#re-written script

[girl4music]

Xabrielle VS Spuffy: Correlations between Xena’s ‘Fins, Femmes & Gems’ and Buffy’s ‘Something Blue’

You know they re-wrote the script 48 hours out before going into production for ‘Fins, Femmes & Gems’ from Gabrielle being obsessed with sexual positions to Gabrielle being obsessed with herself - but the funniest thing about that is they still had Xena obsessed with fishing but Xena never needs Gabrielle around her as much as she does when she’s not obsessed with that.

“She’s come for me. I knew she would. She can’t live without me for a minute. Not that I could blame her.”

Obviously it’s a metaphor but I still think it’s hilarious.

The way it comes across is that Xena is obsessed with Gabrielle as well as Gabrielle… But it’s just hidden behind the metaphor of “fishing” together. And they always pull that one out in this show: they’re “fishing”.

And so my question is - if Gabrielle’s apparent obsession in the original script was sexual positions rather than just an obsession with Xena… Why is it Xena that’s the main factor there? Obviously it’s because the “non-spell” parts of them still came through just as it does in the re-written script for the actual episode.

I just found it funny how Renee immediately jumped to “being in love with Xena” when the obsession in the original script was just about sexual positions.

Why is Xena even relevant to that?

And in the re-written script, if the obsession is fishing.

Why is Gabrielle relevant to that?

The answer is because they’re already in love with each other and they’re the main factor because that’s who the obsession informs regardless of the spell cast.

In this episode, it’s not a direct spell meant to make the one under it fall in love with anyone. It’s just making them have an obsession about something or someone.

But with Xena and Gabrielle in both the original and re-written script,.. the main factor is each other regardless what they’re apparently “obsessed” with because they’re not actually under a spell with each other.

They’re for real and so the “obsessions” they have are only so desirable because of that reason. Each other.

The same way in BtVS’s ‘Something Blue’ the spell Willow cast was “why don’t they just get married?” and not “why don’t they just fall in love with each other?”

It’s just a natural consequence because they’re for real.

It’s really about removing the restrictions/resistances to the characters’ sexual and emotional inhibitions. Meaning if you give them a reason to gravitate towards each other that does not directly mean “I chose this”, they’ll go for it because then they won’t feel any guilt.

Why would they? It’s just the “spell”.

So with ‘Fins, Femmes & Gems’ both in the original and re-written scripts, the “spell” isn’t the driving force of what’s pulling Xena and Gabrielle towards each other. It’s the excuse. The driving force is their real love for each other and romantic attraction and unresolved tension because that’s what’s really bothering them.

So depending on how they approached it - it wouldn’t necessarily be an insult to queer people if they were allowed to produce the episode with the original script so long as they made it clear the “spell” wasn’t the main factor just as they did with the re-written script.

There are several times in the episode where their respective “obsessions” were completely forgotten about in the midst of the crisis of losing each other.

Obviously it’s because each other mattered more to them than some daft obsession spell they were under - of which only appears to be desirable to them because they have each other to be “obsessed” with them for.

It’s a metaphor… The “obsession” is really each other and I think that would have been the case no matter which script they decided to go with for the episode.

If Gabrielle was obsessed with sexual positions instead of herself. If Xena was still obsessed with fishing. So long as they still approached it the way they did in the re-written script - I think it would have been totally fine because even in the re-written script, it was pretty clear that these “obsessions” weren’t why they were so,.. so

MARRIED. That’s the only word I can use that justifies what’s going on in that episode. Their need for each other to be around because they’re already married.

Therefore, I think the comparison to BtVS’s ‘Something Blue’ is dead on. Because Spuffy don’t act that way because the spell forced them to get married. They act that way because they already behave as if they are.

It’s just more so because “it’s not us”/“we’re forced”.

‘Fins’ is exactly the same. Behind the metaphor or the excuse - it’s just 2 suppressed idiots in love that can let go of ALL sexual and emotional inhibitions and just be happy because in those moments they’re just “Xena” and “Gabrielle” and the plot/seasonal arc can TAKE A SEAT to allow for some crucial character stuff that needs to take some precedence after what happens.

Those kind of “love spell” episodes are worth watching because you are seeing what’s for real there with them.

It’s just so exaggerated because it’s a release for them.

The spell doesn’t actually matter. But without the spell as the excuse - they’d never go there with each other.

They’d never be brave enough to because of all the other shit going on around them or they’re enemies.

But it’s like when real romantic feelings are there - none of that is even a focus. None of that is even relevant.

Only each other. That’s how I see ‘Fins’ and ‘Something Blue’ because the spell cast is really only the metaphor.

What’s the real deal is why the metaphor is necessary.

The desire for each other and unresolved tension there.

If you can show that that’s the driving force and the main factor - then any “spell” episode - be it love, obsession or anything else - is successful storytelling and - if approached well - successful representation.

There’s major correlations between these two episodes because the “spell” is not why the characters behave as they do. But it is the reason why they would allow it in the first place and why they go way over the top with it.

As far as the characters are concerned - it’s a release of everything that’s pent up inside of and between them.

When you use a “spell” episode like that - and that ends up being what is interpreted out of it - it is successful. I mean technically Spuffy is just a “b-plot” of ‘Something Blue’ whereas Xabrielle is an “a-plot of ‘Fins’ - but nevertheless - what stands out is their odd behaviour.

It’s what people remember of the episodes themselves. But what’s not communicated is that behaviour is real because “we’re under a spell”/“we can’t be blamed”.

Yes, well that only stands when the spell is directly a love spell on each other. If it’s not - then it’s just void and the behaviour is a natural consequence of what is not being acknowledged and addressed in both the relationship and in the individual. So it’s a release for it.

In ‘Fins’ Xena figures out that the obsessions they had had nothing to do with the spell put on them but rather what it was that was bothering them deep down that they needed to get in touch with. It was about insight. Now if they were allowed to use the original script, then that insight could well have been that they were in love and were not letting themselves express it frequently. In that sense, it could have actually been a proper coming out episode that was very sincere in its intentional goal despite the “spell” factor because… I mean… I might be totally wrong about this but I don’t think anyone who watches ‘Something Blue’ - especially not on rewatches - believes that Willow’s spell was forcing Spuffy to kiss, so I don’t think that the spell in ‘Fins’ would have forced Xabrielle to “experiment with sexual positions” either - especially not if the obsession was really about insight because then the insight is that enough was enough. Either they come out to themselves and each other in how they really feel for each other and what to do about expressing those feelings physically or leave each other. And we all know there is absolutely no way the creators - not these creators - would have ever done the latter because despite not knowing the best way to go about handling it, they were all always on the side of the fans and shippers which is the only real striking difference between Xena’s ‘Fins’ and Buffy’s ‘Something Blue’.

Practically everybody in the writer’s room was on-board with Xena and Gabrielle. Not everyone was with Spuffy. But the jokes on them really because it was ‘Something Blue’ that even made Spuffy a twinkle in anyone’s eye because we had never seen either character so happy.

You know sometimes things don’t work out the way you want them. Other times they’re just a happy accident. A closer look at both Xena’s ‘Fins, Femmes & Gems’ and Buffy’s ‘Something Blue’ provides that of something which is missing in the TV art/entertainment of today.

FUN. CAMP. RELEASE. The other side of the spectrum where the plot/seasonal arc is not so important then. But the character representation and development is.

[helaenathequeenmaker]

Inviting people to read and buy Fire and Blood after butchering the source material, not understanding the true focus and themes on which the Dance is based, and giving the characters ridiculous story arcs where they contradict themselves after two episodes is the biggest joke these two buffoons can claim. The real custodian of this world is George Martin, not you two megalomaniacs. Take a bath in humility you are becoming worse than D&D

[shikai-the-storyteller]

Me: Man, I wish I could write detailed and thoughtful character analysis essays like I used to :(

My brain: *Lighting up with inspiration when seeing a specific exchange between Shadow and Sonic in Prime*

Me:

[tovaicas]

anyways my friends activated my conlang brain and I've made smth insane as usual

red is influences, blue is Elezen-family languages, green is like a mix bc I see the Alliance cities as having a trade language (that critically is limited to them).

I see Duskwight as a separate language from Black Shroud Elezen (but sharing a lot - easy enough to learn for those speakers). Coerthan and all its derivatives are a whole different language under the Elezen umbrella and isn't mutually intelligible with BSE. Because they split so early, they probably don't share much more than root words and etymologies; within the same family so not difficult to learn for other speakers of Elezen languages, but very distinctly different.

(also I'm not listing them but the branches extend to include other diaspora Elezen languages)

[pynkhues]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GdbfD4aXAAAFk1n?format=jpg&name=medium

from the writers room...that sounds very promising.....

!! Nice!

[waterfall-ambience]

reworking chapters 20 - 23 of perpetua rn. i'm still keeping the old versions around in a separate doc but the character development in those ones felt a little off. damien shrank back too quickly, the aquarium thing would be better material for arc 4, and luna's talk with avery was getting too long and complicated.

[atlaculture]

ATLA Writing System Pt. 1: The Opening

Wanted to do a series of posts showcasing my appreciation for the writing in Avatar: The Last Airbender franchise. To the say the series went the extra mile in its use of Chinese characters (Hanzi) is an understatement. Allow me to explain:

The everyday writing system of the ATLAverse is Traditional Chinese. This writing system is used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan in the current day; It was also used in Mainland China prior to 1956--- nowadays, they use Simplified Chinese characters.

However, the series will switch writing styles when it wants to highlight the "ancientness" of something. For example, in the show's opening, each element is written in either Bronze Script (over 3000 years old) or Seal Script (over 2000 years old).

Water, fire, and air are written in Seal Script. Earth is written in Bronze Script. As a point of reference, here's how these concepts look when written in Traditional Chinese:

水 (Water)

土 (Earth)

火 (Fire)

氣 (Air)

Also, the symbol on the left and right sides of the world map is a stylized way of writing "longevity". I go more in-depth about the character here:

...longevity is an appropriate symbol for the Avatar world. Not only are the world and the entity of the Avatar quite ancient, but our protagonist is literally 112-years-old.

And the texts at the top and bottom of the map? They translate as...

The powers are divided into four The world [all under heaven] is restored by one The bottom text is a slightly re-worded quote from The Analects of Confucius: Avatar Map Quote: 天下一匡 (The world [all under heaven] is restored by one.) The Analects of Confucius: 一匡天下 (Through one, the world [all under heaven] is restored.) Same characters, but different word order.

In Part 2, I'll highlight some interesting uses of different Chinese scripts within the actual show. ^_^

[i-just-like-crk]

Just finished playing the new EP and good lord. Do you know how terrifying Shadow Milk would be as a yandere? I mean, he’s already one by default.

He’s a master manipulator, a shape-shifter, can spy on anyone from anywhere from any place, the (ex) master of all knowledge, literally has the ability to re-write your memories, oh— and his house is a lawless time and space maze. We haven’t seen him in an actual battle yet either, but we can assume that the (ex) Master of All Knowledge must know magic that wields a devastating amount of power.

Seriously. How do you run from this guy??? You just.. can’t. He’s constantly ten steps ahead of you, in his spire where the past, present, and future intertwine. He knows your next move before you do, and has already laid out clever traps and obstacles by the time you come to your decision. Each hurdle you stumble upon challenges your resolve, challenges your knowledge. You begin to doubt yourself with each one; questioning everything you’ve ever known and everything that you are. Horrific hallucinations chip away at you bit by bit, until you’re delirious and vulnerable, uncertain about everything— but one thing does remain certain. Each path you take leads you back to him. And when you finally circle back to him (just as it was written in the script), walls broken down, leaving your fragile mind and soul bare and at his mercy— he strikes.

The worst part of all is how much joy he takes in seeing you try. It’s not that he likes it when you run off (in fact, he’d prefer if you didn’t leave his side at all), but the crushing defeat in your eyes when you realize how futile it all was, when you finally realize the truth— that you were destined to be his, from the moment of the world’s inception, it was written that you belonged to him. And there is no running from destiny.

[fictionnotfound]

off script | damien haas

summary: an off script moment causes you and damien to re-evaluate some things surrounding your relationship

pairing: damien haas x fem!reader

word count: 1.6k

disclaimer: I mean no disrespect to the cast and real people associated with smosh. This is written as a total work of fiction and based on how they behave as characters

a/n: I've never written for smosh before (and this is also the first post on this blog)...but hopefully you like this 💕

You hadn’t meant for the line to hit like that. And neither had he.

The sketch was always supposed to be lighthearted. A goofy "pretend couple gets stuck in an elevator and has to confess their fake love to get out" kind of deal. Classic Smosh chaos. You and Damien had been paired together—naturally. The chemistry was undeniable, anyone on the cast and crew could see it, and you’d been dancing around it for months.

But during the final take of the scene, something shifted.

The energy in the studio changed. The crew grew quiet. And Damien—he looked at you like he wasn’t acting anymore. You finished your last line with unease, before Damien spoke again.

“You make me feel like I’m not pretending when I’m with you.”

That's new, you thought to yourself. Those words hadn’t been in any of the previous takes —you would know. Because you wrote the script.

Beyond you there was a loud call of "CUT" and you and Damien broke away from each other.

The lights had barely cooled before the crew started packing up. Cameras off. Ladders clanked. Everyone laughed it off like any other sketch—but your brain couldn’t stop replaying that line.

He had to know what he was doing. Had to feel the same pull you did when he leaned just a little too close during rehearsals. When he remembered your coffee order without asking. When his hand lingered on your back a beat too long during blocking.

But he hadn’t said anything since the take. No jokes. No debrief. Not even a casual “good job today.”

So you wandered to the props room, telling yourself you needed to return the fake roses—but really, you just needed space to breathe.

The air inside was stale with fabric softener and old Halloween wigs. You stood in the dim light, staring blankly at a plastic bouquet in your hands like it held the answers.

That’s when the door creaked open.

“Hey.”

You didn’t need to turn to know it was him.

“Thought you went home already,” you said, keeping your voice casual. You hated how breathless it came out.

“Yeah, well… couldn’t leave my dignity behind with the plastic sword and fake bouquet.”

A small laugh escaped you, despite the storm in your chest.

He stepped in, shutting the door behind him. Now you were alone, boxed in by old costumes, unspoken feelings, and the echo of a not-so-scripted line.

“You were really good today,” Damien said, quieter now.

“You too,” you replied, fingers still fiddling with the bouquet. “You always are.”

He hesitated. You could feel it. The way the air tensed between sentences, like he wanted to say something but couldn’t quite push it out.

You turned to face him slowly. Your heart thudded against your ribs.

“Was it just acting?” you asked, voice soft but steady. “What you said during the scene?”

He blinked. The question landed with force. You watched it hit him.

“Which part?” he asked.

“The part where you said…” You took a breath. “You make me feel like I’m not pretending when I’m with you.”

There was a pause. A long one. One that stretched thin like glass. “It wasn’t in the script,” he finally said.

You stared at him. “I know,” you replied

He scratched the back of his neck, eyes darting to the floor, the ceiling, anywhere but yours.

“I shouldn’t have said it,” he muttered. “Not like that. Not when everyone was there.”

“Then why did you?” you cut in, stepping closer.

His eyes finally met yours. Warm, wide, unsure.

“Because it’s true,” he waits for a reaction, trying to garner whether he should continue. “And I didn’t think I’d get the chance to say it for real.”

Silence cast over the two of you, one beat, two, then three. Just your heartbeat hammering in your ears and Damien standing four feet away like he’d just set something fragile down between you.

“You’re an idiot,” you whispered.

He blinked rapidly, one of those cute blinks where his entire face seemed to scrunch in confusion. “What?” 

You sighed. “You didn’t need a script Damien, you could’ve just told me. Weeks ago. Months, even.”

He let out a breathy laugh. “Yeah, well. It’s easier to pretend when there’s a camera in front of me.”

“Then let’s stop pretending.” That hits him hard, it feels real. Raw.

He reached out and gently took the bouquet from your hand, setting it aside on a cluttered shelf of old wigs and rubber chickens. Now empty, his hand hovered mid-air like he didn’t know what to do with it now.

So you took it in yours.

Fingers laced, hesitantly at first—then tighter. Solid.

“I wasn’t acting either,” you said.

That’s all it took.

He kissed you like he’d been holding his breath for months—soft at first, then surging forward, hands cupping your face like you were something delicate he never thought he’d get to hold.

No lights. No audience. Just you and him. Off script. Exactly where you both wanted to be.

Moments pass like this, it feels like an eternity. You were so wrapped up in Damien’s hoodie and the warmth of his hands when the props room door creaked open again.

“Hey, have either of you—”  Shayne’s voice echoed through the room “OH. Oh my god.”

You and Damien sprang apart in an instant. You nearly tripped over a pile of pirate hats and Damien knocked over a stack of prop pizza boxes trying to straighten up.

Shayne stood frozen in the doorway, holding a mic pack in one hand and a deeply offended expression on his face.

“...Is this why the roses are missing?” he deadpanned.

“It’s not what it looks like!” Damien blurted, voice cracking just slightly. He wasn’t sure this was something you wanted people to know about just yet. It’s not like you’d had any time to define what this was. 

You raised an eyebrow at him.

“Really?” Shayne scoffed. “Because it kind of is exactly what it looks like.”

“Okay, fine,” Damien said, sheepish. “It’s mostly what it looks like.”

Shayne crossed his arms, leaning against the doorframe like a judgmental sibling. “I leave for five minutes and suddenly it’s Smosh: After Dark.”

You groaned and dropped your face into your hands. “Can we please not make this a thing? It just… happened.”

“Mmm-hmm. Sure.” The blonde man turned to leave, calling over his shoulder. “I’m definitely not texting the group chat about this.”

“Shayne, I swear—”

But it was too late. You heard the unmistakable ding-ding-ding of notifications going off as he walked down the hall, already typing like a menace.

Damien sighed and looked at you, wincing apologetically. “That could’ve gone worse.” He admitted.

You snorted, already laughing despite yourself. “Yeah? How?”

“Shayne could’ve taken a picture.”

Your phones buzzed simultaneously.  [📸: “caught in 4K”] [Message from Shayne: “At least pretend you’re not in love during work hours???”]

You looked at each other—slightly overwhelmed but laughed nonetheless.

Damien reached for your hand again, unbothered now. “Guess we’re not really off script anymore, huh?”

“Nope. But hey—maybe this version’s even better.”

And this time, you kissed him again on purpose—with the door locked.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Bonus:

The next morning you arrived on set to find hell waiting for you in the office kitchen.

Someone—and by someone, you meant Shayne—had printed out a screenshot of the blurry caught in 4K photo and taped it to the fridge.

Written in red Sharpie beneath it: “Smosh’s Cutest Couple (We’re All Disgusted)”

Courtney was already there with coffee and a grin the size of Jupiter. She leaned against the counter, an air of smugness radiating from her.

“So… How long have you and Damien been sneaking off into tiny rooms to make out?” she asked, handing you a mug labeled with Shayne’s face as the Chosen on it. You could almost hear his mocking voice in your mind.

You groaned. “Can I get, like, one day of peace?”

“Absolutely not,” Courtney beamed. “This is the most romantic thing to happen here since Angela tried to serenade a toaster for a sketch.”

You barely had time to respond before Ian walked in, took one look at the photo, and sighed like a disappointed—but secretly proud—dad.

“Okay,” he said slowly. “So... this is finally happening. You two finally confessed?”

“Wait, you knew?” you asked. Ian had always been aloof around the office. You never thought he paid enough attention to know anything about your feelings for Damien.

“I didn’t know, but I had a strong suspicion after the sketch last night when Damien improvised that line and then stared at you like you were the last cupcake at Crafty.”

You stared at him.

“...That is shockingly specific.”

“I have eyes. Also, Damien asked me if it would be ‘unprofessional’ to fall for your co-star. So.”

“IAN—”

“It was cute,” he shrugged. “Very theatre camp energy. I support it.”

Right on cue, Damien walked into the kitchen. He froze mid-step as all heads turned toward him like a sitcom audience waiting for his punchline.

“Oh my god,” he muttered. “Shayne, did you seriously—?”

“Hard launch, baby,” Shayne declared proudly from across the room, holding up a bagel like a trophy. “You’re public now. I’m your manager.”

“You’re fired.”

“Can’t fire me. I’ve already booked you two for a fake couple’s therapy sketch next month.”

Damien turned to you, totally red, totally flustered—and smiling anyway.

“You okay?” he murmured, just for you.

“Yeah,��� you said, bumping his arm with yours. “Kind of loving it, actually.”

Just then Angela popped her head in. “SOMEONE TELL ME WHO WON THE WILL-THEY-WON’T-THEY BET—”

Courtney grinned “ME. Obviously.”

 Ian rebutted, “Technically, I said they'd be official before the next Try Not to Laugh, so I get partial credit.”

“I said there would be confessions via interpretive dance. So I think I win emotionally.” Shayne decided.

You and Damien exchanged a look. He reached down, gently laced his fingers with yours, and squeezed.

“Might as well lean into it,” he whispered. “We’re officially the bit now.”

You grinned. “As long as we get our own theme song.”

[wifewithoutahusband]

Shifting isn’t about trying, it’s about letting go

🌊

A few mistakes I’ve seen a ton in the shifting community and in my personal experience are about stressing on doing it right, switching methods every night, spending WAY too much time scripting and reading your scripts like homework, even trying to solve your way into a new reality.

But your mind knows how to shift, it’s as natural as taking a breath. All you have to do is let it happen. Here are a few tips that I found have helped me a lot on my shifting journey. Sorry if this is poorly written or not fully elaborated, I decided I’d make a post at 2 am before I lose my philosophical train of thought :)

🐚 | stop chasing shifting period. It’s yours hun, all you have to do is accept it. Think of it as getting a gift from your bestfriend. Are you going to question why they got you the gift, suspect them, or simply enjoy the gift, because it’s yours? So live like you have it, because you do. Trust yourself. If you’re constantly obsessing about results, saying “tonight I’m going to try to shift” you’ve already told yourself you don’t know how to shift. In fact, just remove “attempt” from your vocabulary. All it does is reaffirm the fact that you’re not in your DR- which basically destroys the entire point of even shifting.

🌸 | don’t wait for perfect conditions. Life is distracting, but you shouldn’t let it disturb you from finding your peace and going where you want to be. This used to be my case, where I wouldn’t even try to shift because I wasn’t done with my script yet, or hadn’t found the right face claim. And honestly, that hindered my progress for a while, and led me to take a break from shifting, because what’s the point of shifting if you’re writing self insert fanfics and working on getting your story right instead of experiencing those stories in real life? You could be fighting villains alongside the Avengers, relaxing on a beach somewhere, or spending time with your S/O. Why should you let something so insignificant stop you from experiencing your dreams? Your mind and the universe knows what you want- so don’t worry about getting a tiny detail absolutely right. Don’t worry about having to re read through all your script every time you shift, your mind knows what you want already.

🌺 | stop comparing yourself to others. This is probably one of the hardest things shifters experience, especially on social media. I was introduced to shifting by shiftok around 2023 or so, and I was convinced that shifting took like a couple years or months to master because of all the posts I read about how it took so long, or how hard it was. And when I failed my shifting attempts, I’d read about people who mastered it their first try and compare my journey to them, focusing on shifting methods rather than just focusing on what worked for me. I even went so far as to envy the easiness of how they reached the void state, or lucid dreaming, and getting pissed that I couldn’t get it so easily. so stop counting attempts, stop comparing your experiences to others. I promise you, comparison is not going to get you to shift faster, it’s going to most likely do the opposite. Believe in yourself, you are the driver here, not the passenger in someone else’s bus. It’s your journey, no one else’s.

Thats all my thoughts for now, but these little things have changed my ideas on how I manifest and accept shifting- and it’s helped me manifest and experience success in my journey. I hope these little tips will help you in your journey, and don’t hesitate to DM me or send a question in my asks if you have a question or just want to yap to someone about shifting :)

Signing off,

Kami

🦢

[homunculus-argument]

Sleeping with a practicing vestal didn’t only get you killed. You were tortured/whipped to death for ruining the good fortune of The Roman Empire. The vestal was given food and water for a day and locked in a tomb to either die or be helped by Vesta

Thank you for making sure that I know this detail that plays a key role in the character arc of one of the main characters in the book that I have not only read, and re-read, but also re-written as a script in order to adapt it into a 10-volume graphic novel. I would have been very confused all the way through the past four years that I've been working on it, had I not known this.

[crowleysgirl56]

Updated with edits!

Timeline of the last 12 months 15 months of the Good Omens fandom.

July 2023 - Good Omens season 2 drops. Fans watch on the presumption this season is based on the sequel idea Terry and NG spoke of in the 90’s and 2006. Reactions are mixed but mostly positive. We’re happy with fluff. Initial thoughts: “I don’t see how this story could have been fleshed out into an entire novel, but I guess it was only ever just initial ideas, so I suppose that works.”

July 2023 - THE KISS.

Fandom reaction: NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

August 2023 - NG responds to fandom

NG: “Season 2 isn’t actually based on the idea Terry and I spoke about.”

Fandom: “What?”

NG: “Season 2 is just a bridging story to get us to season 3. That will be the story that Terry and I discussed.”

Fandom: “What!?”

NG: “Season 3 hasn’t been greenlit by Prime yet so we might not get it.”

Fandom: “WHAT?!”

NG: “Also I wrote the kiss that way by giving the fandom what you want without actually giving you what you want. So like, stop asking me for things or I won’t write them.”

Fandom: “AAARRRGGGHHHHH!!!”

August to November 2023 - The fandom, now lost and depressed, mope through the halls of Tumblr and Reddit, desperately clinging to any piece of information dropped by NG, sharing fan art, creating headcanons and theories, and writing the angstiest of angst fanfiction ever written. Some weep in a corner mumbling about the South Downs. Most just trudge through their daily lives, listless and despondent.

December 2023 - Prime greenlights Good Omens Season 3.

Fandom: YES! OMG HOORAY! WAHOO! Dancing in the streets. Fanfiction turns to fluff and smut. NG is active and happy, answering many questions without actually answering them. Gives us the hilarious gift of Dottie and Sadie.

January 2024 - speculation of when season 3 filming will begin commences. Realisation that it could be quite a while starts to sink in. Actors and writers strike has caused delay to the scripts being written. David and Michael have taken on theatre work which will delay their filming schedules. Douglas McKinnon announces he’s stepping away as director. Fandom has slight freak out, but NG reassures everyone it’s nothing to worry about, and linked to the recent strikes.

Early to mid 2024 - “The invisible and unbreakable line that joins Crowley and Aziraphale”.

Fandom: AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! We inevitably become even more feral. Much fanart is made.

March 2024 - David hosts the BAFTAs and Michael helps him during the opening. David is then nominated for TV BAFTA for Good Omens.

Fandom: OMG YYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAYYYY!!! Much dancing and celebration is had once again. We are so in love.

May 2024 - filming schedule for GO season 3 is announced. It will commence January 2025. The fandom reacts.

Fandom: “That’s still so long away!” “Michael and David will have their hair dyed white and red for the awards season!” “Going by the previous production schedule this means season 3 won’t reach our screen until 2026! No!” “Cannot wait for this to start filming we are going to be so feral!” More fanfiction, more fanart.

June 2024 - David hosts Pub in the Park. Michael joins him.

Fandom: THEY ARE SO CUTE! HOW CAN THEY BE THIS CUTE, WE DON’T DESERVE THEM.

Early July 2024 - horrible allegations are laid against NG and the fandom comes to a terrible crashing halt. Much debate and discussion is had back and forth: “Believe the victims”. “Separate the art from the artist”. “Drop the fandom entirely”. “Step back for a moment”. There is a lot of arguing, but there is also still a lot of love. NG has fled all social media.

Late July 2024 - until it’s January, and the show actually starts filming, Good Omens season 3 has now become Schrödinger’s Series. It both now exists and doesn’t exist. Prime at any moment may pull the production due to the backlash against NG. The fandom now re-examines McKinnon’s departure speculating if he left for other reasons. We once again despondently trudge the halls of tumblr and Reddit feeling the same feeling of this time last year.

This section of the post was made in late July was this was original posted: And that pretty much brings us up to date. Anything could happen in the next six months, which is why I feel we’re all worried. It’s why I’m worried. So instead, keep sharing the art, keep writing the fanfiction, keep speculating with theories and headcanons. Let’s be here for each other. Because we created this fandom for each other. It doesn’t belong to NG anymore. Let’s do this for Terry. Personally, I can’t wait to come back to this timeline and add January 2025 - filming begins.

28 July 2024 - Michael Sheen, the absolute angel that he is posts a picture of his tartan socks clad feet alongside the caption “To our world”. Such a beautiful, beautiful man!

10 September 2024 - Amazon Prime announces production for season 3 is paused. Everyone loses their shit. There is much lamentations.

Unsubstantiated posts start circulating that the show is cancelled. People who have a friend whose cousin’s gardener’s former roommate claim they are involved with the production and therefore they KNOW the show is cancelled. More lamentations.

Amazon stays silent for EIGHT. FUCKING. WEEKS.

The fandom walk around in a god damn haze again akin to what August to December 2023 felt like. Will we be left with the final 15 forever?

Mid October 2024 - for about 3 days straight the fandom receives information that is akin to a rollercoaster of emotion. Head graphics designer Mickey tweets out a now deleted post that everyone is going back to Scotland. Then Peter Anderson Studio tweet out a now deleted post referencing the South Downs cottage. Then random casting company updates their subscription website advertising Good Omens: The Finale a TV movie. Entertainment website releases an article referencing this. The fandom LOSE. THEIR. SHIT. AGAIN. We honestly can’t take much more of this.

25 October 2024 - Amazon finally announces the news we’ve been half expecting half dreading with positive and negative ramifications. Neil Gaiman is gone. GOOD! Season 3 will still happen. GOOD! But now it’s just a 90 minutes finale. WAIT, WHAT, NO! But it could have been worse. It was a hairs breath away from being completely cancelled. GOD BLESS RHIANNA PRATCHETT AND ROB WILKINS.

It’s been a wild ride everyone. I’ve already posted earlier this morning (25 October 2024) my thoughts about the whole situation so go read that there. But for now? Gaiman is gone, and we get our ending.

For now here’s to seeing our boys with their red and white hair again.

[letters-to-lgbt-kids]

My dear lgbt+ kids, 

This is not a guideline on how to come out. I can’t write that for you - and in fact, I don’t think anyone can. 

That’s because „Coming out“ is not one specific thing but covers a wide range of social situations. Coming out to your best friend will be a different deal than coming out to your parents, and both of that is completely different from coming out at work. Coming out to someone who is vocal about being an ally or is even queer themselves will be a different story than coming out to someone who is deeply conservative. And so on! 

On top of that, coming out is such an incredibly personal path. Something that helps one person feel more confident could actually make it worse for another. A script that works well for one person could feel uncomfortable and awkward for another. A reaction that makes one person go „Wow, this coming out went well“ could hurt another. And… you get the picture, there are too many variables to write you a step by step guide. 

But a step by step guide is something that’s quite commonly requested. Understandably so! Deciding to come out - to anyone, in any circumstances - is always a big step, and every big step like that naturally comes with some uncertainty and fear. It’s normal to want some support. 

So, what I can do for you, is to give you some questions to think about. Importantly, there aren’t right or wrong, good or bad answers to any of them. There are just individual answers. This isn’t meant to be a test on coming out that you can fail or pass - these are just a bunch of potential things you may want to consider when deciding on how to come out in a way that feels safe, comfortable and fitting for you. 

Some considerations, in no particular order: 

How would a bad reaction look like? Would you be in any (physical or mental) danger and if so, which safety precautions can you take to bring yourself to safety quickly if things go south? 

Are you dependent on the person in any way (money, housing, caretaking etc.)? Do you need to take that into consideration re: safety measures? 

If the worst possible reaction wouldn’t be acutely dangerous but emotionally painful/distressing/embarrassing/frustrating: how would you deal with these feelings if they arise? How could you calm yourself down afterwards? 

How familiar are they with lgbt+ themes and terminology? How much explanation, if any, will they need? Would it be more helpful to provide the explanations right away or to wait which questions they ask? 

If there are multiple people you plan to come out to who belong to the same group (such as „parents and siblings“ or „boss and coworkers“), do you want to come out to everyone at once or to each person individually? 

If you want to come out to each person individually, is there a risk that the first one(s) will out you to the others before you get to come out to them? How would you handle that situation? 

If you want to come out in person: Would it help to write down exactly what you want to say beforehand? Or write down just a few keywords? Or does it feel more natural to keep it completely spontaneous? 

If you want to come out in a letter, text etc.: do you need to consider the possibility that something written could be shared around? 

Is there a definite next step you want the person to take (like calling you by a new name, meeting your partner for the first time etc.)? If so, do you want to bring that up right away or in a second conversation? 

If you’re (romantically or queerplatonically) interested in this person, do you want to bring that up right away or gauge their reaction first? How would you handle a rejection? 

Are there any specific things you do not want to share with them (you do not want to talk about your sex life, you do not want to disclose if you had bottom surgery etc.)? How would you handle it if they bring these things up? 

Do you need to keep any upcoming plans in mind regarding timing (either in your or their life)? Are there any times they’re especially likely to be in a good or bad mood? 

Do you want to do it alone or with someone supportive (a friend, your partner etc.) by your side? If the latter, do you want them to take on an active role (helping to explain etc.) or just be there as silent support? 

How will you celebrate yourself afterwards (no matter how it went)? How will you reward yourself for taking this brave step? 

With all my love, 

Your Tumblr Dad 

[genericpuff]

Any tips on script writing for a comic? I know a basic structure, mostly the kind that's taught or what I've been able to look up online. I really enjoy your writing and story flow in LR, so I wanted to get your thoughts so if there are any tools you would recommend.

ngl , I just use good ole' fashioned LibreOffice LMAO Though my script-writing process has definitely changed between my original work and Rekindled, I used to use a spreadsheet program (the LibreOffice equivalent to Excel) and the method I developed looked like this:

This method actually still works totally fine, I just never opted to use it for Rekindled, mostly because I was able to write so much of it through what already existed in LO. Here's what Rekindled's writing process looks like, which I've done entirely within Scrivener as I started using it a few years ago:

Things do change often between my initial scripting, final scripting (i.e. when it's time to actually sketch out the episode), and the final release of the episode. Things are often removed, added, tweaked, etc. along the way, sometimes even up until the point of final release depending on what's required. What I'm showing you here is actually one of the "cleanest" sections of my notes, because oftentimes these docs are just a disorganized mess of events and plot points that I've written and rewritten and shuffled around LMAO That's not even including hand-written notes that I've scrawled out on the go 😆

I try to keep my writing process cemented enough that I know where I'm going but flexible enough that I can edit on the fly and move things around when needed. Having documents for my notes and extra floating ideas is helpful, and I'm often redoing plot layouts and scripts just for the sake of "figuring them out" haha

But that's also why I like to write relatively far ahead of time, so that my brain can properly "reset" on what I wrote, meaning that when it finally comes time to draw it and I'm re-reading my scripts and notes, I'll notice stuff I don't like or isn't working a lot quicker, because I'm going in with a clearer perspective than when I wrote it the first time. There are ideas and plotlines and episode scripts I wrote in these docs aaaalll the way back in 2022 when this project first started :') (and am still eagerly sitting on for when I finally get to bring them to life huehuehue)

All that said, there's no right or wrong way to rough draft your stories, just the way that services you and the story that you're trying to write. Some stories require more detailed drafting and notes, others can get by with just simple post-it notes. The important thing to remember is that no one else but you has to see these drafts - so there's no need for it to be perfect or for it to be the "final draft" on the first try, let it be whatever you need it to be to make it work for you ╰(´︶`)╯♡

[43501]

Do you have any headcanons about what L would be like in a romance? Your vision of Near literally blessed me and I hope you can do L justice, since in the media people see him as not caring about a potential partner and that leaves me disappointed :(

I'm absolutely thrilled and charmed you've liked what I've spun about Near, I'm devastated to admit I don't think I can do L justice to this degree… he's wonderful, but I'm not an L scholar who can write (stops writing this reply to check how much I've written on Near) 10,000~ words worth of ardent meta about him… but I'll talk a bit about him and write out the headcanons I do have.

Scrutinizing everything Ohba and Obata say about L in all of their interviews, it's clear to me they originally envisioned L as a bit heartless. But all Death Note media since - the anime, the films, the Change the WorLd novel, the J-Drama, the DS games, the musical - all favor an interpretation of L that's more compassionate and human. I have a crackpot theory that fan reception and Alessandro Juliani's (award-winning, I remind you) performance in the English dub influenced this shift, in a similar way to how a couple of Japanese videogames around that time got re-released in Japan with script changes influenced by English localizations (such as Treehouse's localizations for Animal Crossing: Population Growing! and Animal Crossing: Wild World).

Example: in HTR13, Ohba and Obata say that L was lying when he called Light his first friend. No other media since treats this as a lie. Especially in Change the WorLd - L wears Light's watch for the remainder of his life. Also, the novel and film are explicit that L is affected by the horrible things he's witnessed while solving cases and cares about justice for the victims. The novels aren't written by Ohba and Obata, but they did have oversight and endorsed M's work on publication (though perhaps not as passionately as Nisio Isin writing Another Note).

All this to say I think pinning down the "true" L is difficult. I will say that I reject any interpretation of L as callous and uncaring, the same way I reject interpretations of Near as wholly unemotional.

In romance, I think he is basically as he appears in "L the ProLogue to Death Note: Spiraling Trap". He is enigmatic and somewhat difficult to earn the trust of, but he cares deeply about the people in his circle of trust. I don't have a screenshot on hand, but there's a line in the game where he says he'd be disappointed with himself if he ever let (you) get hurt or endangered. This is L. In Death Note's canon, we see similar things with the Japanese Task Force (recall how genuinely upset he is when Ukita dies).

Anyway, my honest thoughts on L romance, based on on a combination of the manga, anime and the DS game where the player can court him.

Earth-shatteringly good kisser, even though he's definitely never kissed anyone before. He's been orally fixated his whole life, he has S-tier instincts and rather lacks shame. Obviously, he's immaculate at oral sex as well. Just another thing in his long list of Mary Sue traits: genius savant, internationally recognized super detective, skilled at capoeria, English tennis champion... it's completely reasonable that this is just another one of those things he's perfect at on first try.

He's capable of being gentle but has a tendency to escalate - even brief, innocent kisses often spin out of control and transform into desperate grabbing and tangling tongues.

Verbally and physically demonstrative about his affections, when the mood takes him. L consistently shows himself to be a pretty bold personality who doesn't shy away from closing in on what he wants. He kind of just heedlessly does what he wants a lot of the time, doesn't he? That extends to when he wants to be around you, have your attention, be doted on, be entertained, kiss you, have sex with you etc.

In general, I would describe a relationship with him as "intense". He's an intense man. I can understand a dizzying range of headcanons for L, but any idea of him as "relaxed" or "shy" or "passive" or anything like that is just plain wrong and contradicts the person we see in every piece of Death Note media.

Thinks he's straight but is in reality gender agnostic when it comes to falling in love/being attracted to somebody. In Spiraling Trap he's confused if a male player gives him a Valentine's day chocolate, but in my view it's just because he's never given serious thought to himself with another man before. Once he starts developing a strong bond, he'll start to think differently and find that he thinks women and men equally appealing.

Has a bunch of kinks including (but not limited to) foodplay, shibari, feet (cliche but I really think so) and more I don't want to list here for fear of scaring people (nothing objectionable, just weird - by his own admission he's "strange").

For the life of me I can't imagine him as asexual, but if he is, he's the kind that finds sex and kink incredibly interesting on an intellectual level and likes to observe, even if he doesn't partake.

While writing this, I kept feeling compelled to compare him to Near, which is really funny and meta. Near was intentionally written by his authors to have a lot of L's traits as his "natural successor", but at the same time he's his own, completely different person. I don't mean to derail this into a Nearpost so I'll be really brief.

Broad strokes: As a lover, L is intense, confident and open. Near is subtle and withdrawn.

Both men prefer an educated, clever partner who can keep up with them intellectually, but their relationship secret spices are different. L is drawn to people who are interesting and offbeat in some way. Near is drawn to passionate, emotional people who he admires and feels invigorated by.

Things they have in common in love: they are both used to being waited on and getting everything they want, and so expect to be pampered (L with desserts, Near with requisition lists for toys). Detective work takes a lot of their time and they don't want a demanding partner who asks for a lot of time and attention. They don't suffer fools. They can be tactless with their partner on various matters, but don't mean to be malicious.

Things they're very different on in love: L can be fickle and mercurial, Near is more reliable and steadfast. L expresses his feelings verbally quite openly and enjoys just spending time with his lover, Near relies on gift-giving and physical affection to express himself, forever feeling a little shy and poor with words. L enjoys sex and is a natural at it, Near could go without and is average at best even with practice (sorry).

Now let's look at some pictures from Spiraling Trap together. (takes your hand)

(Isn't it wild how this game suggests that he would consider granting his detective code to his lover on his passing if he had one? Fuck them Wammy's kids, I guess.)

[akutasoda]

do you like scary movies?

synopsis - taking an acting job may end up with you discovering alot more about the esteemed director than you wished you would've known

includes - mr reca

warnings - gn!reader, fluff??, mentions of murder, minor character death, wc - 1.5k

a/n: this possessed me yesterday... i dont like it that much but here you go! happy halloween to those who celebrate :) shouts to @mitsvriii (reca kisser in denial) + @theother-victoria / @https-sourlimes (my fellow ceos of the reca fanclub) for proofreading!! and victoria has kind of enticed me to make a part two...

“it's a bit insensitive, don't you think?” another of actor whispered to you

mere moments ago, you had all been handed the newest script for the highly esteemed mr reca's new film. you had always wanted to have a part in one of his films and so when you saw a post about auditions on paperfolds university notice board, you jumped at the opportunity, to say the audition was nerve-wracking would be a massive underestimate. for one of your first auditions, going for a role in mr reca's film was certainly ambitious.

but by some stroke if luck, you landed a part. and the lead role at that - you swore you nearly ascended to aeonhood when you received the news. the nerves never really went away however, now you felt an immense pressure to do well. mr reca himself had chosen you to play a lead role in his new film. you couldn't let him down.

on the initial audition post, it detailed how it was for roles in a horror film, nothing else. he could be quite secretive like that. so as soon as all roles had been chosen the scripts were handed out in complete confidence and you were all informed of when you needed each part memorized.

“i mean sort of? but people make documentaries all the time…” another one actor whispered before they were quickly shut down by the former who angrily whispered back,

“yeah but those are documentaries! and normally they have eyewitness testimonies!! not some actors acting out stories around it!!”

your slightly scrunched your eyebrows as you re-read the script. you could definitely see it as being somewhat insensitive. it was very evident that the director had taken some inspiration from the current serial killings that were plaguing penacony and outside the dreamscape.

there had been multiple instances of various penacony goers suddenly becoming unresponsive in the dreamscape and then later found dead in their hotel rooms in the real world. it had taken penacony by storm and multiple messages from the family had been issued to try and calm the masses.

although the family's noticeable lack of actual action was what caused most of the panic, they only addressed it and told people to stay safe. not taking any proper action like they should be doing.

this was probably why mr reca began directing a horror film now, with everyone's eyes on the news about this masked killer horror was all the rage - it would be weird if not even one director didn't capitalize of this event as morbid as that may seem.

but some days, penacony was the emptiest it had ever been due to the constant fear of becoming the serial killer's next victim. apparently, however, mr reca didn't seem to be phased by such fads. as written in the scripts were detail for detail deaths that perfectly resemble their real life counterparts.

each one even had a perfect example for how the kill was carried out which, admittedly, sent a shiver down your spine. it wasn't exactly unknown that reca used some real life scenarios to model parts of his films, but this did seem excessive. but you weren't really in a position to argue against him.

so while your fellow actors bickered about the script, you bit your tongue and held your thoughts in - despite the constant unease that plagued the back of your mind. you were an actor, this was a film. all you had to do was memorize your lines and prove to mr reca that he chose the right person to play the main character.

the first few days of filming had gone well, so far your character had yet to encounter the killer and was living up to the overused “plot armor” character. from what you had read in the script, your character was meant to live until the end, losing all your friends along the way and narrowly escaping death more times than you could count. typical horror movie protagonist.

you had to admit, mr reca certainly was… out there when it came to the creative liberty he had taken about the backstories of how the kills were carried out. you could almost imagine that he was there with how well thought out it was - especially paired with how accurately detailed the kills were… even though the family kept most of the details secret…

he probably had a way of getting those. probably best not to dwell on it.

everything went rather smoothly until the last couple scenes. your character was meant to encounter the killer face to face for the first time after seeing your best friend be killed - in the same manner as the last victim that lost their life a couple days before filming to the real serial killer - and then you'd run away and survive. pretty standard acting in your eyes.

but when you entered the studio, the first thing you noticed was the lack of other actors or crew. the only other person you had seen so far was the other actor who was meant to be playing the role of “your best friend” but they were leaving as you entered.

then you encountered mr reca himself, standing in the middle of the set half dressed in the exact same outfit as the real masked killer detailed by the family to watch out for. he was really making this authentic huh?

“mr reca, sir, i didn't know you were playing a role in your own film?” you poised, you knew he'd be there with his assistant but that was to oversee the filming but you hadn't expected him to take up a role himself.

he hummed “yes. normally i don't but i deemed my original choice unfit and it's too late for replacements” the costume certainly fit him too well for a last minute replacement.. did he have it made recently?

he took a couple steps over to a table that was on set, looking over it before picking up a knife that seemed a bit too real to be a prop, “plus, i had an idea. a change in scenes you may say and i wanted to personally try out my new idea”

panic flooded your body at the idea of not going by the original script you memorized, but you swallowed any hesitancy and agreed, you could handle an impromptu scene change right? you shakily agreed and sensing your nerves, reca continued

“don't worry, i don't expect you to get it right on the first try, i did drop this on you. i may need to act it out a couple times to decide myself” this time, he stalked over to you and gave you a smirk that set off your fight or flight “i haven't quite decided which kill i prefer yet”

the filming certainly took longer than you anticipated, mr reca kept changing the scenario and you always tried to keep up with his ideas but you were wearing thin. it appeared as though his main change was making your character become the final victim. you knew it was all acting and he was trying to find the perfect end but there was something about how passionate he was about each scenario that unnerved you more and more.

each scenario was so perfectly planned out. you could take a guess that they could all be carried out without a hitch or even a suspect if the current serial killer were to perform them. even halfway through, on one of your breaks, you made a joke about it to him.

“you know, mr reca” he turned to look at you “your scenarios are always really planned out! it's like your a natural at this” you let out a small awkward chuckle as you trailed off

he smiled “a good director must know about what he's directing, that's how a film feels authentic” a small pause as he looked down at the “prop” in his hand, turning it a few times “and even get some hands on experience…”

you couldn't quite catch his last few words so you asked him to repeat but he made a small vague dismissive gesture with his empty hand

“dont worry about it, what's more important is that i think i figured out what i want for the scene” he beamed and so you agreed to wrap up filming for that day.

the next day, for your own piece of mind, you decided to ignore the latest death that occured last night being carried out the exact same way that you acted out with him that previous night.

and you didn't look into the fact that he personally asked you to act again in his next horror film as the main character again. it was all a coincidence right? mr reca wouldn't hurt you if it wasn't though… right?

taglist - @little-miss-chaoss, @frankiesteinn