#this is only a section from the fully conversation (which I've already posted. I didn't realize this part was missing until now)

[royalarchivist]

Fit: Pac– this isn't you, you're just– I know you're all happy and stuff, and this medicine is making you feel good, but it's not reality. It's not reality.

Pac: [Shouting] And what is reality, Fit?! What is reality?! The reality that we have is like, just wait until the Eggs show up, or just wait for something to happen! I'm cool with my medicine, you know? I'm cool with Cucurucho helping me! It's making me feel way more better! So that's the reality for me, you know. Reality is the thing that you accept, so I'm accepting this as my reality. [He sighs, then says in a quieter voice] Sorry, Fit. Sorry, I just– sorry. I didn't mean to scream at you, sorry.

Fit: No, listen Pac– you need help. I know you– do you even remember why you took this medicine in the first place?

Pac: [In a quiet voice] 'Cuz I didn't have any other choice, you know. I was hopeless. It was my only choice, to use the medicine. That's all. [In a quieter voice, starting to mumble] That's why I'm gonna- I'm gonna still- gonna use it.

Fit: Look Pac–

Pac: –until I forget what happened, and that's it! That's what I'm going to do.

Fit: I know you're still in there somewhere, Pac. I know you still remember everything. I need you to remember.

Pac: [Mumbled] ...I will remember– I won't– I don't want to, I don't want to. I just want to- to build my home alone, ok Fit? I'm- I'm sorry.

[fuckyeahgoodomensfanfic]

Good Omens Fic Rec: What We Make of It (Shotgun Wedding)

The important thing, Crowley tells himself -- the most important thing -- is Adam, his brilliant, creative, empathetic nephew. Being fourteen's hard enough; the kid didn't ask to deal with the weight of the world on top of it. And if taking care of Adam means Crowley has to tough it out at a job he can’t stand, so be it. And if Crowley's job means that Adam’s charming English teacher is NOT a romantic possibility, well, that's just how things go. But the occasional drink with Aziraphale proves hard to resist. They frequent the same pub, so who can object to them saying hello? Briefly sharing a table? Perhaps a little conversation? The painful knowledge that it can’t be anything more -- not without somebody getting fired or sued or both -- well, that can't be helped. Until Crowley stumbles onto a terribly reckless idea...

Length: 213,340 words

AO3 Rating: Explicit / Spice Level 🔥🔥

Best for: Safe in Public, Human AU, Slow Burn, Pick-Me-Up

Triggers: None

Read it here, fic by charlottemadison

*Minor Spoilers* I was so certain that I had already posted about this one! When I saw I hadn't, well, that just warranted a reread didn't it! This is a very famous fic, so I wouldn't be surprised if you've already read this. But if you haven't, or maybe didn't know if it was worth committing to the length, I'm here to tell you its very much worth your time.

Not only is this an excellent parent story, it's also a fake marriage story! Crowley is a single parent to his nephew Adam who strikes up a friendship with Adam's English teacher Mr. Fell. The problem? The company Crowley works for has a strict rule against dating anyone in the School Industry. You know, it's a tiny bit dramatic, but also one of the cleverer ideas to justify writing a forbidden relationship. Does this happen in real life? I don't know, but the way this is written I fully believe it could! Either way, there's a loophole they can exploit so they can be together, and all it takes is a quick, "I do."

Ugh their relationship is so wonderful here. It's very mature and healthy, the kind of relationships we want to read about because they are just so safe. They're able to talk through their issues and feelings and know they're always going to be supported. The love they have is so heartwarming it’s sickening. A lot is told through letters and text messages, which I personally loved. These are different characters from canon, they've both been changed by their human lives and surroundings, but this story just understands who they are deep down. They're not shallow characterizations.

Who this story really gets right is Adam. I full on believe this is the best handling of Adam in any fanfic I've read for Good Omens. A majority of the plot revolves around him being narcoleptic and epileptic. It has tons of amazing things to say about health care, being chronically ill, and being a parent to a child with health issues. But outside of that it understands who Adam is. Someone who is brilliant, creative, a leader, manipulative, arrogant. And how those traits can be both positive and negative for him. He wants to change the world, but has some learning to do along the way. I loved him, and I love how much Crowley loves being a dad. He even remarks on it, that people don't expect men to love being parents. It's nice to read a story of such a devoted guardian.

A really excellent story, it deserves it's popularity! I would say this is largely safe for public. There are a couple explicit scenes tucked in but they are skippable and a small section of a large story. Which by the way, will fly by! This story does NOT feel like 200K words. If you haven't gotten around to this one, I highly suggest you do!

Read it here, fic by charlottemadison

[arcadiabaytornado]

idk if you’ve done this before and i missed it, but if you could rewrite the entirety of Before The Storm what would you do? i know it’s a loaded question but i’m curious.

Oh wow, this is a loaded ask. Which is fantastic because those are my favorite kinds! Not to write a book (I say, fully knowing that I am going to write a book), but I would personally:

Change Chloe's Dynamic With David:

A: David and Chloe ending Before The Storm on semi good terms (if you make certain choices) has never made a ton of sense to me considering what we see in Life Is Strange. So I would start Episode 1 with David and Chloe on mostly negative terms, and then end Episode 3 with them on bad terms. I would also have David be already living with them for a few months by the time the game starts. For an example of how I would show their relationship deterioration:

More Undercut (And by more undercut I mean I went all the way to M. This is one of those "I'm having a stage ten autism event," posts.)

B: In Episode 1 I would have them make small talk about the music to show that their dynamic isn't at the point where they fight constantly. However, then Joyce makes David drive Chloe to school, and when he drops her off he tells her not to worry Joyce by sneaking out. Then in Episode 2, Chloe would be called to the office for skipping school with Rachel. In the parking lot, David's controlling side would show and he would be angry that the she "disobeyed his orders". They get into an argument that leads to Chloe storming off. Then in Episode 3 when she (Spoilers for a later section) comes back from her failed escape attempt with Rachel, David is fucking livid that he's told her something twice and she hasn't obeyed. They get into a fight where Chloe says that David isn't her Dad and David responds by grabbing her arm and trying to force her to listen to him. They have a small scuffle, but Chloe gets her arm free and leaves the house.

Change Things About Rachel's Parents:

C: Rachel's Dad being an overprotective DA doesn't line up with what we're told in Life Is Strange about him not looking for her. So, I would personally change Rachel's parents to be people who really care about their image, but not their daughter. They would want Rachel to be seen, but not heard. Which obviously puts them into conflict with Rachel, who is very defiant about that idea.

D: Instead of Rachel seeing James kiss Sera under the tree, Rachel would be set off by a an ugly text from her Father. He'd get onto her after learning that Rachel rebelled by skipping school with Chloe, and Rachel would talk to Chloe about how she didn't realize how bad her family was when she was younger. This conversation is what lead's to the tree being set on fire. (I'd also have the fire be smaller and more contained so it would make more sense why Rachel and Chloe presumably never got in trouble over it.)

Remove The Sera/Damon Plotline:

E: I hate this plotline, so I would remove all of it. I've said before that I would remove the drug plotline entirely, but on further thought I think I'd actually use this plotline to explain more of Chloe and Frank's dynamic and how it got to where Chloe can kill him in Life Is Strange.

F: Chloe would call Frank early in Episode 2 and ask if she could borrow some money from him. She would have the intention of using it to escape from Arcadia before Frank could get it repaid, but Frank says that he won't worry about the repayment if Chloe will steal the money Drew owns him.

G: Instead of staying with Mikey or confronting Damon, Chloe would be caught by Mikey, who would ask what she was doing in Drew's room. At this point, she could lie and steal the money or come clean and return it to him.

H: If you return the money or pocket it for Chloe and Rachel, Frank will be pissed and say the only reason he isn't loosing his shit on Chloe is because Rachel is around and she's a "good kid." (I will not let y'all forget that Rachel was 15 and Frank was 28.) But he'll say he'll be willing to give her another chance with his cash if she's willing to add finical interest to what he loans her. If you give Frank the money then he'll thank Chloe and say that he's open to giving her more cash in the future, but he expects that it'll be paid back to the penny.

Explore Why Rachel And Chloe Never Left Arcadia Bay In Episode 3

I: Since the drug plot's mostly gone, Episode 3 would have a different plot. I would have Chloe and Rachel leave Arcadia Bay at the end of Episode 2 and open Episode 3 with them in some diner in a small town outside of Arcadia. Rachel would be giddy and talk to Chloe about everything they were going to do now that they're out of Arcadia.

J: However, Chloe is struggling being in a diner that isn't the Two Whales. She's worried about leaving Joyce despite their tense relationship since she's already lost one parent. She's also worried about the truck because she's never fixed a car before. She's realistic enough to know that it might not make it all the way to LA. Chloe talks about her fears and Rachel is too desperate to leave to really take in the worries Chloe has. Though reality does get to her a bit when the waiter brings the bill for their big breakfast and they realize how much it costs just to eat.

K: At this point Chloe has realized that this isn't sustainable. At least, not right now. They don't have anywhere to go. They don't have enough cash to last for long. The car they have barely runs. She tells Rachel that they should go back for now, and Rachel spirals a bit. She accuses Chloe of giving up on their dream when it's in their grasp, and Chloe has to backtalk her down. If she wins the backtalk, then Rachel will realize that she's right and solemnly agree to back. If Chloe loses the back talk then Rachel is furious with her, but agrees to return with her simply because she doesn't have the resources to go to LA alone. However, if Chloe loses the backtalk, the Rachel is notably colder to her for the rest of the game.

L: Chloe would drop Rachel off at her house, and then would go back home to face Joyce. This is where the confrontation with David would happen. Chloe would go back to the junkyard afterward, and would call Rachel to ask if they could meet up. Rachel would agree to meet with her once it got dark since she was grounded for leaving.

M: This is the final scene. Chloe would try to make everything up to Rachel by projecting stars on the ceiling on the junkyard hangout. Rachel would be amazed that Chloe made such a sincere effort to cheer her up, and the girls would spend a moment watching the stars before Rachel turned to Chloe. She would ask "Chloe. Do you think we'll ever really get out of Arcadia Bay?" and Chloe can make her final choice in the game...she can tell Rachel either "I don't know" or "I hope so." The choice holds no consequence because their ending has been decided. It won't change no matter what Chloe says in the moment. Yet, fate spins along, and Rachel accepts what Chloe has to say. The game closes with them watching the fake stars together, contemplating their fake future.

So uh...sorry for the entire book, but that's what I would do personally!

[nebulouscoffee]

💋when you leave comments on a fic, do you want to hear back from the writer?

🕯️was there a fic that was really hard on you to write, or took you to a place you didn't think it would take you?

💥find your least kudos'd fic - say something wonderful about it.

Thank you for the ask! <3

💋when you leave comments on a fic, do you want to hear back from the writer?

Answered here :)

🕯️was there a fic that was really hard on you to write, or took you to a place you didn't think it would take you?

'Pretenders' hasn't been hard to write exactly, but it's definitely been very, very nerve-wracking to share- I started posting it last year just before my brand-new-to-sharing-fic adrenaline wore off and suddenly made posting any of my writing unimaginably scary lol, so I've been dragging it out for my poor readers ever since. But what happened as a result was, I was so surprised and reassured and deeply touched by the enthusiasm and generosity with which people ended up engaging with this story and their willingness to follow me into thorny and complicated places that it actually changed the fic's trajectory a little! When I started posting it, it was pretty much fully complete on my laptop- I was always more happy with the first half than the second, which felt slightly less interesting and unique to these characters to me. I thought the concepts of self-aware narratives and performance and "pretending" as an analytical lens through which to view Garak and the Garak/Bashir relationship was far more interesting than what I'd done with it, and I was right! I was already feeling the urge to rework the latter half- and midway through sharing the fic (somewhere around chapter 6 or so) I had the thought, wow these people are really engaging with my story so thoughtfully and intelligently, I want to give them something more intelligent to engage with! So while this fic's ending has remained unchanged from my original idea, the how-we-get-there of it all has gone through quite a few rewrites. I'm much happier with how this version is turning out- I truly treasure the fascinating conversations people have been starting in the comment sections too, they have inspired me to make this fic so much better <3

💥find your least kudos'd fic - say something wonderful about it.

I turned off stats a long time ago, so I don't actually know what my least kudos'd fic is- if I were to guess, it's probably either 'The Trill with the Golden Gun' (which is an Ezri-centric jezri fic) or 'Under Your Skin' (which is very, very gen). Hmm... I like the former because I think it's conceptually interesting, there aren't many fics to my knowledge that focus on Julian/Ezri's breakup that aren't ultimately about Getting Them Together With The Actual Love Of Their Life (they do break up here, but only because Ezri joins Section 31 in a misguided attempt to take it down from the inside lol). I think some of the darker moments do actually work and I haven't personally come across any Section 31 fics that centre Ezri (though ofc I'm not assuming there aren't any!) so it's got uniqueness going for it at least. As for 'Under Your Skin'.... uhhhh it has a scene where Jake and Nog stink bomb a Changeling I guess? (I'm bad at this😂)

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

Hi, BMT! I loved your essay on Jimin's photobook. I especially enjoyed your take on the Lesbian Butch section of the book. I've been crazy about that concept since it was revealed, I have to say that's probably my favorite Jimin™ ever, and I desperately look forward to him further exploring that path.

When the photoshoot sketch came out, I really wanted an in-depth explanation of his choices and the entire creative process. It felt like he had dropped an overwhelming amount of information that we were not used to getting from him, and I wanted to know everything. Honestly, I didn't expect him to actually do it, and I'm glad he didn't because it opens the gates to an array of interpretations and analyses the others failed to provoke. What I would like, though, is to know what he likes, what he enjoys, what he consumes. He rarely shares any of that with us, but I would love to know what's the inspiration behind the concepts, the stylistic choices, and just, in general, I guess. What movies does he like? What does he read? Is he super into Greek mythology or just fascinated by Artemis specifically? Speaking of which, I'm still obsessed by the choice of Artemis as a leitmotif and how it becomes of particular relevance in the last concept where he takes on both the roles of the God/ess and the deer, the hunter and the prey.

Damn, I want my photobook to arrive already so I can look at it forever 😔

Hey, anon! Thanks for stopping by. I wrote that essay to also start a conversation or hear other opinions, so I appreciate this.

The concept that had Jimin is a suit was the most fascinating for me as well because initially, it was a bit difficult for me to pin point what exactly was I seeing there. As I mentioned in that post and even in my first reaction a couple of months ago, my mind went immediately to Victor/Victoria, except the process we see here was in reverse. And not only that, but a bit more complex. I had endless discussions about this with some of my friends, especially since I couldn't come up with the appropriate term. It gave me a bit of a headache and made me delay writing the post, but thankfully, I stumbled on to that James Dean essay and I had that Evrika! moment. It still made a bit wary to use that concept and terminology, but as long as I was able to build an argument based on something that was already researched and not just my imagination, then I felt it was safe to go in that direction.

When I did the research for the piece, I went back and rewatched the making of, trying to see if I missed some key information. But what I realized once again, is that Jimin barely reveals anything in interviews. He was specifically asked about each concept, but he avoided giving the suitable answer, choosing instead to say something generic, that wasn't particular to what photoshoot he was doing. At the same time, I can fully understand this strategy. All the reactions and think pieces on the photofolio on every platform, from twitter, tiktok, to tumblr, seem to interpret it as having a big theme and if it's any close to what Jimin wanted to express, then I see why not getting into details might be the best approach. After all, the concepts are supposed to represent his inner self (his words) and perhaps it's best to leave the photos to speak for themselves. Which they obviously do. Jimin is subtle and straightforward simultaneously, for those who are willing to pay attention. He's smart and everything he does is intentional. Anyone underestimating him or downplaying the obvious symbolism in his concepts either doesn't want to pay attention or is not comfortable with what they clearly can observe.

P.S. I'm still waiting for my photo-folio as well, I hope it gets here before Christmas at least 🙏

[jimmygibbsjrrr]

I have a lot of thoughts about the Slaters

namely, I've been wonderin why the Fairfield Survivors got thrown off the boat in Death Toll

in this panel of The Sacrifice comic, Francis confirms the fates of three of the rescue vehicles:

Image ID:

A panel from The Sacrifice: Part 1. Francis is sat in the rescue vehicle from Blood Harvest, speaking to Louis. His dialogue is as follows:

"Louis, I hate to be the one to break this to ya, but we been heading to the safe zone four times now. Helicopter: crashed. Plane: crashed. Boat: kicked us out and left us to die."

/end ID

the chopper from No Mercy was confirmed crashed in Crash Course, and as for the plane from Dead Air, it was pretty easy to guess (and would have been confirmed in the cut campaign Dam It).

but the part about the boat? that's the Slaters' boat from Death Toll. this is the first time we learn this information.

so...why? what happened?

(more under the cut, ended up writing wayyyy more than I expected over these past few days and don't wanna clog people's dashes lol)

so. let's take a quick dive into the last chapter of Death Toll, to see what we can discern about the Slaters from their dialogue.

the rescue vehicle in Death Toll is a civilian boat, Saint Lidia II, owned by John and Amanda Slater, a married couple. Amanda is never heard in-game, but John's reactions to her can be heard over the radio.

the Slaters are explicitly looking for "anyone out there with firearms". John later adds that "once you get on this boat? Your job is keeping our asses alive". it appears that their motivation for saving the Survivors is selfish from the get-go.

this is undoubtedly true in Amanda's case, however, some of John's lines betray a more selfless attitude. he will berate Amanda for not "think[ing] about the little guy". he will ask, "So what, then? We leave 'em to die? I can't do that, Amanda." whilst Amanda is thinking purely of their own survival, John still feels compassionate towards his fellow survivors. despite this, he says that "I don't want our first act of kindness to be our last", acknowledging the conflict between his compassion and his self-preservation.

so. these are the Survivor's saviours in Death Toll. a conflicted married couple looking for bodyguards, offering to take the Survivors upriver to a military safe zone in exchange for protection.

as for why they get thrown off the boat...well, the easiest explanation would be Amanda.

but, stay with me here, because I think it's a little more complicated than that.

this boat? fulla tension. there's the obvious tension between the Slaters, who we've established seem to fight and disagree regularly. then there's the inevitable tension between them and the Survivors. I reckon Louis, with his generally positive and friendly attitude, wouldn't have much of a problem with them, might even attempt some friendly conversation or something. however, he's about the only one.

the comic fully establishes Bill as caring about nobody except the Fairfield Survivors - the most obvious evidence of this being the words he lives and dies by, "we look after our own". he isn't particularly interested in other people, unless they can help the group out. and he'd likely recognise the unstable and conditional nature of their rescue. while I'm sure he'd try and keep the peace, in any reasonable disagreement or fight Bill's likely to take his friends' side, and if anyone's getting thrown off the boat Bill is going with them. this goes for the whole group, to be honest; I don't think they'd want to split up at this point.

Francis hates boats, hates water, and can't swim, so (and I'm getting a little speculate-y here) would probably be in an even sourer mood than usual on the journey. being as abrasive as he is, plus this additional stress, it's fully possible he could piss off the Slaters enough to get himself (or all of them) thrown off the boat.

as for Zoey? well, I don't imagine a married couple who constantly argues is gonna sit well with her, considering her backstory. similarly to Francis, the situation they're in would make her far more stressed, making it more likely for her to lash out.

Amanda didn't want to save the Survivors in the first place, so while I think that John wouldn't throw them off the boat without reason, I reckon she could persuade him to throw them off if they 'caused trouble' - and they would get into an argument with her far easier than they would with John.

in short: yeah, I can see them getting thrown off the boat by the Slaters after some huge fight or disagreement. I think that's a reasonable interpretation of canon, and definitely an interesting concept.

...however, I do wonder if this tension would really be enough to destabilise their mutual need, after everything they went through to come together.

which is why I'm going to bring up The Last Stand!

I gotta quickly address something before this segment: yeah, I'm totally aware this campaign isn't canon. this evidence works with the fact that it exists in an 'alternate timeline'. also, I am missing a few citations for this section - if anyone can provide them I'd really appreciate it, but just a disclaimer that I currently can't prove some of the things the wiki claims members of the Last Stand Community Update Team have said. here and here are the wiki pages where I got this information. in short - the above explanation is simpler and more canon compliant, the conclusion I draw at the end of this post is backed by shakier evidence but I believe is more interesting, and you can make of all that what you will.

allegedly, members of the Last Stand Community Update Team confirmed a strongly-suspected fan theory about The Last Stand: that it branches off from Death Toll in some way, in a non-canon alternative timeline. as well as this, they allegedly confirmed that in this alternative timeline, the Survivors still end up in Newburg for Dead Air. even without the confirmation, this remains a solid fan theory, due to the constant references to Riverside and re-use of many of Death Toll's assets.

who rescues the Survivors in The Last Stand? John Slater. no Amanda - just John. despite her lack of voice actress, if she was still present John would give some indication of this at some point. it can be speculated that whatever happened to her contributed to the lack of rescue at the boathouse that forced the Survivors to take an alternative route. either way, he ends up at the lighthouse when the Survivors call for rescue, alone, and picks them up.

and then later...throws them off the boat. into Newburg.

what reason would John have to do that? without Amanda, surely he wouldn't have that push, as he wanted to rescue the Survivors for multiple reasons in the first place. without his constant arguments with Amanda, Zoey wouldn't be nearly as stressed. and between the three of them I'm sure the other Fairfield Survivors would stop Francis from pissing John off enough to get them thrown off the boat. in short, less Amanda = less tension, and no reason for the Survivors getting chucked off the boat.

...right?

I'd like to remind you that a symptom of the Infection is paranoia.

what if, in both The Last Stand and Death Toll, John and Amanda are infected by the Survivors on the way to the military safe zone? after all, the virus is confirmed to occasionally be airborne, and I doubt two civilians have completely effective, sustained protection against that. likely the only reason they hadn't already been Infected is because they got out on the water early on in the pandemic, and hadn't come into contact with anyone else since. it's unlikely that one of them is immune, and even more unlikely that they're both immune (especially considering those with XX chromosomes may be genetically less likely to be carriers). wouldn't Francis have mentioned it if their rescuers turned or were obviously Infected? yes, but it's possible that the airborne strain works slower as well, meaning that the Survivors are thrown off of the boat after the symptoms kick in but before the Slaters fully turn. even Church Guy had at least an hour from being Infected to turning, and he was bitten. Newburg isn't too far from where the Survivors are rescued in Death Toll anyway (the burning city in the background of the finale is Newburg), so the Survivors clearly didn't last long on the boat anyway. as a result, the Survivors wouldn't realise it was the Infection intensifying the Slaters' paranoia - they'd just think the Slaters were being dicks. Francis also explicitly mentions that they were "left to die", implying negativity or even hostility from the Slaters as the Survivors were being thrown off.

so yeah. that's why I think they got thrown off of the boat in Death Toll - a combination of the intense tension between the two parties, and the Slaters falling victim to Infection-induced paranoia. but an explanation minus the Infection is equally as plausible. it all depends on what you find most interesting, I suppose, and both feel like they fit pretty well into the world.

lord this is a long chunk o text. I know most fandoms prefer art and fanfic over this sorta thing, so please let me know in replies or something if you're interested in more stuff like this. also if any of this makes sense because I like to ramble.

oh and if you'd like to use any of my interpretations in fanworks like art or fic, I'd love to see it :)