#I probably forgot many of them but these are the main ones I remember real well

[medievalandfantasymelee]

COME ONE, COME ALL to the MOSTE ILLUSTRIOUS TOURNAMENT of the FINEST, the MOSTE PUISSANT and HOTTEST MEN MEDIEVAL MEDIA HAS TO ITS CREDIT.

Be it known that we shall accept submissions of the hottest men OF THE PEOPLES’ CHOOSING from any live-action* TV or movie media property set between the years AD 500 – 1550 (Tudors WELCOME!!), and any fantasy properties which emulate said period!

KNOW ALSO that we, by the grace of this fine hellsite and with the counsel of the moste honorable and illustrious @hotvintagepoll (many thanks), have made

THESE GUIDELINES here given:

ANY HOT GUY who appears in any movie or TV show released in ANY YEAR, from ANY COUNTRY, shall be deemed eligible for entry. Below are listed examples of eligible properties. If YE BE NOT CERTAIN whether your hot guy is eligible, submit him anyway!

Examples of Eligible Properties: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-03), Game of Thrones (2011-19) House of the Dragon (2022), Wolf Hall (2015-2024), The Tudors (2007-2010), Ladyhawke (1985), The Princess Bride (1987), The White Queen (2013), Rise of Empires: Ottoman (2020-2022), Vikings (2013-2020), The Last Kingdom (2015-2022), Diriliş: Ertuğrul (2014), A Knight’s Tale (2001), BBC’s Robin Hood (2006-3009), The Last Duel (2021), The Story of Minglan (2018), The Borgias (2013), Robin Hood (1939), Outlaw King (2018), Pilgrimage (2017), Legend (1985), Braveheart (1995), The Green Knight (2021), Excalibur (1981), Beowulf & Grendel (2005), The Lion in Winter (1968), Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993), The Black Adder (Blackadder Series 1, 1982), Rashomon (1950)

Remember: This is just a list of examples—WOW ME!

These following titles are examples of properties that do not fall within or emulate the stated time period and therefore DO NOT QUALIFY: The Three Musketeers (Any Version), Pirates of the Caribbean (2004), Barbarians (2020), Gladiator (2000), Ben Hur (1959), Shogun (2024), Elizabeth (1999), 300 (2006), Troy (2004), Xena: Warrior Princess (1995-2001), Disney's Robin Hood (1973)**, Yojimbo (1961), Shakespeare in Love (1998), King Arthur (2004)***

For the purposes of this tournament, "Man" and "Guy" are defined as any bi-pedal humanoid male character played by a man. As such, characters belonging to non-human races such as Hobbits, Orcs, Elves, Demons, Fauns, Werewolves etc. ARE admissible, and, indeed, encouraged.

If you have propaganda you forgot to include in your submission, just hold onto it and send it in an ask after the Tournament begins.

You may submit as many hot men as you like but please submit only ONE ENTRANT per submission.

Do not hesitate to submit ANY hot guy you think may qualify, no matter how popular he is. There is no such thing as a shoo-in with these tournaments. If you think "Someone MUST have submitted him already!" Everyone else is probably thinking that too and then he may well NEVER get submitted and we don't want that.

Do not worry about how many submissions your hot guy might have had already--I need to get a sense of who the strongest contenders are in order to fairly seed the draws, and the best way to do that is volume of submissions.

We are voting on the hotness of the characters. While the actors who portray them are of course a major factor in this, we are not voting on the actors themselves, therefore propaganda pertaining to the actors real lives (aside from anecdotes relating to their portrayal of the character) is not admissible.

By that same token, in the case of historical figures (e.g. Henry VIII) we are judging hotness based on the fictionalized portrayals of them in these properties, not on historical fact.

Regarding immortal/time-travelling/dimension-hopping/extremely long-lived characters, regardless of when the character was born, the main action**** of the story must take place within the Medieval Period (see dates listed at the top of this post) or Medieval-esque fantasy fantasy realm in order for them to be eligible for submission. As such, characters like the Pevensie brothers (The Chronicles of Narnia) and Ash Williams (Army of Darkness) are admissible, but Asgardians (the MCU Thor films) are not.

I, as the Administrator and Master of Revels of this tournament, am exercising discretion in the admittance of characters from works by Shakespeare, since many of them have no set date.

Re: characters adapted from books/written works - Book quotes by/ about your character are not admissible as Propaganda for their tv/ movie counterparts unless said quotes were also written into the show/movie.

Book illustrations and fanart are not admissible Propaganda

SUBMISSIONS SHALL REMAIN OPEN UNTIL MIDNIGHT, JULY 1st

The Tourney shall begin at a date yet to be determined with the Melee (Qualifying Rounds), wherein the entrants with the fewest submissions and least propaganda will duke it out in a free for all brawl to determine who will enter the Lists.

SUBMIT YOUR ENTRANTS HERE TODAY!!!

-- Master of Revels

*The "live-action" qualification does have a caveat: exception may be made for those CGI films which were all the rage in the mid-00's that used the motion-capture and likeness of the actors; for example characters from, Robert Zemeckis's Beowulf (2007) are admissible.

** this one doesn't qualify, not because it isn't the right time period, but because it falls solidly under the "Animated" category.

***Yes, sadly we are deprived of the beautiful countenances of Clive Owen, Mads Mikkelsen, Ioan Gruffudd et al because the producers of this film in their infinite wisdom and in an attempt to seem "more historically accurate" chose to set it during the Roman withdrawal from Britain, which occurred in the 5th Century (About a CENTURY earlier than Authurian tradition) and is generally agreed to have ended by AD 410. It therefore does not fall under the Medieval umbrella and is not eligible for submission.

**** "Main Action" here defined as "More than half an hour of a movie and more than two episodes of a series"

[codacheetah]

AGREE WITH YOUR PREVIOUS POST. I like mean Loop as a facade only, but we know they still care and love...

Now I have a question, what's your favorite Loop takes/headcanon

Oh my god I'm so sorry I took like two weeks to answer this one I prommy it's not bc I'm exclusively a hater or whatever. I just straight up forgot to answer Oopsie. I'm putting this under cut bc it got long enough that you all would shoot arrows at me for putting it on your dash

Anyways there's a lot of Loop Thangs I like frankly. A big one that I enjoy is when fic authors in postcanon make the transition of Loop into the party structure kind of rocky. Usually bc Loop's neuroses creating a level 12 psychic barrier between them and the party + the inherent awkwardness of meeting somebody who's apparently super close in a way (that you'll never fully understand) to one of your friends. Who let's be real I feel like half the party (coughIsabeauandMirabelle) would catch the aura of "oh they do not like us at all" from Loop. I want Loop to be happy and with their family but you just know this bitch is going to make it as difficult for themself on purpose. The Siffrin Special.

I also just generally like when they keep Loop as a star postcanon. I'm not at all a hater towards Human Loop (in fact I think it can be itself an interesting setup for a Loop fic) but I do like Loop as a star more thematically. Something about having to accept that things have changed and moving on from it regardless. Also bc Loop being dysphoric about their body scratches a very transgender projection itch in my brain Yessss little star you're stuck in a body that draws unwanted attention and which you have no control over how it looks and functions in a way that feels fundamentally wrong to you. (Pointing at canonically transgender character) Yooooo this guy is such a cool trans allegory omg

Hmm what else. This is more of a sloops thing but I always enjoy in fics when they lean into the fact it's selfcest frankly. I've become a selfcest enjoyer bc of this ship I'll never get over that act 5 dialogue abt the cautionary tale where Siffrin says he never understood the moral of the story bc the idea of having somebody just like him who understands him. Oh my gyoooooooooooooooood. I want them to melt into sludge I'm always thinking of that analogy from superflyghtheart on discord comparing Loop and Siffrin to endlings of an endangered species. 💥💥💥It's like. This is less sloopy now but I'm caught between the intersection in my head of "Loop would probably benefit from developing their own identity as a person separate from Siffrin bc they need Something they have control over" and "Loop is of the Siffrin Species and they are significantly too sentimental to let go of the shreds of what they used to have, especially after having lost all of it once already". Both of these things are yummy as fuck when ppl smarter than me explore them and they're kinda the main Story Paths for postcanon Loop anyways so I'm always winning. So like idk tldr I like it both when ppl have Loop diverge a lot as a person and when they have Loop try their best to stay as much of a Siffrin as possible!

I'm limiting myself to four paragraphs so you don't all want to hit me with hammers but I do have Loop Biology Headcanons. I've explained mythoughts on their guts before and don't feel like recounting them but whatever True #codacheetahwarriors remember my deranged rambling. ANYWAYS I kind of mentally run on the assumption of Loop's body as like. The Universe couldn't keep Loop in Siffrin's body, bc they needed Siffrin to be in it (and I guess a system situation introduces too many factors of its own? idk). The Universe operates with the goal of fulfilling wishes with the least intervention possible, so The Universe makes a body out of cheap inorganic material (star-scrap basically). Miniature star for a head fueling the body with Craft energy (I'm not going to get into my conspiracy that all Craft is the same here). Molds the star scrap into a vaguely Siffrin-shaped/sized vessel and plonks Loop's conscious into it and calls it a day. So Loop's body as a poor simulacrum of a human body is like. They're capable of breathing but they only really benefit from doing it on a psychological level. They can't eat or drink and don't have a mouth because it would require a significant level of added effort to make a digestive system, when they can just derive energy from their star. They don't have reproductive organs because they're not made from organic material anymore anyways. They don't need to sleep bc their body never gets tired but they still do it because it's not really a great idea to leave your brain on running for too long anyways.

I fucking lied I'm on paragraph five bc the block of text is annoying me. To continue that's all a preface to say I think it's super fun when Loop has body functions that are weird and unpredictable. Their little frizzles on their body are reactive to their emotions the same way their headstar is, and feel like static if you touch them. Their head has a vague boundary so their eyes have something to be rooted to but the function by which their optic nerves work is unclear to everybody including themself. They glow based on intensity of emotion and the temperature of their star changes via specific mood. Bc I think it would be fun if the battlefield in twohats when from ice cold to boiling hot frankly. Ok these are all just my headcanons (temperature one very loose though I'm not a hard subscriber to it) but they're not uniquely mine it's just examples of what I mean. One I don't have as a personal headcanon but I do enjoy is when Loop feels the same physical sensations as Siffrin bc it's funny and I like inflicting misery on the star.

I'm going to shut up now like actually . Loop for your troubles

[puppyvenom]

crutchie - akb vs matthew duckett !!!!

alternatively titled - cast disabled people jesus christ

listen i am having so many thoughts and feelings about crutchie and at the risk of annoying the fuck out of my partner i am putting them on here instead!

prefacing this by saying:

i do not speak for all cripples

matthew’s duckett was my first real introduction to crutch and yes i am probably biased because of it (because matthew was an absolute sweetie when i met him)

i do not actually hate AKB as much as i dislike his crutchie

★

i think the main problem i have with his crutchie (and i understand that it is not entirely his fault at all!!!!) is that it’s so sanitised in so many ways. it is so of its time and not really in a good way, it came about in a period where representation wasn’t a big focus and i very much understand that, but i also hate it.

it’s so easy for disabled characters to fall into this weird ,sanitised, almost infantilising position, where their struggles are shown (abuse from the delanceys that was directly because of his disability, the fact he’s more likely to be put in the refuge because he’s seen as ‘weak’), but they’re bound by this kind of happy-go-lucky persona where they don’t show any real anger or upset. it’s fuelled by the abled need to see disabled characters as some sort of inspiration porn. “he’s crippled but look how happy he is despite that!!!!!! if he can do it i can too!!” he has this air of innocence and can-do-no-wrong that kinda falls a little flat compared to all his friends of the same age, and whilst this wouldn’t be a problem in itself, it fits a repeating pattern of the innocent, docile physically disabled person that is shown so much.

i loved matthew’s crutchie so much because he was so much more than that. he was happy, he was kind and an big laugh, but he didn’t shy away from being truly angry or scared (in the finale when he is brought back and cuffs snyder) and he was still a bit of a dick, he felt a lot more like he truly belonged. one of my favourite examples is at the start of the show the first time we see katherine, he helps one of the boys (i can’t remember which one) steal something from darcy and keeps it on him through the rest of the show. he’s as playful and annoying as the rest of them, shooting paper balls at them with his slingshot (especially during the finale, i love him so much for that). he has an attitude. he has the energy of a boy who was raised on the streets and knows what the fuck is what.

and thats what i think changes him the most for me. it’s all the same script (?) but it’s all so different when you think about how smart crutch actually is. i think the biggest change is my idea of him specifically when he’s being so nice to weasel at the beginning, when all the boys are being annoying and dicks, crutchie is so sweet. i don’t believe he’s doing that because he’s just such a nice guy who can look past weisel and the delancey’s being assholes to them, i think he realised quickly how to play the game. he’s gonna get sympathy, he knows that, and he knows if he acts all innocent and is overly kind, that they’ll somewhat pity him and he can use that to his advantage.

i hate being pitied by most people, i hate being looked at differently, like i’m almost helpless. but i also know how to use it to help myself, i know when i can play the poor little cripple card to my advantage. and i fully believe crutch does the same.

edited to add because i forgot to add this entire section in sorry!!

when i say sanitised i also mean literally. as in they made him cleaner. specifically in the finale again when he’s brought back from the refuge, broadway crutch looks way too clean. he’s a little bashed up but he’s not dirty. he doesn’t look like he’s been battered and then subjected to awful conditions. it takes away the impact of his time at the refuge. when he got back in the uk production they actively were disgusted by how much he smelled, because he’d just got out of a place where he couldn’t look after himself for a multitude of reasons. he suffered in there, mentally and physically, and in more ways than one. he was not given nice clean clothes and a pat on the back, he was taken out and put right back into the mess without much time to check himself over, without any time to process or heal.

i just think it has a much bigger impact when you can see, from his actual appearance and the other guys’ reactions, how much he actually struggled in there. they were glad to have him back of course, but it really drove home the point of how badly it affected him.

and once again in that scene, you could see the fear on his face and the anger when he faced snyder and when he made a move at him. he was fucking scared of the man that had subjected him to all of that. even when he was being a little goofy and put on the hat to handcuff him, there was still that fear, and there was evidence to why.

(end of edit)

but like i said, i don’t think it is entirely akb’s fault or his intention, he almost definitely wasn’t aware of the way it came off and how it perpetuates stereotypes. but it’s just another reason why giving disabled roles to disabled people is so important. plus we know how to use mobility aids properly

★

shoutout to my beloved partner who proof reads my shit and also is the reason i am into newsies . thank u babie @fizzloves-blog <3

[chronicbeans]

Jack Walten and Wally Darling have a Phone Call

Jack Walten somehow calls the main character of his children's favorite show instead of Felix Kranken. I NEEDED TO DO THIS OKAY-

TW: Mentions of Alcoholism, Missing Children, Suspected Car Crashes and Harm to Children, Anxiety and Despair, Mentions of Death

☎️Jack paces around the room, looking at his phone with a mixture of hope and dread. He has been calling Felix over and over again, never getting a response from the man. He's left massage after message, begging him to return his calls and get his children home. He told him to pick up his children THREE HOURS ago! Where are they?!

☎️Desperate for an answer, he picks up the phone and dials the number. He holds the phone up to his ear, grinning once Felix, or who he thinks is Felix, picks up the phone. If anyone walked in on him, they would think he was a madman... But he doesn't care. The euphoric feeling of hope, hope to see his children, fills him as he speaks. "FELIX! FINALLY! Where are my kids? You have to tell me, Felix! Did something happen to them?! PLEASE-"

☎️"Hello? I am sorry, neighbor. I don't know anybody named Felix. I think you have the wrong number. Try dialing the number you want again." Jack's eyes widen, before he mutters a soft "Sorry..." before dialing Felix's number, again. The same, strange man answers. "Hello? Did it not work, neighbor?"

☎️Jack shakes his head, despite knowing that the odd man can't see him. "No. I am sorry, I keep accidentally calling you. I'll just try again." "No, neighbor. Let's talk. You sound upset. It is good to talk about your feelings."

☎️Jack hesitates. He doesn't know this man and he really needs to get a hold of Felix, RIGHT NOW. However, the thought of how his last few voice messages have sounded comes to him. Perhaps Jack is acting a bit too emotional. Yes, he knows that he is justified in his fear and anxieties about his children's mysterious whereabouts. God knows he is justified in his anger and fear as to what happened to them, alongside Felix. He has a RIGHT to let Felix know that he is upset and to be emotional in his calls. However, could that emotion be what is causing Felix to not answer? Maybe he is just scared to tell him what happened, because Felix not telling him anything has already gotten him so riled up. He might just fear a far more emotional reaction when he finally answers.

☎️He's probably never going to hear from this strange man again, either. Talking to him, without having to fear meeting him in real life, alongside being able to vent his frustrations, might calm Jack enough to leave a message that is collected enough to make Felix willing to pick up the phone. To calm Felix down from... Whatever might've occurred to Jack's children... And just tell him what happened. "Alright. Let's talk."

☎️"Do you know who I am, neighbor, or do I need to introduce myself, again?" Again? Now that Jack thinks about it, the man sounds familiar. His voice has a comforting familiarity despite the monotonous nature of it. He just cannot put his finger on it. Did he meet this man before and just forget about it? "I am sorry... Do I know you? Have we met before."

☎️The man hums, shifting on something, perhaps a chair or some other piece of furniture. "We have met many, many times. It is alright if you don't remember, however. I haven't been around for a little bit. I understand that you forgot. One second. Let me see if you remember with this." There is the sound of the man placing the phone down, then walking somewhere. He returns alongside the sound of music playing from someplace nearby.

☎️It is so familiar... but so foreign. This man's identity is on the tip of Jack's tongue. It makes him so uncomfortable, but his disparity to have someone to talk to overrides his desire to just hang up and try calling Felix, again. Despite being so close to identifying the man on the opposite end of the line, however, it doesn't pop up, as he says "I am sorry. I still don't remember. Umm... My name is Jack Walten." There is a strange laugh, before the man on the other end of the line says "It is alright. I know who you are, Jack Walten. Let us start again. Ring. Ring. Ring. Click. Hello, neighbor. I am Wally Darling. It is so nice to talk to you. Now, tell me what is going on."

☎️Jack lets his emotions all flow out. Using colorful language to describe the situation, how Felix has been ignoring him, how his children are missing. His little angels... gone! A sudden thought occurs to him, and, without thinking, he asks "What if Felix crashed...? Oh, God! I... he sounded very upset when I asked him to drop them off and pick him up. I should've known better! He has a habit of drinking alcohol when he has a bad day... Oh, God, what if he crashed that car?! I'm a horrible father! I might've gotten them killed! What if they're dead...?" His chest tightens, as well as his grip on the phone.

☎️Wally lets out another hum. There is another shift, before his calming monotone voice speaks "I don't know what alcohol is... But it sounds bad to drink before driving, from your tone of voice and your words. I have also heard from my friend, Barnaby, that it is kind of like his smoking. You do it and, for some, you have trouble stopping. You have to realize that, if that did happen, it wouldn't be your fault. You asked Felix for help and put your trust in him. He could've explained, in more detail, how bad his day was or that he planned to drink it. I am still a bit confused on what alcohol is, or if my idea of what he could've done is right, but that is what I am getting from what you are putting down. If they are dead, whatever that means, then it isn't your fault. At least, not entirely. I am too confused to make a proper answer..."

☎️Jack takes a deep breath. It isn't much help, but... Wally's words are at least something. It is a bit better than simply wallowing in torment. Wally continues "I don't know what a father is, either. Can you tell me what that is?" "Well... a father is someone who has kids. You were a kid once, right? I don't have to explain it?" "Yeah. I met my friend Barnaby as a kid." "Well, a father is usually, specifically a man who has a kid. A woman who has a kid would be a mother. A father could also be someone who is more masculine and has a kid. Not everyone has a father... but I am one for my kids. I am doing my best... or was... I failed them..."

☎️There is an awkward silence, before Wally speaks in a quiet tone. "I wish I had a father. Actually, I wish you were my father, because you seem like a good father. You are doing good. To call and check in so much is good. Sitting on the couch and watching television with them is another way that you are a good father. You spend what little free time you have with them is a good thing to do as a father, right?" Jack has no idea where the mention of television came from, but he can't help but feel better that this man thinks highly of him as a father... Even if he didn't know what one was before he told him.

☎️"Yeah. That is another thing a good father does. You said we met before, right? How did we meet?" There is a creak on the other end of the phone. Wally mutters something, before he says "I am sorry to cut this short, neighbor. I have to go take care of Home. To answer your question, look in the old box of VHS tapes. You have one called Welcome Home. We met when our eyes did, neighbor. You'll understand. Goodbye, neighbor." There is one last click as Wally hangs up.

☎️Later on in the night, curiosity overtakes Jack. He's left a few more messages for Felix, mysteriously being able to call him and not Wally, again. He heads up to the attic, taking out the box of VHS tapes. He finds the one Wally mentioned. A flood of memories fill him, the colorful letters bringing a wave of both joy and sadness through him. He remembers putting this exact VHS into the television's VHS player for his little angels to watch. Maybe just one more time, for the memories? He barely remembers the show itself, anyways.

☎️He sits down on the couch, having placed it into the television. He sinks into the couch cushions, to distraught to be able to force himself into a proper posture. Nobody is watching, anyways. Rosemary went into bed a while ago. The theme song for the puppet show plays, causing him to perk up. That is the exact same song the Wally played over the phone...

☎️"Hello, neighbor." Jack shoots up, sitting on the edge of his seat. Memories are now flooding his head. Happy, joyous, and bittersweet memories of sitting on this couch, hearing that voice... Seeing those eyes stare into his own. "No..." he mutters "... That can't be the guy on the phone..."

☎️He is proven wrong, however, as the yellow puppet onscreen says "My name is Wally Darling. This episode's run shall be dedicated to my friend, Jack Walten 's, two children. We'll miss you, Ed and Molly Walten."

[lausol]

My thoughts about this drama: “what a valiant roar, what a bland goodbye”

I loved the first episodes, how complex their dynamic was and how well Soohyun and Jiwon brought them to life with their micro expressions. The way the pacing felt realistic, since a lot of things have passed between them. For me the drama took a bad turn when they lost focus of the main characters and expanded so much on the Queen’s drama. Especially the villains, they had so much screen time and were not really nuanced. Or the aunt, like yes, she was a nice character, but ???? why would they think I wanted so much screen time with her and that bland guy? At first it was cute, but when they gave them so much screen time the last episodes it turned out really annoying for me.

I feel like the car crash was unnecessary and something the writer included because she felt like the audience had not forgiven Hyun Woo enough for the way he acted at the beginning of the drama. That we needed to see him have this big gesture and go rescue her as proof of his love, but it was unnecessary and redundant by this point. We’ve already seen how much he loves her ever since the reality of losing her was on the table and he realized it (when she gets lost on his hometown and she admits it and he hugs her and cries).

In episode 1 and 2 we see how distant and resentful they’ve grown of each other, how they’ve built walls between each other (like when she says he is acting out of character by siding with her and taking her hand) but the moment she is honest and vulnerable (probably it’s been years since that) it dawns on him that she is sick and loosing herself. And it breaks him, because it turns real, that maybe she won’t be saved, that they’ve lost years of companionship they took for granted and both of them could’ve done something to fix things (their talk outside of the supermarket). Him recognizing he forgot that love (while she didn’t) and that scene in episode 6 in Germany was top notch, and staying by her side with Queen’s take over and also recognizing his own mistakes (like how Haein tells him she never wanted to be alone, and both understand she is talking about their baby; or him saying that he wishes he would’ve asked her about her day back then instead of acting as strangers) for me was enough. Him egging her on to have a reaction out of her, bringing her family to his hometown, being vulnerable with her and recognizing his faults, listening to her and caring, were reasons enough to forgive him.

I was also not a fan of her losing her memory. I think they chose way too many conflicts and they overlapped and we didn’t have enough scenes of them being happy without the threat of her disease. I would’ve either picked the Queen’s take over or her amnesia, both was too much. Especially when the pacing by the end was so bad and they chose to keep her amnesia instead of her remembering. We didn’t have scenes of “them” but of HyunWoo and a HaeIn that didn’t feel like HaeIn at times and did not know their past. Like, yes, their past wasn’t perfect, but it was what gave their relationship depth.  And then they chose to skip her falling in love with him or any life milestones between them!!! Like them finding out about her being pregnant again and this time supporting each other and facing the uncertainty together. Their child’s first birthday! We got like a few seconds of them on the steps and then were clubbed with old HyunWoo facing her death and meeting each other again as “souls”. I think it would’ve been a little less shocking if we’d had at least more scenes of them spending their life together before that scene. Especially after most of the drama they made us bawl our eyes out.

One of the worst things they chose to do was that the reason they both grew distant and started to resent the other was not addressed with the depth and care that it should’ve been. They both hurt each other. HyunWoo felt that his feelings were not taken into consideration by HaeIn and that she did not care as much as him (shown by his surprise by the date being her passcode) and that he was not given space to grief. Like he grew up in a family in which they talk things together and support each other, that’s the way he is able to bear sadness, and HaeIn closing off emotionally and being on the defensive made him feel isolated. Meanwhile, HaeIn has already suffered the loss of a family member and she was blamed and resented by her mother for it, so it makes sense that because of that experience and the guilt and trauma of the miscarriage she was going through she thought HyunWoo would do the same, especially after seeing that he moved his things out of their bedroom. He did it because he felt hurt by her breaking down the nursery and not giving him space to grief, but it was how she was taught to grief: walk around it, pretend it did not happen and don’t talk about it (like how her father was going to turn the page of the family album when there was a photo of her older brother). I feel like the way they started to approach it was on track: HyunWoo seeing the birthdate being her passcode, HaeIn admitting she never wanted to be alone and HyunWoo understanding she is talking about the miscarriage and realizing he misinterpreted her back then and the look of regret when he apologizes and hugs her. But I think they should’ve talked about it sooner (like when they’re in his apartment) instead of the gloss over they did on the final episode when she still does not remember a lot of what they went through.

The drama started out great but I feel like the screenwriters didn’t understand the characters enough and thought we needed big action scenes to be impressed and hooked. Instead, it would’ve been better if it stayed as more of a character study on how for love to be kept alive it needs to be nourished, it needs work and communication and respect between each other.  Jiwon and Soohyun are amazing actors and have the range to bring those scenes to life, so it’s a shame that the writers chose to sideline them. Tbh, Soohyun and Jiwon were the reason I kept watching, especially by the end, I can say that the last two episodes are some of the worst episodes of the drama.

I love HyunWoo and HaeIn, and it’s been a while since I’ve been so hooked with a drama and the actors had the ability to make me care so deeply about their characters.

“Love doesn’t just sit there, like a stone, it has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new”  by Ursula K. LeGuin  reminds me of their relationship.

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

Hi M, how are you? Coming after the high of Shogun's yesterday's win at the Emmy's made me wonder if you have a favourite historical movie or tv show that is underrated or in the category more-people-should-watch-this? Hopefully you indulge in this type of movie. 😊

For example, for me, one such movie is "Master and Commander: The Far side of the World" :brilliant ensemble cast all across the board, good chemistry between the main leads, engaging story, very good soundtrack, fx that still hold, 99% hystorically accurate 😂 but despite this not many have heard or watched this movie.

Have a nice day!

P.S. can't believe that tomorrow the last episode of AYS will air 😭.

Hi @shimako! Sorry for answering your question late, but I postponed it because I kept trying to think of a list. And honestly, I saw the words historical drama and forgot the underrated part so this is a bit of a disaster, but I'll make it work. Let's just say this is an incomplete list of tv shows that had an impact on me at the time and ages that I had when I watched them. And you'll see that I barely remember the plot, but I sort of know how I felt.

1. Rome

Is this underrated? Hell no! But perhaps in today's age of tv, a lot of people have forgotten about that show. Only two seasons, but it was among the first batch of prestige tv in the middle of the 2000s. I liked it so much that it made go to the bookstore and buy a book about Caesar. If I went through my Egypt phase in middle school, then my Ancient Rome period came in high school.

2. The Borgias

At the time of its runtime, I think it was pretty big. Although I don't think it won many awards. I also remember it being used as an example on scholarly papers about Hollywood using Eastern and Central European studios because of cheap labor and good locations. Budapest and Prague can replace Florence, lol.

The Borgias was naughty. And it had Jeremy Irons who is a fantastic actor in my opinion. Eventually they actually leaned heavily into the siblings relationship which I thought was daring. They went there 👀. And the costumes were so beautiful!.

3. The Tudors

I remember this show through the eyes of a 13-14 year old that developed a massive crush on the actor portraying Henry the VIII. This was like the rock'n'roll version of the story. And it was sexy. A bit over the top. A stepping stone for some actors that would become a lot more famous in the years to come. I think it was on HBO so probably not underrated at the time, but mostly forgotten nowadays.

4. Versailles

I can't remember if it's French or they talk in English. But it was lots of fun. And really gay. They didn't stay away from that. That's all I remember, but give it a try.

5. Taboo

This is that show with a really brooding Tom Hardy who remains like that throughout the story. But if you're interested in 1800s London and England's imperialist plan and its effects on colonized territories, this might be it.

6. Babylon Berlin

I don't know if this fits into the list, but it is a great portrayal of 1920s Berlin. A period in which artistic freedom and experimentation was at its height, but also juxtaposed with political unrest, creating this environment that would lay the ground for the rise of the fascist party. It's a german show, an HBO production and I like that it's not glamourized. You can see it in their clothes, their hygiene habits, their visible sweat and run down outfits they wear in clubs. It feels real.

7. Black Sails

I first heard of this when I wanted to watch more Toby Stephens movies/series but I almost stayed away because it was a Michael Bay production. Black Sails is so smart. At first, it might lure in the wrong audience, even based on the first trailer. It looks like a pirate show full of action sequences and machismo. And then you actually watch it and it flips that exact narrative. It is a direct critique of imperialism. It is also such a good case for any film and gender & queer studies analysis. But more than that, what really sealed the deal for me in what is considered a grade B series with grade B actors, is the meta-textual discourse on storytelling. It's about creating those pirate legends, of creating narratives to protect themselves against the empire. And all that is unfolded through brilliant lines of dialogue. It still remains a 10/10 tv show for me and the actual underrated one.

[mikhailwrites]

Waiting for Connection 14 / Ghost x Soap

Ghost is retired and plays milsim videogame. Soap is still in the force and sometimes plays that same videogame...

Previous chapter | AO3

Ghost thanks Gaz and bids him good night before he rejoins the main voice channel. As expected, a rather wild discussion is underway. Clearly, the jury is out about whether or not they should’ve split.

“It was a sound idea, threw me off,” Ghost voices his opinion and announces himself at the same time. There’s a brief moment of silence.

“But it didn’t work in the end,” Roach quips, sounding a little bitter. Not overly so, thankfully, it’s just a game, after all. They all know the difference, intimately so.

“You got way closer to the extraction than I thought you would. I assume you wanted to either flush us out or create a diversion?”

“Yes to both, actually,” Alejandro says, “Soap thought that you will expect us sticking together or at the very least split into two pairs, covering each other. We were hoping to gain some upper hand. But I guess we underestimated your friend. Is he joining?”

“No, he’s… a very private person. But he enjoyed the game so I can extend his thanks. Told me that whoever he managed to jump in the lower part of the base was pretty solid. He was lucky to win that one.”

“That was me,” Roach replies, “I had a clumsy aim, it was a deserved death.”

“I’m sure you’re gonna walk all over me next time. You know the layout of the base and the terrain now, and the help I’ve got was a one-time thing.”

“But that wouldn’t really be a fair fight,” Rudy remarks.

At that moment, Ghost realises something. “Where’s Johnny?”

“Had to go, said he wasn’t feeling too good,” Roach explains.

“Ah, I see. Alright, I think I’ll call it a night as well. It was a good game, I’m looking forward to a rematch.”

“Yeah, sure, we’re gonna kick your ass, cabron,” Alejandro laughs.

Simon turns off the PC, puts the headset on a stand and reaches for his phone. He debates with himself for a little before he opens a new text message and types, “Thanks for the game; you were good. Hope you will feel better in the morning. S.” He hits the Send button without thinking too long about it. Otherwise, he would probably change his mind.

Soap’s phone buzzes on the nightstand just as its owner returns from the shower. Soap’s eyebrow quirks up momentarily as he sits on the bed and looks who’s messaging him so late; not many people have his number, and a substantial portion of them wouldn’t bother him at this hour unless it were urgent.

Flicking the lock screen away, he’s surprised to see the message is from Ghost. It’s short but considerate. A little sweet, really. Truth be told, Soap’s only has a minor headache, nothing that would warrant his quick retreat from the game. The real reason why he disconnected was this bitterness that swallowed him whole. Ghost has been ignoring him ever since John left Manchester, and then he shows up with this entirely impossible scenario and some unknown friend to boot? John is not jealous; that was probably the first thing he ruled out. He’s not a jealous man and never has been. But he is confused, and that confusion leads to frustration.

“Just a headache. Thanks for the game, it was interesting,” John types and sends the reply. He knows he could’ve ignored it and could pretend he was already asleep.

And since his phone starts to ring in the next second, he’s sorry he actually did reply. Well, no way around it now. With a sigh, he takes the call.

“Ghost,” John says in a way of greeting while he sheds the towel around his waist and gets in the bed.

“Johnny… how are you?” the deep timbre of Simon’s voice is pleasant. Soothing, almost.

John frowns, remembering he forgot to open the window a bit to let some fresh air in. “Fine. Tired, have a headache, nothing a good night’s sleep won’t solve.”

Simon hums in contemplation, Soap uses the break to get from the bed and open the window. The moment he does, cold air hits him hard. He’s still a bit damp on the back. A low hiss catches Simon’s attention. “You sure you’re alright?”

“Aye, ‘s just bloody cold outside. My balls almost froze the moment I opened the window,” John admits.

Simon chuckles into the phone, and John pauses. He sounds different than in the game. It makes sense, of course; a phone call has a different quality to it. “Do you build a blanket nest on the base as you did at my place?” There’s a hint of teasing lightness to his voice.

“I might, got a problem with it?” John challenges, but there’s no bite.

“Why should I? It’s just…,” Simon trails off, as if unsure how he wanted to finish the sentence.

“Aye?” John presses on, seeking the warmth of his blanket once more. It’s nice to be snuggled in bed with Simon in his ear. Suddenly, all the bitterness and frustration from earlier simply fizzles off. He never had any real reason to be angry, anyway. It’s not like Simon owed him anything, and he didn’t ghost (or Ghost?) him, either. Every time John asked, Simon simply politely declined, never left him hanging.

“It’s a little unusual,” Simon finally finishes the sentence from earlier.

Now it’s Soap’s turn to chuckle. “I bet you’ve seen a ton of weirder shit when you served.”

“I did, but I always appreciated a nice quirk. So long as it wasn’t dangerous.”

“The opposite, actually. It’s a camouflage technique, really handy behind enemy lines,” Soap says, pretending to be dead serious. In moments like this, he feels like he’s known Simon for years: the banter, easy conversations, jokes.

“Right. I guess the field manual changed since I got out,” Simon plays along immaculately.

“Nah, it didn’t; this is our very own Scottish thing; you wouldnae ken about it.”

“That explains it. Speaking of, I was meaning to ask… why SAS?” That’s a good question. Usually, people assume it’s just a prestige thing. However, someone who’s ex-SAS would know better.

“Didnae wanna be a cog in the regular army, knew I had what it takes to make the selection, and I wanted to do shit that actually matters,” John answers truthfully. Only a handful of people know his reasons; the rest got the usual bullshit of serving the country and being the best. “Why did you do it?”

There’s a moment of silence. John actually expects an outright refusal, but he’s at an advantage: Ghost asked him first and got the truth. It would be a dick move to bail now. “I was never a great team player,” Ghost starts and pauses, thinking about what he’s just said before continuing. “Well, that’s not exactly true… I was never a great babysitter. I worked best alone and I was so good at it, that my CO had no choice but to ship me out to the selection. Told me it’s the best he can do for me and that I would thank him later.”

“Did you?”

“I did. Eventually. I didn’t enlist because of some ideals, I joined because I had nowhere else to go, never aimed to prove something to some wankers I’ve never seen.”

“Did you ever regret it? Enlisting, I mean.”

“No. Never. I’m not really religious, but I guess it was my calling. Something I was meant to do. Otherwise, I couldn’t have been so damn efficient at it. It all came easy to me. Not all, but things that mattered. Stuff that helped me survive and complete my missions.”

Soap stays silent, feeling Simon’s words sink under his skin, heavy and tinged with darkness. Before he can think of anything to say to that, Simon continues. “Sorry, that turned a bit dark I guess. We should probably hit the bed, especially you, Sergeant.”

“I can handle an early start and shitty sleep, Ghost, don’t you worry,”

“Yeah, but I can’t. Remember, I’m an old man now,” Simon’s voice carries a lightness of smile.

“I see. Well then, out of respect to my elders, I’ll let you go then. Good night, Si,” John uses the nickname. He’s been very careful with it so far, unsure if Simon likes it or not.

“Good night, Johnny,” Simon repays him in kind.

I tried Ghost Recon Breakpoint since I dropped it soon after it released. Ubisoft actually kinda fixed it! I still like Wildlands more, but it ain't bad. Created a totally-not-OG-Soap, too.

[koqabear]

Hmmm, I'm really into fantasy. As for groups, I stan a lot (probably too many), so you could recommend any 😭

Also, what do you mean?!😭 Your personality is just so 💜💜💜!! Like I have never admired a stranger so much in my entire life 😭😭😭

-Lvlee

hi loveee !! so as it turns out,,, making a rec list is very hard. very. i've read a lot less fics than i thought omg (which is why all the ones i listed are on the older side LMAO), so i am here with some txt and bts recs 😭 they're mostly supernatural/fantasy, but you can always check out my main blog (@/michipan) if you wanna see anything else!

also 🫠 please.... im sobbing rn u are the cutest ever </3 i am nothing but a silly little normal person i promise

to anyone who decides to check out these recs, pleeeeaaase support the authors!! please im genuinely begging you!!! leave a little review and a reblog and show them love bc they're amazing <3

BTS Recs

☆ Beastly Gods by @lemonjoonah

✧ hybrid!taehyung x fem!reader x ???

wc: 8K // genre: hybrid au, thirller, drama, smut, potentially dark and triggering content so read the warnings carefully!

Summary: ‘Don’t leave the forest,’ a rule that you’ve been forced to follow since birth, but you are tired of living in this wooden cage. Out of desperation you cut a deal with Taehyung, who claims to be the only one who can get you out safely, even though he might be just as dangerous as the god you’re trying to escape.

sol's personal notes:

oh. my. GOD. this was one of the first few fics i read when i joined this site, and it's literally stuck with me ever since. i can't say too much about it without spoiling it, but the worldbuilding and pacing was just. immaculate. the storyline is so well done and just. everything about it is perfection omg. there's another part that goes along with this story, but i can't link it bc ofc... spoilers 😖i wish i had more to say about this fic, but i read it years ago and forgot to write a review for it T_T

☆ Treasure by @sombreboy

✧ faerie dragon hybrid!jimin x fem!reader

wc: 4.7K // genre: pwp smut, hybrid, yandere, fairytale, again potentially dark and triggering content so read the warnings carefully!

Summary: Jimin loves to collect sparkly riches and playthings. You just happen to be the next treasure that ignited his obsessive desires.

sol's personal notes:

(fucking explodes into a million pieces) i can't. i had to reread this story real quick to get a refresher on it and just. jimin's character in this is literally so perfect and mischievous and evil!! and i love it... <3 he is characterized so well and the descriptions are just so well done... ouuu i just read over the smut again and i teared up a little. the dialogue is genuinely so insane im not normal abt this fic sorry.

TXT Recs

☆ the prince and the jackal by @gyuluster

✧ prince!beomgyu x woodcutter!metalbender!reader

wc: 11.8k // genre: fantasy au, fluff

Summary:  in the Kingdom of Terrae, you, a metalbender, believe in the deforestation to modernise the land. As a member of the Lumberjackals, you thrive on cutting down trees and stealing resources until you get caught by the Crown Prince, Choi Beomgyu, a lover and embodiment of the nature you wish to destroy. However, instead of imprisoning you for your crimes, Beomgyu decides to show you the beauty and wonders of nature, leaving you to doubt your beliefs, your identity, and your very feelings for the certain boy determined to change you for the better.

sol's personal notes:

unfortunately the author is no longer active on this account (💔💔💔💔) but like. this story literally changed my brain chemistry i dont think you guys understand. it's been so long since i read this but even so, it lives on in my mind... the world building and characters are so well done and from what i remember, beomgyu's character was literally so charming T_T such a pretty story, i might go reread this bc like... the fantasy was executed so well and i love me a good royalty au <3 not to mention the whole concept of the powers is so cool!

☆ Swimmin' in a Mirror by @bangchanswolfpelt

✧ soobin x2 x fem!reader (stay with me here)

wc: 2.5K // genre: magical school au (not a harry potter au) smut

Summary unavailable.

sol's personal notes:

this one's like a whole 180 from the last fic LMAO but GOOD GOD. this author isn't active anymore from what i know of but like. they were literally revolutionary and this fic is just. never seen anything like this before but )#%(&#%??? it's genuinely so impressive how they managed to pull this off alkghadg so hot so insane so creative

☆ that's the spirit! by @agustdiv1ne

✧ sixth sense/ ghost hunter! soobin x fem!reader

wc: 14.6K // genre: high school au, fluff, angst, some elements of horror

Summary: a couple weeks before halloween, you find the quiet boy from your high school staring up into your bedroom. you're a little creeped out, and miles more scared, but then he shows you something that changes how you see, well, everything.

sol's personal notes:

are we surprised. i don't think so. i literally never shut up about this fic ever like i'm such a sucker for unique stories and this is definitely one of them! the pacing, supernatural elements, and environment was written sooo well, and the worldbuilding and explanations that comes along with the plot is so perfectly executed and well thought out. such a cool story, with a banger playlist to go along with it :]

☆ Dirty Little Secret by @petrichor-han

✧ vampire! yeonjun x gn!witch!reader

wc: 4.0K // genre: angst, dark fantasy, vampire!au, witch!au, enemies to lovers

Summary: yeonjun is one of prince seungmin’s most trusted bodyguards. born as a low-class vampire, he worked his way to the top and is proud of his accomplishments, beginning to adapt his friends’ classist mindsets and forgetting where he came from. but when his brothers come to visit one day, exposing his poor ancestry, everyone turns against him except for one: a lowly servant whom he’d picked on in the past—you.

sol's personal notes:

are you kidding me. DARK FANTASY. yeah that's literally all it took for me to fall in love with this story; the imagery is beautiful and the storytelling is so heart wrenching and good and i am literally clawing at the bars of my enclosure rn btw. this fic is sososo good and i'd literally kill to get another morsel from this universe !

⭒⭒⭒

✧ again, make sure to show all these lovely authors some love!! if any of you manage to see this (unlikely. for the most part) i literally cherish these stories sm and would literally die for them idcidc u guys truly made some masterpieces over here ✧

[topguncortez]

CONGRATS 🎊💐💖

Sweet Creature -> ❛i haven’t laughed like this in a long time.❜ with rooster please 🥺😍

pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x female!reader warnings: none other than Bradley being a sad boi Rooster Bradshaw Masterlist | Main Masterlist 3 fucking K celebration

Bradley could not remember the last time he went out on an actual date. Not just texting a potential tinder hook up to meet him for drinks at the Hard Deck. A real date, where he had to go pick her up from her house, and make a reservation, and put on something other than a Hawaiian shirt and jeans. He wasn't even sure if he had anything BUT Hawaiian shirts and jeans.

Phoenix was actually the one who set up this date for her wingman. Bradley was slowly coming to terms with the fact that he was going to be alone, but Phoenix was just not going to let that happen. He at first said no to the date, but Phoenix gave him her friend's number so things would be somewhat less awkward. After talking with you for almost two weeks, he felt good about going on this date.

You, were panicking, pacing the floor of your house as you waited for Bradley to come get you. He picked a cute little sea food place by the beach, and you had spent probably an hour trying on clothes. You settled on a sundress that went a little bit below your knee, and had a slit in it.

Bradley made sure to tuck an extra stick of deodorant in his glove box as he pulled up to your apartment. He grabbed the bouquet of carnations in the passenger seat, and fixed his hair before going up to your door.

You gasped as you heard your door bell ring, and told yourself to not run to the door and yank it open. Bradley though, felt like he thought something was wrong as there was a moment before the door opened.

"Hi," You smiled and Bradley forgot what words were. You were more beautiful in person.

"Uh, yeah, hi," Bradley said, shaking his head and you giggled softly. God, that giggle was going to be the death of him, "I got you these. Carnations. My mom once said you can never go wrong with carnations."

"She's a smart woman," You said and took the flowers from his outstretched hand, "I'm going to put them in a vase real quick. Come in."

Bradley nodded and looked around your small home. Decorations and knickknacks covered the walls. His eyes landed on the pictures you had on your bookshelf. Your smile was dazzling as you posed with some friends on what looked to be a 21st birthday. He smiled as he picked up a picture of you and your parents on your college graduation. You looked a lot like your dad, but you had your mother's smile.

"Ready?" Your voice rang out and Bradley nearly dropped the picture in his hand.

"Yeah!" He said, and then cursed himself for sounding too excited, "I mean, yeah. Let's head out."

--- --- ---

The restaurant was adorable, and Bradley had gotten the perfect reservation spot, right by the large open windows. You had mentioned once in a conversation, that you loved to watch the sunset over the water, and Bradley made sure that you could see it. The dinner conversation was light, as the two of you talked through what was usually the dreaded, awful get to know each other chatter. No matter how many dates either of you had gone on in your lifetime, the first date was always awkward as you asked "what's your favorite color?" or "did you grow up here?" or "what kind of music do you like to listen to?"

But for someone reason, it was like talking to an old friend with Bradley. It made you feel comfortable as you talked about your childhood, and growing up in Washington, and how annoying your siblings were. Bradley also found it nice to talk about anything other than work. You didn't ask him about flying jets, or deployments, or the Dagger squad. He assumed that you had heard enough about it from Phoenix.

After dinner, Bradley took you down to the beach, walking in the moonlight. You had your shoes in your hand as your feet were in the water.

"You never told me what your parents do?" You asked, looking up at Bradley. He sucked in a breath and you immediately regretted saying anything.

"My uh. . . my dad died when I was young, and my mother passed away about ten years ago."

"Bradley I am so- Ah!" You exclaimed as you tripped over a rock in the sand, sending yourself face first into the water.

"Oh shit!" Bradley said, throwing his boots down to help you up from the ground, "Are you okay?"

"Bradley, your boots!" You pointed towards were the tide was carrying his boots out to sea.

"Fuck!" He ran towards where his boots were drifting away but it was too late, they were a lost cause to the unforgiving ocean.

"I am so, so sorry! Here, let me get you money to get new- you're laughing?" You looked at him to see him trying to hide his laughter. The two of you fell into fits of laughter, clutching your stomachs. You had tears in your eyes, and had to gasp to catch your breath.

"No, I'm. . . yes, I'm laughing," Bradley smiled and you wiped at the tears under your eyes, "Listen, when Trace said you'd knock my socks off, I'm not sure this is what she meant."

"Ugh, this is so bad!" You shook your head. Bradley pulled you up from the sand, and wrapped his arm around your waist.

"It's okay. They were old and hurt my feet. I needed to get rid of them one way or another," You shook your head and laid your forehead against his chest. It was quiet as Bradley held you close to him, and the two of you basked into the moonlight and the sound of the waves crashing at your feet.

"Wait, where are your shoes?" Bradley asked and you lifted your head up. You looked to where they once were, and noticed that they too, had been pulled out to see. Bradley's chest rumbled with laughter as you groaned.

"Shoeless and soaking wet was not how I expected this night to go," You looked up at him.

"I'm glad it did though," Bradley pushed a strand of your hair back from your face, "I haven’t laughed like this in a long time, thank you."

Your heart was pounding in your chest as you looked from his eyes to his lips. He saw the flicker in your eyes, and slowly leaned in. You closed your eyes and wrapped your arms around his neck. His lips were soft as they touched yours, like two pillows. When the two of you pulled back, you rested your foreheads together.

"I could kiss you forever," Bradley whispered.

"Please do," You said back and Bradley happily obliged.

[allwaswell16]

Annual Writing Self-Evaluation

Thanks for tagging me @kingsofeverything !

1. List of works published this year:

Netflix Original

A Deal

Do You See What I See 

Bitter Ends Turn Sweet (series)

All This Time

On That Note

Ace of Hearts

Crush

Daydream

One

Heart Beat 

2. Work you are most proud of (and why):

Probably Bitter Ends Turn Sweet. First of all, just knowing there was a song called Chicago on FITF had me shook. Then, the first time I heard it, it was just such a fanfic that the whole story was just right there in my head as soon as the song was over. And I was like...nah. I'm not gonna write a long kid fic, right? RIGHT?? I've written angst before, but writing about a child made me emotional in a way I've never felt while writing in part because I was writing a disabled child. And for that matter I wrote a trans character into this fic as well. But I wanted to write this in a way that made it clear how deeply loved and celebrated these characters were to their families and the people around them. Maybe I made their characters have it unrealistically easy, but it's what I wanted for them just as I want that for my disabled and trans family and friends in real life.

3. Work you are least proud of (and why):

I wouldn't say I'm not proud of any of them, but the time stamps I wrote for Bitter Ends are just things that didn't fit into the main story. And I feel like there's a reason they didn't, if that makes sense. But I thought it might be fun for anyone who liked the fic to read those bits of it, which is why I published them at all.

4. A favorite excerpt of your writing:

oof I can never find anything. Here's something from Bitter Ends:

Harry shrugged. “Maybe. Gem said it was okay to make mistakes like dancing with the wrong guys.”

Louis nodded, considering. “How about dancing with the right guy?”

Harry’s heart pounded harder, and he wasn’t sure it had anything to do with the dancing. “I don’t know. He didn’t say anything about that.”

He’d now lost Liam amidst the dancers, but it was hard to concentrate on that with Louis this close. Louis’ hand splayed out across his back, keeping him close as the beat slowed. 

They’d both dressed in black. And although Harry’s shirt was filmy with a bit of lace and Louis’ a t-shirt sheer enough to see his tattoos through, they were near enough to one another that Harry couldn’t tell where one fabric ended and another began.

Perhaps he could blame muscle memory on why he lifted his arms and wrapped them around Louis’ shoulders, close enough now to feel Louis’ breath at his neck, cooling his heated skin just there as desire zipped down his spine. 

The bit of scruff still on Louis’ cheeks slid against the bare skin of Harry’s shoulder peeking through where his shirt had slipped down, and Harry was thankful for the volume of the bar blocking out the sound of his moan. The whirl of lights danced across his vision, caught up in this moment with Louis.

5. Share or describe a favorite review you received:

There's this one for Bitter Ends: What a gift!!! What a wonderful, sweet, tear inducing gift of fabulous writing! Every word, every sentence of story building was exquisite. I could do nothing else but read this from start to finish and will reread it again and again. Max was an inspired character, so real and so loved. Thank you for this.

And this one for Ace of Hearts: I had no idea I loved early 19th century pirate stories as much as I do now. I couldn’t leave a comment until I finished reading all the parts. I don’t remember when I started but I did forgot to eat for awhile. I haven’t read a story with so many twists and well written.

And basically every single one for Do You See What I See because they're all the same thing...people yelling at me when they find out the twist hahahaha

6. A time when writing was really, really hard:

No one come for me, but I wouldn't say there's ever a time where it's really hard to do. BUT sometimes it's really hard for me to make time for it.

7. A scene or character you wrote that surprised you:

I spent YEARS trying to come up with a plot for a Louis/Cillian Murphy fic. Nothing felt right. And then it somehow occurred to me that what I really wanted to write was Louis/Tommy Shelby and once I figured that out the story immediately came to me.

8. How did you grow as a writer this year:

I always like to try my hand at new things, so this year I wrote girl direction for the first time, some new rare pairs, I wrote an advent fic, both my longer fics are kid fics, which is wild to me lol.

9. How do you hope to grow next year:

Whoops. Had to come back and add this in. I just hope to find more time to write and keep finding more challenges for myself.

10. Who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer or beta or cheerleader or muse etc etc):

If you looked through my author's notes this year, you'd definitely notice how often I thanked @nouies I couldn't have done half of what I did this year without Lou. Her encouragement and making fic posts and reading things over for me helped me enormously. To have someone supporting and keeping me going was just everything. And always @louandhazaf for betaing my fics and always being excited to read whatever new thing I've come up with to write! Thank you x a million, Nic!

11. Anything from your real life show up in your writing this year:

lol yes. hmmm where to start...Bitter Ends has a lot of my son and the things my family likes to do in Chicago in it. Do You See What I See is based on a FB ad I saw that I found hysterically funny and also based on the animals that run around in the wooded ravine behind my house. Daydream takes place in a coffee shop that I like to go to. And Heart Beat takes place in a fictional version of my hometown, has a fictional version of my cat in it, and has a plot inspired by me spending a lot of time in a converted cathedral listening to my son play the drums.

12. Any new wisdom you can share with other writers:

I think I say the same thing every year...READ!!! It's important of course to make time for the actual writing. And writing as much as possible if your goal is to become better at it, but analyzing other people's writing is how a lot of people grow as a writer. What is it about your favorite novels/fics that you love? Read or reread them with a critical eye at what exactly the writer is doing so you can try it out in your own writing.

13. Any projects you’re looking forward to starting (or finishing) in the new year:

I (think??? lol) I'm only signed up to write for @1dalphalouisfest but I'll probably sign up for @1domegaverseficfest too. And obviously I'll write for my own fest @louisrarepairfest I have this soulmates fic that I've been simmering in my brain for a while and I just recently started to figure a few things out for it. So it may or may not fit into one of those fests.

14. Tag three writers whose answers you’d like to read. ;)

@jacaranda-bloom @nouies @lululawrence and anyone else who wants to do this just say I tagged you!

*All answers should be about works published in 2023

Past years: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 , 2021 , 2022

[yenqa]

10 QUESTIONS FOR U - enhablrinas edition get it bc tumblrina + enhablr

favorite color of themes?

moot with best theme?

you can send a love letter to anyone. fictional/idols/celebs. who?

which moot is most active? which moot do you barely ever run into but LOVE?

most rizzful mutual? do you flirt with ur moots?

favorite petnames/nicknames? giving or recieving?

have you ever had an online crush? (or on a moot GASP)

ever been involved in drama?

do u keep up with tumblr drama?

be honest. how many times have u swapped biases? no judgement here :D

were u here for the insaneness that was lockdown enhablr?

MIA moot u want to comeback?

ur fave fic or smau that gagged u when u read it? seungstarss BET was the end of the fucking world for me I WAS DISTRAUGHT oddeonu too grrrr the ptsd fuckkkk too there was someone m1ngh8o or smtg idk w this jungwon smau and it KILLLED MEEE he was yns roommate and always so fucking rude and his gf was legit cheating on him but he didn't leave her. gf made moves on his bff jake too who liked reader. slowburns where the main lead is an ass rlly annoy me but i also will them the shit up bc i luv angst and toxicity :DDD

are you close w ur moots? do u have any on socials?

what is ur biggest ick to see on tumblr?

words u find urself repeating too much? words u love using?

any enhablr inside jokes ur part of?

ever been featured in a moots fic?

have u ever dreamt of enhypen?

ur favorite enha pc u want rlly badly?

DRINK WATER + YOU ARE LOVED <3

thank you so much for sending an ask!! i love these weirdly specific questions! moots so sorry if youre tagged multiple times

1. i lovee pink or like neutral colored themes because i love when themes are super minimalistic !!

2. i love @okwonyo @byhees and @soov ‘s themes!! they always eat down and i use them for inspo sometimes ^_^

3. obviously, would send a love letter to my beautiful boyfriend park jongseong

4. okay idrk most active but i see @flwrstqr on my feed a bunch!! and i lovee talking to @boyfhee on the rare occasion we do talk T^T

5. guys this is all about mutuals but i literally have like two i talk to 😭 but most rizzful is @voikiraz my queen mari <3

6. my name “yen” is a nickname that just stuck with me for tumblr so probably that! but i love saying babe but i can only say that online

7. no 😭 i honestly dont think i could ever have an online crush

8. in real life no! on tumblr…

9. i want to but im so out of the loop 😭😭 @yeokii keeps me up to date though!

10. for enhypen,,, like three times… at first it was heeseung, then sunghoon, then jay!!

11. sadly no!! i joined in like summer of 2022 (happy two year anniversary!)

12. i actually am so bad at remembering my moots. like i have to interact with them to remember them so no so sorry 😭

13. OH MY GOD ODDEONUS SMAUS. but theres this one heeseung smau called “reality check!” i forgot the author, ALSO @amakumos go figure! OH MY GODD STUCK WITH ME FOREVER I DONT CARE ITS DISCONTINUED. also one more. “the language of flowers” by @soobnny GOD KILL ME NOW I LOVE THAT SMAU.

14. i am close with a couple of them!! i have @yeokii @wvnkoi and @jennaissantes on insta and a bunch of moots on discord!

15. people who dont reblog about gaza.. no matter the account size..

16. i use “LMFAO” a lot because its the only way i laugh ERMM and recently ive been calling people just “boy” or “girl” LMFAO

17. uh none! its okay though i am #antisocial girl

18. i have!! check out @yeokii ‘s upcoming smau “love glitch” guys (and upcoming maybe @soov smau *cough* tdwp *cough*🤫)

19. thank GOD i havent 🙏

20. JAY PEACH PC ONE DAY I WILL GET MY HANDS ON U. also sunghoon glasses pc in romance untold 😵‍💫😵‍💫

anyways… thank u so much for sending me these questions!!

[lensman-arms-race]

12, 13 and 31 for the three Titans! You can choose which goes where

I'm going to do 3 for 3, because it's my blog and I can do what I want.

12. Crack headcanon

TCam: Likes putting their main lens underwater (in lakes etc.) to look at fish. The mechanics hate it when TCam does this because they have to dry out the lens casing.

TSpeaker: Would be an absolute beast at breakdancing but is too self-conscious to try.

TTv: We've been assuming that TTv will have negative feelings towards TSpeaker for the whole stabbing scenario (even though TTv does know that it wasn't TSpeaker's free will). But, TVs are knife-appreciators. TTv decides that it was super hot that TSpeaker was actually able to stab them, and becomes outrageously flirty towards TSpeaker, who is so worried and confused by this turn of events.

Bonus: TVs were invented in real life by John Logie Baird, who was Scottish, so TTv would have a Scottish accent if they didn't speak backwards.

13. Dumbest thing they’ve ever done

Canonically, the stupidest thing TCam and TSpeaker did was pursue the Skibidi leaders post-ambush, when the rational course of action would be to return to base for repairs.

(If either of them had been acting alone, they probably would have gone back, but because they were together they were both motivated by 'I can't let my battle-buddy down!' and went into Big Dumb Hero mode.)

TCam: I really love @askthesmoltitans's answer of 'climbed a skyscraper and got stuck for 3 hours because they forgot they can fly'. I have to go with that one!

TSpeaker: You know those sockets they have for putting knives in then launching them with sound blasts? They tried seeing what else they could put in and launch from the sockets (lamp-posts, trees etc.). Metal lamp-posts worked kinda well (if difficult to aim accurately because they tended to warp on launch), but it turned out a concrete lamp-post will just shatter from the sound blast instead of launching, and make a right dusty mess full of concrete chunks. Then they tried again with a tree and it just blasted into splinters and went in many of their speaker-cones. The mechanics and tailor-mechanics were not very happy with their Titan that day.

TTv: Walked into some power lines that they didn't see and got all tangled up in them and the uprooted pylons. Tried to use their shoulder-stabbers to rectify the situation but made even more of a dog's breakfast of it, until they remembered they could just teleport out. It was hard for the mechanics to get the explanation out of the Titan of how they sustained the damage to their weapons and plating. (The Titan tried to claim they'd been ambushed by Skibidis, but the scientists kept pressing them for a description so they could devise battle tactics, because the damage didn't match any known Skibidi type.)

31. If they had a tumblr what would it look like?

TCam: Pictures/reblogs of architecture, particularly Brutalist, Bauhaus and Art Deco. No commentary except thumbs-up emojis. (Or the occasional thumbs-down in response to stupid asks.)

TSpeaker: Just reblogs of music posts that they enjoyed. They respond to any asks with an audio of either an approving or disapproving static honk.

TTv: Isn't arsed to curate it themself; it's one of their maintenance crew's job to go through the dashboard and reblog things the Titan would probably like, and answer all asks as if they were the Titan. New starters to the maintenance crew assume this is the easy gig and are pleased to be assigned to it, until they discover that it's actually more difficult and tedious a task than the rest of their job. The crew argue about who has to do Tumblr duty that day.

(Original post with list of questions)

[tg-ace]

As promised a full page (and a half) of deleted things I’ve noticed from Fallout and Rogue Nation trailers. (It’s a bit past midnight so I’ll probably edit this later and/or add more to it if I feel like it). (So yes if you are reading this, right now it has been written by sleep-deprived me and does not have correct grammar sorry).

https://youtu.be/wb49-oV0F78?si=n9jbLFtgDjO9ZSUt Firstly bro how many deleted scenes did they have in this one jeez, and the sad thing is they look cool as well as darker than any movie so far (mainly because they show more dead bodies than normal (which yes Dead Reckoning beat them at that) but it shows actual close up scenes of them and blood which doesn’t happen often or ever in these movies (not including Walkers/Larks injury). Kinda wish they kept the snow car scenes in with all the dead bodies because the team hasn’t seen anything as gruesome as that yet (on-screen) so we could actually see how each of them would react differently towards it. (Also wanted to see what was behind that door).  (Edit: it was more bodies :|).

 https://youtu.be/XiHiW4N7-bo?si=WoGzov-WCNsW77dM (this one shows more of the gruesome scenes I was talking about). Also, it feels like it made more sense to remove Ethan almost colliding with an eight-wheeler because it would have removed Ethan from the main action of the scene which was chasing Walker/Lark.

https://youtu.be/MEOOas3JZt0?si=OwCysW5Uxmb710GW (with Benji and Luther’s line changes/additions.)

https://youtu.be/GH94euhUeL8?si=s-zAzg4xsrx2kagZ Noticed they had Walkers/Larks “No hard feelings.” Put over his “Go.” Line.

https://youtu.be/RILMeOnw1xc?si=O0dwOScx4fC8mm4-  Here’s just a video of Fallout deleted scenes which you actually can look at if you have the movie disk (it’s in the main menu). But you can’t hear the real audio which I absolutely hate because these scenes are really cool and I want to hear what they’re actually saying.

https://youtu.be/gOW_azQbOjw?si=IsG0MWQ-uVYkFnSx  For starters I guess Hunley’s line used to be “the IMF IS uniquely trained-“ and not “Ethan is a uniquely trained-“. (Or it could have just been a case of hiding the real lines, like when someone’s mouth doesn’t match up to what they’re saying because it sounds a bit cut/loud when he says it). Fr the background music for Rouge Nation’s trailer though because bro I completely forgot it was this 😂 (fr my mind made it transition to that one IShowSpeed song… idk). Also, it seems that Luther and Brant originally had more scenes because there was one cut to them walking in what seems to be a military base, airport, office, or my personal favorite the rental car pickup. (You could probably make a more estimated guess based on their outfits because their wearing the same ones as motorcycle chase scene). Furthermore, the scene with all four of them talking about the ledger used to be longer and/or had different shot angles. (Also I think Benji’s “Oh my god!” probably could have worked depending on when and how he said it during that scene)

https://youtu.be/FjLSKvVDWyA?si=7uOxxy0iAJF3A8nI The first line was already changed because Ilsa says for the actual plan “You have to get through 12 feet of concrete (then) and 70,000 gallons of pressurized water without any metal.” (Skipping over the Benji’s “stand by to receive” because I can’t remember if that’s a line). Guess they had it as two minutes thirty for the time but they might have changed it because it was an odd number or they just wanted to show it for longer. Also can’t tell if I feel like they should have kept “or else we’ll both be dead” because the main point for Ethan was Benji might die but, it would be true that they would both be dead. (Little side note I find it funny that they used deleted Brandt lines to make people think Brandt was there at the point). Think it was reasonable to remove Brandt’s “shutting down the IMF is a mistake you may regret” because it would just be saying already what’s being shown to us. Finally, for this ad, I am so happy they changed Brandt's line from “now we are wanted by the CIA, awesome.” To “now we are wanted by the CIA, I am so proud of us.” It just sounds way funnier with how he deadpans it.

I feel like for this (https://youtu.be/85H3z44tBoE) they should have kept Benji’s agreed, yes he’s has had a crisis of faith and his thoughts about “Am I fighting for the right side and risking my life for a world that doesn’t seem to care.” (Then Ethan saying “And sometimes the answer is no?” and Benji nods “not being proud of it.”). Because it adds a bit more depth to his character, but either way I still think that scene turned out good.

(That's all I have for now, it has filled up a page and a half good night).

[homeofthemany]

jack's family & his relationship with kai

the parents in kickin' it as a series are generally not mentioned at all, or they're mentioned for concerning jokes. you can take it as them being somewhat absent depending on which main kid we're talking about, but it likely comes down to kickin' it being a show for young teens that wants to follow other young teens around—not their parents, but other weird wacky adults.

most of what we can gather about each character's family is either said in passing, as a joke, or implied through other things. i think it's fair to say that jerry has some of the more remarkable examples like being raised by wolves [1x03], having too many siblings / cousins to the point where he's being neglected & sleeping in a locker [1x17], you get the idea. but we actually know very little about jack's family & he's arguably the main character of the show.

very long analysis incoming! also i don't remember season 4 very well, so if i'm missing something, whoops. i'm going to drift into some darker territory [abuse, specifically] so if you're triggered by that or are of the "it's a kid show it ain't that deep" opinion, this probably isn't the post for you lol.

again, TW for general discussion of abuse—physical abuse & neglect in particular. it's very light & i don't go too far into detail, but just in case.

jack's parents

going strictly off of canon, jack's parents themselves are only mentioned once or twice. if i remember correctly, "a slip down memory lane" [2x15] is our most direct mention of them [i forgot if they're mentioned in 2x14 when he's about to leave for otai academy lol] because rudy says that they're out of town, having called them after jack gets a concussion and develops amnesia; they don't think it's necessary to head back and take care of him?

it's worth mentioning that depending on their circumstances and where exactly they traveled, they might not be able to make it back in time to help him with his recovery. in real time though, jack probably wouldn't recover in just... 30min-1hr? since memory recovery can take several days depending on mechanism of injury? not even talking about the actual concussion, by the way, which could take longer on its own. but i'm not a doctor lol. so to be fair, last-minute traveling isn't exactly necessary if they truly trust rudy enough to watch him until they get back.

on the other hand, it's odd that they didn't want to stick around to watch him break the world record in the first place, so it makes me wonder if he'd even told them he was training to accomplish that—and if he did, whether or not they chose to leave seaford anyway. at best, jack's parents are vaguely absent, and at worst, they're negligent.

we're also not given any clear evidence on whether or not they're supportive of his martial arts. we can assume that they're at least aware of it since it seems to be a family tradition of some kind ["my family were really embarrassed of kai," - jack 1x19], but they're never really shown to be openly supportive like jerry's family, or initially disapproving like milton's dad until he comes around in the pilot.

we see jerry's family, milton's dad, kim's dad, eddie's mom, & rudy's uncle, but don't see jack's parents once throughout the entire series. the only relative of jack's we get to actually meet is one he has a very negative experience with.

also he literally goes to china for a tournament he'd been "dreaming about since he got into martial arts" without them there to watch his fights. actually all of the kids go to china without their parents!! AND THEY LET THEM GO WITH RUDY LMFAO. but speaking of china!

jack, kai, & their grandfather

...assuming that jack & kai are first cousins. lol.

we know that jack has a cousin who beat the shit out of him two years prior to the episode we meet him in [kai, seen in 1x19 & 3x09], and he also has a grandfather who trained one of the biggest martial arts action stars in the kickin' it universe [mentioned in 1x01 & 1x06; oh, bobby wasabi the character that you could've been].

other than that, we don't have much else to go off of other than his line about his family in general being embarrassed of kai. because of that, i'm going to assume that the fight they had was part of some kind of family event / tournament. with how skilled jack & kai both are, as well as how skilled & respected his grandfather is [assuming he was at least somewhat famous for training bobby], it's not a stretch to assume that training in martial arts is very much a family thing, or at least is highly important to the majority of them too.

to look at jack's relationship with kai, we're going to drift out of canon while looking more towards his grandfather & how they were both trained. this is where the abuse part comes in!

although there is no real canon evidence of this because it's a kids show, i think the idea of jack & kai having a very strict and unforgiving grandfather is a very interesting one to consider. i don't think i have to go into detail here, but i can imagine jack & kai being overworked & overtrained, experiencing a lot of negative reinforcement, & potentially being physically punished for not getting things right or mastering things at the pace he wanted them to. i think he would push them past their body's limits & be either satisfied or disappointed depending on how well they'd perform afterwards.

back to kai, it's interesting to me that jack doesn't talk about his family's reaction to his supposedly devastating loss to kai ["a kid named kai beat me so badly, i gave up karate till i came here," - jack, 1x19].

it seems like kai isn't necessarily considered better than jack despite winning the fight. it would be easy for a kids show on disney to make it a "he won & got all the praise, but he cheated & my family never believed me so i want to prove myself to them / find my own closure" plot, but the conflict between jack & kai is completely personal. their family probably tried to forget the match ever happened, or more likely, regard it as an event that should just never be brought up again because it was so disturbing and / or tragic—or worse, they thought it was disappointing.

kai didn't gain any respect, he just won the fight. in fact, his presumably violent win is what got them cast out in the first place.

jack & kai are childhood rivals who would likely be competing for their grandfather's praise, so as a result, kai takes things too far to prove himself and seriously injures jack during the match that he lost. rather than gain his family's approval, though, kai's display of aggression gets them both exiled; they look down on jack for losing to "someone like kai", while also disapproving of kai's brutal & undisciplined display of power. jack shamefully gives up karate [i have other thoughts about how something like this would traumatize him] while kai continues to train, but now has even less of a regard for maintaining his "honor". if it wasn't about hurting people before, it certainly would be now.

small thing about their match

i'm more interested in how exactly kai won against jack LOL. i feel like there's a certain point where their sensei has to decide "okay, this is going too far", but then again, if we assume that their grandfather was the one to set up the match? ouh. he already wasn't training them in healthy ways, so he might not have bothered to stop them. did somebody step in or was it already somewhat of a dirty match to begin with, just so he could see how far they could push themselves? because neither of those stubborn students would tap out themselves.

after a certain point, i think their grandfather would probably step in but less because of jack's injuries & more because of kai losing his form. we've already established that he trains these poor kids to hell and back so i think that if anything would get him to call the match, it'd be something like that.

in conclusion

hooray, traumatized disneyxd characters! i was going to do a breakdown of "kickin' it in china" here too & what it must've been like for jack to face his past while fighting for his future, but then i realized the post was getting too long lol.

[raeynbowboi]

I'm Starting to Get Tired of Getting Invested in Big Mouth

I want to start by making it clear that I do not hate Big Mouth. I like it fine. There were moments in season 6 that I liked. But there is a fundamental problem with the show's writing: almost nothing ever sticks. Things that seem like they should have a lasting impact are swept under the rug and forgotten. Remember how last season Charles Lu cheated on Gina with Jay and did nothing with that? The writers clearly don't because it's never addressed. Or how bout Jesse's crush on Ali? Guess they forgot that too. Hell, Sonja was Jesse's love bug and we got nothing about that being an issue for Jesse? Which is why I don't buy Marty making up with Barbara. Next season, they'll be right back to default, just like how Andrew dropped Sensitive Andy between seasons quietly and reset to default. Or what about Jesse moving? Nick and Andrew not being friends anymore? Remember when Jesse and Matthew were best friends? Leah's relationship with Val? (Who was also reset to standard Billzarian this season.) Speaking of which, Jay cum-bending the house clean and having a healthy evening with his family, marking the beginning of growth for the Billzarians? What a surprise, a hard reset returned his family to an abusive, dysfunctional default. And when characters don't get hard reset, they get tossed aside. Remember when Gina was important? How about Lars? Devin and Devon haven't done anything in two seasons. I don't recall much of Coach Steve, Caleb, the Johnson Twins, Lump, Ali, barely any Duke. none of them. You'll notice that they stopped pretending we cared about the new principal who was doing the Masked Singer teaser. I'm frustrated with how Andrew left things with Bernie, that was a poor way to handle that. Aiden got put out of our misery, only for Matthew to throw Jay away for complete bullshit reasons. Jay was better off and beginning to become well-adjusted. They were looking like a real couple. And Matthew threw that all away so quickly? He just needs to be less judgy of Jay's magic hobby and less bossy. Do that, and their relationship is fine. Probably one of the healthiest in the show. He got Jay over the pillows. We cannot gloss over what a big step that is. Only for it to be thrown back in our faces a couple episodes later. And Nick has pretty much had the same exact 'stop acting like a spoiled rotten bastard' since at least season 4. Early Nick was arrogant and entitled, but it wasn't the only thing the writers did with him. I think the problem is that there's too many characters fighting for attention in the main cast, and then they added Missy's new boyfriend on top of all that. If you're not going to give Matthew a decent relationship, at least let him go through non-gay-specific experiences. There's no reason he shouldn't deal with peer pressure, body positivity, or social media addiction like other characters. Otherwise, drop him back down from main cast to supporting side character so that the main characters actually get the screen time they need. And Lola too. Time and again, I think they're going to make significant changes and get excited for the future, only for the writers to backpedal and retcon the cliffhanger that hooked my interest. And I'm tired of pretending like the cliffhanger drama is going to actually mean anything.

[akuaya-eng]

(Main story) Chapter 5 - Episode 10

- SWIRLING STRATEGY -

Adder

Hey, how long are you going to sleep? Wake up.

Dagon

Ugh, ahhh!

Adder

Stop making such annoying sounds. You're being dramatic over nothing.

Dagon

Huff… huff… me… you… I… argh...

Vanis

He still seems disoriented. Also… Adder, look at this.

Adder

These marks… are from restraints. Looks like he was kept in captivity for a long time.

Vanis

I thought he’d been missing for a while, but I never expected this to happen.

Adder

Hey, you can hear me, right? Who captured you? Tell me who was holding you captive.

Dagon

Ugh… ahhh…!

Adder

Get a grip. Even if you’re a fallen angel, you're still a devil now.

Dagon

…Damn… that human…

Tuner

(thinking) …! Did he just say human…?

Dagon

Which one is the devil... I don't know. That guy… is crazy…

Adder

You got captured by a human? You're pathetic. Such a boneless person was trying to cause a calamity? So this is all the Gloriosa family can manage.

Vanis

………

Adder

What did the human do to you? What information did you give them?

Dagon

Ugh… please stop it… just stop…ugh! I… don’t care about… such trivial things… How many times do I have to say it… The mana I was given is already… I must return quickly… the calamity…

Adder

You got this desperate being captured by a mere human.

Tuner

(thinking) … Who on earth could have pushed this fallen angel to this extent?

Adder

Seems like we won’t get any useful information. We wasted our time. You said we’d hear something interesting, but I think you were wrong, Vanis.

Vanis

… It seems so. I’ll take care of him--

Dagon

The moment of rebirth…

Adder

!

Dagon

The moment of rebirth… is almost... approaching… The calamity… the great calamity is just… Our true purpose is--

Adder

… The moment of rebirth? What do you mean?

Vanis

--He probably means the rebirth of the Gloriosa family. They’ve been taking care of him since he fell from heaven.

Adder

…I guess. That’s probably why they’re so eager to cause a calamity. Planning for Gloriosa to outdo the Belladonna family and take over the Devil World. Foolish ambition.

Vanis

When they were dealing with Rosé, the plan was mostly going well. Anyway... I think it’ll be hard to execute it in this state.

Adder

You're making me cry. Such loyalty to the Gloriosa family, even in this state. You should learn from this, Vanis.

Vanis

Really. I couldn’t do that. In the first place, I’m not even a devil yet. But… I wouldn’t mess up by getting captured by a human. Don’t you think I’m more useful than Dagon? I don’t care about showing loyalty, though.

Adder

Hah, you’re a tough one.

Dagon

… Give me mana… I need more… Who’s the real devil here…

Vanis

Even though he’s no longer useful, what will you do with him?

Adder

For now, we’ll keep him at the Belladonna estate. We can’t send him back to the Gloriosa family now that we know about the calamity plan. Plus, I'm curious about the fact that he escaped from a human. Who captured him and for what purpose...

(thinking) Whoever captured him might come to retrieve him. If that happens--

… Anyway, he might still be useful. Let's protect him as long as he has some value.

Vanis

See? We got some interesting information and he might be useful. Not bad, right?

Adder

I always tell you not to get ahead of yourself. Whether things go well like with Rosé’s antics depends on your usual behavior.

Vanis

My usual behavior… You’ve got me there. If you say that, I might get overconfident. And if I do, things are sure to turn out well.

Adder

What part of your usual behavior gives you that confidence? --Hey, is anyone there?

Servant

(walks in) Yes, here.

Adder

Take him to the annex with supervision. Make sure he doesn’t die.

Servant

Understood, Master Adder. (walks away)

Adder

We’ve spent more time than expected. Get back to your work, Vanis.

Vanis

Right. I was on my way to the Holy Land. I completely forgot about it.

Adder

Remember, don’t bring back anything unnecessary. We’re not taking in any more freeloaders. Don’t come back until you capture that bastard… the Evil Prince.

Vanis

Understood. I’ll return with Dia. Do you need any other souvenirs?

Adder

That’s what I meant by unnecessary. Just go already. Oh, take Tuner with you.

Tuner

Me?

Adder

Yes. You’ve seen enough of the Devil World. You’re just getting in the way now.

Vanis

It’ll be fun with you along. Shall we go?

Tuner

… Yeah. I’m worried about Dia.

Vanis

Dia will be fine. Believe it or not, my intuition is spot on. Well then, let’s go. --To the Holy Land.