#so yeah i've always understood the concept of shipping

[juulz]

Hi Juulz, welcome back! I'm glad you had a good trip!

It pumps me the fuck up to know you enjoy my analyses and that based on the tags, find them helpful in arranging ideas. That is the highest honor for a little fangirl such as myself. I am a shameless lore whore, so getting to piece things together and unraveling the backstory is so much fun. So is brainstorming additional story details canon leaves out or unclear.

I've heard people say that, "assuming makes an ass out of you and me both," and I think I see why lmfao. Between me being a hopeless romantic, calling on common narratives and assuming there would be an overaching theme of love between the Misfits and AWSB AUs (even if they ultimately played out differently), I read into things a little off. That said, I'm not disappointed in this take and I'm actually curious about how it's going to play out. Be it something as simple as Misfit! Silver being an Aromantic Pansexual, or something as deliciously tragic as him being too emotionally broken down to acknowledge his own feelings, or hell, being capable of geniune love at all. There's plenty of options for you to chose from, and either way, it's content for me to eat.

Leaving the concept of Silver's ex a blank slate is good for me as well, as I can play around with different ideas and scenarios when I'm bored and adapt it to whatever I'm craving.

And yeah, I see your point of Silver caring for his ex and possibly Gold in a non-romantic/non-familial platonic way. Honestly, platonic love is more sacred, Western Culture just hypes romance up too much (and I'm a victim of that brainwashIng). I have to laugh, because the more we chat about the AUs the more I kin your Golds. This particular conversation really makes me feel connected to Gold as I remained infatuated with my first love for years despite him being in and out of my life and usually not a good influence. I've crushed on a guy-friend I went to highschool with who was aroace. I loved one of my childhood friends before I understood I was bi, and watched her love other people and watched get her heart broken repeatedly, but grew to love her only platonically later. I had pretty strong feelings for a girl who cared about me so little she laughed when she heard about my botched suicide attempt. And I had a massive crush on a guy-friend from college who had a limerent crush on someone else and we became even better friends after he rejected me.

That last one is particularly funny for me because my mom, shortly before she passed, had really shipped us and said, "I can tell he loves you, maybe not in a romantic sense, but he loves you regardless. I wish he was in love with though, because he sounds like a young man I'd trust with my daughter". I don't care if anyone else sees this, it's the internet, it's anonymous. Besides, it's my canon event, it happened, I survived and got better.

Oh, and thank you for linking the flashback image. I remember seeing it before, but I think I had paid more attention to Gold's half, while overlooking one of the potential implication's of Silver's. I'm not sure how I missed that. Catholic school boy probably means more than religious trauma. Lastly, would you be interested in hearing some songs that make me think of Silver? I've been wanting to make a playlist. It'll probably be multiversal though so I don't have to make specific playlists for different characterizations.

Thank you, it’s been fantastic! Trying to get back into the grind now.

I enjoy reading all feedback and especially when it’s so thought through and thorough. It can be hard to pack all the details and nuances into a couple of panels, so I’m always down to talk about the AUs to clarify and/or expand upon or just to chat in general. As long as it’s not a spoiler ;)

The overreaching theme of love may yet be possible, but if we’re talking about “Nothing” comics, it’s too early into the story to be anything but one-sided. After realizing his crush (and losing some of his 'clients' and out of fear for his life) Gold starts hanging more around that pub where Silver’s band plays and practices. They do drugs, fuck around after gigs and in between, but in the end Gold’s no more than a groupie competing with the other groupies for some dick to suck.

I recall mentioning it somewhere, possibly twtr, Silver’s response comes off as harsh, but this has not been the first time Gold’s confessed. Not even the second. An obsessed fan threatening to off themselves unless they get a return confession. He’d seen this before, he detests blackmail, and still Silver breaks that door down and drags Gold’s pissy ass to the A&E for he wants no one else OD’ing on him, willfully or otherwise.

If I ever write a fic this would be covered, but as things are I don’t mind leaving it vague even if it paints Silver more of an asshole than he really is. It also makes Gold lessmore pathetic.

Thank you for sharing this with me. I’m sorry you had to go through this, but I’m really glad you’re doing better now.

I tend to see bits of myself in both of the characters, as most creatives do. Losing a friend to an intentional overdose, trashy underground parties and gigs and overall nonconformity being my canon events. Not autobiographical of course, I wouldn't (probably even be able to) let my life get as fucked up as theirs, but that’s the fun of cooking up these AUs, exploring the extremes and subjecting my faves to the what-ifs.

Catholic school boy probably means more than religious trauma

You may assume the worst here.

Oh, please do! I’d be stoked to hear which songs you associate with the lads. I myself don’t have a playlist assembled for Misfits AU, but there was one for AWSB.

[shnowbilicat]

Old Scars Heal Slowly

-------------------------------

Healing from wounds takes a long time, especially once that you cannot see. Sadly I'm someone who carries many scars and many times they like to open up again.

Alright I'll drop the vagueness, I hate calling what I've went through 'traumatic experiences' but I also can't deny that many things in my life have been really messed up and that they left panaoid thoughts that ... sometimes are right.

You're free to read the whole vent below, but I'll summarize it here if you're still interested but too lazy to read through paragraphs or le tragic backstory~

It's funny that I have another character that was very well liked, but pretty much used as an object for someone else to injet their fanatasies into, and when I mentioned how uncomfortable it was for me, people lashed out. I don't know why strangers on the internet think it's totally cool to take someone else's character and jerk off to them. Maybe they're all kids who don't know any better? But that does not excuse that they're legit hurting the original artist ... me. I was hurt. I got paranoid to the gills, have a fcked up relationship with intamacy and am super defensive when it comes to other people wanitng to do something to/with my characters. Consent is still a very new concept I have the feeling ... and I'm so tired of fighting over other people about what I can or cannot do with MY characters ... *le sigh :'33

Okay, so now for a more indepth vent, yay!!

Kokuri started out as a Sonic creepypasta. I liked the concept of a powerful, stalking, creepy Sonic character, so I made him into an OC! His power made him into a god, his creepiness gave him a cool creepy horror form and his stalking ... yeah I made him into a perv and I loved him to bits X'D

I never had a perverted character and since I was a teen I could kinda explore my sexuality and stuff with him in a fun way- wait why are my followers really into him??

Yeah for some reason Kokuri was REALLY popular, so much so that many of my friends and followers started shipping him with their characters?? Luckily my friends understood that I was uncomfy, but some were not so nice. I remember getting a note where someone told me they 'omni-shipped' Kokuri and while I admit I was an emotional teen that had english as their second language, I still was uncomfy and tried to tell them to please not. Later a friend of theirs argued with me that I cannot control others, especially when I become big ... I hope yall know that it does not matter how big someone gets, people shouldn't just ... deny the original creator their wishes for THEIR OWN CHARACTERS. I know I cano't control them, but they can at least be nice enough to respect my wishes mmmmrgh.

Another example was that I had a back then recent friendship tarnished when the person drew their self insert with Kokuri and I told them nicely that Kokuri had a boyfriend ... and they started to be very upset and rude towards me. Or, ya know, that one time a very clingy, RP-happy 'friend' who was always venting to me about their mental health and family and always wanted Kokuri to be their self insert's boyfriend- wait I feel a deja-vu. But there's more! Bby me tried and tried to talk it out how much they tired me out, even RPing it out with Kokuri telling them off, but nothing worked. So, public journal canceling our friendship- ah shit they made a counter journal pretending to be their sister and how I made them attepting to end game. Yaayyyy~ Yall can imagine how it fucking traumatized little ol me :'333

SO! After I kinda drifted off from Sonic to FNAF it was peacefuly quiet, but I had a hard rule that my characters are not allowed to be shipped without my consent after all that bs.

Fast forward to 2023, I get a chat message on DA and someone was really interested with my FNAF boiz. I was ecstatic and rambled about my squad, since it's really rare to get new people on board on loving my bbys. Soon we pivoted over to Discord and ... they mentioned how they liked Rick n Keith, like REALLY really liked them. So far as to call them 'boyfriend material' and how they wished Rick actually existed and how he would be the perfect boyfriend cuz they wouldn't judge them. And I was like 'plz dun take this too seriously okay?? :'3' cuz I was uncomfy with them drooling over my boiz, but also not wanting to take away their joy. Cuz surprise surprise, they also had a bad life. I didn't wanna take away that potentially could help them cope with it all, but also, ya know, don't be creepy.

Aaaaand they asked me for a romance RP with Rick and their FNAF character. I declined, cuz remance RPs are uncomfy, no shit, but they continued being weird, always wanting my attention and being weirdly talkative about how X character was hot or smth, wanitng me to get into the stuff they like, being dismissive about things I liked, being very non-chalant on visiting them IRL (we barely knew each other for half a year too), not taking a no for an answer, etc etc etc

One of my biggest mistakes was giving into the romance RP some time later. The person managed to talk me into merging two of my AUs, FNOK my NSFW AU and my base FNAF AU. I dleted any murder from FNOK cuz I didn't like the implications of murder and naughties ... but now it was back in it! :D

Also remember their OC? Yeah, they didn't even have a design or name up until now- ah wait they are oddly similar to my RP partner and also they share a name? A fucking self insert?? Yeah, yeah it was a self insert and I'm 1000% sure about it. Also they wanted to have at least 5 sentence replies, without dialogue. Broskies, I was so mentally exhausted by it all ya don't even know.

Worst part? They also pivoted to having the hots for SpringTrap, asing how much animal to animatronic they are, how *ahem* rough SpringTrap would be in bed. You can imagine how little old me was very creeped and weirded out. Nothing against kinkiness, but if ya wanna get violated by a big ass rabbit monster, don't do it here thxx

Or some minor things were that the person was sharing their ideas for some FAR future plots or ideas for the RP. Like when Rick and their OC would live together ... bro, they just met in RP, chill your balls plzzz qWq

All came to a head when I got a very uncomfy nightmare and confronted them to all my issues ... aaaand they lashed out BIG TIME. To keep the next scene short, we had a falling out, I tried desperately to talk things out, but they refused, even though they previously told me to be direct with them, even before my confrontation. I remember very well that they demanded that I NEVER bring drama with them or tell anybody about our arguement.

Over time I realized I was fighting a battle I cannot win. One last time, being so calm I scared myself, but no, they called me a a parasite (for demanding space? That's the opposite of what a parasote wants bruh) and I blockd them everywhere.

Freedom at last ... but at what cost?

I got new scars, because of someone who couldn't understand limits or keep their bloody hands of other's characters just to satisfy themselves.

I just recently saw the parallels with Rick and Kokuri and it really makes me upset to see that I let someone just ... use them and me like that.

And you got not idea how much my paranoia expanded. Hell, drawing love or intimacy are even worse now, I'm so scared to have people yell at me again or be happy about the things I draw ...

So yeah, that's why I was posting some deeper stuff here and there :'3

I gotta say, it's nice to draw my pervy hedgy comforting best shadow boi. I really wanna draw Kokuri with my sqaud more, they'd be so fun <33

Anyway, thank you for reading and also being there for me. While I still struggle immensly with drawing stuff, I'll try my best to get over my fears ... just pray for me to not get another creep wanting to jerk off to my characters X'D

[thegentlemansexcuseme]

THE BEACH | Danny Boyle | 2000

I remember this coming out during my brief backpacker phase. I wasn't hardcore and never travelled anywhere as exotic or far-flung as The Beach, but in rough-n-tumble hostels in Tavira, Tallin, and Tromsø I encountered the wandering spirits, the happily lost, who did indeed seek out the world's hidden corners.

This is a subculture of people who have done what many dream about and have slipped the surly bonds of the work-eat-sleep cycle and committed themselves to a life of nomadism as though answering a religious calling. Or maybe they opted to run from something and never thought to stop. The reality of it is an unmoored hand-to-mouth slog, but it looks liberating. I'm not referring to gap-year students traipsing about Machu Picchu; I'm talking about those whose every step furthers them from whatever they are leaving behind, steps that never lead them back home.

And, anyway, what I've discovered is that you don't need to join them in their perpetual drift from place to place on a shoestring budget, since the people who do so bring their stories with them. The Columbians, the Koreans, the Belgians, and the Aussies - always, everywhere, the Aussies - gather and share hair-raising stories, from run-ins with drunken gun-toting Russian squaddies to eating goats' heads with the Mujahideen, and the running of the bulls in Pamplona (the usual ice-breaker is invariably amusing encounters with bewildered Americans who, taken away from Buttsville Arkansas, notoriously become the most clueless, fish-out-of-water innocents.)

The primary reason for these passing ships sounding their horns to each other was to exchange information. Secret hobo-code stuff for vagabonds. Cheapest beds in cheap digs: where, where and when and how; local markets, where to get cash-in-hand work as a plongeur or market porter for a day, a month, or six; as well as info on nod-and-a-wink side street bars, and, yeah, places the bovine herds of [*spit*] tourists don't (yet) know about.

Alex Garland clearly understood all of this when he wrote The Beach, a novel based on his time in the Philippines, which is captured in fleeting moments in the early scenes of Danny Boyle's heightened, glossy adaptation. Except the hostel rooms are all wrong—where are the four-high bunk beds with a mountainous, snoring, boozed-up German always comatose on the bottom bunk? 

The book was becoming as ubiquitous as Lonely Planet's "Europe on a Shoestring," something of a bible in backpacker circles at the time, when I read it in a wooden cabin in Lillehammer, watching near-mystical banks of fog creep over the mountain tops with a hot chocolate in my hand, so the film was eagerly awaited.

Danny Boyle is renowned as a director who imbues his films with a strong sense of style, albeit this is often achieved through editing. He sets the tone with punchy dance music and restless quick cuts between action; he's very good with energy and pace, which is cool for the scenes set in Bangkok, but he's not one for lyricism, and so the large portion of the film set on the island feels no more paradisiacal than an episode of Magnum P.I. The reefer smoke and bustle of Khoa San Road are captured, but the salt-stained ennui of Ko Samui is at best picture-postcard stuff.

The film primarily fails because the concept leads us to assume that we'll be allowed entrance to a hidden, secluded enclave, but instead it's simply a strip of sand and a group of moderately unpleasant dropouts playing Swiss Family Robinson. The narrative focuses on the corrupting and destructive nature of tourism and how the destruction of natural idylls should be left to locals. But, of course, while the long axis of the movie, much like in a Scorsese film, indicates no, this is horrible and tragic, and it damages everything surrounding it for no valid cause, the individual components, the moments, all say yeah, this is some pretty cool shit.

At least, I think the scene where Leo imagines himself in a Nintendo game was meant to be cool. 

Just to drive the point home, I suppose, Boyle and his crew had the location bulldozed of trees and vegetation so that it would look like a sunbather's beach on the Costa Del Sol.

Leonardo DiCaprio, washed ashore following Titanic, received a Razzie nomination and a slew of sniffy reviews for this, but he's much looser and likable here than in his awkward presence as Jack Dawson.

Evidently under studio pressure, he replaced Ewan McGregor, a move that soured McGregor's relationship with director Danny Boyle. The question remains: would The Beach be a better film with Ewan as a Scottish backpacker in place of the bronzed pretty boy Yank? Neither are particularly strong actors, and Leo has that deadened blankness to him that blights many former child stars such as himself and Ryan Gosling, while McGregor is able to pull off a wide-eyed cheeky-chappie quality that would have helped, but this is still one the best roles of Leo's Imperial Phase.

But we don't feel anything for him because his character is so sketchily written, and things just happen out of the blue, like him developing a relationship with a French traveller when there has been no chemistry between them, or the video game bit, which might have made some sense if the character, as in the book, was shown to be a Game Boy addict, but otherwise things just happen out of the blue and the lead character just bounces from one situation to the next.

It is unfortunate that Danny Boyle was unable to capture the narcotic, hallucinogenic atmosphere of the novel or retain the evocative tone of the opening scenes throughout the majority of the film. Boyle and screenwriter John Hodge lose focus and eventually control of the film's plot, like they did in A Life Less Ordinary.

Yet, "Pure Shores" by All Saints is still a banger, and, for me, contributes to the film's nostalgic charm and almost makes me long to don my Goa flea market hippie beads, army surplus boots, and Mountain Warehouse clearance sale rucksack once more.

Letterboxd

[all-that-jazz-93]

I understood the concept of shipping and OTPs long before I knew the terminology.

I read Anne of Green Gables for the first time when I was eleven years old, and the moment Anne Shirley cracked her slate over Gilbert Blythe's head, I knew they were meant to be together.

[mcdingaling]

I'm FINALLY doing my Sakuatsu fic rec MASTERLIST

I love finding these so i've wanted to do this for such a long time.

Without further ado, here we go: (there will be NO smut -mostly- so its ALL FLUFF AND CRACK AND AMAZINGNESS)

SOCIAL MEDIA CONCEPTS

I adore the premise of social media in fics, so these are my ABSOLUTE favorite ones

The MSBY Black Jackals Take a Lie Detector Test by sifuhotman

i THINK this is my favorite sakuatsu fic ever. like. ever

i've read this so. many. times. And im in LOVE with the concept bc i LOVE the try guys and the build up is SO GOOD and there is so much TENSION and hinata and bokuto are little shi*s. THE CONCEPT OF A LIE DETECTOR IS JUST GREAT OK?? IT JUST IS

MSBY4's Lockdown Survival Guide by minthalo

THIS MOTHERFRIKING FIC OMGKSDHGKLA. idk what it was laced with but you cant. put. it. down

It's SO GOOD, it's based on tiktok and the #sakuatsu stuff is AMAZING dfjskhf only they would realize they love each other bc of HASHTAGS

AND ITS ALSO SUPER FUNNY

MSBY's Miya Atsumu and Sakusa Kiyoomi Take a Friendship Test by msbypr

AjSDBAJFASÑK THIS motherfriking FIC. omg. ITS SO GOOOD

ITS BEST FRIENDS TO LOVERS, and the amount of LOVE they have for each other??? and the TENSION??? ITS AMAZING

Miya Atsumu & Sakusa Kiyoomi Answer the Web's Most Searched Questions by sifuhotman

"SOCIAL MEDIA INTERVIEW AND PRIVATE CONFessoon YASSSSSS"

that's literally what I wrote as a bookmark. It's amazing

Famous V-League Players Make Fools of Themselves on Twitter dot com by crone_zone

my bookmark after i read it was "This is the closest thing to reblogging a fic I could think of 🤍 HILARIOUS" and i STAND. BY . THAT. YOU SHOULD READ THIS FIC. its a crack fic and its SO WELL DONE I LITERALLY LOLed OK??? I LAUGH OUT LOUDED

Channel JACKAL by Aka_aKa_akA

It's literally a video series made fanfic about the jackals being dumb and awesome and lovely and sakuatsu bc yea everyone loves sakuatsu so just enjoy the ride

its a kinda? slow burn. long but WORTH IT

a posteriori by SugarHighs

hsksafhkla competitive atsumu ftw

Subtle Inarizaki Crushes by sifuhotman

ok so, this one is a second part? or first part? of 2 fics. One is Subtle Inarizaki Dating which is SUNAOSA and sakuatsu in the background, but this is SAKUATSU with sunaosa in the background. It's really good, you should definitely read both

in the light by Ann1215

HEAR ME OUT OK???? Sakusa as a SUGAR DADDY???? and atsumu being all cute and hot and collegy???? OGAKGAHLDSKJFH i love this and its a FAKE DATING au so yea its perfect dont judge just read

re: chat by aalphard

Do emails count as social media???? who knows

anyways, this fic is SO FUNNY and i LOVE atsumu so yeah, its reading into his conversations with his brother gushing about sakusa

10/10

Dress to Impress by matchumu

Sakusa just malfunctioning because of a picture of atsumu is GOLD

i keep a window for you, it's always open by volchitsae

I'll just say this is social media bc SAKUSA is a YOUTUBER <3<3 love it. Never understood the title tho hehe

People Will Say We're in Love by tirralirra

yea remember THAT author i said i wouldn't put another fic of? well...

so THIS ONE is so cute bc people ship sakuatsu on twitter and they try to deny it. as IF they werent like in love

SIMPLY VERY GOOD ONES

Again, until it's perfect by fairycake

It's SUCH A GOOD FIC bc the concept of them perfecting a quick is SO COOL and the love story progression is SO AMAZING and yeah, AND THE PINING???? 10/10. I wish I'd read this one sooner

Too Unwise to Woo Peaceably by tirralirra

THIS.FRIKING.FIC omggggg THE CONCEPT??? amazing. THE PLOT??? hilarious. THE CHARACTERS??? wonderful

ITS LIKE OMG AJKJKLAJKL EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED AND MORE. LIKE SHAKESPEARE???? AND HAIKYUU???? SAY LESS

as you can see, i like this author sO.MUCH

ATSU101: how to fall in love with your fake boyfriend by solyn

OK SO THIS ONE DOES HAVE SMUT (((kinda tho they make out)))) but hear me out ok? i branched out for a good reason. ITS LIKE ZERO ANGST. minous a THOUSAND angst. all fluff. IDIOTS TO LOVERS which they are, your honor. and at this point it's a classic in the fandom just read it ok? just enjoy loving atsumu even MORE than you ever thought you could bc, as i said, he is the man of everyone's dreams. thank you and goodnight

If you're ever sad just read this fic. plz.

Matchmade by tirralirra

OMG THIS ONE IS SO ADORABLE like best friends sakuatsu is like the best thing EVER to me and this is the CUTEST friends (idiots) to lovers

Love Me, Love My Dog by tirralirra

this is the last one from this author i promise

IAHSDGKL SAKUSA BEING A DOG DAD???? and atsumu falling for him?? the progression is so cute?? and healthy?? and natural?? im in lov

ink blossoms by entrechat

WHO doesn't love a good flower / tattoo shop AU amirite?????? and its very VERY good

The Dos and Don’ts of Loving Sakusa Kiyoomi by liliapocalypse

THIS is AMAZING and the TENSIONNN and the PININGGGG MAJKDFAKLNF. Everyone just wants to make sakusa smile :) and atsumu pisses him off, so yea he's not winning that competition

Sakusa Kiyoomi's Matchmaking Questionnaire by soylatte17

Its SO CUUUUTE <3 i lov this. sakusa is a matchmaker and atsumu is his client, basically. CaN yOu gUeSs whAt could PoSsIbLy hApPeN????

i’ll do anything you say (if you say it with your hands) by liliapocalypse

the slight touching cuteness is too much i cant even

touch me (i want you to) by melstar

PRACTICE TOUCHING??? say LESS

its really really really really really really -and yeah i typed really all those times instead of ctrl-v ing it bc im an idiot - cute

COLLEGE AU

Mostly college Aus, just the ones that focus on that bc there are many college AUs that are important bc of other stuff

don't think too much (i only fell when i gave up) by w0ndrlnd

I didnt knOw i needed a SMART ATSUMU fic until this one. LIkE its ACADEMIC RIVALSSS BUT DONE SO WELL??? HOWWWW

the perfect college AU where atsumu is the man of everyone's dreams. I read this twice... in a row

the posterior probability by izayas

JHSJDH i lOVE this one and its another SMART atsumu and i LIVE. FOR THAT

on the basis of instant noodles by auvelli

Let's say it's enemies to lovers. and its COLLEGE and its pining and crushing and using a microwave so what else can you even ask for at this poing

A Second Truth by tumbleweedfarm

This IS a college AU but like KYIOOMI BEING A SINGLE DAD?? AND ATSUMU FALLING AND BEING THERE FOR HIM??????

?????????? IM CRYING????

three roses and a smile by strawberrycitrus

I meann.... its a college AU but they're both professors. and enemies to lovers. its SUCH A COOL PLOT, like really, trust me, it IS

SHORT ONES:

love and all the wrong answers by tirralirra

This one is SO CUTE and sakusa is SO.DUMB i love it so much

ROAD RAGE by mcbeefy

THIS ONE'S JUST HILARIOUS SAFJKHAKF plz read it it's a great crack fic

Current Predicament by fandomverse

You know when you read sth and you thing hOW did someone come up with this?? well, this concept is AMAZING and the EXECUTION TOO, *chef's kiss*

How to Acquire a Romantic Partner Using Reverse Psychology: a How-To-Guide by Sakusa by awkwardedgeworth

This one is very short, but like.... it's about them COMPRESSION SLEVES... yeah... just read it

pick me by ely_su

A good read, very cute ending

if you want even MORE, here you have ALL my Ao3 bookmarks with comments on them bc yeah

[doctorofmagic]

I find it so sad and upsetting to see the Clea tag here on tumblr being SO full of people complaining about her and being upset that Stephen didn't end up with Christine... I just want to read some new people appreciating Clea now and her fans being happy, and yet I'm finding so much negativity 😔 I love Christine as well and I was so happy with what they did in MoM with her character and her relationship with Stephen, and yet palmerstrange fans are all so angry. These ship wars are so stupid, kill all my joy of being in fandom.

PS: Anon who sent me the Palmerstrange ask, I’m sorry but tumblr got dumb and deleted your post as I was editing this ask. But luckily enough I was able to answer your whole question before it got deleted. Sorry :/

Okay *sighs*

First of all, I'd like to say that I understand where both preferences come from, even though I've always been biased because of Cleaphen (even when it was just Victoria and Clea, I always rooted for Clea because I knew how deep Stephen loved her - and yes, Stephen is poly-coded in canon).

Anon 1: I was avoiding the tags but your message made me curious and since I lack self-caring, I checked it out and yikes, yeah... I understand where they come from and I respect their sadness for having their ship wrecked but uh...

It's okay, they may not accept Clea now but who knows? They can always change their minds, especially if they see that Stephen is happy (which is really a sign of love).

I mean, I've been there in other fandoms so I know how it feels, but it's not like I didn't appreciate the new possibilities cause, luckily, I'm able to multi-ship so all good.

But true, true. Ship wars are the stupidest bs in any fandom. Also if I was THAT obsessed with canon, I wouldn't have a fic with 14+ ships featuring Stephen lmao. It's not that serious. Besides, canon never stopped people before, me included 😭 90% of my ships are not canon, so what?

Anon 2: At this point, I'm just glad they introduced her instead of using Christine as a variant, ngl 😭 this concept of variants in the MCU just set everything on fire. It worked so well on comics but now, like, I'm not commenting on THAT. I refuse to do so. But okay, okay, at least she's here!! Also I really don't see that Stephen's story will end in DS3 when we're having a fourth Thor movie coming and it won't probably be the last? I strongly believe we'll have so much more of him, and consequently Clea.

Anon 3: Thank you for your kindness! Yes, yes, let's always support older women and their amazing work! I'm just glad to see more of this on screen. There's still a long road but the more vocal we’re about it, more often we’ll see them represented.

Anon 4 who asked about Palmerstrange: look... I really tend to avoid ship discourse on my blog because I know it hurts people's feelings so I'd rather not to, even though the opposite is not always true. Besides, I liked them in the What If? episode, although I agree that MCU!Stephen and Christine were portrayed in a way that their relationship wouldn't be rekindled. But that's just my interpretation. People ship for less. Crack ships exist. Who am I to judge people's preferences? (except pr0-sh1pping. That's definitely not my cup of tea.) In my opinion, when Christine kisses Stephen's cheek in the first movie, I knew they wouldn't end up together since I understood that moment as a gesture of platonic affection. And the fact that Stephen clings into her memory is because he needs love, and her memory is all he has left. But then again, that's MY interpretation. Doesn't mean I'm right.

What I'll criticize, though, is people coming for Clea and saying all kinds of nasty stuff when first loves are hardly endgame irl. It feels real to me. The point is, I agree with you, but it doesn't invalidate Palmerstrangers who felt compelled by their story on screen because it was their interpretation when consuming said content.

--

In any case, my point is, it's really hard for me to validate or invalidate people's preferences when it comes to shipping because, as I said, I'm able to ship Stephen with every character in the Marvel Universe, it works in my head regardless of canon. But that's just me. There are ships that I really dislike in the MCU and have strong opinions on them but you'll never hear about it 🥴 and this is why I avert my eyes to this kind of discourse.

(truly, this subject feels like walking on eggshells oooooof)

[lightdancer1]

Azula goes to the Zoo Part IV of VI

"Enjoying the zoo so far, Sparky?" Haruka-papa's voice intruded on her thoughts.

She smiled at her, nodding.

"I am."

Her smile widened.

"Everything I hoped it'd be and more."

They stepped onto the monorail, clustering together, Chibiusa and Hotaru seated, the others holding onto rails. They had gotten onto the monorail swiftly, others leaving it just as swiftly. There was no shortage of people at the Zoo, and overall Japan was more relaxed than it had been during the time of the Dark Kingdom and the Black Moon Clan's onslaught.

Without fear of monsters in the night (not, in truth, that it was an improvement for the bloated horrors to storm toward the Sensh in broad daylight) Japanese society relaxed more. There were greater tensions and fears that the death throes of a dying empire might see the world burn in its wake.

The Senshi and Azula listened to the commentary of people on the train. Much of it was the daily chatter of people who lived lives that were busy and were enjoying time off from the salaryman's grind. Some of it referenced the older clashes of the Senshi and the Dark Kingdom, the adventures of Sailor V in Europe and in the Americas, and the incidents with the Black Moon Clan.

Ami's face was stone when she heard someone speaking dismissively of droids. Sure, the Senshi had mowed them down, but that was as much a measure of their power as anything else. There had been a few times where the Senshi arrived to face the droids after the police and in one case the Army. The scenes of one of those clashes was in Ami's mind and thoughts with that and she shook her head, letting herself focus on the more pleasant things.

-------

"It's strange," Azula turned to see Ami-chan speaking to her.

"You react with wonder to a giraffe but a monorail...."

Azula shrugged.

"The Fire Nation was not that primitive in transportation. Royals use palanquins but on the mainland, in the colonies, we have something like this. And we have ships, both of them using coal. I've only heard of the mainland rails and have never ridden one but the concept isn't that weird."

Ami tilted her head.

"I don't mean to offend," she said quietly.

Azula shook her head. "You didn't. The more I learn about this, the more I see areas where the Fire Nation fits into this world better than most of the others do. We know things, even if we're not always clear on why we do."

She looked at Ami crookedly.

"For all that we're the children of Agni, for example, we always washed our hands and had mandated on pain of death orders to put the privies away from the drinking water in the field."

Ami blushed for a moment but then nodded.

"So in some ways it's not quite that much of an adjustment?"

Azula nodded.

"In some ways. Fire Nation speech is a lot like Japanese, just with completely different metaphors. We have industry, and steel ships. We even have tanks."

Ami blinked at that.

"Yeah," Azula nodded, seeing her surprise. "In war the Fire Nation is advanced. On the mainland, more advanced. Most of the islands aren't really the type to accept rail even if it's a known factor. Tradition, or so it's said."

She shrugged.

"But yes, the animals are amazing."

Her smile was broad, a little dazed, even.

"Not hybrids but no less weird. The giraffe and the elephant and the bison...."

Ami-chan nodded.

She listened to Azula rambling on about the animals, her wariness that Sailor Pluto, aka Meiou Setsuna knew what it was that she knew fading.

--------

When they arrived at the other half of the zoo, while they were among the first to step in they were among the last to leave, a quirk of the Outers that Azula understood and which left Ami blinking and sweatdropping for a moment before shrugging and joining them.

The gateway to the Australian exhibit, which was the smallest of all of them, was adorned by the images of the main attractions in the exhibit, mostly different stripes of kangaroo, koalas, and the goanna.

Azula stared blankly at the image of the kangaroos and wallabies.

"What the Hell?"

Setsuna gave her a wry smile.

"My exact response when I first saw one."

Azula's head tilted and she shrugged and they went into the exhibit.

[stardustedknuckles]

Just want to say that I appreciate you speaking up about the troubling terf rhetoric going on in the Beauyasha and Beaujes sectors of fandom. It's bothered me for ... a long time, honestly.

God the bj fandom terrifies me, and I started as a bj shipper. It wasn't their attitude that changed that, it happened organically, but I've been hesitant to even do byj for fear of them coming down about how jester is or isn't portrayed etc.

The majority of my silence is rooted in the firm decision to keep fandom a positive and chill space for myself, no doubt, but there's a little fear there of having that space destroyed that comes with it. I have the followers I do because you all understand exactly where I sit when it comes to the purity police, trans liberation, and queer relationships and who defines them. I avoid getting into the negativity but I'm very clear about the standards I've set for my interactions with fandom because the vast majority of it as a concept is toxic and awful and I refuse to play.

But. I also hated every time I felt forced to unfollow someone who supported trans folks but didn't realize what they were perpetuating with their reblogs, and though I understood it was not my job to babysit critical thinking and that nobody else wanted to be made to feel bad for not knowing they were enabling harm, that's exactly what makes a space unwelcoming for folks like me.

I expected nobody at all to care about my demi college yasha. It took months before I ventured to write trans beauyasha. I still haven't written a darkfic for this ship because I still think that would get me blasted by people who otherwise align with my representation. I'm not here to be brave I guess is my point, I'm here to write what I want to read and keep this space thriving for underrepresented interactions and viewpoints. Because if it means something to me, chances are it resonates with someone else too. But I've stayed quiet here on Tumblr, because quiet is what I wanted for this experience.

So I'm sorry for not calling stuff out more, but also I came here looking for peace. I'm just freshly annoyed from time to time by how much avoiding and ignoring I have to do to achieve it. I speak up by writing trans joy and close familial relationships with - gasp- a man. I write a platonic blowjob between two friends to make a point about how attraction and sex exist independently of each other and move on. I die on the hill of yasha and Molly platonically fucking and how that in no way besmirches Yasha's attraction to women and write it, with the complete refusal to fight about it if someone should try it.

And every time, it connects with someone. Every time, someone needed to see that fic.

So yeah I've seen the issues here the whole time, and I've chosen to keep my little corner quietly resistant to radfem bullshit and purity wank lest I become a target, again, and have my joy in something forcibly taken from me, again. It's not always on me to be the one to get in the fights and call stuff out. But damn, sometimes I really am in the mood to point out the rot and ask if I'm the only one seeing it. I know I'm not. And I know that demanding better can only increase the quality of the people who choose to stick around and follow me. The little thrill I get from half my damn followers having the sunset lesbian flag for an icon - unmatched. Doesn't mean the people who have them are perfect but it does mean they've intentionally picked a flag that explicitly welcomes people like me. I don't make this a welcoming place for terfs and radfems - which by extension includes exclusionists and antis - and I never will. Even if I'm quiet about it.

[robinsarm]

Headcanon fodder you say? Well, I have a rare ship that literally no one talks about other than me so...here. Have a quick Jill/Laurie headcanon if you would like it: Jill and Laurie often like to share escape tactics they've used in the past with their respective hunters (Nemesis and Michael) coming after them in order to help aid each other later in trials. This has also led to both of them talking away their stress about their respective hunters together. It helps both of them get their bearings in the long run and overall, it has become an almost relaxing past time for them. (Idk if this is exactly what you wanted, but I've been gnawing on this concept for weeks now, haha. ;u;)

Jill and Laurie, that’s an interesting one. I see where you’re coming from though. I hope I did these two justice for ya. While I love the Halloween universe, my knowledge on the Resi. universe is very limited. Hope you enjoy regardless, and thank you for the ask <3<3

Jill’s the definition of a brick wall. She doesn’t share much with anyone. Not even while working with S.T.A.R.S did she open to many people (Redfield being the one exception). Now she was forced to live an indeterminable amount days with a group of strangers while trying not to die. Yeah, she’s not happy at all, and you can be damn sure she’s not opening up to anyone because of it.

Laurie is one of the originals. She’s made an effort to get to know everyone personally. She has one of the best abilities, hands down, so Laurie is going to get to know the new people (if nothing else, at least to teach them what she knows). She’s gotten through to Jake, to Bill, to Cheryl. Hell, Laurie was the reason Cheryl actually opened up about the horrors she endured at Silent Hill. So, when Jill came along, her immediate coldness was nothing Laurie was turned away from. 

There was something about dying over and over again with strangers that may have had something to do with Jill’s slow change in attitude. These people had no idea who she was, no idea of her past, but still risked their healthy, safety, and lives to make sure she was okay. As a form of repayment in her eyes, the least she could do was tell them what she understood of The Nemesis. 

Jill’s tips on the camp’s new killer ended up helping Laurie in a pinch a few times. So, Laurie, being the sweetheart she is, decided to pay that kindness forward with a few gifts for Jill. The new survivor ended up returning from an awful match against Bubba to a pile of items, add-ons, and a few expensive offerings covering the space Jill had claimed as hers. On top of the pile was a note that read, “Thanks for the tips! Nemesis didn’t stand a chance, lol. I owe you a lot more, for sure. <3 Laurie”. That previous awful trial Jill endured was completely forgotten after that.

As more and more trials came and went, Jill found herself slowly trusting her teammates as they continued to help her and Leon. There was always that tick in the back of her mind reminding her, “they’ll stab you in the back if you’re not careful, just wait!” But, so far, that hadn’t happened. Even stubborn or stuck up teammates like Feng or Nea had her back when she needed them most (or showed an incredible amount of effort). There was one survivor that Jill could always count on though. Not Leon, he was still learning the ropes himself and got confused at times. It was Laurie. Laurie proved to be the most help over and over again. Not even in trials either. If Jill so much as needed to step away from camp so she didn’t spear out her eardrums from listening to yet another one of Ace’s stories, Laurie could direct her to a safe location. 

It was a few months in when Jill finally decided to approach Laurie. Remaining professional, Jill led the conversation with an invitation to walk and talk ‘strategy’ for trials. Laurie happily obliged and showed her the longer walking loop the team (and especially Meg) liked to take from time to time. 

The camp did not see those two back at the fire for probably half a day in normal time. And when they did come back, both ladies had the biggest smiles on their faces, neither of them trying to hide it. When asked, they both had the same answer too: “We just talked.”

No one was surprised when Jill’s belongings slowly started interweaving into Laurie’s things; also, when Jill herself started sitting next to Laurie at ever chance possible. 

In the camp’s opinion, the best thing to come out of their relationship was when the two of them were in a trial together. Decisive Strike mixed with Blast Mine put on two of the most protective and bull-headed women in the realm meant the killers were the ones on edge. No one had to worry if those two were backing them in a trial. 

[theteapotofdoom]

Big brain Anon. Why do you like some of your shiga ships? like shiga//zawa, shiga//dabi, chi//shig? I've always been curious. I tend to sound very blunt regardless, so I'm tryna not sound blunt or mean. Like the age gaps and what's these relationships interesting?

I actually talked a lot about why I like some shiga ships in the past! I don’t mind talking about it again of course, but since I went in great depth previously and I don’t want to repeat myself too much, I’ll also just link the previous posts here!

Why I ship shigadabi

Why I ship chishig (i also talk about many other shigadabi ships here, like natshig and spinaraki and such ... I also talk about shigazawa, shigastain and shigadestro though, so proceed with caution, I know you don’t like those ships). And here is a link to a post where I basically “update” on my favourite shigaships!

Just in general, I tend to ship Shigaraki with a lot of characters in the story because it’s fun! He is by far one of the most developed and best-written characters in the whole story and all the themes and storylines converge to him (and Deku and All Might). So because of that, it’s very easy to find connections and “flavour” between him and all the other characters around him, even the most secondary one. I think it’s also just really fun to explore him in a bunch of different dynamics, shigadabi is different than spinaraki, natshig is different than chishig, and so on. 

On a more superficial note, I’m just very very very attracted to Shig, so it’s fun to give him a lot of boyfriends, girlfriends and partners! Some of the ships I like are pure crack and I fully accept it. For instance, I love dustbunny, but there isn’t a really special or interesting connection between Shig and Miruko, I’m just very bi and very attracted to both of them, and I think that Shig deserves a sexy powerful bunny girlfriend XD and it’s fun to imagine what they would be like (I’m a big fan of cocky but loving Miruko with a very flustered Shig). 

I could probably go on like this for every ship that I like! I just think that the boy deserves a lot of love! And although I definitely have my favourite ships that I spend more time creating content for (shigadabi FOR LIFE baby) it’s always fun to come up with a new obscure ship for him and to figure out how it would work. To give you an idea, I even kind of ship Shigaraki with other characters aren’t even in BNHA ... that’s how far it goes (Shigaraki x L Lawliet could be the greatest love story of our time, in this essay I will).

I also just really love the idea of Shigaraki knowing how beautiful and attractive he is, and using his looks and charm to seduce and sometimes manipulate his enemies, that’s just a very sexy villainous concept to me.

Of course, it doesn’t mean that I ship Shigaraki with absolutely EVERYONE in the story. There many Shig ships that I don’t like for a large variety of reasons! And it doesn’t mean that I like EVERY interpretation of the ships that I do love. But yeah, he is an adult and so it’s fun to ship him with other adults and spread the good content around while still being mindful of everyone’s boundaries and personnal preferences! 

I hope that this was a good answer! (Not sure I understood your last question when you talked about the age gaps, so feel free to ask again if you feel like I didn’t answer this properly).

[welllpthisishappening]

For the bookish ask game, would you answer: ⚔️ 🗺 📓and ☕️?

Oh hai! Thanks for the questions and for reading what will inevitably some really long-winded answers. Alright, here we go:

⚔️ what’s your favorite enemies-to-lovers ship?

Prepare yourself for an opinion that is likely not going to be popular on the internet™ because people have their own opinions® after A Court of Silver Flames, but—

Feyre and Rhysand.

I...love them? Truthfully, I do not care about the discourse or the admittedly and not so vaguely toxic nature of what happens in the books. I just—honestly, I don't care. It's a fantasy! They're fae! Some of them have wings! Cross-dimensional soulmates is chef's kiss, fantastic, wonderful IN FICTION and I am consistent and perpetual trash for the concept of I've always loved you and I’ll always love you and I loved you even when I didn't realize I did. ESPECIALLY THAT LAST PART. I was not totally sold on Tamlin as a love interest in A Court of Thorns and Roses, but then everything Under the Mountain happened Under the Mountain and I was like oh, hey, I HATE that guy and not to be like I AM AN INTELLECTUAL, but I understood everything Rhysand did while he was doing it. Like, I did not need the explanation chapter in A Court of Mist and Fury. I enjoyed it! I enjoyed the heck outta it! But I got where he was coming from from the get and that, THAT, is the best way to do enemies to lovers. Yeah, sure they were destined and all that delightfully sweeping, unbelievable romantic nonsense, but Feyre and Rhysand were forced into a partnership of survival and that was the basis for their eventual friendship and THEY HAD A FRIENDSHIP. He taught her to read! He got her to start eating again! They danced at Starfall! There was a progression with them that made sense outside the confines of all that fate stuff and mate stuff and other assorted rhyming words.

Also, uh, I am a simple lady. You give me a dark-haired, self-loathing dude who is brimming with regret for his past mistakes and just wants to be a bit better and protect the people he cares about who is obviously and consistently head over heels in love with the heroine of the story and Immma eat that shit up.

🗺 what’s a book series you love that’s inspired by the culture/history of a specific country?

The Wrath and the Dawn! The Wrath and the Dawn! The Wrath and the Dawn! The Wrath and the Dawn! The Wrath and the Dawn!

This is one of those books that, when I finished the first, I immediately started the second. Like, no break whatsoever. It's gorgeous! The writing is beautiful and the story itself is fantastic, with inspiration from One Thousand and One Nights, and the romance! Gosh, the romance. Everything about this book made my heart ache in one of those wonderful ways, where you're like—yeah, this is a little angsty, and sort of painful, but they're in love and I love that they're in love and I can't stop reading. I seriously could not stop reading these two books. Everything about the duology was sort of fantastical and sweeping and it's been almost a year since I read them and I think about them both regularly.

A very close second-place finish to Sands of Arawiya, which is equally gorgeous writing with a lot more magic than The Wrath and the Dawn.

📓 do you read classic literature? if so, what’s your favorite classic? give your top 3 if you can’t choose just one!

...Holden Caulfield is my favorite fictional character, bar none, so, like, I am a person who legitimately enjoys Catcher in the Rye and has read it multiple times after being required to read it as a junior in high school. I am perfectly aware how pretentious this book is. I am equally aware of the negatives and the reasonable critiques. As is becoming a trend, though, I also do not care and perhaps one of the more consistent arguments Justin and I have is the overall acceptability of Holden's whiny narrative because—

☕️ drop a HOT unpopular opinion about a book/character. be savage.

I hate Ender Wiggin. HATE THAT LITTLE KID. Can't stand him. Shut up about your genocide. When I was in college, I took a class called Fantasy in Fiction and we had to read a different book every week and it was my absolute favorite class I took in college. Except when we had to read Ender's Game. Which I hated with the force of several suns. Space jokes, topical. There is absolutely no rational reason for my unbridled hatred of Ender — particularly when, as Justin will be quick to tell you, I love Holden Caulfield so much — but I will never shut up about it. He was so...whiny. In an absolutely unbearable way. And, yeah, ok, the world was awful and he was being groomed to commit genocide without realizing it and...WHATEVER. Y'know who had it rough, Ender? Your sister. Your stupid parents who kept having kids. Bean. Justin has spent the better part of our decade-plus relationship trying to convince me that is worth my time to read the Bean POV books. I have not. I will not.

Let’s talk about books!

[dtrhwithalex]

TV | Loki (104)

104: THE NEXUS EVENT

D: KATE HERRON. W: ERIC MARTIN. Original Air Date: 30 June 2021.

Non-spoiler-free recap and review of the fourth episode of LOKI, which airs every Wednesday on Disney+.

RECAP

As Loki and Sylvie watch the world around them slowly but surely fall into complete destruction and collapse, the TVA is scrambling to locate the two and recapture them. Ravonna Renslayer especially is desperate to have the two variants located, being put under pressure by the Time Keepers. It is also revealed that is was Renslayer herself who was the one to pluck Sylvie from the time line and declare her a variant -- when Sylvie was merely a child, still on Asgard. It is also from Renslayer that Sylvie subsequently escapes and, as she reveals to Loki, has been on the run and in hiding ever since, growing up in apocalypses which were the only place her mere presence did not cause any nexus events.

Sharing a heartfelt moment as Sylvie recounts her life, she and Loki create enough chaos to spark a nexus event even within an ongoing apocalypse, allowing the TVA to locate and recapture them. Once captured, they are separated, with Renslayer forbidding anyone to interrogate Sylvie, while Mobius has Loki thrown in a time-loop -- where he is repeatedly threatened and beaten by LADY SIF (JAIMIE ALEXANDER) in a memory from Loki's earlier life on Asgard, where he as a joke cut off Sif's hair. After finally admitting that he played jokes out of loneliness and a desperate need for attention, Mobius retrieves Loki from the time-loop and takes him back to one of the TVA's interrogation rooms.

Loki tries to make Mobius understand that everything about the TVA is a lie -- as Sylvie has told him -- but Mobius does not trust him. He baits him into revealing what caused the nexus event on Lamentis-1 by telling him Sylvie has been disintegrated, and gets Loki to admit that he cares for her. Accusing him of such narcissism that he fell in love with himself, Mobius closes the case and has Loki returned to the time-loop.

Despite his distrust in Loki, Mobius questions Renslayer about what had happened to C-20 and her intentions behind not letting him talk to Sylvie, and eventually steals her TemPad to investigate the matter further. He learns that C-20 confirmed what Loki had tried to tell him: everyone at the TVA is a Variant, plucked from the timeline and brainwashed to serve the Time Keepers. Returning to Loki's time-loop he admits that Loki was right and wants to help him, but they are quickly found out by Renslayer, and she disintegrates Mobius.

Meanwhile, Hunter B-15, despite Renslayer's orders, went to see Sylvie and took her back to the apocalypse they had found her in. Questioning her about her powers, B-15 reveals that she, too, had been having memories of another life since Sylvie had controlled her. Sylvie shows her the memories again, effectively gaining B-15 as an ally.

Following the disintegration of Mobius, Renslayer takes Loki and Sylvie to see the Time Keepers who wish to witness their destruction. However, once in their chambers, Loki and Sylvie are freed from their constraints by B-15 and a fight between them and the TVA ensue. Gaining the advantage, Loki and Sylvie eventually find themselves free of any enemies, and Sylvie attacks one of the Time Keepers with her sword. The Time Keeper is beheaded and, as the head falls to their feet, Loki and Sylvie realise that these three beings are merely robotic avatars and not the real Time Keepers.

Without any way to destroy the Time Keepers and the TVA, Sylvie is lost. Loki, reminiscent of their moment on Lamentis-1 and Mobius' accusation of romantic feelings between the two, tries to communicate to Sylvie whatever it is he is feeling, but before he can make her understand, he is disintegrated by Renslayer who turns out to be alive, still.

The mid-credit scene reveals that Loki did, in fact, not die, but finds himself in another realm where he is greeted by various other incarnations of himself. Prominently among them: CLASSIC LOKI (RICHARD E. GRANT), KID LOKI (JACK VEAL), and BOASTFUL LOKI (DEOBIA OPAREI).

FAVOURITE MOMENTS

Loki is back in Mobius' presence and we are immediately back to bantering like an old married couple and I very much appreciated that. These two have such a lovely dynamic, I adore it. Never thought I would say that, but I really do. I love Owen Wilson in this role very much and he and Tom have such great chemistry.

I also really liked Hunter B-15 taking Sylvie back to the apocalypse they had found her in, and asks her about C-20 and the memories the both of them have lived while Sylvie controlled them. Her chocked back sob and then the "I looked happy" was just so nicely done. I was very happy to see that B-15 was immediately ready to team up with Sylvie and drop the TVA at a moment's notice.

The same goes for Mobius. I loved that, despite Loki's betrayal and the fact that he was so set in not wanting to trust him again, Mobius still couldn't shake the feeling that Loki's comment was more than just a quip and went to investigate. He is not just a mindless follower of orders and I love that very much about him.

FAVOURITE CHARACTER(S)

My main man Loki, always and forever. I adore this version of Loki so much. He is so much fun! I love that we get this actually, truly mischievous Loki, this chaotic mess. He isn't brooding and full of evil plans. No! He wants shenanigans and fun. I love it. And I love that we get to see more of his vulnerable side too.

But also, Mobius! My man! He's back!!! If this man doesn't get to ride a jet ski at least once I will be very upset. I will also be very upset if he is actually gone now. (Cannot believe I am saying this about an Owen Wilson character. This is new. Good on you, Owen, good on you.)

QUESTIONS, CURIOSITIES

Less a question and more a demand: if the mid-credit scene means Loki exists somewhere after being disintegrated, Mobius better be alive somewhere. I want that lad back, whole and in one piece. You hear me, Marvel? Otherwise you might have yourself another CoulsonLives on your hand, you just watch.

I've already seen a bunch of reactions to the whole Loki/Sylvie thing and most either go with happily shipping along, or being very against this concept out of some sort of incestuous concerns. And I feel like, am I the only one who watched that scene as neither romantic nor incestuous as such, but more as Loki being very confused?

Apart from Frigga, and possibly, to some degree and especially earlier in life, the brotherly love of Thor, I don't think Loki has ever felt love. And for the first time there is someone who not just understands him completely, but also accepts him exactly as he is. Especially following their conversation about love in 103, I think what was between Sylvie and Loki on Lamentis-1 that caused the nexus event, and makes Mobius accuse Loki of being in love with her, is not a romantic sense of love, but in a way a certain self-acceptance?

I'm sure Loki has some kinds of feelings but he doesn't know what they are or how to categorise them. And he is very confused about liking Sylvie and caring that she is alright. But I don't think he would have understood it as romantic love without Mobius' accusation of it. I don't think it's narcissism either. What I saw, was a glimmer of Loki realising that he can love himself, he can accept himself. If Sylvie, who is him, understands and accepts him, then so can he. But yeah, I'm curious to see where they're gonna go with this, certainly.

OVERALL IMPRESSION

Generally, this episode was absolutely amazing. Every week I keep finding myself becoming the shocked Pikachu meme while watching the episode, but this week especially. I can't wait to see what next week brings, and I hope very much that we find out Mobius is, in fact, still alive somewhere.

[still image taken from the episode's imdb page]

[bhadpodcast]

Can I ask an honest question here? I'm a gay man, and I've always been curious: why is it that girls like to ship two men (often times straight men) as a gay couple? I mean, I get why that would be a turn on for me, but it seems to be such a turn on for straight girls, and I just don't know why. I'm not trying to be offensive, I'm just very curious but never had the guts to ask. What attracts women to M/M ships? Can you tell me? You seem like you know a lot about sterek and it's shippers.

It's not often times straight men, it's that in media that's usually what's proferred. There's never going to be one answer to this question. For me I've always been interested in gay dudes before I even fully understood the concept of what gay was. I remember making my boy dolls kiss and the whole shebang. For me personally there are a lot of different reasons. Some have to do with the ways that intimacy between men is played out. Men have this gap in the way they can show their love for each other that girls don't and I love to see guys navigate that. I can go to my girlfriend, give her a hug and kiss hello, tell her she's beautiful, hold her hand,dance with her, sleep in the same bed, etc and no one bats an eye. But for guys it's like, here's a handshake and suddenly buttsex! Lol! So I know for a long time I saw homosexuality as a way for men to eschew social norms. Then I discovered Men in Love by Nancy Friday and then porn and was like "oh! Y'all just horny, huh? Okay!" mind you, I was like... 9 - 11? Lol! I was on the Nifty server like whoa! Umm, I hate the treatment of women in porn so a lot of times I would just watch the gay stuff. And it's always kind of been a natural direction for me. I do ship het couples, sterek is the only and first time I've been hard core into a ship, but yeah. That's my story. I like seeing men be men with other men and being intimate in ways that defy what society has told them are manly. And sometimes it's just hot! I mean Dylls and Hoechs? Fugeddaboutit! Sterek is everything!