#i think it’s almost time for a peaky rewatch

[way-too-addicted-to-fandoms]

TAG YOU’RE IT

Rules- tag nine people you want to know better

Thank you @girl-in-the-chairs-void for the tag!!

Last Song: God Made Girls by RaeLynn. Yes, I like country. Deal with it.

Last Show: I'm gonna assume this means the last show I finished but uh, I can't actually remember? Although I watched what Netflix has of Demon Slayer last weekend and the beginning if this week (still need to watch season 2, which isn't on there).

Currently Watching: Too many shows honestly. Though a few include Poldark, Law and Order: SVU, Peaky Blinders, and a few more anime. I'm also in the middle of a couple rewatches. In my defense some of these are heavy so I can't watch too many episodes in a row. Also I get bored of one genre sometimes and pick another.

Currently Reading: Technically nothing aside from fanfics, but I am trying to start what I think is the fourth book in the Miss Peregrine's Children series? I'd I remember correctly? Be the third. It's been a while. Uni is stressful. I did just finish an audiobook of The Chamber of Secrets too (first time reading/listening to the books, having only seen the movies, enjoying them so far).

Current Obsession: I suppose I'm pretty hyped about Demon Slayer rn, but I'm also randomly back on my Harry Potter bs (because I'm listening to the books and almost done with a rewatch of the movies) so there you go. Non-fandom-wise, I'm doing a lot of loom knitting😁

No pressure tags: @sweetestgbye @doverstar @asgardianhobbit98 @sotwk @sockie-the-dumbass @fizzyxcustard @drawlfoy @luna-xial @writeforfandoms (and honestly we're gonna bend the rules a little and say anytime who wants to can join in. I'd love to get to know anyone who wants to be friends!)

[gallavichthings]

Writer's Spotlight - Rita

This interview is long overdue and has been long in the making! I'm super pleased and excited to finally present a friend and my right arm on this blog, Rita aka @sickness-health-all-that-shit aka whatyouandihave on AO3, author of Lifeline, Possiblities, Short&sweet and several other fics, and some great gifs too!

R: I grew up in a small-ish town, dreaming about going to university, finding a job I loved, and living on my own with a cat as my companion. I'd say my 13-year-old self would be pretty happy with how my life turned out! I've always been into tv shows and films, plus languages and literature (that's what I mainly studied at uni) and I've managed to find a job that combines those things, which is the absolute dream! I translate and adapt lines into Italian so that dubbing actors can replace the original dialogues of movies, tv shows, documentaries and the like. Besides reading and writing and watching shows, I love travelling, enjoying good food and spending time with my family.

GT: Oh, that's a great job! It looks like you're living your dream, and I'm very happy for you! I assume you must watch all kinds of shows for your job, but what do you watch in your leisure time?

R: Yeah, for work I've had to watch plenty of children's cartoons, anime and lots of unscripted programs like reality television, cooking competitions and things like that. All stuff I would not watch in my spare time 😁 Some of my favourite shows are Btvs, Doctor Who, Breaking Bad, The Office, Outlander, Derry Girls, Peaky Blinders, Dexter and Shameless. I also watch a lot of British comedy panel shows (Taskmaster, QI, Big fat quiz of the year etc) and stand up comedy.

GT: Oh, some of my favorites on this list! Do you read/write fics for these other fandoms as well?

R: Nope! I actually came to fanfic pretty late, despite all the years spent lurking in fandom spaces. I only really started reading fics about 4 years ago, and that was after the Ian and Mickey prison reunion, having binged the first 8 seasons of Shameless a few months before that. I had read a couple fics for other fandoms over the years, but I honestly wasn't that interested. I was content with just rewatching the shows I loved and maybe making up my own headcanons, but nothing more. I guess you could say Ian and Mickey have made a fanfiction convert out of me!

GT: What was it about them that you think made you want to write your own fics, especially coming into the fandom late, as you said yourself, when there were already a lot of fics written.

R: Honestly, it just looked like so much fun to play around with them and all the themes you could explore through their story. When I first started reading fics, it opened so many avenues in my mind (I was so convinced I wouldn't be into AUs at first. Wrong!) and I was also reading tons of meta that had been posted on Tumblr over the years, which I had a lot of thoughts about. I think part of it was about needing a creative outlet at that point. I hadn't really written fiction before, and definitely not in English, but I think I'd always wanted to try and write stories. Building a world and creating characters from scratch would have been way too daunting, but playing around with my Ian and Mickey 'dolls' was instant, cathartic fun. There's just so much potential there, so much history and emotional depth to these characters and their love story that keep me coming back to them over and over.

GT: Do you tend to write more from Ian's or Mikey's pov?

R: I alternate a lot depending on the vibe of fic, but I guess maybe Ian's? The longest multichapter I have up is almost entirely written in Ian's pov, and one fic I'm writing at the moment that's gonna be longer than my usual is also from his pov. I have a lot of fun with Mickey's, but I really love exploring Ian's inner world in depth.

GT: What do you consider your forte when writing fic, the thing that comes to you more easily? And what do you struggle with sometimes?

R: I love writing dialogue the most, and I think I'm pretty good at making it sound in character for them and nailing their voice. I definitely struggle with descriptions and maybe pacing. I'd love to write a slow burn but I don't think they're for me. I get too impatient lol

GT: What kind of fics do you write the most? 

R: I mostly write one-shots, but hope to work on more multichapters in the future. I've also posted a series of short ficlets. Lots of fluff, some angst, though always with a happy or at least hopeful ending. Maybe someday I'll try my hand at some smut? Who knows. A lot of my fics tend to be either canon compliant fill-ins that expand on canon scenes or different first meeting AUs, especially meet-uglies. I also like including Mandy and exploring her friendship with Ian and sibling relationship with Mickey. I love writing banter and sprinkling in humour in my fics.

GT: I'm a huge sucker for meet-uglies! Which of your fics are you the proudest of?

R: Oh, the one I'm most proud of has got to be The stranger in my brother's bed. It was my first stab at a multi-chapter, my first AU and a chance to play around with different POVs and an unfolding plot. It's also still my most popular fic to date. It's very sweet and fluffy and warm. When it comes to one-shots my favourite I've written is probably Unexpected, a dialog-heavy meet-ugly with lots of banter and flirting. And then there's Caught me by surprise, my second attempt at a multi-chapter that's still currently a WIP. I do hope to finish those last two chapters someday, but I'm proud of it all the same. It's the longest thing I've written and I got to have fun with tropes like Fake dating, Secret relationship and Bed sharing.

GT: Are there any tropes or ideas you haven't had a chance to explore yet but you'd like to someday?

R: I'd like to write some fill-ins for the early seasons, especially exploring Mickey's pov. Of course a lot of amazing fics like that exist already, but it'd be a chance to expand on my headcanons and do some interesting character studies. Other than that, I have a few ideas for plot-heavy stories that sometimes I think might be too ambitious for me but also can't get out of my head. If I ever write them, they may feature tropes such as Childhood friends, Soulmate AU, Private investigator AU, and even a Genie AU, though fantasy is definitely not my go-to genre. I'd also love to write an angsty Enemies to lovers or a classic Roommates AU. And maybe some canon divergent stuff.

GT: Where do you get inspiration from?

R: Movies and tv shows I watch, stories I read or random posts I see on Tumblr are all potential sources of inspiration for me. Sometimes I'll get particularly obsessed with a line a character said in canon or a certain scene and a story just forms in my head around it. And when all else fails, I go looking for a prompt that speaks to me to get things going.

GT:What about motivation? Do you force yourself to take time to write or do you wait for motivation to strike randomly?

R: I'm still trying to find a balance that works when it comes to motivation, to be honest. I've gone many months waiting for motivation to strike, and getting more and more frustrated and disappointed the longer I waited in vain for it to come. Other times I'll try to force it, but end up convincing myself I have lost any ability to write I once had 😅 I definitely work better with some sort of deadline and 'peer pressure'. That's why I'm trying to participate in as many fandom events as I can at the moment. I struggle with anxiety, so I used to think it would be too stressful for me, but I need some structure in order to be productive. And sometimes it is a matter of getting yourself to write a little bit (almost) every day, just to move things along and keep the momentum going.

GT: What's your writing process like?

R: If it's something long or plot heavy I'll prepare a bit of an outline first, but I'm not generally big on outlines. When I go to write, I'm usually sitting on my bed or couch with my laptop. I tried having music on or ambient sounds, but honestly I work better in silence. I think of the scene I want to describe and the thoughts and feelings I want to convey and watch it as a film in my head, hearing the characters voice the dialogue. Then I put it all into words, if they behave that day and just come to me 😁 I first do a rough draft, trying not to edit too much as I go but just keeping going until I reach either the end of the story (in the case of a short-ish one-shot) or a good stopping point. Then once it's done I start editing, filling in details I left out, double checking things online and making various changes until I'm reasonably satisfied with it. At that point I'll send it over to my beta reader.

GT: Do you write about other characters or ships as well? If not, would you someday?

R: No, not really. Even if I include other Shameless characters, the focus is always on Ian and Mickey and their relationship. And I don't think I'll ever write about anyone else. I have a bit of a one-track mind when it comes to ships and fandoms. I can only really focus on one at a time, and even if I love lots of other shows and media, I don't feel the need to create for them, or be all that involved. I think that, beyond my fascination with Ian and Mickey as characters and as my all-time favourite ship, this fandom space and the community I share this passion with has a lot to do with my continued participation in it. I don't think I'd be still writing and posting fic if it wasn't for all the wonderful people that create and enjoy fanworks about Ian and Mickey alongside me. They're a huge part of what inspires me and motivates me to keep creating.

GT: Definitely. It's incredible to me how much the fandom has grown and changed, while still being welcoming.

What about OCs, do you have any? Do you create them based on real people or just whatever you need them for?

R: I only occasionally create OCs for specific purposes, though most often I try to cast other Shameless characters in the roles I need if possible. I had fun with Mr. Binckley in my most recent fic for GGE, The Ghost of Christmas Fuck You, and last year, again for GGE, I created two OC children for How I met your dad. I don't see myself using them for other fics in the future, though I really admire writers who can create fully fleshed out OCs and have them recur in more than one of their stories.

GT: What about reading fics, what makes you choose something to read (and what would make you give up on reading something)?

R: I usually trust authors I already know and love, and who tend to write the sort of fics I go for anyway. But I'll give any story a chance if the premise sounds intriguing. So a good summary will draw me in, for sure. I love any kind of meet-cute or meet-ugly, and enemies or friends-to-lovers. I'll read fluff, smut or angst depending on my mood, but always with a happy ending. I like any sort of AU, but I steer away from fantasy in general, and prefer things set in the present day (though I do enjoy science fiction as a genre so space, time travel, etc. might attract me to a fic). I don't read a/b/o, mpreg or mcd. I'll give up on reading something if it's just a wall of text or riddled (and I do mean riddled) with typos. Also if I feel that something is written way too out of character to the point where I barely recognise them as Ian and Mickey.

GT: Can you name some of those authors you already know and love?

R: Sure! @goodkwuestion, @beckyharvey29, @damnnmilkovich, @gallavichy, @jellovich, devovitsuasartes and @crazynadine are some of my all-time favourites.

GT: What about some favorite fics?

R: You can bite me by Shamelessquestions, all comes down to you by BeckyHarvey29, Bad Date by @thevioletjones, the Southside Forever series by proval, You make me feel human by Dragona, Two of your earth minutes by @the-rat-wins, So Sleeping fucking Beauty, right? by @cjmarlowe, sideways by @whaticameherefor, Maintenance by devovitsuasartes, Love is a ballfield by and_i_take_it. There are many others, but these are some of the ones that have really stayed with me.

GT: Do you ever reread fics?

R: Oh yeah, I've definitely reread some of the ones above. I've been in a reading slump for a long while now though, which is why the fics I've mentioned are almost all older ones, and a lot of those writers aren't active anymore. There are so many amazing new authors writing brilliant fics at the moment, but often I end up just reading snippets of their work or their drabbles on Tumblr, so that's why I haven't mentioned them here. I've got so many incredible fics to catch up on! But brains are weird like that, you know?

GT: Oh, I totally get that! What about your own, do you reread those?

R: Not often. I tend to publish something and then not look at it again, focusing on the next project instead. There's a little bit of a cringey feeling for me when I think about rereading my own fics, but then when I do happen to read a bit of one I'm like 'Hey. This is good, actually. I do not remember writing this, but wow. Good job, me.' 😆

GT: You make gifs too, right? Have you ever made a gifset for a fic, yours or someone else's?

R: Yep! I've made a single gif for my most recent fic, The Ghost of Christmas Fuck You, and also for an older one, Ready to do this. I really want to make gifs/graphics for my fics more often in the future, actually. And I once made a gifset inspired by a quote from Cooperative gameplay by grayola.

GT: Do you make moodboards or playlists when planning a fic?

R: Hmm not really. I sometimes look up images to help me visualise a particular scene, but it's not a regular habit of mine.

GT: Let's talk about Shameless. You said you binged the first 8 seasons? That must have been a wild ride.

R: Haha oh, yeah. I remember watching the first 5 seasons in just one week, then slowing down considerably for s6 and s7, and I think season 8 took me a full month to get through. At that point s9 was a couple of months away, and I alternated between a faint hope for some kind of reunion between Ian and Mickey and just bitter disappointment for the state of the show such as it was at that stage. I absolutely died when the prison reunion happened. I watched that scene on a loop for days, and when I came back up for air I went looking for all the fics I could find. Especially ones set in prison or detailing their life after prison, since I was so convinced they were off the show for good. But of course that's not how it went. What a wild ride indeed! Those days were so crazy for me lol

GT: How did it feel to come into such a large, albeit somewhat asleep at the time, fandom?

R: It was weird because I wasn't on Tumblr at the time. I'd had a blog before but then left for a few years and once I got into Shameless I didn't immediately come back to it. I looked up news about the show on Reddit of all places. Then around the time I started reading fic, I found a little blog called gallavichthings ❤️ where I caught up on all the meta that had been written over the years (and gifsets and art and everything else). I only made my new blog when s10 was about to start, right around the time I posted my first fic on AO3. And at that point the fandom was being revived by I&M being on the show again and by the news that they'd be getting married by the end of season 10. It was my first real experience of being active in a fandom like this, so it was pretty wild for me. It was definitely not as nice and chill as it is nowadays, that's for sure.

GT: Awn, I'm glad to be part of your Gallavich journey. 

Are you able to select a favorite season, seeing as you saw them kind of all together?

R: Oof the earlier seasons are all so special in their own ways. But when I got to season 4, the grip this show had on me had reached the highest levels. Despite Ian being gone for so much of it, or maybe because of it, since his absence was so deeply felt and instrumental for us to see sides of Mickey we hadn't seen before. I'm a sucker for some good pining. And then the second half of the season was such a rollercoaster of emotions... Ugh. Plus it was also an amazing season for the other characters (Fiona especially, who I love so much). So dark and intense, and it felt like a more 'adult' season than previous ones. It just hurt so good.

GT: What's your favorite episode overall?

R: It's hard to choose a favourite, but I think ep 4x11, Emily.

GT: Oh, that's a fantastic one! What about a favorite scene?

R: Maybe the s5 dugouts scene in 5x10. The way it's filmed, the lighting, the music, the rawness of the emotions... it hurts like hell to watch them hurt each other, but then there's that sense of release, and of new hope when they're finally on the same page again and happy... and then it gets taken away from them, because we can't have nice things. But that scene is such a little gem, and it never fails to make me feel all the feels.

GT: If you could go back and change only one thing about the show, what would you change?

R: The quality drop in the later seasons? lol. Honestly, as happy as I am that we got to see Ian and Mickey get married and be husbands, the show was just unrecognisable by the end. So I'd have it end sooner. Have the s7 finale be the final episode of the show, but with a happy ending for Ian and Mickey, obviously.

GT: Speaking of, what did you think of the ending?

R: I wish I could say I was satisfied with it, but yeah, no. It was way too open ended, I only liked where they left things for Ian and Mickey, and I should count myself lucky for that, really. The parallels they tried to do with the pilot and season 1 mostly fell flat for me, but then, like I said, the show was a shadow of its former self by that point. There was too little left to enjoy for me. I don't think I would've watched s10 and 11 at all if it wasn't for Ian and Mickey.

GT: How do you headcanon Ian and Mickey's life together after the ending?

R: I think they live in that apartment for a couple years, then get a house closer to where they grew up. They keep in touch with family and spend holidays with the other Gallaghers. They get a pet or two, and eventually adopt or foster kids, a few years down the line. Mickey takes over the security business, while Ian finds a way to use his medical training again to help the community. They'll be happy, safe and in love for the rest of their lives. ❤️

The happily ever after they deserve.

GT: Well, that's it from me. Thank you so much for your time! Now leave a message to those reading this.

R: This was great, thank you! And thanks to everyone in this little corner of the Internet. Whether you create or simply enjoy creations and support them, you are a vital part of something really special. Thank you for being on this ride with me, and here's to another year full of ideas, events, collaborations, and lots and lots of fun!

[brasideios]

10 Characters/10 Fandoms/10 Tags

Thank you for thinking of me my dears @krankittoeleven & @ainulindaelynn

Lemme see. This is long, sorry about that. I’m in a rambling mood. These are just the characters that came wandering into my noodle in no order - at least, that was intended.

1. Dorothea from Middlemarch (by George Eliot). She’s probably my fave character ever. I think in a mostly abstract way, she’s come nearest to mapping out how I perceive the feminine part of myself. She starts out so so idealistic - wanting to do something to change the world, to matter, but society has its own rules that eventually beats her down, but she’s so stoic, enduring, and self-denying, that her happy ending is earned… but then the epilogue is so melancholy so was it happy? and… I don’t know. There’s something in it all that I’ve never found a better version of.

2. My brain is on D names now lol so Daphnae from AC Odyssey. The more I think about her story, as little as we’re given of it, the more I find something tragic and fated in it, and then there’s the possibility of changing that fate, or embracing it. Something, something doomed by the narrative, unless…?

3. Demosthenes from my pdfs lol listen - ancient history RPF is a fandom (apparently) so this is valid. I have been down some serious rabbit holes with this man of late - I won’t even start on why or this will be an essay. I could also have put Thucydides in this position - but I’m on D names.

4. Daria. No seriously. I loved this show when I was a teen, and she’s honestly my spirit animal. It was my nickname because I was unfortunately very much like that. I adore her deadpan, acerbic remarks and many of them will live on in my brain forevermore. I wasn’t as witty btw - but the vibes were the same.

5. Hedwyn from the vg Pyre (woot! My brain releases me from the letter D!). I’ve played it several times now, and he’s my fave. Just a sweet guy - so sweet, you always want to free him first, but then you also very much wanna keep him with you - and sometimes I’ve been selfish enough to send everyone else instead. I also like Volfred a lot but that has everything up do with the VA 🙈

6. Alfie from Peaky Blinders. I have no excuses - the character is an unhinged maniac but Tom Hardy just brought something (a twinkling eye) to the role that makes him a very likeable, back-stabbing psychopath.

7. Caesar from HBO Rome. Ciaran Hinds has been a fave of mine since Persuasion - and I liked how he acted this part / how he was written. That’s all I’ll ever say about Caesar - character or historical figure. There are at least another half a dozen characters in this series I might’ve mentioned too. I must rewatch it one of these days.

8. Gannicus from Starz Spartacus. Dustin Clare is an old time favourite from waaaay back when I was persuaded to watch McLeod’s Daughters - really bingeable but quite trashy Aussie TV - sorry to any fans - but it really is. I so enjoyed his vibes and he brings all of that to Gannicus and it just works so well for the character. Pure cheekiness, and when he does this face 🥺 chefs kiss. Side note - I will pretty regularly say some variation of ‘my cock rages on’ about the most random stuff so - thanks to this character for that gem lol.

9. Johnny Spit from the movie Gettin Square. Yeah this is left field and I seriously doubt there’s a fandom for it - but what a character - quintessentially Australian deadbeat, (played by David Wenham). There’s a courtroom scene that kills me every time. I hope he got square, for good this time.

10. Kenny from Mad Men. I don’t even know how to explain it, I just want to protect him and he doesn’t even deserve it, and he wouldn’t have thanked me for it - maybe it was just the way everyone else was just an asshole about his writing. I want to know more about the short story about the egg. I could’ve picked almost any other character from this show though. They’re all so good/bad for their own reasons.

I made it! Haha! I have no idea who to tag - I think the only people who usually join in have already been tagged - so I’ll just add a few and call it ten. Sorry for any double ups.

No pressure at all - @nemo-of-house-frye @theinkandthesea @liminalspacecowboah @cyrus-the-younger @myriath

[normalbrothers]

peaky blinders naturally <3

hehe! of course

My rating (1-10): well in my heart it would be a pretty uncontested 10. but some of the fairer criticisms are ones i also share and there are things that i find tendentially frustrating while watching or in retrospect. despite this the show is still a very, very solid 8.5-9 for me

My favourite character: tommy, my love ... followed by arthur and polly (i don't have a very elaborate palate here)

My least favourite character: well, each seasons primary antagonists are rather unlikeable (barring luca changretta and michael who i have many sympathies for), but beyond that i don't really have a least favourite character. as long as they are interesting enough to spend some thought on, i tend to like them, where this isn't the case i just ... don't care, but they don't bother me. (i'm not overly fond of alfie though, all things considered, he should have stayed dead after s4)

The character I think I'd be friends with: possibly none of them. i'd like to hang out with curly though he's a pretty uncomplicated and nice fella

The character I think I won't hit off with: ... most of them.

My favourite episode/scene: well. s03ep04 is the best episode that ever aired on tv, and nothing could possibly beat that, so it's that one. when it comes to scenes it's either the confrontation between arthur and tommy after arthur killed the boy in s2 or the cellar scene with arthur and tommy in s6. but beyond that ... so many, hhdhd watching an episode usually feels like i've been running a marathon, SO much is going on at any given moment

Whose clothing style I like best: i think when it comes to polly and lizzie you can really see how their character development is reflected in their wardrobe (same as ada), so that's pretty nice. i like polly's suits, lizzie's green dress, and ada's grey ensemble with the dead fox in particular. when it comes to the men i have a soft spot for arthur's satorial choices: the somewhat idiosyncratic preference for bowties and i adore that checkered scarf he wears at the derby in s2. tommy's dress up is often a talking point, but what I'm specifically frequently thinking about is the red lining of his coats, i also like how puppetish and small he looks in his working class attire in s1, but even going forward, there's often something almost, uh, drag-like about his appearance (though it's less the clohtes and more like. the entirety of the character). that's fun.

Times I watched it (and if I would again): well more than once, but far less than people would suspect. i'm definitely planning to rewatch soon while taking a loooot of notes

[hookechoes]

hehe both criminal minds and peaky blinders if you want to

the GOATs

Criminal Minds

My rating (1-10): 7.9, its incredibly enjoyable, frequently silly, often kind of awful. a great combination.

My favourite character: Emily, which could not be more obvious w/ my url but i also love reid almost as much

My least favourite character: Gideon annoyed me a little on this last rewatch, which is a way more negative reaction than I've ever had to any of the other mains. Ashley Seaver SUCKED so fucking bad but she wasn't around long enough to be relevant to this question lol

The character I think I'd be friends with: JJ and Morgan, they've both got a sarcastic teasing streak that I really vibe with

The character I think I won't hit off with: Gideon.

My favourite episode/scene: Man. That's hard, there are so many good ones. The one that kind of lives rent free in my brain is Uncanny Valley (the doll one), and that speech that Reid gives to Riker in that episode is one of the banger scenes of all time.

Whose clothing style I like best: Reid, I love how much he loves that purple scarf

Times I watched it (and if I would again): I've never actually watched all 15 seasons all the way through! I used to watch it when I was in high school and early college, just whenever I saw that it was on TV, so I didn't get through it linearly until this latest rewatch, and even in this rewatch I only got to the later half of season 9 and then kind of fell off lol. But yeah I'd totally watch the early/mid seasons again.

Peaky Blinders

My rating (1-10): 9.2, extremely aesthetic, dialogue to die for, unfathomably fucked up. very much my shit

My favourite character: Ada!!!!!

My least favourite character: John I guess? I've definitely forgotten that he existed at some points lol

The character I think I'd be friends with: Lizzie probably

The character I think I won't hit off with: Arthur, for me he is best loved from a distance lol

My favourite episode/scene: I don't know about episode specifically, but the scene in season 5 episode 4 where Tommy shows up to Ada's house and rambles his way through a mental breakdown at her is honestly one of the best scenes in Anything

Whose clothing style I like best: Ada season 2/3/4

Times I watched it (and if I would again): Only once, and I honestly don't know if I could handle watching it again. It took so long for me to get through season 6 - the bleak darkness of it was truly on the edge of being too much. Which is where I like to be taken, don't get me wrong, it's just that I don't know if I want to necessarily subject myself to the whole thing again lol

[bsaka7]

10 fandoms and 10 characters, tagged by @traincoded. thank you!! Unfortunately for all of us i almost never finish television shows which i feel like makes up a good chunk of fandom. i also don't read fic if i like. really like the completed product. So. Um. This is following no one's rules. I will say "fictional media and characters who live in my head and i have searched tumblr for meta on." In no particular order....

star wars: obi Wan kenobi if we're going off the movies. Jania Skywalker if we're going legends. #tbt

peaky blinders: tommy Shelby. yes I'm still on s3... I'll get there.

black sails: MAX!!!!!!! i still haven't seen s4 tho :( you may be noticing a trend.

the stormlight archives: kaladin. I have main character syndrome. Sorry. I literally love him so much. This series is such a guilty pleasure.

discworld: moist lipwig. Ok he's not actually my fav but u said Sam vimes and I don't Want to be a copycat. and anyway the going postal miniseries is my fav of the ones I've read so far... Truly cracks me up.

Percy jackson: annabeth chase 🙏. ok this is a deep cut for me since I haven't thought about it since I was 14 but was just talking about it with my coworkers and one of the first series i was super into

succession: frank. sorry i got frank on a quiz of what character are you out of like all characters ever so now i love him. otherwise gerri but it varies.

the earthsea trilogy: ged/sparrowhawk. I loveee him

Cap 2: Steve was probably my favorite? I don't really remember. I was really into like Ed Snowden and the surveillance state at this time lol.

Supernatural: dean. I guess. That's my most recent fandom-fandom and I wasn't even really rewatching the show I was sucked along...

sorry this is so boring lol. probably the only fandom fandoms I've ever engaged with are like. spn. captain America 2. Both of which feel sooo long ago. I mostly read like. Standalone novels and think about music and then write F1 fic....

I tag @wdcseb @willasferreyra @furiarojas @lespleen-deparis and @insideline if any of u guys want to do it!!!

[beyondxmeasure]

As a fellow Aquarius I love that you can't follow the rules. I was gonna ask top ten but thought that might be to much. I am interested in your whole top 18 though. My top shows are in no order

Cold case. I honestly lost count of how many times I have watched this show.

Suits. This show introduced me into the fanfic world and I haven't been able to leave.

House. Grew up watching this show. It will always be one of my favorites.

White Collar. Just did a rewatch and I still holds up.

New York undercover. I used to watch this with my dad. So I reminds me of that time.

Resurrection Blvd. Again something I watched with my dad. But I love boxing and hate that I can't find it on streaming. I own the first season on DVD so manly thats what I'll watch.

The Mandalorian. Honestly hadn't watched anything star wars ever but my little brother was obsessed. He had heard about it and since he wasn't able to watch had me write him about it. I needed up really liking it.

Currently watching the new percy jackson series and am liking it so far. Also started The Rookie and am enjoying it.

Ok I just realized I like mostly crime shows. That would make since given my childhood of watching America's most wanted every Saturday night. Also documentaries but those aren't tv shows.

I need some fluffy shows any recommendations? I have never really looked into them.

Yes, I definitely see the trend! I have not seen any of the shows you’ve listed unfortunately. I did go through a true crime phase but that was more with documentaries and podcasts. For a time I was really into SVU and all of the ‘Chicago’ shows (Chi Fire/Med/PD) but that’s about it. White Collar interests me a little because after Fellow Travelers I’m kind of jonesing for any Matt Bomer content.

Anyway… for the remaining faves that didn’t make the cut. Here they are in no particular order…

Boardwalk Empire- of the two post WW1/roaring 20s era tales, this one pulls me in more- the music, the costumes, characters, the feel of it all. Even though it’s the underworld of the prohibition era, it’s more enticing.

Peaky Blinders- The darker, grittier and slightly more violent post WW1/prohibition era tale from across the pond.

*Downton Abbey- For Violet Crawley’s clap backs alone.

*Call The Midwives- I don’t have kids, don’t want kids and don’t particularly care for them but somehow a show about nuns delivering babies in the East End of London in the 50s just fills me with joy.

Deadwood- Wild West shenanigans and they say fuck a lot. Like, a lot. The interactions between Al Swearengen and Mr. Wu is worth the price of admission. Basically just anytime Al is on screen is gold.

*I Love Lucy- I grew up watching Nick at Nite and loved all those classic B&W sitcoms but Lucy was always my fave.

*Our Flag Means Death- gay pirates, what’s not to love?

Sons of Anarchy- motorcycles, mayhem & murder. It’s a wild fucking ride, but worth every mile—buckle up.

*Shrinking—a show so brilliantly funny with such a stellar ensemble cast you almost forget it’s about a family dealing with grief. It’s a bit of a slow starter but stick with it for the real payoff. Harrison Ford high on gummies was a high point for sure.

*Sex Education- worst name for a show that’s about so much more than that title makes it sound like. I feel like a lot of people slept on this show because of the title or the idea it was just some throwaway teen sex comedy. Far from it.

*Parks & Rec- if The Office is my wife, then Parks is the sidepiece I’m hiding uptown in a luxury townhouse and I’ll never give her up.

Rescue Me- There’s one scene that still haunts me to this day. I got chills just thinking about it, and the music throughout was superb. TBH I have a weakness for pretty much all firefighter/first responder shows (or as I affectionately refer to them—my ‘wee-woo’ shows🚨 LOL) but this one’s my OG fave. My newer faves are: 911 Lone Star and New Amsterdam

So, I’m noticing a trend with this list… if it’s British or old-timey I’m into it, and if it’s British and old-timey then I’m really into it.

Not sure what you meant exactly by ‘fluffy’… like rom-com-y? Or just something on the lighter side and easy to watch? Because I’ve never been much for most sitcoms (other than the ones I listed) but my last ask that I answered with the original list had quite a few lighter/comedy shows on there. Otherwise I could definitely recommend Downton Abbey or Call The Midwives if you want something to get lost in something with a feel good wholesome vibe to it. I’ll put stars next to anything else above that I think might hit the mark as far as fluffy vibes. Enjoy!

[amostimprobabledream]

You know, I've been rewatching Peaky lately and it's reignited my burning hatred for Grace, and yet another thing to detest about her occurred to me:

I never see people talk about this, but has anyone else noticed that she was always trying to separate Tommy from his family? Like, when she pulls the whole "please spare him my liege" shit with Campbell, she specifically asks that he spare Tommy, but never says a thing about Arthur or John or anyone else - she only wants Tommy spared because of her personal feelings (and if you're going to argue that she knew Campbell would never agree to sparing all of them - then she should have known from go that Campbell wanted to get Tommy the most. It's ridiculous she'd think he'd agree to sparing the one guy who has been routinely outwitting him but not his brothers, who are a lesser threat). Then at the end of the season, Polly outright says that Grace took the job because she thought the Shelby's were just "scum" that would be easy to get rid of, but when she "fell for Tommy for real", suddenly it wasn't about the job anymore and Grace doesn't deny she had this attitude or that she still does - Tommy is only the exception in her eyes because she fell in love with him, but the rest of his family aren't important.

AND THEN, when Tommy confronts her at the end of Season One, Grace doesn't even apologise and says he should run away with her - like she genuinely thought he'd agree to abandon his family, friends, city, business, etc, for the woman who stabbed him in the back and indirectly got Danny killed - you have to wonder if Tommy would have been so lenient with her if, say, Arthur or John was the one who had died. Or what about Ada? She was right there inbetween the Peaky Blinders and Billy Kimber's gang with baby Karl - would Tommy have been able to forgive Grace if his little sister died because of her intel? (Also she didn't even confess until Tommy and Polly worked it out anyway, then she cried about how "I've done a terrible thing", but it really came off more like a bratty child crying because they know they're going to be punished, not out of genuine remorse.) In Season Two she outright blames Tommy for the relationship not working out because he didn't run away with her, instead of...you know, her selling him out to his worst enemy?

And she doesn't think she did anything wrong or regrets her actions because she still got what she wanted - she even brags to Polly about how "I used to do this for a living" without a smidge of guilt, and Queen Polly puts her right in her fucking place when she tells Grace point blank that only Tommy has chosen to forgive Grace for what she did, the rest of the family haven't forgotten and if Grace pulled that shit again, Polly would kill her.

It's almost like Grace eventually realised Tommy won't and cannot be parted from his family so she had to get pregnant so he'd pick her over May and become the mother of his kid, thereby making herself family as well. (I know she claims it's thought she was infertile at first, but honestly, taking her at her word is a big ask when she's a known liar).

Honestly, I truly, 100% believe that if the screenwriters hadn't killed Grace off (and I think they did that because honestly once she became Tommy's Wife, there was nowhere else to take her character. She'd gotten Tommy as a prize after not being punished whatsoever for her actions and that kind of concluded her arc, especially since her character is so intrinsically connected to Campbell), I think the marriage would have eventually crumbled - the entire wedding just showed the huge divide between the Shelby's and Grace's family, especially since Tommy was still doing gangster business right under her nose the entire time (almost like he didn't trust her enough to tell her about it) and everyone in Tommy's family except for Arthur didn't seem to like Grace and were only pretending to tolerate her because they love Tommy. Once the mystique of being "the one who got away" wore off, I think eventually the realisation that they have nothing in common and the undercurrent of "can she really be trusted?" would have gotten to him eventually.

Say what you will about Lizzie but at least it's shown the family were fond of her even before she and Tommy got involved in Season 4, and May had a lot of potential from that scene with her and Esme or how Charlie outright shipped them - like when he made this point of telling Tommy to take May to The Garrison for a drink. If having Charlie's seal of approval isn't a big deal, idk what is.

[honeykngdom]

how long have you been writing and what fandoms/characters have you written for?

hi nonnie!

I picked up fanfiction back in 2008 at the ripe age of eleven. The scholastic book fair was at elementary school's library, and Twilight's paperback was prominently featured as the movie was being released later that same year. I quickly read through all four books in a handful of months (I had to wait six months for breaking dawn to be published, it was dreadful). I've always been a pack stan, particularly Jacob, Paul, Embry and Seth. As I've gotten older, I've leaned more towards the secondary pack members (Jake is great, I just have a hard time writing for him since he's my childhood 'crush'). I still write for Embry, as you know, but will also write for Paul and maybe even Leah -- the others, however, I'm only interested in writing in supportive aspects rather than as the focus.

I started roleplaying with the Teen Wolf fandom for a while, too. I thought for a while, it would be fun to have another partner help create and move the plotline forward. I loved Stiles, but could never write for him or about him, but when the twins were introduced in season 3a (I think?), I quickly fell in love with Aiden and started roleplaying and writing for him. This is the first time I started to develop my own OC's, too, which is where Calliope first came from (I use her in almost every fandom, but most predominantly in Riverdale).

Speaking of Riverdale, that was the last fandom I was truly invested in. I specifically wrote for Sweet Pea and was widely known as a Sweet Pea blog. I wrote close to almost 100 headcanons between Sweet Pea and Fangs, multiple drabbles and oneshots, created a variety of manips and moodboards, and even managed to dish out a twenty-four chapter long fanfiction featuring Calliope and Sweet Pea (150k + words, and I technically didn't 'finish' it -- I lost my muse, and ended the story eight chapters early).

I recently refell in love with anime, and am currently rewatching Naruto. I never considered writing for them in the past, but have since decided that I would love to try my hand at writing for some of my favs, including Shikamaru, Iruka, Kakashi, Kiba, Kankuro and of course, Naruto. (That being said, I have an Iruka drabble in my drafts and have been working through a wolf!kiba fic for six weeks now). I hope to start writing and posting for these characters in the next upcoming weeks/months.

I've dabbled a bit with Peaky Blinders and the MCU. I tried to get into writing for Animal Kingdom, too, but I have a harder time with these than I do with the above four it seems.

[pebblysand]

[APRIL ‘22] - THE LIFE/WRITING UPDATE NO ONE ASKED FOR (AND SOME QUICK LINKS)

it’s april! yay! to start off as a disclaimer, please note that i’m not a “fun” person ( have one stock “fun fact” that i recycle every time i am asked to give one), and i hate april fool’s day, so there are no pranks, no fake shit that you have to weed through, in this post. call me boring, idc, i am! i liked april fool’s day as a child because in france, all you have to do is draw fish on paper and then tape it to people’s backs without them realising - and that is the extent of it! clear expectations, clear deliveries! i can’t be arsed to come up with pranks and fun shit, i’m not that creative, people 😆. 

Anyway, before diving into more life/writing updates, here are some quick links to different blog pages you might not see on mobile :

FIC MASTERLIST 

FIC RECS [updated]

WRITING ADVICE [updated]

ORIGINAL PIECES 

OPINION PIECES & ASKS [updated]

FINANCIALLY SUPPORT MY WRITING  (thank you!)

[NOTE: i am currently not accepting prompts]

Castles (chap 11) ETA: aiming for the 8th of may. more on that below. 

links extended a/n-s: chapter v ; chapter vi & vii ; chapter viii ; chapter ix ; chapter x

[more life/writing updates under the cut]

WHAT I’M READING:

books:

i wrote a Very Irritated Rant about men explain things to me, which is the only book i read this month. find it here. 

i have however started my classic-of-the-year, which will be 1984. i’m in a rather post-apocalyptic mood at the moment, both in fanfic and otherwise, so this is really going great. i do think it can be a be tedious and almost too details on the inner workings of the government so far, but i am very much enjoying it. if you’re looking for a more “modern” classic, i would highly recommend!

fics:

i read: and whose army? by renaissance, this month, upon the recommendation of @incalculablepower and @uncontainedhybrid, and thoroughly enjoyed it. it’s a long one shot, which are always my favourite kind of stories, and the worldbuilding in it is unbelievable. it centres on anthony goldstein and exists in an au world where harry didn’t defeat voldemort in ‘98, though the reason behind that is never really explained. i think you will love this fic if you liked the squib or the fault in faulty manufacturing. imo, it’s a cross between the two, an au, rather dystopian reality of what the da would have been/evolved to be had harry not won the war when he did, but also centring on a character who is mostly unknown in the books, and whose entire life is sort of created from scratch by the author. the fic isn’t spotless (nothing ever is) but what i really liked about it was the characterisation of anthony goldstein. as an author, i find it incredibly hard to write characters who don’t necessarily have a “drive” and sort of float through life, and that is something that renaissance does impeccably well in this. would highly recommend! 

.

WHAT I’M WATCHING: 

i mean, i think at this point we all know what i’m watching. i’ve converted half the three broomsticks discord at this point, i’ve done weekly recaps, cannot stop posting gifs… i cannot believe that it’s only been a month and peaky is already almost at the end of the season, with only one episode to go on sunday. i’m so sad and excited and all of the feels, as i said in my last recap, it’s like i’m saying goodbye to that period of my 20s, and it’s incredibly emotional. i know this blog has sort of become a peaky blinders trainwreck at the moment so if you follow me because of my potter content, i truly apologise for the spam, i’m so happy you’re still here and i promise we will eventually go back to regular programming. just let me have this one one last time 🥺.

in other non-peaky news, i’ve started watching skins (which i’d never watched before, believe it or not, and which i am, unlike euphoria, very much enjoying). in terms of films, i went to see notre dame brule in the cinema when i was in france, which was really good and made me very emotional about, well, notre dame burning, and rewatched the wind that shakes the barley which is probably in my top five favourite films ever, and made me emotional about, well, the fact that i may have watched this film ten times and have never not cried in the same two moments (namely, the scene in the prison where they sing the national anthem and the scene at the end). cillian murphy is just absolutely incredible in it and i even named sinead in the fault in faulty manufacturing after sinead in that film. it’s like it’s all come full circle. 

i’ve also watched the tinder swindler, the crypto scam and the college application netflix documentaries, which were entertaining but otherwise kind of unremarkable. i fail to understand why the college application scandal is such a big thing since all university education is paying in the us anyway, like, of course if you pay more, you’ll get in, it doesn’t shock me much, within the sphere of ruthless capitalism, but whatever. the crypto people had it coming, imo, and the tinder swindler women, i mean … i hate that they’re being blamed but also if you need to be told not to lend 30,000 quid to a complete rando, i wonder how you’ve managed to make it this far in life, you know?

.

WHAT I’M LISTENING TO:

i’m really enjoying maisie peters at the moment. very gen z, but i really like her vibe and her lyrics are incredible. 

in terms of podcasts, i wanted to mention that the what page are you on? podcast did a really good episode on booktok (the book side of tiktok) back in february (bit late to the party, i know). i generally love this podcast because it chats about books, but also both the hosts have worked in publishing and a lot of their work is about demystifying the way publishing works. i thought their take on the “newness” of booktok, and talking about how “old” books forgotten by published are now resurfacing there, how these booktok influencers are very enthusiastic about books but can be ignored by the industry because they don’t necessarily know how publishing works, was very interesting and refreshing. i personally obviously use tiktok a lot, but just like 70% of their userbase (that’s at least the last number i heard), i only watch videos, i don’t make any. i’ve spoken before about my interest in tiktok and booktok, but also my reluctance to put my face onto my content, especially in a way that is so public. i wish i couldn’t give a fuck what my friends, strangers, or potential employers, thought about my fandom activities, but i actually do, and i know how much that shit can hurt you irl. part of me wish i could engage in the tiktok discourse (especially on fanfic, etc.) but i am chicken. chicken is me. but regardless, the episode was super interesting and i would highly recommend it to you. 

.

WHAT I’M WRITING:

THE FAULT IN FAULTY MANUFACTURING IS OUT!!! seriously, you guys have been so lovely and so supportive with this fic, i honestly can’t believe it. i originally thought no one was going to read a 27,000 words fic about seamus finnigan, let alone enjoy it, but your feedback has been truly incredible, thank you. i put so much love and effort into this fic and i’m so very glad you liked it. your comments have meant the world to me!

regarding castles, i’m now entering what i’m referring to as my “april writing rush.” i would like to write and finish the next chapter by the end of the month, and hopefully post the second weekend of may. fingers crossed. i’m sure i’ll post more about it as i go along, haha. 

more generally, though, i’ve kind of come to accept that: castles will be done when it is done. and, that’s okay. what i mean by that is that i think towards the end of 2021, i had this urge to just finishitfinishitfinishit because i felt like i’d been writing it for so long, and was like, there’s no way people will stick with it for that long. i had this guilt in me that if i kept at the pace i was going, this fic wouldn’t be finished until 2023, and that, in my head, was just unacceptable. and that no one would be that patient. but the truth is that: 

people might not stick around, and that’s kind of okay. new people will come. whatever. that’s life. that’s not a reason to put so much pressure on myself, on top of my full-time job, life, etc. it’s not my job, it’s a hobby.

i was very quick and regular in my early updates because we were in lockdown, and i was unemployed. this schedule of updating once a month/every six weeks (and the guilt associated with not maintaining it) is unsustainable with a full-time life. i need to take time off to relax for myself as well, and whilst i function better when i do a writing “rush” when i hyper-focus on something and only on that for a few weeks and Get It Done, i also need to recuperate after that, and often that time is also a few weeks/month. those chapters range in the 10k-20k range and that ish just Takes Time, whichever way you look at it. 

i’m someone who is generally very project-oriented, so i have this urge to Finish Castles so that i can move on to the next thing. i don’t like switching between projects because a) i always fear that i will never finish the thing i put to the side and b)  i feel a lot of loyalty to the project i’m working on and feel like i’m cheating if i’m writing something else. but i think looking back, writing the fault in faulty manufacturing has actually very much changed my perspective on this. writing one shots and other stories is fun. writing castles is also fun. i’m allowed to go back and forth without feeling like i’m committing a crime. i took three months off castles but i did write something else, and that’s okay too. 

so, i think, from now on, i’ll probably alternate between working on castles and something else. i don’t think i would have the brainspace to have multiple long projects going at the same time, but i’ll probably write more one shots like the fault in faulty manufacturing at a more regular pace in the future. strangely, i’ve also find this helps me writing castles because when i come back to it now, i’m much more excited about it, and actually miss it. i see things like editing and plotholes and storylines way more clearly, and whilst getting back into and getting the castles “voice” back can take a bit longer than if i hadn’t been away from it, the break actually helps a lot in the long run. so, for now, that’s the plan :). 

i would still like to finish castles before august 2023, as this is my 30th birthday and i don’t know, i think that’d be cool, but honestly, we’ll see. no rush. sorry if you were hoping for a more regular schedule, but your girl needs her sweet time lol. 

.

WHAT I’M DOING:

i’ve realised earlier that i’ve now been doing these monthly posts for a year. and looking at were i was this time last year, i was So Miserable. my mum had her stroke, i was alone in paris stressing about exams i didn’t want to take, i wasn’t sure i’d make it back to ireland, it was just - let’s just say my mental health was not at its best. and i don’t want to say i’m in the Best Place Possible now, and i still worry and struggle with a lot of things, but in comparison, god, my life has improved So Much this past year. i’ve found my groove with writing, i’m happy with where i live, i’m happy with my job and while i do still feel lonely at times, and still wonder wtf i’m doing with my life sometimes, overall, i’m in such a better place. i think a lot of that has to do with the slow but steady gradual bettering of the pandemic, but even further, i think i’ve grown to accept a lot of things that have improved my life greatly. this is all a bit soppy, i suppose, but overall, i’m pretty happy. 

lastly, one thing i wanted to mention (cause i’d spoken about it a while back) was to talk about my very first real writing class went! and, honestly, the teacher was great, and i learnt a lot but i think that a) i was in the middle of intensely writing the fault in faulty manufacturing, which wasn’t really something i could speak about in class, but which was also greatly hindering the amount of time i could spend on “homework” and honestly, it was just a bit of bad timing. additionally, b) i think these classes just aren’t for me. i have a panic-level anxiety at the idea of reading things in public (as a kid i found it really hard to read aloud and was kind of ridiculed because of it, and that kind of shit sticks) and reading my stuff out loud to an audience just gives me so much anxiety, it’s not worth it. i genuinely think that if i ever became a proper writer and had to do public readings, i’d have to do therapy beforehand or something. i’d love to have a writing group where we could, like, send each other our work before, and then discuss during the session, but that does not seem to be a model that exists, so i just think these aren’t for me. i get so anxious, it’s all i think about in class haha. but, it was good to try at least once!

anyway, i think that will be all for now,  

lots of love, 

pebblysand. 

[dearshelby]

Call me crazy. But I couldn't stop thinking about your tags that Tommy shouldn't have kids. And with all my love and respect towards you, my dear friend, I am here to DEFEND my beloved husband and a father of my seven imaginary children. Yes, I am insane, yes, I am utterly out of touch with reality, but I am also a loyal spouse. 🤣

To be honest I think John is the worst father out of all the brothers. I feel like none of his kids were planned and he doesn't care about them later. We don't see any scene with him and the kids, only one during Freddie's funeral where he's holding a baby. Which is surprising, because for example we see Arthur with his son quite a lot in Season Four (a lot for a character that is not Tommy Shelby) and we see him genuinely taking care of Billy and such. We don't see John like this. We hear in Season One that his kids run around without shoes!!! And what is he doing about it?! He's a Peaky Blinder, he can get them shoes for free, but he prefers to drink at the Garrison and complain that his kids need a woman to take care of them. No, John, they have a father too. When Tommy was a single father, he was doing much better job. Much–much. Okay, he handed the baby to a random person, but I feel like it was more like a weaker moment of the writing of the show than genuinely Tommy's behaviour, because he would NEVER. But they needed Charlie to be somehow kindapped.

Now, you mentioned that Tommy is aggressive. He is, but never towards his children. He yelled at Charlie in this scene, but to be fair, that boy's acting terrible in Season Five and considering the times, Tommy's still quite patient with him. That boy screams at him and such while Tommy just smokes a cigarette. Now, Lizzie's reaction – I studied that scene yesterday and it's not like she's scared of Tommy. She's looking down, because Ruby's there and she is stressed because she knows Ruby will be scared. Ruby is afraid of Tommy because of his outbursts of anger and that's shitty indeed, but it's also because she's very small and cannot understand yet that he's not angry at her in particular. Of course Tommy should learn how to control himself around kids, but: 1) it was a very extreme situation where he thought he lost his whole fortune and he had been working hard and losing his soul for it for years; 2) his whole family dynamic in Season Five is toxic and screwed up, his marriage is awful, he's paranoid etc. In different environment I believe he'd be better, just like Arthur was getting better with Linda in the beginning.

By the way, I don't think Tommy has such huge anger outbursts often, in general he's quite calm. I was recently rewatching the scene where they started the war with the Lees at the beginning of S01E02, because I was writing my fic "Love and Duty" and John's reaction made me go like "😳😳". Tommy hesitated, but decided to teach them a lesson after they called their mother a whore. Arthur followed his brother. John... John genuinely took pleasure (is that how you phrase it? probably not) out of cutting them. Just like with Angel Changretta. Did he care so much about Lizzie? I doubt. But it was a good reason to cut a man. Another reason why I think John's the worst father out of the bunch. Not to mention how he got killed – Because of his own reckless behavior.

And I know Tommy's not perfect. But he genuinely loves his kids and takes care of them and he even went to that silly party of Ruby's despite being so deep into his own paranoia and dark thoughts. In Season Five Tommy's just not exactly himself, he's the worst version of himself I think, or almost that. In different environment and a happy marriage he would be different and I hope it's not just my self-indulgent fantasy, but that man just feels so lost and lonely and I can't blame him to be fair.

It's all of course said by me and I'm morally grey for him, because objectively saying he deserves all the bad things in life for killing so many people and acting like a dickhead. 🤣

I can't believe I wrote this whole thing. You can delete it from your inbox. I love you so so so much 💗🥺

My beloved Lils, your ask got me thinking 🤔🤔🤔

I agree with some parts - John is absent af, he's always ready to throw his children at anyone willing to take care of them, and season 5 shows the worst of Tommy, he'd probably do better in another circumstances

Although, my trauma-based standards makes me believe that it's "less worse" to have an absent father, than having a scary father around, that's probably not the best parameters to apply tho 😂

ilysm 🤗💖

[emotionalsupportshelby]

Hi, I'm depressed it's almost 1am and I'm gonna blog my Peaky episode watch:

Episode: Series 4 episode 3

Let's go

My dad said Paul walks like a ape, and it's, all I see now... Like with both arms at the same time

Michael gives me so many mixed feelings but it's cute that his, adoptive mum showed up in the hospital

Village Michael was the best Michael

Does the adoptive mum know it was Michael's decision not to go back? She's out here, blaming Tommy, like babe... Tommy wanted Michael to go, he refused

ADA MY BABY

Polly counting the days she's gone without a fuck 😭 legendary behaviour only, you go be with someone unsuitable ma'am, we rooting for you

Hi Ada saying "behave yourself" is lowkey fucking hot

You never behave yourself Pol you go down with legends

Only Cillian could rock Harry Potter glasses with that Haircut and I am here for it

I'll make a post on this, later but Tommy needs a, woman like Linda, a women who gets him away for the Buisness

Im not a fan of Linda but Kate is gorgeous 😍

Why is everyone in this cast so hot though

No but I had to watch the Arthur and Linda, sex scene with my dad 😭😭 there's others but this is by far the worst 😭 I hate every time we get there 😭

"keep his balls empty and his belly full" Linda's mum >>>>

I hate myself for thinking this but I wonder if Helens hair drastically changed to this shorter one because she was going through treatment..it looks similar to my aunts, who went through breast cancer so I'm like 👀

Probably not cuz it's years before but.... Who knows

The paint fight scene must have been so fun to film... I love watching it each time

"I'm here as a lover of theatre" Me introducing my theatre nerd ass

I alwaud forget how good Adrien is in Peaky... Season 4 is one of my least favourite seasons but Adrien kills it as Luca even though I dislike his character in general

Arthur he had a fucking vote because it was planned to have the vote Just because you were getting fucked doesn't mean that stops

Arthur... John shoulda killed his teacher... Its not on you it's on his dumb ass

Kates smile is GORGEOUS

Arthur and Linda are a toxic relationship on each end and I hate that neither of them are getting happiness

She's trying to help you get out of the life which is damaging you Arthur, don't go Bat shit at her

100% found out that I've developed a new crush on Kate just now...can't wait to rewatch with this knowledge

"you have a lot of enemies" no shit mate... No fucking shit

JESSIE BABY HOW I HAVE MISSED YOU

and your muppet dress

You cannot say that that dress don't look like it's got muppet on

Ti's the Muppet dress..

Okay I made a post on this before but Cillians subtle yet heartbreaking acting when Greta gets brought up is a hyper fixation every damn time I watch this episode... Here's, my gif from last time

He looks so broken and I can't explain how much I love his acting choice there... Whether he even knew he was doing it or not

I'm so angry Jessie isn't coming back next series 😭

Her and Cillian had so much on screen (for lack of better word) chemistry and I'm sad we won't get any more of it 😭

Greta is still Tommys truest love and possibly his ownly love and I will go to my grave thinking that

Jessie/Charlie deserves SO much more love than she got and I'm forever bitter about how dirty she was done

Cillians acting in this scene is heartbreakingly subtle yet beautiful and I'm in awe

Arthur firing the bullet, I'm not a HUGE Arthur fan but he needs to go and get therapy and find happiness

Lizzie is under appreciated as the woman who isn't with Tommy... She is so much more than Tommy's wife

"Tommy said yes, Arthur said yes"

"but did God say yes" - I love Polly 😭

Finn trying to be in charge, bby no

As someone who has been to Blackpool... That is the happiest look you will ever see... I stayed at a hotel there for a con and it didn't even have a fucking window... We were in a box... I feel Tommy had the same experience

Lizzie, Polly and Linda arranging a girl for Finn gives more proof that he's fruity 🍓

"nice women don't do that sort of thing"

"yes they do, look at you" - we love sweet Tommy one liners 🥺

Hi if tommy wants to take me to the docks Id love that because it's, precious as fuck 🥺

He is fully in his head fucking Greta here but its still a fucking sweet moment and I love it

HE PROMISED GRETA HE WAS GOING TO CHANGE THE WORLD GUYS I CANT 😭

The way he goes back to talking business straight after having sex 😭 boy, rest dammit

"I don't want it like that ever again Tom" cuz you are interested in the other gender?

This scene woulda been a great one for Finn to come out to Tommy and I'm bitter it didn't happen, Steven recognise he ain't straight dammit

I remember watching the scene where Polly 'betrays" Tommy the first time and being so fucking pissed 😂 Still lowkey stresses me the fuck out

I always think I dislike S4 until I watch it and then I'm like damn... What a masterpiece ✨

Top 3 thinks I've thought:

1. Wow Kate is gorgeous and I hate that I've ignored it this long

2. Tommys romantic side who has his guard down needs to be shown more

3. It's not gonna be the same without Helen, I just pray they do it respectfully 🙏🏻🙏🏻

Ahhh that was fun... Hope you enjoyed my commentary 😂

(it's now 2am...oops 🙈)

[mxpseudonym]

This time someone did ask! @cactisjuice (I can never tag you?! Also is this a Sokka reference?) asked me to elaborate on my feelings that Peaky Blinders doesn't have good writing and why I'm on the fence about watching season 6.

First I want to say this: I really appreciate that, at the time, PB was the first show I'd actually sat and watched in a while and being part of the fandom pulled me out of a depressive spiral. Also, while I think some of the characters are generally attractive, I don't simp over any of them. I just... feel like that contributes to my ability to be more objective.

Alright, my thoughts: 2020 hit and I realized how important diversity is to me and my standards for the content got really high. You might remember when I went to do a Peaky Blinders rewatch a long time ago but I ended up not making it through the first season.

That's when I realized Steven Knight isn't trying to be progressive or really make a statement with this show. Nothin you can really do about that 🤷🏾‍♀️

Still, my grievances:

1. Something about the depiction of oppression in this show just doesn't sit right with me.

Maybe it's because everyone is white except for I think three people (four if you include the child they mentioned was being mistreated by nuns). "But the Shelbys are Romani." Yes, and the actors for them are all white. So what we see is a lot of white characters being oppressed, while the Black and Jewish characters are sort of an aside.

And because the show isn't trying to be progressive, it just depicts things without a real moral to them. Like season 5 just never sat well with me, especially when you have Alfie and an entire Jewish community in the show. I would have rather them just not go that route.

Also, it was US election season and you want to ambiguously take on fascism when there were/are clear signs of T**mp having international influence? 😬Okay, Steven.

Probably got more viewers though.

2. The writing for women is just so unforgivably poor that even at Peak fandom, I genuinely had to watch the show in spite of how the women are written.

**Honestly, those two alone are enough for me to just bounce. But I'll add in my most controversial, most 100000% preference-based statement:

3. When a show with a continuing narrative has seasons as short as 6 episodes each, I feel like there's even more of a need for the thread throughout to be super clear. You have no time for filler, and everything needs to be intentional. Season 6 is our last chance to see where this is going and what the story Steven's been trying to tell is.

Tommy is the main character, almost forcibly so. Yet, at this point, he's had no arc. He's not learned a damn thing. He's worsened his relationships with family. I don't even really know what he wants anymore. Tommy seems like he's going unhinged, which is fine, but we have six episodes left. I cannot think of an ending that would make me go, "wow, they really spent five seasons setting this up." And I'm gonna be real, I don't have faith that Steven Knight's writer's room is gonna prepare something beyond my imagination.

BUT

I'm so close to the finish I may just watch anyway. I'm marginally interested in seeing what's happening with Michael.

[venoms-chickens]

Back in 2019, New Years actually, 2018 to 2019, I watched Venom for the first time on a flight home from South Carolina. (the South Carolina part is irrelevant but I just remembered that)

After that, I thought 'I'm gonna hyperfixate on Tom Hardy now' like as if I had a choice because I really liked Venom and I thought that would be a good idea. The first movie I watched of his after Venom was Legend (2015) and for some reason I absolutely hated it. Could not stand it. And thus the attempt at hyperfixating on Tom Hardy was dashed.

Cut to now, 2021 almost 2022 and I have actually succeeded in hyperfixating on Tom Hardy, somewhat accidentally. See I think if you try to make it happen, it doesn't but if you just let it then it does.

Anyway, I've watched tons of his stuff now. Even things he's only had a small part in (like 'Scenes of a Sexual Nature' (2006) although he was pretty adorable in that). According to IMDb I've watched at least 31 things he's been in (that includes all episodes of Peaky Blinders he was in separately) and so I thought it was time to give Legend another go.

I really cannot understand why I didn't like it so much back in 2019. Watching it now, I tried to look for a reason that I would have had such a strong negative reaction to it, but what I really think it is is that I didn't get Tom Hardy as an actor back then. I'd only seen him in Venom, I hadn't really watched many interviews with him besides the ones where he was with dogs, and I hadn't seen any of his other work. So I think the point is, I didn't like it back then because I didn't understand it. I couldn't see what he was trying to do.

This is all completely unimportant and rambly but I just feel so strange about how I disliked this movie so much that I was actually afraid to re-watch it for fear that it would be the one Tom Hardy performance that I didn't like, but upon rewatch I actually liked it a lot.

[iliadicjasontodd]

Okay so I rewatched Peaky Blinders for the last few days, and well, it holds up on the rewatch, is even better the second time around in some respects. If anyone has cared enough to look at any of the meta posts I’ve done for other fandoms then you’d know my main focus in media is always characters, especially where their less-than-perfect mental states are involved. So Tommy Shelby’s mental state is fascinating to me. Obligatory disclaimer that I’m not a psychologist.

I actually think his trauma and underlying mental illness- because I am absolutely certain that he has an underlying mental illness, but I’ll come back to that- is actually stunningly well-written for a narrative that usually doesn’t lend itself to that kind of careful development. Even aside from the obvious breakdowns, he’s also consistently shown to have a more limited emotional range and lack of fear that borders on dissociative, especially in series 1. I would say that Tommy’s relationship with his body is an obvious effect of his trauma- he is careful of appearance but genuinely does not seem to deem it more significant than another tool or weapon, something he has to live in because he has no choice, and so he forces it to do what he needs it to (running around London with a fractured skull and brain bleed until he literally couldn’t make it anymore, for example). There’s more of course- his half-assed plans that almost always put him in harm’s way, his impatience when others are unable to put everything aside for practicality’s sake like he does, etc.- all of which shows that Tommy has been living under the rules of war since he left for war. He knows that if he stops he’ll breakdown so his solution is to just never stop so he’ll never have to process anything that ever happens him, but the issue is that eventually the brain has to call it and say So you’re not stopping for me, fucker? Then I’m stopping you, because it’s not like you can just,,, literally never process that amount of trauma especially considering he’s practically collecting new traumas as a hobby at this point. And series 5 is his brain stopping him. Or trying, anyway. What I find interesting is that Tommy seems to realize that, and even ask for help in the ways he knows how. He talks to his family or tries to, even talks to Winston Churchill of all people, when he’s spiraling. It’s not his family’s fault they don’t know what to do. It’s 1929 and this is Thomas Shelby, but it doesn’t make it any less alarming when no one does anything about it, including himself.

So going back to that underlying mental illness- I know everyone sort of has a theory on what exactly runs in the family that made their grandfather, mother, and Tommy (and Arthur I’d say though I think it’s mostly PTSD in his case) suicidal. Honestly, I think it’s depression with psychotic features. Tommy’s only 39 in series 5, which isn’t too old for the onset of psychotic symptoms. On top of the hallucinations, which range from mild to very disturbing, there’s also Tommy’s obvious paranoia. You could attribute all it to the laudanum, but I don’t think so. He sees and hears Grace while sober, for one. The way he talks to Ada about the January after the hallucinations at the bridge also didn’t seem very lucid, which isn’t the only time he talks that way. I would say his taking so many substances and also his worsening PTSD could have triggered the onset of psychotic symptoms/a psychotic episode. The other reason I can’t attribute that entirely to the drugs is that from the way Charlie Strong talked about Tommy’s mother it seemed clear she was suffering from delusions before her suicide. That whole scene was set up in a way to make it clear that the genetics of the family are a contributing factor. Charlie even says to Tommy « Sometimes these things run in families. » Obviously this is a troublesome conclusion considering its 1929 and we all know what mental health care looked like then (I’m hoping we don’t see that asylum again because fuck that but I’m also rather suspicious we were shown that for a reason) but considering Steven Knight has said series 6 will explore whether Tommy is ‘cursed’ I’m hopeful that’s code for Tommy will actually have to take the time to process and handle his mental issues in order to move forward.

[nightwingshero]

For the Writing Meta Asks 1, 6, 7, 10, and 20?

Thank you!!! Under the cut because this got way too long. 

1. Tell us about your current project(s)  – what’s it about, how’s progress, what do you love most about it?

I am currently working on a few scenes of Blair’s canon! One where she goes supernova, one where she first joined the Legends, and the other is when Jax is seriously hurt and they capture Vandal Savage. I love her interacting with Martin, Jax, and Ray. But also her, Leonard, and Mick can be a lot of fun too. It’s like writing the nice fun part of a horror movie or a drama before everything goes really really bad. Blair’s canon is up and down, and sure, she’s witnessed some bad stuff, but Leonard disappearing is just the first of the losses she suffers. But I’m almost done with the supernova piece! So that’s exciting! 

6. What character do you have the most fun writing?

I have so many, honestly. But so far its Blair, Veronica (Batman OC), Emma (CoD OC), Wren, Whitney, Quinn, and Dahlia. Dahlia is just...she’s something else, let me tell you. That mouth of hers and that pride? Gets her in trouble a lot, but she’s so cunning, and so very close to the Shelby boys, she’s just so much fun. Especially when she has Rosie! Wren is fun because she’s so grey of a character, so complex and very very emotional. Wren is a part of probably some of my best writing. Emma is fun because she’s such a hardass Marine and takes no shit. She’s my first OC ever, and she does what’s right no matter the cost. Writing her with Roach, Yuri, and Nikolai is just...a ride, for sure. Veronica is fun mostly because I love DC and the Batfamily. I’ve always wanted an OC that worked closely with Selina Kyle, and I have it. Luckily, I can also use her in Young Justice with @water-writings oc from time to time, because it gets interesting. Whit is fun to write because she’s so different from what I’m used to writing. But her arc is a favorite of mine, and I love her growth, especially when she kills her husband. Quinn...is an overly confident and witty character that drives Wren nuts for more than one reason. But I love it because he ties in Miller from Jacob’s story, and mixes things up a bit. He’s honestly a strong, brave character that I wasn’t expecting. Plus, he’s part Russian, and I love writing when his accent slips a bit! 

7. What do you think are the characteristics of your personal writing style? Would others agree?

Oh, I have no idea. I have been told by some people that my description and show of emotion with my writing is really noticeable, some have even made the comment of it being like a scene from a movie? Because it plays out perfectly in their mind or whatnot. And I think I would say that’s accurate, and whether other people agree or not, I’m not sure. I think I focus a lot on the details to make it feel real, like you’re actually there, or you’re experiencing it right alongside my characters. I want it to feel real enough for you to connect and appreciate, if that makes sense? I do first person 99% of the time, but take a moment to make the observations that make it feel somewhat third person--just taking note of possible emotions and thoughts of others without fully knowing it that is what they’re thinking. I try to get enough detail in there to show it, but I try to also make it vague. It’s honestly a good read of the room, and the observations of the scene is always different for each character. For example, if in a dark bedroom, Wren would notice the moonlight streaming through the curtains, while Whitney would notice the type of curtain is it, and Blair would be looking at something completely different (I mean, she’s a space person, so in any normal situation probably the moon, but not in this example), like looking for a light or something to make the dark room not dark anymore. Different characters call for different observations and a different feel when being written. 

10. How would you describe your writing process?

Chaotic and torturously detail-oriented. I normally write in order, but as of the past year, I’ve done things out of order, and I jump with wherever my inspiration takes me. I take note of every detail I can for a scene, not too much to overwhelm, but enough to make it feel real...and this is embarrassing to admit, but uh...whenever there’s a scene that my character is going to be in, I go back and rewatch it for the correct dialogue, reactions, and details of movement and what actually happens in that scene. Like, the arrest of Joseph Seed, I had to make sure the wording was correct and that I had his movements timed perfectly because I am one of those people that has to have everything perfect. Luckily, I don’t have to do this too often with some of the fandoms I write in. Its the Arrowverse and Peaky Blinders that makes it more of a hassle, because there are key episodes and key scenes that are vital for Blair (Kinsley, Carmen, and Gabriel too) and Dahlia in those shows that I have to go back and capture. I just like to be thorough when I write canon scenes like that. Any other time, I’m throwing on the OC’s playlist and listening to the right songs that capture the mood I’m looking for, and go from there. Much like Blair’s supernova piece. I threw her playlist on shuffle and went for it. 

20. Tell us the meta about your writing that you really want to ramble to people about (symbolism you’ve included, character or relationship development that you love, hidden references, callbacks or clues for future scenes?)

Okay, this is a dangerous question for me, I could go on forever. When it comes to symbolism, Whitney and Wren all day, for sure, are my favorites. Most of my symbolism for them derives from Greek mythology, Wren being Nemesis reincarnate, her being the Judge (hence my icon), the gold apple (which also ties in for Whitney as well), Whit being the Mother of Eden’s Gate and her ties to Hera, just...lots and lots of Greek mythology. There are some biblical ties there as well, but more for Whitney than Wren, and not very many. I’m always throwing in callbacks and foreshadowing in my writing though, I can’t resist. Blair once calling Leonard “Frosty the Snowman” as a joke? Yeah, that hits heavy when he “dies” and loses his memories. My writing is usually laden those, and none immediately come to mind (they will after I post this, just you watch), and it’s fun because there’s like...a moment when you’re like “hmmm, interesting”, only for it to come back a chapter or two later and make you go “omfg!!!! that’s the thing!!!” or just a callback that makes you smile, because who doesn’t love a good reference? I love them, so I throw them in where they fit. That’s a consistent throughout my writing, no matter the character or story, because there’s always something. Now, as for character and relationship development? I always get excited when I watch relationships develop, and there are always subtle but vital moments that you pick up on. Wren staying more with John, Leonard being more protective and close with Blair, Alfie taking more of an interest in Dahlia and spending more personal time with her, like...it’s the little things that shift and change. The character development is more fun for me and more personal, because it’s like investing all this time in making a plant grow, and watching proudly as it blooms. Some are more subtle than others, Wren growing more and more grey and her becoming the bad guy when you don’t really see it until it happens, Dahlia’s values shifting and changing. While others are more obvious, like Blair’s trauma affecting her and her growing as she harnesses her powers and becomes stronger. Everything I do, everything I build and create, is put together with great care and planning. Most, if not all, things happen for a reason, especially with meaning and symbolism. Sometimes I worry I go overboard, to be honest.