#the foreshadowing is masterful and Painful

[chosetherose]

The Fortnight video foreshadows the convergence of Taylor Swift and her brand

In her videos, Taylor has continually played with the idea of herself as a person versus as a brand. These portrayals have almost been adversarial in nature. Think about the relationship between the two life sized Anti-Hero Taylors. The hooded robot Taylor who got to exist in the world while her bare counterpart was trapped in glass. Etc.

The Fortnight video introduces similar characters but flips the script because there isn’t a me versus her dynamic anymore. Instead, there is a story about coming together.

A scene by scene breakdown:

Taylor Swift™️ is chained to a bed in a white gown with a spicy slit and garter. A faceless nurse enters walking upside down on the ceiling (a continued theme suggestive of PR games). The nurse presents “Forget Him” pills, arguably reminiscent of a dark time where the world thought they could “cure” homosexuality. After Taylor Swift™️ begrudgingly takes her dose, the nurse unchains her.

We then see Taylor Swift™️ approach a two way mirror and wipe the mask off her face, revealing face tattoos we know to be Post Malone’s in real life. This reveal is setting the scene that within this video Post Malone represents Taylor’s inner self, her true soul behind the veil of celebrity. I’ll call him True Taylor.

Next, the mask is back and we see Taylor Swift™️ walk out of the observation room and into the workspace. She goes from wearing a leggy white gown with garter to a fully covered black poet-esque dress. She isn’t dressed for voyeuristic eyes anymore, she’s dressed to work on her art. I love this light to dark transition because black can be seen as the absence of light. Fitting for a tortured poet who can’t live her truth in public with her sunny muse by her side.

Note that we don’t get to see black dress Taylor Swift™️ through the two way mirror. She exists behind the bright lights of fame, making art in a room hidden from our view. Maybe the pills numb her enough to twist the art for an audience who likes to her to be chained to a bed while they watch her suffer.

But wait Taylor Swift™️ and True Taylor are collaborating. They start work separately but their art eventually drifts out of their typewriters, combining into a white light that bursts into a rainbow. Remember how I said black light is the absence of light? Well white light is comprised of all hues on the visible light spectrum.

We know there are layers to Taylor’s music: the surface layers chock full with to red herrings for the grocery line Swifties and the deeper layers of Taylor’s truth. They both exist in the art, swirled together.

But here is where things start to feel different. We cut to True Taylor and Taylor Swift™️ away from all those faceless people - they are alone in the middle of a road. That in itself is ridiculously symbolic of being on the way to somewhere (maybe brighter days). But there’s more because they are dressed identically, laying inside Taylor’s head that is made up of their art. This scene is like bonking us on the head that these two people are one and the same.

Note: The silhouette here is from the Style video which also portrays Taylor’s inner self as a man.

Taylor Swift™️ runs to True Taylor and they embrace in the middle of the road as pages of their art float around them. In the chaos, Taylor Swift™️ reaches out to True Taylor.

Maybe this scene is suggesting the public version of Taylor is ready to embrace her real self.

Then we see Taylor Swift™️ strapped to a table, wild hair from dropping the hairpins we saw in the opening scene. The drugs aren’t working, it must be time to escalate to shock therapy. The men around her gather and there is literally a sign in the background that says “Master Control”.

But one of the men in the room making decisions for the brand is actually True Taylor, who has been there all this time.

Enough is enough when True Taylor can’t take the pain and pulls the plug on the procedure, freeing public persona Taylor from torture.

Next we see True Taylor, familiarly encased behind glass, on a phone call. Perhaps making plans while safe from the rain. Taylor Swift™️ is elevated on a pedestal, out in the storm, in her best dress FEARLESS! Credit to @rep-princess-witch who put the fearless connection together in another post.

I’ll say it again, that is the huge difference in this video compared to others. Here, Taylor Swift™️ is not an antagonist, she is ready to brave the storm.

So what does she do? She’s back in the workspace burning all the files. It’s not without emotion but it’s necessary. We then see a stoic Taylor Swift™️ with no regrets.

After burning the files she’s back in the observation room. It’s time to fight back against the voyeurs and she does so by smashing the glass between her and them. She regains her agency by squashing their ability to hide. Shes deserting her past life.

Note: We don’t see True Taylor back inside. This fight is specifically for Taylor’s public persona.

In the closing seen, we see True Taylor leave shelter, step outside into the storm, and reach for Taylor Swift™️. The person and the public persona are weathering the storm hand in hand.

*Please check out @heyitsmoog on TikTok - he shared thoughts there that inspired me to make this post.*

[sebastian-ciel-mutual-bullying]

Sebastian's Death Scythe Wounds

Volume 3 Chapter 10 - The Butler, Reflective

This is the moment he learned that a death scythe can kill a demon (or, the first time that we know of). He's in shock at first, but then genuine fear. (Notice also, his pupils are round here, not slitted! I just think that's an interesting detail)

And unlike in the anime, we do get to see some dramatic scenes from his life. (I do love the anime scene, though. It cracks me up)

On the left side we see a panel that says "Should I get the ring out?". There's another panel o!Ciel says, "My name is" but gets obscured by the text bubble. Just some great foreshadowing on Yana's part!

Volume 13 Chapter 61- The Butler, Born

This time, Sebastian knew what a death scythe meant. He knew how powerful Undertaker was. Yet, for Ciel's sake, he makes himself open to a life-threatening blow.

The expression we see here isn't shock. It's fear, desperation, and pain. His eyes are on Ciel entirely. (His pupils are round here, also, despite having just been in "demon mode" lol).

The first time, Sebastian was playing around. He did "sacrifice" his arm to save his master, but we get the sense that he didn't know the danger. (Although he did know the danger when he tried to kill Madam Red). Here, in a way, he chooses to sacrifice his life for his master.

I know this is all obvious, but his character growth is just too damn beautiful for me not to post about it.

And the art???? He went from baby girl to a king (who's a baby girl at heart ) . Yana's art improved so much! I mean, just look at the blood streams!

Ahhh I love Kuroshitsuji so much !!

[gffa]

Do you have any Sith!Obi-Wan fics you can recommend? 🙏

Hi! You can do a search for Sith Obi-Wan in my bookmarks which brings up several or you can start with the novel-length ones that still live rent-free in my head even years after I've read them: Equinox by lilyconrad, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, 95.9k During the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan and Anakin crash on a remote planet and take shelter in the ruins of a grand estate only to find they are not alone. This fic was written for me, so I'm biased, but it's genuinely my favorite for the trope because Lily put all this thought into the undercurrents going on between the characters, because it gives such care about why any version of Obi-Wan would fall to the dark and what he would be like, because each chapter had moments of foreshadowing and care given to lush, beautiful descriptions and the creeping dread of the place. It's a gorgeous fic and I think even if someone doesn't usually like Sith versions of the characters, the way this one does it (created reflections, not that our characters are falling, so it's scratching the itch of how it's an extension of our characters, but our characters are not on that exact path), I would gently suggest this one.

Lex Talionis by intermundia, obi-wan/anakin & cast, NSFW, 187.1k Or, how Obi-Wan and Anakin fell to the dark side, obtained their revenge, and saved the galaxy in the process. My other favorite Sith Obi-Wan fic, this one is about how these characters fall to the dark, and the author takes his time with how it happens step by step, but also how these massive, galaxy-spanning changes happen, how it's a combination of how sexy the dark side can be but also how awful it can be, how much pain and hurt it can cause. There's so much care and effort put into this story, it spans such a huge story, that it's one of those fics I want to physically print out in special binding because it deserves to be a pretty set on my bookshelf.

wicked thing by imaginarykat, obi-wan/anakin & cast, NSFW, 124.2k the story of how Anakin exists in a perpetual state of intense embarrassment, Kenobi is enjoying it a little too much, and everything is, generally speaking, a gigantic mess. This is an AU where Obi-Wan never trained Anakin and is already a Sith when we meet him, and there's a reason it's one of the most famous fics in the fandom, because it is the most charismatic thing I've just about ever read, the sheer amount of dark side sexy charm coming off Obi-Wan is incredible, the tension between him and Anakin is delicious, and the writing/plotting of the storyline is superb. I could not put this fic down when I read it, there's a reason this fic helped really popularize the trope, because it's just so goddamned addicting and glorious to read.

Soldier, Poet, King by Glare, obi-wan/anakin & cast, NSFW, time travel, 106.4k wip Second chances are very rarely given, but the Force smiles upon two of its favorite children and returns them to a time before their actions have met their consequences. Anakin Skywalker, also known as Darth Vader, seeks redemption while Obi-Wan “Ben” Kenobi, disillusioned with the Jedi Order and its Code, falls to the Darkness. Trapped out of time, Master and Apprentice must once again work together to stop Sideous’ plans from reaching fruition and bring Balance to the Force—all the while dodging the Jedi, the Sith, and their feelings for each other. I think this might even have been the first Sith!Obi-Wan fic that I read and I know it remains dear to me because I reread it a year or two ago and got sucked in just as hard as before. Obi-Wan is dropped back into his younger body, feels like the whole thing is a bunch of bullshit, gets sucked into dark thoughts, and just goes full dark side dom on Anakin and fixing the galaxy through machinations and foreknowledge. It's so fun and it does such great service to Anakin's level of power, that this guy is an absolute dragon in the Force, but that he also very much wants Obi-Wan's hand on the back of his neck to force him to kneel to the one person he loves. Hnngggg, it really cemented me as a fan of this trope because of how well it scratches the sexy dark side dom/sub while they're both badass dynamic, I love it so much.

I'm still making my way through a lot of Star Wars fic, so if anyone has any more recs, feel free to jump in, especially if you have some gen ones, since I mostly read pairing fic for Sith!Obi-Wan (because I'm personally after the sexy dom/sub dynamic with it)!

[cyndaquillt]

Briefly taking a break from mourning the end of the 73rd Demon Realm to appreciate Sing-Shong's use of pov in storytelling. KDJ's 'death' somehow hit harder/different at the hands of the outer god when seen from Jung Heewon's perspective and I realized, that despite him dying multiple times so far and despite reading about his companions' pain during those times, I didn't feel a trauma of this level because I was still reading through KDJ's perspective. He always has a card up his sleeve and getting an in into his mind eases some tension for me as a reader. The third floor of the demon castle was particularly stressful because 1) it hadn't appeared in the TWSA that KDJ had read so we couldn't be so sure of what he was gonna do, 2) 'Fate' was built up to be this inevitable thing that despite believing KDJ would have something up his sleeve, it was mostly unknown as to what would happen when Fate gets realized. I felt a dread of the unknown and pain for the people KDJ was leaving behind.

With the Outer God moving in to devour the 73rd Realm and reading it through Jung Heewon's perspective, I genuinely felt trauma. Despite there being foreshadowing of what he would do, I was genuinely not sure if KDJ did have anything up his sleeve this time. And this strong, even footing that reading from KDJ's pov had provided me so far was turned into a bumpy ride in a just a few chapters with HSY's pov of her nightmares and LSY's fortune telling, Breaking the Sky Sword Saint and Kyrgios' pov of their inability as transcendents to deal with the Outer God, and finally, the nail in the coffin was JHW's pov that really conveyed the helplessness Kimcom feels every single time KDJ chooses to sacrifice himself alone. It's never 'Oh he's dying again, he'll probably come back. Get used to it'. It's experiencing the death of a dear friend right in front of your eyes again and again and again in excruciating ways. And each time you think, "I'll save him next time" or "I'll be there to die with him next time" or "I'll protect him so that he never has to do it again" and each time that chance is robbed from you as you helplessly watch him die and leave you behind. That trauma adds up and it scars, you never get used to it and JHW's pov conveys that impeccably.

Then we flip back to KDJ's perspective and Secretive Plotter asking him about all the worlds he couldn't save. And KDJ meeting 1863rd round YJH and recalling his middle school years and making notes in the back of his notebook about how he would change YJH's story if TWSA became real and then realizing 1863rd YJH would be hopeless. KDJ also helplessly watched/read/experienced as YJH died and lived countless lives. He didn't have the luxury of thinking "I'll save him next time" or "I'll be there to die with him next time" or "I'll protect him so that he never has to do it again" because YJH was a fictional character and a "Fourth Wall" (heh) does protect him from that level of excessive immersion as a reader. But now that TWSA is very very real KDJ can save him, protect him, die with him, etc. But in the course of it all, he makes his friends, including YJH, experience all the pain and trauma of seeing their friend die time and time again while he continues to save YJH the pain of countless deaths.

Really masterful sequences of pov switching to build this broader picture of KDJ's sacrifice and what it means.

[sillysammy2297]

Relistened to Promised Land today and as always am just in awe of how amazing the writing is and how much it hurts.

“Ramses was still up there campaigning his old heart out and I couldn’t die until I saw the city he’d build”

Is just a painful and masterful bit of foreshadowing in. And it’s just SO GOOD

[rey-jake-therapist]

Oh. My. God. This last episode was SO GOOD! If Disney doesn't renew I give up on this franchise, I swear. At last some really fresh ideas about the Jedi! (Sorry but The Last Jedi was never as new and controversial as its fanbase claims it was: the consensus at the end was the same as usual: Jedi good, Dark siders bad, no complexity whatsoever!)

Most of what I expected happened 🤩 spoilers episode 8 below.

I wanted Koril (Osha and Mae's other mother) to be the Stranger's former master, but it seemed more likely that it would be Jedi Master Vernestra. And he's TERRIFIED of her?! My man had no problems facing a crowd of armed Jedi alone in episode 5, but as soon as she arrived he put on his helmet back and went hiding like a little child afraid of being punished hard 😳 I can't forget that the scar he had was in his BACK.... Meaning she thought she killed him by attacking him from behind. Not very Jedi, not at all....

Of course we could think he betrayed her, but considering his stance on loyalty, I find it hard to believe. Loyalty is very important to him, we saw it at the way he reacted to Mae's betrayal. And now we know that whatever happened, Vernestra probably lied about it.

Because yes she's a freaking liar! Instead of admitting that her former padawan is still alive and taking pupils, she puts all the blame on this poor Sol. I guess it's karma because that's exactly what he did with Mae. How not agreeing with this senator, who pointed that leaving too much liberty to the Jedi could be dangerous? How do you trust people who lie every time they need to cover their track? Nice foreshadowing of Anakin's betrayal, too... Yes sir, one day a Jedi will go rogue and destroy everything.

Osha thought she saw Mae kill Sol, but she saw herself in fact... she just probably didn't believe it could be her! Neither did Qimir. If he wasn't in love before, he's already naming the babies as we think lmao Poor Sol though, I'll miss him. I suspected it would happen, but still... It was painful to watch, almost as much as seeing Ben Solo kill Han in The Force Awakens. Except here at last, Osha had a good reason to kill him, while in TFA it was only done for shock value :/ I know Sol expressed remorse but it was definitely not enough to get forgiveness. He should have told the truth the Osha, to the Council. He had it coming....

Mae losing her memories of Osha was such a heart wrenching moment. Especially when Mae couldn't finish the song... 😭 in my predictions I saw Mae turn, but I didn't see *that* coming.... Reminds me of Revan! The Stranger agrees to let her go while he was obsessed with killing her, just because Osha asked him to.... That's love 😍

And they really had Osha and Qimir riding together in the sunset. They really did it!! After all this time spent trying to ship Reylo but never really getting it because these idiots just kept fighting with no conversation, my soul is healed at last... You know, the scene where they take the ship and argue like an old couple? I wanted a scene like that for episode IX. Or anything that would have been a scene together with no fighting 😔

[quotidian-oblivion]

Not-Yet-Written Fic Game

Tagged by @chemical-processes!! Thank you so much for tagging meeee. Especially in writer games, i love them <3

Post about some of the fics you plan on writing

I'm gonna do both batfam and Merlin for this one. You can put down any number of wips. I have so many, but I think I'll choose 10 😅 Feel free to ask about any of them!!! I'd love that ^^

No pressure tags: @sardonic-sprite @igotthisaccountunderduress @pericreatesstuff @foursixtwonineoh-pieces-of-lego @foineswoine-writing

@uncertainwallflower @cygnusdoesthings @blightwritesfic @wakkoroni

A Dance Across the Stream [BBC Merlin]

A slave!Arthur fic where I really pump up the angst. Arthur has been a slave for so long that people are starting to lose hope that he's even alive. His slavers decide to auction him since his past status, health and general looks will get them a pretty penny. He's collared by magic that hurts him if he doesn't listen to his masters' orders. As he stares down blankly at the faces and hands rising eagerly to buy a slaved prince, he hears a voice-

"Twelve hundred and thirty gold pieces!"

For the first time in months, Arthur dares to raise his head. Because he knows that voice. Has heard it incessantly rabbiting on, talking his ear off several times a day before his capture.

But it can't be him. It can't be Merlin. Because the bid for him was only open to sorcerers. And Merlin can't be a sorcerer.

2. Let Me Die, Let Me Drown, Lay My Bones In the Ground [BBC Merlin]

(I'm cheating a little bit cuz this is actually written but) My first fic where I really unleash my angst weapons. I wanted to test my limits. And I did.

The storm that had passed through Albion didn't only bring devestation, it brought a party belonging to the king, queen and princess of a distant land on the edge of Albion's maps. As per propriety and courtesy, Camelot was required to hold a feast and provide accommodation for them. The feast started off smoothly, the royals of Camelot getting along quite well with the royals from Harden.

But a single questioned changed everything. Including the destiny of Arthur and Merlin.

"What are your stances on magic?" Uther asked.

3. Doesn't have a name yet, but the wip doc is named 'My Limits Tested Through Merlin' [BBC Merlin]

While writing LMDLMD (the above fic), I discovered that the angst I put in there was not actually my full limit. I could push further. I could write worse. So I started this multichap wip. And it's going splendidly. Honestly, this fic is such a good jar to add my inner demons to. And I decided to work in some foreshadowing, juxtaposition, symbolism and all that lovely fun literary devices stuff because I found that I actually enjoy that process. So this might just be my best mutlichap fic yet!

Summary: That the kingdom they traveled to was peaceful was a lie. That the king was a good and fair man was also a lie. That Merlin, Arthur, and the Knights of the Round Table would be safe was the biggest lie of all. 

As Merlin scrubs the floor beneath the king's feet, despite the pains and bruises on his body, he wonders if escape will also be a lie. 

4. Empire For Two [BBC Merlin]

Part two of a two-part series. I've finished writing the outline and currently it's standing at 50 chapters, but as it gets written it might increase. Since it's MASSIVE and too much for me to take on alone, my lovely fwens Joan (@tireddruid) and Tristi are helping me with it! Joan's alpha and beta-ing while Tristi's gonna be a co-writer. For once, I'm not gonna start posting after it's written, but post as we write each chapter.

A Golden Age AU where I fix the fucking show.

5. Tim gets de-ages to a toddler fic [DC]

I've finished the outline for this too and it's currently standing at 21 chapters and I've already written 2. @mispeltnostalgia is beta-ing it ^^ And it's angsty. And fluffy! Majority of it is fluffy! But the angst at the end and major character death tag kind of overshadows the 19 chapters of fluff 😅 I also do a character study of Jason here. It's very enlightening.

Inspired by the very first fanfic I ever read (by choice) and Tim gets de-aged to a toddler because of a mistake Jason made. Jason's bonds with the family is already fragile and this mistake might just drive a further wedge between him and them. So he keeps the mistake a secret.

But the fact Tim is a toddler isn't. The batfam try their hardest to look after Tim while trying to find a way to age him back. Tim's an adorable kid but... there are warning signs. Too many warning signs. It makes everyone question just how well they had known Tim and his personal life.

For some reason, the toddler seems attached to Jason. And surprisingly, Jason seems to go actually well when dealing with him.

But after an explosive fight between Jason and the rest of the family, when Alfred opens the doors to the bedrooms, he finds both the toddler and the crime lord gone.

6. I Quit (not the actual fic name, just a wip name) [DC]

It started with a crack-genre scene where Tim accidentally resigns being Robin over the phone.

It quickly escalated to Tim running from the Bats, trying to cure Jason of his Pit Madness, and raising a 10-year-old assassin Damian when Talia mistakenly dumped the kid on him. Fully outlined, 19 chapters, I'm probably gonna start writing this soon.

7. Found Him [DC]

Not a multichap fic but a series with oneshots and twoshots and threeshots! Why? Because I was lazy and didn't bother with filling chapters. Why? Cuz I wanted to get to the action bits. Why?

Because this, my friends, is an evil!Tim Drake AU >:)

Tim wakes up in Titans Tower before Bruce and Dick can show up. He wakes up and all he sees is blood.

His blood.

He is in excruciating pain, but for some cruel reason, he can still think and feel clearly. His mind is not a haze, he has all his memories and he is very well aware of the carnage that has been made out of his body. Very well aware of the person who created the carnage out of his body.

In a Red Robin #4-esque style, Tim crawls out and sloppily secures the wounds that bleed the most, then grabs a bike and collapses in the middle of the road. The emergency services think he's a normal civilian boy since Tim had torn his Robin uniform and had ridden out in the blacks underneath. They manage to save his life but the damage was done.

Tim had snapped. He thought he was alone. And nothing was going to convince him otherwise.

8. All 'Board Mind Games [DC]

Inspired by Zugzwang written by sardonic-sprite. Ra's keeps kidnapping Tim and forcing him to play different board games from different cultures (cuz I like representation) and each member of the batfam is kidnapped along with him and with every time Tim loses, he gets to choose between forms of torture or being Ra's heir. Ra's gets what he wants either way because he wants Tim as his heir, but he also wants to see Tim suffer because he blew up his League's operations.

This fic I am so so so incredibly excited for because I am adding brain factors in it. Here is a plan for one of my chapters:

Damian — Barjees — Fear gas — "Be the person you needed when you were younger" (or Ideasthesia)

9. Talons (not the actual title) [DC]

What if Bruce didn't arrive in time to adopt his sons? What if the Talons did?

And what if, years later, Batman comes across four child assassins in Gotham whose eyes are screaming help?

10. Danny meets Tim (not the actual title, obvi) [DC x Danny Phantom]

Not very outlined, but the idea has been written down. During Tim's Red Robin arc where he's traversing the whole globe to find Bruce, one of the places he stops at is Amity Park. He heard about how ghosts are a regular here so maybe he can find something? Proof whether or not Bruce is alive?

Who he finds instead changes the whole trajectory of Tim's life.

~

And those are some of my wips! I am 100% planning on writing and posting all of them. They've all been outlined (except the last one) and are very much ready to be written or posted. I keep getting ideas after ideas for fics though so don't know when I'll be writing them 😂 Rest assured, I'm too excited to delay some of these wips.

[midnight-in-town]

Shirahama-sensei really said social anxiety (or any other mental disorder) is an ailment that needs to be taken as seriously as any physical disorder. 👏👏👏 I'm really grateful to both Beldarut for taking Riri in (after the trauma with his first abusive master) and for Eoleo for being so understanding and respectful of Ririfin's difficulties with crowds.

This chapter also truly highlights that, despite the fact that magic can't be mixed with medicine, Witches are as much in need of doctors (for example), as humans without knowledge of magic are in need of Witches. Thus, a steady balance is necessary...

which is why both King Dean and Eoleo seeking magic knowledge foreshadows a lot of trouble (and that explains why the Brim Hats want to meet them, while Belda is scared of what might happen).

Still, if Belda and the others can't trust their magic community as well as the King with enough info to understand why these rules exist in the first place, then knowledge indeed only flows from one side to the other, creating a rift. That's why the balance is already crumbling, and that's what the Brim Hats try to use even further for their own goals.

A ray of hope, though: clearly the kids play it less political at heart and, as such, Eoleo was able to exchange knowledge with Ririfin, Riché and Tetia, leading to a bigger opportunity to use for everyone's sake. So...

"Speaking up, talking about your pain, these actions create opportunities for overcoming diversity"

akjbrezkbjrez this sentence is pretty cool and accurate summary.

It’s an amazing manga, please give it a try!

[sobeautifullyobsessed]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love ❤

Thank you so much for the tag, my friend--you know I appreciate every chance I can get to promo my work!

So, five favorites? Honestly, it's hard to choose, as most of my work remains WIPs that are currently languishing for updates. I'm going to exclude my one-shots to narrow down the field - and base this list on both the story and the quality of the writing. Hoping that they might get a little bit of love and some new readers!

Of Magic, Miracles, and Moonlight - Stephen Strange x OFC. Slow burn romance, older man/younger woman, mentor/student, friends-to-lovers. Pre-Infinity War. Contains Mature Content. WIP, currently 19 chapters.

A Khan By Any Other Name - Khan Noonien Singh x OFC. Adventure, danger, angst, romance. Pre-Star Trek Into Darkness. Contains Mature Content. WIP, currently 12 chapters.

The Secret of Salvation - Major Jamie Stewart x OFC. War Horse AU. WW I. Angst, prisoner of war, romance. Contains Mature Content. WIP, currently 5 chapters.

The One That Got Away - Benedict Cumberbatch AU, where he is primarily a stage Actor with some movie/television appearances. Benedict Cumberbatch x OFC. Takes place during a production of The Taming of the Shrew. Castmates to friends to falling in love, slow burn, jealousy, lots of angst. WIP, currently 18 chapters.

Scarlett and the Professor - Tumblr exclusive. An original, erotic, paranormal romance, based on a discontinued roleplay. All original characters. Takes place on an unnamed Caribbean island. Older man/younger woman, professor/student, supernatural elements bringing them together, romance, angst, forbidden desires, light kinks with foreshadowing of darker kinks. Contains Mature Content. WIP, currently 32 chapters, plus two one-shots.

moodboards under cut

(related works: Lady in Red, Though There Be Pain Love Still Endures)

Of Magic, Miracles, and Moonlight

Doctor Stephen Strange's life has settled into a fulfilling pattern; even as Master of the New York Sanctum, he continues his studies in the mystic arts, self-training with the library that the Ancient One amassed in her years as Sorcerer Supreme. An old alliance forged by the Ancient One brings an unexpected request to him, and he is duty bound to fulfill it. Along the way he meets with some pleasant surprises--and discovers that his heart is not immune to the effects of the gentlest sorts of magic.

moodboard by @strangelock221b

Seraphina DiPietro is wise in the ways of the world; she has to be, as she travels the California coast as a torch singer in pubs, bars and nightclubs. She knows how to take care of herself and stay out of trouble--most of the time. When trouble comes, it's usually because her kind heart overrides her common sense. Stopping to check on a handsome stranger, stranded roadside in the Mojave Desert, her curiosity is piqued as much by the classic, mint-looking Mustang, as by the driver--a tall, dark mysterious drink of water, whom she quickly learns is so much more than what he appears.

moodboard by @mel-loves-all

Major Jamie Stewart is a survivor--but sometimes he just needs to escape. The guilt, the pain, the despair; his bitter fall due to folly and hubris. It helps to survive if one has a sanctuary to turn to, a dream to hold onto. A vision of a day--and a woman--that might grant him the salvation he desperately craves.

bookcover for The One That Got Away created by @onebuttscratcher

An actress making her name for herself on the London stage, Virgilia (Vicki) Gordon vows not to follow her usual pattern: falling in love with her leading man. The work comes first and foremost--or so she plans. She never expects to develop feelings for her co-star in "The Taming of the Shrew", but with his stellar talent matched by his charm, kindness and intellect, Vicki learns all too soon that, despite one's best intentions, the heart goes where it will. Still, all might be well--but he is far from free enough to return her affections.

moodboard by @strangelock221b

Romance & Passion. Mystery & ties to the Supernatural. Lust & Erotica. NSFW material, so be forewarned. A young Scottish woman of ancient Selkie blood finds herself irresistibly drawn to her dashing British professor, with his own mysterious ties to the Sea. A serial womanizer who believes his inner darkness makes him unredeemable, he finds what seems an uncorruptable innocence in the love she freely offers--eventually coming to wonder if her light might be enough to save him from his demons.

[circle-around-again]

"Limping into a ravine, he found a large cave and hauled his body into it. ... The wound festered. The pain was blinding. He listened for approaching droids but heard none. ... As he fell into and out of restless sleep, Maul began to wonder if his Master had forgotten him." (Windham, 142).

I'd like to point to his passage as foreshadowing. Maul repeats what will happen to him in the future: his life as spidermaul.

He feeds himself on raw flesh for a month, and suffers wounds that he cannot heal. He is in a cave, and his Master has abandoned him.

I'd also like to point out some interesting differences. Here, the droids are hunting him. In the future, he will become part droid.

He already doesn't consider his own body as truly "himself" because he talks about dragging it, as if it is separate. His body is already dead weight, and it will soon be replaced with the likeness of his pursuers.

[justafriend-ql]

never let me go meta master post

well, it looks like i'll be writing an unreasonable amount of meta for never let me go. this is where i'll keep links to them all for easy access. i've put stars by my personal favorites. thanks for reading!!

"pengyou" - scene analysis (ep. 2) 🌟

palmnueng as body + mind (ep. 3)

couples + color matching (ep. 3)

"when you pull the trigger, who are you thinking of?" - scene analysis (ep. 3) 🌟

parallels by the pond - scene analysis (ep. 3)

"what is your relationship with him?" (ep. 3)

soulmates, the shock of recognition, and the pain of separation (ep. 3) 🌟

"are you talking about yourself?" (ep. 4)

"i can't breathe" - the privilege paradox (ep. 4) 🌟

"i don't have a right to be mad at you" - scene analysis (ep. 4)

foreshadowing: the four rules of firearm safety (ep. 4)

"the first kiss in your new memory" - scene analysis (ep. 5) 🌟

mothers, fathers, + setting children free (ep. 5)

"i'll be anything you want me to be" - scene analysis (ep. 5) 🌟

"are you a fortune teller?" - star-crossed lovers and the tragedy of separation (ep. 6)

parallels, power reversals, and patterns of intimacy (ep. 6)

love: lowering oneself + letting go (ep. 7) 🌟

giving + giving in - scene analyses (ep. 7)

debt, doubt, and deserving love (ep. 8)

body + mind, united (ep. 8)

dancing, dreams, and despair (ep. 9) 🌟

"why did you get a tattoo of my name?" (ep. 9) 🌟

fragility + false armor (ep. 10)

"but you thought about doing it" (ep. 11)

"i don't want to be your burden" (ep. 12) 🌟

written after the series finished airing:

power, protection, partnership: the progression of palmnueng's physical intimacy 🌟

"is it wrong that i love you more?" - scene analysis (our skyy 2)

how we fall apart - palm and nueng's relationship with rage, repression, and responding to trauma

"let's go swimming" - the significance of water imagery in never let me go 🌟

nuengdiao, loneliness, and fear of the dark 🌟

[dustorange]

hey!!! could you share your fave dick grayson fics especially if they include bruce or even slade! you are probably my favorite dick grayson author I love your characterization so much I keep reading and rereading your fics all the time!!!!

THANK U!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! omg that is the biggest honor ily 💗💗💗💗

SOME FICS I RECOMMEND ARE OLD ENEMIES NEW DEBTS BY WILDSOFMARCH, catch a talon by the toe by wildsofmarch and cross my talon and hope to die by wildsofmarch……………wildsofmarch is a fav by default bc they write about my favorite concepts EVER (talon dick + slade) and like that alone is sufficient but then they r also ridiculously talented so here we r.

as 4 others hmmm i m always logged out of ao3 so my bookmarks r scarce + i never remember anything ever ever ever BUT SOME PPL I ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS TRUST TO DELIVER QUALITY dg r jinmukang (dick whump champion of all time) and glassofwater (EXCRUCIATING ANGST AND DICK CHARACTERIZATION and Bruce characterization and EVERYONE characterization) and then of course forcefully rec silverwhittlingknife’s whole entire corpus every work there is like a true embarrassment of riches brilliant clever sweet writing with gut punches and its all trueeeeee characterization

i also adore princessmariana’s dark Bruce fic series and her batfamily dragon au holds a super special place in my heart. must read

some other nonmentioned authors / indvl dg fics off the top of my head that can level u to the ground emotionally r:

TO BE HUMAN by newsical - nothing I say will do this justice. newsical is srsly generational literary talent & also her current wip could make me chew thru glass but To Be Human is dick and damian Perfectly

UNIVERSAL CONSTANT by cirth - AGONIZING it’s. its. its. SO dick + amnesia (a la ric grayson gunshot) BUT instead of ric he stays with the family and omg. u will rend ur clothes biblical style weeping.

THE COLOUR OF WATER by cirth - this will forever play on ur eyelids when u close ur eyes ♾️ beware

DRAG AND LIFT by cirth - baby jason finds baby dick without shoes as he escapes juvie a Foundational Dick And Jason Text 4 me

TO THE LEFT by newsical - omg newsical’s current wip I FORESHADOWED ITS INCLUSION in this list ITS AN AU WHERE DICK AND ROY oh you know 🫶 ARE on opposite sides of a kidnapping but soooo much more. exquisite world building, characterization, writing, evth srsly evth

THE QUIET SOUND by orphanaccount - excruciating young dick angst after bruce is shot !!!

IRON FIRE AND MIRROR GLASS by purplesoot - after Bruce gets his back broken he arranges a deal with 1 of the fair folk: dick. exquisite and very painful but ends beautifully. the author’s other dc work is a slade dick apprentice fic that’s equally masterful

THE JINGLE JANGLE MORNING by audreycritter - this fic is like the skeletonkey for Bruce and Dick its pure essence it is tapping into something truer than true

OF YOUR LIPS BEGONIA BLUE by streetlightskeletons - SLADE IS PAID TO WATCH A KIDNAPPED DICK. DICK IS DYING OF HYPOTHERMIA. SLADES FEELINGS R COMPLEX. HE……(grits teeth)…..CARES. GET UP GRAYSON. ft a wonderful Jason Todd cameo at the end. this fic has stuck w me for 5 yrs and i think about it very often and is as foundational + influential a slade characterization text touchstone for me as chris priests actual deathstroke comic run.

WOEFULLY INCOMPLETE LIST

[probsnothawkeye]

Well we've reached public release of the @souloperatorpod mid-season finale and I'm still unwell about it so it's spoiler thread time let's go!

Tessa leaving felt impossible when she decided to leave after episode 9. Episode 10 proved that it was, in fact, impossible. Introducing a literal creature, clearly massive and monstrous, making you think that *that's* going to be the threat of the episode only to have Tessa step on a fucking bear trap?? Absolutely evil and so fucking well done on Tot's part. It's such good writing that I can't even be mad but I'm still screaming internally. I know Tot well enough to know this was the same bear trap that was sent to Tessa. There's no way it wasn't. It's a brilliant bit of foreshadowing because you truly do not know why a bear trap would've been sent until you hear them screaming as their leg is crushed. Tot is too good at screaming and crying in pain in podcasts, I will never emotionally recover. Like it HURT to hear, she's that good.

Tessa sending away Lucy, trying to get this loyal dog to leave so she doesn't get got by the monster broke my heart. They're so content to die and it hurts me so bad. And then Tot brings Dean into it? When I heard Dean I lost my mind I wanted him to be alive but he wasn't. There's no bringing him back, but he's still trying to save Tessa anyway. "It wasn't your fault. Tell my brother it wasn't his fault either" Tot what if I sob? What if I scream and cry and throw up?

And somehow this wasn't even the part that hurt me most! No THAT honor is reserved for when Nate gets there, trying his best to save Tessa. "I want to die." "I won't let you." It's been a week and I'm still unwell over this I mean seriously Tot how could you do this to me? And then to have Nate actually listen to Tessa and realize that she wasn't the cause of Dean's death while she's bleeding out in his arms? Now he feels responsible for both his brother AND his friend's death! And while I doubt Tessa is dead, Nate doesn't know that right now and I'm going to lose my mind over it I mean Tot. Tot. You didn't have to do that.

This episode perfectly punctuates the end of an incredible first half of the season. It asks more questions than it answers but in the best possible way. Tot's writing is masterful and is brought to life so well by them and their cast, I could, have, and will weep from it. Soul Operator is going on a hiatus after this to finish up the rest of season 1. There has never been a better time to listen to this show and everything it has to offer. I'm so incredibly proud of @totcoc0a and everything she's accomplished with the first half of the season

Tot not only are you an incredibly talented writer and voice actor, you're also a marvelous friend and I feel so lucky to know you every day of my life. The first half of the season destroyed me in the best way and I can't wait to see how you continue to break me

This concludes our last Soul Operator thread for a while! If you're not listening to Soul Operator nows the time to start. And if you ARE listening to Soul Operator, please come scream about it with me I love it so much

[random-senpai]

Master Rule Guesses

Pain - If Tozuka knows anything, it's foreshadowing, and imo there's plenty for Pain to be the first Master Rule. The main thing is that God is an asshole (Sun mainly, Luna is too though tbh), making the first thing consistent through loops be Pain and suffering fits their MO. Second, remember in the first loop back when Juiz talks to Victor the first thing he recalls about his experience is the pain from the vacuum of space, and when Luna talks to Fuuko after Earth is destroyed, she talks about Andy's pain just like Victor's. Third is the commentary from the UMAs themselves. Some of them can't recall anything other than being told to bring Pain and suffering to humanity from a voice they assume to be God and wreak havoc as an offering to God. Others are actively forced to bring it and are taken over when they try to defy him (Spring my beloved). Master Rule 1 being Pain also explains why he looks more regular than the rest. Pain is naturally ingrained into every living being, so there's no need for him to be over the top or flashy. His appearance falls in line with the more modern idea of a sadist. He's well-dressed, attractive, and charming. His attitude towards Fuuko could be seen in that way too. Like a predator playing with its prey, amused to see it fighting back before crushing it beneath its might.

Death - Originally I was thinking that she was Faith or something like Religion. But some people pointed out the similarities between her carrying Luck and Andy and Fuuko alongside what #3 says she smells like. Then I got to thinking about it more. A nun being Death makes perfect sense as she's a servant of god. Death is what drags people into despair and suffering, whether it's their own mortality or losing someone they hold dear. With how much importance Sun places on UMAs bringing humanity pain and suffering, it makes sense that the next thing he makes consistent in the loops. Well, after pain and suffering itself. Making her a Nun is consistent with how death serves as one of God/Sun's greatest servants.

Sex - No real questions about it. DNA in her hair, the fact that she has the appearance of an attractive woman. Sex being both the scientific definition as well as a "sexy" femme fetale is pretty much self explanatory. The only thing I would like to add is that the numbering makes sense that she's the next Master Rule after Death. By bringing in reproduction to the world more lives are born, which means there's more people to die and suffer.

Luck (pretty much confirmed) - No real question about this either. Even if it wasn't for #2 calling them "Lucky" you could tell from the design alone. On their head is the Wheel of Fortune and on their cheek is a bandage. Tozuka loves to make Negators and UMAs share something visually. For Enshin and Burn they have similar hair. For Chikara and Move they both have dice. For Fuuko and Luck they both have the bandage. Also another fun thing to note is that Luck is the 4th master rule. The number 4 is actually infamously unlucky in China to the point where casino tables outright skip it due to high Chinese player bases. Why? because it's pronounced almost identically to "Death". Which further adds into my theory that #2 is Death.

Fair - Originally thought it was Justice due to the knight motif. But someone on Reddit pointed out and hypothesized that it was Fair due to the fact they have spurs on their shoes just like Billy. Given the other negators sharing a design aspect with their UMAs I agree with them. A knight being the personification of fair also makes sense as they're seen as enforcers of their lord's authority. Also it's very reminiscent of the Judges from FFXII.

War/Violence - The uniform reminiscent of Nazi Germany. The half bone face and smoking a cigar. Alot of people think it's War and I agree with them for the most part. But part of me thinks that he might be Violence itself and he's dressed in war attire because that's where he's at his peak.

Change - People think that it may be Time because of the clock and he's an old man. But I think he might be Change because he's like the antithesis of Gina. And old man with fashion inspired by western culture, is the opposite to when she was projecting herself to be a young woman in Gyaru fashion. I think that like Gina in loop 100 this isn't his true form and is a "shell" that he's projecting to appear as an old man the way she was projecting herself to be forever young with her unchanging makeup shell. Plus with how central Gina has been to Fuuko this loop having Change itself as part of the enemy roundtable makes it an interesting battle to look forward to.

Knowledge - Not much to say about this. She has a bookish appearance and hasn't looked up from her reading at all lol. The headpiece being architecture is interesting though and reminiscent of older buildings. Her librarian-esque appearance combined with the buildings on her head could be a nod to the famous Library of Alexandria.

Dominance/Instinct - The more feral design, he gives off the vibes of an "Alpha" in the ACTUAL meaning, not the weird stuff that insecure dudes have been saying they are. Specifically the Alpha Male of a wolf pack, going by the pelt he wears. I think he will represent the more bestial urges in living beings, whether that being their natural survival instincts, or the authority to dominate those weaker, it's yet to be determined.

Sick (confirmed) - Cut in half lol

[chicalepidopterareblogs]

Some speculation for what's to come based on the OST* and my own perception and yearning

EPISODE 1

Not so much to guess about this one. The opening track and how it is used to introduce Delainey's Claudia is one of the most spectacular pieces of cinematography that I've seen in my entire life

EPISODE 2

We know which scene Paris sucks belongs to since we've already seen it in the trailers so it makes sense for it to be at the begining of ep. 2.

I speculated that Who are the young men could be related to Lestat and Nicolas and their portraits hanging in the theatre. But it can also be about Loustat first meeting and even the brave men they met at the park (cruising-meet cute confirmed around min 21:00)

They invite us for a hunt is def the slaughter scene at the palace after the motorbikes and Armand for you could be the moment Armand finaly joins the interview (meaning, Daniel paying attention to him finally) by the end of the episode.

Included Raglan James in ep 2 cause I wanna see Justin Kirk asap but he might as well appear at the begining of ep 3.

EPISODE 3

The 1700s flashbacks are said to happen at the beginning of this ep so The fourth great law could be an introduction to Armand as a coven master in both the 1940s and 1700s and A vein winding through paris sounds like something Armand would say to describe the city and the time. This is when Arlecchinostat is supposed to happen so there should be some remarkable track that didn't make to the OST

I don't like windows when they're closed we know is Claudia's debut performance so wouldn't it be beautiful if we hear it right after Lestat's 1700s show?

Amadeo... I don't even know how to make sense out of this one. I'm just getting ready to be stabbed through the heart and that's it

EPISODE 4

This episode is when Caludia meets Madeleine so most of the tracks may have to do with it and Madeleine as a character.

Hello Francis, Goodbye Francis I think is referring to the Francis Bacon tryptic

EPISODE 5

First time in new orleans sounds like a way to introduce the first interview.

I didn't know it was a gift I don't really know how to explain it but since it's probably in episode five (unless it isn't) something about someone being too young and stupid to realise something is important and what Eric said about Daniel reading something from one of his books that didn't know what he meant when he wrote it. Something...

EPISODE 6

Most of these tracks will probably have to do with theatre performances.

Ladies And Gentlemen as in something Santigo would say; Jardin de Satan might be some of the plays Nicolas wrote.

Come To Me Again it is a performance on its own**

Annika is probably the girl they torture on the stage and Le Bucheron and Woodcutter... a lot of foreshadowing (Le bucheron could even be a pun in French although I don't know enough French to be sure). We have also seen a play about a woodcutter in one of the trailers

EPISODE 7

The Five Great Laws for this episode since it is probably going to be The Trial and we know Baby Lu is Claudia's (unfortunate?) theatre persona

My gut tells me that Je N'Aime Pas Fenêtres Quand Fermée will play at the end titles of the episode, in contrast with the atrocities that might have happened previously

EPISODE 8

We know that Nicolas should have already showed up at some point between ep1 to 6 so For A Young Violinist Again being at the bottom of the list can only mean that we will see him once again. Something tells me it will be painful and maybe the first approach to authentic Nickistat.

Love Wronged could be applied to almost every relationahip in the show

In Nomine Magni. Who could possibly say a line like this in Latin so close to end of the season?

Followed Closely By My Madness has Nicolas de Lenfent written all over it again

Vien À Moi Encore sounds perfect for a dramatic clifthanger, maybe even Lestat coming back to Louis

*Considering always that the titles are in order of appearance as they were for the S1 OST

**Unlike Come To Me on Rue Royal that goes at the bottom as a bonus track, I doubt we will actualy hear it *in* the show but we will see

[quietwingsinthesky]

(Transmasc-rose) Have you ever heard that they were, at several points during the old who days, going to make the Doctor and the Master brothers? In Planet of Fire the Master says "Won't you show mercy to your own ..." which the director and producer of the episode both said was intended to end with "brother", and in the scrapped reboot they were supposed to be half-brothers.

It seemed relevant to your interests.

u must imagine me kicking my feet and blushing and twirling my hair. 🥰 yeah. yeah, i know.

like. okay first lets get out of the way how fucking funny it would be if they ever backtrack their way into this twist again somehow. the utter chaos that would unleash upon the thoschei section of the fandom. imagine that one anime that just got a cousin reveal after a decade of yaoi but by the magnitude of like 50 years of doctor/master shipping. it would be so funny to me, i wanna peek into that universe.

but like god. god. there is something so appealing to me about this idea of them as star-crossed siblings. it’s the spn fan in me, it makes me insane. what if you grew up next to this boy, your worlds revolve round each other, and then as adults, you can never be that close again, you won’t even call each other siblings anymore. just childhood friends. someone you once thought you knew.

i have not seen Planet of Fire (classic who? i’m assuming. and im now very excited for that episode specifically for um. normal reasons.) but Something about the master being the one to bring it up, to call on a brother’s mercy…… thinks about last of the time lords with canon siblings doctor & master. because something i’ve picked up watching doctor who is just how Certain the doctor is that the master will survive, despite all odds, that he’ll find a way back. (something the master has always proven him right about.) and that’s such a powerfully resonant feeling with having a sibling. imagining a world without them is like imagining a world without air, in my eyes, so of course, if we put the master in the role of the doctor’s brother in this scenario, of course he will survive. wah the way it just slightly changes the framing of all the little things, the way this scenario takes the master’s childish “i win” and twists it as old as a sibling rivalry…

im such a sucker for sibling tragedy, i really am. i know im also the haha incest guy, which can be a component of the tragedy, but i really do fall to pieces for just the pure platonic stuff, too. it’s unreplicable, the intensity of that pain. and then. okay, every time i speculate on timeless child stuff, i preface it with me not having seen it just Knowing the basics and making shit up according to the lore ive gathered BUT. but. if ever there was a storyline that would have benefitted from them being siblings over them being childhood friends turned rivals, i really think it would be that one. because it digs into the core of it, of the lie, the unknown rift between them that drives the master to ruin. and god something about them being adopted siblings (without their knowledge) but the doctor still being stitched deep down into the Master’s bones, the core of them wrapped around the Doctor’s existence. the way it both matters so fucking much that this is the lie their bond is based on, but also how can it matter. how can it matter. when she’s in his blood anyway, she would have been if they’d been born together or like this. (and that he isn’t. or maybe, more accurately, that he thinks he isn’t and never will be.

oh, my soul for a version of this show where the master has been calling the doctor brother/sister/sibling all this time without the doctor reciprocating except very rarely, when they’re at their most emotionally vulnerable together (like the end of time ‘stone cold brilliant’ monologue. sorry. getting distracted.) and then suddenly. the master stops calling her that. like come on, that would be such fucked up foreshadowing, i can’t be the only one who thinks that would work so well. it’s all about the framing, all about the very slightly different context that friends versus siblings gives them to flavor the tragedy. the endpoint may be the same, but the pain is different, does that make sense?

and. and also i think it would be hot if they were. so. you know. there’s that. i’m not going to deny that i’m Like That. im a freak who enjoys when familial obsession spirals beyond control and into a horrible, outcast kind of love. they’re renegade time lords, for fuck’s sake, let them do a little incest for funsies. 🤭 drop a story of them at the academy always being a little too close, always making everyone else uncomfortable because of how inseparable they were. 🤭🤭 let the doctor avoid bringing up how they’re related so they don’t have to explain this shameful thing to their companions only for the master to flaunt it because the doctor wishes they could forget it, stop feeling these things, stop wanting the master. 🤭🥴🤭🥴🤭

to be clear, this is. obviously not something id actually want on the show, or would ever be on there, they’re not gonna put time travel incest on disney+. (hell, i don’t even think the siblings twist is preferable to the dynamic they already have except in the specific scenario it would have created for ttc between them.) but like. its fun for me to think about <3 i love when the doctor is filled with an incalculable amount of shame for their own actions—actions they keep repeating because its the master and the doctor needs them—and the master has fun tormenting them about it. but incest flavored this time :3

(as anytime i think about thoschei incest i Need to plug this anonymous fic that lives rentfree in my brain: connection. its sooooo. 🥴🥴🥴 oh they are gonna make me ill.)