#but i think i'm mostly vague enough to not REALLY spoil anything

[dustmint]

*Inbox INVASION.* Hehe, Helloooo, *Ramble about anything card.*

HIIII!!!!!! I have. So many things to ramble about you have no idea what you've unleashed 👁👁 (But also I'm bad at thinking of what exact topics soooooo, this rant might be all over the place)

I wanna ramble about my oc Atlas Seek, they're one of my silliest little guys that I'm very obsessed with at the time. I have A LOT of ocs (around +24) ((I know this cause I put them in a hunger games simulator once, just because I got bored, it's very fun)) but I often tend to get like pretty focused on some of my ocs for some time and then forget all about them, this is something that has happened a lot and has caused some of my ocs to be really forgotten, cause i usually tend to pick favourites ehem–

Anyways! Onto Atlas, I love them dearly, they're a really fun character and also a bastard, he's my silly little guy. Though I'm not actually sure if I can count Atlas as an oc cause he's sort of mostly Jekyll and Hyde just like, glued together onto each other??? At least that's how they begin, Atlas is the result of like, Hyde and Jekyll joining together, I'm actually writing a fic with them, in the fic Atlas is formed by Mind Lanyon cutting off Hyde's head, this causes stuff to happen. Jekyll's mind tries to join Hyde back to Jekyll, sort of like trying to connect them as if they were two pieces of a puzzle, but the thing is that Hyde has his own consciousness, he's not just Jekyll's vices and repressed urges, there's something else in there that doesn't belong to Jekyll, but is instead Hyde, the vague beginnings of a person who sees himself as nothing else except as the evil of Jekyll.

Anyways, this results in them not being able to fuse back together, at least not so much not their consciousness, but you know what it does try to fuse back together that doesn't struggle as much as their consciousness? Their bodies, so Jekyll's mind just sort of triggers something like a transformation but not really one, it's just enough so that they have both traits of Jekyll and Hyde's bodies, but not enough to be one or the other completely, this sort of results in no one being able to recognise them as Jekyll or Hyde

They both eventually realize this and decide to go for a new name under this appearance "Atlas Seek"

ANYWAYS, I REALLY WANNA KEEP RAMBLING BUT THAT WOULD SPOIL SOME OF THE BITS OF MY FIC AND MAKE THIS MUCH LONGER THAN IT ALREADY IS— THANKS FOR THE RAMBLE CARD :33

[theflyindutchwoman]

Hello,

I can see lucy having a big undercover mission now that end up with her getting the golden ticket and that's how she will be able to be detective. I have nolan vibe from when he wanted to be TO. If anything this ep confirm for me lucy will be detective.

From what I've seen in the past 24 hours, you're not the only one who thinks that - or should I say, hope for this outcome. I'm not gonna lie, I'm a bit on the fence with the Golden Ticket scenario. And this isn't a criticism towards you, Anon, or anyone who likes this idea by the way. It's just that, like you said, this is exactly what the writers did with Nolan so rehashing the same storyline with the same outcome feels kind of lazy to me. I also can't help but feel like she should already have gotten one by now if that were to happen. If taking down two major drug cartels on your first solo UC op, despite being mostly untrained, didn't warrant one, then how is she supposed to top that? She took down another major drug cartel and some very dangerous criminals on her second UC op and that still wasn't enough.

And even if she were to get one, I don't know if that would really solve the problem. We know that Nolan still had to take the TO exam first… So does that mean Lucy would have to retake the detective exam? Or since she technically passed, can she skip that part and directly get a spot? Cos in the first case, she would still have to face Primm… and somehow I doubt he would be any less vindictive. The second outcome sounds much better but if Primm administered the oral exam, I'm assuming that means he supervises that department, right? If that's the case, knowing that one of your superior has it for you isn't exactly an enviable working environment. She could win him over, of course. Or he could also disappear like the Union president who was after Nolan. Or I could completely be overthinking this! To be clear, I'm not entirely opposed to this idea either. If that means we get more Lucy as a badass, I'm in. Maybe she will be instrumental in apprehending the bad guy in the next episode (I'm trying to be vague here so I don't spoil too much) or the mastermind behind the attacks from the finale/premiere. I just wish that the Golden Ticket hadn't already been used in a similar fashion.

[coffinsister]

Eeee so I can't pick a favorite between Ashley and Andrew but when I was playing it I definitely saw Ashley as sorta yandere vibes? Like yknow with the girl dying in the box was the primary example, Andrew going along with it too was like 👀 because why would he go along with killing someone unless he was either The Biggest Doormat (which i definitely understand seeing the creator's notes) or he was also vaguely yandere but not acknowledging it. There's a lot of toxicity between them obviously and a lot of trauma (not sure where from aside from whole being locked in the apartment for Hecc knows how long and maybe neglectful parents) but they seem to be reading the same book but they're not the same page if that makes sense. Andrew probably also has some Older Sibling syndrome going on there because he cares about Ashley if reluctantly sometimes and takes responsibility for things, while Ashley makes sense as the younger sibling (as an older sister myself it at least was recognizable with how Andrew was telling Ashley she had to realize what they'd done at the end of the chapter) and with the whole demon thing it made me wonder what the talisman will show Ashley or if there will be more complicated horror with the two of them encountering more cultists or if their parents had something to do with the issue because I definitely agree on the whole sus mom thing

All in all I love how the game gives us enough information to see kind of where it could go but doesn't spoil the plot and the Coffin part of the title definitely gave me 4th wall thoughts similar to Homestuck. The apartment/demon occult based horror is similar to Sally Face too so it just took the gremlins and made me super interested in the story. If i ever write anything i'll definitely send it to you!! I work as a writer off of tumblr for a larp company currently though so my brain is a bit fried but I love this game a lot and it was super interesting to see what was going on in the story 👀

Thank you !!! Don't overheat your brain anymore than necessary to survive in the techno capitalist hellscape singularity we are currently in but if you do find the time to write anything that would be amazing :D

And now to answer everything else:

I love both siblings for their own reasons I really do but I fell in love with Andrew the moment I saw him because brocon tendencies defeat all sorts of common sense immediately for me

Yeah Ashley totally fits into the yandere archetype except she's more real I would say and she's definitely more western than full on anime like

I say she's more real because she's actually shown to struggle a lot with socialization and with her parents and just seems to be rejected by the world around her because of her personality instead of just being a random girl who somehow exists with that behavior and it's okay

Yeah I actually don't really understand Andrew's motivations for going along with stuff all that deeply I always feel like there's something I'm missing with him but mostly I just see it as well he genuinely really cares for his sister and doesn't want to see her in distress and he's super codependent as well and cannot lose and he's a pushover too and finds it easier to go along and blame her for everything instead of standing up to her and risk losing her and then having to confront himself

As Ashley did say she's the only person he can be real with so he can't stand to lose her

I also totally think he's yandere on his own right like maybe yandere wouldn't be the right term for him because he definitely doesn't present himself at first as more approachable like Ashley does but he's still super overprotective of her

Like straight up one of the like 7 times the Rage sprite is used twice are just for the time where Ashley makes the comment about getting pregnant from their neighbor

So yeah they are both yanderes for each other and we love that for them

Personally I see the trauma from them steming from yeah killing that girl that's definitely not something you can just walk off but also from their parents seeming to be very detached and neglectful of them and also from Ashley specifically I see her as somebody who's never managed to have a long lasting relationship of any type with anybody other than Andrew

She expresses that just who she is and her personality makes people turn away from her and that over so much time and starting up from so young can really mess a person up

And then she starts isolating Andrew too and they wind up becoming dependant on each other and no matter what forcing one person to carry the weight that a whole entire social circle should is always going to end up turning toxic ah~ which is what I so love about them I'm just a natural sucker for toxic siblings dynamics

Actually your perspective saying that Ashley fits as a little sister is really interesting to me because I am a little sister I can't really understand how older siblings look at their younger siblings but I can see a lot of how me and my older sister are like in just how they banter and stuff

Like that bit where Andrew is like nope you go get the batteries It was like a Deja Vu for me swear to God

I definitely think the whole prophetic dreams stuff is gonna play a big role in the full game and I'm really looking forwards to the horror potential of it all

I also really enjoy the idea of Ashley being super paranoic all the time about everything she dreams because what if she interprets it wrong what if she doesn't see the right thing what if it ends up getting Andrew hurt and as much as he doesn't want him to be able to live on without her that stems from the fact that she definitely cannot live on without him

One thing I really enjoy about dystopian stories is that they tell you just enough they make you feel like the world was already here before you and you are just watching it at the moment and this game does that so well

I know nothing about Homestuck but everyday I learn something new about it as it seems

And sorry, as you can probably tell, I can talk a whole lot about my special interests jejeje (☍﹏⁰).

[duck-in-a-thrift-store]

Alright guys here's the first room closeup (+ headcanons/notes), by popular demand:

~Mike & Will's room~

(Plz don't judge my choice of wall art I pretty much just picked it bc it matched the wallpaper colors and there weren't a lot of good options)

Ok so design details

I know yall see that blue and yellow, and the green in the middle. All very intentional. The bed w/ the yellow blanket is Will's & the one w/ the blue blanket is Mike's. They sit on the rug when they're having their little heart-to-hearts that the rest of the party never seem to be a part of for "some reason"

Also, these boys wear a lot of fuckin stripes, so. Blue and yellow striped wallpaper? Green striped rug? Idk man it was screaming byler what can I say

And then there's a record player or whatever on the dresser between them, bc as we all know Will is a music guy and Mike lets Will do whatever he wants even if that means keeping him up listening to his favorite song all night bc he'd never forgive himself if Vecna somehow got Will bc Mike made him turn it off*

*So, to explain what that's all about: after his repeated failed attempts with Max, One went after Will next bc y'know, lots of trauma, easy target, etc (at least that's what the mf thought, I'm pretty sure Will lowkey has powers or smthn)

(This happened before the start of the au btw so it's just sort of background info, it might be mentioned but it won't be happening in present)

But anyway Will almost got Vecna'd and it was partially Mike's fault bc they got in a fight, Mike said smthn stupid and Will ran off, we know the drill (Mike still blames himself for it even tho they made up & Will forgave him and is fine)

Mike kinda lost his shit, honestly I'm thinking in his terror he pushed El too hard to save Will (when she was already doing her best obviously bc that's her brother) and that was part of why they broke up bc even El realized he cared more about Will than her- Mike is pretty much the only one who doesn't know yet lol

And they all survived obviously but now they're both kinda extra paranoid about it and even though they've moved far away and One hasn't followed them they still worry that some day he might track them down, so they fall into a (compulsive) habit of playing Will's favorite songs on repeat

(I'm not giving you his fav songs bc first of all I can't even decide my own fav song and also it just feels really presumptuous like that's too personal of a thing for me to decide for somebody else. I take music very seriously & very personally ok. Funnily enough tho I am listening to "should I stay or should I go" at this very moment)

Anywho, moving along

That desk by the door is mostly used for coming up with new campaigns they don't want the others to spoil (it's ok for their roommate to have insider knowledge that's not an unfair advantage or anything and besides it just can't be helped y'know? /s) no but they do collaborate sometimes and they work so well together as storytellers that the others find it lowkey unsettling (Dustin and Lucas are used to it tho)

>tw: vaguely suicidal themes?

Someone, not thinking I guess, makes an offhand joke about them being on the ground floor so they don't have to worry about Mike jumping out the window, and Will, who somehow hadn't ever actually heard the whole "quarry story," asks what that's supposed to mean and then they very awkwardly have to explain and he's basically like "oh my god what the hell that's not fucking funny why would you joke about that" and for a while after learning about it he's extra conscious of any self-deprecating/self-sacrificing type shit Mike says

Also they have "crazy together" written somewhere in the room no one else will see it. It's uncertain where, or whose idea it was, or why they did it, but they did. Probably to sort of make the room feel more like it was claimed as *theirs* after having to move to a new house far away from familiarity, and as a reminder to always be there for each other when times are tough

[pinnithin]

FAKE BOURBON OLYMPICS AKA PIN DRINKS A LOT OF LIQUID THAT TASTES BAD FOR SCIENCE

I was originally going to have 2 real whiskeys and 5 fake whiskeys competing in this, but Lyre's Spirit Co sent me imitation rum by mistake so they're disqualified. I judged these all by smell, straight taste, taste with a mixer, and taste on ice. I am not a professional taste tester or anything so this will be in layman's terms. They're the only terms I have :,)

Results below the cut.

MY COMPARISON POINTS: cheap whiskey and decently expensive whiskey. Whistle Pig had an $80 bourbon but I just couldn't bring myself to cough up that much for something as silly as an experiment I'm sharing on the internet. I've already spent enough.

Evan Williams Black Label - $12.99 Smell: like whiskey Straight: it's whiskey On Ice: still whiskey Cocktail: great! it's whiskey :) Overall: I mean, like, it's whiskey. It's cheap, decent whiskey. It's fine. We're well acquainted.

Whistle Pig PiggyBack 100% Rye - $49.99 Smell: like better whiskey Straight: smooth, no burn - like better whiskey On Ice: delicious! can sip this easily Cocktail: fine. kind of hard to detect. honestly the Evan Williams is better. Overall: I don't often indulge in more expensive liquors because I care more about getting drunk than what it tastes like, but this was nice. Sweeter than I was expecting for 100% rye.

THE CONTENDERS:

Ritual - $29.99 Smell: strong, kind of tobacco smell Straight: not very good! made me gag! really burns on the back end. mostly bitter but vaguely fruity. On Ice: not too bad tbh. I could sip this. still bitter but not overwhelming. Cocktail: fine with a mixer, still kind of bites me. not a huge a fan of the bitter tobacco flavor

Free Spirits - $36.99 Smell: mostly like banana Straight: this one's bad too! acidic, very sour, like lemon and cinnamon On Ice: still not super great on ice, but tastes more like a real whiskey when it comes to the burn. Cocktail: absolutely fine and acceptable with a mixer

Kentucky 74 - $23.99 Smell: acidic, but like, in the way wet printer paper smells acidic Straight: this tastes like. if you took printer paper and boiled it and added cinnamon. tries to kick but mostly only twitches. On Ice: not very good at all on ice, but to be fair the bottle says “for bourbon cocktails,” so at least it didnt set up unrealistic expectations. kind of woody, no bite or burn at all. Cocktail: still gross with a mixer I dont think this one can be saved tbh

Monday - $44.99 Smell: mostly just like toffee Straight: oh, bad, very bad. tastes like rancid citrus with a little toffee on top On Ice: still pretty bad. I couldn’t sit there and sip it. too sugary with too much spoiled lemon taste. A little bite but not enough to make it worth it. Cocktail: still gross with a mixer. The flavors are too strong and its too noticeable, like whatever I'm drinking has subtly spoiled.

FINAL RESULTS

Closest to actual whiskey: Ritual and Free Spirits. Ritual tastes more like Whistle Pig and can be sipped on the rocks best. Flavor is decent without tasting totally like water. I don't hate it. Free Spirits is stronger and better in cocktails.

Don't waste your time: Kentucky 74 and Monday. The former is too weak and the latter is too strong. Seriously stay away from Kentucky 74 unless you like the taste of printer paper.

ABSOLUTELY NONE OF THESE ARE GOOD NEAT IF YOU LIKE YOUR WHISKEY NEAT DONT EVEN BOTHER

Overall none of these are like, flawless imitations of the real thing, but a couple are decent substitutes. I won't really be satisfied with imitation liquor until I get that very specific alcohol burn from one of them, which is unfortunate because you need alcohol for that, and that defeats the whole purpose of a nonalcoholic liquor. A couple of these could definitely tide me over when I want to drink but have shit I have to be at in the morning.

If you read all this, thanks and I hope it was helpful!

[otogariado]

Hey Sinaya! Seeing you talk about BrBa and BCS has definitely intrigued for a good while now and I have been considering watching a few episodes to see if I like it. However, the topic of cancer is A Lot for me and I was wondering how deep that is entertwined with both shows. I know that's why Walter decides to start making meth, so does it fade in time or is it constantly mentioned? Thanks! (you can answer publicly if u want for other ppl to know what to expect I don't personally mind :>)

i can answer this a bit more easily with BCS. in BCS, it's hardly mentioned—really only once very late in the show, and not super touched upon. (in a more script analysis way i think it was just want to illustrate a connection from the character who has it to walter + to illustrate another major character's "humanity" with how they react to this information.)

in BRBA it's mainly used more as a narrative device. in earlier episodes of the show walter is shown getting his diagnosis, and then later episodes show him getting treatment (chemo), and there's some talks about/relating his cancer, but it's mostly used to be the ticking time bomb element to the story.

(less vague/more spoilery/detailed kind of explanation below the cut, but i'll try not to spoil anything irrelevant)

cancer is usually brought up in three main ways in the show in relation to walter: 1) as the actual condition he's diagnosed with, 2) as a driving/motivational force for him, and 3) as, to quote someone else, a device that puts him in imminent death.

i've already mentioned #1 but they don't go much in detail with this aspect, i think. if your concern is about the more medical side of the experience, walter gets his diagnosis, and after he decides to get chemo, there's a few doctors' appointments here and there and some moments of him getting his treatment. but nothing too detailed nor medical procedures-heavy imo. 'course i'm not the best person to ask how much it hits close to home since i've not had to deal with it myself, but from what i've seen other people say it's like. the usual stuff where they've clearly paid enough attention but it's still not really a serious deep dive into what living with cancer or someone with cancer is like. the most we see of walter's struggle with it is his coughing fits, and some moments during the earlier episodes when he starts taking his treatment. (some people have commented on how unrealistic his energy levels are.)

and it's because it's treated more of a narrative device, like i said. #2 and i guess #3 too are the basic premise of the show—walter mentions his cancer multiple times in terms of how he's realized he's probably gonna die soon and HAS to figure out a way to make sure he doesn't leave his family with nothing when he does. there's more of a talk about walter's morality here than the cancer itself. (idk where to put this extra info but i wanna add that walter's cancer is put into remission and he no longer has a life sentence hanging over his head, at least for the moment, it becomes a way to illustrate how much walter is being driven by forces other than his need to provide for his family. aka his ego and shit.)

another important thing i have to mention is the way they "moralize" cancer in the show. ofc in real life anyone can be diagnosed with it and it has no bearing on whether or not a person is "bad" and "deserves" it. the show mostly doesn't try to moralize cancer, either. the only times it might come off like it does is when other characters around walt are being negatively affected by him and wish for him to just die already, or wish for "the cancer to come back". i don't think we're meant to take this as the show's thesis statement about how cancer is a punishment or something, since these remarks were made by characters in stressful, emotionally heightened situations. i don't think it happens often enough outside of this context to be treated like a core theme of the show. morality, like i mentioned, maybe. but themes about terminal illness being a sort of karmic punishment? nah, not really.

i hope this is helpful and clear and not just word vomit!

[fragments-of-despair]

Finished chapter 4. I'll keep my thoughts brief. Don't worry. They're mostly positives this time.

Of course, trying to keep it vague enough, but spoilers ahead.

First, the positives.

This was by far the most interesting mystery out of the entire game. The intricacies, the careful planning, the mastermind reveal. All of it worked perfectly. Even when I figured out where it was going, I was still surprised and impressed with the overall solution.

Also, Vivia Twilight?

BEST BOY BEST BOY BEST BOY BEST BOY BEST BOY BEST BOY BEST BOY BEST BOY BEST BOY BEST BOY BEST BOY BEST BOY BEST BOY BEST BOY

I adored his development this chapter and loved how his Forte and personal convictions and worldview influenced the investigation. I can't really describe anything about it without spoiling too much, but like, damn, he's worth the $60 price tag. I can see why the one side NPC fell in love. Vivia is just AMAZING.

Also, this was probably Shinigami's best outing. She was still her usual self, but she also met her match in Vivia, and the overall story really started getting to her in a way the other cases didn't. So when the culprit reveal happened and she reaped the soul, it made sense why it went the way it did. And I found myself getting a bit emotional over this culprit along with all the detectives.

That being said, I'm still rather disappointed in the lack of true comradery between Yuma and the other detectives, as well as the lack of character conflict between the Nocturnal Detective Agency and the Peacekeepers. Most of the characters still feel like they're just kind of there, especially the villains. And that leaves everything feeling rather bare bones without even scraps to nibble on.

It might sound weird, but I think what hinders this game is the fact that you don't really interact with anyone outside of the main mystery and the Gab mechanic, and that mechanic is easy to pass over if you don't find all the statues and don't actively go out of your way to find them all. If they had made Kanai World more of an open box to explore like, say, a Legend of Zelda or Assassin's Creed game, where you unlock certain cases and interact with certain characters based on certain conditions and are encouraged to explore the world, I think I would have found the emotional core of this chapter more hard hitting.

Give me side quests where you go undercover with Desuhiko more and master a relationship meter or something similar.

Give me side quests where you and Halara take on cold cases and you work on paying off your debt to them you incur in chapter 2.

Go on more adventures with Fubuki to unlock certain districts in Kanai Ward and learn more about the outside world.

Give me lore based adventures with Yakou and Vivia, who are supposed to have this strong bond based on the emotional core of this chapter.

And make it so that your choices can affect how you go through the Mystery Labyrinth in the main story chapter. Have the Master Detectives come with you and actually have them help more with the investigations in there because as it stands, the only ones who really justified being there were Vivia and Halara, but that had to do more with the story rather than the gameplay.

I really, really want to love this game, but overall it feels empty. It easily could have been an 80-120 hour game if given the time and resources, and I feel like it would be all the better for it.

Hopefully chapter 5 sticks the landing because from my understanding, it's the final chapter, and I'm really hoping that it keeps improving where chapter 4 left us.

Overall, if I had to rank all of the chapters so far from best to worst, it'd look something like this:

Chapter 4: The Imperfect Insider

Chapter 2: A Silent Curtain Call

Chapter 0 and Prologue: Massacre on the Amaterasu Express/the WDO vs Amaterasu Corperation

Chapter 1: The Nail Man Killings

Chapter 3: No Longer a Detective (Chapter 3 curse lives on)

To be honest, I think I would have gladly waited another two or three years for Rain Code if it were filled with more than what we got.

As of right now, the only reasons I would say to get this game as is would be because of Yuma, Halara, Vivia, and the music. Otherwise, it might be better to wait until it's on sale.

Here's hoping chapter 5 stays on the upward trajectory and sticks the landing.

[mr-leach]

Okay but to add onto the tags of my last reblog like. I feel like as far as Twitter/tumblr are concerned I'd have a pretty easy time logging off for the most part and becoming some type of cryptid that posts only 2 times a month but idk if I could ignore youtube Idk if I'm that strong

I'd def do the Scott Cawthon thing & email MatPat like "I saw your video it definitely gave me a laugh" like I could not help myself

Like idk tumblr theorists are def just having fun with what the creators have given them so I'd be able to just sit back like "this is cool, this is fun" but there's something about 10 minute video essays trying to "explain" the plot to people who don't "get it" (or are never going to play the game, lbr) that really annoys me and I don't think I could will myself into shutting up about it lol. Mostly I think it just has to do with a) the fact that YouTube is a monetized platform and b) like there is this...unspoken assumption that whatever conclusion the video's creator came to is The Correct Interpretation that I think deserves heckling from the original creator, like I wouldn't get on Twitter and blast someone's take on there but on YouTube I'd feel justified leaving a comment like "not quite but I like your enthusiasm"

Though tbh as much as that stuff might compel me come out of my burrow and comment it's definitely not as bad as just...the plethora of non-content on YouTube that makes its money off of just giving third-hand information about a thing. Like the minute Some Generic Deepvoice Dude who makes his living off of just spoiling the plot of other people's creative work (like idgaf about let's plays, let's plays are their own form of entertainment) by like, reading the wikipedia summary to a bunch of vaguely related screenshots tries to touch my stuff I'm gonna start barking, actually

Nothing channels that "report" on the latest popular thing, regurgitating barely researched controversy, spreading false information, and making heavily padded videos that barely say anything that can't be summarized in length of a single tweet but are just long enough to put ads in (40 second graphic about hitting the like & subscribe buttons included) are a literal plague and if I ever make anything worthwhile enough for those parasites to try and make money off of I will actually come for them I will go beast mode

[myaquariusheart]

7/6

I know I haven't written anything here in a long time. I've been avoiding it, I know no one is reading this, but I'm also embarrassed if someone does I just found my own journal and I'm so happy I wrote what I did to see how far I came and what I was thinking back then, and I love it and it actually inspired me to write now. I haven't written since I left for Oxford. Oxford was amazing, it was a good holiday for a few days spending time with Boyn and having a different atmosphere and experiences and I would love to go again and I probably will soon enough. I met interesting and new people, heartbreaks so many laughs and memories that I'll keep inside forever. I wish I stayed longer. Coming back I have had a weird experience things have not been good at home and that's why I've mostly been avoiding writing I know I'm vague but I also don't want to document parts of my life and leave out important bits but I'll probably write them in my diary. Anyway I have exciting news, I have passed all my modules, my results are not out yet but I just know I have, I also saw I passed my dissertation so I'm proud of myself and I can't believe I've done it but after so long I'm going to finally graduate. I'm over the moon and to spoil myself I booked a holiday with T. We're going to Portugal for 5 days, this is going to be my first abroad holiday, alone, just me and I am so so excited and so grateful for everything. Things in the Cafe have been good and more busy, I picked up a few extra shifts last week and although it was super tiring, I loved having this responsibility and routine of going to work. Today I did the long shift and it was really good even though I had 2 hours of sleep, I still managed to do everything even though it was really affecting my memory which was bad, I was forgetting things the moment people told me their coffee order. I literally made 11 crispy chickens, I didn't even realize how many I made until I saw the total at the end. I went to the gym with Cake, we were both tired but I'm proud of us for going. We've come a long way and have seen progress which I'm happy about and it's only time we do more and more and we will see more. We went to the Greyhound after and got some fish and chips and ran into T and C. It was nice catching up with C I was nervous at first but it was good. Now I'm home on Facetime with S and watching Love Island. I'm in a good mood even though me and cake was bitching all evening at dinner.

[ishgard]

📒- For a secret journal/diary they keep (Bonus: Share an entry from it!) GIMME THE LIL SIS NOTES

Whether it’s her quarters at the Rising Stones, or her apartment in the Goblet, books are a pervasive part of her decor. Stacks by the bedside, shelves crammed full - and no few of them are leather-bound tomes written in her own hand. All with covers unmarked, save for the wear and tear of time and travel.

Some are notes of her studies, many and more of her adventures. Others still are the same foreign characters scrawled over and over again - tireless practice at learning how to read and write wheresoever her journeys might take her… 

Most of her writing was never penned with intention or thought of being read by another. Likewise, most of it is nothing particularly private, or damning. Just a lone woman’s ramblings, perhaps one of her solitary means of relieving her mind from the cacophonous multitude of thoughts and worries that weigh upon her from day-to-day; the pages themselves are her audience. 

Some are writ with a more measured voice, indicative of her mothers strict teachings. Others still are just stray sentences and thoughts messily strung together. A book sat on her desk, fresh and yet unmarred from hard travel, is opened to it’s first page and seemingly penned in the style of the former.

‘Nothing quite so satisfying as a fresh new journal to crack into.’ The words are scrawled in flowing, carefree letters across the top of the page, a lone statement all their own, the date scratched in beside them like an afterthought. Then, a space beneath; ‘With winters chill in the air the days have grown shorter. The Starlight festivities will be upon us soon, and that always seems something to look forward to. I fear of late there has not been much else.’ The period puddles a little, a pause lingered upon just a moment too-long. 

‘The chill mornings bring old aches, but I’m remiss to let Yulania see me groan and limp about like some shambling corpse. With no currently pressing matters, I’ve taken to one of my oldest and most beloved winter past times - spending long mornings curled up in bed or beside the fireplace. Mornings like these Alphy would sometimes bring me cocoa, but’ - again, the ink swells. ‘that is, as they say, neither here nor there.’ 

‘Once I’m up and moving about the aches begin to subside, as they do. I always feel energized once the brisk winter air hits me, even if my body isn’t always on the same page. Anywhere other than Coerthas, the first snowfall of the year brings me such joy that I feel renewed. Though, truthfully, about any snowfall makes me feel the same. I may be a woman grown yet I’ll always feel the heart of a child swell in me this time of year. 

‘However as seems to be the case more often than not these days, there are far too many fears in that selfsame heart. That so many of our number are, in some shade or another, missing, will doubtlessly cast a dull shade on the bright, celebratory colors of the season. Would that some Starlight miracle could return them to us - or at the very least, assure us of their safety.’

The sentiment behind the words seems to end rather abruptly; her writing implements still set out, and her chair pulled out as if she were called away without notice.

—

>>force my muse to spill their secrets

[raayllum]

I was (randomly) rethinking abt your post when you said you were searching for another cartoon with good characters and great overarching plot and now I have a big question for ya.

Have you ever watched infinity train?

If you haven't, go watch it.

But like. don't look up anything about it. not even the description on internet. maybe just season 1's trailer on the CN YouTube channel.

I think you'll really like it!

If you have watched do you mind sharing your thoughts about it?

So Infinity Train had been on my list of cartoons to get to basically since it started airing in 2019 (I still remember seeing the experimental pilot adjacent piece that would hang around tumblr sometimes I wanna say around 2014-2016ish?) and I only got around to it November of this year. My partner and I basically binge watched the show together, doing anywhere from 2-6 episodes a night (greatly helped by how short the eps are, only 10 min, but mostly because of how goddamn engrossing the show is). We finished all four seasons in like just under two weeks.

So here is my official pitch to any TDP fan or any fan of animation in general to watch this amazing show because, I kid you not, it is now my third favourite cartoon of all time. Yeah.

Basic non spoilery premise: Kids get on a train when they need to figure something out in their life. Upon entering the train, they get a number on their hand; every number is different (usually). Passengers sometimes befriend denizens, sentient creatures on the train. Every train car is different; sometimes silly, sometimes a puzzle, and sometimes downright dangerous. Every season focuses on a different passenger and denizens, although there are interconnected references throughout

Slightly more in detail thoughts with very loose spoilers if someone wants to go in knowing nothing, but not enough to seriously spoil anything

Season one: best mystery factor, Atticus is best corgi boy and I almost rioted, I love one-one with my whole heart. Was not prepared for the emotional swerve in episode five but in retrospect I'm so happy it was there to not only like, be Good, but also set the stage for what's to come.

Season two. My personal favourite season feat. favourite dynamic. Jesse and MT are my exact ship type, and it felt like I was given a new form of Rayllum to love. Some of their dialogue was like, almost word for word parallels to Rayla and Callum, angry girl + soft boy who help each other mutually grow in a pseudo-canon simultaneously queerplatonic way and I ate that shit up. Their development is so sweet and perfect, both as friends and as individuals

Also very moving exploration of the concept of personhood that again, felt vaguely similar to TDP, as well as nb allegory? Hell yeah. I cried happy tears. Alan Dracula is king, love that bitch.

Season three. The best written season of the show I think, but can I just say, from the bottom of my heart, What the fuck? The meme below was my face the entire time.

The darkest piece of animation in tv I've ever seen, and I watched all of Transformers: Prime that had an organ harvesting plotline. It was forty minutes of uneasiness propelled forward by fascinating dysfunction and escalation of terror in a fucked up, loving, dangerously codependent relationship that is basically "No children" by the mountain goats or "Evelyn Evelyn" in a nutshell. I will think about this season every day for the rest of my life. I could literally feel myself becoming a better writer just by watching it. I can't even remember if I cried. Everything Shera was too much of a coward to do. Immaculate and hard hitting in every way. As good as it is fucked up. 10/10 antagonist-protagonists, I've never felt so much for an antagonist in my life

Season four. I love my gay Canasian musician sons. Continues Infinity Train's incredibly good exploration of messy relationships and all the way we can hurt and help each other through the muddle of good intentions. Love the Canadian rep and seeing two differing Asian experiences, as well as the lighter tone after s3. This song I literally just discovered really fits. The parallel framing device all throughout ep1 is masterful. Super sweet ending to the series. "Train to nowhere" <3

And while I am bitter and disappointed that we'll never get the 8 seasons that were planned, I am so grateful and happy we got these four. Literally changed the way I thought about animation and what the medium has been allowed to do. Will rewatch it often and book 3 whenever I'm in a place to be fucked up for a week afterwards. Seriously cannot say just how good this show is. God. It's so damn good

[yan-twst]

Hello ! Can I have a scenario with Lilia. The reader is a Fae warrior who fought alongside Lilia a long time ago. There's always been something between them but nothing happened because a relationship between warrior was forbidden. After several years they meet again at NRC when the reader brings something to Malleus. It's been in my mind for a while, so I'm trying! Thanks !

Centuries

pairing: lilia x gn!reader

word count:  2910

warnings: mentions of war, like one mention of blood

------

There really wasn’t time for love during war. There wasn’t even a chance to get comfortable, really- the fae warriors were supposed to be quick, efficient, ruthless: things like romance between warriors weren’t allowed, it was too risky, it could turn them reckless. Lilia, of course, knew this; he’d been well-warned a long time ago, and he’d seen the horrors of war upclose. It always hurt to lose a friend, but it’d hurt more if it was a lover. He didn’t care, really, he was there to fight in the name of the Witch of Thorns and not to build relationships.

Or at least that’s what he’d say when his fellow warriors would ask him if he had his eye on anyone. He was one of the more seasoned fighters, with lifetimes of experience under his belt and strength that betrayed his appearance, along with his powerful magic. It wasn’t unusual for the younger fighters to gather around him for chats or to hear stories, it was one of the few ways to lift the spirits in the barracks in the sparse times of quietness. Dating, or romance in general, was forbidden, sure, but it didn’t stop the younger soldiers from prodding and asking if he wasn’t getting a bit too close to a certain someone.

“You are all certainly nosy, aren’t you?” laughed Lilia as he put down his canteen. His squad had arrived at a small base in the Valley of Thorns’ border a few days ago as prevention, having received intel that some of the enemy army would probably try to get in while the greater part of the Witch of Thorn’s army was fighting off in the main battleground. Of course, the more elite warriors had been sent to safeguard said point in the border; amongst them two of the army’s best, those being Lilia and...

“Aw, c’mon, you can’t say you don’t like them at least a little! You’re always sticking by their side, sir!” one of the youngest fae spoke up, crossing his arms.

Them. Lilia and [name], two of the most skilled warriors in the Witch of Thorn’s army, and also the source of countless rumors. Lilia let out a sigh- it was always the young kids trying to tease him. Did they really think he’d just go and admit he was breaking rules and romancing a fellow warrior just because some rumors said so? Not only was it not allowed, they shouldn’t be concentrating on silly relationship rumors. There was a war going on.

“Now, now, you know very well that’s not allowed, young man.” Lilia gently tapped the boy’s helmet, shaking his head. “If you keep worrying over every rumour you hear in the barracks, you’re not going to be able to keep your head on your body out in the field.”

“But yesterday I saw you two talking, and you almost put your hand on their hip-”

“You’re polishing everyone’s armour today.” Lilia quickly cut off the young warrior, assigning him a task as a punishment. The young fae groaned, knowing full well that if he kept pushing he’d get assigned even more work, as the rest of the fae laughed. The door to the room opened, making Lilia look up; speak of the devil, there they were. Out of armor, they still looked fearsome, their sharp eyes scanning the room.

“You all, what are you doing here?” they asked, tilting their head. “You were supposed to go check our weapons and make sure nothing is damaged from transportation. None of you have done that, have you?”

The warriors quickly scrambled out of the room, not wanting to get assigned any punishment. Lilia chuckled; he liked this squad, sure, but he’d never quite seen so many airheaded fighters. Oh, they had proved themselves on the battlefield before, surely- but in regular tasks, they certainly weren’t the best. His fellow warrior chuckled from the door, then looked straight at Lilia.

“You weren’t distracting the young ones, were you?” they said. There were many things that made Lilia be particularly more friendly to them than to others; shared interests, experience, but perhaps something more was the fact they were one of the few fae warriors nearly as old as him. They shared the wisdom and experience that came with years and years and years of living, something not many could say they shared with Lilia. “I think the enemy will be here in about three days.”

“Three days? Oh my, that’s quicker than expected.” said Lilia, humming. He wasn’t worried- really, if it was just him and them, he knew it’d be enough to hold back the enemy’s whole platoon if necessary.

“Mhm, our informants sent the intel just now.” they replied, taking a seat next to Lilia. “The way things are going, this war might be over soon.”

“Wouldn’t that just be lovely?” said Lilia. ‘Soon’ probably meant a couple of years, of course; and the consequences of the war itself would permeate for longer, but a handful of years really wasn’t much to him or them. He didn’t love wartime, sure, but there was some melancholy in thinking of it ending: after all, the warriors would be once again spread through the kingdom once they weren’t needed in battle. He’d be stationed somewhere, with new people, and... Well, he shouldn’t dwell over it. It’d be good for everyone.

“Well, it’s not like that means much.” the other warrior stretched, and Lilia couldn’t help but stare. They weren’t in armor, not when just hanging out at the base, but they still had an air of strength to them. The glow of the fireplace in the room cast an amber glow on their skin and hair, their sharp fae ears sticking out of their slightly messy hair. If he weren’t also so ancient, he’d have a hard time believing they’d lived for so long: in moments like these, they felt so young, so beautiful. “After this war ends, who knows how much time we’ll have until the next one? Peace just never seems to stick around.”

“Tragically, you’re right.” sighed Lilia. “It seems like conflict just increases every passing decade, doesn’t it? I still remember when these wars were small enough they’d only send one of us to deal with trouble.” said Lilia with a sigh. “Now every kingdom has an army and a motive to attack, it seems.”

“I know it’s impossible, but... Can you imagine if peace really did stick around?” they didn’t say anything else, but Lilia understood what they meant as their hand softly rested upon his. Extended peace- time for them. Away from the army, away from their duties as fae warriors, away from rules that forbade romance. Neither of them ever discussed the topic, always skirting around it, but it was clear they were both waiting. “Hm, as if. There’s always going to be conflict, isn’t there?”

“It sure seems so.” replied Lilia, softly gazing at their face. “It’d be a miracle if the world could ever truly be at peace for just once.”

-------

But then there was peace.

The war ended messily, with more losses to each side than either kingdom had expected. Nothing was truly won, other than some territory and the usual honour of winning battles- the usual spoils of war, mostly worthless to the warriors themselves. Of course, Lilia couldn’t be upset: he knew exactly what being a warrior entailed, and he’d sworn to serve the Witch of Thorns with his life. Perhaps that was why he was appointed to take care of Her grandchild, once he was born- it was a shock, to be suddenly playing the role of a caretaker when he’d spent so long as a fighter, but he was proud to say he’d adapted to it quickly. He heard [name] had been sent to continue working as a warrior under the Queen’s name, guarding the newly captured territory, but he was in no place to inquire. He had a new job, after all- and he knew very well fae warriors weren’t allowed romance.

Memories of the war quickly became something he kept merely in the back of his mind, vague images that would sometimes show up in dreams but never quite bother him. After all, taking care of Malleus was simply much more important. It wasn’t just out of a sense of duty, at least not anymore; he’d grown to genuinely care for the child. He’d never have imagined himself as a father, and yet, as time went on, he played perfectly into the role- going as far as to raise a human child as his own, once Malleus was grown. And then there he was: attending school once again, as if he was a teenager, along with Malleus and Silver- from a warrior, to a father, to a student.

“Lilia, the messenger from home will be arriving today. They should bring the herb with them.” Malleus distracted Lilia from his videogame, causing his character to fall and the game to display the ‘you have died’ screen. The elder fae didn’t seem fazed, instead just nodding.

“Great, that’s wonderful! I’ll be sure to make the paste as soon as they hand the herb over.” said Lilia, putting down his console and walking up to Malleus. The shorter fae patted the prince’s head, making the prince turn his head to the side to hide his embarrassment. “Now, now, there’s no need to get embarrassed, I used to do this all the time when you were a wee little baby!”

Neither Lilia or Malleus were quite sure why, but lately, Malleus’ horns had started to ache. It wasn’t an illness or a curse, but rather something Malleus was familiar with: it was the same dull ache he’d felt in his childhood as his horns grew. They’d long since stopped their growth, but from time to time, the ache would return for seemingly no reason, and the only way to get it to stop was a paste made from an herb native to the Valley of Thorns. Lilia had written to the palace a while ago requesting some of the herbs to be sent over, and it seemed they’d sent a messenger today.

When he was notified to go meet the messenger in the hall of mirrors, Lilia insisted Malleus tag along. It wasn’t often he could get Malleus to interact with others in a casual setting, with most people being so scared of him, but surely, staff from the palace would at least properly greet and hold a conversation with the prince, right? Perhaps it was still his fatherly instincts telling him to help his child grow out of his shell, but Lilia ended up dragging Malleus along to the hall of mirrors.

“Good evening, we’re here for the package-” Lilia froze once he saw who stood by the mirror.

The last time he’d seen them, they’d been in full armor, holding their weapon, covered in the enemy’s blood. That’d been the last battle in the war- so long ago, yet he could remember it perfectly- the last time he’d seen them. He’d been sure that would be the last time he saw them, or that it’d take for another war to brew for him to be reunited with them under the strict rules of the army. And yet there they were, dressed in traditional Valley of Thorns clothes, holding a parcel under their arm, looking as young and beautiful as ever.

“... Lilia?!” they seemed surprised to see him there. Sure, they had probably heard the prince was attending NRC and accompanied by some guards and a caretaker, but they’d probably expected some old soot from the palace, not Lilia, not an ex-warrior. They almost dropped the package, quickly regaining their balance.

“This is-” even Lilia was at a loss for words. Time truly hadn’t done much to damper his feelings; even after centuries of not seeing them, he could feel his heart speed up, much like it had back then when he sat next to them, basking in their presence. They looked at him, then at Malleus, then back at him, and it seemed they quickly realized they were in presence of the prince, because they suddenly kneeled.

“My lord, here is the package of herbs you requested.” they said, addressing Malleus. Despite not being very social, Malleus had enough experience dealing with formalities to not be flustered over this- however, he looked quite confused at Lilia’s reaction. He took the package, then turned to his caretaker. After a few seconds, he set his eyes on the messenger.

“Thank you.” he said, quickly adding, “Are you familiar with Lilia?”

“We fought in the war together.” they replied quickly, but it looked as if though they were picking their words carefully. It made sense- it was weird to explain their relationship with Lilia. It had absolutely been more than just fellow soldiers, something past a regular friendship, and yet it hadn’t quite been a romance, neither daring break the rules and take the first step. There wasn’t a comfortable way to explain such a thing, no way to say we were in love but neither of us dared do anything about it because we weren’t allowed to.

“Oh, seeing you brings back memories I thought I’d forgotten.” Lilia chuckled, although he seemed to be acting off. Nervous, almost? Luckily, the subtle changes in his attitude went right over Malleus’ head, and he just nodded. “Malleus, would you mind returning to the dorm with the herbs? The fresher they are when we begin the better- ask Silver to boil some water so I can start preparing them soon.”

“Are you staying behind, then?” replied Malleus, and Lilia chuckled, then nodded.

“Oh, you must understand it’s not often I get to chat with an old friend like this.” said Lilia. Malleus didn’t seem like he quite understood, but nodded nonetheless, and bid goodbye to the two ancient fae before disappearing, leaving only small wisps of green fire that slowly faded away in the air.

“... The prince is as powerful as they say, isn’t he?” they said, staring at the fading green lights. 

“He certainly is. Oh, but he’s also a sweetheart, don’t believe those who say he’s coldhearted or meanspirited.” said Lilia with a smile. “He’s a little cold right now, but that’s just how teenagers are, you know.”

“... You’ve certainly been busy since last time I saw you. I knew they’d appointed someone to take care of the Queen’s grandson, but I never would have imagined it’d be you.” they said, looking off to the side. “I’ve been working around the palace- you know, I really can’t believe I was wrong, but it seems peace is here to stay for a long time. Not much use for a warrior nowadays.”

There were a few moments of silence as both fae stared at each other. It’d been so long- by now, anyone else would have moved on, gotten to someone else, built new relationships. And yet neither of them had to say it for the other one to know; neither had truly moved on. They weren’t warriors anymore: right now, they were just two adults, two people in love, despite never having said it. And before he could really think about it, Lilia’s arms were around them, his mouth pressed into theirs.

Oh, intimacy. How long had it been since he’d been this close to someone? He’d had his share of throwaway flings in the years after the war, but his full attention had been on raising Malleus. Besides, nothing could quite compare to this: he’d been imagining how it’d feel to hold them close, to have his lips on them, to kiss them deeply, ever since the war. How had he gone so long without this? Truly, he couldn’t understand how he’d had enough self-restraint to never act upon his feelings back then, how both him and them had been obedient enough to not act on their love just because the rules said so. 

“... I missed you.” they murmured once they separated their lips from his. They were staring right into his eyes, their face slightly red and eyes full of love. “Back then, in the war- every time I was alone with you, I... I thought about how badly I wanted to be with you. I thought about how much I loved you, and god, it hurt, it really hurt to have to keep it all locked inside.”

“You’re taking my words right out of my mouth, my love.” said Lilia, pressing his forehead against theirs. His arms wrapped around them, he could feel their heartbeat in their chest- their heart was going fast, but once again, so was his. “I can’t believe I waited so long to do this.”

Wordlessly, they kissed him again. Lilia vaguely thought it’d be rather embarrassing if Crowley were to walk in to lock the hall of mirrors now, but he couldn’t be bothered; he’d been waiting centuries for this moment. It wasn’t often Lilia felt young (truly, he was ancient), but right in that moment, he felt like he was being kissed for the first time. Two fae ancient enough to be recorded in history textbooks holding each other, letting the emotions they’d held onto for hundreds of years finally blossom- it was an odd image, but a charming one.

“I love you.” he murmured, burying his head into their neck. “You don’t know how happy I am I finally get to tell you that.”

[13eyond13]

(sorry in advance for the ramble but) i saw your post on PE... i read the beginning as it came out, excited for a new O/O collab, but tbh i hated it ? it felt like the "death note" version of mirai nikki, which isn't the greatest compliment i can give

the protagonist is mostly unlikeable (Yuuki never does anything even remotely interesting up to the finale) and from what i saw before i gave up PE... the side characters, ironically the strong point of mirai nikki, are also not interesting ?

i have no clue if this is a cash grab, Ohba running out of ideas, or the editors trying to get every cent they can bc you can slap O/O on anything and it'll sell, but it's so unoriginal and weirdly paced and i have no clue why ???

a tangent but in bakuman the self inserts had really cool concepts (KTM and PCP honestly sounded great), but i guess they can't use them now... even without my friend and i's conspiracy theory that Ohba is Takano Tsuneo (so uses other pen names, including for collabs with Obata), i'd find it kinda sad if Ohba ran out of ideas when he had so many good ones before. though i guess i shouldn't be, they are the duo who claim biblical symbolism in DN was an accident XD who knows what they'll do next ! idk if i'm excited but i'll be there

Yeah, I honestly feel like I gave it the best shot I could and sincerely went into it excited about it and ready to have a good time, but not even the villains nor the side characters in Platinum End were interesting enough to keep me emotionally invested in things. I liked the two main angels Nasse and Revel the best. I thought they had the most personality and most endearing character qualities of the bunch. But even so, the amount I liked those two did not nearly make up for all the stuff that was boring and confusing and grossing me out about the rest of it, haha.

In some ways I think Ohba is just better at writing characters that aren't coming from underprivileged circumstances or tragic backstories or anything like that, too? He's great at writing people who are basically the opposite of that, haughty and spoiled and entitled and wealthy and vain and whatever else. He's not the most sensitive of writers, and he often seems to make the characters who come from less privileged backgrounds more cartoony and cliché and vague in comparison to the rest. My theory is that he probably had a fairly privileged upbringing himself (similar to Light's), and therefore is just way better at empathizing with and writing that kind of person and situation realistically than he is the ones that come from rougher backgrounds and sadder or more difficult circumstances.

Your theory about Ohba's identity sounds interesting as well! Never heard of Takano Tsuneo before... if you wanted to share why you think that's the case I'd be curious to know

[enabledarmy]

I'm kinda new to tumblr but since being here I've noticed a lot of love for British TV shows, especially BBC drama

The main ones I've seen mentioned are Sherlock, Merlin and Doctor Who and although those are great shows I wondered if there might be some others that non-natives (idk if that's the right phrase I'm tired) might not have heard about or had the opportunity to discover so here you go

List will be staggered because there's too much for one post so here's part 1

Dancing on the Edge (BBC, 2013)

I'd recommend for Merlin fans, because Angel Coulby and Anthony Head, and from what I remember Tom Hughes as Julian was quite Merlin-like or at least in a similar vein

It did have a crime/mystery element to it too so if you liked that about Sherlock give this a go

Anyway he was adorable

I watched it when it first came out because Angel Coulby and was disappointed with how much she is actually in it (forewarning- not much at all) but I enjoyed the story and the characters and the sets/costumes were great and now that I think about it I'm still kinda attatched to Julian what how did this happen it's been 7 years send help-

Chiwetel Ejiofor is very cool of course as Louis and his performance is generally great, as much as I love the more side characters like Julian, Carla and Stanley he really is what centres everything and makes it work I think

Also Carla bb you are amazing please stop doubting yourself ok someone hug her (and while you're at it give Wunmi Mosaku more roles why are you sleeping on her)

I remember the music being good too and there was one bit where they played in a bar (it's about Jazz btw) and it was really cool, can't remember why but will need to rewatch soon I think

I completely forgot Jenna Coleman was in this but I'm sure she was good so yeah there's that

Bonus: Matthew Goode (probably your new crush if you have a thing for British drama guys who look vaguely like Tom Hiddleston as quite a few people here seem to)

Atlantis (BBC, 2013)

Another 2013 drama but this one less of an intelligent serious historical drama vibe and more a magic, sword fighting and running around the woods in ineffective armour from weird CGI creatures vibe.

If that sounds like Merlin to you, well it did to us too when it first came out so everyone was kinda salty especially since it was the first 'big' drama to fill Merlin's primetime family spot which basically signalled it as a Merlin replacement trying to appeal to the same audience by doing a very similar thing but not as well

Like when the adverts came out people were like how dare you try to fill the Merlin-shaped hole in the schedule and also in my heart with this

Bring back Colin and Bradley you cowards

That said it wasn't a bad series at all, not amazing but mostly good, just not on the same level character and story wise as Merlin, in my opinion anyway

I mean I still watched every episode and was upset when it ended but c'mon it was just getting good

There are a couple of episodes I rewatch sort of regularly because they were pretty cool

If you liked Merlin I would recommend giving it a go, it has a kind of similar feel, magic, fun costumes and of course a lot of bromance. You don't have to think a lot when watching it (at least not until near the end I'm pretty sure) which can be nice when you just want to switch off and watch people run around in totally inappropriate sandals

Honestly it was good but I would have loved more focus on other characters, I didn't like Jason as much as I did Medusa or Medea (spinoff series please BBC they both deserved better)

Highlights:

Pythagoras. Just him. Doing Pythagoras stuff. Also won't spoil but his (slightly rushed) eventual romance was sweet and quite unusual at the time on a show like that (on BBC one at prime family viewing time) and I need to know more about that because we spent too much on Jason angst and not enough time on this small boi getting the love he deserves so if we could get some new fans in to do fanart or something that would be great I need closure

Ariadne's costumes, sass and eyebrows:

The force is strong with this one

I'm sure she was a great character but looking back I mainly remember her blue dresses and strong brows they just owned the scenes ok they should have been credited in the cast list

For real tho I hadn't seen Aiysha Hart in anything before but she was a strong lead

Amy Manson's Medea:

Seriously when she joined in season 2 things really kicked up a notch, hard to describe it but you'll see

I would watch a whole series about her

She's amazing

I only want good things for Medea

And Amy Manson

Medusa (played by Jemima Rooper) was also amazing and lovely and I found it quite a touching and different take on her story (to past me anyway). Again, I would have liked more focus and development on that instead of Jason's eughhh it's so hard to be a protagonist wait lemme punch a Minotaur in the face real quick but we can't have everything

Ok that was Pt.1

Will do a Pt.2 if anyone cares and also if I remember 😂

[aglaecan]

📜 i'm thinking varric or otherwise anybody you haven't written with yet and would like to!!

send 📜get plots

OK OK OK OK OK LET’SGO!  trying to come up with things we haven’t already done or discussed doing, lmao... not an easy task!

VARRIC and Hawke: all the fucking things??? Like tbhliterally anything set during the timeline of DA2 with him.  Issues related to Bartrand? I know you haven’tfinished the game yet so I don’t want to spoil it all too much but…. Just sortof all the politics of the situation, social and otherwise, or even just themas friends dealing with the things friends deal with. Playing cards. Comfortingeach other when shit goes down. Dealing with relationship stuff. Wingmaning….

Varric and Beruthiel-as-Inquisitor: We can’t do that tillyou finish DA2 and DAI buuuut…. Suffice it to say that there are things to do.

Varric and Dorian: Same as above. They’re friends in DAI. –tapsfoot impatiently at you–

Diana and Hawke: I have a comics-friendly (or more likecinematic universe friendly, I suppose, since I def haven’t read the comicslmao) verse where Hawke is the daughter of a mutant, and her sister is a mutanttoo, but she and the rest of the fam are regular old human, not metahuman. But Hawkeuses like, exoskeleton and implant technology to still be pretty damn badassthough, so? She’s a bit of a “freelance hero;” Hawke mostly works small casesfor those who can’t afford much and wouldn’t ever come to the attention of the BigGuys, so to speak. But Diana being who she is and caring as she does, there ispotential for them to meet in the course of things.

Speaking of Diana, if I get my shit together enough to addThor, that’s a no-brainer. I mean, God Squad, represent!

Johanna and any of your (other) pirates? This one is so vague and I don’tknow which would be best, really; but we all know she’s a conartist and aschemer, a spy and a thief and an adventurer; and she canonically hasconnections in the pirating world, so…

[iammxxny]

Hi this is the most awful thing I've ever written but it's 23:38 in the UK and I'm exhausted so forgive me please 💕

'My God...' The Doctor takes a moment to assess the situation. Surrounded by flames, lost, in a coat three sizes too big isn't exactly the safest she's ever been, but it's not completely inescapable, either. Having regenerated mere minutes ago, she's still disoriented, but not as severely as last time. At least this time, she knows vaguely where she is, and who she is- but only under the surface. The one thing that still remains a mystery to her is what she looks like on the outside. She isn't even certain she's a woman yet, though she can hear her own voice, and it certainly suggests as much. Getting shakily to her feet, she wraps her arms tight around herself and moves forward through the forest. Though she doesn't have any idea where she's going yet, she knows, deep in her subconscious, that she has to find the TARDIS. Even in the darkest moments, the Old Girl had been a light for her, and it occurs to her that she wouldn't feel safer anywhere else. It's a long walk, she finds, as she makes her way through thick piles of leaves and amongst stray tree branches. She feels some of them get caught in her hair, and is now almost completely convinced that she has, in fact, become a woman. It's a nice change, after being a man the past twelve (thirteen, really) times, and she can't help but smile a little at the thought. 'A whole new angle to work with.' She mutters to herself, thinking joyously of all the varying clothing she wants to try out now she's changed. Just the thought of the bountiful TARDIS closet makes her speed up slightly, pushing back branches and stepping to the fast paced beat of her own heart as she hurries to find her ship. 'Come on, Old Girl.' She whispers in the cold air, her breath hanging there visibly for a second, like smoke. Eventually, she reaches a stone wall. It's nothing special- at least, not in appearance- but something about it feels like home. She stops in her tracks, breathing heavily after her long walk, and then holds her hand out in front of her, excitement bubbling inside her chest as she feels a warm energy brewing on her palm. An orange glow appears there first, and then she feels a small weight, and sees the shape of a TARDIS key soon follow. Good. That means she's in the right place. The low, but comforting hum of the time machine is even more of a sign. It echoes against the trees as the vague shape of it appears in a gap between two parts of the stone wall. Gradually, the bright blue she is known for appears more prominently, and the Doctor feels a small, happy smile appear on her face. It's so comforting to finally see her again. Clutching the cold metal key in her hand, she clenches her fist and strides towards the TARDIS, trying to contain her excitement. It feels like forever since she's seen the console, strolled the corridors, spun the monitor, but she presumes it's only really been a matter of days. 'What have you got for me this time?' Number Thirteen breathes as she places her palms flat on the blue doors, preparing herself for whatever is behind them. She feels the TARDIS whirring and humming against her touch and is glad to see that the pattern of the machine recognising her no matter what body she has remains unbroken. With that extra note of confidence, she pushes the key into the slot and turns it slowly, the doors swinging inwards to reveal her home. It's exactly like she remembers, except different, all at the same time. The console is mostly the same, with the same controls, and the Gallifreyan writing still carved into the top, but it's now mostly black marble, with grey steel filling in any gaps. She thought it had been sophisticated before, but the way it is now far surpasses anything it has been before. 'Oh, aren't you just gorgeous? I knew you would be. You never fail to disappoint.' She grins, almost running up the stairs and circling the console enthusiastically, flicking levers and pressing buttons and fiddling with the monitor.  Reaching up to tuck a strand of her short blonde hair behind her ear, she braces herself, looking down, and then prods at the monitor, continuing to do so until a small mirror slides out from the bottom. She closes her eyes, anticipation bubbling in her chest, and then opens them again, blinking several times as she adjusts to seeing her new face. It was really not what she expected, but it's a pleasant sort of surprise. Her hand lifts to her face, and she timidly prods at her cheekbones, squinting at her reflection as she figures out exactly what has changed. 'The hair...' she mumbles, tugging gently at the ends of it. 'Gorgeous, I'll admit... But still not ginger.' She groans, thinking back to her beautiful, ginger companions. A feeling of jealousy rises up inside her chest, and she has to quench it before she starts thinking awful things about her friends. Amy's smiling face and Donna's unapologetic laugh show up in her thoughts, and it makes her feel a little better that she can still remember them fondly, even if she is envious of their hair. 'What else has... Right. I've got... Those now...' she trails off, hands darting downwards towards her chest. She doesn't really touch them, more prods at her breasts timidly, wondering what exactly she's supposed to do with them. Having gone from being a man to a fully developed woman in the space of two seconds, it was beginning to dawn on her just how much of a change this was going to be. 'I should call Missy. Maybe she'll lend me a bra...' she mumbles thoughtfully, still staring at herself in the mirror, hands wandering curiously all over the place. It surprises her how daunting the whole thing is. She's usually quite good at adapting to the change every regeneration, but this is something so very different that she finds herself panicking a little. Not so much that she's losing her mind completely, but just enough to get her working up a bit of a sweat. Her first instinct is to pick up the phone. She needs to speak to someone, but since she's still in a bit of shock, she can't quite figure out who. It's only when the TARDIS generates a singular face on the monitor that the Doctor realises she never could have called anyone else. She searches quickly for the phone- which has been relocated to a new position on the redesigned desktop- and spins the dial until the correct number has been imputed. Then, she waits patiently until someone answers. 'Hello?' Hearing her voice is like music to her ears. The Doctor actually struggles to answer for a while, swallowing hard and trying to regain her senses before replying. 'Hey, you... It's me.' 'You're going to have to be more specific. I know a lot of those.' The Doctor grins. Still the same River. She wonders briefly if her wife will care that she's a woman, but dismisses the thought almost immediately after. Of course she won't. River has been married to women before. She's sure this won't be an issue at all. 'Uh... The Doctor.' River doesn't even take a minute to be surprised. Yet another thing the Doctor loves about her. 'Oh... sweetie... Let me guess. You're number thirteen, aren't you?' 'How did you know?' The Doctor asks, frowning. 'I'm your wife, my darling. I always know.' The Doctor laughs a little at this, but otherwise says nothing. 'Have you just regenerated?' 'Within the hour. Riv, you've got no idea how good it is to hear your voice, I- I...' the Doctor doesn't know why she's feeling so awkward and embarrassed. Her eleventh self was so much worse than this, always making a mess of things, and then running to his wife to help him fix it, but somehow, this regeneration feels more anxious about turning to River for help. 'Are you scared?' River asks suddenly. The Doctor looks at herself in the mirror, trying to figure that out. She wasn't scared when she first changed, but now, suddenly, she feels like the walls are closing in and there's no way out. Maybe it was the adrenaline before, but all the excitement she felt at having a new body has dissipated. 'Yeah. I am a bit.' 'Please don't be. I know it doesn't feel like it now, but the face you see in the mirror is you. And you're going to be so, so brilliant.' The Doctor sighs, not entirely sure she believes her wife, but feels a little reassured at the same time. 'So... You've met this face, then? In the future? My future?' She asks curiously. 'Absolutely. It's one of my favourites.' 'And I'm... Am I a good person?' The Doctor asks, not sure she wants to hear the answer. 'Was there ever any doubt that you would be? No matter the face... You'll always be the same.' 'I don't... I wasn't sure...' 'I know there isn't much I can say to convince you of that right now. But, one day, you'll do something, and you'll think back to this moment, and you'll realise I was right.' She reassures the Doctor. It still isn't enough, though. She knows that River's probably right, but there's still something missing. 'You have to say that. You're my wife.' 'When have I ever let that stop me from telling you when I think you're wrong?' She's right again. Will she ever stop being right? Probably not. And the Doctor doesn't want her to, either. She isn't sure what she'd do without River's wisdom being a phone call away. 'Can I... Can I see you?' The Doctor asks. It comes out all timid and shy and not really like her at all. In that moment, she suddenly misses being Twelve. At least he could say what he meant without disappearing into a puddle of regret. 'Sorry, my love. I've already checked the diaries. We don't meet at this point in your timeline.' 'Oh I se- Wait. Diaries? Why've you got my diary? Am I... Am I with you now?' The Doctor asks in shock, furrowing her eyebrows as she tries to figure out what's going on on the other side of the line. 'I wouldn't want to spoil anything...' 'River!' 'Well... Yes. You, number thirteen, just later on. You're sort of... In our bedroom. In your nightie... Oh! And you're looking at me all funny now.' The Doctor strains to listen, and realises that River isn't lying. She can just about make out another voice in the background, asking questions. 'River? Who is that you're talking to?' The voice questions curiously. 'See! She's jealous. You're causing problems in my marriage!' River jokes. 'River! So help me, tell me who that is, or I'll... You'll... You'll no longer be invited into our bedroom!' The voice exclaims again. It hardly sounds threatening, and the Doctor finds herself laughing at the sound of her future self attempting to order about River Song. An unachievable feat, in the Doctor's opinion. 'Are you... Are you sleeping together?' The Doctor exclaims, a little shocked by the realisation she's a single mistake away from having a conversation with a future version of herself. 'You're not jealous, are you?' River laughs. 'She's you!' 'Riv? Wait! Is that me?' The older Doctor asks excitedly, and the newly regenerated one hears her clamber into the bed and place her ear near the phone. 'Yes, dear. It's you.' She answers fondly. 'My God. That's... She sounds happy. Am I happy?' The Doctor questions. 'Hmm... I don't know. Why don't you ask her yourself?' River suggests. She passes the phone over to the older Doctor and the new one holds her breath, waiting for a response. 'I'm in a silky pink nightie, lying in bed with River Song, sipping a nice cold glass of champagne, Doctor. I'm hardly miserable.' That's all the answer she gets. And then River is back on the phone, laughing at her wife's reply. 'Well, there you have it, Thirteen. That's your future. You happy with it?' 'Stupid question. I love champagne.' She hears River's laugh again on the other end of the line at that response. 'You think you're hilarious, don't you?' 'You laughed!' The future version of herself interrupts them. 'River, do we want strawberries or jammy dodgers? I'm thinking both. Shall we do both?' The Doctor can't see, but she knows River rolls her eyes at the question. 'Of course, dear. Don't do things by half. We'll have both. And maybe some coffee?' She replies, and the Doctor hears footsteps leaving the room, signalling that her future self has gone to find refreshments. 'Don't tell me. She's only made you worry more.' River laughs, that warm sort of laugh that she always does that sounds a bit like... Home, to the Doctor. It's comforting to hear it so many times during their conversation. 'No... No. I've seen how happy I have the ability to be now. You've given me that, River Song. Thank you.' 'No thanks necessary, Doctor. It's my job, remember?' 'When will I see you again? I mean... When am I... Her?' 'I can't tell you that. Your future can't be told, has to be lived.' Cryptic as ever. The Doctor wants to be annoyed that River basically just pulled another 'spoilers' on her, but she just isn't. It sort of feels... Nostalgic... that River is keeping secrets again. 'Then... I guess I'd better go.' 'Yes, I suppose you'd better.' There's a brief pause. 'See you soon then, Riv.' 'Never soon enough.' River replied sadly, before hanging up the phone. Neither of them were ever any good at goodbyes. The Doctor take a moment to ponder the conversation she just had. It wasn't exactly what she was hoping for when she picked up the phone, and yet it has given her hope. Hope that she will, once again, become someone the universe will be proud of. And that new found hope is all thanks to River Song. The Doctor counts her blessing that the daughter of Amy and Rory, so strong and trusting, has found it inside her heart to allow room for a troubled Time Lady such as herself. She isn't sure she'd have made it this far without River Song. However, for now, she knows her travels have to be carried out without her wife. The time will come when she'll see River again, but she realises that she has to become herself before she can be River's wife. She has to find a way to love herself completely before she can allow herself to be loved by someone else. Punching in co-ordinates, she decides the best way to do that is to throw herself directly into the flames. To find herself, and to truly allow this new face to become the Doctor, she knows she needs to take it all the way back to her roots. 'Home to Gallifrey... That's where I've always been going, after all.' She mumbles under her breath, bracing herself for the journey. She remembers how hated she is there, of course, but also understands that if she stands any chance of being able to redeem herself, any chance of being forgiven for the choices she has made throughout all her lives, she needs to make peace there first. With a gentle, caring caress of the TARDIS console, she swallows hard, preparing herself for what will happen when she arrives. 'Wish me luck, Old Girl.'