#like the characterisation it is IMPECCABLE it is PERFECT i can read this in their voices

[rotzaprachim]

going through the last five years of the rebelcaptain tag since i quit fandom is the most wild experience of no. no. FUCK no. oh my gd i remember why i stopped checking this tag. wait. masterpiece. FUCKING MASTERPIECE 

[gossippool]

I've fallen hard for poolverine and I've read and loved your fic, do you have any fic recs you can share pretty please?

hi anon i do indeed!! i've been meaning to do a rec list eventually so thank u for asking. here are some fics out of the 14 i have bookmarked

twice upon an odyssey by lkst (E, 6k)

It would be tempting to say the propensity for physical violence in their relationship is gone, but nothing is created or destroyed, it would seem. While the urge to kill each other has faded it’s translated into tension between them hot and wet enough to grow orchids, and it’s taken the willpower of gods to keep them from fucking nasty about it. They're managing. The thing is, Wade doesn’t want to manage anymore. Wade drags Logan out on a little heist hoping to finally get him to make a move.

one of my favourites!! this is mostly smut but also some of the best characterisation of wade i've ever read and SO FUNNY. i giggled through the whole thing. sometimes humour in fics falls flat but not this time

deadpool/wolverine series by farmhandler (11k + 46k+)

i feel like recommending this series is a must tbh. only two fics in here so far and the second one is still updating but both are just. SO good. the first one is more wade-and-his-issues-centric and the second is more logan

tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow by signifier (E, 10k)

The one where Wade gets stuck in a time loop, and he's determined to get Logan out of it alive.

time loop fics are so hard to execute well and this was just perfect. typical emotional toll of being stuck in a time loop is taken on wade so there's Angst

movin' out (deadpool's song) by jenniferlawrencelover (E, 36k)

Wade wasn't fond of change. Both in the life sense as well as the coin sense. So they might have to move houses? Okay. Sure, his tummy hurt a little more than usual when he thought too hard about it, but he could move past that. Would move past that. Eventually. Probably. Most likely not. Probably not at all. Wade didn't do change.

GODDDD i love this fic. it is so gorgeously written i think i have some parts screenshotted which is how you know it's good. brilliant exploration of both wade and logan

where soul meets body by edgebug (E, 34k)

In which something very interesting happens underneath the Time Ripper, and Wade and Logan deal with the aftermath.

no idea how to explain this but their minds kind of get intertwined??? ish?? and it's so fucking good the writing is just impeccable. angst and smut galore

guess by handfulofteeth (E, 16k)

Logan stops talking. He’s mid-chide, tossing his soiled paper towel onto the counter and about to reach for another one when his eyes land on Wade. He’s got his pajamas halfway down his thighs, clearly trying to avoid sticking his fingers all over the gooey fabric, and whatever, that on its own isn’t a big deal...What is a big deal, a huge, massive fucking deal, is what Wade’s wearing underneath his pajamas. Panties.

now this may seem like it's mostly smut and you would be right. but it is goddamn good smut (with a dash of angst) and just such an alluring read. their other fics are also just as good

[fumblingmusings]

so sorry for the bother! may you recommend me some usuk fics? I have no qualms with any genre but I'll be honest, I fear I won't be able to read fics past 50k due to lack of free time

Heck yeah you can! I have a few bookmarked on my Ao3 page - do recommend you have a look there as well as everything below!

I do like a long fic, but I have some one shots as well that I like to come back to. A few of these are a bit old and call back to a different time in fandom, so be mindful of that. Some are ones that everyone has read. Some are explicit, some have attitudes and approaches towards nationhood that haven't aged that great or weren’t that well conceived of to begin with etc., etc...

So essentially... use your discretion.

There is more. There is a lot more. Maybe I'll make a part two or something. But for now…. here's a monster.

Under the Read More as there is lots of links and words.

*****

Tinstars

So Complicated (One-Shot)

It comes every year. Its influence is ubiquitous, seeping into every facet of society like a toxin. The greatest of men crumble to their knees in its wake. You can’t run, or beg, or plead. It has no empathy, no mercy. It will tear out your soul and consume you, piece by wretched piece, until there is nothing left. So basically, it’s Valentine’s Day and something weird happens and then England is there.

Strange Powers (Multi-Chapter)

America thought it would be funny to turn the device on himself. What’s the worst that could happen? Y’know, aside from accidentally falling in love with your friend. A continuation of “America’s strange invention” from the end of Comic Diary 8.

Tinstars manages to write both funny and heartwarming scenes at the same time, and keeps very close to canon characterisation whilst they're at it. Their America is such a goddamn weirdo. The romance scenes are soft, and England is proactive and bamboozled by how bizarre his chosen partner apparently is. Just classic good fic.

*****

PennyLane

Born on the Fourth of July (One-Shot)

It’s America’s Bicentennial and the celebration is going to be epic. Despite England’s bouts of ill health he suffers during this time of the year, he knows his duty, and his duty is to attend the festivities and play his part. But this celebration doesn’t turn out as either America or England thought it would. (Set during America’s Bi-Centennial, 1976)

All Roads Lead (One-Shot)

It’s WWII, and England is a prisoner in a German POW camp. America’s mission it to rescue him before the Germans discover who he really is.

Obviously Penny had to be on this list. She has also written two great human au fics, but I like my canon historical fics just a wee bit more. Arthur is almost always in some form of distress and in need of some...healing attention (cough cough) in these fics, but never to the point of outright wimpiness. Just excellently written and characterised fics.

*****

Smoochy-Ryoko

Chiaroscuro (One-Shot)

Alfred often hides his sadness and fear under a carefree mask and that Arthur is the only one who really understands. Aka Arthur spoils Alfred, the fic.

There's gonna probably be a lot of oldie but goodies on this list, and this is the first. It is weird reading these fics back from 2011 and realising how much of the political landscape has changed for sure. Regardless, Arthur defends Alfred, runs him a bath, and they snuggle. Perfect!

*****

Skuratsukikage

Where the Shadows Are (Two-Parter)

A night in England's house, 1947. Sometimes it feels like the war is never over. Language, mentions of war, dealing with a psychological disorder (PTSD), established relationship.

If Life's a Dance, Sometimes You Miss a Step (One-Shot)

America and England have a real fight despite their committed relationship. 

They do not get brought up in recommendation posts anymore which is a shame because their writing is impeccable. They have a huge catalogue of fic all on Livejournal, so I recommend having a peruse and seeing what catches your eye!

*****

RobinRocks

Paper Crown Kings and Pinwheel Queens (Multi-Chapter)

"What is a nation without humanity?" "I don't know," England said flatly. "Spades. Supremacy. Sickness …The thing that ate him." Cardverse without Cardverse: in which the suits are weapons rather than kingdoms.

Lavender's Blue (One-Shot)

The Suit Kingdom exists as a manufactured barrier between the bloodied human and dying fairy realms as the twentieth century slides ever closer to a second war. The story of a human king, his fairy queen and the worlds between them.

A is For (Multi-Chapter)

Alfie. Which Arthur totally called him last night. And thus begins Alfred's quest to get him to say it again. Set in the early 1950s, after the war.

I feel like this one is divisive nowadays. She is a very good writer technically, but oftentimes her Arthur and Alfred (especially her Arthur - who is often obtuse the point where plots move at a snail's pace because he just won't be honest to Alfred and it can genuinely be infuriating) can cross over into completely unlikeable and unsympathetic. That may be the point but... ymmv on where your limit of empathy for those boys are. I tend to think you'll have better luck with her one-shots or smaller multi-chapters. She also has an incredibly creative mind for aus, no-one quite comes up with off the wall fantasy like she does. A if For is by far her most conventional fic, along with 1912 and 1915, I think her most famous ones about the Titanic and Lusitania. Lavender's Blue was supposed to be a multi-chapter but what we got was an excellent one-shot (fairy Arthur guys... fairy Arthur!!!), and the the twist at the end of Paper Crown Kings and Pinwheel Queens still makes me go what the fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu a decade later.

*****

StarDropDream

Highway Cloudbusting (Multi-Chapter Three Volume Fic)

Sick of politics and business as usual, England decides to indulge a rare moment of spontaneity and go on a roadtrip. He should have known that America would want to tag along. And they both should have known that the trip would set them down a path they couldn't turn away from. / Just because you confess your feelings doesn't mean everything will fall into place from there - and England and America both have things they need to understand and accept about themselves and each other. / "I want to hold your hand".

Coffee and Cigarettes / With a Hole in My Heart (One-Shots)

Alfred made a promise to himself that he would never surrender to anyone, never relinquish his control. / Arthur was afraid to give himself completely to Alfred. These two fics mirror each other with the same concept but placed on each person in a different universe: how to get the boys to bottom. It's far more emotive than it sounds.

I mean... not to throw my hat into the ring but StarDropDream is the best USUK writer the fandom has ever had (oh yes I said it)! Her characterisations are spot on, the emotions will, if the time is right, actually have you choking up, and the sex is... nice. :| I have already spoken about Lying in that Sound Tonight and on and on it goes. They are just brilliant. Their long fics are the exact right kind of little plot lots of feelings, and their one shots are snapshots of something that you know is so much deeper. Just honestly, go through their catalogue for Arthur and Alfred, great stuff.

*****

Miaou Jones

Darts of Pleasure (Three One Shots)

Arthur could have Alfred's brilliance and warmth in his life—if only he could let himself. / Alfred remembers the very first time he and Arthur got together, with a closing reflection on the events from the beginning of Amsterdam. / In many ways and with many words, even if not those exact three, Arthur tells Alfred he loves him.

If you want smut they're the author for you! Phew! And they even do the unforgivable and make it either A) Hot as hell or B) Emotive as fuck. I also very much enjoy Star Light, Star Bright, but I won't recommend it here, as whilst USUK is the emotional centre of the fic, it involves Arthur and Ivan sleeping together at Potsdam and the framing of it is deliberately dubious.

*****

ElapsingSpiral

Al and Artie do Blackpool (Multi-Chapter)

It’s time for Arthur’s annual holiday, only money is a tad short: Blackpool it is then. Still, if Arthur’s going to England’s Capital City for Tackiness, he’s taking somebody else down with him. Poor Alfred.

Dating Advice for Germans and Americans (Multi-Chapter)

Ludwig and Alfred have one thing in common: questionable taste in the people they turn to for expert dating advice.

These two fics are set in the same universe but don't have to be read in order to understand what's going on. It's blindingly obvious that the author is British on account on how scary accurate Arthur is characterised. Their one shots of him taking Alfred to a greasy cafe or a car boot sale are sweet and nostalgic, but these two longer fics are incredible, and I feel like they never got the attention they deserved, even when they were published in 2009/10. The GerIta in Dating Advice is also incredible, and the contrast between the way Ludwig and Feli have issues versus Alfred and Arthur is so well done. Ludwig and Arthur's friendship being based on pragmatism before they realise that they actually get along (to the point where Feli thinks there's an affair going on) is well written too.

Arthur is incredibly love sick in these stories, desperate to be loved and be wanted for himself and the incidents which split him and Alfred apart are genuinely heartbreaking because he doesn't really do anything massively wrong. It's this legacy of shit behaviour that people won't cut him a break, and Alfred is the one who has a learning curve of understanding that Arthur really wants is to belong to someone, and how him asking for the same in return is not the red flag Alfred thinks it is.

The fics are also bloody hilarious. Incredibly dry. Tragically their Livejournal was deleted where there were many other fics (the GerIta... gone T_T) but alas. Gone into the void. Hmm. I suppose you can tell which one is my favourite right? I just want more people to read these ones. Please.

*****

Orestiad

for all e̶͎̾t̷̟̅ë̸̠r̵̺̐n̸̡i̵̦̓t̵̘̓y̶̲ (One-Shot)

A few months into their 4-year long exploration mission, Alfred is starting to form an unhealthy attachment to the ship’s AI.

This one fucked with me. They set up like four different ways you know it's going to go tits up. We've all seen Space Odyssey. Arthur as an AI is begging for trouble. The Kill Switch that Alfred is the only one with access to. Arthur getting attached to Alfred. It's all going to go downhill. And then it swerves in a brilliant parallel to earlier in the fic and it's like, oh no there truly is no fate worse than being loved by something not human is there. God or otherwise.

*****

Rierin

Written in the Stars (One-Shot)

Alfred wakes up after an assassination attempt to find Arthur at his bedside. He's told he and Arthur are engaged— but the last thing Alfred remembers is the Revolutionary War, and all he feels for Arthur is anger and resentment bordering on hatred.

Amnesia fic make Abbie go brrrrrrr. Genuinely not much to it than that. Arthur is so wonderfully pathetic in this fic and I mean that in the best possible way.

*****

Kink Meme Fills

The frustration here is I literally just copied and pasted a bunch of responses onto my pc for my own personal consumption without noting the original web url like a fool so excuse me whilst these listings are a bit more haphazard. I would have a nosey through the USUK livejournal page which indexed them up until Part 22. They are missing the later ones and ones that were back filled, so I would also go through the Finished Fills List and - if you feel like really going through it - the plain old Fills List.

Listen. Somewhere in those hundreds of pages is a fill where the entire Commonwealth catches wind that Arthur is pining after Alfred. Antigua is the first to figure it out; Canada is last. Someone went to the effort of writing all (well, at the time, some more nations have joined recently) the nations of the Commonwealth reacting, including Scotland who gets metaphorically possessed by the spirit of Arthur Conan Doyle and goes hunting for his missing brother who is being held captive by Oz and Zee. Some nations don't care because they are well within their rights not to care a fig what England does, some are aggressively supportive because honeymoon tourism and many just wish the America and England would spit it out and put everyone out of enduring their misery. I have it saved on my computer, but lord knows where it is in the depths of the Kink Meme. It's a sweet one. Worth sifting for... Good luck.

Whew! Okay. I'll call it quits there. Big boy. Hope there's something of interest in here! Old and new!

[consistentsquash]

Your GoT recs are impeccable! Please do more of those, I am begging you! 😭 No other fic threw me for a loop the way Rubicon did. I am still floored and speechless and numb months later. I hated Rhaegar before reading this fic. He is the ultimate card-carrying loser for Targaryen gender fluidity and identity. Rise up to meet her! 😭Rhaegar and Elia characterisations deserve all the praise. Oberyn, parted in thirds. 😭 The scorching chemistry Rhaegar/Oberyn turned me into an unashamed fujoshi

Sorry for the super slow reply. I was awol for a couple of months.

Yay! I feel like a successful matchmaker when somebody loves a fic that they found from my rec :D It's the best thing ever <3

Also I got one more Rhaegar/Oberyn rec for you to celebrate your new fujoshi club membership :D The Consort by Miss_M from Fandom Growth Exchange collection. Miss_M is one of my fav multifandom authors. 100% guarantee you are going to love this :D Arranged marriage trope with perfect execution.

Also I am the opposite of you :D I really love slash fic. Het fic is kind of not my thing. I got sold on het with Rubicon.

Rhaegar and Elia are absolutely brilliant characterizations. Rhaegar is so loser like the worst but also the best. He's just insanely lovable. He is literally 40% anxiety 40% analysisparalysis 20% recklessness. But also scary intelligent. I feel that intelligence/sensitivity/anxiety balance makes the characterization. Definitely the best I read for them. Also agree on Oberyn. The Rhaegar/Oberyn fics really went underappreciated but they are the best slash fics I read this year. Gosh love those <3 The series really defined those characters for me.

Also yeah! Rise up to meet her and parted in thirds. Cat62 forever <3 Of course. Unforgettable!!

But I really feel what made the series was the Aerys characterization and the interplay with the other characters. The whole Grendel/Grendel's mother/Parthenogensis dark concepts. That plus the survivor guilt trope the fic does really, really uniquely also just puts it kind of outside the big genres making it super hard to rec or describe. Living after a big mistake which directly caused a lot of death/war/suffering is a bigger punishment than death. Like how do you live with consequences of that mistake. Ofc love isn't enough to fix that type of guilt. This is somebody who has got to wake up everyday and literally everything/everybody reminds him about the huge cost of the mistake. It's literally the death of the ego again and again and again a billion times and you still keep rooting for the loser :D I feel the true power of the fic is how the characters are super relatable. Like it can go full this v. that which generally gives closure because we can pick a side but instead it just made things a billion times worse by going for the sustained bittersweet. Cry smile cry smile cry heart broke because hope doesn't get to die cry smile. Yeah, that fic <3

[xxpeppermintxx109]

Hi!! I've been reading GLBH since its early chapters and wanted to tell you how much I love it :') I honestly cling onto every single word in your chapters and it takes me a long time to read them in full, so I can only imagine the brainwork and care you've put into constructing the story and developing the characters. I love how your pic gives a really comprehensive and nuanced portrayal of the different relationships within/across/outside of the two families; as much as I adore Shaemond, I think what makes your story so compelling is how grey and human the characters are! Not just blacks vs greens, Shaera & Aemond vs their families etc, but a broader web of relationships put to the test of an impending war. Something small (?) I picked up in particular was how you wrote about Viserys' relationship with Helaena. I liked how you followed more of the characterisation in F&B here- I always liked reading about Viserys' interactions with his children by Alicent because I think it does give his character more depth than solely loving Rhaenyra and hating his other kids (although he definitely has a marked preference, yes). AND the way you write Shaemond's love scenes is impeccable!! I don't know how but they're the perfect balance of tender, loving and liberating <3 I just have one last thing to say- I am very intrigued by the parts where Viserys imagines Shaera's wedding and where he thinks about passing on his ring to her husband!! Are these actually important or are they just his random dying thoughts? lol.. Anyway to stop rambling, I love your fic very much and want to send you so many hugs!! Happy new year :))

Hi, Happy new year!!

First can I just say thank you so much?? It truly means the world to me that you have such love for my silly little story and it just…it makes my heart so warm! It may seem silly of me to say but when people take the time to acknowledge how long chapters take me, it means the world. Truly. Also thank you for mentioning the other characters and plots! I’m so glad you enjoy them because I love to write them just as much as I enjoy writing shaemond. I love a good fic where it’s the main couple and main couple only, but I’m a whore for multi-povs and making things not just about the main pairing. I think it gives me so much more room to explore what the show and book could not :) so thank you!! (Also yes! I’m not super thrilled still with how they portrayed viserys in the show cause I loved him in the book, but I decided to go a nice middle ground instead!) And all I’ll say to that last bit without spoiling is this: everything I have characters say like Helaena and Viserys are for a reason hehe.

Thank you again for the love and support. It means the world to me <3 happy new year again!!

[simplylupin]

Okay so I decided to make a FicRec of my favourite wolfstar stories because I have read so many amazing fics through recommendations, and I want to share some of my absolute favourites. 

A Store of Happiness by coyotesuspect https://archiveofourown.org/works/13792248

- I adore this fic soooo much oh my lord. I don’t usually read wolfstar fics that aren’t written in either Sirius or Remus’ POV, but this one was just too good not to resit. 

A Brief History of Dragons by erya https://archiveofourown.org/works/24114526/chapters/58052638

- Probably my favourite wolfstar fic ever. Everything about this fic is so pretty and the Remus characterisation? Impeccable. It has the perfect ratio of fluff to angst, and the representation of Remus’ anxiety was done so well. 

Now I Wanna Be Your Dog by pixelated https://archiveofourown.org/works/20158552/chapters/47759026

- I read this quite a while back so I don’t remember it vividly, but I do remember it being written beautiful and it having such nostalgic summer atmosphere. Basically Sirius pining and Remus being oblivious

Remus Discovers Burritos by elanev91 https://archiveofourown.org/works/13410660

- Teacher Remus and American Sirius? I think yes. I largely enjoyed this fic, it was funny and light-hearted and it made me smile. 

this is erosion by CruelRage https://archiveofourown.org/works/27128372/chapters/66246284

- Well I had to include at least on Textfic didn’t I? Mordan!AU where Remus never went to Hogwarts and Sirius texts the wrong number...very good

The worst of all James Potter’s questionable ideas by madisondreamson https://archiveofourown.org/works/24231772/chapters/60839518

- Another light hearted fic because I can’t deal with too much angst. Basically James and Remus being stupid, hence the title

that’s the art of getting by by sarewolf https://archiveofourown.org/works/27300139/chapters/66700582

- A raising Harry fic for you. Honestly I’ve read bunches of this trope, but this one stood out to me. It isn’t finished but I still highly recommend reading it, the dynamic between Sirius and Remus is exactly how I imagined it would’ve been if Sirius’ name had been cleared. Beautiful written as well. 

Currents by lunchbucket https://archiveofourown.org/works/19109890/chapters/45408766

- I’m a sucker for the Athletes! trope, and this fic did it justice. Swimmer Remus and Sirius lives in my mind 24/7

Everything’s Connected by mizdiz https://archiveofourown.org/works/5652049/chapters/13017727

- Just read this. You won’t regret it.

Of Bookshelves and Baby Carriers by poppunkpadfoot https://archiveofourown.org/works/14976980/chapters/34708298

- Maybe or maybe not another raising Harry au.....but this one’s different I swear! Sirius raises Harry and meets Remus in a bookshop, HOW MUCH CUTER CAN IT GET

I have like, a hundred more fics I would love to share so if you want another one of these posts, just say. Don’t forget to send in requests for oneshots, I love hearing them!

[wincestisasincest]

I cannot put how much I appreciate waves on the shores into words like oh my god I think this is some of the best writing I’ve ever read in my entire life, I spend hours poring over the words and rereading each word until it’s burnt into my mind and I can recall random paragraphs to memory. The characterisation of Penny? The descriptive writing? Your absolute GENIUS incorporation of hextech and just the vibes your fic gives are absolutely impeccable. You are very much an inspiration to many including myself and honest to god your writing deserves so much more attention.

On a somewhat unrelated tangent do you ever think about what Penny would be like in the timeline where the arcane series takes place and what changes she’d make to the story?

Okay so first, sorry that this took me forever to answer this week was insane but akerhnkejthekt I got this at work and after I read it I had to go to the bathroom because I almost cried????????

Like yeah holy shit I don't know how else to say it other than I like unironically had tears in my eyes like the emotional loser that I am. Thank you thank you thank you this made my very shitty week a lot better

As for your question, yes, I have! here are a bunch of ways that it could go down, though I’m not bold enough to think that I could rewrite the perfection of Arcane. But here are my thoughts regardless!

Had she never met Viktor and Jayce, I could see her being way more involved in Zaun. In the first act, she’d come over with another gang or something that would help Silco take over Zaun, not really there because she wants to be, but there nonetheless. At one point, Singed or Silco recognizes this vulnerability and ends up conspiring with her to make the members of her gang the first test subjects of Shimmer (instead of Deckard), simultaneously giving them Shimmer monsters and getting some freedom for herself. However, when the battle against Vander goes down and she has to see what Shimmer properly does to people, it really fucks her up, and she realizes that, if this is to be the “base violence necessary for change,” then she doesn’t want anything to do with change, and goes back to Bilgewater.  

Between Act 1 and 2, she grows up and is, in general, a menace.

In Act 2 she comes back, for whatever reason, and gets involved with the plot. This one’s a little fuzzy, but the main reason why I chose to do it in the time skip instead of the main series was because I couldn’t think of a way where she could reasonably fall in love with Viktor in this time without sacrificing the plot and character growth. Acts 2 and 3 move pretty fast, and I wanted to take my time here.

It would depend on how close she is to the boys here, but I could mainly see her spending a lot of time with Heimerdinger, because both Heimerdinger and her would basically have to watch the same mistakes repeat themselves all over again. Her past experience with making weapons she’d see in Jayce, prioritizing survival above all else she’d see in Viktor, and, in general, Bilgewater is reflected in the power struggle. Powerful people are desperate to keep it and desperate people want a taste of power.

Towards the end, ideally, she and Heimerdinger (with some help from Ekko) would get over themselves and realize that they can break the cycle. Or maybe things would get worse >:)

As for what this would look like…

“You’re… you’re using Shimmer,” you hissed.

“And so what if I am?” Viktor said coldly, focused on measuring the correct amount of that slick purple substance to the milligram.

“So what?! I dunno if you’ve heard, but that shit is dangerous,” you scoffed, pulling his chair back from the desk and forcing yourself into the gap, blocking him off from his work with your body, “the hell are you trying to do?”

“This doesn’t concern you.”

“I didn’t ask if it concerned me.”

“I’m not going to explain it to you,” he growled, spying the drug as he looked around either side of your hips.

“Gods, look at you!” you shouted, “You know, I could fucking report you right now and you’d lose everything, but you’re not even worried about that! How much have you had?”

He tapped his foot impatiently, and it sounded like the slam of metal doors.

“Well?” you asked again, not letting up.

“You may tattle if you wish – I won’t stop you. But if you plan to take it away yourself,” he found your eyes, burning through your bravado with his piss-yellow irises, “you should expect resistance.”

“Put your dick away, I’m not gonna stop you either if you wanna kill yourself,” you spat, “but you should know what you’re getting into.”

“I know what-“

“No, you don’t.”

“Perhaps if you were terminally ill, you could not find it within yourself to stay around, but I do not succumb as easily,” he stood up, leering down at you. You didn’t budge.

“Of course you don’t, you’re too busy succumbing to something else!”

“Then do something about it or get out of my way.”  

You got the full width of his shoulders now that he was no longer huddled in on himself, clinging to his crutch. In fact, it looked like nothing had been wrong with his leg in the first place – he was standing perfectly straight, no pain, not even a whisper of a limp. He’d rewritten his own past and left everyone else to put the pieces together.

“You’re a dead man walking,” you brushed past him and slipped into the hallway.

It took everything inside of you to not turn around and smash that vial into the floor. You would’ve enjoyed watching him scramble to the ground as the flower-shaped splatter mark slipped between his fingers. But you saw what happened to Heimerdinger.

Nothing would change anyway. It was the same old story, except this time, you were just a blank face in the audience.

[perceabeth]

i will say i’ve not yet read lucky charms past the first chapter or two, but honestly like. generally the fandom is so much more critical of annabeth than they are of percy, in like everything. i constantly see ppl calling annabeth abusive and toxic, saying shit like how she ‘makes percy’s self esteem worse’ or she is bad for everyone around her, the fandom’s treatment of her is genuinely so awful whereas literally every other character is excused for their bad actions. percy almost murders a god out of anger and yet ppl r like “omg so cool!! i love dark percy!!” annabeth judo flips him once in an ooc moment for ‘comedic relief’ by rr and ppl treat her like the devil. your characterisation of them is so wonderful as i’ve seen from your other fics and it saddens me that ppl are so quick to write it off as abusive or smth for being a nuanced look into them dealing w the symbol of their trauma

ldfslklkfj u know like. ur absolutely right! people do that in canon but i suppose like- the one thing I will give them is that we don't actually see Annabeth's POV a lot so like those who are determined to misunderstand can do so with a certain ease.

the dumbest thing is that my fic is literally in both their points of view??? so it's really not hard to follow thought processes??? i think with fic like because I have actually noticed this on many of my own-- people love when conflict is externally driven and will send you hate if ur character makes the decisions that lead to conflict. like if the Big Bad appears out of nowhere and it threatens Annabeth and Percy? people eat that shit up. if Percy and Annabeth actively make decisions that leads them into some kind of turmoil? they're the worst, deserve to die, are toxic, abusive etc etc (usually that's annabeth even if percy is ALWAYS mirroring her every action, like u said). for some reason like. character-driven conflict is so feared as though if annabeth specifically isn't absolutely perfect she'd become suddenly lesser

I definitely blame it on the way people read the books like. a lot of people, even the ones who like annabeth, see Percy as literally perfect in every way despite that being so far from the truth, so they project either this impeccable annabeth who never does anything wrong and lives to serve percy or as this absolute demon that u just described. it's actually quite sad, like I'm not saying it in an I'm Too Intellectual way, it's just that I like writing stories with a stronger internal battle I think so I get this a lot!! and it's annoying bc it's oftentimes people who read and leave kudos on my OWN other work?? like u know i write them in a certain way why can't u trust me lol

[agoodpersonrose]

February Schitt’s Creek Fic Round-Up

Okay this officially marks my SECOND round up, please applaud for me remembering to do this a second time! We have had SO much amazing fic this month, 400 in total in this month alone, and I wanted to share ten of my complete favourites, in no particular order:

1. we’ll get together then, dad by @doingthemost 

I have to kick off the list with this one. It’s just incredibly written, so perfectly characterised, and sweet as hell. Johnny’s voice is perfect, Alexis’ voice is perfect, it made me so so warm and happy (especially from the perspective of the second gay child in my family), and deserves to be read by every single person on the planet. 

2. I Will Be Here by @trueillusion82

This one was just so heart wrenching and perfect, it chronicles David’s first depressive episode after meeting Patrick and is just full of sweet moments and so so much love and affection, I adored it!

3. Valentine’s Day is for Lovers by @middyblue 

Ahh this one is just so so so ridiculous and sweet. The whole town (and more) end up giving David a Valentine present because Patrick is out of town this year, and he goes OFF about it being a ROMANTIC holiday. It made me laugh, and it made me so so happy!!! A must read!

4. Sounds of Pleasure by @grapehyasynth

Okay this is just the best thing you’ll read all week. It’s got all the pining and mutual affection you could ask for, plus is super 🔥 and in general is just completely unmissable! If you haven’t already read it please please do yourself a favour and take a look!! 

5. take me to the stars, just say “oh” by @Coeurire 

A trans!Patrick fic written by a trans author!! It deserves so much more attention for the impeccable character profile and the details of his experiences which I haven’t personally seen written before, and is just a really beautiful piece. I highly recommend!!

6. she’s all over me by @samwhambam​

Okay so I am still new to the Twyla/Stevie train but I can honestly say this author single handedly converted me. It’s slow going catching up, but this one is so so so 🔥, like seriously, no joke, and I’m obsessed with it!! Definitely definitely a recommendation if you’re looking for more F/F fic!!!

7. Lost in a Dream by @asoftplacetoland26

THIS ONE IS SO SOFT!! David and Patrick have regular zoom calls with the whole Rose family joining every week, but David can’t stay awake through any of them. This author is of course exceptional in general but this is just one of my very favourites, I read it like 10 times and will definitely be reading it again!

8. that could be a start by @5ambreakdown

This one is a kind of rewrite of one of the scenes in the Olive Branch. It’s just so sweet and funny, something I had never really considered but always wanted to read, and so so well written!! 

9. i’d take my puppy everywhere by @hullomoon

Y’all KNOW I love a meet cute and this is the absolute CUTEST of the meets. It has puppies, and neighbours, and awkward flirting and is the absolute most adorable thing I have possibly ever read. Legitimately, it gave me cavities in the best possible way. Go and read it. 

10. Roses and Tide, by @fairmanor

PIRATE FIC, it’s got SEA SHANTIES, it’s got SWORD FIGHTS, it’s got SEXY LESBIANS. That should be enough but honestly it’s also gorgeous? Like stunningly written (as with everything fairmanor writes) and so so incredible.

I would just like to mention that I have discounted any fics in the Season 7 fest even though they were all AMAZING, just to give everything else that came out a fair shot! 

Hope you enjoyed! (If I have tagged anyone incorrectly or missed any tags please let me know!)

[oosteven-universe]

Robin #7

Robin #7 DC Comics 2021 Written by Joshua Williamson Illustrated by Gleb Melnikov & Max Dunbar Coloured by Luis Guerrero Lettered by ALW’s Troy Peteri    It was the smooch heard ‘round the world…and it’s the one thing Damian Wayne DIDN’T see coming his way in the Lazarus Tournament! As Robin battles for the secrets of eternal life against the deadliest killers on the planet, can he-will-he-DARE HE-survive…a girlfriend?    I know that part of this is due to the diverse and interesting cast of characters and the lion's share is because Joshua writes the bad guys like no one else around.  I mean the dude is seriously good at writing complicated messed up characters and it’s really no wonder how he’s been able to get into a Damian Wayne book and actually enjoy the heck out of it.      There are a lot of interesting things happening here.  I know who a lot of the bit villains we’ve seen on the island are but there are those that I don’t know like Respawn or Flatline or even who this woman is who runs this tournament.  We slowly learn who Mother Soul really is and her connection to Lazarus Island.  That this isn’t drawn out and neither is it rushed but that it flows at the right pace for the story is exceptionally well rendered.      I’m a huge fan of the way that this is bedding told.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well.  The character development that we see through the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter does a marvellous job of bringing us these personalities.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing the story the more I simply must know.      I’m really rather impressed with the way that this is being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen.  The way we see the layers open up new avenues to be explored and how we see this add depth, dimension and complexity to the story is sensational.  I mean that avenue featuring Mother Soul oh yeah that’s a perfect example of this.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward are impeccably achieved.    Aside from the fact that we really do need to see more backgrounds, the interiors here are very nicely done.  It does feel a few steps up from say the Young Justice and I kind of wish it were more Batman less sidekick.  Don’t get me wrong the linework is clean, crisp and strong and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create the detail work is extremely well rendered.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a very talented eye for storytelling.  The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work shows a great understanding of how colour works. ​    I’m pretty impressed with the way that this story flows and that we don’t have to see the entirety of these fights.  Instead we see this get to where it needs to go while showcasing bits and pieces.  It really is effective and we all kind of knew who the two in the final were going to be and I’m still wondering what Hawke is doing there at all but hey I suppose we’ll learn eventually.   With some superb writing and this solid characterisation alongside these interiors make for some extremely interesting reading.  

[kpopfanfictrash]

lilyk9495 said: Wait this is so good?!?!??! And like the smut is so hot?!?! But also wholesome?!?! Wow. Happy birthday to Jungkook, but honestly happy birthday to us!

kitty-queen-13 said: Love the story telling. You write beautifully. Made the sex a legit part of the story. Had me rooting for y/n and JK.

joons-dimple94 said: I really liked this one. It was so cute that I could picture everything happening.

batakookie said: This is so good, I kept having to rewind and reread certain parts, it was so endearing! I love your writing, and this is one of my favourites for sure. The dynamic between the whole group is 👌🏼 and the sex so hot but tender all at once. I’m need to reread it already. I love this version of Jungkook!

artsymode said: I absolutely loved the banter in this one! 💙

sootsprite89 said: shanna😭😭😭😭 how can you make my bias wreck me like this?! This was 🥵😍🙌 sooo good I can't word....wait...i'll be back when my mental coherence returns 😂😂

junglecork said: The taste, the flavour, the character development. Sis it’s truly amazing how you’ve made me fall in love with jungkook again. Im in awe bitch I’m shook bitch I’m QUAKING. Wow just wow

k0modob1ue said: i love this. i love how jungkook is characterised, i love the slow but not painful burn UGH i love bowler jungkook thank you for this

unsureofwhathappens said: I needed this in my life. Holy flip! Perfection! And omg the puns. I love them. Dang I am such a nerd for those brilliant word plays. XD I want to know which ones got Jin banned! Must have been brilliant! XD But seriously, I love the characterizations of everyone. I want that grouo in my life. XD For real. Thank you for an another amazing story.

kuzimuzibts  said: OMG!!! This is so freaking awesome 😍😍😍😍😍 thanks for writing 😍😍😍😍

boofairy said: “Hey,” Taehyung interrupts, both hands on his hips. “It was between that and a pin, but the pin looked kind of like a penis, so…” He shrugs. “Balls, it is.” i 100% snorted. Out loud. In a wAiting room. The whole thing was fucking phenomenal! ☺️👍 Now if tumblr could politely NOT crash while im in the middle of reading such excellence, I would appreciate it 😅

yeoltoyuki  said: Aaaaand here she strikes again 😭😭😭

bulletproofbirdy said: I am….in love. Sweet IT boy can rail me any TIME any PLACE. Aside from the impeccably written sexy times—the BANTER. The FLIRTING. The damn COMEDY. I loved every word of this adorable nonsense. Going to read it again later just to savor the dialogue.

sugamonster22 said: I love this! Cute and funny and sexy all into one 🥰

atinypiratequeen said: I guess I like this fic a reasonable amount. I mean I've read it five times since you released it but like it's a normal appreciation or whatever.

appreciatethefoolishness  said: I FINALLY GOT AROUND TO READ THIS AND AHHH IT’S SO GOOD!!!!

bishuthot  said: This is amazing 💜 I LOVED the Lion King reference!!

@lilyk9495 @kitty-queen-13 @joons-dimple94 @batakookie @artsymode @sootsprite89 @junglecork @k0modob1ue @unsureofwhathappens @kuzimuzibts @boofairy @yeoltoyuki @bulletproofbirdy @sugamonster22 @atinypiratequeen @appreciatethefoolishness @bishuthot THANK YOU SO, SO MUCH FOR YOUR ENTHUSIASM AND COMMENTS!!! I can’t tell you how happy these made me over the past few days alsdkfjalks honestly, it means the world that you read and enjoyed my story. Thank you for leaving feedback and I hope you have a wonderful day/night!!!!

[stlplaybox]

Better late than never: my top 10 Transformers of 2017

Yes, yes. I know I’m about 7 months too late but it’s been a tough slog. I was 90% complete in January but have only snailed along since then. I love doing these to really collect my thoughts on a year of collecting but I ended up letting it slip way more than I intended to. Anyway, with that aside out of the way, let’s get cracking.  

Here we are again, that time of the year when everyone reflects on the best of the year that was.Twelve months on and the job of selecting my top 10 figures for 2017 was no less daunting than it was the last time. I found myself drawn to my closing remarks from last year as a starting point. 

“Hasbro and Takara look to be continuing their winning formula with a strong opening salvo in the form of Topspin, Quake and Krok. It’s also a movie year and I’m very curious how they’ll apply this design ethos to the movie line. The Masterpiece line will welcome more Beast Wars figures and will deliver arguably the most important release of the year: the despot we all want, but will it be the one we deserve?

Third party continue their onslaught of amazing product. MMC’s stable is ready to burst with Kultur on the cusp of release and IDW Megatron due later this year. Maketoys have MP Jazz and Targetmasters on the way whilst pushing the aesthetic and action figure boundaries of the franchise with their Cross Dimensions line. Master Made will turn their eye to their next project after they finish Scorponok and Fort Max. SparkToys will deliver the follow up to their War Within Optimus Prime with Megatron and maybe even the King. Having wow’d us with what they can do at Legends scale, Iron Factory will deliver combiners and a six changer.”

As it turned out, all these things happened. And more. The mantra of “there’s never been a better time to be a Transformers collector” has never been more true. It’s with this backdrop that I embark on disambiguating my own ever-changing proclivities.  

Some honourable mentions first because it feels like a transgression of the highest order to not acknowledge at least a slither the other amazing figures that did not make this list. 

First off, dear Iron Factory I love everything you guys do. It’s a travesty that nothing you guys made ended up on my list. But the bite-sized delight that you guys deliver time and time again cannot go unacknowledged. From Ultimate Commander to Sixshot, you guys pack an impossible amount of articulation, fun and detail that should not be possible at such a scale. 

Planet X Mors: Planet X has been a regular occupier in my lists over the years and as amazing as their Trypticon was, there’s nothing more ambitious than dethroning an official version of a toy. They did that with Grimlock and then repeated it with Starscream, Skywarp and Thundercracker. It’s a stunning toy that has not left the coffee table since it’s arrival and it was hard leaving it off this list.

MAS-01 Optimus Prime: I have an Ultimetal Optimus Prime. I should not need this. There’s only so many humungous, non-transforming toys one should have in an era that is delivering knockout citybot after citybot. But I succumbed and gratefully so. Whilst Ultimetal delivers an impeccable amount of diecast, detail and finish, MAS-01 delivers insane poseability that will never be possible in a transforming version of our favourite Autobot commander.

Titan Returns Black Shadow: It’s been awhile since an official leader class figure has been of interest to me. Black Shadow outshone the main course that he was an appetiser to. Beautiful headsculpt, wonderful colours, topped with an incredibly clever and satisfying transformation. 

Titan Returns Gnaw: It’s a rarity that Hasbro could outdo Takara but they did. Fun and so full of character, Gnaw was a wonderful addition to our fandom. You can see it in the amount of fun photos this little fella has graced. I’ve had a Legends figure in my top TFs in the last 3 years and it was really hard to not have one on the list this year.  

TAV-60 Bisk: A fading line that accompanied an uninspiring TV show, TAV managed to deliver some amazing Decepticons with unusual shapes and transformations. Bisk was the epitome of this. A muscle car that turns into a hyper articulated lobster, Bisk was a bundle of joy I found hard to put down for many months in front of the TV or on holiday.  

I’ll have to stop there as I’ll be here all year otherwise. Let’s rollout for the top 10.      

10: Beast Wars Optimal Optimus (Perfect Effect Beast Gorira) 

Never having owned a toy of this quintessential character, I drooled enviously while everyone picked this up at TFNation because it was too large to lug home. The FOMO factor egged me on to buy it on eBay at TFNation in the early hours of the morning. I ship it so it’d be there when I got home. However, upon arriving home after having been away for almost two months I allowed it to gather dust alongside my backlog of unopened toys. It led me to more than once question if I’d just been a sucker for convention hype. 

Finally opening it in December, I discovered the perfection that is Perfect Effect’s Beast Gorira. The sculpt is immaculate but what elevates this is the premium finish. Perfect Effect brought their trademark paint and attention to detail to the table and made this the ultimate representation of Beast Wars Optimal Optimus. As much as I love posing Gorira, what holds him back from climbing higher is the finicky transformation. 

9: Maketoys G1 Pointblank (Maketoys MTRM-06 Contact Shot)

A surefire way to my heart is a futuristic alt mode. The Autobot cars and Decepticon jet Targetmasters have always occupied a mystical spot in my head for that reason. When Maketoys dropped Pointblank, a Masterpiece of a toy I’d only known from the well-read pages of my G1 toy catalogue, I had high expectations. Those expectations were well and truly blown out of the water when I handled it for the first time. The way those legs compress, the way that chest works, the playability and detail of that cockpit, that insane articulation… it’s a stunning feat of engineering. So much so that it made not one but two trips as a holidaybot in 2017. Subjecting a masterpiece toy to the rigours of a holiday is something that makes most collector’s cringe. But it was that good. That’s a hell of an achievement for a Masterpiece toy. 

8. G1 Starscream (MTRM-11 Howling Meteor)

In a heated 3rd party masterpiece scene, if you were going to dislodge an official figure from being the preferred representation of a character, you’d go after the decrepit Seeker mould. But it’s a risk. There was no shortage of collector relief at having finished the Seekers this year so it makes Maketoys ambition all that more audacious. But if anyone was going to pull it off, it was Maketoys. They did. The presence, paint and peerless articulation of everyone’s favourite scheming whiner is a joy to behold, pose, and play. All that stopped it from usurping higher spots on this list was the lack of upwards head articulation and its unphotogenic dark face.

7. MP-32 Optimus Primal

I’ll confess to being one of those “Trukk not Monkey” people once upon a time. But Beast Wars was a show that I grew to love. It lacked the cast of thousands of G1 but it more than made up for that with a story and characterisation that still withstands the test of time. When I liberated this figure from its packaging, the love I felt was instantaneous. The CGI perfect blue, the multiple faces, the loving attention to the sculpt, I was sure I’d have to file for divorce. It went everywhere with me even to the distant fjords of Norway as seen in the picture I’m using here. But there was drama. Gutwrenching heartbreak ensued when I discovered I’d broken it in a fall on a climb in Husedalen. It was an expensive replacement but one I did at TFNation before returning downunder. My personal story with this figure would have catapulted it into the number one spot in any other year but such a time it is to be a collector that this was as high as it could climb.

6. MTMTE Rodimus (SXS R-04 Hot Flame) 

If you know me well, you know the place MTMTE and Lost Light holds in my heart. There was a crack at this by a more accomplished third party company that satisfied most. Not me though. SXS stepped up to the plate to deliver the perfect rendition of the cavalier Co-Captain of the Lost Light. It rendered MMC’s Calidus to a mediocre representation of a Hot Rod / Rodimus. The sci-fi vibe of the rugged alt mode, the perfection of the chest sculpt relative to the shoulders, and the exceptional articulation were exhilarating to experience. It’s a toy that will not leave the coffee table anytime soon.   

5 . War Within Megatron (SparkToys Spartacus)

It was the year of Megatron. Whichever line you look at, there was not just a good one but a great one. That’s why there are three on this list. War Within got me back into buying Transformers. It lit the spark that re-ignited that childhood love that I’d had for Transformers. Last year, SparkToys Optimus Prime almost took the top spot and they were always going to be in contention in 2017 again given how much nostalgia this plays up in me. Collectors talk about paint and finish but this is a whole different level. Not only is the detail of the sculpt exceptional, every nook and cranny of this pre-war despot is coated in loving layers of vibrant paint. Add the commanding presence of a gladiatorial Megatron and a generous armoury, this figure is packed with endless fun as well as beauty.

4. Titan Returns Decepticon Targetmasters: Triggerhappy, Slugslinger, Misfire 

This is a cheat as Triggerhappy had already made my list last year but there was an overwhelming sense of achievement unlocked when I completed this triplet of Targetmasters. All cut from the same cloth but each so uniquely distinct with tonnes of articulation, personality and clever little design decisions, I spent whole evenings playing and photographing these handsome lads. Another important factor was that I acquired all three of these locally and with my boy. As someone who largely imports these days, the fact I could experience the thrill of the hunt again chasing such great figures cemented their place in my memory banks.   

3. Chaos Theory Optimus Prime GT-03 Optimus

I mentioned the importance of James Roberts’ MTMTE to my love of Transformers. It’s fiction that elevates the characters and their journeys to a level that we haven’t experienced before. But before there was MTMTE, there was the two part story Chaos Theory. I remember reading it amid the Costa era of TF comics and knowing straightaway this was special. The gravitas with which it regarded the four million year old war and the relationship between the two diametrically opposed leaders gripped me like nothing else. It was not till much later that I realised it was the start of James Roberts’ meteoric rise in TF fiction.

It was only in October 2017 that I secured all the variant covers of those two issues of Chaos Theory (Transformers #22 and #23) after having stopped buying physical comics for many years. But to then obtain a Masterpiece version of that Optimus? With perfectly stunning articulation, paint and detail? A sculpt that oozes a sense of heroic gravity? That I did not expect.       

2. Chaos Theory Megatron (GT-02 Tyrant)

Chaos Theory was a tale in two parts. The covers represented the two halves of the story: Optimus Prime and Megatron in both their current day and youthful forms. Generations Toys completed the other half of that equation with their wonderful designed Chaos Theory Megatron. With transformation steps that evoke Masterpiece level ingenuity and a transformation that is a pleasure to switch back and forth between, it’s amazing how Generation Toys designed such a Megatron full of fearsome presence yet is also a stealth bomber at the same time.    . 

1. MTMTE Megatron (MMC R-28 Tyrantron)

This was a hard choice. On the one hand, of all the figures on this list, MMC’s MTMTE Megatron has the laziest of transformations on top of being a heavy partsformer. On the other hand, never has a character stepped off a page more than this. This wonderfully epic rendition of the tormented Megatron knocks it out of the park. Not only is the every part of the body sculpted to perfection but the head sculpt captures the grim introspection that dominated the former Decepticon leader’s tenure on the Lost Light. If that wasn’t enough, the figure does double duty and with a few bits of parts forming becomes pre-war Megatron from Chaos Theory. It’s a monumental effort from MMC and allowed me to round out 2017 with the 3 most important representations of Megatron to me.    

So there’s my list for another great year. 2017 was a special year for me. One dominated by the realisation of some of my favourite characters from my favourite Transformers fiction. It’s a reflection of how vibrant the transforming scene is at the moment that it supports not only a heavy masterpiece market but multiple TF canons as well. There’s truly never been a greater time to be a fan.

[vaguely-gestures-to-the-void]

Hindsight: My thoughts on Loki (2021)

Spoilers below. Please correct me if I slip up. I am in no way shape or form educated on ANYTHING to do with the making of films, how to critique this stuff etc, this is all just my opinion. If I haven’t covered a scene, it’s probably because it’s already been covered much better than I can. This is my extended episode 1 review.

Episode 1: GLORIOUS PURPOSE

Pre-title scene

The scene titles looking like a train station combined with the scrolling through time is such a cool stylistic choice.

The music is familiar, but followed by an alternate shot of Loki as Cap. A different perspective of something known, how fitting. FYI, I’m going to mention music a lot.

Love how no one questions the Hulk terrifying people.

This is the last time Loki will hear Thor call his name, or speak to him. Oh darn, I made myself sad.

Marvel studios logo

The Marvel logo changing colours + Loki theme finally taking the centre stage. I love it.

The comments made on Loki soundtrack videos saying ‘I see that the Mandalorian soundtrack has become a genre’ are so accurate it hurts. Shout out to Ludwig btw, he deserves all the awards for his soundtracks.

My thoughts so far: This part is setting up the general shift in tone from what we’ve seen in past Marvel projects, even the other shows. It reaffirms the audience’s subconscious that whilst we are familiar with the characters, there’s new twists up ahead, subtle hints to oncoming mischief. Props to the entire team behind the series.

Gobi Desert Scene

As much as I liked the opening bug crawl, the following interactions look a bit CGId. I’m being picky, they really are gorgeous. It’s also difficult after having seen the Mandalorian, but that show really paid attention to scenery as it was an instrumental part of the story, whereas here it’s just one scene and all the others are stunning.

The parallels to Tony in the desert. Loki immediately rips off the muzzle (?).

I just watched the scene and yes, Tony rips off the mask immediately.

Also I think I would have definitely had a crush on young RDJ.

And Gwyneth Paltrow (GOOP LADY) if I didn’t know her now.

Props to Tom Hiddleston’s acting. Loki’s face when he sits up is just pure confusion but with the signature hint of indignation that I’d expect from his characterisation at this point.

The rock lmao.

THE MUSIC WHEN B-15 (MY QUEEN) APPEARS. HELL YEAH!

Also props to the supporting cast of minutemen, where does Marvel find these people? They’re so well choreographed, they all move perfectly and it’s a joy to watch.

Love the time doors honestly.

I couldn’t have been the only one who thought that the temp pads were Samsung phones for a sec right?

Lol is that unintentional foreshadowing about the TVA? Jk I’m just clowning.

Has anyone spoken about what the Temp pad showed?

My theory is that ‘Units’ refer to a predetermined rate of change [e.g. m/s] where one unit = one increment of change.

The steady rate of change here is interesting. I’ll talk about it more at the end of the next episode.

I love the music, just the slow ticking increasing in pace and the dramatic flares brought on by the strings (I think), simply divine. Natalie Holt got it spot on and props to Tom Hiddleston and literally everyone involved for understanding the importance of good music with this series. I’ll talk about this in depth in the next episode, just wanted to mention it when it first started that I noticed.

In retrospect, I can definitely retract my critique of the background in the scene. It holds up well now that I’ve rewatched it.

B-15 doesn’t get enough love. Shout out to Wunmi Mosaku, she’s a trooper and I’m here to hype her up.

Also y'all I just checked the cast list and ???? Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner and Tessa Thompson are on it?????? MARVEL TF IS THIS WHAT TOM MEANT BY EP 4 BEING WILD I-

Tom’s acting chops: The face moment. You know the one. It’s pretty incredible.

Theory from me: the reason that Loki doesn’t see the hit coming is because B15 was moving unnaturally fast.

It’s the immediate change in the music to reflect the audience’s reaction at the standard fight scene taking a strange turn for me lads.

B-15 doesn’t smile, which I think is in character for her.

She’s seen this shit wayyyy too many times.

We’re not even five minutes into the first ep and a) I’ve waffled this much, Gods, and b) the music has changed at least 3?? Times to reflect what’s happening. I love it.

My theory about resetting the timeline: the reset charges get rid of anything in the immediate vicinity of the branch, pretty much a mini-apocalypse of the timeline. If everything is erased, none of it matters. Does that make sense?

Taking away the Tesseract while yes, it serves a purpose with showing Loki the might of the TVA later on, also reflects how nitpicky the TVA are about their time-keeping. They do everything in a very orderly fashion, but as we see later, the outdated nature of things is very human.

The TVA - the elevator thing

Man I love the TVA’s look. Someone (and I’ve heard that Kate Herron was also very particular about the set design) went to extraordinary lengths with every single scene, not just this one, but the one before as well.

Heck I just want to appreciate how much of a visual feast this series is. Good on ‘em.

The shots changing angle is also very interesting. They switch it up between one-takes, close-ups of differing extremities and it just keeps the flow fast-paced, ya know?

Watching Loki run was hilarious.

“Sounds dumb.” - Casey, Null Time Zone.

This weird robot is what I think of when the TVA is mentioned. Advanced tech mimicking a retroistic 70s feel.

The cat’s adorable.

The clock. The cup. The placing of props. Impeccable.

The clock’s hands don’t move whilst they’re on screen.

The realisation on his face when he eyes the stack of papers.

Why is the wall so badly scratched???

I love that the signature is in character. I have a huge thing for attention to detail lmao.

Again, why are all of the walls so scratched? If they could talk, I’d presume it’s just a set design choice but it’s interesting that they did that.

Does anyone else want a TVA sweater vest?

Tickets

The opening zoom in on Loki combined with the consistent brown-orange colours of the set makes the room look uniform and encompassing. I love how the lights are always placed in a repetitive manner so rooms are given the illusion that they go on forever.

Lighting here creates depth, but whilst the lights form a ceiling, we can’t actually see how they’re suspended and I think that’s neat.

The posters. Yes.

This is the first time I noticed the different minutemen uniforms. This one’s half orange-red and black. Pretty cool imo.

Shout out to Tara Strong and the entire animation.

The butterfly was a nice hint to the butterfly effect, and the music is perfect as always.

The wooden walls in the background of this shot. How very 70s.

The reflection showing the guy getting pruned is pretty cool.

Again, another clock with no movement on the wall.

The first 11 minutes are up and we’ve made it to the title! If you’ve read this far, congrats.

1549 Aix-en-provence, France

Just speculating, we’re in a church with an initial high-angled nearly bird’s eye view and then a cut to one looking up at Mobius. I guess it means even if we think as viewers our perspective is omniscient, we’re not spared from the mystery in this series.

Who’s in the stained glass window?

I love how they tie in a detail as small as the gum. It just goes to show when you haven’t got much time, every character interaction is meaningful.

Props to Owen Wilson, he really sold Mobius to me.

Mirrors in a church showing the devil behind Mobius. Or on his side.

Time court 37

The time court 37 really reminds me of train stations.

The chairs remind me of pews. They sure are reverent of the Time keepers.

The lighting is a cool, bluish tinge for the first time I’ve noticed. Especially on Ravonna (MY LOVE!).

B-15 knows Loki’s clowning lmaooo.

Ravonna isn’t here for it either.

Ravonna’s nailpolish is a very nice shade of brown.

Theory: Resetting is ‘being brainwashed for the TVA’. Not very original, but it’s interesting that the TVA thinks that Loki would be useful as a worker, unlike the guy who got pruned earlier.

The TVA exterior is amazing. It also extends forever in all directions, even down.

Time Theatre 25

What is that elevator music??

“I thought you didn’t like to talk” Ragnarok, anyone?

Loki reading the ‘Time theatre’ sign whilst rambling. Gotta give it to him, he’s always aware of his surroundings.

The little TVA logo on Mobius’ shirt.

Shout out to whoever did the costuming. Personally, I liked the shirts with no collars, and the armour of the minutemen and Hunters came off to me as practical but not ignorant of the branding that the TVA likes.

Theory (bear with me): Once you’re a part of the TVA, you’re not collared anymore, though there is an appearance of that on the shirts.

Seriously tho, what are those shirts like? Mobius doesn’t have a collar.

Why do the ties just… end?

Neat details:

Holo projector 35.

The lights being reminiscent of skylights but still leaving the characters in the dark. “The sun will shine on us again, brother.” Not yet.

The reflection of the projector in the table/on the ground.

Loki: *turns away.*

Mobius: *sips Josta.*

Seriously, the lighting is great. Loki moving in and out of the shadows? Great way to show his mistrust/ unease of the situation.

The illusion speech is the last time we really hear 2012 Loki in my eyes, mainly because Mobius really gets into the cracks of who Loki is and then there’s action.

The ‘I was- I am” Freudian slip is perfection.

Side note the music’s changed yet again. It’s definitely setting up the more mournful tones for seeing his mother’s death.

I find it interesting that the door is partially in the shadows.

Doors are symbols of opportunities, barriers and both death and birth from what I remember of high school English.

From what I know in interrogations the person being interrogated is allowed to sit with their back to a door. Initially, both Loki and Mobius are sideways, equidistant from the door. When Loki wants to run, he edges closer to the door, even if it is just to make a point. Excellent blocking in my eyes.

Oh man, Mobius’ little gestures.

“Always so perceptive about everyone but yourself.” I really don’t have to talk about the significance of that line, do I?

Frigga being stabbed in the back. Little solace to a dead man? Ouch. That hurt me too.

Loki’s wounds heal unnaturally fast, because he’s no mortal.

Mobius really drives home the last point. Who says ‘like you did your mother” ??? Owen sold how Mobius can influence Loki's mind.

The ‘best versions of themselves' line and showing Thor must have hit Loki hard. He spent two movies trying to prove who he is, measuring himself against Thor. And then he sees them both working together and being equals.

Loki’s escape

Wunmi and Owen’s line delivery is unforced and charged, completely in character.

Mobius looking under the table is hilarious to me.

The music.

The tidy cubicle = healthy timeline is a bit contradictory because they’re supposedly in the null time zone but okay.

Is no one going to mention the taxidermy ferret?

Loki just had an identity crisis. His ‘gut you like a fish’ seems in character.

The dude’s really questioning everything he knows lmao.

Casey’s ‘what’s a fish’ was really our first hint that not everything is what it seems to be at the TVA.

It amuses me that Loki’s on his knees when he gets the Tesseract.

I’m sure someone’s pointed it out already, but given that Loki takes back the Time Twister, it’s possible he could have stolen an Infinity stone.

Again, point’s already been made but Loki seeing the Infinity stones is what sells the power of the TVA.

Please, the rest of the office not giving a damn when one dude’s having some drama is hilariously on point. They really said ‘not my problem’.

Loki’s future

The screen on the table showing what he’s rewinding as it happens.

Btw if you pause any moment during that, you’ll see a scene.

A quick note on Loki’s characterisation:

He’s been through a lot in a very short period of time, quite literally finding out that his actions don’t have any consequences. He’s lost all autonomy, especially as a god who probably believed he was not as restrained as mortals. More on this in later Eps.

I really liked Ragnarok because it showed Loki and Thor’s maturity; they had to step out of legacies that were thousands of years old and come to terms with a universe that was much bigger than them. It also fleshed out their relationship as brothers, but not at the expense of who they were. Loki still is a schemer, and he talks more because he has less to hide in my eyes. He’s no longer just a villain, and that can’t be shown by just actions, especially in his own tv show.

Loki’s little laugh when Thor talks about giving him a hug. Man that was sad.

What shouldn’t be forgotten is that Loki doesn’t know how it ends. He doesn’t know whether Thanos gets defeated. For all he knows, he died in vain and left behind a brother with no family.

The collar says DANGER.

This is the scene that really nails it home to Loki that his purpose in life was to cause pain. He found out his glorious purpose in that timeline, he’s conflicted as Sylvie points out in Ep 3.

When Loki talks to Mobius, they’re both in medium shots. They’re on the same page.

Loki’s delivery has changed when talking about the 'illusion' but Mobius hasn’t. That may change in the later episodes.

1858 Salina, Oklahoma

Others have covered this better.

Sylvie’s theme is similar to Loki’s but not identical.

It’s got sinister tones which change throughout the series.

I love how you can see the images of the minutemen’s past and future as they walk through a time door, they literally step through time.

I’ve got a whole other post on the end credits scenes. Cheers if you read this all lads.

Ep 1 review

All in all, this was a scene-setting episode. One of my friends texted me and said ‘Loki really went through ten years worth of character development in minutes’ and I think that sums it up pretty well. It’s a great set up, but the next episode is where the plot begins to progress. Really enjoyed it. There’s not too much that was aided by what we know from ep 3 besides Casey’s fish from what I caught.

See y'all next time, if there is anyone reading this. Look after yourselves!

[oosteven-universe]

Magic #5

Magic #5 BOOM! Studios 2021 Written by Jed Mackay Illustrated by IG Guara Coloured by Arianna Consonni Lettered by Ed Dukeshire    Who will Ral, Kaya, and Vraska encounter on Dominaria?     The answer will scatter the Planeswalkers across the multiverse as the race to find out who is behind the attacks on Ravnica continues!  The answer may lie with one of the oldest living Planeswalkers…    I am so completely impressed with this book.  Yes it is based off the card game and no it doesn’t mean you have to play it or even know how to play it to completely enjoy this story.  I have a passing knowledge of how the mechanics of the game work but for the life of me I’d never know the characters on the cards and I am loving every single moment of this series.  It just goes to show that solid writing and characterisation can turn anything from any genre into an incredibly solid and enjoyable series.  This is just like any superhero book on stands, you’ve three very distinct personalities with diverse power sets working together to solve a mystery and prevent disaster sounds like a superhero story to me.      The way that this is being told is pretty darn near perfect to me.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is impeccably rendered.  The character development we see through the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how they act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter continues to flesh them out like complete people.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing more and more of the story we’re drawn deeper and deeper into their lives and their pasts and I think that’s pretty amazing stuff.    I am very much appreciative and enjoying the way that we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen.  I love how we see the introduction of new characters and the roles they play and I have to say that I’m uber impressed with the way we see this being told and how the then and now tactic has been reinvented for this story by Jed.  It showcases some great originality and how we see it all blend together is really something to see.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is achieved extremely well.    I like the interiors here.  The linework is clean, crisp and strong and with the varying weights we see the detail work throughout the book bring everyone and everything to life beautifully.  I do wish we’d see more backgrounds being utilised, that being said how the composition within the panels bring us the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story is really well done.  The creativity and imagination on display is superb, in the tavern or on Amonkhet is really quite eye-catching.  I really wish that Vraska were more fearsome but that’s me.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkably talented eye for storytelling.  The colour work is brilliantly rendered in how we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work.   ​    With the pacing and the book's structure we do get a sense of urgency and how the cards are stacked against them.  I’m a huge fan of this series and I think everyone should be or at the very least they should be reading this first arc and tell me what works for them and what doesn’t.  That’s a challenge folks.  However, with the level of writing and characterisation that we see here and the solidly crafted interiors there is very little here not to like and enjoy.

[oosteven-universe]

Vamplets the Undead Pet Society in Scary Rottens

Vamplets the Undead Pet Society in Scary Rottens Action Lab Entertainment 2019 Written by Gayle Middleton Illustrated by Amanda Coronado Coloured by Laur Rea Lettered by Justin Birch     Vamplets have always been obsessed with their pets, but now who can save the Pony’s from a new villain?! Someone is capturing the different Pony’s all over Gloomvania, causing chaos in their wake. Who will be able to stop them, and what secret connection do they have to the elusive Ghost Pony?     Well I cannot believe that Gayle has been able to make such a die-hard fan out of me with this series. In this day and age when people think all-ages they think that means it’s for kids and I want to help change that attitude because all-ages means ALL-AGES appropriate. Sometimes adults need to be reminded of lessons available in many of these stories and also that they should be able to have fun, bond with kids and remember how to simply enjoy. The writing here is pretty impeccable in my opinion and the laughter and sheer joy that come from this cannot be beat.      The way that this book is told through the story & plot development, the pacing in the structure of this book. The characterisation is delightful and the more we see of them the more I want to see of them. It has been a while since we were introduced to these characters through Destiny’s trip to Gloomvania and with each new tale that emerges they continue to grow, change and evolve. Just like you and I do. There is also the value of friendship and the commitment to those whom you care about on full display as well and that will hopefully won’t be lost on anyone.      Okay there is no mistaking that this is the Gloomvania version of Mary Poppins and I don’t care at all because for what she brings to the book is so well needed. Every now and then we need someone or something to come along and shake up the status quo and in this issue that happens beautifully. Also while this is a stand alone one-shot it does tie into the next arc through it’s ending and while I encourage everyone to read this you can still go into the next without having done so. Still if you have never read these this is a perfect opportunity to give this a go, it is new reader friendly.     Well I have to own up to the fact that I love the interior artwork here. Cutesy stuff normally isn’t in my wheelhouse and certainly baby monsters but this is just gosh darn cute in ways that transcend what you think you like and what you don’t. The depiction of Rasket, Mr. Priceforth and we can never forget our dear shrunken head is great and for a stink-bug and a vampire fox steal the show. This leads me to the creativity and imagination that we see here which is absolutely brilliant in making monsters cute. Of course cute to them is a horrible thing but to us it shows talent, skill and a willingness to take something we’re supposed to be scared of and making them adorable.     The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show us this amazing eye for storytelling. The way that backgrounds are utilised is bloody brilliant to see. As the linework throughout just manages to be so spectacular all around. The colour work here as well is spot on. I love the muted vibrancy we see and that’s a hard thing to pull off but somehow Laur manages to pull it off with apparent ease. Plus the way that light sources are utilised to create shadows and shading is extremely nice to see.     If you know folks who have kids get them this, I am sure they’ll read it to makes sure it’s appropriate before passing it on. Then they have a family bonding opportunity to discuss the book after everyone has read it. This could be that gift that keeps giving.

[oosteven-universe]

Vampirella Dracula Unholy #01

Vampirella Dracula Unholy #01 Dynamite Entertainment 2021 Written by Christopher Priest Illustrated by Donny Haddiwidjaja Coloured by Mohan Lettered by Willie Schubert    The honeymoon begins! The adventure of several lifetimes begins as Vampirella and new husband Matt journey to Castle Dracula in Transylvania in an attempt to cheat fate by preventing both a high-tech virus and an ancient curse from using Matt's body to resurrect the deadliest threat the world has ever known. Meanwhile secrets and mystery grow around Vampi's spouse, who may not be nearly as innocent as he appears to be.    It is stories like this that remind me why I love Vampirella as much as I do.  Side note, this is a continuation of a thread that shows up in Vampirella #24 but if you haven’t read that don’t worry you can follow along here just fine as it’s completely new reader friendly.  Anything you need to know is presented within these pages.  The opening here really catches your attention and instils the desire to see what is going on.  Precisely what an opening is supposed to do, and it does it oh so well.  From there we go to the main story and see how things progress and I have to say part of me was shocked and another part of me completely understands how Vampirella could have fallen in love with Matt.    I am a huge fan of the way that this is being told.  The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information are presented exceedingly well.  The character development that we see through the narration, the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter does a magnificent job in bringing out their personalities.  The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more of the story and this keeps drawing us in with what we see.    I am very much enjoying the way that this is being structured and how the layers within the story begin to emerge and grow.  I also like the way that we see these layers open up new avenues to be explored.  Whether or not these layers will be explored or not they all add this great depth, dimension and complexity to the story.  How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward are impeccably handled.    The interiors here are bloody gorgeous.  The linework is utterly brilliant and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level & quality of detail within the work that we see is phenomenal.  I will say that I wish Matt had a hairy chest though.  That backgrounds are utilised to enhance and expand the moments as well as how we see them work within the composition of the panels to bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story makes me such a happy camper.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkably talented eye for storytelling.  The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work shows a sensational eye for how colour works.   ​    There are so many great threads happening within this issue, so many you’d almost think it would feel crowded but it doesn’t.  The flow of the book and how we see these threads relate to one another and they can potentially link up is fantastic to see.  Each one would be a great thread to follow but to see at least three being opened for exploration is just perfection.  I’m excited by the prospect of what we’ve seen expanding.  The writing is stupendous while the characterisation is flawlessly rendered and these bloody gorgeous interiors bringing it all to life the way they do is just the icing on the cake.