#the most powerful scene whew

[kaijuparfait]

long ramble of me going through the venom trailer because i am insane totally normal about it

this isn't anything professional, just me spouting out random words as i run around in circles like an excited dog-

OK LET'S GO:

firstly... king please change your clothes its been years, why are you still wearing that exact same outfit???

BUT i am a sucker for the light going over and past Eddie as he walks, i just think it's so cool hehe,,

E: "You should probably know that I have a really dark and unpredictable side to me."

hmmm... i'll believe you. at first, it sounds like he's telling this to Venom, but I wouldn't be surprised if Eddie is telling this to someone else and this "dark and unpredictable side" is Venom.... Or he is telling this to Venom and Eddie just really wants to kill now which. I am ok with that, love that for them, they should be allowed to do what they want

cleanly punching off the lock via the ~ Power of Friendship ~ (or something like that)

not the dogs :( i'm assuming this is a place to hold dogs for like. dog fighting?? i think? which is terrible and those guys deserved to get their heads eaten!

E: "I'm giving you a chance, sweetie."

LET. EDDIE. KILL. everyone say thank you Tom Hardy for being Eddie cause WOAH i am. normal.

V: "Just say "when"." E: "...when."

WE'RE SO BACK its just like the "Mask!" "Copy." bit from the first movie omg we're so back, these two make me ill i love them sm

also Eddie not even flinching at the knife, most likely Venom turning off the pain (or something) but I like to think Eddie's just cool like that (these close ups of Eddie's face makes me wanna do a study on him, just draw him a million times for the fun of it, and i will! Tom Hardy is a beautiful man!)

either venom is fully acting as shoes or Eddie is wear the most busted up pair of crocs i have ever seen and both options are so great. either way- KICK! that guy is GONE you even see him slouched against the wall, surrounded by bricks in a later scene, Venom and Eddie are not messing around this movie!

I- hhhhh. ok. I'm ok. Yeah these two are NOT messing around, Eddie could not care less about these dudes, there is no hesitating, no guilt, no fear in this man's expression AND I LOVE IT <333 GET ANGRY! GET SCARY!!!

AND WE HAVE THE BOI. THERE HE IS!!! the roar sounds different too i think, it's very cool tho, feels like a shrill, higher pitch than i expected but i don't dislike it

let the dogs be free! they immediately start attacking those guys and i love it <3 doggy :3

AND EDDIE IS FIGHTING TOO WOOOOO i need to redraw all of these frame cause WHEW! making me blush with these shot compositions, so good. so much trust, Eddie knows Venom will keep him safe and jumps in! literally! i adore how Venom's head is following him too, it's so creepy, the way it just slithers through the air, I wish to send all my love to the teams who work on Venom, there are so many points from the trailer and the first 2 movies that I wanna dissect, just to point out all his little movements, very fun

speaking of his little movements- squinty eyes :3 and the half venom, half eddie face again! always a win, forever iconic <3

tearing apart this venom scene OK! the little tendrils by Eddie's face, the way they move around is so UGH its so weird and i adore it! This "pose" is also fun because we really get to see the inside of Venom's mouth, most importantly his teeeeeth, in a long, pretty still shot that isn't when his mouth is wide open, the artist in me is loving it

also the team always does an amazing job on just making Venom look alien- the thick veins, the shiny black skin, and the tendrils that are holding up the bad guy split apart, instead of being just one tentacle, very gross, but in a good way

E: "We.. are..-" V: "WE ARE VENOM!" E: "We.. are..-" V: "VENOM!!" E: "No.."

They share one braincell, holy fudge, I love symbrock fjdkslfjsdk

and Eddie just keeps trying! same tone, same level, and Venom is so excited

V: "Oh!"

(I also love these shots because we get a nice close up of how Venom's mouth moves when pronouncing words)

E: "Yeah.. We.." V: "We.." E + V: "are... Venom." E: "...We really need to work on that."

and they get there eventually lmao, the way they say it is so in sync, even the eye movements are the same, how they open wider, and THE VOICES hhhh the voices.,,.. Tom Hardy is such a good. voice actor? in this sense ig.. i am on the ground, pure joy with how Eddie and Venom's voices overlap here

and Venom goes to town! lovely meal <3 getting a meal with the bf <3

I am LOOKING oh my goodness his mouth can open WIDE... normal feelings rn, yup, mhm!

doggy :D dog friends :D also Eddie no shot you stole that guy's shoes lmao??? nice boots tho (as someone who wears cowboy boots often, i would love to see Eddie in a full outfit.. putting that in the drawing idea list...)

V: "DELICIOUS! You take me to all the finest places!"

see! dinner date! :3 I can just hear the smile on Venom, i love when he's happy

and the world's most pathetic wet cat of a man (I say with the upmost affection) is back!

more proof that Eddie is never NOT sweating and that Tom Hardy's Eddie voice has the most confusing accent- i think he's saying

E: "Honey, I don't know."

but he could very well just be stuttering, or maybe he stopped midway and instead said "I need- I don't know." but i'm hoping they're at the point of pet names, go full comic, let Eddie call Venom "love" and "dear" and "my darling"

[Edit- thank you @.bridoesotherjunk for pointing out that he says "I need a Tylenol." i need better listening comprehension i guess??? lol?]

i don't know 100% of the Venom lore, still have tons of comics to read, so i won't talk much about the potential storyline here but- 4 SYMBIOTES!! maybe maybe maybe the Life Foundation Symbiotes... these babies got some funky colors.. they already used the name Riot but these 4 could be Lasher, Phage, Scream and Agony if i pray hard enough, the colors don't match but i can dream!

totally not emotional over this little bit of Venom that was left behind from that one after credits scene trying to bond with a host gently. yup yeah my heart isn't hurting at all!

LET MY BOY GO, HE DID NO WRONG!!!

my favorite local cryptid, what a creature

and he changed! finally! nice shirt tho, buttoned up only part way? the HAIR??? good stuff

fire seems to be a known weakness now, looking at the background, and i can't guess what they're looking up at, Eddie does speed up for it tho. I'm gonna say either a helicopter or something else they're gonna try and jump up to? Venom does go-

V: "OH SHIT"

during this scene so maybe it's one of those Symbiotes from before? Who knows, I could guess a hundred things but idk

THE WATER SCENE!! FROM THAT ONE BEHIND THE SCENES PHOTO TOM HARDY POSTED!!!

Venom in the last bit and Eddie being just himself if the first portion of these clips show that these guys 100% know what they're doing and have some sort of device (shown in the right image) that is capable of doing some crazy damage to Venom! Which! Oh no!!! I enjoy fight scenes underwater tho (Looks at Godzilla), very hyped for this one, I really wanna see how Venom swims. Yeah that sounds a bit weird but like. no way he's swimming like a human, c'mon now

E: "We are living the dream, my friend V: "You mean it?!" E: "NO."

Can't get over Venom's delivery here, he sounds so genuinely, it made me laugh, especially to how exhausted Eddie sounds lmao

LAS VEGAS??? y'all guessed right, they really are gonna get married in vegas,,

Eddie in a suit, HELLO??? my guy is looking snazzy! really tho, he looks so nice a suit, the BLACK AND WHITE suit? perfect. I saw people saying that they hope that Venom is the suit and just. me too..

MRS. CHEN RETURNS omg this cast are all so <333 she is GORGEOUS that dress is beautiful on her AND HER HAIR Mrs. Chen my beloved

Mrs. Chen sounds so happy to see Eddie, and Venom also very excitedly say hi, my heart is going to burst, it is overflowing, this part of the trailer makes me smile so much AND THEN THEY DANCE WITH EACH OTHER!!! I know it's called The Last Dance but I was not expecting a dance with Mrs. Chen??? I am more than ok with this tho, Venom and Mrs. Chen, dancing on the stairs, they look so happy, they're having such a good time i can't, my heart can't take this <3

AND LOOK HOW THEY HOLD HER HANDS.. they... they care about each other so much i'm going to cry in the theaters- no i'm gonna cry NOW.

is that a xenophage i see??? that thing is HUGE HUH??? i fully understand Venom in this (side note, i ADORE how Venom goes "JESUS CHRIST" upon seeing this thing, the line delivery get's better every film, that was so genuine) this design is insane tho, i might spend some time doing a study on it

Toxin is here! YIPPEE!!! love the voice, thought it was Venom for a second the first time i watch this but its pretty good

I have no clue who the people are that are in this tower thing, I've seen a few theories but i ain't embarrassing myself by guessing wrong here lmao

(running out of image spaces sorry!)

in the clip of Venom walking into this lab (?) and then getting violently shot at, is it just me or does Venom seem small? I'm guessing the door is just really big but like. idk maybe i'm just mixing up my Venoms and thinking that he's not as big as I remember

really quick cut of what may be 2 more Symbiotes like the 4 from earlier? maybe they're the same and are just changing colors, maybe they're new, who knows! I love their colors tho, the one on the right (in the clip) looks like it's blue and pink and i think that's cute

Xenophage breaks into this lab, love that for her, she is still terrifying!

E: "We may not make it out of this alive, buddy."

haha what do you mean by that king?

V: "Eddie... the time has come..."

HAHA PAUSE. uhm. he said the same thing last time at the end of Let There Be Carnage and Eddie didn't let him go but, istg, IF THEY DIE AT THE END OF THIS MOVIE. i know its the last of the trilogy BUT THEY DON'T NEED TO DIE, SONY, MARVEL, DON'T DO THIS TO ME. i am going cry violently at the writers... i don't think i will ever stop crying if they die at the end

they're in this busted up helicopter, already intriguing, but when it zooms in on Eddie's face, he's tearing up??? this movie is checking off every emotion, i need to remember to stay hydrated before i go see it, i will cry so much

I don't even think i'll be able to handle just one of them dying, the end of the first movie made me tear up the first time i saw it, and that was before i was as insane about them as i am now, i will be UNWELL in the theater

And last but certainly not least. HORSE VENOM WOOOOOO

the design for this things is insane, i didn't think i'd ever wanna draw a horse in my life but like.. kinda changing my mind ngl (weird detail, Venom horse has hands and feet and not hooves!)

E: "Be honest with me, how fast do you think you can make that thing go, without killing it?" V: "..ONLY ONE WAY TO FIND OUT!"

Venom sounds a bit muffled in this clip which makes it a bit more funny to me, i won't lie. Eddie is hanging on FOR HIS LIFE THOUGH, geez i know he said "how fast" but Eddie gets LAUNCHED OFF VENOM when they go over that cliff. fun reference to the first movie, how Venom grabs onto Eddie as he flies up, like on the motorcycle <3

this horse scene has to be earlier on because Eddie is in The Outfit and is also not wearing shoes??? i refuse to believe he'd put it back on, and in the helicopter-"it is time" clip, Eddie is wearing that white shirt, which looks like the undershirt to the suit (maybe) so the Las Vegas scene happens before them running from the explosion/fire.

oh right, the song that's playing? Space Oddity by David Bowie? yeah it's about an astronaut dying along in space.... which... is not very comforting...

god this trailer makes me so hyped, October cannot come faster i need this movie NOW. please.

man the trailer is kinda confusing, i'm already making guesses on where things happen and what the context could be, but literally anything could happen in this film. there are so many things that just don't make sense yet and it's hurting my brain I JUST WANNA KNOW! are those new Symbiotes or not? What even is the plot? Will Eddie and Venom profess their love to each other? Will Sleeper be real? How many times will this movie make me cry? Only time will tell

...and it's only the first trailer! head so full of thoughts, heart so full of emotions!

[bengiyo]

Only Friends Ep 1 Stray Thoughts

We've been waiting for Jojo to be unleashed for a long time. Let's do this.

Wouldn't be a Jojo show without a Jennie cameo.

Oh, they're letting First sing again.

Real shit, I kinda like the wristbands to signal what people might be into at this bar. Hearkens back to older handkerchief traditions.

Ray is kinda feisty. He's so ready to beef with someone.

Oh my god I have been part of this friend group as the table keeper.

Neo looks so good.

Ew, vomit.

They are about to fuck up Mew's academic career.

Of course Khaotung is playing the rich brat.

Boston messed them up first by combining work and sex. He's definitely going to bring Top on as the designer.

Hello, again, Mark. Always glad to see you.

Okay, love seeing Nick and Boston vibe.

Very refreshinging to just see guys flirting with each other without the BL pretense. Even gives us Ray being shitty because he feels possessive of Mew.

Top said he's had enough of the sex tryhards.

Oh, Boston, what was that? You brought Top around your friends and now you're jealous of Mew?

DRAKE?!!!

Ray is that friend who always requires so much when we go out.

"I'm gonna charge you more than an airport taxi." 😂

First and Khaotung really are just so powerful. I'm glad this is a strong cast, because their teamwork when it's just them is still so enjoyable to watch.

Congratulations to ForceBook for being the first to have a scene on this show, and on the counter no less.

Not these two having ice cream since Mew isn't ready. Top is going to be a problem, but at least he understands what No means.

Should I keep a counter for how many times Ray throws up in this show?

First still has it. One fond look and it's over.

No one had Neo and Drske as the first to fuck on their bingo board. Cutting this with Nick jacking off to unethically acquired thirst traps? My goodness.

Oh interesting. Top didn't put his pants back on.

I know we all came here for the hot stuff, but I really like seeing Mew and Top negotiate intimacy during this first night together.

Sand put Ray in a POOR BOY shirt. Those used to cost $5 in the city now I can't get a good sandwich for less than $12.

Ray you could just say thanks. No need to be a dick constantly.

This book store date is cute.

Okay, Nick! I like this thirst trap play!

Everyone is just going for it! Good job, Neo and Mark.

I really liked this one week montage.

Ray is channeling Bruce Wayne. "Harvey Dent. Can we trust him?"

Boston called Ray right out on his crush on Mew.

Only Cheum is invested in helping Mew out here.

"You're concerned about your friend, or you're just jealous?" Top clocked him.

Oh no is Force going to sing?

Oh, whew, it's just a grand gesture.

This was so much fun! I love that Boston and Ray are going to be the source of everyone's problems! Jealous Thot and Rich Boy With Anger Issues are some of my favorites. Why does First always have the most soulful eyes? Mew is another really good role for Book, and Force is clearly having the time of his life. Is there nothing Mark Pakin can't do? Lookjun is warming up, but I'm looking forward to more.

Also, Drake cameo! Who's going to show up next??

[kayyyy]

Going on a tangent about Hiropuri ep 49 (Cure Sky and the Strongest Power) and why Sora and Mashiros relationship is so powerful

Whew okay no matter what I do even months later I can’t stop thinking about this scene. I don’t know if I was overthinking this, but Mashiro fainting first might not have just been cause she’s physically weaker than Sora, but also the fact that she’s the precure of light.

Skearhead talks about how Undergu energy is like ‘poison’ to them because they’re people of light. Since Mashiro is literally the precure of light, it affects her the most. Idk I just thought this was neat. My friend and I actually discussed this and they talked about how the Sky can exist in darkness, but a Prism cannot which was a very interesting way of seeing it.

And then there’s Sora’s absolute desperation when Skearhead was pretty much about to kill Mashiro. Her voice was getting hoarse already with the Undergu energy poisoning her, but it just… broke after that point. (Her actress is phenomenal!!) She was screaming and honestly practically sounded on the verge of TEARS as she was desperately trying to get up but falling due to the darkness. Yet she kept trying to get up and kept begging Skearhead to stop. The one thing Sora was so afraid of back in episode 5 (I think it was), was Mashiro getting hurt or her possibly even losing Mashiro due to her new status as a pretty cure. She learned to accept Mashiro as a teammate and work together with her to protect the ones they love. However those feelings had to have resurfaced in this moment. The thing she feared the most was happening and she was powerless to stop it. Powerless to save the one she loves most.

That’s why absorbing the Undergu energy was so appealing, as terrifying as it clearly was for her. She was clearly reluctant- hell even the Empress told her not to do it- but before being taken over, she shakily says Mashiro’s name one last time. Saving Mashiro was the only thing that mattered to her at that moment.

Even after absorbing the energy, she was very impressively fighting to not let it take full control of her. However its influence was still taking a toll on her, as she (rightfully) charged at Skearhead, fully enraged. However, she immediately puts that rage on hold as Skearhead drops Mashiro, so instead she turns back and flies down TOWARDS THE POISON to save Mashi first. If that’s not love then love isn’t real.

Anyway, after that Sky does eventually succumb to the darkness and Skearhead takes over her body. However Prism forces herself up through her own pain. Skearhead immediately charges for her and yet… Prism stands there. She stands there because she knows Sky won’t hurt her no matter what. She stands there because she believes Sora has the strength and will to fight the darkness off. She is so confident, she doesn’t move an inch.

And it works! She gets through to Sora in this way, as Sky desperately holds back her attack as to not hurt her. She calms down and Prism holds out her hands. Her power of light appears, her ‘Prism Shine’, destroying the darkness within Sky and bringing her back.

To Sora, Mashiro is her light. The light that shines in the darkness no matter how rough things get. She’s always there to support her and lift her up.

And after this, Prism warmly welcomes Sky back and Sky warmly tells Prism she’s back it’s just so sweet. Their love is pure and strong. Unrivaled. Stronger than any darkness that may surround them. Their love (and Prisms light) even healed the Empress’ wound. The bond between Sky and Prism- Sora and Mashiro- was the strongest power of all.

Their love is the strongest power, after all.

[toomanycupsoftea]

911 Lone Star Tag Game- Grief

Thank you @lonestar-s5countdown for the tag!

Heavy topic and I just dived in so proceed with caution.

(1) Which character death in 911 Lone Star hit you the hardest?

Charles (s2e12). The scene was so well done and left such an ache to my heart. Gina Torres made the scene harrowing in such a powerful way.

(2) What is your favorite grief-related moment in the show?

All of One Day (s2e13). I feel like the episode doesn't miss a beat.

Also I have to mention Monster Inside (s1e8) with the dementia story line. Having loved ones in my life who have battled this unbeatable monster I really think the writers were able to capture the emotions that go with the illness from multiple points of view.

(3) Do you think there will be a character death in season 5? If so, any guesses about who it might be?

I really hope not!

(4) Which living character’s death would destroy you the most?

Tommy. For having the biggest heart in the known universe. And Tarlos because they deserve all the happiness, love and joy the world can give them and what they can give each other. And Buttercup better not go to rainbow bridge!

(5) Which character’s childhood trauma do you think was most significant in shaping them?

Carlos my beloved. For what we know, he has always struggled with relationships, especially with his parents. He now has a wonderful supportive loving found family but his grief is bringing all the insecurities, anger and fear back. I think he will have quite the story line in season 5. My heart is not ready!

Whew! I am going to grab few tissues and a cup of tea.

[mimiruku]

Jojooo!!! For Miruku my beloved:

What plot points would change due to the inclusion of your character in canon?

What headcanons/theories do you believe fandom would invent about your character?

Are there any tropes fandom would put upon your character, for better or for worse?

Be honest. What song is playing over an AMV/tiktok of scenes between your character and their love interest?

What is the wildest crackship you can imagine for your character, whether in-universe or in crossover?

Five questions jhsvhs I tried to hold back whew👍✨

█     𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀 𝐀𝐒𝐊𝐒 : 𝑰𝒇 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑶𝑪 𝑾𝒂𝒔 𝑪𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏.  ⸻   ( ⚝ ) ╰┈┈➤    I will also try to hold back and not present you with some 7 paragraph long word vomit. ( I can't make any promises )

───  What plot points would change due to the inclusion of your character in canon? ( inclusion ? more like, intrusion ! answered here ! )

───  What headcanons ╱  theories do you believe fandom would invent about your character?

Amano's stories are often littered with ' plot holes ' & 'unexplained power system ' , I imagine there would be a discussion and framing of Miruku's abilities, however most headcanons and theories regarding this will vary from person to person, with no mention of the fact that he is a ' True earthling ' ( as this is not a popular topic in the fandom even to this day. ) , as previously mentioned, there will also be a plethora of widely adopted headcanon regarding Miruku's gender identity, Amano tends to leave out these parts of the character building rather ambiguous ( if not, she's likely being offensive. ex. Lussuria. ) thus this will become a free for all.

BONUS ! I asked Nimo what she thinks would be a hc / theories she think Miruku would have & her own personal headcanon for him !

We talked about this a bit before…about fandom's gender identity take on Miruku…I unfortunately think that'd be a definite thing. (Sad) others I can see ppl coming up with "Miruku comes from a rich household" due to Mimi's house in Namimori! I could see ppl believing his parents in the Philippines are rich! But me personally…thinking on the info on Tumblr + how Amano may present it… " Miruku is a very curious soul, quirky even. He likes to try new things and love trying out limited edition items and treats! If there is a limited edition item Miruku WILL get it."

───  Are there any tropes fandom would put upon your character, for better or for worse?

For worst ? BORN YESTERDAY character trope might end up attached to Miruku due to how . . . lacking he is, there's still many things he doesn't understand and I'm afraid this could be a potential hyperfocus. For Better ? I can't think of anything! As much as I love tropes, it tends to boil down characters into a singular flat character :')

───  Be honest. What song is playing over an AMV╱ tiktok of scenes between your character and their love interest?

↳ " I don't wanna be your friend, I wanna kiss your lips " Is likely the national Miruku x Momina anthem, surely they're not just friends! ( they are platonic soulmates but okay . . . )

↳ " immortal she, return to me " a lot of visualizing every day miruku plus how he ends up being an antagonist. & maybe I'm just being hopeful , but likely very edgy edits " over night making the world my own. "

↳ now maybe if there's a Yamamoto x Miruku ship, " ikaw at ikaw" will be used. & for Dino x Miruku . . . . " I'm starving, darling. "

───  What is the wildest crackship you can imagine for your character, whether in-universe or in crossover? "

MIRUKU X READER & MIRUKU X Y/N , is the ONLY crossover we need!

[nanomooselet]

Episode Four: Hungry!

Full disclosure, it took me a while to warm up to Wolfwood.

I hadn't read the manga or watched the older adaptation. Didn’t know anything about him except his ridiculous gun and that he was a priest (hence the ridiculous gun, because anime). I couldn't figure out why he was present in the narrative, except... because he was in the manga and older adaption. It seemed a little indulgent; I wanted more time with Meryl. He wasn’t even a priest. Obviously Nick has plenty of homoerotic tension with Vash, but all due respect and sympathy to Vash/Wolfwood shippers, m/m pairings have always left me cold (to be fair, pairings generally do that irrespective of gender. Desire unfulfilled is more my speed).

Sad to say that I still don't ship Vash/Wolfwood, but I did definitely come to understand why people do and why they like the guy. Though am I the only one baffled that Vash gets cast as the virginal princess so often? After this look?

Whew. No wonder Wolfwood looks like he got hit with a two-by-four. Ahem.

This is a very necessary episode that feels maybe too "necessary", like they realised they needed to introduce everything it introduces and didn't leave enough time to integrate it all naturally. It's too tight, and Stampede is already a show so tight it squeaks. Still, I think blowing Wolfwood's cover before the day was out was, if not the only right decision, not a wrong one. Almost immediately this guy comes across as sketchy, half from that he's barely trying to act like he's not (which absolutely sends me; he really hates his job) and half that he's just... an awkward dude, angry and obviously hurt in a way he won’t admit to. And while we know there's more to Vash than his façade, it's hard to tell just how smart he really is, how perceptive, because this is Vash. Meryl is the type to show off her knowledge, because she's young and eager to prove herself. Vash is a creature of endless masks and insurmountable walls. He refuses to, as he sees it, burden anyone else with his thoughts.

So we do exactly what Zazie does in this episode: show Vash something wounded and vulnerable because he'd tear off his own skin if it would make things easier for someone else. Except instead Wolfwood is the one who feels a little too exposed, of course. It's so funny to me how obviously he didn't expect this? And how frustrated when he realises he'll have to drag this self-sacrificial lunatic all the way to July alive without becoming attached. I honestly think he failed in that latter part before they even got shot out of the Worm. Vash is just so loving, and so loveable.

Also, the Worm guys (as I mentally call them) might be my favourite minor characters next to Rosa and her offsiders. They're a hilarious audience to the madness. I’m glad they got so many dinners in one go.

And Zazie - what a great character, one I genuinely think is an improvement over prior incarnations rather than just being different from them. Nail game on point, entirely free of fucks given, and a sterling addition to the cast. I'll talk more about our buggy friend later, and I have more to say about Wolfwood besides that hitting him with the trailer forced me to pause the video until I stopped cackling.

Finally, the closing scene chills me in hindsight for a number of reasons, but what gets me the most is that it's a bookend. At the episode's start, Vash refused to eat. Wolfwood had to convince him to. And it's not that he can't use his Gate, it's that he's decided to keep it closed, so something will have to make him decide to lay bare his power once more.

And somehow, I can't imagine Knives asking nicely.

[wormtime123]

AAAAAAAAAAAA DRAMATURGY EPILOGUEEE

I love the lengthy wrap up of so many loose ends, the slow mend of things torn and that utter contentment to be found with people just existing right there. This is going to be my go-to comfort fic for found family to re-read over and over and over and over

Now I wanna pick your brain on all the bits; worldwalker shapeshifting Gem? Its so coool I love it. When did you decide to give her and others (Scar, Cub?) powers? What did Cub actually do at the end of Grumbot there? What was your favorite part of the epilogue to write? And which part was the most emotional for you? (tough question, I know I can't choose between Pearl & Gem's or Pearl & Grian's conversations)

WHEW dear god thank you for presenting me a pass to go insane on a silver platter. i’ll be putting my answers under a read more so i don’t explode people’s feeds with nonsense

most of the magic decisions made are based ~mostly in what i know about canon, i just ended up filling in some blanks and playing around with what’s already there! i’m endlessly fascinated by gem’s dimension-hopping (empires isn’t addressed in dramaturgy, but i operate on everything she said about her powers in e2) and i think the idea that she can open portals at will and freely travel between worlds/universes in a way that other players can’t is amazing. then the shapeshifting just made sense to me in how she changes her appearance around to fit into whatever character she wants to take on in each world.

cub and scar lore i’m a lot less familiar with since i only know of certain clips about their vex deal, but i kind of treat it similarly to gem in that i assume they can shift their forms around (ie. how often scar changes to fit a character like gem does, cub going from old man to s8 e-boy skin) and have a peculiar knowledge around portals (ie. the big dig, scar using his “wizard portals” to travel between seasons.) however i think gem has a different kind of expertise working with portals with how often she dimension-hops, so those two were kind of just doing unethical science at the rift to see what stuck lol.

the rift on its own is its whole thing in my Fanon Brain, but i have a strong image of it as a living, breathing entity that sucks things in and spits them back out in other spaces indiscriminately. dramaturgy scar describes it as hungry and i think that’s about as apt as it gets. stuck perpetually wanting to consume yet unable to hold anything in. then one of my biggest plot problems to solve was making the story line up with grian’s lore, aka grumbot (prime) getting tossed in the canon timeline ominously hinting at the other grian’s crimes, so i asked myself how dramaturgy hermits could have weaponized the rift and that’s where i landed! i admittedly don’t have a specific answer to how cub would have aggravated the rift enough to make it go hogwild in chapter 10, but i personally just imagined him figuring it out at one point or another by throwing shit in until something worked

dear god this is already getting long but epilogue!!! my answer for favorite scene to write is a little anticlimactic but i love writing all the evo flashbacks. if you couldn’t tell i am completely evo enamored. i love the strange, off-putting, nostalgic innocence of “something unpreventable and life-altering is about to happen and they Don’t Know.” i love them working together to get to the stronghold and entering the end portal thinking it’s going to be another task of teamwork as always and then just *silence* on the other end. amazing incredible tragic love it

(also on that note i loved writing the scene atop the mansion. just one last hermit acting entirely too normal while subjecting pearl to cursed knowledge before we go)

and lastly for most emotional to write i’d definitely say the scene at the hobbit hole! i’ve had that one as well as the sleepover at impulse’s in the back of my mind for so long i’m just glad i got it out. getting there was like the end of an era for me. everything with grian and pearl finally being back together but still not quite on the same page. i think pearl seeing grian so taken aback in the face of the tangible proof of his actions and mumbo’s feelings was the straw that broke the camel’s back, because at this point in the story pearl’s finally willing to see herself in mumbo’s situation. she’s finally realizing how badly she needs this specific closure but grian’s too busy going ???my actions… have consequences? i can’t just run off into the night with no negative impact on the people around me?

(which is of course also a matter of a warped sense of self-image and understanding emotions, but grian will go on murder sprees in the 3rd life time loop box before exercising an ounce of self-reflection, more at 11.) and only after seeing pearl shaking like a sad wet chihuahua clutching this random notebook of his like it’s the sacred texts does he really start to grasp how genuinely bad it’s been for her. like that would have been obvious to anyone who’s normal but whatever. i love studying skyblings like bugs

ANYWAYS. i hope you enjoyed this thought dump and thank you again for the ask i owe you my life

[taylorkellyreporting]

i hope no one minds if i liveblog this bitch: black panther: wakanda forever

good lord i’m already sobbing this whole funeral scene is touching my heart

where’s nakia?

the dora are so badass

shuri trying to act like she’s okay when she’s clearly still grieving :(

what the…

“if your muscle brains were present they would still be there choking on their fuzzy adornments” “you bald headed demon” TEARS STREAMING DOWN MY FACE M’BAKU IS SO FUNNY ?!(&48*%#

“m’baku, what would you have us do?” “we should find the fish man and kill him” THE SILENCE AFTER HE SAID THAT FUCK

“so, when are we leaving so i can see my favorite colonizer?” i love shuri so much 😭😭

“you didn’t think to call?” “now why would i have your number?” pls okoye’s so funny

this isn’t at all important to the plot but shuri looks so fucking fine in that purple outfit and those shades leaning up against the car

okoye freaking out about the way she looks 😭😭

not it only taking me a fucking split second to start shipping shuri and riri fkgjvjdn their chemistry goes crazy

“aw shit, am i being recruited?” “no.” riri’s face pls she looked so embarrassed

THIS SHURI, RIRI AND OKOYE SCENE IS SO CHAOTIC I’M CRYING REAL TEARS

“YOU NEED TO BE CONSCIOUS OF THE WAY THAT YOU LOOK, WALKING AROUND HERE WITH ALL THAT ASH ON YOUR HEAD” ?&876$&*#<?£

“you got this!!!” “mm, with your heater” 😭😭

shuri, riri and okoye is a dangerous team up i’m obsessed with how badass they all are

OH SHIT RIRI????

i never wanna hear okoye scream shuri’s name like that ever again my God

DID THEY JUST KILL OKOYE???? WHAT THE FUCK

oh she isn’t dead okay i almost started sobbing

i thought okoye screaming shuri’s name the first time was bad but this time was so. much. worse.

MY GOD I NEVER THOUGHT RAMONDA WAS DIRECTING THAT SPEECH TO OKOYE I FEEL SICK

that scene broke my heart

NAKIA 🫶🏻

“it’s been six years since you left us” does that mean her and t’challa didn’t stay together after the first movie? cause i assumed they had gotten married. also her not going to the funeral explains why shuri kept ignoring her phone calls

“princess leia, belle from beauty and the beast, that white shit” 😭😭

whew that backstory was intense

“or you can wear a suit :D” lmao??

aside from the fact that namor literally kidnapped shuri, he’s a grown ass man who looks old enough to be her dad why would anyone ship them…

“he suffered in silence” God, i am not your strongest soldier

i’m sorry but namor is insane like he really thinks killing everyone’s gonna solve his problem? be calm.

“you said you wanted to burn the world, let us burn it together” uh i think the fuck not you trick ass bitch

“riri williams is a child prodigy who was running circles around all of her professors” tony stark’s daughter🫂

i don’t know who namor thinks he’s talking to like that??? if he don’t back tf up from ramonda

“the spy saves wakanda once again. the queen will reward her with lifetime banishment, i’m sure” m’baku is such an asshole skdjgjvjcns

“he was king and black panther to everyone. but to me…he was everything. my t’challa.”

WHAT THE SHIT

“you just hung up the queen.” “i just hung up on my mom. there’s a difference.” 😭

m’baku lifting up that person and throwing them around like a rag doll shouldn’t have been so hot

if m’baku dies…🔪

wakanda’s the most powerful country in the world and they’re being taken down by fucking fish?

FUCK NAMOR AND FUCK THE WRITERS THIS IS SO SICK

they’ve taken everything from shuri man what the hell

how can you kill off angela bassett…

“so now you have to hear from a child who scoffs at tradition” love this callback, hate the circumstance.

“i just buried the last person who truly knew me. my heart was buried with her” MOTHERFUCKER

seems like the writers decided that for the final part of this movie they’d just make everybody cry

shuri’s gonna put on that suit and it’s gonna break me for real

“so who taught you how to do all that you know?” “my big brother” GOD

is that motherfucking killmonger?!

not them making me laugh while simultaneously making me cry my eyes out

“can i get some of that, too?” 😭😭

shuri in the suit 🥹 t’challa would be so proud ☹️

“it is not what she would have wanted for you. it is not what i want” what if i cry????

“her dreams. her hopes for me…it doesn’t exist. it doesn’t matter.” my eyes are gonna be swollen by the end of this movie good lord

the way m’baku was looking at shuri after her outburst ☹️

“it will consume you.” “it already has.” this is not what i wanted for shuri i’m devastated.

“for the queen”

“that’s can’t be good.” you think?

OH MY GOD

they lost so many people ☹️

shuri fixing riri’s car oh they’re girlfriends

i’ve had enough of namor

“colonizer in chains…now i have seen everything” LMFAOOO I LOVE OKOYE SO MUCH

my God this moment of silence for t’challa/chadwick with these scenes of him…i’m a wreck. he’s so so missed.

HE HAS A SON OH MY GOD I’M SOBBING

no cause in bp 1 king t’chaka said “a man who has not prepared his children for his own death has failed as a father.” and nakia just said “your father, your baba, prepared us for his death, didn’t he?” i am a mess. t’challa was such a good man.

he’s so precious 🥹

“my name is prince t’challa, son of king t’challa”

this movie was such a beautiful tribute to chadwick and i absolutely love it 🫶🏻

[til-f]

Episode 3 Thoughts

I was literally terrified that they weren't going to give us the whole prophecy. Breathed a sigh of relief when they did.

the prophecy scene with only gabe saying it felt super forced lol

I really missed the line "The real world is where the monsters are. that's where you learn if you're any good or not." Like, I wanted that. I also think it describes annabeth's character, and a lot of the reason why she wants to go on the quest.

some good angst when percy got mad on thalia's behalf. again, why do we have to change the tiniest lines to be different. JUST KEEP THEM THE SAME UGHHGHLJ

I don't mind that annabeth is like, a badass, but she isn't the leader of the quest. and i think her anal leader vibe is kinda not the best way to portray her. I don't know. This is percy's only quest. and I could see rick in the film studio being all like, "nah, we can't let percy be the star of the show. he needs to learn to relinquish control" and that is driving me CRAZY. the whole bit where alecto tells annabeth that she might be the most formidable demigod alive? WHY RICK. WHY. WHY MUST YOU NOT LET PERCY JUST BE THE FUCKING MAIN CHARACTER. WHY MUST YOU CHANGE THINGS. WHY WASN'T PERCY THE ONE TO KILL THE FURIES ON THE BUS AND WHY DOESN'T HE FEEL LIKE THE PROTAGONIST. WHYYYY

this book is so near and dear to my heart yall, I should not be making these posts LOL. But I love the show so please read on.

I loved grover's song, lmao. so cute. and when percy goes "our voting system's broken." i'm cracking up.

WHY WAS THE MEDUSA SCENE SO BAD AND SO WEIRD ??!!!!!???? WHAAT ???? WHAT THE FUCK. SERIOUSLY. WHAT?????????????? And again, why are the mosnters so fixated on annabeth? It's kinda weird?!!?!? Um. and I feel like just putting the invisible cap on medusa wouldn't have stopped her powers. also, the fight scene should have been more epic. whats with all the psychology. Just let the children eat burgers and kill medusa. jesus christ.

I don't quite get why percy is having trust issues in the show. in teh books, he's loyal to a fault. he doesn't even think to question that annabeth or grover would betray him. and that he only brought annabeth because he thought they wouldn't be friends? Sigh. Rick, if you're reading this, grrr

the last bit of the episode where percy ships the head to the gods (very impertinent!!!) (same font and same message as the book ahhhh!!!!!!!) and hermes delivering it to the 600th floor almost made up for the other nonsense. almost.

New York City babyyyyy I like it!

WHEW. overall, this episode drove me a little crazy, so I don't really know what to say. Hopefully next episode is better.

[paper-gold-theories]

Villainous Headcanon: GoldHeart Only Loves Himself

(Inspired by this Scene of Batman and Harley Quinn from Batman: The Animated Series - Mad Love)

----

Alternate Headcanon scene from Episode 6

After Flug left the room, Miss Heed realized Flug was not mind controlled and sent her followers to catch Flug.

After Flug and Demencia discussed their plan to take down Miss Heed, her followers managed to find and capture Flug, but fortunately Demencia managed to escape through the vents and was left uncaptured.

Miss Heed tried to blow a kiss and make Flug one of her simps again, but after her rant and accidental confession about using Flug for GoldHeart earlier, the kiss didn't work.

So, she ordered her followers to tie and hang Flug upside down on a pulley over the vat of her formula.

She figured the strengthened exposure from the vat would make the mind controll more effective.

Flug was left alone with Miss Heed after she dismisses her followers.

----

Flug, still disoriented: Heed...

Miss Heed, smirks: Sorry it had to turn out like this Fluggy. You know for what it's worth, I actually quite like you.

[Flug notices out of the corner of her eye that Demencia has captured the Heed-Cam and was recording the whole thing. He realizes that he can still make the plan work, but he needs to improvise.]

Flug: Why are you doing all this?

[Despite being a Hero and dropping out of Black Hat Academy, Flug knows that Cecilia is still a Villain at heart, and what Villains love to do the most is make the mistake of monologuing about their evil plans to their enemies.]

Miss Heed: Why? Well, I suppose I'll be nice and tell you since you won't remember after I lower you into this vat of formula…

Flug, thinking: (Whew, it's working...)

Miss Heed: Using my perfected perfume, I will become the most popular and beloved superhero and prove to GoldHeart I am useful and capable of helping him with his big plan.

Miss Heed, laughs: Then, GoldHeart will no doubt fall in love with me!

Flug, trying to process the information: ...You and GoldHeart?

Miss Heed, smirks: Yup, I know what you're thinking, and it’s understandable that you’re jealous, Flug.

Miss Heed: Because I know you love me as well. ~

Miss Heed: And I’m also already one of the most popular and beloved superheroes…but there comes a time when a girl wants more.

Miss Heed, deluded loving sigh: And now all this girl wants is to be at the top and settle down with her loving sweetheart. ~

Flug: haha…hahahahaha....

Miss Heed, shocked: ...I've never seen you laugh like that before.

Flug, louder: HaHaHaHaHa....

Miss Heed, shivers: I don't think I like it.

Flug, hysterical: HAHAHAHAHAHA!

Miss Heed: Cut it out! You're scaring me!

Flug: You blind lovesick fool.

Miss Heed: [shocked]

Flug: GoldHeart doesn't love anything except himself.

Flug: Wake up, Cecilia. He won't care how popular, loyal, or devotedly in love you are with him. Or even what you've done for him!

Flug: He made you a pawn in his scheme the moment you handed him my thesis...

[Flashback to when Miss Heed handed GoldHeart Flug's thesis:

Despite Heed claiming it to be her own formula, GoldHeart instantly recognizes Flug's messy handwriting in the notebook.

Knowing the value of Flug's brilliance and research, GoldHeart, despite thinking Miss Heed's power to evaporate liquids is useless (and making it clear to her), decides to offer Miss Heed a position in his super hero club Golden Rule, in exchange for helping him develop the formula to end Villainy.]

Miss Heed: …That's not…No…No!...You're wrong! GoldHeart is a Hero! He has a good heart! He would never do that!

Flug: He knows what to say to get people do what he wants then discards them once they go against his agenda or if he finds someone better to do the job.

Flug: ...Or even when they're no longer useful to him.

Miss Heed, desperate: He's a good person! He really is! He needs me!!

Flug: He wants your help with some "big plan" using my formula, right?

Flug: Let's say I help you perfect the formula and you hand it over to GoldHeart.

Flug: Other than helping with this formula, did he ever mention any other reason or purpose for you to be in the Golden Rule?

Miss Heed: ...I...well...Um...

Flug: Or even your future in the club after you've completed the formula?

Miss Heed, covers her ears with her hands in frustration: ...Stop it! You're making me confused!!

Flug: What do you think is going to happen to you afterwards, Cecilia?

Miss Heed, enraged: You're...You're the Villain!...YOU'RE THE PROBLEM!!

Miss Heed, goes to the pulley to forcefully drop Flug down to the vat: AND NOW YOU'RE GONNA BE A GOOD LITTLE FOLLOWER AND MAKE EVERYTHING RIGHT!!

----

Things afterwards happen somewhat similarly to Episode 6, but with some differences:

Miss Heed let's go of the pulley and it turns at high speeds, making Flug go downwards quickly. Just before Flug falls all the way down, Demencia comes in and catches Flug and pushes Miss Heed down the vat, unties Flug, then they escape.

Miss Heed's followers snapped out of their mind control after seeing Miss Heed's deluded confession for GoldHeart on her livestream. And she is captured by them and sent to jail.

The news still indirectly blames Flug for Miss Heed's arrest, twisting the story in the video saying that he was the one in charge of making the evil formula and with Miss Heed co-conspiring with him.

Flug still manages to convince Miss Heed to tell her about GoldHeart’s plan to end Villainy.

GoldHeart gets frustrated at Flug at putting a wrench in his plan and cringes at the damage control he has to do to fix his, P.E.A.C.E. and the Golden Rule's reputation after that video was leaked.

[letthemusicmoveyou28]

*2023 Fic Fest Participation*

I am late to this, but thanks for tagging me @allwaswell16!

Number of fests: 6

Number of fics: 9

Favorite fest/fic: It is way too hard to pick just one! But 2023 was the year that I fell back in love with fic writing again, and I know that participating in all of these fests had a lot to do with that. One of my favorite fics came from @omegaversekinktober23 and was Hold You With My Hands Tied. I loved creating that universe, and it was my first time attempting A/B/O!

Fest you would love to do again this year (if they come back): I would definitely love to do @louisrarepairfest again, it was a fun challenge for me! My fic for @romcom1dficfest will be coming out early this year. I’m already signed up for @1domegaverseficfest and really excited for the prompt I got! I am also looking forward to @1duntraditionalabofest, such a cool idea!

Tagging: Absolutely zero pressure, but I’m tagging @neondiamond @parmahamlarrie @ladyaj-13 and anyone else that might want to do it!

Fics and thoughts under the cut!

With the Bomb Lighting for @wankersday 2023

E, 4k, Louis/Harry - Rockstar Harry, Rolling Stone Journalist Louis, Strangers to Lovers, Video Sex, Mutual Mastrubation

This was my first time writing smut where the two characters were not in the same room together. The premise is silly and ridiculous and I had the most fun writing it. 😊 Hoping to participate again this year as long as an idea comes to me!

It’s Only Sunny Cause the Planet’s Dying for @1dastroficfest Round 2.

E, 13.6k, Louis/Harry - Enemies to Lovers, Con-artist Louis, Detective Harry, mild violence

Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes of all time, and I will happily die on that hill lol. The prompt I was given was Sappho, the Greek poetess whose work was deeply homoerotic and filled with love for her companions. In your chart Sappho shows you a place in your life where you feel affirmed. That was the aspect I decided to run with here. Two very different people who decided to stop worrying about what society wanted them to be or who they should love. I’d love to participate in round 3 of this fest as long as it fits into my schedule!

Hold You With My Hands Tied for @omegaversekinktober23

E, 12.4k, Louis/Harry - Omega Harry/Alpha Louis, BDSM Club, Strangers to Lovers

First of all, I had SO much fun participating in this fest. I loved figuring out what I wanted to write each week based on the prompts. I’m not sure if they are planning to do it again this year, but I will be there if they do! I absolutely fell in love with these characters and this AU, which is why I wrote another installment of it later on in the fest. 😉

Wearing You Like Clothes for @omegaversekinktober23

E, 5.9k, Louis/Harry - Omega Louis/Alpha Harry, Neighbors to Lovers, Louis in panties, breeding kink

Once I had the idea in my head, this is one of those ones that just sort of wrote itself. I loved writing the way that they realized their kinks lined up perfectly.

Wanna Make Your Body Numb for @omegaversekinktober23

E, 3.8k, Louis/Harry - Omega Harry/Alpha Louis, BDSM Club, Established Relationship, Exhibitionism, Cock Warming

This is part two of Hold You With My Hands tied, but it could probably be read on it’s own. I loved spending more time focusing on Harry discovering BDSM and that being submissive does not in any way mean giving up power, rather the opposite.

Chew You Up Like Candy for @omegaversekinktober23

E, 4.3k, Louis/Harry, Alpha Louis/Alpha Harry, Dom Louis/Sub Harry, Fucking Machine, Face Sitting

Whew! This one definitely challenged me, but in the absolutely best way. I was a little nervous to tackle an Alpha/Alpha pairing, but a really enjoyed exploring that dynamic. I guess Harry’s character in the fic and I both sort of went on that journey together lol. And I don’t know exactly why, but I think the smut scene in this one is one of my favorites I’ve ever written.

Slow Dance With the Tension for @1dtrickortreatfest

M, 666 words, Louis/Harry - Witch Harry/Human Louis, Established Relationship, Bratty Harry, Boys Kissing

I will admit, as a rambler it was very hard to keep this to the word count lol. But I had absolutely so much fun writing this one. Bratty witch Harry was just so self indulgent, and I loved writing Louis as his somewhat exasperated but fond and patient counterpart. Would love to participate in this fest again this year and maybe explore these two and this verse in another work at some point.

Got My Chaos Automatic for @louisrarepairfest 2023

E, 3.1k, Louis/Liam/Zayn - Poly Relationship, Canon Compliant, Dom Liam/Dom-Switch Zayn/Sub Louis

As evidenced by this list, I am no stranger to writing smut lol. This one was a little different from my usual though. First of all, I had never attempted a threesome before this and so there was some logistical things where I was like what do I do with all these people?? But I think I figured it out in the end lol. I also loved playing with their dynamics here. I purposely kept their relationship status a little vague, personally I just don’t really like a lot of labels and I felt it went well here. I also loved the idea of Louis putting up a bit of a fight mostly just because he really likes the struggle and he also knows how much his partners enjoy earning his submission. And I really loved writing Liam as the Dom who is a little strict but with the biggest heart. I felt like they all just fit together so well and were able to give each other exactly what they wanted/needed. I already said this at the top, but I’d love to participate in this fest again this year!

Stuck In Midnight Traffic for @1dchristmasfest 2023

M, 2.9k, Louis/Harry - Strangers to Friends (implied lovers), Harry has just left a verbally abusive relationship and Louis cheers him up

This was an idea that had been in my head literally for ages, and this fest seemed like the perfect opportunity to bring it to life! Hurt/Comfort fics are also a very loved genre of mine. And in the story Harry has a Christmas cactus named Kevin that never seems to bloom. That was actually inspired by my own plant (coincidentally named Kevin 😉), that I have had for over a decade now and took nearly 8 years to finally bloom. Sometimes things just take a little extra time and maybe some Christmas magic. 😊

[thegeminisage]

STAR TREK UPDATE TIME. last night we watched voy's "scorpion part i" and "the gift." I HAVE FINALLY MET SEVEN OF NINE

scorpion part ii:

ABSOLUTELY loved this one. idk why i was so surprised when seven turned out to be their borg liaison like i had no idea how they encountered her...i guess i was picturing them picking her up like a lost puppy because of hugh in tng

seven hot it must be said. we haven't gotten into the meat of it yet but i do like her. i was a little worried that after all this i wouldn't!

janeway dealing with the borg was sooo fun. literally her no-nonsense take-no-shit mode

i loved also that chakotay was the one to essentially borg meld with seven since he'd had the prior experience...mwah. give him a little borg trauma as a treat

i also really enjoyed janeway and chakotay realizing that seven was right - their fighting and going against each other is why they were losing. what if our future third reminded us that we needed to renew our wedding vows and we were both lost in space?

ESPECIALLY BECAUSE. like on what could have been her deathbed while she was slurring her words she made chakotay promise to do the thing. and immediately he decided to do the opposite even though it broke his heart. like SO TRUE they needed the reminder mom and dad were literally fighting

i have mixed feelings about janeway sort of forcing the detransition from borg onto seven. like yeah no human person wants to be borg especially not the little girl she was when she was assimilated but it's very hard to hear and ignore her wishes NOW when she's stating them so clearly, and when she's so obviously suffering. like i don't think she could have done any different or that i would have done any different but whew! rough

i also think chakotay was SICK with jealousy that tuvok got to go into the cube with janeway and he had to stay out on voyager. i bet tuvcok was so smug about it. idk why but it brings me so much joy to imagine them hating each other and as an extent maybe also fighting over janeway's affection, be it platonic or not

also, i can't remember if this was in this episode or the next one but the bit where seven was in her cell fucking SCREAMING na janeway was behind her grabbing her...sincerely hoping the dyke energy only gets better from here cuz that was gay as hell

the gift:

rip kes...i'll miss you

ik kes left bc they were having difficulties with the actress, but it still sucks that her exit was so dumb. like oh no her powers are going out of control and even though we fixed it every other time this time we can't! anyway bye!

i do appreciate the actresses crying for what felt like...you know, for real, during the goodbye. i almost welled up with them. and ten years closer to home!!! that's 13 years down, 57 to go...

kes is such a rare person in the voyager cast because she has so many connections. she's good friends with tom, she's gort tuvok and the emh as her mentors, janeway as like her fake mom, neelix as her romantic interest...she's connected to so many people. if you name anybody from the rest of the cast you'd get 2-3 connections at most. so it's sad to see her go

and like i hated neelix when he was with kes but their goodbye conversation was so lame. i still can't believe that's all we ever got about their breakup. fucking crazy

on the other hand, seven in this episode was so good, especially with like, b'elanna - her disdain and her sarcasm are useless against b'elanna who can dish it back out just as well and does not give one shit about seven's deal so long as she gets the ship working again. also? lots of women on screen during that scene. let's lez out.

and seven at the end remembering her favorite color :( i was surprised she relented in her willingness to be aboard so quickly - but it just shows that janeway genuinely did get through to her somehow. WOMEN!!!

TONIGHT: ds9's "a time to stand" and "rocks and shoals"

[twig-tea]

👬!

Thank you for the ask! The way I had to squint at this to confirm you were asking for side couple lol if I got it wrong tell me.

I don't often love a second couple because they don't get much plot and so are often rushed to keep time with the main couple, and UST is my jam, so I enjoy the cute but don't get invested the way other people seem to all the time. That being said, there are a few I absolutely love! Also you can't make me choose just one, I'm bisexual it's against the code.

Winner of my heart: My Engineer's Ram x King (also special bonus for surpassing Mek x Boss, which I went in to the show expecting to like best because I love friends to lovers); I love stories about men with suppressed emotions so, so much. Also mutual pining and UST. These two simmered for so many episodes!

La Pluie's Lomfon and Thian is my runner up and over time may overtake (we'll see if they actually get their promised sequel and if it makes things better or worse). They were so messy, had pinkie touches, forced-to-act-together AND forced-to-work-together tropes, one of the most heartbreaking confession scenes:

and then the false start and then fixed apology and the kiss! Such a great and satisfying arc for a side couple.

Second runner up (what) is About Youth's Ray and Ah Jian, mostly because the gender expression + these power dynamics in the tiny amount of scenes they had were just unstoppable.

Also final (LOL I am out of control) special mention for You're My Skyy's Dome and Vee for their UST alone, WHEW (apparently I love brothers in a doomed complex romance story? Did not know this about myself), and the gay uncles My Ride the Series (which isn't a "second romance" in the traditional sense but I love them so hard so they get a place here). And whoops I did a top 5.

[scarlethoodi]

Finally read Bloodmarked so it’s time to fully enter my Legendborn Cycle obsession era

Bree Matthew , daughter of sons, the girl that you. Let’s put a pause on the love triangle business and discuss the plot cause whew shit just be happening but if there’s one thing about her, no matter the cost she’s getting shit done (though she’s a bit unserious). Idk which moments were my favorite in how action packed and/or shocking they were: her putting a hole through Volition as she screamed after Vera, her and Sel witnessing Nick behead that one guy, Arthur taking over her body, her in Arthur’s dreamscape and entering that dragon form, etc. Honestly she’s going through too much

I enjoyed the group that we followed. Let it be known that Alice Chen is thee best friend of all times. I just loved her and Bree’s friendship-she learned how to do Bree’s hair 🥺 that’s a real one right there. And I really loved William, he’s such a sensible and empathetic guy. Especially his relationship with Bree, the way he called her out for thinking they only cared about saving her because of the order- he’s a healer and knight which will always be a great combo and you can just feel how much he loves Bree- so big brother coded. And if Alice doesn’t wake up I’ll march into that book and start fighting people myself- 3rd book she’ll be Legendborn huh? Anyone???

The love triangle was good, like idk maybe the trope isn’t that bad. And I like that Bree was able to have these emotions and romantic interactions. Her and Sel’s interactions would have me either screaming in frustration or giggling, so yeah the kiss scene was great. But never mind that cause Nick Davis you will always be famous. The first time she did her memory walk through Arthur’s memories and pulled him in as Lancelot- two kisses and god they’re so in love. And I know Sel says he doesn’t still have feelings for Nick but idk there’s something there. The way they both love Bree how she loves them both.

I loved the new characters, especially Valec the most. The way his character circled back to Bree’s first memory walk where she saw the enslaved woman who was impregnated by the Crossroads man. I think Larc was a pretty good addition too. And more importantly I loved the community of black women Bree is gaining around her. Like I think her Root powers were more interesting in general because there was always so much to be learned about it. The Regents made me uncomfortable. Those racist old white people just trying to trap Bree. And I don’t know or care how it happens but I need someone to beat Tor’s ass. The lead up to them getting Briana out of that place, those 5 minutes had me holding my breath but when she jumped into Alice’s arms in the car I pumped my fist up in celebration.

There’s a lot I want to say and gush about this series and I definitely want to start making fanart for it. Like this series and world is just so interesting to me, so I can’t wait to see how the author follows up in the future.

[goblinmatriarch]

Catching up on my tag games! I am sooo behind on them, sorry to the community 🙈🙈😅😅

Thanks for the tag @myrtlefics @boxboxlewis @teledild0nix

Rules: List the first line of your last 10 posted fics and see if there's a pattern 🧐

🧛: Draco woke to the shrilling of his alarm. Or, rather, he opened his eyes to the alarm; he had been awake for quite some time.

🧛: Draco woke to the shrilling of his alarm. He didn’t really need to do anything to get ready, not anymore, but he did anyway: shower, clean teeth, brush hair that always fell perfectly no matter what he did.

(I cheated and added a second line for each of these because one is a sequel and every scene opens like that)

🪈: Lee is balancing on the back two legs of his chair when Hozier drifts past like a fucking deer in a moonlit forest, right there in the middle of set.

📖: On the first anniversary of the war, Harry Potter refuses every invitation he receives in favour of babysitting his godson.

🐍: Draco stood up the moment the pilot announced that they could unbuckle their seatbelts, startled when everyone around him grumbled slightly and remained seated

🍆: I love dicks, but I loathe talking about them

🐎: Draco leaned out of the window of the carriage to take in the splendour of the court below.

⚽: Before Trent knew….well before he knew , Colin spent most of his time watching Trent for signs that Trent was watching him.

🍸: The vanilla vodka Greta has smuggled in tastes disgusting at first, but soon enough it mellows out on Carson's tongue, so she stops flinching every time she takes a sip of her vanilla vodka and sprite, and instead savours it on her tongue.

🧢: The reporter had been making his way around the event for so long that Carson had forgotten he was there, lost in giggling with Greta, leaning into her space, pressed shoulder to shoulder, ostensibly part of a group but with their faces turned towards each other, so close it would raise suspicion if they weren’t side by side.

Whew that is a lot of fics. No-pressure tagging @peachpety @thehoneybeet @mono-chromia @powerful-owl

[ewingstan]

Finished Twig

Alright, some thoughts. Whew.

This will be mostly on the epilogues, because that’s what I have on my mind and that’s what I have the most to say about. But I have a lot to say on the whole thing, so please ask me anything about the story, its end, and its characters, because I’d love the chance to put my thoughts down. I know I have some character asks I need to get to, feel free to keep sending those in. 

I feel confident in saying I love at least three of the epilogues. There’s a triptych in Red, Shirley, and Emily’s stories about finding a way to live in a wasteland world. The devastated, lonely woman in the devastated, lonely landscape, wondering what they were even fighting for after so much was lost, and finding the bit of green that answers her. Shirely and Pierre getting their swansong scenes, flexing the problem-solving muscle they’ve built up as Sy and Jessie’s go-to competent people, showing that it will be difficult for the old order of things to reestablish itself. Emily getting to live and to love and to be loved, to rub impropriety in propriety’s personified faces, to start living the type of life we’d all hope to be living if Twig’s technology was made available (that is, taking full advantage of body modification with our partners and then going at it like rabbits).

I am not sure at how I feel at the proposed ending Sy- sorry, Simon- gives the king. It fits with the world that Sy wanted when he was discussing that with Jamie and Helen, way back when. Constant conflict, no room for stagnation. But I worry about how much of a break from the order of things it will truly be. Was the problem really that the academies were stagnant? A lack of challenges wasn’t what led to the use of their population as experiment-fodder. Conflict would only make them less likely to hold back, as we saw since the start of civil war breaking out in the Crown States.

But maybe I’m being too short-sighted on this, and should be paying more attention to the promised end-state. Maybe the stagnation being prevented was the slate-wiping the Infante and his ilk seemed to desire, the plan to choke the world and come back in a few centuries to repopulate it with loyal lab-grown subjects. By contrast, the endstate Simon promises has the Nobles killed, the academies curtailed. The world not choked by power wedded to control. Red, Shirley and Emily’s chapters becoming prophesies, an example of what could come in a world where people don’t need to fear idle lesser nobles making their towns into play-places, or the academy forcing itself to be necessary for everyone’s survival.

I don’t know. Perhaps it’s all just the framing of things that was needed to convince Adam (which yes, I do love the full-circle detail of the king being fucking Frankenstein’s Monster, absolutely terrific as the final tidbit of worldbuilding we get). Or maybe I’m wrong to try and find something resembling a happy ending resulting from this plan. Lord Simon’s narration certainly seemed to suggest that he had left all semblances of morality to his past self. But I don’t really think Simon should be considered separate from Sy. This was a story about growing up. “The poisonous child wasn’t a child anymore.” “Lambs grow up, and then they aren’t lambs anymore.” Simon is Sy, grown up, in the most circuitous way possible but the only way his fucked-up psyche could really allow. His conversation with Duncan confirmed it for me: what if I’m different from the person I was, when I became attached to these people? What if I’m just putting in new hooks? Simon framed it in his head as manipulation, because that’s what he is, but really that just describes any group that stays together over time. No one stays the same, and if we stay together its because we’ve found things to like in the people we’ve become.

At the end of things, all Simon’s done is given himself the biggest bug-box to shake yet, with his friends at his side grown into Nobles and Doctors. Crown and academy wedded together in a way the originals couldn’t be. I can see why Lord King Adam took the deal—sure, he’s at the head, but its of a beast he can’t even really steer at this point. Like professor Lawrence seeing the Infante as something he needed to flow with until he was given a good argument for taking a fucking harpoon gun to the bastard, Adam helms a system whose momentum seems predestined to take it to a place no one would actually want, but whose avoidance would mean the Crown and Academy giving up power and control. The Lambs are offering to force that avoidance for him.

Alright this got a bit meandering. Final thoughts: I still think this is the best of the three wildbow works I’ve read so far. Worm finished stronger for me, but then, Worm had one of the best endings I’ve gotten the pleasure of experiencing in any medium. I might prefer being in the headspace of Taylor over Sy, at least marginally. But the character interactions, the worldbuilding, the struggle with how to have meaningful relationships when you’re a perfect manipulator, the fact that we get to see such a large cast change and mature— its truly amazing writing. Thanks, WB. This one has been a ride.

...

Now, do I have the willpower to go even a day before starting the Glow-worm chapters?