#bringing back one of my favorite memes I’ve made

[rockalillygirl]

Murderbot Holding Hands

(Minor spoilers alert for Artificial Condition, Rogue Protocol, Exit Strategy pls check the tags)

First real post because I’m shy. Don’t know why it’s going to be a hyper-specific murderbot meta but here we go:

I’ve been rereading all the books after finishing System Collapse <3 and I want to talk about a small moment in Artificial Condition that I’d never noticed before. It’s near the end of the book when Tapan is in ART’s medsystem after nearly dying, and SecUnit says that when Tapan wakes up it’s holding her hand.

When Tapan woke, I was sitting on the MedSystem’s platform holding her hand. (Artificial Condition, p. 155 in my ebook)

I thought it was a really sweet moment, but it also kind of puzzled me because of SecUnit’s aversion to touch. Later when I was reading Exit Strategy, I noticed a similar moment when SecUnit holds hands with Mensah to help disguise them as they’re trying to escape TranRollinHyfa.

[Mensah] took a deep breath and looked up at me. “We can look calm. We’re good at that.” Yeah, we were. I did a quick review to make sure I was running all my not-a-SecUnit code, then I thought of one more thing I could do. As we stepped out of the pod, I took Mensah’s hand. (Exit Strategy, p. 87)

Reading these scenes felt different in a couple ways. In my opinion, SecUnit taking Mensah’s hand in Exit Strategy seemed like more of a big deal because it was a part of SecUnit’s reunion with Mensah, and we see its thoughts and emotions leading up to it. And it tracks that SecUnit might feel ok holding Mensah’s hand in that situation because of their close friendship. But the moment in Artificial Condition is more mysterious. We don’t get any of SecUnit’s internal monologue at the beginning because the scene opens when Tapan wakes up. And even though it’s clear in the book that SecUnit likes Tapan along with Rami and Maro, I wouldn’t say their relationship is anywhere near as close as its bond with Mensah. So why did it hold her hand?

I think it’s a neat moment that’s fun to ponder! And I have some vague ideas I’d like to share about it. (Some of this is based on the books and some is my speculation as an ace/aspec person dealing with touch aversion.) (Also none of these thoughts are mutually exclusive!)

Maybe SecUnit saw holding Tapan’s hand as a form of first aid after her traumatic experience and didn’t want her to panic waking up in a strange ship’s medsystem. This fits with SecUnit bracing itself to hug Mensah in Exit Strategy. (The memes of this moment are perfect lol)

But I was the only one here, so I braced myself and made the ultimate sacrifice. “Uh, you can hug me if you need to.” She started to laugh, then her face did something complicated and she hugged me. I upped the temperature in my chest and told myself it was like first aid. (Exit Strategy, pp. 82-3)

But I feel like SecUnit might not care as much about comforting Tapan in a similar way if it hadn’t already built up some kind of trust with her? Which brings me to Thought 2:

I think SecUnit might have felt safe holding Tapan’s hand because of the moment in Artificial Condition in the second transient hostel when Tapan laid down next to it. (Ofc I think rescuing Tapan from Tlacey’s ship was also a factor, trauma-bonding and all. But to me this moment in the hostel is more important.)

Thirty-two minutes later, I heard movement. I thought Tapan was getting up to go to the restroom facility, but then she settled on the pad behind me, not quite touching my back… I had never had a human touch me, or almost touch me, like this before and it was deeply, deeply weird. (Artificial Condition, pp. 136-7)

This is one of my favorite sequences in Artificial Condition (which is also my favorite book in the series because of ART! And because I find it quiet, reflective, and weirdly cozy even though objectively few cozy things happen now that I think about it). The scene is pretty mundane with a lot of fun bits like SecUnit pretending to need to use the restroom, be on a diet, etc. And we usually don’t get to see SecUnit hanging out with only one person. So it gives room for some small, but important feelings that I don’t think SecUnit has time to explore when it’s busy saving the day. Like how it feels about physical contact with humans.

(idk it reminds me of how like in ghibli films there’s usually at least one scene with the characters eating a meal or something because it sort of grounds everything else. I just like it!)

Tapan being close to SecUnit seems to throw if off-guard, but the context of the scene feels non-threatening and pretty mellow. So I think this gives SecUnit the opportunity to check-in with itself about this new experience. It still feels weird about it, but not in a scary or upsetting way. I think it’s almost this mutual vulnerability (Tapan feeling vulnerable and seeking comfort and SecUnit feeling vulnerable about her closeness and its own boundaries) that creates a bond between them, and that’s why SecUnit reaches out to Tapan to comfort her when she wakes up onboard ART.

That scene has become really special to me. And I would argue that it’s an important moment to SecUnit too because it brings it up again in Exit Strategy, along with a later moment in Rogue Protocol, thinking about times when it’s experienced physical contact with humans in a non-traumatizing way.

Except it wasn’t entirely awful. It was like when Tapan had slept next to me at the hostel, or when Abene had leaned on me after I saved her; strange, but not as horrific as I would have thought. (Exit Strategy, p. 83)

These moments seem to lead up to SecUnit offering to comfort Mensah later on because it’s reached a point where it feels willing to do so for her sake, even if it doesn’t want to seek out that kind of comfort for itself. And it’s really cool to see SecUnit navigate this throughout the books.

SecUnit starts the series with a strong innate sense that it doesn’t want to be touched by humans, but it’s allowed to refine those feelings in light of its new experiences. It’s boundaries are situational and personal, and even well-meaning humans sometimes struggle to understand them at first. Other times, SecUnit finds it difficult to understand it’s own feelings regarding touch and even changes its mind. But, importantly, the narrative always presents this as valid and worthy of respect.

This is a much more nuanced and realistic portrayal of defining boundaries than I’ve seen in a lot of media- one where it’s a constant and sometimes confusing process of self-discovery.

And these might seem like obvious concepts to some people, but they weren’t for me growing up. I really wish I’d read these books when I was younger, and maybe I would’ve given myself more grace to define my comfort level, grow, and change. But I’m glad that I’m in a place now where I can see and appreciate these things in what’s become one of my favorite series.

Anyway, I don’t want to say "thanks for coming to my TedTalk” lol. But very grateful to anyone who reads this and hope it was thought-provoking. Would be interested to hear other people’s thoughts on these scenes!

[dungeons-and-dictions]

And ANOTHER Hazbin Hotel thing. Short Duck Daddy vs Deer Troll Daddy is my current favorite episode!

Lucifer is nothing I thought he would be, and soooooo relatable. His song is a certified bop too!

But alas, it definitely showed the bad side of Alastor. Up to this point, I’ve seen Alastor’s antics as mainly being a silly troll. Here, he is actively, aggressively malicious. He actually cussed! And his fake laugh was delightful, too.

Let’s be clear since no one is talking much about it; Alastor does not see Charlie as a daughter, maybe not even a friend. He was poking the hornet’s hive from the moment Charlie opened the door to Lucifer.

I love it, you love it, the two dads memes are top-notch. But also, Alastor may not have been irritating Lucifer for funsies. We still don’t know who Alastor made a contract (confirmed) with, how Lilith and him are connected, what the contract entails, or his true intentions with the hotel.

We also know there’s definitely a catch that will come along. The demon’s airtight on this. Regardless, something he’s involved with meant it was in his best interest to motivate Lucifer’s depressed butt into stepping up as Charlie’s dad. Totally wholesome results, too!

As a side note, I am hoping he and Vaggie have a good relationship! I am betting he identified Vaggie as an angel immediately, but didn’t find it a big enough deal to bring up. That link as two fallen angels could be so awesome in future episodes.

And… is his angel form a duck?! Because I based a whole subplot in my D&D campaign on ducks, and I already love the back-flipping, flame-throwing abomination he made!

Anyway, Alastor shows his bad side finally, and is now tied as my favorite character with Lucifer. They share a rivalry Vox could only dream of!

[jordanrosenburg]

Abbott Elementary - The Savior of Sitcoms

When Abbott Elementary aired midseason in December of 2021, I don’t think any of us were ready. I had first heard about the show from Quinta Brunson’s TikTok. I’ve been following her since she worked for Buzzfeed, having made very funny and true digital shorts about what it’s like to be a woman, specifically a short woman. So, from time to time I liked to check in on her and see what she was up to. She was announcing her book, She Memes Well, and she briefly mentioned she was working on a pilot.

Quinta is a triple threat to the world of Abbott - she’s the head writer, executive producer, and lead actress. Her being a woman and doing all of these things is already incredible, but seeing a woman of color shine like this is truly inspirational, and quite honestly...it’s about damn time. Quinta was awarded the very well deserved Emmy for OUTSTANDING COMEDY WRITER. A young (she’s 32, that’s young) woman of color won an award for comedy writing. I cried tears of joy during her acceptance speech. As a woman, we’re basically told our whole lives that female comedians aren’t funny, so this was major for a multitude of reasons.

The cast of Abbott is comprised with some familiar face: Lisa Ann Walter, who many folks of my generation know as Chessy from The Parent Trap, Tyler James Williams of Everybody Hates Chris fame, Sheryl Lee Ralph, who many of us remember as Dee Mitchell from Moesha, and William Sanford Davis who is no stranger to the sitcom world. We also have Janelle James, a comedian who I had honestly never heard of, but is truly hilarious, and Chris Perfetti, another new face to me, but has quickly stolen my heart as his character Jacob.

The first season starts off during the spring semester of the school year. Janine, played by Quinta, is a semi-new teacher who wants to be the absolute best for her students. She’s young, ambitious, high-spirited, and is often annoying her colleagues.

Seasoned professional Barbara Howard, who happened to be Janine’s teacher back in the day, is probably the person annoyed by Janine the most. But only because Janine’s high energy and new teaching styles don’t jive with what Barbara’s used to. Throughout the season, Barbara ends up leaning on Janine a bit more, and starts to see her value as a teacher. Especially when it comes to using new technology that Barbara isn’t exactly savvy with.

Jacob is a corny, happy-go-lucky social studies teacher. He’s the closest with Janine. Jacob is the quintessential cis-white guy who is often a little too “woke” for his own good. But he means well, and even though his students refer to him as “Mr. C.” because he’s so corny, they love him as their teacher. He also has a very loving relationship with his boyfriend, which I enjoyed seeing represented.

Melissa is a fast fan favorite. Having grown up in Jersey, she brings a very real character to the table. She’s a math teacher, and a damn good one at that. Another seasoned professional, who is close with Barbara, but also plays by a lot of her own rules. If something needs to get done, she knows someone who knows someone who knows someone, but you didn’t hear it from her.

Gregory is new to the elementary school. He starts off as a substitute teacher. He was originally supposed to be the principal of Abbott, he was offered the job after going to school for it! But alas, the job was given to someone else - Ava Coleman. Ava has literally no teaching background of any kind. So how did she get the job?

Ava is often flirting with Gregory, making some very crude remarks. She uses the budget inappropriately for her own vanity, and only sometimes actually does her job. She and Janine tend to have many disagreements, but Janine is a passive person, so she’s usually coming up with some over the top idea to make a change instead of just simply discussing the issue with Ava. Not that Ava ever really listens, so it almost forces Janine to do something crazy.

And Mr. Johnson, our beloved custodian, is always there with a smart remark, often that extra comic relief we need to break the tension during some of the more serious scenes.

The show is a mockumentary style sitcom, similar to The Office, or Parks and Rec. The interviews the characters give aren’t as formal as they were on The Office. Most of the time when they’re talking directly to the camera, they’re in the hallway between classes. This style can be hard to pull off, especially when so many other sitcoms have done it, like Modern Family, for example. But Abbott does it flawlessly.

Like many of my favorite shows, we have a slow burn occurring between two main characters: Gregory and Janine. Gregory makes it pretty obvious, to the cameras, that he likes Janine right away.

In fact, part of the reason he takes the open position to become a full-time teacher and not a substitute, by the end of the school year is so he can still be around Janine. Nothing can be too easy, though. We learn early on that Janine has a long-time boyfriend, Tariq. Tariq is basically a deadbeat, going from one dead-end job to the next, leaving Janine to constantly pick up the slack. But they’ve been together for well over ten years, so she’s not exactly looking to start anew.

However, by the end of the first season, Janine does end things with Tariq. And it’s not because she’s in love with Gregory. As much as we want them to be Jim and Pam, they’re not. Janine breaks up with Tariq because she realizes she’s simply outgrown him, and it’s not healthy for either of them to stay in their relationship. It’s not easy for her to come to terms with this, we see that at the beginning of season two as she pretends to be fine with the breakup. Throughout the first season, Janine evolves quite a bit. She’s much more confident as a teacher going into the fall semester. She’s more sure of herself and her capabilities.

The show is heartwarming at its core. Yes, it’s extremely laugh out loud funny. (Which is a big deal because a show rarely makes me audibly laugh, so the fact that I’ve laughed so hard I’ve nearly cried?? Yeah, this is a well written show.) All of the main characters go through a sort of “after school special” moment that helps them grow and become better. I think my favorite person’s journey is Gregory’s. He was obviously bitter about not getting the principal position. He’s also just a very odd duck. He likes order and rigidity. He only eats plain, boiled chicken between two slices of white bread. (He doesn’t like when different foods mix together. When he admitted he didn’t like pizza, it was a whole thing. Jacob was the most offended, especially when Gregory also told them he didn’t pie.)

Gregory doesn’t get goofy or silly with his students, he prefers order. But he slowly starts to realize that if he’s going to actually have a good command over his classroom, then he’ll need to let loose a little.

We’re three episodes in to the second season, and it’s already holding up to the groundbreaking first. This isn’t always easy to do. Sometimes when a show has such an incredibly good first season, the second season can feel lackluster. But not Abbott Elementary. Less than a minute into the first episode, I was already laughing hysterically. Janine was discussing her breakup, so we cut to a scene showing Tariq packing up his friend’s car, and them both driving away. Tariq had a shining smile on his face as he danced in the passenger seat while ‘Snap Yo Fingers” by Lil Jon blasted through the speakers.

The main cast are back to their old antics: finding ways to keep the students interested, doing their best to keep the school from crumbling, and just getting through each day one step at a time. The teachers lean on one another for so many things, and I don’t think that’s something we’ve seen in a show with a school setting before. Most sitcoms that take place in school are usually about the students, not the teachers. And if it is about the teachers, it’s usually very serious. We’re getting a real and unique perspective about what teachers have to deal with at a semi-underprivileged school. Second and third grade classes get lumped together, the textbooks are nowhere near new, and the grant money Janine won for new supplies had to go towards getting rid of a rat infestation in the cafeteria.

Not that it’s all about Janine and Gregory and their slow burn, but if we’ve learned anything from watching Jim and Pam (The Office), or Jake and Amy (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), or Ben and Lesley (Parks and Rec), or even Jonah and Amy (Superstore), these two will not be confessing feelings any time soon. And if they do, they won’t be getting together as an official couple until at least the end of the third season, as many of the couples listed previously did. I’m really excited to see how it all plays out. I know it’s going to be good.

In my opinion, we haven’t had a truly good sitcom in quite some time. Many of our favorites have long since ended. Sometimes when I see the current ones, the ones that are on cable networks like ABC, CBS, and NBC, I find myself asking, “How is this still on the air?”. One of the last good ones standing, again in my opinion, was Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which ended in 2021 after eight seasons. Modern Family ended in 2020, but despite the few really funny clips I’ve seen from that show, I never got into it to watch regularly. Just because a family is blended and a little unconventional, doesn’t mean it’s modern. Who was it modern to? The upper-middle class? The same goes for Black-ish, which ended last spring. That was another show I tried to get into, but just couldn’t. To me, it was just another show about an upper-class family. Yes, the cast was diverse and had good representation, but not everyone lives like that family did. Other honorable mentions are: The Good Place (2016-2020), Schitt’s Creek (2015-2020), and Superstore (2015-2021). Many of these beloved shows have all ended within the last three years. And what are we left with? The Goldbergs? Young Sheldon? Grown-ish? Hard pass. If you like those shows, no shade, they’re just not my cup of tea.

And even though we have shows on paid streaming services like Ted Lasso (a must watch if you’re able), that’s not a program that’s easily accessible to everyone. I’m hoping Abbott sparks inspiration for more warm-hearted comedies. It’s a show that’s fun for adults, but it’s something you can still watch as a family if you so choose. Having someone like Quinta as a writer is truly the key to its success. The show is funny, relatable, sometimes gut-wrenching, and something I look forward to watching every week. 

[lavampira]

(COUNT)DOWN TO DAWNTRAIL — day seven: free day

one thing about ffxiv that has had the biggest impact on me is the core message in the power of bonds that people forge. camaraderie is as much of a driving force as hope throughout the game’s overarching narrative, and it’s the main part of what made me invest in it so quickly, and why I continue to love playing it.

and so, keeping on that theme, I want to take the opportunity to gush about some of the people who’ve also made the game and community a lovely experience over the last 2 years.

first, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how glad I am that @hythlodaes and @birues came with me from swtor to give this game a try. it’s always so nice to have a friend who understands you so intuitively like gigi does with me when trying new things without judgement, building fun routines together in a new game, risking it all as an AST-DRK duo in frontlines, or slipping back into our old co-tanking roots, and she’s been my biggest emotional support and favorite guinea pig to level new things. and rue’s eternal willingness to fuck it we ball with me and all of her thoughtful meta and silly memes alike bring me so much happiness. I’ve loved sharing all the developing lore of our ocs and thoughts on the story as we’ve progressed mostly alongside each other.

I will also forever be grateful to @coldshrugs and @gefiltefished for all of their guidance when I was a sprout learning the game! azia and ash have always been so helpful and encouraging, and many of my fondest memories of the early raids, trials, and pre-duty support dungeons involve one or both of them holding my hand, and even braving queues to tank or heal for me at times despite being aiming mains until I was brave enough to consistently tank myself. they built up much of my confidence while venturing into a new mmo and I don’t think I would understand things as well as I do without either of them.

getting to know @scionshtola as we played more, dragging each other into the mines and bozja respectively, and bonding over same taste in dps jobs has been such a highlight, too. and so many of my frontlines assists are owed to them channeling a hidden inner zenos on the battlefield as well.

raiding with my extremes static in our brave little sparkle has been some of the most fun and challenging few months! @lilas is an absolute powerhouse of organizing, keeping the positive mood alive, and wrangling everyone into voice chat and party on time each week. azia is an excellent strategist and gentle advice-giver, which has gotten us to barrel through barriers that had us stumped at times. @zimmena is a radiant gem for crafting our tinctures, making consistent calls to move us through the mechanics, filling in any role that’s needed, and my partner in repairs. I owe @greyyourwarden my life many times over for keeping me alive or scraping me off the floor when things go awry as a very trustworthy healer, and trusting me without complaint despite healer instincts when I ask to be allowed to die for my invuln. gigi has not only been a powerful and attentive melee dps amidst our sea of ranged/casting players, but a cheerfully good sport when a stray tankbuster goes her way, too. kels and their carby have saved many, many pulls with a well-timed raise, and always is my reliable stack buddy. @the-rogue-mockingjay is a brave soul willing to try new things and brings so much enthusiasm to raid. and @galadae has been a trooper for filling in whenever we needed someone and picking up things so quickly despite the occasional short notice. I’m so proud of how much we’ve all grown as players and as teammates since the very first night!

my foray into crafting and gathering has also been greatly helped by the many tips from @impossible-rat-babies and the set of endgame gear graciously offered and made for me by @lxdymaria so I’d have an easier time once I was leveled.

and I’ve also enjoyed talking to and seeing posts by @drk-brain, @drkmissionaries, and other sidwol shippers and dark knight enjoyers over on the bird site, collectively boosting all the writing and losing our minds over our little guys and the big spiky man we all love.

I could keep going - the ffxiv playerbase is truly one of the most friendly, encouraging, and wonderful communities - but I’ll leave it here: ffxiv is a game full of love and support from the people we meet along the way, so it’s no wonder why it’s fostered such a similar space for all of us!

[heyhellohihowareyou]

Why “Ball Game Tournament Time” is underrated as hell

BASEBALL EPISODE! BASEBALL EPISODE! Any anime that has a baseball episode in it is bound to get Hailey hooked!

And this one is about her Sugi boy! She’s all for him getting more screentime!

Out of context picture

I’m pretty sure that this was the episode that started the “Jiriki Hongan Revolution” intro (Correct me if I’m wrong) and since it’s tied as my fav AC intro, this episode gets points for starting it!

Baseball fanatic Koro is best Koro!

Anyways, did I mention I love baseball episodes because I love baseball episodes

Found a cute side character with freckles. Appreciate her NOW!

Two very good boys right here!

Kimura gets to do something! We must savor this moment while we still can!

Awww a cute Mimura!

I live for a badass Sugi boy (Even though this one is in Shindo’s head 😅)

Also, start the count for how many times Shindo looks like he’s about the piss himself

Ain’t this such a great episode! 3-E is succeeding and showing the main campus kids what’s what! Boy I sure hope no one ruins-

Bitch. Can you please stay out of my feel good sports episodes and not traumatize people at all? You’re bringing down the vibes man 😕

Well the girlies are back at least! Kind of wish we got to see them play though.

Kayano: “It’s just that the other team had huge jiggly boobs! It made me so made that I couldn’t concentrate!” Kaede sweetie you are not beating the allegations 🩷💜💙

Nothing to say except I like Maehara’s bewildered face

GAKUHOU STOP FUCKING MANIPULATING TEENAGERS FOR FUCK SAKE

I hate the man but those eyes though

Irina: “Aha! I think I get it! So you hit a ball with a stick!” Never change Irina. Never change.

Oh my god EVERYONE SHUT UP RIGHT NOW AND LOOK AT MY BOY!!!

Did I mention that I adore Sugino. Well, I ADORE SUGINO!!!

I swear to god Gakuhou doesn’t have life WHY ARE YOU HERE!?

Also, anyone else felt bad for Shindy this episode? Sure he was sort of a cocky bastard for the first part but man is he put through hell here.

Karmster using his bitch powers to good use (Yes, Karmster is his new name now)

Also this should be a meme template

I saw the glowing red eyes and my first thought was “Baki?”

Nothing to say except that I find Isogai’s little sigh cute

Bewildered Shindy

Gakuhou: “Crack a skull if need be.” Why aren’t you in jail yet?

We love Karmster’s little bitch face

Karmster: “Swing like you’re trying to kill us.” My guy is in distress

Nagisa: “That’s got him pretty shaken up.” Pretty Shaken- MY GUY IS TRAUMATIZED!

Again, poor Shindy. Like seriously get this boy some help.

I’ve caught two bright smiles in one screenshot!

Sugino: “Didn’t mean for things to get so crazy.” Shindy needs to go to therapy

Juuuust Karmster

Hadn’t mention before but I love listening to Sugi’s dubbed voice. For someone who shares a voice actor with the loud mouth that is Katsuki Bakugo his voice is nice to listen to

Sugino: “It was about being proud of my new friends. I wanted to show them off.” Sugino I fucking love you.

Welp that’s it. That was a good ass episode that we as a fandom should talk about more! It’s season 1’s version of leader time to me. In fact it’s part of my top ten favorite episodes of the series (I really need to make a list) I don’t say it that much but Sugino as a character brings me so much serotonin so watching this episode was a joy for me! Combined with the fact that I love baseball this episode was an absolute delight.

I keep forgetting how bad I feel for Shindy boy here. Like, he was just slightly cocky and he ended up getting manipulated left and right. Seriously, I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up having nightmares about the 3-E students sniping him in his sleep or something.

Anyways, like I said. This is a good episode and we should really discuss it more. We should discuss Sugino more. DISCUSS THE BOY! <—— Barely discusses the boy in question

[azure-firecracker]

X-Files Masterpost

This post will be a central location where y’all can locate all of the X-Files content I make on this blog. Hopefully it makes it easier for things to be found! The goal is to update semi-regularly, but it will not always be 100% up to date. Also bear in mind that I am a first-time watcher, so please refer to my most recent posts if you want to know where I am in the show. I hope this is helpful!

My favorite thing about this fandom is how friendly y’all are, so please feel free to come to me with questions about any of my TXF stuff, fic or meta requests, random asks, or anything at all:)

My X-Files Fanfic

I have a general rule of not replying to comments for mental health reasons, but if you read these, know that I cherish every single comment and they often make my day, so please consider commenting if you enjoy:)

Beneath the Ice, Beneath My Skin (Teen and Up, 9,984 words): My first fic! An alternate version of Ice where Mulder is actually infected by the parasites. Paranoia and tension ensue!

Flight and Sanctuary (Teen and Up, 6,656 words): Scully and Mulder deal with the aftermath of Irresistible. Lots of angst, lots of worry, lots of hurt/comfort. As of the creation of this post, this is my most popular fic.

(And FANART! By @scullysmywife ! Yippee!)

Salvation (Teen and Up, 7,599 words): Mulder’s perspective during his missing scenes in The Erlenmeyer Flask, followed by how he and Scully cope with the trauma. Very angsty featuring some torture. 2 chapters: one during the episode, one after. The chapters can be read individually or together.

Save Me from the Fire (Teen and Up, 5,672 words): An alternate version of Our Town where Mulder and Scully switch places. Very tense, but also very heartfelt and tender (I hope). A personal favorite of mine.

Piece Me Together (General Audiences, 3,147 words): Scully takes care of Mulder post-731. Introspection and moments of extreme proximity ensue. Probably the most introspection-heavy fic I’ve written.

Caught on Tape (Teen and Up, 4,044 words): Scully finds tapes that Mulder made for her while she was abducted. Very emotional, almost pure angst with a bittersweet ending.

Raise Your Voices (Teen and Up, WIP): My ongoing multi-chapter fic in which Mulder and Scully go undercover in a community choir. Set in Season 2, featuring lots of fluff, humor, angst, hurt/comfort, and little tidbits about folk music from all corners of the world.

(And FANART! By the amazing @scullysmywife !)

Fic Rec Roundup (Seasons 1-3): Favorite fics I’ve read.

My Season Reviews

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Individual Episode Takes

Deep Throat

Irresistible

End Game

Anasazi

Syzygy

Wetwired

Memento Mori

Small Potatoes

Meta

Mulder + Scully + Saving Each Other

Intelligence Comparison

Mulder + Scully + Needing Saving

Season 2 Abduction Arc

The Problem with Season 2

Conversation on the Rock

What they Need to Hear: Irresistible vs. Teliko

Bringing Him Back to Life

Polls

Are You More Like Mulder or Scully?

Favorite Season

Hyperspecific Poll (X-Files Edition!)

TXF x Songs

MSR x Gracie Abrams Songs

MSR x Billie Eilish

Miscellaneous

Mulder + Scully being lousy at their jobs ( +Addendum)

Acknowledging Scully + Mulder’s good agent-ing in Season 1

Fanfiction Writers Made TXF

Why I love MSR

X-Files Episode Locations Game

My Camp Roommate’s Reaction to TXF

Criticizing the Score (+ Accompanying Meme)

Scully the “Rational One”

X-Files Ask Game

[xe-company]

CARAT’S CHOICE: FAN FAVORITE QUOTES OF SUN SOONAH  |  SEVENTEEN 14TH MEMBER

“If you don’t eat the crust of pizza slices, we’re not friends.”

A joke between her and a few of the CARATS who’ve told her they don’t eat the crust of pizza once during a fansign. She’s even said this to other idols and members of SEVENTEEN. One of her quotes that have become more of a meme or is mostly associated with her. Doesn’t mind it, fully backs her statement. 

___

“Step up or get stepped on.”

A joke between her and the members of SEVENTEEN from various dance practices & is also a low blow to people who don’t put in a lot effort in their comebacks and then complain about not getting attention, awards, or praises. She hates people complaining about not getting certain things if they don’t try hard enough. Another quote that gets highly meme’d from her. 

___

“Oh...hey”

CARATS favorite person in awkward situations. When there’s nothing to say she’ll just say this. Oddly referenced a lot. Is often a TIKTOK audio with some ship edits. she really doesn’t get it tbh. First hand embarrassment she feels when people bring it up. everytime. She can’t help it, she’s just naturally awkward around people she admired or doesn’t know well enough.

___

“I am going to sing into my 60s and 70s and 80s, if I can.”

CARATS love a dedicated queen. She loves her job and will continue to do it till she can’t anymore. First said on a variety show but she has also stated it multiple times during vlives and speeches. Was also once a caption on an Instagram post. She’s v passionate about her job and hobbies.

___

 “I always tell my fans that I miss them and love them.”

Any chance she gets she will express her gratitude and love for CARATS as they’ve been extremely supportive of her through thick and thin. Screams her love and praise to them at concerts and fansigns. Makes sure that there is no CARAT that feels unloved or self-conscious about themselves. 

___

“I've been through a lot of throwing myself away, and finding my way back. Making myself who I wasn't, then finding me back.”

It isn’t very often she is allowed to be open and emotional with CARATS. They love how raw she gets and how well she articulates her experiences and emotions in a way to help other people who may be going through the same thing. This quote originated in a documentary that she and the boys made. Tried not to cry when she first said it. she’s v emotional. 

[laufire]

Angel the Series for the ask meme thing 👀❤️

my favorite female character: with each rewatch I’ve loved Cordelia more and more, but it’s… complicated. She’s a character I like a lot, and that on paper I should gravitate towards above others, yet. I think it might be, in part, that I always knew what would happen to her and refused to get seriously invested LOL (I watched BTVS on tv as a child and practically unspoiled, but ATS years and years later). I also enjoy Lilah a lot, and LOVE Faith’s arc, small as it is.

my favorite male character: Angel and it’s not close. I like quite a few of the characters in the show, but the way Angel is crafted as a character, the way he works as a male lead… unparalleled.

my favorite book/season/etc: season 4. It has some of the most troubling stuff of the show, of course, but also concentrates some of my favourite things: Lilah/Wesley, the Angel-Faith-Wesley dynamic, Angelus’ return (with a gr10 example of a plot twist episode done right), Angelus-Connor… I love all the seasons in different ways but this is the one I find most interesting.

my favorite episode (if its a tv show): toss up between “Epiphany” (2x16), “Forgiving” (3x17), and “Home” (4x22).

my favorite cast member: I think all of them do a great job tbh, but I just LOVE what Julie Benz brings to the screen. And her voice *-*

my favorite ship: Lilah/Wesley!!!! I also love Angel/Darla and Angel/Faith/Wesley but. LILAH/WESLEY. They’re the ones that reduce me to tears, so (IT MEANS SOMETHING THAT YOU TRIED).

a character I’d die defending: eh. I get defensive when I see someone interpreting a character in bad faith, but it just doesn’t come close to what I feel for, say, Buffy.

a character I just can’t sympathize with: honestly? Fred. It has less to do with her as a person (although she had some moments xD), and more with how she’s built as a character. The only moment where she felt ~real to me was the episode with her parents’ appearance. It was gutting (especially paired with everyone else’s reactions like. Huh. Good parents? Now THAT is something I’ve never seen before!! Añsdkfjasdf).

a character I grew to love: hmm… idk. Wesley, maybe? Full disclosure, I liked Wesley even back in his BTVS days lol, but the love part definitely came with ATS.

my anti otp: nothing goes that far. I dislike Fred/Wesley and the way the triangle was written definitely made me dislike Fred/Gunn, I don’t care for how Angel/Cordelia was developed as a romance outside a few key moments… but nothing as rage inducing as that.

[mercerislandbooks]

Book Notes: The Break-Up Pact

It’s been an interesting trend to watch the cross-over between authors who write mainly YA debuting adult titles, and vice versa. Will this author that I’ve enjoyed so much in one category translate to another? Authors like Lynn Painter, Talia Hibbert, and Ali Hazelwood have all written well for both audiences, bringing their trademark voices and character development to whatever story they tell. Recently, one of my favorite YA rom-com writers, Emma Lord, made her adult romance debut with The Break-Up Pact. Emma Lord has established herself as a writer of humorous and heartfelt YA, centered around characters on the cusp of transition, with a feel of self-discovery and adventure (and romance).

The Break-Up Pact brings an adventurer back to her hometown after tragic circumstances. June Hart has returned to Benson Beach to run The Tea Tide, a tea shop on the beach boardwalk, following the death of her sister, Annie. The Tea Tide was Annie's dream, but now June is struggling to keep it afloat. Even though she is sticking to Annie’s vision of the shop, June is losing business and the confidence of her landlord. She's even lost her imagination for the creative scones she used to love baking. And this is all before her boyfriend breaks up with her on national television, making June a viral meme.

Meanwhile, her old high school friend, Levi, with whom June’s maintained an icy silence with for years, is also internet famous for HIS breakup. When he comes back to Benson Beach to lie low, he and June reconnect, and then an (accidentally) suggestive photo of the two of them grabs the internet's attention. June and Levi decide to use this interest to their advantage, hopefully driving curious customers to The Tea Tide, and making Levi’s ex jealous so she’ll reconsider their relationship. Fool-proof plan, right?

Fake-dating is one of my favorite tropes and I happily settled in to watch June and Levi unearth the misunderstandings from their past and work through their grief over Annie’s death. These two have enough of a history so they don’t have to work too hard to “pretend” for the internet, but they’ve also spent years apart and have much to discover about each other. It’s a slow burn of a story in all the best ways, and the payoff is delightful. Not to mention all the scones!

Pick up The Break-Up Pact and head to the beach for one last taste of summer, before we officially start the fall season this weekend!

— Lori

[greatcheshire]

How would you rank your vids based on how much you like them?

Ah yes!! I can answer this one

The Many Adaptations of Berserk: I feel like it has to be this one as my fav. There’s parts of the video I wish I could redo (mainly the audio), but to put out such labor of love and have it receive such a positive response back, it’s so fulfilling. From people telling me it got them into Berserk to survivors messaging me to tell me how much the video meant to them. It’s a sense of pride and accomplishment that I never thought I’d ever feel with my art.

Spider-Man Musical: This, for me, feels like the prime example of what I want my channel to be: exploring relatively obscure things in a way that shows how strange they are while also taking it seriously and really examining them. As someone who has been fascinated with this musical for over a decade, finally finding a way to make an essay about it and letting people know about things like the spider fucking and the shoe song.

Dollar Store Game Show: I wish I could redo the audio here. God I wish I could redo the audio here. That being said, I’ve always seen this as the hidden gem of my channel, and whenever I talk to other creators, chances are this is the video of mine they bring up. The Facebook conspiracy “In Motion” part might be my favorite editing gag I’ve ever done

Demo Reel: I would’ve ranked this much lower if I hadn’t rewatched it a few weeks ago for the new Demo Reel vid. Despite some first time video mistakes that I would happily fix if I could, I think the script here is really solid and could have been way worse. I get why people like this one so much. I probably would’ve been really into this video if I wasn’t the one who made it. I still can’t believe I actually got away with the Evangelion intro gag.

Kitchen Nightmares: I started outlining this video back in my college days. I rewatched it about a month ago and my main note is that it feels like a video anyone could’ve made on Kitchen Nightmares, for better or for worse, and lacks a lot of the… personal energy I like to include in these things? But I still think it’s pretty solid. I also meant to include an entire segment on Nathan For You and just… forgot to lmao oops

The Return of Demo Reel: This one is still so new that I haven’t fully processed my feelings on it. This is probably the meanest video I’ve done so far lol I wasn’t sure how much the two halves would connect together, especially since it’s the only video I’ve done so far that isn’t broken up into segments but is rather scripted as one long thing. The stinger is my second favorite stinger I’ve ever done for the channel. I’m so glad that landed for people as I almost cut it entirely lol

The Cinemassacre Backlash: It feels weird to rank this one so low. I still am proud of the result, but I also think it has the same issue as Kitchen Nightmares where it’s like oh, anyone could’ve made that. I did like getting to interject my perspective into the discourse as someone who co-writes and makes online content and I have gotten a lot of praise for this one by my peers which has been nice. Having it blow up so much was wild and has definitely been a career benefit, even if I’m unsure if I’ll ever do a video like this again

Harley and Ivy: I don’t know why but I can’t help but feel like I could’ve made this one better. I’m not sure how, but it just feels like it exists to me. I actually didn’t even remember that I did the whole thing with the Be Gay, Do Crime scale until I saw it referenced on my TV Tropes page

Lost Film About Internet Memes: This one is fine but it sits in a lower place in my head for a lot of reasons. First being that a lot of personal life stuff surrounding the release and aftermath of the video. Second being my hatred of the original thumbnail and the belief that it tanked that video in a way it’s only now recovering from, which affected future business dealings and negotiations and algorithm stuff. Then the fact that this is the only time I’ve regretted going soft in one of my videos. I originally put more stuff in the script about how I believed the guy who made it was a grifter who seems to do a lot of scams but I changed it to make it more subtext and less of a personal attack and then in the aftermath of the vid it turns out, oops, this guy had a history of screwing people over and grifting and jumped into cryptocurrency because of course he did. I don’t think I’d ever revisit this subject, but if I had a time machine, I would’ve had way more testimonials in the vid from former PopMalt people.

Existential Horror Of Making Content About Content: The nicest thing I can say about this one is that it was the first time I ever made a thumbnail myself and I’m actually pleased with how it turned out, all things considered. Otherwise I can’t see myself ever watching this again

I hope it doesn’t sound like I’m too harsh on my own work lol I just have a unique relationship to it, I think. I’m generally proud of my videos, even if I do have issues with them as their creator.

[worddevourer]

AFK

My friend’s been AFK in the discord chat for 10 minutes.  He said he’d be back, just a trip to the bathroom.  I guess he’s distracted, I could kick him, queue up, but I’ll wait for a few. It’s a shame, if I’m honest, the update’s just out, and the longer we wait, the more likely something turns out unstable, and the game goes offline.

My friend’s been AFK in the discord chat for 2 hours.  I gave up after an hour of waiting, and left him deafened and muted alone. I joked about it with my friends that he’s not going to get much socializing alone in chat like that.  He’s been marked as idle for a while now, so I can’t help wondering where he’s gone.

My friend’s been AFK in the discord chat for a day.  Despite my best efforts, I can’t help being a little bit worried.  He’s online probably more than he should be, but now his account icon hasn’t shifted from a little yellow circle saying he’s idle.  This is the day of the week where we pull up the watch-together channel and the whole server watches dumbass memes together.  We use a different channel tonight.

My friend’s been AFK in the discord chat for two weeks.  There are thoughts at the back of my head that I haven’t put in chat, even in the vent channel.  I already know I’m not the only one thinking it.  We don’t use that voice channel now.  Instead, we use the one we named ‘barnacle-brain-refuge’ after needing somewhere to kick someone while he was drunk off his ass.  We could kick him from the general channel, but we don’t.  Somehow, it feels better to see him there than the alternative.

My friend’s offline.  We don’t know why.  There were thunderstorms in the area he lives in.  It could be that his computer lost power.  I want to call check the outage reports in his area, but I only know he’s in Iowa.  I don’t have an address, or even a zip code.  He never shared his phone number.  He never needed to.  It’s stupid to worry, of course; he’s just a guy I friended because he could play support like a god, and we needed someone like that to queue with.

My friend’s still offline.  It’s been two months now, and a friend who doesn’t post often asked where he went.  We had to tell him the truth; we don’t know.  We don’t know how to find out.  We have a first name, a user id.  No other shared servers.  No outside connections.  I’ve stopped expecting him to come back.

My friend’s offline.  It’s been a year, and we never said goodbye.  We don’t know what happened.  All we know is that he’s gone.  He still has his server roles, including the one that’s just an insult.  He’s still got permission to tell the music bots what to play, even though the music bot we were using got banned off of discord.  Even his avatar is still that dumb edit we made of his favorite character offering the viewer weed.  It’s just an offline username in the sidebar, but I can’t bring myself to touch it.  When he walked away from the keyboard, what happened?  I’ve run the question back and forth through my skull until it’s 2AM and I know I’ll be exhausted at work, but I never get an answer.

I never will.

[platinum-disco-elysium]

i’ve thankfully stopped using twitter nearly as much as i used to and i’d like to tell you one of the reasons for that, being my favorite piece of the just absurdly high levels of phoniness that people on that website have.

there was a popular poster about queer/nd topics who commonly made posts with the format:

parent: “there’s no way my child could be [x]”

their child: [does something stereotypically associated with being x]

this style of joke took off. it’s no wonder why -- it has incredible interchangeability potential and, on a website where almost all communication takes place as glorified madlibs because nobody is capable of coming up with unique framings for their ideas, interchangeability is a very valuable transmission method for a meme.

this is all normal. it’s fucked up and betrays incredible flaws in twitter’s design an userbase, but it’s normal. what wasn’t normal was how under each and every one of these derivative posts, the derivativer would say “format credit: [@ of said popular poster]”. now, i know i just said that twitterers are incapable of being original, but credit where credit is due: that is an incredibly creative way to frame cynical retweet farming.

“format credit” is basically unheard of unless the format is based on, like, an obscure webcomic. the only reason anyone did this is to stroke the ego of a popular account so they would retweet it and bring more #engagement. but the framing of it as “credit” was such an incredible trump card! if you ever called someone out on, yknow, cynically farming retweets, you could get immediately snapped back with “oh so you don’t think artists should be credited for their work?”

it’s genius! it’s such a talented work of phoniness! it’s genuinely one of the most clever things that website has ever done, made possible exclusively by its particular idiosyncrasies, and it made me want that website burnt to the ground and its ashes pissed on.

[mocha-writes]

Sun, Moon, and Star OC Meme

Tagged by: @perkeleen-lavellan 

Sun

Isaac Hawke

Honestly, this ended up being the only motif left after assigning moon and star to my Inquisitor and Warden, but it fits a cheerful extrovert with red hair. Besides being a musician, I’ve pictured Isaac as someone who gardens--I don’t know if I’ve discussed this headcanon anywhere before or not, but I want to think that he and Merrill actually restore the gardens at the Amell estate--and the idea of sunlight as restorative and nurturing seems relevant for that. There’s also a connection with Varric’s tarot card representation (the Sun), so I think this suits Isaac rather well.

Moon

Solomon Trevelyan

Solomon has the color scheme for this, with albinism making him unusually pale and white-haired, but thinking of the moon as a representation of mystery, cycles, and emotion, I think this fits him as well. He’s a necromancer whose magic taps into life energy itself and deals with spirits that could easily be considered demons, and his life has been marked by phases that ultimately end in a “return”: growing up in the Alienage, being adopted into his father’s family after his mother’s death, being sent to the Circle where he gradually goes from rebellious apprentice with multiple escape attempts to Senior Enchanter and person who keeps the Ostwick branch of the Libertarians afloat after news of Kinloch Hold’s near-downfall causes a decline in membership, the Circle falling just for him to end up as part of the delegation of mages at the Conclave, being Inquisitor, and finally shedding that title by disbanding the Inquisition as well as his “human” name in favor of reclaiming “Sulevin,” his birth name that he had no choice but to give up when recognized by his father, Bann Trevelyan. He’s gradually had to learn to bottle up his emotions and get better at picking his own battles just to survive, but I still picture him as someone who feels a lot, deeply, and this, combined with “dark forces aren’t necessarily evil” and “it’s never too late to reconnect,” make me think a moon motif suits him.

Star

Ephraim Surana

This one came to mind immediately, because I’ve had “Ephraim studied astronomy in the Circle and is fascinated by the stars” as a headcanon for long time. Thinking about stars as crucial to navigation and as ways of understanding the world, considering all of the myths and history associated with constellations both in our world and Thedas, I think this motif suits Ephraim, who I also associate with stories and history. I feel like I’ve talked about the headcanon that he loves romance novels and has written fanfic for his favorite ones a lot, but one I haven’t focused on as much is “he translated and made copies of the Eluvian manuscript that’s crucial to the plot of Witch Hunt, so there’s no stealing of the text from Ariane’s clan by Morrigan, who’d have her own copy that Ephraim shared with her during the Blight.” I want to think there was an entire “ring” of mages dedicated to ensuring access to their people’s knowledge that the Chantry tried to claim and to preserving what they might have brought with them from outside the Circle, like songs, recipes, etc. It’s not an original idea by any means (thank you Kari/October-Rosehip for having things like this in Macsen’a backstory if you see this), but the sheer concept of an “underground elven library in Kinloch Hold” compels me. To bring this back around to stars, thinking of them as omens makes me think of Ephraim as well—he’s my oldest Dragon Age OC and has been through so many changes. I’ll probably mess with his story more if I ever get to replay the series again. But one theme I want to think has been consistent with him, and one I want to keep, is “no matter what one has done, one can always decide and try to be a better person.” When I think of omens, I think of symbols, mysterious and powerful, and I think that suits the Hero of Ferelden.

Tagging: @scribbledquillz @zeesqueere @musingmycelium and anyone who wants to do this and needs an excuse. Let me enable you. There’s no obligation, as always, this was just fun and I thought I’d share

[nenya85]

N, E, Y, and A for the ask meme! :-)

@uneorange OMG!  You picked the letters of my username!  That’s so clever.  It really made me smile :-) 

If any one else wants to ask (please!) the list is here!

N: Any fic ideas brewing that you’d care to share?

In addition to my ongoing WIP, “Life After Life,” I have two really vague fic ideas I’m mulling over. And believe me, when I say really vague, I mean really vague.

In no particular order:

VAGUE IDEA #1: Atem returns with Kaiba.  A bunch of unspoken assumptions are crammed in the Dimensional Cannon with them.  Atem’s first actions throw everything up in the air. Kaiba, still on a honeymoon high, brings Atem and Yugi together, with the flourish of a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat. Yugi falls apart.  He’s been the brave warrior for so long, and when he sees Atem, standing in front of him, real and alive, he dissolves into tears and thanks Kaiba for bringing Atem back.  Atem, shaken and guilty at the effect his leaving has had on his partner, focuses on comforting Yugi.  Kaiba (of course) assumes the idyll is over, as Mokuba wonders why he’s always the one left picking up the pieces.  I really want the story to be an exploration of the importance of romantic (Kaiba/Atem), platonic/friendship (Atem and Yugi) and familial bonds (Kaiba and Mokuba) as the characters negotiate their way through them.

VAGUE IDEA #2:  Every time Kaiba tries to reach Atem in the after-life, he winds up back in his past.  Meanwhile, every day Atem is spending in the after-life feels more hollow, as if he’s a vessel that’s emptying itself out.  As everything starts to feel less real, the one thought that becomes more solid is that Kaiba is involved.  They feel like they’re caught in a game and the only way out is to figure out what the game is and how to win.

E: What character do you identify with most?  Is there a certain fic of yours that captures these qualities particularly well?

Both Kaiba brothers.  My older brother was incredibly important to me growing up, and to this day, if he told me black was white, I’d be out there swearing he was right, so I really get that bone-in loyalty to an older sibling.  As much as I love Yugi’s values, in temperament, I really get Kaiba, and in a much milder form, a lot of his struggles have been mine.  

Capturing the Kaiba brothers has been an ongoing fixation of mine, so I’d like to think I’ve done them justice in all my stories.  I think the one that looked at Kaiba’s inner workings in the most literal way was probably “Giving Up the Ghosts,” where Kaiba created an immersive virtual world that reflects all of his inner conflicts, strengths and damage and then has to figure out how to win to escape.

Y: What are your thoughts on your personal satisfaction with something you’ve written vs. the popularity of your stories?  Do you tend to be most satisfied with your most popular stories?  

I tend to avoid thinking of my stories in terms of popularity because that’s a particularly self-destructive rabbit hole for me, and no matter where I start, I always end up feeling bad about my writing.  I came up with a very simple metric that ended up working:  Did I tell the story in my head to the best of my ability at the time I wrote it?  So far the answer has been yes, and that has remained an enormous source of satisfaction.

A: Of the fanfic you’ve written, which is your favorite and why?

OMG!!! That’s like asking a parent who their favorite child is!  TBH, I don’t really have an answer because I spend so much time nurturing each story.  Also, in addition to being stories in and of themselves, they’re also my experience of writing them, and for me, those two things are inextricably intertwined.  Writing my first story was an amazing experience because I’d never thought of myself as a creative person, and writing a whole story was something I would have said was beyond my ability.  Having people connect with it and to meeting so many people through it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.  I had several (mostly successfully resolved) health issues while writing my current WIP and there were months where each successful update felt like a victory in and of itself, and the story has occasionally became a stand-in, and at times a target, for my fluctuating moods.  TBH, I’m not sure if I’m avoiding the question or if I simply can’t answer it.

[leolingo]

QSMP SHIPS AS VCT 2024 TEAMS according to ME

made this post for my own enjoyment 100% disclaimer: not everything fits

SPIDERBIT -> FNATIC (2024)

*2023 picture, but the roster didn’t change, so.

a LEGACY at this point. half of the lineup has been active in the scene for years, advancing in tournaments with scrappy fights but never winning. the other half came later, complemented the existing parts and immediately pushed them into powerhouse status. considered the best in the WORLD by many. some players look up to them, every player wants to take them down. they’re the active team with the highest number of international trophies. had a slow start this year, and are currently out of the spotlight — bumped off by newer talent. still, given that all 5 players are in the world’s-best conversation for their respective roles, it’s hard to count them out. definitely not a crowd favorite in brazil, a big sore loss in home-soil stands in the way, but the ones who do acknowledge them have great respect for their game. coincidentally my second favorite team overall.

PISSA -> LOUD (2024)

household name. consistently not only good, but often GREAT despite roster/staff changes, and still the overlookers persist. been in the scene forever, making it to big stages from their very first run. the name of the game is teamwork, despite also fostering some of the most consistent and individually talented players in the scene over the years. fairly reserved internationally, not as flashy as some of the others, but still EXTREMELY popular in their corner. brazil’s pride and joy — my #1!!!!!!!! + have made top 4 and are in contention to win the current tournament stage even though no one believed they’d do well, after losing their star player at the end of last year. they play tomorrow! any positive energy is welcome :P

FITPAC -> SENTINELS (2024)

used to be promising at the very beginning, then fell off into obscurity for years. this year, though, they’re BACK! in peak form like they never left, baby. some of the most beloved personalities in the community are here! slow and steady wins the race — a couple bumps in the form of SEVERAL roster/staff changes and several disappointing results never stopped anyone. the long-term fans, those who never stopped believing, are some of the most intense I’ve ever seen. very popular online and homecrowd buff is real for them no matter where in the globe they’re at. they have also made top 4 in the current tournament and are, by a good portion of viewers, expected to win! also somewhat beloved in brazil (we exported one the players, after all. they owe us SOME of the success) but mostly we just like to pick on them. it’s fun :)

ELQUACKBIT -> 100 THIEVES (2024)

ok these motherfuckers never win. most times they don’t even qualify. it’s so fun to root for them though. i heard they were decent maybe a billion years ago, when the game had just come out and no one was TRULY good. they have yet to go back to that. they lose so consistently it’s a community meme at this point, and viewers are PERPETUALLY clamoring for players to be dropped. their duelist has been on the internet’s chopping block for years and he’s still there! streets say THIS YEAR THOUGH! this might finally be when he gets booted and they bring in someone else! do i think it will happen? i’ll believe it when i see it. most believers lost hope a long time ago, and i truly believe the only reason the org is still afloat is because everyone in there is very clouted individually. they sell SO much merch. no game wins in sight, though. in the meantime, i wish them the very best :3

[toweroftunes]

Since you reblogged that thing about bringing tumblr asks back... I'll bite! How long have you been writing? And what are some of your favorite tropes and/or storylines to write about? ✍😊

Hiii, Cherry!!! Thank you so much for the ask 💕

I’ve been writing fic/long form stories for about 2-ish years now, I think. Before that I’d written mainly poetry, personal essays, etc. where creative writing was concerned. Idk, narrative fiction always really, really intimidated me haha. So I kinda found my way to it through fan fiction—like, everyone just seemed to be having a good time creating fan works and that made it feel okay to join in without much pressure to be Good™ (idk if that’s exactly how I want to phrase it, but hopefully that makes sense).

Aghghhhhh TROPES. Hmmm, probably obvious but I reaalllly love Partners (platonic & romantic), and also Idiots to Lovers. SoMa and DeathStar are top ships for me, after all. As far as story-lines uhhhh idk. I think I honestly write more based on vibes than story-lines sometimes? Like, I’ll think: what tone can I communicate with this scene or with this dialogue or with this environment? That’s pretty non-specific of me, but as long as there’s a partners aspect there are lots of story-lines I’d write about (especially if I was a faster writer lol).

With my 2022 Resbang I was drawn to Dorohedoro as an AU because the manga is SO unique and weird and created such specific worlds. I wanted to recreate that vibe more than the story-line (which is technically a mystery/crime mystery in a comedy-horror world). Plus there’s the built-in partners aspect. Like, parts of the plot/story-line are reflected in Chaos for the Fly, but I won’t ramble on about that here because Dorohedoro is bonkers and explaining it is like that meme of Charlie Day in It’s Always Sunny.

With Big Time, I really just saw the pilot episode for the BBC show Starstruck and wanted to translate the meet-cute to SoMa, and recreating the scene/vibe in the nightclub was something that I didn’t have to think about as much as actually coming up with a story-line. I did have to create the partners aspect there, though haha. I mean, I initially wrote this to take a break from writing heavier stuff, just for some one shot rom-com fun. Fast forward to me deciding to continue Big Time further than a one shot and struggling because I don’t know exactly where I want to take it plot-wise.

Okay okay I’ve rambled 😭