#i certainly didn't hate it

[nightmare-foundation]

Couple of gripes I have about Restorations writing:

-There was hardly any reaction from the others about Tucker being the Meta. Not even Wash blinked at it, and I highly doubt he knew Tucker was the Meta. The others... didn't seem to have Any form of emotional reaction? Just ":0 he's the meta??" And that was it

-literally no one tried telling Carolina or Tex that they were fighting Tucker (they seemed to just,, know?? Somehow??). I expected someone to yell "THAT'S TUCKER! ITS TUCKER, DON'T KILL HIM!" And there was just. No moral dilemma when it came to fighting him??

-Building off the last one, they were all so... split up? It was like all the development kinda just disappeared. They didn't seem to really care about each other like they had previously.

-Tucker himself seemed. Entirely unaffected? Despite getting psychologically tortured IHNMAIMS style. Like,, huh?

-The tone was so off at times I couldn't take sarge's death seriously.

All of these are things I 100% would've changed. Really the biggest thing I liked was Wash being system-coded.

[pocketgalaxies]

C1E60 || C3E88

[sunlightnmoonshine]

I don't know whether anyone has talked about this yet but wasn't the main point about the Jet storyline, that fire nation ppl shouldn't just be killed off as revenge?? Wasn't it also supposed to be an instance of comparison between what a good leader is and what an edgy leader is aka sokka being the former and jet being the latter?? Wasn't it also supposed to be an instance that made katara sad because she bonded with jet over the loss of their family and nearly went down a dangerous path because of him??

1. How is replacing it with oh let's kill the scientist guy that's helping the fire nation and use that as an opportunity to kill the royals too a good change? Thereby taking away substantially from the whole innocent "fire nation" ppl shouldn't be punished for the actions of, plot point which is very relevant to the thematics of the story?

2. Why take away sokka's intuition as a leader and instead turn it into a sibling squabble where sokka has literally no role in the Jet storyline except that he appreciates Sai and doesn't think he should be killed? And instead have katara through one tiny whip of water save the day?? Thereby taking away a part of sokka's growth, even though this live action loves shoving it down everyone's throat that sokka's personality trait is that he's obsessed with being a leader?

3. Why take away from katara's emotional range? And how her fight with jet was fuelled by rage that she's coming to terms with and how betrayed she felt?? What does having jet say her waterbending is good because of him and have her say, no its because of her, add to the story??? It's like the live action is obsessed with highlighting that katara is a master water bender (which is incorrect since she trained hard and got very good at it) and that she doesn't have the emotional bandwidth to express mixed emotions?? Also their interaction, was supposed to highlight how even if two ppl suffer the same way, their approaches in response can still be very different and that revenge is not the answer, which is foreshadowing to katara's journey in the story.

I just don't understand why the story had to go in this direction and I certainly don't understand how one can be okay with how much they chipped off in relation to characters and thematics??

[viperwhispered]

Too Hard

Woop part 2 of the trip inside Jamil's head. Part 1 here.

The next time Jamil caught sight of you on campus, his first instinct was to turn around on his heel.

What a stupid thought to have because of you.

Besides, that would only make him more conspicuous, not less.

So, when your eyes met his, Jamil gave you a short nod in greeting. He would’ve left it at that and kept on his way, had you not walked up to him.

“Hi Jamil! How’s it going?” you said with that impossibly disarming smile of yours.

Why was it so difficult to look at you like he normally would? You had no right to make him feel so stiff, so unnatural.

On autopilot, Jamil exchanged a few pleasantries with you - those lessons from his parents had been instilled too deep in him for him to falter too badly in a simple exchange such as this. Still, Jamil quickly excused himself by telling you he still had to find Kalim before his next class.

Jamil didn’t miss the way your smile faltered. Had you hoped to get something out of him?

“Oh, okay. I’ll see you two later, then.”

Something about that irked him, though Jamil did not allow himself to dwell on it further.

His heart really had no business still racing as it did when he walked away, unaware of the frown on his face.

Just act normal. That’s all he needed to do.

After all, he had no time for dwelling in silly fancies.

If Jamil had been acutely aware of you before, it only seemed to worsen now that he was making a conscious effort to not act any differently with you. In fact, the harder he tried to keep you out, the more you invaded his thoughts, unsettling him.

The most innocuous words from you looped in his mind, and even the simplest actions caught his eye. For goodness's sake, he’d found himself staring at you while you were queueing up in the cafeteria the other day, not even doing anything other than standing around and looking bored!

For once, Jamil found himself grateful for all his duties. At least they provided him with something else to occupy himself with.

After all, if he was busy enough, it was difficult to think about those bright eyes of yours, your sweet laugh, or the way you bit your lip while thinking.

Still, sometimes it felt like no matter which way he turned, you were there, ready to throw him off-kilter. Not like it was his fault that often the most convenient route to class intersected with your daily routines. Or that your face seemed to jump out from any crowd, catching his attention.

Which certainly did not help his basketball performance. Jamil certainly did not recall you having such an interest in sports before, yet suddenly you were always there, distracting him. What had changed?

Could you possibly-

Jamil scoffed to himself, forcing his thoughts back on track for the nth time that day.

He picked up the tray of food and started taking it to Kalim. After dinner, he’d need to help Kalim with his homework, there were some housewarden tasks that would need dealing with, not to mention the preparations for the next-

Jamil froze in his tracks.

The voice he heard was quiet, but it was unmistakably you.

Really, it should not have come as such a surprise to him. You had become a rather frequent visitor to Scarabia, and Kalim often invited you to stay for meals. In fact, Jamil had started planning the dorm’s meal prep with your tastes and dietary restrictions in mind, just in case.

Jamil rounded the corner with strange exhilaration, his heart fluttering needlessly.

Yet, his mood evaporated when he saw you.

Why did you stop talking and look so guilty as soon as you caught sight of Jamil?

Jamil knew that look you gave to Kalim, had used it himself a thousand times. The one telling Kalim to keep quiet about something.

What could there possibly be that you would be comfortable sharing with Kalim, but not with him? That would give Kalim reason to sit so close to you, a comforting hand on your shoulder?

Jamil's mind raced with possibilities, yet could not settle for any single explanation.

He’d have to ask Kalim about it later.

Jamil gave you a short, polite greeting, his eyes lingering on you in an attempt to read what you were hiding.

“If I’d known you were coming over, I would’ve prepared something for you to eat as well,” Jamil said, already thinking about which parts of the dorm’s dinner to spruce up for you.

“Oh, no need, just figured I’d pop by. I’ll get out of your hair soon enough,” you said, something sheepish about your expression.

As expected, Kalim asked you to stay and dine with them, and with just a bit more persuasion you agreed - though not before telling Jamil that he should join you too and have himself a breather.

And since Kalim agreed with you, Jamil soon found himself sharing a meal with you and Kalim. Yet, even as he sat down with the food, his mind raced.

Had you been getting particularly close to Kalim lately? But surely Jamil would’ve noticed such a thing. Maybe someone from the dorm had been giving you trouble? But if that was the case, then surely you could let Jamil know about it, too. Unless for some reason you did not want to? But if it was something that concerned Kalim, then sooner or later it was bound to concern Jamil, too.

All the while, Kalim was talking to you about this and that, the latest topic being the animals kept on the Asim estate.

“I’ve got some pictures, let me show you!” Kalim said with an excited grin.

Only, a thorough patting of his pockets and a look around confirmed that Kalim’s phone was nowhere to be seen.

Jamil pinched the bridge of his nose. Where had Kalim left it this time?

Before Jamil even had the chance to say that he would handle it, Kalim sprinted off. Jamil hesitated for a moment, automatically halfway up from his seat, before he decided that leaving a guest unattended would be a worse offense than not helping out his master.

Jamil slumped back down with a sigh, mentally tracing the path Kalim took today, trying to recall the last time he saw Kalim handle his phone.

“Breathe. He’ll manage,” you said. There was the faintest of smiles on your lips, and Jamil could not decide if it was knowing or amused. Perhaps both.

Somehow, despite his frustration, Jamil’s own lips wanted to curl up too.

“Hmm. Maybe he will.”

Sure, Jamil could’ve called Kalim’s phone, to make it easier to find, but it was not that urgent, was it?

Jamil took another bite of his food, keeping an eye on you from the corner of his eye.

How was his mind so empty and so buzzing at the same time?

“You know-”

“So-”

You looked at each other, both just as surprised that the other had spoken up at the same time.

Even your surprised look was so-

“You first,” Jamil said. The way you bit your lip... Jamil had to raise a cup to his lips, slowly sipping his drink.

“Just… Feels like it’s been quite a while since I’ve seen you be still, you know. Or exchanged more than two words with you,” you said. You were attempting a light, joking tone, yet it was quite clear there was more to it.

“You say that like it would be unusual for me to be busy.”

He was not prepared for the way your soft sigh tugged at his heartstrings.

“No. It is not.”

You were both quiet after, poking at your meals. Normally, Jamil would’ve cherished such a moment of peace, yet this particular silence between you two was decidedly awkward.

Where was your usual chatter? Why weren’t you looking at him like you usually did?

“If you’re worried about me, don’t. I’m fine,” Jamil said, some softness creeping into his tone despite his best intentions.

“That's what Kalim said too,” you said. Yet the way you looked at Jamil made it clear you were still skeptical.

Wait.

Had you clammed up earlier because it had been Jamil you had been talking about with Kalim? That Kalim had comforted you about?

The thought twisted his stomach into knots.

Eta: you can find part 3 here, part 4 here, and finally part 5 here. Hasdhfsdf the way I fought with that last scene I swear. I don't even want to know how many versions I went through, trying to figure out how to say what I wanted without rubbing it into your face or making it too veiled. The joys of trying to convey things through a limited pov. Hopefully it came out reasonably balanced in the end. Rip to all those sentences that were lovely on their own but didn’t work for the whole. Hopefully I can rehome y’all one day. I do have thoughts for part 3 and part x (might be some chapters between those two as well, who knows at this point), so maybe we'll see those at some point, too. Tag list: @colliope @crystallizsch @diodellet @jamilsimpno69 @jamilvapologist @twstgo If you'd like to be tagged for future works, let me know! (Just be aware that sometimes I do also write nsfw, though you can certainly ask to be tagged only for particular kinds of works.)

[okkennymay]

Commission for @xxmischieflovesxx (aww man why wont it let me @ you??)

Listen I know the vast majority of what i post is commissions, but a mans gotta keep a roof over his head one way or another 9w9"

At least I get a lot of really fun ones!~ 💖

Ahhh Dan under house arrest by Clockwork, his "warden" a demon, and his attempts at intimidation in that last panel were most certainly futile.

[nattikay]

friendly reminder that Neteyam is a well-adjusted kid who has a good relationship with his parents, that he tries his darnedest to be a good warrior because he genuinely looks up to his dad and wants to be like him, and that the idea that Jake and Neytiri are "forcing" him to be perfect, that they "stole his childhood" or that he's "not allowed" to be a kid, etc. are all pure fanfiction with little to no evidence in canon thanks bye

[fullmetal-angelgrace]

wilson tries the entire episode (8x02) to hate house, wilson's patient talks negatively about her ex boyfriend and how he was a bad influence.

wilson gets advice from house to stop accepting the patient's wishes to die - to try harder - by doing something no normal doctor would: he calls her ex boyfriend who enables her alcoholism, who convinces her to do the painful but life extending treatment, and she gets back together with her ex boyfriend, so she's alive but back in a relationship that might ultimately be bad for her.

then wilson allows house back into his life so they can continue to be each other's enablers and bad influences, feeling alive again.... but also back in a relationship that might ultimately be bad for him 🫠

[bayesiandragon]

Everything else notwithstanding, I firmly think that SJ's rage towards YQY - regardless of how you feel about the degree to which he acted out towards him - was reasonable given that he believes (with justification given the little info he has) that his one childhood friend, who knew very well the vicious abuse he was experiencing, just fucked off to live the good life he found and left him to suffer. Like completely separate from anything else, I don't see how hating someone who to your knowledge abandoned you to die, even if they're sorry/guilty once they saw you survived, is wrongheaded or misguided. I honestly saw their whole relationship as emblematic of the prominent themes of miscommunication in SVSSS, on YQY's side due to a mixture of feeling like he's sparing the other party and his own trauma. A direct parallel (and later a foil) to SY and LBH at the abyss.

[allastoredeer]

You were wondering which circle Lucifer might live in, an if I had to guess, I'd say the sixth one. The one meant to punish heresy:

the belief or opinion contrary to orthodox religious (especially Christian) doctrine

An opinion profoundly at odds with what is generally accepted

A fitting place to settle down for one so severely punished for thinking too far outside of the box.

That'd be fucking awesome and so so fitting.

I'm so curious about where Lucifer's house is. We don't see any indication of where he'd be living within Pentagram City, so if the 9 Circles are a thing, I 100% believe he lives in one of those. You're so big brained for putting him in the Heresy Circle, it's perfect for him.

(But I also love bullying Lucifer and I like the idea that he's cursed to be close to the Sinners at all times as punishment, that way he's constantly reminded of his hubris and mistakes, which is why he locks himself up in his work-room so much. He's as stuck with the Sinners as the Sinners are stuck in the Pride Ring, and he copes with that by never, ever going outside. That's the real reason he's so pale. Guy has a the Hell equivalent of Vitamin-D deficiency.

[graceful-not]

ok but like WHAT DID APOLLO MEAN BY THIS???? SAVED HIS NECK WHEN?!?????

The only time I can think of is Pheonix interjecting in the first trial of aa4 bc Apollo hadn't put it together yet/didn't have the confidence to accept the truth yet, but other than that??????? When tf has Pheonix ever saved him??????

[unma]

I get it. I really do. The Pequod being so competent simply goes to show just how terrifyingly efficient Ahab is even with the pallidification of her crew and her old age. I get it, okay? It's really good story-gameplay integration.

But I swear to whatever is above if I have to fight these fuckers in yet another goddamn normal node and get stuck on this screen for an entire day again

then I think I'm going to have a fucking aneurysm.

[monards]

i know hoyo is setting up rhine to have good intent and whatever in her trying to 'save' khaneri'ah or whatever; but i REALLY hope they stay with the cruel persona thats been built up for her. because it would be so wonderful to see a character who had good intent in the beginning just get absolutely corrupted; with the inability to ever go back to that prior state purely because of what had happened. also because there is NO way in her turning back after all that shit

[imminent-danger-came]

Are you ever afraid that you are looking too deep into a show and giving the creators too much credit

Not really, no! Whether or not the writers were specifically thinking about what I look into, I'm still engaging with the text as it is. Honestly, I think it's more likely that writers often just have such a solid grasp of their themeing and goals that the final product ends up being beautiful and on-point, you know.

There are, however, certain things I can guarantee were written with all the care in the world—like 3x10 and 4x08 parallels, or MK and Azure parallels—and I'm more than positive Breen has lovingly crafted shadowpeach's dynamic, and how MK plays into that (presuming you were talking about lmk—most of my asks/anons are from the lmk fandom, so I hazarded a guess!).

Like, shows like this don't just happen on accident. There was real heart put into it by an amazingly talented creative team! Like honestly, most of the time, I think it is just that deep. If you can detect consistent threads in a piece of work, chances are the writers put them there!

[freebooter4ever]

holy shit for the first time in ten years i forgot nicks birthday

[daz4i]

i expect “she was his queen, and god help anyone who dare disrespect his queen” fyolai memes on my desk by monday!!!!!!!!!!

[tetranitrate]

people here are way too comfortable saying and calling themselves slurs when they've never been called any of them derogatorily