#funny how most of these are Ghost centric...

[wombywoo]

do you have any ghostsoap favorite fics, perhaps?

boy do I....

I should preface this by saying that I'm pretty...particular with what types of fics I enjoy reading (I only like certain character interpretations/tropes/writing styles, etc) so bear with me...

These are all mostly canon-compliant, non-AUs, ones that I regard highly~

Seasons--by StinglessWasp: This is pretty much my go-to fic rec for anyone into CoD and ghostsoap in general. It showcases everything I love about these characters, in a setting that feels as authentic to the games as possible, while also exploring the depth and sincerity hidden under the surface. So well-written and paced--the dialogue and military references all contribute to that 'feels like a mission out of the game' experience. Plus, I just love this interpretation of our boys--the humor, the inner struggles, the intimacy--Wasp 100% *gets* these characters and it's a joy to read <3

Except You, You Can Stay--by Iravaid: While this one isn't *technically* ghostsoap until the last chapter, in my opinion, it's required reading for anyone who gives a shit about Simon Riley. This is *the* character study--an intimate dissection of Ghost's past that seems so realistic and grounded, you forget how ludicrous those comics really are. Ira takes such care in treating these heavy topics with delicacy and effectiveness. Each chapter has you going 'oh wow, this is even better than the last', but as a whole--it's a stunning, fleshed-out glimpse into Simon as the character he was always meant to be. And the final chapter which eases you into his relationship with Johnny is so authentic and sweet, it just makes perfect sense that they should be together, and that this poor poor man deserves some goddamn love <3

bleeding in the house of god--by revolvermonkcelot: This is a really great 'missing scene' fic, a perfect opportunity to explore the in-between moments that the game so carelessly chooses to gloss over. I can't praise Monk's writing enough--it's slick and crisp and very tasty; the imagery just jumps off the page and you can practically feel the sweat. Plus, the dialogue exchanges between our two boys are so well-timed and in-character--love all the slang and British references~ This whole fic reads like an addition to their mission flirting, and I'm all for it! You can truly tell this author has such deep understanding and experience with this franchise (winkwinkwink, this is a joke) Read it--it's good!

The Dead are all Living--by Kabbal: This fic blew me away when I first read it. It's such a unique take on the retirement trope, I just adore this interpretation of Simon as an aging recluse while he builds his home. I tend to lean towards more subtle, grounded characterizations of Mr Riley, and this really fits the bill. All of these glimpses and fragments into his post-military life contribute to an overarching love story; the scenes with Johnny are so poignant, it's like you're pining alongside them both. I love how not-perfect they are; flawed and difficult and real. There are some moments and lines that just....struck something in me so deeply. I'm sure I'll still be thinking about it for a long long time <3

Portrait of Taction--by a_platypus: Another Simon-centric fic that I absolutely love. The character voice in this is off the charts, I can hear him so vividly in all of his inner dialogue and stunted attempts at conversation. Simon is so endearingly dense in this fic, you're just waiting for him to finally get his act together, but the clumsy, oblivious steps he takes in his relationship with Soap are truly a treat to read. I love this version of Johnny too--confident and considerate, but still hopelessly crushing on his superior. It's comedic, well-written, and the paragraphs describing Soap's journal give some of the best insights into his character I've seen <3

come on, haunt me--by flyby2: This was a really good long fic that I took my time savoring. What could have been a typical 'on leave' fic instead took time to develop a unique spin on the backstories as well as throwing our boys into some wholesome encounters. Both Soap and Ghost felt very true to character, and I appreciate the exploration of PTSD and the subsequent struggles that come along with...all that. There was a really nice balance in having their romance spread across the chapters, and I can promise a very sweet, happy conclusion <3

in the mess of it all--by flowersferns: A lovely one-shot that exhibits some of my favorite aspects of these two characters. I'm a sucker for 'one of them is hurt, the other is freaking out, they are both idiots in love, etc'. There are some really great dialogue and character moments in this, plus the overall prose hits hard. Love this take on their romance--the mutual trust, the familiarity of their bond. And just the general theme of impermanence--the inevitability of what this relationship means for them--two soldiers, willing and ready to sacrifice their lives at a moment's notice, still clinging to each other because...god...that's all they have---big fan of this :'D <3

Lapsus--by Lisbetadair: Another really great one-shot and 'missing scene' fic. The authenticity in the writing is spot-on--it's like you can feel Soap's pain right off the bat. I love how smoothly the banter flows between the two, and the attention to detail and references all help lend to that 'hardened military man' exterior. Ghost smelling like flowers because of a face wipe is such a delightful addition, plus the scene where Soap is, ah, donald-ducking it in just a t-shirt with his jewels out is such a funny mental image, I still think of it fondly from time to time. It's funny, it's surprisingly cute, it's very in-character. Stick around for some awkward but adorable cuddles <3

I'm sure I have more to recommend, but these are the ones I can personally endorse for now~

[themostdearofspaghettis]

Hiya! Based on your tags you have listened to A Lot of audio drama and I'm always looking for some expertise to help with my decisions making process sooo- What's your Top 5? The MUST listen to list iyo? (and a bit of why if you're so inclined)

Boy I sure do listen to A Lot of audio drama. Here’s my top five!! (Ranked in overall composition terms, not necessarily on How Much I Love the Characters or Plot— let me know if you want plot description???? I’m mostly ranking from an overall level rn).

1. The Silt Verses. 5/5 stars. Beautifully written, excellently executed. The characters and plots are all immersive and all realistic. Sound design on point (especially later). It’s the only podcast that has a 5/5 rating for me. I’m a huge fan of both character building and lore, and these feature heavily in this story. Jon and Muna produce wonderful work, and I sincerely think that whatever their next project looks like, though it will be different from TSV and their previous project I am in Eskew, it will be no less thoughtful or well-executed.

2. Red Valley. 4.5/5 stars. Speaking of character-centric work, this podcast is hugely character focused. Atmospheric, dealing with many of the ethical qualms The Silt Verses does in a wildly different way. More humorous than horror, no less bleak at times.

3. Old Gods of Appalachia. 4.5/5 stars. Huge fan of the deep work Steve and Cam do here on creating a rich narrative that has a cavern of family history and lore. I really enjoy the folklore of this area, and I really enjoy the anthology aspect of this show that slowly weaves together to create a delicate web as the podcast goes on.

4. Midnight Burger. 4.5/5 stars. Funny, humorous on purpose, which makes it a standout on this list because most of them are more serious horror centric ones. Character focused, but also so so clever, Joe creates just a caring environment for his fans and for the characters. It celebrates the weird, celebrates the combination of fiction and physics and comedy and philosophy. Hopeful, human, lovely.

5. The only other 4.5s on my list that I have to make a combo of, I’m sorry I’m not sticking to the technical limit of five!

-Malevolent: Produced, written, and acted by one man, contains some of my favorite tropes and makes Lovecraft fun for me.

-The Magnus Archives (not Protocol): You can’t avoid TMA on tumblr audio drama spaces, so I’m sure its presence is unsurprising. At the time I listened, it was my first exposure to anthology work in an audio drama medium. If I listened to it now, who knows! But I had to stay true to my rankings.

-Ghost Wax: Hugely original concept written by passionate and creative creators. Anthology once again, with more complex lore and thoughtful composition.

-SCP: Find Us Alive: I think the character work draws me most strongly to this show.

Honorable mentions: Ethics Town and Camlann.

[bronx-bomber87]

Happy Tuesday wonderful Fandom :) Already 5 eps into s4. Insane. Thank you to everyone who liked, commented and reblogged my answer of my top eps meant a lot. 😊 Solid moments in this one just not a ton. This is a Lucy centric ep with one of my all time Lucy moments in it. I’ll let you read so you can find out what that is ha Off we go.

4x05 A.C.H

I love any and all scenes we get with Tamara and Lucy. She’s such a mom to her I can not. They’re sisters but also a massive mom/daughter dynamic in there too. Lucy is making a morning smoothie and asking for blueberries. Tamara checks the fridge finding none. Lucy getting all mom-like on her. Saying she needs to put stuff on the list when she finishes it. Tamara swearing she didn’t eat them.

Lucy doesn't believe her but lets it go. Pick your battles and all that. She gets all excited about dressing up for the West Hollywood parade. Trying to get Tamara excited about it too. Lucy in such a mom mode here. I love it. Tamara is sassy by saying her suggestions suck LOL Their dynamic is so cute I love it so much though.

They get a knock on their door interrupting their convo. It’s one of their neighbors asking if Lucy is a cop? Lucy confirms this and asks what's going on? She continues on and says she lives in 604 across from the lady she’s coming to her about. Apparently ghost hunters are trying to commit elder fraud with her neighbor. Charging her outrageous prices. Lucy handles it like the confident BAMF she is. Directing everyone involved on what to do. Gah I love that we’ve reached this stage with her. I enjoy the growth journey don’t get me wrong, but I also truly enjoy the results too. So nice to see her settled and confident. Handles this rowdy group like a pro. I'm so proud of her.

We join everyone in roll call. A.C.H. Is written on the board. Grey is handing out candy for right answers. He asks Nolan what today is and what that acronym means? He says Halloween and doesn’t know the other half. Still expecting candy... such a putz. Harper replies correctly with ‘Anything Can Happen.’ Lucy asks what kind of crazy stuff might happen? Tim starts running down a list of things. Teenagers trying to steal kids candy, masked people running into liquor stores. Discerning if they’re late for a party or have a gun?

Grey is waiting for Tim to list one more thing. He is pre-smirking and Tim is confused af. Wade elaborates asking Tim how his uniform was torn 3 Halloween’s ago? Lucy looking perplexed as well. Poor Tim looks like he’s reliving something so uncomfortable. Like he’s seen things he shouldn’t have with that LOL

That dead behind the eyes look. Poor love. Lucy’s reaction is the best part. You know she’s enjoying his embarrassment for this. Delighting in it really. For that party it was a fair assumption i’m sure haha I mean look at the man. He’s beautiful and when they got to the yummy muscles underneath i'm sure didn’t help his case. Heh

First off I love this cute moment of them handing out candy together to kiddos. Could they be any cuter doing this? Also you know I love the Tall/Smol shots. Look at the smiles and closeness. My heart. I can just imagine them handing out Halloween candy together now. Most likely at Tim’s house. Since he lives in a neighborhood and being this damn cute about it. Handing out candy and dressing up while doing it. *sigh* A girl can dream eh?

Earlier in the ep before roll call Lucy got a phone call. She found out her mother has paid for her to freeze her eggs….Naturally this is upsetting to Lucy. How could It not be? Minute the kids step away Lucy goes off about it. Tim clearly not excited about this talk LOL I’m dying his reaction is too funny. Lucy is so valid in what she’s feeling though. It’s a pot shot at her. At her insecurities. Straight from her mom.

The way her mother treats her I can totally understand why she feels this way. How it looks is exactly what Lucy is venting about. Makes it seem like her mom is giving her a fail safe in case she never finds someone. Which is so damn rude but in line with her mom as person. Tim is trying to do logic instead of empathy. Thinking it’ll help her but it does not....He is looking at it with analytical eyes instead of empathetic ones. He is playing devil's advocate on this one. Telling Lucy her mom is probably just looking out for her. Knowing how busy she is. When he really shouldn't because it's her mom...

Lucy is so offended by his POV on this. Hating him trying to justify her mother's motives. I think if this was anyone else Lucy might've considered this. But its not...it's her mom who she has a very strained relationship with. Basically trying to plan her life for her. Control some aspect of it since she has no say in Lucy's career. Also let’s also note her touching his arm while berating him LOL. No need for that madam... but she is a moth to the flame in touching him. hehe Can't say I blame her. The sassy banter here is on point as usual though. Her face after Tim says he’s not taking her side. I’m rolling. They could not be more married if they tried.

Tim starts comparing her situation to car insurance and her clock ticking. Oh Timothy no...what are you doing my love? He is so damn insightful with her most of the time. Then is such a man in certain moments like this one. Telling her doing this appointment is just insurance. That you don't get car insurance hoping you get into an accident. The policy is just a waste of money.

That she needs to view this the same way. Might as well have her mom pay for it. Lucy does not let him get away with that though. Saying she's going to pretend he didn't just compare her fertility to a car crash LMAO Seriously the marriage vibes with this scene are off the charts. Their ‘fighting’ always bringing me such joy.

The cuteness continues when a mom comes up asking them to help find her daughter. Her daughter was dressed as Stitch. They both point (in-sync btw) at the table where a kid is wearing that costume. They realize this kid's not her daughter. That the parent must’ve taken her daughter and left his kid. This next part is ovary explosion time for me. *fans self*

Tim coming over all soft asking this kid questions. He’s in dad mode and I’m melting. Look at how soft he is above. Naturally good with kiddos. Despite his wonderful demeanor the kid has no clue how to answer any of Tim questions.... It’s so funny. His answers are so matter of fact. Daddy. Duh. Ha

I love them tag teaming to get this kid to talk. Lucy telling Tim she's got this. (Not really but she sure tries haha) I adore him just letting her step right in. Taking her shot at it. This is a look into them as parents and my heart wants to implode ha How they would talk to their kid. Lucy takes a slightly different approach at it. She fails just as miserably as Tim. It's so funny how they both crash and burn in their tactic's. They could not be any cuter in this scene if they tried.

This is my favorite part of the episode right here. More proof of how far we’ve come with them. This entire scene is a beautiful result of the last 3 seasons. They’re able to locate the missing girl and return Alton home. The guy didn’t even realize he picked up the wrong kid… Lucy stating once they’re back in the shop ‘That poor kid. Imagine having that idiot as a father.’ Tim notes there are a lot worse out there... trust me.

Like a foreshadow to 4x09 and all we learn about his father. Tim knows first hand how much worse a father can be. Hurts my heart for him to think he wouldn’t be a good father. Just because his own was awful coupled with his damaged past. If anything it’ll make him an even better one. Someone who would want to break the toxic cycle of what he grew up with. You can tell Lucy wanted to fight him on the dad comment. That she wants to reassure him he would be a wonderful parent.

She is respectful and doesn’t press the issue. Personal stuff while it’s more common for them now she knows when to press and when not to. This is one she doesn’t push on. Let's Tim just speak his piece on it. What is absolutely wonderful is her follow up question to that. Lucy keeps them in the personal life zone with it. The best part of it is Tim’s answer. He takes a beat and looks at her first before he dives in. He's intensely thinking before presenting his reply.

Look at our boy just being so openly vulnerable and answering her. Very honestly too btw. No push back or him shutting down. Just an honest and vulnerable answer. How far we’ve come I could cry. The amount of trust he has with her. To be this open and vulnerable about Isabel of all people and what their plans were once upon a time. My heart.

Tim spills his guts about where he thought his life would be now. He thought he would have kids already. He and Isabel had all these life plans. 3 kids, watch them grow up and everything that comes with that. Sharing with her what he thought his life would be by now. Willingly just talking about these things with Lucy. It's insane how natural this whole convo is. Lucy absorbing it all as he speaks.

Tim ends it on a sad note of ‘But…’ Lucy finishes it for him. Saying things don’t always work out. Lucy then connects the dots as to why he was playing devils advocate earlier with her appt. She says as such to him. That life doesn't always pan out the way you expect it to. This would be a way to protect against that. It's what he was trying to convey earlier just poorly ha. Difference being this time he was genuine and empathetic. So it gets through better like it always does when he's soft with her. Will say it breaks my heart Tim telling Lucy about his family plans that never happened. Like it's a distant dream he'll never achieve now. The beautiful thing to take away from this is he told her freely. Used it as advice even to bring home his point.

Tim didn’t hesitate to open up when she asked him. Saw it as an opportunity to give her advise on her problem. The growth in this man is incredible. I'm in awe of him. Remember in S1 when personal life was a dirty word? How he instantly would clam up and shut her down immediately? Now we're here. With them talking about wildly personal stuff in the shop. The progress is wonderful. Makes me teary thinking how far they’ve come. How far Tim has come because of that wonderful sunshine woman in his life. How closed off he used to be. Now they’re casually talking about their personal lives. Not only that but Tim sharing his past life goals with Isabel.

They’re making me all emotional lol God I love this ship. Their slow burn is so worth every bit of waiting. Because they got to develop as people and grow. Be the best versions of themselves when they did get together. This scene is a wonder to behold. To see them get to this place from where they started. *heart clutch* S4 is this beautiful payoff of the bond they’ve forged. How they’ve both grown. Hell Lucy driving is driving and it’s not a thing. Just natural. Their progression makes my soul happy and even happier that I get to write about it. This is their last scene together but it's a damn fine note to end on.

Angela comes over to update Lucy and Tamara on the ghost hunter situation. Tells them the creepy history attached to the building. Tamara is sufficiently freaked out. Says they should move haha Lucy tells her ghost's aren't real. Lucy is more worried about the hunters coming back to bother her neighbor. Angela says 99 percent of the time when a close friend or nice neighbor i.e. Lucy report it they go away and don't return.

Lucy then makes a statement that has me wanting to hug her. Saying she hopes she has a caring neighbor like herself when she’s old and alone. (Just wait Lucy we're almost there...sorta ha) Angela asks her if she’s having bad dating week? Lucy laughs tells her no. Then explains what her mother did. Angela tells her to go for it since it costs so much and she doesn't have to pay for it.

Lucy’s line above is everything. I do not blame her. Just be one more thing to hold over Lucy’s head. I know that life well… To Lucy it's just more guilt to have poured on. Something her mother can use against her later on. Better to limit her to the ammo she currently has. Tamara is sweet and says she can adopt if nothing else. Lots of kids who need a home. She’s not wrong. Also her mom must be out of her damn mind if she think's she can be apart of her kids life. She would have to do a complete 180 in how she treats her before that happens.

Lucy and Tamara decide to get ready for the parade. Lucy thanks her for coming with. She comments how cold her bathroom always is. Tamara cracks a joke about it being cause 20 people died in their building LOL Lucy accidentally knocks over some makeup and watches the dust get sucked in behind the mirror. As if there is a draft. They pull it off together and it reveals a giant hole in the wall leading to all sorts of nooks and cranies.

Tamara refuses to let Lucy climb into this creepy hole by herself. I just love their back and forth so much haha Lucy lets her come with. Leads to this creepy hallway where someone has been staying. They find the blueberries Lucy was looking for earlier. It's on this creeps make-shift bed. It’s so eerie. The ‘ghost’ that’s been living in their walls has been eating their food. Entering everyone's apt's at his convenience.

That’s so unnerving tbh. Just coming into their apt whenever for food through the hole. Lucy calls Angela and says it’s not a ghost. Someone has been living in their walls. Tamara walks over and sees a collection of women’s jewelry and bras. Saying she’s getting stalker vibes. They see mail down there too. It’s for the girl that reported the ghost hunters this morning. Margaret in 604.

Lucy hears creaking and wants to investigate it. Angela says she’ll call It in for them. The more they delve into this area the creepier it gets. They find his peep holes too. It’s then in the holes they see Margaret doing laundry alone. The creepy dude comes out of the shadows after her. Lucy calls for her but she doesn't hear her.

Then comes one of my favorite Lucy moments. She finds a weak spot in the wall and goes after the creeper. She handles herself like an absolute bad ass. What a fight sequence with just a broom stick. Tim would be so proud. It’s so impressive to watch her take this guy down. One of the best parts is Tamara gets to see the whole thing. Cheers her on and jumps up and down with Lucy dispatches him. It’s amazing.

We catch them the next morning Lucy in mom mode once again. Default setting with Tamara is you ask me. She is asking her if she slept at all? If she wasn’t feeling safe they could go to a hotel. Then Tamara gives her the best compliment she could. She is a certified bad ass. I would feel safe with her too. I love Tamara getting to see Lucy in action. Seeing what a strong bad ass woman looks like. And it’s her.

They get a knock on the door and it's Angela to update them on the wall guy. This next portion is pretty sweet and funny. Let's them know if they hear anything just the scene being processed. Angela then asks what Lucy wants to do about her appointment? She says she’s going to do at least the consultation. (I think this is partially Tim's influence from their earlier convo in the shop.)

Angela goes off on a rant about how babies don’t sleep for more than 3 hours, can’t tell if they’re smiling or have gas, and they pee on you when you change them. It's true my nephew had a Pee-Pee TeePee LOL But to not to let that dissuade her from motherhood ahhaa. Tamara pulls her leg some and it’s so funny how easily she riles Lucy up. Mom/Daughter vibes in this scene and I love it. Angela gets serious saying Jack best thing ever happened to her. Wishes Lucy the same whenever she’s ready. She will be when it’s her kid with Tim ❤️ I love this season so much. Such goodies almost every single ep.

~~~

Side notes non-Chenford

Did enjoy Pete coming back. Him helping Tim And Nolan with their drug bust of the zombie drug. Also never hate seeing Tim in civvies mmm. That tight sweater and jeans. Glad I had the room for this gif above. To see him in said sexy outfit. Watching him in action and that outfit? Have mercy.

Thank you to those who continually like, comment and reblog these reviews. Makes my heart so happy. I shall see you all in 4x06 :)

[spiritsglade]

3, 11, and 12 for the ask game!!

[choose violence asks]

3. screenshot or description of the worst take you've seen on tumblr

answered here but also the tim drake ask that got turned into a copypasta is still one of my favorite things ever. it's so wrong it loops back around to being funny and delightful.

11. number of fandom-related words you've filtered

five. four of them are variations on the tag dp x dc because i don't care about that ghost boy (sorry) and one of them is a ship that i don't even dislike.

12. the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them

got too muddled in what unpopular meant (talia for too many people hating them, connor hawke for not enough people care about them, ollie for this guy shows up in bat-centric fics often enough but is so surface level i promise he is so so interesting and you should read about him). and then i was thinking about the most popular lineup for the batfam and came up with babs, so we're just gonna speed round through them.

talia al ghul - the push and pull of her relationship with ra's is genuinely fascinating, and her love and compassion are the #1 most important things to me ever. she's trying so hard.

connor hawke - i'm still sort of tangential to his whole deal but he's just a really fun character to read?? like every time he's been on page i've been enjoying the comic. (except maybe the hate crimes arc by chuck dixon that one was. hm.) i'll talk more about him in a bit :)

oliver queen - had a friend who didn't know about him mention offhand that he's usually being bashed in bat-centric fics when he does show up. this is in line with my observations. anyway the fact he is so clearly flawed but then actually contends with it and tries to improve and does actually improve is soooo important to me. also he's funny. green arrow > batman. idc.

barbara gordon - oracle!babs especially, maybe it's just the circles i run in but i simply do not see people discussing her often relative to the other "main" batfam members and i think they should!! she's great and badass and complicated and i am gesturing at every batgirl 2000 panel. she keeps me up at night with the implication of how much pull she has with MULTIPLE NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS, APPARENTLY. love u babs.

[adultswim2021]

The Room (featuring Space Ghost bumpers) | April 1, 2010 - 12:00AM | Special

The time-honored April Fools stunt for 2010 was a repeat showing of The Room, with a twist.

Tonight’s viewing of The Room was augmented with special bumpers featuring Space Ghost interviewing a befuddled Tommy Wiseau. He seems perpetually perplexed about what exactly is going on, and most of the footage of him is very outtake-centric. In addition to interview segments, there are also short bumpers of just him on the Space Ghost monitor saying something to the effect of “you are watching The Room on Adult Swim” and mentioning April Fools. He fumbles this repeatedly, and we see the results in these bumpers.

I remembered this rather fondly, and this time around I was eager to sink my sterling chompers into these bumpers again. I quite confidently put these on my list for stuff to cover as if they weren’t going to be relegated to an EPHEMERA CORNER. Really, it’s about 50/50 as to weather or not that was a sound decision. These are technically bumpers. Added up they almost make up the length of a Space Ghost episode. Well, it’s longer than “The Mask”, at least. I watched a compilation of the bumpers on archive.org, and if I’m to believe that these are in the same order they aired in, then what happens is the interview segments actually run out and all that’s left are those brief bumpers of Tommy ID’ing the program you’re watching.

Some have a natural aversion towards Tommy Wiseau, and I don’t blame them. I legitimately love watching The Room, and think he’s entertaining in his awfulness. This charming badness takes a hit when he's trying to be funny, but some of the good stuff sneaks in, by the nature of Space Ghost's emphasized use of unguarded moments. The very last bumper has Tommy beginning to complain about the fact that the studio space was in close proximity to some annoying neighbors. My money's on Dinner and a Movie filling the studio with the pungent aroma of their Monster-In-Law-sagna.

A few moments in these bumpers are funny; like when Space Ghost and crew just talk about how bad The Room is without accounting for the fact that they’re saying it to the creator’s face. That's a benefit of retroscripting; they weren’t REALLY being nasty to Wiseau’s face, but far after the fact. The magic of non-live television.

Other earmarks of Space Ghost silliness include George Lowe prattling on about Lens Crafters advertising, as well as a segment where Moltar and Zorak trade The Room quotes to a confused Space Ghost (this is actually the only thing I remembered with any clarity from my original viewing of this in 2010).

Space Ghost also references Tommy by the Who, and then bruskly explains “that was a reference”. That style of reference is common on Space Ghost, and that sort of deconstruction almost gives this an air of finality… that is, if one wanted to consider this a final Space Ghost episode. Problem is: It sorta isn’t. Stringing the interview segments together doesn’t seem like it would result in anything cohesive, and I wonder if there was ever some idea that this would result in a new 11 minute Space Ghost episode. The final product doesn’t seem to suggest so. 

This was a welcome return from Space Ghost, but I think it’s only marginally better than the GameTap episodes. I can’t even discern if this was written by members of the old crew or the GameTap team or perhaps some interloper. And I assume we will never know.

[charlieslowartsies]

RAHH it’s so cool to see that other people are rereading kgau too, cuz it’s done nothing but lurk in my mind ever since I first found it a few years back, AND that’s what IVE been doing too and I’m having a blast!!

Any commentary on Danny or his character? Or how you came up with him as Jeremy’s kid? Idc I just love that little dude he’s so cool

I often wonder how many times people have reread. If we go by hit count on ao3, I THINK GS or DS has been hit the most? What's funny is they're older and they've been completed for a hit minute, and they're around 10k hits. LW is ongoing, incomplete, and arguably one of my faster completed fics and it's at 10k too lol. I have Danny Fitzgerald comments I suppose! I am VERY tired so I hope these make some semblance of sense xc

Danny was created because I kind of felt Mike had grown used to his surroundings very well. I liked that about Mike! One of the blanket themes of KGA is of course, Found Family. But...I also wanted to explore a more 'holy shit! living robots' reaction. I also needed someone Mike wouldn't LET the gang bully/be cold to.

While Mike worked on ridding them of that learned fear, in the meantime he focused on hiring people that were chill and wouldn't give him more headaches.

So I needed a teenager I decided. I was very hesitant to make him at all. I'm not a huge fan of OCs when it comes to my own writing. It complicates things, and if I wanted a story of OCs I would make that. (Reading them is more fun ^^)

However, the kga series proved I could make something I liked well enough from scratch. Like I've said before, the content we had for Mike Schmidt's character was, yanno, zilch. He might as well have been an oc for a while, until more games and lore appeared over the years. (Obviously KGA does not follow the 'correct' lore. I'm 100% okay with that.)

I hemed and hawed a lot with just keeping Jeremy alive and making Ghost Strings star him, but a fic I loved reading at the time also had an amazing Jeremy and I didn't feel I could write my 'own' version and do it justice. Jeremy as well, if anything, would have a much darker history with the restaurant. Danny was essentially a blank canvas, while still having a reason for being there. He was a fraidy cat--rightly so--but he was determined and he forced himself constantly out of his comfort zone. (I'm sure GS would have been a much different story if Mangle had been active/in the restaurant.)

So, Jeremy had to go. And then I realized I wanted to work on death and loss and that kind of pain.

Danny obviously joins the restaurant for deeply painful and close to selfish reasons, but he's still someone we root for. He's just a dumb teenager looking for something of his father's, not realizing he's the reason he has so little to remember the man by.

All we are made up of is memories. Ours and others, things we take from important people in our lives.

Danny's theme/lesson in GS was 'Even bad memories have a place in a Good life' after all.

Danny's presence in the story helped me explore that mystery, and grief, and what happens when we try to heal ourselves, or when we rely on others to help us, like Bonnie helped Danny. It became a great parallel for Michael/Max Afton, since we learn in Last Shift, YEARS later in the story, this wasn't the first time Bonnie kept something safe for someone out of sheer love and devotion, like Max's beloved cassettes and music-tastes. This was despite Bonnie and the gang being so deeply hurt by Max's attack on them, but he still held on to the Good alongside the Bad.

And of course, giving Bonnet to Danny seemed...so fucken cute and fun and easy. She needed someone, he needed someone, and they just clicked.

My favorite thing about Danny is that everyone liked him so much more than I expected, even just in his first fic. I pursued Finding Freddy with the best intentions, and as hard as that fic was for me, I do not regret making it a Danny!centric fic. It also helps that when he shows up in Lies Within he's clearly done lots of growing, but he's still very mortal and he's very able to die. He still tries to help the restaurant, choosing to embrace the mantle of Day Guard that his father held in the Toys' era. That continued loyalty to Mike ends up being a pretty powerful weapon against the Virus.

Also something I need to explore more is Max is such a puffy little trash cat over Mike when Danny comes onto the scene, although he does lower his hackles within a few months, (and by the time of Lies Within) he's guarded and cautious around Danny. However once Max decides Danny belongs with them, that's it and Max considers him family as much as he's attached to Mike.

One thing I hadn't expected was liking the broship between Ness and Danny that's cropping up in LW. I absolutely want to mull that over more! Vanessa obviously has different...ties and hangups... to Bonnie models, but they really are interesting foils for each other. Esp considering Danny's choices in his older stories and her choices now, including the ones she might still have to make ;)

[lesbianwithchainsaws]

Saw your recent post and this is a request for you to ramble about why you enjoy horror movies so much & which are your favourites & why. I love rambles.

Aaaaaaa this might be very long so just a warning in advance!!!

Okay so why I like horror: honestly I've always just loved horror. Like I remember as a kid being very fascinated by urban legends, and ghost stories and those totally-not-fake-totally-real videos and images of ghosts and other supernatural stuff. And over the years I just became obsessed with horror movies especially! But I think what really appeals to me about the genre is that anything can be made scary. Because really there is horror in everything imo. Even the most normal, mundane thing can be captured as the most terrifying thing in the world. And horror can also blend so well with other genres. Horror comedies are obviously very popular. So are dramas that have a lot of horror elements. Horror can be romantic, funny, action-filled, adventurous just as much as it can be scary. It's just such a joy to see all these different genres mixed together and to see how even the same or similar topics can be made in vastly different kinds of horror. Also like people will find the same thing scary for different reasons and in different ways, which is, again, what makes stuff like this so fascinating to see.

And another thing that appeals to me about horror is that horror reflects the society of the time it was made in really interesting ways, and can critique it in such interesting ways. Like nowadays there's quite a few horror movies about trauma and mental illness, and I think that reflects how nowadays those topics are more talked about so they're also portrayed more in horror, and shown how scary it can be to live with that. While in the past mental illness was used more as a way to demonise a character.

That's just the current day example, but every decade has had horror critiquing the way society is and showing the fears reflected at the time. Like, in the US, there was a rise in slasher movies/movies about serial killers after they were everywhere in the news. Or how in the 2000s there was a rise in brutality and gore because of 9/11 and the brutality of real life people kept seeing, which was reflected in the movies (I'm sorry this is more US centric. Unfortunately a lot of the horror movie stuff that is most available to me to read/watch tends to be more US centric). Of course this doesn't mean all horror movies do a good job at social critique, there are unfortunately a lot of horror movies that play into stereotypes. But a lot of them reflect something in society one way or another and I think horror is the most fascinating way to explore all these different themes!

Idk if that made any sense lmao.

Anyway aome of my favourite horror movies and why:

My fav horror film of all time is The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) I could straight up write a whole separate long post just about why I love this movie so much. But aaaah I've never seen a movie that does horror so well. Like I've seen 554 horror movies and this is still easily the scariest one I've seen. It captures the fear and tension of the whole situation so well. Its an isolated setting. The product design is honestly *chefs kiss*. And like this movie feels like a terrifying fever dream and looks exactly like it. I've only seen one other movie that manages to capture the nightmare fever dream feel to a similar extent, but the movie was literally meant to be a ripoff of Texas Chainsaw Massacre lmao (the movie is the original Toolbox Murders. It's not very good overall but imo that feeling I'd there. Though fun fact: the Toolbox Murders remake was directed by Tobe Hooper, who is the director of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. And I think that's hilarious since the original Toolbox Murders was a ripoff of his movie)

Another fav is Saw (2004). I can't even begin to describe why I adore Saw so much, but just look at it! The concept is cool and terrifying. And the movie is just damn impressive. Yeah you can tell it had a small budget and they shot the whole thing in like three weeks, but imo it's such a great and unique example of indie filmmaking. It also does a great job at making you care about the characters and so seeing all that happen to them is even more devastating. Also I would kill for Adam I can't even lie.

Honestly my "favourite horror movies" list has over 60 horror movies in there so I don't think I can ramble about every single one. But I'll ramble about what they're like at least.

A lot of my fav horror movies tend to fall in the slasher subgenre and honestly idk why. I just find slasher movies so fun to watch. They're so campy and ridiculous. But also when they're done super well, they make you abnormal forever btw

But also yeah I love psychological horror/horror with a much deeper meaning. I'd argue that every piece of art has a deeper meaning, even the shitty stuff, but there are movies that put in a bit more effort into it than others. And I do enjoy reading analysis of those movies and trying to think about them myself in that way. It's a really cool way pass time and to grow more insane about horror!!

Idk what else to say rn, but if you want to know more please ask. I love talking about horror literally whenever

[aetherealmoss]

fanfic opening lines

Rules: Post the beginning lines of your most recent 10 published fanfics and then tag 10 people.

i was tagged by @heartbreakincident! i write basically the same thing thirty times over...

A betrayal starts with a word— (there’s a tale that starts with rabbits and ends with wolves. There’s a sharp tooth digging into the soft spot of their jaws, threatening to bite. Oh, how does he do this, again? Sharpen his own teeth, sharpen his claws, sharp sharp sharp.) (dead man runnin' (disappear without a trace), ghostsoap, COD)

The last thing he sees of Gotham is the spilling fog—he’s heading inland, abandoning the salty-air and the gruesome calls of his name, leaving behind what was once his whole soul and tenfold something worse than better. (storm in the sky, fire in the trees (if there's nothing but pain, put it on me), jason-centric (part3), DC)

Setting up the whole RedArse thing (yeah, he sees it too, and he found it more than funny, hence why he used it) is easy enough—too easy, maybe, because he fully expected Jason to push against it a whole lot more, but hey, gift horse, or whatever. (fractured existence (won't you fall for me), jayroy, DC)

There’s a coiling heat burning up his back. His gasping lungs selfish for another breath of air. There’s something claustrophobic clawing up his spine. His hands flutter, slam into something cold and hard, brushing through prickles of pain. (if you must live, darling one (just live), jason-centric (part2), DC)

There is a certain kind of irony to life. That is to say, when push comes to shove and the world hangs by a thread in someone’s fingers, it’s impossible to pretend it won’t become a tangled mess. That is to say, Ghost stands behind his captain and begs him to, for once in his life, shut his beautiful bloody mouth because it’s going to get them killed. (runnin outta time, runnin outta highs (i’m all outta things to say), 09 ghostsoap, COD)

The night is alive and oppressing and hot, unlike any other Gotham night before, and Jason Todd doesn’t know why he woke up from his dreamless slumber. (why do i beg my legs to take me (much farther than they were meant to), jason-centric (part1), DC)

Kyle “Gaz” Garrick is every bit drunk as he is, utterly, religious. That is to say, if the circumstances are just right, he leans into it and loses himself to it. (the difference between prayer & mercy (is how you move the tongue), pricegaz, COD)

Jason Todd’s life ended in a vicious cycle of many parts and machinations and cruelty when Catherine Todd died, it ended when Bruce Wayne, or Batman, or his dad, or just his legal parent, or maybe none at all, took Robin from him— (oh, bird, worry not (the blessings rain on battles), jason-centric/jayroy, DC)

Soap has never quite been scared of death, he even imagines it sometimes; imagines it to be cold, he imagines it to be like a chill that shudders the whole body through motions, through memories. Imagines it to be cruel, uncaring, unfair, grabbing innocent people by their fear, like a sharp twist of fate. But he isn’t scared of it, it doesn’t frighten him, he wouldn’t leave much behind. (so touch me again (will you cleanse me with pleasure), soapghostroach, COD)

The world didn’t end when Ghost thought it would—when he thought it should, when he begged it to. (blood stains on the collar means just don't ask (be the first to the feast), soapghost (part2 of an older fic), COD)

this was fun <3 tagging... whoever wants to do this xo

[erigold13261]

Yooooo those two pics might be one of my favorites for Drawtober 2024!!

-Wait what happened to NSR Ilia in that pic? Did he turn into some sort of ghost elemental? And is he going to be okay with all those flowers in his lung?

-also for the mermaid Ilia pic, is Ilia from the Mermay 2023 world?/j (because he kinda reminds me of merfolk Eloni)

Thanks! Glad you like them! I actually don't care for those two all myself. Like they are good to me, but there are elements I either wish I changed, removed, or added. But hey, there's only so much I can do when I am playing catch up and also working full time lol.

There's no story to most of these, especially ones where it is just design play like with full skeleton NSR Ilia and (possibly) mermaid Ilia.

If I were to give a story I would say that Ilia is just very overheated from the Hanahaki disease and so his whole body is translucent because of the heat.

The flowers are obviously from him not saying his feelings (I like the version where you just have to say your feelings and not that your feelings need to be reciprocated), and because of some random condition magic/interaction now his lungs are also visible under his skin instead of just his bones.

Considering how many flowers are in his lungs, I don't think he would be all that okay. He's either going to die, have a TON of scarring that will make breathing very difficult if the flowers are removed, or will have an extremely long recovery time after confessing his feeling (both of the last options most likely becoming chronic illnesses with lots of issues after all the flowers are gone).

As for the (possibly) mermaid Ilia, there's probably a mermaid version of every universe. So while not directly from the 2023 Mermay universe (which is NSR centric) I would say he's from some kind of mermaid universe.

That's if you wanted to put a story to it. Because I'll be super honest, I was struggling HARD with day 21. The prompts were "Bite," "MLP AU," and "Mermaids/Pirates." I wasn't getting any ideas from any of those prompts. At least nothing that I wanted to go with.

I was tempted to draw another picture like the one where Ilia had bitemarks all along his body from Dagon (or Dagon having bitemarks instead), or drawing Troll Ilia tearing into some flesh, or even heck, I almost broke the ilia streak and was contemplating drawing Kuroshi biting something (or someone, possibly Yamikumo lol or even him having bit Ilia).

I also thought about drawing an MLP Ilia, but I couldn't think of what kind of creature to make him (either a pony or something else, and if a pony then what kind? I was tempted to do a changeling but know nothing about the new versions of changelings).

There was also a thought of having a standard Ilia mermaid (not a jellyfish one) where he had bite marks taken out of his body (or even a mermaid version of the first bite idea where it was from Dagon).

Even thought of doing a lil swap with Dagon and Ilia and having Ilia be a mermaid curse and Dagon a sorcerer (or both being curses). I don't know. As you can probably see, I struggled a LOT with the 21st and so the fact that (and the 20th) are possibly your faves is so funny to me lol!

[thatgordongirl]

My BBC Ghosts Fanfics  

Oneshot Collections -

Easter Oneshots 

Christmas Oneshots 

Spooktober Oneshots 

Spooktober II Oneshots

WIPs - 

Never Anything Quite So Special (3/4)- Fanny’s son returns to Button House as a ghost 

If I Lived There (2/8) - Pat and Julian survive and meet as living people

This Whole Time - Captain has a flask on him, cue boys night 

Everybody Talks (1/4) - Captain starts to see Julian in a different light, leading to conflicting feelings

Patcap - 

You Matter To Me - Captain has an existential crisis, Pat tries to make him feel better 

Loverman (Oh Where Can You Be?) - Captain builds up the courage to tell Pat how he feels

1944-Lieutenant Butcher - Pat goes back in time to 1944, being assigned to the Captain

Paper Butterflies - Alison introduces the group to a therapy technique 

Capulian - 

Thank You For Being A Friend - Julian is gloomy on his death day, Captain sympathises 

Keep Me Safe - Julian helps Captain cope with PTSD

Couldn’t Escape If I Wanted To - Alison had another party, so Julian distracts Captain

You Are The Best Thing That’s Ever Been Mine - Captain and Julian have an emotional affair 

Things I Would (Could) Never Do - Captain meets an alive Julian Fawcett, he’s not impressed

I Get A Little Bit Genghis Khan - Julian and Cap get into an interesting routine

Indulgence - Captain & Julian and Captain & Pat

War Poetry - 

Alone Again - Captain comforts Thomas during a difficult time 

Our Little Secret - Thomas is more observant than the others know 

No Man Left Unconcealed - The ghosts decide to play hide and seek, Thomas and Captain end up stuck together

De-Cap-itation

The Perfect View - Humphrey and Cap meet up for the night guard

Multiple ships/No pairings/One off pairings - 

Hopelessly Devoted To You - Thomas/Isabelle, Humphrey/Sophie, Julian/Margot, Pat/Carol and Captain/Havers 

I Get Along Without You Very Well - Julian wrangles with Mary’s passing

It Was Funny - The ghosts and their relationship with life and death

A Rainbow - The ghosts being colours in Kitty’s rainbow

Captain x Multiple -

Ghostly Support - Pat/Captain, Thomas/Captain, Captain/Julian, Humphrey/Captain and Robin/Captain

Thomas-centric -

What Writing Can Do - Thomas reflects on the importance of his profession 

Reader Insert -

Families Aren’t Always Blood - Teen reader insert can see the ghosts

Pat/Carol -

Love Is Like - Pat/Carol

Theodore-centric -

When Soft Voices Die - Captain’s great nephew decides to learn more about his heritage

Multiple -

In Case You Don’t Last Forever - Daley & Pat, Pat/Captain, Captain/Havers, Julian/Robin, Isabelle/Thomas

It Was Funny - Captain & Fanny & Robin & Humphrey

Fanny & Stephen Button centric - 

She Used To Be Mine - Fanny teaches Alison how to dance 

Rachel & Margot Fawcett centric - 

We Go To The Stars - Rachel and Alison have a talk on the roof 

I’m Sorry For Your Loss - Margot and her relationship with death

In Nature Nothing Exists Alone - Rachel relates to plants more than people 

Informality Of Family - Cap’s great nephew Theodore and Rachel Fawcett meet

The Joker And The Queen - Theodore gets shot and Rachel goes to comfort him

Nobody Else (But You) - Some good Rachel and Theo bonding

Forget - Rachel and Daley have a midnight conversation

New Year’s Kisses - Pat/Captain, Pat/Julian, Julian/Margot and Daley & Rachel

Exceptions - Rachel doesn’t like most people

Only My Husband Knew That - Margot suspects Julian’s still in Button House

[natequarter]

hello! do you happen to have any fic recs for ghosts (bbc)? i dont want to be mean because i think its great that people are writing for it! but a lot of the ones ive seen reduce the characters quite a bit? thanks. LOVE your ghosts and dr who fics btw theyre fantastic!! :)

oh thank you! my recommendations concerning the ghosts in general would be:

Chit-Chat by xenolinguist. a chatfic which is not my usual style but is a really fun work focusing on alison, mike, and all the ghosts

Fabrications by SwaggerStick. an incredibly funny piece which puts a new spin on series four's, er, piss lore

And So On and So Forth by V_Evergreen. this is probably the number one fic out of any ghosts fic that i would recommend. the moment between fanny and alison is one of the most perfect moments i've read in any ghosts fanfic. i cannot stress enough how much i love this work

We Are Dead And Buried (yet our ghosts might still learn) by someoneplsloverobbierotten. a long fic focusing on robin and an original character, but absolutely worth it. artemis' internal conflict is fascinating, and his personality thoroughly developed

House Share by Sheepyblue. from mike's perspective, detailing his attempts to bond with the ghosts. bar julian, none of the ghosts make an actual appearance here (for the obvious reason that mike can't see them), but it's nonetheless a very good study of mike's character, his relationship with alison, the ghosts themselves, and what it must be like to be alone even surrounded by people

Don't Let The Good Life Pass You By by Impossibly_Izzy. what if the ghosts came back to life? what if pat (and julian) were forced to reconcile his new life he's found with the ghosts with the old life he can never go back to? worst of all, what if humphrey had to shave off his beard? this fic answers all of these vital questions, and more. and it's well-written to boot!

Ghost of a Kind by LostKagamiWitchInTheIsles. another fic with an oc ghost which is pulled off very well. if i had a nickel for every time i'd read a fic with the premise, "what would happen if another ghost were added to button house (and didn't like the main gang)?" i'd only have two nickels, but both are brilliant. i love cordelia dearly, and i think you all should too

ere ever aeneas began by TheGoodDoctor. i honestly don't know where to begin with this one. it's very much one of a kind. basically, bbc ghosts, but from the perspective of... trees. [robin voice] you had to be there

Button House B&B by quiet_crisis_in_the_corner. an influencer visits button house. keith leaves a review. the ghosts help nobody at all. all in all, a pretty average and awful day at button house. the first two chapters are absolutely hilarious, and that's that

Thick Skull by thehappybones. rather than dying at button house, pat just about survives being struck by an arrow. decades later, he returns to the house after the recent death of his wife, carol, and finally confronts those damned ghosts. a quietly sweet what-if

Nothing Like a Round on 'The Krypton Factor' by neverfaraway. pat/captain, but more generally a work focusing on alison and her relationship with the ghosts. appeasement doesn't work on anyone, least of all dead people. feels as warm and friendly as an actual episode of ghosts, and as accurate to their voices too

humphrey-centric:

'Tis not hereafter by attend_the_tale. humphrey/original female character, with that relationship being the focus and his relationship with sophie the background context. i would be remiss not to mention the author's other work, Present Mirth Hath Present Laughter, along with it, since they have the same strengths: lovely characterisation of humphrey and sophie, a vibrant and realistic original character, and such a brilliant, deft depiction of elizabethan england. the prose, too, is wonderful

so uncomfortably alone (but not for long!) by hounds_of_love. captain/pat/humphrey, from humphrey's perspective. a lovely and very touching fic in which humphrey's loneliness is remedied, and also three idiots kiss, which is how i like my fanfiction

Battles of the Bones by thelastplantagenet. humphrey/sophie, set in the 1500s. concerns a timeline where humphrey and sophie actually learn to like each other, fall in love, kill the queen... you know, the usual. again works with its historical setting rather than against it, and the author has a wonderful knack for humphrey's voice in particular. i'm once again rereading this one. it's good

robin-centric:

songs for dads by whimsicaliity. better entitled, "the fic that cradled my heart, then smashed it to pieces." eerily reminiscent of gone gone, despite being written long before series four came out. i have reread this many times. i have had my heart stomped on many times. i cannot recommend this enough. robin/julian, until it isn't

Witness by TheArchaeologist. what can i say, except that this is a fantastic character study of robin? he's old, he's seen a lot and lost a lot, and he's hilarious. relatively short, but effective with its words

Made Our Cave An Everywhere by MadameReveuse. chess husbands, alternating between robin and julian's perspectives, detailing julian coming to terms with his death. i love fic which deals with julian experiencing "emotions," as those bleeding-heart libs like to think of them

It by Scriblit. emotionally devastating, but so well-done. a look at robin's relationships with all the ghosts, from humphrey to julian, but in particular his connections to mary and julian - and how robin and julian respectively deal with those relationships and the grief of losing mary. a fantastic addition to gone gone, but ouch, my heart

It's Pronounced "Rrogh" by vex_ing. this is a favourite of mine not just because it was inspired by a post i wrote, but because it's a wonderfully written character piece, and a beautiful explanation of just where robin got his name from

moon woman (his moon woman) by fivecenturiesverse. such a lovely exploration of the relationship between robin and mary, as well as robin's age and his connection to the moon. i have a soft spot for mary/robin, and the way that mary grows and changes here is also wonderful

The 62,019 Year-Old Dictionary by Robin Caveman by Turtle_ier. i am beyond obsessed with robin's perspective on life, and while i haven't read this one over in a while, it's a great portrayal of robin. the way it plays around with format also stands out to me

thomas-centric:

By the Fire by scribehotan. focuses on nigel the plague ghost, and his budding friendship with thomas thorne. a lovely, soft piece, with a very cosy setting. deals with nigel's plague-related insecurities, and gives thomas some nuance, which is more or less an instant way to my heart

What Twisted Webs We Weave by The_Purple_Opossum. a canon-divergent fic from isabelle's perspective, in which isabelle nearly dies and discovers that she is, in fact, haunted. by thomas. i think this is one of my favourite depictions of (of all characters) francis button: he puts isabelle down, but is not explicitly cruel, which lines up with what we know of him. so far, it's very well-written - and builds on the warped version of events that isabelle is familiar with, ranging from humphrey's supposed plotting to thomas's supposed duel over shelley

Feeling comes in aid of feeling by Eccentric_Hat. thomas/kitty. lots of lovely character beats, and the development of thomas and kitty's relationship is lovely. has some entertaining discussion of shakespeare - representation of disembodied heads in media is tragically lacking

Eternity With a Nuisance by charliest. focuses more on alison and thomas, but it's a wonderful exploration of both the ghosts' relationship to time and alison's relative mortality. also, anything which gives thomas depth is my shit

I Stand Unsure by midshipmanwilfrid. a brief but touching character study of thomas, focused on his troubled feelings on his own gender. the sort where you come away from it feeling as if you have woken up to a world both the same and fundamentally changed, and are not sure how to feel about it. quietly affecting

Renovations by Ailendolin. thomas-centric, focusing on his emotional repression and struggles with rejection, particularly in relation to his friendship with alison. a beautiful piece on alison and the other ghosts helping him for once. picking just one work for this author was incredibly tough, but this is one of my all-time favourites from both the author and ghosts fanfiction in general

one and the same by wizardmeats. thomas dreams of a happier life with isabelle. pat helps him come to terms with it. a beautiful analysis of thomas's personality, and his bond with pat is very (bitter)sweet

captain-centric:

Land to Light On by sistermichael. a captain/havers modern au, which in general is enough to make me walk away and/or zone out immediately. however! the captain, spain, and only one bed. perfection. the writing style is exquisite; the worldbuilding is skilled; the way it fleshes out havers' character is excellent. very much not something i would normally go for; good enough that i would recommend it anyway

The Blooms of May by kingofthefrogs. fantasy au, captain/pat, enemies to lovers. if you like gideon the ninth, this one's for you. if you like welsh mythology, this one's for you. i love anything with unique worldbuilding (and humphrey/sophie, which this also has), and this one is something unique. i'm hooked

oh, captain, let’s make a deal where we both say the things that we both really feel by seawall. captain/humphrey (or should i say de-cap-itation?), an extended exploration of the captain's developing feelings for humphrey and his dealing with grief. a beautiful work - generally i'm not that interested in the captain, but he's portrayed so well here (and, you know, i love caphrey) that i can't not love it

fieri sentio et excrucior by oui_oui_mon_ami. captain/oc, specifically the captain falling in love with a roman soldier who lives next door. not my usual thing, but a nice read nonetheless

passion and drive by cloudings. captain/thomas, which for some unknown reason i cannot get enough of. elaborates upon the ever-hilarious plot pitch of, "the captain fails to come out to thomas because the idiot thinks the captain's in love with him." one of those ones i keep coming back to

A Kiss, Then by SunriseBirds. also captain/thomas. one that i can say is wonderfully characterised. these two are hopeless idiots, and it's on full display in just how hopelessly idiotic they are here. ten out of ten, would recommend

drug club by Aziz. captain/thomas. the erotics of sharing drugs, a rooftop, and a houseful of ghosts who keep on interrupting your erotics. would you still love me if i was a worm?

(We've Only Got) So Many Tricks by radiocarbonblinddate. pat/captain, focusing on the immediate aftermath of pat's death and how the captain adjusts. beautiful depiction of the ghosts before they were the ghosts we know. cannot recommend this author enough. just read their stuff, and you'll see what i mean

Moving On by Pic_Akai. a very well-written fic in which the captain wakes up in the modern day remembering the events of ghosts, but nobody else except alison does. he helps arrange humphrey's wedding, finds love for himself, and doesn't strangle thomas. very sweet

overall, i would highly recommend anything by any of the authors on this list, but in particular Ailendolin, Sheepyblue, hounds_of_love, and kingofthefrogs. i hope this helps!

[podklb]

Nate-Centric Fic Recs: Part 1 (Gen)

This is my first post in ages, because I have decided I have something of value to contribute! And that is my knowledge of excellent fics about Nathan Shelley. I love pretty much all the characters on Ted Lasso, but Nate is my favorite, I’ve got a bit of a mental collection of great Nate fics, so I thought I’d type it out and share it with the world. 

When I started to write this out, I realized that I have too many recs for a single post, so this one is just for gen fic, and shipfic will be in a separate post.

Nathan Shelley Gen Fic Recs

do you believe in ghosts? by @atlanticsea, ~2.5k. A character study of Nate’s journey through S1 and S2, gorgeously written with a very cool ghost metaphor woven throughout.

talk about me, make it all about you by @ohlafraise, ~1K. Nate and Jamie run into each other in S3. This fic is thoughtful, funny, insightful, and deeply satisfying, all in under 1000 words!

he can’t play it any faster when he plays the blues by @thatsparrow, ~3.5K. Rupert takes Nate out for drinks after work. This has a fantastic Nate POV that lets him be complicated about Ted and Beard and Rupert and beautifully explores all of his layers of feelings on top of feelings throughout the evening.

I Knew I Was Right (I Learned I Was Wrong) by @fandomfrolics, ~6.5K. After Nate leaves West Ham, Rebecca invites him to spend several days on her yacht. Beard tags along. The connections Nate has with both Beard and Rebecca and the way they unpack their past hurts and slowly begin to move to a different place than they started from is fascinating. This story understands all three characters extremely well.

Kitman, Backup, Wonderkid by @bisexualshakespeare, ~.5K. This is actually a filk, which means a fannish song! I love this type of fanwork and Ted Lasso fandom has very few, but we are very lucky that the ones we have are by bisexualshakespeare, who is one of the best filk lyricists I've ever encountered. This song is to the tune of Loser Geek Whatever from Be More Chill and it's absolutely perfect. Please PLEASE if you check this out, actually listen to the performance of the song, which is emotional and devastating in the best way. The lyrics are a perfect encapsulation of the headspace Nate would have gotten to by the S2 finale, and S3 so far has made it just age better and better. If you are a Nate fan, this is worth the 6 minutes of your time that it will take to listen to it, I promise.

Self-Care Tips for Lonely, Bitter-Hearted Fools by @boglady, ~5.5K. This is a character study of Nate via a bunch of self-care advice that is extremely unhelpful/frustrating/condescending because it doesn't acknowledge or address his actual needs. Kind of like most of the well-meaning advice he gets in canon! This fic is so smart about Nate and about retelling canon moments from his POV. Very formative to me when I first fell in love with this character and was gobbling up every fic I could find about him.

For a Minute There I Lost Myself by @boasamishipper, ~7.5K. Nate muddles through figuring out who he is as a head coach at West Ham. It takes him some time, but it's a beautiful journey, and the West Ham player OCs are well-developed and delightful! I love that this fic is about Nate continuing his journey on his own, that his growth here comes purely from figuring himself out, and he doesn't need the other Ted Lasso characters to do any of that work for him. He's got this!

Can't Take Them Anywhere by @hacash, ~2K. The history of kit man Nate's very detailed and specific list of what to not do with hotel furniture. One of the tags is "potentially the real Nate Shelley villain origin story" and that captures so much of what I love about the fic. It's hilarious and fun! While at the same time there's a real undercurrent of how deeply messed up and unfair it is for all the players to be so immature and self-centered and for Nate to constantly be the one who has to clean up their messes! A delightful romp, but with weight to it. Perfection.

Leave Elegance to the Tailor by TwelveLeagues, ~3.5K. Nate shops for a suit with Ted, then with Keeley, and then with Rupert. Like everything TwelveLeagues writes, this has incredible nuance and character insight in pretty much every sentence. Seeing the way Nate changes over time is painful, and the end is devastating, but there's also hope because throughout the earlier scenes we've seen so thoroughly who Nate is at his core and that he's so much more than the terrible situation he ends up in.

[yonemurishiroku]

What do you think about Asclepius/Nico and malcolm/nico?

hmm. this is kinda hard to say.

With Malcolm, tbh I... don't have any special impression of him in canon LOL. A side character, yes he is. It doesn't change much in fanfic either, ngl. I guess it's because Malcolm is less likely to pop up in Nico-centric fanfics and I make a point of not reading Percabeth, on principle. It's different from Michael Yew or Lee Fletcher, who are Will's brothers and thus have more chances to appear.

With that being said, my image of Malcolm Pace is actually quite a remarkable thing. I tend to think of him as more mature than his age, hence a somewhat cold, stoic repertoire (i honestly don't know why...). And I can't tell if this is just me or something I once read, but I always think Malcolm would be compared a lot to Annabeth - his talented, heroic leader of a sister, which results in a bit of bitterness and a surpassing urge to prove himself.

Integrating him with Nico though, then I must be better than everyone might be a fascinating contrast/ parallel to Nico. Why, you ask? Because as far as my takes on Nico go, he is a selfless but also resentful little thing, who thinks he himself is nothing good so he tries to be good anyway. It might be a good mix with Malcolm's envy of a motto.

It wouldn't be too far off to picture a scenario in which Nico starts talking back to Malcolm for trying too hard to idk, govern everything? Athena's children's fatal flaw is hubris, yeah? Nico is a self-deprecating thing, with a poisonous mouth to boost. He is hard to intimidate and quick to burst. If Nico can sass Hades to battle, can you imagine how he'd throw Malcolm's hubris back to his face?

In another scenario, however, I would love to indulge in Malcolm's calmness and maturity. Idk I just think a calm and hard-to-shake one might be good for Nico? Since the little shit is too unstable already? Imma be honest: I always have a bias for those with good emotional regulation.

And frankly? It would absolutely be funny when people think Nico has a crush on Annabeth and then realizes it's her sister ajshdajksdhak.

As for Asclepius, I suppose my impression remains the same with Solangelo, I guess? Since, you know, it's kinda the same dynamic? Healer x Death Eater?

The most noticeable difference I'd say is that Asclepius is, well, dead LMAO. Which is a sign for fun when it comes to Nico in my books. Well he's the son of Hades. He has the right to get an immortal/ghost boyfriend. I believe nothing else.

What got my attention is that Asclepius is famous for bringing people back to death. Now, I headcanon Nico as a faithful believer in death and decay and the like, so I think it should be intriguing to picture them trying to understand each other and then growing closer as a result. As a nature-defying healer and the young lord of the dead, that is.

Because as much as I like Nico as Underworld's favorite child, I do think he values life, so he wouldn't... you know, fault Asclepius for it. Likewise, Asclepius doesn't seem to hate death as it is. A healer, more than anyone, understands its weight. They're both troubled by the other's actions however, and that right there spells good interactions too me. And I'm all for parallels and people from two worlds.

In the fortunate event that you're saying Asclepius as in a ghost (without the subsequent godhood), then I'm quite interested in picturing him as Nico's health assistant instead. In my Nico healing in the Underworld AU, yeah? It sounds kinda fitting to me. Now I'm invested LOL (and no, I don't care about dependence. Hell I'd make Nico depend on Asclepius if it has to come to it. I'm an unapologetic creator)

The meet-the-parent would probably funny tho bc well. Hades was the indirect reason for Asclepius' death. That alone right there is comedy material.

Just imagine Hades, who has been pleasantly under the impression that his son has gotten himself a nice one in their own House, has his eyes bugged out as Nico warily pulls Asclepius through the door. adjkhasdkjashk

Nico being like: "Don't you dare kill my boyfriend again, dad" pls I'M WHEEZING

And Apollo. Omg Apollo. The poor guy watched his son die, took revenge for it, suffered because of said revenge, and now has to sit at the same table with the one who contributed to that death as a father-in-law IM---ASHDSJKAHDK.

I don't think he would be against them together, per se, I just think there would be a lot of materials to work on.

This is everything I can think of atm I guess. I'm quite interested to know how come you're so invested in these two particular ships though. Bc I'm aware there's at least one Asclepius/Nico fic out there. 👀

There was something that caught your eye, perhaps? Would you be so kind to share? 👀👀👀

[barry-j-blupjeans]

can u recommend some good blupjeans centric fics? i consider u a blupjeans expert so i trust u

1) thank u, being regarded as a blupjeans expert is literally the highest compliment i can get

2) i can absoLUTELY rec some blups-centric fics hell yes. i won't be tagging the authors mainly bc i don't know all their tumblrs (or if they all have tumblrs) but im pretty sure most of them mention their @ somewhere in the notes of the story if they do have an account.

ghosting, and a lack thereof by anistarrose - A lup lives and is voidfished AU!! she keeps getting presents from a person who only labels themself as "B". this one is vv cute and warm and altogether so good. it's 50 years of slowburn blups smushed together in a much shorter time frame with much more confusion about what the hell is happening sldfsd. it's vv good!! highly recommend!!

Til Death Do Us Part by Mmmarty - there cannot be a more clear-cut summary than what was put already: "Certainly after saving the whole of the known universe, these fools can pull off a wedding, right?" it's vv sweet and exactly the type of wedding i can imagine them having. everyone and everything is a mess but it's so, so good and worth it. this fic is truly an amazing experience!!

Attend Me Here, also by Mmmarty - so goddamn good and nice. barry and lup FINALLY confess to each other and talk about being in love and they're so nice and good and aaaaaa i love this fic. tbh, i highly recommend every blups fic by Mmmarty but if i did that, the whole list would just be them sldfksd.

The Only One On Your A.M. Radio by Grabbingatpowerandkissingit - barry and lucas run a late-night radio talk show and they get a caller who absolutely decks them with magic science. lucas is upset. barry is in love. u can imagine the type of incredible shenanigans that go on in this fic. i WISH i could describe how good it is, but i simply cannot, so u will have to read it for urself!!!

Crush by julidoesnotwrite (notjuli) - this one is so sweet it gave me cavities ngl !! barry and lup are both vv sick and also vv in love. perfect rendition of "we have been married 50 years and i still have a crush on you". it makes me smile so wide every time i read it. cannot!! recommend this one!! enough!!! it's so sweet!!!

Break This Heavy Chain by Punka_Writes - this takes place in the immediate aftermath of story and song. barry is alive and full of many, many emotions, most of them related to his wife. it's just!!! them interacting and loving each other and loving their family after so long, it's so good!!!

I'd Sooner Set Myself on Fire by TooOceanBlue - lup may be a warlock patron and super powerful lich, but she told her family she was bringing a date to dinner and now she can't get out of it. hopefully, they won't be able to tell the difference between "boyfriend" and "loyal warlock". this one is a goddamn work of ART!!! i think about it too much still. so many twists and turns!!! so good!!!

Falling for U by MoonlightxStars - gonna be honest, it's been a hot minute since I've read this one, but i vividly remember being on the edge of my seat for any chapter updates. it's about lup and barry growing up together and slowly falling in love. this will break ur heart and then glue it back together and then repeat that process like, five other times. it's so good and i will put it on my read later list again bc i need that experience once more

When We Run Away by Voidfish - barry and lup in the middle of stolen century and then after it, w the same prompt each time: "run away with me". this one is bittersweet and happy all at the same time. it's vv much captures the "we're in love but we have so much work to do for everyone else" vibe of the stolen century. highly recommend it to literally everyone, it makes me wanna cry sometimes aaaa

what a concrete mess we live in by goinghost - basic summary? lup texts the wrong number and talks with barry instead of taako. it's sweet, it's funny, it's a mess, it is exactly the right blupjeans vibe. i can't overstate how good this one is, i love it to bits and pieces!!! i wanna print out this fic and eat it, it's so good

i hope this helps!!! im sure there's plenty more out there but this is what i could find in my bookmarks that's solely blupjeans-centric :O!!

[erstwhilesparrow]

empires s2 fic recs

what if i did empires fic recs. what then, huh. disclaimer that i haven't seen season 1. this absolutely affects what i have and haven't read.

These Stones Remember, ValoisFulcanelli - A Pixlriffs-centric series of 'sketches', in which he finds and explores the ancient capital with his mysterious ghost-like cat companion, Malin. Fascinating worldbuilding, gorgeous sensory detail, quietly and vaguely aching in the way that only being confronted with the depths of history can make you feel. (Currently 5.8k words, marked as complete but does get updated; subscribing recommended!)

Drunk and Desireable, SolSearchingNights - Katherine and Jimmy meet at a Tumble Town bar and lament the (hilariously dysfunctional) state of their love lives. Extremely charming and funny, and gets bonus points for being literally the only Katherine & Jimmy fic I've ever seen. They have some things in common! They get to talk about it! It's silly and sweet and good! (3.4k words, complete, one-shot.)

take the crown, NavnLark - Hey, wanna have so many feelings about Great Witch Shelby with me? Follows Shelby from childhood through to her life in the Evermoore. Captures something of the Empires vibes that I really love -- nostalgic and heartwrenching and lovely and lonely. Also Nature Wives. (3.5k words, complete, one-shot.)

Gin and Juice, mxMallory - Hermes, curious about the mysterious thirteenth empire that his caretakers refuse to talk about, goes on an adventure to investigate Tumble Town and its sheriff. Extremely charming, not least because it's written in the style of an old storybook. It's sweet how obviously Hermes loved is and it's delightful how obviously bright and curious and attentive he is. (3.0k words, complete, one-shot.)

Something Mystical In Coloured Lights, savannah_owl - "Ten reasons to fall into bed with Mythical J. Sausage." There's not much to tell you that the summary can't; it's ten vignettes of Sausage flirting and propositioning his way through just about everyone on the server, and a good number of people who aren't on the server too. It's really pretty writing, and each encounter feels alive and specific in the most delightful way. savannah_owl just writes great Empires and Traffic Series stuff in general, you should check them out. (4.5k words, complete, one-shot.)

[thotja]

thoughts on Predator: Eyes of the Demon

overall not as ground breaking as I was hoping for (granted im a weird transsexual fag IRL so i guess i have a lot of expectations that are unlikely to be met by the average sci fi author), but still some decent stories! i'd say 6.5-7/10 overall. rating for each of the stories under the cut (to keep this post from being like. a mile long):

• "The Titans" by Tim Lebbon – underwhelming plot but i enjoyed their poetic rivalry. 6/10 • "The Distance in Their Eyes" by Stephen Graham Jones – good little story with a twist. Didn't think much of it at first but I keep thinking about it. 9/10 • "Aftermath" by Bryan Thomas Schmidt – ENOUGH. OF. DUTCH. let the poor guy rest! that being said, the way we get a tantalizing 3 paragraphs or so of "baby's first hunt" is SO charming. would have been more if it was focused on HIM not dutch but it was ALL about Dutch so. 3/10 • "Proving Ground" by Linda D. Addison – yautja-centric! and focusing on political maneuvering! yippee! sadly still kinda whatever. 7/10 • "Lion of the Himalayas" by Ammar Habib – human focused but a much needed change of setting and at least was unique. One of the better stories imo! 8.5/10 • "The Fix is In" by Jonathan Maberry – another capitalist-military future story (i hate this genre btw) but i'm obsessed with the single surviving yautja tricking a group of humans just to hijack their ship since his was irrevocably fucked. kudos to you, bro! 5.5/10 • "Bitter Hunt" by Kim May – this one just raised too many questions it didn't have the length to answer. why was your son going around killing women and children??? at least u killed him yourself. i would be sooooo embarrassed in her shoes. i would say if it got more space to flesh itself out, it could've been great. but this version we get is solidly a 6.5/10 • "Field Trip" by Robert Greenberger – THE INFAMOUS BIRTH AND NURSING STORY!!!!!! i think i have the most beef with the world building in this story out of all them. like. why the fuck were her novices such misogynists??? hello?????? like ZERO respect / understanding of reproduction. u were a baby once too you know?! funny setup, annoying teen boy type behavior, questionable mom choices too (if she didn't want to have da baby on earth then why sign up for this job so close to your due date?), but ultimately, the reason i chose this book in the first place. so 10/10 for getting me, keeping me, and making me mad. • "Cannon Fodder" by Gini Koch – girl power! would have been better if they were lesbians at the end. 6/10 • "Little Miss Nightmare" by Peter Briggs – I like this writer's style the most out of all the other authors featured. I thought his human characters were at least interesting. AND the yautja featured was more of an anthropologist vs being exclusively there to trophy people. so she had more curiosity. I think a lack of curiosity in people's yautja characters is the most disservice they can do to them. 9.5/10 • "The Trophy" by A.R. Redington – NOT HOW IT WOULD'VE GONE DOWN. TAKING LOTSA POINTS FOR THAT. 2/10 (objectively not a bad story. but makes me mad) • "The Monster" by Michael Kogge – hey I've been there! really funny to have bigfoot fight predator, but underwhelming-ly written. 6/10 • "Ghost Story" by Joshua Pruett – I suspect you are not a geologist. 5/10 • "Sly Dark in the Daylight" by Yvonne Navarro – really funny to have a Bad Blood be the main yautja in the story. human centric of course but at least it was a different setup than typical "yautja hunting humans" type thing. Kinda addicted to the ending but also not how it would've ended in my opinion. 6/10 • "Dead Man's Switch" by Scott Sigler – yeah yeah engineered super beast hunting facility attracts yautja. of course. 6/10