#op this set *chefs kiss*

[littlejuicebox]

Shoutout Sunday

Here I am again with another recommendation list! This one is a bit different from the last, in that these recs are all fics written in third person rather than second person POV. Listed in no particular order. I wanted to include some smaller writers and newer pieces that may have not gained much traction yet!

I know I write a lot of second person POV, and I also enjoy reading this POV. BUT, I do want to encourage people to consider reading both first and third person work as well. 

Some of these pieces are THE most compelling things I’ve ever read. Especially when someone’s OC is involved. Creators put A LOT of love into their OC work. If you like a creator’s second person stuff, I strongly encourage you to read their things written in other POVS… there’s a high chance it’s even better than their second person work, tbh.

All recommendations are below the cut. Happy Reading!

Thrice Before Dawn by @cursedhaglette- This is a smut piece set in Act 1. I promise you all that I thought about this fic for days after I read it. Physically made me blush. Top tier banter and the ending is chef’s kiss. It’s sort of a One Shot but I believe it’s also an ongoing collection/series. 

Starlit Skirts by @wilteddreamsofbaldursgate - This One Shot is the fluffiest fluff to ever fluff. This piece made me tear up. Every piece of Emi’s is divine. Astarion is working on creating Tav’s wedding dress and has been for months. The issue is, it’s requiring constant altering.

Blood in the Mortar by @bardic-inspo (tumblr) / bardic_inspo (AO3) - An AA One Shot that is beautifully written and exceptionally compelling, based on the concept of AA’s love interest being a vampire bride. Her OC Naomi is fantastic! OP hasn’t written smut in over a year and yet she does well, as if it’s her day job. 

Memories of Us by @tallymonster - I maintain this is the only AU longfic I currently read and I adore it. There are a few chapters I am dying to catch up on. This version of Astarion is so interesting, I really like how she works with the concept of a vampire outliving all of his prior friends/contacts. 

Slow Dancing in a Burning Room by @tragedybunny - Bunny is an OG, I’m certain most of you are familiar with her One Shots. She has a huge Masterlist, and surely you can throw a dart and any title it hits will be a win. But this AA series is a new longfic work of hers and I cannot wait to see where she takes it. 

Loose the Arrow by pentuppen (AO3 only, unsure if the tumblr blog is the same person?) - This is the first BG3/Ascended Astarion longfic ever read and I was hooked. It inspired me to start writing myself! This storyline is compelling and the perfect blend of angst/comfort/smut.  I’m not going to give away the plot, but the author’s summary itself is intriguing. Here’s a bit: “One night every year. She is always there waiting and he will always come.”

[sleepyrainart]

Little Bits of Valentine's.

A small series featuring little stories including either OP/JJk characters.

Summary: Valentine's day and you spend it with boyfriend. Including: Sabo, Ace, and Luffy.

Gender neutral reader.

Tucked tightly into bed. Your thick covers keeping away the night's chill. You're startled awake by your door banging open. The tall figure of your boyfriend, sheepishly rubbing his head.

You sigh, this was not an unusual occurrence. Rolling to your other side and snuggling back down. Ready to drift back to sleep with your boyfriend. Instead, your unceremoniously picked up covers and all. Your boyfriend grinning down at you.

“Sabo.” You whine as you wrap your arms around his neck. Keeping you secure. He walks with you in his arms. Not caring about how many people could see you in such an embarrassing position. “Sabo, put me down.” You whine.

But he doesn't release you. So you bury your face into his shoulder. Muttering, “Where are we going?” As he continues outside. Across a field of tall grass and up a hill. Carrying you all the way to the top.

Setting you down on the blanket. Before he's plopping down beside you. Head tilting backwards to look at the sky. You follow suit. Watching the stars twinkling on the violet backdrop.

It's a peaceful moment. Before, an icy breeze shifts Sabo's blond locks, rustling his clothes and your blankets. You notice he's not wearing his normal jacket or gloves. Sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

You unfurl the blankets. Inviting him into the warm cocoon. He grins, pulling you into his lap. Wrapping the blankets around you both. He's so big and warm. Reminding you of a big cat. “So, what's this all about?” You ask, looking up at him.

He rolls his eyes playfully, grin ever present. “Isn't it obvious?” You shake your head no. “I just wanted to spend time with my lovely girlfriend.”

“And we couldn't have done that in bed.” You ask, pulling him in for a light kiss.

“Ah, ah, ah.” He tuts, wagging his finger. “Today or yesterday.” He's not too sure. “Is special.”

“Special?” You ask, brows scrunching in confusion. He hums happily. “But every day is special with you.” He blushes bright red.

Ace is confused, why are his pancakes shaped like fish. “Thatch, why are they fish?” The shirtless man asks.

Thatch literally facepalms. “They're hearts Ace, hearts, because it's Valentine's Day.”

“Valentines?” Ace questions, before he goes pale. Oh no, he forgot. He looks at Thatch for help. The chef pats his back while laughing.

“Have fun.” Thatch replies, leaving him to panic alone.

Only minutes later, you pop into the kitchen. Immediately noticing your boyfriend's acting weird. Not sleeping or eating, unusual. You creep up on him. Jumping onto his strong back. Arms wrapping around his neck. He doesn't respond and you pout. Very weird, you think.

Releasing him to stand beside him. Still no acknowledgement. “Is he sleeping upright?” You ask yourself. Before stealing the piece of pancake from his fork. Looking down at the oddly shaped pancakes. You laugh, “fish.” Before looking at your boyfriend. Wondering if you should get Marco. No, he's normally busy.

Deciding what to do as you pluck the utensils from his hands. Eating the pancakes as you think. You need to fuel your brain. Sadly, after finishing the last pancake, you had no idea. It was then that Thatch joined you in the kitchen. “Ahh, the two love birds. What are you still doing here?”

“I don't know, I'm still hungry.” You reply. “Can I please have some more fish pancakes?” Thatch pinches the bridge of his nose. Wondering how two idiots joined his beloved crew.

Before kicking you out of the kitchen. Boyfriend following shortly after. “A no would have sufficed.” You say to the closed door. Huffing as your tummy growls. Ace lays flat on his face on the deck. Tapping his thigh lightly in hopes of waking him. It doesn't work. So you have to take drastic action.

Rolling him onto his back. You cover his mouth with one hand before pinching his nose shut. He sputters out of the stupor, arms flailing. Drastic measures always work. You think before releasing his face.

“Oh, hey, why are we on the deck?” He asks, sitting up and looking around.

“Thatch kicked us out, even though I'm still hungry. Will you take me somewhere?” You ask, throwing yourself on top of him. One of his hands rises to hold his hat. The other holding you close. Pouting up at him with puppy dog eyes.

He laughs. “Wanna take the Striker?” Conspiratorial smile in place. You nod, jumping up and pulling him up along with you.

Nami feels her forehead throb, looking at her captain. Whose face is a pulpy mess, courtesy of her fists. She couldn't believe this was happening. After all her efforts reminding him, nagging him to remember. He had forgotten this very special day. Feeling her ire rise just thinking about it. Wanting to unleash her violence.

Before she could, a comforting hand was on her shoulder. Looking up at the older woman. She gestures vaguely at their bruised captain. Communicating without words. Robin has a knowing smile. “Our captain is in luck. A small island close by takes Valentine's Day very seriously. They hold a festival for couples each year.”

Stars alight in Luffy's swollen eyes. Laughing his way out of the library to find you. Which is easy since you're enjoying the sun. Stretching his arms, he grabs the railing. Before catapulting over to you. His noodly arms snapping back into place as he kneels next to you. You're holding back a laugh as you see his poor face.

You caress his messy hair. “What happened?” You ask before answering your own question. “Nami,” you gently tug on a lock of his hair. Seeing how cute he was, even with a swollen face. Your cute aggression rears its ugly head. “What did my poor baby do this time?” You hum, brushing his hair.

He just laughs, “wanna come to a party with me?” He asks instead.

“Party?” You ask, looking around at the open sea. He nods, neck stretching to make it all the more exaggerated. “Sure.” You shrug. Only realizing your mistake when he's wrapping one arm around you. The other stretching across the vast blue. Stretching and stretching. Further and further. Then you're rocketing off the ship. Voice stolen by the air whipping around you.

He lands on an empty beach. Sand flying up at the impact. He detaches his arm from the palm tree. Looking around with you still wrapped in his rubbery limb. “Come on, I'm sure the party is here somewhere,” he says. Still not releasing you from his hold. He carries you across the small beach and into the grassy forest.

“Luffy, can you put me down?” You ask, starting to feel a little sick of staring at the ground.

“Oh, sorry.” He laughs. Setting you down before taking your hand. You slot your fingers between his larger ones. Pointing at anything interesting you see. Whether it's a pretty flower, colourful bird or weird looking creature. Luffy does the same thing. Releasing your hand to catch the weirdest looking bug you've ever seen. Before he spots his favourite beetle.

Releasing the bug and going after the stag beetle. Which frantically avoids his grabby hands. You laugh. Watching your boyfriend jump and stretch for the cobalt bug. Your laughter dies when your feet met sand. Your eyes find the open sea caressing the shore. You had not come across any party, or anyone else.

Luffy stumbles onto the beach. Holding the poor stag beetle victoriously. Eyes sparkling until he sees your face. Looking around, he notices there's no one around. “Where's the party?” He asks.

“I think you got the wrong island, baby.” He looks so upset. “Hey, it's okay, accidents happen and at least we're together.”

“That's not it,” he whines, almost sniffling. “I'm going to miss dinner.”

Thank you for reading. Hope you enjoyed. Also happy Valentine's/ Singles day.❤️

[jomeimei421]

you got any orv fic recs 🙏🏼

BOY I sure do. This list is going to be pretty long, so I'll put it below the cut.

Mei's ORV Fic Reccs

Spoilers for ORV until the epilogue!

Post-Epilogue by the1864

GEN, yoohankim if you squint. This one is one of my favorite ORV fics at the moment so it's going first in this list! It picks up right where 551 leaves off, and every single character is written absurdly well, especially the main trio! Great if you're looking for KDJ recovery stuff.

Rendezvous by WindsofTime

Joongdok. A reimagining of select scenes from ORV, if KDJ and YJH made more use of Midday Tryst, told from YJH's point of view. A tiny bit different from canon, but not enough to call it canon divergence. The babygirl YJH fic ever. Op GETS him.

The False Last Act by younglegends

GEN. If you read any fic on this list, please read this one. I can't say anything about it without spoiling parts of it, and I really don't want to do that. Extremely well executed. Lovely, comforting, and will make your stomach flip like you've stared too long into the abyss. Read this fic TWICE. Read it TWO (2) TIMES.

My Cooking was Always Better with You (Now if only you would eat it) by pave_ment

GEN, joongdok if you squint. For those who lament over the fact that we never got to see any scenes from YJH's 81st regression cooking adventure I present to you: Dungeon Meshi AU, ft. chimera KDJ and bratty chef adventurer YJH. Enjoy!

Tell Me I Did Good Until Now by featherx

GEN. with a little sangsoo on the side. KDJ returns post epilogue, but stays a child in body and mind. This one had me reeling for the whole week when I read it. Sweet and melancholy. I especially loved YJH being bullied by children. KDJ is really, profoundly loved in this one.

An Incomplete Record of Correspondence Between The Magnificent, Unbiased, Genius Author Han Su-yeong and The Jackass Who Dares to Edit Her Work by Dragonomatopoeia

Joongdok. Yoohan's annoying arguments in the ORV shared google doc. The concept and title alone are too funny to not put on this list.

The Prologue Past the Epilogue by AVoresmith

Yoohankim, though mostly just JD at the moment. Of all the ORV fics I've ever read, I think this fic comes to closest to imitating the actual writing style of ORV along with nailing the characterizations with pinpoint precision. Also contains a JD kiss chapter that is more intense than any actual nsfw scene they could have wrote. There are some caveats to this recommendation though:

It gets slightly NSFW in the latest chapter.

Biyoo is several hundred years old and is treated as an adult, not a kid. There will be mention of Biyoo in relationships with adult partners -- including implied YJH. In my opinion it's handled tactfully, but it's also something that might turn some people off to this fic, so please be aware!

LGY has a big puppy love crush on KDJ. Obviously completely one-sided, but it's there.

Home Invasion by misoriri

GEN. KDJ gets shingles and has to be taken to the doctor. YJH breaks a door and then looms in the kitchen like an evil lamp post. JHW bites a tomato like an apple. LJY gets demolished at Club Penguin Card Jitsu. A short read, but hysterical. KCom is so fucking funny in this.

I saw you in a dream by featherx

GEN, Doksoo if you squint. OD meets the HSY of his new worldline, and can't help feeling like he knows her from another time, another place. Had to lay down after this one. Solid 999 and SP fam content, as well as typical YHK style cosmic unbreakable bonds.

We are A Woven Thread by ksalientian

Yoohankim. A reincarnation AU. I read this one a while back but I found it again recently and it still hits just as hard! The cosmic codependence trio finds themselves trapped in another looping cycle, but as is always the case with them, they always find each other and are okay in the end.

A Short Pause by Je_te_veux

GEN, but can be read as JD. An episode set between 517 and 520, a day in the life of YJH, and having some time to think. JTV is a Chinese writer, and you will need to copy and paste into a translator to read their fics, but genuinely they are one of the best ORV writers I've ever read. This fic is one of the ones I always come back to. Really excellent YJH characterization.

Honey and Ginger by Rivani

Yoohankim. Good old fashioned fluff sickfic! The banter is very well done; the three of them are insufferable <3

Too Many Cooks by SonaSona

Yoohankim. KCom makes dinner. HSY makes herself a nuisance. Sona's prose is incredible, and her characterization of the main trio is impeccable. Light, sweet, with just a touch of the ORV brand melancholy. Yoohan is always funny.

There are more but this post is getting pretty long so! Enjoy 👍

[hunybee03]

Red Leg Zeff x Fem Reader ~ +18 or older

!!!+18 years or older!!!

This is my first posting anything at all normally keeping them to myself so this is a short one, please be honest and show some love any helping hand would be greatly appreciated. I gotta say I love great daddy Zeff who needs a little more love.

Warnings: cursing, penetration and thoughts of threesome

I don't not own the lovely op characters the great Eiichiro Oda does.

She was young compared to me, Barely in her 30's.

I hesitated hiring a woman to work in my restaurant but times were tough finding someone to bar-tend with the idiots I have working for me scaring off the last few, never did I think I would desire a woman so much than her.

Amber colored hair braided hanging loosely off her shoulder her fast hands making the most delicious and intricate drinks known to man wowing all guests who come here, with just one look she could bring the most wretched pirate to his knees without batting an eyelash or parting those beautiful blood red lips to say a single word.

Her golden eyes sharp enough to pierce steel could woo any man or woman, her voice dripped with the finest of honey could talk you into seeing heaven without a single touch, a body made by the gods curves in all the right places looking devilish in all the outfits she owned.

There are times I would become a little to excited just catching a glimpse of her and the men knew… oh they knew I was completely smitten with her and teased me on the daily. We both had flirtatious attitudes but just how much was it truth on her part, so when going over the inventory with her the others making excuses we found ourselves below the restaurant going over product, I couldn't help but stare at her ass when she bent over a crate of bourbon, how in the hell does she get that ass in those pants yet what i really wanted to know is how she looked without said pants, groaning to myself pinching the bridge of my nose

"Chef?.. OI earth to chef! Everything alright your spacing out, not getting sick are ya?"

"Oh what? Sorry been a long day, how many did you say there were?"

"27 bottles of bourbon, 30 bottles of whiskey and 21 bottles of sake" she smirked peering over another crate "hold on…make that a total of 26 bottles of sake" she stood back up pushing back the stray hairs from her face

"Got it, now all that's left is the wine" she took the clip board from me setting it on the crate beside us "Its late and I want to get this taken care of (y/n)"

"We will get to that, but right now you want to tell me why the head chef hasn't been in his right mind lately spacing out a lot more than usual you haven't come by for a drink in the past couple weeks, is everything alright?" How could I not stay away without thinking of bending you over a table and fucking you not caring if we had an audience or not.

"I don't space out just been busy is all" I picked up the clip board and made my way across to the wine counting the bottles.

"Mm-hm…sure it isn't something else…" she said slowly coming up behind me sitting on a crate "Did I do something wrong?" no just the fucking opposite, with a heavy sigh running a hand through my hair putting down the clip board I turned to her putting my hands on either side of her standing between her legs

"You haven't done anything wrong (y/n).. you have just been taking up more space in my mind than should be allowed" kissing her softly testing the waters when she didn't pull away i kissed her again more passionately her hands in my hair her nails running along my scalp had me pulling her into me more kneading her hips getting her to open up for me our tongues in a dance for dominance, before I knew it our clothes were left in a pile on the floor at our feet and my cock buried deep inside her wet cunt that just had a way of pulling me in

"Fuck Zeff!" she cried out as I watched her eyes roll into the back of her head moaning her lips smeared red parted drool running down her chin, she just looked so appetizing losing herself while I drill into her stuffing her full legs spread wide to watch the show.

Garp is going to be so fucking jealous after i tell him how great she feels maybe just maybe if this goes on we can work our fantasy of having a threesome with her, just like old times, me filling up her greedy little hole while she hangs her head back sucking him off just the thought has a shiver run up my spine.

I doubt I'm ever going to get her out of my mind after this, our lips locked together muffling her cries and my groans fucking my cum into her slowly coming down from our highs, once we caught our breath the silence coming back to us we had a good laugh sharing a kiss. We got dressed finishing inventory, taking her up to my room cuddling under the covers with her head resting on my chest eyeing a few hickies I know I won't hear the end of.

Definately a night to remember.

[ratherembarrassing]

“They’re Haunting Each Other”: Emma D’Arcy And Olivia Cooke On Going Head To Head In House Of The Dragon Season 2

Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke have been through a lot together. The 31-year-old Gloucestershire-raised actor, whose turn as the older iteration of House of the Dragon’s fiery heir apparent Rhaenyra Targaryen earned them a Golden Globe nod, and the 30-year-old from Oldham who came to prominence simultaneously as the HBO hit’s strategic Alicent Hightower formed a close bond over the course of filming – one which became even closer after an eight-word exchange in their “get to know me” promotional video (“Negroni. Sbagliato. With prosecco in it/Oh Stunnin’!”) promptly went viral.

Countless OpEds have been penned dissecting the internet’s obsession with this moment, but key to its deliciousness was the easy, electric chemistry between the two actors. It’s apparent from the moment they first share the screen in the second half of the fantasy epic’s first season, inheriting their parts from Milly Alcock and Emily Carey, and immediately going toe to toe in their battle for power over the realm.

As the former friends’ relationship continues to sour and an all-out civil war inches closer – precipitated by the passing of Rhaenyra’s father and Alicent’s husband, King Viserys (Paddy Considine); a swift plot which sees his son Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) crowned over Rhaenyra, and shocks her into having a premature stillbirth; and the sudden death of Rhaenyra’s son Lucerys (Elliot Grihault) at the hands of the new king’s brother Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) – the pair are separated. But, even then, each remains at the forefront of the other’s mind, with two decades’ worth of regrets, resentment, love, betrayals and misunderstandings binding them together forever.

That indelible, indefinable connection is evident when I meet D’Arcy and Cooke on the eve of their show’s season two premiere in London. Subtly coordinated – D’Arcy in a dark double-breasted suit and Cooke in a black strapless jumpsuit – they’re prone to fits of laughter, constantly finishing each other’s sentences and clearly delighted by their reunion.

It’s a dynamic that you wish you got to see more of in Ryan Condal’s sophomore season – one which finds Rhaenyra consumed by grief and licking her wounds in Dragonstone, searching for a resolution that won’t see Westeros reduced to ash, while in King’s Landing, Alicent, having put her son on the throne, also tries to find a way to avoid more bloodshed. Meanwhile, their children, councillors and allies all seem hungry for war – and ensure there’s no turning back.

Ahead of the first episode’s release on 17 June, D’Arcy and Cooke talk to us about missing each other on set, letting loose at the pub and the clues woven into their costumes.

Season one was such a hit. Did that mean more pressure going into season two – also because you’re in the whole thing as opposed to half of it?

Emma D’Arcy: I think stamina was a big worry going in.

Olivia Cooke: And remained a worry.

ED: The great lesson was… four episodes out of 10? [Chef’s kiss] Fantastic.

OC: Stunnin’!

ED: We’d rock up, colour in our cheeks and love in our heart, shoot for a few days, go away for a couple of weeks, go back to our lives. I was on top of my laundry. It was an amazing time. But it was very different this time [laughs]. That’s galvanising in other ways, but certainly you have no choice but to have…

OC: Burnout. [Both laugh].

Well, Rhaenyra and Alicent are both dealing with a lot this season, as all these chess pieces begin to move. What were you most interested in exploring this time around?

OC: In terms of motivations and broad themes, for Alicent, it’s sort of about diminishing power. And what does she do when she doesn’t have agency or any semblance of autonomy within the castle? And who is she if she can’t shape the realm in the background? That was really interesting.

ED: And for Rhaenyra, I think grief is a major engine in the narrative this season. That was a key area of investigation for me, because grief manifests so differently in different people. I think there’s something beautiful in the way that [writers] Ryan [Condal], Sara [Hess] and the team constructed this series, in that so many of the key characters are in quite pronounced stages of grief when we meet them at the start of the first series, and not only does grief dislocate a person from their community, but it can also make people strangers to one another – like multiple grieving people can be quite profoundly changed. So, you end up with this family of strangers who are trying to navigate one another, and navigate the extreme emotional states that are happening within them, too. So, that as the image of the fallout of losing the patriarchal head of the family and the head of state is really astute and quite thrilling.

I read that Sara was also really interested in the fact that, in George R R Martin’s Fire & Blood, on which the show is based, the focus is less on Rhaenyra and Alicent in this portion of the story – she considered how women are written out of history, and wanted to write these two women back in. Was it fun to consider what they were doing in those gaps in the narrative?

OC: It’s quite a treat for them really, to do whatever they want with the characters. And also the book is, in its own way, sort of Targaryen propaganda – it’s taken from the accounts of men who want to blame it all on the women, to say that it’s their fault that there’s this huge chasm. So, trying to find the humanity within these characters and thinking about what they were actually doing and how they actually felt towards one another was really beautiful.

ED: You’re so right as well in that maybe that’s what creates such a rich relationship between the text and the screen adaptation – the idea that there is space for historical inaccuracy, and the question it raises about what doesn’t get recorded and who’s doing the recording. It’s very exciting stuff.

I also love that, despite being separated this season, there’s still this powerful, electric connection between Rhaenyra and Alicent. Did you get to talk to each other about that relationship at this stage in the story?

OC: I feel like Rhaenyra sneezes and Alicent catches a cold, you know? [Laughs] There’s this ripple effect constantly back and forth. Rhaenyra is this phantom to Alicent at this point. She gets bigger and bigger and bigger in Alicent’s mind and she’s desperate to reconnect and have some sort of face time with Rhaenyra to commune and say sorry but also try and put a plaster over this huge chasm.

ED: They’re sort of haunting one another. There’s a lot of death in the show, but these characters are also being haunted by the living, by the missing people in their lives.

How did you two deal with that separation as actors?

OC: We barely saw each other.

ED: Just in the car park, like, “How’re you doing?” [Laughs.]

OC: It is hard – the hours are so long on set, but I think, with the subject matter that we were embroiled in for all eight episodes, you have to try and keep it light and try to find the fun within the day. I’m lucky to be surrounded by incredibly funny people and so it’s a joy to come to work, even though, from action to cut, you’re trying not to cry.

ED: I… I missed ya.

OC: [Laughs] I missed you too!

ED: Like with Game of Thrones, one of the joys of a show like this, which has such an amazing, complicated constellation of characters, is seeing what happens when different people collide. I felt very lucky to get to investigate some different relationships this season, not least because it brings out different aspects of a character. Particularly with Rhaenyra, I think she has very complicated friendships with other women – they’re never straightforward, and it was interesting to think more about that and what that brings up in her.

After season one, I remember reading that you were looking for a pub near the set in Watford where you could go after filming to debrief. Did you find one? Did you find moments to decompress?

OC: We did our best. We’d meet at the pub – we’d allocate days, because we were on such different schedules. Also, we have drivers so you don’t want them to wait around while we’re at a pub in Watford and they want to get home. So, we’d either meet in town or decide, okay, this Saturday, we’re all going out. We had a mid-season cast mixer.

ED: And those things are important because you tend to be working six day weeks and 14-, 15-hour days, and it’s really lovely to put it all back into perspective a little bit and see everyone, including the people you don’t see while working. It’s great to witness people’s joy and excitement, especially people who’ve come into the show for the first time. Getting to have some evenings – that’s important.

You both have some incredible scenes. What were your favourite moments to film this season?

ED: Well, a way of dodging that question and any spoilers [laughs], would be to say that we were very lucky to have shot in north Wales for about five weeks this season. I love it there. I want to live there.

OC: You should!

ED: I think about it a lot. In fact, recently, I had a dream that there was like an underground train to north Wales. [Laughs] It was just amazing – the weather, the people, the locations. I would have happily shot the rest of the job in north Wales.

OC: And for me, I got to leave the castle and go to Spain.

ED: Which you did ask for, in fairness.

OC: If you don’t ask, you don’t get. They wrote it in and I hope it works for the plot [laughs]. I was in Spain for two weeks and that was nice.

ED: Alicent’s holiday journal.

OC: My vlog! [Mimics speaking into a phone camera] Here we are in Cáceres… That medieval town is stunning. For that to be your set every day – I felt incredibly grateful.

I’d love to ask you about your costumes, too, because I feel like there are subtle differences in them this season – especially as Rhaenyra grieves and gears up for war, and as Alicent experiences a different kind of freedom following her husband’s death.

OC: We might move away from green [laughs]. Maybe she goes to different shades of it? There’s an evolution in the way Alicent looks. We find out in episode nine of season one that one of her handmaidens has been spying on her, so that sort of devolves into her shunning her household staff and wanting to be alone more, because she’s paranoid. So, the hair is really pared back this season, as if she does it herself. I mean, I don’t do it myself – it’s too hard. The cut of her dresses too – it feels younger, in a way, like she’s shedding this role of an authority figure.

ED: Because she was aged up, in a way, by marrying Viserys. [The costume designer] Caroline [McCall] has done an extraordinary job. For Rhaenyra, there’s something quite beautiful about the way her costuming this season feels more traditional, in some ways. It’s as though it’s looking to historic shapes, almost like she’s wearing the clothes of the previous generation. In the context of having just lost her father, I find that very moving. It’s like she’s aligning herself with him, but also it’s a sort of coupling with the past. She spends a lot of time looking at the history of her family this season, as though she’s looking for a clue to her own future. She’s aligned with the old Targaryen gods. There’s almost a desire for small “c” conservatism in this conjuring of the dead.

And she’s discovering what kind of leader she is. I was really struck by the scenes where both of your characters are undermined at council tables by the men around them. While these two women are urging caution, everyone else seems ready for war.

OC: Yeah, it was being surrounded by these men who are so eager to have their names in the annals of history, regardless of the cost to the kingdom. It’s actually really hard on the day shooting those scenes where you feel so undermined and you’re being spoken over and you feel like… I also feel meek and bound and small. You feel this rush of emotion despite yourself, trying in vain to speak to this group of very hormonal, jacked up men.

ED: And for Rhaenyra this season, not only is her leadership, battle strategy and political campaign being judged harshly from without, it’s also being ripped to shreds by her supposed allies and councilmen. I agree with you that those scenes are hard to shoot – I find them so tiring. The text is great and, often, we are not given the words to meet that criticism in the way that one would like to. So, you are literally de-voiced in a room of men. And it’s interesting, right? Those male characters are comfortable with power in a way that certainly Rhaenyra and also possibly Alicent are not. There’s a rub in terms of being a character who has to actively put on the cloak of power and try to wear it and try to wield it in some way. Those men wear it without noticing.

I wanted to end by asking you about Bluets, Emma, which you’re currently performing on stage at The Royal Court. What’s that been like? And Olivia, have you been to see it yet?

ED: It’s been great. It’s a very technical show – we were basically in tech for five, six weeks. But, it’s been lovely. We’ve been open for about a month now. [Bluets’s director] Katie Mitchell, who is a big hero of mine, came back to see the show recently and it feels like… you know when leather wears in nicely? It feels nicely worn in. It’s a really extraordinary collision of artists, so I could never have said no to it. Plus, it’s my favourite colour.

OC: And I haven’t seen it yet, but I need to go soon!

[aces-and-angels]

countdown to 2024 @choicesfandomappreciation

deadlines? we don't know her😗💅🏼 so many works to shoutout- so brace yourselves gang- this'll be a long one

now- without further ado- here are some writers that made my year:

🖤@thedistantshoresproject

sending love to the whole team on board who are working tirelessly to finish this magnificent project. i was so excited to read the demo this year! knowing how long the journey has been and reading the updates each week- i realize how weary yall must be and hope that i can convey my gratitude for bringing back our favorite pirates in one awesome sequel 🖤

---

🖤@bloodboundsiege

another demo for the books- and another fanmade project that i am rooting for; i personally have only read through finn's demo but i'm already in love with all the characters. plus- who wouldn't be excited for the chance to romance gaius??? there is a ton of lore in op's blog for all the new lis that i 100% recommend to read through. excited to see what's in store in the new year!

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🖤@hashiedraws

the way i ran to play this story when it dropped😭 if yall are fans of ilw- then you may know that one of the artists released this wonderful vn this year. it's a story that keeps on serving 🎾 the artwork is incredible and the accompanying story is an absolute treasure. i was on the floor- in tears- jaw-dropped. trust me- it was an experience. one i recommend yall take too 😊

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🖤 @lovehugsandcandy

the queen of colt- and tbh- one of my literary muses. your writing is such an inspiration to me and having you back on the dash this year for blades was definitely a highlight 🖤 a snippet from one of my favorite fics this year:

read 'bound' here "Of course. We have plenty of time for that... don't we?" “Because you’re not leaving?” He squeezes her hand. “I’m not leaving.”  It’s a whisper more powerful than any rope.

---

🖤@jerzwriter

the heart you have is so warm and inviting- and it shows with each work you've shared🖤 i've cherished reading your works for trystan x carolina- picking one to highlight seems cruel but i'll give it a shot lol. their banter/dynamic is so beautifully portrayed and never fails to bring a smile to my face:

read 'tricks and treats' here “There is no Trystan,” he snickered, playfully pulling her close. “Only the Big Bad Wolf..uh.. no.. I mean Grandma! I’m Grandma, trust me.” “Grandma? What big paws you have!” she beamed as he nuzzled into her neck and playfully growled. “The better to paw you with, my dear...” “Well, you can paw me once we get to the party. We’re very late.”

---

🖤@theoriginaltortuga

your four part series- 'responsibility, rage, and recent resurrection' was such a good read and deserves some love. it ain't a secret i'm a big ilw fan- and a sucker for bonus scenes. reading a more fleshed out version of connor's eventual turning was *chef's kiss* immaculate- i shamelessly go back to this fic from time to time:

read 'responsibility, rage, and recent resurrection' here Grief and terror had been a part of Connor since the night Devon died. The feelings came and went, but they never left completely and Connor worried that he would never feel peace again. With Devon alive but unconscious, a massacre set for a few days, and the man who’d killed his mother on the loose; those feelings were more overwhelming than ever. Not to mention the anger that had been festering in his chest since his mom was killed. All of it led back to one simple thing: Westchester wasn’t safe. 

---

🖤@linkysmommy

mother lincoln- i wanna thank you for blessing me with not only ilw itself but ilw fics (and some other works of yours i've recently had the pleasure of reading😉) though, imma pivot real quick from ilw and actually give some praise to another project of yours- and the reason i downloaded storyloom in the first place- open heart: a toxic situation. what a story full of mystery, romance, and ✨bryce✨ (there are multiple lis to choose from- i just really love bryce lmao)

read this beauty right here

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🖤 @saibug1022

the angst legend- i go to you for the hurt lmaoo. but really- it is a talent to write the way you do and i'm lucky to reap the benefits of reading your work. the time you put into crafting your mcs- making them fully fleshed out blorbos- then giving the most heart-wrenching scenarios to deal with- incredible✨ here's some love for the villain stories out there:

read 'a funeral of faith' here “I had no place in Undermount while humans and orcs treated me like an outsider. I was kidnapped and tortured while my friends and two of the men I loved gave up on me and left me to die. And the other man I loved used and betrayed me for power and disappeared when I still forgave him.”

---

🖤 @professor-abeloved

prepare to be adored, admired, and appreciated- your mcs are everything to me. the way you write is so special and uniquely you- and i love your work dearly. i've got your fics seared in my brain- here's one of the many (bc we as a fandom silently agreed that linc angst just hits different):

read 'lincoln's bad day' here “Sorry,” Ro called out for what felt like the nth time with an awkward grimace. “You okay? I can get an ice pack or a salonpas or—” “It’s fine,” Lincoln says, clutching his aching jaw. In some weird way, it’s surprisingly… therapeutic? There’s something about a being confronted with such raw, unimaginable Power that has the capacity to utterly destroy you if it chooses, but instead it’s draping a small, lilac cardigan over your shoulders as it looks you over for bruises. read 'lincoln's bad day' here “Sorry,” Ro called out for what felt like the nth time with an awkward grimace. “You okay? I can get an ice pack or a salonpas or—” “It’s fine,” Lincoln says, clutching his aching jaw. In some weird way, it’s surprisingly… therapeutic? There’s something about a being confronted with such raw, unimaginable Power that has the capacity to utterly destroy you if it chooses, but instead it’s draping a small, lilac cardigan over your shoulders as it looks you over for bruises.

---

🖤@mydemonsdrivealimo

bless your beautiful, magnificent brain- atp your hcs are my canon lmaoo. bryce and jensen are so special to me and it's no secret how much love you've poured into them through your work. slowly but surely, i'm getting around to reading all the fics of theirs. the ones i have read were amazing. time to shower praise for your most recent work (also i'm rooting for you- writer's block is a biatch):

read 'halloween' here “Hey, sorry,” Bryce said, giving his waist a quick squeeze before unceremoniously flopping into one of the chairs, the force sending it back enough that Jensen had to pull him closer. “You’re lucky I didn’t lock you out and eat it for you,” Jensen said with a quick wave to the food in front of him, taking a seat in his own chair. “M’fucking starving.” He was already shoveling crab rangoon into his mouth, ignoring the steam coming off of it.

---

🖤 @aria-ashryver

a ray of sunshine- you deserve the world and more🥰 one thing on my to-do list for the new year is to finally sit down and read SICSIG. from the snippets i've seen, i know i'll treasure the heck out of it. when i do- i apologize in advance for the person i become lmao (give it up for the poly romance yall)

read 'snow in crimson, starlight in gold' here

---

🖤@me

self-love, amirite? reading through old works is either a hit or miss for me lol- but the process of writing has been a welcome journey of mine. from the frantic word vomit to staring at a blinking cursor- it's been a ride. and i'm thankful to everyone above for inspiring me to keep moving forward 🖤

read whatever yall want here

---

this list could go on and on and i'm definitely missing some people- but to the writers out there: you are the heartbeat of the fandom and we are lucky to have you 🖤

[harrietpotterandthedemigods]

See I KNEW Lin Manuel Miranda was awesome as Hermes! He IS Hermes! Hermes IS him! I could go on but really, I’m just so happy we got to see him! I’ve been waiting for that since the casting was announced!

On to the episode now…

Loved Grover! He figured out about as much about the lightning thief as I expected. He’s so smart! Little Grover, he’s so precious! We must protect him at all cost! Also he got to gush about the animals, gods Grover is so adorable! And the there was the blessing of the wild, they’ll be fine. What about the humans? Well, the animals will be fine!

Kinda disappointed that we didn’t see Percy talk to a zebra. I didn’t even see a zebra, which was… come on! The episode is called “We take a zebra to Las Vegas” and there isn’t even a zebra? I was looking forward to see Percy realize he can talk to equines…😫

The Lotus Casino was well executed. Lotus flowers are pumped into the air. That’s not explicitly stated in the books but it could very well be the case in the books as well. And we also got the myth linked to the place. That was never clear in the books, we just got that it was a place where time moves differently. And how Grover forgot more than Percy and Annabeth because it’s easy to forget what’s important when you’re alone. That’s just *chef’s kiss*.

I loved Hermes as well. Like, I get the feeling he actually wants to help but he’s afraid it would make things worse. He also really highlights that even if the gods want to be with their kids, their mere presence could lead to ugly consequences. Also, I wasn’t surprised at all when it turned out Hermes knew they took his keys. Like for real, Annabeth? Did you honestly think you had any chance of pickpocket the God of Pickpocketing? That’s your fatal flaw talking. Hermes wanted them to take the keys. That’s quite a huge deal with Hermes, isn’t it? He is the god of travelers, thieves and anyone who uses the road. To quote a line of Luke’s in the books; “Hermes isn’t picky about who he sponsors.” (The Lightning Thief, ch. 7, My dinner goes up in smoke, page 52) He helps people. But since he isn’t supposed to help them, he has to do it under the table, aka slipping them his keys like: “Ops!? You stole my keys? Oh, well, nothing I can do to stop you then…” *shrug*

Also kinda sweet that he tried to reassure Percy that even though his father can’t really be there he still loves and cares for him. They’re all just doing the best they can…

And Santa Monica, I can’t even imagine how Percy must’ve felt in that moment when the nerid told him that his father had left because they ran out of time. He must’ve felt like he let his dad down this time, after Poseidon saved his life. That poor baby! I just want to give him a hug😭 Of course he can’t go back to camp now. He has to set things right!

And this time around he has four pearls? That will be interesting to see next week…

[hotwaterandmilk]

Just another one of those posts where I do a bit of a general update on a few things. This time opening with an edited scan of Maomao from Nekokurage's Kusuriya no Hitorigoto manga adaptation to get your attention. Boo!

I've been reading the Kusuriya no Hitorigoto light novels and enjoying them in the sense that I think preteen me would have liked them. I started reading the LNs earlier this year (as they're great for reading in waiting rooms and the like thanks to their short format) and I think the LNs are definitely my preferred version of the story. The anime has a nice OP theme but is fairly middling otherwise and I don't go much on the art in either mang adaptation (though Nekokurage's art has improved recently and Maomao looks less like a giant-headed baby doll in the Animate bonus cards per my scan above). Maomao is the real draw in all versions so obviously I preordered her Nendo the first moment I could — bring on May 2024!

Speaking of translated light novels you can buy right now, the first part of the Oguni no Koushaku Reijō wa Tekikoku nite Kakusei Suru light novel was just released as A Young Lady Finds Her True Calling Living with the Enemy Volume #1 by Cross Infinite World (see here). It's a solid story that doesn't overstay its welcome and Bertine's business acumen is just *chefs kiss* for those after a competent heroine.

Once the second and final part of this is out, I'd love to see Cross Infinite World pick up another short (but unrelated) PASH! Books publication, Shiitagerareta Shuusai Reijou to Ringoku no Haraguro Kenkyuusha-sama no Amayaka na Yakusou Jikkenshitsu. The web novel version was quite solid but I haven't read the printed version yet. Yeah I like science ladies, what can I say? It would be so good to keep seeing interesting titles for girls and women being picked up for English release because I tire of isekai villainess stories (which imho peaked years ago with Watashi no Oshi wa Akuyaku Reijou) and there are some great little tales out there that do things a bit differently & just need to be shown to the right audience.

I'm so excited for Metallic Rouge in early January! While it used to be that getting an original property from BONES was always exciting, it has been a while since they've created anything I've really cared about but I'm hoping this will break the drought. If a show has Izubuchi, Kawamoto, Yamada contributing then you know I've got to be there. Plus a couple of lady leads in a SF setting? Trailers with some great action and music? I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much but I'm keen to give it a shot. If it isn't for me at least I can say I've given it a chance, right?

I've been terrible at sharing the latest about this year's Silent Möbius anniversary, but I'm not a news blogger and frankly very few people care so eh y'know, whatever. BUT I figured I should say something about FAIRYTALE PARFUM releasing scents for the key members of AMP this month (though Mana has been totally forgotten, it seems). You can check out the range here, there will be a launch event on the 10th of December in Shinjuku too.

Asamiya drew new artwork for the bottles and while I'd love to get Kiddy's perfume that nods towards her bodily acceptance in its notes, importing that stuff is just too much of a pain so I've settled for a tiny acrylic stand of Kiddy instead. Sadly there's no option to buy a set of stands so I just went "whatever" and grabbed just my best girl. Anyway, if you'd like a tiny acrylic stand of an AMP girl with extra weird proportions then make sure you check out the FAIRYTALE PARFUM website.

[steelthroat]

For the fandom ask game (if you have time with the horrors of schoolwork):

9. Write a recommendation of someone else's fic you enjoyed!

14. Is there a character or ship you were so sure you would never write/draw but now you've changed your mind? (and if you fancy it, tell us how you'd write them...)

19. What's your favourite thing about [fandom] (the people in it, not the media you're all enjoying together)?

22. Give us a headcanon for Megatron, any continuity

Weirdly now we're in a static situation again... things change drastically day after day it's unreal💀

9: okay ooof I'd recommend literally all the things I bookmarked but uh let's see:

We are the music makers by lord squiggletits

Moronic acid by chuzilllaa

Shockwave making waves by now anonymous

The lottery by Ladydragon76

Oh and the sequels of the lottery too. My GOD. I've read that work so many times aaaaaargh. Between these are just some of them, but I am 100% forgetting other equally great works by other writers. Ah so many, so so so so so many.

14: mh at first I was kind of hesitant about anything regarding Ironhide, because I didn't know him as a character and he didn't really appeal to me... so when I stumbled upon bayverse!ratchet/ironhide I was like "huh... okay. Tell me more?" And really these two are super great together????? Like not just in thw bayverse, as a whole they're *chef kiss*

Also I think I also stumbled upon Bayberse Optimus/Ironhide at some point and while I also was unsure about it... oh my god they are perfect. One of my favorite otp as of now!!

And uh yeah I want to write about them one day, I would go with some kind of bodyguard au, but like using some of the main tropes, like Ironhide is the "bodyguard" canonically sometimes so yeah it would work.

Also I like bayverse Ironhide and his warrior origins and culture, I wanna do something with it and use it.

So uh banter, fluff, fighting (and training) as a form of flirting, middle aged men that don't know how to communicate like normal people, maybe I will also do something with my third-gladiatorop-au. Depends. But I will let them smooch 100% (and when it happens you'll be the first to know✨️)

19: other than being full of great artists, and I mean AWESOME like guys come on please how how ajshfjgujggjt. And writers, like FUCK I've cried so many times because of y'all, I once got out of the bus at the wrong stop because of a fanfiction. This fandom is full of very creative people that come in infinite shapes and forms, like seriously even when writing simple smut some of you are genuinely mind blowing because you come up with things that are... CRAZY and in a good way! But absolutely crazy!!!!

So yeah this fandom is cool, there's... more than meets the eye to it ✨️

22: so like... I have many headcanons regarding him like:

His fighting style resembles a dance, a deadly and mesmerizing dance. Optimus (my headcanon) fights like a wounded animal but when facing him he follows the rhythm Megatron sets and "dances" with him. Very beautiful spectacle if you forget that one of them could die... or maybe it adds more charm to it.

He massages. Idk lol I have one work published and 3 wips in which he massages someone because they had stiff joints or smth. Maybe I have a kink idk. But like not just like that, it doesn't always lead to sex, it's just that I like him tending to someone else when the situation calls

It was Soundwave that taught him how to dance. (This is my Megatron/Soundwave propaganda)

He knows how to play chess, he likes the game, he is a great player, he will never admit it because it's made by humans

He knows how to make impressions and has a sense of humor, which can be unsettling since you can never know when he's being serious or he's fooling around.

Everyone but Optimus say he has the best poker face in the universe. He does, it's not his fault he can't keep his emotions in check when op is around....

[yell0wsalt]

Cowboy Carter Thoughts

Beyonce cannot be stopped! This album with its instrumentation and pacing allows for the natural beauty of her voice to shine and carry the lyrics.

Taking the "country" genre and twisting it in a that is very much her. No skips!

AMERIICAN REQUIEM: Beautiful choice to open the album. Setting the tone in proudly reclaiming her Southern/country roots.

BLACKBIIRD, a cover of the Beatles song brings the meaning behind the original to the fold. Amongst the deep seeded issue of racism in America, it ends on a hopeful note I love.

16 CARRIAGES, beautiful telling of essentially her life story having to be on the grind since a teen to achieve her dreams. The structure of certain sentences stay the same, but changes to a few words (i.e dreams to fears) show the persistence to go for what she wants and be there for her family

PROTECTOR. RUMI LITTLE BABYYYY 🥺🤏🏾

MY ROSE. No one is perfect and everyone has their flaws , but she's hoping you love yourself and I'm not sobbing, you are!

With JOLENE and DOLLY P, Dolly Parton really said, "Whack her. Get her again for me!" Beyonce took it on gladly. And we love to hear it.

DAUGHTER is terrifying in a subtly powerful way as her being someone to not mess with. Also, the way the Italian opera fit in was so smooth! Then the transition to SPAGHETTII is a powerful punch to that. Fun!

Initially surprised by Miley's appearance in II MOST WANTED, but their voices worked well together. And same with Post Malone in LEVII'S JEANS. Okay, y'all!

YA YA is a unique sound on it's own. Not country. Not rock. Not pop. It is its own thing to jive and have fun to. Obsessed.

RIIVERDANCE was enjoyable taking this Irish-style music and dance and making it her own for another audience.

SWEET ⭐️ HONEY ⭐️ BUCKIIN' Ope the shadeeee! I’m not familiar with Shaboozey, but I’m liking his sound and his contribution made the song bounce. Also the outro ate.

AMEN was a fitting conclusion to the album with "amen" also being the last word in Ameriican Requiem. Chef’s kiss.

Favs: RIIVERDANCE, YA YA, II HANDS II HEAVEN, MY ROSE, BLACKBIIRD, SPAGHETTII, LEVII'S JEANS, 16 CARRIAGES, SWEET ⭐️ HONEY ⭐️ BUCKIIN', AMEN, DESERT EAGLE, TYRANT

[kaybaeisgay]

alright here we go…. these are my One Piece: Live Action thoughts and critiques now that i’ve finished binge watching the show!

overall rating is a 6.5/10 on a Netflix original scale with some episodes being below that and some being above. (EDIT: before you throw tomatoes pls know that i highly enjoyed it!!!!! just had some thoughts on how it could have been improved in my own humble opinion!!)

(spoilers under cut)

initial praises:

the FUCKING CAST. they are all so good!!!! i admittedly had low expectations for some characters prior to watching (i.e. shanks, mihawk, garp) due to how iconic and mysterious they are, but i feel like they all did a phenomenal job bringing these characters to life

THE STRAW HAT CHEMISTRY. from the second i saw the cast interviews, i knew they were gonna be perfect, but the core cast truly was brilliant together

BUGGY 🗣️🗣️🗣️ listen. i’ve always been a buggy denier…… i understood the Power of His Ponytail for others, but never really got it for myself. that being said…….. JEFF WARD POPPED OFF. imo buggy had potential to be either just okay or the worst part of the show. and jeff, my guy, you knocked it out of the fucking park

visuals!!!!! the practical set was beautiful, and the coloring was so perfect for how fantastical the one piece world is. it was really immersive and i was super impressed!

makeup and costumes were fabulous. i know people clowned arlong’s design from the trailers, but i always really liked it bc of its practical effects and watching his full performance in the show was icing on the cake. the fishmen all looked incredible! absolutely spot on from the costume and makeup departments

drunk usopp???? need it like i need air

suave but unpervy sanji???? please, oda, bring him back i BEG

luffy’s curly hair 😭

zoro and nami’s interactions?? chef’s kiss. loved how they made each other work for their trust and friendship

all the little cameos to diff characters in wanted posters

the cgi they did use looked so fucking flawless. like the sea king and buggy’s devil fruit? it was truly a spectacle

the bad and the ugly:

the writing. i have to say, while i thought some parts were fine, i thought other aspects of the writing (namely the parts NOT written by oda) were lacking and stereotypical. it seemed like there was a real need in the writers room to spell everything out for the audience about the one piece world, when i really don’t think that is necessary. part of the charm is how whimsical the world is and how unhurried the east blue beginning arc felt. and they inserted a lot of weird bullshit i felt didn’t fit the original story

on that same note: the straw hat bonding was weak imo. i am a nami-stan to the day i die, but i really felt like they used her character to override the developments between luffy and the other straw hats. i think having nami present in axe-hand morgan’s base with luffy/zoro immediately discredited the initial bond that the two boys were supposed to have. i get why they did it, and i never thought i’d see the day where i wouldn’t want to see more nami, but i feel like her presence during that moment, her convo with kaya, and her staying for baratie really stole important bonding moments from luffy and each of the boys.

similar to that: luffy’s characterization. (note: i adore iñaki! this has nothing to do with him, just how the writers wrote luffy.) i don’t think the writers knew how to approach writing luffy or even zoro for that matter—which, to be fair, they are difficult characters to write. but i think they got very focused on trying to explain or make sense of luffy for the viewers when i truly think the appeal to pre-time skip op is how both the audience and the straw hat crew are constantly learning more and more about who luffy is through his actions. and in tandem, they didn’t know how to flesh out luffy and zoro’s relationship. where animanga luffy and zoro are bonded because they innately seem to just get one another, i think the LA writers didn’t trust that either their script or the actors portraying them could get that across as well without having them literally spell it out for us. and in turn, i think it really watered down their connection when that bond should be one of the absolute strongest.

okay i’m beginning to realize that all my critiques have to do with writing

like, they didn’t show us how much each village comes to love the straw hats???? which is a HUGE part of why we and everyone in the world adores them??????????

little (and big) things about the characters that got lost in the LA: zoro’s sense of humor, usopp’s love of bugs (seriously, he wouldn’t be spooked by a damn spiderweb, cmon), nami being a weather prodigy, usopp being a sniping prodigy, bellemere and nojiko having hope bc infant nami was laughing, luffy only doing stuff bc he wants to, luffy and zoro not caring about the details of nami’s history, sanji bonding w luffy bc he was strong and kind and joining because luffy asked him to, helmeppo’s falling out w his father (like if you’re gonna put so much of him in there at least set up his backstory correctly???), arlong seeing zoro’s wound from mihawk, arlong park walk???!, and so many other things honestly…..

in general, the whimsy of the world was lacking. so much of what sets one piece (especially at the beginning) apart from other shows is how much fun it is. i get that netflix wanted to netflixify this world, but that’s not why we fell in love w the show. we want to see them goofing off, we want to see all the silly, ridiculous jokes. we want the hilarity of it all and how each character (no matter how cool) is still subject to being a fool at times. usopp’s character really brought a lot of life to the show after he was introduced, which i am infinitely grateful for, but i think the writers forgot the core of the show: the fun of it all.

OH. and here is my biggest gripe of them all……. THE FUCKING MARINES. like holy shit, i didn’t realize i was watching a fucking military propo??? i understand they wanted to make koby more relevant for the story but fuck, did we really need fifteen minutes every episode dedicated to the marines???? i loved koby and garp’s actors, but all the focus on them (WHEN THEY ARENT EVEN IN THE EAST BLUE MUCH AT ALL) really soured me on their characters tbh. they robbed us of so much time that could have been spent on any of the above issues listed just for the sake of adding fish-eye-lens close-ups of them shootin’ the shit with each other. it’s like they didn’t want new viewers becoming unsympathetic to the fucking military even tho oda specifically wrote marines as antagonists lmao. truly, i think all the issues i had w the show could have been fixed if they simply didn’t make so much of it about garp and koby.

along w that thought: someone—anyone—please tell me why they needed a garp and luffy confrontation in this first fucking season. please, help me understand. because imo, that was the most atrocious thing they could have done. they literally cut out KEY PARTS to the arlong park arc just to make room for it. the arlong park bit was so badly fumbled imo. making nojiko and the villagers actually hate nami instead of pretending to??? TOMATO TOMATO TOMATO. saying nami asked to join arlong instead of him forcing her to?? FUCKING AWFUL. having luffy chase nojiko down for the story instead of his “i don’t need to know it, i just need her to rely on us”???!!!! fine, go ahead and erase a crucial part of his character. and don’t even get me started on how garp’s moment completely replaced nami’s iconic “goodbye” to coco village and genzo telling luffy not to make her cry. seriously, i could go on for hours about those episodes alone.

additionally, they made the whole “luffy didn’t tell us about his grandpa being a marine” thing like an issue in the crew when that is not at all how it should have gone. the entire point of garps original intro as luffy’s grandpa in animanga is that we AND the straw hats have spent enough time with luffy to understand that he doesn’t say more than what needs to be said. while we were all surprised, no one (not even his crew) are upset about him withholding that. so to introduce garp so early in the plot and then make it a whole moment of dissent for the crew is fucked up and pointless.

i really think they only added so much of the marines because they were worried there weren’t enough “stakes” to push luffy and the crew forward in the narrative, but that is utter bullshit because the ENTIRE point of the east blue arc is that it’s BEFORE luffy ever has a bounty—before he ever is being truly chased—so EVERYTHING he does is simply for the pure sake that he WANTS TO. and that is precisely why each crew member loves him. that’s why WE love him.

last but not least: where tf was hatchan??? ☹️

overall, my problem with the LA so far is that i feel as if the writer’s don’t have a full grasp on the straw hats, and while they were writing the story, things that should’ve been central to their personas got left behind. it felt like since they didn’t feel like they understood luffy as a character, they tried to overcompensate by making him into something he isn’t.

the outline for everything was there and i think it was still a very fun watch, but im left longing for the magic and catharsis of the original story. in the end, it was entertaining but really just made me want to rewatch the anime to get the full effect of oda’s wonderful storytelling

[cto10121]

Twilight Clownery—Part One

You know it was time. For it is this series above all that brings all the clowns the yard, and if there is one thing I do so love to eat, it’s clownery. Feat. Movie Twilight getting more love than Book Twilight, human character simping, and my Bella Hate Dumb tag is finally born. Spoilers, I guess

You mean those same movies that had Edward follow her into the forest, drag her violently by the elbow, screaming “AS IF YOU CAN OUTRUN ME” and overall behave like an emotionally constipated jerk (randomly leaving mid-conversation, slamming on the school bus door) with zero sense of humor?

Stewart is solid gold if not right for the part, Pattinson much less so, Billy Burke a joy, but the rest? Solid B-cast all over them. Even so, the scripts for those movies were god-awful, so it’s no surprise even okay actors struggled.

Human Character Simping

There is this very weird tendency of the fandom to glorify the human characters, and I for one cannot relate. I have a suspicion it’s the movies’ doing—the human characters are much better written than the vampire ones and were much better portrayed.

But! The human characters’ mediocrity (bar Angela and Ben) is very well described. In Twilight alone Jessica is judgmental and small-minded—“they all, like, live together,” thinks Esme being unable to have children is a failing (!!), and is clearly only friends with Bella because Mike is interested. Apart from that, though? She is just basic (and where the hell did you even get pervert???). Lauren is the only one who gets the bitchiness descriptor.

For her part Bella makes a good (and successful) effort at pairing Mike and Jessica together, simply because she knows Jessica is interested in him. In later books she is not as good a friend to her but that was because 1) she was literally depressed and 2) she was preparing to become a vampire.

Bella Hate Dumb

Bella disregards the feelings of others so much she decides to move to a place she hated just to set her mother free to travel with her boytoy husband. Bella disregards the feelings of others so much that she could not tell Mike directly that she wasn’t interested in him because it would hurt his feelings.

Because it’s Bella’s fault that James wanted to kill her and that Victoria wanted to avenge James through her. It’s Bella’s fault that the Quileutes are werewolves to begin with, despite the fact that Sam had already transformed before her arrival and the rest would have followed suit purely because of the Cullens’ presence. And of course It’s Bella’s fault that Irina saw her and Renesmee just minding their own business.

What the hell is this victim-blamey insanity? It’s horrific, unhinged, pathological…and so, so delicious. Clown OP created a whole-ass chart! A chart!!!! Was clownery ever this tasty?

Bella thinks/Bella has no thoughts. Chef kiss. This rightfully belongs to the Clownery Hall of Fame. Muah.

This

Because everything about this 4-book romance series with vampires, werewolves, people trying to kill Bella, people trying to kill Edward and his family, people being against Bella becoming a vampire, people keen on Bella becoming a vampire or else, and Bella literally dying to birth her half-vampire nudger just screams “actually super easy, barely an inconvenience.”

[polyhexian]

Tf one spoiler time lol

Score 10/10. While I can make a few comments and critiques, I don't even want to because it overall was just so GOOD. The animation was vibrant and fluid and so full of life! The character designs have consistency between them but ALSO are distinct enough I was pointing and calling out names the entire time! They pulled SO many lore elements together to create clear worldbuilding and a story that keeps so much of the established lore while also feeling fresh and not played out. I respect the fact they kept their names Orion and D16 through the entire thing so much. I was SO excited to see that prime was the bad influence in their relationship lol. Optimus was like. Oh my god. Giving Optimus prime a personality??? That's crazy! They always forget to do that!

They really took a ton of lore elements and stacked them carefully together to pick and choose the world this story is set in specifically. I am so happy to see the Primus myth be that he turned into the planet cybertron. Chefs kiss. Perfect. love that one. I'm surprised they ran with the thirteen primes mythos and didn't have megatronus as the traitor! Good. I think it's a good thing that he wasn't Evil. Also, I generally say that once it's happened in three different continuities it's a character trait so I'm glad we can all just agree now that sentinel prime is the prime is a dirty rotten traitor. Also it's cool that he's blue. In my head he's always been blue tbh. He has blue vibes.

I'm glad elita made it into the main cast over Arcee and it's wild but great that arachnid got to be here??? And I think I even saw greenlight? But I'm surprised they didn't take the opportunity to put more female bots in the background. They didn't have to talk or even be specific characters. But also maybe there were but they just didn't have "feminine" shapes so I didn't notice. I was constantly looking at background characters but I was also trying not to lol. Focus on the story Nate!!! You can look at background characters later! But it was awesome to see slipstream with the seekers. And I think they worked in how starscream could be like in charge of his own guys from prewar but also under Megatron and also kind of like. Can't really kill him or you will lose all his followers. Good position to put him in. He also got to sit on a throne and that's great.

Oh. My. God. The climaxxxx! With Megatron ripping sentinel in half while Optimus falls into the core of Cybertron. Ahhhh it was SO well packed and well choreographed. They did amazing with the entire sequence. Also I LOVE how restrained they were with violence until that point. I hadn't even realized it until then but we hadnt seen any real serious injuries or deaths or proper robogore like up close and personal and fresh until he tears sentinel in half or he shoots Optimus and he loses a whole arm and half his chest. Like. I genuinely had a moment of "oh my god, can they show that with the rating?" Like I forgot that of course they can, he's a robot, but it just amped up the brutality SO hard and SO fast that it was like whiplash. Awesome.

That "I want to KILL him!" From D16 was sooo good it was like there it is boyyysssss. Oh my goooddd and then when he shot op and he's hanging over the edge and he has the moment where he comes back to himself realizing what he has done and how he has changed. And he has a moment to decide who he wants to be, of his own volition, consciously, and he chooses to be Megatron. I'm done saving you!!! Ah!!!!

Screaming into the aether: I LOVE DIVORCE! I LOVE DIVORCE! I LOVE DIVORCE!

[legendoftheotherside]

Naruto fic recs pt 1

Yesterday, I found a document file containing a partial fic rec list that I made to share on Tumblr. That was back in 2022—lmao, I forgot about it. So, here are some fics that I liked (the rest will follow when I get time to write down the next list). Hopefully, this will help others find good reads and give authors more love.

Disclaimer: fics below aren't listed in any particular order + I didn't check grammar, I just wrote why I like something XD

Change Fills My Time by 100demons  https://archiveofourown.org/works/687192/chapters/1261512 

M; 73k; Gen; completed

Summary: Thirty year old Kakashi was supposed to have been killed by Pein during the Invasion. Instead, he wakes up in the body of his twenty year old self.

(It gets a lot more complicated.) 

Okay, so this is one of the most brilliant fics with time-traveling Kakashi I’ve ever read and this was probably my third time doing so, if not fourth. 

This fic is completed, has a clear plot, the writing is extremely well-executed in both style and tone, and has lots of twists. Although taking a darker turn than most fics of this kind (think of ao3 tags canon typical violence with a dash of character death), it’s the origin of the sort of famous Watanabe Textiles, and considering all I mentioned above, I wholeheartedly recommend it!

Of The Leaf by Temeritous https://archiveofourown.org/works/4795649/chapters/10975265

T; 41k; Gen; Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence; Complete, part of the series

Summary: [The king is dead; long live the king.]

A month before the Chuunin Exams are set to begin, the Hokage dies of a stroke. Danzo steps up as interim Hokage until the Council can vote in the Fifth, and then Kakashi has to start thinking about more drastic measures. Because what he knows, and what everyone else seems to have forgotten, is that natural causes have nothing to do with shinobi. 

Uff, I did read some fics with Danzo taking over Leaf after Sandaime dies (or he actively kills him himself) but I’ve never read this one. It’s very interestingly written and I wouldn’t have recommended it if I didn’t think so. This fic is part one of the series The Tale of Naruto Uzumaki https://archiveofourown.org/series/493657.

has the second installment: The Water Truce and I’ll just tell you: chef’s kiss!!

Nobody Expects The Shinobi Inquisition by Azremodehar https://archiveofourown.org/works/29282646/chapters/71908998

T; >200k; Gen; ongoing; Dragon age crossover

Summary: In an act of classic Uchiha Melodrama, Uchiha Shisui leaps to his death... only to be thwarted when he wakes up, chained up and in a dungeon, with a splitting pain in his left hand.

I’ve been playing Dragon Age longer than being a fan of Naruto, so color me impressed when I found this fic. The summary itself made me so freakin intrigued.

I love Shisui. He is a very fun character, a sort of blank slate to characterize in their own way for purposes of the plot, though I love that most of the authors use the most popular fanon characterization, putting their own spin on it, and this fic isn't exempt from that. 

In Nobody Expects The Shinobi Inquisition Shisui is kinda op but considering how hyped he was in the canon I can stand behind that. He’s also smart. A lot. I love when the MC is smart and Shisui doesn’t disappoint. He’s also a bit manipulative, but which shinobi isn’t? 

Having Shisui immersed into the main cast of the DA:Inquisition is definitely fun so following him sweeping through the game’s plot—sometimes silently just like true shinobi and sometimes in all the grace of a bull in a china shop just because he finds it fun—is something I wholeheartedly recommend. 

I can’t lie, I love this one so much.

Dance of the Dog God by Tartarun https://archiveofourown.org/works/28989696/chapters/71144721 

G (says that but it’s pretty dark and I would rate it M at least); 234k; Gen; incomplete - actively being published (more chapters on ff.net, but from what I understand the author had been publishing an edited version on ao3 up until mid 2022)

Summary: Kakashi loved Konoha a little less and his father a bit more. What happens next changes the face of history. However, Team 7's destiny years later is still wrapped with the silver-haired man's and an intricate dance begins. 

Dance of the Dog God could easily be considered an excellent psychological thriller. The author may have tagged it for general audiences, however, it’s the use of the Alternate Universe - Dark AO3 tag that should tell you a lot. It’s very, very dark while basically being AU where Kakashi defected, Rin lives, and Obito becomes Team 7's sensei and yet nothing is as it seems to be.

The author is a master at manipulating the reader with crumbs of information while building a greatly detailed world and keeping tensions and suspense high while having a very fast pace. 

It’s honestly one of the best-written fics out there. If you like a sort-of-like-grimdark atmosphere and are not afraid of some psychological horror, give it a shot. 

Time Flies Like An Arrow by Katlou303 https://archiveofourown.org/works/12668358/chapters/28877022 

Not rated (but imo T at the highest); 240k; Gen; complete (has sequel(s))

Summary: Sakura traveled back in time with the intent of changing everything, but something went wrong, and now she's four years old having nightmares about impossible monsters and losing friends she has yet to meet.

Time Flies Like An Arrow is an excellent time-travel fic with Sakura as an MC. Shisui becomes her friend and sort-of mentor, which made me really happy to read. But unlike most of the time-travel fics where the character travels to the past and immerses themselves with their younger counterpart, here the younger Sakura is mainly in charge while the time traveler shows herself through sharing memories. 

Hellbent by LuckySevenhttps://archiveofourown.org/works/25797892/chapters/62662261 

M; 200k; Multi pairing; Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence; ongoing

Summary: Orochimaru makes an adjustment in his sales pitch to Sasuke in the Forest of Death and everything changes as a result.

The Leaf is corrupt, Team Seven is disillusioned and Kakashi suddenly has to figure out how to keep three overpowered Genin safe on the run when the whole world wants to take a bite out of them.

A couple of steps to the side may take the path an entirely new direction, a few words chosen differently and the story may have an entirely new ending, and a small band of underestimated and untethered ninja who choose each other above anything else may shift the whole world on its axis.

Hellbent shoves the nail into the cogs of canon and executes it so beautifully; from well-written characterization to just plain old good writing, this fic has it all.

[melonypanda]

My Adventures with Superman 1x1 Adventures of a Normal Man Part 2

MA KENT AJDKSJKDJF SHES EVERYTHING I DREAMED OF

Exposition? Without words? *chefs kiss* proves u don’t need to explain everything on the screen *cough* marvel *cough*

On that note Kryptonians do not speak English this is good cuz they should not be speaking English

Clark literally does an anime girl transformation askdkdkd

Also I said I wasn’t gonna simp for Slade but he’s still a twink so I might be changing my mind T-T

MA KENT GIVING HIM THE shorts and belt

They addressed the common plot hole of Clark being recognized as Superman

Clark trying to impress Lois and then ope he got attacked

Perry is such a typical boss tbh

ADJDKDJKDJ THE ALMOST KISS TROPE?! They aren’t gonna spend like a million seasons setting up the chemistry they are giving the blushes from the beginning

[itskakashihatake]

Ok now that I’ve watched OP LA I can drop my opinions that no one cares about:

The pacing was great, we pretty much covered a lot of ground in just 8 episodes

I didn’t entirely hate that Garp was heavily involved in the LA, sure it diverts from the source material but I can see how his involvement can pull new audiences. It was nice seeing his true nature gradually revealed cuz I definitely was not on board with the performance at first.

The main cast was perfect, I think we can all agree on that. Usopp has always been my favorite in the series to begin with but LA Usopp exceeded my expectations. Emily Rudd was perfect for Nami, I can see the argument of her not being as fiery as the original Nami but her performance was just *chef’s kiss*.

I wasn’t a fan of them pushing the whole Kaya/Usopp weird love connection, it felt entirely forced; it could just be my bias due to it not being an obvious love connection in the source material.

Arlong Park is the one arc that converted fans from just being casual fans to downright obsessed stans. With that being said; in the LA adaptation, the fishmen honestly just looked like cosplay to me. Very stiff, they could’ve used better CGI to render their movements and facial expressions but it didn’t deter me from enjoying the pacing, the set design or the overall adaptation of the Arlong Park Arc.

Overall the show was good and I thoroughly enjoy it but nothing beats the early heartwarming/feel good vibes or the heart wrenching scenes from the anime.