#so basically my plot isn't about ghosts anymore

[ruairy]

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[nyerus]

A Masterpost for the Revised Version of TGCF

Due to the amount and frequency of misinformation about the revised version of TGCF, I wanted to make a post to serve as a resource for those who are confused about it, while also helping to debunk some of the sensationalist rumors floating around.

This post will be edited to include new things as needed.

⚠️Spoiler Warning: if you have not finished reading the original novel, or want to experience the new scenes from the revised naturally/fresh, please proceed with caution! I've intentionally kept things as vague as possible, but some spoilers are unavoidable!⚠️

✨ PART ONE: Frequently Asked Questions ✨

🔹What is the "revised" version of TGCF?

MXTX had been working on a revised version of TGCF since completing the original, as mentioned this in her postscript/afterword, and in an online interview (Q.27) done years ago just as she competed TGCF. That's all that was known for several years.

In early 2023, TGCF was finally released in print format in mainland China — and this was revealed to be the revised version! Due to regulations, this was a censored edition. However, in early 2024, the uncensored edition was uploaded to JJWXC (the site where all of MXTX's webnovels were originally published)! It's currently fully available to read in Simplified Chinese.

If you want a more in-depth explanation about the revised, please see my post about that here.

🔹What does the revised change compared to the original?

Several scenes have been added, some removed, others expanded upon. Overall, MXTX reportedly wrote 100k characters (words) of new content. While the overarching plot of each arc and the novel as a whole remains the same, it's a more cohesive and polished story. Pacing in each part of the story has been adjusted to flow better, especially in arcs notorious for feeling slow or disjointed.

Some segments have had fairly significant changes — namely the Bloody Banquet/Fang Xin Guoshi arc. (Though it still plays out much the same way.) Most others have smaller changes.

A new extra was also added, called "the Ghost King Dressed Down," which has been translated by Scarabsi on twitter.

🔹How does the revised version effect characters?

Apart from certain minor characters — such as the child Lang Ying who was removed entirely — there haven't been many drastic changes. The biggest thing was side characters like Lang Qianqiu and Ling Wen being given notably more backstory to further flesh them out. Their characterization itself hasn't changed, however.

🔹Which version is canon, then?

Whichever you want, and you can mix-and-match! MXTX has given fans her blessings and encouragement!

🔹How do I read the revised version in English?

Currently, there are no official or unofficial English translations of the whole revised version. Nor are there any plans to do so for the near future.

However, there are English fan translations of a few notable chapters, which you can read here. There's also instructions on that site on how to read the rest of the updated webnovel in English, using a browser extension.

Additionally, the audio drama is adapting the uncensored revised version, and has been doing an amazing job! Check out how to listen to that with English subs here.

✨PART TWO: Debunking Rumors & Clearing up Misinformation✨

Note that all chapter numbers given will be referencing the webnovel's. The old chapters are also available towards the bottom of the page as "serialized versions."

(Translated screenshots provided are janky because it's just basic google MTL!)

🔸"Mentions of Mu Qing's mother was removed from the revised!"

Not at all! Both his parents are still mentioned, along with how Mu Qing is the primary breadwinner due to his mom's failing eyesight. (Ch. 57)

🔸"The earring scene isn't there anymore!"

The earring scene is still very much there! Not actually sure why this is a rumor at all, when the whole earring thing spans several chapters. Here's the conclusion of it (Ch. 59):

🔸"Characters have been butchered in general, with Mu Qing especially getting scenes cut!"

No character (who didn't straight-up get deleted) has been butchered. Nor has any character been singled out for having their scenes deleted/changed, because that's happened to every character — yes, including Xie Lian and Hua Cheng! — and they also have new scenes added!

E.g. the scene where Mu Qing picks the cherries is removed, because that whole section was changed. (However, it's still mentioned that others are prejudiced against him due to his background, and so on.) Meanwhile, there's a brand-new scene that shows Mu Qing's aptitude in treating wounds, as well as he and Feng Xin having new hijinks as "junior officials" with Xie Lian, and more.

Despite the rumors, characters haven't been flattened to make them more one-dimensional compared to Hualian. Perhaps the idea of certain scenes being cut sounds scary for characterization, but a lot of the original has been retained one way or another. In many cases, MXTX just condensed things, or moved them around. The revised is meant to be looked at as a whole, after all.

🔸"Mu Qing now leaves for no reason in Book/Arc 4, instead of for his mother!"

Mu Qing clearly states in the revised that he wants to leave in order to find a way to improve their situation, since they anyways cannot agree amongst themselves. Just like in the original, he was frustrated and felt there was no point in continuing along the same path. (Ch 152)

And yes, he does not bring up his mother in the revised scene. For context: there is a three year gap between the end of Book/Arc 2 and the start of 4. Which means in the original, Mu Qing didn't mention his mother for those three years. Given the events leading to his departure, and what follows, this causes several inconsistencies.

That is a whole topic unto itself, however. But it's not surprising the revised did it a bit differently.

🔸"Feng Xin isn't as funny anymore!"

Feng Xin is actually one of the least changed characters! This rumor likely stems from the scene where Xie Lian reveals his password, to Feng Xin, who no longer rolls on the floor while laughing. Or maybe it's a miscommunication based on the printed revised, which censored some of his (and Qi Rong's) cursing. But that was only for the printed!

🔸"Ling Wen's character isn't as interesting because of the changes!"

People will really say anything on the internet. She's been given more depth and complexity, if anything. There's new scenes that expand on her background and early days in heaven, and her relationship with Bai Jing has been given a lot of extra attention. Her motivations and actions remain the same, but if the subtext was missed in the original, it could have led to some readers thinking of Ling Wen as certain way. Like a ruthless girlboss.

The revised reiterating that this isn't the case doesn't change or detract from her, as that was one of the points of her story to begin with. Plus, the revised arc gives Bai Jing much-needed characterization.

🔸"Ling Wen's ascension is now due to Jing Wen/not on her own merit/etc!"

Frankly, this rumor might be due to people not properly understanding how ascension works in TGCF, and thinking the revised is adding something that they forgot was already in the original. The revised didn't change anything about the manner in which Ling Wen ascended.

You can actually check out the revised Brocade Immortal arc here for yourself, as it's been fan translated!

🔸"The dynamic between Hualian is different in the revised!"

Their dynamic is exactly the same as before, only reinforced if anything. If the new additions are enough to destroy someone’s image of Hualian or turn it on its head, that’s definitely not a fault with either novel version!

🔸"The scene where Hua Cheng is disguised as Lang Ying and accidentally catches Xie Lian bathing is removed!"

Unfortunately, yes, the bathing scene is gone. However, Hua Cheng in disguise is still there — he's a village kid instead.

🔸"MXTX made changes to side characters/ships because she felt threatened by their popularity compared to her main couple!"

This one just doesn't really make sense, because several side characters were given *more* content — including their relationships.

Lang Qianqiu finally feels like an actual character. Quan Yizhen and Yin Yu have new stuff about them. Shi Wudu has some clever little cameos. Pei Ming’s feelings about Yushi Huang are brought up. Pei Xiu’s backstory is even more heartbreaking. Qi Rong has new scenes that make him feel genuinely menacing. Xiao Ying’s been completely revamped. These are just to name a few, and excluding things already talked about above.

It seems unlikely that MXTX would go through the trouble of adding to her side characters if she didn’t care about them, felt they weren’t important, or thought they were getting undeserved attention. Besides, popular characters like Shi Qingxuan and He Xuan had no cuts to their arc!

Looking at the actual metrics… MXTX has no need to feel threatened by her side ships vs her main ships.

[englandsgirl18181234]

DP x DC Prompt 1

So you know how with Damian and the League of Assassins, the whole "Heir of the Demon's Head" thing sometimes isn't about Damian actually taking over the League but about Ra's stealing Damian's body?

What if we did that but as a Demon Twins AU?

Something happens to Ra's or the Pits or something and suddenly the body jump isn't something that can be a long drawn out plan anymore. It needs to happen NOW or Ra's is going to be fully dead. And for plot reasons let's say it can only be done with someone that shares his blood.

(I'm fairly sure that's come up before, but I can't remember if it's an actual requirement or just a Ra's thing)

Talia has betrayed him and gone to ground. Damian is so deeply intertwined with Gotham and the rest of the Bats that even if Ra's were to capture him, the rest of colony would follow before the ritual could be completed. He's running out of time.

And then Danny appears on the radar after having been dead for the last 10 years. And suddenly Ra's has options again.

How's Ra's find Danny? Who knows. Maybe he ran after a reveal gone wrong. Maybe it's a class trip. Maybe something drew attention to Amity. Writer's choice

Does Danny remember being part of the League? No idea, up to you.

But my main idea for the prompt is that Ra's succeeds. He transfers his soul and takes over Danny's body.

Only... It didn't work quite right. Because the ritual is meant to force the original soul out of the body so it can be replaced. But Danny doesn't have a normal human soul in a human body, he has a Ghost Core in a Halfa body.

At best, for Ra's at least, Ra's ritual basically works as an exorcism, killing Danny's human half and creating a full ghost Phantom in the process.

But there are so many other ways to go as well.

[goose-gallery]

Dead Girl Detectives AU because it just works so well!!!

(In case it wasn't obvious: Olivia as Crystal, Chris as Niko, Ivy as Edwin and Laura as Charles. Also not pictured but Rowan as Jenny)

Some more thoughts + closeups under the cut

Ok so. Some loose thoughts on the au

Most of the plot moves the same as the show. Ivy died in 1916, Laura died in 1989. (I might make some tweaks to how they died later, but for now its basically the same) They meet Olivia, who's psychic, go to Port Townsend, piss off a witch, get trapped by the Cat King, hijinks ensue

Most of the Port Townsend denizens are the same, like Tragic Mic and Esther. The Cat King and Monty are basically the same just genderbent so they can be Ivy's lesbian suitors or whatever

Rowan is Jenny, obviously. The only real difference is he's an emo butcher, not goth. I will draw him eventually

Olivia is still psychic, but she doesn't do the whole summon greater power from her ancestors thing. That's a black girl power and it feels weird to give it to Liv. Also I'm a big fan of Liv "what, like its hard?"ing her way through learning to use her foible, so I think the same applies here with her psychic powers. She's just a prodigy

Ivy isn't immortal anymore (obviously, she's dead) but I think the immortality translates into the whole edwin being more durable than other ghosts thing. Maybe her time in hell also gave her *ahem* west virginia-esc qualities, if you catch my drift

Chris eventually gets powers as well, though how those powers work and what they might be will depend a little on what they do with Niko in season 2. But he will get something

There's no romance between Laura and Olivia like there is with Crystal and Charles. Laura just found an annoying amnesiac and said "can we keep her 🥺" and got a new bestie out of it

I honestly can't see Laura being as in the dark about her feelings as Charles is, so I think maybe on the steps of hell when Ivy says I love you maybe they kiss. Or at least Laura reciprocates. Or is going to before the fucking spider shows up

I adore the dynamic this au poses of Ivy and Chris as besties. I feel they would be very comfortable around each other, but they don't actually interact one on one in canon a lot (unless??) so who knows

That's all I got for now, but I don't think I'm done thinking about this au so expect more later!

[sideblog-usernametaken]

Spoilers for Pokemon Horizons Episode 67 below:

So the battle between Liko and Roy was fantastic, it showed off how both of them have progressed as trainers and how much they've bonded with their pokemon. The fight choreography was great, Floragato learning Feignt by accident and Fuecoco evolving were both hype, and the pacing was tight with excellent animation. Like, this is how you script and direct animated pokemon battles.

However, I'm still a bit bitter about the outcome of the match.

Narratively, it fits and shows their character growth. This is Liko's first real loss that she takes without it having a massive emotional impact on her, and now that Roy has started fighting strategically instead of move spamming it makes sense that he's gotten much better at battling. The latter is especially important given his goal is to battle the Shiny Rayquaza.

It also makes sense from a more meta narrative too: Roy was the only one with an evolved starter so it makes sense Fuecoco evolves now and it makes sense that he goes on to win the battle after. Not evolving Fuecoco would've either resulted in Roy stagnating, or Fuecoco just becoming too strong to be believable anymore. They could've turned it into a subplot where Roy is concerned Fuecoco hasn't evolved when Quaxly and Sprigatito both did. But no other pokemon has gotten that level of concern regarding evolution and Roy isn't the kind of character to get hung up on a detail like that so it definitely would've felt forced. This was the right time for him to evolve and I kind of expected it going into the episode.

So why do I feel bitter about the battle's outcome if everything about it makes sense and it met my expectations for the episode?

Because Liko deserves a break.

Seeiously, she has been fighting uphill for this entire arc with nearly every battle putting her at a heavy disadvantage in either typing or level. Her basics test? Yeah throw her at the Bug type gym leader, her only two pokemon are Grass and Psychic which are both weak to Bug. Her double battle against Rika? Yeah have her go up against the one Poison type on Rika's team (This one is slightly less egregious than everything else because the Clodsire does lose its stab poision damage and Katy is helping for the first half, but still). Her implementation test? Yeah, send her to the Ice type gym leader who's pokemon are at minimum 5-10 levels higher than hers, don't worry about the fact that both of his pokemon are super effective against her main too (Ice and Flying both beat Grass). She has to confront the Explores on her own? Have her run into Amethio and his Fire/Ghost Ceruledge that can counter both of her pokemon. She has a climactic battle with one of her friends in the finale? Yeah pit her against the one with the Fire main and Flying second (Which has paralysis moves to cut down Floragato's agility). Oh, and for funsies, give Liko the other disadvantage of her second pokemon only really start battling this arc, so she doesn't have the time to get a good sense of how she battles until it's too late.

Seriously, the only battle in this arc that I can think of where Liko had at least a type advantage was against the Garganacle. Even then she was battling against someone trying to take her out instead of someone battling for fun.

Meanwhile, Roy more often than not gets type advantages, and Dot's arc focuses almost entirely on her character outside of battle so it doesn't really matter if she wins or loses because either one works. It's like the writers are intentionally putting Liko at a major disadvantage because she's genuinely become a really good trainer, but the plot demands she keeps losing for character development.

Seriously, the level of strategy and competency she showed in her fight against Grusha should've gotten her a passing grade. It would've gotten her a passing grade from any other gym leader, heck she probably could've beaten most of the other gym leaders. But instead the narrative keeps beating her down so she has a valid reason to have low self esteem instead of letting her have some wins to give her a better sense of self confidence. Like, Roy failed his first try at the implementation test because he needed something to deeply rattle him to bring about a change in his fighting style. That's an example of a loss being effective for character growth. But with Liko? It's like she's not allowed to see the progress she's made until the second to last episode of the arc, and in the finale she gets shown up by Fuecoco evolving.

The only real saving grace of the battle's outcome is Geeta and Rika reaction. They recognize that Liko has the skill to take on the Champion track and seem completely unbothered by the fact she lost to Roy. That means they probably realized all of what I said above, and came to the conclusion that if Liko's this good working against these kinds of disadvantages then she'd be incredibly strong once she levels up some more or catches a full team. If that's true, it would explain why they didn't have the same talk with Roy since he's largely had an advantage in most of his battles.

Ideally, I'd end this fight in a tie. Have them knock each other out at the same time to establish that they're on even footing, and they both get the benefit of technically not losing. This ending would also build tension for their inevitable rematch.

I really hope the next arc gives Liko some more wins because she really needs it. At this point in her character arc having her continue to lose and deal self esteem issues would just mean she's stagnating. They need to have something more substantial to show her growth, especially since one of her main character flaws before this arc was her letting other people win when she could've beaten them. You can't just tell us she's talented, then show us she's talented, and then keep making her lose unfair fights so you can drag out her self esteem issues longer. She doesn't have to win every fight but she should at least be able to show off in a fair fight every once in a while.

[petrichoraline]

they should have left august have genuine feelings for day imo like we already saw him kinda disappointed it was not a date with mork... the whole kiss thing felt so wrong they did day (and august too tbh) dirty

to start off, thank you for indulging me with a ltts message 🥰 also I hope this isn't too long, i havent had the time to seriously think about this episode so this is my chance 💓

throughout the episode I began wondering if august was a legitimate contender and the thought bothered me for a few reasons: i had been under the impression the plot isn't really about that; that there would be no space to fit in a love triangle of this size if other conflicts were to be explored and resolved. basically that mork and day would have enough on their plate without august in the picture and focusing on those two would only slow down the development of the main couple. I did find the thought of august's intentions being serious intriguing though, a bit frustrating, yes, but also interesting.

now, I had a bit of trouble understanding your point but im guessing you mean we already saw that day was disappointed the party wasn't a date so we're aware of his feelings and they are not aimed at august anymore? so it wouldn't have been an issue if august just continued liking day because day doesn't like him that way anymore, right? because I get that, it wouldn't have been the first time that's happened on screen haha but also that's exactly why I'm not that fond of the idea. day and august having a mutual crush and that going for a few episodes? THAT I find intriguing, an actual relationship trying to figure itself out while it's doomed by the narrative because it isn't the main romance.

but august having actual romantic feelings for day and stepping aside (because the show wants this couple dealt with by the end of the first half, apparently, and it would have cut him off somehow) would be something both sad and also, in my humble opinion, redundant. I've seen it before, it's just a bummer for everyone involved and I don't need it here.

what the plot actually did was very nice, as weird as it sounds. it gave us a character who loves his mate a lot. I do not doubt that august has strong feelings for day. everyone is pissed at him at the moment, day is hurt because there was pity, mork is angry because there was lack of consideration but that boy cares for day, a lot. i suppose there are feelings of guilt, they were on the court together when day lost his vision and then he didn't contact august for over a year. august probably felt some sort if personal responsibility for day's condition or for his behaviour towards him while they were partners, for the fact day felt he couldn't tell him the truth. so there is guilt and there is pity but also there is affection for a friend, for a partner, for the person alongside which you aimed for your dreams. they have a bond (and im sure people have expressed a lot about their sync and dynamic that I haven't picked up on but a bond is undeniable).

august tried to be a better person, a warm one, someone day doesn't recognise. he tried to be everything he wasn't before because thats what he decided day wants and needs. the night at the bar he was already feeling bad about leaving day to hang. on a side note, while the episode was airing i ran to check whether the cast was there that night and if it was on the same arm. it was. august didnt lie and im paranoid lmao anyways

the scene was crushing for mork and us, sure, but it was also very hard for august. he had had an accident, he couldn't contact day and still went as soon as he could after midnight. when he heard the confession he ran which honestly felt like an appropriate reaction - indicating he was there would make day embarrassed and pretending to come in later also wouldn't work because his partner who recently came back into his life with shocking news after ghosting him for a year suddenly confessed he's in love with him. while he's exhausted and hurt. of course the kid needed time to process what the fuck is going on! and he came back the very next morning, ready to make things right.

the issue stems from the fact he had no clue what right is, his underdeveloped brain told him to be a better friend than before but it went too far off in the direction of that thought and landed at "be what he wants you to be to a T" which includes, well, a romantic interest. and that's just not something you can force but alas, earnest, stupid august tried to check off everything on the "make day happy" list.

that boy ran off crying (I would too if mork glared at me like a maddog but still) because he kissed and got kissed by someone he didn't want such contact with ( the reciprocated kiss was A Lot for him) and then realised he'd hurt the person he wanted to satisfy in every way. his words indicate he didn't intend the kiss to be just one, that he wanted to actively change the way he feels about day, that he considered being his boyfriend. I figure he truly realised that was not an option while the kiss was happening hence why the second one had him running away again.

we know august is impulsive and earnest, his intentions were coming from a good place but he couldn't plan to save his life. he acts with his heart and so he was relying on falling for day till the end with no backup plan. it's either that or he knew before the kiss and intended it to be a single gift and I can't tell which is worse. in any case he was aware of the big possibility him and days weren't going to work out so his actions were majorly irresponsible.

the kiss had me screaming NOO literally and then the second one nearly had me gripping my hair, idek what sounds I made from the beginning till the end of that scene but "felt wrong" is something I can understand though it didd feel wrong but maybe not in the way you mean?

i didn't know nor suspect august's intentions and thought process so the kiss felt real to me and though I was against it as an avid morkday shipper, I didn't think that narratively it was bad. day was done dirty a 100% (though he gets mork acting on his feelings finally so..glass half full..?). let's not forget that mork actively supported day's perception of the situation as flirting - not his fault, that's what august was doing after all - but it's something that made the fall that much worse. day was getting hyped up by mork the way he was by gee ABOUT mork before that. he gets affected by his friends' opinions because he relies on them to read the other's body language and intentions. so there is this feeling of helplessness not only because of the pity that guided august's actions but the fact he couldn't assess the situation himself. so yes, for this and many other reasons, day was done dirty by every definition of the phrase.

but as for august and the plot I'm not so sure. august as a character is, to me, much more interesting as this confused and, frankly, unintelligent young man whose heart seems to be in the right place..? but whose actions are totally misguided than if he were, let's say, a good guy finally acting on his crush after years. I suppose he could've stopped before the kiss and told day the truth and maybe day would be a bit disappointed but definitely more forgiving and less heartbroken..

but then how would we see that day can help mork tame his anger with just a touch of the hand? and we needed an act so grotesque that would lead them to have a conversation that makes mork want to scream "I do not pity you, I haven't pitied you for a second, you are so strong and smart and loveable, i love you, how could you ever focus on a nobody like him when you are everything, you deserve so much more, how could you not know that, why did i ever let him near you, i should have never allowed for this to happen, i love you so much god I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU" (yes thats what those eyes at the rooftop said, idk what yall heard.)

i believe the charm of this scene and this whole conflict is that no one there is acting out of malice. it's just people doing what they think is right. mork stepping aside was not the right move technically but it fits his character and the plot as well. imo august wasn't done dirty, he was made interesting and also he isn't a bad guy. he did some really harmful shit but by the end of the scene i didn't feel an ounce of malice from him. there could still be love between the two but one that's not based around day walking on eggshells and one that doesn't rely on august to be something he is not. when they arent forced by the outside to be in close proximity and make things work, when they can just tease each other comfortably without taking all of the other's happiness and well-being as their own responsibility, thats when they could have a nice casual friendship with a lot of appreciation for the other. i believe him and day would reconcile at some point in the future when day is ready to forgive and august is ready to stop running.

[x-neurotoxin-x]

So basically I stopped reading your absolutely amazing works a little while ago (almost a year) and I'm mentally stable enough to catch up on them but can't decide which one pick first since I know that almost all of them will be great (I mean, you are you). So which ones out of your latest works are you the most proud of?

Omggg I get to do self promos?!? 👀 YAY

I'm glad to hear you like my works so much, and I hope you're doing alright. If you've read my old works then you probably know my fics have triggering content so please check tags and content warnings for any of these I link just in case. These are all from within the last year

Long fics:

This Is My Home

77k ▪ E Rating ▪ Complete | Endabi, Natsudabi, Dabi & Todofam

This one is a post-canon au where Touya's on house arrest and the todofam try to fix burnt bridges just for everything to end up going to hell as old habits start back up again. This one does have some really upsetting content so be careful with this one

Blood Letting // Love Letting

28k ▪ M rating ▪ Complete | Toga & Dabi centric. It could be read as a ship or platonically but there is some sexual aspects of their relationship. This fic does have an unhappy ending

A canon divergent AU where Toga and Dabi enter into a codependent relationship based on their trauma responses from childhood abuse causing sadomasochistic tendencies. It's a lot of Toga drinking Dabi's blood and them being generally unhealthy together.

Paper Bag Series

Currently 6 works, 81k in total ▪ Mixed Ratings, E and NR ▪ Ongoing | Shigadabi, Spinaraki, Spinnerdabi, and Spinarakidabi

A series of fics all in the same universe exploring extremely unhealthy relationship dynamics between Dabi, Shigaraki, and Spinner. The series is primarily Shigadabi centric with Spinaraki being a very present ship as well and a platonic spinnerdabi relationship that evolves over time (and with the "help" of Shigaraki.) Some of these works are extremely graphic and triggering, fyi

Oneshots:

Haven

3.5k ▪ M Rating | Enji | Endeavor & Touya | Dabi

Post Canon Au where Touya dies and Enji begins being visited by the ghost of a child Touya. He believes the haunting is a chance to redeem himself and help Touya's spirit get closure and pass on, but the haunting is a lot more malicious than it seems.

Arrangements

2.3k ▪ E rating | SpinnerDabi

This is shameless porn with plot of Spinner and Dabi getting into a FWB arrangement during Spinner's mating season because Shu is horny all the time and Dabi has a pain kink. They're super gay for each other but shhh don't tell them that they dont know

Wasting

2.3k ▪ M Rating | Rei & Touya centric

Pre-canon fic about Rei coming to believe something isn't right about Touya since he came back from training one night. This one was fun because it's mindbending; Touya is either an undead of sorts and possibly demonically possessed, or this is a product of Rei's mental deterioration due to trauma induced psychosis and all in her head.

Communication Issues

4.7k ▪ T rating | SpinnerDabi centric (Mostly platonic but pre-relationship), League Of Villains are there

Dabi has Nonverbal episodes, Spinner does too and he teaches him sign language and they ✨ bond ✨

Harvest

3.4k ▪ M Rating | Dabi-centric with platonic Dabi & Mr. Compress, League of Villains are there too

Concept based around the theory/hc Touya's grafts and body modifications came from corpses and he's being haunted by the ghosts of the ppl used to reconstruct his body. Mr compress can see ghosts so he tries to support him. This one has a lot of gore and was real fun to write. It's not totally canon compliant anymore ending wise.

[littlesparklight]

Hey saw ur Klaitemestra post and agreed w it. I'm reading the Oresteia and while Elektra may be an unreliable narrator u can't really say that Klaitemestra treated her kids fairly after she killed Agamemnon (or even prior to that). Like, it's mentioned Elektra smuggled Orestis out of the palace in this translation I'm reading, and it may be interpreted as Elektra thinking that even the palace wasn't safe for her own brother anymore. Let's not forget Klaitemestra ridicules Elektra's 'whining' (mourning for a father she waited to see but was killed before she even got the chance to talk to him) and even plans/threatens to murder her with Aigisthos (wow, someone got the child murder virus from the HoA). I get defensive of abused characters, and the way these signs in the Oresteia are ignored by some Klaitemestra fans don't sit right with me. It's like most of these stans forgotten that all characters are complex other than the shades of 'girlboss' or 'bastard.'

(Oof sorry for the long ramble, but I just wanted to share my thoughts with u on this situation.)

(Hahah, no worries.)

There are several versions of the myth that has a nurse/other caretaker/Elektra smuggling Orestes out, yes, so the implication would absolutely be it's not safe for him. And it's funny you mention that threat of killing Elektra, since I saw that quote (from Chrysothemis, right?) in another post just the other day! Not something I knew about since the Oresteia/House of Atreus doesn't interest me. But as a plot point it very neatly connects with the earlier threat to Orestes and how little the rest of the children apparently matter compared to Iphigenia('s ghost).

Like, on a theoretical angle I don't care a whit about people crowing over Klytaimnestra murdering Agamemnon. It's just one-note when it's basically the same post over and over and over again (much like happens with Zeus and some other characters), which isn't funny or witty or even interesting. But like. Go wild, I guess.

What annoys me is that there's literally never any serious talk at all about what Klytaimnestra does do wrong (comparing, again, to Agamemnon, where all you basically see is "what he did wrong", either as serious discussion or shitposting). Mention that and it becomes either some yelling about OH SO PEOPLE KILL OTHERS IN GREEK MYTH I'D NEVER REALISED!!! sarcasm or ~women's wrongs :)~

And I don't know. It feels bad to me to dismiss female characters' abuse or killing of those weaker than them and in their power while leaning hard on it for male characters.

That isn't restricted to Klytaimnestra, of course, but I don't think I've usually seen such a complete disappearance of her victims compared to other characters.

[megers67]

Just saw the new Ghostbusters movie!

It was fun, but I definitely have... Notes. I will put them below a Read More so that you can scroll past if you want.

First off, forgive me for forgetting basically everyone's names.

Okay so my main gripe is the plot. The machine that extracted Phoebe's soul to make her a ghost had a huge leap in exposition. For one thing, the only thing close to it that was mentioned had to do with possessions. Not your own native soul. Also, there wasn't any mention of a timer. Not only that, but was that REALLY the actual plan from Ice Dude and Melody? Like... There HAD to have been better ways to accomplish that. Also Melody had a moment where she was like "but does it have to be her?" There was never anything given to show why it did though?? Yeah, why DID it have to be her? If there was anybody who it would have been, specifically, it would have been Firebender.

Also, it felt like it was Phoebe's story with a Ghostbusters backdrop and on top of that, she's reckless, sure, but not like... That?? Even though her actions let out the Ice Dude and she was betrayed by Melody, she didn't really have any consequences for it? Like... There should have been something about her being too young actually coming into play. But no, Phoebe gets a pass I guess.

So here's a SparkNotes version of my ideal version of this, including maybe some minor things that weren't immediately in this rant and wouldn't have been an issue if the rest of it was fine. Also, if I have things slightly out of order or forgotten my memory sucks so that's likely my bad there. Rearrange or insert as necessary. The point is these are basic ideas.

First, opening largely the same, the prologue and the dragon spirit chase. They get chewed out and go on another call and it's to the room the prologue was in and find a lot of ghosts. Opens the mystery into Ice Dude. In researching, they find Firebender trying to sell the thing. The guy brings it into Ray's shop and that stuff is the same. Ray investigates and Winston goes on the same "we're not young anymore thing."

Some of the same family issues happen with Phoebe, she also meets Melody and there's mentions of her family issues and they bond.

Then the ghost containment stuff, the lab stuff, etc. However this also includes Firebender and since he's also hit the reader, he's believed to be possessed and out in the machine and it's on a timer. He gets to talk to his grandma and learns about the fire powers before either time running out or her fading, purpose fulfilled because she passed her duty on. except the first time the lab's power flickers, the ghosts actually escape. They split into pairs.

Phoebe and her mom go after Melody. They work out differences and how she wants to keep her safe etc. Phoebe prolly does something that actually goes wrong or gets her hurt that her mom has to save her from. Through this, they also work through Melody's family issues so she actually moves on by resolve her family issues rather than the ??? In the actual movie.

Teacher and the son go after Slimer, who is much bigger now. For some reason the teacher isn't able to drive the car and they reconcile over that stuff.

Ray and Winston go after the posseser after meeting Patton Oswald about the wax recording. Winston gets excited again and Ray realizes that he IS old.

James Acaster and intern go after the hardy ghost. Also the barfing ectoplasm actually has a possession effect and some good slapstick ensues. The ultimate goal is for this ghost to possess the body to say the magic words.

Melnitz and Podcast fight the Mini Stay Pufft guys maybe they try to wreck the lab or something idk. Podcast gets annoyed he's stuck with her since she didn't do any actual Ghostbusting back in the day, but she ends up showing him she's badass.

Venkman and Firebender team up to train to control the fire while fighting the bigger contained ghost. Since Venkman actually has a psych degree, he helps Firebender unlock his anger at himself and his brother and use that as a way to build and control the fire as it is triggered by anger, etc.

After all these side things are resolved, they team up to defeat Ice Dude. Also ALL their proton packs are modified to have copper so all their combined effort actually contributes. Also, when the original crew work to reverse the containment, they all have something to do or other to make it work so it's not like... Boring pushing down a lever thing, or conveniently designed to reverse from the get-go.

Idk, I think it would be better to make it more an ensemble and would better resolve some of the holes (though I don't have immediate answers for all the holes though).

[himikochan]

This didn’t post last night so let’s try it again!

So today I tried plotting out a pattern for the Bocksten Man's hood: there were a few changes I needed to make to the pattern for my own so I'm not aiming for 100% accuracy anyway.

I wanted to use a pretty piece of wool I had in my stash (weft width 60", warp width 38"). I'm being particular about warp/weft here because if I wanted a full proper copy, I'd need a piece with a selvedge edge about 54" and the selvedge edge is found along the warp. Additionally, while my head isn't especially big, I have a lot of hair and so I wanted to make the depth and neck opening larger.

This is my first time making a hood like this and I didn't want to make a mockup- mostly because I feel like I don't have enough spare wool to make a mockup out of it and a cotton mockup wouldn't drape correctly anyway so it would be a little... moot. I plan to hand sew the hood in a roughly period-accurate way.

ALSO my dudes I know there's a lot of controversy about the contrasting gusset? Gore? piece added to the front and I'm not going to do it nor will I be piecing my fabric together to reflect the loom length of the time.

OKAY CHANGE OF PLANS I started writing the stuff above before I really tackled this and also BAD NEWS I started chalking the pattern on the fabric and realized the diagram I was working off of was more.... vibes based than an actual rendering. I got the diagram off an academic website and it had some, but not all, the dimensions listed below so I started being a good mathlete and working out the ratios from the diagram but HEADS UP it's not accurate and starts to fuck up so-

so-

so-

I started working off a pattern in the "Medieval Tailor's Assistant" which looked too boxy to me- and then I panicked a bit because I've never made a hood before and I struggle with slip on garments (I don't want buttons for this particular one)

so I looked up a few online drafting guides (this one was simple and straight forward) and looked at this blog post (which shows their hood laid flat and then on the body) and then tried to harness the ghost of the Bocksten Man's tailor and I took some scrap fabric I had an made this little hood. It's missing the gore in front to smooth out the shoulders but I basically wanted to know 1. will my head fit through the neck hole and 2. will my head fit

so now I know more than when I started

I originally planned this as a hood that was fitted around my face but I'm not sure anymore, I need to sleep on it

I also did my laundry today, even making a special load for my linen cote, and I applied for a job!

It's a 3-ish month position, but the pay is comparable to my last job!

[jalapenobee]

Okay... Now I'm curious! What fic are you working on and what do you want to share about it? Like, what would absolutely sell us on it?

omg whoah

okay ironically i haven't actually sat down and started writing this one, but i am planning a given au........

(like, a paradox live/given au)

i'm assuming you know at least a little about paralive but if you don't that's ok lmao, but i wanna write this so you don't have to have read or seen given to read it so! there'll probably be teeny spoilers though

this ran a little long bc i can never keep this shit to myself and i've been dying to talk about it lmao

we have our boy! uenoyama! who is now kenta (bc if you know me you know i contracted the kentareo disease toooooo long ago)! in this au i don't wanna erase his trauma so i'm thinking something like the thing with sensei did happen, but it wasn't actually kenta who made the virus or something so sensei was arrested and somehow, kenta ends up being adopted (maybe?) by inukai and that's where he is today. he's not exactly a genius hacker anymore but he does know a shit ton about guitars :D

(the one good thing about this is that i actually do know things about guitars! which is fun)

and then we have our other boy! mafuyu! who is now reo, that was a pretty obvious choice lmao. because the plot of given wouldn't work with the paralive characters he is in the process of recovering from the suiseki incident, in which all the members of the suiseki group were killed except him and three others.

yeah, i said three.

the extra member i'm killing off would also be murata, so you have:

reo bonding with the character i assigned to kaji a little more

the character who'd be kaji wouldn't have the same relationship with the extra member like kaji and murata, instead of a toxic roommate he'd have to deal with the "ghost" of his dead friend.

oh my god i'm trying so hard to be vague about this rgghghghhhh

so basically instead of mafuyu coming to terms with yuki's death and uenoyama trying to help him through it, we have reo not being able to move on from the suiseki killings and kenta doing his veeery best to try and help him while he himself doesn't feel like he knows much about "family".

umm other things!

i do actually have all the characters lined up i'm just trying to keep some of this a surprise TvT still deciding whether i'll cut out fuyu no hanashi completely as a song or tweak the lyrics or do something else entirely

i'm only adapting the first arc (a.k.a. the given anime)

inukai is both a guitarist and bassist, he sometimes helps out with kenta's band because isn't that embarrassingly awkward as fuck

i still haven't figured out what i'm going to do about hancho though

hajun, dongha, and chungsung are replacing takei's band. i'm giving them all a slightly different relationship to make this easier on myself TvT

visty is going to be in this

kenta wouldn't be caught dead playing a tele- or stratocaster in public unless it was heavily modified, so i'm making his primary guitar a yamaha revstar. one of the reasons is that yamaha has a matching motorcycle line, and wouldn't it be funny as fuck if inukai had a motorcycle that matched his son's (sob) guitar?

this doesn't matter to anyone but me but i'm giving reo a slightly different guitar model too :D

so why would i say you should definitely read this? uh.......

(it would make me very happy TvT)

well i'm gonna put a shit ton of references in it, i know that's usually something people like in fics (or is it just me lmao)? i honestly don't know.......

oh god this took me half an hour to write. um so! there you have it! if this sounds interesting to you please give it a read when i finally get off my ass and start writing :D

[queen-with-a-jokers-heart]

Trust me, it's not just you. (Put under a read more for length and spoilers)

Now, I get that they were doing a LOT to set up the Stolen Century in this book, that arc has probably the most to cover out of any of the TAZ arcs, so you're going to want to give as much room in its own book for all of that plot as you possibly can. The problem is, to get from point A to B, they basically treated the main plot of this arc, Wonderland, as just a transition. The meat of it all cut up, and the most impactful moments that you already listed, such as the sacrifices of Elven Beauty and The Memory of Kalen, are just gone.

A thing I noticed, almost immediately, is how much they changed the Chug and Squeeze date, when they really didn't need to? Like, why was it changed from a wine and pottery place at all? Maybe I'm missing something about that, but they also cut one of my favorite lines from Taako, the brutally honest line of "Because I'm afraid no one else will have me" because, let's be honest. The ghost of Lup is in that line, because even though he can't remember it, there was a time when nobody else would have him, except her. And it also shows that he trusts Kravitz to a degree, even if they aren't fully sure what their relationship is yet.

And the line is traded for... A kiss? Now, I ain't mad at the writers giving these two of a more in depth romance from the beginning, I like their flirting and everything up until this point. But in the podcast, the wild kiss these two have when Taako pulls him out of the Astral plane, where Kravitz is a bit of a dork warming up his face, where they were both scared the other was dead, is a PERFECT first kiss for the audience to see. It's really emotional and feels compelling. And Taako revealing that he's not "as pretty" anymore, will just be gone now. Which is a shame.

Another thing I noticed, Since Magnus didn't go back to the void fish chamber... Johan isn't dead? Which, I'm sure they're not going to cut it from the story entirely, since it's a preeeeeeetty important plot point for, ya know Story and SONG. But considering how much they cut out of Wonderland to make room for everything going on in the bureau of balance before and after, I would have really assumed they would have included it??? I doubt it'll happen during the stolen century book, so it'll probably happen during Story and Song, which I'm not mad about but I'm not sure how they'll pull that off.

As OP said, a lot of impactful and somewhat important moments got cut. I love both the podcast and graphic novel version of this story. Both versions do certain things better than the other does in certain aspects. And I don't expect 100% faithful word for word adaptation. But they really cut down this Arc in disappointing ways this time around. Hopefully going forward we'll see some better pacing (Stolen Century has me a little worried in this aspect, but I'm keeping an open mind!)

Am I crazy or is the Suffering Game issue the book where most plot has been cut out??? Cause it feels so weirdly paced. And just kinda weirdly written in general.

Like there’s no Betrayal/Trust game, they go directly from Wheel to Monster Factory (and only fights the bear) and directly from Wheel to Heart Attack (no explanation for why they would end up there, just that it’s the “next stop”).

Then they skip the last Wheel round (meaning we don’t get Taako’s loss of Elven Beauty - a pretty important moment for his character, Merle loses his eye in the second round instead, and Magnus keeps all memories of Governor Kalen - he was offered loss of Julia instead and didn’t take it. Which. Fair.. and also, no bad luck) and go straight to the Lich fight??? So no boss Rush either. We also never see a penalty in this book.

Speaking of things missing from this book. Where the fuck is Cam? Or Lord Artemis Sterling? Rowan and Antonia???

The book is almost 300 pages long. They enter Wonderland at p. 52. We see the full room at p. 107. They only spent 55 pages on the bulk of this arc. The rest of the book has good pacing so what the fuck happened here. The book should have been longer. The impact of the suffering game isn’t felt as hard when there’s less gruelling challenges that loses Tres Horny Bois hp, or when you cut out any other npc that was affected by Wonderland from the story.

Due to this limited number of pages we also get weird pacing like Merle asking Magnus whether he spent “all that time thinking up the move” during the direbear fight, even though there’s only like 2 panels between Taako ending his move and Magnus beginning his. Also Merle you didn’t do anything during that fight, so get off your high horse.

Also, we only actually see one spell of Merle’s fail, that being the healing spell, so for all he knows, nothing is wrong with his powers, so him commenting on the fact that it would be nice to “be able to commune with a higher power” once they’re out of wonderland makes no fucking sense. Cause he could just?? Try and contact Pan?? Like he does later anyways??? Like we actively see him reaching into the astral plane without issue, so clearly up until that point no magical foul play.

Now, did stuff like the boss rush and the like have to have been in the book? No, but it’s weird when you think of what was kept in and was removed. Like fx, why was Taako shown giving up his acrobatics prof but not his elven beauty?

Also side note about Heart Attack - this is not relevant but it just makes me personally crazy, the book seems to imply that the mannequins have free will??? In that Lydia and Edward literally whisper to each other about “oh no the audience and the hot hot hot contestant actually likes these guys”????? WHAY?? Like aren’t they the ones who control all of what happens inside wonderland??

[a-mag-a-day]

MAG 63 - making apple pie in the kitchen

I just want to say right off the bat that this is one of my favorite statements!

"And if you don’t know what it is, well, the Internet’s a thing. Look it up." - so true, lmgtfy

"Everyone always forgets how much London is under London." - Foreshadowing? I mean, it's true, but still since this will become relevant to the plot.

"I took another picture before I followed him. The shadow was still there, and it seemed to be ever so slightly closer." - Aaaah, this is exactly the shit I love! xD

"I told him bluntly that I didn’t have enough, and if I didn’t get paid, he didn’t get paid." - Capitalism is the real enemy!!! Aside from that, it's so tragic that the Luke gets snatched. He wanted to leave.

"the third set of breathing. It was quiet, at first, long and slow, and very deliberate." - Jonny does love the words "slow" and "deliberate", preferably very close to each other, doesn't he?

"and I sank to the floor, clutching my camera to my chest like some sort of protective talisman." - I wonder if it was? Cameras belong to the Eye and that's the opposite of the Dark. The Dark is about the unseen, the Eye is about being seen. And the camera did make them visible to some point.

"As I pressed the button, the screaming stopped, with a wet snap, and for the worst moment of my life, an explosion of light shot through the darkness." - I love this so much _

"His eyes were staring at me as though pleading for my feeble, flashing camera to save him." - Firstly, again the camera being mentioned as a possible lifesaver. And secondly, and this is why horror writers say their search history is super fucked up: Luke's eyes were probably fixed on the statement-giver's camera because he was thinking just that. Yes, just the head. It is believed, that people (and animals) stay at least 2 to 3 seconds conscious before falling in a coma and dying from oxygen deprivation and sudden fall of perfusion of blood in the brain. This is a highly interesting topic physiology-wise that I have on some occasions been reading up about with fascination and dread alike. Because holy shit, this is so messed up.

MELANIE "The new girl let me in. Are you all right?" - <.<

MELANIE "No! I, um – I actually do need your help." JON "… Hm. Interesting." - He doesn't, but I feel like he really wants to be smug about it. Like, well well well, how the turns have tabled!

MELANIE "Georgie actually has some nice things to say about you." JON "Oh!" MELANIE "That came as a surprise." - Hahaha, that little "Oh" in there xD

JON "We didn’t exactly part on the best of terms…" - Well I wonder why that is… I mean, Jon can be a prick, but Georgie isn't a saint either. She's got a bit of a control problem going on. Ha… interesting… since it is said how similar Jmart is to wtgfs, this would make Georgie and Martin similar and control is a Web-thing, isn't it? It's just that Georgie can't quite succeed in it.

JON "I’m sorry to hear that. I noticed you weren’t updating anymore." - I know people in fanfics are always like "Oh, Jon only watches documentaries" and I think this was also said in a Q&A once that he'd probably be the documentaries-type but let's not forget what kind of a kid Jon was! He was a bookworm! He probably read a lot of fiction and I can't believe that he completely stopped that, fiction I mean. He may not have seen Kill Bill, but he knows the basic story of Spiderman, hell he's probably seen the first one with Toby Maguire! So yes. I believe Jon also watched some Ghost Hunting shows. It is after all that what he wants answers to.

"The new girl" line always sent shivers up my spine....

[jellydishes]

tagged by @melisusthewee and @ocean-in-my-rebel-soul for wip wednesday even though it isn't wednesday anymore lol

i've been working a bit on the sequel to a previous f!hawke/varric fic of mine, believe it's easier for you, which was a modern au about varric coming back to kirkwall after a several year absence in which he basically ghosted everyone, and must work his way back into earning everyone's forgiveness/trust again

this sequel so far has been delving a lot more into the backstories of varric and hawke. i can't reveal too much about the plot of the fic itself because i want to finish the entirety of the fic before posting it on ao3 as i did with the first one, but i don't mind showing what little i've done today:

"Varric," Edyiss said as they pulled up to a red light at an intersection, "I have a question."

Varric's smile froze on his face, accompanied by his train of thought screeching to a complete and very dramatic halt, because that was not a good set of words. That was a very bad set of words in fact, ones that foretold his immediate doom. His mouth worked as he struggled to find something to say that wouldn't make things catastrophically worse. "Oh?" he settled with, which seemed like safe waters. Peaceful, non-confrontational waters. Unfortunately, he couldn't stop his mouth from continuing to move without him. "Should I be sitting down for this, or would it be better to grab a shield?"

Edyiss' eyes narrowed only slightly, but it was enough that Varric winced. "Yes," she said, which compounded his wince into a pained grimace.

"That's nonspecific enough that I feel like I should be worried," he said with a half-hearted attempt at his usual grin.

She sighed and scrubbed a hand down her face. "Just… let me get through this, all right? It's hard enough asking it without you turning everything into a joke."

[devintrinidad]

Episode four here we go:

Right away, I think this is the best opening of season four. I have always had a soft spot for the Hargreeves as their young child selves. It was something that I wished we had more screentime of back in season one and season two. (Like, all the past flashbacks are my favorites). That said, this was pretty good and I love how they solidified that Ben and Viktor were somewhat close in the past, at least close enough that Viktor could be in Ben's room and try on his mask.

I'm not sure if they totally retconned Ben's meek/nice self or maybe he became jaded when he was in late teen years and became "wholesome" again when we see him again at the start of Season One. I mean, I can give his snarkiness a pass since he is a teen and maybe being dead changed his personality a bit. Or maybe Klaus' ghost powers somewhat influenced Ben???? I'm not sure, but hey, I'm just speculating.

Anyway, I talked about how yesterday that there was another creative umbrella opening and today was so good! I loved how Ben and Jennifer together formed the umbrella. I also liked how the clothes mirrored each other like a yin/yang symbol! That's so cool! Kind of like how durango and marigold are opposites of each other???

Another thing that I like to mention, I love the interactions among the children. Luther taking point, Diego eager to prove himself, Allison trying to help Klaus, Klaus being Klaus, it's all great.

Wish we could have seen more from the child actors and I'm happy that they got someone great for Ben. I have no idea if these are the original child actors from season one, but if they are, that's awesome.

As for the rest of the plot... I'm still iffy on Reginald's wife. Why is she??? Like tht??? She's too good to be true. It's kind of interesting that she's his complete opposite, but Reginald totally adores her. However, it becomes all the more grating when there's no contrast coming from her. She's too nice and too good. She appeals to Reginald, but like... Why? We get from Reginald that he thinks himself superior, so what about Abigail? I think it would make her all the more interesting if she thought herself better as well and only see their children as helpless and weak. I don't know. I need more to her character.

Viktor really went off this season.

But, I feel like this was a rehash from season one? Like, didn't he already make his point? About wanting to be part of the team? About wanting to be seen? I thought this was already resolved in Season Two and he was already pretty much part of the team in season three. Why again? I get he wanted to be at peace, but??? Wasn't he already at peace???

That said, I love how there's a continuation of Viktor being a mediator, always coming up with a plan. I wonder if it will come to fruition, though.

Also, there was this analysis way back from season one and how it commented that Reginald respected his children enough in some ways. Kind of like how he allowed Allison to have her natural hair, which is cool. Here, he calls Viktor a boy and like. Good for him, he basically was decent enough to respect Viktor's transition.

I feel like Luther and Diego were given a bone just so that they would have something to do. Luther isn't a himbo anymore, he's just... flanderized at this point? His one redeeming quality is that when Diego tells him that he needs to have something like the CIA< Luther noticeably relents and lets his little brother do his thing. That was cute. I respect it.

Klaus. Ummm... Gosh... Please, save him. I'm glad that he isn't drugged up, but what happened to him is on the same par of horrible. He should not have been put in that situation and I think the writers wanted to get rid of him just like they wanted to get rid of Luther and Diego. Done done done done done dirty.

Allison knowing rigor mortis because of a tv show and her accurate aim was amazing. No notes. She also clearly cares about Klaus. However... I don't think Klaus was always reaching out to her??? Like, I don't think I saw any one of that in season one??? (I don't deny that I could be wrong, though). Klaus was always alone and Allison had moved across the country. I get that there was a flashback earlier in the episode, but I feel like that was only to cement Allison's comment about Klaus always turning to her and hoping the audience doesn't rewatch season one or something.

Claire is using therapy buzz words and she's a teenager. There could have been a more appropriate way of saying those things, but I guess I could give it a pass? I don't know that much about Claire as a character and she seems mature for her own age.

Lila and Five going off on another adventure again. Yay. Lila really needs to confront the fact that if her marriage is having problems she shouldn't always be running away from talking to Diego. At least Diego is putting in the effort to actually confront her and talk to her. Lila's using Five as an escape and I feel like Five knows??? But enables her??? Or maybe he's confused and is trying his best to help in his own way? I mean, he's also trying to prevent another apocalypse, but still. It should look fishy on his end and I feel like Five from previous seasons would have wisened up and told Diego point blank what Lila is doing because, he should, care more about his brother and used bluntness as a tactic to make sure his brother knew.

One good thing about Lila and Five's trips to alternate timelines was the Phoenix Academy??? I wonder how Reginald came up with the names! Like, why umbrella? Why sparrow? And I love how the different uniforms reflect the different timelines lol. It's interesting that Klaus was included in the Phoenix Academy, but I wonder if that has something to do with his powers.

Ben and Jennifer... I now understand why people are saying Ben is a yandere lol. I would question why Ben and Jennifer are suddenly so interested in each other, but I suppose that marigold and durango interacting are why. I wish there was something more, but I feel like these essences or chemicals or whatever is the sole reason.

Also, Ben being somewhat romantic when he says that he has tentacles and Jennifer was inside a squid means that they were meant to be??? Just kill me, omg

Also, quick question, if there were multiple children of marigold... what about durango? Or does the idea of opposites also include durango? Like children of marigold is multiple, but durango can only happen to one person.

What are the odds that Jennifer happened to be in the vicinity of someone with marigold??? With the odds of billions of people on the planet, there should have been a near zero percent chance of the apocalypse happening in the first place. If you think about, it was Reginald's fault that he kept Jennifer in close proximity to the Umbrella Academy in this universe. He could have easily sent her to another country and that would have been it.

Also, was it ever explained why Jennifer from the original timeline was in a shipping container? if she was so easy to kill, why couldn't Reginald kill her himself? If this was a test, then everyone failed, but still. If this was such a dangerous thing to happen, he should have just gotten the job done himself.

Also, I know it's not going to happen, but it would have been so cool that when Viktor was using his powers on Reginald, Reginald actually turned into his alien form. I think that would have been great to reveal him as the monster he is when he's at his most vulnerable.

Anyway... episode five tomrrow?

Not gonna lie, I just watched the first episode the new TUA season. It doesn't seem bad. Yet.

I thought it was pretty fun and entertaining, if a bit mean spirited and took the characters in vastly different directions than I thought.

(They gotta stop dunking on Diego and Luther. They're himbos, but that doesn't mean you get to insult Diego's appearance and make Luther the butt of every single joke).

That said, knowing what I know about how the season will develop... I did get a sinking feeling when I saw Lila and Five having fun after the Keepers meeting and saw that Diego was watching. That little sideplot could have easily been played off for laughs and would have served as more fodder for siblings who like to tease each other... but I know what's going to happen, but I'm prepared for it.

Really, what stood out to me was that Five and Viktor sat together when they were at the Hibachi grill. I don't care anything else in this episode (though I am glad that Klaus is sober and seeks control in his life and Ben is... Ben is being very conniving and I wonder why he didn't take all the marigold for himself). Anywhoozles my 2019 Fiveya heart is smiling with joy, especially considering how close Five and Viktor once were.

(It's a long shot, but I hope there's a few more Fiktor moments here and there).

[sboochi]

*rollerblades into your blog carrying two starbucks* so i heard you had thoughts about a rotbtd pjo au? 👀

Okay, buckle up my friends because this is going to be a very confusing, unnecessary, and bizarre trip.

Imagine this. Act I of a hypotetical RotBTD (and more!) PJO!AU.

You know how halfbloods have prophetic dreams or dreams about their past? One day, these dreams get out of control. Demigods at Camp Half-Blood keep having nightmares that sometimes become true, sometimes don't. Of course everyone is freaking out

Because a halfblood's life is never easy, Morpheus/Sandman, the god of dreams who could possibly help them with the problem, disappears

This is where our heroes, Merida, Jack, Rapunzel and Hiccup, get involved: they are assigned a quest to find him and a nice personalized prophecy which mentions The Big Four demigods who will defeat evil (yes I am that subtle)

(I'm still figuring out their backgrounds, so I can't give more details about the Four, sorryyy)

During their journey, we find out that behind the nightmare apocalypse there are Phobos and Deimos (Pitch Black and maybe Drago?), minor gods who want to make the halfbloods powerless so they can't fight for/with their parents anymore

Yadda yadda, character development happens, the four become besties, they beat the bad guys, no more nightmares, you know the drill. The gods even start claiming basically everyone who wasn't, minor gods included. And they lived happily ever after-

EXCEPT. The four (now officially nicknamed The Big Four) are the only people who heard the full prophecy, and they know that the last lines still haven't come true. Cue dramatic cliffhanger

Act II!

Camp Half-Blood is going through a great period: there have never been so many kids and even if the gods don't talk to them that much (they must be very busy, right?), many heroic quests are being received (wow, who knew that the gods owned this many neat weapons and useful items we have to retrieve)

I won't repeat myself, I explained Red Shoes' arc here, just keep in mind that it roughly follows the movie plot

What I didn't mention is that Snow White finds the infamous golden apple the morning she's supposed to begin her quest and meet the F7. Is it a good luck charm from her mother? A trap? A prank? Near the climax she realizes what it actually means, while still searching for her father:

You see, only someone close to Aphrodite, a goddess, could secretly take it, someone like a god

Since gods can't directly intervene in their children's battles, that means that someone is trying to help them... Or warn them

It isn't about the myth, but its name. Apple of Discord (or is it Apple of Strife? Like, the official name, if someone knows please tell me). This person is sending a message: a war between the twelve olympians and the minor deities is going to break out if nothing is done about it

Yeah, turns out that Phobos and Deimos inspired other minor gods to rebel as well

That's why many new halfbloods were claimed, why they were assigned more quests than ever, to get weapons for their parents, to reinforce an army for both sides

Minor gods are tired of being left out and ignored, so are some of their children. Take Hans (from Frozen, not, you know Red Shoes'l), still un-claimed after years. Or Elsa and Jack, born from Boreas. Kubo, son of Nemesis. Agatha, ghost daughter of Hecate who found peace after Hades' son Norman confronted her. Regina (Snow White's stepmother), another daughter of Hecate:

Everytime something bad has happened, a minor god or their kid were involved

What happens next... is still work-in-progress. I have some more thinking to do 😅 I want to have Chaos involved in Act III somehow? Maybe he's the mastermind behind everything, and he was the one who influenced the gods to revolt, with his..... chaotic nature

And sorry for the late reply! I kept adding details to the list and it kinda got out of control