#the later seasons aren't as good but the first couple are a bit of a comfort show

[pynkhues]

What are your thoughts on Mindy kaling? Are you a fan of her work? She's been receiving some criticism lately and I would love to know if you have any thoughts on her work.

I really like her writing, anon! I think she's a clever, funny writer who has a really distinct voice and can land sweet, emotional beats in a way that never veers into saccharine, which is a real testament to her talent. Her work has bounce to it, which gives it an energy that a lot of comedy shows lack, and I always try to check out her stuff.

I'm a little behind on a few of her shows though - I haven't seen her Four Weddings and a Funeral adaptation or The Sex Lives of College Girls, but I've seen all of The Office, The Mindy Project and Never Have I Ever, as well as Late Night, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I've also read both her books, and liked them a lot too.

I do get the criticisms of her though as well, and don't necessarily disagree with them. I think you can tell what romantic dynamics she likes because she repeats them in different works, and some of her stories can suffer from her voice filtering down through multiple characters too much, and that she doesn't always balance A-B-and-C storylines well. That said, I do think she's a writer who listens and I think she's one who's generally growing, and I actually think too she doesn't get enough credit as a major talent and a major voice when it comes to women in both comedy and in storytelling broadly.

So yeah! I get the criticisms, but I also am really glad that she's here, y'know? Especially as I feel like she's one of the few women in comedy who writes really consistently and unapologetically for a female audience.

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - I'm Late, I know

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

Feb 2024 Wk 2

Ongoing Series - Thai

The Sign (Sat YT) ep 12fin - we waiting 2 weeks I guess? Bah.

Pit Babe (Fri iQIYI) ep 13fin - I wasn't impressed by the last ep at all. Trash watch happened here.

My final thoughts:

Based on alittlebixth's omegaverse novel #พิษเบ๊บ’ set in the world of car racing omegaverse. Thailand brought us the world's first omegaverse BL but then failed to lean into the courage of its a/b/o convictions by not emphasizing the difference between our world & theirs, adding & subtracting characters & allegiances + a weak ending. With earnest performances, enthusiastic sex scenes, a fantastic side couple, and some delightful scenery chewing - the actors tried… poor things. It's just the story failed both them and their parent genre. Frankly? I just wanted it to be more outrageous and trashy, since I never expected it to be good. Instead, it was just… meh. 7/10

(Imma remind all the newbies that this is not unprecedented from me with hugely popular BL.)

Cooking Crush (Sun YT) ep 10 of 12 - I like it but there’s a high % of this show that doesn’t interest me. Anything to do with the side couple, or the friend group, or the cooking competition drives me into a comatose state of UGH. That means that in this episode, I paid attention to about 5 minutes worth. 

For Him (Thurs iQIYI) ep 11 of 12 - I'm ready for this to be done. I think they were trying to be this year's Big Dragon, but they just aren't good enough. I really didn’t need a third couple.

City of Stars (Fri iQIYI) ep 2 of 12 - I'm warming up to FueangKrom a bit. It’s cute. I am finding the pacing interesting. That pacing might be bad, but right now it’s simply different. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Love For Love's Sake (Korea Weds iQIYI) 5-6 of 8 - I still love this show a lot, but this 2 ep installment felt a little disjointed. I’m not sure if that’s the narrative structure or the subs. The captions are shockingly bad for a KBL and I don’t have enough Korean to make up for their clear failings. 

Although I Love You and You AKA Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 5 of 10 - Oh the return of the manic pixie dream ex. This is all very high school drama for purportedly grown-up adults. But them both being jealous and then kissing was sweet.  

AntiReset (Taiwan Fri Viki/Gaga) ep 3 of 10 - They remain adorable and the sunshine robot is very sweet. But it is a little slow. 

Perfect Propose (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 3 of 6 - I prefer the episodes when we get more of them onscreen together. But this was fine. 

Happy Ending (Korea Tues YT) 3fin - The ending disappointed me (are you surprised?). What can I say, not Strongberry's best as far as I’m concerned. High school besties that many could be sweethearts. I don’t like an ending that’s left up in the air. 6/10

It's Done but...

What Did You Eat Yesterday Season 2 AKA Kinou Nani Tabeta? Season 2 (Japan Gaga) 10 eps - will binge when I have any spare time. 2024 is crazy busy for me so far.

The Servant and the Young Master - from Vietnam, it's on YouTube. I will give it a try when I have a window of time.

Began Beginning (Myanmar YouTube) - A Burmese BL? @heretherebedork vouched for it, so I will give it a watch.

It's Airing But...

[NO INTERNATIONAL] Cherry Magic (Sat YouTube) ep 3 of 12 - yeah Japan put the smack down on our boys. Sadness. You can use a VPN if you like. Read all about it here.

Ossans Love Season 2 (Japan Gaga) - 5 years later, will anything have changed? This is Japan so… probubly not. I won't be watching this. I disliked Season one and actively hated the follow ups. No thank you.

Playboyy (Thurs Gaga) 14 eps - Dear Playboyy, it's not you, it’s me… I hate you. You’re about as deep (and as palatable) as a shot glass of cum. While I'm sure you’re someone’s kink, you're my weakest link. Goodbye. I DNFed this at ep 5. Frankly I'm impressed with myself for getting that far.

7 Days Before Valentine (Weds WeTV) 12 eps - Gave me Luminous Solution vibes. It finished, is it worth it?

Dead Friend Forever (Thai Sat iQIYI) 12 eps - finished, horror, supposed to be very philosophical, I think I'll give it a go.

Time the series (Tue Gaga/YT) 10 eps - dropped it at ep 4.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Starting Up

2/16 My Strawberry Film (Japan Gaga) - not quite sure how much BL this one is, because... Japan, but we shall see.

2/17 A Secretly Love (Thai WeTV) - Khonprot, a third-year head hazer of the engineering faculty, has a secret crush on Pluem, a tsundere fourth-year head hazer. Over the years, he's seen Pluem cycle through many girlfriends. Recently, after a public breakup, however, Khonprot thinks maybe a boy has a chance. Unless this is really good I probably won't I hate the WeTV interface...

Still Coming in Feb

2/24 Unknown (Taiwan Youku) 12 eps - Older brother tough guy criminal breadwinner looks after his sister and defacto adopted little brother. Little bother falls in love with him and is sent away after a stolen kiss. But when he comes back…

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

We gotta talk about LFLS this week. Look at Korea go!

Talking about a dead fish kiss, how meta! This will end up on one of my best of the year moments. I could not have been more gobsmacked.

Also something rarely directly addressed, particularly for same-sex firsts.

And then, a claiming trope, a personal favorite of mine.

Thank you Korea!

I just love them. (Pit Babe)

(Last week)

[vintageandroid]

Star Trek Voyager is weird I think because it's so inconsistently written and the actors are so good. Like. You'll have these really amazing moments, and then the dumbest thing you've ever heard in your life, and it's not even like TNG where those are different episodes; in Voyager those bits are 10 seconds after one another. Robert Duncan McNeill is turning into a lizard because of his daddy issues. Janeway's committing to the Prime Directive today and letting it go for pragmatism tomorrow without any sort of acknowledgement, and it's because the writers aren't talking to each other or something and not a fault of the character, but because Kate Mulgrew conveys it all with such conviction you get fanboys decades later talking about what a horribly inconsistent monster Janeway is. Jeri Ryan is delivering her lines with such nuance and restrained emotion that you totally overlook the way the Borg apparently constructed its drones entirely out of spandex and padded bras. And I know Robert Beltran stopped bothering in the last half or so of Voyager, but the first couple seasons he was actually quite charming, or so it seemed like from whatever of his dialogue you could hear over the Weird Racist Flutes that played anytime he spoke. Neelix is annoying as hell and then you find out he survived a brutal war and has so much rage simmering under the surface. IT'S INSANE. WHAT IS HAPPENING.

Meanwhile we've got TOS, where William Shatner is chewing the cardboard scenery and leaving it soggy, and batting his eyelashes at Leonard Nimoy because who wouldn't, and the sci fi concepts are so good they'll blow your dick clean off.

[daydreamingyuta]

Peaches | Jaehyun

You loved the summertime. The way the sun shines so bright, making everything look so breathtaking. The butterflies fluttering around. And all the best produce was available this time of year.

You and your husband, Jaehyun, had bought some peaches from the store a couple of days ago so that you could make some peach cobbler. You had to wait for the peaches to become ripe enough, and today they were perfect.

Jaehyun is by your side, cutting up the peaches while you start mixing all the other ingredients. Your two young children are playing tag together, running all throughout the kitchen and living room.

It's moments like this that you remember to take a step back and really appreciated the wonderful life and you Jaehyun have built together. You think back to when you two first met, being around peaches always made you reminisce.

⸻

It was your first farmer's market visit of the season. Unfortunately, none of your friends could go with you, but you had time today, so you were determined to go. You packed a tote bag, and then another tote bag inside, just in case you needed it.

Luckily, you chose a good time to come. There was hardly a crowd around which you were very thankful for. The apples caught your attention first. Honey crisp apple were always your favorite since you were a little kid, so you had to buy some.

You start to look around at all the homemade jams they make right there at the farmer's market. Last year you had got the apricot jelly, which was amazing, so you had to buy some more. You also decided to try the strawberry jam.

The next thing that caught your attention was the peaches. Or at least you were pretty sure they were peaches. They were much pinker than what you were used to, and they looked delicious.

As your staring at said peaches, a worker comes next to you, unloading a batch of strawberries in a display.

"I've never seen peaches like this! They are so pretty." You say to the man. You weren't really the type to talk to strangers, but when you're dealing with fate, sometimes it causes you to act a little out of character.

"They taste even better! We get them all the way from Korea." The worker says.

"ohh, I have to get some!" You say as you put your tote bag back on your shoulder so you can pick out the peaches you want. As you're doing this though, he comes over to you and starts picking out the best ones for you to buy.

"Here! Half of these a ripe right now and half aren't, so you can eat some right away and have some for later." He says as he hands you them to put in your tote bag. You thank him, and carry on with your shopping, excited to try them.

⸻

You had tried the peaches right when you got home. Of course, they were amazing, and you had to get more. Which is precisely why you found yourself at the farmer's market again, a week later.

You went at the same time, hoping you would get lucky and miss the crowd. It was a bit more crowded than last time, but still less so than normal. You head straight towards the fruits again, wasting no time, but as you get to the stand, you notice that there isn't any left.

"I'm guessing you liked them." A voice said from behind you. You turn around and see the worker from last time. You pause for a second before answering. How did you not notice how handsome he was last time?

"I did! I came back for some more, but there's no more left?"

"No, we get shipments of them every other week and they're pretty popular, so we run out fast."

"Awe no! I was really looking forward to them. But there will be more next week, right?"

"yeah!"

⸻

You come back to the farmer's market for the third time. You were running a bit late, suddenly wanting to look nice in case you ran into him again.

Since you were later than normal, the crowd was much larger. You hoped that there would be some peaches left for you.

You were halfway to the fruits when he stopped you. "Hey!"

"Hey!" You said, happy that he remembered you again.

"I have a surprise for you." He says, as he walks away, expecting you to follow. He brings you to a back room where there is a basket of peaches. He picks them up and hands them to you.

You took them gladly. "Thank you so much for setting these aside, I was starting to get worried because of the crowd. These look so good!"

"I hand-picked the best for you." He said with a smile that showed off the prettiest dimples you had ever seen in your life.

"That's so sweet, thank you so much. I'm y/n by the way."

"I'm Jaehyun." He says as he takes the peaches out from your hands and motions for you to carry on your shopping.

You had all the groceries you needed from last week, so you head straight to the line to pay. "Wait, you're not going to get anything else?"

"Oh, no. I don't really need anything else."

"Ok." He says as he gets closer to you, "Don't tell anyone I'm doing this for you, but these peaches are on me."

"No! You've already been so nice to pick them out for me, you don't have to buy them for me!"

"Already paid for." He says with that irresistible smile of his. "Where's your car?"

You thank him about five more times as you show him to your car. He loads them in for you and you two say your goodbyes. On the way home you mentally kicked yourself for not getting his number. You weren't sure when the next time you would be able to go back to the farmer's market, but you didn't think it would be anytime soon, especially considering the amount of peaches he gave you.

When you do get home though, you unpack all the fruit and notice a small piece of paper sitting at the bottom of the basket. You open it up and all that's written on it is him name, phone number and a cute smiley face.

⸻

The oven timer beeps, telling you that your peach cobbler is done. Jaehyun beats you to the oven and carefully pulls it out. The entire house smells of the sweet dessert. Out of nowhere your two children come running to the kitchen, impatiently asking if they can have a piece.

"It's too hot right now sweetheart, but as soon as it's ready to eat, I'll cut you a slice." Jaehyun tells your youngest.

You walk over to your husband and give him a quick kiss on the cheek. Surprised by your sudden display of affection, he pulls you closer to him and gives you a big kiss.

"Imagine what are lives would have been like if I wasn't obsessed with those peaches." You said jokingly.

"We would've just found each other in a different way, you were destined to be stuck with me." Jaehyun says, giving you another sweet kiss.

[thestrangestthing89]

Catching up on some of the behind the scenes stuff. My take on what we have seen so far...

Mike having a similar look to season 1 is so good for him. I think it shows he is more comfortable with himself. He's going back to his roots when he was the character everyone loved. So I think we will get a more authentic Mike and Paladin Mike back right off the bat.

I like the blue polo with the yellow collar. And it looks like his jacket is a little green in the video with him and El (like a sage green/greyish green color). It reminds me a bit of the color block polo he was wearing in S3 which makes me wonder if Will is going to have a matching one this season too.

I say this as someone who realized byler was happening in S4 and started shipping it because it was the logical conclusion to draw. I tend to interpret things in a logical way. Byler wasn't something I wanted to happen and forced onto the narrative. I saw it happening and realized it was a good story and there was evidence backing it up. So when I say that Mike and El broke up in S4 it's not because I want it to be true (I honestly do not give a fuck about their relationship and gave it very little thought prior to coming on here). It's because it's the most logical thing to happen based on the story that we saw.

That being said, Mike and El's relationship closely resembles Nancy and Steve's. El broke up with him with the From El letter and he knows this. I've written about this a lot so I'm not going to get into it here, but the fact that at the end of S4 shows a 2 day time jump and after this point Mike and El aren't even talking and they are rolling their eyes at each other is meant to indicate that something happened with them during that time jump that wasn't good.

The fact that S5 seems to pick up a couple years later (judging by El's hair) I think is further proof that they already filmed part of S5 back when they were doing S4. The part that picks up right where S4 ended I think was already done. So I think this is where we will get to see a clarification of what exactly happened during that 2 day jump and get confirmation that Mike and El broke up already.

Their relationship was defined as being immature and made both of them feel badly about themselves. They were already at a point where they wanted it over so there is no reason narratively why that needs to drag out over 2 years when neither of them is happy.

Especially considering Mike's new look where he is dressing more like himself. They have established for 2 seasons that Mike isn't himself when he is with El. So him acting more comfortable and looking more like himself all points to him and El having broken up a while ago. He had time to figure out what was authentic for him already over a time jump.

I think Mike and El's conversation has more to do with reestablishing a friendship. They didn't communicate well when they were in a relationship and El dismissed Mike's feelings a lot (the conversation about bullying being one of those times), so I think it's possible they drifted apart during the couple year jump because I think it's hard for Mike to trust her. I saw people comparing it to the train track conversation back in S1 and I think that's accurate. That conversation was meant to indicate the first time Mike started seeing her as a friend (even though they really didn't reach an understanding here the way he thought). But I think this time it actually will establish a real friendship in a way that was different than before.

I do think think it's likely Mike and Will are together at this point in the beginning of S5. But either way I think a lot of this conversation with El has to do with Mike telling her how he feels about Will and them being honest with each other for the first time.

Mike and El have very few one on one scenes together. I think I can count on one hand the amount of conversations they have had where it was just the two of them and a group wasn't around them. To me, this indicates that this conversation is actually important. Unlike a lot of their other conversations where they weren't communicating well or they weren't acting like themselves. But I think in keeping with the pattern the show has always had, this is likely the last one on one scene with them until the end of the season. They tend to not interact much in the middle of every season so I would be surprised if there was much more content with just the two of them.

This scene is very platonic just based on their body language. They aren't close or acting in any romantic way. And again, the fact that they seem comfortable indicates that they have had time to reflect on their relationship and heal from it. Mike is never comfortable around El in S3 or S4. He is never comfortable with her touching him or being close with her. So the fact that he is here, is further proof to me that it's already over. He isn't pretending anymore (I think he was done with this by the end of S4).

Another thing that makes me think they haven't spent much time together over a jump of a few years is Mike directly telling Will in S4 that he wished he spent less time with El and more with him. He already made the mistake of not spending time with Will and regretted it. He isn't going to do that again. So I think it's possible that he has been spending more time with Will to make up for it and ended up pulling away from El. And this conversation in S5 is meant to be an acknowledgement of that and the fact that he can have a romantic relationship with Will and a platonic one with El at the same time. Two people he has been struggling to have a relationship at the same time with since pretty much the beginning of the series.

Very curious to see what Will's look is because I don't think it's a bowl cut. I always thought that hairstyle was meant to indicate him holding on to his childhood and all of his trauma. If he has a new look I think it's a good hint that not only is he more comfortable with himself but that him and Mike are already together at the beginning of S5. The show has already established that the two of them are only comfortable with themselves when they are together. Mike being true to himself is a good thing. It shows he learned and grew from his immature behavior in the past few seasons. I would be surprised if Will's look doesn't indicate the same based on where his character arc left off at the end of S4.

[buckets-and-trees]

Exactly Like You

Not a fic, but an IMAGINE? It's borderline a fic.

Fandom: The 355-adjacent Characters/Pairings: Nick Fowler x female!Reader Word Count: 1k  Summary: This trip was for YOU.

Content Warnings: non-descriptive brief smut, stockholm syndrome

Additional Notes: This is what happened when I got carried away playing the Once Upon a Spooky Time sleepover game for the Bucks & Noble Book Club launch week... This is not my typical writing style, but this is actually how a lot of my plot notes go for when I do write fic. The game was to imagine yourself in a spooky film or tv show. Not edited. SCENE SETTING: Imagine this is a film. We're going to go single film, psychological thriller, director TBD, but let's make it an A24 flick. Michael Giacchino is scoring the soundtrack, because he's masterful creating exactly the vibes with the music to create the optimal viewing experience (from big to tiny background) AND shows up with clever track names.

You are a very competent, normal, hard-working, single millennial female who has focused on building up a good career finally gets a nice career-worthy promotion. It's nothing crazy, but it's noteworthy. Now that you have worked a few months on the position, with a bit of that salary increase that came with it, you decide to and are encouraged/supported in taking a three-week vacation during the brief slow time for just a beat before the company's busy season starts to build up again. You always wanted to write, and so you’re going to a cabin in the forest - close enough to some civilization but far enough that she can be secluded and revel in being alone, about a 30-minute drive from a tiny town, any other cabins aren't close together, etc. It’s a few hours from where you live. Aside from liking the location and the look of the place when you were scoping it out online, the thing that sealed the deal on THIS cabin over the others you were looking at? This extended stay Airbnb is a listing that can be booked automatically and SELF-CHECK IN so you don’t have to awkwardly meet up with the host/owner at any point. You *can* be outgoing, you have good family and friends, but you also like your alone time, and so when you also tell everyone you’re going to go and disconnect from everyone and not to expect to hear from you, they don't bat an eyelash too much. It’s not your first solo trip, just the first extended one.

You show up, the area is gorgeous, and the cabin is not ostentatious by any means, but it's a little bit bigger and a little bit better than you were expecting, and it feels a little too perfect and you jokingly text some people back home that this place has settled it, you’re officially going to embrace the semi-hermit author life living in a cabin in the woods, and you’re never coming back ha ha wink wink.

First days are so nice. You do a bit of writing, surf a bit of internet, watch some movies and shows that have been on your list, do some reeding, really just unwind with no obligations for the first time in a long time. Internet goes out, you message the owner through the Airbnb app on your phone, and the owner says he's on a work trip, but will either try to get someone out to fix it or come by when he's back in town and fix it himself in a couple of days. He apologizes for it being an inconvenience, you reassure him it's fine because you wanted to be disconnected from normal life in general any way, no big deal for a couple days sans wifi.

No one from the company could get out to fix the wifi, so he shows up himself two days later. He's also shown up with some lunch as a peace offering - but no pressure, he'll just leave the food if she doesn't want to have lunch with him, and he'll definitely fix the internet first. He's far too attractive and very down to earth but just a little too charming, and you’re a bit disarmed and thinking this is way too romance-novel perfect, and that even having that thought is silly, but you’ve just been reveling in books/movies/tv/your own writing so you just tells your brain to calm down.  He goes about "fixing" things. Wifi's not working on your laptop still, so he asks to see it to "fix" it. You are checking and see it’s not working on your phone yet, either. He asks you to hand it over, and you do because he clearly seems to be competent and know how to fix the system. He says it might take another few minutes, but shoots you a smile and apologizes again for the troubles with the wifi. And his gaze on you is so nice but so intense, and you make an excuse to go unpack the lunch instead of hover/so you can get out of there and breate for a second.

When lunch is ready, so is he. Lunch is charming and normal, feels too nice. You clean up together, you thanks him for coming by to fix the wifi, he casually says he fixed it for him, but not you, and you’re like, “Wait what?” and he explains he’s not leaving, either. And neither are you. If he’s not actually Nick Fowler, he is Seb playing another Nick Fowler character – money, well connected, government background/worked with too many criminals and turning too many assets, and so he's set up this little “trap” waiting for exactly the right person, and it’s you.

Plenty people have come and gone, he’s been watching and waiting. This is it, though. He’s picked, he’s sure of it. He’s never giving the phone or the laptop back, but he’s sure you will love this, too. There’s a typewriter for you to write, and as he’s saying all of this, he’s been closing in closer and closer to you, and he’s been charming and intoxicating this entire time, but now that he’s turned on his hunter mode, you’re quickly falling under, and he presses you up against the counter, cutting off your feeble protests and questions and excuses with the feel of him pinning you with his hips and then kissing you. He fucks you on the counter, and it’s too much to process because this isn’t what you want – except that most of it would be if you’d been able to write it your way instead of being caught in his game – and oh what he’s doing to your body feels too good. And he moves things to the couch, then to the bedroom, and keeps you fucked out and worn out all day, and over the days and weeks gets you so insanely drowned in Stockholm syndrome and the sex…

And he’s soft, but also dark, demanding, doting, dangerous… he’s all of it. TBD if you survive. If you’re a good girl for him, there’s nothing to worry about.

[whatstrangeloops]

Finished the first season of Scavenger's Reign and wanted to post some thoughts about it.

First, I want to say that the show is gorgeous and the world and creatures are always stunning and interesting. This show is worth experiencing purely for those things alone.

However, as a story I think it was really lacking or, given the second season teaser at the end, maybe just incomplete. Which is disappointing since I can see the outline of some interesting themes going on but the show doesn't seem interested in delivering any sort of coherent statement about those ideas with the characters.

The unifying concept seems to be of humanity vs nature. Vespa is a wild and unfamiliar new ecology to the stranded survivors. While the creatures on Vespa aren't malicious their survival and the humans' survival is at odds and this forms the fundamental conflict of the show. Then later, I think in one of the last episodes, in Azi's flashback with Mia, Mia delivers a classic "this is the theme" monologue about how no matter where they are people should find ways to rely on other people. Which I interpret as the story being implicitly pro-humanity but also makes other things in the show less interesting maybe because I was hoping the show would go deeper than that.

Like here's how I interpret some of the characters and what happened to them. Sam starts out very pragmatic and is even positioned as opposed to Ursula on trying to understand Vespa (a thread that kind of gets dropped I feel). After he's infected with the parasite, at first he's invigorated but after coming to realize having the parasite allows him access to a deeper connection to Vespa chooses to die with his humanity rather than accept that influence. I think the horror framing of the parasite really muddies trying to think about it though. Kamen abdicates his humanity entirely to Vespa through Hollow (the little alien koala is called Hollow in the episode descriptions) unknowingly becoming a force of destruction but on contact with the "true understanding of Vespa" that Levi has is either rejected by the planet or reaccepts responsibility for his actions. Which one it is is kind of unclear. Finally, in Levi's arc the show seems to say that full harmony with Vespa isn't achievable by biological humans. Levi's strength is that they can be fully colonized by Vespa without any messy biological incompatibilities and they're even rewarded for accepting the planet with reproductive capability but that arc puts the human characters in a kind of bleak contrast and doesn't foretell good outcomes for them.

I guess I was hoping the show would give the characters a way to reflect on the idea of humanity vs nature more deeply. Probably the first couple episodes had me subconsciously ready to compare it to Dune and the teaser at the end of the last episode with the cathedral ship and the priests or whatever they were pushed that comparison into my conscious thinking. (Actually that teaser makes me a little worried if they're going about any of this thematic storytelling stuff being improved in S2, if it happens)

Anyway, some minor gripes: Hollow feels too much like a cheap trope. The rest of the ecology on Vespa felt very alien but still grounded. Hollow is just like a Grey but a koala complete with telepathic and telekinetic powers that no character ever really comments on and the transformation into a horror monster is also ungrounded.

I wish the show had spent a bit more time showing us how the characters discovered some of their knowledge about the ecology. Seeing Sam, Ursula, or Azi use the animals or plants in ingenious ways was cool but as they moved toward the ship and through unfamiliar biomes I started wondering about when they had the opportunity to figure all of this out. I'm thinking about the sequence where Azi, Barry and Kris have to cross that river and Azi pulls out this elaborate multi step process just to make sticky tack for their shoes like she'd been living by that riverside for years even though if you think about it I'm pretty sure that's the first time she'd ever been in that area.

[seafoamreadings]

week of february 5th, 2023

aries: but warrior vibes this week, especially in the latter part. and that's your wheelhouse! even peaceful aries people have a bit of this in them. and the positive aspects at this time go a long way towards reducing overly rash behavior in favor of strategic, wise advances.

taurus: broadly supportive alignments occur all week, especially if you're trying to heal matters of personal autonomy, worth, or integrity. if you aren't trying you may even find that you are doing so accidentally.

gemini: not so long ago retrograde, your ruling planet mercury returns to the same degree of capricorn which is being occupied by pluto, then heads onward to aquarius, bringing harbingers of things to come around march later this year. it is a revolutionary period, especially for you.

cancerians: relationships may take a deeper and more intimate, perhaps even darker, turn this week and for weeks to come. this may suit you just fine, but if it feels too intense it is also a good time to withdraw a bit socially.

leo: how's that aquarius season treating you? while it's true that the sun is debilitated in your opposite sign, it's also lighting up your relationships/partnerships. this is a good time to take stock of how all of that is going, before pluto moves into aquarius next month.

virgo: the week starts out in a deeply emotional way for you but levels out as the days pass by. there's nothing wrong with being in your feelings a bit, but since most virgos prefer a logical/rational background setting, rest assured that the emotional turbulence is fairly temporary.

libra: rejuvenate your foundation or have it be forcibly rejuvenated for you, courtesy of pluto. if there's no obvious action to take a good first step is to declutter and restore the home that you live in. it may also be a good time for actively doing some form of ancestral healing.

scorpio: you have no real fear of getting deep about anything but others sure do and it shows this week. don't let their anxieties imprint themselves into your nervous system; clear out the old gunk from your psyche as well while you're at it. you can then rely on your thoughts and memories.

sagittarius: another week where you're urged to be responsible with your spending. also take care to act only with integrity! give it a couple more months and the weight of worth and values becomes lighter than perhaps you can even imagine now.

capricorn: mercury has certainly been in your sign for a while, owing to a retrograde which i doubt you've forgotten yet. this week he moves on, meeting up with pluto and then heading into aquarius. the end of this week and beginning of next are an omen of what's to come in the next year as pluto is also approaching aquarius.

aquarius: official aqua season begins to wind down but in many ways you're just getting started. mercury enters your sign shortly after a rendezvous with pluto in late capricorn. and it won't be long before the lord of the underworld himself pays this sign a visit.

pisces: every now and then for years you've felt a little rumble of foreboding. this week the tectonics become undeniable as shifts occur so deeply in your spirit you probably can't remember what they're moving. but something churns up. once you recognize it, honor it. this is just the beginning.

[deeply-unserious-fellow]

No okay bcuz actually I DO want to explain my thoughts from this post here because I love analyzing things and I think talking abt Vox's relationships thru the lens of "this is just like Buffy fr fr" could be fun :)

FIRST OFF: VoxVal as Spike & Drusilla. I do not know their ship name and tbh I'm probably never gonna talk about them again so whooooo cares. To state the obvious, in this situation Vox is Spike and Val is Dru. Now, it's been awhile since I've watched Buffy, but from what I remember, Spike & Drusilla really are THE toxic villain couple, in that they're both like. Not very good to or for eachother, all things considered, but goddamnit they love eachother SO MUCH- which really is the generous interpretation of Staticmoth. I'm not gonna go super in depth into the fucking. Is Staticmoth abusive debate rn. Because I have one million other posts that make my stance on that pretty clear I think. But the uh... nicer interpretation of their relationship is very much Spike & Drusilla I think. Like right down to the headcannon of Vox liking how Val's shit eyesight & temper tantrums makes him kind of dependent on him. Again, could be misremembering, but based off of how Spike was w/ Dru while she was weakened(and based off of how he rebounded w/ Harmony of all people 💀), I get the distinct vibe that, despite his frustrations, Spike did like having somebody relying on him the way Dru(and later Harmony) did. Vox def seems like the type of guy that would get a kick out of feeling Needed and Relied On(why else would he literally route the entire Pride rings power grid through himself-), and Valentino is. Well. Valentino. I'm not gonna go over their interaction before Stayed Gone because it makes me ~genuinely uncomfortable~ for reasons I have, once again, gone into in depth before, but suffice it to say that it's definitely in character for Vox to be into Val relying on him like that. Oh also, like somebody pointed out in the reblogs on the original post, the reason Spike & Dru broke up from s3 all the way to their reunion in s5 is that she cheated on him and that's. Yeah that sounds about right.

And second, the Staticradio twins: Spuffy and Spangel. Why the fuck did I call them the Staticradio twins? I don't know I'm tired as shit and just used most of my brain power on the VoxVal segment now get off my back- anyways, these two are actually pretty easy to explain so I'll just get right into it! Most of the similarities between Staticradio and Spuffy can really be summed up in the song Reat In Peace from Buffy's musical episode. One-sided, obsessive crush on someone who you know deep down will probably never reciprocate. You want them to just leave you the fuck alone and stay gone(hahahahahahahahah), but they just. Aren't. Like even the bits about being a dead guy without a heart beat are spot on because Vox is a motherfuckin DEMON who is a ROBOT!!!!!!! Also the Alastor Body Pillow fanon(which IS fanon. It is. I'm sorry to say but that wasn't a thing on the Instagrams y'all-) does line up with the uh. The Buffy sex bot- it does line up with the Buffy sex bot. Anyways moving on to the Spangel section-

"You were my sire man!" - Spike, to Angel, in his introduction episode. I don't remember if this was retconned in season 5(or 6?) to be Dru siring Spike? It might've been. But for the sake of this post lets pretend it wasn't. Angel was basically Spike's mentor for a lot of their time together pre-show. They ran around in their weird little vampire polycule causing problems for everyone and life was good! Then Angel got cursed. Bro got a soul and then ran away for years without a word to anyone. Then, cut to current day, and Spike is hyped to see him right up to the point he realizes Angel has Changed. And from that point onward to two are RIVALS!!!!! Narrative foils, even. And while it isn't exactly the same as Alastor and Vox's history, it's pretty damn similar right!? Al was(presumably) Vox's friend and mentor for YEARS, like to the point of being comfortable taking a picture with him. Then something happens between them, causing a rivalry to form. Throw somewhere in the mix Al's deal & him fucking off for 7 years... it's like the same pieces being put together in a new way to make a different puzzle. Is Rosie Darla in this analogy? Unclear. Val is still Dru though. Do y'all get where I'm coming from? It's far, FAR from the same thing, like there are so many fucking differences and that's just going off of the stuff we DO know(I want to know more god I can't wait for season 2-), but the dynamics ARE similar. They're narrative foils with a deep history w/ eachother where they were probably-definitely friends, something caused them to become RIVALS, and also one of them is cursed and dissappeared for several years-

Whoo boy this got kinda incoherent- Anyways, that brings me to my brand new fun and interesting point: Vox and Spike are kinda similar characters. They're both antagonists who wanna be Big Tough Scary guys so bad, and like. They are. They are big tough AND scary. Sometimes. But for the vast majority of their screen time, their emotions, capacity for love(no matter how twisted their version of love is), and the consequences of that love going wrong continually get the better of them and cause them to look to us, the audience, like silly pathetic wet cats we found on the side of the road. Then they get Weird about it(Vox's "rivalry" w/ Angel and the. Buffy sex bot.) and we remember oh yeah this guy is EVIL! They also both wear long jackets and are bisexual :)

[raynedayys2]

Okay sooo Leighton Murray yap session incoming.

Rambling About How Much I Like Her

For starters, I love Leighton. I love her a little bit too much, but she's so silly & I think she deserves her own ramble post.

I really love the growth she went through over the show. She started off as this really nasty rich girl, and now she's a rich girl who knows & understands that she's privileged.

But I also love the little random scenes of her being a good friend & a good person, especially since she at the beginning she acted like she didn't like the girls. For example, her sneaking Kimberly her credit card so Kimberly's mom wouldn't have to pay for dinner. Or the way she did Kimberly's hormone injections, drove her to the procedure, and took care of her for a bit.

I also love that she's not just 2D, and her interests aren't just stereotypical for someone like her. Yes, she likes shopping & rich girl stuff, but she's also into math. (Which I think is cute, especially how she tries to deny it all the time) And her personality still shines through regardless, like making the professor make a big deal out of her being the highest scorer on that test.

Leighton & Alicia

I feel like these two dorks were a cute couple, but I don't know how I feel about them getting back together. Alicia claims to be this big ally of other queer people & she runs the women's center, but she constantly tried to make Leighton come out. Mind you, Leighton has only started exploring WLW relationships in college. She's known that she's liked girls for a while (she admits this when she's in the doctor's office with Kimberly & she says she was scared she was going to come out to her parents after her wisdom teeth removal) but she never "acted" on it until college.

Leighton has always been perceived as a cishet white rich girl. And one of her biggest fears is that coming out was going to other her & being queer was going to be her only personality trait (to others) instead of Alicia comforting her she basically says either come out or break with me.

I completely understand Alicia's concern about being closeted again, but that was no reason for her to treat Leighton like that after she knew she was Leighton's first real relationship. It blows my mind that Kimberly was a better ally to Leighton & she's not even queer. It was Alicia's right to break up with her, but bare minimum, she could've guided Leighton through this & gave her advice. Or she could've explained that being queer didn't have to be her whole personality & Leighton was still a 3D person despite her sexuality. (But I digress)

Leighton & Tatum

I feel like they were a less toxic couple & Leighton's little crush on her was extremely cute. Like the way she specifically went out of her way to play tennis to try to impress her. And I really like how Tatum treated the whole "coming out situation". She reassured Leighton that they could take it slow & validated her feelings. (Which is what Alicia should've done)

I also like that they chose that as an opportunity to show Leighton's growth. She finally stands up for what she thinks is right, and stands by her friends. I think it could've been a good time to have Tatum grow as a person along side Leighton, but they put her back with Alicia so whatever.

Leighton's Flaws

Leighton is like every other character & real person, she has flaws. She has done stupid stuff, but I feel like that doesn't take away from how much she's changed.

Like the first episode, where she berates her old "friends". Obviously, it was her fault they didn't want to room with her, it could've been nice to have her realize that she was the problem in that situation. Or reflect on it later in the season if she ever randomly bumped into them.

They also could've had a moment where she realized money can't fix everything. (Beside the community center thing, because she literally got a girlfriend out of that) Like she gets into trouble, or she tries to help somebody else get out of trouble & they sit her down & tell her that money can't fix everything in the world.

And the way she handled the disease situation sucked. Yes, whoever gave it to her didn't tell her, but she didn't have to do the same to another innocent girl. She definitely should've taken that girl aside, had an open conversation, and still paid for the meds.

[gothicbarbie]

BL'S I'm Watching (August 2023)

In order of my enjoyment!

1. Only Friends - Breath of fresh air! It's messy, it's sexy, it's entertaining... it's got a lot of pairings I love seeing together. I like that it's just a more mature BL. Yes, the high heat is great, but it's about these characters feeling comfortable with their sexuality. I want more!

2. My Personal Weatherman - Always enjoy JBL's and high heat ones are even better because imo they always feel more realistic. The plot of this is a bit strange but the chemistry is great and I want to see where it all goes.

3. Hidden Agenda - Joongdunk are just so adorable. Besides the fact that they are just the most attractive pairing to look at, they have clearly gotten even more comfortable around one another. I like that the plot is going in a different direction than I expected. It's not the most amazing BL I've ever seen but I'm enjoying it.

4. Love Class 2 - I was busy last week so I am behind on episodes but I did enjoy the start of the show. A tad confusing on first watch but it made sense in the rewatch. An interesting plot with 3 different pairings to root for, so it's a fun watch. There are a few elements I don't care for but it's not too bad.

5. Dangerous Romance - A bit of a sketchy start and I can't stand bullies, but I am happy that Chimon and Perth get a chance to shine and I wanted more of them. Let's see where it goes.

6. Minato's Laundry 2 - Still a great show. Lots of cute moments. I think season 1 was better and Minato is irritating me quite a bit with his insecurities and pulling away. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me personally but I still like the show and will finish it out.

7. Stay By My Side - Not Taiwan's best, and the main pairing is a bit awkward in their kissing imo but I still the show is very fun and they are cute.

8. Laws of Attraction - Interesting-ish plot. A few pairings to root for. There is def. some boring parts and issues I have with the show but I am still liking it.

9. Be Mine Superstar - I find the plot of this one pretty boring TBH but I freaking love JaFirst. It's not their best series and I find Ja's character pretty awkward. But it's watchable.

10. The Wedding Plan - This plot is weird. Don't get the fake marriage or why the main guy can't be honest. I think the chemistry is alright but not overwhelming. I am not fully invested but its a short series and I wanna see how it goes.

11. Jun and Jun - ehhhh idk about this one guys. I can't get into it. I wanted to, but office romances aren't for me, and I think this one is especially boring. I like the chemistry between the main two but I find a lot of their moments a bit uncomfortable and there is a lack of consent in a lot of areas. Not Korea's best.

12. Stay Still- Not even sure what I am watching but its so short so I'm just kinda skimming.

On Hold:

1. I Feel You Linger in the Air

2. Lost in Translation

Tried the pilots of these and they felt very slow so I had to put them on hold for now and may come back to them later or if I hear good things about them.

Recently Finished:

1. Stay With Me - For anyone with doubts, this is definitely a BL. Some sweet kisses (though not on the lips) and lots of flirting and innuendo. A terrible ending but it'll apparently get a season 2, so I'll hold out. I genuinely loved this series!

2. Sing My Crush - Not big on musical plots and I found the storyline here a bit boring and like I'd seen it before, but it was okay. The main couple was very cute. Didn't love it as much as everyone else, but it was still good and worth the watch

EXTRAS:

Advance Bravely - Not currently airing. It's also I think technically a bromance but there are def. suggestive moments and scenes and I find the chemistry really good an entertaining so I'm enjoying it.

Catch Me Baby - Not currently airing. Only watched 1 ep and had to skim it, I found it very weird. I'm only really watching for Net/James.

[reversemoon255]

5th Review - Hirogaru Sky! Precure

I have said, many a time, that I think there is no bad season of Precure, and I stand by that. However, something has to be on the bottom, and, unfortunately, I think that’s this season. It doesn’t help that, along with this season, I was also watching Otoha ‘23 and Yes! 5, which were both better seasons of the show, IMO. That being said, there’s still quite a bit to like about this season.

The Characters:  I really enjoy that Sora actually wants to be a hero. While Precure is by nature about heroes, the nature of being a hero is usually an underplayed element, so having this small change ends up meaning a lot, especially in something like the 20th anniversary season. And when Sora got to star in an episode, they were often some of my favorites, with the baseball episode in particular being a highlight. Also, having the ace be blue is pretty cool.

However, when the focus wasn’t on Sora, she was the most background character of any Precure ace, period. She often felt like a second or third stringer, being very one note when anyone else was in the spotlight. There were even some episodes near the end where the focus switched half-way through and it was actually jarring how her character shifted. It doesn’t help that she only had strong relationships with Mashiro and Elle, meaning she had less people to develop her character off of. She did have the most associated side-characters, but all of them were from Skyland, and as we barely spent any time there, those side characters don’t amount to much in the end.

Mashiro was a very strong character, having the most developed relationships, with Sora, Elle, Ageha, and the villain Batamon. She also had the strongest individual plot with the most notable development and episodes devoted to it, and a good chunk of the final few episodes were devoted to her winning over Batamon. She often felt like more of a main character than Sora did, as her connections to more characters let her play bigger roles in others’ stories.

There aren't a lot of negatives when it comes to Mashiro, though if I had to complain about anything, it’s that for such a developed character, she has the most boring concept of this team. Sora’s an other-worlder and a hero, Tsubasa’s the first male Precure along with being a bird, Ahega is our first adult main-cast Precure, and Elle is an actual baby. Compared to everyone else, the fact that Mashiro was the one who got so much more focus is a bit disappointing.

As I just mentioned, Tsubasa is our first male Precure. It opens a lot of avenues for future character ideas in coming seasons. And while not the most exciting character on his own, Tsubasa has strong relationships with both Ageha and Elle, and his personal stories often added to Skyland’s lore, and I do love me some lore.

But as I alluded to, Tsubasa isn’t very interesting as an individual. I have a hard time pinning down what his character is supposed to be outside of “male caregiver.” And while I’ll address this more later, I feel like the main reason they chose to have Tsubasa be male is so Elle could have a male caregiver that was on the team and not a side character like Rosemary or Harry.

Ageha was a similarly strong character to Mashiro, having strong relationships with Mashiro, Tsubasa, and Elle. She was also legitimately charming and well written to a notable degree higher than some other characters. The couple times we see her at work are very cute, and at times quite heartfelt. Furthermore, while we’ve had some high school age Precure before, Ageha is our first working adult on a main team (as we’ve had retired and ancient Precure in previous seasons), which is another cool idea that could add to future seasons in big ways. I’ll also add that having her be an early introduction, but not having her become a Precure until after the defeat of the first General are fantastic story beats.

But even Ageha is not without criticism, as her being an adult and a Preschool teacher both felt like they were more in service of raising Elle than furthering her own character at times. Also, as a big part of this show was raising Elle, and she was the most knowledgeable on raising children by a large margin, she was disproportionately featured in the show, further overshadowing the other members of the team.

And last we have Elle. I’ve said my piece on several occasions on how I don’t like babies in Precure, but to Elle’s credit, she was very cute. Her doing things like charging into battles, wanting to share her toys, and specifically her trying to save the rabbit during Minaton’s first appearance were all very nice moments.

But Elle was also the biggest hurdle this show had to overcome, and I think it failed to do so. As I mentioned, certain decisions, like Tsubasa being male and Ageha being an adult, felt like decisions catered to raising Elle before anything else. And that’s another problem. This isn’t a season like Tropical Rouge where Laura was the stealth main character; this season was primarily about raising Elle, not Elle as a character, so despite being the primary focus of the entire show, she has very little actual character to explore. It also doesn’t help that they didn’t give her the power to age-up until the very end of the show. There was such a huge jump in character moments after she got that ability that it’s a shame they waited until the last, like, four episodes to give it to her. I feel like almost every issue in this show could be traced back to accommodating Elle in some way. It sucks that this very unneeded subplot and (most likely) company mandate had to drag down the 20th anniversary season.

The Plot: There are elements of the story for Hirogaru that I really enjoy. The opening series of episodes are really good, and the fact that they really pace out the introduction of each Precure gives us opportunities for stories most seasons only give an episode, if that, which is neat. The ending arc is also very good, with good animation, a decent villain, and fun lore. And on top of that, there are a number of excellent individual episodes sprinkled throughout.

Unfortunately, the story does drag a lot. They always create a new reason for things happening, from generals switching out, to collecting sparkle energy, but when Minaton shows up there really isn’t anything going on; everyone’s just going about their business. From the point when Ageha becomes Cure Butterfly until the point where they decide they want to redeem Batamon, nothing really happens. I mean, there are events that happen that tie into the story, but there’s so much downtime in between moments, and for some reason it’s more jarring than with seasons like Tropical Rouge since only Mashiro has an individual subplot. There’s also so many missteps, like not introducing Kaiserin until the last few episodes, to having all the supporting characters being from a rarely visited other world.

Precure All Stars F: Just because I want to inject a bit more positivity into this review, and because I watched it right after finishing the series proper, let’s talk about the 20th anniversary crossover movie!

It was super fun! While it seems to be slightly bogged down by the voice actors they could get from each previous season, it was still a very well done film. They did get a lot of characters back, even if a lot of them didn’t have a lot of lines, and the characters that did get more screen time were done well, even if they did seem a bit random at first. There’s also a ton of cool crossover attacks, a lot of pivotal moments from previous season got redrawn, and the animation and action were great.

The thing that stood out to me the most, though, was probably the villain. Cure Supreme was an excellent idea for a 20th anniversary villain; a being seeking power that tries to emulate the powers of the Precure, only to not understand how they work. Also, Supreme and Puca being a team of black and white Precure was just a nice callback right at the end.

Overall, Hirogaru Sky! Precure is a season filled with good ideas, but doesn’t live up to its potential. While it’s filled with plenty of cute moments, it’s bogged down by the team needing to raise a child, a task that, ironically, gets in the way of said child’s development. I think a lot of the new ideas it brings to the table will positively influence future seasons, but for now, of all the seasons I’ve finished (that being 14), this one is definitely my least favorite.

As for Wonderful Precure, making the ace an actual dog is so left field and hilarious that I’m quite pumped. I’m really hoping this season takes a cue from the recent Sentai and Rider shows and does something a bit more story driven, but even if it remains episodic, it’s such a batty premise that I think it could work in either format. I hope the fifth member is a chinchilla.

[crestfallercanyon]

I got tagged in some questions from @callivich and while I didn't answer all of them, I've got some! (I also kept these answers Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich centric, though I did have a couple thoughts about just the show generally haha). Anyway --

What’s a fic you’ve read more than once? makes a cathedral, him pressing against me and then the companion piece and we will be like sailors, swimming in the sound of it by misandrywitch and intimatelyrearranged respectively -- they're just really good post-mickey's-coming-out-fics which I tend to love every rendition but those ones are really good (also I, like many tumblr people, love richard siken, so it had me hooked from the start)

What’s a headcanon you can’t stop thinking about? I love the idea that Ian gets really into photography. I think when he's settled in life he takes a lot of photos He's a sentimental guy, I think he's someone who would definitely have photos of his family in his wallet, and would just love taking pictures. (I also like the idea of when he is struggling, maybe going through a manic phase, this propensity to take photos is helpful for his family to find him and figure out what mental state he's in because the photos are kind of all over the place or of things that aren't there). And then ever since finding out Noel Fisher actually plays the piano, I love the idea that Mickey always wanted to play piano. (and that after expressing this desire that was when Terry tattooed his knuckles as an attempt to quash this dream). It's something I may explore in a fic later on.

What’s an idea you’d love to create if you had the time/inspiration? I have a bajillion but we'll stick with two that I'm not actually currently trying to write -- Kind of a strange idea, but I loved -- especially earliest seasons -- Sheila Jackson. Her struggle with agoraphobia was really heartwrenching (I love the scene where she finally leaves the house for the first time both for Liam and for Karen -- she's just someone who I rooted for then so uncomplicatedly). Anyway, I have an idea where Mickey, before Terry's dead but maybe safely with the Gallaghers, starts to develop agoraphobia like Sheila Jackson had. He finally feels safe at home and he starts to really fear the outside world, and it sneaks up on him, because he's supposed to be fine right? But he's not. He keeps repressing this fear and now it's coming out in this way of being unable to leave the house. And Ian -- from Fiona -- thinks to call Sheila Jackson. With Sheila's help, Ian and her and Mickey actually have interactions. I just think it'd be a really interesting dynamic, because Sheila was so motherly and kind and Mickey I think would hate that at first, but it's also kind of the care he should have had? Anyways, it's strange, but I'd love to explore it. The other one I have is a North American Western Au. Usually I don't write modern-world-setting canon in other contexts but for gallavich I have ideas. And I love western aus, I've written one for another fandoms, it's just fun. Maybe a small town where Ian was a sheriff but he struggles with his disorder and so he resigned; and then Mickey is part of the Milkovich gang that's raising hell all throughout the state but ends up finding Ian and... well if I ever actually write it you'll see.

What’s a plot hole you wish had been answered or resolved? I just wish the show would talk about characters that left more often. Or things that happened in their past more often. The only one they seemed to have done a decent job with in the beginning is Jimmy-Steve. But like, why the heck don't they mention Mandy? Or Karen? Or... ANYONE? That and there are events that should absolutely be referenced again. All of the shit with 3.6 at some point could probably use a rehash of trying to process that trauma. The characters talk a bit about what happened with Monica, or Fiona when Ian and Lip were kids, in later seasons they should be telling the stories of what happened in the early seasons to Liam or Carl or Franny or whoever. I understand many shows drop things for sake of the future plots, but as Shameless is a family drama, things that are dramatic in the family I think could have maintained their relevance for longer. Especially since Shameless has such a brilliant focus on generational trauma and how the kids are, in many ways, going to become their parents in some aspects (but how much so is up to them) it would have been neat for them to actually discuss some of the scars they earned during the show.

What scene or moment do you feel isn’t discussed enough? I don't know how much more it could be discussed, but I want to discuss it lmao -- but when Mickey says "missed ya", with the cigarette in his mouth and Ian responds with "really?" To me, it's the first time that Mickey says something real to Ian about their relationship, really the first acknowledgment that there's something to miss. He says this, and it's something he's said with no ulterior motive that he knows will make Ian happy, really for only the sake of making Ian happy. It will probably get him laid because this is Ian and they're both horny teenagers, but there's no guarantee, and that's clearly not why he's saying it. The best part of the interaction, though? The way Mickey smiles because he knows Ian's going to be thrilled. That like preemptive "watch this" and then he says it. I just, there's something really sweet about the interaction in a way that Mickey never let himself be previously.

What line/dialogue/description from something else (a poem, a book, a tv show, a movie, or something else) do you feel describes Ian and Mickey’s relationship? There's also a song aptly named "Goodnight Chicago" by Rainbow Kitten Surprise that immediately had me thinking about these two. Here's one verse: "...I killed a man there, in spite, and when he died, I took his place/eighteen made you callous to the kisses that you gave/a course exchange, a cause for blame, and I stood out in the rain/You killed a man there, and I cried, but the rain masked the hurt behind your face/by the way dear, we're alive, and it hurts 'cause we survived."

I'm going to leave this as an open tag and also reference the original questions from callivich because there's some great ones! I did a reblog because I figured this would be overwhelming if I answered on their asks. But please go ahead and answer and hope you enjoyed what you've read here lol. <3

[imminent-danger-came]

What do you think of the resolution of the Samadhi Fire arc?

I'll take this to mean the "Embrace Your Destiny" special, which effectively closes what I consider to be the first arc in Lego Monkie Kid!

Between liking it as a finale and liking it as set-up for the next season, I decidedly like it as set-up more (but there is plenty to enjoy about what they answered/resolved). I think the 3x13 flashback gives a lot of depth to LBD (which is then later paralleled to by Azure), and it answers a couple questions along the way, like: why? Why did the Lady Bone Demon do any of this? Why was she in her prison? Why is the Mayor in league with her? And ultimately, what is her destiny?

As far as those questions go, I liked the answers the show gave and how LBD's defeat was ultimately brought about (through standing together and with that unity bringing about hope/the future, something that was contrasted by MK's s2 arc and supported by 3x08 and 3x10, doing it together vs doing it alone).

The final confrontation of ideals is beautiful to me, boiling down to perfection vs imperfection (chaos?👀):

Lady Bone Demon: "You would allow this world to continue to fester and rot? The eternal misery of countless souls because of your sentimentality for mortal pleasures!" MK: "*yells* You can't judge things by they're worst qualities!" Tang: "This world might not be perfect, but it's still worth fighting for!" Pigsy: "Yeah! Sometimes it's that little bit of char that makes for a more flavorful meat! Even if it is a bit tangy." Sandy: "You said it Mo! The world may be full of darkness, but to let the light shine, all we need to do is stand together!"

Like this sentiment of an imperfect world being worth fighting for, and by extension imperfect people being worth fighting for, is one I love. It also ties in nicely with MK and his low self-esteem, (like, thematically, heaven knows he has not applied his "you can't judge things by they're worst qualities" mentality to himself), where you can still love/defend things that aren't perfect or wholly "good". This naturally affixes itself to Wukong, who has lifetimes of mistakes. At this point MK chooses to ignore and repress his perception of Wukong's flaws, but eventually, we're going to go the direction of loving people in all there imperfectness. Yes, even when someone has made terrible mistakes, you can still fight for them and care about them (4x08, 4x13).

Though, let me also talk about Samadhi Fire Mei and possessed Wukong! I love both of these concepts, and I love the way they were executed. "Don't use the flame Mei...Be the flame!" linking to 1x09 "You don't use a weapon....you ARE a weapon!" This idea of "using vs being" intrigues me, and I think it works in tandem with being controlled versus having your freewill. The Lady Bone Demon both used Mei and Wukong for her purposes, and her ruin was for them to be themselves. I think you can also view Azure with this lens—he was so focused on using the Jade Emperor's Power to change the world/revenge, he ignored actually being the Jade Emperor.

Overall, I think Samadhi Fire Mei does a good job of continuing Mei's arc (using power to protect those you care about), and perpetuating the pattern of her following in MK's footsteps. For Wukong, he's a character who always desires the ability to do whatever he wants. So possession is delightfully ironic for Wukong, you know. He keeps running off to keep MK safe, but running off is what also put his protege in danger, from his own hands no less ("Can't you see you're hurting the people who care about you the most?" - "Until I know what I am, what my destiny is? I can't risk hurting the people I care about—the one's I have left.").

And obviously 3x14 has one of my favorite scenes in the whole show, that being the "To pain" scene, which continued to blur the "good guy"-"bad guy" lines that have slowly been obscured over the course of Monkie Kid. I will never shut up about that scene. Doing what you think is right and giving it your best can still lead to disappointing and terrible outcomes.

And of course, they began "A Hero is Born" with a Tang narration about the past, and then ended 3x14 with a Tang narration about the present. I always love a good book-ending.

[voidify333]

20 Questions for fic writers

I was tagged by @almarnatiaam- thanks!

1. How many works do you have on A03?

36

2. What's your total A03 word count?

133,211

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Mostly Ace Attorney these days.

I've also written for Les Mis and Good Omens; Les Mis makes up most of my works at 20 (though 4 of those aren't really fics, they're fanart pieces I posted to ao3 for sewerexchange).

And there's a couple random fics that aren't any of these: The Temptation Of Immediate Relief is a Pride & Prejudice missing scene fic that I wrote for high school english class and posted a polished version after graduation, and All Alone is a short War & Peace fic expanding the character of Anatole's wife who's entirely just a plot device with no character in canon (elephant in the room: the name I chose for her was retroactively made weird by my later fandom journeys by being cognate to the name of a completely different character, but like, whatever). I still think both of these are pretty good

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Wilson & Sons (Good Omens outsider POV fic about Aziraphale's barber, a family business that he's been going to since the 1700s), at 1861 kudos

You're Better Off Without Him (Good Omens outsider POV about the guy in episode 4 who says that line), at 763 kudos

perfectly statue-still (Ace Attorney 3+1 fic about elevators being a trigger for Miles, angst with a happy ending), at 433 kudos

driving back in style (in my saloon will do quite nicely) (Good Omens fic, silly cute little A/C getting together scenario), at 303 kudos

naughty list (Ace Attorney fic; angst with a happy ending; the premise is that Gregory didn't get to tell Miles that Santa wasn't real so when the von karma household didn't do santa Miles thought he was on the naughty list for a solid 4 years. If you haven't read it, ho ho ho 'tis the season to read it now), at 241 kudos

Yeah, my good omens stuff is never being unseated from the top of my leaderboard unless I end up getting into an even bigger fandom at some point in the future

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try to, because comments absolutely give me life and I need a constant stream of them, but unfortunately I don't get around to it often enough

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Absolute angstiest out of my published works is probably my very first ao3 fic, not quite nowhere to turn. Valjean sees Javert die and is too late to do anything. The fic is very flawed in that I was 15 and had not learned how to do subtlety, I can't look at it now, but I was a hyperlexic kid with A's in English so I think it's still better than what most people were writing as teens

Second answer is merry christmas., my most recent fic (if you haven't read it yet, HO HO HO TIS THE SEASON), it's Miles' POV for the first bit of Turnabout Goodbyes, it ends on a note of hopelessness that he's doomed to be convicted, but it only debatably counts since anyone who's played the games knows that the turnabout is coming

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Most of my stuff has pretty happy endings, that's just my sensiility as a writer-- even "not quite nowhere to turn" has an afterlife reunion scene-- so I'm not sure what to say here.

There's some fics where the conflict was trivial in the first place (comedy and crack stuff), there's some fics where I feel in hindsight that the ending was a copout and that a rockier path to happiness would have been more interesting if I had mustered the strength to write it (When Tomorrow Comes is the primary example tbh), and there's some where it feels earned (the fics in this category include the ones I like the most)

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I've thankfully never gotten hate on AO3 that I can recall

9. Do you write smut?

Yes I do, but none of it is up on my ao3 account at this time. I have a ton in my google docs though...

10. Do you write crossovers?

I've written a couple. Both of them, funnily enough, of the format "javert meets one of my other blorbos and they recognise what they have in common"

In "and if you fall" (honestly the point of the title would have landed better if I did the full lyric "and if you fall (as lucifer fell)" but at the time that felt too corny), Crowley happens to be in the right place at the right time to talk Javert down from jumping (context: within GO book canon Crowley was asleep for the 19th century except for getting up in 1832 for a loo break)

In "The Choice Of Death" Miles Edgeworth meets Javert's ghost (AA ghost lore notwithstanding) one liminal night during his year away

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

On a tangent though, bc there's no question directly relevant to share this info, I HAVE gotten fanart for a fic before: this amazing fanart by @maym0rin for chapter 2 of "perfectly statue-still" (she gave me permission to crosspost it on tumblr bc she didn't have tumblr at the time but she later got tumblr when the twitter ship started sinking). There is nothing more flattering as an author than getting fanart, I hope this first time isn't the last time

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not yet!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes, I helped with @almarnatiaam's fic A King's Heart and got a co-writer credit.

And outside of cowriting on the level of be listed as cowriter on ao3, my friend who doesn't have tumblr (it's tsl for all the mtnr server friends reading this) and I have been collaborating and bouncing ideas on each other's fics for... wow, it's been over a year now!

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

Honestly it would have to be Valvert because it got to me at a formative time and has shaped the kinds of ships I like for life

15. What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

What do you mean "the" wip????

I have two dead fics and counting (one for les mis, one for good omens), and that's just the ones where I posted the initial content before realising it's too intimidating to finish. There's so many more in my docs; my friends know about some of them

16. What are your writing strengths?

Here are some that I have no problem bragging about, I reread my own fics often and smile at the moments where I did a banger line

Character voice (especially when the characters are my blorbos)

Using fancy vocabulary with precision in the prose to achieve effect (a skill born from trying to copy the vibes of victor hugo)

Witty prose humour (a skill born from trying to copy the vibes of pratchett & gaiman)

Prose from the POV of someone in a fucked up state- someone in a dark place emotionally, or someone whose motivations are fundamentally misguided or outright malicious. This is THE most fun shit to write for me

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Committing to long term character pain and tragic character conflict when it's not pulled/extrapolated directly from canon. I have many times read a fic where the author puts blorbo through the ringer and thought "damn if only I wasn't such a fucking coward and could write stuff like this". I've become less of a coward over the years and now enjoy

Writing anything long without a detailed plan for the entire thing

The need to use words with precision and write perfectly in character is as much a weakness as a strength. I am not a "write a whole first draft then edit" person I am a "dot points for the bits I don't have perfect words for" person and this sometimes causes issues where I assume I'll figure out how to get from A to B later but then it turns out to not make sense to get from A to B

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I have 4 years of Duolingo French and have used this occasionally for my Les Mis works. The way I think of my Les Mis works is that the characters are all speaking French behind the fourth wall but the fourth wall translates for us, so I avoid puns that only work in English except on a couple super cracky occasions.

For Inspector Javert Chooses Death (a fic with the premise "AU where instead of dying Javert fakes his death like Edgeworth and goes to england and unrepresses his homosexuality") I was originally planning to write the whole letter near the end of the fic in french and put the translation in footnote but my beta reader got confused so I scrapped that and had the prose paraphrase most of the letter and only included one French sentence

19. First fandom you wrote for?

First fandom I published fic on ao3 for was Les Mis. First fandom I published fic anywhere online for was Animorphs (when I was 12 I published a weird dark comedy fic to FFN which was a 5+1 or similar format of Visser Three executing people for slighting him by morphing into huge creatures and eating them. Then people on animorphsforum.com told me the fic was bad so I lost all confidence and didn't write fic again for years)

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

Right now it's between my two most recent AA solo fics: merry christmas. (already explained; 1-4 fic) and the perfect weapon (Manfred POV throughout his revenge plot, SUPER fun to write all that villain pov, grew from the premise "he had to have known about the nightmare to plan all that")

My best Les Mis fic is but i have seen the same (i know the shame in your defeat); it explores my favourite parallel with a cool alternating scene format and I actually still like the writing and characterisation even all these years later which is a rare honour for one of my high school Les Mis fics

Tagging: @squadron-of-damned @kaleran @samioli @ashkazora @azalawa-scroggs

[tavore]

Tom Glynn-Carney, who plays Rhaenyra's step-brother and rival to the crown of Westeros, confirms things will be quite "strenuous."

"I'm looking forward to having Aegon have a lot more meat to get his teeth stuck into and to cause more havoc, really, and to throw a spanner in the works, which he does so well," he told the gathered audience.

Glynn-Carney also said he hopes audiences aren't too quick to judge Aegon as a character, though he admits it's already not looking good for him.

"He was always gonna be a tricky one because, on paper, he can very easily come across as an out-and-out villain, and someone who's dark and cold. I think he is all those things, but I think there's way more layers to him, as well," he said of his character. "He's not an out-and-out psychopath. There are complexities and intricacies within him that make him an absolute gift to play. He keeps me guessing, so hopefully that translates to keep everyone else on their toes."

"No one should really be able to make up their mind about him straight away," he added, "and hopefully they'll give him a little bit of a chance. But we'll see. It's not looking good!"

*

[...] "I'd love to hear more about his journey through it all because I know that playing Joffrey is no easy feat," the actor told EW in advance of the panel. "The backlash that came with it and the — I don't know if you could call it negative or unwanted or alternative attention he was given for his betrayal — I just think it's important for people to remember to differentiate between actor and character."

For what it's worth, Gleeson would later tell an audience on stage at the Con that he hasn't had any negative experiences with fans. But Glynn-Carney's point holds true: As Aegon in House of the Dragon — the player who raped a serving girl off camera, fathered numerous bastards, and stole his half-sister's throne — the star has been getting a lot of comparisons to Joffrey.

"There's been a couple of comments thrown about on social media, but I don't pay attention to them," Glynn-Carney said. "It's a compliment to me, if anything, that I'm doing my job, and it's having the impact that is required."

Besides, Glynn-Carney's performance is different from that of the mad kid king of Game of Thrones. Whereas you quickly get a sense of what Joffrey will do — given that choice, he'll always reach for the crossbow to impale a beloved character to a wall — Glynn-Carney is working to make Aegon unpredictable.

"In one of the first meetings I had with Miguel and Ryan," he said of season 1 showrunners Miguel Sapochnik and Ryan Condal, "we spoke about Aegon and his unpredictability. I was saying that I really wanted to have him teeing on the edge the entire time. The coin could flip onto any side, and we should never know which way it's gonna go. People will make their own decisions, but I just want to keep that kind of center of gravity."

But Glynn-Carney does find some commonalities between Joffrey and Aegon. "They're unlikable," he said. "They're tortured and have deep, deep issues, which is a lot of fun to play as an actor, but I also see [Aegon] as being incredibly complex. He's not an out-and-out psychopath. I'm not saying Joffrey is, but I see a multilayered character that just has endless potential of pits of vulnerability and empathy and things that we don't see that I think it's important to have at least a flavor of, because it brings the humanity to him, and that's what pulls people in two separate directions."

During his own panel at the convention last Friday, Glynn-Carney revealed that season 2 will start filming in March 2023 and that he's already preparing for the job. "I didn't really get a great run at things [in season 1]," he tells EW. "It felt very quick. I was in a few scenes. Season 2 will be a lot more meaty, so I'm looking forward to the challenge."

Glynn-Carney added that he's personally looking forward to exploring "the constant battle" within Aegon "between vulnerability and his darkness."

"I think one breeds the other," he said. "I think it's his vulnerability that breeds the darkness. It's the way he copes, it's his security, it's his safety blanket, it's an addictive coping mechanism for him to shut things out and to be cold. I wanna push that further, and I want to see where we can take him."

Tom Glynn-Carney eager for Aegon to 'cause more havoc' in House of the Dragon season 2 House of the Dragon star wants Aegon to be unpredictable: 'Season 2 will be a lot more meaty'