#otp: deeply ridiculously

[flutterbyoz]

Richonne is simply the best ship to ever have graced the screen. I've had many ships over the years and though I love them all, none come close to the perfection that is Rick and Michonne Grimes, they are everything to me. They are so deeply, completely, desperately and ridiculously in love, they are so beautiful ❤️ The definition of an OTP ultimate power couple!

Can we please have them back now, I need more of the Grimes family in my life

[sonics-atelier]

Lucissa headcannons!!!!

Thank you sm for the ask, I love to yap about my OTP, I'm putting everything under the cut because I have too many thoughts about them.

Lucissa Headcannons ( Contains Holiday Traditions, Parenting Draco & When They Were Young )

Holiday Traditions:

Every winter solstice, Lucius and Narcissa exchange a single gift—not expensive, never showy. Always something deeply personal: a restored photograph, a forgotten poem, a charm spell Narcissa composed for him during the first war. They pretend it’s not sentimental. It always is.

Narcissa bakes precisely one cake a year—for Lucius’s birthday. It's slightly lopsided and he pretends not to notice. In truth, he adores it and hoards the last slice like a dragon guarding gold.

They never host for Christmas. The manor is reserved for just them and Draco. They wear ridiculous cashmere jumpers enchanted to warm only at the cuffs, drink spiced wine, and enchant the tree to shimmer in silver and blue—always her favorite palette.

Lucius buys mistletoe every December, not out of tradition but because he enjoys catching Narcissa beneath it, murmuring poetry in French just to see her eyes narrow and her mouth twitch in amusement.

Parenting Draco:

Narcissa was the more composed parent—but she had no patience for whinging. If Draco sulked, she simply raised one brow and asked, “Would you like a solution or sympathy?” Lucius, on the other hand, indulged him terribly and was frequently banished from the nursery for it.

Lucius taught Draco to ride a broom, but it was Narcissa who stitched protective charms into his gloves. Draco never noticed, but Lucius did. He kissed her temple that night and she acted as though it were nothing.

Narcissa sang to Draco in Latin lullabies, old songs passed down through Black lineage. Lucius once attempted to join in—off-key, dramatically. She laughed until she cried. He never tried again, but he’d linger outside the nursery and listen.

When Draco had nightmares, he always crept to his parents’ room. Lucius would lift the covers silently, and Narcissa would pretend to scold before letting Draco nestle between them. Neither of them minded; not really.

When They Were Young:

Lucius fell for her first. Of course he did. She had an intellect sharper than any curse and eyes that knew far too much for sixteen. He watched her charm ink to dry faster and wondered if she could stop his heart with a word. He was certain she could.

Narcissa thought Lucius was arrogant. She told him so. He had a laugh like velvet and a quill sharper than sin. But he read his poetry in the library when he thought no one was watching, and once, she caught him helping a first year carry their books. She said nothing—but never teased him again.

They didn’t start dating immediately. They orbited each other, like poised celestial bodies, for years. Detentions. Duels. Debates. Until one day, in seventh year, Lucius offered her a daffodil “as a dare.” She accepted it. That was the beginning.

Lucius once got hexed by a Slytherin rival and Narcissa retaliated so severely she earned a week’s detention. He thanked her with a silver hair clip shaped like a crescent moon. She still has it, tucked away in an old velvet box.

[corseque]

I said I wouldn't write essays and would write fanfic instead, but here's a last one

I'm thinking about my clair obscur otp a lot and mentally exploring their dynamic because I'm trying to write fanfic about my otp. and after thinking about it, I don't think that Clea's observations about them and their relationship are necessarily completely correct just because she's an outside observer.

Clea is the kind of person who really deeply prioritizes total independence, and she's obsessed with perfection. She is canonically humiliated at the thought of being even a little bit wrong and mortified at even the slightest idea of needing help or being incapable. Like her mother, she is extremely skilled and proud, and so from the start, I think Clea finds the idea of her father helping her mother a little ridiculous. I don't think Clea could imagine being helped herself in that way, so she doesn't imagine her father could help her mother. Clea declares very firmly that the way they need to work through their grief is in a very Clea kind of way, the only way that Clea understands working through grief - they need to somehow work through their grief completely alone and THEN talk to each other....

I mean, I guess, but it sounds like the advice of an extremely independent single woman who is terrified and mortified of leaning on others.

Renoir, in the letter that he wrote that you find in his room, says that he would greatly prefer mourning WITH his wife and not mourning alone, and it seems like he couldn't get on with processing his feelings when he actively felt the other people in his family dying or isolating unhealthily. Like, I get that much more - how could he concentrate on himself the way Clea says, or watch his wife just fade more and more and do nothing? So already, his wanting to pull together WITH his family in grief seems different than what Clea would ever choose for herself.

I think deep in my soul that Renoir was right, maybe not in every single detail, but at least in his fear being justified and his strategy and method needing to happen for Aline to ultimately live through the events of the story. Because they BARELY got her out of there even after doing EVERYTHING they could for 67 years. So to me, he was right to be so adamant from the very beginning.

I think it's a little bit Clea believing in her mother's competence to think that she needed absolutely no help whatsoever and she could have come back out on her own. Clea seemingly has not experienced what Renoir has experienced, almost being lost in a Canvas, and though she must be aware of the dangers, Renoir is better able to see the signs and make that judgment call, even while being afraid and maybe jumping the gun a tiny bit for his own personal reasons.

Maybe Clea is a bit right because while they were in the Canvas, they WERE processing their grief on their own and isolated, but I think it was important to Aline to know that Renoir WAS there, that she could feel his presence and she was reminded that he was still fighting and struggling for her.

Aline did paint her version of Renoir to always loyally guard her and never be far from her, to protect their house and to cushion her in her grief. She completely stopped talking to her family, but she still needed them to be with her.

And I think it was important for Renoir to have something to fight for, something to determinedly cling to as he spent 67 years alone and thinking deeply about his family and processing his own grief.

I just don't see how the narrative concludes that Renoir's fear was selfish or unjustified when, even after doing everything they possibly could to get her out, they still just barely seemed to get her out right at the edge of death. To me, that implies that she WOULD have died had they done ANY LESS than they did, which justifies Renoir and proves his reaction toward her being in the canvas was totally rational.

Now, I agree with his characterization being one driven by being terrified of losing more family and going to extremes to prevent that, but the story didn't prove to me that the extremes were unnecessary. Like, he was driven by fear, but his judgment seemed ultimately sound. And I think that part of it was echoed by how he dealt with Alicia in the canvas - even in his fear that makes him raise his voice, he still listens carefully.

anyway long story short - I think that Clea was also speaking from her own point of view and not objective reality, and I think that's proven because Renoir's fears were ultimately justified by the story. So I think Renoir was right and Clea was wrong in saying they were just being dramatic and overreacting and causing problems on purpose. The problems were real and Renoir was doing the best he could. And I think that Aline needed him to do what he did as well. I think she would have definitely died without her husband's help. And I think that they would not have recovered as a couple if Renoir had left her alone to process it alone, I think she needed Renoir there as a continuous pressure so she knew she wasn't actually alone.

this is way too long I'm just talking to myself here lmfao

[hangmanbradshaw]

getting to know mutuals!

tagged by the amazing @halestrom and @ghostlykiss <3

what's the origin of your blog title? 'bradshaw, as I live and breathe' 'hangman...you look...good' :) (also after they get married, Jake definitely is known as hangman bradshaw with their friends around the navy lmao, they have a reputation)

otp(s) + shipname(s): jake & bradley, hangster. The others have kinda faded out, but still into buck & Eddie, buddie and Charles & erik from xmen. (shout outs to my original loves- robin & starfire from teen titans and sharpay/gabriella from hsm lmao)

favourite colour: forest green, light pink, and grey

song stuck in your head: two right now- first rodeo by kelsea ballerini (seeing her this week again & it's on a fic playlist I'm working on) and National Anthem by Lana Del Rey

weirdest habit/trait: I'm an exceptionally picky eater and I used to call everyone by their middle name in college, it accidentally stuck for a few people and became their name in our friend group oopsies

hobbies: writing, running, hiking/camping, traveling, embroidery, watching a ridiculous amount of movies, sports, learning anything & everything

if you work, what's your profession? HR at a University healthcare system

if you could have any job you wish, what would it be? writing tbh

something you're good at: weirdly good at crane machines and I can name every US President in order lmao (I was a poli sci major who used to compete in gov competitions and Model UN and now hates politics) (also I like to *hope* I'm halfway decent at writing and story-crafting)

something you hate: lack of empathy, bad driving

something you collect: I am a hoarder like a little dragon with my momentos- keychains, postcards from trips, t-shirts, physical media (DVDs, blurays, CDs, vinyls, etc), ticket stubs from anything & everything including movies, flights, concerts, etc, brochures and maps from museums/places I visit, fandom stuff for my fixations

something you forget: everything. I have a terrible memory for most things.

what's your love language: I have a really hard time with this (we love therapy) but I guess acts of service?

favourite movie/show: this is so hard- Criminal Minds, Star Wars, TGM, The Mummy, Jurassic Park, Twister & Twisters, Hit Man, Independence Day, Scream, Ready Or Not, Scooby Doo

favourite food: pizza or bbq

favourite animal: ALL OF THEM (but I guess dolphins, dogs, penguins, sea turtles, birds, squirrels, fireflies)

what were you like as a child: shy, outdoorsy, independent, silly, deeply introspective

favourite subject at school: history/government & lit

least favourite subject: math all the way

what's your best character trait? Very independent/extremely resilient, and I hope I'm friendly/welcoming/someone people can lean on

what's your worst character trait? again very independent lmao to probably an unhealthy level (again- therapy!), people please too much, TERRIBLE texter/responder a lot of the time

if you could change any detail of your life right now, what would it be? some kind of good luck for my mom/bro/my family. we've had a hard go of it, and I just really wish I could be the one to make life easier for everyone. But I'm very thankful for what I have considering where we've been.

if you could travel in time, who would you like to meet? any ancestor that I know nothing about (It's crazy to think about the stories of all the people who resulted in us being here- the full lives they lived, loving, hating, being sad, angry, having dreams. I just wish I knew more about them)

Tagging (I know some of y'all have been tagged but including anyway) @rcgersromanoff @phisworld14 @tornadeoqueen @coins-that-never-land @acetonitril @lucyybradford and anyone else tag me <3

[lollytea]

eda for the character breakdown?

How I feel about this character

I remember I once saw this post once before I watched that show that was like "Eda is basically Grunkle Stan for lesbians" and definition of her has been stuck in my head ever since. I admittedly do not think of Eda frequently but when I do, it hits me like a TRUCK. She's so sleazy and ridiculous but every so often I remember how she was willing to destroy herself just so she could be of use. How she begged for a means of saving "[her] kids." I think of Eda in passing but every time I actually sit down with those thoughts I'm like "uuuuuuuggghh she makes me want to kill myself" she's just so SAD. Sad and desperate and yet so full of life and all this capacity for love that she doesn't know what to do with. I love Eda. Dana Terrace really cooked with this bitch.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Eda endured the horrors. So as a reward she gets her nerdy little musician

My non-romantic OTP for this character

How deeply and achingly Eda loves Luz and King WILL kill me I think

My unpopular opinion about this character

I don't think she's THAT hot

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

They implied that Eda had sort of friend group with not only Raine and Lilith but Darius, Alador, Odalia and Perry. HELLO! HI! LETS CIRCLE BACK TO THAT??

[ladyaldhelm]

Get to know your mutuals!

Thank you for tagging me @bilbotargaryen! 💖💖💖

What's the origin of your blog title? I am replying from my sideblog, which I use as a dumping ground. My main blog is @lord-aldhelm and I think the title needs no explanation lol! I made it to be a repository for all things Aldhelm. This side blog (which functions as a main I guess) is like, Lady Aldhelm, as in Aldhelm's wife.

OTP(s) + Shipname: Aethelflaed x Aldhelm (Aldflaed)

Favourite colour: So I have two: purple and green/teal. It depends on my mood and how it is being displayed. Like for clothes I prefer purples and blues. But greens: turquoise, jade, teal, seafoam, sage, forest, emerald, these colors soothe and calm me.

Favourite game: A toss up between Chronotrigger and Zelda: Ocarina of Time. (and yes I realize I am aging myself here lmao)

Song stuck in your head: Right now, U2 - "One"

Weirdest habit/trait? As @bilbotargaryen said listening to music and daydreaming. But also something that I used to do A LOT and haven't really done in a long time is walking/running and daydreaming.

Hobbies: Drawing, painting (although I do this as my job too), writing fic and poetry/prose, making gifs, collecting things (seashells, stones, pine cones, stamps, coins)

If you work, what's your profession? I am a full time professional Pet Portrait artist. Although with everything going on right now I need to pick up a part time job very soon.

If you could have any job you wish, what would it be? Realistically? I would love to be paid to make gifs lmao! Seriously I think doing animal rescue and rehabilitation.

Something you're good at: I am so ridiculously and meticulously organized it amazes everyone around me. I cannot be any other way so just deal with it lol

Something you're bad at: Socialising (I'll keep that prev), anything society related honestly (same)

Something you love: Writing, reading, drawing, making gifs (same as hobbies I guess)

Something you could talk about for hours off the cuff: Animals, veterinary medicine, Aldhelm, The Last Kingdom

Something you hate: So so much wrong with the word rn and ever day I wake up something new and scary is happening and I feel like I may have to leave my country.

Something you collect: I listed these under Hobbies but: stones, pine cones, shells, animal figurines (especially wolves), stamps and coins (although I have not added to those collections in many years)

Something you forget: PEOPLE'S NAMES FFS

What's your love language? I know that the love language model is deeply flawed and one needs all love languages to thrive. (<PREV) But quality time and acts of service are big for me.

Favourite movie/show: I have a few and cannot decide which is my absolute fave so: For TV show it is hands down The Last Kingdom. For movies: Lord of the Rings (trilogy), Princess Mononoke, and Dark Crystal. Don't make me pick between them.

Favourite food: This changes depending on my mood (and my dietary intolerances), but right now it is Orange Chicken from Panda Express.

Favourite animal: Wolf! 🐺

What were you like as a child? Weird, imaginative, creative, loner, marching to the beat of my own drum.

Favourite subject at school? Biology and art

Least favourite subject: History... I love history but HATE HATE HATE how in school they make it so DRY with memorizing dates and place names and people, like. So many interesting things happened and we have to memorize like Battles and shit. So boring!

What's your best character trait? That I am very optimistic and usually do not hold a grudge.

What's your worst character trait? I can be impatient

If you could change any detail of your life right now, what would it be? Financial stability...

If you could travel in time, who would you like to meet? No one honestly. If I could travel back in time I would want to see animals that are extinct right now, like the Thylacine, Dodo Bird, Carolina Parakeet, or Falkland Island Wolf.

No pressure tags:

@gemini-mama @thelettersfromnoone @thenameswinter99

@bagheerita @solinarimoon @errruvande @paula-in-dreamland @aneurins-barnard

@waterfallsilverberrywrites @holy3cake @whitedarkmoonflower @lady-wyrd

@grinningkatz @ladyinred2248 @hikaruchen @st-eve-barnes @alexagirlie

[queerofthedagger]

Finrod 🐍💎 for the character ask!! 🖤

Ahh Aster, thank you!! <3

How I feel about this character

He's constantly at war with Fingon and Maedhros for the spot of fave Silm/Tolkien character and wins the biting contest regularly tbh. He's just !! He's so good and so kind and he's so stubbornly determined, he's always aching to see more and experience more and learn more, and he walked across the Grinding Ice as the eldest of his house, leaving Aman even when his own father turned back. He befriends Men and stays loyal to them until his literal death, he's kind and wise and loves all things good and beautiful, and he bit a werewolf to death all on his own. His brothers died in the fire and he swears an oath of his own and he's best friends with Turgon, and he almost beats Sauron himself and helps Beren even though he knows what it means, how it'll end. He takes in his cousins and for a time it actually works (until it doesn't) and he's returned from Mandos as one of the earliest and walks beneath the trees of Eldamar and comes no more to the grey world of tears and war!!!!! 😭

All the people I ship romantically with this character

My multishipper-syndrome for the Silm is bad on the best of days but it's particularly dire with Finrod. I have the most feelings about Fingon/Finrod/Maedhros, closely followed by Curufin/Finrod (which are two such wildly different vibes I'm aware but ohh my god), but I'm also deeply invested in Finrod/Maglor, Finrod/Fingon and Finrod/Maedhros in non-poly iterations, Finrod/Celegorm, Finrod/Turgon, Finrod/Bëor, Finrod/Edrahil...... also, I've definitely been side-eyeing Finrod/Sauron as well as Finrod/Celebrimbor with the vague knowledge that one well-placed fic could definitely make me go off the deep end there..... 🫠

My non-romantic OTP for this character

I have a somewhat ridiculous amount of feelings about Finrod & Finduilas. I also love the (admittedly unlikely I know, but still) Finrod as Gil-galad's dad school of thought. Also am never not thinking about Andreth & Finrod, and Finrod & Finarfin's relationship because ohh man. Arafinweans.....

My unpopular opinion about this character

I once again don't think this is overly unpopular really, but for all his kindness, good-heartedness, and love for beautiful things, I think Finrod was, at the end of the day, still very... Finwëan. He left Valinor and crossed the Ice, he fought in Beleriand's wars, he built Nargothrond. He knew how to fight and how to be determined to the point of stubbornness. He was kind; he also, I think, often had to work for that.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

I just would have loved to see more of him at all times 😔🫶

Give me a character and I'll break their ass down

[rebelrevenant]

Get To Know Your Mutuals

Tagged by: @desertfangs who knows I will always join the party, tysm for the tag! I appreciate you!

What’s the origin of your username?: It is an ode to Lestat, for is he not the rebel of revenants? Then I came up with my own self-effacing lore for it which you can read on my ridiculous bio.

OTP(s) + ship name: Armandiel, Marimand, Loustat from VC. Also the trinity, give me Armand/Marius/Daniel. But my very first OTP was Rosiel/Katan from Angel Sanctuary and the only ships that have ever sailed anywhere close, except for OCs, are from VC. I do also love me some Hannigram, too.

Favorite color: Gold.

Song stuck in your head: Sleep Token's new release, Emergence.

Weirdest habit/trait: I have many little guys (characters with lore and weird voices I made up when I was young, shout out to Turnip). I also believe there is a vagrant spirit cackling at all my misfortunes so I yell at him whenever shit goes wrong because I outsource my internal locus of control evidently.

Hobbies: Writing, reading, singing, cosplay & sewing, cycling, and coming up with weird new business ventures.

If you work, what’s your profession?: Live events coordinator. I own a traveling Halloween arts and mystics festival and then I also do tradeshows across various industries, primarily tech, exhibition booth design, etc. I used to run an anime convention too, so really nothing is off limits. I'm an introvert so go figure, I guess I just enjoy controlling large gatherings of people like a bossy little tyrant.

If you could have any job you wish, what would it be?: A dark academia life as a professor by day, moonlighting as an author under a mysterious pseudonym.

Something you’re good at: Singing!

Something you hate: Pervasive muffled noise. I will go feral if I can hear loud voices, thumping and bass banging through my walls, so I always live on the top floor, no exceptions. Noises need to be sharp and clear for me or something feral in me feels unsafe? I wear headphones if at home and spend a lot of time outside or in cafes.

Something you collect: Coffee table books and sea turtles. I have a little sea turtle gift from everyone I love irl and I keep them sacred.

Something you forget: Anything that ever makes me sick or unhappy or injured in some capacity so I do those things over and over again while everyone in my life says "... remember last time you did that? And what happened?" I have no risk aversion, I swear.

What’s your love language?: Quality time is the one I give by default, but only when deeply committed. I'm very self-contained and overly protective of my boundaries in general, but once I'm in it with someone and I feel safe I'm very clingy.

Favorite movie/show: Fargo and Hannibal. Film will always be Return of the King for me, nothing has ever held a candle to it, though It's A Wonderful Life comes awfully close.

Favorite food: Seafood in general.

Favorite animal: Sea turtles, crocodiles and tarsiers. I do love me some walruses and narwhals too.

What were you like as a child?: Very sweet and docile. Described by a friend who I went to grade school with as "always lost in another world". I over corrected and became extremely adventurous and spicy, but secretly I Am Still That Desperately Softsoft Girl, the world just isn't so accommodating of sweetness 🤧

Favorite subject at school: English and History.

Least favorite subject: Math.

What’s your best character trait?: I'm one of the most resilient people you are likely to ever meet. Put me in front of any adversity and I straighten my crown and own it. I am also extremely pure of heart, I cannot be tarnished by anything, put me in darkness and I heal and absorb none of it into my light. I do not hold grudges and my ability to genuinely forgive keeps my soul free.

What’s your worst character trait?: Impatience and little tolerance for anyone lacking efficiency, basic courtesy or spatial awareness. Bratty when mildly inconvenienced by anything I deem as preventable or irrational with a habit to lapse into full-blown existential crises over our failures as a species and it is never that serious, so yes, I am dramatic. Self-isolating. The things I have done and will do to avoid asking for anyone's help makes me look like a damn idiot. I never stay in one place for very long.

If you could travel in time, who would you like to meet: Dostoevysky, Rasputin, Napoleon, Socrates, Jesus. Imagine us all at a party, egads I say.

Tagging: ANYONE, please feel free! I've not been on tumblr enough to see who has done this yet!

[disdaidal]

Giving you a character: Billy, of course. :p

Of course, Billy Hargrove was to be expected :D

How I feel about this character: I have strong and complicated feelings about this character. He's a bad boy, the kind of guy I would have absolutely hated in high school but also the kinda guy who would not be boring at least. :D He's loud and obnoxious and parties like an animal, but his taste in music is impeccable (I love rock and metal and music from the 80's and I will not take criticism for that). He's got pretty eyes (that curly mullet is... well, let's say, H&M did it better <3), a nice body and a great fashion sense (denim-on-denim and leather jackets ftw) and he drives a Chevrolet Camaro from '79 like a madman. He can also be pretty funny when he wants to be, ridiculous even. So, what's not to like really? :P

All the people I ship romantically with this character: I mostly ship him with Steve, Eddie and Argyle (the last two are totally crack and fanon but who gives). I think Billy and Heather could've been hot, more than friends, maybe even friends-with-benefits if not an actual couple. Just sayin'. I've seen some great headcanons, maybe even fanart of Billy and Chrissy and I think, you know, the princess and metalhead setting could've worked with them, too.

As for my most 'problematic' Billy ship, I actually really like Billy and Hopper. There's this whole daddy kink thing involved I suppose. Lowkey my favorite crackship Ted and Billy as well. :P I'm also very supportive of Billy and El in general, I think the actors had great chemistry in s3 and I can see why some ship them, so I suppose I lowkey ship them (in spirit), too.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: Though I ship Billy and Heather romantically, I also love seeing them as 'gay besties', supporting each other and protecting each other. It's one of my favorite headcanons in this fandom. Same goes for Chrissy I suppose, if not romantically involved.

Though Billy had his issues with Max, maybe even than beyond just normal 'sibling-ship', I still enjoyed their relationship a lot. It's clear that they spent a lot of time together (whether they actually hated it or not), and that they deeply cared for each other.

My unpopular opinion about this character: The majority of the fandom seems to think (or at least acts like) Billy is the worst character in the show and at least used to actively bully and harass Billy fans and shippers (his actor got his fair share of that also I hear). Though Billy was definitely not the nicest character or even particularly 'goody-good' (he was a bully and quite shitty at times actually), acting like he's worse than Dr. Brenner, for example, is bullshit. We clearly did not watch the same show.

Also, for other Billy fans... He might be your baby, but he's not an actual baby. He's not really your son or child and you don't need to 'protect' him from the haters who can't separate fiction from reality (just block them) or tw/anti Karen or any other character you don't like in favor of Billy (you're no better). Billy can also be shipped with characters other than Steve (male or female, older and younger, even self-inserts) and just because you don't like it, doesn't make the ship automatically 'problematic'. It just means there are people out there who like different things than you and you need to learn to suck it up and look away. It's for the best.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon. That Billy wouldn't have faced such gruesome death. He wasn't a good guy, but he didn't deserve to die, especially so young. I also wish we could've seen what really happened between him and Max between seasons 2 & 3 because clearly their relationship improved there. Such wasted potential.

[charlottenewtons]

alicent - for the ask game~!

How I feel about this character

Really like her, although sometimes in spite of her fanbase. To me she is one of the 3 most important characters in the show (Rhaenyra & Daemon being the others). I think her story of someone who played by the rules of the system and then found there was no reward for doing this is deeply sad, and it's interesting to see her try to assert power in other ways - when she basically rules on behalf of Viserys and then when she tries to be Aegon's regent. I don't think the show always gets it right with the writing for her - I found it ridiculous that she had no knowledge of the plot to crown Aegon (what exactly did her and Larys talk about??)

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Mainly Rhaenyra, kind of Otto. I have also read fic with her and Daemon which worked for me. I like the idea of her and Larys in theory but something about them in the show never quite clicked for me.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Hard to say because I feel like so many of the relationships on the show blur the line with the romantic. Like I could say her children but I think there are incestuous undertones in her relationships with them.

My unpopular opinion about this character

Loool where to start? She's not the only woman in Westeros to experience oppression. I don't think the show is biased against her. Her problems don't come from being a closeted lesbian but rather the years of being maritally raped. I thought her thing with Criston made sense and wasn't the worst most offensive thing to ever grace the screen. I don't care about the version of her from Fire & Blood because I don't care about Fire & Blood in general.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

I quite like the idea of Rhaenyra keeping her captive when she takes Kings Landing.

[winepresswrath]

I do gotta say tho, even tho I’m mad at aziraphale because he’s being a terrible boyfriend like what you said about the “I forgive you like” because WHAT. But also I really like the way the show really demonstrates the underlying cruelty of heaven and it’s angels. Really shows the hypocrisy of a group of beings who are supposed to do good, especially aziraphale who really buys into the heaven propaganda, who hurts people, particularly the person who means the most to him. Because like you said he fully just takes advantage of that devotion Crowley has for him. Insane, this shwo makes me INSANE

I missed this anon and yeah! The angels were one of my favourite parts of the season, and I think the strongest element aside from Neil Gaiman deciding he's just a simple man who wants to put his otp in situations. They are deeply awful and I kind of love them. They are the exact kind of moralizing hypocrites who are callous and cruel precisely because they think being on team good means everything they do is justified and it's actually impossible for them to be in the wrong (they're angels! is it even possible for them to do the wrong thing?).

but!! To me, they also seem like they're basically kids? Obviously they're not literally children, but there is this very consistent reoccurring joke about how childish/sheltered/immature they are. Muriel is the most obvious example, but the archangels come off like bratty twelve year olds to her sweet little kid.

Gabriel is basically teenager in love flipping off his family as he runs away with his backstreet guy. Uriel is constantly picking at Michael, Michael is playing at being in charge like it's a game, and it's ridiculously easy for both Aziraphale and Crowely to trick them obvious half assed lies. They're not allowed to ask questions! The Metatron treats them like badly behaved kids out past their curfew. At any point an old man with a beard may pop up to scold them and send them home, and they're all scared of doing something wrong by his standards and getting in trouble with this guy who is pointedly not God but who lines up exactly with the pop-culture idea of god the father, and who offers Aziraphale, among other things, a respite from the hard work of figuring out what the right thing to do is for himself. It's fine! You don't have to question the belief system you were born into or make a painful break with everything you've ever known! Aziraphale has had six thousand years on earth to grow up, but the other angels have been sitting in a sterile white box playing "i'm not touching you" games with each other and filing paperwork.

And I think that's extra interesting because this season also really emphasizes:

Heaven has Institutional Problems

Aziraphale isn't the only angel who's unhappy in heaven. Gabriel and Muriel were both completely miserable. They just didn't understand that they were unhappy because they'd never experienced anything else.

Angels who aren't Aziraphale can change and grow! There's very explicitly Gabriel being changed by love and Muriel growing up a bit on earth, and from a more fan-theory angle there's also Jimbriel, who I think is probably basically Gabriel minus the war and six thousand years of playing referee for Michael and Uriel while unleashing an assortment of plague and calamities on earth because that's God's will! Buck up champ.

We also get Gabriel and Beezelebub talking about how their underlings basically live for Armageddon, "if you can call that living." This is so bleak. They've all been on a six thousand year time out just dreaming of the day they get to beat the shit out of each other until they feel better, but it won't work because eternity is just more of the box.

Anyway I think it's going in a distinctly eden adjacent direction. Aziraphale is going to tempt those angels with knowledge and the capacity for change. I have veered so far from your ask anon i'm sorry you're right heaven really went all out on sucking this season & while Crowley and Aziraphale are both fucking it up Crowley refrains from being spectacularly cruel to Aziraphale about it and Aziraphale should learn to return the favour. I forgive you!! I forGIVE you. I forgive YOU. "you can be an angel again" is actually a worse thing to say than "you're a demon. i don't even like you." when he finally picks crowley over heaven i'm going to lose my mind.

[murfpersonalblog]

IWTV 2022 - My Top 10 Reactors (2024)

Disclosure: I'm a diehard Louis-stan & Claudia's self-appointed pro bono lawyer. I'm also Loustat OTP shipper, who loves giving Lestat a hard time, cuz he deserves it.

FrankFreezy (S1 & S2 complete)

Olurinatti Pop! (S1 & S2 complete)

What R U Doing Bree (S1 & S2 complete)

AvatarAdrian (S1 & S2 complete)

ShalayahHomebody TV (up to 2x6 as of Dec 2024)

PettyPumpkins (S1 & S2 complete)

Syntell (S1 & S2 complete)

Bird Calls (S1 & S2 complete)

FoxTaco (S1 & S2 complete)

Nikki and Amber TV (S1 & S2 complete)

#1: FrankFreezy (S1 & S2 complete)

My vibe check always looks at how reactors respond to Lestat (S1) & Armand (S2), vs Louis & Claudia. I deeply appreciate how Frank's videos are even longer than the eps themselves, cuz he actually takes time to THINK. He won my heart when he said he identifies with Louis the most (he even painted a beautifully sensitive portrait of LDPDL), cuz he'd seen abusive relationships IRL, and was able to recognize certain power imbalances & toxic behavior cuz of his personal experiences. He can equally defend Louis & Claudia, AND rightly call them out when they act out of pocket (esp. Louis); not from a place of hatred or racism or ageism or bad faith gotchas, but cuz he KNOWS. He likes Louis' moments of self reflection, cuz he himself has been hated by people he's mistreated in the past, too. Frank's introspective response to S2 (esp. 2x8) was the purest, rawest response I've ever seen from a reactor. You HAVE to rewatch this show, and PAY ATTENTION to the deeper meanings & messages & lessons. NO, Lou & Claud are not angels, they do problematic effed up things. But the show's not about crucifying them (a la the Trial); it's about exploring how trauma & abuse affects people, and affects relationship/family dynamics in complex & messy ways. Frank just has such emotionally mature takes, it's really refreshing, when so many reactors are surface-deep.

#2: Olurinatti Pop! (S1 & S2 complete)

My QUEEN. A criminal defense lawyer IRL, Olay takes not a drop of BS from Louis, his garbage family, Armand, and ESPECIALLY not from Lestat. Despite being the embodiment of Claudia's rage, Olay's HILARIOUS as she chews these ridiculous characters new arseholes, visibly trying to not strangle them through the frikkin screen. XD I fell in love with Olay when she swiftly pointed out the gendered/racial/power imbalances between Louis & everyone he interacts with as a closeted Black gay man during Jim Crow; and how Lestat's toxic AF color blindness inevitably led to gaslighting, manipulation, and abuse. I love Loustat, but I also appreciate having someone who can yank my rose-tinted glasses off & point out their flaws; urging us to be more critical of the BS being slung in our faces. Lestat Apologists vacate the premises immediately, cuz Olay is NOT playing with y'all.

#3: What R U Doing Bree (S1 & S2 complete)

Another Black female criminal justice/defense lawyer IRL (I have a type), Bree's a longtime Tumblrina with a very analytical way of processing the characters and episodes, that is equal parts smart and equal parts unhinged fangirl. She's a Daniel Molloy stan (complete with a lifesized cardboard cutout of Eric Bogosian, omfg, LOL), and lives for him calling out all the inconsistencies in Loumand's accounts. She also gives flowers to the other characters, meticulously allotting Brownie Points every time they do/say something she likes--which makes it fun to watch her and start knowing ahead of time what she'll give BPs to. Daniel & Claudia get the most flowers, and she enjoys Louis, which is crucial for me as a Loustan. Lestat had to grow on her after a few rewatches, and she now fondly calls him her "dumb son," LOL.

#4: AvatarAdrian (S1 & S2 complete)

I LOVE having a Black gay man's reactions to this show, omg. Adrian's recaps are so dang FUNNY--he lives for ALL the mess. Most importantly, he stays ready to clock Lestat and his busted "George Washington" colonizer behavior, and I'm here for it! Adrian's Team Loumand, so I can't, but I get it, cuz Lestat.

#5: ShalayahHomebody TV (up to 2x6 as of 11/20/24)

My original favorite IWTV reactor, Shalayah just calls ish out like she sees it. I love myself a good ranter who can just go AWF on fools (esp. Lestat), no holds barred. IRL/technical stuff slowed Shalayah down a lot, and she hasn't finished S2 yet, so I ended up lowering her on my list, but Shalaya's so freaking awesome awesome--funny & here for all the tea and mess. She even made watching Mayfair Witches fun, as she dragged everyone for filth.

#6: PettyPumpkins (S1 & S2 complete)

I've learned to avoid white reactors in this fandom, cuz too many of them are either complaining book purists or just blatant racists. But Petty Pumpkins are absolute darlings. They are funny and love mess & drama, but are also so sensitive & sweet; when they cry I cry. They absolutely love Claudia, and immediately clocked Armand as the snake he is--Armand Apologists beware, cuz they WILL call y'all out during their reactions.

#7: Syntell (S1 & S2 complete)

Two HBCU educated articulate Black reactors who know about the history of the Black experience in America, they immediately & authentically & candidly talk to the racial things Louis experiences in a way VERY FEW reactors ever do in this out-of-touch fandom--THAT PART! Their videos are longer cuz they talk more, with a dedicated commentary/discussion section after each ep. I like Syntell (the man--an Armand stan) way more than M.Claire (the lady--a Lestan, who hated the S3 promo). Syntell pays attention WAY more, and catches on to themes & messages & layers quicker, and his takes are so good. But they bounce well off of each other. Neither of them cared for S1 Claudia much, but M.Claire really didn't like her.

#8: Bird Calls (S1 & S2 complete)

These ladies are fun to watch--a bit lighter on the commentary, but heavy on the micro/macro-expressions. They were NOT here for Loustat, but the difference with their take on 1x5/1x6 that put them above FoxTaco for me is that they're here for CLAUDIA and her liberation, rather than being sour cuz it wasn't fun watching abused!Louis rather than BAMF!Lestat. I esp. like Resha (afro); she has that quick snazzy personality that I just really vibe with, as she catches things hella fast & has zero time for BS--she instantly clocked Armand as a p.o.s. in 1x7 and I was ROLLING. She talks more than Akaya (beanie), and mostly everything she says is exactly what I was thinking.

#9: FoxTaco (S1 & S2 complete)

TBH Taco makes me mad sometimes, cuz S1 was Louis' story, and in 1x6 he was way too callous & insensitive when he outright said he didn't care about seeing Louis' depression, like...? Wrong show, my guy. 😅 But when he's tuned in, he's on point a lot of the time, which makes his rich commentary valuable & insightful, even when I don't agree with his takes. I know I'll enjoy him more in S3, when his attitude as a Lestan fits better with a show focusing on Lestat's experiences & personality rather than Louis'.

#10: Nikki and Amber TV (S1 & S2 complete)

Entertaining and engaging, but it frustrates me sometimes when they miss things, but not bother to rewind and go back to better understand what they're watching. I get wanting to do blind 1st time watches/reactions, the show must go on, but I wish they spent more time afterwards/during on reviewing with commentary; cuz when they do talk more they have such good points to make, and I love hearing their perspectives as two parents.

[veilder]

Convin 👀

Oh God! Them! Ahhhhh!!!!!!!!! (For the Ship Bingo Ask Game here!)

My first triple bingo, hoo boy!

Listen. Listen, I have... so many feelings about them. XD SO MANY! And they can be sooooooo many things!!! They work in like every scenario?! Rivals to lovers? Sure! Childhood friends AU? Oh yes. One night stands catching feelings? You betcha! Actual enemies?! Yes yes yes. Listen, they're antagonistic and argumentative, they're sweet and considerate, their both obnoxious assholes trying to get under each other's skin, etc. They just work on so many levels and they can just be so many things! And somehow... they all work with their characters? (Well, I mean, Gavin's is a bit of a stretch, lol, but with some healthy "making up bullshit backstory" magic, anything is possible. XD)

For me personally, I enjoy a little contention in their relationship? Things aren't exactly going smooth between them and they have their character flaws. Gavin is a prickly bastard with a chip on his shoulder and too any insecurities he loves to project. Connor is sarcastic and guilt-ridden and entrenched in a facade of complete mastery of himself. They've both done things in their pasts they regret deeply (even done things to each other they regret) and they'd have to work hard at anything friendly between them, but... The fact that they won't have to go it alone is key. I love them having a rough start and having flaws and regrets... but I love them seeing past those and working to improve themselves and coming to an understanding between them. I love that they're both kind of messed up because it gives them so much room to grow. And I love the ridiculous, unstoppable force they could become together, driving each other to even greater heights than they would've ever considered on their own. Ahhhhh, they are fraught and confrontation and sarcastic and so so so alike where it really counts, despite all their superficial differences. Ahhh, I love them. I love them so much! They are, I think, the only ship I'd ever consider as my actual OTP because... I just can't image them with anyone else tbh.

No matter what sort of wide range of characterizations they're given, I still love them. I've read so many different takes on them and it's always amazing seeing just how far they stretch when you put them together! I've fallen off a bit with the DBH fandom as of late but... They will always be so dear to me. I still love them with all my heart.

[reposenotes]

Nearest & Dearest

(This is really just a journal entry, for real. Stuff I needed to get off my chest.)

I’ve been dipping in and out of the document for chapter eighteen since the summer, overthinking endlessly, fine-tuning, rethinking, and then overthinking a little more (and of course I’m still insecure about it)

Full disclosure: I got some comments back around January that wrecked my creative productivity. They weren’t even mean or bad — if anything, they made me feel insecure about how much weight they put on their expectations of me as a writer. They were quite articulate about it.

I don’t know how to describe it other than: it felt like they were Anton Ego sauntering into my back-alley kitchen dumpster fire mind after I’d inadvertently managed to gaslight them into thinking I was worthy of some Michelin Star inspection.

Brother I'm just a smut writer

I had an interesting back-and-forth with this person, who was clearly passionate about the story — only for me to wind up deleting all of it, retreating into myself, worried other people might see that exchange and also have higher expectations than I felt capable of fulfilling. I was already feeling depressed.

(I have no idea if that person even still reads the fic.)

It’s ridiculous, considering my ultimate goal is to become a published author— but being spoken to as though I was practically already there sent me running for the hills. Thankfully, I’ve had the better part of a year to unpack why that exchange affected me so deeply, and I’m feeling much, much better.

(Overcoming the overthinking has been INTENSE. But some incredible readers have given me a wild blast of motivation over the last couple of weeks, and I’m going to ride this as long as I can)

Something else I’ll just throw out there… Some people in the T/R-shipping realm started treating me differently over my T/M stuff this year, which has been a whole other thing, to say the least. Even lost a ““friend”” (and likely a few readers) over it. All while I was actively writing fic of, creating art of, and pitching fan campaign ideas about our mutual OTP.

Apparently, all you have to do is make one little suggestion that Ten might have fallen for Martha if Rose hypothetically never existed (within a well-thought-out and highly fucking nuanced meta that couldn’t have been more shippy over Tentoo and Rose) and you learn just how brutal fandom can be. I wound up creating a separate Tumblr and Ao3 just to try and avoid that sort of thing as much as I can in the future.

 That hurt me tremendously, but yeah — that’s the other thing that blew a massive hole in my motivation. I even still have friends who are different towards me now/can't even read anything I write anymore. I wouldn't say I'm over that, but it no longer affects my motivation, which is the most important thing.

My primary goal for 2025 is to learn to go easier on myself and to stop overthinking everything so I can begin finishing my fics again. How am I ever going to write and publish a book if I can't finish my fics or handle a bit of fandom-based nonsense?

I'm also ready to finish writing this fucking story, because I've been big hyped over the ending all year.

I cannot believe the fic has 300+ kudos. With THOSE ships? TOGETHER? Brooooooooo I am honored

No idea if anyone read this, but if you did, I hope you've had a great holiday season. And I prrrrray you love where the story goes!

[best-supermassive-character]

Hannah Washington x Emily Davis

1. They'd go from reluctant acquaintances to girlfriends so quick you'd blink and miss it. They'd only really talk because their friends were friends and they'd really have nothing in common... or do they? Turns out they do! Emily would bring out a more assertive side (and even a deeply buried mean side) of Hannah, and Hannah would help Emily appreciate the little things in life more. A butterfly Emily once overlooked would be the most beautiful thing she'd see all day, and Hannah would readily defend herself against ridicule (especially from within the friendgroup! a prsnk like the one in-game would've never happened and if it did, it would've yielded way different results). In canon, Hannah bites Emily's shoulder, which is pretty gay. Also it's like this big fucked up thing with the prank and all, with Emily pretending it's to assert dominance about who belongs to who when in actuality it'd be more to turn Hannah away from Mike because she was just about done with him anyways. It was just a prank, Han, right?

Jason Kolchek x Salim Othman (Jalim)

1. i love how Jason can improve his personality and defend Salim after they got arrested, my respect man

2. Enemies to lovers 🥰

3. They have amazing chemistry with each other, are the epitome of enemies-to-lovers and the best duo Supermassive has ever created, have funny and flirtatious interactions and some of the best scenes in the game. What's more to say? ;D

4. Enemies to friends to lovers is one of my favourite tropes, plus seeing Salim manage to wedge his way through the walls and biases Jason had/has melts my heart

5. Do I really need to say more?!

6. I love the fact that they helped each other grow, specifically in the case of Jason, who at the start of the game desperately needed some character development

‌Josh Washington x Chris Hartley (Climbing Class)

1. they're so iconic, so cute, so tragic. just the true otp

[silviakundera]

Lighter and Princess ep 3

Ah, this is where reality finally gives us a wave and departs completely. Young ML the super genius master-hacker freshman that builds an extra special genius virus in like 30 minutes while the FL watches, interfering with school property, and the entire IT department and then his professor marvel at his brilliance, not at all threatened or irritated or threatening disciplinary action. And we were doing so well.

Gotta say, I think FL isn't entirely wrong when labelling ML a poser. He's authentically not socialable and contrary, but he's trying it on a bit too hard like kids do PLUS he obviously isn't as disinterested in her as he's trying to front. She's a very pretty girl and he could simply ignore her. But he takes multiple actions to get her notice, after that 1st fateful cafetaria mistake.

Gao's fixation on ML seems suspicious and creepy but tbh that might be just my bias since I know in the future/present he's sketchy.

Episode 4

yeaaaaah he's so into her. Oh you're way too cool and counter culture to be interested in pretty girls. Everyone believes you.

I love how fried his hair looks. That's really the look of a university kid who just bleached his hair in the bathroom. And the long sleeves striped shirt under the black tshirt 👌. Kudos to the stylist.

Zhu Yun the FL and these over achiever students starting to get on my nerves now. I'm not even distracted by FL's luminous beauty because I'm buying into her student persona too well and it's not my type.

ML flipping the script and pretending (?) to hit on her at the school assembly whatever was pretty ballsy of him. Sometimes he tries so hard to be 'different' that he's actually not much more original than these other kids (just mimicking a different role) and it's endearing but a lil dorky to my 40-something self. But other times he's actually got the spirit and I'm feeling his sullen & mischevious magnetism. The type of kid I would have hung out with at that age.

lolololol pretending so hard not to care but if she had gone for it you know he would have dated her.

The invest in the band girl scene from the flashbacks! Kinda exciting to fit a piece together. Don't really know what their connection is, maybe I missed it. but nice to see him relaxed and smiling without putting on an act for once. idk maybe there really isn't a backstory. I tended to know a lot of the other counterculture people in my district, at least enough to say hi to. why not?

Episode 5

I'm so done with the past RETURN ME TO HOT GRADUATE FL 😭😭😭😭😭

I did like the lil scene with Future Villain Gao and FL where she really rejects Gao's reasoning of quitting to save face and not get humiliated. Being like, nah that's fine if we're the only 2 people and no one else wants to join us. See, that's actually dgaf i do what i want energy and you can see why she is ML's type. Oddly reminiscent of the Thousand Autumns otp - demonic sect leader realizes that the uber good, incorruptible cultivator is actually just as unbending and iconoclastic as he is... It's just that they are standing for different things.

dear asian drama writers, we truly madly deeply do NOT require female extras to dramatically fawn over a male character to indicate they are desirable. Just write them that way!! This shit is too ridiculous and knocks me out of the story.

tbh Gao may be Potentially Evil but ML Li Xun is insufferable when he starts pontificating about what a special programmer snowflake he is.

lmao I wonder if any instinctive part of him feels uneasy that he's the one in the crowd. She's comparatively going against the grain.

but kids, you obviously like each other. making all these excuses to hang out all night together smh. Just give it up and kiss.

THE PIG KEY MOMENTO from the future. another piece slots in!

I see, so mom makes every decision for FL. That's why she's so stubbornly rebellious against ML's percieved takeover of their class. She's instinctively rebelling against his leadership. She's reacting against him acting as the authority on comp sci and dicating the 'right' way to learn and be a programmer -- become she can't rebel against her mother.