#spoilers for like. my next three posts I guess lol

[zzztlk]

Im glad the depression is gone! Now have one oc illustration on my desk (tumblr dash) by 5 🥸

Alright Regan be upon ye

[shadows-story-abyss]

[X-2]

[luveternals]

paring: 2. simon 'ghost' riley x top male reader warning: 16+, MDNI cw: swearing, mentioned insomnia, mention of night terrors, drinking (you share a bottle with him), really it's all just implied but the story itself has nothing heavy in it, spoilers you get your head shoved into a bucket full of water by your team mates bc they love you lol a/n: way shorter than what I usually write, EDIT: guess who wrote angst double the length of this after just posting this story? yeah, def not me. you're right. ~ ~ ~ You don’t want to make it a bigger problem than you it is, but your team has been fussing all over you for the past three days.

You suppose drastic measures are to be brought into action then.

Night terrors are normal in this field of work, and you know they are simply trying to take care of one of theirs. It’s been a week since you’ve had a good night’s sleep, and it shows on the large dark circles betraying your exhaustion for all the world to see.

The base is dark and still, the quiet only broken by occasional soldiers losing their fight against insomnia. You creep through the shadows, bagpack slung over your shoulder, and watch the corridos for any unwanted witness.

The door is locked. It only slows you for a few seconds. Inside the darkness is softened by the moon rays casting into the room from the window and illuminating the shape hidden under the sheets. The figure is still, too tense for someone asleep. You reach forward anyway and brush your fingers against it, not surprised to find the moonlight reflecting on the sharp blade now inches away from your face.

You stare at the skull mask glaring at you with a raised eyebrow and your head tilted. “Come on, then,” you say after a moment when he doesn’t move, then swat the hand holding the weapon to the side and leave the room before he can so much as frown.

The sky is clear and twinkling with stars, and you don’t question your luck when you find the rooftop free of any of your exhausted peers. You woulnd’t be surprised to find them raiding the fridge though. Or the secret cabinet behind it.

You’re laying on your back, bagpack as a pillow and stolen sheets from your room as improvisted picnic towel, when he finds you. You smirk at him when he moves to loom over you, hiding the moon from your sight. “You were taking too long,” you say, shaking the open bottle in your hand his way before taking a swig.

-

They find you snuggled together the next morning, with him curled onto his side and you drapped over him with your head shoved into the back of his neck.

You wake with a jolt when someone smacks you on the head and feel Simon roll away with a groan at the sound of laughter.

“That is not,” someone says out of breath and slaps the giggle person next to them, “’get better sleep’ is not the same as ‘go shag the lieutenant’.”

You scramble to your feet when you sleep muddled brain register two of your mates dragging along a a sloshing bucket of water. “Oh, piss off!” you say with a hiss when you find yourself cornered and notice no one had dared to look at the untouchable Ghost the wrong way. “You’re such a traitor,” you tell him when he doen’t do anything other than stretch his neck at your situation, “I will not share my next bottle with you.”

“I can live with that,” he says, and you know he’s smirking under that sodding mask, “cravin' tea right now anyway.” And the bastard, actually, leaves before your own team jumps you and shove your head into the bucket.

~ ~ ~ reblog, comment and/or follow if you like what I write. please and thank you. without feedback I don't have a reason for keeping this blog alive, since I created it so I can practice my writing.

[aprillikesthings]

The next episode itself is a two-parter, and I think that rather than split them up I will just watch through, which might mean I have to reblog this post multiple times.

Finishing out season four!

s4, eps 12&13 Destiny

Usual reminder: this is a REwatch and there’s spoilers ahoy, I make a lot of bad jokes (some of which are Adult In Nature), I reference other cartoons, I make random asides.

(also, this time specifically, I had some alcohol)

Tbh? it's a lot like watching things like this with me in person aaahahaha I always want to pause and infodump shit -_-

lol Emily is destroying Shadow Weaver's garden

Emily acts like Mal the cat does sometimes. WHAT IS IN YOUR MOUTH you are not supposed to have that! Get out of there!

UGGGH

it's easy to forget how BIG Scorpia is??

LOLOL oh my god I went downstairs for like an hour and a half talking to my partners about the most random shit and then playing with the cat and also: I've had most of a can of wine.

One of these:

YEAH (that's a huge image)

so if these get weird: blame the wine I guess

oh also @corpseauthority and I picked out fake fur and minky fabric for the ears and tail of my Catra cosplay :D :D :D I'M SO EXCITED

OKAY BACK TO SHE-RA

the only thing better than Scorpia's "huh?" is Shadow Weaver's flat "what"

Shadow Weaver: no we need the other princesses Glimmer: well they're gone but-- Scorpia, Shadow Weaver, and Emily: WAIT, WHAT???

AND THEN

okay but is the guard telling you this Double Trouble

ROLL INTRO

that thing was not meant to hold four humans and a horse with wings

why are you SNIFFING HIM

Entrapta: "I don't know you" Micah: "Yes, you do. You stole my food." Entrapta: "OH YEAH! It was delicious :D"

oh god Adora's like "....but are you okay? we came here to find you 🥺"

and she's like YEAH I'M GREAT

"each more deadly than the next??? it's PARADISE"

I love her so much oh my godddd

Bow: "We're here to rescue you" Entrapta: "didn't I just rescue YOU?"

Bow mentions Hordak and Entrapta pulls her little new bug-eye mask down :(

Adora: so hey we uhhhhhhhh really need your help due to a terrible secret of the First Ones that nobody but us knows

"WHy didn't you say so???"

well that's a callback to s1 ep1

THERE SHE IS!! MY BABY 😍 I LOVE HER SO MUCH

nooo

anyway Kyle, Rogelio, and Lonnie come in and Catra's like OH UHHH so...what's happening

Lonnie: "we just got back from conquering another Rebel town" Kyle: ":D You should've seen us!! It was all:"

and then he kicks Scorpia's old locker, with the drawings on it, and Catra gets mad

Ironically the degree to which Catra is UPSET is making me ship them harder lol

bb you need a break you are getting feral

Man Lonnie has her number lol. "What is wrong with you? We're winning! Even you should be happy."

god I love when she's this deranged

she slams poor Lonnie against a locker

john cena dot gif

but also OH DO THEY REMIND YOU OF WHO YOU USED TO BE? HMM? what you really wanted??? what actually gave you something like joy or contentment????? are you trying to just erase any part of you capable of feeling good?????????

Kyle is RIGHT

The cinematic parallels between Catra and Glimmer in this episode ("forget my friends I'M IN CHARGE HERE and YOU NEED TO FOLLOW ORDERS") are *chef's kiss*

Catra realizing this isn't what she actually wants: part ....a lot

STOP REMINDING ME I HAVE FEELINGS!!

The other three leave, she yanks the drawings off Scorpia's old locker, then THUMPs her head on it. And then Double Trouble shows up!

okay wait tho the way she pauses and then thumps her head on it is so funny I wish I could gif it, it's so cat-like and also Very Emo

I don't think this is supposed to be funny but it IS and I cannot stop rewinding and laughing. I blame the wine.

THONK

help i've rewatched it like five times now

okay

lol right??

Me, when I was info-dumping my own fic at myself: is it weird to imagine these two banging??? Me now: nope

Double Trouble: "Apologies for the delay, kitten. I got ...held up...in Bright Moon"

Anyway they give a little speech about how the Princesses keep fighting and She-Ra is away

NO SHIT, SHERLOCK

(now THERE's an old fandom reference ahahaha)

"We can't let them return to the Fright Zone!" TOO FUCKING LATE

YOU STOLE HER GARNET YOU WOULD THINK SO

Anyway they argue about the possibility of Glimmer taking Scorpia back to the Fright Zone

GOD I HATE IT WHEN SHE'S RIGHT UGGGHHHH

lolol I am. like. less than ten minutes into the FIRST OF TWO EPISODES and i've hit the image limit.

[katriniac]

So I find myself simping hard for Artem Wing this morning, and decide to nurse that ache by re-reading my favorite Tears of Themis card stories.

First up is Por Una Cabeza

When I first pulled this card, all I knew was that I was getting ARTEM WEARING A FANCY MASK.

But then I read the story and was confused.

Like, really confused.

Spoilers below the cut if you haven't read this card yet.

This post has two parts. Maybe three if I decide to include the video call? So look in my reblogs for the rest of this recap!

This card's story is set BEFORE they are in an established relationship, before any love confession takes place.

So ... both Rosa and Artem are having similar nightmares at the beginning, but the reader isn't aware they are reading a dream.

Now that I am reading it through again, I can more fully appreciate the other-worldliness of the "nightmare" and understand why everyone is acting strangely with bad memories, lol.

The bright red digital clock face glaring at Tosa in the fancy hotel lobby makes MUCH more sense more that I know it's her own bedside alarm clock she's incorporating into her dreamscape.

Also? ALSO?!? TODAY, the day I'm reading this right now is December 24th! What are the odds! I totally forgot this story takes place on Christmas Eve, because they call the event the New Year's Ball. Idk why... 🤷‍♀️

Anyways, back to recapping my favorite moments:

🥹 @ Artem second-guessing himself, worrying about you, wondering if you're okay, and if it's his fault

Awwwww, Artem!

His pouting face!

That's just like him to be concerned, and to jump to the conclusion that it might be his fault. He also wants to get to the bottom of any problem you have, so he can:

Discover the root cause of "Problem X"

Understand the reason for your distress

And plan for ways to fix/avoid it in the future so you never have to encounter/worry about "Problem X" ever again

Yes, this man is a 'fixer' but he does more than put a cosmetic bandage on things. He wants to make sure you never have to experience that same hurt a second time. He wants to learn from his own mistakes and others to prevent problems in the future. He wants to control the outcome by preparing for any eventuality.

The amount of energy and effort he puts into his "Rosa Long-Game" is mind-boggling.

Okay, I could go on forever about Artem's control issues, how amazing he is, and what makes him perfect husband-material.

So let's not get lost in the weeds out here. Back to the story!

There is this sublime moment where the two nightmares meld, as if the two of them are sharing the same dream!

And they meet FINALLY, after hours of panicked searching and confusion:

So they eventually wake up, and they decide to text the other to see if they're awake, and it turns into a phone call. No biggie. Just a phone call. At 2am. Between coworkers. Talking about their dreams. 😘 Nothing peculiar about that, right?

Everyone does that with their colleagues, don't they??

😏 Sure .... sure.

Next:

We find out Artem only knows one dance.

Which isn't exactly weird... many dudes don't know any dances.

What is odd is the one dance this shy boy knows:

The tango?

One of the most sensual and passionate dances ever?

Really?

Really.

The tango.

That's your go-to dance, Artem?

Okay.

Let's keep reading:

Ohhhhhh.

*BREATHES*

We get a glimpse into their month-long practices.

30 days of being caged in Artem's arms, spending every day after work in close proximity, working up a sweat.

Oof.

And then once you're confident in the steps, the fun part of the "act" both partners must put on to sell the push and pull of emotions.

The haughtiness, the indignation, the desire, the attraction, the softening and relenting at last, all of that passion needed to put on a good show!

Yup...

...Just what two normal work co-workers do on a daily basis.

TOTALLY NORMAL. 😏

*nods*

Yup.

"Suitable tango partner"

Uh-huh.

Artem. Artem! Stop lying to yourself!!

And then there's THIS:

LMAO @ Artem wishing for a weapon to fight off anyone else who might try to take her away from him.

"Everyone will know"

*sucks in breath*

Possessive!Artem is a really really hawt Artem.

Just sayin'

🥵🤤🥴❤️‍🔥🫠😍

AND they mention his adam's apple! Okay, this might not be a turn-on for other people. But it is to me.

I can point at obvious times in my life where I've decided that a certain action/attribute is attraction or sexy. But not the adam's apple. I have no explanation for why I find it mesmerizing!

But bless the writer who decided to mention that specific anatomy in this story! Shout out to you for adding to my swoon! 🫡

End of Part 1 - Check the reblogs for Part 2

[jupujuu]

Being the Ghost Trick lover that I am, I purchased the Japanese limited edition box with all the extra goodies!! It is so exciting and fun to have new Ghost Trick things!! Amazon had a super cute Missile pin as a preorder bonus which I only saw after ordering on eCapcom.. Oh well, I grabbed one off eBay so I'll get it later!

It's such a cool set of items too, the playing cards are my fave and they're super delightful and every card has a character illustration, big or small! I also love the little mystery game, though unfortunately my Japanese reading skills aren't advanced enough for me to be able to translate it well or at least at a reasonable speed. There's probably someone already on it anyway, considering how dedicated the GT fanbase is!

I took way more pictures and you can view them under the cut (DON'T CLICK if you have not finished the game, there will be spoilers)!

(Edit: Oh gosh I had no idea the images don't show next to each other under the cut in the dashboard view so now this post is EVEN LONGER lol, why does it let me arrange them nicely in the editor if it doesn't matter?!)

Let's start with some more playing cards pics! I picked some more or less random ones to show of the 2-9 numbered cards because there was a lot.

These are legit so neat and I love that even the numbered cards have character images. I picked Masked Muscleman as one of the cards to show bc there's just something really funny about his severed head especially lmao (wonder why that is hmm)

Let's move on to check what's inside the OST packaging! I don't have a convenient way to actually listen to the CD rn unfortunately, but boy if I still don't love owning physical media.

They're just using existing illustrations for this one as well, but gosh the leaflet is still super nice. Love to see everyone together like that!

Aaand let's check what's inside the big game case!

Well, the game itself, of course! As well as the super interesting mystery box. :3c

I took some pics of the latter to show the contents, lots of reading there! I didn't dare open the three envelopes for now, but they're numbered 1-3 in the back, Lynne being 1, Kamila and Missile being 2, and Sissel being 3. I'm guessing the story of this mystery takes place after the game considering our Sissy is a kitty here, and they're not afraid to spoil his name as seen in the last pic! They blatantly call him Sissel on the first page of the "story" leaflet.

Well that's about it! If you wanna see more pics of anything (or better ones of the ones I already photographed) feel free to let me know. :>

[drizzileiscool]

BIG GIANT POST ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE PLAYING TWEWY!!!!!!

CONTAINS SPOILERS!!!

NO I HAVE NOT PLAYED NEO YET!!!! I AM POOR!!!!! PLEASE DON'T SPOIL ME ON IT!!!!!! I've played some of the demo though!!!!!

I first decided to get into twewy last month. I saw that there was a switch version available, but I was unable to play that version. I did, however, have a ds emulator, but after talking to some people I realized I probably would've gotten arthritis playing it on emulator.

When I was just about ready to give up, I decided to watch the first episode of the anime. I enjoyed it a bit.

I was then told to not watch the anime.

So you may be wondering.. "How did you play twewy?"

I played the mobile version. Solo mix. Yeah that one. The one not available for current gen phones.

I found a link to a modded version on an old reddit thread that was updated for current gen android phones, and one of my friends helped me get it set up, and I was finally ready to play.

During my first few hours, I didn't actually like neku all that much. Honestly, he was a dick. i remember what you said about plushies, neku. i will not forgive this as a plushie enthusiast.

While playing the game, I was under the assumption that I would get to change partners whenever once I unlocked it. Rhyme seemed cool, so I was hoping to get to partner with her.

And then the game killed her off.

Despite not knowing anything about rhyme, she was still my favorite character. Besides beat of course, but that's later during week 3.

I remember that I was crying when I first saw her death. I was all like "why did they make such a cool character design, just to kill her off?? that doesn't make sense."

earlier today I saw a tweet on twitter that said "cute cosplay idea for couples!" and it was a rhyme cosplay and a shark costume and I nearly lost my shit laughing, so I guess I'm over it.

When week 1 was ending, I remember feeling like "wait, that's it?" of course, I was wrong.

anyways week 2 now uhh uhhhhhh-

when I first met joshua and learned that I could scan him I was all like "huh???". also excellent foreshadowing there, square enix!

also JOSHUA IS A FRUIT YOU CANNOT TELL ME THIS PERSON ISN'T GAY JUST LOOK AT HIM

at this point, I didn't really know what to expect anymore. the game broke one of its already established rules, "players can't scan other players" so I had no idea what was coming next anymore.

SHO MINAMIMOTO IS HOT!!!!

uhhg. don't got anything else to say about this week except I genuinely thought hanekoma was the composer.

I was extremely shocked to learn that joshua killed neku during this week, and was even more shocked to learn that it was a misfire (and then I learned it wasn't a misfire but that's in week 3 and we haven't gotten to that yet!)

WEEK THREE!!! BEAT TIME!!!

alright, before I started week 3, I actually didn't like beat all that much. that changed a LOT during week 3. he is now one of my favorite characters.

later that week, I had finally learned joshua was the composer and was actually extremely shocked lol.

oh uh I also got spoiled on how beat and rhyme got hit by a car from ign so uhhhh oops

SHO SOMEHOW GOT HOTTER!!!!

I beat the game. I loved the credits theme (and will rewatch the credits later) and really liked how neku threw off his headphones to symbolize how he won't shut himself off from the world anymore.

10/10 game, really enjoyed playing it!

also there was a scene early on where neku went up to a reaper and said I know what you are and I didn't get to screenshot it :(

so.. yeah! my experience with twewy! good game! one of my favorites now! getting neo soon!

[andthebubbles]

gonna do something totally novel tonight (haha) ... i am gonna put a/b fic away!!! i edited ch 14 tonight and it's okay, still needs a bit more editing here and there but it's nothing massive, so that's... good. and then the next part needs some thinking/headcanoning...

like i think i could use humboldt (making him the butler in this universe) to stop benedict from sneaking out to see anthony, and also maybe berbrooke could throw a ball as an official introduction for himself into society as the baron... and maybe i can drop some hints via that (like maybe just that he was educated at harrow?)... and violet can be well-meaningly pushy when she finds out that benedict danced three dances with someone at the ball... AND his mystery friend supposedly punched someone lol. a lot to plan i guess, or like, ... use the upcoming stuff to set up the next part. and also i suppose benedict (and violet) might have to go to more than one event, with perhaps a few days break in between, or........ well, idk.

in the more immediate future, i need to plan out what frederick is gonna say to like, ... set this in motion lol (like, re right where i'm up to in the fic/how to get benedict to convincingly yeet anthony off to an inn (i mean i have some idea, but my brain is kinda scrambled today so i don't want to write it now))

mmkay! so i shut the fic doc :O i think i sorta have an upper limit of 3-4 consecutive days (four in this case) of writing before my brain sorta needs a break.

sims 4 news!! well, not news, but i've been watching deligracy's apartment renos, and i wanna open up the game now and try and do a reno on one of the apartments, because she did it in a particular way and the second bedroom looked like a closet, so i wonder if i could put the two bedrooms on the other side of the apartment since i don't mind pipes in the bedroom... (and then i want to make a family and have as many kids as i can cram into the tiny apartment hahaha)

aaaaaaaaaaaas for bridgerton 3x01 spoilers, i read a whole twitter thread of them yesterday, and i'll probably say this on another post when we get closer to the release date, but the four things i'm most looking forward to in s3 are these:

any scenes with anthony

any scenes with benedict

any scenes with anthony and benedict (there are (at least?) two in the first ep!!!! i'm so happy!! skjdnskJNKJNFGKJGN WHY DID I HAVE TO FIND THIS OUT MYSELF??)

CRELOISE OMG. i didn't know i needed creloise until the trailer dropped and now i'm so looking forward to it! i need cressida to be an evil bitch and skfjgnfkg if she gets a softer side on-screen, then that'll be interesting (but if she doesn't, that's... okay (maybe a missed opportunity haha); anyway if there's enough material/i am inspired enough, I WILL BE WRITING FIC and then maybe i'll put a softer side into her if i want to, aaaaaaaaaaaaaah (kinda interested in a non-sexual power play thing between them, then moving to sexual... but skjfngkfg let's see when s3 drops. suuuuper interesting that they've been hanging out in the country during the off-season :3)

[fireemblems24]

Engage 12 - 14

Spoilers for FE Engage 12+ below the cut.

I'm betting I get Byleth, Ike, Erikia, Corrin, and whoever else I'm forgetting before getting the old rings back? I wish I still had Marth and Sigurd though. They had SSS Tier inheritance.

I love Kagetsu so far. But I'm a sucker for swordmasters in general. The crit animation they have is so fun. If the weapon triangle wasn't such a huge deal in this game, I'd make an entire army of swordmasters lol.

I like how Ivy actually has intel on the enemy and actually tells us. We need more recruited, reformed "villains" who do this.

Fogado is funny so far. If he and Kagetsu had a support, that would be gold. Because it would be non-stop flirting or competing at who can flirt better. I saw Fogado wins so far, because Katetsu is awkward as hell about it lamo.

So if all the NPCs are dark-skinned, they should've made more Solm retainers dark-skinned too (I know from pre-release that images they aren't). FE is getting better a variety, but still some way to go.

Veyle is being a bitch to Marth for no reason. Leave him alone. Still predicting that Mauvier is recruitable. And Griss is . . . eh . . . something. I love a good unhinged villain though.

One thing I DON'T like about this game is that they give you new units way too fast. Like, I just got Ivy and co and now I have Fogado and co. And they seem like a fun bunch, but like, I only have 7 deploy slots . . .

And then you get into a situation where if you want to try out the new units, you can't in a skirmish, because those are the HARDEST battles in this game because it scales with your characters. Which, in some way, I like, because then they're a good challenge but then you can make story levels easier by outclassing enemies, so then you're not "stuck" on a story and can pick and choose your challenging stuff, but it leaves other units behind. Which is typical FE I guess, but all the extra content seems like it encourages you to use new guys. Idk, there's low level Tempest Trials, but those take a long time and rewards are meh for how long it takes, esp for exp, which is why I don't think they really work for it either.

Ugh, Alcryst keeps getting shit level ups, but his supports and character is so interesting. And I just complained about limited deploy slots. I hope my boy can catch up, because he's, unfortunately, next on the benched list. Everyone else either dodges or tanks likes a pro. He's really my only liability on the battlefield right now.

Seforia is pretty cool. Glad to see more moms in this game. Really, almost everyone had a mom instead of a dad this time.

Oh, God, I'm so happy to get Ike. 😭😭😭😭😭 Radiant Dawn was my first Fire Emblem game, and still probably the one I've replayed the most. OMG this makes me so happy 😭😭😭😭

Timerra and co seem fun, but again, I'm sick of new characters. I still have a few open slots (pending you take 12-14 ish in final chapters), but 1 is reserved for the dancer, because, dancer. It's just a bonus he's gorgeous this time.

Ok, also, you have no idea how happy the bosses of these chapters makes me. It's a shoutout to other twin bandits with goofy names that used to show up n all the past GBA games.

Iyv's reaction to hearing that Hortensia has attacked was hilarious. A+ to the voice actress selling that.

I like how the three heirs on this post-level map are all talking to the locals. It's a nice detail. They're being diplomatic.

Also, another small bonus to this game. The bald eagle actually sounds like a bald eagle. All that majestic yelling you hear in movies is fake. That's a different bird. Eagles sound like squeaky toys, lamo.

Ivy teasing Alcryst in their B support is great lol. She tweaked him big time. She's a much more engaging character than she seemed like she would be initially.

So I just saw Alfred and Ivy's C Support, and this is the 2nd time someone told Alfred he's naïve for trusting people and he's just like "yep!" I love him so much, you don't even know.

Kagetsu is a fucking badass. Dude doesn't even have a special ring and makes mincemeat of enemy units. No way I could've beat the skirmish I just did without him. It was fog of war, everyone was separated, and like 99% of the units were fliers, but I really want to adopt a deer, so . . . Thanks, Kagetsu. He's going to get a pebble when I get back to Somniel. There wasn't even any deer. 😭 Why did I suffer? Got an owl and a rabbit at least though.

Case in point about Kagetsu. Turns out, he was the first enemy in the arena and defeated: Merrin, Ivy, Celine, and Chloe before Alfred finally took that menace down.

Lyn mentioned Eliwood and Hector in her paralogue 😭😭

Just saw Alfred and Alear's A Support. I think they're cute together. He's one of the few people who was casual with her right away, which is what Alear really wants. And the first one who offered friendship too. Still picking him as my S Support.

I still can't get over Hortensia's design.

Kind of glad that Hortensia is angry with Ivy. It makes sense she'd feel hurt and betrayed by Ivy, esp since she just lost her father too. Conflict also makes for a better story so . . .

Oh, wow, another cool moment for Alear. Hortensia is holding the Solm queen captive and threatens to kill her if Alear won't hand over the rings. But Alear refuses. So does Timerra, good on her.

Hortensia's VA is really selling her breakdown. Makes me feel bad and realize she's just a little girl. Then thong lady shows up and ruins it.

Is it bad I'm relieved Goldmary and Rosado aren't around? Because I'm tired of getting 3 new units every round. Even though I want Rosado so badly.

Oh, good grief. Hortensia is under some kind of mind control. How original, Fire Emblem. Betting that other little girl is too.

Ivy and Hortensia got pretty cool story arcs. Pretty sure I get Hortensia and Byleth now. Man, it's cool to get Byleth.

And, hey, another parent gets to live!

Solm gave me more money 😭😭😭😭

[bunnieshoneys]

Hello! It's a me, one of the many essay writers in your comments section here to spam you with a million questions!!!

How far into his G1 rookie season did Getou's dad die? (don't have to answer if this is spoilery btw)

Would you say it was inevitable for STSG to have a falling out, or was them being teammates the main factor in their not breakup-breakup? And if this is spoilery, do I get to attempt to start discourse on it?

Where are you finding all these banger songs for inspo?!?!?!? I haven't been able to find crackers for ages (my Discover weekly was admittedly screwed over by streaming a certain artist for three months but that's a whole other issue imo) and am in desperate need for new stuff ;-;

Do any of the characters have pets outside of Megumi having Toto?

Is Go/jo having engineering student level knowledge just him being a nerdy lil' guy or is it a product of his upbringing?

Sorta relating to the last one, how important is Go/jo's non-Getou related backstory (like parental relationships and stuff) to the narrative/his character? (Well I mean I assume it'd be important in general regarding who he is considering developmental years are always important since, y'know, they DEVELOP who you are and stuff, unless you're doing an amnesia fic which this is not so whatever)

Did kid Tsumiki just... go into Go/jo's house with Megumi when he told them to stay in the guest room (while very drunk/hungover)???

Does Ui Ui exist?

Relating to previous question, is Mei Mei still.. uh... *gestures to recent episodes* ????

How bad has the media been in the past regarding Go/jo and Megumi's relationship?

Did Megumi's mom stop racing after marrying Toji?

Did Yuta only win the 2021 championship, or has he won multiple?

Based off the previous question, which championships has Go/jo won?

Again, faaantastic fic!!! Wow wow wow, this is seriously so much fun lmfao, I don't think I've been this invested in something for a good while, so yeah, good job!!!! Looking forward to the next chapter :p

HI !! answering this on my phone whilst on the move, so i apologise for spellings etc

1. spoilers, although i dont think ive ever explicitly stated the time period his dad dies, correct me if im wrong!

2. aaaah, now this is a good one! id say it was relatively inevitable. they, at some point, would have fought close and hard for championships with each other and that wouldve have caused something to go down. however being teammates compounded this i would also say. so both yes and no, but the nature of teammates in racing means that the fight would have been much more intense than if they were in diff teams. i would, however, also say its pretty inevitable that they became teammates, too: their connections in the sport and their shared childhoods mean that they would likely have been on the same team together at some point: gojo was also DESPERATE to be teammates with getou, and what gojo wants, he gets.

3. i listen to A LOT of music lol. my spotify in 2020 was 130k minutes on lockdown, and this year it was 79k. i listen to over 3k minutes a week on avg according to my apps! so i guess its just a lot of time, and artist radios on spotify

4. ive not thought about that! i think haibara and nanami probably have cats, and yuuji would probably have cats too, but not many of them would have pets i dont think :( youre not allowed to take them on the road, and theyre away from home for so much time its not worth it.

5. product of upbringing, and absorbing info. it comes up a little later, but gojo isnt as smart when it comes to engineering as either shoko or getou (getou defo could have been an engineer, if he wanted). yuki is also very engineering-minded, but obviously the only actual engineer here is shoko, and she’s very, very good at her job.

6. its pretty important. the post-getou years (2014-2021) are pretty important, as is his childhood. but it comes up in past pov, and getou just considers him priveleged lol so it doesnt come up until later. but it does get expanded upon!

7. she looked up his address and basically demanded to know where their dad had gone - she was also angry at gojo in particular since gojo was the one beating toji in the championship - this is vaguely spoilery, but tsumiki didnt know the real reason toji left at the time.

8. probably!

9. uh. tbh i needed filler names more than anything. mei mei isnt squeaky clean in this au, but shes not *gestures* that, either. honestly, shes not a major part of the au and i plan to keep her that way

10. theyve not been great! but we get into that a bit later down the line - the media isnt the kindest to megumi in general tbh.

expanding on media, gojo / megumi are probably the drivers that have the media be harsher to them more than most. haibara is kind to everyone, but megumi’s link to toji and gojo’s general personality mean the media doesnt particularly enjoy them. yuuji, and getou are much more popular and well liked, but in the future i imagine nobara and the press not really getting on either.

mai also should be treated badly by the media considering her overall temperament, but she gets away with much more bc shes a zenin. another element of megumi being treated badly is bc hes a zenin reject as such

11. yes. she stopped racing when she got pregnant, she was G2 at the time but this isnt really expanded upon (at least, unless i write a more in depth itafushi of this au lol)

12. yuuta has only won one championship, 2021. in an early draft that was posted, he also won 2020, but thats no longer canon. theres also an interview snippet somewhere that refers to 2022 being possibly his third championship somewhere that i need to correct, but yuuta only won in 2021. his rookie season was 2020.

13. gojo won 2012,2013, 2015,2016,2017, and 2018. in 2019 and 2020, the car was Bad, lol

i love u and i love answering these teehee :)

[twdmusicboxmystery]

Dead City, Episode 6 (Final Episode)

Okay, here is some of our convo about the final episode of Dead City. I will probably do another post next week (or whenever I can get around to it) about season 1 as a whole, but for now, this is what we talked about.

***Warning: Spoilers abound below for Dead City, season1. Don't read until you've watched!!***

@galadrieljones

I just finished Dead City season 1. I have to say, looking back, I can’t believe there was a time I used to despise Negan with a red hot fury lol. I hated him so much in season 7 I almost stopped watching. Ofc he got funnier in season 8, and then things changed.

I love how they have found a way to complicate his relationship with Maggie without consistently rehashing old plots. I love how they have woven Hershel into this. The scene with him and Maggie in the truck really hurt my heart and my spirit for Maggie. As a mother, I watched her character melt and despair how she fears she’s lost the only thing she has left to love. Maggie is in a very dark way. She still hasn’t clawed her way to the light. She talks about losing things and how the world keeps “taking,” and how she’s always trying to get things back. I really hope it gives her something back.

I was very interested in the Dama and how she seems to be referencing the CRM and their glut for “resources.” The woman who’s totally lording over Armstrong wants to know about the methane. She doesn’t even care about Negan. This is super interesting. I did not see that angle on the horizon.

@wdway

I was thinking about this very same thing. How we saw in TWB Coda the female scientist taking out three tapes but we only saw one. I'm just so curious about the other two. I've said this before that it could be possible that Beth is actually seen on one of the tapes. These could be tapes sent to France by the scientists that were stranded in America. I guess that's why the short one shot I mentioned above was intriguing, because I thought it kind of tied into that kind of theory.

@galadrieljones

The way it ends, with the Croat bringing Negan as his prize, and Negan essentially taking Hershel’s place as a karmic price, and then the slow reveal that he’s there, not for punishment, but for glory, to rule…that was really good. I’m super excited for the future of this show and for all the ensuing spin-offs. If they’re half as good as Dead City is right now, that means big things for the franchise! Seriously I just really loved it. I want more lol.

I love how Negan can’t escape his past because he was just really really good at being a tyrant. He as so good, it keeps coming back to haunt him. Not because people want revenge, but because they want to serve him. They want him to keep playing his role. Even Maggie can’t help herself. She is charmed by him and we know she’s going to go back for him. What I love most about DC, and then I’ll shut up, is that I can finally see a way out for Maggie. I can see her choosing to forgive Negan. I can see Hershel asking her to forgive Negan, and for her to let go. I can see her letting go, rather than killing him in revenge, like she did Carver in season 11. Because we know that won’t solve anything. Anyway, that’s all lol.

@galadrieljones

Totally. I really think one could contain recordings from Grady. I’ve got my eye on Slingerland still as a potential lead. I was thinking, too, earlier about how, if Laurent was a guinea pig, he would have been a little baby when the experiments happened. If they were the same experiments that happened to Beth, it would have been around the same time frame. Just based on his age. Maybe he’s 11? 12?

@wdway

What I came away with about Maggie in DC e6 is we saw her so bitter and broken in Home Sweet Home and then in s11. She's just bitter. Which is understandable, but I hated how she was teaching that hatred to Herschel.

In this latest episode we see that Herschel is old enough now to start to put things together for himself. He's turning into his own person, trying to make his own judgments about situations and people. Maggie definitely is starting to realize that people change, things are never quite as black and white as we want them to be. I think we will see Maggie on her own road to redemption by coming to terms with who Negan really is now. And the difference between the persona of Negan and who he really is are two different things.

@galadrieljones

Totally. I was glad for how they gave so much agency to Hershel, and the ability to see things for what they are, and how he calls her out. I was so glad to see him accuse her of being obsessed with Negan, because she is. And it’s clearly harmed her relationship with her son and with everyone she’s ever been close to, since Glenn’s death.

One thing I love about TWD and its female characters is that the writers don’t let them get away with these vendettas. Sometimes, I feel modern female characters are shown as badasses who can do no wrong and who are always entitled to their whims. But characters like Maggie and Carol are truly flawed and those flaws are layered and realistic and they’re always evolving to meet the story they’re a part of. Maggie has become a really good character I think since season 11. She’s become fearful. Not that she might die, but that she has been living her life all wrong, and that because of this, she might survive and find herself totally alone. Just good writing.

@wdway

Isn't it funny how the females in the series, Maggie and Carol have become hardened as time has gone on. Daryl who is not a wimp by any means. he has came into himself, to show his soft side. He has in many ways softened over the years.

@galadrieljones

Yes. I sometimes think back to the first conversation that Rick and Shane have in Days Gone Bye, about the difference between men and women. While it’s very subtle, I think one theme tptb explores, particularly in the earlier seasons, is how men and women handle things like catastrophe differently.

Women grab the picture frames while men grab the survival gear. This makes sense at first. But as time goes by, we see that it’s really men who are hanging on to the dreams and romance of the old world. They want to fix the world. They want to save the world. The women recoil from expansion, become protective, ruthlessly practical, like snakes in a den.

Of course it’s just one interpretation, and it’s not universal. But I think in general, men are more romantic than women. Women are practical. The here and now. Men are all big picture. I think it can be approached in different ways.

Beth is a softer version of femininity in the show. But she still does a good job of bringing Daryl back down to earth. He can’t stop thinking about the big picture, how he failed them, failed Hershel, failed everybody. If only he would have done something differently, he could have saved them.

Beth grabs him and just helps him to remember he’s still alive, and that he did save her, and he did a good thing that day, and they can’t give up, because there’s still more to do. “We’ve all got jobs to do” is like this ultimate motto of practicality. It’s how Beth organizes her will to live, one foot in front of the other, and how she helps Daryl move forward even when he can’t stop looking back: she just gives him a job. OKAY WOW I just need her to come back now :’)

@twdmusicboxmystery

I wanted to put in my impressions of the end of Dead City. I agree with everything you both said about Maggie and Negan. I do think she’ll go back and get him, and there will be forgiveness. And the bit with Hershel was definitely heart breaking. I was thinking about how Hershel could never truly understand what happened with his father. He wasn’t there, and he doesn’t understand how it affected Maggie.

But none of that means he’s wrong about her. Maggie isn’t a terribly open or nurturing parent, and she needs to talk to him more about what happened. Not just the bare facts, but what she actually went through internally. But Maggie isn’t one to do that. She often feels cold and distant. So, I think it will also be interesting to see Maggie and Hershel’s relationship grow and hopefully come full circle around Negan.

The thoughts I have as to where they might be going with it are more big picture, I suppose. Obviously, this Dama woman is something of a queen in New York. One of you said you got Rich Bitch vibes from her, and I totally agree. She’s the epitome of a rich class living lavishly in her little enclosed space while people live not far from her in utter squalor, and she oppresses them for own amusement and aims.

But she also just basically asked Negan to help her run New York. In an evil and oppressive way, of course. But I’m assuming, even if it’s several seasons away, that since this woman is a relatively minor and new character, that she’ll die and Negan will become king of New York.

That’s interesting, because—again, perhaps several seasons away—when Rick and Daryl and Beth and all of TF reunite to fight the CRM, Negan may be running New York.

Remember in S8, when Rick and Negan went down into that basement together, past the “Abandon all Hope” sign? That foreshadowed something major between Rick and Negan, and the end of AOW just didn’t seem epic enough to fulfill it. I’m wondering if this hints at something more, a much larger scale conflict between them.

This is both subtle and obvious, but the show has set up a foil between the countryside and the city. We’ve had it long before now, with how TF has always avoided the cities, such as Atlanta, because they’re overrun with the dead.

Beth was taken into the city, which is probably more important symbolically than I ever gave it credit for.

And now we have New York. Of course there are plenty of evil people in the country, and plenty of walkers, but big cities are just their own monsters. Much different. Much worse.

In the bible—early Old Testament—we learn of two great cities under great leaders that are built up side by side. The first is the City of Enoch, which was filled with people so righteous and perfect that eventually the entire city was translated and taken up to heaven. Led by the prophet, Enoch.

The other city was built by a man named Nimrod, a mighty hunter in defiance of God. He hunted the souls of men. He became the first king of Babylon, which became synonymous with evil, sin, darkness, and the kingdom of the devil.

The two cities grew up at the same time, in different places, and as foils to one another. The kingdom of God and the kingdom of the devil.

I’m just saying they’re sort of making Negan king of Babylon here.

Beth was taken into the city. Into Babylon, the kingdom of the devil. And the CRM is most likely running other cities. Is Rick in Pittsburg? Another city run by the devil? No idea, but all big cities probably fall under the same symbolism.

It’s even somewhat reminiscent of the Morgan/Strand dynamic in Fear. Strand in his high tower, building a community based on fear and oppression, while Morgan, on the outside, strives to build a community based on respect, mutual protection, and self-reliance.

And I’m not even saying Negan and Rick will forever be enemies. (Morgan and Strand aren’t.) It would make more sense for them to eventually join forces against the CRM, which would make everything come full circle as well. Once enemies, now allies to bring peace and justice and order to the world. Anyway, I’m rambling now. This is what the end of DC got me thinking about.

@galadrieljones

This is really good, @twdmusicboxmystery. I love the idea of us returning thematically to AOW. Because we really haven’t yet. After the war ends, Rick “dies” almost immediately, then there’s a time jump. Negan is incarcerated, and Maggie leaves. There’s no opportunity for meditation on what happened.

Even Carl’s death is somewhat lost in these developments. Because for Michonne, who would be the only person left for whom it was truly life-shattering, it is overshadowed by Rick’s and also by her pregnancy. Daryl has left and he goes through his own Underworld experience, while Carol is with Henry and Ezekiel attempting to rebuild.

Then when Negan becomes a real character again, it’s the Whisperer War. So what I’m saying is, AOW has never really been processed thematically. And I think you’re right that we are headed back in that direction. I love the idea of an inverse scenario, in which Rick, a leader of his own rebellion, is able to employ Negan for help.

If Negan is leader of Manhattan, and Maggie is the leader of the hinterlands, and Ezekiel is governor of the Commonwealth, then we have an entirely new iteration of The King, the Widow, and Rick. Only instead of fighting against Negan, they infiltrate NY to ask for his help. Or they may be fighting him at first, but once Rick realizes they have a common enemy, they will be inclined to work together.

Also, we may then finally have an opportunity to process Carl’s death. Carl died to try and pave a way for peace ahead. And he wanted Rick to forgive Negan and for the two of them to work together to make the world a better place. We already know that the CRM will be after NYC for their methane operation. It looks like after all this time, resources are truly what it’s about, and TD was right about that.

I love the idea that tptb is creating a massive scenario in which Negan and Rick will meet again in some epic inversion of AOW. Even Jadis will be there. During AOW, she tried to play both sides and got burned. Now she seems to be playing both sides again, but she’s smarter this time, presumably. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s Jadis who somehow gets Negan and Rick into the same room again, to broker some sort of deal. Anyway. Love this idea!! I’m super excited for how things seem like they’re going to come together.

Thinking about Carl’s death and how it’s never been processed actually makes me think about Beth’s. Really can’t wait for all this stuff to truly kick into gear!!

@wdway

I really liked your take on the episode as well. I really felt that Negan was forced, blackmailed into joining her. She hinted to the fact that she could always go back and get Herschel and she understands Negan has a lot of guilty feelings about killing Herschel's father, Glenn.

I think right now Negan main concern is to keep Ginny and Herschel safe and that hopefully the fact that he has a wife and a son of his own will stay secret between him and Maggie. She has the means of destroying Negan by telling his enemies that he has a family.

At this point I don't think she would knowingly let it slip that he has a family I think if she did that purposely she would sever any possibility of a relationship of any meaning with Herschel. I think he would see it as her choosing revenge over him, that he is less important than her hate for Negan.

And where is Negan's family? Missouri, where I imagine they've probably run into the CRM. I think Rick or Michonne are even Jadis meeting up with Annie finding out that Negan had a family might be a turning point that give Negan the incentive to join Rick against the CRM. We've seen Negan be brutal, but we've never seen him in action against people who could harm the people he loves. The all in, full out killing machine we've never seen before in him.

[uc-beepboop]

How Canon Was My One Arc 11  Fic?

“After the three-shot imma do an analysis comparison thing between my Elanthielrian fic and what happens and rate it on a scale from 1-10 on how canon it is LOL”

As promised on that previous tumblr post, here is future me, and I give it an 7/10 and I ramble more below the cut. Arc 11.5 On the Rocks SPOILERS.

Here’s the fic, “You’re The Boss” if you want to check it out: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45524443

I think I gotta rate it an 7/10 for canon-compliance, which was MUCH HIGHER than I thought while watching the livestream, and I’m also very impressed with myself. My intention was to keep things kinda vague during my fic so it would, ideally, be totally canon-compliant. I also have the benefit of being in the patreon, so “The Last Stop” being the name of the bar was dropped in the discord: I don’t have some coincidentally power of guessing the exact same words as the UC cast.

Here are some big things that I didn’t have and hence make my fic an AU.

Atelut and Suds are no longer working for Albion rail… I mean gosh if they go back now you know!

Rian and Atelut is a slowburn, but it went much faster than I thought considering the end of the Finale *ahem sharing the same bed*

The resistance already did some damage! Yo? Killing some Albions ya know? 

Rian having the counterpart to Atelut’s ring of suffering: oh that was genius by Dillan and Dylan.

Atelut is an Albion. I mean, if I guessed that part, I’d be some omnipresent God. But hey, if any post-11.5 stream fic writers wants to write about that part? Go for it.

BART BEING REVIVED???

Here’s some more points I thought to bring up

Resistance is a hot mess:

One bit that I thought hit really well was the fact that resistance is kind of a hot mess and we love that for them. My “revolution” was a bit more put together, and I get into that in the next part. By the time my fic occurs, I think Atelut would have already known that. And guess what? She’s stressing over plans and worrying about if something might go wrong over the course of said plans! Oh no. As the writer, I didn’t consider that the resistance would be as much of a hot mess, but it kind of worked out anyways.

Atelut at The Last Stop:

Also another thing I didn’t consider: I think every other fic pre-11.5 has Atelut working in her position at Albion rail. But I had Atelut working on plans at The Last Stop and not even being a part of the main attack. Honestly, that’s how I see her after 11.5: she’s using her managerial skillset and organizing the revolution into an actual force to be wary of. And I think she’d be so good at it too. Maybe that’s this AU’s reason for having a more put-together revolution

Lack of Contact: (a Dissimilarity actually)

Another thing to consider was that I didn’t realize that in-canon, Atelut and Suds never made any direct contact with the resistance group until 11.5 begins? They were so so careful and damn do they care about this revolution so much you know. Anywho, in my fic Atelut and Suds just straight up went right to The Last Stop while being employees of Albion Rail. That being said, what stays the same is how meticulous each time they contacted the other group.

Who is the Boss?

One of the highlights for me is in (I think episode 2?) of 11.5 was when Rian just gives Atelut the “You’re not my Boss anymore” line and it stabs you in the gut a little. Anywho, in my fic Atelut’s the one who says something like that: “I’m not your manager anymore. You don’t have to give me these undeserved, free drinks.” And guess what? My fic ends in a similar way as the 11.5 stream did, with Rian calling Atelut “The Boss” once more. 

We’re the REVOLUTION for a reason (Extremity):

Okay, look I knew this, but I had a much more Suds approach to it where it would be this soft approach to fucking up the Albions. I didn’t realize that Rian was full on ready to do some murderrr, and hey he succeeded quite a bit. In my fic, “If all went according to plan, the company would experience substantial information leaks, financial losses, and destruction of property. It would be the biggest move the revolution had ever attempted.” So yeah. No murder, no death, just some good ol ouchie for Albion rail. I think… it was the second of the live Verbal Components for 11.5, and each player mentioned what would happen if their character was the only one left. And, in this potential scenario, iirc Atelut slowly chips away at Albion rail, kind of like I did in my fic.

That’s all I could think of off the talk of my head thanks for reading my rambling

[moondancer71]

What scene have you written that draws the most emotion from you? Did this translate to your readers? Would you change anything?

Thank you for this thoughtful ask, Anon! 💜

The most emotional thing I've written is probably chapter 1 of Three Days, where (spoiler: Jon dies!) and it deals with Dany's grief in the aftermath. However, I was not really emotional writing it? 😅 I guess I felt sad writing it, but I didn't cry or anything 🤭.

I believe it did translate to readers, at least based on the comments I received. I also remember that when I sent this chapter to one of my betas, @arielchelby, and I hadn't told her what would happen in the chapter and just that the fic was angsty lol, her first message to me after reading was like "damn bitch, this is so sad!" 😂🤣 and I absolutely loved that response 😂🤣

I don't think I would change anything. Of course, looking back, there are probably edits that could be made or tightening up phrasing,etc. That said, I don't think perfect fics exist and before I post the fic usually goes through several revisions and updates so the final product is the one I'm most happy with. I don't go back and edit posted fics, but instead take what I learned and try to do better on the next story.

Thanks for the ask!

[kuriboo]

4, 13, 16 for the ask game!

Sorry for taking so long to answer this anon. I was going to do it on my laptop but then my laptop seems on its way out, I’ve been trying to fix it to no avail. I am doing this on mobile now.

4. Link your three favorite fics right now

I may have linked more than three.

Cotard’s Solution: written by a very dear friend and my favorite recent fic I’ve read. Post-series, Yugi deals with mental illness

Viridian the Green Guide: I’ve read a lot of Izuku doesn’t have a quirk and Izuku vigilante fics, and this is really my favorite of both worlds

The Kids Will be Alright, Eventually: READ THE TAGS BEFORE READING THIS ONE AND TREAD WITH CAUTION. A really excellent analysis into Bakugou, and honestly my favorite interpretation of him that exists. This is the fic that made me like Bakugou as much as I do. Deals with mature themes.

It takes two to tango (and four to make this home): liverpepper will probably always be my favorite kingdom hearts au. These are fics that take place in the liverpepper universe.

Savoring Sips of Something Sweet: now i know what you’re thinking. I’m not big into western aus. But this taz:graduation au is so beautifully crafted that I couldn’t not fall in love. Canon divergent.

School Trip to the Shadows: the yugioh vrains cast visits gx duel academy sign me the FUCK up

Look for me when it’s Stormy: Yusaku and Skye interaction outside of Vrains. I love these two so much

13. Do you outline your fics? How much of a headache would someone get if they just looked at an outline of yours without reading the fic?

It…depends on the fic, and environmental factors. When I wrote fics for tumblr events (i don’t have the time these days) I had to outline them based on prompts. At my previous job where I could write at work, I did more outlining. These days I kinda just…go for it. The outlines these days are minimal and entirely are in my head.

I mostly work on multichaptered fics these days, and having an outline requires…planning the whole thing out. That requires two things: having an endpoint, and knowing how I’m getting there. Return from the Different Dimension has no planned endpoint. Sunshine Smile and Bacon Saver, I have ideas for an endpoint. How to get there? I have vague ideas at best for this

I do outline on a chapter by chapter basis once in a while if I need to write things out to get it out of my head, if I’m worried I’ll forget something, and so on. I found an outline for the most recent chapter of Return from the Different Dimension!

Whether someone would get a headache from reading it…well, you tell me, I guess.

I have a lot of notes for the Next chapter of the fic but obviously I can’t show those lol

I have much more detailed outlines for the world ends with yu(gioh) but i can’t access them in a way where i can show them. Also, that’s spoilers

16. Do you research for your fics? If so, how deep of a rabbit hole have you gone down by accident when researching?

I mostly stick to canon divergent fics, so most of my research is done in series wikis. In Yugioh, I’m usually looking at someone’s abilities, their decks, or looking up cards in general. In kingdom hearts, this usually is in the form of keyblade names, attack and spell names, that sort of thing. The deepest I’ll usually go is reading a character’s entire wiki page, so how deep that is…depends on the page, lmao. I still remember the time I was so flabbergasted reading that Aster could see duel spirits; it’s been a long time since I’ve watched season two.

[curiouselleth]

⭐, please?

Hello @general-illyrin! Thanks for the ask!!

I was unsure whether to talk about this part of Be He Foe or Friend because it's in an upcoming chapter, but I'm too excited about it so I'm just going to keep it a bit more vague.

I'm most excited about some of the scenes in the chapter Alqualondë - The Host of Fingolfin. It's the longest chapter so far which I'm honestly thrilled about. There is a decision point in the beginning of the chapter, so the chapter kinda has two branches. I love the scenes that are in the first branch. There's more dialogue between characters and less telling or summarizing events, I guess? and I've been getting better at stretching things out a bit more, so it doesn't go as fast as the previous chapters, and Fingon, Caranthir, and Finrod are more present in the chapter. Finrod is the favorite character for me, and I have a lot of somewhat coherent Caranthir thoughts (and he doesn't get enough "screen time" in my opinion lol. he's fun to write!)

There's also some fun conversations with characters whose name's start with F, and there's this one scene with Finrod and Caranthir that I'm honestly in love with.

I've also started trying to include some more ✨ foreshadowing ✨

I don't think I can say more without spoilers, but I love so many parts of this chapter that I'd love to talk about more after it's posted, hopefully, in a week, two max. So if you or anyone else wants to send me another ask about that or another director's cut ask like this one, I'd love it (the answer would probably get rather long lol.)

This next round of chapters will actually have 5 chapters, the three Alqualonde chapters named at the end of the previous chapters, a branch alqualonde chapter, and one more. (I just hope I don't spam anyone with notifications that stuff has been posted 😅)

Anyway, thanks again so much for the ask!! I was already excited for posting this chapter but now I'm HYPED

[bookofmirth]

Hi!!! First of all, sorry for my English, I know it's not perfect but I hope I can write in an understandable way! I was browsing and came across your blog! I have read almost all of your posts and asks about acotar!

I'm not a huge fan of the saga (I have a huge struggle finding female characters I like or at least wouldn't want to see dead lol I guess it's the fact that 99% of the time there's always romance involved and I hate romance! In fact, I was very amazed when despite not being crazy about her character, I almost never found Freya annoying, even her relationship with Rhys didn't bother me that much, and especially when reading the book I fell in love with Mor! A very strange thing, I read a lot and the female characters I don't dislike I can count on the fingers of one hand), I read it because I was looking for books with a strong bromance and a friend of mine (madly in love with Freya and Rhys) suggested Acotar to me because of Rhys, Az and Cassian and I must say she was right, I liked the three of them very much, especially Rhys and Cassian, my favorites (with Mor). Although, I admit I would have liked to see a little more about their relationship; I appreciated the fact that the nightmares Rhys had were about the fact that Cassian or Az might suffer the same fate he had suffered in his fifty years of captivity, the fact that when Cassian was wounded in acomaf he was aware of the urgency of healing his wings because he would rather die than live without them, or again when in acowar he told him that there was no debt to repay when Nesta had proposed to be bait and Cassian agreed. I was wondering, since from what I have read you understand Cassian's character very well, if you have a favorite moment of yours between the two and if there is anything you would like to see between the two in the next books.

P.S Since I'm not a fan of Nesta (understatement) I didn't read acosf, because loving Cassian's character I was afraid that it would make me dislike him (and because I had/have a bad feeling that he will end up at the point where he has to choose between her and his family and the very idea makes me furious and sick. But feel free to do spoilers, I haven't read the book but I obviously know what happens)

And then one more thing. I don't know if I can ask you this (I think I understand that this kind of question you prefer to be asked on the other blog, however while I'm at it...) but if you know of any, would you like to suggest some other books/saga where there is a connection like the one between the bat boys? It's what I prefer to read, but I have a hard time finding books with a strong bromance component to read.

A hug🤗

Hello! I love Cassian so much, I love this whole ask :D

I have read almost all of your posts and asks about acotar

First, I commend you on this because oh my god, that's a lot of content to sift through haha

I love that you love Mor! I love her too, even if sjm has basically written her as an incomplete character thus far. We got so much info about her in acomaf-fas, we even got her POV, and now nothing but the tension between her and Nesta in acosf? SJM has dangled all this stuff in front of us about Mor and then just left it as big question marks. She has said she is excited to write Mor's story, so I am just hoping that comes before I hit retirement age.

I am finishing up my acomaf reread today and I just love the IC so much in that era, I totally understand why you love the friendship between Rhys, Cassian, and Azriel. Cassian and Mor is my favorite brotp (still) but I love the idea of those three guys supporting each other through all these years and knowing each other so well. There are some things in acosf that make me question their friendship so maybe you shouldn't read it, idk. I don't think that, if you don't like Nesta, then acosf would make you dislike Cassian. From what I've seen, people who really love Nesta ended up disliking Cassian in acosf. I prefer Cassian to Nesta, without question, and acosf didn't make me like him any less.

I had/have a bad feeling that he will end up at the point where he has to choose between her and his family

This definitely happens and I think that readers don't realize that he is so torn between his brothers and his mate? Nesta and Rhys do not get along and so that puts Cassian in an awkward position not infrequently. There are no good choices for him when Nesta and Rhys butt heads. Imagine if your partner and your family were clashing, it's awkward enough but then you're at the beginning of your relationship, your partner is dealing with some mental health shit, your family is dealing with world ending shit. It's a lot.

For your question about what I hope, I hope that Cassian and Nesta are able to find a balance in their relationship. That would mean her respecting his relationship with Rhys and Az despite her feelings towards Rhys, and him choosing her over them on occasion and standing up for her. I don't see how their relationship (Cassian and Nesta) could honestly last unless they find a way to balance the fact that Cassian's best friend/brother and his mate hate one another. Something's got to give. My favorite scene between them thus far is still the end of acowar when he thinks he is going to die and says he wishes they'd had more time.

For books with a strong bromance, that's an interesting question! I'm not sure if these count, but the first one that comes to mind is The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet. It's not bromance per se, but it does focus on friendship a lot! Then The Gilded Wolves revolves around a friend group. There is some romance in that one. If you are into graphic novels, Rat Queens has great female friendship, but stop after the third volume. There are also great friendships in the Mistborn trilogy! I feel like I should start a "friendship" shelf on my Goodreads so I can keep track of them, that was a hard question. If anyone else has recommendations, feel free to leave them!