#jim wants to fly forever

[trek-tracks]

it's kind of funny that, at some point in the timeline, each one of the TOS Triumvirate is basically like "bitch you'd better not promote me" to Starfleet

and fails miserably at staying unpromoted

[twilightcitysky]

Everything Is Meant (long S2 analysis, part 1)

I cannot figure out for the life of me how to make gifs so this will have to be a gif-less essay. If anyone more tech savvy than me wants to reblog with relevant media, please do!

I've seen a lot of people saying how Aziraphale's actions in the final ten minutes come out of left field and are OOC, and when I first watched the episode I felt the same, but now I think I couldn't have been more wrong. And I don't think Aziraphale is being controlled... I think the entire season showed us exactly what was going to happen.

On first watch, what struck me was the number of plot points that seemed disconnected. I couldn't figure out how Job related to the present, or the Victorian era, or the Nazi zombies (still at sea on the zombies part tbh). I didn't know where the Maggie/ Nina subplot was going, or why we were bothering with it. Then I put my "psych hat" on and it was like seeing one of those 3D pictures come into focus. It's a psychological networking rather than a plot-driven one, which is what Neil told us to expect.

Detailed analysis under the cut, with spoilers:

I went back through the season in my head and started asking myself: why is this element there? What does it contribute?

1. Start with scene one. Why include it? Does it matter for the climax that Az knew Crowley as an angel? YES. It's actually huge. Angel Crowley was joyful, he was bursting with delight at creation, he was idealistic. He wanted to be a part of everything rather than run away from it, and that's still how Aziraphale feels. He loves being a part of things. He's a joiner. He's a landlord. He dances at clubs and he makes human friends and he learns magic. Crowley the demon doesn't seem to want any of that, and I think that's hard for Az. He wants Crowley to be free of the cynicism he thinks prevents him from enjoying life now. At some level, I think he senses that Crowley is depressed (empathy's not his strong suit but I'm sure he's aware that Crowley's in a "what's the point of it all" kind of mood; see the eccles cakes scene). He wants to fix it. Aziraphale is a fixer. Metatron offers him a chance to do that.

Another thing is that Aziraphale knows Crowley ended up Falling just for asking questions that seemed innocent. That's not okay with him. He thinks that with the two of them in charge they can actually MAKE the changes that Crowley wanted to see way back at the beginning, starting with a suggestion box.

2. Okay, now Jim. Obviously Gabriel/ Jim is the central mystery, but why does he matter? First and foremost: he's there to show Aziraphale that angels can CHANGE. Gabriel terrorized and threatened Aziraphale. Az has been terrified of him. He ordered Aziraphale's execution. And now here he is, drinking hot chocolate, doing noble self-sacrificing things, with morals that suddenly align with Aziraphale's. What an absolute game-changer that must have been! He thought Heaven was unfixable, but here's Gabriel in his shop for weeks, slowly convincing him otherwise.

Then two other things happen. First, they find out that this all happened to Gabriel essentially because he fell in love. He was fired and his memories were stolen and the only reason he recovered was because Beelzebub happened to give him the one thing that could save him. That must have seemed like incredible luck. Now, how does Aziraphale feel about memories? He lives in a bookshop that is stuffed to bursting with the records of all of human history, essentially. His memories of his time with Crowley are incredibly precious. He sees, there at the end, that everything he is can be taken from him as a punishment for falling in love. Aziraphale doesn't have a magic fly container. He'd be forever robbed of Crowley, his life, himself. It's a very real threat in his mind when Metatron intervenes.

Which brings us to the second thing. Metatron saves Gabriel. Not only that, he prevents him from being punished for loving Beelzebub and lets them both go. What better way to win currency with Aziraphale? HE doesn't want to go off to Alpha Centauri, he never has, but suddenly he sees that Metatron might protect his relationship. And he's probably the only entity with the power to do so.

So we come to two conclusions: Aziraphale, when he goes off to talk with Metatron, is feeling like maybe it's not intrinsically bad to be an angel. He believed all the angels sucked, and only God was good... but now he sees that even Gabriel can change. He met Muriel, and he likes them. (He also had a huge crush on angel Crowley, which is neither here nor there but he loves Crowley in all his forms.) So if Crowley became an angel again, would that really be so bad? In his mind, it wouldn't change who Crowley is. It would just make them both safer and allow them to be together. (He's wrong! And Crowley doesn't see it that way! But this is a key miscommunication. Aziraphale doesn't really believe that becoming a demon changed Crowley. Back to the first scene, which Aziraphale references during the Job minisode. In his eyes, Crowley is the same person (just more cynical because of what's happened to him)-- so why would it matter if he's an angel again? I truly don't think he was trying to save Crowley, or saying that Crowley would be Better as an angel. To him, it doesn't matter what Crowley is. Which is reductive and harmful, but not the same as thinking Crowley needs rescuing from himself.)

Second conclusion: he sees that an angel and demon can be in love, but they have to run away to be together. Gabe and Beelz couldn't go home again. Earth is Aziraphale's home, but after the attack on the bookshop he learned that without Heaven's protection he can't really keep them safe there. Metatron says: "Come with me, do this thing, and you can have guaranteed safety AND be with the love of your life". Poor Aziraphale wants this with every fiber of his being. All he's ever wanted was for Crowley to be safe. He's never been able to offer it. Over the past four years, he thought they were safe, but he's just learned that he was wrong.

This is getting long. Continued in Part Two!

[drysdalesworld]

completely serious

jamie drysdale x fem!hughes!reader

ik the third pic is him wearing a ducks jersey but there’s nothing really of him in flyers gear that fit what i was looking for, so let’s just pretend <3

y/n.hughes just posted!

liked by trevorzegras, jackhughes, and more

y/n.hughes: to a new era baby! hope philly treats you well 🧡🧡 (please take care of him flyers or i will violently cry)

tagged: jamie.drysdale, philadelphiaflyers

( loading comments ! )

trevorzegras: i too will violently cry

lhughes_06: so this is where you took your impromptu trip to

y/n.hughes: & what about it

userone: still can’t believe it tbh 😭

yourbestie: she very much will! philadelphiaflyers

yourroommate: she cried upon hearing the news

philadelphiaflyers: we will take great care of jamie! do not worry 🧡

philadelphiaflyers: we will make sure to water him daily & make sure he gets enough sunlight 🫡

usertwo: stopp!! the way they are describing him as a house plant 😂 i cant

mfrost16: we’ll take him out on walks too!

userthree: now he’s a dog 😭😭

userfour: i mean he did bark his first game with the flyers userthree

jackhughes: i will not be picking up the pieces if she starts to violently sob

lhughes_06: you never do

_quinnhughes: i do that

_quinnhughes: when have you ever done that bro

jackhughes: i feel attacked rn

userfive: the way the flyers flew BOTH y/n & jamie’s parents out for his first game 😭😭 warms my heart

usersix: they did?

userfive: yep! during his post game interview, someone asked if the flyers flew anyone else out for jamie & he said that he wouldn’t play if they didn’t fly y/n out as well! (jokingly of course)

usersix: that’s so freaking cute 😖

jamie.drysdale: i was completely serious userfive

philadelphiaflyers: he, in fact, was completely serious userfive

userseven: UGH GOALS 💞💞

usereight: they’ll treat him well y/n!

jamie.drysdale: i’ll miss you so much love 🤍 i’ll have the flyers fly you out whenever (& if not, then i will)

y/n.hughes: i’ll miss you more!! im so so proud of you & can’t wait to see the amazing things you’ll accomplish in philly ❤️❤️

philadelphiaflyers: y/n’s apart of the team already! we’ll fly her out whenever you want jim! just say the word ✈️✈️

y/n.hughes just posted!

liked by luca.fantilli, masonmctavish23, and more

y/n.hughes: jamie photo dump during these trying & sad times

tagged: jamie.drysdale

( loading comments ! )

trevorzegras: the fifth picture is evil y/n. why you got to do my boy like that? (please send it to me asap)

y/n.hughes: check your messages babes 😚

trevorzegras: bless girl hughes 🙏🙏

userone: another shoe tying pic!!!

lhughes_06: uhhh, why am i not tagged in the sixth pic?? i so graciously taught your bf how to wake board & this is the thanks i get??

y/n.hughes: thank you so much luke for teaching my boyfriend how to wake board & almost kill him in the process 😑

lhughes_06: i am an amazing teacher! he did not almost die

jackhughes: dude, you almost broke his nose when you both went down after YOU jumped on him

lhughes_06: i do not recall such a thing

jamie.drysdale: i will let the fifth picture slide just this once bc i miss & love you so much 🥰 (also, almost died in the last pic 💀)

jackhughes: SEE!! lhughes_06

lhughes_06: 🎶 i cant see i’m blinnndddd🎶👨‍🦯

y/n.hughes: love & miss you more 🤍🫶🏼

_quinnhughes: the lake house that summer will forever be burned into my brain

usertwo: in a good way? 😀

userthree: THE FUCKING ‘I ❤️ MY GIRLFRIEND’ TSHIRT 😫😫😫😫😫

yourroommate: i specifically remember the first pic like it was yesterday

userfour: babes spill! what happened!!

yourroommate: y/n was not having a good week so jamie flew out for the weekend & showed up with flowers & wearing that exact shirt userfour

yourbestie: he said, and i quote, “i saw this shirt on tiktok & though you’d like it” & y/n proceeded to cry :) userfour yourroommate

y/n.hughes: why am i and my bf being exposed in this comment thread?? 🙃

userfive: WHY IS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT THE GOLF PIC 😫😫

y/n.hughes just posted to their story!

caption: from #6 to #9, here’s to new beginnings! jamie.drysdale

[anewstartrekfan]

Reading an old Star Trek book and to my surprise Jim Kirk has always had Daddy issues

So the only Star Trek book I’ve read was the one explaining how the tribbles episode was made and the aftermath, so trying to read Enterprise (1986) with some basic knowledge of trek post 2009 is fascinating. Cuz you see where the breadcrumbs of some of the characterization and even backstory come from.

In chapter 2, Sam Kirk and Kirk’s mom show up to Kirk’s ceremony where he takes command of the enterprise. They talk about George Kirk Sr. being in Starfleet, (he’s dead here too) something that I don’t think was in any of the episodes or movies. And how he was always distant and away. And they’re clearly going for some parallels/dramatic irony with the Wrath of Khan when it comes to Kirk not believing he could’ve developed a relationship with his father as an adult. And it plays into the tragic aspect I love about Kirk.

Upon reflection he’s happy that Carol rejected him (he proposed to her in chapter 1) because he doesn’t want to leave anyone behind while on the job, only returning for sparse visits the way his father did. But at the same time, Jim craves companionship. And he can’t get it in his current job because as captain, it is not ethical for him to date anyone else on the Enterprise.

Anyway the long and short is if we take this book into account, Kirk has always had daddy issues. It’s just in TOS EU it was abandonment issues whereas in 2009 it was dad sacrificed himself so high expectations issues.

The little details like the mom’s name getting carried over into the aos movies are a good touch, but then seeing George Kirk being a Starfleet officer actually get incorporated into the 2009 movie as an important plot point, and then also using his absence in Kirk’s life but just in a different way as part of Kirk’s backstory is so cool to me.

A difference though is unlike fanfic tropes, Winona is actually a good mom and wants Jim to succeed in his career where his father failed in his Starfleet career. Unfortunately though Jim appears to be falling into the same pitfalls. As in lack of communication and unwillingness to play workplace politics.

That last burn from Winona tho… like damn girl I felt that.

Another thing I want to backtrack to, Sam Kirk. Sam being the alleged chosen child, the one that was supposed to follow in George Kirk’s footsteps but didn’t, and then Jim strolled in and did even more than what Sam was supposed to do, and Sam and George never reconciled. Like dudes this book is almost 40 years old and this stuff was in strange new worlds last year. Tho xenobiology appears to have morphed into xenoanthropology (tho according to the fan wiki he’s still a biologist so idk what the deal is)

For the record Sam’s characterization isn’t remotely the same here. Likely the choice to keep him out of Starfleet all together removed any sort of resentment of Jim potential like he has in SNW. There’s still tension though, as Sam tries to force Jim to confront why he’s reacting like this to his first mission for the enterprise being an escort job for a flying horse.

Shifting gears back to Jim needing to learn how to play workplace politics. The assumed reason for Pike leaving the enterprise. While SNW is doing the whole, Pike knows he won’t fly the enterprise forever and about the disfigurement and is cool with it, I find if fascinating that he’s more, sad about it here and that he got promoted out of the way for pushing too many buttons. It would be a sad ending but I wonder if SNW would incorporate that into its eventual ending. Hell I wonder if that’s what happened to Kirk between TOS and TMP.

Anyway big picture is this book is a fascinating time capsule and it’s fun seeing just how much has stuck around over the years both in fandom and in the franchise itself. Whether or not that’s the book’s doing is questionable but still. Fun to think about.

[waitmyturtles]

SOME GOOD SHOWS THAT I LIKED IN 2023! (AND SOME THAT I DIDN'T)

I watched A LOT of stuff that did not originally air in 2023 by dint of my Old GMMTV Challenge. This list is inclusive of this recognition!

THE BEST SHOW I WATCHED THIS YEAR: HE'S COMING TO ME

I have no other words: this is my favorite Thai BL of all time. Perfect length, perfect plot, perfect celebration of Thai culture, perfect acting, the greatest coming out scene of all time, the BEST of the best BL moms. Perfection.

THE OTHER BEST SHOW I WATCHED THIS YEAR: BAD BUDDY

I don't even want to think about how many words I've written on Bad Buddy this year, but they're well deserved for this REMARKABLE show. I've got a thing for shows by Aof Noppharnach that feature Ohm Pawat, what can I say!

THE MOST INFLUENTIAL SHOW(S) I WATCHED THIS YEAR: LOVE SICK AND SOTUS

The influence of Love Sick and SOTUS can be seen in SO MANY Thai BLs, even through today. Without having watched these two shows to start my OGMMTVC project, I wouldn't have the context for what later shows like Bad Buddy and Theory of Love were commenting on by way of their content and structures. Love Sick in particular was a HELL of a lift -- but I am damn glad I watched it, and I certainly feel nostalgia for it today.

Honorable mentions of influential pieces that had impacts on Thai BLs: Love of Siam and Dew the Movie

MY OTHER FAVORITE OLD SHOWS I WATCHED: UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN AND THEORY OF LOVE

BANGERS!!!

If New Siwaj ever tops Until We Meet Again, I'll fly to Bangkok and give him a gold medal. That long-ass show, 17 EPISODES, I WANTED MORE! OhmFluke's chemistry was great, the story delved SO deeply into historical homophobia and how culture and acceptance changes over time -- scrumptious. Theory of Love, man, the way this show ate up implicit compassion bias and gave it right back to us. I loved it. KHAI FOREVER!

THE BEST SHOW I WATCHED THAT ACTUALLY AIRED IN 2023: MOONLIGHT CHICKEN

Not only was Moonlight Chicken my first real live fandom experience on Tumblr, it was a hell of an amazing show, incorporating so much of what I love particularly about Thai BLs, and how many Thai BLs do not shy away from celebrating Asian cultural touchpoints. From exploring Jim's internalized homophobia by way of his rural upbringing, to juxtaposing Pattaya's spiritual symbols with growing development that upends older strains of local culture, Moonlight Chicken offered a lovely commentary on what it means to be queer in an ever-changing Thailand.

THE OTHER BEST SHOW I WATCHED THAT ACTUALLY AIRED IN 2023: WHAT DID YOU EAT YESTERDAY?/KINOU NANI TABETA? SEASON 2

BRILLIANTLY ACTED by literally the best actors in the Asian BL game: we are blessed that Nishijima Hidetoshi and Uchino Seiyou have given so much to this franchise. It's hard to write about this show because it's so perfect -- it needs no extraneous words. Plot, pacing, acting, character development, gratuitous food shots. It has it all.

THE OTHER OTHER BEST SHOW I WATCHED THAT ACTUALLY AIRED IN 2023: I CANNOT REACH YOU

Just like Bad Buddy looked at Thai BL tropes in the eye and said, "over my Nong Nao," I Cannot Reach You asked Japanese BLs about the efficacy of almost every trope we've gotten used to, and questioned them with efficiency. The biggest shocker for me? REAL COMMUNICATION, encouraged by the CIPHER, Hosaka, that allowed the two lead protagonists to confirm their love and understand each other. It was straightforward and FUCKING GOOD.

A SHOW THAT AIRED IN 2023 THAT I HAVEN'T WRITTEN ABOUT YET, THAT I NEED TO REWATCH IN CHRONOLOGY, THAT ALSO DID SOME TROPE/GENRE ASS-KICKING THAT I'M STILL THINKING ABOUT: LA PLUIE

La Pluie was FEARLESS. The show had a LOT to say about romance and soulmates not being as much of a realistic thing as content-makers... and, frankly, majority society would like us to think. La Pluie made its characters WORK for love and understanding, and had us viewers face our implicit biases about how romantic content should and could work. I watched this show out of order of the OGMMTVC watchlist to see it it was one of the best of the year, and it certainly is. I'm planning a deep rewatch for early 2024 to pen my words on it.

A SHOW THAT ALMOST TOPPED MY 2023 LIST BUT GOT DOCKED BECAUSE I ENDED UP LIKING THE NOVEL A LOT BETTER: I FEEL YOU LINGER IN THE AIR

@neuroticbookworm and @lurkingshan know that I flipped THA FUCK out over this show -- FABULOUSLY acted by Nonkul Chanon and Bright Rapheephong, FABULOUS cinematography, great story up until the end of the series. My fangirling led me to read the original novel by Violet Rain, and -- I found out that Jom was a lot more damn sassy than we got in the show! Tee Bundit's penchant for sadness won. This is not to dock the show, but the novel had more than enough material to carry the series through without repeating themes in the end. So it fell on my 2023 list, womp womp. BUT I STILL LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS SHOW, DON'T GET ME WRONG.

TWO SHOWS THAT I'M SUPER GLAD I CAUGHT UP WITH WHILE THEY WERE AIRING: THE EIGHTH SENSE AND BE MY FAVORITE

Be My Favorite looked at Krist Perawat's checkered past as a BL idol and said: we are going to examine this and make an honest BL out of inspiration from it. It wasn't a perfect show, the time travel shit didn't end up adding up in the end, BUT -- excellent acting from two GMMTV VETS made up for those tangles, and I loved the contextual philosophical references throughout the series. The Eighth Sense looked at the tug-of-war that Korean BLs have with K-dramas and their tropes and said, actually? We will have these dudes full-frontal kiss, and placed that energy against commentaries on mental health, both topics that Korea hasn't quite embraced as quickly as other countries.

HONORABLE MENTIONS OF OTHER AWESOME SHOWS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE AIRED IN 2023

Make It Right, Our Dating Sim, Dark Blue Kiss, Gay OK Bangkok, Dirty Laundry, 10 Years Ticket, I Told Sunset About You, I Promised You the Moon, 3 Will Be Free, Lovely Writer (underrated?!), Our Skyy 2 x Bad Buddy x A Tale of Thousand Stars (UNDERRATED!), and Manner of Death.

And the shows that are airing that I know will stay with me well into 2024: Last Twilight and Cherry Magic Thailand.

I had fun!

WHAT ELSE, WHAT ELSE: THE "NO" SHOWS: THE PROMISE AND STEP BY STEP

I'm not even hyperlinking my thoughts on these shows, nor gifting them with gifs. Insert Bugs Bunny NOOOOOO gif here! We got Man Trisanu, though.

THE SHOW I WAS THE MOST OBVIOUSLY DISAPPOINTED BY: ONLY FRIENDS

Despite my passionate disappointment for this show and how it ended: in the context of the OGMMTVC, Only Friends is still an incredibly important inclusion to the list. Some amazing Tumblr bloggers offered commentary that the bias against sex that OF contained within the show was actually importantly and culturally contextual to the still-conservative state of acceptance that Thailand is currently in (here and here for more reading).

Only Friends reminded us that despite any kind of marketing that we here on Tumblr, as a majority non-Thai audience, may receive about a Thai show -- that we are still not fully plugged into the non-verbal expectations of what a show like OF could promise to do, and to be okay when it doesn't reach those heights. In light of the seemingly pro-sex marketing blasts that previewed the series before its airing, OF ultimately seemed to want to take casual sex, chew it up, and spit it out. There might be reasons why that happened that we just don't know about as outsiders to Thailand. But as an Asian-American viewer that was hoping for neutral -- and maybe even supportive -- commentary on single folks having casual sex without judgement, OF did not deliver for me.

I'm ending the year reading Dr. Thomas Baudinette's book, Boys Love Media in Thailand, the first book-length ethnographic study on the impact of BL on queerness, media, and more in Thailand and across Asia. Baudinette comes from the world of Japanese queer media studies -- as someone who came to Thai BLs this year from Japanese BLs, I appreciate his trajectory. It's clearly a necessity for me to read this book in the context of the OGMMTVC, to understand how Thai BLs have changed over time, and to understand the incredibly larger impact of heterosexual/heteronormative media and themes on Thai media as a whole, as larger and larger swaths of Thai, Asian, and international societies welcome and watch BLs with open arms.

All of this feeds into my ever-growing body of knowledge about the impact of Thai BLs, both in Thailand and across Asia, as Baudinette writes about, and how these shows have and are developed/developing over time. It's been an AMAZING YEAR of watching old and new dramas for me, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the genre grows even more in 2024.

I also made AMAZING FRIENDS on Tumblr -- y'all know who you are! What a year of growth and discovery for me: this has been a fabulous experience, and I'm looking forward to even more growth in the new year!

[britt-kageryuu]

Leo and Donnie are on the the beach set/green screen, both in swin trunks, Hawaiian shirts, crocs, and masks, color coded. Shelldon and River are zooming around with a couple of toys. They're doing the promised FanMail opening stream.

There's also a virtual sign reading "Roomba at work, might hit the camera later❤"

The brothers have been opening fanmail for about a half hour, though they set Raph and Mikey specific mail to the side, and agreed to not read letters unless it was in a package, because the stream would take forever. They're using a custom AR system to overlay their models on top of themselves.

"Gotta love the fact you guys are guessing our heights based off our models, but you don't need to send us clothes." Leo says while holding up a shirt that read 'Turtley Gay' with a cartoony turtle with a gay pride colored shell, that was a couple sizes to small against the model. "It's still very cute. Maybe I'll cut out the graphic and attach it to a different top?"

"Well the fans at least picked up on my love of oversized clothes, but I don't know about the fabric just yet." Donnie has a hoodie spred out that while purple in color also had the Nonbinary pride colors across the front. It was a bit huge compared to Donnies model.

They put the clothes aside, and grab a couple more boxes. The roomba goes passed with River sitting on top. Shelldon pops up behind a package with a fairly big box on his back.

"Hey Dee, can you open this one? Please?" Shelldon asked while hovering close to Donnie.

"Sigh, sure Shelldon." Donnie puts down the package he was about to open, and grabs to box from Shelldons back. "Let's see, oh it's for you and River. What could this be?" He opens the box, and pulls out a roughly 10 inch at it's highest point figure of Shelldon flying around River who's trying to smack him with her fan. "Truffle Mac and Cheese! Look at this!! This is amazing, who made this?"

He examines the box, and pulled out some papers, "So, it's from The Crafty SeaCreature, they've been a fan since just about the beginning, and wanted to send us a gift."

"Why do our fans send us this stuff? I'm pretty sure this could go for at least $50 at some places. Also someone sent me some old memorabilia from Jupiter Jim! I know this stuff can be expensive, especially this!" Leo holds up a in box Original Jupiter Jim Space Blaster. He gets up to show the camera, before going off camera to place it on a shelf nearby.

Right as he comes back the camera starts to move slowly before falling over, and the livestream is cut off, leaving a picture of Shelldon and River trying to free Donnie from a bunch of tangled wires, that read Experiencing Technical Difficulties Please Stand By!

The Forgotten Chat is cheering for the Roomba causing Chaos during the stream, with some pointing out the virtual sign saying it might hit the camera later, but didn't think it would mess up the stream.

--------------

Masterpost

[dangerliesbeforeyou]

oh man ok i need to gush about moonlight chicken for a second lol

i adored how this show didnt shy away from the messiness of real life and relationships! like u hav a single gay working class man desperately trying to make ends meet and struggling with the guilt of his past lover having died tragically whilst bringing up his nephew who wants to be taken seriously and finally fly the nest to live his own life whilst at the same time navigating his crush on a lonely deaf boy who just wants to be understood and respected. and then you have a man stuck in relationship limbo where he's unable to let go of his past love but also yearning to move on and free them both from the pain they cause each other... and that's not even to mention the side characters who deal with the loss of parents, unfaithful partners, unplanned pregnancies, trying to be a better mother to your son, etc...

no one was a villain, instead you had a group of people who needed to grow and learn in a very natural way, and that's just so refreshing to see! honestly one of my fav parts of the story is that rather than inventing some arbitrary dramatic reason for wen and alan to break up, it just happened because their love had fizzled out, a thing that happens all the time in real relationships! and even though their love had died, it was still obvious that they cared deeply for one another which made both of them trying to move on so much more painful...

so much of this show was about the cycles of emotional abuse that can develop when you're stuck in the past... jim is unable to see a happy future for himself because he blames himself for beam's death, and he let's that anger and resentment inform how he treats li ming. wen is ignoring the messiness of his relationship with alan in favour of pursuing jim, but knows deep down that neither will be able to truly move on unless he deals with the situation. even heart's parents are stuck unable to relate to or be willing to understand their deaf son as they continue to isolate him from the outside world, thinking that it will protect him but all it does is make him even more lonely!

idk i just loved how the show focused so much on living in the moment. that the past is fixed and the future is uncertain, but there will always be now where you can always find some glimmer of joy and optimism.

and then there's ofc the queer element of the show where we get to see how internalised and external homophobia exist as perimeters to queer people being able to truly be themselves. one of the most heart wrenching scenes is at beam's funeral where his parents come up to jim and effectively tell him that because he and beam weren't married, he has no legal rights to any of the things they had worked so hard for together! and this is something you hear time and time again, both historically and now, where queer couples in countries that dont recognise gay marriage or even civil partnerships are denied so much (particularly when one of them dies) because their relationship is deemed illegitimate by law.

jim as a character has internalised this so much that when he finds out his nephew is gay, he lashes out (in one of the funniest scenes ever, mind you lol... literally the whole 'why are you gay, isn't being poor enough of a challenge!?' thing is gonna stick in my mind forever i love it sm lol) because he knows first hand how hard it is to be a queer man in a society that still doesnt fully accept you! (and it rly showed the disparity between him, a working class man, and wen, someone from a middle class/wealthy background when it comes to queerness that i don't think gets discussed as much... cos the fact of the matter is that for a long time queerness /was/ effectively reserved for wealthy people, as working class people wouldnt have had as much of a choice in how they could live their lives, so jim's reticence when it comes to accepting li ming's (and his own) queerness is directly tied to how being poor doesnt always allow you the luxury of simply 'being yourself'...)

and i think it was especially interesting that this show didnt present homophobia in individualistic terms. we don't get a character calling them slurs or saying that they're wrong for being gay, instead we get systemic and societal prejudices showing up in insidious ways, which feels so much more realistic! (like even jam, who is presented as having outdated and homophobic opinions, isnt presented as some evil villain. she's just a product of a homophobic society that teaches people being gay is a sad way of living, and she has to unlearn that as both her brother and son prove her wrong!)

i honestly could (and probably will) go on but yeh... this show man... this show

[ericaportfolio]

My Friendly Neighborhood Review

Hey Kids! Do you want a mascot horror game that's actually good? Do you want to shoot and watch puppets fly across the room in funny ways? Or do you want to play a game that breaks you to the point of ugly crying due to the messages about selfishness versus selflessness, the trauma of war, grief, depression, death, and depending on which ending you decide, make you feel miserable or hopeful? (Boy, what I wrote there got dark!) Then you should play My Friendly Neighborhood!!!

July 8, 1993, in a very unfriendly city where the citizens that were emotionally affected by the war that lasted for twenty years by watching it from their TV sets (An in-universe version of the Vietnam War in this game), an old studio's antenna starts up playing a canceled kids show that's the in-universe version of Sesame Street, My Friendly Neighborhood, over the news. You play as repair crewman Gordon O'Brian was forcibly sent by his employer, Sprocket Palm Property Management, and their clients, City Network Broadcasting Group, to shut down the antenna at the top of the abandoned studio's hotel. Failure to do so, Gordon, due to his terrible, mean, and rude behavior, would result in getting fired. Upon getting there, SURPRISE, The Puppets Are Alive That A Lot Of Them Want To Hug You To Death!!! Along the way, Ricky the Sock Puppet guides Gordon throughout the studio trying to convince him not to disconnect the antenna. Can Gordon survive the night at the studio as he tries to find a way up to the antenna? Or will Gordon be trapped in the studio forever?

Pros... There's a lot! I can list them all day! The game is a love letter to tv shows and movies made by the Jim Henson Company over the years. The shows and movies had different names to prevent copyright claims in the game's universe. The cute factor is that you'll get attached to Ricky the Sock Puppet. He's like if Scout Prime from Hello Puppets was similar to Kermit the Frog and doesn't curse. If you're thinking, wait Hello Puppets already did possess murder puppets, that seems repetitive! Actually, the puppets aren't possessed. I'm wondering if the creators are saving a twist for another game. (Please let it be Gordon, Ricky, and the Neighborhood characters versus the villains from the in-universe The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth movies after they fell for a trap they thought was a movie deal!) I won't dive into details in this review. Let's say you have to think on your own about what's really happening here. I think for a horror game to do that was refreshing. What you might have fun with in this game is the clever ideas and designs of the weapons you find, the Rolodex and the Novelist being two of them, and the puzzles you come across along the way. However, the best part of the game has to be the writing since it takes a survival horror game and turns it into a dark comedy that would make Mel Brooks proud. If you're a completionist and you finish the game, don't leave! There's More! There are 'secret tapes' scattered around the studio, and once you finish the game, they will unlock cheats and mods to create some interesting experiences the next time you play.

There aren't many cons to this game. Something was happening with the maps, but that was fixed, thankfully. If I have some things I have to nitpick, first, this game has a lot of backtracking to other levels that many would find annoying. However, you'll make discoveries along the way. Just get ready if the previous levels you have been through get harder as more puppets appear. Second, you need to be ready to conserve your ammunition. Once it's gone and used, it's GONE, and your left with the wrench. So plan ahead, or you're dead in the finale! For beginners, this game may take hours or days to beat unless you got the patience to win. As the game continues, some of the puzzles will get harder and leave you scratching your head for a while. There have also been some complaints that the game should be considered a horror game at times, even though there are terrifying moments. Especially in the climax and ending that would leave you shaking unless you wished for more from that. So the cute factor in the game may turn off some who want something darker than this. Yet, if you read carefully the files you collect, you'll discover where the true darkness lurks in this game.

I may need to warn you of potential spoilers to some trigger warnings of war, depression, and references to taking away your own life. In a game about fighting murder puppets, the game does a shockingly good job tackling war trauma not just for the victims and soldiers but also for the citizens back on the homefront, where many viewed the soldiers as villains and getting exposed to the war on their home televisions. Because of that, the citizens in the city were traumatized and depressed by it. Even one worker at the studio wrote about "going into the light". I got a theory as to what happened to them. Something I noticed at the beginning makes sense now when reading those notes.

So there are multiple endings in the game. One is the true ending. Whichever ending you get, get your tissues ready. You might cry ugly tears of joy. Overall, spending money on this game is worth it! Even if you don't have the money, watch your favorite Gaming YouTubers and watch the game as a movie experience. It's not perfect, but it's rightfully up there, along with that antenna. This game may not be for everyone, but if you're a fan of Resident Evil (which I should start watching more gameplay of the game series if able, to be honest), you grew up with Sesame Street and the Muppets, you're a big Jim Henson Company nerd, you like puppets, you're a fan of Hello Puppets and Welcome Home, and you love film noir, this game is for you. So get it while it's still on sale, grab a buddy or two, and get learning in your favorite friendly neighborhood!

I would give this game a 9/10 for Ricky being adorable and Gordon getting some needed sleep.

[zeroducks-2]

Can you tell me something about Talon Dick? Anything really, just want to know more about him and I love to read your posts where you talk about DC characters and whatnot

That's such a heartwarming compliment anon, thank you ♥ I don't have all that many info about Talon Dick Grayson (and as far as I can see there isn't much about him on the internet in general), but I'll do my best to let you on what little I know about him.

So Talon is, as you might know, a name used by many characters in the DC universe. Dick is by no means the only one. The iterations that interest us in this case are the Talon of the Court of Owls, an undead assassin who can be pulled in and out of hibernation as it suits their masters, and mainly Talon as in Owlman's sidekick.

But who actually is Owlman? In the DC Omniverse there's multiple "Earths" (in the sense that there are multiple dimensions, and so multiple versions of Earth as we know it), and one of these is known as Earth 3. What's special about it is that most of what we know about the DC Characters is reversed - the Justice League is instead the Crime Syndicate, a group of superpowered individuals who got together and villainously rule over the world; Jim Gordon is a mafia boss instead of a cop; the Joker (here he´s called Jokester I believe) is still mental but he devoted his life to fight crime, and instead of Bruce Wayne, who survived that fateful night in Crime Alley was the eldest son of Thomas and Martha Wayne, aka Thomas Wayne Jr. Now as far as I understood, there are two versions of the Talon Dick Grayson who operated as Owlman's sidekick.

pre-crisis Owlman had a sidekick of unknown name, but they were killed by Jokester. So Thomas recruited Dick who was already a criminal, gave him the identity of Talon, and they worked together for a time as a criminal lord and his henchman. Only at some point Dick fell in love with Jokester's daughter and they both had to run away, ending up joining the Teen Titans. I'm not sure what happened to both of them after that.

post-crisis This one is my favorite version. Thomas, being the deeply fucked up individual that he is, went one night at the circus and saw how good this Grayson kid was at swinging the trapeze and flying like a little bird. He decided that he wanted him for himself, and so the next time the Flying Graysons performed Thomas rigged their equipment, causing them to fall to their deaths so that he could step in, and adopt a devastated and orphaned young Dick. Dick went on to be Thomas' loyal shadow and in the following years he helped Owlman build his empire of crime. Only at some point and for unknown reasons (I like to think it's because he thought Talon entirely belonged to him at that point) Thomas revealed to Dick to be the murderer of his parents. It backfired and caused Dick to run away, but he was captured and then killed by Jokester (who was seeking revenge for the death of his partner at the hands of Owlman), and gruesomely chopped up and sent piece by piece to Thomas.

Prime Earth Or post reboot if you will, keeps the post-crisis backstory for Talon Dick Grayson as far as I understood. If you read Forever Evil (which I recommend - everyone and their mom acts completely out of character but it's such a fun read), you'll know that Owlman has taken quite the special interest in a captive Dick Grayson. He's lost his Talon (after making the mistake of revealing to be his parents´ murderer), and now he's decided that Nightwing!Dick will make for a suitable substitute. Dick is obviously not thrilled about it, and the interesting(?) part is how Owlman's attempted manipulation and physical violence is mirrored by how Bruce himself is violent and extremely manipulative with Dick, soon after the whole issue with the Crime Syndicate is solved, when he needs to force/convince him to do what Bruce wants him to do.

When it comes to the Court of Owls, keep in mind that Scott Snyder (who's the one who came up with the whole thing) was mainly inspired by Earth 3, Owlman and Talon Dick Grayson. Indeed the Gray Son Of Gotham and Lincoln March, who might or might not actually have been Thomas Wayne Jr, were conceptually reminiscent to their Earth 3 namesakes. Dick was supposed to become a Talon - as mentioned before, an undead assassin used by the Court of Owls whenever they needed him - but he obviously never did. Details on that are another story for another post :)

This is more or less all I know. Everything else is my personal headcanon, like how Owlman on Earth 3 is actually the Grandmaster of the Court of Owls and uses his Talon as a weapon to do his bidding, and doesn't really perceive him as a sidekick or anything like that. They have a verily abusive relationship where Dick is not allowed to directly interact with anyone save for Thomas and Alfred (unless it's a victim Talon has been sent to threaten, torture or kill), and he's generally treated in between a prized possession and a powerful but ultimately disposable weapon. There's a lot of stockholm/lima syndrome and brainwashing involved, and lots of angst. Yep, I'm writing a fic about it. Yep, there's Sladick in there too. I guess I can't help myself lol.

[jayalaw]

Bruce Wayne on the Muppet Show

Okay we have a headcanon that Bruce Wayne would be amazing with the Muppets on a talk show. And people have posted that he would get along with Miss Piggy.

Something to remember: Batman has existed for nearly a hundred years. And he had comics around the time that the Muppet Show aired. So let's go back to the 1980s.

Before Crisis on Infinite Earths, Dick and Bruce had a great relationship, and he became Nightwing during the Judas Contract era. So Dick is preparing to retire the Robin role, but promising that it won't be forever.

Of course, Bruce understands. He helped raise this kid. A part of him is relieved that he won't have to worry about supervillains targeting Robin until Dick is ready to return. But he is going to miss having the Boy Wonder by his side. Both Alfred and Dick notice the sadness in his smile of congratulations.

Dick reveals he arranged a special birthday present for Bruce: a guest spot on the Muppet Show! Wayne Enterprises made a huge donation to Jim Henson Productions, and asked if they could do an episode with the elusive bachelor and Gotham City's wealthiest. He knows that Bruce has been watching the shows to wind down between cases, as a reward when they foil a kidnapping or make a child smile. Alfred also let slip that Bruce would sometimes watch Sesame Street, as it aired about nine years earlier.

Bruce wants to demur, to give the spot to a small celebrity or musician. There is work to be done in Gotham City. Dick promises that he, Barbara and Superman have it covered. There's Batwoman and Flamebird, but of course Batman and Robin don't want to think about them. But in any case, Bruce has earned this. And he can use the occasion to raise more charity for Gotham's crime victims.

Gotham will be fine. Bruce Wayne can be Bruce for a night. He just has to fly to the set, film for a few hours, and fly back. It won't even be a day. Batman does ask who will be Batman in case someone gets suspicious. Dick smiles and says leave that to him.

Bruce maintains the aura of a carefree playboy. He reviews the script with the writers, and admits he is awed to shake hands with Frank Oz and Jim Henson. His intellectual mind observes the mechanics in the workshop, thinking what he can add to his utility belt. He does ask to make some changes.

After the episode airs, people talk about the highlights. They didn't know that Bruce Wayne could sing or dance, as he closes the show with a duet of Gonzo's song from the Muppet Movie. Gonzo is there as well, and they are close while singing "I'm Going to Go Back There Someday." He also performs Billy Flynn's solo from Chicago with Miss Piggy in the chorus line, and people learn that Bruce Wayne has studied his Bob Fosse dance moves.

Gossip columnists will wonder why Bruce is single, with all these qualities. He is perfect in every sense of the word, apart from the obliviousness when he wanders into the Swedish Chef's kitchen. Several flying fish smack him in the face, jumping in their escape from a fish soup.

What brings down the house, though? A one-on-one interview with Kermit, as is standard for guests. Bruce talks about his life in Gotham, how he has been privileged to raise a young man as his son. Kermit asks if that's why he's not married, that he's looking for the perfect stepmother. Bruce gives a coy smile and says that it's because he wants to marry a woman who can beat him in combat. Miss Piggy sidles in to offer her phone number, as well as a dojo. Bruce tucks it into his coat pocket and tells her, "Call me!" as Kermit shoos her away.

But that is not the punchline. Kermit asks Bruce if it's true that he lives in the same city as Batman. Bruce says that it's true, and Batman has even rescued him a few times. (Recently, a criminal had tried taking Bruce Wayne hostage and it hadn't ended well for him. He's still recuperating in the Arkham hospital wing.) Kermit says if he would like to take a photo with Batman. Deadpan, Bruce asks if it will be black-and-white or color. After all, he is rather underdressed in his three-piece suit.

The script says that a Muppet will come in dressed as Batman. For the first few takes, they have Sweetums dressed in a Bat costume. Then there is one, however, where Gonzo comes in dressed as a little bat and tries speaking in a gravelly voice. He declares he is the protector of Gotham City.

No one has ever reported Bruce Wayne laughing, EVER. Sure he has chuckled at interviews or gave polite smiles. But he actually breaks down laughing for a full minute at Gonzo, and it is iconic. Decades later, on YouTube, you can look up "Bruce Wayne Muppets" and it is the top result. People will comment that they didn't realize rich people could be fun.

Bruce suspects that Dick put the Muppet crew up to it. He can take a good joke, though, and insists that he, Dick and Alfred watch the television premiere. Of course criminals interrupt, this time the Joker with a rubber chicken scheme, but Alfred knows how to record to cassettes.

Wayne Enterprises still donates to the Muppets, to make sure they don't get bought by corporate interests. Because while Gotham needs heroes, the world always needs laughter.

[jimmyssnuggs]

Jimmy proposing to Teagan

👀👀

she’s not sure why jimmy is being so secretive with her that morning, slipping out of bed early before she leaves for the nail appointment elise, her, and hallie had at 11 that morning.

elise had insisted she curl teagan’s hair and do her makeup after the nail appointment, which she doesn’t think much of.

teagan’s also not sure why elise has the outfit they bought for her at the mall last weekend to change into after the appointment, along for a dress for hallie.

she’s even more confused when elise doesn’t take the turn to the snuggeruds house, instead choosing to go straight. “els?”

“we’re going to the lakehouse.” elise doesn’t take her eyes off the road, turning onto the highway.

“i don’t have a swimsuit for hallie, and she’s going to want to go in the lake, and i don’t have one for myself. oh, and i don’t have her floaty-“ the older girl rambles on

“relax teegs. jimmy texted me, he brought everything,” she puts her hand on the girls, reassuring her.

her shoulders relax, and she looks out the window, distracted until they turn into the lakehouse driveway.

“put your dress on in here.” elise looks at her, and teagan’s eyes widen.

“in here?”

“yeah, i’ll take hallie inside and get her in hers then you can meet us in the backyard.”

“alright…” she’s hesitant, but hops in the back seat and slips the dress on. it’s a cute baby blue summer dress that she had bought after elise told her how pretty she looked in it.

she walks in the back yard, seeing the two rows of candles with roses spread in the middle, leading to the dock where jimmy and hallie stand. she freezes, turning around and sees jimmy’s entire family standing on the back porch.

she doesn’t know how long she’s frozen there for, but she feels a hand slips into hers. “momma! you look pretty,” the four year old smiles at her mom. “look at my dress!” she spins around, giggling at how it flows.

“it looks so pretty bug. you look so pretty.” she bends down and presses a kiss to her daughter’s cheek.

“thank you momma. now we have to go see daddy.” she tugs her forward, the young girl practically skipping to the dock.

jimmy is wearing a white polo and khaki shorts, sporting a big grin on his face as the two come closer. “hi teegs.” he takes her free hand, pulling her close to him.

“jim, what is all this, i-“

“you’ll see. i promise,” he reassures her. “you know i’m not good with words, but i’m going to really try to make this good.” he licks his lips, letting out a breath of relief.

“jim?” she’s so utterly confused by all of this.

“teagan abigail. since the day i walked into that coffee shop and saw you, i have been truly and utterly in love with you. i fall in love with you more and more everyday, which i honestly didn’t know was possible. i love how caring you are, and that you always have the right words to make me feel better. i love waking up next to you, and seeing the smile on your face when you look at me. i love watching you be a mom to hallie,”

he chokes, emotion pouring out of him. “you both are the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and i want to be with you forever. i will follow you to the ends of the earth, and wherever you are is where i want to be,” there’s tears pouring down her cheeks now.

“i’ve been thinking about how to ask you this for so long, but here goes nothing. teagan abigail, will you make me the happiest man on earth and marry me?” he pulls the small box out of his back pocket and gets down on one knee.

her hands fly to her mouth, and she nods her head. “yes,” she chokes out. “yes, i’ll marry you.” she jumps into his arms, looking down at him. she surges forward, touching their foreheads together and pressing a kiss to his lips.

she can hear his family cheering, and looks back. elise and his mom have tears running down their cheeks as they photograph the scene in front of them.

“momma! daddy!” hallie looks up at them as jimmy puts her down. he lifts hallie up, looking at her.

“hey bug,” jimmy presses a kiss to her cheek. “i have a question for you too. how would you feel if i became your dad for real? like, we’ll make it official.”

she turns her head to the side, looking at teagan and then back to him. “you are my dada already, daddy.” she touches his cheek, wiping the tears that are on his face.

“okay.” he whispers, smiling at her.

“i love you.” teagan whispers to jimmy, showing off the ring on her hand to hallie.

“it’s shiny.” she giggles, touching the diamond.

they’re all so happy that this is their life, and wouldn’t change any of it for absolutely anything in this world.

[muirmarie]

WIP Wednesday

Ty for the tag @appleofmyonlyeye!

Unusually for me I'm actually working on a few at the same time? So:

the hayride one for the mcspirk bingo card:

“You want the hay fever hypo, you spill the beans, Jim.”

“The Federation doesn't give in to blackmail,” Kirk says, lifting his chin a little, a smile twitching at the corner of his mouth. “Besides, you're too soft a touch to make that believable.”

“I'm not a soft touch,” McCoy snaps, sounding genuinely wounded. He swivels on his heel to face Spock, and flings out an arm to point at Kirk, his hand coming within inches of hitting Kirk in the face. “He wants to go on a hayride because he thinks it's romantic!”

“It is romantic,” Kirk says, his voice dropping into a hiss as he steps forward. “It's very romantic, and this is very new for us, and I am going to take the two of you on a romantic hayride if I have to knock you both out to do it!”

the mccoy makes breakfast one for the mcspirk bingo card

“What's it going to be, Bones?” Jim asks. He can see that Spock's hands are on Bones' waist, his fingertips sliding underneath Bones' top to touch bare skin. His own hands are still cupping Bones' face, holding him in place, holding him between them.

He wants, suddenly, desperately, to keep him just like this, forever. Keep him pinned between them. Keep him theirs and theirs alone.

There's a wild look in Bones' eyes, and Jim's torn between two conflicting desires: he wants to inflame it, he wants to soothe it. He wants to comfort him, and he wants to see just how out of control he can make him. He wants all of him, he wants both of them to have all of him. Wants Bones to have all of them, too, for as he long as he wants them. Forever, ideally. Ideally forever.

the plato's stepchildren au one (i'm so sorry) that i'm putting underneath a read more as it's a leetle messed up (also mcspirk)

(this may be used for some bingo card or other i'm really not sure, i really started this flying fully blind, tw: for mind control and discussion of non-consensual kissing)

“It is time, I think, for you to kiss your Vulcan friend,” Philana says. “If it is not convincing, we will have him walk over and give your captain twenty lashes. So here is the query for you, Leonard. Should I make him enjoy it, or would you prefer he makes himself act like he enjoys it?”

McCoy is trembling. Has, he thinks, been trembling all this while. There is nothing that could so terrify him as someone controlling his actions, and he is sure that Spock must feel very near the same. But to ask Spock, after all he's already gone through, to pretend to enjoy—

Twenty lashes, he thinks, thinking of the whip. Thinking of Spock's Vulcan strength. Thinking of Jim, who he and Spock both love so dearly.

His fingernails dig into his palm, and he wishes for a greater injury, wishes for a gaping wound on his side that he could focus on, wishes for a sharp, sharp pain that he could drown in.

“Make him,” he says. His voice doesn't sound like his own.

_____

I think most of the people I know who are working on fic have already been tagged by other people, but I'm not sure???

SO: if you're reading this, and you have a WIP - consider this me tagging you!

[autisticempathydaemon]

Hello, the matchup thing looked like it'd be fun to do-

My favorite song is Love Me Dead by Ludo ♡

Apparently my enneagram type is a 4? I'm not really sure what that means, I had to take a test to answer this ^^;

I never really had an imaginary friend, but there was this one time a couple years back that I was kind of hallucinating this tall dark shadowy figure that I named Dave.

I sleep on my stomach with a teddy bear, and the room has to be cold.

When I changed my name, there wasn't really any specific reason I chose Frankie. I was just scrolling through Nameberry and went "hehe, Frankenstein" and now here I am. It means free, which I think is nice. And if you look it up on The Urban Dictionary, it means person with a huge penis 🤠

Your Chaotic Roommate Confesses His Feelings For You. Literally free serotonin. When it first dropped it was the only thing I would listen to for like a month.

My moots are gonna attack me for this- I really don't get the hype around Anton. Maybe he'll grow on me eventually, but right now he just doesn't hold my attention :/

Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal! It's been my favorite movie since forever, and I have watched it more than enough for two lifetimes ☺️

Asher. He reminds me of my brothers, but nicer.

I could talk forever in a day about my original characters and stories <3 Unfortunately, no one ever wants to listen 😅

Usual gas station combo is a Dr. Pepper, or Cheerwine, and a Little Debbie treat ^^

I have an enemies to lovers playlist-

Fable II! My favorite favorite game :3

Extra stuffs: I have more stuffed animals than I have friends, OG Classic Care Bears is my home, I have three cats, my favorite animal is pigs, I like the color pink, and I'm an Aquarius.

Have a lovely timezone 💕

You’ve given me so much to work with, so much to chew on, which I deeply appreciate, because that makes my decision so easy. It’s your taste in tv and movies that really did it for me, that convinced me that you’d be a great match with Gavin.

Your sign and your enneagram give off the impression of a unique, singular type of person- creative, vibrant, never a dull moment. I think y’all would work well together because you and Gavin are cut from the same cloth and would like all the same things. (Also, of the bois, he strikes me as the most genuinely appreciative of the urbandictionary definition of your name.)

I can easily imagine you two settling in for a chill night of parallel playing with the TV playing Care Bears (which you had to introduce to him, but he deeply loves) in your delightful, colorful home. There are so many colors, so much pink, stuffed animals and a cat tree in every room. You can’t see him, but Caelum loves visiting y’all, making friends with your cats, and seeing Gavin be so incandescently comfortable and happy.

Song:

I'm all aglow, mmm, and now I know/ The key to all heaven is mine/ My heart has wings, mmm, and I can fly/ I'll touch every star in the sky/ So this is the miracle that I've been dreaming of/ Mmm, mmm, so this is love

One of my favorite things about Gavin’s love story is the peace and softness he finds. This man is intimately expressing love while you sleep; he is so tender. I like this song for y’all because of those sweet, tender vibes. This is the music playing as he watches you, with your morning hair and breath, banter with a cat and as he falls even more deeply in love with you.

Runner-ups:

Guy is a really cute runner-up who I think would have more platonic chemistry with you than romantic but so much chemistry nonetheless. You two could make your OCs kiss all the time. Ollie is fun because he also strikes me as having a niche obsession with The Dark Crystal, so y’all would have that in common.

note: thank you for waiting and for telling me your favorite color, that was very helpful 💙

Read this post and send me an ask if you’d like a match-up of your own! 💌

[wen-kexing-apologist]

10 Characters and 10 Fandoms

I was hoping this day would not come. I had hoped I would fly free and clear from having to choose between all the people trapped in my television. But alas...I can avoid it no longer...thanks @lurkingshan

Cause here is the thing, when I think of what drives me batshit, crawling up the wall, tearing at the curtains it is not the characters but the dynamics that I love and cherish.

Rules: name 10 of your favourite characters from 10 different fandoms, then tag 10 people to do the same.

So I guess, without further ado, and in no particular order, here are 10 of my faves and why

Wen Kexing - Word of Honor

I mean...this one seems pretty obvious (coughs in username) but this is my dumb slut, okay? He's beauty, he's grace, he's got Zhou Zishu Derangement Syndrome harder than anyone.

Wen Kexing, how do I love you? Let me count the ways:

Unhinged

Fashion Icon

Crazy Bastard Man

Yi Baiyi's Number One Nuisance

Gay As Hell

And most importantly HE HAS NEVER DONE ANYTHING WRONG IN HIS LIFE.

Not Once. Not Ever.

Akk - The Eclipse

Oh Akk, my favorite little war criminal. If I had to pick one single favorite character, it's my boy.

Can't put my finger on why but for some reason I am obsessed with this emotionally repressed gay boy who has difficulty accepting himself and feels pressured to perform actions far outside what a teenager should be allowed to do because adults put pressure on him and because he doesn't want people to be disappointed in him...

Unlike Wen Kexing, Akk has done many things wrong, but he's my sweet cheese, good time boy, and he deserves to be harassed by his rat bastard boyfriend at all times. He's learned, he's grown, he's free of Suppalo and I want nothing but the best for him forever and alwas.

Jim Jimenez - Our Flag Means Death

Ohhhhh Jim. The Swagger, The Sex Appeal, The Being The Only Competent Member of Stede's Crew. I mean, what is not to love about The Orphan Raised By Nun Grandmother To Be a Killer?

As a fellow Studier Of The Blade, I would welcome the chance to let Jim kill me. Besides the fact they would lay waste to many, as an enby, they automatically earn a spot in my favs list.

Guillermo de la Cruz - What We Do In The Shadows

Tumblr Users, name a sexier character that Guillermo de la Cruz. That's right! YOU CAN'T!

Gay, serial killer...mmm you know what I'm beginning to sense a trend in my favs list...

eh, we can unpack that later!

My lovely, bumbling, dumbass with posession of the only brain cell in the household. So bright and smiley in the beginning you almost forget that he is 10 years in to literally hunting people to feed to his best friends/mortal enemies/family/tormenters/employers/bumbling idiots that stole him away from Panera Bread. There is no greater personification of the Duality of Man than the man who can lay waste to an entire theatre full of vampires and also spending literal hours closing every possible loophole in Nandor's Dick Length Wish. No greater personification of the Duality of Man than the man who can best Nandor in a gay little fight, and then immediately get pushed into a coffin and shipped to England.

Keyleth - Critical Role

My beloved, all powerful awkward disaster of a Druid. Keyleth helped me through some difficult fucking parts of my life, and I really appreciate how heavily Marisha allowed Keyleth to embrace and exert her anger where it needed to be released. I love how Keyleth can both bring a building down with her bare hands (literally) and turn into a goldfish and splatter along the rocks (also literally)

I love when character who are hurt or in pain or grieving continue to be kind, and I love when that composure starts to slip.

Ellie Williams - The Last of Us

I love my baby dyke with all my heart. She's a killer, she's a track star, she makes grown men weep and young kids laugh. She's immune from being mushroomified, and she horrifies Joel's Southern Table Manner Sensibilities. What more can you ask for out of a character?

Tankhun Theerapanyakul- KinnPorsche

Serves cunt.

Kaz Brekkar - Six of Crows

Kaz Brekkar is the walking contradiction, and that is why I love him.

Kaz, External Monologue: murder. murder. crime. crime. heist. heist. fuck pekka.

Kaz, Internal Monologue: Inej. Inej. Inej. Inej. Inej. Inej. Inej.

There is just something so juicy about a character who yearns desperately to touch, to hold, to love and is physically incapable of doing so. Also like, shout out to having disabled characters in media of all forms

Raine Whispers - Owl House

Again, enby, therefore automatically on the fucking list. But also like. COME ON. Look at them. They are so precious, they are so awkward, and they are so badass. This motherfucker can't talk on a stage to save their life, but can lead a goddamn rebel organization?

ALSO LIKE, LET'S DISCUSS THE FUCKING WHISTLE AND THE MONTHS OF FAKING MIND CONTROL?!?!?!??!?! Y'all seriously want to sit here and not claim them as a fav? Okay, but couldn't be me :)

Zuko - Avatar: The Last Airbender

It's Zuko. Need I say more? I will never not love Zuko because I lived through his redemption arc live on my TV. I went from hating this motherfucker's guts to truly deeply loving him in real time and that's all I have to say on that. He's a runner, he's a track star, he's a war criminal, and a baby girl, and truly is the king of kings for doing one nice thing and nearly dying from fever about it.

Well, this has made me realize that most of my favs are gay murderers. Teehee. Please never make me choose my favorite characters again.

If someone tags me in one of these, ask me to do my Top 10 Character Dynamics, please I beg you!!!!1

Tagging:

@bengiyo , @shortpplfedup , @kyr-kun-chan , @moonspiritmars

[agentpeggycarterrogers]

Frozen Together

with @americansentinel

Steve

The plan was far from simple, but simply put, they were raining Hell down on HYDRA and Schmidt's head. For Steve he was doing it for Bucky, for the others, well they were doing it to end the war. There was only one small snag, Schmidt was getting away in a plane and if he took off then it would all be for nothing. Peggy was at his side and Philips was speeding down the runway trying to catch the plane before take off. Steve turned to Peggy.

Peggy

She was ready and she nodded. "Always ready," Peggy replied. They jumped together and dashed up the plane. Steve gave her a boost and then they were aboard the Valkyrie.

Peggy was here to support him, to help the cause, so she pulled out her pistol and fired on Schmidt's lackeys who approached them. "Go get him!" she called to Steve. "I've got this - I can handle it. I'll find you."

Steve

He knew he needed to stick with the plan. Peggy could handle herself just fine.

Still, Steve couldn't just run off to fight Schmidt without doing this first.

"In a second, there's something I need to do first." Summoning all his courage, Steve grabbed Peggy by the waist and kissed her.

"Okay. Now I can go get him."

Peggy

Peggy wrapped her arms around his neck, savoring the moment for longer than she should. She had wanted a kiss for so long. How was she supposed to concentrate on her fight now that Steve had kissed her like this? 

"Steve Rogers, that better not be a goodbye kiss!" she called. 

She watched him go and then continued to blast her way through Schmidt's henchman and neutralize the plane as best they could. One threat at a time, and then they could take out Red Skull, end the war, and save the world.

Steve

"Wouldn't dream of it!" Steve called back as he rushed off to find Schmidt.

Battling his way through HYDRA operatives, Steve finally made his way to the cockpit where the Red Skull was waiting for him.

Peggy

By the time Peggy found her way to the cockpit, Red Skull was gone, and there was a gaping hole in the floor. "STEVE!" she screamed, and held on to something. "Are you here? Are you alright?" The plane lurched and took a dive and she yelped.

Steve

Everything he'd just seen was too much for him to handle, but when he heard her scream his name he snapped out of it.

"Peggy!" Tearing himself away from the hole in the floor he grabbed the controls and pulled back to level out. The damn thing was on auto pilot so as long as he kept it level, they'd be alright.

"I'm here, Schmidt's dead!"

Peggy

"Steve!" she yelped again and pulled herself across the perimeter of the room, staying as far away from the hole as she could. "That hole...it goes all the way through." 

She reached the Captain's chair, her Captain's side, and held on. "He's dead, and now what? Can we turn this thing around...or?" Or were they going to crash? Were they losing fuel?  Did they have radio navigation? 

"Get Howard on the line, he'll know what to do."

Steve

"It's moving too fast, and it's headed for New York." Steve said, reaching for the radio.

"Can you fly this thing?" If she could keep the plane steady he could deal with Howard.

"Keep it steady."

Peggy

“Fly this *thing?”* Peggy gasped. “You want me to fly a plane?” She climbed into the copilot’s chair. “Steve, I…I can’t. I’ll try, but I can’t.” She reached for the controls, and the buttons indeed were all in German. 

Howard would know what to do; he’d find them a safe place to land. She nodded, and tried her best to keep the plane as steady as she could.

Steve

"Just keep it steady, Peg." Steve said grabbing the radio's handset and silently praying Howard would know what to do. It was Jim Morita on the line at first but after Steve explained that he was on the Valkyrie with Agent Carter and they needed to talk to Howard right now, there was a scramble on the other end of the line. It felt like forever before Howard's voice came through the speaker asking what was happening.

Peggy

Peggy nodded and did her best. After some trial and error, she managed to keep the  plane *steady * as Steve directed. She listened to Jim and Howard's conversation. 

"We'll find you a safe landing site," Howard said. 

Peggy yelped as the plane lost more altitude and dipped. There wasn't going to be a safe landing. 

"Howard, follow our path, you'll find us..." Peggy called. That's what radios were for, right? If there was anything left to find, that is. She turned to Steve.  "Steve, *help me*, please, my darling.  I can't..."

[zanniscaramouche]

Zanni WIPs of 2024

See what I'm working on under the cut ♡

Star Trek

❄️️ Fathom - Star Trek AOS - Jim Kirk/Spock + Jim Kirk/Bones

Jim raises his head and tries to stay on track of the conversation. “Always?”  And what he means is, ‘In every reality?’ Spock inclines his head in a subdued nod. “All that is, is yours.”  Est. 30k

❄️️ Wonderful Boy - Star Trek AOS - Jim Kirk/Spock + Jim Kirk/Bones

Jim wakes up in the new version of reality and he’s trying to find his place. Meanwhile, his relationships with Bones and Spock are strained as he works to reconcile the shift in status quo. Bones doesn’t stroke his hair back at night just to see his eyes better. Spock stands a little too close and keeps making abortive movements like he’s about to reach out. Jim can sympathise, but it’s still weird to have affection cut off from everyone but the one person who’s always given him a cold shoulder. OR AOS Jim wakes up in a world where his father didn't die on the Kelvin, his crew are polite but not personal, and he's never stepped foot on Tarsus IV. Oh, and he's got the wrong size science blues hanging up next to his gold shirts. Est. 60k

❄️️ Untitled - Star Trek AOS - Jim Kirk/Spock

A military AU set throughout the Bell Riots, Second Civil War, Eugenics War, and WWIII. Est. 200k

One Direction

❄️️ Cherry - One Direction- OT5 (starts off Nouis-centric) - ABO

Louis Tomlinson is probably the bureau's least impressive employee (and that's including janitor Stan 'the Man') but when an anonymous hook-up leaves him the best person to infiltrate a crime ring, he's forced into the field with a fake identity. Can he seduce the members of The Pack well enough to bring them down? And by the time he uncovers more than just their secrets, will he want to? Est. 45k

❄️️ If I Could Fly- Larry - Spiderman!Louis + Uni AU

Louis is busy coming to terms with being a superhero, but that doesn’t mean all the other responsibilities that come with being human are suddenly put on hold. The sanctuary of the education system won't last forever, and with Harry-- his lovely, beautiful, sex-god of a boyfriend-- a week from graduating with Masters, it's time to start thinking about the future. Their future. If only Louis could get his past to stay in the past. How long can Louis keep spinning lies until he’s caught in his own web? He's hoping at least a week. Est. 25k

❄️️ The Goodbye Scene- Larry - Authors AU + Enemies to Lovers

Louis and Harry are in the midst of co-writing a novel. Everything is fine, except for how they kind of can’t stand each other right now. Harry’s a romantic, wants everything to be perfect with the glossy sheen of pornography. Louis hates that. Things aren’t always perfect, and he wants to show how sex in reality can actually be kind of lack luster and awkward. He might be a bit sour since he’s still getting over his ex, but so sue him. He’s right on this, okay? It culminates in a heated debate as Harry insists the extravagant can be sexy and romantic when done right. Louis doesn’t believe him, and he’s not putting it in the book until Harry proves it to him. Which means Harry decides to prove it. Thus begins their trials to see who’s right: can sex be just as sexy and lust filled as the most harlequin romance novel out there, or will these grand ideas fall flat and lead more to injury than ecstacy? Est. 20k

❄️️ Black Silk - One Direction - Larry - ABO + Crime Thriller

Louis is a drug mule for designer narcotics that gets caught in a messy drop-off that leaves him on the wrong side of a corrupt deal. With nowhere to go and a city full of gang-lords and millionaires on his tail for the lost product, Louis seeks haven with the last person he even remembers having a conversation with. Only Niall the friendly omega is out of town, and in his place is a grumpy cat-sitter who doesn’t appreciate convicts bleeding on the rug. Est. 30k

❄️️ Ride or Die, Sweetheart - Larry - Bike Racer AU + Exes to Lovers

Harry bleeds diesel. He exhales red desert dirt and sweats motor oil. After twenty-six years he’s discovered two truths of life: He was born to race. He will love Louis Tomlinson until the day he dies. A case could be made to say there's a third fact: Louis’s hate for him burns hotter than an engine in the sun Est. 40k

❄️️ Who Hung the Moon - Larry - Time Travel + Exes to Lovers

After the second worst day of his life, Harry is sent back in time to the most horrible-terrible-no-good-very-bad week of his existence: The week Louis Tomlinson shattered every dream he had and broke his heart. Est. 25k

❄️️ Broken Wishbones - Larry + Narry - ABO + Accidental Bonding

It was Louis who spent Christmas morning with Harry, and it was Louis who received birthday blowjobs, and it was always going to be Louis who got on one knee with a ring. Niall didn’t have a part in any of that. Which is why it’s so fucked up that the teeth marks on Harry’s neck don’t match Louis’s mouth. Est. 20k

❄️️ Honeybee - Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson

Sex, Drugs, and Rock n' Roll during glamorous 70's. Est. 200k

Teen Wolf

❄️️ Hope You Get This Message - Teen Wolf - Stiles Stilinski/Derek Hale

Had anyone actually seen him recently? When was the last time you spoke to him? Did any of us really know him?  When the man known as Peter Hale disappears, Stiles is just one of a group of strangers that come together during the investigation. Pretty quickly it's clear that things don't quite match up to what everyone thought they knew about him. The one thing they can agree on is that everything they know about Peter might have been false, but there’s no way he’s guilty of what he’s being accused of. Right? The longer the case goes on, the more apparent it is that Peter wasn’t the only one with secrets. Est. 60k

See something you like? Want to read it sooner? Please send all encouragements and inquiries to my ask box! ♡ xoxo