#I filled my time with disney movies and stranger things

[shartfinz]

my problem with art is I don't have an obsession with random media that I can make cringe aus for I like mcr that's real people 😭 I miss liking Homestuck more I could actually draw when I liked Homestuck more

[ash-says]

Saviour Complex Fever:

Let's address the saviour Complex today and no I am not talking here only in the romantic sense but also in platonic, familial,etc ways.

Ohh my traumatized girlies you better get your attention piqued up here cause this can be a call out or triggering post.

Speaking in my corporate babe language I am going to adopt both top to bottom and bottom to top approach to make sure you understand the problem. So without circumventing much I am going in for the goal.

1) Top to bottom Approach:

Starting with the OG," I can fix them" attitude.

Calm down babe, you can't. How about first fixing your sleep schedule for the starters?

We usually see this attitude being discussed a lot in the romantic hemisphere but I profoundly believe it plays a pivotal role in other bonds we have with people and tend to bleed into our romantic life so on and so forth.

Example: Take a child who is five years old and the parents are irresponsible. The child learns early on not only to look after itself but also acts as a therapist to his parents if one of them has zero sense of emotional boundaries and tends to trauma dump on the child. The child will look for ways in which he/she can make things easier and happier for the parent. In a way try to fix the parent and take on the role of being an adult.

How does it affect the bonds you create as an adult?

You become the mom friend.

The mama duck of the group who is always making sure everyone is taken care of properly.

You go above and beyond your comfort to help your friends out.

Take responsibility for your immediate surroundings.

Always trying to be the best and act like a saviour.

Last but not the least, people violate your boundaries time and time again but you forgive them and treat them like a child despite them being functioning adults.

So your homework is to assess your friendships, familial relationships, romantic relationships and check whether you are babysitting a adult?

If yes, are you getting paid for it enough?

No, drop the role.

2) Bottom to Top Approach:

Even the saviour dreams of being saved at times.

One of the potent reasons we tend to pick on the saviour role is because deep down we want to be saved. Salvation is what we desire.

Someone to lean on. A rock solid support. To lower our guards and be present without a worry.

Then we are faced with the harsh realities and realise it's not as simple as we think it is.

Therefore, whenever we see someone in need our instinct activates and we automatically start babysitting. We fill the void by embodying the persona that we deeply crave in our life.

It's the Chiron in us. We take on the role of the wounded healer.

That's where you need to remind yourself you don't need an external person or support to protect you. Many times we are sold this idea that we are fixed by someone else.

It's your job to fix your own house. Not your neighbours.

Your body, your mental health is where your spirit lives. Others can aid you but at the end of the day you won't be trusting your house to a total stranger. It's you who takes control and dictates the course of it.

So kill this idea that someone out there is going to walk into your life and then everything will be rainbows and roses.

Fine, if you believe life is a Disney movie you can go ahead and kiss a couple of frogs to find your prince charming. Your life, your rules.

But don't be surprised if you catch a disease or two while kissing the frogs .

After all, I always say:

There are no fucking saviours in real life. You are your own saviour, darling.

And if you do want to be a mother badly there are plenty of orphaned kids out there you can spend some time with them rather than those ungrateful, therapy inducing, namesake adults.

[marvelmaniac715]

My theory of what the latest Starkid musical is about based on my own deductions and past Starkid productions (huh, that rhymes):

Based on the words in the top left corner and the style of Bryce’s clothing, it is very easy to deduce that this musical will be medieval inspired, but I can dig deeper. Bryce’s outfit does not look as put together as a typical princess gown, so I’m guessing that our protagonist is wearing armour, if I had to nail down a time period I’d say Ancient Greece or Rome, making her a gladiator. That would already be a fascinating musical, but I’m going further, stay with me. As someone very rightly pointed out in a comment/reblog that I can’t quite remember, the text used for the date resembles the 1980s movie Labyrinth, which plays into Starkid’s love of nostalgia… we’re getting close. Starkid’s musicals are filled with nostalgia - classic Disney (Twisted), Harry Potter (AVPM trilogy), Star Wars (Ani), Batman (Holy Musical B@tman), classic video games (Trail To Oregon), classic horror/sci-fi (Hatchetfield series), VHS/classic stories (VHS Christmas Carol) - but what do most of these also have in common? They are, to borrow a word from the latest Hatchetfield musical, ‘nerdy’. So, what do we have here? A team that prizes both nostalgia and nerdiness, creating a musical about a woman in armour, perhaps a gladiator. We also know that Team Starkid are returning to parodies after Hatchetfield, returning to their roots you might say. This has led me to one conclusion… the next musical produced by Team Starkid will be… a DnD parody. Think about it! It’s nerdy, it’s nostalgic, and it’s hot right now because of the recent Honour Among Thieves movie making more people interested in the game, and Stranger Things as well - a Starkid member was in a Stranger Things parody recently (was it Jaime?) so yeah. That’s my best theory, and no matter what this musical is actually about, I’ll love it, and Bryce will rock her first true lead role, she deserves this.

Edit: I just want to date the release of this post just in case my theory is correct so I can show people this post and be like “See? I’m psychic!” So yeah, this post was released on Saturday 23rd March 2024, around 11 pm, and this edit was made on Sunday 24th March at precisely 13:54 pm. Also I want to tag @the-real-team-starkid just in case they see this :).

[ithillyienseowyn]

Anyway since its the end of The Little Mermaids one month birthday-versary let me tell you my fave press junkets that I watched this past month to fill up my time waiting for the dvd.

The Around the Table interview with the whole cast.

IGN's disney quiz: where Alan Menken wiped everyone clean by guessing both Hercules and BatB songs {bonus for HB and JHK guessing the songs from the lion king} the disney kid energy that vibrates off of them both is unreal {but especially him, I'm pretty much the same when it comes to disney} also found out that he was born the same year as my sister so I'm like 4 yrs older than him {which was why I kept thinking/couldn't shake that he just looked super young throughout the whole movie because some of the angles they caught him on he looked nearly boyish? {he has like 6 months on both me and my sister though}.

That one EW interview with Melissa McCarthy where she just gets drunk. Also the one where she talks about getting the role of Ursula and wanting to honour Pat Carroll but not wanting to be her.

The Etalk interview {with the entire cast} where Rob Marshall brought up the whole Fantasia Nutcracker Suite and the fact that after booking this movie he immediately went to the original story to story board? {Not related but I love the bit of IMDB trivia that he also made the crew watch on Stranger Tide's to study the way the Mermaids moved}.

The First Impressions interview with HB and JHK.

The one where HB and JHK tell the story of The Little Mermaid film through the alphabet. {I really wish they didn't stop at O I wanted to hear the whole thing}.

{last minute add on} But the one where both of them take the BFF test and HB thinks JHK's middle name is his last name also had me wheezing.

The one where HB and JHK play superlatives.

The interviews where they get interviewed by the kids.

That one interview where JHK brings up how he saw HB's face on a cereal box, just because he loved cereal so much.

I think that's it? I only watched a handful of these.

[depressedbagpipe]

about me

hi! i’m doing this in case anyone was wondering who is this bagpipe person who writes every two months about too many people.

i’m a spanish 23 year-old girl (woman? idk), with too much anxiety and adhd to handle. infp/enfp on a good day, gryffindor, and still waiting to be claimed as a daughter of apollo, i love reading and watching tv and movies, formula 1 as of recently, and though english isn’t my first language, i’ve been bilingual for the majority of my life. college and screenwriting graduate, and publishing student too. i drink too much coffee for my own good, but i just love it.

when i say multifandom, i do mean it. harry potter/marauders, star wars, marvel, percy jackson/heroes of olympus, narnia, merlin, stranger things, disney/pixar, formula 1, bridgerton, shadow and bone… i could do this all day *wink*

my username? i have no idea where it came from, but just go with it. i do was severely depressed at the time i created this account, and have been lurking in the shadows for years, but it was last year (2022) that i finally took the step and posted silver, my first fanfic in years, about none other than prince caspian himself.

my *current* icon is neil perry from dead poets society, even though i'm a raging todd anderson, but neil deserved so much better and without him there would be no society. my banner is the view from the mystery shack from gravity falls :) (this will probably change at some point, btw).

i wish i was a lot more proficient with computers so i could have the coolest blog ever but this is all i can work with. i procrastinate way too much and again, my adhd prevents me from being consistent, but writing is my source of happiness and sharing it with you still fills me with anxiety, but i love reading your comments and reviews. I've met incredible people thanks to this site, so keep 'em coming <3

anything i've forgotten will be added shortly, and if you still have any questions, please ask!!

love y'all, my little bagpipes xx

[endpoem]

Stuff I liked in 2022

‘Saul’ good (and other TV)

It’s not easy to say goodbye to Better Call Saul, the supposed end of Vince Gilligan’s Albuquerque cycle. I bought my dad the complete Breaking Bad on DVD for Christmas in 2014, and we watched the entire thing together, back before I had kids or a real full-time career. Jesse Pinkman, Nacho, Jimmy and Kim—these characters have meant the world to me for the better part of a decade, and Saul was absolutely the pinnacle.

El Camino, Saul season five, and the two halves of season six have been such a gift of flawless storytelling these last few years; sometimes they were the thing that got me out of bed in the morning. Logging into work on a Monday ain’t so bad when you’ve got more of Kim and Jimmy’s mischief to look forward to. Peter Gould, Gilligan, and company stuck the landing. If one of your favorite characters must die, you can’t ask for a more beautiful sendoff than “Rock and Hard Place.”

Bob Odenkirk’s book, Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama: A Memoir, was a great way to spend a weekend, as well, deepening my appreciation for an actor who’d already won my heart in the first couple seasons of Saul. (I’ll admit it: The character was never my favorite part of Breaking Bad. It took the Jimmy dimension to win me over and sell me on the idea of a spinoff. Mission accomplished, I guess.)

It’s a nice treat to see Odenkirk back in his home country of comedy, and it made for a good excuse to watch Mr. Show season one while I was waiting for Better Call Saul to come back from its mid-season break. Bob and I have a shocking number of things in common: five-nine, Irish-Catholic, Illinois guys, a cynicism born of trauma, severe impostor syndrome, et cetera. Anyway, I can’t wait to see what he does next.

I loved Atlanta season three; “New Jazz” was my favorite episode by far, probably because it focuses on Al (Paper Boi) and is weird even by Atlanta standards. I also enjoyed Stranger Things season four, which was a definite high for that series—Joseph Quinn was brilliant. And as a Halo fan going all the way back to 2001, I mostly dug the TV adaptation’s first season, though the finale was a bummer.

I’m a couple seasons into a Mad Men rewatch, trying to fill the void left by the Gilliverse, and it’s a different show now that I’m a father with two kids and more of a career. Unbelievably good.

‘The Rings of Power,’ classic Tolkien, and other fantasies

This was the year I got really into epic fantasy outside of, say, the Elder Scrolls games. The Rings of Power came along just in time to cure my post-Saul blues, and it certainly did the trick. It’s a gorgeous (and expensive) spectacle, with a rich, expansive world, mythic stakes, and some really great performances. And have you seen how beautiful that cast is? I’ve been known to develop the occasional TV or movie crush, Your Honor, but Morfydd Clark’s Galadriel is in a league of her own. My God. She’s great in Saint Maud, too.

After Rings of Power, I rewatched the extended cuts of the movie trilogy and bought a stack of books for good measure—The Hobbit, Rings, The Silmarillion, The Fall of Númenor, Tolkien’s translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. I just finished Fellowship of the Ring, which is exquisite, and I’ve been reading The Hobbit aloud to my daughter. We’re about three-fourths of the way through that one.

I finally saw the original Willow and Legend (1985) earlier this year, and thought both were excellent. (The Legend Blu-ray from Arrow Video looks stunning.) House of the Dragon was pretty fantastic—as good as Game of Thrones in its earlier seasons, only more focused. And the Disney Plus Willow series is probably my second-favorite fantasy work of 2022; it’s playing around with the same kind of Lovecraftian terror as John Carpenter’s Prince of Darkness, and I can’t help but see it as a riff on the Star Wars sequel trilogy.

‘Andor’ and more

There was some good star stuff on the tube this year. “The Tribes of Tatooine,” the second episode of Book of Boba, elevated that series above the disposable feel of Mandalorian season two (“The Believer” notwithstanding). And Deborah Chow’s Obi-Wan Kenobi gave those of us who grew up on the prequels a magnificent bookend to the Obi-and-Ani relationship.

Light & Magic, the six-part docuseries on ILM, offered a phenomenal overview of special-effects history beginning with the inception of Star Wars and ending with the biggest breakthroughs of the CGI era. You could easily do a second season on the last couple decades of blockbusters and stuff like StageCraft, but maybe that’s a series for down the road.

But of course no Star Wars discussion this year could pass without addressing the main event, Andor, which can safely be called the best Star Wars story since 1983. Tony Gilroy is a masterful writer and showrunner, responsible for much of what people loved in Rogue One, and he brings all his intelligence and rage and love to Andor. He and his crew ought to be very proud. Who knew that all Star Wars needed was more Andy Serkis and Diego Luna? Gilroy, evidently.

Shadow of the Sith, a 496-page novel by Adam Christopher, was another Star Wars highlight in 2022. If you’re looking for a good Luke Skywalker book, or a good Lando Calrissian book—or some spooky Sith magic—you’ll find all of that and more in this moving Rise of Skywalker tie-in. For those curious about Rey’s parents, this is largely their story, as well, and it’s beautifully done. My favorite Star Wars book in years.

Always gamin’

I’m not a full-time games journalist anymore, so my gaming habits are a lot more relaxed than they used to be. Which is to say I play to have fun, now, and I can’t recommend it enough. I buy far fewer new games these days, for one, though I did love Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, Destiny 2: The Witch Queen, and several games I’ve started but not yet finished.

One of my biggest games this year was Final Fantasy VII Remake, which I finally finished on the PS5. Hell of a game—if any video game can be called a masterpiece, that one comfortably belongs in the category. I also rolled credits on Mass Effect 2 and 3, and thought the latter was far superior to the middle chapter in spite of the general consensus. Regardless of how you feel about the very end, that game is quite an achievement for BioWare, and I hope Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is even half as engrossing.

I spent a lot of time playing Fortnite and Call of Duty online this year—something I plan to do a lot less of in 2023—but had plenty of fun doing it. I replayed a lot of familiar favorites: Skyrim, Halo Infinite, Fallout: New Vegas, Miles Morales. Most of my hours on the Nintendo Switch were spent with KotOR and KotOR II, and I’m currently struggling through an attempt to replay Morrowind on the Xbox, which is both painful and rewarding. I’m rediscovering a lot of the reasons why I fell in love with it twenty years ago.

At the movies

I didn’t go to the theater much this year, but I did watch 209 movies—most of them at home on my 65-inch TCL 5-Series. My top ten films of 2022 were The Fabelmans, Top Gun: Maverick, Elvis, del Toro’s Pinocchio, Watcher, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Pearl, The Batman, Nope, and Hellraiser. Fabelmans and Top Gun in particular made my heart soar; it’s nice to see both Spielberg and Cruise still delivering career-best work a full two decades after Minority Report, which was my favorite movie for a long time.

Outside of those ten, I also loved Kimi, Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, Revealer, and Confess, Fletch.

As far as new-to-me classics, I had a very fulfilling year working my way through the gaps in my Carpenter and Mann viewing, if nothing else—They Live, Prince of Darkness, Elvis ’79, Big Trouble in Little China, In the Mouth of Madness, Cigarette Burns, Ali, The Insider, The Keep… I spent a lot of time studying my favorite Carpenter flicks last year as I wrote the treatment for a horror script that’s lived in my head for a while, but I didn’t want to watch Prince of Darkness till after I’d finished a detailed outline of the story. In 2022, I logged fifteen Carpenter films and seven from Mann.

I saw Citizen Kane, F for Fake, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Godfather, Part II, Solaris (2002), The Meyerowitz Stories (every bit as good as Marriage Story), Twin Peaks season two and The Missing Pieces, Killing Them Softly, Jaws, Your Name, The Gambler (the one with James Caan, not Marky Mark), Bonnie and Clyde, Near Dark, The Hidden, Silent Running, the original 3:10 to Yuma, Joe Kidd.

It’s been a hard, stressful, scary, transformative year. But I’m grateful for the strides I made, both personal and professional, and for the media and stories that inspired me along the way.

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[spite-of-artemis]

I posted 16,203 times in 2022

That's 15,749 more posts than 2021!

29 posts created (0%)

16,174 posts reblogged (100%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@damian-janus-pendragon

@centimeter-tries-to-communicate

@sammylawrence27

@leg-stealing-bee

@aster-is-confused

I tagged 190 of my posts in 2022

#grian - 7 posts

#thor love and thunder spoilers - 6 posts

#memes - 6 posts

#thor spoilers - 6 posts

#userbbelcher - 6 posts

#funny - 6 posts

#lol - 6 posts

#disney - 5 posts

#thor love and thunder - 5 posts

#stranger things - 5 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#the resource pack should also give creative mode players fake hearts and hunger bars so that wilbur doesnt notice until he accidentally flie

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

my favorite part of the new dumbledore movie was him confessing his gay love for grindelwald and then being sent to superhell right afterwards

11 notes - Posted April 16, 2022

#4

im stealing this idea from wilbur soot because i think its really interesting. i want people to fill out this survey, and lie about every answer. its all completely anonymous and is only 15 questions

13 notes - Posted May 3, 2022

#3

GRIAN, PLEASE IM ALREADY WORKING ON A HERMITCRAFT FIC AND COMIC. I DO NOT NEED MY EVO BRAINROT TO COME BACK

16 notes - Posted September 13, 2022

#2

hermittwt ive had a realization that other people have definitely already made. the idea came to me while i was watching Animagicians video (this one, specifically)

while i do think the video was really cool i wanna focus on one small offhandedly mentioned thing. when ep 17 came out and we all saw the “im from a season where mumbo was mayor” we all thought that meant that our grumbot knew it was a fake reality. but, in the video Ani mentions that maybe the same thing happened to new grumbot. my thought process is what if thats exactly what happened. he was left there in that fake box, watching a still and lifeless image of the island, left to corode away into the now rusted and green tinted grumbot that entered into the new season. left in that false reality until one day he was able to notice the cracks. the sky never going to night, the island never changing, the small bits of light shining in from an odd angle for a second every time mumbo or grian came to visit. he asks grian why the island never changes, why there hasnt been any new shops, or games, or anything happening, and the guilt of lying to his son overwhelms grian. he tells grumbot the truth, mumbo didnt become mayor, but they didnt want him to feel like he was a failure so they hid him into his own little world until the rest of the server forgot he was even there.

His Grian was sorry too.

142 notes - Posted September 11, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

if we get a fourth traffic smp series and we have a fourth winner i suggest we get the four winners together on an mcc team and that it be called the Teal Traffic-Lights

250 notes - Posted August 24, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[its-all-ineffable]

I posted 6,149 times in 2022

That's 3,109 more posts than 2021!

98 posts created (2%)

6,051 posts reblogged (98%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@dreamsequencer

@prouvaireafterdark

@sehkmetdestroyerofworlds

@thisbluewind

@werewolfpeterparker

I tagged 3,384 of my posts in 2022

Only 45% of my posts had no tags

#amc interview with the vampire - 723 posts

#amc iwtv - 722 posts

#amc iwtv spoilers - 586 posts

#amc interview with the vampire spoilers - 585 posts

#the batman 2022 - 484 posts

#loustat - 396 posts

#stranger things - 330 posts

#louis x lestat - 316 posts

#the sandman - 296 posts

#the sandman netflix - 274 posts

Longest Tag: 138 characters

#but if it was your daughter who'd been raped and was now dead daniel and couldn't consent to likely graphic sa being shared with the world

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

So Interview With The Vampire is apparently airing? Or available on AMC+ now? A Twitter friend just tweeted about how good the 1st ep was. The time difference between America and the UK is crazy.

Here it's the 30th of September, 4am, and right now, the UK has no way of watching the show.😭😡

It is likely to be included with BT TV since their package includes AMC, but I don't have that, & it involves talking to them about wifi and getting a box etc. We don't get AMC+ here in the UK yet. And they've not said if they're giving it to Disney+ or Prime like they've done with other things.

So, I don't know when or where this show is coming out, and I honestly feel a little fucking cross. I'd just like to watch the gay vampire show without having to learn how to do piracy or do a million and one internet searches!

So I'm gonna block the tags for it, and also...TAG YOUR SPOILERS PLEASE! Thank you.

I really want this show NOW, you have no idea. Ffs AMC, you assholes. 😠😭😭😭

UPDATE: An AMAZING friend of mine has helped my learn piracy and I have now watched both available episodes!!!!!! I am obsessed, this is my newest thing, I am not sorry and my blog is about to be filled with gay vampire content.

22 notes - Posted September 30, 2022

#4

This is now my header:

Yes it's Louis and Lestat snogging right before they have sex.

No I'm not ashamed.

Yes I'm very happy. Thank you.😊😎

27 notes - Posted October 14, 2022

#3

So my BatCat fic that I wrote and posted last night (Call It What You Want To) did really well and I've had 3 lovely comments on it!

This has inspired me to write another BatCat fanfic, but I'm not sure what to do for it! So, I want to ask you awesome people on here, should I write:

a) a reunion fic that follows Call It What You Want To?

b) just a random reunion fic, possibly with an identity reveal?

c) missing/extended BatCat moments from the movie?

d) identity reveal fic with Bruce Wayne & Selina interactions beforehand?

Let me know which one sounds best, cause I wanna write some more BatCat asap!

UPDATE:

I have written the sequel, and these ideas will now be a series of one shots! Here's the sequel: My baby's fly like a jet stream, high above the whole scene, loves me like I'm brand new

28 notes - Posted April 8, 2022

#2

I am afraid to go into the Interview With The Vampire tags right now....I know episode 5 was a lot, and it definitely needed trigger warnings for sure, but I...

I hesitate to say I enjoyed it, but I found it interesting to watch and will keep watching the show, and I also don't feel that the wave of panic about Lestat's character being butchered is true.

Also the people crying about not being able to ship Loustat after this when a lot of you ship Hannigram.....do I need to explain?? Really?🤨

I just don't wanna see the hate and negativity, I just wanna see nice gifs and art etc. and I have a feeling I won't get that.

33 notes - Posted October 24, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

You're his destiny

A Loustat fanfic, and my first one in the fandom!

Available here: You're his destiny - TheImpossibleDetectivesAngel - Interview with the Vampire (TV 2022) [Archive of Our Own]

“For one horrifying second, as Louis curled against the cool metal, he thought that Lestat may leave him there, only protected from the deadly sun by the small terrace. […] He dismissed the thought as quickly as it appeared. Lestat had tried to warn him before he left, but Louis had been too scared, to wrapped up in his own mind to listen to the man. His new lover may be petty and vindictive, but he’d never leave Louis to die, not after everything he’d done to keep Louis with him so far.”

An extended cut of what happened between Lestat opening the gate and him carrying Louis up the stairs, and then a little extended cut of them after Lestat invites Louis into the coffin.

39 notes - Posted October 15, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[nickgerlich]

In The House

It is no secret that American shopping malls are in a world of hurt. Whereas when the first enclosed mall opened in 1956 in Edina Minnesota and it found us tripping over ourselves to embrace this new marvel, the 21st century finds us with very different consumer behavior. We shop online, and prefer the basic strip mall, where we can get in and get out.

As a result, the surviving malls are having to scramble to find tenants, and it finds them willing to accept non-shopping occupants, from fitness centers to supermarkets and even reconfigured condos. Anything. Why? Because from 2017 through 2022, an average of 1170 malls closed every year. From 1986 to 2017, an average of 581 closed each year.

That’s a lot of real estate.

Just when you thought there was no hope at all, along comes Netflix with its plans to open two Netflix House entertainment centers. These will occupy former anchor tenants (aka, department stores) at the Dallas Galleria and the King of Prussia Mall near Philadelphia. Clocking in at 100,000 square feet, these will be primarily experiential, building off Netflix shows, but will have a healthy dose of retail. Because everyone wants a Squid Game hoodie, right?

Netflix is no stranger to retail, though, albeit in regulated doses. During the Christmas 2022 shopping season, my daughter, son-in-law, and I came upon their Stranger Things store at the Grapevine Mills near Dallas. It was a pop-up shop, not a permanent installation, but wow did it draw in shoppers!

The store featured re-creations of movie sets and scenes, and stocked tons of Stranger Things merch, which was perfect timing since Season 4 had come out earlier that year. Stranger Things is one of those rare shows that can pull in multiple demographics, younger adults being able to identify with the youthful stars, but older adults waxing nostalgic for the 80s. Think big hair, shopping malls (there ya go), New Coke, and all the things.

Naturally, there are concerns about the new venture. Will it have staying power? That’s another way of saying, “But will people come back more than once?” Good question, because Disney certainly seems to do well with rarely changing its attractions, other than seasonal decorations. Is Netflix House in the same league, though? Think about how many times you went to the local Escape House, though. It was fun the first time. But did you return?

It may thus behoove Netflix to have plans in place to do a periodic refresh once attendance figures start showing a downward trajectory. That’s no small challenge, though, especially given that Netflix has cut back a little on its own new show development. In fact, with the recent debut of Your Honor, they show their willingness to buy other streaming services’ content. Showtime created that back in 2020, and it ran for two seasons.

Netflix House is a far greater commitment than a seasonal pop-up shop like we visited in Grapevine. This is big, and half the size of a Walmart Supercenter. That’s a lot of space to fill with immersive experiences.

Then again, immersive experiences have been all the rage in recent years. Who remembers the Van Gogh show a few years ago? That was fun. And then there was ICE show last winter at the Gaylord Texan Resort. I just doubt I would want to do those shows more than once. Great fun for an evening, and a tad bit pricey at that. One and done.

So how many times can you do the Glass Bridge challenge before it loses its luster? This is the over-arching question. Disney undisputedly is the king when it comes to leveraging its content for fun and merch. Is Netflix content even remotely close? While no one can argue about Netflix’ top dog status among the streamers—and it’s not even close—it is still a big reach to think you can turn those successes into what amounts to an indoor theme park.

Never mind that it becomes incumbent upon Netflix to create new monster hits like Squid Game, Bridgerton, Stranger Things, and the like. That takes monetary commitment, something they have been less willing to do. You can partially thank the screenwriters and actor strikes last year for that, because it’s a lot more expensive to produce a show or movie these days.

That said, you know where I will be headed in 2025 when the Dallas unit opens. The kids don’t live all that far from there, and I’ll happily pay the price for all of us to go. Besides, Squid Game is one of my favorites among the Netflix suite, the ruthless gamesmanship typical of survival in general.

Take my money. I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Dr “The Next Player 456” Gerlich

Audio Blog

[amethystunarmed]

tag six (6) people you'd like to know better! (I was tagged by @marypsue :D)

last song: Grinding Halt by the Clash (Thanks for the rec Mary!)

currently reading: job emails since I am looking for something new! But I have Good Omens on stand by to FINALLY read during some vacation travel I have coming up. I also recently finished the Last Unicorn and Cemetery Boys which are both phenomenal

currently watching: Uhhhhhh... I’ve watched Nimona 5 times because I am so unwell about that movie. Also a LOT of Stranger Things clips for research reasons. OH! My lovely engineer duo is showing me Black Sails which is a master class in storytelling and my partner and I are working through Disney and Ghibli movies since he hasn’t see any. We just watched Howl’s Moving Castle. I am watching Jane the Virgin with my mom when our schedules sync up too!

current obsession: The last answer leads into this but Stranger Things! I am back on my bullshit with that show and it’s great. I’m creating a longer timeline that is taking up so much of my brainspace, I love. Dick Grayson owns 5% of my thoughts are any one time. I’m in a show in tech week so that’s getting a lot of the thoughts that are left. Additionally, the song “Go Tonight” from the Mad Ones has been stuck in my head for days and I cannot shake it. I’m in a long running DnD sessions and the characters own my heart in that too.

Tagging @little-engineer-who-cant @the-other-engineer-who-cant @d3wm3r @threedaybreakdown @howlittleweare @kittythelitter

What are all of you up to??? Let me know! If there are any other mutuals who want to fill this out, please go for it! Most likely, I thought of you but didn’t want to bother you.

[jmrothwell]

conspiracy theories you say?? please share!! i’m so new here i’m confused and intrigued

Hi Anon!

It's really not the most convoluted of theories and quite frankly I am sure I haven't been the only one thinking it or saying it.

Ever since I discovered JatP last year I 1000% believe Netflix wanted it to fail and tried to bury it. I have no solid proof of this (had? if we say the Kenny Netflix news of last night is some level of proof? which I honestly don't know)

Like I never heard of it. It's a kids show, sure, but like I HAVE a kid and the last few years they have pretty much dominated the netflix viewing. They watch stuff like Disney(when Netflix still had it), MLP, and general wholesome fantasy and musical stuff a lot. No one in my family even HEARD of JatP until I stumbled on it, looking for Glee of all things. Even my Sister and Brother with their OWN kids with similar musical, magic, disney channel esque viewing patterns never heard of this show until I told them about it. (This all happened during my tumblr hiatus otherwise that would probably be how I learned about it)

Then after binging it and doing the math and seeing it was given like a grand total of like 4.5 hours for its first season I got really extra pissed. Like I don't know whose decision that was but like WTF!? (This might just a be streaming thing but I am TIRED of shows being given like NO time to develop like shows should be able to.)

And then the real like WTF of it all is JatP is consistently left out of my Watch Again reccomendations. Shows I have binged/watched more often than JatP show up. Movies and shows I started years ago and never finished show up. Shows/movies I watched a week ago and shows/movies I watched years ago show up. JatP, I consitently have to search for because it doesn't show up.

I actually told my wife all this like last week and the first question out of her mouth was something along the lines of "Was it a show not led by a cis white guy?" which really only added fuel to my paranoia filled brain.

Part of me wants to reason and logic there are other explanations but then I just see other people mourning the other shows netflix has cancelled and my wifes question just keeps replaying in my brain.

Netflix keeps claiming its low viewership but HOW THE HELL could I have added to the viewing numbers if I never heard of the show in the first place? If you NETFLIX never reccomended it to me in the first place.

Netflix keeps making shows to seem diverse but more and more it just comes across as pandering to me.

Strangely the thing that really made me go Netflix is full of shit and doesnt care was what happened in S4 of Stranger things(spoiler warning just in case) but like they killed Chrissy(I think thats her name I haven't actually watched S4) and got all remorseful. "Oh we regret killing her." " Oh the chemistry" blah blah blah because they then went and killed the character that any of that applied to! Which just made all that remorse come across as performative and pandering.

Which is exactly what they are doing with so many of these other shows they keep canceling. "Look at our representation" "Look at our wide variety of entertainment"

...."Ope no one is watching better pull the plug quick"

And I KNOW regular TV used to do similar stuff to regular TV shows but like....it doesn't make it better. Older TV shows also got like pilot episodes to gauge initial interest. They got weekly rating reports that helped those involved gauge what their future looks like. There were patterns that could tell you where your show stood(Thursday lineup was a BIG deal)

Sure there are shows that just got randomly canceled mid season (firefly being one of them) but that doesn't make it FEEL any better or any less like pandering.(also if I remember correctly a lot of those shows got shafted by their networks as well)

.

Sorry....I went on a rant there. . .but yeah basically in the back of my mind I just think Netflix WANTS certain shows to fail but they do it in a way where they can still claim they are pushing to be full of representation and thats basically the conspiracy theory

And I feel like I need to end with I KNOW it is all circumstantial evidence based on my own experience and perceptions. I know I have no empircal data to back this up. Thats why I call it a conspiracy theory and strong opinion.

if you made it to the end of my rant have a cookie, 🍪 and I hope you have a good day.

[book-place]

Journey to the Dungeon

Warnings: mentions of hell, slight cursing, weapons, Crowley (who’s a warning in himself), demons, let me know if I missed any :)

Pairings: Crowley x child reader, Winchester brothers x sister reader

*not my gif*

Summary: Boredom often times leads to adventure, you appeared to have learned this quicker than most

A/N: Wth is this, you ask? I have absolutely no idea; special thanks to @foggy-isnt-here for motivating me to write this lmao

Please don’t plagiarize my work, you may reblog if you like but I’m asking that you don’t steal my hard work

You were bored. Your brothers weren’t paying attention to you, they were too busy reading in the library for a hunt.

Technically you weren’t supposed to know about whatever this ‘hunt’ thing was, but it wasn’t your fault they were talking really loudly while you were eavesdropping!

And Uncle Cass wasn’t at home right then so there was nothing that six year old you could do but wander around the many halls of the bunker.

You discovered many rooms, most you doubted you were allowed to be in, but when you’re bored, you’re bored.

You finally stumbled across a room with lots of different shelves in it that were filled with boxes.

The young girl looked down the aisles curiously until you got to the back of the room.

Two shelves were cracked apart slightly and you peeked your eye through to try and find something, only to not see anything.

Your curiosity yet again got the better of you and you pushed the shelves apart as far as you could with all the strength your little body could muster.

A light instantly flashed on and you were greeted by the sight of a man in chains sitting on a chair inside a weird red circle design, with his hands resting on a table in front of him.

“Hello little one,” the man said, tilting his head to the side, “who are you?” He asked, even though he already had a good idea that this was the Winchester’s little sister he had heard about from some of his demons.

Nothing about this scenario seemed to frighten the five year old, as you confidently stated, “Y/n.”

“Y/n, what a lovely name.” The stranger complimented.

“And who are you?” You asked, not rudely, just out of pure curiosity, a trait that seems to make up most of your personality.

The man flashed a grin, “I, my dear, am Crowley. The king of hell.”

Your eyes widened and Crowley smirked to himself, obviously thinking he scared the poor girl. But the reaction turned out to be the exact opposite when you squealed excitedly, “King? Does that mean you have a palace? And a handsome prince? Ooh, how handsome is he? What’s his name? Can I visit your palace? Do you have horses? Or unicorns? Do mermaids come visit your castle?”

The demon's eyes widened, this was not what he was expecting. “Did you not hear me? I am the king of hell!” He informed you again.

You shook your head disapprovingly, “You said a no-no word.” Remembering what Sam had told you in panic when Dean said ‘hell’ in front of you once.

Crowley was beyond bewildered. He didn’t scare the girl, you thought he was some king like in the movies, and on top of all of that, you were scolding him for cursing!

“Where did you come up with ideas like those?” The king of hell asked, referring to your million questions from earlier.

“Disney.” You said in a duh tone.

Crowley tilted his head to the side again, this time out of confusion, “Disney?”

The young girl's eyes widened out of pure fear, “You’ve never seen a Disney movie?” You asked in a horrified whisper.

When the demon shook his head you came up with an idea.

You quickly took out her phone that Sam and Dean gave you to only use for emergencies. And if this wasn’t an emergency, you didn’t know what was.

You marched right up the Crowley, through the devils trap, and to his chair, where you quickly clambered up onto his lap, as he sat frozen with shock.

You paid no mind to him as you held the phone out in front of both of you and went to the movies app where you had secretly downloaded some Disney movies behind Sam and Dean’s backs.

You pressed play to the first one, Sleeping Beauty, before Crowley could even finish processing what was happening.

When he snapped out of it he looked down at the young girl in his lap who was quietly singing along to the opening song that was playing.

He turned his attention to the small screen and to his surprise he found himself absorbed in the movie. He even let out a small gasp when Maleficent turned herself into a dragon later on in the movie, and sighing with relief when the prince is able to wake up Arora.

One movie led to another and pretty soon you had both had finished Sleeping Beauty, Frozen (Crowley’s personal favorite), and were half way through the Princess and the Frog when Sam and Dean came barging into the room. They had been looking all over the bunker for you when they finally finished their research and this happened to be the last room (when in reality it should’ve been their first with such a dangerous demon sitting in there).

Their eyes widened in shock at the scene in front of them, which quickly turned into rage.

They both were across the room faster than you could blink and had already picked you up and brought you across the dungeon and had the demon blade to Crowley’s neck.

Dean dug the knife into the king's neck as Sam tightly held his little sister to his chest protectively from across the room.

“What the hell did you do to her?” Dean roared with fury.

“I did not do anything, Squirrel.” Crowley said calmly.

You wriggled in Sam’s grip, “Put me down Sammy, I want to finish the Princess and the Frog.”

Both brothers' eyes widened and they turned to look at their sister.

“You were… watching a Disney movie this whole time?” Sam asked after a moment.

“Two actually.” Crowley corrected, “And we were trying to get through our third one before you two rudely interrupted.” He would never admit it out loud, but the king of hell actually enjoyed the movies, and the young girls company.

Dean turned his glare back on and to the chained man, “You never go near her again you, understand me?”

“But De!” You complained from Sam’s arms, “We still need to see Moana!”

“No!” Both brothers practically screeched in sync.

Sam started to walk out of the room with you still wiggling in his arms, with Dean slowly- and reluctantly- following behind.

They both so badly wanted to kill Crowley right then and get it over with, but they couldn’t chance it with you being in the room. And they needed him for information.

You and Crowley made eye contact over Sam’s shoulder and the demon gave you a small smile and a little wave which you returned with some of you own.

After that Sam and Dean scolded you and told you that you were never allowed near that man again. But you didn’t listen to them.

Later that night you snuck out and finished the movie with Crowley and even started Moana like you two had wanted to.

When you started falling asleep on his lap, Crowley told you to go to bed. You refused but he told you that they could do this again the next night.

So that’s what they did, each night you would sneak out of your room to watch another Disney movie with Crowley.

Neither one said anything about it, but it was your favorite part of their days.

And little did you know, Crowley grew very fond of her and vowed to himself he would never let anything happen to the small girl who danced around and sang on his lap as they happily watched Disney movies together every night.

Supernatural Taglist: @ineedmorefanfics2

[lesbianspirirt]

Masterlist: D.R Ideas

hey! this is a masterlist (obvi) of D.R/I.R ideas for you<3 please let me know if you like it, what reality you're going to shift to, and what other shifting content you want to see from me

just a nsfw warning, there are some mature themes in a lot of the media listed, as well as some jokes, swears (i think idk tbh), all below the cut

ALSO: please remember that reality shifting brings you to real worlds, the people in those places are REAL they have feelings, thoughts, they aren't just characters there!

Once Upon a Time (it's a T.V series based on fairytales, but it's kinda dark, never watched it tho so idk much about it)

The Wolf Among Us (telltale video game, similar vibes to Once Upon a Time)

Stranger Things (never watched it, but it looks horrifying so yknow)

FNAF/Five Nights At Freddy's (might start working on one for myself, kinda want to be a paranormal investigator in that world)

Elden Rings (I know nothing about the game so if this suggestion is ass just ignore it lol)

Halo (looks like a cool world but again idk what its like so)

Squid Game (don't remember if this was in my other lists and too lazy to check)

Minecraft (maybe not blocky cuz like that's nightmare fuel)

Days Gone (video game)

World War Z (never seen anything from it but i think there's a story and characters with personalities)

Scooby-Doo

Detroit: Become Human (i think i already added this in the other lists but whatever)

Red Dead Redemption

Doki Doki Literature Club (maybe, like, a normal version without the sentient computer storyline)

Yandere Sim (maybe remove Yan-chan cuz obvious reasons 😨)

Life is Strange (idk, seems pretty chill but idk much about it either)

Heavy Rain

Watch Dogs (kinda boring unless you're a super-hacker but hey, i need to fill this list lmao)

Pokémon

The Walking Dead Game: Michonne (don't think a lot of ppl know about this one)

Beyond Two Souls (kinda scary ig but cuz of the paranormal shit going on in that world)

that's all the new stuff, everything below this is form my other 2 lists since this post is a masterlist lol

Disney (I personally want to shift to experience the story of Frozen and Tangled since it's hinted that they're connected also bc I'm Norwegian)

Modern! A.U of media from your current reality

TMNT (whatever version you prefer)

X-Men

Teen Titans (i can't remember if I added it to the last one lol)

Justice League

Villain (not an excuse to kill, torture, etc.)

Sims (there's lot's of lore, lot's of the pre-made characters have cool stories, some are hot too)

Domestic (live a domestic life style with anyone you want to, you could have a few children or live like a house-spouse)

Divergent (recently. the movies were added to Canadian Netflix, it's kind of like The Hunger Games and isn't too bad other than the horrible love interest it should've been Christina and Tris they would've been so cute)

High School! A.U of media from your current reality (for example: Arcane in a high school setting, can be set in whatever decade or world you want)

Decade! A.U of any media from your current reality (script out the bad things cuz good god if it's anything like this reality, you'll be leaving asap)

Time Traveler (y'know, time travel)

Totally Spies

The Princess Bride

Percy Jackson

The Wizard of Oz

Avatar (the blue one)

Pirates of the Caribbean

Criminal Minds

Bob's Burgers

Modern Family

Artemis Fowl

The Maze Runner

The Owl House

Z Nation

The Walking Dead Game

Deadpool (his sidekick, side-chick, im not judging)

The Outsiders

Ouran High School Host Club (be rich, incredibly desirable, both, neither, whatever)

Your own Spiderverse world

Avatar The Last Airbender

The Legend of Korra

The Last of Us

Everything Sucks!

Birds of Prey

Victorious

Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun (make manga with an unlikely group of friends)

Royalty D.R

Victorian Vampire D.R (maybe like just make yourself need rare steak instead of humans or something)

Animal D.R (try out living as a cat with some sweet folks or live as an ant idk just make sure that you can still think DO NOT let yourself forget to keep your human consciousness)

No Nips D.R (can you tell that I’m running out of ideas?)

Decade D.R (you got a favourite decade? one that has music, fashion and movies that you love? yeah)

H2O: Just Add Water (stay away from the condensation tho)

Genshin Impact (powers and you could be a god ig)

D&D (basically a fantasy D.R)

Randomly Generated Rom-Com (you don’t know what kind of story you’ll get to live through plus it’s a rom-com, no sad shit here)

any Tremors movie (movies are scary af, not really recommended but its your choice)

Arcane

Miraculous Ladybug (make sure you script out the uh, odd things)

Ghost D.R (scare, harass, haunt, whatever you want!)

Rage Room D.R (have a D.R thats just a room full of shit to break)

Pillow D.R (lonely and tired? just shift into a world where you’re sleeping on a hot persons thighs/boobs)

Mario Universe

Zelda D.R (based on whatever game or the show from like the 80s)

[miyagihawk]

“best friend” | eli “hawk” moskowitz x reader

a/n: his hair is blue in the gif but red in the story :) also this is a bit long but i love it this is one of my favs

warnings: mentions of violence and cheating, swearing

summary: your boyfriend cheated on you and your best friend hawk is there for you

word count: 4207

You should’ve known. It couldn’t have been more obvious.

The way that he doesn’t let you see what’s on his phone. How he never takes you out anymore. The emotional distance you feel when he kisses you. It’s like he’s not even in the same room when you’re together.

Even with all the signs and evidence, your heart still broke like glass when you saw them together. Your boyfriend Danny and the girl that he always assured you was only his “best friend”, locking lips on his bed.

You had come to Danny’s house because he cancelled plans with you, claiming that he was sick. So you decided to surprise him with cookies that you baked, but he ended up having quite a surprise for you too.

The window of his room gave you a perfect view of the scene, and it was almost like you were meant to see it. Like he wanted you to see it. You stood in front of his house for what seemed like forever, trying to figure it out if it was real.

You tried d to rack your brain for excuses as to why he would do it. But there weren’t any. He was simply cheating on you.

Your heart physically hurt as your brain settled on that fact and you threw the plate of cookies on his lawn in defeat. Not caring if the noise made him look out the window, you began the walk back to your house with blurry vision from your tears.

But on the way there, you passed the house of your best friend Hawk. Seeking comfort from your heartbreak, you made your way to his window that you’ve always used as an entrance when you two hang out.

His light was on and you could hear his music, so you knocked on the glass with the rhythm you both made up to let him know that’s it’s you.

You waited as the music stopped and Hawk pulled back the curtains to reveal you. His red hair was down and framing his face in the way you like it. You’re the only person he allows to see him like that, and that fact always warms your heart.

Hawk looked happy to see you, but his smile dropped when he saw your tear stained cheeks and he quickly opened up the window. Helping you get in, he asked, “Y/N, what happened? Are you okay?”

You stood awkwardly in front of him, playing with your fingers. You weren’t sure if you even wanted to tell Hawk. He’s always hated Danny, and Hawk isn’t the most peaceful of creatures.

You didn’t say anything and just buried your face into his chest. You started to cry again, feeling safe in his arms as he held you tightly.

He led you to the bed to sit you down and let you cry it out in his warm embrace. He was worried about you, he’s never seen you like this; but he wouldn’t force you to talk. So for 15 minutes, Hawk ran his fingers through your hair comfortingly as you calmed down from your sobs.

“I’m sorry,” you spoke for the first time, smoothing down your hair. His shirt was filled with your tear stains, but he really couldn’t care less. He just wanted you to be okay.

“Don’t be sorry. Do you want to talk about it?” he said softly. He had a feeling about why you were crying, and he felt anger starting to bubble in his stomach.

You contemplated for a moment, not knowing if you should tell him. You knew Hawk. He would seek revenge on your behalf and it would end in blood.

But he would also find out anyways. If not from seeing Danny at school with the other girl, then he would probably put the pieces together if you told him that you broke up.

The only difference in the outcomes would be that right now you’re in control of how he finds out and you could possibly convince him to leave the situation alone.

“I-It’s Danny,” you breathed, feeling queasy about your decision.

You saw something flash in Hawk’s eyes and his fist tightened at the mention of your (ex) boyfriend’s name. “What did that fucker do,” he said, with a frightening, calm anger.

“Just... Don’t get mad, okay?” you stuttered. You could almost feel the change in the air just from the two words you spoke. Hawk unclenched his jaw and nodded, trying to be calm for you.

“I went to his house, and that was before I came here. And... I saw him with...,” your voice quavered as tears started blurring your vision again. It hurt to say it out loud and you couldn’t even finish your sentence.

Hawk abruptly stood up from beside you, and through your tear filled eyes, you could see the rage on his face. “I’m killing him,” was all he said, as he moved around the room to get his keys and jacket.

You stood up when he got to the door, and you pulled on his arm to make him stop. “Hawk, please. Stop,” you cried, but he was determined to make Danny hurt the way you were hurt. He wanted to hurt him more.

“That asshole was lucky to even have you look at him, Y/N. He’s fucking dead,” Hawk spit, taking his arm from you and making his way to the front door.

“Hawk! Just- stop. Stop! He isn’t worth it. Can you just stay here with me?” you whimpered, and at that moment his face fell. “Just stay, please. I need you.”

You saw the conflict on his face; the pity for you and his hatred for the boy who broke you. But with you in front of him, with puffy eyes and a cute red nose, he knows there’s no way he can leave.

The rest of the night, Hawk took care of you. He ordered in pizza from your favorite place and watched your favorite Disney movie with you, even though he always called it lame. His jokes made you laugh uncontrollably as if you hadn’t just gotten cheated on hours earlier. As always, your best friend was there to save the day.

“I’m sorry Y/N,” he said quietly as he played with your hair. It was already 1 am and you were both laying on his bed. You were exhausted from the day’s events; the thought of school the next day, especially seeing Danny, made you want to throw up.

“You were right,” you whispered, closing your eyes. Hawk had always been wary of Danny, and he often let you know it.

“Well, you see the best in everyone,” you felt the vibration of his voice from his chest, where you rested your head.

“What do you mean?” you looked up at him, struggling to read his face in the dark. His face was turned towards the ceiling in deep thought.

Hawk cleared his throat. “You see the good in people... and that’s my favorite thing about you. But sometimes you’re just so blind to the bad,” he explained.

You stayed quiet, thinking about his words and not really knowing how to interpret them. He continued, “I guess I’m trying to say that you’re different from normal people; you see through rose colored glasses. You dated that scumbag because you’re so loving that you saw the good in him, even if there’s fucking barely any.”

You laughed at the remark, then let him go on. “Even with me. I do shit that make people hate me. I throw punches that I regret and start fights that make me a horrible person in other people’s eyes. But you don’t really think of me like that, no matter how much I mess up. You’re the only person in my life who doesn’t see me as my fuck ups,” Hawk poured his heart out. “But I promise, I would never take advantage of you like him. Just keep living in your little world, alright? Don’t let him ruin that.”

You were left speechless. He had never said something so heartfelt to you and you wanted to cry at how sweet it was. You’ve never really thought about his view of you, but you guess it’s true. Sometimes your blind optimism gets you hurt, but you’re thankful that it helped you find your best friend. Yes, he’s not an angel, but if you listened to what everyone was saying about him, then you two would be strangers.

“I love you Hawk,” was all you said, and you kissed his cheek before cuddling into his side. He returned a kiss into your hair before the both of you drifted off into peaceful sleep.

-

The brightness of the sun woke you up from your dreams, and it took you a minute to adjust your eyes. Memories of yesterday flooded back, but you didn’t really feel sad.

The new day gave you a new perspective. You were grateful that you caught Danny, because if you didn’t, you might’ve never known. It still hurt that he betrayed you; you did love him. But wallowing in sadness would give him too much credit. He was a shit boyfriend and you vowed to cry no more tears over him.

The bed was empty, with no trace of your red haired best friend. In his place was a piece of paper with what you recognized as Hawk’s terrible handwriting.

‘Good morning you terrible snorer. Just kidding you didn’t snore. That loud. I’m sorry I didn’t wake you up for school, you looked really tired and I think you should just have the day for yourself. I have karate later so you don’t have to wait for me, but you can stay if you want. There’s more ice cream in the freezer. Love you. -H’

You smiled as you read it, feeling thankful for how caring Hawk was. You were dreading going to school and facing Danny, but you would’ve forced yourself to go anyways. Hawk probably knew that, so he gave you no choice.

The first part of the day you did some therapeutic cleaning, picking up the pizza boxes and trash from last night.

Then you explored around his room, even though you’ve been in it a thousand times. You went through the comics he used to read and you tried playing his video games, but you didn’t know how to turn it on.

You were already bored by the second hour of being alone, so you decided to head to your own house to freshen up.

‘I went home, I’ll see you tomorrow? Thank you for everything, I don’t know what I would do without you. Also I’ll buy you more ice cream lol I finished it’ you typed a text to Hawk as you walked home, smiling to yourself. 

After a relaxing day alone of face masks and dancing to Lizzo, you were prepared to go to school the next day. You really appreciated that Hawk made you stay home; you needed this time to reflect on everything. You don’t need some boy who doesn’t give you the time of day, when you have Hawk.

-

As you got ready to go to school, you felt like a bad bitch, and you looked like one. No one would ever guess that you’ve just been through a breakup. The heartbreak didn’t last long; you just felt like you’ve dropped some unneeded weight.

You got to school, but Hawk wasn’t waiting at the front for you as usual. It was weird, because he never said anything about missing class. You figured he was just running late. 

But when he never showed up to your shared first period class, it made you worry.

‘Hey, did you not go to school today? Everything good?’ you sent him a quick text as you walked through the halls to your next class.

You were feeling anxious, a contrast from your earlier confidence. You didn’t think you’d be alone today and now you really didn’t want to see Danny without Hawk by your side.

But as if you summoned him and the universe hated you, your cheating ex boyfriend was coming from the other end of the hall. Your eyes met at the exact same moment and you wanted to look away, but you couldn’t.

A black eye adorned his face, matched with a bruised jaw and a wounded lip.

His eyes frantically searched around you as if he was looking for someone. He looked scared.

Suddenly, your brain put all of the puzzle pieces together and you came to a realization. Hawk did this, and he wasn’t at school because he probably got suspended.

Danny tried to move past you, but you grabbed his arm and pulled him to the side of the hallway. He didn’t meet your eyes as you stood in front of him.

“Danny... what happened?” you asked, even though you already knew the answer.

You didn’t know how to feel. You know you should be angry that Hawk didn’t listen to you, but you felt no pity towards the boy in front of you.

Danny scoffed. “You know what happened. Your little boyfriend started the fight, saying shit about how I don’t deserve you and I’m a cheating asshole.”

You rolled your eyes. “One, he’s not my boyfriend. Two, he’s right, you don’t deserve me. And three, you are a cheating asshole. You said Emily was just your friend, but I should’ve known. I saw you,” you snapped, but he shook his head and laughed.

“You don’t see it, do you? That you’re just as guilty as me?” Danny sneers.

“What?” you blink in confusion.

“Oh come on Y/N. You were always his. It was him first, and then me. But he was just your “best friend”, right? Don’t act all innocent, when anyone can see that you have feelings for him.”

Your mouth falls open slightly at his words, and he continues, “Look I’m sorry that it went down like this, but you should be with him. We’re just not meant for each other and it’s obvious that you love him more than you’ve ever loved me. And he loves you too. Otherwise I wouldn’t be looking like this. We’re fine, alright? Goodbye Y/N.”

Danny gives you a tight lipped smile before leaving, but you’re left staring into space, speechless. You didn’t expect anything he just told you and you don’t even know if you believe it.

Is he right? Do you love Hawk, like that? You’ve felt like the victim the whole time, but you never would’ve thought that Danny felt like one too.

You began to feel guilty, looking back on the relationship at times when you would leave dates with Danny to pick up Hawk when he’s in trouble. When you would choose to sleepover at Hawk’s house instead of Danny’s because he had a breakdown. And when sometimes you’re a little bit too affectionate with your best friend, but you’ve always excused it as platonic even though his forehead kisses gave you butterflies.

Maybe you really weren’t all that innocent.

Maybe you did love Hawk more than Danny, and maybe you’re only just now realizing it.

-

The pattern of the knocking at your window made your stomach turn.

You’re not sure if you’re ready to face Hawk after your revelation, because after thinking on it for the rest of the day, all signs pointed to him. Every single thing Danny said was right.

You love Hawk.

The only thing you aren’t sure of is how Danny said he loves you too. You’ve always thought that Hawk sees you as a little sister and strictly as a best friend, which is why he’s so protective. The possibility that confessing your feelings could ruin your relationship created a conflict within you.

You opened your window and there he was. He had a gash right above his brow, presumably from Danny, but he didn’t look half as bad as the boy he beat up.

You saw Hawk in a different light as he stood like Romeo before you. It was as if the realization of your feelings for him made his eyes look more beautiful and his lips look softer, and you no longer had to faithfully push those thoughts away.

“Hey,” was all he said, as he stumbled in through the sill into your room. His hair was down again, because he knew you liked it like that and he hoped it would help you not be too mad at him.

“Hi,” you said awkwardly, walking back to sit on your bed where he followed. He sat close to you so that your shoulders were touching, and even though he’s been closer, it made you feel lightheaded.

“Look, Y/N, I’m sorry, I know you said to leave it alone, but he hurt you, and I needed to-”

“I’m not mad,” you interrupted his nervous rambling.

“Oh,” his shoulders relaxed, but his fingers were still nervously tapping on his knees.

There’s a weird silence between you two, and it was out of the ordinary that you didn’t have something to talk about.

“Are you alright?” you finally looked at him for the first time since you both sat down.

You don’t know what compelled you to do it, but you lifted up your hand to lightly trace your fingers along his brow where the cut was. His ocean eyes were on you as you did it, but you felt nervous to meet them.

“I’m fine. Did you see him?” Hawk said in a light tone, smiling as you touched his skin.

You let out a quiet laugh. “Yes. Nice work,” you mused.

You pulled your hand away from his face, but he grabbed it before you could put it down. He moved your hand back to his skin, releasing millions of butterflies in your stomach. “I like it,” he said, and you only nodded.

“So how long are you out for?” you questioned, referring to his suspension.

“Three days,” he mumbled, eyes closing in relaxation as you started touching his hair. You sighed in response. “It was worth it though.”

He still had his eyes shut when you put down your hand and wrapped your arms around him. He blinked in surprise, then held you closer. “Thank you. You’re the only one who would take a punch for me,” you said, pouring gratitude into the embrace.

“I don’t think that’s true, but you’re welcome,” he rested his head in the crook of your shoulder and you felt his hair tickle your ear. “It was for me too, you know? I hated his guts.”

You responded with a hum of understanding, still grasping onto him like he could leave any moment.

He pulled back from you enough to see your face, and he looked concerned while he tried to read you. “What’s wrong?”

You really underestimated how much he knows you, because he sensed your anxiety even though you tried to mask it.

“Nothing’s wrong,” you offered a smile, but he wasn’t convinced.

“Did you talk to him?” he asked, rubbing soft circles on your hand. He knew you were thinking about something and he wanted you to open up, but he was always delicate with it.

You just nodded, feeling your palms getting sweaty. Talking about your conversation with Danny would bring up what he said about you and Hawk, and you weren’t even sure if you wanted to spill your heart yet. You internally cursed at yourself for not hiding your emotions well enough.

“Did he say shit to you? I swear if-”

“No. We just... talked,” you cut him off. You prayed that he would leave the topic, but he didn’t.

“What about?” he pressed, making you feel hot from nerves.

“Uh... I just asked him about what happened,” you answered, but there was no way he couldn’t hear the shake in your voice.

“Then what’s bothering you? You can talk to me Y/N,” he said softly, a worried look in his eyes. You felt bad keeping secrets from him, because that’s something you never did.

“Promise me we’ll always be best friends,” your voice shook, making his face twist up in confusion.

“What? Of course. Hey, nothing could change that alright?” he looked at you with his soft eyes.

You swallowed, feeling a bit better by his reassurance.

“He- He just said some things that made me think about... us. And I was blind to it, but- he’s right. Well he’s right about me, I don’t really know how you feel, but now I’m just so confused- and for some reason him cheating on me felt justified in a way? I-” you rambled anxiously, until Hawk stopped your frenzy of word vomit.

“Woah, woah, slow down Y/N... just... what? What is he right about? And how could that be justified? There’s no excuse for what he did Y/N,” his voice raised at the mere thought of Danny gaslighting you into thinking that somehow you deserved to be cheated on.

“No- I- I know it was shitty but... Hawk,” you took a deep breath to prepare yourself for your confession. “I think I cheated too. But not like him. I- I cheated emotionally,” you spit the words out, not only admitting it to him, but also to yourself.

The red haired boy’s face was blank in confusion as he processed what you had just said. “Y/N what the fuck are you talking about?”

You struggled to reach his eyes while you carefully tried to think through your answer. You felt like if you looked at him you would simply melt, but maybe in this case it would be a good thing.

He put his hand gently under your chin to tilt your face towards his, forcing you to meet his blue, puzzled eyes. You wanted to burst into tears under his gaze, because you had no idea what to do.

Hiding your feelings could ruin your friendship. Confessing has the same chance. So which are you supposed to choose?

“Hey, hey, it’s alright. I love you. I love you so fucking much Y/N and that’s forever. Nothing you say or do could change that,” Hawk said, rubbing your hand comfortingly. He thought you were hesitating in telling him because you were afraid of his judgment.

Those three words. They felt different this time. They made you more dizzy. More fluttery. The way he said it was the same as all the other times, but the way it made you feel was just so different.

It gave you such a high that you decided to take a leap of faith before you could fully think it through. A leap that you know deep down was always going to happen, even if it looked like there were two choices. You could regret it, but you just jumped.

“I love you. I mean, I’m in love with you, Eli. I’ve always been in love with you.”

You felt like you needed to run away right as you said it, as if the words were a bomb that you didn’t want to see the aftermath of. You didn’t want to see the outcome because you were afraid it would just leave you devastated.

Eli.

His mouth slightly fell open at the use of his old name, next to your piercing confession.

For some reason it slipped out of your mouth, but it felt right. You’ve probably said it five times ever since “Hawk” was born, but it was only used in serious conversations. Like when you comforted him after his dad died. Or when you were so worried about him when he ran away from home for a week.

“I’m so sorry, Eli,” you said, after hearing the news.

“I missed you so much, Eli, never fucking do that again,” you cried into his shoulder when he showed up at your door.

It was like a code between the two of you that you were being nothing but genuine.

Hawk sat in shock in front of you, and you swore you could actually see the escalation of thoughts running through his head.

“Maybe it took an asshole like Danny to make me realize it, but he was right. I’ve never loved anyone more than I love you... and I knew that, but it’s just how it’s always been. I thought we would go through life together but be with other people, even though I would always put you first. I thought that it was just an us thing, you know? Best friends. But I just- I realized that I don’t even need anyone else. I only need you,” you scanned his eyes for a moment before continuing. “I know I won’t love anyone else like I love you. And- and god, I’m just pouring my heart out and I don’t even know how you feel... I’m sorry if this is too much.”

He stared at you, stunned, and you heard your heart pounding in your chest violently as you waited for him to say something.

But instead of speaking, you felt the softness of his lips on yours before you could think another thought.

a/n: wow i think that was the longest thing i have ever written and i wasn’t sure if i was going to end it like that :0 anyways hope u enjoyed love u all!

[unpassive-viewer]

Thor: Love and Thunder Review

Another Marvel review? Yes, and it’s going to be about as interesting as the last one. 

Thor: Love and Thunder. Where do I begin? I gotta say, I was hoping for more from Taika Waititi, considering the job he did on Ragnarok. This one suffered from a lot of the trademark Marvel “doing too much with too little time” issues. You cannot fit as much exposition as they want into one movie, you just can’t. Especially considering having to reintroduce Jane and explain where she’d been all this time. There was also a lot of plot holes to fill, apparently. Heimdall had a kid this whole time? Jane has cancer? There are other aliens living in New Asguard? 

It was fun, but nothing I was looking for after Ragnarok. The film felt like it was originally a joke, actually. Like Waititi made the gayest script he could thinking Disney would reject it, and somehow it got approved and he suddenly had to make the movie. This is actually one of the things I really like about it - it’s so far out of left field as far as Marvel movies have gone in the past. Based on Waititi’s writing style in general, I’m choosing to believe this is how it went down.  

I’ll also say that I think Christian Bale as Gor was awesome. He was pretty much the entire draw of the movie for me. The visual effects for the fight scenes with him were some of the coolest I’ve seen in the MCU. Marvel tends to play it really safe with their villains, so to see one with a definitively different vibe was pretty cool. The lack of colour in contrast with Thor’s primary colour palette? Amazing. The way the shadow monsters appeared? Amazing. The fight on the asteroid? Amazing. Bale is also just an incredible actor. He brought such balance to the energy that Thor has. I can tell why he was dissatisfied with the final cut of the movie, though. Man was acting his heart out, and you can tell how so much of his performance got snipped. 

The end was... disappointing. I went to see it in theatres with some family, and one of them commented that it seemed like the title of the movie got decided before the script was finished. This doesn’t feel far off. I do think it was very sweet that the girl was named Love, and there was a full circle moment with Thor finding something to live for. That said, it did not make sense. I feel that Gor’s wish could’ve been put to a different use, and I don’t entirely understand his motivations for leaving his newly revived kid with a complete stranger that he’d been fighting for an entire movie. Also, what are they going to do with the kid in future instalments? I feel like phase 4 has already gone so off the rails. There are just too many things, too many characters, and I cannot keep up. Actually, and I’ve heard this said before as well, most of phase 4 has felt like feature film filler episodes to set up other characters. At what point do they start indulging the characters that they actually have on screen? Between this and Multiverse of Madness, I am really REALLY exhausted by the format that they’ve got going on. If the next Shang-Chi movie falls victim to this I am going to genuinely lose my mind. 

I don’t know if Chris Hemsworth’s contract is up with Marvel or not, but considering the rest of the phase 1 gang are out, I’ll assume so. If he’s not, though, Marvel please for the love of all that is good, stop traumatizing my boy Thor. He doesn’t deserve this. This parallels only Spider-Man at this point. Give him a BREAK.

As a final note, I want to believe the filming of Love and Thunder was Mama Mia-esque in that they were all drunk and having a good time. 

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Hi Steph! Would you happen to have any fic recs that involve John meeting the Holmes family? I always think that's such an interesting dynamic to see! Also, I think this goes without saying but I love your blog and appreciate your contributions to the fandom! Thanks!

Hey Nonny!

Ah, thank you! I’m glad you enjoy my blog!

Oooo! Yes, I love that dynamic too!! ANNNNND!!! You’re giving me the chance to make a part 2 for a REALLY OLD LIST!!! So YAY!!! I found a bunch on a text doc I haven’t posted yet, so HERE WE GO! Hope you enjoy, and as always, everyone please add your own!

PARENTS AND FAMILIES Pt. 2

See also: 

Parents & Family

Meeting the Family With a Fake Relationship

Do You Love Me? by whitchry9 (K, 641 w., 1 Ch. || Friendship, Family, Epic Bromance) – John asks Sherlock perhaps the most important question.

Once Upon A Time by ProfessorSquirrell (T, 908 w., 1 Ch. || Family, Snippets of Life, Romance, Sherlock’s Mind Palace, Implied Drug Use, Angst with Happy Ending) – There is a room in Sherlock's mind palace where nothing gets deleted. And it looks like this...

Crisis Averted by Spartangal22 (T, 2,188 w., 1 Ch. || HLV Fic, Missing Scene After Confronting Mary, Canon Compliant, Sherlock Whump / Mary Shot Sherlock, Family / Friendship, Hospitalization, Sherlock POV, Holmes Brothers) – Lying in the hospital, Sherlock receives some surprising visitors, and manages to deal with two problems he's been having lately. A missing scene from HLV about a formal introduction that was never made and a visit that was never shown.

The Only Available Transportation by blueink3 (T, 5,379 w., 1 Ch. || Post S4, Fluff and Angst, Insecure Sherlock, Caring John, Parentlock, Sherlock’s Birthday, Family, Misunderstandings) – It’s possibly the desperation that’s seeped into his voice despite his best intentions, or perhaps it’s just a mother’s intuition, but she knows that whatever he’s calling about is Serious, hangover be damned. “What’s happened?” she asks, tone soft and as comforting as a hot cup of tea on a cold winter’s night. “Mummy,” he begins, voice catching. “I think John may be moving out.”

On the Steadfast Approach of an Oncoming Darkness by 2bee (T, 7,772 w., 1 Ch. || Apocalypse, Minor Character Death, Sort of Parentlock) – The world is ending. Not fast, but slowly, like falling asleep with a fever.

The Name Game by ItsClydeBitches221B (K, 8,958 w., 1 Ch. || Humour, Family, Platonics / Friendship, Sort-of Parentlock, John/Mary, Mary is Nice, Five and Ones, Baby Watson, Mycroft Loves Baby Watson) – The names that baby girl Watson comes up with for her extended family. Or: how everyone—Watsons, Holmes, and others alike— just learned to give up and embrace their weirdness.

The Burning of the Leaves by blueink3 (M, 15,915 w., 3 Ch. || Post S4, Angst, Reichenbach, Parentlock, Past Jolto, Idiot John, Sherlock’s a Mess, Puppies, Fluff, Possessive / Jealous Sherlock, Pining Sherlock, Sherlock POV, Matchmaker Sholto, Melancholic Feelings, Emotional Sherlock, Domesticity, Love Confessions in the Rain, Kissing in the Rain, Pet Names) – After the events of series 4, Major Sholto invites John and Sherlock to lunch one day. It nearly proves to be too much for their tenuous relationship as the past haunts the present, putting the future that Sherlock so desperately wants at risk.

Permanent Fixture by vitruvianwatson (E, 18,836 w., 9 Ch. || Post-S4, Parentlock, Slow Build, Friends to Lovers, They’re Good Parents, Blushing Sherlock, First Kiss/Time, Explicit Consent, Sexual Content, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Pining, Big Feelings, Crying, First Kiss, Fluff, Anxious Sherlock, Inexperienced Sherlock, Emotional Communication, Love Confessions) – Now, as Rosie sat curled up against Sherlock’s side, John watched and wondered exactly how he had ended up here. Domesticity had never suited him before, not at any point in his life. His disastrous marriage had been proof of that. But somehow, here in the warmth and safety of 221B Baker Street, here with Sherlock Holmes reading medical jargon to his daughter, Sherlock’s bony feet nudging against his leg, John couldn’t imagine anyplace that would make him happier.

Dropping the Act by jadztone (T, 27,258 w., 10 Ch. || Parentlock, Fake Relationship, Mary’s Family, Post-S4, Cuddling & Snuggling, Bed Sharing, Pining, Christmas) – Sherlock and John are quite happy living together with Rosie in Baker St. They might be even happier if they didn’t act towards each other like their love is only platonic. Mycroft brings troubling news in the form of Mary’s parents wanting to know just what their grandchild’s home life is like. The boys decide to spend Christmas pretending like they are in love in order to seem more like a "normal" family. It's easy enough to pretend when all you're doing is dropping the act.

An Acquired Taste by kinklock (E, 31,059 w., 4 Ch. || Vampires AU || Vampire Sherlock, Misunderstandings, Bat!Sherlock, Pining Sherlock, Humour, Magical Realism, Fluff and Angst, Blood Drinking, Holmes Family, Slow Burn) – At Montague Street when Sherlock was forced to sate his body’s needs, he was at least able to wander about the flat as much as he pleased. At Baker Street, it was mini-bags in a mini-fridge and bedroom confinement.

Chaperones by MissDavis (T, 34,114 w., 7 Ch. || 11 Years Post-S4, Fake Relationship, Parentlock, Disney World, Bed / Room Sharing, Friends to Lovers, Fluff, First Kiss, Obsessive Sherlock, Insecure John) – Right. Of course. Everyone assumed they were a couple and no one would question it. John put his elbows up on the table so he could rest his head in his hands. "You want to pretend to be a couple so we can chaperone a trip to Disney World with Rosie's class and you won't have to share a room with a stranger?" "Exactly." Sherlock beamed at him. "Don't worry about the cost. The Birmingham case last month paid more than enough to cover expenses for all three of us."

Where The Ghosts Have Voices by HappyJuicyfruit (M, 37,691 w., 12 Ch. || Supernatural AU || Ghosts, Magical Realism, Light Horror, Fluff and Smut, John Can See Ghosts, John Whump, Emotional Manipulation, Dark Magic, Coma, Injury Recovery, Blow Jobs, Anal, Happy Ending, John’s Past, Mr Holmes, Powerful John, Holmes Brothers, Sherlock’s Past, Past Viclock, Drug Abuse, Hair Pulling) – John has lived his whole life as an outcast. It is only when he meets Sherlock, that be realizes being a freak might not be such a bad thing, and that the curse he has lived with his whole life may be a gift after all. (TO READ)

Anchor Point by trickybonmot (E, 49,856 w., 80 Ch. || Truman Show AU || Psychological Drama, Suspense, Slow Burn, Dark Characters / Fic, Alternating First/Third Person, Protective John, Anxious/Worried Sherlock, Tender Moments, Love Confessions, Hand/Blow Jobs, Cuddling, Jealous John, First Kiss/Time) – The world tunes in nightly for Sherlock, the ultimate in reality TV: Sherlock Holmes, a real person with a legendary name, unknowingly lives out his life in a staged setting contrived by his brother. Things get complicated when a retired army doctor joins the show to play the part of Sherlock's closest friend. This fic borrows its concept from the 1998 film, the Truman Show. However, you don't need to have any knowledge of the movie to enjoy this story.

The Hollow Woman by ScopesMonkey (M, 51,335 w., 22 Ch. || Post-TRF, Major Character Death, Mystery, Romance, Friendship, Family, Angst, Crime, Reunion, First Kiss / Time, Nightmares, Doctor John, Jealous Sherlock, Jealous John, BAMF John, Angry John, Dub-Con, Rough Sex, Bottomlock, Possessive John, Villain Mary, Open Ending) – Forced to return to London sooner than expected, Sherlock falls into a case too close to home. Part 1 of the Hollowverse series

Repairing the Broken Things by BakerTumblings (M, 75,252 w., 15 Ch. || S4 Compliant, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Medical Trauma, Hospitals, Big Brother Mycroft, Misunderstandings, Realizations, Severe Accident, John Whump, Pneumonia, Medical Procedures, Bed Sharing, First Time, Healing, Happy Ending) – "I'm calling today to notify you that there's been an accident."

Points by lifeonmars (E, 53,791 w., 42 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || HLV Rewrite / Canon Divergence, Married Life, Pregnancy / Baby Watson, Drinking to Cope, Boxing / Fisticuffs, Clueless John, Angst, Minor Medical Drama, Tattoos, Christmas, First Kiss/Time, Eventual Happy Ending, Love Confessions, Doctor John, Sexuality Crisis, Slow Burn, Case Fic, Drugging, Blow/Hand Job, Emotional Love Making, Parenthood, Passage of Time) – What if His Last Vow never happened? This fic picks up a few months after John and Mary's wedding, in an alternate universe where Magnussen doesn't exist, but Mary is still pregnant. Life continues -- just in a different direction. And slowly, Sherlock and John find their way to each other.

The Monument of Memory by J_Baillier (M, 79,663 w., 14 Ch. || Post S4 Fix It Fic / S4 is Canon, Angst, Family Drama, Guilt, Case Fic, John Loves Sherlock, Complicated Feelings, Mentalism / Hypnosis, Murder, Grieving John, Sherlock is a Bit Not Good, Team Work, Trust Issues, BAMF John, Psychological Trauma, Protective John, Autistic-Spectrum Sherlock, Parentlock, John POV) –  A genius traumatised by a past he's only beginning to recall. The psychopath sister that time forgot. A missing woman and a mentalist who may or may not be a murderer. And, in the middle of it all, stands John Watson.

Kintsukuroi by sussexbound (E, 91,823 w., 20 Ch. || S4 Compliant / Post-TLD, Grief / Mourning, PTSD, Internalized Homophobia, Therapy, Past Abuse, Alcohol Abuse, Nightmares, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Depression, Anxiety, Bed Sharing, Love Confessions, Cuddling, Suicidal Ideation, Masturbation, Minor Character Death, Sexting, Frottage, Inexperienced Sherlock, Rimming / Anal / BJ’s, Emotional Turmoil, Finding Each Other) – “I love you.” Sherlock sees the words hit John with almost physical force. He reels back a little, jaw twitching and eyes filling. “I love you,” he repeats, a little softer, a little more gentle, as earnest as he possibly can. Because they’ve been teetering on the brink of this thing for years, and it had become painfully obvious over the last few months that they were at a tipping point. This had to happen. Now it has. Now they can see where they end up. The tears in John’s eyes spill over, and he wipes at them angrily. “Do you even know what that means?”  

The Summer Boy by khorazir (T, 94,706 w., 6 Ch. || Post S3/Post TAB/Alternate S4, Friends to Lovers, Asexual Sherlock, POV Sherlock, Flashbacks, Bullying, 1980′s Kid Sherlock, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Inexperienced Sherlock, Grief/Mourning, Pining Sherlock, Case Fic, Sherlock’s Past, Awkward Conversations, Anxious Sherlock) – About half a year after the fateful events at Appledore, Sherlock and John embark on a private case in Sussex. For Sherlock, it’s a journey into his past, bringing up memories both happy and sad that he has locked away for almost thirty years. For John, it means coming to terms with the present – and a potential future with Sherlock. Part 1 of the The Summer Boy series

The Wedding Garments by cwb (E, 105,390 w., 36 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Alternate Future AU || Alternate First Meeting, Dating / Arranged Marriages, Romance, First Kiss/Time, Heavy Petting, Cuddles, POV Sherlock, Virgin Sherlock, Idiots in Love, Slow Burn / Falling in Love / Dev. Rel., Nervous/Anxious Sherlock, Jealous/Cranky, Hiking, Vacation Homes / Honeymoon, Sherlock’s Family, Horny John/Sherlock, Patient John, Massages, Hand Jobs, Assassination Plots, Hand Jobs / Oral Sex, Case Fic, Emotional Love Making, Bath Time Fun) – This is the story of a young consulting detective who wants nothing to do with marriage and an army doctor who wants to find true love. It's 2020 post-Brexit England and the British government is encouraging arranged marriages. Candidates meet through state-run agencies and date in hopes of finding love (and tax benefits). Sherlock doesn't need or want a spouse, at least not until John Watson shows up. Hesitant to give in to his more carnal urges because of the way they derail his mind, how will Sherlock progress toward the more intimate aspects of a relationship? The answer lies in a very special wedding gift.

The Bang and the Clatter by earlgreytea68 (M, 137,049 w., 37 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Baseball AU || Slow Burn / Dev. Rel., Possessive/Obsessive Sherlock, Jealous Sherlock, Mutual Pining, Body Appreciation, Depression, Closeted Sexuality, Family, Sherlock’s Mind Palace, Ogling Each Other, Anxious Sherlock, Panic Attack, Drunkenness, Talk of Forever, Big Feelings™) – Sherlock Holmes is a pitcher and John Watson is a catcher. No, no, no, it's a baseball AU. Part 1 of Baseball

The Lost Special: Family Matters (As Do Relationships) by ShirleyCarlton  (M, 144,688 w., 40 Ch. || S4 Fix It Fic, Unreliable Narrator, John’s Mind Bungalow, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending) – Sherrinford is not really the name of some high security prison. That was just a figment of John’s frantic coma dream. And Eurus is not actually Sherlock’s sister. That’s just something random she said to John before shooting him. Sherlock and John were never actually estranged. That was just their act to cover up what really happened to Mary – or Rosamund Moran, as her real name has turned out to be. Sherlock does have a secret sibling, though, and his name is Sherrinford. After finally eliminating Moran – though in a rather dramatically different way than they had envisioned – and exposing the truth about Eurus, John encourages Sherlock to delve into his past and to find out whether the reasons to keep Sherrinford away from Sherlock were the right ones, and to discover what really happened in 1981. Along the way, Sherlock and John gradually, finally, stop keeping each other at a distance, and eventually become a proper family of their own.

Proving A Point by elldotsee & J_Baillier (E, 186,270 w., 28 Ch. || Me Before You Fusion || Medical Realism, Insecure John, Depression, Romance, Angst, POV John, Sherlock Whump, Serious Illness, Doctor John, Injury Recovery, Assisted Suicide, Sherlock’s Violin, Awkward Sexual Situations, Alcoholism, Drugs, Idiots in Love, Slow Burn, Body Image, Friends to Lovers, Hurt / Comfort, Pain, Big Brother Mycroft, Intimacy, Anxiety, PTSD, Family Issues, Psychological Trauma, John Whump, Case Fics, Loneliness, Pain) – Invalided home from Afghanistan, running out of funds and convinced that his surgical career is over, John Watson accepts a mysterious job offer to provide care and companionship for a disabled person. Little does he know how much hangs in the balance of his performance as he settles into his new life at Musgrave Court.