#set in episode 9 as soon as sound finds out

[quodekash]

Sound: So are you two dating now?

Tinn & Gun: Yes.

Sound: Why?

Tinn: I happen to find Gun very appealing.

Sound: Yeah, I can understand that. I’m trying to figure out what’s wrong with Gun.

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

Link 1, Link 2 :)

Digital Good Omens 2 Sountrack is coming out in 4 days! 🥳 CD version in October! :) ❤ Coming soon on vinyl…

Out to Stream/Download from 25th August. Out on CD 13th October. Coming soon on vinyl…

David Arnold’s ‘end of the world’ complex and multi-genre soundtrack.

From the Award-winning composer of Sherlock and Casino Royale comes a follow up to the hugely successful, Emmy nominated Good Omens soundtrack.

Good Omens series 2 premiered on Prime Video on 28th July. The series follows the odd couple, angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) and demon Crowley (David Tennant) in their quest to sabotage the end of the World. The six-episode sequel to the popular adaptation of the novel by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, concerns the Archangel Gabriel (Jon Hamm) arriving without his memories to Aziraphale’s bookshop. Aziraphale and Crowley attempt to find out what happened to Gabriel, whilst hiding him from Heaven and Hell, both eager to find him.

The Soundtrack

David Arnold’s soundtrack to Good Omens was first released in 2019 to favourable reviews, with BBC Music Magazine calling it “a rollicking trip to hell and back”. Blueprint Magazine described it as “a great listen” and Sci Fi Bulletin commented on “plenty of memorable themes” to conclude that “This is another work of art from Arnold”. At times nostalgic and eerie but always varied, beautiful and full of excitement, the Good Omens 2 soundtrack showcases Arnold’s every skill from his composer arsenal. Featured here are orchestral arrangements with sprinkling of Sugar Plum Fairy pizzicato and percussion, jaunty strings and mighty choral sweeps from Crouch End Festival Chorus. Added to the mix are rock guitar riffs, and psychedelic 70s sounds and all together they create a haunting otherworldly feel, complementing the fantasy and the quirky humour of the show. The spirited Waltz of the opening theme is also present in the second series and it wonderfully sets the scene for fantastical mayhem. In series 2, this robust, evocative, and funny music entity, becomes yet again another character in the story. Award-winning composer David Arnold is well known for his blockbuster scores, including Stargate, The Chronicles of Narnia: the Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Hot Fuzz, Paul, Independence Day, 2 Fast 2 Furious and Casino Royale as well as for his TV work such as Sherlock and Dracula. Also available: The original soundtrack to the first series of Good Omens >

Tracklist

– Disc 1 – Chapter 1: The Arrival 1. Before the Beginning 2. Good Omens 2 Opening Title 3. Into Soho 4. Something Terrible 5. To The Bookshop 6. Maggie and Nina 7. He’s Smoking 8. Tiny Miracle 9. Heavenly Alarm Bells Chapter 2: The Clue 10. Avaunt! 11. The Song is the Clue 12. It’s What God Wants 13. A Mighty Wind 14. Whales 15. Gabriel Returns 16. His New Children 17. Am I Awful Now? 18. Fallen Angel Chapter 3: I Know Where I’m Going 19. Police Arrive 20. Scotland 21. We’re Going to Hell 22. People Get a Choice 23. My Car is Not Yellow 24. Beelzebub in Hell 25. The Book 26. The Fly 27. Mr. Dalrymple 28. We Need to Cut 29. I’m Going to Save Her 30. Crowley Goes Large 31. Not Kind 32. Beelzebub Isn’t Happy – Disc 2 – Chapter 4: The Hitchhiker 33. Hell-O 34. Nazi Zombies 35. March of the Nazi Zombies 36. Crowley Pep Talk 37. The Magic Shop 38. Catch The Bullet 39. Zombies in the Dressing Room Chapter 5: The Ball 40. I’ll Let You Have It 41. We’re Storming a Book Shop 42. Monsieur Azirophale 43. The Candelabra 44. Here Comes Hell 45. Gabriel Gives Himself Up 46. Shax 47. The Circle Chapter 6: Every Day 48. Bin Through the Window 49. Gabriel Leaving Heaven 50. The Halo 51. Gabriel Revealed 52. Gabriel’s Love Story 53. Leaving The Bookshop 54. Gabriel and Beelzebub 55. Crowley and Muriel 56. I Forgive You 57. Don’t Bother 58. The Biggest Decision 59. The End?

[hojiteaversion]

Mehmed/MC - Fic Recommendations

An asterisk (*) before the title indicates the fic is in Russian! (I read with a browser translator and it's fine! Sometimes some things sound funny and/or pronouns are translated wrong, but it's all understandable!)

All the fics are completed!

Collision by BorgiaBarbie

Laia struggles when the return of Mehmed complicates her already messy love life with Noe. Oh, and she has one week to restore a priceless painting. Can Laia somehow figure out who she is and what she wants before the sand in the hourglass runs out? Laia/Mehmed and Laia/Noe. Mess. Chaos. Jealousy. Angst. Set after the events of Dracula a Love Story Season 4 Episode 3. Chapters 9 & 10 are set 6 months later.

Hilarious? Check ✅ Great writing? Check ✅ Fluff, angst, humor, and smut?! Check ✅

Also, chapter 4 is what most people would call a religious experience. Please, please do yourself a favor and read it.

The Sultan’s request by nesrinslittleworld

Lale Hatun has a conversation with her Uncle when she visits him with the second portrait.

Really well-written short fic. Mehmed/MC is just implied, but I really enjoyed this look into Lale's conflicted feelings about him.

*The trap of excitement by Akulova Anastasia

After her joint incognito outing with Shehzade, Lale continued to avoid Mehmed, fearing her own feelings, and he, having chosen the path of her methodical conquest, found another safe way to get closer, which could not help but seduce the gambling nature of the Sultana: he promised to teach the game of chess, bypassing the prohibitions. The tactics turn out to be correct, but soon Mehmed sets off on a new campaign. On what note will they say goodbye to Lale, and will she agree to one small bet?

This fic has excellent Mehmed characterization, excellent chemistry and development between him and Lale, an amazing dance scene, and a top-notch epilogue. No spoilers, but there's a moment between the two in the smut scene that I find beautifully done and quite touching!

*Obsession by Akulova Anastasia

“Sorry… God, I don’t know what came over me,” I muttered in confusion and embarrassment, for some reason backing away and awkwardly knocking over the paints. Damn it, in this life we ​​have known each other for only a few days and we are not connected by anything except the memories of the reckless passion of young Lale, who probably did not end in anything good, another me, who has long fallen asleep. So why am I now torn by such unbearable thirst and longing? Why did I… kiss him?

Some beautiful and memorable moments between Laia and Mehmed in this one, especially in chapters 2 and 3. To further entice you, I will say one of these excellent moments involves a knife 🙏‍🙌

*Swallow and flame by linalisavv

“I need to run away from you like fire, but I’m flying towards you like a stupid, naive moth, hoping not to scorch my wings,” Lale said almost in a whisper. Her lips collided with the Shehzade’s, and the air around sparked.

This fic (set after 3x11) imagines how Lale and Mehmed could get together in the Ottoman Empire. I think it's very well-written! And while Vlad plays a minimal role here, I think it's fun that this fic is technically set in a Mehmed and Vlad route. Kudos for the sweet epilogue too!

*A fragile tulip in his hands by Seagull with cookies.

Her mind told her: “Get out, run. He is a cruel tyrant. Madman. He will destroy you." And my heart screamed: “It won’t hurt. Can not. His feelings are too strong."

Friends... This one made me insane. It had a lot of things that fit their canon dynamic so well! I want to let you experience it for yourselves, so I'll just say: drawings, teasing, understanding, breathplay (!!!), and falling in love. Please read it.

*On the edge of the abyss by Little_romantic

"I'm scared. I'm afraid it will hurt again…" "I will never hurt you." His whisper sounded so convincing, so soulful that goosebumps ran across my skin. She knew he believed it, but…

I have recommended this one before, and I will do it again! Each chapter is independent from the others, but guys, the sheer longing in these glimpses of them as Mehmed and Lale want, more than anything, to make them work even as they're scared because, you know, it's them... I think it's a beautiful work and it makes my heart just go out to them.

[stevesjockstrap]

Eddie Month Day 9

prompt: cowboy & cavalier | rated: T? language and substances a/n: based on the Buffy episode where everyone becomes their Halloween costume

Steve was in hell. There was no other possible explanation. This might’ve been worse than the upside down. That at least he could do something about. 

Something had happened, not something inter-dimensional but something weird or magicky. Hell, he’d think this was all a big practical joke, if it wasn’t for all these seemingly real soldier memories and facts that he couldn’t shake that kept popping into his head.

They’d all gotten Halloween costumes from this new store that popped up downtown. Ethan’s Costume Shop was quaint and this older gentleman had helped pick perfect costumes for all of them.  

Eddie wanted these leather chaps so became a cowboy. Robin was a witch who kept trying to do spells and setting small fires. Nancy was a princess who was scared of everything and kept screaming bloody murder at the kids. 

The kids were the worst part. Max, Lucas and El were zombies who kept biting everyone, thankfully not hard enough to actually eat them. Dustin, probably the only one who would actually know what to do in this situation, was an ogre who just grunted and whacked people with his club. Mike was a werewolf and kept trying to escape to howl at the moon. Will had dressed as a ghost and had turned invisible. Thankfully Steve had made everyone take glow sticks trick or treating so they could follow his green glowing necklace. 

Somehow Steve had convinced cowboy!Eddie to help corral all of them to his house when the streets became mass chaos as everyone transformed to their costumes. Jonathan and Argyle had decided dressing up was too pedestrian and they’d been extra hands, but as high as they were, Steve wasn’t sure if they even knew what was happening. 

He leaned against the kitchen island and hung his head in his hands. All he wanted to do was to take the kids trick or treating then come home and have a relaxing evening. The kids were all supposed to be going to the Wheelers for a sleepover.

“Why the long face, darlin’?” Eddie asked with a terrible southern accent. And this. If he called him darlin’ or puddin’ or fucking baby cakes one more time he was going to go find his nail bat. 

“Eddie, for the last time, stop with the names. And I think it’s perfectly reasonable, actually, for me to be upset right now. Look around!” 

Steve felt bad instantly when Eddie looked down and started to walk away. 

“I’m sorry, Eds. I don’t even know if you’re actually even Eddie in there. But for the record, this is not a nice normal night for me. How many times have you corralled ghosts and zombies, man?”

Eddie nodded and looked around. The kids had resorted to chasing each other around the house, which was honestly an improvement to them trying to get out of any available door or window. They’d put Nancy upstairs in a bedroom away from anything scary. Steve had taken Robin’s wand away and hidden it and she was searching the place for it. 

“I guess you’re right, there.” Steve winced at the accent. 

They just stared at each other for a moment. Steve sighed. “You want a beer?”

Eddie shrugged and nodded. They ended up sitting on the island, so they could keep an eye out for the kids. Somehow it became a drinking game. Drink every time one of the zombies bites someone. Drink for every grunt. Drink for every time Argyle giggles at nothing funny. Soon they were giggling at nothing themselves, leaning into each other and almost falling off the island. 

It was someone’s idea to relocate to the couch. They threw a movie on and weirdly all the creatures flocked to the light or the sound or it was just background neurons firing that they go watch the tv when it’s on. They all piled in a little nest of blankets like puppies and nodded off. 

Close to midnight, something snapped in his brain, like a rubber band. He looked at Eddie. 

“What the fuck?”

“Oh you’re back?” He yawned. 

“Back? Where did I go?”

“Do you remember being a cowboy and the kids were zombies?”

Eddie’s eyebrows went up under his bangs. “Jeez, that wasn’t from my stash, right? That must be Argyle’s-“

“No, man. I don’t know what happened but everyone became their costume. You’ve been talking in a terrible southern accent all night and calling me- never mind. Will was invisible!”

Eddie smirked. “Callin’ you what?” The accent was even worse now, combined with the slurring. 

“That’s the part you’re worried about?”

“That’s the part you’re gunna tell me first.” He leaned in close. “Was it sweetheart? Was it pretty boy?”

Steve shivered. “Uhhh, nope.” Eddie sat back and put his finger to his chin, thinking. It made Steve huff a laugh at him. “Think more southern, more cowboy, Eds.”

He nodded, leaning back in. “Buttercup? Sweet pea?”

Steve laughed and shook his head. 

“I dunno, darlin’, I guess we’ll never know.” Eddie pulled him close and their lips met.

@eddiemonth

[ridley-was-a-cat]

Winter 2024 Anime Roundup

Anime of the Season – The Apothecary Diaries

I’ve been hearing about this series since Raven of the Inner Palace aired a while back, and the fans spoke so highly of it that I was dubious of anything living up to the expectations they’d set. Luckily for me, they weren’t exaggerating one bit, and the anime adaptation delivered a story that had me itching to watch the next installment as soon as the episode ended each week.

The story opens with Maomao getting abducted and sent to work in the imperial palace, where she intends to keep her head down and just quietly do her work in the inner palace, only to find a little matter involving poison she can’t resist poking her nose into, leading a powerful young man in the palace to take notice of her. Throughout the story, her desire to mind her business and not get tied up in palace affairs wars with her absolutely insatiable curiosity wherever drugs or poisons are involved, and it leads her in and out of a series of mysteries involving the residents of the palace, changing the course of her life. It was an absolute treat to watch her and Jinshi dance around each other, as Maomao wants nothing to do with the beautiful man all the women fawn over, and he finds her lack of interest in him irresistible, and seeing the way all the seemingly unrelated mysteries built towards a larger conspiracy was immensely satisfying. When you combine all this with an equally colorful supporting cast, a gorgeous color palette, excellent background art, and solid animation, you get the sort of anime you feel lucky to get to watch. 9/10

First Runner-Up – Brave Bang Bravern!

Equal parts sincere and farcical, this series takes all the tropes and homoeroticism of mecha anime and dials them to eleven. It boasts some of the best 3D mecha animation I’ve seen, a star-studded voice cast, and a story with the perfect mix of comedy and action. If you’ve ever clapped your hands and cheered for an over the top robot fight, this is the show for you. 9/10

Second Runner-Up – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

The entire series is beautifully drawn and animated, with a perfect soundtrack and voice cast to match, and it takes a fantastic, heartfelt story about valuing the connections you make with others and elevates it to another level. A poorly paced exam arc in the second half that takes the focus off the main trio dampened my enjoyment somewhat, but it easily would’ve been my anime of the season in most seasons. 8/10

The Dangers in My Heart S2 – Kyotarou and Anna keep getting closer and closer over the course of this season, and the way they timed the emotional high of each episode to the soundtrack and the title card has me ready to swoon the moment I see the word “karte” written in white on a black screen. A nicely produced romance about a middle school boy and girl pushing each other to be their best selves that I’m really glad I watched. 8/10

Kingdom S5 – Xin and his Fei Xin force are under the command of the ruthless general Huan Yi in this arc, and they rediscover how merciless and inhumane war is as they fight a battle in Zhao territory as part of Qin’s effort to unify China. Xin’s voice actor completely knocks it out of the park here, delivering several emotional speeches with the perfect amount of gravitas. 8/10

7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy! – I knew when the female lead leapt off a balcony in front of the male lead after being jilted by her fiancé and he immediately fell in love with her that I was in for a good time, and it never let me down. Rishe’s constant scheming that drew on things she learned in her six previous lives, and Prince Arnold’s mix of bewilderment and affection for his unpredictable fiancée, made this one of the best fantasy romance series in years. 8/10

Mr. Villain’s Day Off – The premise of a general in the evil organization fighting the rangers for control of Earth strictly avoiding work on his day off sounds like the setup for a sit-com, but the story it actually settles in to tell is one that quietly highlights the beauty and comfort found in the ephemeral moments of daily life. A relaxing slice of life series that was the perfect capstone to my Sunday evenings this season. 7/10

A Sign of Affection – I have some nitpicks about some adaptation decisions in the anime that made the female lead appear less disabled than she is in the manga, but, on the whole, this was a lovely shoujo romance about a group of young adults doing their best to forge their own path in the world, with some nice production values. 7/10

Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! – If you can look past the wild title and premise, and you don’t mind some inconsistent character models or animation, there’s a nice workplace romance in here centered on a group of grown men talking things out and supporting each other as they navigate their messy feelings. (It’s not as funny as the manga is, though.) 7/10

Sengoku Youko – It took me a few episodes to warm up to this historical set fantasy adventure, but once the story got going, with a solid mix of strong character development and the occasional emotional punch to the gut, I was all in. The character designs are unique and expressive, the action is nicely choreographed and animated, and the voice actors really put their backs into some of the more intense moments. 7/10

Undead Unluck – The pacing was a bit of a problem, with some incredibly long recap segments in episodes in the second half, but the chemistry between the two leads – a man who can’t die and a young woman who causes life threatening bad luck to anyone who touches her – made this action series about fighting to stop the apocalypse a really fun time. 7/10

The Witch and the Beast – If you’re like me, and you go weak in the knees for a chain smoking man with bedroom eyes in a long coat, and a messy woman who might get you both arrested when you go out drinking, then this supernatural themed noir is the show for you. Production values are inconsistent over its run, but the writing and voice acting are solid throughout. 7/10

The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic – A boy getting isekaied by accident when his classmates are summoned to be heroes in another world could easily have been the start of yet another story about an aggrieved loner making it big as an overpowered hero in a fantasy world, but it thankfully subverted expectations and delivered an isekai adventure with a bit of heart and a cast of likeable characters. 7/10

The Foolish Angel Dances with the Devil – What appeared to be a gimmicky battle of wits love comedy in the beginning turned into a solid forbidden romance between a demon and an angel with genuinely good chemistry between them. The two leads were easy to root for as they caught feelings for each other while fighting their way through the ridiculous situations they kept landing in. 7/10

The Demon Prince of Momochi House – This is a neither good nor bad anime about a teenage girl inheriting an old house in the woods that serves as a gateway between reality and the spiritual world, and moving in with the mysterious teenage boy and his ayakashi attendants who protect it. The characters are likeable, and the romance is pleasantly cheesy like an otome game, but the rushed pace of the relationship development and the quickly resolved yokai cases just feel like they adapted more manga than the runtime supported. 6/10

Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I’m Not the Demon Lord – Deadpan, autistic-coded Yumiella is a ton of fun as the OP main character in this otome isekai, and she and her love interest make a great couple, but the level grinding wasn’t exciting enough, and the jokes weren’t funny enough to overcome the poor visuals. 6/10

Bucchigiri?! – Hiroko Utsumi directing an original anime mixing old school delinquents with Aladdin and the Lamp sounded like it could be a rollicking fun romp in the style of her previous original, Sk8, but pacing issues led to a repetitive first half, the main character was deeply unlikable, and the rushed ending felt unsatisfying. The art and animation were generally quite good, with some great fight scenes, but the writing needed to be better. 6/10

Solo Leveling – The series is very well produced, with exciting action scenes set to a lively soundtrack, but any time I started to relax and enjoy some nicely animated fights, the main character would come out with some eye-rolling, angsty teen speech about the strong preying on the weak, and it just wasn’t for me. 6/10

Shangri-La Frontier – There’s little to criticize in the production of this VR MMO themed action series. The voice actors gave great performances, the monster fights are well animated, and the art has a distinctive feel to it. Unfortunately, the story just never really grabbed me, the stalker girl really annoyed me whenever she appeared, and the extras at the beginning and end of most episodes felt like padding. 6/10

My Instant Death Ability is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! – An unusual teenage boy with the ability to instantly kill anyone by just thinking about it gets sent to another world with a bus full of his classmates, and the ensuing adventure kept me entertained the whole time, but I can’t quite call it good. The manzai comedy dynamic between the male and female lead was a fair bit of fun as they traveled across the land, poking fun at common isekai tropes. 6/10

Blue Exorcist: Shimane Illuminati Saga – I remember really enjoying the first two seasons of this series, and I still love the characters, but this season just never clicked right for me. The opening arc felt rushed through, and the main arc had a cartoonish buffoon of a villain that completely undercut the horror of the story. It wasn’t a chore to watch or anything, but it could have been better. 6/10

Metallic Rouge – Like many others, I had high hopes for this original sci-fi series Bones put out as an anniversary project, but despite the generally solid visuals, the poor writing drags the whole show down, making this one of the biggest disappointments of the season. The incoherent plot fails to come to a point, the dialog is a terrible mix of forced quirkiness and tedious monologuing, and the characters are largely one-note and undeveloped. 6/10

Sasaki and Peeps – The hour-long premiere episode suggested this story about a middle aged salaryman who discovers his new pet bird is a reincarnated wizard from another world might be a fun take on the isekai genre, but the end product felt more like someone playing with their dolls than crafting a coherent story. It continually introduced new characters and new tropes all the way through to the last minute without tying anything together. 5/10

The Fire Hunter S2 – On the one hand, I appreciate how different it is from other series, with unusual character designs and an imaginative fantasy story that isn’t an amalgamation of light novel conventions. On the other hand, though, the production is incredibly rough, and the plot got increasingly hard to follow, making this a bit of a slog by the end. 5/10

Fluffy Paradise – I was basically on board in the first half to two-thirds of the series, when it seemed like a harmless little reincarnation isekai about a girl collecting animal and monster friends, but it completely lost me when it broke out the reservation camps and dead bodies in the last arc. Just a poorly written show that misunderstood its appeal. 5/10

[fazedlight]

Fandom creators tag game

Thank you @waytooinvested and @fabulousglitch for the tag!

1. What sort of content do you create, and what is the thing you’ve made that you’re most proud of?

Proudest fic - There are a few I tend to choose from, but right now it's Even Though You're Kryptonian

Fanvid - My Rise vid

2. What fandom(s) do you create for?

Supercorp. (And a very tiny amount of Dansen and soon Rojarias.)

3. What is your current favourite ship (or brotp if you prefer), and how controversial is it?

Supercorp!! I don't think it's a controversial ship, lol.

4. For your answer to question 3, are they canon?

They are to me 😌

5. What was your first fandom, and how old were you?

My first obsession (and still greatest love) was Xena. I started watching the show a few episodes into season 1, when I was 6 years old. It was very formative.

That said, I didn't really get involved in any fandom communities until Supercorp (in early 2022).

6. What is your most unhinged fandom creation to date?

I don't think I get super unhinged, but as a pilot I did like creating this dumb incorrect quote.

7. Do you remember what started you off creating fandom content, and if so, what was it?

I was getting frustrated at not being able to find certain types of fics, and it struck me that... I was allowed to write my own.

8. Do you let people you know in real life see your fandom creations?

Yup! My partner read my first two fics in support, and several of my IRL friends have read at least one of my fics because I didn't have the good sense to keep that information to myself when I was getting started. It's mortifying lol. But my friends are very cool people.

9. How do you feel about fanworks of fanworks? Has anyone ever made something based on a thing you made?

Fanworks of fanworks are amazing!!! I've been incredibly lucky to have that happen three times (post), and gotten asked for permission for a different continuation and a podfic that may eventually happen.

10. What feeling do you most often try to evoke with your creations?

Angst. Longing. Bits of compassion too.

11. Has someone ever paid your work a compliment (in any form) that has stuck with you, and what was it?

I love each and every one of my commenters ❤️

Honestly, the compliments that stick with me most are "I came back to reread this" or "this idea is still living rent-free in my head" type comments. I think that's what all writers and artists want - to feel that their art lasted in someone's mind beyond the first time seeing it.

12. What’s your favourite thing someone else has made that you’ve seen in the last 24 hours (and link it if you can find it again!)

Technically it was more than 24hrs ago but this art by @awaitingrain is so fucking cute!!

13. Give a small sneak preview of something you’re working on right now (eg a couple of sentences of fic from a WIP, a gif set theme, a small piece of a larger picture, whatever you feel happy to share)

I have a ficlet (that's getting out of control), here's a snippet:

Lena was cozying into the warmth of Kara’s body, when Lena spoke. “I’m thinking of visiting my mother’s house soon,” she said shyly. “I want to find out more about her. Where I came from.”

“That sounds lovely,” Kara said softly.

“Do you want to come with me?” Lena asked.

Kara hesitated.

14. Have you ever seen/read anything made by the person who tagged you? If so, what was it and what was your favourite thing about it? (pick a favourite if there are several)

Both of them are on my reading list 👀

15. Do you leave comments on fandom works, and if so how would you describe your comment style?

Some of my comments are very simple, some of my comments are very long. I've tried to get more consistent about commenting ever since starting to write, because I know how important it is. Unfortunately, I also read a lot less now that I'm writing more.

16. How many works in progress do you currently have? Will you finish them all?

I have 5 WIPs! I'm very confident I'll finish them all.

17. what’s the longest it’s ever taken you to finish a fandom project?

I guess my worldkiller Kara fic took a bit over 3 months, though part of that was spacing with the Supercorp Big Bang.

I tend to write fast. One of the things I'm actually trying to do is slow down to fill out the story a bit more.

18. Describe the thing you made most recently in a way that is technically true, but also completely misleading. Link the thing if it’s published!

Lena has a bad day in the lab (Clockwork).

19. Do you ever engage with fanworks for a fandom you’re not in? Which one(s) and how did you get into it?

I totally engage in fanart from other fandoms that cross my dashboard, particularly korrasami. I don't tend to read fanfic of stuff I haven't engaged in, though.

20. Recommend a fan work from your fandom to your followers

This fanvid is probably my favorite in the entire fandom.

Suggested tag list, but there are no rules here, follow your heart.

A mutual you have never actually spoken to but think seems cool - oh there are so many of these!! I am tagging @mssirey who I don't think I've had a proper convo with yet

The most recent person whose content you engaged with (eg read a fic, reblogged art, whatever form you feel best fits) - @thealieninhiding (though by the time I finish this very long post it might be someone else lol)

Someone whose content you saw via tags/reblogs and you followed them because of it - @jadedloverart!

Someone in your fandom that you think makes cool things - @ekingston

Someone in a different fandom that you think makes cool things - tagging @thatonebirdwrites who makes korrasami stuff too

Someone you always tag on things like this - I'm not sure there's someone I always tag but I'll pick @nottawriter as one of the people I frequently tag when I do these things

Someone you have never tagged before - @rebellionbear have I tagged you before?? you are cool so I am tagging you!

Someone you would like to get to know better - @femslashhistorian

Someone who makes art you like - @awaitingrain along with others above!

Someone who writes fics you like - @luthordamnvers along with others above!

[spinachandhoney]

SnakeFace episode 19 script

[script under cut]

<Friday, April 9: let’s kick up the plot a little>

  “Ivan’s staying home again today,” Kim explained to Joey and Val.

  “Is everything okay?” Joey asked.

  “Yeah, he’s just very tired. He still isn’t used to being exposed to a social setting, so he’ll need to take breaks every so often.”

  “Alright, as long as he’s doing okay. I might take him to the cafe after school.”

  “Good idea. We’re gonna be late if we don’t leave soon, come on. Ivan, we’re leaving!”

  There was no response, but Kim knew he heard her. The three left for school. Rowena ran out after Val with a little black parasol.

  “Nana, what are you doing?” Val asked.

  “Can I go to school with you today?” Rowena asked. “I won’t be any trouble, I promise.”

  Val thought for a moment. “Sure. Principal Reid shouldn’t have any problem with it. Just make sure not to wander off at all, okay?”

  Rowena smiled cutely. “Okay.”

  Ivan stayed in the attic for most of the day. Around 1100, he called his mom to check on her. She was still scouting around in town but promised she’d be home before dinner. He watched the birds singing in the canopies, the bugs and rodents skittering around the garden and the flora moving with the wind currents all through that small, foggy window. Then, at 1400, he watched his mom’s car pull into the driveway. He sprinted down the attic stairs, down to the first floor and through the front door to catch his mom on her way in. He hugged her tightly, burying his face in her shoulder.

  “Ivan,” Jamie smiled.

  “Please don’t leave like that again,” Ivan said.

  Jamie wasn’t sure what to say. “Okay,” was all she could get out. She pat her son’s hair kindly, kissing him on top of the head. “Why don’t we watch a movie?”

  Though they’d watched it a dozen times, Ivan and Jamie watched one of their favourite movies together in one of the empty rooms. They had renovated it into a makeshift theatre, using a sheet and a projector to watch movies on a bigger screen. They whispered back and forth throughout the film, quoting their favourite dialogue lines or laughing about an inside joke that came from a memorable scene. It made Ivan happy to spend that time with his mom again.

  “I miss you, mom,” he said when the credits started. “I miss hanging out. You’re always gone lately.”

  Jamie sighed. “I know, Ivan. I wish I could be home more, but I need to find a job so I can afford to do those fun things again.”

  Ivan nodded. “I miss him so much.”

  “I miss him too.”

  “He would’ve loved living out here, wouldn’t he?”

  “I think so.” She shifted her seating to face Ivan and smiled. “Let’s go walk through the woods tomorrow morning. We can go see if there are any creeks or caves to explore, does that sound fun?”

  Ivan smiled back and nodded. “Yeah. I’d like to do that.”

[paopaupaus]

part 10 of the Buddie Development rant and analysis

part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 | part 6 | part 7 | part 8 | part 9 | part 10

S6:E1 Let the Games Begin

Domestic dinners are now a thing between Eddie, Buck and Christopher. ughh i just saw this post where it says that Buck remaking the lasagna 4 times is: 3 times wrong and burnt for Abby, Ali and Taylor, then the perfect one for Chris and Eddie and UGHHH i love tumblr and all of our little theories. Team Lasagna Theory!!

S6:E10 In a Flash

As Buck is going to go up the fire engine ladder Eddie says “all right cowboy go get em 😏🥰🤠”

save a horse ride a…

fuck off how is Buck struck by lightning hasn’t this boy gone through enough 😭😭😭 i’m with Eddie, freaking out right there.

S6:E11 In Another Life

As Buck arrives to the emergency room Eddie switches with Chim doing compressions, and he is the one that got his pulse back, i’m-

the doctors say they’ll do their best, Eddie shouts “Do More!”

Okay i’m going to go off the racks with this one, but while he’s in a coma Buck is having this dream of how things would’ve gone if Daniel did’t die, and it’s sort of a search for himself and the reconciliation with the kid that he could have been, the family and the parents that he never had, in order to grow.

I feel like Eddie wasn’t in that dream for a reason and it’s gonna sound crazy but here we go. As Buck realizes that he is enough he runs through the hospital and comes across people trying to stop him from returning, like obstacles he has to overcome. He doesn’t come acrosss Eddie, but he does find Christopher.

Christipher says: “help i’m lost, can you help me find my dad?”

Buck “sorry you’re but you’re not real and i have to go

as he runss away he says “i know i’m going to regret That one later. “

My theory for why eddie wasn’t in the dream was

1. Buck would have probably stayed with him (dead) 😅 and

2. up until that point he hasn’t seen Eddie for what he truly is, and he has to find himself and accept who he is in order to find Eddie too

but buck couldn’t have stayed in the dream with Eddie because he hadn’t figured it out yet, he doesn’t understand yet that he is lovable and that there are people in his life that love him for who he already is, he can’t see himself clearly.

metaphor for being struck by lightning and enlightening your thoughts huhhhh

S6:E12 Recovery

I love the couch theory 😭🫶 In this episode Buck can’t sleep in his couch (the one his mom bought) at all, and when he leaves a note to Maddie saying he was going out, he actually meant going to Eddie’s house <3 as soon as he touches the couch he is 😴 out of it. Buck it feels like the only place you are safe and comfortable is your best friend’s couch. See also every one of them has their spot on the couch! 😭 Buck left > Chris middle > Eddie right.

I am SO normal about this

They are so husband coded omfg

Eddie *talking about when he was shot* “so now am i allowed to ask how you are ? 😠😠”

Okay so read this post then come back here because Eddie says to buck

“Allow yourself to feel it”

allow yourself to feel it…

S6:E13 Mixed feelings

I love that aside from Just Hanging Out Chris and Eddie are also supporting (and entertaining) the idea of Buck’s new super powers, because of the lightning strike.

i have a theory that buck knows math because in the dream he was a math teacher, he never really figured out what it is he taught but i feel like that is it.

what’s up with that poker game? omg everyone there for sure thought they were boyfriends.

“three minutes”

Eddie “THREE MINUTES ANS SEVENTEEN SECONDS”

eddie is also so normal about this hahaha he’s gone

Buck playing and Eddie watching over him looks like a mafia boss and his boy toy out for some fun

S6:E14 Perfomance Anxiety

Eddie’s tia sets him up for a date and when he’s talking to the team about it he says that dating feels like a performance. ok gay.

Hen also gives him a sideye like she knowwwss. see also i laughed at the meme like ten minutes. 😂😂

S6:E15 Death and taxes

I feel like Eddie is so pissed and catious about Buck starting to date Natalia, he tells him that’s it’s not going to work out and when Buck says that she “sees” him for who he really is Eddie looks so conflicted.

S6:E17 Love is in the air

okay so Eddie decides to take matters into his own hands so his Tia leaves him alone about dating and it is NOT a coincidence that almost every woman he sees is either gay or married to that guy that checks him out in the golf course 😭😭 i screamed out loud at that HAHHDHA Eddie is like a gay magnet i fear

Alsoo!!! Eddie in the cafeteria is dressed with a grey shirt and a black puffed vest, as is the lady with the gay guy, same outfit… any thoughts?

Buck what’s with the ring cutter?!?!! that look he gives Maddy like you really wanna know why i have it 😭😭

he a ho

Eddie subconsciously realizing that he has never dated a woman for real and that comes from his upbringing of heteronormativity and fear of divorce? i know for my part (i’m mexican) that divorce is viewed as a failure and a disgrace. i also liked that he talked to his tía Pepa and he finds out she has divorced an remarried, he looks surprised because as i said, divorce are sort of a hush hush and taboo topic in our culture. so hopefully he starts his growing journey soon.

S6:E18 Pay It Forward

I know this is not the purpose of this rant thread but i loved seeing the mirroring between the first season when there is a full moon and the women are giving starting to give birth simultaneously and Buck is close to useless and that woman has to give birth herself 😂 and now, where Kameron is starting to give birth and he is caalm, and calls 911 and knows exactly what to do and what to say, i think it was a great example of his growth 🫶

Buck doesn’t learn, he’s just gonna jump and ask Natalia to pick a couch with him 😐

i really liked this season, as always if you have anything to add feel free go in the comments or repost 😚

[rueitae]

Season 2, Episode 9: the African Ice Caper for @csweekly

So. Happy Fathers Day weekend in the U.S. Carmen finds out what happened to hers today 😬

I love the urgency this episode begins with. It's so frantic. Such the perfect follow up to the mood we left off in the previous episode. “She’s been out in the cold all night”. I mapped out how long it takes to get from one end of Stockholm to the other and it definitely does not take all night. I wonder if the ice lodge is way further north of the city. ALSO THAT IS VERY VERY VERY SERIOUS FROSTBITE. Carmen is super fortunate she kept all of her limbs let alone is alive.

IVY CALLING SHADOWSAN CARMEN’S FAMILY MEANS EVERYTHING TO ME. She’s come around!!! It’s like she can sense in Shadowsan’s moment of vulnerability, of genuineness, that he really does care. Ivy strikes me as someone who has had to look out for her brother emotionally and physically. And against adults that don’t actually care about them. She was watching him close for Carmen’s sake and now she gives her approval.

“I CAME AS SOON AS I COULD” Shadowsan really does sound stressed and worried. I can feel it in the voice acting. Can you imagine the conversation when Player broke the news to him.

And they get her out of the hospital, probably as soon as Shadowsan gets there. Very real possibility that VILE could have found and extracted her from there.

I love the montage so much. Shadowsan realizing what he needs to do. He and Player falling into a seamless routine (I need to write a fic about this time). All so that Carmen can just *rest*. I love how she’s animated here. She’s just a little restless but also peaceful. Zack and Ivy cleaning up and making hq a *home*

Carmen’s DREAM. So excellent we get to really see what’s on her heart and mind. She’s really considering Chief’s request, she wants to trust, she wants to be comfortable and have someone have her back…but like Brunt shows up she’s terrified of it all going wrong. Of being vulnerable and almost dying again. Of someone she thought she trusted turning on her. Unable to control her own destiny.

Carmen has a dream and so does Devineaux. The man is mad but smart. I love how his mind uses Julia to help him figure it out. It’s so bizarre by the end but it really does start out normal ish. And I LOVE it. Such a cool sequence.

And after she wakes she is immediately back at it. Scared herself into going back to work.

I have new appreciation for Player being able to call up Carmen’s laptop without her having to click an answer call button. We have something like that recently to be able to video chat with my 93 year old grandmother. But also I’d like to express how sweet it is that the team set the laptop there so that Player COULD see how Carmen is doing any time he wants. Would be a sweet fic of everybody having a one sided chat with Carmen while she’s sleeping.

ALL THREE are apprehensive over Carmen going back into the field. But ultimately none of them can really tell her no, particularly after she promises to keep it easy.

Ivy mother henning Carmen is the BEST. I know Carmen is in charge but really Ivy is the mom friend of the group. Instincts from looking after Zack. That she probably had to develop really early.

“Guess you caught me lion” never change

And now Player has officially warmed up to Shadowsan, just as Zack and Ivy have. The look on Carmen’s face is heartwarming, soft and relieved. Everything is fine they’re all on one page everything is perfect it’s not like ANYTHING COULD MESS THAT UP NOW.

I’m so glad we got to see a Shadowsan solo caper. He’s so efficient and that fight on the cable cars ROCKED. Sliding down the cable to the bottom??? Giving Le Chevre the diamonds back only to knock him out? AND DELIVERING A ZINGER after he’s unconscious so no one will know. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Also Le Chèvre’s little defeated shrug to the “you were followed??!”

I love Red Drone’s existence. Definitely a joint venture with Ivy and Player, hardware and software.

I remember when I first saw the episode I gasped that Brunt was there. Did not expect and I immediately feared for Carmen. When Tigress finds her and says the “let’s have Coach Brunt look at your injuries” that is peak threat. I screamed in delight. Thank you Ivy and Zack for being literally the best concerned friends ever. Loved Ivy’s little dilemma there between trusting Carmen the boss and knowing Carmen her friend is very human and can indeed almost die.

Also did they bring that entire desktop computer with them?

Protective Player my favorite strikes again and he was halfway right. Love the timing of Tigress right there and by the end of the episode…Brunt does let her walk.

Chase Devineaux. Single handedly figures out what no one else is even close to, the location of VILE (even though the map is incorrect it makes me scream but I’ll still give Chase his credit). Loved his little arc here. This is the beginning of when he turns it around. This is the little seed that Julia planted growing into a sapling. Because once s3 hits, he’s going to get that revelation. It’s SUCH a good arc I can’t wait to watch it unfold again.

The cat jokes lol

“HUNTING”

The whole scene with Tigress vs the sibs is fantastic. Carmen knew exactly what she was doing.

Oh but I love that taking Tigress out of the game is what puts Carmen on a time table. She takes time to discuss it over with Player at least but her mind is basically made up. Her dream at the beginning showed us her heart in that. Ultimately, she wants to take down VILE, if ACME can help, that’s pressure off of her.

Also protective Player again. But Carmen’s response back “you used to say the same about Shadowsan” is an excellent point. I hate that her trust in both gets shaken over this episode and the next. And I get the sense Player hates being right.

Player’s “for Carmen’s safety, right?” Which I do think is what Shadowsan had in mind. He doesn’t know who this Chief is and he has more extensive knowledge of VILE and the criminal underworld in general. He wants to make sure he doesn’t recognize her from any of that.

But he does recognize her.

This episode is full of team concern over Carmen’s well being and I’m living.

Roundabout’s character is really cool. He really shows exactly how deeply entrenched VILE is everywhere. They have literally the perfect system. It’s even more impressive how Carmen takes them down herself with her small team. (More fangirl when we get to the London caper)

My heart gets racing when Player and Red Drone almost get found. Very close indeed.

I gotta feel for Chief a little here. She really thinks she’s got Carmen almost recruited.

IS THAT A SeaGULL. PLEASE 😂😂😂 I desperately want someone in team red to also have that bad of acting for fake illness for the parallel ~~Carmen please it would be so funny she already crashes cars~~

Cool action sequence where Carmen gets to save someone from a bomb. Very dramatic. She really has to be extra and slide over the top of the vehicle instead of exiting like a normal person.

Also so clever from a writing perspective to use the explosion to free Tigress. As a fan of angst I love the immediate danger it puts Ivy and Zack in.

The EPIC misunderstandings continue. I love how we as an audience are treated to the full story and clearly each individual team is not. VILE has thought this whole time Carmen is working with ACME when the reality is that she JUST started. Love this stuff.

Hmmm the train scene : D love how distracted Carmen is. She’s just trying to sort out her feelings on this whole ACME collaboration. VILE always leaves. She has NO reason to think anyone stayed behind. So when Boris is at the door when she opens….her EXPRESSION of dawning fear is IMMACULATE. As is her progression. Fear to defiance to uncertainty as she explains what she knows about Shadowsan in Argentina. She is terrified right now.

I hear that barely disguised panic as you wake up Carmen. 100% justified.

“A world of hurt. It’s a comin.” I LOVE this line. Because a first time watcher is set to believe that Brunt is going to pound Carmen into dust, as at the end of s1 but worse because no one is there to save her. BUT the hurt isn’t physical it’s emotional and WHaT a bombshell it is. It’s incredibly telling that Carmen is begging Brunt not to go, to tell her more, even though Brunt literally attempted to murder Carmen not that long ago. I remember quite literally gasping aloud.

Man what a cliffhanger. Carmen is left alone tied up and only with her own thoughts. Screaming.

[fancoloredglasses]

The Happiness Patrol (Paranoia at its finest)

[All images are owned by the BBC. Please don’t sue or EXTERMINATE! me]

(Thanks to Doctor Who)

…and with the most cutting-edge CGI the late 80s can muster, I give you a bit of personal history…

I am an avid gamer (as my review of Dungeons & Dragons will attest to) and one of the more unusual role-playing games I latched onto was…

(Thanks to Wikipedia)

A game that not only discouraged teamwork, but actively pitted the players’ characters against one another. The setting is a dystopian future run by an insane computer that wanted all citizens to be happy and obedient.

Happiness is Mandatory. Citizens who are not happy will be used as reactor shielding. Are you happy, citizen?

A good example of gameplay can be summarized in the following video…

(Thanks to SpiffyInfo)

The citizens of the setting are assigned security clearance ranging through the rainbow spectrum from infrared (the lowest, represented by black) to ultraviolet (the highest, represented by white), of which the first letter of their clearance is attached to their name (for example:  Fred-G; infrareds don’t warrant a letter designation)

What does this have to do with Doctor Who? You’ll soon find out. But first, a note on the timeline…

The Doctor is on his seventh incarnation (played by Sylvester McCoy). He is bit of a schemer, sometimes working toward the endgame before the episode officially begins.

His companion at this time is Ace (a nickname. Her actual name is Dorothy; no last name is ever given), a rebellious teenager with a knack for chemistry (primarily explosives. Her specialty is a compound she calls “Nitro-9”). Unlike most female companions, she’s not prone to screaming, but instead uses her wits (and explosives) to get herself and the Doctor (or, as she calls him, “Professor”) out of trouble.

If you would like to watch the episode, it’s available on BritBox or Tubi. Now, on to Part One!

We open with a woman looking a bit depressed and a man joins her. The man (Silas P) claims it’s dangerous to be sad in public and offers to help her, then offers his card.

With that, Silas P calls for a group of women in pink uniforms who kill the woman!

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, the TARDIS materializes. Ace hates the fact that the speakers in the square are playing muzak (“elevator (or, as the British say, lift) music”) that is artificially cheery.

(Thanks again to Doctor Who)

[A quick note: the rankings of citizens on Terra Alpha are letters affixed to the end of their names (the leader, Helen A, is the woman you saw giving a badge to Silas P), with aliens getting the affectation SIGMA to their name. Sound familiar?]

Let’s switch to Helen A and her husband Joseph C (wait, her husband’s two ranks below her? Who’s ranked as a B, then?) as they tune in to Helen A’s newest address.

Switching back to the Doctor and Ace (or should I say, “Doctor SIGMA and Ace SIGMA”), they’re brought to a holding area (not a jail?), where they see a “killjoy” (someone who doesn’t subscribe to the manta of “Happiness is mandatory”) named Harold V playing a slot machine. Suddenly he wins and is "treated" to a video by Helen A (not exactly what I would call a “prize”, especially since it was a lame joke about killjoys)

The Doctor wanders over to talk to the guard.

The Doctor asks if they could leave at any time. The guard says they could…but would be killed if they did. Harold V says they’re being held to be used as experiments for someone called the Kandy Man.

We then switch to a chamber where Joseph C is lining up a condemned killjoy before a firing squad. Suddenly, the squad leaves. Just as the condemned breathes a sigh of relief, the tube over his head drops. When it rises again…

…he’s been drowned in strawberry syrup.

And, for good measure, Helen A electrocutes Harold V (the killjoy’s brother) in front of the Doctor and Ace.

In the waiting area is a go-kart, which Ace is convinced in booby trapped (since the guard (strange that only women are members of the Happiness Patrol…except the undercover members) says she won’t stop them from using it) However, the Doctor defuses it and off they go!

Later, the go-kart has broken down and the Doctor is trying to fix it, so Ace distracts the Happiness Patrol looking for them.

The Doctor then gets the go-kart working, but must run off before he can find out what happened to Ace.

Let’s cut to the streets of Terra Alpha, where a man named Earl SIGMA is playing soulful blues on his harmonica…unless he spots a Happiness Patrol…err patrol, then he plays some vapid syrupy-sweet jazzy number.

At Happiness Patrol HQ, the Patrolwoman (Susan Q) confesses to Ace she might not be cut out for the Patrol ever since her friends were arrested and executed as killjoys.

With that, Susan Q turns her back so Ace can slip out “unnoticed”.

Meanwhile, the Doctor’s go-kart has finally died properly as Silas P (remember him?) makes his way to the Doctor and tries suckering him as well. Just as Silas P calls for the Happiness Patrol, he’s knocked out from behind by Earl and they rush off, leaving Silas P to deal with what is likely going to be called a false alarm.

…aaaand that’s the last we see of Silas P.

Meanwhile, the Doctor and Earl have found the kitchen of…

…the Kandy Man and his handler/punching bag Gilbert M. Fortunately, they escape before the Kandy Man finds them.

…or do they? As the Kandy Man advances menacingly, the closing credits roll on Part One.

Let’s move on to Part Two, shall we?

We open to a group of killjoys conducting a protest march as…something looks on from the tunnels below.

Meanwhile, Ace has been re-captured.

Let’s check back in with the Doctor and Earl, shall we? The Kandy Man has decreed they shall taste his latest sweets, and likely die with smiles on their faces as a result.

The Doctor manages to anger the Kandy Man enough that he accidentally knocks over a bottle of lemonade…

…and the syrupy liquid mixes with his sugar-infused feet, cementing him to the floor! The Doctor and Earl escape into the tunnels below as the Kandy Man screams for Gilbert M to free him.

Meanwhile, Ace and Susan Q have been brought back to the waiting zone.

In the tunnels, the Doctor and Earl are checking out the massive amount of crystalized sugar along the roof.

You don’t suppose that will be relevant later, do you?

As they work their way down the tunnel, they find massive clawed footprints. Not sure I’d want to meet whatever made that.

…ah.

Earl shows that his harmonica isn’t a weapon, and suddenly the denizens start talking like Ace (they learned a lot from seeing her for just a few moments) So does this mean they’re friends now?

Back at the waiting zone, Susan Q is taken away to be executed. Suddenly, the denizens from the tunnels attack, allowing Ace to escape with them.

Meanwhile the Doctor is leaving the tunnels and once again runs into Trevor SIGMA. After no small amount of double-talk that would make Bugs Bunny proud, he convinces Trevor to take him to Helen A as Earl decides to make himself scarce.

In Helen A’s office, she has been told about Ace’s escape (wow, news travels fast!) and is overjoyed that her pet can get some exercise by hunting them down.

Meanwhile is one again illegally blowing the blues as the protest march walks past. On the roof…

…there are a couple of Happiness Patrol (wadaya know? There are men in the rank and file of the Happiness Patrol!) snipers complaining that the female Happiness Patrol members never have to do sniper duty (and with inferior guns to boot!)

Meanwhile in the tunnels, Fifi has been unleashed!

In Helen A’s office, Joseph C has brought in Trevor SIGMA and the Doctor. Helen A all but admits to mass slaughter to reduce the population (down 17%!) Helen A excuses herself to attend to some business, and the Doctor follows and overhears her ordering an execution.

The Doctor confronts her then leaves, stealing her fire extinguisher and Joseph C’s seltzer bottle of lemonade (gee, I wonder who he’s going to see next?)

In the tunnels, Fifi has caught up to Ace, so she feeds Fifi a helping of Nitro-9.

The Doctor meets up with Earl (not who I thought he was going to see), who tells him about the snipers. The Doctor goes to deal with them (also not who I thought he was going to see)

The Doctor sneaks his way to the snipers’ nest and dares the sniper to look him in the eye while shooting him, but the sniper can’t do it, so the Doctor takes away their guns. And with that threat neutralized, the Doctor is off to see the Kandy Man (THAT’S who I thought he was going to see!)

Meanwhile, Susan Q is about to be executed by firing squad strawberry syrup.

However, the Doctor decides at that time to pay a visit to the Kandy Man.

The Kandy Man agrees, so the Doctor uses the fire extinguisher to unstick the Kandy Man from the floor.

About that time, Trevor SIGMA arrives at Helen A’s office unannounced, just in time to see a strawberry-flavored flop and only a dollop of syrup emerges from the tube. Trevor explains that Susan Q (and Ace, who barged in to attempt a rescue) can’t be executed by syrup due to Galactic Law, so she comes up with another means for them to die.

Meanwhile, the Kandy Man, having held up his end of the bargain, moves to kill the Doctor once more. However…

…the Doctor came prepared and once again adheres the Kandy Man to the floor as he makes his escape.

Meanwhile, what’s Helen A going to do with Susan Q and Ace?

She’s going to make them audition for the Happiness Patrol (since Susan Q has been bounced out of the Patrol, she’s eligible to audition once more), with a failed audition being fatal!

The Doctor and Earl begin looking for Ace, then find posters advertising Ace’s audition. The Doctor sends Earl to get the protesters and bring them to the audition.

And with that, Part 2 comes to an end. On to Part 3!

We open to find Ace and Susan Q being escorted to the Forum by the Happiness Patrol. Meanwhile, Earl has managed to get the protesters to converge on the forum as Helen A sends a squad to deal with them.

And as an aside, Fifi survived being blown up by Ace. Helen A once again unleashes her into the tunnels.

Meanwhile in the forum square, the Doctor has somehow (probably in one of the TARDIS’s storerooms) gotten a microphone and has hooked it up into the square’s speakers.

Once the Happiness Patrol arrives, the Doctor confronts them…by laughing at them. Then the protesters come into the square and begin cheering and celebrating!

Then another Happiness Patrol unit shows up, sees the Doctor and the protesters celebrating while the first unit looks upset, so they arrest the unit as the Doctor merrily escapes.

Back at Helen A’s office, she receives word of fighting in the ranks of the Happiness Patrol in the forum square, so she leaves to deal with it personally, leaving Joseph C to wait for Fifi’s return.

Meanwhile, the Doctor, Ace, Earl, and Susan Q enter the tunnels where they run into the denizens who warn them about Fifi.

Fortunately, the Doctor has an idea. He lures Fifi into the sugar-coated tunnels and has Earl play a high-pitched tune as Fifi enters and the tons of crystalized sugar collapses on top of her.

Hopefully that’s the last of Fifi.

Meanwhile, reports of widespread riots reach Helen A’s ears, so she contacts the Kandy Man to deal with the Doctor. Fortunately, he just showed up for a chat!

(Thanks once more to Doctor Who)

As the Kandy Man attempts to escape, the denizens invade his Kitchen and flood the tunnels with strawberry syrup (quite the fitting end, yes?)

Gilbert M and Joseph C look at the Doctor’s handiwork and decide it’s time to leave.

Meanwhile, Helen A has the same idea as…

She readies her escape shuttle, but Joseph C and Gilbert M have commandeered it. TRAITORS! Guess she’ll need to take a commercial transport.

(Thanks to The Wanderer’s Library)

And so with Helen A defeated, Terra Alpha can return to a normal society where people are allowed to be sad if they need to. And they even managed to paint the TARDIS its proper color before the Doctor and Ace dematerialized to their next adventure.

[letsrilakkusu-blog]

An ode to Given

A few days ago the internet collectively freaked out - myself included - when it was announced that the next chapter of Given would be the final chapter, ending its 10-year run. I'm honestly still in shock and while I'm trying to stay optimistic that maybe the big announcement that's coming with the final chapter will involve some kind of sequel, a second season of the anime seems more likely. It's difficult coming to terms with the fact that I may have to say goodbye to a series that I love so much, and with an ending that I most likely will not find satisfying. Regardless, Given has taken up a huge space in my heart for the past two years and I just wanted to write about how I found it, my experience with it, and what it means to me.

I've enjoyed manga and anime ever since I was in middle school, but toward the end of college I got too busy to keep up. Fast forward to years later in 2020, I was stuck at home during the pandemic and decided to dive back in. After rewatching a BL anime that I really liked in high school, Given came up as a suggested series. A quick Google search told me that it was a great romance story between boys in a band, cool.

The first episode starts with Mafuyu's melancholy monologue about the dream he keeps on having and I see right off the bat that I've signed up for a bit more than a cute love story with music. Then the opening song Kizuato hits and I'm totally captivated. It's probably one of my favorite opening sequences and truly captures the feel of the series with its hard-hitting instrumentals, Cenmilli's emotional vocals, and the moody art.

The series pace is on the slower side but there was enough drama and intrigue to keep pulling me in, and it's full of comedic gold. And then... episode 9, A Winter Story. It shook me to my core, everything about it was absolutely amazing. Ue's talk with Mafuyu before the show where he admits that even he doesn't know what he is doing or how to express himself, all he knows is that he loves Mafuyu's sound. The song itself, interspersed with flashbacks of Mafuyu and Yuki's relationship and Mafuyu's monologue (his "I'm lonely" is truly devastating, major props to Yano Shogo). THE KISS. A genuine surprise, so quick and so gentle from inexperienced Ue. I had to watch the episode twice because it left me in complete awe and I needed to experience it again. Then episodes 10-11 were the perfect wind-down with a lot of cute and legendary moments, aka Ue experiencing increasing levels of gay panic. The series became an instant favorite and I rewatched it immediately. I can't find the words to properly express what it did to me but it just made me feel so many things, things I don't think I've felt for a long time. I couldn't shake it.

After that, I was still hungry for more Given so I read the manga, which is a totally different and wonderful experience. The art is beautiful, and the way Kizu-sensei portrays emotions through the characters' facial expressions is unparalleled. Soon after that, the movie came to Crunchyroll, and I've been keeping up with the series in every form since. I read the chapters as they come out bi-monthly. I watched the drama adaptation (not great but not the worst I've seen). I watched the OVA many times (my favorite, all the precious RitsuMafu moments I was missing from the movie). I splurged on a second-hand DVD set of the stage play (really well done). I even watched the anime dub (tolerable), and I hate dubs. Rereading and rewatching the series are routine. Safe to say, it's consumed me for two years and the flame has not died down one bit.

Lots of fans joke about referring to Given as our comfort series when it actually hits on a lot of heavy topics and has eviscerated our emotions on more than one occasion. But it truly is my comfort place. Just as I had finished watching the anime for the first time, I lost a very close friend to illness. This friend was a fellow anime/manga enthusiast and was probably the one who introduced me to the world of BL. Although she didn't watch Given, I like to think that it could have been something we would have enjoyed together if we had the time. And although the circumstances are different, I could relate to Mafuyu prematurely losing an important person in his life. Because the story is equal parts pain and healing, Given kind of provided me with a space where I could dump all of the emotions I was experiencing, whether they were happy or sad. It taught me about loss, grief, and above all, the way music and love can heal the wounds that these things have left behind.

I also have to speak separately about the music of Given, it's just so well done, with so much care and attention to detail. You can tell that Cenmilli worked closely with Kizu-sensei or really dived into the source material when working on the music. Every song created for the series relates very clearly to an event or element of the story. I could write praises upon praises for all of them, but some of my favorites include:

Fuyu no Hanashi, for obvious reasons. Yano Shogo's raw vocals are haunting and the guitar riffs are insanely cool. The way the lyrics change from Mafuyu being stuck and unable to say goodbye in the first chorus, to finally moving forward despite that in the last chorus, show that he's getting the closure he needed.

Kizuato - The lyrics perfectly express the series' tagline "can't say goodbye, I'm still drifting with your echoes." And the pre-chorus is so, so good.

Hetakuso - A simple but insanely sweet song that is definitely Mafuyu's response to Ue's admission that he is bad at expressing himself. I squealed when I saw the lyrics mention "covered by the heat of summer" and "not being afraid of the next winter" in reference to the two of them.

Bokura dake no Shudaika - As I read the lyrics, I can't tell if the song is referencing Akihiko and Ugetsu's relationship or Akihiko and Haruki's (maybe it's both), but I actually like that ambiguity. I also love how it beautifully incorporates the violin as a salute to Aki and Ugetsu.

Uragawa no Sonzai - I know Mafuyu is singing the song but I like to think of it from Ue's perspective. He is aware that there is a side to Mafuyu that he doesn't know, his past, a time when he cried, a person he cried over. But he embraces this "existence on the other side" as a precious part of the person he loves and vows that he will fill up for what the other is lacking, and vice versa. I'm crying.

Now that the series is coming to an end, I don't know what I'll do with myself. If it's truly ending for good, I do have my complaints, but I'll save that for another time. No matter what though, Given is solidified as one of my top anime/manga series of all time, and I'm sure I'll keep revisiting it over the years even after it's finished. It's given me so much - joy (RitsuMafu soft moments are my serotonin), sorrow (Strawberry Swing, anyone?), laughs (too many to count), and some of my favorite music - and for that, I'm incredibly thankful.

[asm5129]

Flash thoughts episode 9x02

Let’s get the headline out of the way—I freaking love Khione. She’s great. She’s interesting, she’s intriguing, and she’s performed really well by the ever exceptional Danielle Panabaker.

Her sincerity and joy is such an interesting contrast to the rest of the team this season—especially Barry, Iris, and Joe who are all dealing with 9 years of superhero life baggage and trauma. She’s also got really interesting and deep insights into people, almost piercing ones. Plus there’s her connection to nature she speaks of. I wonder if that’s some kind of power, or simply a result of her sincerity and fresh eyes on the world, uncolored by a long history of bias and regrets and the like.

It was off-putting to hear Barry and the other heroes talk so casually about sacrificing Khione’s life to bring back Caitlin and/Frost, barely thinking of her as anything more than a reason Caitlin isn’t there anymore, but I think it works within the context of how grief affects us. Even heroes struggle to think of every life as having equal value, because they have personal relationships too, and these heroes just had more investment in Caitlin and Frost—it’s just someone you just met is not going to mean the same thing as someone you’ve known and thought of as family for years. Obviously I’m glad Barry realized he was treating her so awfully.

I definitely miss Caitlin and Frost, but I agree with the team—Caitlin made her choice. For that matter, so did Frost. Both knew the risks of their choices. Khione is the result. And neither Caitlin nor Frost would want Khione to give up her life for them when it’s only just started.

I also think it’s really interesting that what she said to Hartley actually applies to Mark in a really deep way. Mark never really committed to becoming a better man, he just worked to be a better person to make Frost happy. Like Khione said—doing it for someone else isn’t real change. With Frost gone he’s lost the foundation for those changes, hence him “going rogue”, as Barry phrased it. Speaking of—

The new rogue is another strong one. A new version of The Fiddler, and while I liked what we saw of the new Captain Boomerang we got a lot more of Fiddler and I am very pleased with her. I think it’s a fun performance, a cool power set, and a solid presence. She also sold the fear in the scene with Red Death really, really well. Regardless of why these Rogues decided to ally with Red Death at first, it’s clear they’re in over their heads.

It was fun to have Hartley back, and I’m very happy they didn’t pull a bury your gays with his boyfriend but instead did this really neat thing of him and the others being trapped in a vibrational frequency out of sync with reality. It allows them to be saved through Barry’s ability to vibrate at a frequency that can see them, without undermining Fiddler’s claim about it being “a fate worse than death”—for being frozen just out of sync with life forever, I think that’s an apt description, and that doesn’t get undermined just because they could be saved imo. Anyway it’s just a really neat thing to do with sound powers.

Joe meanwhile is in a rough spot as Cecile gets closer and closer to being capable of field work, cuz he’s been dealing with the harsh reality of field work longer than anyone—both as a cop and as the patriarch of the Flash family since the very start. I think with all that experience with violence and pain it makes a lot of sense that he feels like he has to draw the line somewhere, and this feels to him like where it has to be drawn. I’m intrigued to see where this goes.

It’s cool to see WestAllen making sure to keep themselves provided with joy during these difficult times as well—we could all learn from that honestly.

And finally, I think Red Death framing her plan as “serving justice” rather than “getting revenge” is really interesting, especially knowing this is a version of Batwoman. We’ll probably find out soon if my theory is right about this being the Ryan Wilder from the Armageddon future. If it is, from her perspective Barry is the reverse-flash, and he did to The Flash exactly what Thawne actually did in the beginning of season 8. Would be a really interesting way to play with that warped future Thawne created, keeping him as part of the last season while Barry faces consequences for rewriting a timeline in which Ryan was happy, and was even literally about to adopt a child with Sophie. She would have lost not just that but all her other friendships and connections too. In this timeline for instance, Ryan and Iris aren’t friends, they don’t even know each other. All the years of friendship? Gone. Anyways we’ll see.

Overall another really solid episode for the final season.

On that note, it seems like the Arrowverse guest stars will be more of a chance to say goodbye this season rather than wrapping up any of their stories, which makes sense. Better to keep it focused, but I’m glad we will still have a chance to say goodbye.

I’m sad we won’t get to see Eric Wallace’s grand plan he talked about recently come to fruition. Season 10 sounds like it would’ve been amazing, maybe even a proper Justice League story, but instead the planned 200th episode is now the series finale. I have to believe that if the star wars prequels can find themselves real fans, and there can be a desire for The Amazing Spider-Man 3 with Andrew Garfield, the Arrowverse will find its way to the sun again as well.

[toointojoelmiller]

please don't go: a last of us fic

chapter 3

after David / Silver Lake / post-episode 8

angst, Joel & Ellie bonding, 99% canon compliant

rating: mature - content warnings re: s/a, violence, more

ch 1 | ch 2 | ch 3 | ch 4 | ch 5 | ch 6 | ch 7 | ch 8 | ch 9 | ch 10

link to whole story (work in progress) on AO3

-------

They're quiet for a while, both of them waiting to thaw and too exhausted to shiver and talk at the same time. It’s full dark by the time the sensation starts prickling painfully back into Joel’s toes. They’re huddled side by side with the heavy sleeping bags cocooned around them both, tugged over top of their heads slightly to trap as much heat in as they can. The zipped together sleeping bag blanket is big enough to overlap slightly in a double layer in front of them, even with a few bundles of the fabric bunched up under their legs to keep the cold coming up from from the floor at bay. It’s starting to feel warm. He still can’t quite believe any of it is real.

Ellie’s velcroed at his side, leaning into his shoulder a little, facing forward but clearly not really looking at anything. Her breaths are sounding a bit less laboured now that she isn’t having to fight so hard to stay upright and mobile - but the wheezy little noises are still leaking out steadily and he’s trying to dial in to listen closely, trying to tell if it’s coming from her lungs or her throat - like he’s a fucking doctor, anyway, like he can even do anything with that.

They’ve kept a small gap between the edges of the blanket where it comes up near their faces - enough of an opening to let Joel keep an eye on the parts of the window and door he can see from here, and to let them breathe in air that smells a bit less strongly like the blood and filth they are both covered in.

Running on fumes, Joel doesn’t even try to stop himself from remembering how Sarah looked laying in her little bed, tucked in the way she had demanded for so long, blankets pulled up in a hood all the way over the head, tucked in tight all around her, looped up and under her feet. Only her perfect round face was left free, big eyes peeking out into her room. “You look like E.T., little weirdo”, he’d tell her so he could listen to her giggle as he tucked her teddy bear in beside her.

“What- ” Tommy (young and dumb) had teased her once, “You think the monsters under your bed ain’t gonna find a way ‘round some butterfly sheets?” Set off a few long weeks of nightmares and sleep regression with that one. At least he’d learned his lesson - always more gentle with his words around her after that.

She was always making forts in the living room, too - although, admittedly, this is not much like one of Sarah’s famous couch-cushion-and-dining-chair-post-and-beam-blanket-forts, and more - well - a blanket-cave. He’s leaving his flashlight on for now, a sliver of harsh white light to see by under the blanket, solely so he can keep an eye on Ellie. Too afraid of missing something in the dark.

Joel’s rubbing her red stained hands between his and holding her fingertips close to his mouth, focusing on warming them a bit more with each exhale. Her frost-nipped fingers along with his seem to be finally returning to a normal temperature, no longer ice to the touch. And no blistering he can see yet - what’s one more miracle? - they might have somehow dodged frostbite.

He hopes he can say the same for the skin under her still wet jeans, water soaked up the legs from the snow, damp patches on her knees and seat from where she fell. Now that he knows they’re not fixing to freeze to death before the sun is up, he needs to start tackling everything else on the list of things that could be hurting her.

It’s a long fucking list.

“Your jeans are wet, Ellie,” he says, glancing down to where she’s leaning against his shoulder. “Should get in your dry pair soon - can’t stay damp all night.”

“Yours too,” she says softly after a minute, and he hmms in acknowledgement. Neither one of them moves.

She takes a few more breaths in and out before she continues talking. “Can’t. M- hurt my shoulder.”

He shuffles around a bit to face her more directly. “Think we’re warm enough under here now to take off that jacket for a bit - mind if I take a look?”

“S’fine - just hurts,” she replies, but she starts shrugging the coat off, needing a bit of help from him to twist in the awkwardness of the space without toppling over, struggling with her weakness under the weight of the blanket on them.

The coat falls and she resettles in just her sweater now, and Joel shifts a little more onto his knees - groaning through the hurt flaring up in his side again - trying to face her as square on as he can get to compare her left side and right side.

No obvious asymmetry he can see. Doesn’t look swollen.

“Can you move it?” He asks, lifting and holding his own arm up and out to his side to demonstrate. She starts to mimic him but winces and he reaches out to pause her from moving any higher -“Just stop there, that’s alright.” She obeys, dropping her arm down to her side.

“How’d it - d'you hurt it when you fell? Off the horse?”

She looks at him for another couple of seconds before her gaze falls down to the floor. The silence stretches on - it doesn’t seem like she’s going to respond. He takes a pause to evaluate her frame, no longer drowning in his coat. Smaller than he’d ever seen her before, easy - she’s dropped pounds she couldn’t afford to lose. A shrinking, starving little girl at risk of disappearing.

Add it to the list.

“You mind if I look over the rest of your arms?” He asks, after as much of the quiet settles in as he can take. He’s so drained of energy he doesn’t feel real. So sore. But his worry is loud in his mind, and the volume keeps dialling up as more time passes - starts to take on a sharper edge as he lets himself consider how little of her body he’s actually laid eyes on to check for injuries by this point.

After another few seconds, Ellie shrugs, her eyes staying glued to the floor.

He reaches down to hold one of her hands gently in his, and starts to slide her sleeve up and out of the way with his free hand. He blinks and she’s grabbed onto his wrist with both hands and she’s squeezing, tight. He freezes and tries to look at her still downcast face, finding nothing he can read.

“You’re -” she says shakily and then pauses, dragging in a gasp of air. She’s bawling a second later. Her tiny fingers keep squeezing tight. Her arms are tense, holding him at length.

“You’re the- the one hurt,” she wails without looking up at him. “You fe- you shouldn’t - your stitches-“ the rest of her sentence is lost.

He’s never seen her fall apart like this, even after all that’s happened. All she’s seen. Joel can feel his heart squeezing, shredding.

As quickly as she grabbed him, she’s dropped the hold on his wrist, and she’s got her fingers winding into the fabric of his flannel shirt instead, clenching her fists tightly in small jerks like she’s trying to accomplish something but it’s all just uncoordinated, purposeless movements. He’s not sure she’s behind the driver’s seat of what she’s doing anymore.

“Ellie, it’s okay,” he tries to soothe her somehow - it’s fucking hard to keep his voice steady with his throat working against him, feeling tighter and tighter. He covers her hands with his, no idea what else to do, rubbing his thumbs slowly across the back of her clenched tight knuckles. “I’m alright,” he keeps talking, hoping he sounds calm, "Nothin’ you need to-“

“Got medicine,” she sobs loudly.

“I know, baby. I know you did.”

“B-bleed-ing?” It comes out in gasps. She’s yanking harder at his flannel, and he gets what her hands are trying to do.

“No, no,” he moves hurriedly to tug up the bottom of his shirt until the stitched up gash is visible, exposed to the cold air. He fumbles for the flashlight, redirects the beam onto it. “See? No bleeding - stitched it up real good. Still holdin'. You saved me. I’m - I’m alright.”

In truth, the wound had been seeping all day as he twisted and strained - not much but enough to feel his clothes sticking to his side, to leave rusty stains blooming on the inside of his shirt - but he’s been still long enough that there’s no fresh wetness for her to see. He watches her shuddering and crying as she looks at the stitches, reaches out and places her fingertips just beside the wound where the swollen redness and heat still spills up out of the gash into his skin, the infection fading but not quite gone. He waits while she takes it in for a beat, and then another.

“Medicine?” she asks between crying jags, looking up at him.

“Packed - just saw it in my bag - I’m - I’m good - you don’t gotta worry about me anymore,” it's a plea, and he's looking at her as she sobs, begging her to hear, “Goddammit, Ellie - it’s my job to take care of you, you never shoulda -  I don’t even know what’s happened to you, baby, I just - I need to make sure you’re okay."

“I’m-” she says with another full body shudder, pulling her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them and pressing her face down onto her knees for a moment before she finishes her sentence - “M’ fine.”

And then she sits back up and nods a few times. There’s a new tightness showing up on her face, her jaw. She draws her shoulders back a bit, opens and closes her shaking hands a few times, shuts her eyes and sucks her sobs inwards until they get softer and smaller.

Joel recognizes what's happening with dread.

This is the part of Ellie that got her through growing up alone. A mouth to feed in a loveless FEDRA orphanage, neglected every day, tormented on others. The part that allowed her to get through a childhood spent trading blows with other lonely kids, all of them underfed and worked like dogs, trained to draw blood and shut up when they were bleeding. The only thing that could have let her survive being one of the smallest - he knows that must have made her an easy target, it leaks out so clearly in her get them before they get you veneer. And while Joel avoided any and all children in the QZ, he saw enough in the streets and back alleys to know that FEDRA kids don’t fight fair.

He’s watching a little girl shutting down inside, shoving her feelings down to be buried in some frozen, dark place. This is something - an instinct - that binds them. She was raised in it. He’s helped her perfect it.

Things happen and we move on.

The self-disgust churns white hot in his gut.

-----

link to whole story (work in progress) on AO3

[ectoplasm-james]

find the word challenge

rules: share snippets of your work containing each of the words the previous poster selected for you.

I was tagged by the wonderful @giraffeter! Thank you!

wrist

Vegas sees the escort off with a smile and a squeeze of his wrist; Tawan stays and sits with the family. Big watches as Kinn sits beside him on the couch and slings a careless, casual arm behind Tawan’s back, and Tawan reaches up and twists their fingers together. They don’t look at each other. They don’t have to.

It's interminable.

(wip: big fucks everybody except kinn)

long

Big holds Chan’s gaze, jaw set in a way that suggests he’s trying to stop his lip from trembling.

Chan’s been here a very long time. He’s seen men walk through the doors for the first time and then leave in a body bag within weeks. A handful of them, including Big, Chan has watched grow up, pruned and coaxed into the proper shape like bonsai.

(wip: chan/big emotional maintenance)

jump

Vegas lights himself another cigarette and laughs when Porsche jumps at the sound of the match striking. He smokes it slow, ashing it on Porsche occasionally when the mood takes him, and watching Porsche watch him. At some point, Porsche started to shed silent tears; they shine in pretty rivulets on his temples where they ran into his hair. Vegas tangles a hand in that hair, leans down, and kisses him slow and filthy, savoring the taste of fire that lingers there. Porsche makes more of those little cries every time their tongues brush together.

(wip: vegasporsche episode 9-10 canon divergence)

habit

Pete still doesn’t answer him. He puts aside his book, rises, and goes to stand in front of where Vegas sits in his chair. He touches his shoulder, the bad one, then gently pulls aside Vegas’s open shirt to kiss the scar tissue that mars the flesh there. Another kiss to his forehead, and then Pete has disappeared into the bedroom.

He leaves the door open.

Vegas retreats to the bathroom instead. Out of habit, he locks the door from the inside.

(wip: vegaspete postcanon shitshow)

I didn't have any for shadow so here's a freebie:

They pass a few days like that. Gumpa puts Yok to work in the garage. They eat their meals standing up in the kitchenette and shower together to save water. Yok sleeps in Gumpa’s bed with him, and they have sex for the sake of it. On his third night there, Yok manages to get Gumpa to wrap it up and put it in him—he feels like he’ll die if he doesn’t get fucked soon—and the sex is familiar, safe. He stretches facedown underneath him and bites down on a mouthful of the pillow as Gumpa pins him with his whole weight, a heavy hand on the back of his neck.

“Don’t you cry,” he says. “Don’t you go crying on me.”

“I’m not,” Yok whispers. If he speaks any louder, it’ll be a lie.

(wip: yok in the notme postcanon)

tagging with apologies if you’ve already done it or aren’t interested, in which case ignore me: @rootingformephistopheles, @veliseraptor, and anyone who sees this and wants to do it. Wips or published work, anything is chill! The words are: thick, surprise, home, fault, remind.

[newmusickarl]

5-9’s Album of the Month Podcast – Episode 3 Out Now, Episode 4 Coming Soon!

Just a reminder that the latest episode of the 5-9 Album of the Month Podcast is now available, reviewing some of the best albums we heard in March. As ever I take a seat alongside 5-9 Editor Andrew Belt and Check This Out’s Kiley Larsen to review five high profile album releases from the past month in music, and ultimately name one as our Album of the Month at the end of the discussion. With some divided opinions between us, which one reigned supreme?

Then for our April review episode dropping in early May, the five albums we will be discussing are:

Language by Circles Around The Sun

Fuse by Everything But The Girl

72 Seasons by Metallica

First Two Pages of Frankenstein by The National

Garden Party by Rose City Band (Poll winner!)

If you want to listen to the latest episode simply click the link below, but also be sure to follow 5-9 Blog on Instagram and Twitter for more news and polls relating to the podcast, along with other great content like film reviews, sports articles and more.

Listen to the March 2023 episode here

Album & EP Recommendations

A Kiss For The Whole World by Enter Shikari

I feel like I say this every time Enter Shikari bring out a new record, but they really are one of a kind. When they first released their incredible debut Take To The Skies back in 2007, the euphoric collision of trance and metal was unlike anything I had ever heard. As a teenager at the time that record was everything and whilst many (including shamefully myself initially) wrote them off as surely being a flash in the pan, the St Albans quartet have just gone from strength to strength.

Across six brilliant albums, their rave/metal fusion has since evolved to include more elements of grime, pop and punk, whilst their lyrical messages both social and political have also grown in scope alongside their sonic ambitions. Their musical journey has been nothing short of a triumph and album number seven feels like them taking stock of just how far they’ve come.

When we last heard from the Shikari boys, it was at the height of lockdown when they were found revelling in the abyss on their most ambitious outing to date - Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible. Now with A Kiss For The Whole World, it’s like the band have re-emerged from those depths, this time filled with hope, positivity and gratitude. There’s a sense of optimism in the songs here, with the band also referencing their previous work multiple times (“You’re still standing like a statue” on the title track, “Wish I was back at the Dreamer’s Hotel” on Jailbreak and “I went to live outside to find myself” on Giant Pacific Octopus to name just a few easter eggs).

It presents an interesting dynamic at the heart of the record, almost like the band know how dire the world is right now, but on the flip side they are just so grateful for their fans and the career that they’ve been able to have until now. With these contrasting emotions driving forward the writing, it all makes for a thrilling 30-minute listen that’s impactful yet joyous, and also plays out like a love letter to their fans.

The kitchen sink of ideas thrown at Nothing Is True… has also been refined a bit more this time too, with this album seamlessly flowing from one track to the next. As ever with Shikari, the singles for the record sound better in the context of the whole, as electronically-charged thumper (Pls) Set Me On Fire and motivational anthem It Hurts both hit much harder now. Leap Into the Lightning is then a dubstep-induced message of encouragement to make bold choices, whilst Dead Wood is a string-tinged adaptation of Pinocchio, with Shikari seemingly getting in on the Hollywood trend of revisiting that story but of course doing it in their own unique way.

If Dead Wood is their Pinocchio then Jailbreak is their Papillion, as the band repeat their mantra “I hope I keep hope intact” during the euphoric outro. It’s already one of my favourite Shikari songs and it leads seamlessly into Prodigy-inspired banger Bloodshot. As great as the main part of that song is, the Coda for the track that follows may be one of the most beautiful arrangements the band have ever put to record – an utterly stunning orchestral composition that successfully brings out all the goosebumps. It all then gets brought to a rousing climax with the poignant closing two-parter Giant Pacific Octopus, where frontman Rou Reynolds questions “I don’t know you anymore - or maybe I never did?”

When I get asked what Enter Shikari’s best album is or am asked for suggestions on where someone should start with their catalogue, I always struggle to find an answer. The reality is each new album is always as good as the last one, with the band yet to deliver a misfire across their 15+ years doing this - even when their batshit crazy, genre-bending sound is almost tailor made to serve up a misstep or two. With each new release and each new triumph my respect and admiration for the band only grows stronger and it seems with A Kiss For The Whole World, the feeling is mutual. One of Britain’s most underrated bands and I really hope they finally get their first number one album later today – fingers crossed!

Listen here

MTV Unplugged (Live) by Twenty One Pilots

Whilst not for everyone, I’ll be the first to admit I love these MTV Unplugged sessions. From Nirvana serving up an all-time classic live album with theirs back in the mid-90s, to incredible recent releases from some of my own favourites like Placebo and Tash Sultana, these sessions have given us some great music over the years. So when I saw that mainstream superstars Twenty One Pilots had released their own MTV Unplugged live album, I was naturally intrigued as to what they might do with the concept.

As opposed to simply taking the easy route and busting out a few acoustic versions for fans, the duo of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun instead use the Unplugged concept to present their live show in an interesting new format. Rather than just using a pre-recorded track as they would normally, the pair use hands-free looping and sampling to build their songs out in front of the crowd in real time – even using the audience themselves at points as their instruments. Not only that, but the arrangements of their biggest hits have been reworked, some mashed up together whilst others simply remixed into a new alternate version.

Altogether it makes for a fascinating 30-minute listen, with the duo using the audience members as their drum kit on a cool mashup of Ride / Nico And The Niners, whilst also elsewhere serving up awesome live versions of Shy Away and Stressed Out. However, the pair save the best moment for last, combining two of their best songs in Car Radio and Heathens into a spectacular grand finale.

Listen here

Exotico by Temples

If you are looking for a summer indie rock record bursting with catchy melodies, glistening guitar solos and trippy instrumentals, then look no further. English Psych-rockers Temples recently returned with their dazzling new album, Exotico, which is just a whole heap of fun.

Drawing shades to the likes of Tame Impala, MGMT and Life Is Yours-era Foals but with that vintage 70s psychedelic sound, this is Temples at their bold, cinematic best. Single Gamma Rays already feels like it could be one of the songs of the summer, whilst the title track plays out like the soundtrack to a futuristic Western. The first third of the record really is all killer and no filler, with early favourite Oval Stones boasting the catchiest orient-inspired groove.

Of course, at 16 tracks and pretty much an hour in length, the less patient few may find listening to Exotico front to back in one sitting a bit of a challenge, especially within the current trend of shorter 30–40-minute albums. However, Temples do reward those who stay the course, with the hypnotic synths of Giallo, the mesmerising tropical guitars of Inner Space and the paranormal sonic vortex that is penultimate track Afterlife, just some of the delights in the latter half of the record.

I’m already finding a lot to enjoy in this new Temples record, and I can’t wait to return to it on those hazy summer days that are (hopefully UK weather!) coming up.

Listen here

Forever Means EP by Angel Olsen

And on the shortplay front, American singer-songwriter Angel Olsen recently returned with a spellbinding new four track, 15-minute listen. Opener Nothing’s Free is my personal highlight, a haunting ballad centred around Olsen’s soft vocals with a light jazz-blues inspired arrangement. Once those horns arrive towards the back-end, you’re sure to be swept away.

The title track also leaves a big impression, featuring a simple guitar backing and Olsen’s aching falsetto vocals with some slight shades to the late, great Jeff Buckley. The folksy Time Bandits is equally gorgeous, before Holding On offers up the fist-pump-the-air, triumphantly defiant finale, full of big rock guitars as Olsen heartbreakingly sings “Couldn’t see the light you brought to me, now you’re gone and I can see.” An excellent EP that continues Olsen’s typically fantastic recent output.

Listen here

Garden Party by Rose City Band

“There’s no better way to describe Rose City Band, and this new record especially, as the tightest, most enjoyable first set the Grateful Dead would perform in the late-70s - one in which we’re treated to the best freeform guitar interplay that’s still reigned in before the sun sets on a second set full of surprises. “Porch Boogie” invites the dirt churners to groove as Paul Hasenburg’s keys work (phenomenal throughout the album) fills the gaps of Johnson’s psychedelic solos.

As much as Earth Trip fit the times in which it was crafted, Garden Party returns to the carefree picnic days of Summerlong and builds upon that feeling for their best record. Letting the Rose City Band catalog breathe on the road has opened the door to the complete capabilities of Johnson’s vision for the project, and his supporting cast is absolutely locked in right now.”

Read Kiley Larsen’s full review here

Listen here

Also worth checking out: 72 Seasons by Metallica, Fuse by Everything But The Girl, Plus Ultra by Chappaqua Wrestling, Multitudes by Feist, Intellectual Property by Waterparks, Big Picture by Fenne Lily, Stay Teenage EP by Billy Tibbals

Tracks of the Week

Couldn’t Make It Up by Ben Howard

Two years since his last release Collections From The Whiteout, singer-songwriter Ben Howard has announced his new album Is It? will be released fairly imminently this coming June. With Ben you never really know what to expect from his albums other than they are usually a fascinating listen, but he’s given us a bit of insight to the album’s possible direction with this jangly summer number that will serve as the album’s opening track.

Listen here

A Child’s Question, August by PJ Harvey

Also announcing a new album this week is the legendary Polly Jean Harvey, whose tenth album will be coming this July and is titled I Inside the Old Year Dying. Interestingly it will also be her first independent release since 1992, having recently signed with Partisan Records. In her own words, “the album is about searching, looking – the intensity of first love, and seeking meaning.” The first taste is A Child’s Question, August, a typically stirring folk track led by ritual-like drumming and Polly’s choral voice.

Listen here

The Score by Grian Chatten

The Fontaines D.C. frontman also made a splash this week, releasing his debut solo single - The Score. There’s no official word on a full length yet, but this first taste of what Chatten’s solo material could deliver is mighty intriguing, a sunkissed and string-tinged acoustic number written on a lustful night in Madrid.

Listen here

Mermaids by Florence & The Machine

Last Friday, Florence quite unceremoniously reissued her acclaimed 2022 album Dance Fever, this time titled The Complete Edition and featuring a couple of reworked versions and a few new tracks. One of these new tracks is Mermaids and it is already one of my favourite Florence & The Machine tracks. Powered by rumbling horns, exquisitely written lyrics and an anthemic refrain of “Cheerful Oblivion”, it’s a phenomenal track that I can’t quite believe didn’t make the original album cut.

Listen here

This Is A Photograph II by Kevin Morby

One of my Top 20 Albums of 2022, Kevin Morby’s This Is A Photograph was an incredible project, autobiographical and reminiscent whilst also sonically invigorating. Now, the Texan singer-songwriter is releasing a new companion project to that record, titled More Photographs (A Continuum). The album will feature reworkings as well as completely new songs, with this first taste a sort of a mix of the two – a funky and cinematic sequel to the original album’s brilliant title track.

Listen here

Love Make A Fool (Orchestral Version) by James

Mancunian indie legends James have begun their much-anticipated new tour this week, where they will be joined by a full orchestra and gospel choir on all dates. Alongside the tour their new orchestrated record Be Opened By The Wonderful is due out in early June, celebrating the band’s 40th anniversary. Although it will predominantly feature reworked versions of their greatest hits, there is also this new gorgeous new track, Love Make A Fool. Wonderfully arranged with poignant lyrics, it serves as a welcome reminder as to just how James have managed to still endure after all this time.

Listen here

Double Fantasy by The Weeknd featuring Future

It won’t be long now until The Weeknd’s HBO show The Idol hits our screens, due to premiere this June. Naturally I’m expecting the show to have a killer soundtrack, and this atmospheric, neon-soaked collaboration with Future is a good indicator that my expectations are correct.

Listen here

Mother by George FitzGerald & SYML

Hot off the back of his brilliant 2022 album Stellar Drifting, electronic musician George FitGerald has announced a new four track EP titled Not As I will be arriving this June. Mother is the first single from the project, a beautifully ambient groove featuring American musician SYML on vocal duties.

Listen here

High Life by Bloc Party

It has become tradition for indie legends Bloc Party to release a standalone single following the release of an album, with gems like Two More Years, Flux and One More Chance gifted to fans over the years. Whilst High Life isn’t quite to that standard, it’s a great upbeat summer tune with a danceable central guitar riff and a catchy chorus.

Listen here

Children by Opus Kink

A band who released my EP of the Year in 2022 with ‘Til The Stream Runs Dry, ska-punk outfit Opus Kink have a new EP on the way in May titled My Eyes Brother! Children is one of three tracks to have been released from the project so far and is my current favourite, a wonderfully maddening sensual barrage of snarling vocals and cacophonous trumpets.

Listen here

The Analyst by pecq

And finally this week, electro indie duo pecq have recently released their latest single from their forthcoming EP, Amnesia’s Ritual, which is due out in early May. Offering unique, entirely self-produced soundscapes, pecq blend ambient electronics, ethereal vocals and field recordings into tracks that are quite special. The Analyst is a perfect example of this, and a good way of introducing you to their dreamy sound.

Listen here

Also worth checking out: Ribs by Rachel Chinouriri, Don’t Let Me Down by Gus Dapperton & BENEE, Rescued by Foo Fighters,The Canary Trainer by Smashing Pumpkins, Jealousy by The Xcerts, Three Drums by Four Tet, Time (is a healer) by Keir, Life Is Yours (Dan Carey Dub) by Foals

REMINDER: If you use Apple Music, you can also keep up-to-date with all my favourite 2023 tracks through my Best of 2023 playlist. Constantly updated throughout the year with songs I enjoy, it is then finalised into a Top 100 Songs of the Year in December.

Add the playlist to your library here

[riverstardis]

born lucky:

we’re finally here!!! and let me just say my train home was cancelled and then the next one only had half the number of carriages as usual. so twice as many people but half as much space… at rush hour. yeah so i’ve just spent about an hour and a half stood up crammed on a train breathing too much of other people’s air so i am so ready for this

actually before i start i wanted to say the description of the episode makes it sound like the crash was ethan’s fault because it says that it happens after he takes his eye off the road but in the episode they definitely don’t show him taking his eye off the road and they make it quite clear that it was caused by the other driver so idk where they got that from?????

anyway here we go!

jeff and tamzin snogging in the ambulance station “steady on, we’re on duty, what if dixie comes out?” “yeah could be a bit awkward couldn’t it? being caught by your wife?” LMAO

jeff telling tamzin he loves her and then dixie comes out sjskdkdk

ethan trying to tell connie about his satnav on his phone when she hands him a map and she just ignores him and walks away sjskdkd

connie sent charlie retirement plan info

a pre ffion stirling gallacher!

cal: “they’re letting you drive? obviously in no rush” ethan: “oh yes i forgot the ability to push an accelerator to the floor is one of the key signs of manliness” cal: “remember, our funding depends on this so let’s make sure your little stutter doesn’t make a guest appearance, alright?” ethan looks so hurt when he says that💔 most of cal’s jibes are just brotherly banter but i think he crossed a line there

cal watching a patient in reception from afar and max and noel are like “you know as a doctor who can go right over and talk to a patient” “some say it even helps” and cal’s like “haven’t you guys got any phone to answer? floors to clean? other people to annoy?” and they’re like “no no i’m on a break actually” SJDKFK

“flexible retirements becoming increasingly popular” “yeah with people who want to retire!”

rita getting a “consolation cupcake” for whoever has the worst shift and lofty thinks it’s gonna be him because he’ll fall over or drop something

ash sitting in the passenger seat and ethan’s like i assumed mrs beauchamp was going to sit there and ash’s like “because she has longer legs?” and lily goes “because she’s the boss” ash: “i understand the hierarchy but surely this is a question of leg room and leg room alone” ethan: “well it’s a brave man that puts her in the backseat” and then when ash sees connie coming he immediately goes “anything for an easy life” and gets out and goes to the back SJDKFKD

ethan trying to show connie his satnav on his phone again and she’s just like “does it have a mute button?”

“right, allons-y!” ETHAN QUOTING DOCTOR WHO ALERT

and then he tries to set off and it’s all jerky and he’s like “sorry, trying to find the biting point” sjskdkfk he can’t drive manual

cal watching the woman from earlier and her son again and max asks him about her and he says he thinks he slept with her in the past and then lofty comes over “what am i missing?” max: “cal slept with a patient” lofty: “surely one would remember if you slept with a patient. he’s a 9 year old child i’m not entirely comfortable with this conversation?” cal: “his mother, lofty. i think i slept with his mother” and robyn overhears and goes “she’s only been here an hour!” LMAOOO

and cal says it was about 10 years ago and then he goes to treat the kid

tamzin’s hinting VERY strongly that jeff should ask her to marry him… tamzin mate you were engaged to someone else just a few weeks ago???

the team in the minibus are lost, lily and tess are trying to read the map and ash unbuckles his seatbelt so he can lead forward to see. well as soon as anyone unbuckles a seatbelt in casualty you know a crash is about to happen

aaand CRASH

see it doesn’t even show ethan at all in the moments before the crash let alone him supposedly taking his eyes off the road???

cal and robyn going back to the patient and cal see’s the mother’s mother there and is like “yep definitely slept with her” robyn asks how he knows and he goes “because i slept with her mother too”😬 and robyn laughs at him

lily screaming saying she can’t feel her arm and ethan’s unconscious and has a weak pulse

jeff asks dixie for a divorce

the mother complaining about how long they’re having to wait and cal’s like believe me i’m trying to get you out a quickly as possible and she goes off on one like “i’m sorry, is this a bit difficult for you? is this embarrassing? like, say, the moment i walked in on my mother and my boyfriend!”

and the son’s sat right there😬

cal and the mother’s mother talking and she’s like “she struggles. he’s a handful” “aren’t all kids?” “well, actually, we’re in the process of having him assessed. he’s borderline adhd.” “must be hard” here we go🙄

she say’s the kid’s got his father’s eyes and cal’s like wait huh?

dixie and jeff attending the crash “it’s our lot. it’s our lot, dix” 🥺

connie climbs out of the passenger side window which is now on top

tess saying ethan’s resp rate’s dropping and lily going “get him out! please get him out!” 🥺🥺

the mother confirming cal’s suspicions that he’s her son’s father

charlie has connie as ‘wicked witch’ in his phone SJSKDKKF and he looks annoyed as he answers until she tells him what’s happened

cal trying to talk to the kid asking him he does for fun other than falling off climbing frames and he talks about video games and cal finds out that the kid plays games that are too old for him and that he’s staying up 2 or 3 in the morning to play them

charlie telling them all “i’m afraid there’s been a car accident involving our doctors and tess. paramedics are on sight treating casualties, two of which appear to be serious” and cal immediately looks SO scared🥺🥺

“the driver of the other vehicle is on his way in now” “and how about the driver of our vehicle?”

“how did it happen?” “the way it sounds is the other vehicle just swiped then straight off the road” SEE???

connie, tess, and lily arriving and cal asks connie how ethan is and she says he’s stable but trapped but then after cal’s gone charlie asks how he really is and she’s like “not good”

lily going “morphine! morphine!” sjskfkfk

ethan only just waking up

when tamzin and big mac arrive tamzin’s like “woah! how fast was the other car going?”

tamzin: “is that ethan?” jeff: “yeah. worst case scenario is the vehicle fully ignites.” NOO

ethan going “it’s really cold” weakly🥺🥺🥺

tamzin mouthing i love you to jeff while he’s talking to ethan

lmao lofty having one lucky day because of the consolation cupcake and he doesn’t know about the crash and goes up to louise, noel, and robyn like “today couldn’t get any better”💀

“the next casualty’s coming in from the crash site, it’s ethan. he’s not in a good way.” :(

they need another doctor because connie’s wrist is injured and cal’s family but “they’re all tied up right now” apparently so of course cal ends up having to treat him

cal nervously waiting for ethan to arrive and going to talk to the kid’s mum and offer some financial help but when her mum turns up and they start laughing at him and come clean that the kid isn’t actually cal’s they were just trying to give him some payback

“you know you can laugh all the want, i mean i probably deserve it, but can you just do me one favour? before you go down the route of diagnosing your son with adhd and shoving him full of medication, take a long hard look at how you’re bringing him up.” “what do you know?” “that he’s playing his computer until the early hours! yeah, i see it in kids his age all the time. they get labelled as problematic when actually all they are is sleep deprived”

i really don’t get why they couldn’t just have had them think the kid was a troublemaker or something until cal realises it was actually a parenting problem like why did they even have to bring adhd into it?!?!?!

anyway let’s just put that down to cal being upset and worried about ethan and lashing out to try and get them back because they embarrassed him rather than that being what he actually thinks of adhd shall we?

cal’s face as ethan is brought in😭😭 he has head and chest injury

“so all this to get out of some public speaking, eh? there are easier ways, mate.” typical cal to cope by joking about it

connie having a go at the driver of the other vehicle and then going to her office and breaking down crying🥺

cal doing an almost constant stream of jokes while treating ethan :((((

dixie voicing her concerns to jeff over tamzin having only just been engaged to someone else and trying to convince him not to go back in the bus to treat ash until the fire crew have made it safer but he goes “you know me, what’s life without a bit of risk, eh?”🙃

charlie suspects the driver of the other vehicle has dementia

the mother’s mother thanking cal and saying he’s right about the kid’s behaviour and she thinks her daughter knows it and cal’s like “i just don’t like it when kid’s get labelled, that’s all” 🤔🤔

ethan going off while he’s at ct.

he has a cardiac tamponade and he needs a pericardiocentesis but connie can’t do it with her wrist so cal has to do it

ash isn’t looking good

cal’s struggling and ethan goes into vt😬 he manages it in the end

the other staff all watching cal come out of resus and charlie gives him the consolation cupcake “as tough shifts go, i think yours is pretty hard to beat”

jeff saying he’s going to propose to tamzin🥲🥲

dixie saying she’s happy for him because tamzin makes him happy but tells him to get a good solicitor because she’s taking him for everything he’s got including the dog sjdkfkfk

there’s people standing outside the incident tape or whatever it’s called filming the crash scene

jeff rushing to get ash out “see, easy!” “what’re you like, collier?” “born lucky, eh, nine lives” NOOO JEFF GET OUT OF THERE

welp there he goes…

dixie’s reaction😭😭😭😭

cal going and sitting by ethan’s bedside and talking to him while he thinks he’s still unconscious🥹🥹🥹🥹

“my safety net”🤲🏼🤲🏼🤲🏼🤲🏼

YOU ARE MY LITTLE BROTHER AND I LOVE YOU

ethan opening his eyes as cal leaves <333

charlie ripping up the retirement plan and having a go at connie about how he’s not gonna give up while she’s just trying to tell him there’s been an explosion at the crash site

also i was just thinking i’ve heard “there’s been an explosion at the crash site” somewhere else too and yeah it’s what ruby says to iain in the market attack ep (and yet we don’t see anyone being worried about ethan???? anyway)

tamzin and dixie💔💔💔💔💔