#a nerd whos made plenty of mistakes

[ghostlycleric]

I just can’t get over the cool cool scene in Will’s bedroom oh my god.

The fact that Mike “gets kicked into gear when the people he loves are in danger and usually makes apologies and confessions in the heat of the moment (or hes forced to either by circumstance or friends after refusing to apologize)” Wheeler goes up to Will to apologize and get him back without any danger involved. As far as Mike knows, they’re just about to go on a “roadtrip”, and the danger is far ahead of them.

They had the other heart to heart before this, less centered around eachother, but still sweet and a clear indication of being on good terms. Mike could’ve went with that. He could’ve been satisfied with that. BUT HE WASN’T.

He purposefully goes to Will’s room just before they leave, before any danger arrives, to make sure they’re best friends. To make sure that Will knows Hawkins wasn’t the same without him, and that their friends are great but they’re not him. He apologizes without prompting, after a heart to heart that he totally could’ve considered enough.

May I also point out that Mike didn’t have to saying anything

BUT HE WANTED TO

[vemuabhi]

Glaucous Romantica

Prompt taken from here (28) @/bas-writes

-- Choosing Y/N because they are fat. Them being into bigger people and actively choosing them over people with different body types.

This is one of my pieces for the mini event. Please enjoy and let me know what you think about this. Please forgive any mistake, it isn't proofread.

Tagging - @killersimp

Pairing : Killer X Reader

Word Count : 488

I was listening to Heartbeat

copyright © vemuabhi Though Likes are cute and all, Please Reblog me if you like my writings.

“So, is that the colour you wanted to paint?”

“Yes”

“Okay. Let's go home and give that damn room a makeover!”, you exclaimed and killer took your hand and walked faster. More vibrant, more energetic, more… happy. You smiled to yourself as you looked at the can in his hands. Colour – Glaucous.

Never you have heard of that colour before. It is a type of blue shade. Seems delicate and fragile. Like a glitter which can’t be touched. At least that was what you thought. When it comes to colours, the man is a geek. A nerd.

Looking at your intertwined hands, you felt your blood rush to your cheeks. You remember how exactly he came up to you one day and offered you baby romantica roses. The Killer, who is the star of the college for his mysterious presence. The one who is loved by all the students and teachers even though has a rough reputation. Because of a certain friend he has, was before you. With roses in his hand.

One day, a teacher gave out handouts. But the blond wasn’t in the class so, the teacher gave you a spare copy to hand it to him. You weren’t happy with the task, but had no other choice.

That day at lunch, you noticed Killer with his friends, one of the noisiest groups you have ever noticed. Going towards them seemed like a mission in itself. Especially the red hair who always sat on the bench even though there used to be plenty of seats available.

You took a deep breath and walked towards the yellow haired man thinking no one would notice you. Oh boy! Were you wrong or WRONG? As you stood before Killer, you were sure, all the eyes of the gang were on you.

Not even a word escaped your mouth. If you talked, you were sure your nervousness would make things worse. Your head screamed to run away but you kept a cool face. Without a word you handed him the document and walked away.

Not a loner, not popular. Just a normal student at the campus. Thankful that no one bullied you here because of your weight.

“Wanna go on a date with me?”

Your eyes widened at his sudden confession. This man, who was the coolest and popular guy on the campus. Asked you out on a date. This man before you, could pull any person he wanted. What would you do? Of course you rejected. Well, it seemed fake but it made you confused. You started to notice him more. He didn’t seem like the type to give up easily. After 3 months of him trying to pursue you, you couldn’t help but say yes. Now, years later, you both bought a house.

Both decided on the colour on what you wanna paint your rooms with. He is absolutely what you want in a man. The big baby.

copyright © vemuabhi

Reblogs and Comments are always appreciated!!

[erinnkenobi]

After the Fisher King | Spencer Reid x fem!reader

Chapter two - Chapter three

Pairing | Spencer Reid x fem!reader

Warnings | friends to lovers!?

Summary | You're always ahead of 'em, it seems we got another nerd.

Author's note | English ain't my native language, yet I still writing because I want to share the stories inside my head

You start living alone, since the moment moved to work for the FBI, especially in Quatico at the BAU department, surely that you missed your parents, but it was time for the little bird to leave its nest. Although to make you a company you have a trained female German Shepherd, only the both of you sharing a home. (IN a condominium of houses, kind of a safer option, both of your closest neighbours are an old lady and the other is a solo mom with two kids)

The last case you're with Hotchner team, the team that you belong to, you were the only that look askance at Bruno, you reported that to Gideon and he said:–"You always are inclined to think most people are the ones that you should mistrust and...You always get the right unsub, but now, wait a little and maintain this information for yourself, I'll talk with Bruno now."

When you left the room Spencer was following with curiosity:–"What were you two talking about?"

You just can't ignore and sound rude, so you stop and turns to him.

–I think I might know who is the spy..-he interrupts with ease.

Since you two met you were also a strange "kid" from the rest of 'em, you never drank alcohol, not even used to go to pub's, while on working you always were putting a puzzle together or sketching something that resembles the case the team was working, you're quiet most of time thinking while the others start with brainstorming to set up the unsub profile, but you, you always mistrusted people on these cases, except your team, you're the quickiest to ensure the final answer.

At first it was kind tough to get in with the team, although ye are finally were able to communicate with them, Spencer as both of you has the same age he feels comfortable.

– Who do you think it is?-he's by your side now.

– The headmaster...-you say with a unaudible tone, yet he didn't understood you, so he leans down making you blush.

– I didn't understood, could you repeat again?-he leans his face right by your face side, even being an agent this doesn't means you're free from feelings, you mind went blank for milliseconds but thou swear it was minutes.

Spencer Reid heard you plenty well.

– I said, I think 99% our unsub is the old mate of Gideon, the one that is at the command and I'm talking like that because i don't want anybody discovering beforehand it's time, Gideon asked me to hide it.

Reid thought for a couple of seconds.

– Where is the 1%?

– Really?-you rolled your eyes, but he doesn't smile yet still with his blues eyes gluet at your figure filled with curiosity.

– The 1% is just if I made a mistake judging his character, though I know I'm right.

– I believe in you, yet our team should still work on the case.. I won't tell anybody until its time.

– Thanks?

– You know.- he stands in front of you.-You could have said no, that it was confidential your thoughts.-you chuckle unbelievable.

– Why would I do this?

– Because Gideon asked you to do so.- yup, but as you have a crush on him you wouldn't deny it and if you were one more time right, who knows, you like comoliments.

– Because we're mates and you can say, if I were right, "y/l/n was right since the beginning, again".-he giggles shaking his head.

– I don't know what to say, really, but since you're working with us, sometimes you threaten my position and also Gideon's.-you laugh uncomfortably and he noticed apologising quickly.– Sorry I didn't meat to offend you, what I-I...-he stutters.– I'm trying to say is with you, with us, I have to give my best and be by your side.-you opened your eyes surprised, what was he saying?- How do you do that, always guessing the right unsub with lack information?

– Wanna know how?

– Yeah, tell me your secret and I promise I'll keep it, I mean it and I won't tell Gideon.

It was amazing this interaction, you're the first person Spencer was able to maintain a conversation without making him felt uncomfortable.

—Aristotle once said: "No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness", besides it's all my paranoia telling me, they say, to think outside the box and visualise, however, my paranoia is always thinking at the same time in and outside the box now, I guess that our problem is inside the box.-his face brightened, when he was ready to ask one more thing, Hotchner called Spencer.

You're at the hospital waiting for any news of agent Elle when you got a call from Reid.

–You were right, our unsub was Bruno and Gideon mentioned that you were the first to guess it right, is Elle alright?

–Hmmm, thanks.-you say sheepishly.-And yes, she will survive, Gideon is with her now, Nadir and the children are safe?

–Yes, and Hassan is under arrest.

You were able to smile when he said that.

Case closed

[Time breaks]

–Woah.- when you arrived at home last night you received a phone call from Hotchner demanding you show up at BAU, you thought you would enjoy your holiday travelling around London visiting historical museums and libraries, you paid for your ticket and even told your cousin you would pay if he/she helped you looking after your precious dog and now, for what? No London anymore baby.

At BAU, you sit with them around the table.

–What happened? I was supposed to take a plane to London today.

– I know.-Gideon says.-But Hotchner and I received a peculiar message, I received a head in a box, at the only place I thought I were safe with a note, mentioning your last name.-you opened your eyes in shock.

–What it says?

–Not only it says something as well Hotchner also received a phone call that somehow connect you.

– Then..?

– It says "The magician shall not help..."-Hotchner says coming inside the room, stern look as always.

You huff shrinking in the chair.

– and mine says "y/n shall stay out out out out out" repeatedly more than 20 times.

–Wow.-you smile with no humour.–Why? What does it mean?-you already know why.

– It means our unsub wants you out of this case.-Gideon says.

Garcia show up shameful of her acts, just for playing a silly game it exposed everybody position, except yours, why? Well, you used vpn, you're good at blurring your information, your address and even when you're out making your supermarket shopping.

– He has information about everyone.-poor Garcia.-He invaded my-my system, because I was playing a game, but not of BAU computers, yet in mine laptop, however I need to connect.

Yup, you don't blame her, well because you hide your own information, you house isn't addressed correctly and the unsub couldn't get a good picture of you, he knows that you're smart, he don't want the this case ending soon. He knew with you in, you would be the one going to discovery his profile.

Summing up, Hotchner had to ask you to retire only in this case, but you shouldn't go home alone, so Hotchner told an agent to follow with you back home and stay there. But you have a stubborness and reckless behaviour, which Reid knows as well the rest of the team, besides this, when Elle was shot, the plan to make you get rid of this case went downhill, now you're in and you brought your dog.

–Can I pet, what is the name of your dog?-Spencer asks you, getting you surprised, the dog just stared at you as if asking "Can he, mom?Tell my name".

You alert him:-Just be careful, she's trained, any false move and you got yourself a stump.-Reid hesitate and you laughed.-I'm kidding, just be gentle and it's Nala, you know, Lion King, Simba's wife.

He breathe in relief with a grin, he leans down so he could smooth her fur, she accepted without growling, what's a win.

She liked him, but you wouldn't tell, it's not important now.

The rest of the case went okay, the whole time you were found helping Garcia to check the information and between this time you were able to be alone with Reid deciphering the riddles.

He told you about his mother when he called the sanitarium and requested for her presence.

Your dog was asleep near the couch while you were alone with his mother, you were able to maintain a friendly conversation, talking about medieval literature, Spencer saw it before entering the room question his mother.

When everything settled down, Spencer wanted to talk with you in private which you all willingly agreed, when he asked it was so funny the way he asked while gesturing with his hands, you noticed he was nervous.

–So after all this mad case and the explosion afterwards you still up to a "meeting", where's the others?-you look around the table searching for them, you wondered if he'd invited the rest of the team, yet he did not.

Spencer is with pink tints in his face, you got you answer but you will wait for his.

– Well... I didn't invited the rest of the team, only you.

– And why? Did you want to question me why our unsub dismissed miserably my part on this case?

– No, this I already know the answer, you're like Merlin, the sorcerer, you're able to hide your address ip, so you're also a computer genius.

– You flatten me, yet I'm not into TI and software area, but I know a couple of things.

– Much to manage and hide your localisation from the F.B.I and even CIA.-you rolled your eyes with wit.

– You got me now.-you chuckle.

It seemed as a date, yet you strongly disagreed on that matter, you didn't fit his standard, he kissed an actress cases ago.

[...] Spencer escort you to your house, both of you all the way long speaking of nerd stuff, every single topic he was captivated by you and you for him, whatsoever you couldn't be in love, love is not for you.

–Now you're the only one that knows where I live, don't split okay.-you blinked opening hour door.-It's late and I don't think I can't let you go.-oh boy, his stomach churned, yet yours were in full adrenaline but keep with a cool face.– Come in, Nala already knows you.

He hesitated, but you're good at convincing, since the Fisher King case is not safe to be let alone, him in this case, you have your loyal Nala.

Nala is sleep on her own bed near the TV desk in the living room.

–Doctor Reid, I have only my room, you can stay with my bed, I stay with sofa, I don't mind at all.

– No no no, I can use the sofa and you stay with your own bed, please.-you cross your arms staring at him.

– Are you sure?

– Definitely, no worry with me.

You rolled your eyes again with a sheepishly smile.

–I'll change, do you mind?-Reid just reddened shaking negatively his head.

– No no, I don't and..

– I have men clothes, do you want?-for a moment his shy grin fades as quickly as your humorous expression.

– I bought a couple of jumpers and pants at the shopping mall, so I could use when..when..

–When?-Reid stares at you making you feel small.

– When I feel alone, I mean, I have no time to date or anything else rather work or read something to get me out of this world, with male clothes, bigger than my size, I feel comfy.

Oh he understood, first time that he seems you showing any feelings, everybody thought you were more cold-hearted than Hotchner, always cool in any case, as if nothing could surprise you anymore at such young age. How did you ended at BAU?

Well, as far as you can remember you only studied, an exchange program in the UK for 2 years and the other years at the USA and here we are, working at BAU alongside a beautiful colleague that you don't mind admiring from a far.

–I don't know if I..

– It's okay if you don't want and I swear, they're all clean and tidy.

– I didn't meant that they weren't is just

– Hey, I'm not obliging you, but I have an extra toothbrush, never used.

– Thanks.

Minutes later you appeared with a huge navy blue jumper with a star wars short, free hair nothing on it, his heart skipped a beat.

–Hungry? We didn't eat anything for a cozy night and as you're my guest, milk?

–Hm?-poor man is frozen.-I'd like, please.

You both were all smiley here and there while eating a soft lunch before bed time, it wasn't 00h yet.

–Poor Nala is staring at us.-Reid mentions making you look at her puppies eyes.–Can I give a piece of this bread/crackers?

–A medium to small size, just don't make her get used to it, don't fall for these puppy eyes.

He already fell for it, he fell for Nala's owner as smart as he is, he knows that you wouldn't get any of his feelings towards you, but inly if he didn't make a move...

[03h23 a.m]

You couldn't sleep well, so you get up, the funny and silly things is you're hearing voices and low growls trying to communicate .

The hallway heading to the kitchen, you has a roundy wood table and in there you see a sleeplessness Reid with your trained hunt dog, playing, you stood there with arms crossed staring at them, until they stop playing.

– Can't sleep?

– Yeah...

– Me neither.-you come a cross his chair side.-What are you doing, reading one of my books from my living room shelf?

‐ Sorry, I...

– Reid, we're friends, might not be best-friends, but I can believe you with my precious books.

– Wait.. We can be best friends?

– Hmm, I guess we can.-you smile without showing your teeth.

– I didn't know this was the way to claim somebody as best friends, you know, I thought this bond was supposed to happen without we even notice.

– Well, it can happens too, but I guess I'm making this clear now.-thumbs up, you make him smile again.

You both keep talking the whole night until you two fell asleep on the table near each other company, your hand touching his, his fingers slightly caressing yours, you didn't felt anything, you sleep like a damn rock, however Spencer is an early person, so with less than two hours to get up and go to work, he sees you and his hand caressing your, when he's aware he stopped yet still looking your hands near each other, you mutter something under your sleep.

He is now aware that he's fully awaken.

He doesn't want to wake you up, but he died anyway shaking you.

-Hmmm.-you unconsciously pushed him away.-No more cases for today pleasee, I just want to watch a period movie and feel in luuuv.-you complained with a tired tone.-but I work work work work in a madness world of crime.

-Y/n..-he approaches you again.-Wake up, we gotta go to BAU, you need to change and I'll head home.

You wake up atartled by his close presence, he gives you a smile.

–Morning, agent...I mean, y/n.-he says close next to your face with a husky voice.

Oh lord J.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Cooking by the Book

Part 1 (ft. Riddle and Silver) I Part 2 (ft. Trey and Kalim) I Part 3 (ft. Jade and Lilia) I Part 4 (ft. Deuce and Jamil) I Part 5 (ft. Ruggie and Malleus) I Part 6 (ft. Cater and Rook)

In which Gordon Ramsay-kun is isekai’d into Twisted Wonderland. Part Food Wars, part Hell’s Kitchen, all Master Chef—Night Raven College isn’t ready to take on this Michelin Star celebrity!!

You’ve got to do the cooking by the book! ... But with Floyd and Sebek, that’s an impossible task. Between noodle sourcing squabbles and differences in their approach, how can GR ever rein these two loose cannons in?

dbjsbskdne I was so excited to write this because I love both Sebek and Floyd 😌 They make for a fun dynamic, especially when mixed in with GR~

I was busy around the initial release of this event months ago, so I’m releasing this SUPER late (but it all ends up working out, since a character cameoing in this fic is one of the new Master Chef units for May 2023). I’ll get the Idia and Ace with GR one out in a week or two 😭 Please bear with me!!

Imagine this…

If teaching the Master Chef course at NRC had taught Gordon Ramsay one thing, it was this: the kitchen was an active battle zone, and weapons of mass destruction laid in wait around every corner. It was all open flames and pointed tools... but the most dangerous thing of all to his health and his sanity?

The students.

He had dealt with his fair share of arrogant, ill-tempered chefs. Professionals who thought themselves too good to take advice, newbies who believed they were better than they actually were.

The NRC boys were a whole new ordeal altogether, Gordon realized.

“IEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!”

A bloodcurdling shriek resounded in Ignihyde’s halls. It bounced off the cold polished floors and the metal beams and wires that stitched everything together.

At once, Gordon snapped to attention, pushing himself away from the wall and rushing to the scream’s source. The door snagged, refusing to open--he cursed loudly, slamming his palms against it and roaring, “WHAT’S GOIN’ ON IN THERE?!”

Behind the door, the wailing escalated. There was crashing, screeching, sobbing, begging. His worries ramped up, his pounding, harder and more frantic.

“I THOUGHT I COULD LEAVE YOU TWO UNDERSUPERVISED FOR ONE BLOODY SECOND!!”

Gordon’s palms were raw now, crying out in protest--and, for a wild moment, he considered ramming his entire body against the door. Just as he was preparing to throw himself at it—

Click.

Like magic, the door suddenly swung open. Sebek’s proud face appeared, wearing a smug, triumphant expression. Not good, Gordon thought.

“Rejoice, human!!, Sebek thundered happily. “The merman and I have successfully liberated Ignihyde of its excess of flash fried noodles!! We shall have plenty to use for our cooking lessons!!”

“You did WHAT?!”

“Hmph! Witness our bountiful spoils for yourself!!”

Gordon lifted his head and stared past Sebek.

In the back of the room, Floyd was squatting by Idia’s closet, packet of instant ramen in hand. Boxes and boxes of noodles—rummaged from the deepest recesses of Idia’s mancave—laid in haphazard stacks beside him, teetering precariously atop one another.

Ignihyde’s dorm leader sprawled on the floor, humbly prostrating himself between tears.

“Oi, Firefly Squid-senpai,” Floyd said lazily, using the butt of his frying pan to poke Idia on the head. “This all you got? You’d better tell the truth or else Crocodile-chan and I will squeeze you senseless~”

“Y-Yes, yes, that’s everything!!” Idia squeaked as he cowered in terror. “Y-You’ve already cleaned me out of house and home...!! J-Just take the noodles and leave this nerd alone!!”

“Hmmm...” Floyd laid his frying pan on his shoulder and contemplated. “’Kay! I don’t feel like haulin’ more stuff back to the kitchen anyway.”

“The FUCK is happening here?!”

All eyes landed on Gordon as he stormed in looking none too pleased. Veins bulged on his forehead, and his entire face creased with rage.

A mistake made on his part; he should have known—the students of Night Raven College were the most dangerous aspect in all of cooking.

It had been a sly suggestion from Floyd that started this whole mess. “I heard from a little octopus that Ignihyde’s loaded with noodles. We should go there to pick some up.”

And so Sebek and Floyd had been allowed to go off to collect the ingredients. When they didn’t return in a timely manner, Gordon’s suspicions had set in and he went to Ignihyde himself to investigate—only to stumble upon that shocking scene.

He left fuming, dragging his problem children of the day with him (Floyd) flailing and (Sebek) protesting.

“I said you could get ingredients, I didn’t say you should rob the man blind!!” Gordon grunted, shoving them both through the kitchen doors. “Right, we’ll make noodles by scratch then. Hope you boys remember what you’ve been taught.”

“What? But I don’t feel like it.”

“You should’ve thought of that before you pissed on my mood. To your stations,” their instructor barked, “now!!”

“Maaan... This sucks.”

They reluctantly slunk off, fetching flour, salt, and eggs along the way. Just as Sebek popped open a jar of white granules, Gordon shouted, “Make sure it’s not sugar this time, Zigvolt!!”

Sebek’s cheeks flamed. He shot a fierce glare back, bellowing, “I KNOW THAT!! I don’t need to be told twice! I’ve been expanded my culinary repertoire considerably since the start of this semester!!”

Floyd’s eyes shifted to Sebek’s station. A nasty plot bubbled to the surface of his mind, encouraged by the volatility of his junior’s attitude.

“Ehhh, you sure got guts snapping back to the teach, freshie,” Floyd grinned crookedly as he leaned forward at his counter. “How about you talk big when you can actually own up to it? At least I can cook without a recipe. You’ve been making little mistakes even with a recipe.”

“WHAT!! The only reason we’re even IN this predicament is due to YOUR lapse in judgment!! You INSISTED it would be more cost effective and time efficient to procure noodles in bulk from Ignihyde!”

“You’re the one that went along with me. If you were really smart, you’d have stopped us.”

“Grk…!!”

“Alright, alright, that’s enough out of the both of you!!” Gordon interrupted. “Focus on your pastas instead of stirring the pot here.”

“Tch!! I’ll show him!!” Sebek gruffly tore into a bag of flour at his table. A cloud of fine white powder filled the air, sending him into a coughing fit.

Floyd snickered—he had already shifted his own flour and salt together, forming a well in which he had cracked an egg.

Gordon raised a brow. “… Well? Get on with it then.”

The merman’s lackadaisical smile turned sharp-toothed at the suggestion. “If you say so.”

Without hesitation, Floyd stuck his entire hand into his mound of ingredients, fingers clenching around egg and flower. The yolk burst, viscous yellow coating his hand and flour flying in all directions. A stray speck flew across the aisle and hit Sebek’s forehead.

A low grow came from his throat.

Gordon scowled at Floyd. “That’s not an acceptable mixing technique.”

“That’s right!” Sebek called haughtily. “You should know better!! You’re meant to break the yolk with a fork, then steadily incorporate it into the...”

A fistful of flour suddenly exploded across Sebek’s vision. He jerked back, now boasting a flour-covered face, appalled and mouth hanging agape.

Across the way, Floyd unabashedly smirked. He waggled his yolky fingers at his classmate, incriminating himself. “Oops, my hand slipped.”

“YOU VILE KNAVE!! THIS INJUSTICE WILL NOT GO UNPUNISHED!!” Sebek shoved a hand into his own bag of flour for a counterattack. He raised his arm, and Floyd cackled, knowing his target had taken the bait.

Gordon instantly clued in on his intentions.

This was it: Floyd’s escape from the order to make noodles, to do something more fun.

“TIME OUT!!” The chef abruptly stepped between his students, forming a physical barrier between the two--but alas, too late.

The declaration of war had been made.

There was a battle cry, and then flour flying at him. Gordon fell back, grasping at his face. The world blurred into a white mess, filled with the clanging of pots and pans and erratic shouting. 

“Where are you?!” Sebek demanded between coughs (most likely preparing another projectile). “COME AND FACE ME, YOU FISHY COWARD!!”

Shuffling came from within the flour haze, metal and wooden implements rolled or tossed to the floor to attract Sebek’s attention. Wherever Floyd was in the kitchen, he was a master at avoiding detection.

All the while, Gordon swatted at the air and bellowed, “Stand down, get back to work. ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME, YOU FUCKING DONKEYS?!”

The startled cries of the cafeteria ghost chefs started filtering in.

“G-Goodness, what’s happened here?!”

Gordon lurched out of the kitchen, clinging to the doorframe to keep himself upright. He spat up a breath, then dragged a hand over his face to wipe it clean of flour. The man looked simultaneously infuriated and exhausted, the lines on his face seemingly more prominent than they had been before.

“Mr. Ramsay!! Are you alright?! What’s become of the kitchen and the students?!” one of the ghost chefs asked worriedly.

“The students,” Gordon said wearily. “That’s what happened.”

[paddysnuffles]

Why was Oceangate visiting the Titanic an issue but visiting other disaster sites isn't?: Thoughts from a Titanic nerd

Alright, as someone who’s had a special interest on the Titanic for well over 20 years, here’s my take on the Oceangate incident.

Part of why it took me so long to say something was that I felt the need to think about why the idea of the “expedition” enraged me so much. It’s not like we don’t visit disaster sites as tourists regularly. Take Pompeii and Herculaneum, for instance – as disastrous as it gets, yet no one would argue that it’s tasteless to visit those sites. So could it be just a matter of how much time has passed?

That may be an aspect of it, but there are plenty of modern disasters that we visit, such as the Frank Slide site not too far from where I live. Half a town was buried alive in 1903, with most of the victims still being under the rubble to this day. But there’s a visitor’s centre where you can see the slide site from the windows and learn about the event. 

So what gives? Why was the Oceangate trip so enraging?

And here’s the conclusion I’ve come to:

In the case of Pompeii and Herculaneum, we visit the sites of disasters that affected everyone – rich and poor, slave and master, animals and humans. And we do so to learn about the past, to see what life was like over 1,000 years ago. Because, like it or not, those sites are pristine windows into the past.

In the case of Frank Slide, we visit to learn from the mistakes of the past (the local Indigenous folk had vehemently warned white people to not build so close to Turtle Mountain, as it had a history of “moving” and white people said they were just being superstitious) as well as to remember the stories of the people who died (most of which were poor working families of miners).

Then there’s the Titanic.

Proper expeditions for study and retrieval fit into the same categories as the disasters mentioned above. When a disaster site is being disturbed in order to learn about what happened and to uncover more about the stories of the people lost in the event, disturbing the site is acceptable. It’s necessary and done with a sobering level of respect; that this isn’t about gawking at a gravesite. Note that the descendants of Titanic victims don’t typically have a problem with exploration of the site done for educational purposes, but they did have an issue with turning the site into a tourist travel spot.

Another aspect to why the Oceangate tourism trip was problematic and that breaks from the categories listed above is that the trip involved obscenely rich people going to gawk at what is primarily the resting place of thousands of poor people. Most of the Titanic survivors were rich, because the poor were kept locked in their areas while the rich were escorted to safety in half-full boats when there already weren’t enough boats to go around (more on that in a minute). If the “expedition” were for everyday people to view the site then maaaaybe it’d be acceptable. But it wasn’t. 

It was a trip for the obscenely rich to gawk at the gravesite of poor people whose deaths were largely caused by rich people repeatedly ignoring safety precautions. From the fact that the Titanic didn’t have enough lifeboats as it was (largely because the company thought they messed with the ship’s aesthetic and made the deck look cluttered) to the lookouts not having enough binoculars because they lost one of them and no one thought to bring extra or ask a passenger to borrow theirs, to ignoring iceberg warnings and still going fast despite knowing it wasn’t safe to do so, and more.

So while I feel bad for the 19-year-old who didn’t want to go in the first place, I don’t feel sorry for the others. Not even the Titanic expert. Because by being a part of this trip he was condoning both the disrespect of the dead as well as condoning the behaviour of the CEO who mocked safety regulations. And as a Titanic expert, he should have been aware that lack of safety precautions were not only the primary reason the ship sank, but also the primary reason why naval safety regulations (such as ships being required to have at least enough lifeboats for everyone on board but ideally a couple extra as a buffer) were first set in place.

[the-robot-bracket]

Five Pebbles propaganda:

"He's like 2 cm tall and also the size of a city. He was 'born' sopping wet in a can all alone and is angry at everything always and forever. He has made big mistakes and feels desperately guilty for them and tries his hardest to make up for them. He is a tiny little bug shouting at the world. Just look at his little antennae."

"Five Pebbles is a bio-mechanical supercomputer so large he literally has a metropolis built on top of him but he is also a little ~2ft. nerd who's into poetry and angrily rants to animals. He has a million absent parents. He nearly killed his sister and is sad about it for the rest of time. A rat kills him. This is the ideal character. #FIVEPEBBLESSWEEP"

"Hes a little pink guy, hes also a massive biomechanical superstructure. he wanted to kill himself so bad but only ended up giving himself turbo robot cancer and killing his older sister in the process (who i will also submit in a bit) Hes sooo silly i want to hit him with a brick. If you do that tho he just fries your brain instantly. love him"

"Oh he's such a cringe fail pathetic man, chugged so much water in an attempt to kill himself, instead kills his sister (kinda) and gives himself robo cancer. He'd listen to mcr and watch those cringey emo warrior cat amvs everyday if he could"

"He canonically has a rip-off Pepsi brand based on him, and he also has official art of him as a cat boy."

"Silly little goober, basically a God but also a tiny tiny little buddy."

"Imagine youre busy doing the hardest math ever when a feral cat scampers into your house, bites a chunk out of you, and scatters all your work everywhere. Then imagine that your reaction is to give this feral cat the gift of understanding speech and bless it with ultimate enlightenment so that it may escape samsara. This exact situation happened to Mr Fruity Pebbles about 4 times"

"I'm sure you've heard plenty about how pathetic this massive-yet-tiny supercomputer boy is so I'll just list off some semi-obscure facts that make him even more of my miserable wet cat

- He gets a surprise roommate of an explosive rat on a genocide mission and proceeds to talk to them like they're a person. He acts like they're the most annoying thing in the world but he also gets excited when they bring him something cool, or is clearly trying not to break down in front of them if they bring him chat logs with his friends and/or sister (that he killed)

- He is, both physically and mentally, being eaten from the inside by the consequences of his actions, due to the robot turbocancer and his own inescapable regret

- He seems to project onto nearly every rat that stumbles into his room, assuming they want to die just as much as he does

- The devs once commissioned multiple artworks of him in a catboy outfit I want this twink obliterated and I will fulfill those wishes as the rat who kills him."

"Failed so hard at killing himself, he killed himself. Looks like a lollipop in a dress. I make a habit of dumping stray kittens into his house so I guess a nomination counts as child support."

"Idk he tries to kill himself and fails so miserably it's kinda funny. Also he sucks god bless america"

"He's a wet cat."

[cutesharkstudios]

Mother's Here Ch. 2

After they had embraced, Vee and Luz went off to go hang out with their friends, while Camilla went to watch some Phineas and Ferb. Amity walked into the room, taking a deep breath and walking over to, God willing, her future mother in law.

Amity: Hey Camilla.

Camilla: Hey Amity. What's up.

Amity: I need some,(blushes) advice.

Camilla: Lemme guess, it's about Luz.

Amity: Yeah. You've seen us kiss, even though it wasn't our first kiss you saw.

Camilla: Wish I was there when it happened. Could have filmed the moment.

Amity: Well, I was wondering, what are some things I can do to show affection?

Camilla: Well, there are different types of kisses if you're wondering.

Amity then turned a shade so red, she would make Bob the Tomato look blue by comparison

Amity: THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEANT! I DIDN'T MEAN TO IMPLY--

Camilla: It's okay, it's okay. I'm actually cool with you two making out.

Amity: wat.

Camilla: Yeah, I trust you both and know you will not do anything stupid.

Amity: Thanks, but I meant more in terms of general things.

Camilla: Well, I think you're doing well. There is one thing I will suggest. Show her new things. It was like that with me and Manny.

Amity: Oh, well, how did he respond to you showing him new things?

Camilla: It was him who showed me new things. Before I met Manny, I was just this Cosmic Fronteir nerd who was so afraid that no one would like me. But Manny showed me love, and gave me a love for animals. He had so many pets, and something about taking care of pets made me happy. He is in a better place now, so I hope this advice he showed me does well for you.

Amity then gently held Camilla's hand, wanting to be there for her when she was in a vunerable, reminicent state.

Camilla: Aside from that, plenty of kisses. I can tell that is her love languege.

Amity: It's mine too.

Camilla: Indeed, and I'm glad her first kiss was you.

Amity: Wait, I WAS LUZ'S FIRST KISS??!!

Camilla: Yep.

Amity: She didn't date anyone before me?

Camilla: Nope, honestly there was a point in time I thought she might have been aromantic and/or asexual. If so, I would have been there for her.

Amity: Well, I'm suprised, give how awesome she is.

Camilla: Yeah, though I could have made that clearer with her. You know of my mistake.

Amity: Well, if it makes you feel better, she and I had a lousy start.

Camilla: Really? You two of all people?

Amity: Yeah, here's what happened……..

[archipithecus]

here is an unorganized collection of thoughts i had about the new dune movie. a lot of them will be about departures from the book, and i haven't read it in several years and it's after midnight, so if i misremember let me know or just ignore it

broad things: very pretty, very loud, very long. i understand that they had to cut things, it's a long book, but they also added a lot of new stuff and i feel like that could've been trimmed a bit. i understand why they added a lot more to chani's character, especially since they have zendaya, and i think a lot but not all of that worked.

very weird choice to keep alia unborn for the whole movie? i don't understand why they did that. maybe they didn't think they had time to properly handle a precocious murder toddler? this section of the book takes place over about three years, so either they really compressed the timeline or jessica just... held that baby in (with bene geserit reverend mother powers)?

they took out everything involving the spacing guild and CHOAM and the emperor's shares, i assume because it was complicated and they thought it would confuse the audience, but it also reduces (removes?) the leverage that paul and the fremen have over the rest of the galaxy.

i know harkonens have to all be deranged murder perverts, but the main three here take that to a dysfunctional level. plus, they weren't just murdering slaves, but also plenty of servants and officers, and i don't think the movie properly explored the implications of that.

they didn't let feyd have his silly poison tricks, and that's a shame. no poison on the wrong dagger, no secret belt needle. i guess they gave him three cannibal girlfriends to make up for it.

the harkonens are very dumb here. in the book, i'm pretty sure it was the baron's plan from the beginning to have rabban terrorize arrakis, and then his smart sexy nephew take over and be the good guy, but here that's a bene gesserit plan, like vlad isn't smart enough to think of that one himself.

the atomics were underexplained, and mayyybbbe audiences wouldn't care about the details of treaty stuff, but i think they could have spared thirty seconds for a line about how they're using them against the rock wall instead of people and why that's important.

saw a lot of lasers, and there should've been an explanation for lasgun-shield interactions, because otherwise pedantic nerds who don't know about dune will be like "why aren't they always using these powerful laser guns".

i really liked the baby worms, and the woman who cared for them, all adorable.

no thufir hawat? i did do a little bit of searching to refresh my thufir memory after i saw the movie, and i saw plenty of headlines about how the director was sad he had to cut his part from the movie, i didn't read any of those articles though.

without the spacing guild stuff, the bene gesserit have no rivals, they already control the emperor and everything else happening, why are they bothering to scheme for power?

i really enjoyed all the fremen dialogue, david and jessie did a great job on that. it was pretty silly to hear timothée chimolet (or /ˈtɪməθi ˈʃɪməli/ as my friend says) sprinkle in his american, especially when speaking to fremen who shouldn't know... imperial? common? basic? does the imperial language have a name? but i thought everyone had good deliveries, and if they made any mistakes i couldn't tell.

i think it was probbaly a good decision to remove the stuff about paul's first kid and also jamis's widow (and kids?). the movie was long enough, and they wanted chani to support and push against paul and to be an active fighter, not just have to have his kid. i do miss the bit with weights that represent jamis's water that now belongs to paul, i thought that was a neat bit of culture stuff.

what's up with those flippy rectangle mines? do they use the same kind of tech as the other levitating things? do the fremen have that kind of manufacturing capacity? they were neat, but they filled me with questions.

they completely dropped the whole thing about not sheathing a crysknife without drawing blood, did that have any of that in the first movie? i don't remember. maybe they did, and they just decided to ignore it because it would be cooler if the fremen could brandish them whenever.

i assumed the process of collecting a body's water was complicated and took a while, it felt a little silly to have the devices that instantly pull clear water from corpses.

the emperor's space ship had weird fire stuff when it was parked above arakeen? don't know what's up with that.

harkonen murder arenas have special monochrome lighting, maybe that's a special application of the effect that makes all the other physics breaking tech work.

the harkonen strategic display tech felt too computery for a post-butlerian jihad world, that should be a mentat job, and they don't deserve visual displays, i don't care about the audience.

the rich people must hate being comfortable, because every single rich people place is bare and austere and hostile. i get that the harkonens are murder perverts, but they should be comfortable decadent murder perverts, and i didn't see a single cushion on that throne for the very old emperor.

the emperor's guard (are those supposed to be sadukar?) all hold their swords like baseball bats, with the elbows out, and that's just asking elbow removal.

maybe the harkonens have such bare and hostile architecture because it's a horrible pain to get blood out of fancy carpets and pillows etc. i pity the janitors on geidi prime.

on the other hand, the firework makers on geidi prime seem to be having a great time, really experimenting with ink tech and keeping to the designated aesthetic.

i understand that for acting and cinema reasons, the film makers want the audience to be able to see the faces of the lead actors, but there were so many times were i thought "paul! chani! you're wasting so much water vapor by panting without your mouthpieces! also put on your headwraps instead of just letting them billow, you're going to get the worst sunburn and also sand everywhere." at least they wore proper PPE while worm riding.

there was that bit where paul was about to say the walk without rhythm line, and the movie basically said "hah you thought we were gonna say that but we didn't, aren't we clever"

i don't think the bit with lady fenring and feyd was in the book? i don't think it added a lot to the movie, and if they really wanted his baby around for franchise reasons, i think they could just do that in a flashback then instead of adding even more runtime.

knife fighting is a terrible stadium sport, you can't see anything happening from those seats.

most of the bladework in the movie was decent and reasonable, i recognized some good parries and cuts, but there were a few moments with flips and spins that made me laugh, those are not a good idea.

[average-transdalorian]

Oh boy oh boy am I having Thoughts about how I would’ve written The Book of Boba Fett if given the chance! It’s probably gonna get pretty long, so I’ll stick it under the cut

Episode 1. This one would have a LOT of Jango screen time. In fact, it would almost ENTIRELY be Jango screen time (one of my biggest complaints about tbobf is how it utterly failed to address how Jango’s parenting affected Boba at all). It would start out with the tail end of what’s clearly a history lesson about the Echani, a warrior people who may not have made the jump from Legends to Canon, I can’t remember. Anyways, young Boba (VERY young, we’re talking like. 4-6 years old so he has plenty of time before Geonosis) would ask for another lesson, and Jango would say “alright, let’s do… the Sand People of Tatooine.” From then on, most of the episode would be about a bounty Jango and his Grunts took on before Korda VI, where they had to work together with some of the Sand People. Jango’s narration would occasionally interject with facts about the Sand People, and at some point in the episode, there’d be a line about how “Jas’buir says that battlesign” (I’d have it be a full language in its own right, but I’m not sure where to put that detail) “is so similar to their own sign because a Sand Person verd invented it after joining [whichever Mandalorian group was the big one whenever they joined].” This line would have a lot of worldbuilding baked into it; Jaster existed, was a history nerd, and did fully adopt Jango. Mando’a Battlesign exists, and is distinctly similar to Sand People sign language. The second to last scene of the episode would be back on Kamino, with Boba asking if he could learn battlesign, and Jango saying he’d get right on putting together a module for that. The episode would end with the Jawas pulling Boba out of the Sarlacc, taking his armor, then being scared away by someone offscreen. The last shot would be a gaderffii stabbing down between the camera and Boba’s unconscious form.

Episode 2. This one would also be a good bit of Jango content, but with more Boba interspersed in. It would be short stories, Jango telling Boba of some thrilling fights and hunts he went on (with his Grunts, with Jaster, alone, however works best), immediately contrasted with Boba and the Sand People facing a similar fight, and showcasing the similarities and differences between Jango and the Sand People. The second to last story would be Jango’s escape from Gardulla (as seen in Star Wars: Bounty Hunter), and then Boba and the Sand People facing a Hutt who had decided to come and claim Tatooine for their own, now that both Jabba and Gardulla have been gone for a bit. Obviously, Boba would trick him into being eaten by a Krayt dragon. I get that this all is probably a bit heavy-handed, but swagever. The last story would be Jango’s verd’goten, with full cultural context. The episode ends with Boba finding Fennec (who’s a bit dying), saying he needs to get her to help, and being told that he has to pass the Trial (I’d try and make up a word, but it would pretty obviously draw parallels to a verd’goten) before he can leave. That’s what we end the episode on

Episode 3. Drug-and-Force-magic-Trial-trip! The first big part would be Boba confronting Jango, but it would clearly be his perception of Jango. Jango would be altogether bigger and faster than he was in real life (because Boba never got the chance to know him as one adult to another), but his neck would be lit by a torc of purple (because trauma). They throw down (naturally), and at first, Jango is winning handily. However, Boba starts noticing that Jango is making some of the same mistakes he made in the stories from the last two episodes (mistakes which were covered for or glossed over then, but in full relief here), and he takes advantage of those until he manages to grab a stick out of seemingly thin air, and whack Jango real good. Jango, defeated, smiles at Boba, and tells him “I’m proud of you, ner ad. May the Ka’ra watch over your hunts.” Boba turns around and finds a Being (a deity? A specific Sand Person? A conglomerate of his mentors, past and present? Idk man, whichever is most Thematically Satisfying), who walks him through making his stick into a gaderffii. Boba wakes up exactly where he started the Trial, with only “a quarter-hour of sunlight” having passed. He takes his gaderffii, a cycler rifle, a bantha, and Fennec (who is bandaged and stable, but won’t survive without significant medical intervention), and rides off towards Mos Espa, with the last shot lingering on the sign for the place where the Mods do their cybernetics

Episode 4. Boba needs money in order to pay the mods to save Fennec. He could be Jango Fett’s son, and take a bounty job real quick. OR he could be his own man, stepping out from his father’s shadow, and fill that power void on Tatooine that he conveniently kept empty two episodes ago. This is a “Boba Fett kicks ass even without his armor” episode, and BOY does he do that! With Fennec fixed up (and having sworn a life-debt to him), he negotiates a treaty between the settlers and the Sand People, and then takes off with Fennec to grab his armor

Honestly, this is where my initial ideas run out. If there was one more episode, I’d have there be a short mid-season hiatus, then the latter 4 episodes would follow a formula of Jango Story Re: Governance, Boba Faces Similar Problem, Sand People Faced Similar Problem And Did X, Boba Does Y, Which Is A Cross Between X And What Jango Did. But, that doesn’t really work, so I guess I’ll just put the general subject matter I want each episode to explore

Episode 5. What does it mean to be a Mandalorian? Does Boba want to be a Mandalorian?

Episode 6. More Hutts trying to take control of Tatooine, this time using the Tatooine contingent of the Pyke syndicate. Boba would arrange for the Sand People to take care of what the baddies set up in the desert, then raise a militia to take care of defending the cities (it would be less of a battle than the big one in ACTUAL tbobf; Tatooine folk are Free now, and they will not return to chains in life, but it would be planet-wide, because Boba is ruler of Tatooine, not just Mos Espa)

Episode 7. Boba Fett introduces himself to the New Republic as the People’s Leader of Tatooine. Most of this episode would probably be planning for that, and calling in favors

So uh. Yeah. That’s what that is. I feel like tbobf spent too much time in Boba Fett, Daimyo, and not enough time on Boba Fett, son of Jango Fett

[the-mcu-files]

IronDad End of Year Rec List 2022

Hey everyone, I hope you had a good Christmas and New Year here’s a list of 22 IronDad fics I read in 2022!

And I promise I’m trying (21k) by bluesweatshirt

5 times Peter missed having a dad (and 1 time he realized he kind of still had one)

A Little Hiccup (101k) by Crazysnakelover

While Peter was out patrolling as Spiderman, an incident occurs, and something happens to him. Now he must go to Tony for help, and their relationship will never be the same.

Perfect Timing (60k) by PeterParkerSimp3000

Nothing makes life worth living anymore. Which is why, today is the day. The day Peter Parker is going to kill himself. He hopes in his next life he isn't such a failure.

OR

Peter Parker ended up in the care of one Skip Westcott after his aunt died 8 months ago. Skip abuses him and after 7 months of abuse at the hands of who is supposed to be his caretaker, he's ready to end his life. Now, Tony Stark is known for being fashionably late, but in this case, however, he's got perfect timing.

(He offers Peter an internship!)

[N] Rescue (31k) by Zeronay

A few years after seeking the Sorcerer Supreme's help after the Ultron-fiasco, Tony is sure he loves Doctor Stephen Strange. Maybe it's even mutual, he's sure he would've found out if it weren't for Thanos and his lackeys invading earth in search of the Infinity Stones. After eradicating half the universe, including Stephen, Tony does everything in his might to bring everybody back. Because a world without Stephen Strange and Peter Parker might not be worth living in.

IronDad and SpiderMom (60k) by juliette_1004

He's supposed to be the normal nerd kid Parker but he's not. His Mother is a spy and he lives with a secret identity. His real name is Peter Aldrik Romanoff, and he is Natasha's miracle baby. She had thought she'll never have children but one faithful night with a man who is known by everybody. She played along. Wanted to rebel. Wanting to just forget everything.

Peter's mother, Black Widow herself woke up in none other than Tony Stark's bedroom. She left before the man could even wake up. Leaving one note with a red kiss mark.

i. you are my sunshine (19k) by peterstank

Stark men don’t quit. Stark men brush off their knees as they get back up and fix their mistakes. Tony’s not stupid; he knows he’s made plenty of them. He has a ledger full, a laundry list.

But somehow, this doesn’t feel like one of them.

or: the one where Tony finds out he’s going to have a kid and he thinks maybe, just maybe, he could try giving the whole ‘dad’ thing a go.

Iron Dad (96k) by Barelyfunctioning97

Since the very first day Tony had met Peter, he had wormed himself into Tony's heart. Now that damn kid has Tony wrapped around his little finger and quite honestly, to tell you the truth. Tony couldn't care less. Peter Parker is an amazing kid that Tony feels he doesn't really deserve to know, let alone share such a close bond with, but he’d be damned if he didn’t earn it.

Unexpected (Everything I never knew I wanted) (100k) by moonchild2593

Tony Stark was a lot of things- a father wasn't one of them. He had never wanted to be one, either. He didn't even like kids with their constant need for attention and the way they screamed and cried and did nothing but slobber. One day he stumbles across the nine-year-old orphaned son of one of his past lovers and something about that kid makes him reevaluate everything he's ever thought he'd wanted.

The Future Comes (147k) by orphan_account

"You're the Mandarin. You're the ones who killed my mother."

I was just trying to have a normal sophomore year. (Okay, not really, I was trying to find and destroy the Mandarin after they kidnapped me. But the same thing, hey? And it was fair: I was trying to avenge one parent, just after almost losing the other.) However, life had other plans for me. Such as being kidnapped, supervillains destroying Manhattan, and growing closer to Peter Parker. I turned up on my father's doorstep aged five, and somehow this was the most exciting year yet.

evergreen (24k) by OnlyForward @multifandomforthemostpart

the story of how Tony Stark is Scrooge reincarnated and how Peter Parker is determined to change that. ft. civil war angst, tony being lonely, fun Christmas activities and a nice happy ending perfect for the holiday season.

The Barely Functioning Stark Family (40k. Incomplete) by Minikoala

Peter never had a mother. She died giving birth to him. Tony raised him and cared for him. Peter had never known anything different, but he knew he wouldn't change it for the world.

Harley had a mother. She died in a car accident when he was twelve. And it introduced a whole new part of his life that he never knew existed.

heart made of glass, my mind of stone (54k) by princessironspider

Tony hasn't spoken since Siberia. If he doesn't talk, he can't get close to people, and they can't hurt him again...right?

Long Story Short (It Was A Bad Time) Or AIs Don't Forget (77k) by peacockgirl

Turns out magic doesn't affect AIs. Karen is Peter's only link to his old life, and helps him hold on when he gets low.

Meanwhile, in Upstate New York, Tony struggles with the inexplicable certainty that he's lost a kid.

Until Peter gets hurt, and Karen tells FRIDAY ...

Set in that wonderful AU world where Tony survives Endgame, and our boy (eventually) gets all the hugs he needs and deserves.

phoenix (39k) by OnlyForward @multifandomforthemostpart

tony stark comes back to life after everyone’s memory of peter parker disappears in the battle at the statue of liberty. he’s the only one who remembers peter, is decidedly not happy about the fact he’s the only one, and promptly vows to fix it

If We Have Each Other, Then We'll Both Be Fine (30k) by Iplaypiano36

Peter Parker and his little sister, Presley, have been mostly on their own since Uncle Ben dead. Their Aunt hasn't been the same, and Peter has sworn both himself and Presley into secrecy about their home life. Everything goes downhill from there, but by some miracle, Parker luck lost for a day, and Peter won an internship with Tony Stark. Peter was able to worm his way into Tony's heart, but what happens when Tony starts to notice all is not so bright and happy at the Parker's residence.

Or:

Aunt May is abusive. Tony and Pepper come to the rescue.

When Trauma Comes Knocking  (155k) by Kevy_Grayce

“He’s my best friend,” Ned chokes out in a watery voice. “I, I have to be there. He’s my best friend! He’s my-” He cuts himself off by crying into Tony’s shoulder. Tony shakes his head, not at them but at the universe.

“Don’t you dare,” he whispers furiously with clenched teeth. “Don’t you dare take him from us. He doesn’t deserve this. He’s a good kid. We need him so you better fix this.” He isn’t talking to anything, but he’s lost control of everything around him. He can’t do anything.

“Why isn’t it working?!” Ned shouts his demand, but it’s muffled by Tony’s suit jacket.

“I swear, Parker,” MJ forces out in a low voice as she sniffs. “You get up or I’ll never forgive you.” Her angry façade almost immediately shatters and her chin wobbles. “Please don’t go. Come back. Please, please, please.” She squeezes her eyes shut, causing more tears to fall.

The Other Timeline (153k) by Stellophia

When Thanos of the Alternate 2014 finds Nebula from the future, learns about the Avengers’ attempt to retrieve the stones from the past, travels to the future to put a stop to their plans, and is destroyed by Tony Stark’s ultimate sacrifice, he accidentally creates a divergent timeline where he simply doesn’t exist after 2014. A timeline where the events of Infinity War and Endgame never happen.

The world kept you like a secret, but I kept you like an oath (55k) by for_the_night

At 23:37 Doctor Strange casts a spell to make the universe forget Peter Parker.

At 23:36 Tony Stark’s heart stops for three minutes. When he comes to, no one remembers his kid, but you best believe he’s going to do everything he can figure out why. He isn’t going to lose his Spider-ling again.

Reality Rewritten (75k) by Booklivesmatter

To save the universe after events turn apocalyptic when a rift opens above the statue of liberty, Doctor Strange sends Peter Parker’s consciousness back in time to the year 2016.

Now in a time where Tony Stark is still alive and the Avengers are split up, Peter is the only person with the knowledge of what is to come. He must juggle the idea that he might be the kidnapped son of his mentor and the instructions that Doctor Strange had given him: Change things.

Peter and Morgan's 40-Year-Long-Day (26k) by thisMarvelousLife

Morgan is far too clever for her own good. She knows that the infinity stones can do anything, so surely they'd let her see her dad again.

Peter never planned on using the stones, he just wanted to keep Morgan out of trouble.

Finding Their Way Home (58k) by ElliahRose

Peter Benjamin-Edward Stark went missing on a Tuesday. For months the entirety of the New York police department, as well as anyone else the Starks could convince to join, searched for the tot. He was only three when he was taken and for four months, two weeks, and four days, Tony Stark and Pepper Stark (nee Potts) worried and fretted over their beloved child.

Peter Benjamin-Edward Stark was murdered on a Friday. A ransom call gone wrong spelt the end of the child’s life. The world grieved as the kidnappers gleefully told the devastated parents they’d find his body in the morning.

They never did.

Twelve years passed and the family was still grieving, and Tony Stark worked tirelessly to find his only child’s killer and gain justice for his son.

Meanwhile, Peter Parker was having literally the worst day ever. He just wanted to help make the world a better place, but instead, he got stabbed. That’s just his luck, isn’t it?

Making A Wish For You. (65k) by The_Mishamigo

Pepper and Tony are suffering from infertility. Tony, as much as he didn’t believe in magic, wishes for a kid as a last resort. The next thing he knows, he walks into Peter Parker. Now he can’t seem to get rid of the kid.

If you know the writer's URL please let me know so I can mention them. I hope everyone has an awesome 2023! Enjoy reading and don't forget to leave comments and Kudos!

[demdifferentstories-29]

Study Buddies Chapter 3 (Doctor Who (2005) fanfiction)

Story Summary

Rose Tyler is on the verge of failing her science, and plenty of other, classes coming up to A Levels. When her teacher assigns John Smith—resident nerd and bullying target for her friend group—as her tutor, an unlikely friendship grows between the pair.

Chapter 3 Summary

John and Rose's relationship becomes a bit tense with new revelations and mistakes being made.

Chapters 3/5

Rating: Teen

Pairing: Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler

Word Count: 5663

Chapter Content/Tags: Romantic friendship; minor fluff; pining; hurt/comfort; secrecy; crushes; friendship development; bullying/teasing; grief/mourning; heartbreak; protectiveness.

Content Warning: Mentions of deceased parents; references to controlling/bullying behaviour in a romantic relationship (not between main pair); peer pressure; alcohol (underage drinking + drunkenness).

Link

[sixtysixproblems]

obligatory newbie post + my ficlist but at least im not from twitter

What's up tumbleweeds i will no longer be a meance exclusive to ao3! This'll probably be a 90% star wars blog because unfortunately I can't choose my special interests aparently, and my brain picked the fandom where everyone dies to be my main thing. sigh.

Ao3 = Kalidescope_View. (i know kaleidoscope is terribly misspelled, shhhhh)

Names + Pronouns - He/Him, minor, could not care less what you call me. Sixes? Kaleidoscope? Kalidescope? That fucking guy over there? Whatever works.

My fic list (all clone wars for now)

"fluorescent mistakes" - an ongoing chat-fic that spiraled out of control and became my main project

Cody: Look, it's the vod who's so basic he's off the PH scale Wolffe: cody you nerd what the fuck does that even mean ~-~-~-~ Cody creates a chatroom for his batch. He really, really shouldn't have. Featuring: some blyla + codywan + vox, a lot of sibling love, even more sibling chaos, and *checks notes* ...plot???

"mistakesverse" series - all of them are canon in fluorescent mistakes, but all function as standalones for now/not needed to read fluorescent.

>"fairness" - ponds & rex h/c oneshot, kamino era but not too heavy angst wise >"get it on flimsi" - coruscant guard chatfic oneshot >"godzillo v crypto bros" - the zillo beast arc but make it a crack chat fic

"i accidentally made a modern au" series - a bunch of stand-alone oneshots set in the same highschool au universe.

>"pastel" - the fetts have an easter egg hunt in the background while wolffe is being a little shit and trying to set up codywan >"i want you (for worse or for better)" - Vox miscomunication except it's only the part where it gets resolved + outside your door in the pouring rain trope, ft peanut butter m&ms >"petals" - codywan flower gifting, the teasing that comes with siblings, wolffe is a little shit again >"(SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH" - a chatfic where cody nearly gets caught in a thunderstorm, set during fett family vacay + ft eggo poptarts

"id kiss you as the lights went out" - Ongoing Vox 5+1 hurtcomfort, but it's more like a 5+2

“Vos,” Fox says, forcing his grip to relax so he doesn’t wrinkle the flimsiwork he’s working on, “Are you aware you’re dripping blood on my carpet?” “Uh,” Vos looks down at the few drops of crimson now staining the ugly beige-colored floor, and quickly puts a hand over his side, “...I’d say sorry, but I mean, you must have gotten wine on it at some point, so it'll just...Blend in?”

"warmth" - self-indulgent vox hurt/comfort with a bad title.

Quinlan Vos had been hovering around Fox like a particularly annoying fly for the past two months now, for no particular reason. Well, none Fox could discern at least. Oh, not that Vos wasn’t telling him why. Vos had plenty of "reasons", he’d explain them with a smirk that Fox supposed he’d find charming-- if he had never put up with the Jedi’s shenanigans. And if he didn’t know that Vos and his excuses were full of shit.

"stitched" - no plot only vibes drunk sibling nonse (fox, cody, wolffe)

"Force, you are old," Wolffe drawled, and Fox tried to project his glare as best he could through his helmet. Cody snorted from somewhere behind them, but Fox was too drunk to tell where-- which sent off a prickle of anxiety.. "I see you do not want a present from me for life day," He grumbled, trying to banish his stress. He’d have none of his usual paranoia tonight. Wolffe put his hands up in mock surrender. "Fine. It's impressive. I wouldn't have the patience" Wolffe amended, and picked up Fox's knitting to study it with, annoyingly, what looked like at least some genuine interest.

have a nice day folks!

[wyllzel]

review of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

Who is your favorite fearless hero? 🎵 (Letterboxd)

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

I can't quite put a finger on why, but this felt more like a movie about Indiana Jones, rather than an Indiana Jones movie. The eponymous character is lovingly recognizable, and Harrison Ford feels deeply familiar in the role, but something felt missing in his surrounding story environment. I think this can be partly attributed to the villain's M.O. and the artifact itself (the Dial).

Mads Mikkelsen killed it as the villain, Voller, but Voller's motivations didn't feel very Indiana Jones-ish. Without giving away too much, Voller is a physicist -- rather than a rival archaeologist, like Belloq or Elsa Schneider.

However, this villain evolution is likely a result of the modern technology/computer boom: a turning popular interest to STEM-based miracles ("discoveries" and "innovations") rather than mythic miracles. (This is made very clear by the movie's conversation around the Moon Landing.) But isn't the idea of ancient, mythic miracles what makes Indiana Jones so interesting?? The idea of a romantic (maybe Romantic) hero whose strength is his passion, interest, and empathy for those who came long, long before us -- he is someone who can wield that knowledge to preserve their memory and their culture. Indiana Jones is worthy of witnessing the miracles that our ancestors witnessed first.

(Or, at least, that's maybe the ideal Indiana Jones story. The artifacts display their miracles... and then the Ark gets turned over and locked up by the U.S. government; the Sankara stone is safely returned to Mayapore but the British colonial regime is upheld. I think Last Crusade gets it right when the Holy Grail is buried within its home and beyond the reach of further disturbance and exploitation. I do not wish to address the Crystal Skull... The Dial's fate remains open, which I think is interesting.)

Importantly, the artifact's miracle does happen in Dial of Destiny. But rather than letting the miracle speak for itself, the writing explains it as "mathematics" and science. And as a further offense, it undoes the miracle by lifting the curtain and showing what's behind the trick. The tantalizing mystery is made infuriatingly clear. Why!!!!! To awkwardly paraphrase Edmund Burke and his essay on "The Sublime and the Beautiful," trying to capture something of a miraculous, terrifying magnitude and then DETAILING IT rather than leaving it obscure is a huge mistake. These are the things that are better left unexplained. (Which, slightly related, is in part why I refuse to watch the Young Indiana Jones TV show. And, slightly more related, I think this mistake is one that Crystal Skull fell for too.) Perhaps the best part of Dial of Destiny's miracle is when Voller faces it with anxiety and terror etched deeply in his gaze.

That being said, I did enjoy Dial of Destiny overall! There were plenty of nods to the previous movies, and it definitely felt like a continuation despite Raiders coming out about 40 years ago. (Wow!) The action was fun, the locations and exploration were interesting, and the characters were lovely. Gotta love the spunky young woman (Marion, Willie, Elsa, and now Helena) and endearing but capable kid (Short Round, and now Teddy) sidekicks. Choosing to delve into Greco-Roman history was an interesting choice. I think there was something to be desired in the historical mystery, but that might be due to my familiarity with Classical history...? It felt like more emphasis was placed on the action behind the chase rather than the history/knowledge informing it, which is not necessarily a mistake but does make me nostalgic for Indiana Jones being a little nerd... :')

Additionally, I think this installment finally did its characters of colors justice. Of course, John Rhys Davies in brownface as Sallah remains offensive. However, in general, the characters of color are offered more detail and nuance, rather than caricature and stereotype. (Short Round may be excluded from that sad legacy -- as an Asian American, I have a soft spot for the kiddo.)

This was a good conclusion to the Indiana Jones story. It has left that mythic hero a solid legacy.

PS: I do wish they had added nuance to "It belongs in a museum!" (a modern ethical dilemma within Library and Information Science academia), but I also understand that Indiana Jones may not be the right franchise to offer an answer to that. LOL.

[tmntxthings]

Imagine the Rise!Turtles in high school…

author’s note: this is kinda self indulgent bc i sort of thought of my own high school experience, i went to a small town high school so some of these ‘clubs’ are out of my element but i wanted to try and match their personalities as best as i could, I hope you enjoy~~~

Michelangelo- Freshmen

incoming new class but is already well known because of his older brothers

but everyone quickly comes to know him as Mikey instead of 'the youngest turtle,' he's got a knack for making friends

all his classmates absolutely adore him and anyone who doesn't (is jealous of him) is quickly won over by Mikey himself, he loves changing peoples mind

plus he’s a total optimist and sees the good in everyone even if other people try to convince him otherwise

in Talented Art/Gifted because of his love and creativity for art, got in easily (was asked by the art teacher)

he chills at school after hours with a couple of the other members in TA (talented art) talking about anything that comes to mind while working on their own separate pieces, sometimes they all come together on big projects

also a trendy fashionista, people take one look at his outfits and he goes to school the next day seeing who he's influenced, he is obviously super flattered and asks to take pics with them

other than art, he's a part of the Dance team, he tried out to be a cheerleader too and both groups had a week of convincing him which would be a better fit for him

dance won out because they were open to him choreographing for the homecoming pep rally

since he is liked by everyone he is pretty popular, but isn’t considered the preppy kind of popular, just well-known, loved by all, Michelangelo~~~

Donatello- Sophomore

now a second year, he is ready to keep branching out, not only is he a part of the math league, robotics club, beta club, (solely for those days they get off from school to go compete) quiz bowl AND the student body, he’s also on the swim team and competes in long pole (the comp where the people run with the big long pole and try to jump really high/over this stick…) for track

so he is very very busy and because he is in so many things, he has plenty of friend groups

Donnie likes being the smartest one in class, he’s made some enemies just because he’s embarrassed someone by telling them their answer is wrong in front of the entire class

he doesn’t do it on purpose, just when he sees someone start writing a math answer on the board and the equation starts going south, he can’t help himself

he’ll raise his hand, and try to help them, but all while simultaneously embarrassing whoever is on the receiving end of his teachings, and you’d be surprised how many teachers he’s had to point out their mistakes to

more times than one should, which also means some of the teachers don’t exactly like him either, but what can they do?

he’s the smartest student they will ever get to teach in their lives

Donnie has a few classes with his brother, twins in the same class often run into issues, they are super competitive with each other

classmates usually come up to Donnie and ask him math/science questions on the fly, and he definitely does…n’t do other people’s homework for money…or anything else they bargain with…

often after lunch he goes straight to the library rather than go to recess outside/in the gym

it’s usually empty during that time except for other nerds like him who rather books than people

the librarian knows Donnie on a first name basis and they give him book recommendations whenever he isn’t checking out tons of books for certain projects

Leonardo- Sophomore

in second year right along with his twin, yes people do call them ‘disaster twins’ when they are together

which they are together a lot but they do have separate school lives too

Leo is also a part of the student body, but other than beta club, that’s about all the things that he has in common with Donnie

Well, maybe it’s just flip flopped because Leo is in a lot of sports, basketball recruited him first which got all the other coaches attention, he’s also on baseball, football (mainly for Raph) soccer, and track for the 100 meter dash

so he is very busy as well (maybe the twins decided to have a comp to see how many organizations they could be in?!) and has plenty of friend groups because of it

but he’d have many friends regardless, he’s a total flirt, doesn’t matter with who, super charismatic with the staff too

the front desk ladies love him, so do the janitors, and the lunch ladies definitely give him extra portions of the things he wants

it’s the teachers that he has the most trouble charming because he loves to be the center of attention during class, huge class clown, and disrupts class on a whim

(Donnie hates that btw because it cuts into class/teaching time so if Leo goes off on a longer tangent than usually Donnie will quite literally tell him to ‘SHUT UP’)

which doesn’t help bc this starts a full on war between the twins, the teacher will either threaten them both with detention or give up entirely and sit at their desk (depends on how much fight the teacher has)

Raphael- Junior

oldest turtle brother in his third year, very much still protective older brother stereotype in school, don’t mess with his siblings, if he hears about any bullying be warned he’ll find you and have to have a private chat

though he’s the biggest turtle and definitely had some trouble fitting in and making friends during his first year bc of his appearance and people judging him like a book cover, everything is different now two years later

he was recruited for football and the weightlifting team his first year, been in them ever since, and recently joined wrestling/boxing, he’s also a part of the mentor program for underclassmen

those who have had him as a mentor seek him out in the hallways to ask high school questions, or show them where their classes are on the first week, he’s an absolute idol in that regard

freshman/sophomore brag to their friends if they have him as a mentor

he has a tight group of friends who have his shell one hundred percent of the way, just like how he is with anyone he comes to care about

Raph has definitely won a few teacher’s hearts as their favorite, he is always working hard no matter the subject even if it isn’t his specialty

Bonus! April- Senior

she was with Raph a lot when he was a freshman and she a sophomore, happily introduced him to her school friends

April in her last year now is a part of the high school newsletter/paper, student body, beta club, and the yearbook committee

She takes all of the boys pictures, (yes Leo I’m getting your good side) in sports and all the other activities they are in

Mikey’s art has started to feature the newsletter as well

All the boys like to call her out in the hallways, it’s known that out of everyone at the school, they all have one best friend and that’s her

Anyone who has interest in the turtles but is too scared to go straight to them usually comes to her for advice, she cuts down the bad apples pretty quickly

when running for the homecoming court that year all the turtles helped her campaign, Mikey coming in clutch again with awesome posters to hang around the school

[vivika-ka]

now that i am done torturing myself and finished season 4, i’m not going to explain why the last episode made me pause multiple times to pace in my room because i was so angry lmao because i reblogged plenty of well explained posts already.

but i’ll talk about other stuff that stuck with me, and people might hate me for it but…yeah, ain’t that the life of anyone that doesn’t enjoy popular characters.

grammar might be shit because english is not my first language. fyi, this is fairly big and it’s very negative, so if you want to skip, feel free.

[i mean it, if you read something you don’t like to the point you want to send me threatening messages or cyberbully me, keep scrolling and leave me tf alone. thanks.]

1. dustin had waaaay too much screen time. why are we supposed to accept him as the certified genius of the group when all of members of The Party are “nerds.” all i’m asking is maybe instead of dustin always being the one figuring the upside down out, give some of those ground breaking discoveries to lucas. but also, it got to the point of being so annoying. i know it’s supposed to be a running gag of “maybe some humility will do you well,” but all the time? shut up.

2. everything and everyone revolving around nancy. i’m not joking. robin is scrambling to get on her good side and make nancy like her, which season 3 robin would’ve cared less. the whole stäncy thing, i just…please move on. the fact that she expects jonathan to be the one to drop everything to be with her, when he’s been doing that for every season, like maybe nancy can make some effort too? idk. the expectation that jonathan has to be the one to absolutely change the trajectory of his life because of what she wants (point is, he shouldn’t be afraid to decide the trajectory of his life, this is a relationship which entails two people, not one). the portrayal of every character being annoying, stupid, and incompetent sometimes, while she is always portrayed as someone incapable of mistakes. the same old self righteous and superiority crap that i don’t like. (but that’s on me because i never liked the wheelers since season 1, so i admit i’m biased).

3. going from stäncy fiasco, it still is technically tied to the overt attention to nancy, but steve was supposed to grow up. when she says he’s grown, i could only laugh at that point. part of growing up is realizing that maybe, just maybe, you have to learn to live with yourself instead of desperately seeking for a lover, which is what steve had been doing. being in a relationship isn’t going to fix all of your problems (this applies to mïleven but i’m not even going there). we had moved on from steve being in love with nancy, but the duffers act like that’s all there is to his personality, and let’s be honest, they were obviously out of ideas for steve’s character because they don’t know how to write characters other than relying on their superficial and stereotypical lenses. it would have been interesting to maybe see steve realizing that he is convinced he needs nancy in his life because he is lonely as fuck—so it’s not about “being in a relationship with nancy would change your life for the better,” there’s no such thing, it’s about “you’re seeking what is convenient and familiar because you are terrified of ending up alone.” but whatever, steve will always love nancy because that’s all he is there for.

4. the overt attention to karen wheeler. why am i supposed to care about this woman? why are we getting karen and ted’s reactions so much, and not the sinclairs or mrs. henderson? they are the ones watching their kids run towards danger right in front of them, why are they panning to karen constantly? “she’s worried about nancy,” yeah it’s been established again and again, but i am interested about the parents who are at that moment watching their kids turn their backs to them instead of asking for help. but then again, why should i care about her? to me she’s nothing but a woman who was flirting and willing to have sex with a 17-year-old in seasons 2-3, so, y’know, i’d much appreciate the sinclairs’ outburst about trust given they seem to be the most stable family in this show.

5. max’s “he made my life a living hell” after episode 4, but also after season 3 when it portrayed both of them as not super close but on the way to a better relationship. (i could go on about this but as i said, plenty of people did already). + the scene of billy breaking the sauna door portrayed as though that was all him and not him possessed by the mind flayer, me poupe. + “you’re much braver than your brother,” and the scene didn’t cut to said brother standing up to the mind flayer? ME POUPE.

6. the whole papa redemption arc. just get the fuck out of here. yeah, eleven didn’t forgive him, but the whole “i love you, you’re my family.” are you kidding me? the man ripped kids from their families, experimented on them, without a doubt killed and got them killed, all for the sake of winning an ideological war. ME POUPE.

[mouthlessmaiden]

“If you think this has a happy ending...” or, how shock killed Game of Thrones

If you ask someone who watched Game of Thrones casually when the show got really bad, they’d probably say seasons 7 or 8. If you asked someone who really liked the show, they’d say that season 4 was the last good one. I’ll go one step further: the soul of Game of Thrones died in season 3, episode 6 at 26 minutes and 27 seconds with a Ramsay Snow quote. “If you think this has a happy ending, you haven’t been paying attention”.

This quote wasn’t in the books. It was a show quote for the direction the show was going in: edginess and shock and torture porn for the sake of it. At this point in the show, the showrunners knew that they were going to run out of source material sooner rather than later. Changes were going to be made - big ones. The show was getting steadily edgier, steering away from the books, and this is about the point when it made the single worst mistake any franchise can fall for - it started believing it’s own hype. See, the narrative around the show itself was this - in Game of Thrones, anyone can die, no one is safe, and anything can happen. The problem with this narrative being believed by the fans is simply that it’s a misunderstanding. The main point isn’t that anyone can die for any reason - it’s that no matter who you are, your actions have consequences. Ned Stark dying was the first and most potent example of this misunderstanding. But at some point, some people started believing that Ned died as a subversion of the expectations of a traditional hero narrative, to shock the reader into realizing that “this isn’t like anything else”. And to some degree, that’s true. But the main reason Ned died (in the context of the story itself) was that he made choices that put him in a situation where the only possible outcome was his death. For the fans to misunderstand the reasoning behind the frequent deaths of major players in the game of thrones is one (entirely harmless) thing. For the showrunners to misunderstand it is another. The showrunners bought into that narrative that anyone can die, but they stopped seeing it as about consequences and more about keeping the audience on their toes. If you ignore characters facing consequences in favor of killing off whoever will shock the viewers the most (see: Missandei’s death), you’re ignoring the narrative. And to ignore the narrative is to kill the heart of the show.

This quote represents the dive from a form of shock driven by the viewers expectations to shock for the sake of shock. Since Ned’s death is the most prominent example, we’ll continue with that. Let’s look at what happened to Ned from the context of the text alone: Ned was charged with treason (the sentence for which is typically death) and was in a dungeon. He was being held by a willful child who we are quickly realizing is a completely sadistic and unpredictable individual. And yet when Ned dies, we’re shocked. This is because readers and viewers are so conditioned to an outcome in which the morally superior character lives despite all odds that we collectively ignored the signs pointing to Ned’s death until it was too late and his head was on a spike. This is a shocking death done right. It also represents the direction the narrative is going to go in: in order to survive, you need to play the game. Ned didn’t, and he died. Missandei’s death, on the other hand, has no value other than to shock the viewer. And yet there’s no buildup to it, no foreshadowing, and no reason why it occurs narratively other than to drive Daenerys into a rushed madness arc. But if you say this, nerds on twitter will send out the “if you think this has a happy ending...” and act like a Ramsay Snow quote excuses all narrative fuckups.

The quote was indicative of what’s to come: there would be no happy endings. Not only that, but ridiculous deaths and plot twists and torture scenes would show up solely for the sake of shocking the viewer. Euron sniping Rhaegal, Missandei dying, Rickon dying, Sansa’s r*pe scenes: all of these were additions added solely for the sake of making the viewer go “holy shit!”, but they added nothing to the narrative of the show.

Narrative is what gives a story life and soul. If there’s themes and direction and character choices that make sense, you feel like you’re living in that world as you watch the show or read the book. By the end of Game of Thrones there was very little of any of that, which is why the show felt “soulless”, as I’ve heard some people describe it. They had an ending they wanted, and they bulldozed their way there instead of finding a way for those endings to feel right. Any story should be driven by a character and their choices: GRRM understands this, which is why all plot points, all shock value is driven by characters and what they decide to do. The showrunners, on the other hand, seemed to have the plot drive the characters, which is why so many choices feel so out of nowhere. The characters can be dark in the books. They can be edgy, and they can be shocking. But it’s all because of the choices they made, not because someone has decided that their character needs to be dark now for the plot to move forward.

And for all that the showrunners wanted us to believe that the sheer grimdarkness of Game of Thrones made it nothing like anything else on television...it’s still a story, and it still needs a cohesive message and narrative. By the end, Game of Thrones didn’t have one. All that was left was a shell of the story occurring in the books. Oh, and shock and edginess. There was plenty of that.