#god ALL THE LITTLE MOMENTS THESE 2 HAD IN EPS 3 AND 4 AND 5 .... THE NOTES THEY LEFT EACH OTHER

[taikanyohou]

CHSBCJX I THINK WE'RE FINALLY GETTING A JUNSUNG SUNGHO DATE NEXT WEEK "ITS FINALLY TIME" ITS WHAT WE DESERVE!!!!:

[pipnchips202]

while i eat up practically every valgrace fic i see, down bad jason grace for leo valdez is always one of my absolute favorites; so, here are 5 valgrace fics where jason is the pining one :)) (for the most part)

1. hopeless case by restinreeses

rating: teen and up

warnings: none

“Nico,” Jason wheezes as he slams the door to the Hades cabin open. “Nico, I think I’m in love with my best friend.”

“No, really?” Nico drawls, barely looking up from his book.

Or: in which nico is jason’s wingman this time around.

AHHHHH!!!!!! this is REALLY good; i love the characterization and the many implications of jason having helped nico get with will prior to the events of the fic. also, platonic jasico will ALWAYS get me.

2. EP: things leo does; by jason grace by jacksonpercy (robertmontauk)

rating: not rated

warnings: none

God, he loves Leo’s laugh. It’s more like a giggle than anything - all high-pitched and bubbly; his mouth stretches into the widest smile Jason’s ever seen, and his tongue sticks out of his tongue just a little bit, and holy fuck Jason’s in love with Leo.

Shit.

[leo does things sometimes, and jason notices.]

i was very much obsessed with this fic at some point (still kind of am, actually). it’s basically a 5 + 1 of jason just pining for leo and i LOVE it. small warning though, there is a mention of kinks in the second chapter, if that’s weird for you. it’s really just an offhand comment and doesn’t get brought up again, so do with that what you will. they are teenagers after all, and as a teenager myself, i can confirm i’ve thought of similar stuff several times! but, anyway, this fic is really good.

3. staring at me (with your lips and tongue) by ethannku

rating: teen and up

warnings: none

“You really believe all that?” Leo asks, and if Jason were more aware of the world, he might’ve registered the hopeful breathiness in his voice. But as it is, he’s far too focused on the hand on his chest. He nods anyway, once he realizes Leo’s asked him a question.

Leo huffs and leans closer while simultaneously pulling Jason closer.

For a moment, they just look at each other, their noses inches apart. Leo’s breath comes in soft puffs on his face. There’s a hint of a smile on Leo’s face, but the corners waver as if he’s having second thoughts. Jason registers Leo’s eyelashes flickering, and his blood sings when he realizes he’s looking at Jason’s mouth.

Or; Jason is down bad, and Leo might be too.

this one’s really good, too. lot of kissing. a few suggestive references/jokes but no suggestive actions, just kissing. also has many piper moments mixed in :)

4. Crooked Glasses by thebigqueer

rating: teen and up

warnings: graphic depictions of violence

leo & jason confess their feelings for each other in an arcane-themed alternate universe.

~~

Leo has always been flirty. When he casually smirks at Jason and tells him how handsome he looks; when he bites his lip suggestively and tells Jason that no, he doesn’t mind if he changes his shirt in front of him; when Jason asks what’s for dinner and Leo responds, “Not sure, but I know you’re the desert,” Jason doesn’t make much of it. Sure, an occasional blush and an attempt at jokingly flirting back, but Jason knows he doesn’t mean it. Besides, he isn’t special. If Jason had to count the amount of people Leo had made out with just in the past year, it might take both his hands.

But lately it’s been different. There’s a softness in Leo’s eyes when he catches sight of Jason, a more soulful smirk when he offers that they sleep in the same bed, a hopefulness when he asks Jason if he wants to come with him on his next haul.

i’m gonna be honest: although i plan to someday, i’ve never seen arcane. and this is an arcane au. however, even though i know absolutely nothing about arcane, i did understand this, i think. i’m putting it here because a) it’s well written, b) it does in fact feature pining jason grace, and c) i have very limited options when it comes to valgrace fics anyway, so i don’t have much of a choice. yes, there is action and a mild fight with sherman yang and connor stoll, but it’s not that graphic in my opinion, but that’s just me; what’s more graphic is actually the gratuitous descriptions of leo’s gorgeousness from jason’s pov (understandably so). anyway, this is a good fic; if you’re not familiar with arcane, you can probably still read it, because i enjoyed it quite a lot!

5. hold me, thrill me, kiss me by restinreeses

rating: teen and up

warnings: none

“You love me,” Leo declares, his smirk widening with every passing second. “You, the great Jason Grace, love me.”

He fumbles for his words, but they melt in his mouth as Leo's hands snaked up the small of his back – those delicate fingers tracing patterns into his skin that burnt worse than his SPQR tattoo.

“I wouldn’t call myself great,” he mutters at last. Leo leans in, raising one thick eyebrow.

“I dunno,” he says, “I’d say you’re pretty great.” His lips brush over Jason's, once, twice. “You know. For loving me.”

...

In which Jason falls and Leo catches him.

okay, so i was debating whether or not to put this one because jason is still dating piper during this fic. she doesn’t make an appearance, she’s only mentioned, but jason and leo kissing is referred to by the both of them as an affair, which might make some uncomfortable. however, this has absolutely gorgeous writing. is jason still in love with piper during this fic, though? no. a bit complicated. however, it is, once again, pining jason as promised. they kiss a lot in this one, too.

enjoy!

— piper <33

[glorious-sunset]

LBFAD Reflections – Index

Like many LBFAD (Love between Fairy and Devil) viewers, I was amazed by the complexity of the plot, just begging for a rewatch! As I began slowly rewatching it, many new things became clear, such as, what were characters actually thinking, now that we knew their backstory? Often their thoughts didn’t match their words. What was happening between scenes, since the fast pace meant that a lot was happening off-screen? Some of the smallest actions and plot developments now had so much deep meaning! And many parallels became clear between events of different episodes and different character arcs.

Rewatching LBFAD, I had so many mental notes in my head on all of these, that I thought I should put them into words. Indulging my love of writing, I wrote my reflections and insights on each episode into a story format and found my favourite set of screenshots from each episode to complement them. I also described my insights on the series overall in separate articles. These may be interesting to others wanting to reminisce on the multidimensional characters and engaging plotlines of this most inspiring series!

This post is a table of contents to each of my LBFAD articles and episode reflections. None of them are spoiler-free. My reflections on ep. 3 onwards are story-like, while eps 1 and 2 are more scene-setting. The links to each post are on their titles.

Location Names in LBFAD – Meaning and Significance

For English viewers, some of the location names in LBFAD are given in Mandarin. However, the meanings of these names have deep significance that are lost in translation! Here are my translations and interpretations of these meanings.

Character Names in LBFAD – Meaning and Significance

What’s in a name? For the characters of LBFAD, a whole lot of hidden meanings! These are not apparent to English viewers. Here are my translations and interpretations of these meanings.

How Immortals age in cdramas - clues from LBFAD

How does ageing work for these lucky immortals in terms of human appearance? LBFAD gives us a few clues about this mysterious process!

LBFAD Opening Artwork – Hidden Meanings

The created artworks used for the opening scenes of LBFAD are unique and have many hidden layers of meaning! Here are my interpretations of these stunning works of art.

Episode 1

Changheng’s destiny leaf has unexpectedly changed – but the destinies of high gods are supposed to be very stable! His destiny changed because of DFQC's actions. In the last episode of the series DFQC changes XLH’s destiny as well. This is great foreshadowing! And it highlights DFQC’s unique tendency to break nature’s laws time and time again!

Episode 2

“Don’t forget, your body is in benzuo’s (this seat of power’s) hands now”.

XLH, mocking his self-address, angrily retorts that “ben gu niang (this girl) is going to make you bald now!” The moment she angrily starts tugging at her hair is when he first notices the effect of the one-heart curse she cast on him, which causes him phantom physical pain even when body-swapped!

Episode 3

How could such a weak and pathetic creature, who can’t even protect herself, have cursed him, the most powerful being in the three realms?! No wonder he would “very very very very much like to kill” her. The fact that he can’t is tremendously frustrating and he is boiling inside.

Episode 4

XLH has now upgraded her nickname for him from the insulting “little celestial criminal” to “Big Qiang” (Da Qiang), the transition from little to big reflecting the growth of her regard for him. She affectionately calls him Da Qiang from now on. His nickname for her, “Xiao Hua Yao”, little flower demon, is his appraising way of calling her a wicked little flower, or a flower with thorns.

Episode 5

DFQC has many enemies who scheme behind his back and want to kill him, is aware of Shiyuntian’s unflattering propaganda around him, and never gave these insults a second thought. But when XLH says that “even the air becomes clearer” without him around, it is like a sharp stab to his gut. When even the thoughts of the mightiest kings don’t bother him, why should the words of an inconsequential little flower?!

Episode 6

Yunzhong carefully eavesdrops on their every exchange. He is not unsympathetic to Changheng’s plight. As a member of the ruling family, Yunzhong himself had to sacrifice the love of his life to fulfil his responsibilities. That is why he allowed CH to keep the handkerchief of his love as a memento, on the strict understanding that his duties must always come first.

Episode 7

As they sit down to tea together in their usual idyllic alcove, XLH reminisces about the joyful memories they have created together over the past ten days or so. Just yesterday, during one of their regular teatime chats, she had happily recounted to him how she had seen snow fall in Haishi for the first time recently. To her delight, he had created snow around Arbiter Hall for her, and a little campfire to warm themselves by as they watched the falling snowdrifts together.

Episode 8

DFQC roughly brushes a tear from XLH’s cheek and we see that the greenhouse flowers are in bloom! They are linked to XLH’s mood, so despite Changheng smashing her dreams, DFQC’s efforts to comfort her have had a far greater impact, and she is now happy.

LBFAD is the most inspiring series I have ever watched and here is why…

…Aesthetically, I found the beautiful 4K production quality as enjoyable as high-budget productions such as Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. …Every single character of note in the series goes through profound character growth, the only exception being the abstract ultimate villain Taisui….

All of my LBFAD articles can also be viewed with the tag #lbfad reflections (hyperlinked).

More LBFAD articles and episode reviews to follow!

[fantasy-mixtapes]

Riz Gukgak Junior Year Playlist: side A

Heres the first side of the Junior Year Riz Playlist and the explanations down below, Spoilers for Episodes 1-10 in FHJY

Genres: Alternative, Anti Folk, Math Rock, Punk

1. Photosynthesis, They Might Be Giants

Photosynthesis does not involve a camera Or a synthesizer Although that's interesting, too Photosynthesis is how plants take in light From the sun and turn it into energy It's actually a thing on which most life depends Here on the planet Earth

GOD so when I'm not making these playlists I'm and environmental educator and when Brian was like "we're the photosythe-KIDS!" i nearly lost it. Gotta let this little nerdy kid have at least one nerd song as a treat to me

2. Dissonance, AJJ

My feet planted in different realities I've been doing lots of parallel planning and asking Does morals exist anymore? Wondering if society's all broken down yet I should probably know I should probably know I should probably grow some more plants in the window I should probably try I should probably try I should probably try to find a cure for this dissonance

One of the things I relate to Riz about the most is the way in which he is so hungry for explanation and, specifically problem solving. When they get dropped right back into normal teen life after having just saved the world and "cracked the case", Riz had to really switch into school mode fast (with the whole paying for college thing)

3. Stress, Jim's Big Ego

I'm addicted to stress That's the way that I get things done If I'm not under pressure then I sleep too long And I hang around like a bum I think I'm going nowhere, and that makes me nervous Everybody's out to get me, but I feel all right

Obsessed with the way that, if Brennan didn't let Riz take on the stress of other people in the party, he would literally be so normal about the downtime system. God help him and his nervous system.

4. Travelers Insurance, Their/They're/There

After all that we've done, You still skipped out on the beat of a different drum. Blurring the lines between failure and fortune

it's getting at Riz supporting so many people in his party, taking on their stress, organizing their extracurriculars, and literally tutoring them on subjects he doesn't know about. And they're definitely trying to keep everything under control, but sometimes it feels like when they mess up or make bad choices, it's Riz who has to take the L

5. Pitch Black, Heart Attack Man

Rock bottom smile bares its rotting teeth again Acts like there's nothing wrong and they're still my closest friend Romanticize the fondest memories and good times And hope that I forget the rest Rock bottom's grinning as it's creeping up again Dust off the depths and make me wish that I was dead again Hold out your hand to me Take me to a place in hell where Having self-esteem seems selfish and unhealthy

God the way that in Ep. 10 after Riz had that talk with his mom about everything he was just so despondent the rest of the episode about everything that was happening, and actually thinking about the toll his friendships were taking on him 💀

6. An Antidote for Strychnine, The Mountain Goats

Dig down amongst my calculations Check my maps Up there on the surface Everybody's gettin' ready for the bloodbath Stem the tide, stem the tide They're calling down for reinforcements Tryin' to find An antidote for strychnine Tryin' to find An antidote for strychnine

This has always and forever been such a Riz song for me and I feel like it really fits the tone of Riz looking into the soil, into lucy's death, into eventually the loam farm, reluctantly telling his mom about it. The moment when he thinks that something like what happened to Yolanda could happen to his mother and he gets really serious about it. AHHHHHH Something something isolation, something something taking on dangerous tasks by yourself just to protect the ones you love

[shortpplfedup]

Only Friends Character Rankings Episode 5

It's The Date Episode! And honestly, fucking outstanding. The core six pair off and spend the day lying to themselves and each other. It's mostly cute and sweet but the undercurrent of shit about to hit the fan hangs over the entire episode. It's sort of the calm before the storm. Last week, Boston held onto his top spot in the viewer rankings for the second week in a row, with Ray and Nick rounding out the leaderboard. Can the most miserable bastard in the world do the hattrick? Here's this week's winners and losers.

🔺1. Top (2)

Why don’t you try Lasik? A friend of mine had it, and they said their eyesight is so much better. But now that I think about it…I don’t want you to get it now. I like you better looking like a nerd.

Look, ain't nobody more surprised than me, but this man legit got every goddamn thing he wanted this ep. Top putting on the perfect man act (and I am more convinced than EVER that it's an act) was fascinating to watch. Studiously ignoring all the various signals put out by various other men all day, knowing Mew's eyes are on him. The fucking INSTAGRAM COUPLE PHOTO. And then the knockout blow: when he looked Mew dead in the eye and said 'I love you' I said out loud OH YOU MANIPULATIVE MOTHERFUCKER WELL PLAYED. Do I think Top has bad motives towards Mew, no. I just think he likes the idea of Mew a lot more than he actually likes Mew. And now that Mew's given up that bussy, I'm counting down to Top finding a mistress to give him some variety.

🔺2. Nick (3)

-You’re acting weird. -Weird how? I’m just… I’m just shuffling up my style.

Speaking of getting everything you want, Nick looked like he won the lotto when Boston started talking about settling down. Never mind that Nick is doing ALL of Boston's work for him. Never mind that 3 separate people have now told Nick that Boston ain't shit. Nick is euphoric. Nick has ascended. Nick is doodling 'Mr. Nick Boston's-last-name' in his Trapper Keeper. Nick is going to the gym and dressing more upscale. Nick is giggling when Boston asks to spend the night instead of fucking off as soon as they finish fucking. Nick is headed for a crash so great I'm SALIVATING.

🔺3. Boston (6)

I feel like I should stop sleeping around for a bit. It’s been feeling so empty lately. In the end, I want to have sex with someone I can… talk to for a little, you know? Like, have great sex, have good chats, and…someone I can get affectionate with. Right now…there’s only you.

Told y'all you can't keep a bad bitch down for long and Boston's already bouncing back. He might have had a moment of weakness and tried to be nice for exactly one day, but Nick getting drunk and stoned and running his mouth about how cute Sand and Ray were activated his asshole glands. He smelled happiness and said NOT ONE FUCK OF THAT ON MY WATCH. Boston is that Marie Kondo gif, he fucking LOVES mess no matter how much he goes on about hating drama. He will always poke the hornet's nest. Shutting the fuck up was free, but he just COULDN'T. And thank god, because Ray punching him in the mouth was like 3 of the 5 top things that happened this ep.

🔻4. Ray (1)

-That’s a nice top. Where did you get it? -This thing? It’s secondhand.

Whew Ray's day slummin' it was so classic I shed a tear. I can't really adequately describe his facial expression through the whole day, but 'condescending amusement' is closest. His enjoyment of Sand's company is very real, as are his attraction and hints of affection, but he absolutely does not consider that man his equal, and that's why he doesn't even consider the 'boyfriend' label. No matter what Ray's feeling, Sand's demi-monde, not part of his world. He likes that Sand treats him like he's special, he likes that Sand seems to always want him around, he likes that Sand will take care of him, but he'll never take Sand seriously. This would be true even if he wasn't in love with Mew, but being in love with Mew makes it all worse. Pathetic, I love it.

🔹5. Sand (5)

I work. I save up money. I sleep. I dream. I go to bed alone, wake up, and go to work. Until…he came along. It’s like somebody presses pause on all my 24 hours. Next thing I know…I’m living my 25th hour. Ray’s extra hour.

Oh SAND. I've been saying from jump this is hurting most because SAND KNOWS BETTER. When Sand called Ray his 25th hour I wanted to SCREAM because BABY BOY YOU KNOW BETTER. This dude is either drunk or hungover all of those same 24 hours you are grinding out a living, but you wanna spend your birthday with him because he makes you feel sparkly. He stays sneering at how you ain't got no money and work 17 jobs, but because he does it with a twinkle in his eyes you're blind and deaf all of a sudden. He told you HIS MOTHER DRANK HERSELF TO DEATH and you pour him another drink. I ain't feeling sorry for Sand anymore, he did this to himself.

🔻6. Mew (4)

-Does this mean I passed your test? -Yeah. You’ve convinced me that you really only have eyes for me.

Mew really tried to play a player and ended up playing himself instead. Like, in one way he's won: Top's his boyfriend, and honestly very likely to stay that way. But Mew should have been careful what he wished for because 'boyfriend' and 'faithful lover' are two very different things.

⭐7. Sand's mom

You keep nagging at me, you know that? Who between us is the mother, exactly?

WE AIN'T MET THIS LADY FOR NOTHING! My Sand/Top half brothers theory LIVES!

⭐8. Summer

Sorry to chat you up, but I’m alone, after all.

Poor girl's a hottie but didn't stand a chance.

[tokyokookmin]

CMON TOKYOKOOKMIN

I NEED A POST OF JUNGKOOK AND HIS HEART EYES FOR JIMIN!!!!

LOL HI ANON! Your wish is my command! I love it when my anons ask me for such kinds of posts. Gazes that speak a thousand words,

THIS MOMENT FROM RUN BTS EP 99

Jimin was absolutely flustered during this episode. That's also because of the members razzing him about his birth flower. But JUNGKOOK? He was just there to reassure jimin. It was super sweet of him to rub jimin's back 😂. They were so damn warm and domestic that day, man :(

2. BTS TMA 2019 EVENT

Only god knows what happened to them both lol. The looks Jungkook was giving to Jimin were full of admiration and love. They were so comfortable that day and let us not forget the "I love you" moment.

3. BTS 191227 KBS EVENT

First, we got this JIKOOK HARMONIZING while looking so fondly at each other. This moment got all of the idols smiling <3

Then we got these looks during the HOME performance. Oh man, they're too much for my soul haha😂.

4. BTS GMA 190515

Jikook being themselves, the gazes and physical touches say everything!

5. MMA 2019

They were so touchy! Look at those big smiles and looks for each other.

Totally irrelevant but JUST LOOK AT THEIR BEAUTY!

6. 190615 BTS 5TH MUSTER

It was a muster event but jikook stole the show with their gazes.

7. BTS COMEBACK VLIVE 180518

"Jiminshiii"

This vlive was so damn fun. I loved JIkook's interaction. Let's not forget Jimin was quite tipsy that day, so Jk was taking care of him the whole time. That was just really cute!

Again, another irrelevant gif but I really wanted to incorporate this moment in the post. Jimin was so in love here. It's making my heart melt :(

8. 190504 [BANGTAN BOMB] 'MAP OF THE SOUL: PERSONA' ALBUM UNBOXING BTS VERSION

JK just needed a reason to touch jimin lol. But that gaze and that goddamn fond smile for jimin!????!?!?!

9. BTS MAMA 2018 AWARD

This underrated moment where JK was smiling so fondly towards Jimin :( Melts my heart each time :(

10. KBS GAYO DAECHUKJE 2018

whatever that was happening there lol

11. SEOUL FINAL 2019

"ThiS MoMeNT iS sOO oVeRAtTeD" No. It's not. It's the most precious moment jikook had on stage. My love for serendipity will never fade. So will jikook's love for that song.

The closeness, the jacket grabbing, all of those heart eyes. Melts me each time. I could never post a moment ask without including jikook's serendipity moment <3

12. BTS 4TH MUSTER

A cute moment where jungkook wraps his arms around jimin. As a result, Jiminie gets flustered😂 . I loved the way jungkook looked at him. Just intimacy. Let's also not forget about the matching rings!

Well, there goes my image limit. I hope you enjoyed this little segment of jikook moments. Subtle moments that say a lot about their relationship. I could only make it to 12 moments. I plan to do more of this!

Drop me your recommendations in the asks box to give me more moment content ideas.

Here's another post that I made about jikook gazes- jikook gazes-jkk

I tried to answer your post just now. But my drafts are not saving whatever I wrote. I was trying to edit it but failed. I copied your ask and resent another one. This is so complicated, ARRGHH!! This post took quite a while to fix. Hope you enjoy it! - before I posted this ask, I noticed the same thing happening to previous asks as well so bear with me guys 😂

[backtothestart02]

FANFIC TAGGING GAME

I got (honorable) tagged by the wonderful @theartofdreaming1- thanks!

1. How many works do you have on AO3? - 321

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

1,322,068 words (at the moment)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Still writing for The Flash, but every once in a while a new show/movie grabs my fancy and I write a few fics for that.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

An unimpressive bunch but here goes: Muse (456), Replacement Scrunchie (393), Fallen Star (357), Inconvenient Inspiration (343), and Drabbles (277). Muse is a handful of one-shots based solely off spoilers before I saw the eps they were for. Replacement Scrunchie is my sole fic for the TATBILB fandom about Peter & LJ's first date (which was way less impressive than what the sequel movie gave us, WOW). Fallen Star is my most popular westallen fic to date, so that one's actually not too surprising. But both Inconvenient Inspiration and Drabbles are requested (the latter) and spontaneous (the former) brainstorming ficlets and snippets for The Flash/WA. Bo-ring.

5. Do you respond to comments?

Eventually.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Oh, gosh, I have so many unfinished fics that it's hard to remember the complete ones that I finished that didn't end so happy, of which there aren't many. Maybe...Breaking Point though.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

All the others have happy endings. Go read them. Lol.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

When I wrote for another fandom I did, but not really in The Flash fandom, which is nice.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yep. And uh...descriptive, I guess? I'm def not the best out there, but I do my best and for the most part smut-lovers seem to enjoy.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I've attempted a couple crossovers, but I haven't completed any or gotten far with them, usually because there wasn't an audience for it.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yeah, I discovered a whole bunch on another website years ago.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

In the process of it!

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Stuck on Westallen atm, but I used to write Chair, and I was highly obsessed with them as well.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Oh god, I have SO MANY WIPs. One that I really want to finish but fear I won't though has got to be He's MY Barry Allen. I'm just stuck on what the next chapter will look like, and as of yet no one has come forward with a solution. Lol. The Problem is Tony Woodward is another one like that.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I'd like to think I can hook people into my fics fairly well and drop enough cliffies to keep them coming back for more. But ofc the smut helps too. Most of my fics include at least some smut, even a single scene.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Sometimes I have trouble making a chapter (or a scene for that matter) all that long. I've seen people write like 10k+ for a chap, and unless I'm crazy inspired, roughly 1-3k is what you're getting.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I actually dabbled in this a little bit for a westallen fic where Iris was learning Italian, I think? I did some research and managed to sift in enough for that one-shot, but I can't imagine I'd do it repeatedly or for a multi-chap.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

I believe it was the STAR WARS prequels, but it might've been The Day After Tomorrow.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

It's unfinished, but there's so much untapped potential in my Flashpoint fic. Lots of world-building that's present as it rides the line between canon divergent and AU. Hopefully one day I'll get back to it.

...

As much as I'd love to tag a bunch of people, I can't recall anyone who still writes fic that I follow on here, so I'll just shout out my bestie @simplylove101 who is prob done with writing but may want to answer these questions either way!

[alastairstom]

Never Have I Ever ... Felt So Weird After a Show Ended

Well, the title kind of says it all. I've definitely had a deeply odd, greatly complex relationship with this show, but it has defined a chunk of my life in a way that few pieces of media ever have.

Ben Gross specifically will always hold a special place in my heart as a character who taught me a lot about myself. I'll eternally be grateful to have gotten to know him over these few years.

All in all, my season ranking is 3 > 4 (though it's close) >>>>>>> 1 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>2.

Season 4 initial episode ranking is 10 > 8 > 5 > 9 > 6 > 4 > 3 > 2 > 1 > 7.

That being out of the way, here's my ep-by-ep breakdown of some of my main thoughts on season 4.

The spoilers I saw for 4x1 and 4x2 made this whole situation seem way worse and more serious than it actually was. I can't blame either Devi or Ben for any of it, sorry. It was just a Miscommunications Overload. And quite honestly it was pretty fucking hilarious. None of it was serious at all.

What exactly was the point of Ethan? I just didn't get it. Unlike Des, he didn't really do anything for Devi's personal growth or storyline, either. Not a big deal, and I'm not salty, but I don't understand.

One of my favourite moments came in 4x4, when Ben got to have a little panic attack. Jaren did a really wonderful job of portraying it - as someone who experiences panic attacks, this felt authentic and realistic. His rapid movements were on point, and I also really enjoyed all of the facial expressions that truly captured his feelings. As always, Jaren's eye acting was on point.

When I first saw the interview, I thought that Ben saying "I don't trust my natural personality" would be some big emotional moment on his journey. In reality, it was a quick, random one-liner spoken to a stranger. This made it even more powerful to me. It's sad; it's something that he just takes as a fact of life. It's not even considered. Idk, man, I was so moved by it.

Ah, 4x5! My Benvi comfort food! I really loved their heart-to-heart at the end. I felt like it was really equal in who helped the other as well. Ben gave Devi a much-needed pep talk, but she also gave him one back! I felt so warm inside afterward.

Nalini and Andres had a really cute little plotline. I'm so glad that we got to see them together. The actors had amazing chemistry and IDK Nalini just really deserved someone to be there for her.

Ah, Margot. Margot, Margot, Margot. God. I do not like her. I was so proud of Ben for standing up to her. She should not have said what she did, and Ben deserves someone like Devi who understands him! Who loves him for who he is! I was already pretty fond of Benvi in 4x5 after their heart-to-heart, but @rainparadefromhell will be happy to know that 4x6 is the episode that made me hop onto the speeding Benvi train toward endgame.

Devi was actually her best self this season. She was hot-headed, sure, but she was also warm and invigorating. She and Ben both brought out the best in each other, which is something I didn't feel in previous seasons. I loved how she didn't lose her spark or her spunk but... mellowed out a little? Coming of age journeys work wonders!

Patty making Ben a special Columbia acceptance dinner warms my heart. I'm sad that we didn't get to see her (or Howard) this season, but it's okay. I'm probably going to write a fic where Ben and Devi have dinner with Patty (as he intended to do and failed with M*rgot, who is dead to me).

4x7 made me want to stab myself in the eye. It did nothing for me and Gigi was just as cringe as she was in season 2. I like Paxton but idk this episode felt really random. Though I WILL say that I understand its objective necessity to close the door on D*xton (thank God) and to wrap up Paxton's storyline in a semi-satisfying way.

Paxton's story this season did squick me out a lot, if I'm honest. I'm very sensitive to teachers/school faculty with poor boundaries, and it kind of weirded me out. I especially hated the D*xton kiss. I get that it was closure, but his being a teacher made it weird.

2x8 was, however, probably my next-to-fave episode of the season besides the finale. I love the juxtaposition between this episode and 2x9, where Devi did all in her power to stop her mom from dating again. It was really cute to see a full-circle moment here where she attempted to set aside petty squabbles and support her mom here. I loved this display of growth from Devi and wanted to give her a big warm hug.

Devi and her mom's relationship really tugs at my heartstrings in general. I've always thought it was kind of sweet, to be honest, and I like the way that Devi was so realistically supportive of her this time around. She just wants Nalini's happiness.

ANYWAY, the real reason I loved 4x8 so much is, of course, Ben and Trent getting stoned. I've always been the #1 advocate of them being BFF and their getting high together was my PIPE DREAM. I wrote a fic about it once. It was amazing to see it in canon.

Ben seeing an eye-cake blink and then eating a shit ton of Popeyes was amazing. Realistic stoner representation right there. "What's wrong with that apple" is going to live rent-free in my mind for the rest of my life.

But also I thought his gesture of going over with flowers and stuff was super sweet. I'm kind of sad that it didn't work out LOL. But it was funny.

Also, Jaren, have you ever been high? Because your movements and expressions were really on point for stonerhood. If yes, hats off. If no, an even bigger hats off.

Devi's prom dress is BEAUTIFUL like for fucking real. Its cut is really flattering and it brings out the warmth in her skin tone. Also love her earrings and hairstyle. Seriously, Maitreyi, if you ever read this, you're beautiful.

4x9 brings us what's probably one of my favourite scenes in NHIE:

I really loved and adored the safety and intimacy here. Devi just fell asleep while Ben was talking to her? Ben felt safe enough, wanted to stay with her enough, that he fell asleep with her, too? Beautiful moment, and very well-acted by both Jaren and Maitreyi.

SERIOUSLY, Jaren and Maitreyi have off-the-charts chemistry.

Like WOW.

Anyway, other 4x9 thought: I found Devi lying about getting into all her colleges extremely relatable. We all live with this gripping fear of failure, and I think Devi (and Ben) contend(s) with it more than her peers. It felt extremely realistic, especially when Nalini told her how proud she was. Idk. I liked it. I also liked the heart-to-heart she and Nalini had about it later.

Maitreyi also did an excellent job during Devi's last scene with Dr. Ryan. This was a standout moment for her acting.

AND now we have 4x10. This is probably my next-to-favourite NHIE episode overall after Ben's 3x6 solo episode. (No offense to 4x10 at all, but the scene with Howard in 3x6 was so poignant that I have to continue ranking it in the #1 slot).

Ben and Devi at graduation were adorable. I wish we got to see Devi's valedictorian speech. I also wish we got to see Howard at the graduation - that's probably my main gripe in the season, though I'm okay with it. I'm sure he was there off-screen.

Also, good on my guy Trent for finally graduating, lol.

I teared up quite a bit when Devi sent Ben the Equitorial Guinea plaque and they had their text exchange. That was such a good little callback to a moment that they both remember fondly. I maintain that's probably where Devi began having feelings for Ben and where Ben consciously realised that he had feelings for Devi. So I think it was really sweet for them to go back to that moment and kind of rehash the "we make a good team" feelings there.

Loved seeing Devi doing the traditional Indian dance! Such a good contrast with her embarrassment in seeing others do it in season 1. Good on you for embracing your culture, girl!

Ben's slowmo enterance into the wedding and the subsequent love confession was beautiful. Jaren really sold the nervousness and the desperate joy with his eye acting alone, and the rest of his expression and body language here? Ugh. I could write odes. And Maitreyi did a beautiful job, too. This was definitely a wonderful scene of emotional payoff.

Ben and Devi riding away on a voi was a great parallel to Nalini and Mohan on their motorcycle in the past. It was so sweet.

And then there's love, golden, like daylight.

I love the last shot of Ben and Devi watching something on her bed at Princeton. It made me so happy to see them both achieve their dreams like this, especially Ben. And his body language was so... comfortable. There was no tension in him, when he was laying there with Devi.

One final random thought: ...FOR NOW? Are we looking at a possible college spinoff?

Thank you to Jaren, Maitreyi, and the rest of the NHIE cast and crew for making this show happen. <3

[chenfordspiral]

What are your favourite episodes? One per season!

Oh, I had this coming and now I regret sending you that ask because this was bloody difficult. *sigh*

Let's give this a try (I'm sorry for the rambling that is to follow). Full disclosure, though, if you hadn't limited me to one episode per season, this list would look very different 😂 (and would definitely have broken my brain even more than this already has)

season 1 - Plain Clothes Day Good grief, we're off to a brilliant start (why did I do this?!?!) Honestly, I think I love specific scenes more than an entire episode. If I had to choose, though, I might go with 1x11. Or 1x14? 1x20? You see my problem? I cannot make a decision for the life of me. Ugh. I'm gonna go with 1x14 and live with it. Simply because, well, Tim in plain clothes? Yum. Tim refusing to let Lucy wash out and then even complimenting her?! Yum. Lucy being a badass even after she'd initially doubted herself? Yum, love to see it. And let's not forget Lucy's sass at the very end when she hands him her evaluation of him. God, I love them.

season 2 - Day of Death I think it's obvious that I'm going to go with 2x11 here. I adore everything about this episode. Acting, directing, cinematography, music (or lack thereof), all of it. It's simply spectacular, and even though it's a hard episode to watch, I could rewatch it all day. It's absolutely captivating, especially that whole sequence of them searching for Lucy, Tim finding the ring and digging her out of the fucking ground with his bare hands, to the almost absolute silence as we all wait for Lucy to come back. I mean, hands down one of my all time favorite episodes of the show. It can hardly be topped.

season 3 - Man of Honor Overall favorite episode this season is probably.. mh, 3x10. We get Lucy and Jackson riding together and saving that little girl (and then Jackson gives her that necklace?! Kill me, it's so damn sweet). We get some awesome Tim and Angela bestie content. There's just so much to love about this episode and I haven't rewatched it nearly enough.

season 4 - Life and Death You know, season 4 is hard (duh, all seasons are). I have my issues with it, even though I obviously love the Chenford content we got, but it also came with certain love interests that I'd like to give a firm kick in the butt and send to the moon. But I digress. I'm going to have to say 4x01. Aside from the Chenford hug (still not over it) and how Tim so willingly just invited Lucy to stay with him, it's the team spirit of the episode that I love. And I think we all do.

season 5 - Death Notice / Under Siege Season 5 is bloody difficult, okay? This is legitimately breaking my brain. I go back and forth between 5x12 and 5x22 at the moment, which I both love for different reasons. 5x12 because there's so much Chenford goodness, 5x22 because it's just an overall awesome episode that just screams "team" where everyone comes together. I think those kind of episodes will always be my favorite. But honestly, the answer to "what's your fave s5 ep" would probably change every other day. I mean, we all saw the season, right? I could list all 22 episodes with an exception here or there (hi 5x04, I'm looking at you; also not particularly fond of 5x20 - sorry).

And, look. Here's the thing: even when I like an episode for the Chenford content, there's often something that bugs me about it (*cough* Nolan *cough*), so it can't be my favorite episode overall. Like 4x22, for example. It would make my list for favorite Chenford episodes, but not the one for favorite episodes in general. Which is why making this list was so damn difficult.

Anyway. Why am I still rambling?

Anyone feel free to send more questions! My inbox is always open :)

[wanderlust-in-my-soul]

My weekly roundup CW 19

I try to write down my thoughts after watching stuff to create a little weekly ranking in relation to the previous week on my, most of the times, quiet sundays (and because I love lists!). These are just my personal opinions and preferences.

And yes, this will contain spoilers!

But first, the main theme for the first date this week:

Happy Merry Ending

Love Mate

→ 1. Love Mate (Ep 3+4)

Most unexpected moment this week:

Ahhhh!!!!! I love it!!!!! Sunshine guy is slowly but surely making his way into grumpy guys heart and I am absolutely here for it. And then grumpy guy also falls for the polar bear profile and of course he thinks he's great and has a strangely good feeling from the writing and of course they meet and of course grumpy guy is not thrilled. The slap in the face was maybe a little over the top but in the end everything that follows is absolutely perfect. A first date, laughter and fun and at the end a romantic scene? I don't think any of us expected that! I was shocked! And had absolutely nothing against it! The morning after…I really thought at first that sunshine guy was going to sneak out because he now got what he wanted! Luckily that wasn't the case and they are now going on their next date. It doesn't necessarily have to come down to a lot of drama breaking out. Maybe the two of them can just go about their lives together. Come on! I don't want to see them apart! They should stay happy! Let's just see how grumpy guy gets to the 100%.

The softest moment this week:

→ 2. My Story (Ep 5)

What exactly is this project where they have to drink alcohol in large amounts? I mean plotwise it fits just fine, but what? Drinking alcohol for school? Um…I have questions. And also, Sky didn't look that drunk now…Stupid excuse of not being able to remember anything…again, not…I'd like an change of ideas here. Otherwise Zeke and Fifth…the two can't stop flirting with each other and in the end it all culminates in an explosive kiss that has been building up over the last few episodes and was finally allowed to break out. It was worth the wait! These two are just outrageously good together. Yes, I can't take the other two seriously anymore. But good for me, so the drama stays with them and Zeke and Fifth can float around on their cloud 9. I'm not mad about that.

↑ 3. Happy Merry Ending (Ep 5+6)

Cutest moment this week part 1:

Oh God, that was beautiful! A first date, a first kiss. And JaeHyun understood SeungJun. He didn't just jump him and kiss him, he asked for his consent and I love him for that! I love the show for that! And what a fucking romantic moment? I was ecstatic! And how happy SeungJun looked. The hand holding was my favorite scene. JaeHyun was so nervous beforehand! I love it so much! And all just for SeungJun to be thrown back into his trauma by that stupid fucker in the next episode. And I'm scared that JaHyun's "he's mine now, I won't let him go" might possibly trigger SeungJun's trauma as well. I hope not, but I'm scared of that scene in the trailer. However, since it will be the last two episodes next week, of course I hope for a happy ending! So I'll accept some angst if it still leads to SeungJun taking off his sunglasses at the end and only looking at JaeHyun.

Cutes moment this week part 2:

↑ 4. La Pluie (Ep 3)

I found the episode so interesting and good. We see in this episode the side of Patt and his love at first sight moment. So Patt likes Tai. Patt has a girlfriend or had a thing with someone we don't know, yet. Patt has a crush on Tai now though. Patt doesn't know that Tai is his soulmate. So Patt tries to win Tai over without this knowledge. Tai, on the other hand, thinks that Patt has a girlfriend, because he heard him making out with someone, and is therefor making a pass at him, so he keeps his distance from Patt. Which doesn't stop Patt from trying to get close to him. And both like each other in the end. I like it. I had my doubts about Tai's infatuation at first, but it works quite well. It's cute how shy he gets in front of Patt. Why he bit him in the arm at the end, though, I don't quite understand. Was that frustration or pure alcohol talking out of him? Anyway! I look forward to the next episode!

↓ 5. Our Dining Table (Ep 6)

Yutaka and Minoru were able to enjoy a few minutes of privacy. Finally. It was about time. I don't think we'll see a kiss in the series, but at least a little intimacy and closeness between the two. Minoru was so worried about Yutaka and came running to him and then makes him the udon noodles like his mother used to do when the kids were sick. Honestly, what other proof of affection do you need? Minoru shares such a precious and beautiful memory with Yutaka, wants him to have something of his memory, and Yutaka is so grateful for it and happy about it. So wholesome.

↑ 6. Naked Dining (Ep 5)

So by now they should have realized that they like each other, right? As jumpy as they react when they stand close to each other. But I think Futa still needs some time to understand it properly. A first step in the right direction was made when he wanted to touch Mahori when he was asleep. Dare to let it happen. The almost-kiss at the end, which Futa also dreams of, I don't find soooo good, because I don't think kisses, when the persons are not in a relationship and while one person is asleep, are so thrilling in general. But we'll see next week how they'll work it out. Other than that, it was a pretty enjoyable episode. The two of them had fun together. Even the co-worker could see that. Let's hope she keeps her friendly distance.

↑ 7. The Promise (Ep 9)

Best reaction to a kiss this week:

They did what? A kiss? Phu finally got up the courage and confessed his feelings for Nan? I confess I squealed a little with delight and then hid behind a pillow in shame because, hello? Why did everyone have to applaud? Best reaction of the week though from Party and Khunkhao! I would have reacted the same way, but wouldn't be as damn pushy as Khunkhao at the end and would just keep my mouth shut when I see that the person I'm into has found someone he likes and is willing to kiss in public…And then not even a minute later, Phu's grandma is dead. What the hell, The Promise? And then Nan gets the info that he's going to be transferred to China…This was really way too much drama in one episode. Couldn't one of them have happened an episode earlier? And that Phu keeps saying he has no one now…he has Nan! Let's see how they resolve all this at the end.

↓ 8. Step by Step (Ep 4)

This week's outstanding fashion choice: The Bow ties

Why exactly is Pat trying to talk trash about Jeng with his colleagues who talk trash about everything and everyone? Why is Pat starting rumors like this? Whatever Jeng does in private is his beer and not of Pat's interest to bitch about. And he was actually against talking about him like that or not, since he knows how it feels when false rumors are spread. At least he should know that. Yes, he tries to get along with his colleagues, but that's a really shitty way to go. Otherwise, I would have been interested to know why Jeng and Pat were in the Tuxedos and what exactly they were doing. That was such a random scene at the end that wasn't explained further and then you didn't even see them at the event…were they laughed at for their giant bow ties and no one could take them serious and they thought, then we better cut the scenes out altogether? Other than that, I love the way Jeng looks at Pat. And I sincerely hope their communication improves! It's terrible…

↑ 9. Our Skyy 2 - Vice Versa (Ep7+8)

So the idea with the calendar I found really good. Many more people should do this to bring some life back into the relationship and also to simply do something good for themselves. It does not have to be something different every day, but once a week to break out of everyday life and get closer to each other again. I think it's really good and sweet. The child…what kind of crappy plan was that? To send a stranger's kid to a couple so they can work out their problems. I've rarely heard anything so stupid. All in all, the episodes were more bearable than the previous ones because the corniness was less, but the idea behind it was still stupid. And the preview for next week scared me 😅

↓ 10. A Boss And A Babe (Ep 11)

The cheesiest but still sweetest line this week:

That was unnecessary. Even though Cher thinks he understands that he is not good enough for Gun, I found it unnecessary. It's not Gun's mother's decision to decide what is right for Gun and what is not, even if they have money. While it's nice that Cher graduated with trophies, at the end of the day I would very much like to erase that scene from my memory. My embarrassment level was definitely reached and I had trouble watching. It was a bit too much. Also, the scene came so suddenly. All of a sudden Cher is standing in front of the door and gets down on his knee in front of Gun. I mean, no…I don't know, this week it was really exhausting to watch. You knew from the beginning that something was going to happen, the way Cher always looked at Gun, with that sad, wistful look. So it wasn't unexpected that Cher would leave Gun. It was unexpected that Gun didn't try to stop him anymore or just visit him at home. But at least the last episode now looks like pure fluff.

↓ 11. House of Stars (Ep 2)

I don't know exactly what happened this week. First, it's Saturday and I have no idea what I saw and second, it was boring. There's so much talk about nothing that my brain said let's filter that out real quick. Unnecessary waste of space. Guess this will be the next series I'll drop or at least put on-hold.

[psychicbergara]

Hii this might be a lot to ask but I haven’t been able to keep up with all their content so I don’t know about most of the bingo card🤣 is it okay if you mention from which ep each thing that was crossed or like post a snippet of it? Thanks!

hi anon!! im not gonna lie i had to dive DEEP into my blog to find the reasonings behind some of the crossed out ones because i simply did not remember a lot of them since there are SO many moments and theyre just crazy in love idk what to tell you.

also shoutout to @littlekingbergara for helping me out GIVE HER ALL THE LOVE they're my boo <3

so im gonna go row by row for these reasonings!!

1. cute instastories: not sure when the date or time was, but this was when shane uploaded an instastory of him and ryan playing pool in chicago!! either that, or maybe it's another instastory and it's slipping my mind, regardless they post about each other a lot :D

2. shane "heart eyes" madej: ok so let's be real... heart eyes madej is just a constant at this point LSDKJF. but the moment i marked were these: the zoom screenshot was in a ww+ 103 and in the most recent season of top 5 beatdown!! the zoom one is so cute because ryan was ranting about annoying people in movie theaters and shane was just So Fond

3. the mamma mia mentions were in ww+ 116 :D

4. another weird thing in common: i recently marked it off it in this post right here about the butterfinger moments if you wanna take a quick look

5. blatant flirting on camera: THE ENTIRETY OF BERRY BOYS 2 EPISODE!!! literally that video IS SO MUCH I STG!!! i cant watch it again without collapsing into a million little piece it was JUST OOZING WITH LOVE AND FLIRTING LIKE WTH!!

6. ryan accidentally making a sexual joke about him and shane: WHEW this one was a DOOZY when this came out SLDKJF it was in ww+ 113 where ryan jokes about shane 'dominance humping' him in the office,,,, you read that correctly and yes it did happen DFGFJG here's the clip of that moment :D

7. denny's hug: it was in the top 5 beatdown chain restaurants episode in the most recent season when they BOTH had denny's as number one and they hugged :D

8. an adorable hug: we actually got FOUR hugs in the most recent season of too many spirits... it was so gay so like watch that whole season its SO worth it THE HUGS WERE TOO CUTE

9. they stare at each other like theyre disgustingly in love: ONCE AGAIN IM SCREAMING FROM THE ROOFTOPS THE! BERRY BOYS!! TWO!!! EPISODEEE!!! like literally that video is my life blood at this point that whole video was just them looking at each other like this:

yea... GOD anyways before i die thinking about it lets continue..

10. ryan calling shane big boy: even though ryan did in one of the ghost files eps, he also did it in one of the episodes in the most recent season of too many spirits!! so watch those eps ;)

11. they go on spooky dates: *gestures at the entirety of ghost files* they also filmed alcatraz on valentines day... so thats a whole ass date if i've ever seen one LSKDJF

12. steven wishing he left watcher: ww+ 108 and 109!! if you watch those, you can so clearly tell that steven wishes he could sink into a hole so he doesnt have to see ryan and shane blatantly flirt in front of him ever again. literally he stares at the camera like he's jim from the office or gregory from abbott elementary sldfjdf

13. shane calling ryan "little guy" + hand holding: these moments were both from the powerpoint party one-off!! that video is such a gem :') while calling ryan little guy he gave him his cape (one of shane's FAVORITE things) as a blanket it was ADORABLE

14. "shut up shane" (threatening): this was from the we try spicy chicken sandwiches feat. korean englishmen video!! ryan says this when shane is sitting on the side relaxing while theyre all dying eating spicy sandwiches DFGLKG

WHEW!! and that's it :D i sure hope we get bingo by the end of this year or i will lowkey riot ngl salskdjfsdf

[luckyqueenreign]

GURRRRLLLLL… I have thoughts!

1. MC is gorg, thank god!!!

2. When Ivy mentioned they already did an “ex in the villa” last season I died. Whoever wrote these first few episodes definitely had some funny “we know last season sucked” moments💀

3. Ivy is Kat in glasses (which lol we’re those supposed to make her look nice?), but damn girl has some bad RBF (already kinda hate her)

4. THEY GAVE MC A PERSONALITY!!!!!!! Job, our type, and we got to pick the dude we want✅✅✅

5. When it was revealed the #doubletrouble is our LITERAL FREAKING TWIN I laughed out loud, but then my heart sank. Is this bitch gonna be the one stealing our man the whole time or are we bestie sisters?? Picking all the safe, “I love you, I trust you” options just incase. Don’t need her stealing Lewie or Ozzy from me rn🤞🏼

6. But also OF FREAKING COURSE SHE COMES OUT LOOKING HOTTER THAN US🙄🙄🙄

7. THE KISSING! It was almost over kill how much MC can kiss who she wants these first 3 episodes but a much better change than last season where we got NO bits

Okay girlie pop I need your thoughts now! (almost came here after ep 1 bc I had so many already)

BESTIEEEEE SAME!!!

YES and I went through it so fast at first because I just wanted to start the season already but I feel like I'll go back and explore later so I can change up my look a little more. (especially since our twin is currently hotter...can't have that)

2. nah the jokes were actually so good. loved the callback moments !! 3. Ivy lowkey sucks like Kat was a b but she had her redeeming moments...ivy's 25 point checklist and her growling at anyone that comes near her man is so weird. Like girl YOU dont even know if u like this man yet. SETTLE DOWN!

4. THE JOB! And they actually mentioned it again (I chose fashion designer)

5. im doing the exact same. choosing all of the safe BFF options because they wouldnt make our TWIN steal our man. That's evil.

6. girl...... when she came out and they said she had our face. I was like she does???? 💀

7. the kissing was giving me s3 vibes but ILL TAKE THAT over the Sahara desert of no bits last season

[spineless-lobster]

I just finished binge watching season 4 with my friend so I am going to try my best to write down cohesive thoughts. (Warning: They’re not very cohesive) Spoilers ahead!!!!

Ep. 1: I love Kitty and Thomas in this episode!!! The way Kitty’s voice changes when she becomes his agent is hilarious! And then Robin becomes his bodyguard!!! Fanny and Julian bonding over their voyeurism will never not be funny. The reference to Ötzi is my favourite but I think it’s because I’m a massive nerd. Mary’s description of her day to day life was honestly so wholesome and beautiful I loved it. I related far too much to Alison’s anxiety about being liked by guests and such. Also Cap and Mick at the end <3

Ep. 2: AAAAHHHHHH CAP AND KITTY BONDING EPISODE THIS IS MY FAVOURITE THING EVER YESSSSSSSS!!!!! Mary backstory time!!!! Annie teaching Mary how to be a girlboss!!!!! Also Thomas is a confirmed former drug addict and I honestly love that for him. Pat becoming a prison guard is incredibly funny! Wonderful Humphrey and Thomas moments in there!!! As soon as Mike’s friends talked about their little “business opportunity” I immediately knew it’s was a shady pyramid NFT scheme type situation. Cap’s bug obsession!!! Alison trying to bond with the ghosts!!!! AAAAAAHHHHHHH THE CAPTAIN WITHOUT HIS JACKET AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Ep. 3: The closest thing we’ll get to a musical episode!!!!!! Honestly good on Alison for putting the ghosts in their place. And Mike being the best husband ever is the sweetest thing!!!! “Julian fingering Fanny’s lip” will probably be my favourite Fanny joke to date! DOUBLE CAP GUN NOISES!!!! <333 I love Mary sticking up for herself!!!! Then she goes and has a self care day!!! “My heart belongs to daddy” 👀 okay Cap. Aaaaand Mike is running around in the nude… good for him. The sorry song is the greatest thing to grace this earth! Literally better than any other musical undertaking ever! They had choreography and everything! They left a review for Alison!!!!! I genuinely thought Mary was gonna burn the place down, I love my feral housewife!!!

Ep. 4: This one broke me. But birdwatcher Cap makes me incredibly happy! :) the fakeout with Robin and then making it so Mary is the one sucked off absolutely destroyed me. You can’t just kill my wife like that!!!!!! It happened so suddenly!!!! And then it shows all the different ways the ghosts grieve, it absolutely broke my heart. Then Robin talks about how he looks to the stars as a coping mechanism 😭. And ALISON WEAVED A BASKET WITH MARY AND IT’S FIVE POTATOES HIGH!!!!! Then there’s Cap about to cry and Julian comforting him! And the fact that Humphrey didn’t even know 😭😭 I can’t with this show this is a comedy why am I sobbing!?!?!? Beautiful episode. Damn you Ben Willbond! (Affectionate)

Ep. 5: New ghost!!!! He seems like such a chill guy I love Maddocks. (I really hope that’s a reference to Yonderland) He really is just the guy ever. I love the fact that Robin has known about him for so long. I wanna stab Barlcay <3. Mike trying to get out of the bubble thing is so silly I love it! And Robin and Julian playing with the giant chess board is everything!!!!

Ep. 6: Holy shit what an opening. I knew Button House HAD to be fine but a little voice in my head kept telling me otherwise. I love that Julian is trying to be a good person just to prove Cap wrong. Idk why that’s so amazing to me. Robin backstory!!!!!!!! I knew the struck by lighting theory was right!!!!! I feel so validated!!!!!!!!!! Also ROBIN IS A THUNDER GOD NOW!?!?!! Like he can control lighting essentially. That’s a lot of power for one ghost to have. My guy can CONTROL THE SKY!!!! Over all a pretty open-ended ending. I’m very excited to see what they have planned for season 5.

I really liked season 4! The vibe was definitely different but it wasn’t bad at all. I love how we got more Humphrey and the Plague Ghosts and I think each character had their time to shine and it all went really well! Episode 2 is definitely my favourite!

[sapphicscholar]

Hacks 2.03 and 2.04 Thoughts

Like Ava, I’m trusting the process even when it’s painful, and I’m still watching with an eye toward critical generosity. That being said, some (though certainly not all!) of my thoughts verge on the critical this week as a heads up. Thoughts are below the cut for spoilers (because I had to get this word vomit out so I could start my actual workday haha)

1. I’ve seen a few other people say this already, but the episodes feel a little more disjointed this season with the episodic nature of being on the road and on tour. I don’t mind that in and of itself, but I think it’s also led to this season’s feeling less cohesive in the overarching narrative at least in part because we’re being told more things this season vs. last season when we actually saw most of the action (e.g., we keep hearing that Deborah’s bombing, but, until ep 4, we were largely seeing her get laughs and punchlines in, even if they weren’t the best). So rather than *seeing* the process, we’re often hearing about it via meta commentary for better or worse (again, I think you do what you can with 8 episodes and what seems like an ambitious story to tell and tour to take the characters on)

2. I really loved the scene where Deborah steps in and makes Weed stop the bus to let Ava go look for her dad’s ashes, and the final “fuck it” moment of shedding her fur coat to climb into a literal dumpster to help look was exactly the kind of narrative payoff and emotional catharsis I know and love from this show!

3. Deborah’s always had the capacity for meanness and real cruelty toward others, but this season I feel like we’re seeing more of it directed at strangers, people in the workplace, and even fans--all of whom in S1 we saw Deborah being fairly collegial and even downright friendly with (which set her up from the start, imo, as different from, say, a Miranda Priestly, even though she could be just as cutting). Again, I think part of it is the seeing vs telling thing - I know theoretically that Deb’s frustrated about the tour going poorly, so it would make sense for her to be lashing out more. But because we’re seeing so little of it, I’m not feeling it as much

4. On the other hand, Deborah’s deliberately making Ava jealous (sometimes using and tossing aside others to do it) feels exactly the right amount of petty, and the way she’s doing it, MY GOD, it’s fucking L Word levels of gay 

5. Curious to see what we do with all of Ava’s very vocal pledges to clean living and very visible backsliding (largely encouraged by those around her, which makes sense! The entertainment business is a hard place for sobriety, as are a lot of the most visible spaces for queer life)

6. Look...I could write a whole separate post on ep 4 alone, but bulleted thoughts:

I get that it’s necessary for Deborah’s growth (comedic and personal) both to bomb in this painful obvious way AND ALSO to have some of the really shitty ways she’s talked about whole groups of people drawn out into the open, not for laughs but for scorn. THAT DOES NOT MAKE IT LESS PAINFUL TO WATCH. Holy shit an entire childhood spent in comedy clubs and bar basements, and that’s still in the top 3 worst things I’ve seen go down on a stage

The first 10 minutes or so...idk. I get that we’ve got a queer cast and not totally straight writing staff and all, but a lot of the jokes felt less like we were having a good in-on-the-joke kind of time and more of a laugh at the expense of queer women (like c’mon, why does the first woman to approach Ava have to be creepy about it?) Going into it (esp after having heard so much about how queer fans would LOVE this ep), I think I wanted The L Word Olivia Cruise episode vibes, and instead, it felt like I was watching Friends at first

BUT by the end, the episode felt like it had swung around enough so we could see that Deborah was the problem (the internalized misogyny, the way that she has such deep-rooted problems with a lesbian audience, the doubling down on it all), but I don’t think I personally ever shook my unease from the beginning of the episode

I really, deeply appreciated Ava’s conversation with Deborah during the manicure (so many thoughts about hands and queer erotics...). It gives a lot more nuance to conversations about sexuality than we generally get on screen. Esp after Ava’s brash comments in early S1, this felt like a chance for Ava to be serious with Deborah; she isn’t trying to shock Deborah to get the upper hand anymore, but is instead talking through a lot of things she’s had to process and think through herself, and I SO, SO appreciated it. 

I do hope we return to some of this because I think Ava can and should have a chance to talk to Deborah after that set... echoing a brief conversation I had with @softdeb, the molly-fueled awkward dancing at sea was, um, a choice, and I hope it’s not the last we’ll see of that arc

Also the question of Deborah’s relationship to desire and intimacy felt not nearly so settled as some comments in interviews made it out to be! It feels live and open to me. This isn’t an argument for canonicity or anything, but I do think there’s still much to be interrogated after that meltdown at sea

Oh Marcus... I can and will not talk about the puppy who deserves better 

Deborah’s phone call to Marcus was also so very good. I have a lot of care for both of these two deeply flawed, human characters--and a lot of thoughts about their history--and seeing them have this moment of being able to see each other/be seen while sitting amidst the rubble of all the ways they’ve fucked up was gorgeous. It’s what I’m here for in this show, and ending on that note was enough to make me hopeful

[katherinevalo]

extra dose of screenshots! just to make sure i don't forget why i made them because as you probably noticed the last batch didn't have many thoughts XD

we are going over eps 22 and 23, eventful eps if i may say so myself

1 - "what is personal space?" god i love how close zishu stands like, he could absolutely stand a little further and still block wkx, but instead he is almost bumping into his chest. seriously it gives me pure joy looking at them

2 - a beautiful scenery with our beautiful ah-xu. *sigh~ took that ss to potentially use it as my desktop wallpaper, because (i had this convo on discord) i can't use proper fandom wallpaper since i use my laptop at lectures.

3 - unwelcomed guest interjects. shenshen seriously, why didn't you just stay inside?

4 - i will never stop being in love with this scene. i love how zishu helps him to lay down safely. tho i gotta say that the ss doesn't do it justice and you simply must watch the original scene

5 - fierce look while protecting his shidi (look idk why my laptop doesn't have the holding back tears emoji, but if it did i'd have used it here)

6 - i said this before and i will say this again, but this is some proper spirk handholding right there uwu

7 - back to our regularly scheduled "heartbreaking expressions of wkx"

8 - look at cao weining! look at his silly happy face! what a sweet child! don't we all wish we had someone like that in our lives-- *sobs~

9 - i know OUCH but also i love this subtle way to remind us of the reality of things (i always appreciate when writers don't underestimate the audience's intelligence by overexplaining and this is the perfect example of how to remind us without doing that). ALSO the panic on ah-xu's face. also, i have a whole thing here, because a discord friend said that ah-xu here was trying to hide the symptoms which i don't fullly agree with. i think that it was sort of aha! moment for ah-xu when he realized how bad it has gotten. because when you live with declining senses they decline gradually and you barely notice (but then there is something that you kinda punches you and you realized how much your senses have declined - tho i'm milking this from my experience of worsening sight and can't really speak for taste) tho imo for tastes and smells of familiar things (like liquor here) your brain would sort supply what it remembers them to be like. so to cut it short, i think it's also that kind of a moment for ah-xu

[bxtchy-bxtch]

The Owl House has left me feeling empty :')

I have so many thoughts and I need to put them somewhere. This is just me listing every moment in this episode that brought out an intense emotion from me. This list is also an excellent way to feel like you've watched the entire episode if you haven't watched it because I was screaming throughout so the list is essentially just a recap :D

Spoilers for the last ep!

1. The opening sequence nearly made me cry

2. Even though the fandom predicted that the Collector would turn to good because of friendship, it was still done beautifully

3. Luz's poofing into light did make me cry

4. CAMILLA CRYING AS A PUPPET EVEN THOUGH SHE HAD NO IDEA WHAT JUST HAPPENED BROKE ME

5. EDA AND KING'S RAGE HOLY SHIT THAT'S THE MOST POWERFUL THEY'VE EVER BEEN.

And them telling Collector to stay away

And them holding onto the last bit of Luz left

6. King's parent making it clear that they're a parent. I loved that. It reminded me of flowers that self pollinate :D

And you know what? I love that they chose to show this because this is a magical universe and mammal-like beings can self pollinate and lay eggs. I love it. 12/10 decision. It was a good reminder of the fact that this universe is fictional and it doesn't need to adhere to our rules.

7. King's dad in general. His attire. The pun. The parental protectiveness. The advice and simple-yet-extremely-effective approach to morality.

8. LUZ. CHOOSING. HERSELF. AFTER SEEING HER SELF ESTEEM CRASH AND BURN, HER CHOOSING HERSELF IS SUCH A BIG DEAL AND I LOVED IT SO MUCH

9. The battle. Eda being a good teacher and knowing exactly what her student was struggling with. King and Luz's amplified 'weh'. THEM FIGHTING TOGETHER. My heart cannot handle this show, I was screaming

10. THE COLLECTOR 😭

11. Amity being a fucking badass and freeing herself

12. Camilla telling everyone to take a break to deal with their burnout :D

13. CAMILLA HANDING THEM GLYPHS

14. FORGOT TO MENTION THIS EARLIER BUT RAINE BEING AN ABSOLUTE FUCKING BADASS THROUGHOUT? God I could feel my crush on them grow tenfold with every scene that they were in

15. The titan's hand reaching to the sky O_O

16. HER SPEECH 🥺💜

17. THE EXTENDED END CREDIT SCENE WAS GREAT

18. THE GLYPH AND PICTURES ON HER WALL

19. LUZ TAKING EVERY MAJOR IMAGINABLE. AND THE FACT THAT SHE ISN'T GOING TO HUMAN UNI

20. LUZ'S PIERCINGS. AND HER HAIR. AND THE FLAPJACK TATTOO THAT WILLOW HAS AS WELL. HER ENTIRE STYLE THIS EPISODE HAS BEEN IMPECCABLE. I LOVED THE GOTH WITCH TRANSFORMATION

21. Willow and Hunter being confirmed :D

22. FLAPJACK'S GRAVE

23. AMITY'S. HAIR. THE UNDERCUT. MY TWO GAY BABIES

24. Speaking of gay babies, I loved the two kisses we got this episode AND Darius×Alador bit that was implied :D

25. King Genera and Pain-yata. Yes. Precisely.

26. THE NEW GLYPH LANGUAGE IS VERY PRETTY :DDD

LUZ HAS SOMEONE TO TALK TO (IN MAGIC) AGAIN :DDDDD

27. I loved seeing my found family be happy 🥺

28. Bonus: the mention of a Lilith spinoff has me hoping for a Lilith spinoff 🥺

29. All the reunions destroyed me btw. All of them.

30. Raine and Eda's little wink at the end 🥺

31. HEADMASTER EDA. FUCK YEAH

32. Amity and Lilith's relationship. Darius and Eberwolf and Hunter. I love it when older people take younger people under their wing and care for them the way they deserve

I'm going to miss this show so much. Dana and their team did such an amazing job, and I hope they're as proud of their work as we are of them 💜