#I love this retelling more than the freaking original like-

[halscafe]

have u ever read a fic so amazing that it just becomes engrained into your subconscious

me with angel and the alpha on ao3 cause oml i am not joking when I say I will (without realizing it) start visualizing a scene in my head, think "ahh I need to watch this again" only to immediately remember i can't watch because I loved the scene so much on paper I visualized it, and engrained it into my brain

[rosietrace]

This is a personal rant about my thoughts on Greek mythology retellings, and just the way Fantasy books and the publishing industry is at this point 🧍‍♀️

I have nothing against Greek mythology retellings, or just anything Greek mythology related in fantasy in general!

However, I have certain gripes about the way Greek mythology is portrayed in media, specifically in the way its interpreted in Fantasy.

[ More under the cut! ]

I love Percy Jackson, and I think that Uncle Rick did a wonderful job at expanding the world and making Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Norse mythology entertaining and easily digestible for young audiences. Genuinely, he does a better job at writing children's books than R*wling could ever be capable of.

However, as much as I can love PJO as much as I do, I still find certain bits of the world building and character writing as... Very hit and miss.

To start, I don't like the way Ares was written in the series. I can understand that it would make sense for his personality to be that way, because he's the God of War and it helps with Clarisse's character development; but I find fault in it because Ares in the myths is nothing like PJO Ares. (He literally killed one of Poseidon's sons because he raped his daughter, Alcippe, and he's one of the only gods who doesn't hump anything that can breathe in air. At least Ares has the courtesy of asking for consent 💀)

The Gods being the reason behind WWII and Hitler being a child of Hades. All I must say.

The portrayal of the Aphrodite cabin

The fact that Athena can have children. Annabeth, pjo fandom at large, I love you are, but you gotta admit it must've felt weird when you first read the books and you find out Athena — the maiden Goddess of Wisdom — can have offspring. Regardless of the reasoning, I still find it weird 😭 (EDIT: I've now just remembered that it was a reference to how Athena herself was created 🤡 I'm a clown)

I get that the Hermes cabin is also the cabin for the unclaimed, but couldn't have Hestia's cabin worked too? She doesn't have offspring, sure, but it probably would've made more sense for the unclaimed to go to Hestia's cabin so that the Hermes cabin wouldn't be so crowded

This isn't really a world building issue, but I think I should bring it up: I'm not saying this against the Kane Chronicles fandom, but... Sadie and Anubis. Why. Like you can't convince me that no one WASN'T weirded out by that.

Less of a complaint and more of a question because I can't remember if the question was answered in HoO or not, but when Percy told the Gods to start claiming their unclaimed children and be more decent parents (as he should, go off king), did that request apply to the Romans at Camp Jupiter too? Because that's gotta have been confusing when the unclaimed kids at CP suddenly started getting claimed 😭😭

I could go on a whole ass tangent about PJO, but that would make this post longer than it needs to be 😭😭 and any of the points might not make much sense, since I haven't read the books in a LONG time

Off to the YA Fantasy segment... Hoo boy.

The oversaturation of Hades/Persephone retellings makes me SEETHE. Why is it always Hades and Persephone why can't it be something else 😭

I just don't like the “modern feminist” retellings of Greek myths in the YA Fantasy genre, in general. They tend to completely miss the point of the original myth, and it's the case with a lot of Hades and Persephone retellings where they try to paint Hades as the good guy taking Persephone away from her control freak mother, Demeter.

Because that wasn't what the myth was about. The myth isn't a love story, at least, not a romantic one. It was about Demeter's love for Persephone and how much she wanted her daughter back after Hades stole her away. Keep in mind, in the historical context of the myth, the daughters of women in ancient Greece never really get to see their mothers after their engagements are solidified.

If they wanted to make a “feminist” retelling of the myth, they'd have it centered around the love Demeter had for Persephone to almost doom the mortal realm to an eternal winter to get her back.

I love the myth of Hades and Persephone, truly, I do. I understand the appeal it has on people, the appeal it has one me. I can see why people adore the myth in the way they do because Hades is one of the better husbands in Greek mythology (a low bar, but my point still stands).

Personally, I blame Lore Olympus and especially the video of the myth by Overly Sarcastic Productions for the way the myth is portrayed in mass media. And I say this as a former LO fan and a fan of Overly Sarcastic Productions 😭

I'd also want to go into my many, MANY gripes about “Crown of Starlight” by Cait Corrain, but in all honesty? I don't think I can properly convey how much I DESPISE Cait and their book. So I'd highly recommend y'all to check out the videos about Cait Corrain by Reads With Rachel, WithCindy, and Xiran Jay Zhao on YouTube if you're interested in going into more detail about the controversies, especially for those who weren't made aware of it.

I feel like the publishing industry just... Isn't good anymore, after Booktok went viral. Reading has been “hot girlified”, and all Booktok seems to ask when they get recommended a book is: “Is it spicy??”

Reading is like fast fashion, now. It's all based around certain popular tropes that that's how books are promoted now. Not for the plot — or sometimes lack thereof — but for the tropes the book has.

The only thing I can thank Booktok for is that they helped me discover The Cruel Prince. And even then, it's marketed as romance on there, when it's a political fantasy with a romance subplot.

‼️ Woah! A secret bonus section! ‼️

I, personally, don't read — nor do I like — Sarah J Maas. (Especially considering the problematic aspects of her storytelling, character portrayals, and is (apparently, correct me if I'm wrong) a Zionist)

However, that isn't to say that I don't like some of the characters she makes. A lot of them have potential, actually! From what I've seen, I think Nesta, Gwyn, Azriel, Eris, Tamlin and Lucien from ACOTAR are the only characters I actually like, based on what I've heard — and seen — on anything in the SJM critical tag on this hellsite.

And while we're at it, let's discuss the elephant in the room with ACOTAR, right? Rhysand.

By all that is good and holy, I hate Rhysand so much and I think I'd hate him even more if I actually READ the books. I don't get why Booktok is so invested in him when Maas retconned Tamlin's character to make him look better as Feyre's love interest.

Also, from what I recall, didn't Rhysand sexually assault Feyre? And he didn't bother to apologize for it, and justified it with his sad tragic backstory??

I can't with y'all, istg 😭 the fact that “Feysand” is apparently a Hades and Persephone retelling too makes me even more mad about it because it isn't even a GOOD retelling. It just takes away what ACOTAR originally was— a Beauty and the Beast retelling, with Feyre and Tamlin as the leads.

Didn't Maas dedicate ACOTAR to her husband because “He would go under the mountain” for her??? BECAUSE IT CERTAINLY WASN'T RHYSAND WHO SAVED FEYRE FROM UTM, I'LL TELL YOU THAT

I think, out of all the series Maas has made thus far, Throne of Glass is the only one I ACTUALLY kind of like, based on what I've heard. Crescent City seems to be too complicated to understand, and even though I've never read it myself, I miss what ACOTAR could've been. (My hope lies with Nesta, Elucien and Gwynriel, at this point)

[captain-ozone]

MY VERY SPOILERY THOUGHTS ON THE LITTLE MERMAID

I’m going absolutely feral after seeing The Little Mermaid. My inner child has been FED, and I HAVE NO ONE TO TALK TO ABOUT IT YET so here I am to spew my thoughts. Spoilers below:

1. Halle was perfect. I will accept no criticism on this point. The only thing I cared about when this live-action movie was announced was that our new Ariel would have a voice to match Jodi Benson’s, and Halle did more than deliver. She epitomized the spirit of Ariel in every way. She was playful, she was inquisitive, she was joyful and bright and fun, she was so good at tugging the heartstrings (even without dialogue!!!) and appealing to our innate wanderlust and desire to discover and experience,  and she was so so EARNEST in her portrayal I can’t even. 

2. THE DEPTH THEY ADDED TO PRINCE ERIC’S CHARACTER OKAY!?!?! LIKE?!?!?! Okay, I will NOT GET OVER THIS. It was SO CLEVER of them to mirror Ariel’s journey with his desire to break free of his position’s restrictions. It worked incredibly well and did not once detract from our heroine’s spotlight. Rather, it ENHANCED their connection and sold me on their three-day love story in a deeper and more meaningful way than the original did (more on that below). ALSO ALSO ALSO SO COOL of them not to kill off his ADOPTIVE mother. ADOPTIVE. Marvelous choice! Truly. His mother’s fear of the sea gods offered a parallel to Triton’s fear of the surface world, and *CHEFS KISS*

3. Melissa McCarthy’s Pour Unfortunate Souls was a FUN TIME. 

4. Awkwafina as Scuttle? Inspired. 

5. MAX WAS ADORABLE AND THE STAR OF THE SHOW EVERY TIME HE WAS ON SCREEN. BEST BOY.

6. Wherever they filmed? The castle? Fucking gorgeous.

7. JODI BENSON CAMEOOOOOOO 

8. Grimsby is the GOAT. Enough said.

9. NEW SONGS

I may get some hate for this, but I’m not the biggest fan of Lin-Manuel Miranda.  Idk how to put this. He has an insane amount of talent, but for...untraditional musicals. I wouldn’t say he’d be my first choice to write new songs that fit the more traditional Broadway-like musical vibes that characterized so much of the Disney Renaissance. 

That being said, The Scuttlebutt was the strongest of the bunch, I think. It was very much a Miranda song, and in most instances, I’d be a little irritated by how they included a song that has a style so different from the rest of the lyrical music we know and love from the original animated movie. But it worked here, likely because it was delivered by Awkwafina’s Scuttle and FIT the character.

Honorable mention to Wild Uncharted Waters, only because WOW Jonah Hauer-King went OFF on that performance. This boy said “I get one musical number and I’m going to KILL IT” and he did.

Also very much liked the Part of Your World (Reprise II)! It tied everything together really nicely.

10. THE OTHER NOTABLE CHANGES I NEED TO SCREAM ABOUT

I LOVE THAT ARIEL HESITATED BEFORE CHOOSING TO GO THROUGH WITH THE SPELL.

I LOVE THAT ARIEL WAS FORCED TO FORGET SHE NEEDED A KISS FROM ERIC. --> THIS. THIS IS FREAKING AMAZING. I can’t even express how much more I felt for Ariel and Eric’s love story. How much more real it felt. How much more believable and true. I don’t buy in to one-day (or few-day) love stories very easily, especially when physical intimacy/attraction is a driving force. My little aroace ass dug the fact that kissing Eric literally was the last thing on Ariel’s mind. She got to be herself, explore this new world, AND do it with someone who appreciated her curiosity and found joy in how much joy she was experiencing, who could have just as much fun as she could. God. Goals. 

I LOVE THAT ERIC KNEW SOMETHING WASN’T RIGHT WITH VANESSA, EVEN IF HE COULDN’T PUT HIS FINGER ON IT. Very reminiscent of Prince of Song and Sea by Linsey Miller (a YA AU retelling told from Prince Eric’s POV. It’s a fun, easy read, if you’re curious).

I LOVE THAT ARIEL ACTIVELY TACKLED VANESSA AND BROKE THE SHELL NECKLACE HERSELF.

I LOVE THAT ARIEL WAS THE ONE TO STAB URSULA. I LOVE THAT SO MUCH. WE LOVE A BADASS HEROINE WHO DON’T NEED NO MAN TO SAVE HER.

All of these changes were important and mean a lot to me. I think it challenges a lot of the issues people have with the original animated movie, in that, here in the 2023 version, no one can argue that Ariel made her choices because she was lusting after a man. Or that she’s a damsel in distress. Very good stuff there.

11. My critiques

Some of the cinematography was weird. The transition between acting scenes and singing scenes didn’t always flow right. They felt abrupt and awkward. I definitely worried a bit about the CGI too, and it wasn’t too terrible imo. 

And my biggest complaint: idk what it was about the ending, but it didn’t *quite* hit right. In the original animated movie, one of the last bits of dialogue comes from Triton, when he says, “...how much I’m going to miss her.” The finale of the animated movie is then a spectacle of swelling music and a heartfelt case of “show” rather than “tell.” The hug between Ariel and Triton on the wedding barge is perfect. The way in which the mer-people come to witness the wedding and send off Eric and Ariel is perfect. 

The live-action ending felt...a little too somber. It became too much about Triton letting go and not enough about Ariel and Eric setting off on adventure together or about their worlds colliding in peace. I wouldn’t say that the last conversation between Triton and Ariel in the 2023 movie cheapens the line “...how much I’m going to miss her” and the bittersweetness with which he gifts her back her human legs, but it came close. I would have MUCH rather had a little more from Eric and Ariel than from Triton. LIKE HELLO??? WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT RING GRIMSBY KICKED AWAY!??? THERE WAS SOMETHING THEY COULD HAVE USED RIGHT THERE. Or better yet: if they wanted to do something super touching, they could have had Eric’s mother and Triton do a short aside by themselves, or perhaps even have a sort of moment where they acknowledge each other with respect/compassion/understanding before we all refocused on Ariel and Eric for the grand finale. But nah, they did what they did, and I’ll be a bit salty about it forever.

But anyway. Overall, I was very pleased. My disappointment with the lack of emotional impact from the ending does not supersede my enjoyment of everything else.

If you made it this far, please share your thoughts! I’m eager to talk to people, because all my friends aren’t like me and didn’t go see it opening night, lol.

[foxes-that-run]

Cardigan

Cardigan is a response to Falling, it was written 2 months after the Falling video was released. The videos have Haylor references. Falling is Harry is worried his muse will never need him again. Cardigan is assuring him their muse-friend-situationship is OK. The voice note has different lyrics:

Living in a gold age Sneak into my birdcage Laughing like a damn fool Breaking every damn rule Peter leaving Wendy The Dancing in your Levi’s line was in place of leaving like a father I knew you’d linger like a stolen kiss I knew I’d wish you’d have changed your mind I knew the love would be for me to loose my mind

The original lyrics also have even more Haylor references:

Living in a gold age and sneak into my birdcage, I wish this stayed. Taylor has a birdcage in her Nashville apartment, Harry got a birdcage tattoo. See theme of gilded cages of fame and love.

Laughing like a damn fool, breaking every rule reminds me of Begin Again where he was "Laughing like a little kid" Harry also referenced Begin Again in the Falling Video.

Peter left Wendy rather than lost Wendy, such an interesting change when Taylor said she ended it in the 1989 Vault.

Stolen kiss is in Blank Space (Stolen kisses, pretty lies) and reminds me of Stolen Stares in Illicit Affairs

Finally links to I Wish you Would and Wonderland!

Taylor also provided foot notes for Cardigan, I have screenshots of more in the video post, in part say:

There's a collection of three songs I refer to as The Teenage Love Triangle (in my head). These three songs explore a summer love triangle from all three peoples perspectives at different times in their lives. It's like this one event happened in their town and it affected them each differently.

In the Long Pond Sessions, it is Betty's POV. Taylor said Betty winds up with James, 'but he really put her through it'. In the footnotes she also says she was "inspired by the feeling of isolation and how it can be freeing or terrifying and how it causes you to reminisce on the past." Indeed, we noticed. While all 3 of the triangle songs draw inspiration from HS/TS, Cardigan does so the most heavily.

Lyrics

[Verse 1] Vintage tee, brand new phone High heels on cobblestones When you are young, they assume you know nothing Sequin smile, black lipstick Sensual politics When you are young, they assume you know nothing

The first verse sets a scene, which is very 1989-esq, cobblestones is either in New York or London, Harry wears a lot of vintage tees.

Sensual politics is a reference to the themes Taylor explored in Slut. Coupled with when you are young, confirms this song is in reference to Harry.

To me, sequin smile, black lipstick could be taken as a scene setter. I think it is directed at Harry in a few ways though:

In IDWLF Taylor was so taken with her glitter lip got it's own BTS where Taylor mentioned runway (Only Angel).

IDWLF is Haylor, it's with Zayn about losing the love of your life and not wanting to end up alone.

and Black lipstick reminds me of Reputation. In he refers to the Rep Aesthetic Little Freak and dreams.

[Chorus] But I knew you Dancin' in your Levi's Drunk under a streetlight, I I knew you Hand under my sweatshirt Baby, kiss it better, I

Dancin in your Levi's reminds both of Maroon's "Dancing in New York, No Shoes" where Harry is wearing black jeans, and Delicate's "Dark jeans and your Nikes, look at you"

The chorus retells of the fun they had, it shows their chemistry and slightly messy nighttime antics.

[Refrain] And when I felt like I was an old cardigan Under someone's bed You put me on and said I was your favorite

I love this refrain, I love it so much, great imagery and so warm. It alo recalls Taylor feeling seen by Harry in dark times:

Delicate "This ain't for the best / My reputation's never been worse, so / You must like me for me", and

High Infidelity - Do you really wanna know where I was April 29th? /Do I really have to chart the constellations in his eyes? / Do I really have to tell you how he brought me back to life?

Here Taylor is returning the favor, with saying how important their connection is.

[Verse 2] A friend to all is a friend to none Chase two girls, lose the one When you are young, they assume you know nothing

A friend to all was a common criticism laid on Taylor when the squad fell out of favor, I find it interesting here. Taylor directly refers to the events of Falling, though it's of note that in Cruel Summer she also had another beau.

To me the refrain of when you are young is referred to how young they were when they first dated, now around 30 they have held onto this connection.

[Chorus] But I knew you Playing hide-and-seek and Giving me your weekends, I I knew you Your heartbeat on the High Line Once in twenty lifetimes, I

Hide-and-seen reminds us of I Know Places “'Cause I, I know places we can hide”

When they dated, Harry and Taylor travelled to be together, during 1D days Harry would sometimes fly a day late to spend more time with Taylor. Weekends are also mentioned in Now That We Don’t Talk: “What do you tell your friends we shared dinners, long weekends with?” And It’s Nice To Have A Friend: “Feels like home, stay in bed the whole weekend.”

Heartbeat on the high line is a reference to New York, where they spent time together

Once in 20 lifetimes, refers to how rare it is to find someone so special and 20 (13+7) is in many Haylor songs.

[Bridge] To kiss in cars and downtown bars Was all we needed You drew stars around my scars But now I'm bleedin'

Kissing in cars is a reference to the theme of driving. Kissing in bars is similar to Delicate’s “Dive bar on the East Side, where you at? /Phone lights up my nightstand in the black /Come here; you can meet me in the back”

Two Ghosts has a similar line “Moon dances over your good side /And this was all we used to need”

You drew star around my scars but now bleedin’ means to me that HS helped her turn her scars into a good thing, helped her feel better. But now they are apart she is bleeding. There are a number of bleeding as feelings lyrics in: The 1 (never bleed never grow) Olivia (bleeding love), Cruel Summer (If I bleed you'll be the last to know) and Woman (you’re making me bleed). I feel like the bleeding is also connected to the War metaphor Taylor uses.

[Chorus] 'Cause I knew you Steppin' on the last train Marked me like a bloodstain, I I knew you Tried to change the ending Peter losing Wendy, I I knew you Leavin' like a father Running like water, I And when you are young, they assume you know nothing

The last train is a Lyric (I stood right by the tracks / Your face in a locket) from Sad, Beautiful, Tragic on Red. Which was written in late 2011, the title is in the Video Footnotes.

To me bloodstain is a reference to This Love "This love left a permanent mark". In October 2023, a Harry Styles leak California, which refers to being in COVID lockdown in LA and kitten scratches included the lyric "Oh, it's you who left a mark on me"

Peter loosing Wendy, I love this lyric, it's brings imagery of them being young magical one of a kind people meant for each other but not being. A perfect new couple metaphor for them, and one I prefer to Burton/Taylor Mitchell/Nash (Can they've also used.

I find the leaving like a father line so sad, this reminds me of Seven.

[Verse 3] But I knew you'd linger like a tattoo kiss I knew you'd haunt all of my what-ifs The smell of smoke would hang around this long 'Cause I knew everything when I was young I knew I'd curse you for the longest time Chasin' shadows in the grocery line I knew you'd miss me once the thrill expired And you'd be standin' in my front porch light And I knew you'd come back to me You'd come back to me And you'd come back to me And you'd come back

Tattoo kiss is the final line, (stolen being in the voice note). This reminds me of the mentions of marks and of course tattoos. It also reminds me of the Golden Tattoo in Dress..

The smell of smoke reminds us of “Slut!”: "Adorned with smoke on my clothes, lovelorn and nobody knows"

When the thrill expired reminds us of Question…?: Did you leave her house in the middle of the night? Did you wish you put up more of a fight?

Standing in my front porch reminds us of I wish you would, HYGTG

Come back to me reminds us of another Haylor Red song, Come Back, Be Here.

[thetlctrash]

Rereading Winter and this specific line stood out to me. This is more of a rant than anything so feel free to scroll

Okay so for those of you that don’t know, in the original fairytale the Evil Queen demands to have Snow Whites' heart brought to her so she can eat it. But instead, the Huntsman kills an animal and gives that heart to the queen to it (and yes, she did eat it), and honestly, this scene stood out to me because the way Marissa retells these fairytales is so creative. Jacin kills Ryu instead of Winter, fulfilling the role of the huntsman, but the heart thing isn't referenced until this scene. Another thing I noticed is that in Winter's dream, Levana brushes her hair with the comb, one of the things that the Evil Queen poisons Snow White with. And before I forget, my favourite one, Snow White was described to have "Skin white as snow, lips red as blood, and hair black as ebony," but instead Winter has skin as black as ebony (Or rather Evret did, though she did get his colour), heart or perhaps dress as white as snow, and instead of blood red lips, the walls are always bleeding. Like what ?!?!?!? These are the kind of details that make me think "Aw I wish I came up with that" BECAUSE GENUINELY HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH THAT?

It's like Marissa treats the original fairytales like checklists instead of plot outlines and I love that about The Lunar Chronicles. Aside from The Beauty and The Freak, this series might be the only fairytale retellings I really like because MM dissects these stories and puts them together like Frankensteins monster

Anyways thinking of making a post about all the specific references to the fairytales in the books so if this gets enough notes I will ^^

[saintofdaggers]

semi-regular genuinely disturbing* book rec list

*check tw lists on StoryGraph, read at your own discretion, etc. also you might find some of these tame depending on your tolerance levels, but they do all have some kind of graphic or taboo content.

Poppy Z. Brite: Wormwood - short stories about goths and freaks and outcasts. they're all sensual, horrifying and beautifully written with macabre, vivid imagery. a personal favorite <3

John Skipp, Craig Spector: The Scream - still reading this one, but it's VERY fun, a classic splatterpunk novel about a rising rock band whose sinister shock rock acts go way beyond the stage. has some interesting commentary on religious fundamentalism, moral panics and music censorship, and the prose is really good, if a little corny in places

Daniel H. Gower: The Orpheus Process - this book is batshit insane and horribly written. it is, however, one of the funniest goddamn things I've ever read, and the nightmare imagery is so over-the-top that it keeps veering wildly between ridiculous and genuinely horrifying. it melted my brain. I think this is the closest we'll ever get to someone actually writing the Necronomicon

Cassandra Khaw: The Salt Grows Heavy - this is a very recently published fairytale retelling, but it's gorgeously written with genuinely artistic prose, it's an interesting angle to take with the fairytale it's built on, and the gore/medical horror is excellent.

Borderlands (edited by Thomas F. Monteleone) - read this one a while ago, but it's basically an anthology aimed to collect cutting-edge stories that went way beyond the cliches and recycled tropes plaguing paperback horror publishing at the time. this collection was a little hit and miss for me, but some stories are genuinely great and they're all fairly out there.

Bret Easton Ellis: American Psycho - but of course. I think the movie is much better as satire and the book is much better as horror, but let's just say even I winced a few times as I read this. at least when I wasn't cracking up

Otsuichi: Goth - oh I love this one. two death-obsessed teenagers keep running into serial killers and trying to understand them. it's nasty, bleak and a really, really good read (it almost broke me with a certain horrifying image on my first read, but I'm glad I decided to finish it)

Ryu Murakami: Piercing - I remember someone asking me once what I was reading and I handed him the book so he could read the blurb. when he reached a certain sentence, his eyes just kinda widened and his general assumptions of my sanity were visibly reevaluated. that's how you know this one is good

J. G. Ballard: High-Rise - less graphic than the others on this list, but more skin-crawling, imo. a filthy rich highrise apartment complex starts breaking down from poor design and antagonistic neighbor relationships, throwing the inhabitants into worse and worse chaos until they start genuinely cracking. this book is so gross. I say that with love

Splatterpunks II: Over the Edge - still reading this one too, but I think it's worth checking out to see how you'll like it (I couldn't find the original Splatterpunks anthology in the library, but this collection was stated by the editor to be more diverse and progressive than the first, and that already made it interesting enough to me to pick up). Kathe Koja, Poppy Z. Brite, Clive Barker, Karl Edward Wagner. you know you're in good hands here.

[justanotherghostwriter]

a03 wrapped asks: 3, 5, 6, 18, 29, 30!

What a wonderful gift: lots of opportunities to talk about myself! :'D Thank you for sending this in! I've answered 3 in a previous ask, but I'll copy and paste the answer here so you don't have to go clicking.

3. What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)?

I was actually surprised by how little I wrote this year lmao. So there isn’t the biggest pool of fic to choose from. If I have to choose a fic that’s finished, then I’m most proud of While the Music Lasts (Zutara) because it was written with love for one of the best. And because I got to infodump about music, throw in show references, and flex the “say a lot with little” skills I’m trying to learn from marijayne-writing.

If it doesn’t have to be complete, then you know I’m going to say Atlas: Rebuilding (Zutara). That one is a culmination of many years of very specific headcanons and tropes. :P

5. What work of yours got more feedback than you expected?

While the Music Lasts (Zutara). I honestly thought a modern band AU that’s basically just a retelling of the show with no big original plotpoints would get as much love as it did. But it was quite well-received!

6. Favorite title you used

I don’t like writing titles, actually; they’re the most difficult part of writing for me, in many ways. And with so few fic to choose from, this was a struggle for me to answer. If I had to choose one of the five fic... We Saw a Spark. Even without knowing the song reference, that line speaks a lot about hope and the sudden striking of new things that could be dangerous, yes, but could also bring light.

18. The character that gave you the most trouble writing this year?

Azula. She may have only really featured in While the Music Lasts so far in practise, in theory there are a lot of things in my head (and in secret documents. If you know, you know) that feature her. Azula, Mai (and Aang, to some degree) are similar cases for me as a writer: I neither want to vilify or water them down. They’re human. They’re complex. And wrapping my head around that, especially in a modern setting, say, is freaking hard.

29. Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

I’ve already answered this for another ask, here. But I’ll give another two lines that I’m unabashedly fond of. One speaks to my bad sense of humour, and the other to my melodramatic streak that’s actually more like a melodramatic canyon:

"'I’ll be, um. Hungry. Tomorrow. So. We could…' He hesitated, again, even as Katara sat up straighter in anticipation. 'Do you want to get dinner food things with me?' he blurted." — While the Music Lasts, ch 1.

"The song changed, and Katara rose with the violins..." — While the Music Lasts, ch 2.

30. Biggest surprise while writing this year?

That I didn’t finish any of the event fic that I swore I would be done by their deadlines? No, honestly, We Saw a Spark somehow gained chapters and is months and months overdue. I’m Pikachu surprised meme that, wow, breaking my self-vow never to post something before it was complete ever again led to me ghosting my own fanfic. I guess I’m just really living up to my username in ways I never, ever expected.

Less cheekily, the biggest surprise is always the feedback. The love in the comments and the tags and the bookmark notes. The recs. The fanart (Liz, thank you <3). I hope I never stop not expecting it.

Ask me AO3 wrapped questions.

Fic from 2022:

Atlas: Rebuilding (Zutara)

Dog Days (Zutara)

We Saw A Spark (Zutara)

What Goes Must Come (Agent Carter)

While the Music Lasts (Zutara)

[tailsrevane]

[comic review] superman: birthright (2003-04)

writer: mark waid artists: leinil francis yu & gerry alanguilan

“you can’t show up nowadays and be a super-friend. we are a skeptical lot. government… advertising… god help me, the media… these things manipulate us 24/7, and worse, we know it. we claim to fight it, but most of us don’t have the energy to struggle every moment of every day. wear us down enough, and the lesson we eventually take to heart is that it’s easier and safer to be cynical than it is to trust someone.”

this is without a doubt the best version of superman’s origin story i’ve ever seen in any medium. half of the first issue is about kal-el’s parents on krypton, and it’s one of the better retellings of that part of his origin that i’ve ever seen, and the segue from krypton to earth is handled with what’s essentially a title sequence? there are like three pages of epic panels of the ship in flight that are intercut with text saying “DC COMICS PROUDLY PRESENTS … THE STORY OF KRYPTON’S LAST SON … SUPERMAN: … BIRTHRIGHT.” i know this is a very small detail, but it’s hella cinematic, and i gotta be honest i couldn’t read those pages without hearing john williams’ epic superman theme swelling up in my head, and i am so weak for that kind of shit. i’m so glad they gave this part that a lot of people might consider a “non-story” part of the story time to breathe like that.

the rest of the first issue and most of the second issue is given over to clark being a roving freelance reporter, and i freaking love that! he is genuinely devoted to meeting people from all over the world and telling their stories, and seeing him with a genuine passion for journalism that predates his association with the daily planet is just such an awesome change of pace! it’s not just a cover story that lines up really well with his work as superman, it’s a genuine passion of his. i like this so much better than the sort of perfunctory way this aspect of clark’s life is usually handled!

clark runs into a rocky spot with his relationship with his adopted father jonathan in the next issue, but his relationship with martha remains rock-solid throughout, and she gets way more to do here than she practically ever does in other versions of the story!! and in doing his part to overcome the rift that has grown between him and clark, jonathan is explicitly depicted as breaking a cycle of abuse. martha explains, “matthew kent was a spiteful, needy man who worked hard to make jonathan feel stupid and insecure.” i’ve… never had a way to put it that succinctly before, but that is exactly what my relationship with my father was like, so that resonated pretty profoundly with me.

with his parents back firmly on his side, clark makes his fateful journey to metropolis in issue 4, and this is where i’m going to stop with the recap but suffice it to say clark goes on to come into his own and very believably grow into the role of superman. of the ones i’ve read, this is probably my favorite superman graphic novel ever.

s-rank

[ssparklemotion]

superbat reclist i

some favorites, no particular order, short thought in italics

The Farthest Shore by manic_intent

“Peaceful night, sir?” Alfred slid a mug of coffee onto the desk.

“Seems like it. Couple of small-time burglaries. Tipped off the cops.”

“Ah,” Alfred smiled faintly. “Gone were the days when you’d go haring off after the smallest lawbreaker, I see.”

“What’s the point,” Bruce yawned, picking up the cup. “There was a cop car close by, and lately the police are more likely to shoot at me than at a perp.”

“That might perhaps have something to do with your preferred modus operandi of terrifying even your allies, Master Bruce.”

Words: 9.530

bruce cynicism wayne. accurate af. brilliant. post bvs.

Nothing You Can’t Do by linndechir

Bruce excels at an incredible number of things, from foreign languages to escape artistry, from engineering to gymnastics. Clark is more than a little intrigued.

Words: 14.664

a getting together, 5+1 fic. competence kink, god bless. post bvs.

Whoever Falls First by liodain

"There's more kryptonite out there. When the Superman returns, there's going to be an all-star battle royale in the criminal underworld. Every megalomaniacal freak will want a piece of it so they can get a piece of you. And some of them will manage. They'll weaponize it and won't hesitate to use it against you, and when that happens I will not have you flailing around like an idiot."

aka: Bruce teaches Clark how to fight.

Words: 34.410

slow burn, cohabitation, no angst. still a niiiice characterization? hell yes. post bvs.

Love, Changing Tenses by susiecarter

Bruce goes to the funeral as himself for a reason. Not so he can make friends with Mrs. Kent; that part's an accident. And definitely not so he can posthumously fall for Clark Kent, which is an even bigger accident. But it's fine. He can handle it.

Until Clark rises from the grave, that is.

Words: 17.183

there’s something very luring about this writing and plot. yes! post bvs.

Leap of Faith by Mithen

When Clark Kent arrives in Gotham after the events of The Dark Knight, he is determined to uncover the truth about the events of those dark days--and prove Batman's innocence. However, certain pieces of the puzzle remain baffling to him, like one playboy billionaire.

Words: 33.918

this is very, very complete. detective work, journalist work, identity issues. agh! nolan verse.

Embracing Destiny by Mithen

As a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st century, a teenaged Clark learns a stunning secret about his own future:  he and someone called "Batman" will be legendary lovers.

Words: 8.108

young clark and bruce, some time travel. sometimes you gotta take a break from the bats angst, man. comicverse.

Solitude by lacemonster

A retelling of Clark's early days in the Justice League and discovering the Fortress of Solitude with a Clark/Bruce twist.

When Clark was a baby, he arrived in a spaceship on a farm in Smallville. Now an adult, Clark wonders about his origins, uncovering a fortress in the arctic that may contain the key information about his past. But as Clark discovers more about the wonders of Krypton, he finds himself disenchanted with his adopted planet. Meanwhile, as Clark struggles to balance his role as Superman, he finds himself scrutinized by Batman, who doesn't trust his alien powers.

Words: 48.459

this one has a LOT of character study about Clark and it’s perfect. comicverse.

If-Then-Else by architeuthis

 Bruce is all hopped up on painkillers and not at all ready for action.

Words: 1.118

pwp ;) enjoy ;)

Movement by the_charm_caster

Clark gets obsessed with the way Bruce's body moves. Will he realise that he is also obsessed with Bruce himself?

Words: 7.552

matches malone makes an appearence. and also a stripper called superbabe. it’s great. comicverse.

Clark Kent vs. The Wayne Family Values by quidhitch

Life as Bruce Wayne’s paramour is hardly the glamorous, erotic grope-fest the tabloids made it out to be. They mostly do normal things like nag each other about work, eat takeout, make love, and put forth semi-respectable efforts at communication.

Life as Batman’s paramour, on the other hand, promises a slightly less conventional set of experiences

Words: 12.524

there’s batfamily, pining while in a relationship!!!!!! and fluff. they’re still very much in character. amazing. comicverse.

[nothoughtsonlynat]

Resurrect Me: Part 2 (N.R.)

Part One

Huge shoutout to @confusinggemini612 who requested this a loooong time ago and I’m just now getting to it (I am so sorry for the wait). I hope this is what you had in mind :)

Warnings: swearing; PTSD; mentions of suicide/self-sacrifice

Word count: 2.6k

EIGHT MONTHS LATER

The cool breeze blows through my hair, the hand in mine being the only source of warmth in the chill of the Russian countryside. As we walk closer, a chorus of pigs snorting fills my ears. Natasha had given me a brief rundown and a quick pep talk before taking me to meet her family. Now, it was game time.

“Are you ready?”

“Not in the slightest,” I respond to the redhead.

“Let’s do it then,” she says with a smirk, to which I reply with a scoff.

We walk through the gate and enter the small house, immediately hearing three distinct voices, each laced with a thick Russian accent. The voices hush as the door closes behind us, and a blonde woman is the first to greet us.

“Ah, сестра! Mom and Dad are flirting again, let’s make a run for it,” Yelena whisper-yells.

“So put a sedative in their vodka or something, I don’t know,” Natasha replies. I’m not sure if I should introduce myself or not, so I just stand there awkwardly.

“They are both spies, they’re not going to fall for- actually, Alexei would, but Mom would never fall for that,” Yelena pauses as she notices me. She looks me from head to toe and squints before her lips quirk into a smirk. “And who might this be? Is this your little girlfriend?”

“Yelena, don’t be an ass,” Nat grumbles with a scowl.

“Hi, I’m Y/N. It’s nice to meet you.”

Yelena hums before turning back to Natasha. “She’s definitely your girlfriend.”

“Oh shut up,” Natasha whines, walking further into the house. I look at Yelena and nod in confirmation before following Nat. I hear her whisper “I knew it” from behind me, causing me to laugh. Natasha turns to give me a questioning look, but I just brush it off with a shrug and a smirk. She narrows her eyes and opens her mouth to say something, but is cut off by a deep, booming voice.

“Natasha! Welcome home! Look at this, all my girls back together again! It is so nice to see you,” Alexei says, moving forward to pinch Natasha’s cheeks. She gently pushes him away with a scowl, and I can’t tell if she’s really uncomfortable or not. Either way, it brings my guard up, ready to defend her.

“And who might this be?” Alexei questions, turning to face me.

“Dad, this is Y/N,” she says before I can answer. I offer a kind smile.

Yelena, who had made her way to the kitchen table with a bottle of vodka, says “She’s Natasha’s girlfriend.”

“Thank you for the input, Yelena,” Natasha says with a tight-lipped smile.

“Girlfriend, huh? When did that happen? Natasha, I was not aware that you, uh, how do you say? Swing that way?” A dark-haired woman slaps his arm for his comment and he exclaims, “Ow!”

“Pay him no mind, Natasha. He is a bit slow, but Mama always knew. You were not very discreet about the way you looked at that Hannah girl in Ohio. And as for you, it is nice to meet you. I’m Melina, what is your name?” Her demeanor is friendly, but her gaze is skeptical. She’s probably already planning how to kill me if she decides that I’m not good enough for her daughter.

“I’m Y/N. It’s nice to meet you, too,” I say with a nervous smile.

“Alright, guys, that’s enough. Please stop harassing my girlfriend,” Natasha says with a sigh.

“Come, sit,” Yelena commands with a wave, still sitting at the kitchen table.

I sit across from her and Natasha sits next to me. Melina and Alexei follow soon after, with Alexei sitting at the head of the table and Melina sitting next to Yelena.

“Here you go,” Yelena says as she slides me a shot glass full of vodka. I clink it against hers in the air and down it in one go, grimacing at the burn. “Are you alright?” Yelena asks with a smirk, clearly enjoying my agony.

“Oh, yeah, I’m great. Just not used to Russian vodka, that’s all.” Yelena nods, satisfied with my answer, before going to pour me another shot.

Natasha stops her by saying, “Yelena, no more vodka. You’re going to kill her.”

“You’re no fun,” the younger sister says, but complies, nonetheless.

“Natasha, you are slouching again. Sit up straight,” Melina interjects.

“Mom, I’m not slouching. I told you I don’t slouch,” Nat protests.

“So how did you two meet?” Yelena asks, interrupting the banter.

“Oh, we met in New York during the invasion, when the Avengers were formed,” I answer.

“You are an Avenger! I knew you looked familiar. Tell me, does Captain America ever mention me, the great Red Guardian? I could kick his ass, you know. I’ve done it before,” Alexei says, causing the three Russian women to groan and complain.

“That never happened, Dad,” Yelena mumbles at the same time Natasha says, “He doesn’t talk about you because you guys have never met.” 

I raise my eyebrows at them. They seem awfully familiar with this conversation; how often does Alexei say this crap?

“So, Y/N. What happened when you guys brought everyone back? How did you do it? Natasha won't tell me,” Yelena questions. I chuckle nervously, glancing at Natasha, who is clearly uncomfortable with this topic of discussion.

“Um, I don’t know if I should… It’s complicated, really,” I say, trailing off.

“Yelena, stop. It doesn’t matter. And don’t put her in the middle of things,” Natasha responds, defending me. An awkward silence fills the room until Alexei speaks up again.

“He really hasn’t mentioned me? Have you even asked him about me?”

<//>

“Why won’t you tell them what happened?” I ask quietly. It’s nighttime now, and I’m lying in bed next to Nat in the guest room. She seemed so uncomfortable, and it’s been worrying me since.

“They just don’t need to know,” she replies shortly

“But they got snapped away, Natty. Don’t you think they deserve more of an explanation than what they’ve seen on the news?”

“Don’t tell me what to do with my family, Y/N.” Her sharp tone feels like a blade to the heart, but I take a deep breath and soften my resolve, knowing that she’s only snapping at me because something else is upsetting her.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to push. I just, I can tell that something is upsetting you. You can’t just bottle stuff up, Nat. It doesn’t have to be me if you’re not comfortable, but you need to talk to someone about it.”

She doesn’t respond immediately. “I’ve told them. I gave them the basics: Thanos snapped people away, we time traveled, got magical stones, snapped people back, and then killed Thanos. That satisfied my parents, but Yelena wants to know the whole story.”

“And you’re not comfortable retelling it?”

“Parts of it are bearable, but… I can’t think about it. You almost killed yourself for me, Y/N. You did die for me. I can’t think about that day, let alone tell my baby sister about it,” she says. Her voice is quiet, breaking as the tears flood her eyes. I pull her head into my chest and run my fingers through her hair.

“I’m right here, Natty. I’m not going anywhere, I promise. You don’t have to tell anyone about what happened. I was terrified of losing you on Vormir. I hate talking about it, too.”

“Is that why you went to Dr. Garcia?”

“Partly. There were other reasons, too.” I hesitated before continuing. “I kept hearing the tortured screams. When I slept, in my head, everywhere I went. I heard them all the time. And I would get random whiffs of burning flesh. As you know, I went to the Underworld when I ‘died’ and I guess it just affected me more than I had originally thought.”

“Angel, why didn’t you tell me? I could’ve helped.”

“I didn’t want to worry you, or freak you out. The whole thing was pretty weird. For a while, I honestly thought I was haunted. It was probably pretty selfish, but I didn’t wanna scare you away.”

“You could never scare me away. But just to be clear, you aren’t haunted, right?”

I laugh quietly. “No, I am not haunted. A mild case of PTSD, but I’m doing better now. The therapy helped a lot.”

“Do you think it would help me? I still get nightmares sometimes...of you going over that cliff. I just, I close my eyes and you’re gone, and I hate it.”

“I’m so sorry, my love. I hate how much pain I’ve caused you. But I do think it would help. We can find someone when we get back home, yeah?”

“Yeah. I love you, Y/N.”

“I love you, Natty.”

<//>

“Just do it! It will be fun! I will go easy, I swear,” Yelena begs.

“Okay, fi-”

“No! No way in Hell. You are not sparring with her,” Natasha argues.

“I’ll be fine. Worst case scenario, she kicks my ass,” I say.

“Actually, I’m pretty sure the worst case scenario would be if I accidentally killed you,” Yelena says flatly. “But that won’t happen! Please, Natasha. I want to see what she’s got,” she pleads with a pout.

Natasha sighs and rolls her eyes, muttering something under her breath about us being a bunch of children. “Fine, but if you so much as scratch her-”

“Y/N will be fine. Come on,” Yelena says, grabbing my hand and dragging me into the backyard.

Thirty minutes later, I’m flat on my back in the grass, wheezing. I groan as I attempt to sit up, the whole world spinning as I do.

“Yelena! What the hell did I say?! You literally threw her,” Natasha yells.

“No, no. I’m good,” I say weakly.

“Well, I wasn’t expecting her to be so...defenseless.”

“I am not defenseless,” I counter.

“You cannot even throw a punch,” the blonde deadpans.

“That doesn’t make her defenseless,” Nat says as she helps me to my feet. “She could take every single one of you out right now without even moving.” 

From a few feet away, Melina quirks an eyebrow and Alexei mumbles “she could not take me out.”

“You are delusional, Natasha. How are we supposed to trust this woman to protect you when she cannot even protect herself?” 

“She can protect both of us just fine, Yelena. Not that I need anyone’s protection.”

“Your sister has a point,” Melina tells Nat. “Sorry, Y/N,” she adds. I open my mouth to speak, but don’t even know what to say. This is my worst nightmare.

“You must be able to punch when you are in trouble! Much like I did to Captain America back in the day,” Alexei adds.

“Alright, enough. I’ll have you know that Y/N is one of the most powerful Avengers. Actually, she’s a literal goddess,” Natasha snaps.

“Well, of course you would think so. You are her girlfriend,” Melina says.

“Guys, I’m being serious!”

“Do not get snappy with us. We are just looking out for you,” Alexei says.

“I don’t need-”

“Somebody has to be there to keep you safe, and this girl could not bring harm to a plant,” Melina remarks. 

“I’m literally standing right here,” I mumble under my breath.

“She literally saved my life! How is that not keeping me safe?!” My eyes widen; what happened to not revealing that tidbit of information?

“What do you mean? You saved her life?” Yelena asks as she turns to address me.

“If it wasn’t for her, I would be dead right now. And you guys never would’ve come back,” Natasha retorts, clenching her jaw.

“What? Why? What happened,” Yelena rambles. I can see the worry etched on her face, and it makes her look oddly childlike. It almost makes me want to pull her into a hug, but I’m fairly certain she’d throat punch me if I tried.

“On a planet called Vormir. A life needed to be sacrificed to get one of the Infinity Stones. It was me, Clint, or Y/N. I tried, but Y/N stopped me. That’s what I mean.” Natasha is seething. She clearly didn’t appreciate her family’s doubts.

“You tried to kill yourself?” Yelena addresses Natasha, but no one has the chance to answer her before Melina speaks up.

“If you sacrificed yourself, then how are you here?”

“It’s complicated,” I say with hesitance. “I am technically a goddess. I have many different powers, but most of them deal with death. When I died, I went to the Underworld, where I met my mother, Hecate, who is a goddess. Then, I came back. Resurrection is one of my powers. I know it’s a lot to take in, but that’s the truth.”

It’s silent for a minute as everyone processes my words. Everyone is staring at me with bewilderment, except for Yelena, who hasn’t taken her eyes off of her sister. Her eyebrows are furrowed, and a deep frown rests upon her lips.

“You tried to kill yourself?” Yelena repeats, this time only a whisper. Natasha finally turns to look at her younger sister and her mouth bobs open and closed, seemingly unsure of what to say.

“I didn’t have a choice, Yelena,” Natasha finally says.

“You saved her?” the blonde asks me.

I hesitantly nod my head. “Yes, I guess I did.”

“Thank you,” she whispers, giving a curt nod before turning and walking mechanically back into the house. I awkwardly clear my throat and turn my gaze to the ground.

“Will you show us?” I raise my head to look at Alexei, confusion crossing my features at his request. “Will you show us your powers, I mean.”

“Dad…” Natasha warns.

“No, it’s okay. I can show you a little bit,” I say, right before teleporting away. I watch from a hill in the distance as Alexei looks frantically around him. I can hear him asking where I went, which makes me laugh.

I teleport into the house and walk around, looking for Yelena. I walk into a bedroom and find her sitting on the floor with a bottle of vodka. “Hey, are you okay? We didn’t mean to upset you.”

“I’m fine. Because learning that your sister almost died and there was nothing you could’ve done to prevent it is so much fun,” she scoffs.

“I’m sorry. We probably could’ve broken the news a bit softer.” I sit on the ground next to her, leaving about a foot of space between us.

“It’s not your fault,” she murmurs. “I’m sorry for doubting you.”

“Don’t be. I am a horrible fighter,” I joke. She chuckles slightly, nodding in agreement.

“That you are. Can I see some of your magic, or whatever it is?” I hold out my hand and black mist dances above it with eerie elegance. I close my fist as it fades away, lowering my hand.

“Cool,” she says with a crooked smile. We hear the front door open and three sets of footsteps entering the house. I hear Nat calling my name.

“You okay?” I check one last time.

“I’m good. Thank you, Y/N, for saving my sister.”

“I’d do anything for her, Yelena. You don’t have to thank me for it.”

The bedroom door opens and Natasha’s head pokes in. “Y/N, we thought you’d completely left for a minute. Everything okay in here?”

Yelena and I look at each other and I look back to Natasha, overwhelmed with love for the redead. I smile and say, “Yeah, everything is just fine.”

[thevindicativevordan]

On Bloodsport

Holy shit, how did this guy end up being the fourth Superman Rogue to end up on the big screen? How the hell did this guy end up being my favorite live action Superman Rogue since Shannon's Zod, and the Rogue to finally break the streak of only Luthor and Zod being the live action Superman Rogues the general audience likes?

It's utterly insane that Bloodsport of all characters would end up on the Suicide Squad. I consider myself a pretty hardcore Superman fan, and I freely admit I never for a moment would've picked to have him on the Squad over say, Metallo. I take a lot of interest in the lesser known Superman Rogues, guys and gals I think who have a ton of potential but never have really gotten any focus or been fleshed out, but I never even thought about Bloodsport until the movie. Which is fantastic, I love that Elba and Gunn have made me a fan of the character!

In hindsight it's not that surprising that Robert DuBois could blow up. He has a pretty impressive "feat" in that he was able to put Superman in the ICU by his lonesome, which is more than any Superman Rogues not named Luthor, Mxy, or Doomsday have done. In the comics he has a tragic background where he avoided the draft, only to have his brother go in his place, which drastically affected him mentally and filled him with intense hatred towards both other people and himself. He'd go on to kill dozens of people, which again is more carnage than most Superman Rogues end up achieving (even Doomsday barely kills more than a handful of people on page).

The Suicide Squad film keeps the feat of sending Supes to the ICU, but changes his background, giving him a daughter. That his relationship with her is so antagonistic in contrast to Will Smith Deadshot's relationship with his daughter helps contrast the two. I expect the daughter to eventually get used for the comics version, and as long as they keep the antagonism between the two, I'm cool with the synergy.

And goddamn has there ever been a more extreme level up in terms of design? Just compare the above with his debut design:

I get that he's very much a Rambo expy, but this is one case of costume synergy I absolutely love.

He just looks so damn cool. Proves that a lot of what attracts people to villains is how they look.

What I Want Done With Bloodsport

Ok so I would like DC to do a couple of things to take advantage of his newfound popularity.

1. Retell his origin as a Black Label standalone story that culminates in a retelling of his first fight with Superman.

The Byrne origin for Bloodsport is as outdated as his origin for Superman. Update it for the modern era with a new retelling that incorporates the best of the Elba take. Give us a badass Superman vs. Bloodsport fight as well that shows why he's one of the most dangerous members of Superman's Rogues Gallery.

2. I want to see the current Suicide Squad led by Bloodsport fight Superman & his Authority team

Supes is in a weakened state right now, and it would be fun to see him and Bloodsport go at it in the modern day under their current circumstances. Plus Supes has to catch wind of what Waller is up to at some point and try to stop it right?

3. Put him in the My Adventures With Superman cartoon or in the new animated DC shared universe that Man of Tomorrow kicked off

He was just a cameo in the DCAU (fucking Timm and Dini, this movie proves it isn't hard to make Superman's lesser known Rogues cool if you give a shit which they didn't, and Gunn isn't a huge Superman fan either so they've got no excuse), I want to see him as a major player in the next animated DC offerings. Make him the main bad guy in the next solo animated Superman movie, make a Suicide Squad movie in the new universe with him leading the team, just freaking USE HIM.

4. Put him in the upcoming Suicide Squad game

Rocksteady looks even fucking dumber for how they handled Deadshot's retcon given that there's an actual Superman Rogue whose abilities revolve around guns and is black and would be perfect for this game. How the hell do you not have the guy who shot Superman with a kryptonite bullet on this team? Put him in as a DLC replacement for Deadshot at least, it's fucking bullshit that there isn't a Superman Rogue on this team in a game set in Metropolis about killing Superman.

5. Give Elba Bloodsport an HBO Max series

Admittedly this is more in WB's hands than DC but come on suits! Give the man a damn series, I want to see some of his merc background! I want to see how he got the suit and guns! I want to see him put Superman in the ICU!

Sadly in all likelihood they won't do any of this and they'll instead give him to Batman (I'm sure Tom Taylor is dying to do just that given his hard-on for Batman) since he's "too cool" for Superman now. But for the moment I will just bask in the warm glow of seeing people admit there may actually be some cool Superman Rogues they don't know about after all.

[aerialflight]

Fic Recs (cause it's always nice to give a shout out and get people into things I'm into rn)

[The Magnus Archives] (I recently finished the podcast and I fell into a hole for a while so here you go)

Sing a Song of Sixpence by Kaiel

Ship: Jon/Martin

In which Jonathan Sims is a Siren, and he fails to notice any new abilities granted to him by the position of Archivist. Or really anything about the Entities at all.

Takes place in season 1 featuring Jonah Magnus’s slow decent into madness

(The new mythology interwoven with tma's worldbuilding is so freaking good and I love how all the characters change and develop because of these changes. Also, f you Elias)

Along Came a Spider by Dribbledscribbles

Ship: implied Jon/Martin

Sasha James is the Archivist, as expected. Martin Blackwood is menaced by Jane Prentiss, as expected. Elias Bouchard weaves his web, as expected.

All goes as it should.

At least until something calling itself Jonathan Sims steps in.

(Web!Jon in this makes me want to weep, it's so freaking good. A pretty long, very excellent oneshot on what could've happened if Jon got taken by the web when he was a kid. And Sasha as the Archivist is ALWAYS so cool, we love her in this house.)

A Break in the Clouds by Ash_Rabbit

“I’m eight.” the kid sniffs as if eight was any different from four, maybe not an unspeakable horror then, just a regular horror. “And I heard that the Magnus Institute deals with-” his little nose scrunches, cute. “-spooky things.”

“Do you have a-” he cracks a grin, and then rethinks it as small hands tighten against their burden.”-spooky thing to deliver?” gods he hopes not, it’s bad enough when adults walk in and lay out all of their baggage, but for a child-

“There’s a spider in this book.” the kid says solemnly, raising his textbook sized parcel. “It ate Evan Pritchard.” a bloody fucking Leitner. Of course an eight year old would find a murder spider book. “This seemed like the best place to bring it.”

(I never thought about what the Original Elias could've been like AND NOW I CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT IT BECAUSE OF THIS FIC. I LOVE HIM, HE'S COMPLEX AND HE CARES AND JON CARES AND THEY BOTH CARE ABOUT EACH OTHER. THIS IS THE CONTENT I WANT, OMG. Also, Jon being even smaller than usual is adorable, so cute. No wonder Elias wants to hug him, a LOT.)

See the Line where the Sky meets the Sea by The_Floating_World

Ship: Jon/Martin, Jon/Oliver Banks

When Jon is a child he looks into the infinite abyss of space. The Vast looks back into him.

(One of my all time fave fics in this fandom, no questions asked. I have reread this three times and am open to doing it again, god. Vast!Jon, such a concept. It's written so beautifully and the relationships Jon develops, so good. ugh. My heart. Please please read.)

Sweet As Roses by Prim_the_Amazing

Ship: Jon/Martin

“Come in, Martin,” he says, not looking up from his notes.

“Hi, Jon,” he says, and Jon stops writing at the sound of his voice. “We’re out of the green tea, but we’ve got lemon?”

Jon looks at him. Martin smiles at him in his usual tentative way as he sets the mug of tea down on Jon’s desk. Heat spikes so sharply in his gut that he twitches with it.

“Thank you, Martin,” he says, mouth dry, and he stands up.

“Oh,” he says, sounding almost surprised. He smiles again. “No-- no problem-- um, what are you--”

Jon takes Martin by the shoulders, leans up on the tips of his toes, and kisses him.

(You have no idea how much I howled through this fic, my god. *buries face in hands* The number of times I wanted to cry from sheer hilarity and horror reading this good lord.)

Things Could Always Be Worse by theOestofOCs

Ship: Jon/Martin, Georgie/Melanie

Sometimes, the most horrifying thing of all is what might have been.

Somewhere, Jon could swear he heard a crowd laughing.

Or: in which Jonathan Sims is forced to swap places with his alternate self—a tall, chivalrous hero extraordinaire, who knows neither fear nor nuance—and is sent to the aggressively straight alternate universe the Magnus Archives was never meant to be.

“Whatever place this is,” Jon announced, “I just want to be sure it knows I hate it.”

(I will say this once, THIS IS THE MOST CURSED THING IVE EVER READ EVER. Like holy hell. I can't believe this thing exists. please read it oh please please please)

-

[Supernatural]

heard from your mother (she don't recognize you) by Schmuzz

Ship: Dean/Cas, Jessica/Sam

A man named Cas wakes up in 2003 with no memories, but he's able to piece together a few things:

1. Supernatural creatures exist, and most of them will hurt innocent civilians if he doesn't stop them; 2. He has abilities that no human hunter should have, but he knows enough about human hunters to keep that to himself, and finally; 3. He keeps running into another hunter named Dean Winchester, who seems to be about as lonely as he is if he's willing to put up with those former facts long enough to help Cas unravel the mystery of who (or what) he really is.

For his part, Dean's still (not) dealing with Sam's departure to Stanford, and figures distracting himself with a bit of mystery and intrigue is as harmless as it gets, right? Right.

(THE fic I'm most into right now, been following this from the very start and it's AMAZING. Cas has agency and is making friends and S1 Dean is growing out of John's influence and is becoming a Person and the both of them first being friends then more. The slow burn as their relationship develops, SO GOOD. SO SO DAMN GOOD. *screams* Seriously one of the best spn fics I've read in a long, long time.)

anamnesis by cenotaphy

Ships: Castiel/Dean, Sam/Eileen

Chuck is depowered, Jack is the new god, and the world is free. Dean and Sam get into the Impala and chase down the miles on an endless highway, and their story is finally, finally their own to follow. At least, that's what Dean tells himself. But the diners and motels and painted interstate lines are blurring together and the smallest details keep catching at his brain like tiny fishhooks and he can't quite shake the feeling that not everything is exactly as it should be.

* Fix-it/alternate series finale. Canon-compliant through the end of 15.19.

(THIS IS THE FIC THAT GOT ME THROUGH THE FINALE OKAY. WHY COULDN'T THIS HAVE BEEN CANON. It's Disturbing and honestly plot-wise this makes more sense. Why couldn't we have had this. *screams*)

-

[Avatar: The Last Airbender]

where the stars do not take sides by WitchofEndor

Ship: Sokka/Zuko

When Azula is nine, she becomes an only child. She hears the Fire Lord call for Zuko's life, and in the morning, her mother and brother are gone. Azula may be young, but she isn't naive. She knows what happened to them.

Which makes it all the more surprising when Azula tracks the Avatar down and fights his group of peasant friends, only to find herself staring into an eerily familiar face.

(The fact one of the tags in this fic is, "Sibling Dynamic: Fucked Up But Wholesome" should give you an idea what this fic is like. Chaotic as HELL and I just love Azula here, she loves Zuko so much in her messed up way and Zuko loves her back in the exact same way lol. It's batshit and I am Here For This.)

-

[Naruto]

Eclipse by AislingRoisin (JayBird345) for HybrisAnaideia

Ship: Nara Shikaku/OFC

"In life, it's easier to remain stagnant and wallow in your troubles. But life isn't merely about continued existence, nor is it meant to be gone through alone."

(This is a fic that's slept on and I NEED people to read this. A self-insert fic that I find really interesting in its approach and the worldbuilding for the post-third war shinobi world is fantastic. I feel like there's a certain pattern with self-insert fics, not that is a detriment in any way to how much I enjoy them, so this fic feels fresh to me in a way I haven't read in a while. I am waiting eagerly for this to get updated! Please read!)

On Freedom and Other Formalities by iaso

Ship: Kakashi/Genma/OFC

When push comes to shove, Hiwa Inuzuka doesn't go down easy. Reborn into a new, dangerous world? She puts her past life as a spy to work. Thrown into a war? Hiwa does her duty, for Konoha. And when she's forced into an arranged marriage? All there is to do is beat them to the punch and get married first. Thankfully, Genma Shiranui is willing to lend a hand. Literally. SI/OC

(Listen, LISTEN, it's about the slow burn, the longing, the communication (it both has and hasn't and isn't THAT great??), the messy way you fit three very different people together, it's so freaking good! Also, Kakashi is so Chaotic here this is my fave characterization of him, you can't change my mind. And Genma is a Good Boi who is Doing His Best, along with the Self-insert character who I LOVE SO MUCH, SHE'S FANTASTIC FNEIWOPAF. Sped past this fic in the speed of light, I could not stop reading!)(Honestly, read all of the author's fics, they're all really REALLY good!)

Building a Castle by WhisperingDarkness

Without needing anyone to tell her, Sakura knew that talking to someone no-one else could see or hear would make her weird. It would draw the bad kind of attention to her, something people could make fun of her for.

She didn’t like being weird, but she did like the voice. Her inner voice was helpful and it was a part of her that had always been there. The idea of it not being there would have been so much weirder than anything else.

It was during her first year at the Academy that Sakura realised the voice was not in her head at all, but that it came from a cloudy shape floating next to her.

(Basically a short-ish retelling of Hikaru no Go. Only with more Shogi and Nara and Ninja's)

(Sakura can see ghosts (I'm noticing this is a popular trope for her) and it's really cute haha! Her relationship with Tobirama is sweet and I just enjoyed reading this so much.)

-

[The Magicians]

So Long (And Thanks For All The Books) by IncompleteSentanc (Erava)

Ships: Quentin/Eliot, James/Julia, Quentin/Margo/Eliot

When Quentin is told Julia wasn't admitted to Brakebills, he realizes he has a drastic decision in front of him. If he tells Julia about magic, he'll have his mind wiped as well as hers. But he can't just leave her behind, either. He can't lose his best friend, and he can't let her life a life with her magical potential stolen away from her.

So he makes a third choice.

(Really, and I mean REALLY well-done canon divergent fic, this is the Quentin & Julia friendship fic I have been looking for forever. It explores so much of what could've happened and I just love Quentin here, I really really do. Characterization done so right. I also recommend the author's other works too. Been a follower of them for a long time, they're great.)

-

[Game of Thrones]

The Road to Victory by writing_as_tracey

Too late in preparing for the Night King and the Long Night, the last stand at Winterfell is close to falling. Bran takes desperate measures to ensure victory, and Jon, Sansa, and Arya pay the price for it in a time unfamiliar to them, on the cusp of another war. [GoT, time-travel fix it]

(I swear, this fic made me laugh so many times, all the Stark are BAMF and fantastic, and Rhaegar gets Wrecked lol. It's crack btw, and the plot goes in directions you'll never guess and it's amazing hahaha!)

-

[Haikyuu!!] (I am very very late to the fandom but here I am)

Ballare (To Dance) by MidnightSparks

Ship: Iwaizumi Hajime/Kageyama Tobio/Oikawa Tooru, and platonic Kageyama & Kentarou (really love their friendship)

Kageyama’s first love is volleyball. His second, however, is ballet.

In one world, Kageyama Tobio is left behind by his parents. In this world, the existence of soulbonds keeps Kageyama’s parents in Miyagi and leaves Kageyama in the care of his grandma and grandpa.

(In which soulmates exist and that changes everything and nothing at the same time.)

(*buries face in hands* I have fallen for this ship so hard and I can't get out fudge me. I understand now. Their DYNAMICS FIEWONPAF)

Kings of Tomorrow by bokubroya (liarielle)

Ship: Kageyama Tobio/Oikawa Tooru

On the eve of Tobio’s 16th birthday, he counts down the seconds to midnight, and emerges with Oikawa Tooru’s name on his wrist.

It’s been two years since then, and Tobio thought they had an understanding. A silent, never spoken about understanding that this thing between them is nothing, and they’re going to pretend it doesn’t exist.

Of course, it’s just like Oikawa to change the game and leave Tobio wondering what comes next.

(I am WEAK for soulmate fics between these two, I don't even really like soulmate fics half the times what is WRONG WITH ME-)(Please suffer with me, I'm begging you. Its a good fic, thumbs up.)

-

[Crossover]

Honey and Magic by JustARatherVerySillyWriter, White_Squirrel for Super Carlin Brothers

Fandoms: Matilda (yeah you read that right), Harry Potter

Everyone knew Matilda was a rather extraordinary child, but even she didn't know she was a witch. Matilda Honey receives her Hogwarts letter in the year of the Triwizard Tournament, and soon, she will leave her unique mark on the magical world.

(Do I even need to explain how amazing it is to have Matilda in the wizarding world? And Matilda is a HUFFLEPUFF AND I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL THIS FIC IS GREAT PLEASE READ!!!)

An Eye for an Eye by DpsMercy

Fandoms: The Magnus Archives, Welcome to Night Vale

In which Jonathan Sims is not from the UK but instead, if you took his origins and turned them sideways twice then flipped them over, he technically would be from the US, the town of Night Vale specifically. Elias can’t do shit about it and gets a headache and slowly creeping madness instead.

(Look, I know probably everyone has read this because if they haven't, what have you been DOING with your lives??? Jon interning at Night Vale is Incredible, nothing phases this man, it's Delightful. I laughed so many times reading this, I'm not even kidding right now. Read or perish.)

The Favour by R_Cookie

Fandoms: Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Ship: Original Percival Graves/Harry Potter

Percival is ten years old when his grandfather tries to tell him that he's ensured the greatness of the Graves legacy for him, that he ought to be eternally grateful - but the explanation is hijacked by a stranger who manages to intimidate Chester Graves with an ease never seen before.

or: Hadrian (Harry) Potter is the Master of Death, who grants Graves a boon. Nobody could have known that the Deathly Hallows didn't turn you so much into the 'Master of Death' as into the anthropomorphic personification of Death. And so, Death becomes Percival's guardian angel, and Percival does not spit out his cereal.

(Look, I don't know how I stumbled back into the FBAWTFT fandom either, it just happened and I'm grateful for that. Otherwise, I wouldn't have found this amazing fic. Their relationship is slow and strange and I just love how Percival is characterized here. Also, one of the tag promises that it deviates from canon so I am really, really excited for that! XD)

baby that's what i do by natanije

Fandoms: Naruto, Katekyou Hitman Reborn!

"Are you telling me," Hidan exclaims, incredulous, "that you collect money all this time to give to orphans?!"

Kakuzu pauses. He blinks a few times.

"Huh. I guess I do."

(Tsuna reincarnates as Kakuzu and it's HILARIOUS. HE'S SUCH A MOM HAHAHA)

[seventeenlovesthree]

I've spent the entire Sunday watching a Let's Play of the Digimon Adventure PSP game and...

... I did expect to watch a retelling of the anime.

I did expect extensive fight scenes.

What I didn't expect was that this thing is a freaking Dating Game in disguise, holy duck.

For everyone who hasn't played it yet, you play almost every episode of the 01 anime as one of the characters - you can't choose whom you play as, if you have a Taichi centric episode, you'll usually play as Taichi, if it's Sora centric, you have to play as Sora, etc. What you can pick are two of the other Digimon partners to fight alongside you. And... If you have a good relationship with their human partners, it improves their fight combos.

... So every episode has opportunities to bond with all of the other characters who are with you (but it's still predetermined who's around you, for example, you play as Yamato and only Mimi, Jyou and Koushirou are around, so he can't bond with Sora, Taichi and Takeru). You can choose between two conversation options if a bonding chance happens - so you can pick how open/honest/nice you want to be and it'll increase the bonding meter between the two characters.

I can't even tell you how hard I squealed. If you were disappointed by the lack of character interaction in the reboot, this one will positively KILL you, the shipping fuel will completely hit you over the head. It's dead cute, holy duck - it was actually partly produced by Kakudou, one of the original producers of the 01 anime, 12 years after the original series + novel.

Some things differ from the anime, sometimes it actually feels like a sliiiiightly different universe/timeline, depending on your choices.

Not every possible combination is treated equally, some (friend)ships are definitely getting more opportunities to bond than others - but if you like nice character bonding in general, you'll LOVE this, especially because it reveals so much about the dynamics and character traits.

[hayley566]

Disney, out of ALL the Disney villains to give a prequel/Maleficant retelling film to, why Cruella DeVille? Her sole motivation was to skin puppies into a coat because she’s a sick woman and thinks that she can do whatever she wants because she has money.

You have Hades, a character that YOU gave a bad rep to despite mythology showing him as a decent guy while you made Zeus some glorious good guy despite him being a serial rapist in original mythology. Hell, you made Hera, the woman who caused Hercules to go mad and kill his wife and children in the original myth, be some doting mother to him in the movie. Did I mention that Hera did that to Hercules for the sole crime of being the product of one of Zeus’ many rapes?

Having a Maleficent-esque movie for Hades would be freaking awesome and you have actual mythology to work from. You don’t have to make Zeus and Hera as awful as they are in the original Greek myths but having them be revealed as the real villains makes a hell of a lot more sense than the Aurora’s dad in Maleficant.

Hades’ motivation had to do with having his birthright taken from him. Maybe have the film show how he grew bitter over the centuries and actually did consider taking revenge on one of Zeus’ kids like Hera routinely does and he ultimately can’t go through with it or he does by stripping him of his godhood but almost instantly regrets it.

You can even have Persephone there as a love interest and through that show more of Hades’ good qualities fromthe Greek myth like him treating Persephone as an equal and being a loving husband to her in the original myth.

Seriously, Disney, you choose the worst villains to give empowering films to. Maleficant cursed an infant to die at the age of 16 because she wasn’t invited to a party and Cruella wanted to skin puppies for a fur coat. You have Hades, Scar(if you go by the Taka backstory) and Ursula that you could go into so much more depth into and flesh them out and instead you choose Cruella!?

[wheres-sam]

I binge-watched the spn anime because of the brain rot

It’s bad except for the parts that are good, and it’s pretty to look at. Here’s a comprehensive list of pros and cons. Spoilers ahead!

Pros:

- more psychic kid backstories: Max (Nightmare), Lily (Darkness Calling), Jake (Loser)

- more psychic Sam

- more Azazel

- basically if you want more about the psychic/demon kids, watch the anime

- more young Winchesters

- the monsters, the superhuman abilities, the fight scenes, it all looks really cool animated. (But PSA it’s violent. It doesn’t shy away from blood and gore.)

- Sam and Jessica backstory

- more of the brothers being cute and funny together

- Missouri isn’t forgotten

- includes some Japanese legends/mythology

- the impala looks great in every scene. They did Baby good

- the “Supernatural” intro title

- the outro sketches of the boys hanging out with Baby

- Episodes adapted from the original show are different, but I like some of the changes? It’d be boring if it was an exact retelling and the visual medium wasn’t utilized. (I know I said spoilers before, but this is when they get detailed. If you wanna skip over, I’ll tell you where they STOP.)

Nightmare goes more into the abuse Max has suffered. Instead of locking Sam in a closet, Max sends Sam through the floor and covers the hole by breaking his bed in half, and it’s extremely sexy how Sam shoves the 2 halves apart with his mind. Later on Dean puts bandaids on Sam and they talk about demons loudly in front of a fast food intercom.

In My Time of Dying highlights the guilt Sam feels over Dean. In both the og and the anime John verbally blames Sam for not shooting Azazel, but where in the og Sam goes right on arguing, in the anime he reels back for a moment like he was slapped. Dean’s spirit touches Sam’s shoulder, and Sam knows immediately that it’s Dean. He doesn’t even question it. Instead of “Are you here?” it’s “I know you’re with me. I can feel it.” And I love that. Dean figures out right away he’s dealing with a reaper, and the reaper takes on the appearance of Mary to convince Dean to move on to the afterlife. Instead of a Ouija board, Sam uses a laptop to talk to Dean, and the first word Dean types is “Sammy!” Dean is so fond of his little brother and Sam is so baby.

Rising Son is an anime only episode, but it draws inspiration from John’s journal. Dean has a proper breakdown over his dad’s death and the possibility of having to kill Sam. Ms. Lyle, Sam’s favorite teacher who turns out to be possessed, is explored. John takes Dean hunting, and in the journal Dean hesitates to shoot a buck, and little Sam shoots it thinking it was endangering Dean. In the anime, Dean’s cornered by a moose and Sam makes it explode with his mind and it’s so !!! How little Sam’s first words are, “I’m glad you’re okay. It didn’t hurt you?” The boys are covered in blood and guts and Dean’s like 👁👄👁 “Why are you here? Did you do this?” And then Sam starts freaking out a little, the shock sets in. “I don’t know. I don’t know, honest.” And he’s staring at his hands, and I am a big fan of Sam showing superhuman signs as a kid. Like in the journal, Ms. Lyle tries to take Sam. She gives Sam the illusion of a choice to come with her or stay with Dean, and Sam chooses Dean. This ep is pretty much when John figures out Sam has demon blood. He kills another hunter that wants to kill Sam.

Crossroad is based on Crossroad Blues, and I love how the crossroads demon shows up. It’s hard to describe, but it’s so neat, like she’s walking underneath Dean in this mirror world, and then the mirror world takes over the regular world, so you really get this sense of otherworldly seclusion, existing outside of time.

What Is and Should Never Be shows Dean is a firefighter in his ‘Mary never died’ world, and Sam got to play soccer growing up like he wanted. The brothers hold each other after Dean is saved from the Djinn.

AHBL part 1. When Azazel shows Sam that he fed Sam his blood, Sam gags and slaps a hand over his mouth, and I like that reaction more than the live action. The psychic kids get to go more anime with their powers, and that’s a lot of fun. They don’t need weapons. Ava slams Sam into the brick side of a building and cuts him without touching him. Jake snaps Ava’s neck with one hand and then catches Sam in his arms. When Jake attacks Sam, there’s no gun or knife. He’s relying on his super strength, his fists. Sam throws his arms up to protect himself, and (accidentally?) pushes Jake back with his mind, and the collision creates a crater in the ground. Jake puts his fist through Sam’s chest to kill him. It’s brutal and it’s rad as fuck. These kids are terrifyingly powerful.

The Sam and Dean reunion before Sam is killed is not as emotional as the live action imo, but what the anime does intrigues me. Hurts in a different way. Because Sam is stunned after he uses telekinesis again, on Jake, and when he hears Dean behind him Sam freezes. He doesn’t look relieved to see Dean, but wary and weary. It’s Dean taking steps towards him, not the other way around, and it has to be because Sam doesn’t know if Dean saw him push Jake back. Sam doesn’t know how Dean’s going to respond to all this, to him, having powers that come from a demon, the demon, Azazel. Sam hasn’t had a chance to process anything. He’s scared. He’s tired. And the way the anime focuses on Sam’s eyes here. Gah. “Dean. Dean, I’m...” I’m sorry. I’m all right. I’m glad you’re okay. I’m a monster. There’s also this one shot between Sam and Azazel that sends me because of how anime it is.

AHBL part 2. I love how Sam brought back to life is animated, with all the color returning to his face and a light wind rustling his hair and his lips parting to indicate his soul returning to his body. Jake attacks Dean, and, a lot like how Sam activates telekinesis to save Dean from Max in Nightmare, Sam gets a burst of superhuman strength. He rips Jake’s arm off and tackles him to the ground and beats him to death, punches holes into his body, and it’s so savage and bloody and scary, and I love it. The Devil’s Gate opening looks so cool animated. Same goes for Dean shooting Azazel with the Colt.

Not to turn this into a meta post, but I also noticed how the last couple times Sam uses his powers they’re colored green-yellow, the same colors as Mary’s ghost when she reveals herself in the anime’s Home, and I don’t know if that’s intentional, but it’s neat how it draws a connection to Sam’s biological family instead of Azazel’s blood.

The Spirit of Vegas is like Bad Day at Black Rock, but Dean has all the bad luck instead, and it shows off the silly cartoony physics that make animation fun. The boys sleep outside and split a chunk of bread for dinner. Also this lil bit of Dean’s hair tied in a bow.

- (STOP) the brothers are pretty. I am not immune to animated Sam and Dean Winchester.

Cons:

- Jensen doesn’t voice Dean until the last 2 episodes

- The English dialogue is really bad sometimes. I wish I could’ve watched the sub, but I couldn’t figure out how to change the language

- Some character designs are really different from the live action, and maybe that’s petty, but if you’re gonna change the characters diversify them? Don’t just make them unrecognizable white people

- Missouri’s design as a stereotypical witch doctor is racist

- Gordon is replaced by some British guy named Jason?? Why

- There’s an LGBT character who is not accepted by her family and, while that bigotry is always shown to be negative and she dies the hero of the episode, she still dies ://

- In the English dub Lily’s gf is made into her roommate instead. Idk about the sub

- Bobby’s pretty much a totally different character

- Sam and Dean are OOC sometimes

- Dean’s hair usually looks darker than Sam’s and it drives me crazy

- The storytelling is, overall, not nearly as good as the live action

- The non-Japanese lore in some episodes makes no sense. Sometimes it’s just plain ridiculous?? Like there’s a giant robot made of cars and scrap metal controlled by a demon? ? I wish I was making this up

- Meg’s role is severely reduced

- No Harvelles or Roadhouse

- Shadows are overused, but maybe that’s because the og show is so dark?

- I don’t mind the art style. I like the aesthetic, but I wish it was a little more expressive. It doesn’t do Sam’s puppy eyes justice.

- AZAZEL’S SHADOW?? PROPORTIONS?? PEA SIZED HEAD

- Idk why they mashed season 1 and 2 together? The story feels rushed

- there’s not as much chemistry between Sam and Dean, but that’s a given without J2 on screen

- Nobody tells you!! That there’s scenes after the credits!! And some of them are important! Why are important scenes after the credits??

The anime would not be good on its own, without the heart and depth the live action brings, but it works as supplementary material you can cherry pick from. I would watch more if there were more episodes.

It hasn’t turned me off from wanting an spn anime. I’d like to see it continued or redone, with updated animation and better scripts. There’s a lot of potential in exploring more about the psychic kids and Sam’s powers, storylines that were cut short in the og show. Animation is a great medium for showing off the supernatural, getting creative and creepier with the designs, dramatic with the fight scenes, without having to worry about bad CGI. I don’t want a live action reboot, but I think a redone animated series could be a lot of fun! (As long as it’s not an excuse to make any romantic ships take over. SPN is a platonic love story, and I like it that way.)

If you made it to the end here and are interested in watching the spn anime, you can watch it for free on the CW Seed app! You can probably stream it elsewhere, but idk where!

[starlit-dreaming]

[8] in the back of my mind

Fandom: WMMAP Rating: G Ship: Eventual Lucathy, Felily, Calena, and more Note: the Twin Sibling AU that i tried so hard not to write, but i DID, so naturally i have to call myself out for writing it. will be cross-posted on ao3 and wattpad under the same title

note: I’M FINALLY AT THE END OF ARC ONE AND WILL BE SMACKING INTO THE 2 YEAR TIME SKIP ARC NEXT CHAPTER!!!!!! I’M SO EXCITED I LOOK FORWARD TO EVENTUALLY DIVERGING FROM THE CANON STORYLINE

also, idk how many chapters will be in arc 2. due to firmly sticking to my 2-3k word limit per chapter, a lot of chapters in my outline have been shuffled for later down the line, since i was only expecting arc 1 to end at ch7 and for verena to be introduced in ch9, but if you read my note in the previous chapter, that aint gonna happen. im really happy with how this chapter turned out, actually

Arc 1: Beginning of the End 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | [8]

Arc 2: Of Princes and Villainesses 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16

Summary:

He was pretty sure he transmigrated into a fanfic of [The Lovely Princess] — after all, he would’ve remembered if Princess Athanasia had a younger twin who died.

// A retelling of WMMAP with a vital difference — Athanasia has a younger twin brother.

——————————

8. this is the morning after

——————————

‘How annoying,’ Athanase thought as he weaved flowers into a flower crown. He glances up at Athy, who picked two big pink roses and kept her gaze down. ‘They’re still looking at you, Athy,’ he tells her, noticing her eyebrow twitching at the statement.

‘I know, Athan!’ Athy had thought to him with a cry. ‘What do I do?’

‘Well, it’s not like we can just tell them we don’t want to see our mom. They’ll think that we’re lying and trying to suppress our feelings at such a young age,’ Athan huffed, picking up a white daisy and adding it to his flower crown. ‘Well, we could always ask Claude, but in Toska, this was what caused him to stop calling for us as often as he does. I don’t think he hates her, but there’s definitely some baggage going on there, and that was the reason why he hated the twins in Toska.’

‘Then he can’t find out we want to see Diana,’ Athy thought with the utmost determination, picking up another pink rose.

‘Wouldn’t it be better to get ignored by him, though? I thought you wanted minimal contact with him,’ Athan frowned.

‘I know, but… there’s a lot of pros to this plan as long as we act like Jennette,’ Athy pouted.

‘If you say so…’

——————————

‘I’ve had enough of trying to leave like I don’t have a clue,’ Athy inwardly groaned. ‘This is so uncomfortable.’

‘I think you’ve been handling it pretty well,’ Athan hummed, flicking through his book on Siodonna, looking at photography of various sceneries. ‘Especially since Diana would’ve been the best mom if she survived during childbirth.’

‘Ugh, don’t be like that,’ Athy shot him a flat look. ‘She’s not even our real mom, anyway.’

‘I vastly prefer her more than my previous life’s mom, that’s for sure,’ he snorts. Pausing when he hears quiet footsteps leaving the room. ‘Ah. They left.’

‘I’m going to follow them,’ Athy hummed, getting off the sofa and trotting over to the door. ‘Wanna come with?’

‘No,’ he flatly thinks back. ‘Something bad always happens after you ask me that, and I want no part in it.’

‘Not true.’

‘Meeting Claude and ruining the original plan of getting ignored.’

‘That… was kind of inevitable, wasn’t it?’

‘December of last year. You wanted to sneak into the kitchen for chocolate, but since we were too short to reach the doors, you dragged me along to help. But then, since you got so scared because there was a rat that hadn’t been caught yet, you ended up screaming and accidentally whacked the table and got flour spilled all over me and further freaked out because I looked like a ghost and—’

‘You are so fucking mean to me. I’m telling Lily that you’re absolutely evil.’

‘Good luck with that. She thinks I’m an angel.’

‘Ugh, I hate you.’

‘Love you, too.’

.

.

.

.

.

‘Athan, I fucked up!’ Athy had soon cried, throwing herself onto the sofa and onto Athan’s lap. ‘What do I do? I made everything worse!’ she mentally screeched, hugging his midsection.

‘I’m so glad I didn’t tag along,’ Athan thought to himself, patting his sister’s head. ‘There, there. Tell me everything that happened.’

.

.

.

Well, something bad happened, but thankfully, it’s not Athanase’s problem.

——————————

The day following after Athy’s spectacular outburst against Felix regarding their birth mother, Athan was the only one able to sleep peacefully. Everyone had pale faces, a hint of exhaustion being the only indication of how they felt overall.

Well, for starters, Athanase remembers the way Lily had gently declared that Diana was always at their side. It was possible that she stayed there until the sun began to rise, and Athanasia herself did confirm in her mind that she couldn’t sleep.

Thus, it stood to reason that Felix also didn’t sleep much at all last night.

‘You all look like shit,’ Athan commented, rubbing his eyes as he yawned as always. He still wasn’t a morning (and he didn’t care what Athy said — 11 AM is still in the morning) person, but at least he got enough sleep.

‘And you’re looking like a gremlin as always, I see,’ Athy dryly thought back.

“We should be heading out now,” Felix stated, hesitating as he glanced at Athanasia.

‘Was I being a bit too much yesterday…?’ Athy thought.

‘Probably. They both think that you’re suppressing your feelings regarding the whole “I wanna see Diana” thing,’ he huffed as Athy tugged on Felix’s cloak, asking him to pick her up. ‘Thankfully, since we’re still little kids, they won’t think too much about it if you act like you never had a fight.’

‘I guess that’s just one of the few perks of being a small kid,’ Athy hummed as Felix picked her up in a piggyback ride. ‘Look at them, acting like newly-weds. They don’t have feelings for each other, do they?’

‘Then what does that make you who’s between them, their child?’ Athan raised a brow as he walked beside Felix with his grip on the knight’s cloak.

‘You can’t have Lily!’ Athy adamantly thought with puffed up cheeks as she stared at the back of Felix’s head.

There she was — ignoring him.

.

(Again.)

——————————

‘As always, Claude has crappy manners,’ Athy huffed.

‘He’s still a good Emperor,’ Athan hummed, observing the imperial family’s emblem on the banners. ‘Terrifying or not, he actually gets the work done, enough that he’s able to make time for us in his busy schedule.’

‘If he’s going to make us wait, the least he could do is let us wait in a room or something,’ Athy pouted at him.

‘True, but you don’t have room to complain,’ he raised a brow at her. ‘Considering that you’re using Felix instead of standing.’

‘That sounds like a you problem.’

‘Did you just… did you just meme at me?’

‘What’s a meme?’

‘Oh my god, my sister’s an uncultured swine.’

‘Shut up, I was broke in my previous life. I didn’t get to grow up with almost all of your internet terminology — not that it’d matter since you grew up in America and I lived in Korea,’ she glared at him. ‘And I was talking about the fact that you could have Felix pick you up, too, but you always insist on walking.’

‘I’m building up strength for when I eventually start my sword training,’ Athan rolled his eyes. ‘I don’t remember why I know this, but if I start any physically strenuous exercise now, I could possibly stunt my growth and cause my body more harm. Plus, I was only 5'2" in my last life, and Athanasios is taller than 5'4"! Every inch counts.’

‘Seriously?’ He didn’t need to look at his older sister’s face to see her incredulous expression.

‘Well… I just know he’s taller than Athanasia when the twins are 16 years old.’

Before Athy could have a chance to respond back, the doors to the throne room opened. A man with white hair and golden eyes emerged — clearly a noble, judging from the expensive materials his suit was made with. Wasn’t this Ijekiel’s father?

‘The same ducal family that raised Jennette until she was 14 years old?!’ Athy stares with wide eyes.

‘If I transmigrated as a 30-year-old dude, I’d definitely tap that,’ Athan thought, peering up at the older man.

‘Gross.’

‘Nobody asked for your opinion, Athy.’

‘Then keep a better hold on your thoughts, Athan.’

That was laughable — compared to Athy, Athan was much better at keeping his thoughts to himself, with only an occasional slip up here and there.

‘He’s your love interest’s dad, for goodness’ sake!’

‘Same goes to you!’ he shot her a look. ‘Athanasia also fell in love with him in Toska, along with Jennette, Athanasios, and even Verena, that minor villainess, fell in love with this dude!!’

“My, pardon my manners, I didn’t notice,” Duke Alpheus said upon noticing Athanasia peeking over from Felix’s back. His gaze falls, finally taking notice of Athanase at Felix’s side as well. “Roger Alpheus, at your service. Prosperity be upon the Obelian Empire.”

‘Ah… I guess he’s comparing you with Jennette,’ Athan thinks as he notices the Duke’s gaze lingering on his sister. ‘I take back what I thought. His staring’s getting kinda creepy.’

‘Me, a 5-year-old?’ Athy thought angrily as she smiled cheerfully.

Athanase looked at her.

“Hello, Mister White!” Athy brightly greeted. ‘Sup, how’s Jennette?’

‘And you always tell me off for playing jokes like this,’ Athan thought as he simply looked away.

‘It’s his fault for comparing little kids,’ Athy hummed.

——————————

Athanase gave the Duke a little wave as they walked past him and enters the throne room at Felix’s side. After Athy’s little joke on Duke Alpheus, it seemed to more or less give the Duke some rather mixed feelings. He could understand that — the twins had never been openly acknowledged until recently, and the only thing known about them is that they were the only survivors of the Ruby Palace Massacre.

Claude didn’t really come across as a doting father, and Athy’s interaction with Duke Alpheus didn’t really confirm or deny much of anything regarding the twin’s relationship with the man who sired them. After all, if Emperor Claude was a surprisingly doting father, then surely that would mean Jennette would be left in Claude’s care without too much of a worry.

‘Then again, that’s all speculation,’ Athan thought, smiling at Claude. ‘The only reason why Claude becomes fond of Jennette is because of how persistent and kind-hearted she was. Kind of like a clingy puppy.’

“You’re here?” Claude had asked in a bored tone of voice, and Athanase could tell that the question somewhat irritated Athy in the fact of how inconsiderate their father was in summoning them.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Felix answered. “We bumped into Sir Roger outside.”

“Mister White!” Athy cheerfully piped up.

“White?”

“He looks like a white doggy!”

Claude had slowly looked away, his mouth twitching as his hand seemed to shift just to cover enough of his mouth.

‘Huh? He smiled!’ Athy thought.

‘Do you think he’s trying not to laugh?’ Athan wondered, staring at their father with interest.

‘No way — that cold-hearted emperor?’ she responded, and he could practically imagine her frown deep down inside. He could imagine she was thinking back to the original Athanasia begging for her father’s love, the way his stare was described had given him shivers.

What a waste of a good novel — beautiful writing with gorgeous descriptions and writing that just spoke personality — only to end up being absolute shit. There was next to no world building, the characters felt flat, and while clichés were nice, it just didn’t make sense. Alright, prince charming Ijekiel Alpheus was a kind young man with dashing good looks, and he was caring towards Jennette and always gentle with her in their interactions, but what about Ijekiel as a character? He’s literally used as a prop to make Jennette look better.

Duke Alpheus seemed to be a bit of a scheming annoyance, but in Toska, it didn’t seem like that would be an issue for the twins. Rather, the Duke only focused on trying to make Jennette look better and didn’t even bother sparing the twins a second thought.

“A fitting nickname for a constant barker.”

‘My, my, that’s no way to talk about a future in-law.’

‘Ijekiel’s the son-in-law, though, so the Duke wouldn’t be the one with actual ties to the imperial family, although the nobles will probably see it that way,’ Athan hummed. ‘Then again, maybe it’s different in this world and Duke Alpheus would end up being considered as a brother-in-law, even though that wouldn’t have made sense in our previous lives.’

‘Ugh, that’s going to be a headache trying to figure out all the differences.’

“You’ve become quite the babysitter,” Claude comments with a… smile? as Athy gets off of Felix’s back.

Athy takes a hold of his hand, about to rush off to their father on the throne.

‘You’re still holding your candy,’ Athanase notes, causing her to blink and glance down at her other hand holding the lollipop.

“Ah,” his sister nods before handing the lollipop to Felix before dragging him over to their father.

“That reminds me,” Felix spoke as Athy noticed the throne crafted in gold. “I’ve heard that Sir Roger has a son the same age as the prince and princess. Wouldn’t he be a good friend for them?”

Athan wrinkled his nose, distinctly remembering Athy’s tease over the original Athanasios’ crush on the boy in question. Her teasing would become absolutely unbearable.

But… it would be a good idea for them to become friends. The sooner, the better, perhaps?

“Athy will have a friend?” his sister cheerfully asks.

Claude stared at his sister before finally stating, “It’s already unpleasant to have two kids running around the palace,” he comments, more so to Felix than to either Athanase and his sister. “Just thinking of three children running around the palace is a headache. I hate noise. And to think of a boy who looks like Roger Alpheus,” he seemed to scowl.

‘Too bad,’ Athy thoughtfully noted. ‘I was a bit curious about Ijekiel. He was two or three years older than Jennette…’

‘It would probably be fine to ask if we could play at his house, then,’ he raised a brow.

‘I value my life, thank you very much — huh?’

“You really are heavy,” Claude commented, picking up both of the twins. Athanase blinked as he found himself staring at the ground. He could feel his sister panicking at the strange and sudden behaviour coming from their father — after all, normally he would never even come near the twins for no more than a table’s distance.

All of his thoughts immediately halt the moment he’s placed down into a small alcove of a resting spot hidden behind the throne.

It was beautiful.

The mattress was comfortable — it was the equivalent of a thousand dollar memory foam mattress that his best friend owned in his previous life — covered with a bedsheet made of the finest and softest fabric Athanase had ever had the pleasure of sitting on. It seemed like the kind of material that he would gladly rest his cheek on and sleep, even if it’ll leave an imprint later, he would certainly have no regrets, none whatsoever!

Athan picks up a pillow with a pale green pillowcase, looking down at it with wide and starry eyes as he hugs it — the material was the same as Mr Mittens. He wasn’t allowed to bring Mr Mittens with him when they came to see their father, but he’ll gladly accept this pillow as a substitute.

‘This pillow is mine, now,’ Athanase solemnly thought to himself as he giddily flopped onto his side, hugging the pillow as he rests his head against the other pillows.

“Hearing so much barking this early in the day has made me tired,” Claude said, moving to lay down.

This man truly was his father — how could Athanase dare think otherwise, when the evidence had now been so blatantly clear? Athanase wholeheartedly agreed with his father; mornings shouldn’t be so troublesome, and if Athan had his way, he would never have to wake up at all in the mornings and could always wake in the afternoon. 

Whatever budding camaraderie Athanase felt towards Claude was abruptly crushed when he requested for Athy to sing “The Lullaby Song”.

Did his sister even have a decent enough singing voice? He only remembers how useful it was when it got him and Athy out of a potentially life-threatening situation when they woke their father up. Athanase was confident in his capabilities of being a heavy sleeper, but he wasn’t sure if the same applied for when he was on the verge of falling asleep…

Well, fuck it! It’s a challenge he’ll just have to take for the sake of a nap.

‘Help me, Athan!’ Athy had screeched at him.

‘Athan whomst? I only know sleep.’

‘You asshole!’

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In the end, he couldn’t fall asleep. He was in that awkward place of being sleepy-tired and wanting to sleep, but incapable of resting. His eyes were burning from exhaustion, and he shifts from where he laid, seeing Athanasia tugging on their father’s hair.

“Is His Majesty asleep?” Felix had asked, and Athan’s gaze sleepily shifts to the entrance of the alcove where the voice had come from.

He doesn’t really register the conversation, much, when Felix starts apologizing to Athanasia. It’s a personal conversation for the two of them.

But then…

“Do you have a wish, Princess Athanasia?”

“A wish?”

So, Athanase closes his eyes, realizing for the first time, a fact that’s always been there nestled in the back of his mind: Athanasia wanted to live past eighteen, she wanted to be close with Claude so much that he wouldn’t want to kill her after Jennette enters their lives.

But Athanase… he didn’t share the same ambitions and goals as she did. He’s not afraid of death, rather, he loathes the idea of painfully dying. And so, he wants to do as he pleased, to pursue his interests without financial worries.

They were very different — he already knew they were, given their personalities.

So Felix asks, and Athanasia says she isn’t lonely.

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(But nobody ever asked Athanasios how he felt, did they?)

——————————

End of Arc 1: Beginning of the End