked into her smiling face and it just felt right.

--@hazelnootle

There's a reason why Nanny lives in Lancre and it's to stop her from pile driving this man.

--@purpledemoncat

It's sheer narrative logic. What looks like a friendly old lady goes up against a trained assassin. The only way this could look more million to one was if she were blindfolded on one leg.

--@katistrophe

Vetinari plays Thud, Nanny Ogg plays Twister.

--@modstin

Would Nanny winning be fucking hilarious? Yes. But they had to invent a cursed gun and an entirely new system of poisoning to get a scratch on Vetinari so. And he couldn't be convinced to drink her scumble anyway. Vetinari got one-shotted by a magic user exactly once and is not about to let that happen again.

--@twofoursixohjuan

Vetinari may be a dictator but Nanny Ogg has to plan family game night for 100 people every weekend. I think that makes her far more powerful a foe. His ass is not ready for the Ogg.

--@spunchthegoblin

The only person Vetinari has ever feared is his Aunt. Nanny is the primordial matter from which all Aunties are formed.

--@thisblogisboundforglory-blog

Match 4, Carrot vs. Angua

@thestuffedalligator and @oorpe made this one sexy in a silly kind of way, and I am here for it.

Carrot, being ever the chivalrous gentleman, tries to LET Angua win. She realizes what he's up to & losers her whole entire temper. Carrot ends up having to pin her to stop her thrashing him in a fit of rage. he wins by accident for the pin & is DREADFULLY embarrassed about it.

--@javaelemental

This is a IDW Sonic Issue #57 moment, here.

--@cipher-of-the-round-table (I don't know what his means but I laughed.)

SO MUCH good commentary on the fights this time, I really enjoyed reading everyone's thoughts. Everybody go check out the notes on all the fights, they're full of more funny and well-reasoned rationales for voting!

[knightleysbookshelf]

Mid year book freakout 2024

Total books so far: 33

1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2024

the crazy thing is i haven't had any 5 star reads this year (unless they were rereads). I just haven't found something i REALLY vibe with. but the closest to 5 stars would be Genderqueer by Maia Kobabe. I thought is was really beautiful and expressed so many real emotions when it comes to living outside the gender binary.

2. Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2024

just now realizing i have been reading mostly standalones this year, but i did read the All Our Hidden Gifts trilogy by Caroline O'Donoghue. Not bad!

3. New release you haven’t read yet, but want to.

i really want to give The Age of Magical Overthinking by Amanda Montell a try! i've heard it is a tough read, but it seems so interesting

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year.

I AM SO EXCITED FOR COMPOUND FRACTURE BY ANDREW JOSEPH WHITE!!!! i have had it preordered for months now! i have LOVED his other two books and i have to assume this one will be good, too! i can not wait until september!

5. Biggest disappointment.

haha i have had a few disappointments this year, but i think the biggest one was A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab because i had hyped it up for myself so much. i really enjoyed most of her other work, and this was just not hitting the same. i loved the world building, but one i got near the end i realized that i didn't care about any of the characters. she didn't spend enough time getting the audience invested in their lives. i did not finish the trilogy (and i had made the mistake of buying the box set)

6. Biggest surprise.

speaking of this author, the biggest surprise was The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab. i know i am a few year late to the hype for this one lol, but i just assumed that it couldn't be as good as everyone was saying. but i ended up really enjoying this one! it was such a cool premise and it was so fun to go on the adventure

7. Favorite new author. (Debut or new to you)

all of these questions are really making me realize over many books i've read this year that i just did not enjoy. there really hasn't been a new author that has grabbed me. :( i am hoping this changes by the end of the year!

8. Newest fictional crush.

this isn't "new", but it is the newest (it has been close to a year). i love kaz brekker with my whole heart.

9. Newest favorite character.

see previous LOL

10. Book that made you cry.

nothing so far! :(

11. Book that made you happy.

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang! cute graphic novel about gender expression

12. Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)

mentioned the book above, but i got the deluxe version of Genderqueer, and it is a very nice hardcover.

13. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

oh so many! my main goal is to finally have a 5 star review (NOT a reread)! the main books i am hoping to get to are Gideon the Ninth, Legends & Lattes, 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, and The House in the Cerulean Sea.

i tag anyone who wants to do this! just say that i tagged you, lol!

[trinkerichi]

I had a LONG call with friends last night about writing and inspirations! So today I was thinking about sharing some of the media that's inspired my comic in some way.

Rocket Chip isn't necessarily something I'd write FOR kids, but it's not an adult series either. I guess it's something im retroactively writing for my kid self if that makes sense? It's meant to have the feeling of a simple kid's story even when it's dealing with heavier emotions, because that's honestly how I like it best! Even now with my much wider grasp of film and media as an art form, there's something about old cartoons that can Really capture this specific weird lonely tone that just sticks in your head.. Something about the inherent uncanny feeling that animation has, maybe?

Anyway:

Chip was named after this character! This clip was meant to teach kids about personal computers in the 80's when they were BRAND NEW as a concept. And it was never officially distributed until the 2000's.

I think some AI enthusiasts could stand to watch this actually. But entirely from a narrative perspective, this song has an oddly eerie tone, doesn't it? Mostly because of this computer character's voice actor and the music. The more he insists that he can't feel pain or emotions, the more tension the music builds up! The more emotion he seems to have in his voice!! And then brings it all back down so simply. It's a really interesting little short.

The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars is a fever dream of a movie and frankly the whole thing has that slightly unsettling lonely mood to it that I was talking about. Helped by the fact that the book series it was based on is pretty dark in its own right. Both the books and movies are themed around household objects facing the fact that they're disposable. Planned obsolescence and all that, though this movie doesn't exactly have anything profound to say about it, it's just kinda brought up.

BUT this was always my favorite part as a kid. They're just a buncha happy balloons! Floating in space! Forever! They were made to bring you a moment of happiness and then there they go. As a kid I definitely didn't understand the woodstock references, so I'd assumed the purple balloon was talking about the balloons themselves when he said "We feel you can't relive a one-time thing".

Y'know, with how fixated I was on concepts like this, it's surprising in retrospect that I never really cared about the toy story movies very much. huh.. anyway

UNICO in the Island of Magic is a beautiful movie that I highly recommend watching if you haven't. It's my favorite Tezuka property by far. It reminds me a lot of "The Last Unicorn" in how morose it feels. Unico is a creature that was born with the power to make everyone happy, but is hated for it. Every time he makes a friend he's taken away to a new place and his memories are erased. Unico is presumably doomed to this cycle for his entire life and there's no resolution in sight. It's TERRIBLY DEPRESSING and yet there's still hope in it somehow. Unico still pushes himself to help even the most broken of people because he knows happiness and friendship are what he's meant to bring to the world. But it's something he can never have for himself.

It's done in a cheesy friendship speech way of course, but it's still impactful.

This clip of the ending always gets me. Though id recommend you watch the whole movie for the context, if you don't care or have already seen it, this is my favorite part.

I've got more examples but I'm tired of typing =v= later though!

[bonesandthebees]

Ok so now that I have time to collect my very important and profound thoughts and also take in everyone else's reactions (which is what I normally do, I am a scientist who observes above all else before scribbling down my nonsense ramblings /lh) , chapter 8 of glass divine let's gooo

The Las Nevadas guys!! Seeing Purpled just in the bg made me so happy. I always get so hyped whenever he appears in any fic I read, even if he appears for (1) scene. What a guy, what a fella.

Quackity is great, as always. The Pythia's Prophecy drink rlly does sound like something that would exist in this universe, it's such a fun silly concept to me. I kinda want to try it lol.

His conversation with Wilbur is rlly neat and it's great to see Wilbur's narrow world view being slowly expanded bit by bit each chapter, this time by introducing him to the magical concept of agnostic people.

The subtle foreshadowing with the glass and 'card reader' and the growing sense of "ayo smth's not right with that" but not knowing exactly what is so well done!!! Ahhh I love your writing sm.

AND THE BIRD IN THE CAGE, IN WILBUR'S RIBCAGE BEING THE EXTENDED METAPHOR IN THIS STORY IS SO COOL. FUCK I LOVE METAPHORS SO MUCH YOU GET SO CREATIVE WITH THEM I JUST KAVSKSBJSV

An idea I have in my head of the bird almost being like a phoenix, being reborn with each new Pythia and being broken down every single time from a symbol of strength and resilience to just being a pretty bird in a cage to be admired but not for what it actually could be because that was stripped away from it, only for the idea of it and for people to constantly poke at it with a stick but not truly hearing it or seeing its pain or it for its worth I just wahhhh.

But I can't avoid the elephant in the room anymore lol. Tommy's reveal at the end, here we go.

I have mixed feelings about it because of the beauty of grey morality in characters. Wilbur has been nothing but a massive asshole to Tommy and the other Deathlings since he got there, which is very justified, I'm not trying to say it wasn't he was kidnapped lol. Wilbur also tried to kill Tommy like not even two weeks ago, the two aren't really comparable.

We see the story through Wilbur's eyes, we get an insight into him that Tommy will never get because as emotional intelligent and observant as Tommy is, he is not psychic and he is 18 years old. He does not have the greatest critical thinking skills in the world when it comes to things like this. In his head, the means justifies the end.

Is this going to cause Wilbur a massive amount of stress? Yes, of course it will. His identity was stripped away and he's been like this for like more than a decade, Tommy is trying to make progress at undoing a process that has done undeniable damage to Wilbur's psyche. However Wilbur's perception of this is of course going to be horribly skewed and he's not going to see Tommy's good intentions behind this right now; he's only going to see it as a massive 'betrayal' (I use that v loosely, he destroyed whaf little trust they had w that murder attempt) from Tommy and is going to be extremely bitter about it and his narration of this event is going to affect our view of it because we only see it through Wilbur's eyes and his processing of this, we don't see Tommy's anxiety leading up to this or his thought process on *why* he's doing this. We go off observations, theories and what Tommy himself tells us, we don't have a direct line into his brain like we do Wilbur.

This is a necessary evil in Wilbur's healing process because you can't exactly gently nudge Wilbur in the way healing forever, especially with how harshly he's been responding to any sort of criticism of the Pythia traditions and his role. They don't know if he ever will go there himself and you can't do anything new or heal if you don't push yourself or in this case, have the teenager who you tried to murder push you there.

And the disrespecting religion argument isn't a great one either since the whole Pythia system definitely needs to be reworked and Wilbur has done nothing but shit on the Deathlings and demean their religion since he was there, doing next to nothing to understand why they practice and believe what they do. He somewhat respects them as people and individuals but not their religion. Tommy ignoring (1) piece of Wilbur's restrictions isn't exactly on the same level.

Anyway, rant over. I probably should split this but I'm a sleepy little guy and have sports in the morning so I'm sorry to your inbox Bee. This is a monster.

- 🦈

shark anon hi!!!

yes yay for purpled appearance!! ngl I didn't have any plans to include him in this fic but then I was like "shit I need someone to act as a bouncer so wilbur can't just make a break for the door in the bar" and then I was like wait purpled exists so there he is

god I don't even know fully what's in the pythia's prophecy (probably gin, some kind of floral liqueur, dash of bitters, among other things idk I'm not a mixologist) but damn I wanna try it too

LMAO wilbur being introduced to the concept of agnosticism

ty i'm so glad the foreshadowing with the card reader was good!! also tysm I'm so happy you guys are liking the bird cage metaphors. I thought it was a really creative way to continue the metaphor trend I started in stars but with its own original twist to it

okay yeah you understand exactly what I was going for. tommy doing what he did is a whole messy situation that has no clear cut answer. wilbur has been a huge asshole to everyone around him since he got there which is understandable given that he was kidnapped yes! but he tried to murder tommy! tommy invading his privacy to find out his name is not comparable!

but yeah I think everyones reactions to this is just a reminder that 'oh my unreliable narration is working really well'. as you all know by now I love working with skewed POVs. it makes a story so much more interesting to have it filtered so heavily through a characters biases which is exactly what's happening here. tommy does not have the same insight into wilbur's head that the readers do. he is stumbling blindly trying to figure out what the best way to do this is. and we don't see into tommy's head either or how he came to the conclusion that this was something he had to do in the first place. again, biased POV my beloved.

it's definitely a necessary evil in the healing process. sure, maybe wilbur would've eventually gotten to a point where he could tell tommy his name himself, but tommy didn't know that. he was making zero progress as is. he got insanely defensive anytime pythian tradition was even slightly criticized, he wasn't going to gradually warm up to what tommy was trying to get through to him so tommy just decided to do it the quick way instead.

also, yeah, the disrespecting religion argument is just so funny to me because of how wilbur has been a huge dick about the deathlings worship this entire time yet still has this major cognitive dissonance moment where he's like "how DARE tommy disrespect clara like this" buddy you have been doing this even worse to kristin the entire time

anyway shark anon i love your takes as always so glad you enjoyed :D

[johanna-swann]

I've been discussing how we would rank the Star Wars Episodes with one of my friends, we watched a film critic's take on it too, I asked my brother and cousin about it and it seems like everyone has a different opinion. My friend really like the sequels, my brother prefers the prequels and my cousin stans the original trilogy.

Eventually I always come back to the conclusion that it's not about actual quality. All three Star Wars trilogies have their ups and downs, strengths and weaknesses. Which of the weaknesses you're happy to bear and which ones you can't stand is personal preference.

The original trilogy often gets more nostalgia points than it probably deserves. Yes, it's cinema history and I kinda love the low-key trashy vibe, the characters are pretty basic yet very iconic, but the pacing. Oh my. I don't mind a little slow burn (Andor did this brilliantly), but there are often spans when for 20 or 30 minutes nothing happens. Then again the important moments often come on so suddenly and happen so fast that it feels almost anticlimactic. And Episode VI? Everybody complained when the sequel trilogy came along and copied Episode IV, but Episode VI does the exact same thing and it's fine?

All in all iconic, loveable movies (especially Episode V), but they do have substantial weaknesses (especially Episode VI).

The prequels are often more appreciated by younger fans, hated on by og trilogy fans and they have a completely different vibe. Less space-magic fairytale, more political intrigue and tragedy. This trilogy has a very low low and a very high high.

Episode I wasn't super exciting, but kinda cute. I love that we meet Anakin so young, Darth Maul is pretty cool in this movie and Qui Gon and Obi Wan's relationship is really touching. Episode II was a dumpster fire. Everything it tried to do was done 10000 times better in Clone Wars. Episode III then was really great again and very emotional. Was Anakin's fall to the dark side a bit sudden, yes. Some of the dialogue is still very cringe worthy. But this is the movie that gives you the real classic tragedy stuff. You're rooting for Anakin, hoping he'll come through when you already know where his story ends.

The sequel trilogy is a tough one and is strongly disliked by all kinds of Star Wars fans, but sometimes I think people are too harsh and unforgiving with it. Episode VII isn't bad, quite good even, the visuals are great (compared to prequel cgi...), it introduces a bunch of new characters really well and those characters are so interesting. I love the main trio so much. It felt in parts very Disney and the plot was copy pasted from Episode IV, but as I said, that's basically what Episode VI did too. It was a solid start, then came the problems.

I didn't mind Finn going of with Rose in Episode VIII all that much. It wasn't really that important to the main plot, but it showed that while the galaxy suffers there's also war profeteers living their best life. Both Rose and Finn have never really known anything but war and suddenly they're confronted with this high society living in luxury at the cost of innocent lives. I also wasn't annoyed with Rey trying to save Ben yet, that came later. Poe's story on the other hand was complete nonsense. Leia's friend (I forgot her name) risked the entire rebellion because? She wanted to teach Poe a lesson about patience? And Luke would never, ever, not for a moment raise his lightsaber against a sleeping child. Again, the visuals were great. That last battle with the red and white landscape looked amazing. There are worse Star Wars movies.

Episode IX is where it completely fell apart. Somehow Palpatine returned. Rey is his granddaughter. After not only having killed his father, having tortured Rey and friends and having declared himself the new supreme leader of the galaxy, Rey is still trying to save Kylo? Kylo made his fucking choice. Several times actually. The last hour or so it felt like watching a pingpong match. "Oh, Palpatine returns, but Rey is on her way! Oh, he has a fleet. Don't worry, the rebels are coming! But there's too few of them! Nevermind, they got backup. But Rey is still losing against Palpatine! But what is that? Kylo Ren with a steel chair!" It was like a drawn out back-forth-back-forth which then climaxed in Kylo Ren kissing Rey back to life? I think the only way to enjoy this movie is to be a Kylo Ren fan. Which I am not. So yeah, I can't say anything good about Episode IX. Except the trio looked hot. Not even Episode II sucked this hard.

This rant got out of hand, but oh well. My point stands. All three trilogies have at least one rather strong movie and one not all that great, pretty bad actually movie. Og has pacing trouble, prequel has dialogue cringe, sequel lost the plot halfway through. At least my friend, brother, cousin, the film critic and I all agreed that Rogue One is an unexpected masterpiece and that the worst Star Wars movie of all was Solo.

[roadkiii]

Entry 1.4.7-2 - The Long Grind

Welcome to my blog. I’m not tagging anything but entry #, so sorry if my unrelated mess somehow ends up in your search.

There are so many features I'm excited for, I think I'll also add a couple of planned intermissions waaayy down the line just for me to look at and look forward to. Life stress is getting to me, but I want this world to be my kind of happy place so that A) I continue to work on it, but more importantly B) I'm doing something productive (to me anyway) with my time and not doomscrolling. If I'm going to stare at a screen for several hours straight I'd much rather give myself the space to think for myself and the opportunity for a creative outlet than mindlessly swapping between tumblr and youtube to idly kill time.

I'm also excited to build little lore tidbits into this world, I just had a creeper explode and reveal this cave to me, I might just dig around and make this into some kind of excavation site when bone blocks are added.

I kind of like the idea of a crater-ridden desert (who knows, some future update may change it into something else anyway) and I could probably do some cool fossils, they'd be massive. maybe just partially exposed sometimes in the sand.

AH MY BELOVED [I AM ACTIVELY BEING SHOT]

???? what genie magic have I activated can i please just get mellohi--

Also side note, I've been messing around on a creative world and I think if I just eat a gapple and get Smite V I really only need like two Healing II potions and a bucket of milk and I could probably kill the wither more than 3 times. The reason I think this is so doable is because I've been building the wither with the obsidian end pillars. The wither typically doesn't get very far so a bow isn't even needed.

[Pic from creative world] I'm basically getting more obsidian AND a star. plus I think I read that the pillars regenerate when you respawn the dragon later. Though maybe that won't happen here. I'll have to see.

I need more EXP to try for Smite since I already enchanted my bow (Power IV BD I'm okay with it tbh) and I still want carrots, so I'll create a zombie exp farm. I'm following this tutorial so I hope it'll still work.

Okay, seems functional. I do hear thunder though, so I'm a little nervous about what's happening on the surface.

I couldn't quite follow the instructions of his tutorial since soul sand doesn't exist yet, but I got lucky with my bedrock and they fall to 22 blocks right here. This will be so fucking nice. As I sit and idle though, the zombie sounds make me so anxious while I'm looking away from the screen lol

I'm hoping to get a full set of chainmail at some point as well, so this should be helpful.

One annoying part of this grinder is that I keep having to run back and forth, if I sit at the bottom and wait I think I'm out of the function distance for the spawner. I'm also not certain how many zombies I can have at a time down there, I see the number 24 thrown around a lot, but I don't know if that's a recent update. I do have two carrots though, so I guess I'll run up and plant those, maybe use some bonemeal (before that gets nerfed in 1.5 (or maybe I'll just wait until i hit 30 xp)

gdi again with the sharpness >:/ I'm happy to have looting now but this may take A While. I'd take Smite III at this point, but all I ever seem to get is sharpness.

okay I guess I can consider the farm done, the pigs and cows haven't been escaping from their pens so I'm not focused on getting [edit from months in the future: this was just left incomplete. dont work on your projects high kids.]

Now I guess I need to start putting this sword to use and get some skulls so I can actually summon the wither.

FUCK

Okay. I got Very lucky, none of my enchanted tools or the single skull I have fell. I'm going to take a break because that wasn't good for my blood pressure.

I think I'm genuinely going to need to grind for a while, so [letsgameitout voice] hold please

next (1.4.7-3)