#i'd love to see a season 3 but i also understand the fear that it would yank them away from their happy ending

[celluloidbroomcloset]

"Stede wanted to be a pirate and now he's not going to be one, which is bad."

Did he really want to be a pirate? Stede wanted to be a storybook pirate; he wanted to be the pirate in his games and his imagination, who had swashbuckling adventures. The entire first season deals with him learning what piracy really is. He sees what it has done to Ed, quite literally history's greatest pirate, within the first half hour of their meeting. Most of the fun he has, has nothing to do with actual piracy - it's playing games with his crew, going on treasure hunts with Ed, putting on plays. He likes making up plans, but he doesn't like actual piracy. When he accidentally kills a man, it horrifies him and haunts him, and continues to until the end of the season. He goes to therapy about it.

Into Season 2, the entire point of Stede's piracy is still not piracy. It's to get back to Ed. Stede's fantasy in the beginning is about being the storybook pirate who defeats the villain and runs across the beach to his one true love, who isn't mad at him and never was. It's a fairytale. And even there, reality is creeping in - dream-Izzy tells him, "I didn't make you leave him. You did that yourself." The reality is that Ed has gone into a suicidal spiral, and Stede finds him mostly dead.

The one time that Stede becomes a "real pirate" in the real world, it goes to his head, but it's not even because of his love of piracy. It's because he's suddenly popular. People are buying him drinks and clapping him on the back. No one's calling him "Steve." No one's making fun of him. And still, the only thing he wants to do when he does something cool is go tell Ed about it.

And even then...it's hollow. Everyone around him are sycophants. Ed has left him. His crew are suddenly leaving him. It all ends with him getting his ass kicked by a real pirate. He didn't even like doing the thing that made him popular; he kills Ned Low and runs off to hide. The whole sequence at Jackie'z is a mirror of the sequence at the pub when he goes home - everyone thinks he's cool, but for none of the reasons that are authentic to who he is or what he really wants.

Stede wanted a family who loved him. He wanted friends who liked him for him. He wanted someone to play with. He wanted to marry for love. And he has all those things at the end.

He's not a pirate. He's not having second thoughts.

I'm not sure why this is hard to see.

[inchidentally]

https://x.com/charlclerc/status/1749478427239891090?s=20

I think someone here missed the sight of a soaked Oscar <3

ok so big shock!! I'm gonna use this sweet little morsel of Lando pausing in his remaining winter break to look back on that glorious day

to create an absolute smorgasbord of what Suzuka meant to him and to Oscar

I've edited together the most chewable parts of the post race press conference tho tbh it's mostly just removing the parts where Max tries his best to put a slight new twist on answering the exact same questions as last weekend lgflajsg.

so at the start I love the little private smile Lando and Oscar share when Max's fanfare is going on - it gives me a little rueful but also slightly creepy twinning vestal virgins au like are we going to destroy him Lando? yes we are going to destroy him Oscar

(I AM NOT BEING SERIOUS IT'S JUST JOKES).

which is even funnier with what Max leads into about seeing these two goddamn McLarens sandwiching him and for a split second thinking ah so they want to destroy me? oh dear. like Max is very at home on that couch but the presence of these two creatures sharing covert smiles with each other has him (and probably a lot of that room) uneasily wondering if that's all y'know, normal and above board? they're not like... witches, right? haha. crazy!

and I think the cool meticulous way Lando treats his own performance is a really good example of how (in my opinion!) his self-flagellation does need to be reeled in because he's never the sort to be soaring high enough to compensate for those lowest lows. for a while I was undecided but honestly I agree with Martin Brundle, Jenson Button and Oscar who've said (in different ways and indirectly from Oscar) that Lando is far too level-headed and race smart to be hanging his own tender hide out like he does. I so appreciate how measured he was in self-approval over his back to back podiums and no one's asking him to get cocky, but I'd really love to see him match this approach to when he struggles as a driver (and not just a car issue which was the case pre Silverstone).

contrast that with Oscar discussing his own self-criticisms of the weekend but equally saying he'll still relish the maiden podium. and crucially that he can fairly put at least part of his struggles - which he was also meticulous about - down to this being his first time racing at Suzuka. an anon sent an ask about Andrea praising Oscar specifically for his performance there and you can really feel the influence Andrea has had throughout the season on Oscar. because before Silverstone, Oscar had a tendency to monotone lowness and disappointment in himself that bordered dangerously on bitterness and maybe even a fear/doubt of how his rookie season would indeed turn out? but Andrea's approach of optimism, faith in teamwork and specifically in making sure Oscar was looked after while Lando naturally performed so much better, absolutely sank in.

and it makes sense that Oscar as a rookie has so much more mental plasticity when it comes to outside influence - and says a lot about Andrea's leadership too. it's where I wish Lando could have had Andrea as principal from day one too. bc understandably, Lando has graduated to that level of knowing himself so well as a driver relative the drivers around him that there's an existing almost prejudice about himself that the people in charge of guiding him have to overcome.

literally everyone who knows and who matters has said how similar Lando and Oscar are in terms of their approach to the car and their dedication to the team. and I know Andrea has shielded Lando in his own way by saying that it's a champion's mentality to have as much passion and emotion as Lando does. but - and this is honestly such a great piece about Andrea go read it and thank you again to @mecachrome for repping him so much - he also emphasized the positivity that was so crucial to pushing the team through those awful early races. I don't at all blame Lando for getting a bit grim toward himself at times thinking not only about that first race win but also the championship. but I also really hope that between Andrea and Oscar (source: Lando himself!) he can use the lifts of his highs to not sink so low anymore.

skipping back to around the minute mark when Lando says how much more this second place means to him than Singapore because of the double podium and also because of his own performance being better. not to get too ~contentious~ but this is why I really have needed the Singapore high to wear off as fast as it did for Lando when people are discussing Lando's 2023 as a driver and not as part of a ship. absolutely still revel in it in an rpf sense! but like, real life Lando is intensely loyal to his team and y'know what else? he's intensely loyal to loyalty. which is precisely what Oscar has been proving to McLaren since signing that pre-contract the summer before. it took an entire court case for Oscar to get to McLaren and he was met with a wall of hate coming from three sides. comment sections were filled with people celebrating McLaren's 2023 initial struggles and vilifying Oscar for how much he was costing them (in every sense) for paying out Daniel. and it was the Suzuka weekend when Oscar agreed immediately to extend his contract further.

Lando had a front row seat for all of that once the season started. and considering how few races Oscar's dad and Lily were able to make due to being on the other side of the world and final year of school respectively, Oscar spent a fair amount of that time getting to grips with being in F1, and the particular pressure and stress from media and fans, largely alone in terms of a private life. so it says so much about how well he was repaid by the team and also by Lando for keeping his cool and putting in the extra hours and keeping the faith.

and around 2 mins "we have two drivers up fighting for those positions" "we can help one another and use one another". that tandem the two of them have achieved before the season is even over was largely formed when the car was fighting against them. as was the case with Carlos and then Daniel and truly every other F1 driver, Lando did NOT have to intervene or take on a specific responsibility toward Oscar. F1 drivers aren't pack animals, they move through their careers alone and are happy if they can be buddies with their partner. so to see Lando as the number one show faith in Oscar and stand up for him and receive that trust and faith in return is so unique. Lando controlled that as much as Andrea did - maybe even more considering how he says he feels Oscar is so similar to him in a lot of ways. it's not uncommon for charismatic guys like Lando, Carlos and Daniel to make friends with their team mate.

but I think the whole "Lando effect" thing has actually been a huge disservice to what Lando has put into the partnership with Oscar. in this interview early on in the season, he says how Oscar is really quiet and that it's just how most people are in their first year and "we'll change him". but as we've seen, Oscar didn't end up changing and funnily enough the hanging out he and Lando do off the track has been as private and only alluded to as the rest of Oscar's private life. Lando got a lot of Oscar on his camera (again, a lot we haven't gotten to see yet) but really there was no big transformation in terms of Oscar becoming one of the charismatic personalities of the grid. and yet he and Lando only got closer and more supportive of each other in all the ways that matter to a partnership. so I think it's a much bigger credit to Lando that he learned to understand Oscar's personality better and still found ways to establish that sense of trust and loyalty without a bromance or a bunch of common interests to act as glue.

when they do that slightly eerie, intense active listening when the other is speaking, it's them having a synchronicity that has nothing to do with how guys usually bond. (that's why my vestal virgins au yes I know it's weird)

Lando wasn't in any position of power for any of that to be relevant with Carlos or Daniel - Carlos was so far advanced already in his career and Daniel had his thing going on w McLaren that Lando had no control over (and rightly didn't respond to people demanding he show some kind of shame?? or partake in the blame). so loyalty never really played a part in his partnerships with those two, whereas (and maybe as a result of that) Lando's loyalty to McLaren as a team only grew each season. so seeing someone close to his own age but far behind in experience, work so hard and prove so early on that he wants to stay, absolutely brought out a pride from Lando for Oscar that I really hope he will also extend to himself more. major Zak Brown levels of back pats to Lando.

and side note but it needs to no longer be a question or point of contention when Lando says that Silverstone and then the double podiums are superior races for him. Lando loves his F1 buddies, absolutely. but Lando didn't burn through junior championships by favoring his buddies. he loves racing and his team more. and he sure didn't get that second place podium in Singapore because of a buddy, it was because of the position he'd put himself in. just like how Carlos would have given DRS to anyone behind him who was on older tires like he was to ensure that win. like, let's remember the manic obsession that has brought these men to where they are. buddies are a part-time thing. rpf is my meat and drink but I'll never confuse it up with that reality lol.

4:45 the Senna-Prost comparison - and I could probably get all deep about the youngest generation referring to those old bitter alpha male rivalries as something long gone (but I won't). but it's a really good call-back to Monza and the coming together because there's Oscar's ability to see his performance clearly and where it went wrong for him leading to that third place and not higher. and god, I am in no way saying that it's possible to compare Lando being in his fifth season without a race win to a rookie celebrating his first podium. I just really hope that Lando reminds himself that he's come of age in F1 in the Max Verstappen era and that in the cool down room at Qatar, Oscar giddily thanked Mercedes for clearing a path for him. that it doesn't always have to be pure perfection and pace to keep him afloat. sometimes points are points and serendipity plays her part.

"I've been drowned by Lando in champagne" god I will never be over Lando's smug toothy smile

and I will also never be over the way Lando went from clearly dreading being the "older/experienced" teammate and not knowing what to make of Oscar's quiet, reserved personality, to the intense proprietary authority of practically holding Oscar up by his collar like a prize cat in Suzuka and saying "this is mine! I helped make this what it is! look how good this is!"

all while baptizing him in champagne <3

[llannasvsp]

Dragons Rising Season 2, Episode 3: Beyond the Phantasm Cave

We are baaaack!! Honestly, I like spreading out my rewatch because I binged all 10 in one sitting. Spreading out my rewatch makes the excitement last longer. Not that I'm running out of excitement. I will never get over this season and it's not even done AGH. ANYWAY. On to the episode!

So, Cinder is Link from Zelda?

You feel the gong what?

Jordana and Cinder beef so real.

Awh, Kai. Glad they didn't forget his anger issues.

Arin is definitely not okay.

LLOYD MEDITATED ALL DAY AGHHH POOR GUY.

Lloyd has every right to be upset and frustrated right now.

Little source dragons!

OH MY GOSH the Netflix subtitles tell us which source dragon symbols correspond with the element!???!?

LIFE SYMBNOL CLAIMS LLOYD EVEROYNE. LIFE SYMBOL. DID ANYONE KNOW THIS?!?! YHHELLO. THIS IS MY FIRST TIME LEARNING OF THIS SO THIS IS A GENUIINE REACTION OH. MYGOSH.

Soooo Strength is a hater.

"He is no ordinary mortal". Okayyy so are we going to talk about him literally having Dragon heritage???

LEVITATING LLOYD CLIP!

Once again, Sam is literally serving. He portrays anxiety so well.

KAI + WYLDFYRE CLIP!

I am literally obsessed with this moment between them. Wyldfyre doesn't want to be left out. Kai wants her to stay safe and be okay. He's so kind and gentle with her. I love them.

I gotta admit, I'm an elemental mech hater.

"Would Master Wu take us on a mission based off of half understood dreams?" Oh he absolutely would.

KAI ASKING FROHICKY TO WATCH OVER WYLDFYRE RAGH.

I don't know how I feel about the Cloud Kingdom having a motor buuuut okay.

They really decided that this was the episode to upload clips from.

I love this moment because it addresses that Lloyd is doubting himself, it acknowledges that Lloyd and Nya have been through way too much stuff, and it shows us that Lloyd does not want to put Arin and Sora through something horrific. He doesn't want them to experience "the horrors" too young like he did.

Kai being mad that Wyldfyre stowed away but not in like an angry way but in a "I don't want you getting hurt" way is just sooooo.

Sora is so right to be concerned. I would be too if I were her.

I get what Sora was trying to do with the grappling hooks, but I also feel like this isn't going to bode well for Arin. She made his thing something "cooler" because their elemental powers are involved.

EWWW TENTACLES.

AGHH Arin and Sora complete each other my hearrrt.

Okayyy so visions.

Arin: Fear of letting his parents down. Guilt that he "replaced" them with the ninja.

Sora: Something to do with Imperium?? I don't really understand hers I'm gonna be so honest.

Lloyd: Being an inadequate teacher. Leading everyone to their destruction. "You will never be good enough." Dang.

Nya: Jay not remembering her.

Wyldfyre: The wasting thing that's talked about later.

KAI: WE DON'T FREAKING GET TO SEE IT. LET US SEE IT.

I feel like we just need to remember all of their fears because it's absolutely going to be important to all of them later.

"I know the real Jay could never forget me." Oh, honey. Don't say that.

Egalt is ugly.

GRRR THIS EPISODE IS AMAZING.

I think we didn't see Kai's vision because they're going to bring it back later. I know some people are saying that it was of a corrupted version of himself, and honestly, I'd say that's a very likely assumption, given his history. He used to have a lust for power, and maybe he still does, it's just more subdued. If anything were to happen to him (pretend we haven't seen ep10 yet), he could likely succumb to that temptation for power.

ALSO I'm such a Lloyd "life" truther, so learning that it was the LIFE DRAGON who claimed him?!??!? Yes. I'm so excited to expand more on that.

[suncaptor]

hi! i hope you don't mind me asking, but i need a certified opinion on sam winchester and you seemed like the person to go to :D

could you rec me some good sam-centric fic & character studies? preferably for early seasons or pre-series?

i'm showing spn to a friend and they like sam a lot, but we are both. somewhat afraid to go into the tag lol. so I figured you could have something nice bookmarked or there's maybe a rec list i dont know about.

thanks!

Okay I actually mostly read later seasons Sam stuff (or at least s5+) because the more trauma the better <3 but here are some that are either sam studies that include earlier stuff or earlier/preseries (like kripke era)

DO check trigger warnings! since these are (mostly) pre hell (and I would not read w*) they aren't as bad as some of the sam & lucifer fics I'd share, but some still have different potentially triggering themes (like addiction, suicide, etc, so please just be careful! I'm assuming you can check the tags on ao3 <3)

also some are 18+, not sure your age but I don't personally want my followers talking to me about nsfw content if they are minors. so be wary around that too, but they're all outer links so ao3 will have them rated/stop you etc.

Sam w/ OCD rec list & my old Sam rec list

samjess

Sunlight by sp8ce, samjess

The first time Sam tastes blood it's human blood, and it feels like shame and the closest he has been to truly human wrapped up in one. He's never been so safe and in love. The second time it's electric and consuming. He has nothing left, but the desire to chase the power and hold on to the objective of revenge, only still connected at her touch. The third time, he's pretty sure it will kill him, burn him like purifying light from the inside out. --- An exploration of Sam and consuming blood. This work is the first time: with Jessica Moore.

also if you like samjess sp8ce has later seasons ghost samjess too&lt;3

sam & john

the type who doesn't burn by patrocluus

On a late October afternoon in 1997, John Winchester takes his son out into the woods and puts a bullet between his eyes.

make a mirror out of you by sp8ce - john kills jess (it's john pov though)

The thing about Jessica's death is that it makes Sa,m understand John more than anything else ever could and choose everything John's ever wanted Sam to choose. Azazel always seems to have John's silhouette.

sam / gen or multi

This Is the Way (The World Ends) by Lise

In Georgia hunting a skinwalker, Dean saw Sam. AU. Like, really.

Weblike Causality by sp8ce

Which came first? The fear or the inevitability?

instrument by sp8ce

Sam Winchester grasps with his own personhood.

Polaroid Sun Picture by sp8ce

Sam has been stalked his whole life in order to be manipulated into an instrument of his worst fears. He has no privacy to himself. He has no defence.

therefore I react by sp8ce

for a while, in the cage, all Sam sees is a tree.

(okay so I've tried to not give you any lucifer stuff but this one is a sam & learnt helplessness thesis for connecting past & present)

This Kid's Not Alright by safiyabat

What exactly did Sam get up to at Bobby's while Dean was at Sonny's? When John makes a very odd request of the older hunter, Bobby takes the boy into his home for a few months. It isn't an easy time for either of them.

the easy way out and the hardest part by queenbaskerville

Sam would rather die than be Lucifer's vessel. Lucifer will just resurrect him now, but there was a time before the seals were broken—a time before Sam broke the seals. To save the world, to save Dean—Sam knows what he has to do.

The Special Children by TheMightiestPen

After Dean reveals his Dad’s last words, he asks Sam to lay low for a while. This time, Sam says no. This time, Sam goes all in in his search for the other kids like him. S2 AU, for spnhiatuscreations on tumblr for week 5: favorite season.

sam & dean

Dear Abel by lowkey_existential_despair (it has samjess/early sam&dean basis okay)

It wasn’t always like this, is the thing. There used to be a time when caring about Dean was more than just a habit. There was a time, once, when seeing Dean with demon-black eyes would’ve been the worst thing in the world. But that was a long time ago. Now, he looks at this black-eyed version of Dean—wrapped in layers of chains, in pain, sobbing quietly—and he feels nothing. Nothing at all.

Purify by cenotaphy

"We know what happens when Sam drinks demon blood.

…but what happens when Sam drinks angel blood?"

Set at the end of season 4, before Sam gets out of the panic room.

Hell Fractal by sp8ce

Sam's last real memory is of Dean stabbing him after he let Lucifer out. Sam keeps, with varying levels of memory and awareness, waking up in the panic room. With Dean needing to kill him.

Man-in-the-middle by ambersock (who has some lovely fics <3)

Sam hears the driver’s side door open, hears footsteps approaching. He remembers that Dean still has Ruby’s demon-killing blade. Yet another voicemail fix-it.

The Choice by authoressnebula (authoressjean)

(this author has other early seasons sam&dean stuff)

One gun. One bullet. It's up to Sam and Dean to decide who will shoot the bullet…and who will die.

it’s not that i think i’m good, i know i’m evil by redskyatmorning

(author has good later seasons Sam stuff as well)

The conversation that leads up to Sam ending up in the panic room, again, to detox from demon blood.

Fade Far Away, Dissolve, and Quite Forget by Lise

You've seen isolation before, but not like this. It's not quite another hemisphere, but it's close enough.

Catharsis by BlueIris08

Sam copes with learning of Dean's promise to John in the classic Winchester way--with alcohol. Or, the drunken, angsty post-Croatoan/Hunted scene that didn't happen.

Don't Think Twice, It's All Right by WilsonTheMoose

In which Sam gets beaten up (rookie), Dean mentions the voicemail (idiot), and nothing really changes (figures). Fits into the first episode of season 5. For an anonymous prompt on tumblr asking for Dean hitting Sam in the earlier seasons. This is not quite what you wanted anon, sorry.

yeah, well, i don't want to by AreYouReady

He didn't do it on purpose. / Dean sabotages Jess's warding in pilot

Comets, Stars, Haunted Houses, and Other Things Best Observed from a Hundred Million Miles Away by occasionallyalways

See also: violent deaths; apologies; lightning. Or; Something happened in the panic room. Something went wrong. Dean finds out six years later.

sambrady

One to Save You by sp8ce

If Brady needs Sam, he'll be there immediately.

The Piece You're Missing by sp8ce

Brady can't seem to figure out why Sam won't give up on him. They have a conversation where he tries to dissect and understand why.

Out by TheMightiestPen (also sam&dean)

A god-possessed witch reveals a secret that Sam’s been keeping for a long time. The brothers handle it like mature, well-adjusted adults, for once.

sastiel

Grace (made perfect in weakness) by Sidewoundcore (CherryHollow)

After he is freed from the panic room, Castiel, rather than Ruby, is the first person to find Sam. In the end, it changes nothing at all.

atrophy & other stories by saintsurvivor

early seasons sastiel that is sam centric

Monster by Ginipig (voicemail fic so mostly sam&dean)

After everything that happened between him and Dean with the breaking of the final seal, Sam is having trouble moving on. Dean's weird, sort-of helpful angel friend wants to know why.

Not that it's any of his damned business.

Comfort by Never_x_Better

Sam's being tormented by Lucifer and Castiel just wants to help him. Nightmares, blood addiction, hallucinations, and fluff ends up leading the two friends down an interesting path.

Wishing Is Cold This Year by Lise

Dean has his head rather determinedly up his ass, so it falls to Castiel to take this one. Post 5.03ish.

what did you bury / before those hands pulled me from the earth? by starlightswait

It’s the strangest thing. Sam’s in the Cage. And then he’s not.

(technically post kripke but it's my favourite sastiel &lt;;3)

Ruby Red by sp8ce (also samruby but I don't read or write a lot of samruby)

An exploration of Sam and consuming blood. This work has Sam reminiscing on Ruby. He then has more blood forced upon him by some hunters who think they can purify him. (can be read standalone or in series)

[dracofeathers]

Calling Fic Writers! Story Idea? -Angst-

If this is already something someone has made, ya'll need to link me ASAP cause its been rotting in my brain all week (if not longer) and I very highly doubt I'd ever be able to write it properly LOL. Art? Maybe...

Please excuse my scatterbrained explanation. I'll probably be adding to this as my little angst-loving brain thinks of more details.

-----

So, after x amount of time, Aziraphale returns/escapes to the bookshop from Heaven and being Supreme Archangel....just completely defeated, dazed, exhausted and just about broken/verge of breakdown. I've pictured the scene with or without his wings. Crowley and Muriel are there (or at least Crowley) and are understandably surprised/confused.

He just collapses in a sobbing heap muttering and crying "I'm sorry" "Please" "You/we can't do this" "Why" "I don't want to fall" among other unintelligible words, but doesn't seem to quite be with it enough to attempt to explain whats going on. Maybe he'd gain very slight, brief clarity upon seeing Crowley (who has also been a mess), keeps apologizing, begging for forgiveness (from him? Her? Both? Maybe) until finally passing out.

Of course Crowley steps up and tries to take care of him, and figure out whats going on. Because no matter how mad he might get at Aziraphale, how hurt he was by the end of S2, he'll always return and help his angel, because he loves him. Also I'm positive Crowley already knows Aziraphale didn't make that choice easily, that he hurt the angel as well. Bountiful soft, care-taking Crowley here because I live for it.

Eventually when Azi is a bit more stable, (as he would often rotate between quiet desolate/defeated shell shock, and near hysterical crying in fear and grief) Crowley gets bits and pieces of what happened out of him.

The "Supreme Archangel" position was merely a sort of placeholder/fake title, not an actual promotion. Because why would they want to actually give Aziraphale that kind of power to potentially use against them and their plans? He was dangerous enough

The Metatron (and other angels) lied/manipulated Aziraphale the whole time to get him to do what he/heaven wanted. And to of course separate him and Crowley. Possible eventual threats towards Crowley and others to keep Azi "in line". Book of life?

Plans of course include the second coming as it was mentioned, but I'm sure there are others mixed in. More apocalypse starting schemes etc. Never really give the full details and kept the real plans secret. Jesus only mentioned, never seen (very suspicious). Azi tries to investigate but keeps getting interrupted or thwarted. Kept a very close eye on.

Much gaslighting/mental and emotional abuse and manipulation, slowly wearing Aziraphale down in order to break and better control him. No erasing/changing of memories cause its over done to me.

God is still MIA and no one knows whats going on with Her. The Metatron says he speaks with Her, but lets face it he can't be trusted. Definitely scheming on his own with others, maybe Hell as well?

Aziraphale never falls of course, I couldn't do that to our precious angel. He'd be traumatized enough anyway.

Aziraphale tries to be a good angel so bad it hurts, wants to believe in Heaven and "The Great Plan" but is only ever hurt and betrayed for all his efforts up there.

I WILL MAKE THESE TWO WILL HAVE A PROPER TALK I SWEAR

--------

I just really love hurt/comfort, angst and them taking loving tender care of each other. They would have a happy ending of course. This is how I cope until season 3, don't judge me xD

Also, what I was listening to during this ramble:

[yanderes-galore]

Could you do your prompts 34, 36, and 57 for TMNT 2012 Karai!?

Of course! I love Karai :'). I got help from @okchijt again for the plot! At this point they're sort of like a coauthor for some stories 😅 This takes place/based around Season 3 so it mentions Snake Karai. Darling also already knows Karai by the time the story takes place. I tweaked the original plot given a bit.

Yandere! 2012! Karai Prompts 34, 36, 57

"No one else understands me except you!"

"I'd hate to hurt you but... if you keep this up I might have to."

"You're stuck with me, like it or not."

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Kidnapping implied, Obsession, Stalking, Manipulation, Violence, Forced relationship.

The turtles have always prioritized your safety. Why would they not? They've been your friends ever since you met them with April.

As a result, you've heard of Karai multiple times from them. She's Splinter's original child, a sister of the turtles... and now a mutant snake. Your knowledge of Karai was very limited but you had met her a few times.

It was always brief... but far as you knew associating with her wasn't safe. According to the turtles she was part of The Foot Clan. For the longest time you associated her with danger.

Even when she knew the truth that Shredder was not her father, the alliance you held between you two was thin. Before the mutation incident, before the invasion of New York, you were just beginning to see Karai as a friend.

It hurt you a little to see it happen. You had just gotten over your fear of Karai. Karai even showed some genuine care for you and the others. Although... maybe a bit too much towards you.

You see, even if you were scared and distanced yourself from Karai, you never blamed her. You understand the influence Shredder has on people. You understand it's all she's ever known.

Even when you befriended her you told her that. You told her you know she never meant to hurt her family. For that... you forgive her.

While Leonardo holds a similar view, Karai sees him as a brother. You, on the other hand... she appears to see you as so much more. You just had no idea how much until much later.

To you, you saw her as a friend. Someone you slowly began to trust. She's someone you care for because the turtles do.

Even before Karai's mutation and the Invasion, she never got to tell you how she truly felt. You were already being dragged away by the turtles. She watched you from afar in her snake state, yet felt torn when she couldn't follow you after the Invasion. She wishes she could... but she didn't want to hurt you.

You and Karai didn't see each other until months later. You were still trying to get used to life away from the farm house, although you were happy when the turtles pushed the Krang out of your home. You're thankful to them for protecting you even after all that's happened.

So when they bring up finding Karai again, you quickly join the hunt.

By this point you miss Karai even if you don't know her 100%. A pang of guilt rings in your gut when you think of what she's gone through. Such a thought is enough to push you into looking for her.

The turtles promised to protect you even now when looking for Karai. You don't know the state of her mind, which means the turtles try to stick with you as much as possible. Unfortunately... your plans can always be interrupted.

Rocksteady and Bebop are also ones hunting Karai down. As a result, you became separated from the turtles much to your dismay. They said they'd handle the two, meanwhile you just needed to get to safety. You wish you stayed with April and Casey....

Maybe your separation was fate, as Karai watched you from close-by. Despite her unstable mind, Karai remembers you. She remembers when you were dragged out of the city, she remembers your concern, she remembers how you understand her...

She remembers you're important.

Karai is not blind to the danger you and her are in. If she leaves you alone, Rocksteady and Bebop may harm you. The snake stalks you like a predator... slivering just out of sight while you nervously look for somewhere to go.

Then the snake strikes.

You try to scream but the snake mutant covers your mouth. She can only momentarily swap between snake and human currently, but she tries her best to hold her human form. Your eyes widen when you see her true form and she catches you mumbling her name.

"Stay silent..." She hisses. "I want to protect you."

Talking to you is a pain but she manages. She slips off you and encourages you to follow. You look towards the direction of the turtles and shake your head.

"Karai... where are we going!?"

"Somewhere safe. It's been so long since I've seen you...."

"We have to help the others!" You reason, Karai shakes her head in response.

"They can handle themselves."

"Why am I suddenly your top priority!?"

Karai goes silent before she looks back at you. Her reptilian eyes hold a sadness and frustration in them as she grabs your arm.

"No one else understands me except you!"

Your heart hurts a bit when she says that but you shake your head. You can't go with her. You'd be betraying your friends.

"I'm not going with you, Karai. I'd be betraying the turtles if I left without saying anything. They'd get the wrong idea-"

"Fine." Karai hisses, her form swapping to that of the snake mutant you've been looking for. "I'll just take you with me anyway."

"Karai!?"

The snake lunges for you, quickly constricting your body to the point you can barely breathe. Karai understands the turtles will come to find you at any second. As of now... she doesn't wish to see them in such a state.

She hopes you can help her out if she just takes you with her.

You call for help, you plead against her. Karai only covers your mouth and hisses in your ear.

"I'd hate to hurt you but... if you keep this up I might have to."

The threat to be compliant doesn't seem to work, which leads to Karai constricting you tighter. Karai knows this may be wrong, but all she can focus on is taking you away. Your scent plagues her nose and she squeezes the breathe out of you until you're limp.

Your vision is swimming with black dots, you look around only to see the turtles at a distance. Yet before you give into the darkness of suffocation, you catch Karai say something before letting go.

"You're stuck with me, like it or not."

You reach out weakly to the turtles but they're too far away. The action only alerts Karai to the threat and you feel yourself being dragged away.

You're barely able to feel the dread coursing through your body as you give into unconsciousness.

[jedi-lothwolf]

Whump The Musical Day 1: Cats (Second Chance)

Fandom: The Bad Batch

Summary: After everything, Crosshair still doesn't know what to say to his brothers when he sees them again.

Note: This story takes place at the end of Season 3 episode 4, A Different Approach

There the Marauder was. What now, Crosshair thought to himself. What does he say to them? Will they even want him back? Not knowing how his brothers would react to seeing him again, was unsettling.

As Crosshair landed the ship, Omega ran towards the door. She was so ready to see them again. They were her family. The men were also his family. Yet he had hurt them, over and over. Some of it was his chose, some not.

That didn't matter. A million things ran through his head. With nothing to say, the clone walked towards the door. It's now or never.

With every step, his fears started to invade him. What if they didn't give his a second chance? They had betrayed each other. They left wounds that didn't heal easily on each other's hearts. Some were scarred while others were still bleeding.

He could hear them now. Even if Crosshair couldn't understand what they were saying, he knew they were happy to have Omega back.

Batcher stood beside him. She rubbed up against his leg, trying to provide a sense of comfort to him. The hound walked out with him onto the ramp.

Watching his brothers tense up at the sight of him, hurt. It hurt more then it should have. There was a time where he wouldn't have cared; where he may have even smiled. Now it felt like someone had grabbed his heart and lungs and held them hostage.

Once apon a time, Crosshair had tried to give them a second chance. He offered them a way into the empire, a place he once believed in. He didn't expect to be forgiven.

"Crosshair." There was so much distrust in Hunter's voice. It looked like he froze, like he was faced with an enemy he didn't know how to defeat.

Wrecker didn't say anything at first. Instead, he looked him up and down. It looked like had been though a lot. Of course he already knew about the burn scar on the side of his head. But it was more then that. He looked tired. The man watched as Crosshair's hand shook. He took note of the fact that he looked sick and had lost weight since Kamino. Even through all the clothes, Wrecker knew.

After everything that had happened, everything they had put each other though, maybe it was time to bury that hatchet. The man looked back at Hunter and shook his head gently. Hunter did always have a difficult time trusting people.

With everything they had lost, losing Crosshair wouldn't help them. They had already lost one brother, he wouldn't do it again. In the end, Wrecker had always loved him, even when he was shooting at them.

Turning back to Crosshair, Wrecker started to speak. "Hey" he said. The sniper didn't say anything.

Unsure if what to say, Crosshair just stood there. Wrecker looked deal in thought and Hunter looked as if he may kill him.

Crosshair and Wrecker made eye contact. Neither man broke it. They both saw the fear and pain the other carried.

"I believe in second chances." Wrecker smiled softly. "I want to give you one. You're my brother, Cross. If you'll take us, I'd be happy to have you back."

The man stood there. For the first time in a while, he took a step towards them. Crosshair felt like he was going to cry. After everything he had done to them, to the people around him, Wrecker was so ready to take him back. He wanted to give him the second chance he didn't think he deserved.

No he knew he didn't deserve it. Crosshair had killed innocent people. He had done terrible things. He didn't deserve the kindness that Wrecker looked at him with or the sympathy he had in his eyes.

Their oldest brother sighed, "alright." Unclenching his fist, Hunter tilted his head towards the Marauder. "Come on. We have your gear in the ship."

"Most of your toothpicks too!" Wrecker joked.

Crosshair walked up to him. Standing in front of Wrecker, his eyes started to water. Without enough time to stop him, the man wrapped his arms around his big brother. He sobbed into his chest, holding him as tight, if not tighter, then when they would hold each other in the worst moments of the war.

Surprised, Wrecker held him. Hunter, who had been walking back to the ship, snapped his head up. It wasn't often that Crosshair cried. Some of the anger that had built in his heart, dissolved.

"Let's, give them a moment" Hunter said as he stopped Omega from running over to the others. Batcher ran up to her and Hunter just looked at her. As they walked to the ship he said, "tell me about the hound."

Minutes went by. Wrecker just held him. Every now and again he would whisper something reassuring.

"I don't deserve this" Crosshair finally made at words though his sobs.

"It think you do. You didn't deserve what happened to you, even if I don't know what it is. But, let us help you heal."

As Crosshair started to breathe easier, he loosened his grip on his brother. Looking at him, he sighed. "Where did you learn that?" he half joked.

"Echo actually" Wrecker kind of chuckled. "Welcome home Cross."

@whumpthemusical

[arthurtaylorlester]

whispers into your inbox "jmart was the worst thing that could have happened in tma; it wrecked Jon's character and is the most transparent 'how do we not have our mc become suicidal?' I have ever seen. TMA then falls into the hole of the only important or good enough relationships being romantic, discarding previous character development to throw everything into romance solves all ~ ♡ I hate it and I hate how much Jon is woobified and infantilized in the fandom to drool over Martin and I hate how everyone acts like their relationship is good, when I think either of them with 5 years of a normal life would realize how awful the relationship was for both of them." Anyway lol I expect no response or post of this I am just being spicey on anon

oh anon you thought i was gonna see a take like this and not post it?

i need you to out yourself to me because goddamn this is an interesting take!

look, i love jmart, but even with 5 seasons of development they still somehow managed to feel rushed?

i disagree in that their relationship being unhealthy is a bad thing for them, because like the appeal of podcasts for me is the fucked up relationships. fucked up characters = fucked up relationships, yknow? like john and arthur from malevolent, normally, they'd hate each other without much of a second thought, but that's not the point, they love each other despite that, and that kind of extends to jmart for me.

i also totally agree with the fandom criticism, woobifying jon is like the only tma content i see on twt and it is soooooo annoying.

my personal qualms with tma however is in part the lore decisions and how the fandom treats the lore (and also the whole podcast).

s1 is easily the best season, mostly because you have no fucking idea what's going on, but after s2 things really start feeling like they're being drawn out, at least to me? like i think season 3-4 couldve been one thing, and um. season 5 is fun if you like jmart and the eye ig. i know most of this is a gross oversimplification (not forgetting yall basira&daisy fans) but after the core cast of season 1-2 i could not really get the other characters being fundamental in the story (not georgie. i love georgie)

don't get me wrong, the not-sasha arc was amazing! but after tim died, and martin fucked off for most of a season being sad, i was a bit bored. the buried isnt interesting to me sorry.

and also they under-utilize basically every fear, including the eye, and the one that upsets me the most is the stranger. oh what is it? circus and clowns ig. LIKE OPEN UP YOUR EYES THE WORLD IS OPEN TO YOU THE UNCANNY VALLEY AS SO MANY NICHES PLEASE

and by the end of the show, it just feels like they keep rotating the same 3 fears, and the others just kind fade into the bg

and then there's the fandom. i'm sorry but some of you guys act like tma is the end-all-be-all of fiction horror podcasts. when it's just not. sorry, but the magnus archives, after s1, just isnt scary. you know what's going on, the fears! which are neatly tied into these categories of oddities!

and the show explicitly states that the 14 fears categorization is arbitrary and that they all bleed into one another, but the fandom just. ignores that? like i've heard so many people go to other podcasts and say ''oh x is so eye avatar-coded!!'' and then x just has some vague eye symbolism that isnt even the point (this is about arthur lester)

and like i don't understand how tma manages to be the most mainstream fiction podcast nowadays, when welcome to night vale is right there ! and yes, i am implying that wtnv is objectively better than tma, because wtnv despite running for 12 goddamn years has never bored me with an episode, and it has roughly the same amounts of episodes! they both have similar formats that could repetitive quick (radio show vs statements) and even though i'd say statements have more creative freedom, wtnv still manages to not be boring. this might also just be a fact of better and more varied authors but hey, this is just my opinion

i want it to be clear that i'm not trying to start discourse, i still like tma! the fanartists are some of the most talented artists i've seen, and the fics are just aughhhhhhhhhhhh /pos

[a-linearis]

an appreciation post: jet siquliak

dedicated to: the friend who introduced me to tpp a few months ago

I really, really like Jet Siquliak.

He's probably the first character of anything ever I'd say I "kin" (if i'm understanding the term correctly)

Season 3 of the penumbra podcast was so good in the way that it experimented with the perspectives of the members of the Carte Blanche but Jet's just hit different oml

He is just so wise and intelligent, I find his rare sense of humour (and the way Juno interacts with it) hilarious! Him and M'tendere was just something else, like them two trying to battle with their own sense of guilt and trying to fix their wrongs, like d a m n. When M'tendere dies (spolier!) I couldn't believe it. I just couldn't.

Jet's voice is also just really nice to listen to.

His friendship with Rita is so wholesome, I love how they seem to balance each other out perfectly (Him and Rita watching conspiracy theory documentaries lmao), and his friendship with BUDDY AURINKO has literally become my model for any relationship I'd like to have with anyone, like, ever. Their friendship literally makes my heart ache, it's so well done, they know each other so well and they can always pick each other back up. ("Hi, this is Jet, your friend of 8 years" lol)

Jet as the "Unnatural Disaster" is also something I really like exploring (especially when i'm daydreaming lol). He's suppressing a part of himself, in fear that he's going to get out of control and hurt someone/cause problems, and for some reason, I found myself relating to the feeling of having to stop yourself/suppress parts of yourself that are deemed/you deem unacceptable (idk what this has to say about me oops-)

He's also AROACE like when he mentioned that to M'tendere, I was fully gasped, in public. As an ace + demiromantic person I was like "IS THIS FOR REAL??? FOR REAL???". And it's just so nice seeing an aroace person forming amazing, meaningful relationships that aren't sexual/romantic. Nice :)

we love jet siquiiak, we appreciate jet siquliak

thank you to the penumbra podcast!

[loveyougoodbi]

You know I've been wondering...with all the Carlos is the better driver, Ferrari fired the wrong one bullshit, and Sainz camp absolute zooming on his underdog-ness, will this fly if he's at RedBull? Will people start saying Carlos is better than Max 3 time world chanpion, 19/22 race wins, 10 consecutive wins, most points in a season Verstappen because he won in Singapore?

On the other hand, if Carlos does well in a Adrian Newey rocketship, I fear people will start saying he was better than Charles all along, which is ridiculous more than it is infuriating.

What do you think?

Helloo lovely, thank you for the message, this is probably gonna be shorter than I'd usually do bc I need to go to bed but ill try

So, first of all, and most important, this is a lot of what ifs. Starting with Carlos going to Red Bull. I know Christian has been mentioning it but at this point I really don't think it's gonna happen. For now I see Checo extending with Red Bull for one more year if he continues to drive like he has the past 4 races.

Now that that is out of the way:

We need to understand that this propaganda that we are seeing now is exactly that - propaganda. Anything that is said during these few months about Carlos is said in order to get him a good seat. If Carlos was not in such a situation I do not think the talks you mentioned would be so pronounced. If the flashing newsworthy "Ferrari fired the wrong driver" headline didn't exist no one would care enough to spread such rhetoric. The articles would not get popular. No one would read since there would be no story. All this is happening because Carlos was fired (he was not actually fired he just didn't extend the contract) and because Carlos is looking for a team.

So I think that if he joins red bull, the story will be over. The team hunting will be done and dusted, there would be no need for such headlines. Of course, there will be the usual "will we finally get a title fight in red bull" but that would happen with any top driver going to Red Bull right now. It happened last year with Checo at the beginning. Everyone kept over estimating Checo bc he won some races and everyone was expecting a title fight when in fact.... the title fight was non existed because Checo is simply not on Max's level. So I think these conversations would for sure be present if Carlos joins Red bull. Would they be saying that he is better? Maybe. For the headlines and for the drama. But just like right now it is obvious this is not true (and IT IS obvious if you watch the races) it will be obvious then too. Simple as that.

And yes, if Carlos does good in the Red Bull they will say that he is better than Charles but such is the sport and we can not do anything about it until Charles is also in the red bull. Which can't happen. So there is no need to worry about something that a) hasn't happened yet (and probably will not) and b) is in the nature of the sport and we can't do anything about.

And most importantly we should not let any of this get to us. We know who the better driver is. Their clickbait articles and obvious fishing for sponsors do not interest me. I know who my drivers are and I believe in them. And I will always support them.

Just kidding this is still long jxjsnd

Hope I answered your question 😌

[piracytheorist]

hiiii. this is kinda random but just wanted to say I'm starting to understand you going anime only for SxF. I watched S1 blind, then bcs I craved more I read the manga. Now bcs I know what happens, watching S2 has less exciting effect for me (?) Don't get me wrong I'm still so excited and the animation/voice is stunning, but it would be nice to experience the story for the first time again. anyway it's impressive you got to stay committed to anime only! sorry for rambling in your inbox ;-;

Hi, and no worries, I appreciate the message! Ramble in my inbox whenever :D

And yeah, the feeling you describe is exactly what I fear I'll feel if I go manga first anime second. It even happened with the bullet in butt date episode, since I'd read the chapter already, it impacted my enjoyment of it a bit. I ended up comparing it a lot to the manga and this interfered with my immersion. Funny thing is, any time I read a chapter that I'd already watched in anime, this didn't happen. I was able to enjoy anime and manga both, without interference.

That said, the one other chapter I'd already read before it was adapted was the one where Nightfall visits the Forgers for the first time. While once again I ended up comparing the anime to the manga a lot, after a couple months that feeling went away and now I can enjoy rewatching the episode without making any comparisons. So I'm hoping that after a while I'll be able to enjoy the bullet in butt date episode on its own merit, and maybe it will feel the same for you!

I think it's a testament to the quality and heart of the story, that we want to experience it for the first time all over again. If you're caught up with the manga it'll probably take a few years for the anime to catch up, but if you want to also go anime-only I will probably be here for... well, a long time 😂 one of the worst parts about being anime only is that I have next to no-one to talk about it, and I can't search for posts here or anywhere else because most fans read the manga and avoiding spoilers is impossible, even when you tell people you're avoiding manga spoilers. I'm pretty sure a few of my followers here secretly want to nudge me to catch up with the manga 🤣 So yeah, one of the things that kept me an anime only was the hope that I may provide some company to a fellow anime only 🤣

And look, I totally get you. I'm honestly surprised myself I made it all the way here and only indulged myself once, and only for a couple pages from a certain chapter after I saw some spoilers. When season one ended last December I actually expected I'd break and read through at least a couple arcs into the manga. So the temptation certainly isn't small!

I would say, find the way that makes you enjoy it more and take that. I enjoy the story told through anime more, but not when I get a ton of spoilers here and there, so I have to accept that I will have very limited interactions with fellow fans for years on end, as I don't see the story ending soon, and the anime will need one to two years (if not more) to catch up once the manga ends. So that's something to consider. On the other hand, keeping a distance from chapters you've already read may help you enjoy the respective episodes more. Like, the more time passes from a manga chapter you've read, the more immersed you may be by the adapted anime episode. Idk if you wanted advice, but I thought I could share some thoughts XD In any case, feel free to share with me whenever! I love talking about everything sxf <3

[kaitcake1289]

i love your MQ art so much and i love seeing it in the tags! how have you been liking S3 so far?

first of all thank you so much anon! secondly you did not ask me to rant about this season but its the perfect opportunity to so forgive me lol

so far this season has unfortunately felt really off for me (save for the first 2 eps + most of the christmas ep + sarian) and now this may just be me being overly critical since these characters are so near and dear to me but here are what i think are some of the main flaws with this season:

the constant metaverse and nft promotion. this one is the most evident and the main reason why the first half of this season feels like a miss for me. it becomes a problem when every single character is shown openly endorsing anything crypto related, even characters that would realistically never in a million years like nfts (rachel mythic quest im looking at you) and the one character who is at all negative about nfts gets sent down to the basement never to be seen again. they even state in show how nfts have done explicitly good things! (giving carol a promotion) now i understand that this may have some part to do with ubisoft's involvement in the show and how pro-nft they are but if they weren't gonna do a fair honest critique about the subject of nfts/the metaverse i'd rather them not do it at all!

scrapping the foundation made in season 2. now listen i really didn't like them basically throwing away rachel's writer arc, brad's reserved janitor act and hera entirely AND HEAR ME OUT it could've worked a lot better if they stretched out this development over the course of the season but it all just feels soooo rushed. like take hera for example, the decision for poppy to give it all up could've had a much better effect if the game was shown more to be a primary focus of the season (an issue that's the next point) to up the emotional attachment the audience can foster for the game, theres so much they could’ve shown of poppy genuinely pouring her heart out into the flawless system shes constructing all to the build up that thats all the game can really be, a system, missing that it factor. with brad he essentially reverts back to the HOMIE with extra steps in less than 3 episodes, which is a bummer since seeing brad coming into the season humbled, confined to a role with significantly less power could've built on that fear, that grasp for control and even his raw power, HOMIE or not. with rachel as well scrapping her writer arc felt forced especially after the heartfelt speech she gave to see her giving up essentially because she wasn't excelling right away

too much happening and yet not enough somehow???? episode 3 and 4 especially feel really short to me like they feel like filler which i would be okay with but as the season stood we had also so many arcs being set up, janitor brad, david being in charge, grimpop, and a whole movie but it felt like all of it was the B plot for me at least

I'm not saying the season doesn't have things it does right; jos character this season has been the funniest shes ever been + some bits were really funny + the christmas episode and sarian helped me like the season a lot more (mostly bc those eps were detached from the main plot and were about the characters) and the cast stay stunning but yea. im curious to know others thoughts on the season and whether you agree though!

tldr more like midthic quest am i right /hj

[go-to-the-mirror]

FUCK YEAH PANOPTICON TIME!

Firstly, this is my favourite almost season finale, like, the whole thing has so much going on (good), we get a resolution to Daisy and Basira's stuff, an actual culmination of 3 or 4 seasons of wondering about the circumstances of Gertrude's death (i love the future gertrude stuff, i do, but i'd be fine if she didn't show up in tape again after this episode), the revelation of Elias being Jonah Magnus, Martin's stuff is delt with, that moment when Elias laughs.

It's phenomenal. I just had to get out that it's phenomenal.

Now, @a-mag-a-day, the antepenultimate episode of season 4. Panopticon.

Let's go.

I think you should also know that I have my cat lying next to me :3 He's really cute.

MARTIN That's a Leitner. PETER It is! MARTIN And the, um… the blood on it? PETER (Cheerfully) That's Leitner too!

I love this part, it's very funny. You know, I will never understand those who hate Peter Lukas with the same vitriol as I hate Elias with. Peter's voice is just really nice okay. I sort of find myself... liking him. He's fun, I don't know.

NOT-SASHA So you finally decided to let me out, Jon? (Calling) Jooooon? (Beat) Who's there? (Martin's terrified breathing can be heard) Who let me out? Don't be shy… I just want to say thank you.

Martin's terrified breathing was heard. Good lord, 10/10 great terrified breathing. I'm guessing that Martin and/or Peter used their spooky, lonely powers and hid from her.

PETER Make sure everyone is too busy to follow us. They'll be fine. Probably. You could still go help them. If you insist. (Beat) (Martin lets out a resigned breath) (Satisfied) Very good. Come on.

I mean, he's still a bastard, I just don't hate him.

PETER Why'd you think this was chosen as the Institute's location when the prison closed? It's a significant site of power for the Beholding. From the tower in the centre of this room, you can see everything.

So, quick little... fun facts, I suppose. Milbank Prison was first designed by Jeremy Bentham, and it was meant to be a panopticon prison, guarded by just one person who could see anything - but not everything. None of the inmates would know if they were being watched so, Bentham theorised, the inmates would act as if they were being watched all the time. The prison guard who watched the inmates would in turn not know when they were being watched by the general public and public officials. Bentham intended for this to be used as a solution for the question:"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?", who guards the guards, who watches the watchers?

There's a whole lot more about the panopticon as a thing, but I'm actually pretty interested in it and I know I'll get dragged into a little research spiral, so instead, more about the prison itself.

The site of Milbank Prison was bought in 1799 by Jeremy Bentham, and the panopticon plan was abandoned in 1812. There was a competition for who's prison design would be built on the site, and William Williams' won, and was adapted by Thomas Hardwick. After 18 months, Hardwick resigned and was replaced with John Harvey. In 1815, Harvey was dismissed and Robert Smirke took his place, completing it in 1821. The prison closed in 1890, and demolished on and off till it was finally gone in 1903.

This all to say, that I think Jonah Magnus attempted The Watcher's Crown around 1890, because he said he moved it to London after it failed.

I convinced Smirke to work on Millbank, leading him to design it as a temple to all the Fears in equilibrium, such that my own modifications to the design of the Panopticon went… unremarked. It. Took. Years, for the dread of the prisoners that passed through to fully suffuse the place, and I was an old man by the time I made my first attempt at the Watcher’s Crown, sat in the centre of that colossal eye, the great ring of cells encircling me like a coronet. It was… flawed, of course, as all Smirke’s rituals were, and none of the inmates survived as the power I attempted to harness shook the building almost to pieces, and the murky swamp upon which the prison was built consumed it. But it left me a gift: For sat in that watchtower, I could see everything I turned my mind to. It was a dizzying power, and one I discovered I maintained even as I found vessels to extend my life. Of course, I had to make sure the location was kept under my control while I worked on revising my plans, and so I moved the organization I had founded to assist in my research down to London, and the Institute as you know it, was born.

(MAG 160)

However, this does say "the dread of the prisoners that passed through" so it could have been in the 1840s and 50s, when Milbank was a holding prison for convicts going to be transported.

I just want a timeframe. But, I mean, if we did get one it would probably be contradicted to hell and back (/lh /nsrs).

PETER I don't mean the cells, Martin! I mean everything. Come on. Mind your step, this comes from an era before safety rails.

I think safety rails were first used in the 1930s, but don't quote me on that. Meaning, yes, this does probably come from an era before safety rails.

PETER Jonah Magnus! His body at least. Sitting here, watching. Binding it all together, growing ever older. If you want to take his place, well… MARTIN I'll need to kill him. PETER Yes. Don't worry, though, I brought a knife.

I feel like you're going to need to start carrying a knife if you work at the Magnus Institute. I mean, it's illegal to carry a knife of certain sizes of varieties (no switchblades!), it's also just illegal to carry any knife without good reason and "I have a high risk of death to supernatural creatures at my archiving job" probably doesn't cut it. Still, Jon bought a knife back in season 2. Jon bought an axe back in season 2, how the hell did he carry it around without raising quite a bit of suspicion?

MARTIN Where are his eyes? [A footstep] ELIAS Exactly where they've always been, Martin. (Martin gasps) Watching over my Institute.

That's such a cool line!! Also, uh:

But he remembers so clearly what he was thinking as he looked at what was left of Allan Schrieber: where are his eyes? What did they do with his eyes?

(MAG 193)

It just immediately got me thinking about that line.

BASIRA And you're sure? ARCHIVIST Yes, I'm sure it wasn't here before! BASIRA It's just that there's a lot of tapes around. ARCHIVIST And I don't keep any of them with the key to the tunnels. It's been left for me. DAISY And it says 'play me'. Kind of suspicious.

IM SORRY, THERE'S JSUT A LITTLE TAPE WITH A STICKY NOTE ON IT SAYING "PLAY ME" AND BASIRA THINKS IT COULD HAVE BEEN THERE BEFORE?? IM SORRY IM JUST DYING OVER HERE

GERTRUDE (Disparagingly) I'm not really in the mood for nostalgia, Elias. You might have noticed I'm rather busy so either shoot me or— [A gunshot rings out; Gertrude gasps and collapses] GERTRUDE Well… (gasp) there it is. (gasp) Thought it would hurt more. (Elias sighs) ELIAS Pity.

I really love that we get to hear what I thought - and to be honest, kind of hoped - was the last Gertrude tape in this context.

Like, everything's coming to a head, here and now in this episode. Peter's plan with The Extinction, whatever Elias' deal was (actually Jonah Magnus), Daisy's whole thing, and finally hearing Gertrude's death here was just amazing! Like, we take all the plot stuff, we throw it in one episode, this is our Unknowings, our Hide and Seek, our Infestation.

Then, there's The Last that's like, ok we get the emotional resolution between Jon and Martin and Martin's whole lonely thing, finally and then we're like yeah, the next one's always a bit more of a resolution, but Jonah Magnus is planning someone, ahaha Peter what did you MEAN "he got you"? WHAT???

But, focusing on Gertrude's death... I... ok, look, I'm going to grab messages I sent to my friends, because I can't explain how much I love Panopticon and Gertrude's death scene here.

Her [Gertrude's] ending in panopticon is PERFECT like, that's the End of gertrude robinson And i liked the bits we got of her in mag 161, 162, and 167 But i REALLY like just like that ending, the whole "who killed Gertrude Robinson", "what was Gertrude Robinson's whole deal", all the mysteries about Gertrude Robinson just wrapped up neatly in a noose around her neck If you're listening to tma for gertrude, PANOPTICON IS LAST Like oohhhh words cannot describe how much I LOVE the placement of the tape with gertrude's murder Panopticon is SUCH a good episode Like, The Last was our emotional resolution, The Eye Opens was our Jonny comes into our houses and fucking MURDERS us episode, but Panopticon was our original recording episode and <33 It's like!!! - Martin MAKING HIS CHOICE - THE GERTRUDE TAPE - Jon FINALLY GETTING TO SAVE MARTIN LOVE THE GAYS - Daisy giving into the hunt - LITERALLY EVERYONE AT ONCE ATTACKING THEM

Do you understand me? I hope you understand me.

ELIAS (Faux-hurt) Peter. PETER (Cold) Elias.

*deadpan* The joys of marriage.

PETER We're the same, you and I. We don't need anyone else. Watching from a distance, that's always who you've been. Haven't you enjoyed it these last few months, drifting through the Archives unseen, unjudged? You'll like it in there. I promise. MARTIN Yeah. Yeah, I think I would.

When you're numb from the cold, it feels better to be in the cold then to be warm and defrost. And if you do get warmed up, but can't stay warm for long enough it does more damage. But you've got to get to the warmth eventually. It's going to kill you out there, in the cold because it's safer than getting hurt.

Would you prefer it there? Maybe. It's numb. It doesn't sting. "But as with all [...] that promises respite, it is a trap."

ARCHIVIST Do ah… do I get a gun? BASIRA You ever fired one? ARCHIVIST (Indignant) You never taught me!

I just like the way Jon says it. Gosh, they're all having the absolute worst days, aren't they.

NOT-SASHA Hello, Jon. DAISY Oh, shit. ARCHIVIST You gotta be fucking kidding—

If there was any place for swearing it is definitely in this situation where everything that (he knows) could have gone wrong HAS gone wrong. Like, just, absolute worst time over here.

I love it when Jon just gets fed up. Like, when in 107 where he was just like "so, kidnapped. again." and the whole "how embarrassing for you". Just like, fuck yea dude, be a bit of a bastard when there are many, many, MANY things trying to kill you.

BASIRA God dammit. Jon, go, we'll keep them busy. ARCHIVIST What? No! I— BASIRA Don't argue. Just go! NOT-SASHA (Distant) Joooon? ARCHIVIST Fine. Just don't die. DAISY Go.

I think it's really nice that... i dunno, they told him to run, they risked their lives for martin, someone who they thought was "working for the enemy" or whatever. especially for basira.

MARTIN It's not him! It's not anybody. It's just me. Always has been. I... When I first came to you, I thought I had lost everything. John was dead, my mother was dead, the job I had put everything into had trapped me into spreading evil and I… I really didn't care what happened to me. I told myself I was trying to protect the others, but honestly we didn't even like each other. Maybe I just thought joining up with you would be a good way to get killed.

I really didn't appreciate Martin enough on my first listen. I was just... so caught up in the whole... Jon thing. He was my favourite since about episode 30. I liked Martin fine, I really liked Helen, but most of the characters I liked was done through the context of... loving Jon. Just really couldn't see past him.

And then... so I was talking to my friend about how Jon has adhd because I'm projecting, and it brought up that Martin's got that social anxiety & depression combo. And as I read those quotes that she collected, I realised he was right, and I realised I knew him. And from that day forth, I began to love Martin K Blackwood.

Then I listened to recollection on the bus and started crying.

So, this is my first listen where I know Martin. I'm not entirely sure what to say about this, I just... poor guy. I get him :(

And then… Jon came back, and… and suddenly I had a reason.

A WHAT?

Funny. Looks like I was right the first time. It's probably still a good way to get killed.

I'm sad. I'm sad about him. God, I just wanna give him a hug or something

ELIAS Your choice. Just make sure to leave the door open.

the fucking. the fucking. door.

(Elias lets out a long, triumphant laugh, then sighs, contented)

I want to murder him with my bare hands. He's won. He's fucking won. I am SO glad he was stabbed. HHHHhhh murder.

ELIAS (Pleased) …My you have grown. Yes. A masterpiece, isn't it?

I'm gonna kill someone and his name is Jonah Magnus.

ARCHIVIST Yeah. It is. And that's you then? Your… body?

Look, I mean, yeah evil, but also like, kinda cool though-

Also, like, he's also kind of... evil. It's complicated. I mean, he did have the whole "it is the worst place that has ever been beautiful and it should not exist" thing like-

No one is even blaming him for this, it is PURELY the piece of my brain that exists only for playing devil's advocate, which, like, USEFUL, but also, shut up!

ELIAS From out here? Impossible. ARCHIVIST You want me to follow him? ELIAS No, Jon. You want you to follow him.

That's not even bloody subtle. "You want you to follow him" says guy who LITERALLY MANIPULATED THE SITUATION SO THAT HE'D HAVE TO GO INTO THE LONELY, christ i am so FUCKING GLAD HE GOT STABBED

I can't do this, I literally cannot. Considering murder. Ben Meradith does a great job at doing a voice so punchable, and then Jonny does a great job at writing lines so stabbable, and together it's the beginning of MAG 200 :3

ELIAS (CONT’D) Very good. Are you scared, Jon? ARCHIVIST (Quietly) Yes. [The Lonely static crescendos] ELIAS Perfect.

HISS HISS KILLING AND MAIMING, FUCK HE WON

he... won.

i haven't done a relisten to season 4 before, it's just as physically painful as season 1, 2, and 3, good lord.

LIKE, OH MY GODDD AARHRHGHRGHR RIPPING AND TEARING "ARE YOU SCARED, JON" "YES" "PERFECT" FUCK YOU FUCK YOUR RITUAL FUCK THIS IM GOING TO SCREAM

oooohohhhhhh well done, you bastard, all fourteen fucking marks got. you're gonna live forever, or as close to forever as is possible.

i am so glad that in that final moment he was alive, he told jon that he didn't think jon would go through with it and jon fucking stabbed him.

THIS IS MY THING FOR 158!

so, 160 is going to be... it's going to be quite... interesting.

[niconebula]

Going into Season 3, one dynamic I need to see is Amity and Camila becoming a really close 'mother and "daughter-in-law"' duo.

Camila would just adore the everloving crap out of Amity; anyone who makes her daughter happy makes Camila happy, but also their personalities would mesh extremely well together in my opinion. Lots of people view Hunter as 'would-be Mom #2' because he's the oldest and has been in a position of authority, but he now has the rest of the kids to mess around with and the show'll probably give him a break to let his hair down and rest. Wheras Amity can take up her bossy mantle again, but not in a mean or agressive way. Keeping things in check and organized is just Amity's way of coping with a stressful situation. And it would also allow her to get closer to Luz's family.

Amity's actively learning Spanish, and I can vividly see her helping out with meals and learning Dominican cooking from Camila, who's more than happy to share with such an enthusiastic student. In a meta sense I think they'll be using this return to the human world as a vehicle to showcase more of Luz's Dominican background so it checks out. I'd love to see Camila begin to have more interest in witches and the Boiling Isles through the kids as well.

We also just have the more sentimental notion of Amity never really having a guiding mother figure. Of Luz being implied to never have had many friends, and Camila likely seldom having the chance to interact or bond with any of them, let alone a romantic interest of her daughter's. With Luz's depression seemingly getting worse, both of them understand intimately what her struggles have been, and Amity in particular is aware of Luz's fear of dissapointing her mother. They represent what she loves both about the demon realm and the human world.

For ameliorating their relationship, Camila will see especially through Amity that Luz is loved and cared for by people strong enough to protect her - yet share a vested interest in not wanting to separate her from her roots. Amity can communicate to Camila things that Luz may be too afraid to bring up herself when she's caught up in her own clouded judgement.

I believe they're setting this up already - Amity is the only one (with them right now) who knows about Luz' dad, who was explicitly invited to visit the human realm, who's learning Spanish, etc. It would just be so adorable. And I think the two of them would form the backbone of the team which eventually pulls a drowning Luz out of the water, so to speak.

[pancake-breakfast]

It's too hot tonight. Please send ice cream.

At least I'm guaranteed more cool Livio and Wolfwood panels. For now.

Stream-of-consciousness thoughts for TriMax Vol. 9, Chapters 3-4 below.

Chapter 3: LR

Aww, Miss Melanie is doing what she can for the kids despite the situation.

They know the situation is bad, though. Kids are smarter than we give them credit for.

I'd bet Miss Melanie is faster than people would guess. And I'd bet the kids know it, even if they forget from time to time, because they've been on the receiving end of it.

Wolfwood sure left an impression on the orphanage if they're still asking for him all these years later.

I'm just... gonna savor this panel.

Also, I can't help but wonder with the way the text is placed. Like... it's Miss Melanie speaking, but with Wolfwood in the foreground looking wistful and in a precarious situation, I find myself wondering if he's thinking something similar, but about Vash.

I'm honestly a bit surprised Livio's giving Wolfwood the smoke break. Surprised, but glad, since Wolfwood's taking full advantage of it. He's in no rush to try and take down Livio. There's nothing he's going to savor in this fight.

Livio backstory!!! I like the part where he apparently sees Wolfwood as trustworthy enough for it. Or... possibly dead enough for it.

This is no place for a tired, lost, and frightened child.

Razloooooooooo

Gods, my boy needs a hamburger or something. He's way too skinny here.

It would be somewhat upsetting to continually find letters in your own pocket with no concept of where they came from.

Heh, someone means business.

Iiiits Razlo. Hi, there, buddy... The R to Livio's L. Bold move when the Japanese language doesn't distinguish the two.

"I've been silenced." That sounds... involuntary.

Looks like the smoke break's over.

Livio's smiling, but we don't get to see his full expression. Just the skull mask.

Livio with them high kicks. Even Wolfwood looks impressed.

Ugh, no killing Livio, Wolfwood! Not allowed!

Chapter 4: At the Verge of Death

Oof, that was a good, clean shot, looks like.

The mercs aren't happy. They're just now realizing their place in the order of things here.

Dude, headshot like that?? Wolfwood...

Ok, this is interesting, 'cause it implies he expects Livio to get back up despite getting shot in the head.

Chapel's too happy about this, the sick fuck.

Stampede Spoilers: It's interesting that they kinda gave this emotional beat to Legato in Stampede. Like, they seem to be writing out Chapel anyway, what with wrapping Eye of Michael more tightly under Knives/Conrad, and Legato's the obvious choice for someone who would get a kick out of the sadism of it all. Plus, of course, it allows that nice parallel language that he uses about not understanding the value of a love between brothers in Stampede. (I'm still not over that line. It's just *chef's kiss*. I hope anime-onlys get a chance to appreciate it after season 2. I hope it makes them twitch as much as it makes me twitch.)

Ah, here are the Eye of Michael guys. These are separate from the mercs. I get it. Not sure they'll stand much of a chance if Livio's down for the count.

Uhhh... maybe we need to forget what I just said about Livio being "down for the count."

You know, Bungo Stray Dogs has an interesting episode about what happens when you continually return individuals from the verge of death like that....

Oof, Wolfwood....

Ugh, this does not look good.

Did Livio just try to kabedon Wolfwood with his foot??

Livio's having thoughts. Common, buddy. You can figure this out.

How to Take Your Medicine Like a Badass: A Guide by Nicholas D. Wolfwood

Speaking of, he's gonna run out of it fast at this rate. Somehow I doubt Eye of Michael's gonna be open-handed with giving him more.

A:LKAJD:LAKJD:LAJDL:FH: I have too many feels about this panel. The genuine fear in Wolfwood's face as he embraces Livio to pull a move he's not sure is the right one out of pure desperation. Someone save them.

FRACK! That's all the time I have for this tonight. That's... fine. That's ok. No need to rush. No need to rush....

Archive

Trigun Vol. 1: Covers + 1-3, 4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10 || Vol. 2: Covers + Extras, 1, 2-4, 5-6, 7-8

TriMax Vol. 1: Covers + 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 || Vol. 2: Covers + 1, 2-4, 5, 6-7 || Vol. 3: Covers + 1-3, 4-5, 6-7 || Vol. 4: Covers + 1-2, 3-5, 6-7 || Vol. 5: Covers + 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 || Vol. 6: Covers + 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 || Vol. 7: Covers + 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 || Vol. 8: Covers + 1-2, 3-4, 5 + Bonus || Vol. 9: Covers + 1-2

Extra Credit: Trigun Vol. 1: Nebraska vs. Vash's Motivations, Vash's Loneliness, Vash's Depression (pt 2 of post), Soupy Brains || Vol. 2: Coin Factoids || TriMax Vol. 1: Lina, Vash, and a Haircut || Meryl, Vash, and the Pursuit of Happiness || Vol. 5: Knives, Vash, and Hatred for Humanity || Vol. 6: Coping Series: Wolfwood, Meryl, Vash || Vol. 8: The Uncoordinated Counterattack

[izzysillyhandsy]

The results are in...

What do you want most for Izzy Hands in S2?

1st place: A real friendship with Stede and/or someone his crew I am very optimistic about that, especially after the crying Izzy clip. I think it's possible Blackbeard's crew'll team up and do something about the things Blackbeard is putting them through (a tough love intervention maybe). And the training with Stede... real friendship is maybe a bit too hopeful, but I see Izzy as part of the crew at the end of the season (he'll have to undergo a lot of change himself, but I think this could be the B plot! A little acceptance and the feeling of being seen and understood could go a long way with him).

2nd place: Confirmation that Ed und Iz actually loved/respected each other at some point I picked that one, because for me personally that would be so, so important. From the start I felt this "in the (distant) past we would die for each other" dynamic, worn down by years of routine and misunderstandings. As an old person, I can so feel this... And Izzy's misguided attempts to fix things are very relatable and at the same time horribly misguided. It would take away from the tragedy of Ed&Izzy if this was just some kind of hero worship relationship.

3rd place: To get treated respectfully by at least one (1) pirate for his competence 99% sure we'll get that! At least from Prince Ricky ;). I would absolutely love it from Ed though. Just for once, let Ed (even grudgingly) admire Izzy, and Izzy noticing! Could be maybe, maybe possible right at the end of the season.

4th place: To finally get over Blackbeard and accept that there are other fish in the sea I am torn on this, because I like to see Con O'Neill suffer (not for real obvs). I'd like the unhealthy relationship go on for at least 3 episodes (sorry Iz). Then give the used-to-painful-love-drama-queen a sunny, easy, happy relationship with Fang :). I think it is possible that after a while, Edward and Izzy could start a very different (much healthier) relationship and even carry on fighting together. Maybe with less intense feelings and a bit more mutual understanding. Steddyhands is extremely unlikely, isn' it? (but not impossible, right??)

5th place: Flashback/montage to the old days (young Izzy) I would almost give a toe for a flashback. And another one for yound Ed tatooing young Iz (I fear the X as Ed's signature is a bit far fetched but I can dream) or vice versa.

6th place: To be in a constant state of sadness and pain How mean, not forever surely????

Last place: Izzy's Revenge 2nd try Yeah, it was a terrible idea the 1st time. Didn't expect that to get any votes to be honest! I think Izzy agrees.

With all the seriousness and possible emotional damage we're going to sustain in the first few episodes, I am also very much looking forward to the comedy and the joy of seeing everyone together again!