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lol-jackles · 9 months

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Hi. Your blog is still on alarm on my dash. Really enjoying your opinions.

If your time allows you, I’d like to know your opinion & reviews on SPN 9X13.

"The Purge" has Sam and Dean go undercover in a health spa after finding a link to deaths where the victims have lost their entire fat reserve. They discover the owners are a pair of Peruvian monsters, a sister and brother who parallel Sam and Dean; the sister wants to co-exist with humans and help them by siphoning off surplus unwanted fat for food, the other only want to feed and more he tries his sister's way, the hungrier he got until he succumbs to his nature and kills for food. This foreshadow Dean's struggle to live with the Mark of Cain until he couldn't, increasingly becoming "hungry" as the season went on. Sam have lived and adapted with his freakish, "unclean" nature for so long that he is fully functional even if he never makes peace with it.

One of the strengths of Supernatural is their stand-alone/MotW/filler episodes usually advance the season-long arcs and even get referenced or talked about in later episodes. Despite Sam and Dean’s church codependent commitment ceremony in season 8's finale, they still got baggage and hence Dean lying about the extreme, desperate measures he took to save Sam’s life in season 9's premiere and keeping him in the dark. Once Sam found out, he is angry and bewildered by Dean’s actions that he sees as betrayal, and draws up boundaries as a way of saving his relationship with Dean. But from Dean’s pov the new boundaries were walls set to destroy what is between him and Sam. So Dean conflated saving Sam from the Peruvian monster in this episode to saving Sam in those 2 previous episodes in attempt to remove the wall between them that Sam set up.

Remember, Dean isn't going to learn the same lesson each season, which is why he made Sam's anger over the Gadreel possession about his (Dean) own issue and left Sam alone (with Cas in the bunker) to hunt down Gadreel... only to run into Cain got the Mark to, huh, kill Abaddon instead for some reason.

Understandably Sam is frustrated as the 3 incidents were not the same: in the church, Dean told Sam the truth that the ritual will cause his death and promised Sam not only will they find another way, that he would never put some one else before Sam. Dean wasn't hiding information from Sam. Dean saving Sam from the Peruvian monster was a straightforward action, no underhanded agenda. So Sam told Dean the unvarnished truth: Dean didn't want to be alone. This gets brought up again by Billie in season 11's "Red Meat", and in season 13','s "Advanced Thanatology" Dean tells Billie that he's dragging down Sam.

Sam's admission that he wouldn't save Dean under "same circumstances" means he wouldn't selfishly save Dean for personal gains, or without vital information. Back in season 3 he first sought Dean’s agreement to use the immortality serum instead of giving it to him without informing him ahead of time. Sam was ready to die in the hospital (season 9 premiere) and Dean essentially violated a do-not-resuscitate order (DNR). Nobody can really blame Dean for wanting to save Sam's life at any cost, but he fails to see things from Sam's pov that led to him needing boundaries in the first place.

I found the scene of Dean immediately recognizing roofies pretty on-the-nose. He said he didn't want to end up missing kidneys while traveling in little known places, which, yeah good idea, so why didn't Sam know what roofies look like? I took it as callback to when Sam didn't know he was being possessed by Gadreel under Dean's watch.

"The Purge" was one of the weaker MotW episodes but it still gets the job done of advancing the main storyline arcs. It started out as a lighter filler episode and ended with a "truth hurts" bite that leaves a deeply wounding mark that set off a fierce fandom debate.

#supernatural #the purge #9x13

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harrowreads · 1 year

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❥ Yoongi Fic Recs

❣ Each blurb gives a glimpse of the contents of each fic, but be sure to read the warnings before proceeding! ❣

Yoongi is my main bias + main obsession so plz don't perceive the length of this list, okay. It's going to be absolutely ridiculous.

❥ 12 Lays of Christmas: Day 2 by minisugakoobies | drabble, tumblr ↳ Gift wrapping with your boyfriend goes a little awry. ❣ Gender Non-Specified Reader ❣ smut, pwp | established relationship ↻ read my review

❥ All That Holly Jolly Sh*t by daechwitatamic | oneshot, tumblr ↳ You haven’t seen or heard from Yoongi since he broke your heart five years ago, laying out a logical list of reasons why you were better off breaking up. When a Christmas Eve blizzard traps you together for the night, you have no choice but to examine how few of those reasons are still true. And if they’re not… where does that leave you? ❣ Female Reader ❣ smut, fluff, angst | exes to lovers ↻ read my review

❥ Best Served Cold by anotherbtswriter | series, tumblr ↳ Yoongi shields his eyes from the flames. Smoke coats his throat, and he pants for breath. As he lies on the wet pavement, he realizes that this Molotov cocktail, this cheap-ass, dime-store intimidation tactic currently burning through his club, is a plan to intimidate him. First, he was annoyed. Now he’s pissed. ❣ Female Reader ❣ smut, fluff, angst | exes to lovers ↻ read my reviews: ch. 1, ch. 2, ch. 3, ch.4

❥ Blackthorn by sweetestofchaos | series, tumblr ↳ Min Yoongi, the last Emperor of the Joseon dynasty was betrothed to a foreign Princess from the time he could walk. The two exchanged many letters and gifts over the years as their love bloomed. Emperor Yoongi loved his Princess and it was on their wedding day that he was finally able to express his true feelings with his actions and not just his words. The love story of Emperor Yoongi and Empress Keena has been passed down from generation to generation; a love story so strong that it had surpassed the passage of time. Now a millennium later, the Emperor and Empress have been reborn at the same time…will history repeat itself or will the two become victims of the difficulties placed in their path? ❣ Female Reader ❣ smut, fluff, angst | strangers to lovers, arranged marriage au, soulmate au, fantasy ↻ read my reviews: ch. 1, ch. 2, ch. 3, ch. 4, ch. 5, ch. 6, ch. 7, ch. 8, ch. 9, ch. 10, ch. 11, ch. 12

❥ Cybersex by gimmethatagustd | oneshot, tumblr ↳ The whole point of being a phone sex hotline operator is that you’ll never have to meet your clients. So what are you supposed to do when you find out your favorite client is your brother’s best friend? ❣ Female Reader ❣ smut, fluff, humor | brother's best friend, friends to lovers ↻ read my review

❥ Defrosting Ivy by moccahobi ↳ In a world where the 3 apex predators (humans, vampires, and werewolves) have been in a long standing power imbalance, Y/n is tasked with going undercover as a diplomat for the start of peace talks. What do they need to do? Find a talisman their organization has managed to identify as vital in resolving the conflict and ensuring the safety of all humans. ❣ Female Reader ❣ fluff, angst | supernatural au, enemies to lovers ↻ read my review

❥ Devil Town by park-jimin-isnt-real | series, tumblr ❥ Chapter 1: Somewhere Lost - the guide ↳ You wake up on a bench in a forest, with no memory before then or recollection of how you got there. The person greeting you gives you three options: going into the Great Unknown (to never be seen again), wandering the woods (until you become an Edelwood tree), or spending a month in Devil Town. ❣ Female Reader ❣ platonic, light angst | over the garden wall au, speculative ↻ read my review

❥ Drip by here2bbtstrash | oneshot, tumblr ↳ When Yoongi makes the bold statement that any girl can squirt, you decide to call him on his bluff. ❣ Female Reader ❣ smut, pwp | friends to lovers ↻ read my review

❥ F*ck Christmas by sailoryoons | oneshot, tumblr ↳ Making hating Christmas your entire personality was never the plan. Then again, it seems bad things only ever happen around Christmas - like discovering your fiancé cheating on you, forcing you to move back to your sleepy hometown. But Min Yoongi happens to love Christmas, and if there is one thing your very stubborn childhood crush is going to do, it’s try to reignite your Christmas spirit. Even if he has to force-feed it to you with gingerbread cookies and too-sweet eggnog. ❣ Female Reader ❣ fluff, smut, humor | friends to lovers ↻ read my review

❥ Good Fortune & A New Beginning by moonleeai | oneshot, tumblr ↳ Grumpy neighbor Yoongi is secretly a softie. ❣ Female Reader, 1st person ❣ fluff | strangers to lovers ↻ read my review

❥ If Walls Could Talk by btsrunmyiife | unfinished oneshot, tumblr ↳ You’re part of a web series of paranormal investigators that take cases from clients who believe their homes are haunted. While working in such close proximity, it’s only natural for some of you to gravitate toward one another – whether it be for stress relief or more. ❣ Female Reader ❣ smut | coworkers who fuck ❣ warnings: paranormal themes, mention of suicide ↻ read my review

❥ Invisible String by btsrunmyiife | series, tumblr ↳ Sometimes the hardest thing in life is letting yourself be seen. ❣ Female Reader ❣ queer, smut, fluff, angst | social media au, college au, strangers to friends to lovers ❣ warnings: topics of sexual assault & racial discrimination ↻ read my review

❥ Kick Up the Fire and Let the Flames Break Loose by ffion451 | series, tumblr ↳ Years after you gave up on him, Kim Taehyung appears back in your life: Are you the same person you were back then? Do you still love him? And why is it, with the supposed love of your life back, that you can’t stop thinking about the taciturn rapper who you has just come into your life? ❣ Female Reader | Feat. Taehyung ❣ smut, angst | friends to enemies to strangers to ?, strangers to friends to ? ↻ read my reviews: ch. 0, ch. 1

❥ Let Me by sailoryoons | oneshot, tumblr ↳ You’ve been friends with Yoongi for as long as you remember. When he tells you he’s never - and he means never - received oral in his life, you take it upon yourself to lend a mouth hand. ❣ Female Reader ❣ smut, pwp | friends to lovers ↻ read my review

❥ Nothing to Hide by gimmethatagustd | oneshot, tumblr ↳ It’s your boyfriend’s first Pride Month since coming out, and you’re determined to make sure he has the time of his life. ❣ Female Reader ❣ queer, smut, pwp | established relationship ↻ read my review

❥ Obsidian by sailoryooons | series, tumblr ↳ You remember everything. The first time you radiated at garnet, feeling the power of the jewel rushing through you. Remember the energy pulsing at your command. And you certainly remember the face of the man who ruined your life. Then there’s Min Yoongi, the Chaotic who is the key to your revenge. ❣ angst, eventual smut | strangers to lovers, urban fantasy, crime syndicate ❣ warnings: graphic violence, morally grey characters ↻ read my reviews: ch. 0, ch. 1, ch. 2

❥ Please Linger by matchy6812 | series, tumblr ↳ After terrorizing the villagers with one too many pranks, you’ve been locked away in The Tower to atone for your petty crimes. As far as you know, The Tower is impenetrable. Nobody can get in, and nobody can get out. It seems you’ll never escape—until one night, a man named Yoongi barges in… ❣ Female Reader ❣ humor, slow burn, smut, angst | fantasy au, strangers to lovers ↻ read my reviews: ch. 1, ch. 2, ch. 3

❥ Right Here Right Now by hobidreams | oneshot, tumblr ↳ What if little red wants to be eaten by the big bag wolves? ❣ Female Reader | Feat. Hoseok & Namjoon ❣ group, smut, pwp, humor | werewolf au, college au, friends to lovers ↻ read my review

❥ Suga's How-To Guide: How to Tr(eat) Them Right by sailoryoons | oneshot, tumblr ↳ Min Yoongi has been a cam boy for a few years now. The work is easy, the money is good, and he has loyal viewers. When he approaches you and asks if you want to be his muse for a ‘how-to’ series, your view on the infamous Yoongi changes. ❣ Female Reader ❣ smut, pwp | friends to lovers ↻ read my review

❥ Taste by 7deadlysinsfics | drabble, tumblr ↳ Hoseok is in a sharing mood and his best friend is so, so thankful. ❣ Female Reader | Feat. Hoseok ❣ threesome, implied smut | established relationship, strangers to lovers ↻ read my review

❥ Taste So Sweet by btsrunmyiife | oneshot, tumblr ↳ Yoongi is helping you experience something new, something you’ve always wanted to try. All you wanted to do was kiss a girl. You should have known it would be so much more than you imagined. ❣ Female Reader | Feat. Hwasa ❣ threesome, queer, pwp, smut | college au, established relationship + friends to lovers ↻ read my review

❥ The Earth, Your Butt, and Other Big...Flat Things? by matchy6812 | oneshot, tumblr ↳ When your world-famous boyfriend reveals himself to be an apparent flat earther, you decide to hold a modern exorcism—as in, you’re gonna try to fuck the stewpid out of him. ❣ Female Reader ❣ humor, smut, pwp | idol au, established relationship ↻ read my review

❥ Twirl for Me by gimmethatagustd | series, tumblr ↳ You’re perfectly content with admiring your ballet student’s father from afar, until he discovers the secret of your second job when he pays for a VIP room at the local strip club. What’s worse is your new knowledge of his secret life that won’t let you get him off your mind, no matter how awful it is. ❣ Female Reader | Feat. Jungkook ❣ smut, angst, slow burn | stripper au, strangers to lovers ↻ read my review

❥ Versus by minisugakoobies | series, tumblr ↳ Supervillain exes Yoongi and Hoseok are sick and tired of having their plans for world domination wrecked by you, aka Vitality, the world’s most powerful superhero. When fellow villain Jimin suggests a little competition to see who can bring you to your knees, they both eagerly accept. Now the battle is on as both men engage you in fight after fight to see who will conquer you first. Will you finally defeat these two, or will they destroy you - and possibly take each other out in the process? ❣ Female Reader | Feat. Hoseok ❣ smut, humor, fluff, angst | supervillain au, enemies to lovers ❣ warnings: some violence, use of weapons, fighting ↻ read my review

Yoongi x Reader as a side pairing:

❥ Business as Usual by blog-name-idk | series, tumblr ↳ The first thing Jin noticed about you was that you were hot. The second was that you were fucking brilliant. The third was that you were kind of a bitch. Basically, you were perfect. | The first thing you noticed about Jin was that he was hot. The second was the professors already called him by name. The third was that he was an insufferable prick. Basically, you hated his guts. ❣ Female Reader | Feat. Seokjin as main pairing ❣ smut, fluff, humor | college au, enemies to lovers ↻ read my reviews: masterlist, ch. 1, ch. 4

❥ The Love Witch by gimmethatagustd | oneshot, tumblr ↳ Despite being a popular romance blogger, Yoongi isn’t interested in finding love. He only summons a demon boyfriend to prove to his followers that it’s possible. He’ll send Taehyung right back to Hell once he’s done with him, obviously. ❣ Yoongi x Taehyung ❣ smut, fluff, humor, hint of angst | modern fantasy au, fake dating, strangers to lovers ↻ read my review

#yoongi smut #yoongi angst #yoongi fluff #yoongi fic recs #master list: yoongi

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rhoorl · 5 months

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Week in Review | Dec. 17

Hi, how are you? It was another busy week around these parts both on and off Tumblr, so I’ll get right to the week in review:

Fics I read this week:

Frankie Morales

Gift Wrapped by @linzels-blog - As if the gray sweatpants weren’t enough, we get some dad!Frankie, competency kink, and a return to two characters I am really fond of!

Joel Miller

A Baker's Dozen - Three by @avastrasposts - If you haven't been keeping up with Mel's baking series, I suggest you change that. This entry with Joel made me swoon. 🫠

Nourish by @goodwithcheese - Fluffy Joel plus an Ellie appearance equals a cute fun, read.

Under the Stars by @undercoverpena - This captured post-outbreak life so beautifully!

Dieter Bravo

Give To Me by @sp00kymulderr - If you've read Working Title then you know I have a particular fondness for Dieter, especially when he's sweet and sensitive. This fluffy one-shot hit me in all my Dieter feels.

White Christmas by @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin - This had all of the elements I love about Dieter rolled up into one. A sweet, chaotic man who is an absolute menace…all wrapped up in a tiny Santa hat 😉

Giflets

I had a few of these amazing giflets from @morallyinept built up on my TBR

Bad Acting Dieter 💋

Periscope Dave York 🧐

Domestic Spice Marcus Moreno 🌶️

Current Compulsory Series:

These are the series I am keeping up with at the moment.

12 Days of XxxMas (Various) by @morallyinept - I haven’t read these yet but I will this week…I’m not ready.

Holiday Prompts (Various) by @trulybetty - I’ve loved these!! I’m behind on some but I’m excited to see what else is in store for the month.

Delta Palms Tropical Resort (Frankie) by @linzels-blog

Destiny & Deliverance (Dieter) by @mysterious-moonstruck-musings

Paranoid Heat (Javi P) by @goodwithcheese I

Undercover (Tim Rockford) by @secretelephanttattoo

It’s Never Too Late (Javi P) by @javierpena-inatacvest -

OTHER CHARACTERS

Pete Dunham

This section is usually reserved for a Garrett character (mostly Benny), but this week I caught up on the Like My Dreams series from @laurfilijames which followed Pete Dunham from Green Street Hooligans. Younger Jess was very obsessed with that movie and Pete and it’s been a fun trip down memory lane to rewatch that movie and then devour this delicious fic!

Posts from the week:

Anyone else lose their minds when they saw this clip/article about Charlie Hunnam signing on as a potential producer for Triple Fronter 2? This has to happen right? Please? I’ll happily take on any role in the production crew.

These “Spot the Difference” posts from @mysterious-moonstruck-musings have been cracking me up.

Where are you sitting in this cafeteria? Me? Oh I’m happily at table 4.

In case you missed it @perotovar and @beskarandblasters put together a list highlighting some awesome writers (and I was so excited to see so many I call friends on the list!)! It was split up into two masterlists: Masterlist 1 | Masterlist 2

We had the return of Professor @legendary-pink-dot and the Catfish Pond PhD Degree Program.

I received a fun holiday-themed Delta Landscaping ask from @trulybetty.

Another plug for the Pickled Peña writing challenge. I actually have something written for this and I kind of like it?! I think it's funny...but that may also be me amused by my 4 a.m. ramblings.

Feral corner:

The Miller Brothers reunited and seeing both Charlie and Garrett in a suit gave me so many thots. Garrett going and making smoking look hot again … I don’t even know where to look here - the bun, the shoulders, the back.

This photo is so Working TItle Dieter coded I can’t even deal! Speaking of Dieter…here’s more of my boo. Actually, I’m not done, here’s another gifset.

Javi P is getting jealous so let’s get some Javi with messy hair in here. Oh what’s that? Some post-outbreak denim shirt-wearing Joel? I got you. But then Young Joel gets jealous so here’s some photos of his arms. And I can’t forget about my favorite pilot.

Things I watched:

Last Sunday I went to the movies and saw Wish. I thought it was a really cute movie and as a Disney fan I loved al of the little Easter eggs hidden throughout. I thought the songs were really cute too, it was a fun time and I can’t wait to show Baby Rhoorl this movie.

I was up late plotting and thotting one night and was flipping through the channels for some background noise and came across Troy and saw Baby Garrett. Seeing him next to Brad Pitt was quite a sight - they play cousins in the movie if you haven’t seen it.

Personal Stuff

There’s been a lot happening at work this month and it’s derailed a bit of the progress I’ve been making on my health journey but I’m doing the best I can. I ran a few days this week, which was good! Mr Rhoorl and I had a date night and enjoyed a baby-free dinner out at a restaurant.

Fic updates:

I put out a new episode of Delta Landscaping this week. Here’s a moodboard I made for it!

Benny Miller brain rot has settled into my brain and he’s all I can think about at the moment. As a result, I have a holiday-themed one-shot planned for tomorrow. Hoping to get an entry in one of my other series done this week, but we’ll see.

I hope you have a great week! Drink some water and find something that makes you smile.

Masterlist

Working Title (Dieter, series, ongoing) | AO3

Delta Landscaping (Triple Frontier, series, ongoing) | AO3

Turbulence (Frankie, one-shot) | AO3

Are You on Mute? (Benny Miller, one-shot) | AO3

Are You on Mute? Part Two

Are You Alone

#rhoorl week in review #rhoorl fic rec #pedro pascal characters fic #pedro pascal character fanfiction

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doctorofmagic · 1 year

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Doctor Strange and the supernatural characters pt 1 - Nico Minoru

Since Nico will soon be featured in v6, I decided to start with her. For context, let’s do a quick review on her character.

Nico Minoru is a member of the Runaways, a team of teenagers that found out their parents were part of a cult called The Pride. Their goal was to perform a ritual to release the elder gods called Gibborin, who would feed on the souls of the entire world and claim it for themselves. The Runaways saved the world, but their parents died in the process. As a consequence, their hearts never recovered from that trauma, which only worsened due to the following betrayal of one of their teammates, Alex Wilder. The TV show is more or less loyal to the characters, but there are heavy differences in case you’re wondering (and one of them is Nico’s character development, which I’ll explain in a second).

Nico comes from a powerful japanese clan of wizards and her weapon is/was The Staff of One, which she stole from her evil parents. It turns out this artifact is actually an ancient sorcerer called The One, who was challenged by Nico’s ancestor. He lost the battle and thus was turned into the Staff. Nico only learned about that recently in the last Runaways volume, when The One came out and revealed himself.

In the past, Nico was forced to draw her own blood to summon the Staff out of her body, but after making a (terrible) deal with The One, she no longer needs to harm herself in order to summon the staff. In exchange, The One releases a drop of his own essence into Nico’s soul, one at a time. On top of that, her staff allows her to perform spells only once, failing whenever she tries to repeat them. But this is not the only issue with Nico and her magic.

She went through a VERY traumatizing experience along with her teammate Chase in Avengers Arena, when Arcade kidnapped sixteen teenagers and created his own Battle Royale scenario. She lost an arm and actually died there, but the staff brought her back, boosting her magic powers and giving her a new artificial arm, although turning her a little more violent. Her mental health was severely damaged there, and so she decided to never speak of that incident ever again.

Following this event, in Avengers Undercover, she infiltrated Zemo’s organization along with the survivors of Murderworld. Their first goal was to rescue Elsa Bloodstone’s little brother, Cullen, unaware that he actually wanted to stay in order to find Arcade and get revenge for Murderworld.

Meanwhile, Nico was welcomed by Daimon Hellstrom (please don’t ask), who was working under Zemo’s leadership (please don’t ask²). Daimon summoned the soul and body of Alex Wilder back from hell (since he was dead) so they could train magic together. Alex’s true intentions were never revealed, but I do suspect Daimon was using him to waste Nico’s spells and also make her vulnerable since Nico had a relationship with Alex before his betrayal. She later realizes that it’s useless to train her magic skills because she wouldn’t be able to use them a second time in battle, accusing Alex of manipulating her.

After that, Daimon teleported them to a hall where Arcade was hosting a murder game. They did kill Arcade, finally getting their revenge, but he just a meat doll created by Daimon. Zemo manipulated them all so he could lure the Avengers while he attacked S.H.I.E.L.D. and framed the kids.

Turns out Daimon was not only manipulating Nico but Cullen as well. Daimon taught Cullen how to control the monster inside him, unaware that his true intent was to put it under his control (please don’t ask³). Since Arcade was still alive, they proved their innocence, although another emotional scar was carved into their souls.

(”oh, but aren’t they teachers at Strange Academy?” you may ask. YES, they are! Marvel’s continuity, am I right?)

Later on, Nico also joined the A-Force team, which sadly didn’t last. But she became good friends with some of the members, such as Dazzler and Singularity (her relationship with Carol became sour due to a terrible event called Civil War II, although they were able to come to an understanding).

Lastly, the Runaways reunited once more, facing new challenges concerning their found family. The volume was sadly cancelled, although it brought huge changes for Nico. She asked Karolina to take The Staff of One with her to space, which depowered her magic abilities significantly. The consequences are seen in Midnight Suns, her last appearance, where she constantly struggles with self-worth and self-doubt (just like a certain magician we know hehe).

That’s what leads us to the next topic: her personality.

Nico is the very definition of a bi disaster. One of her most infamous bad habits is the fact that she’s always trying to kiss almost every member of her team in order to cope with her loneliness, whether they’re single or not. The thing is, the smallest sign of affection is enough for her to get involved with someone, and at the worst possible times (for instance, after burying a friend). Don’t get me wrong, I love her and I’ll protect her. But I can’t pretend she doesn’t have the same bad coping mechanisms than Stephen did when he was trying to forget Clea. And that’s what stood out the most to me as a Stephen stan, opening my mind to ideas of how they can bond.

The thing is, Nico constantly feels alone and insecure about her own capabilities. First of all, there’s the leadership issue. After Alex’s betrayal, she was forced into leading the Runaways, although she canonically states she never wanted that in the first place. It’s a responsibility she was never ready for.

Secondly, there’s the trust issues. Their parents lied to her all her life and tried more than once harm her. She was in love with Alex and then he betrayed everyone, constantly inserting himself into her life and making it a living hell over and over (sometimes quite literally). She trusted Doc Justice and he tried to murder the Runaways in order to promote himself, even though she swore she’d never trust adults.

And that’s a super interesting point because... The very premise of the Runaways is that adults are bad. They refuse to ask for help because the Avengers and the X-Men failed them over and over. This is why Nico never asked for Stephen’s help like Illyana did. And yet... It seems that this is about to change in v6.

I don’t really know where writers are going with their relationship, but I do hope that Stephen realizes that The One is slowly infecting Nico’s soul. That’s a good thing, believe it or not, because Stephen can be a good role model to Nico and a bridge for her to work on her trust issues regarding adults. He can teach her how to get rid of The One’s grip and also teach her safer methods to perform magic. Friendly reminder that Wong also taught her a spell or two.

Overall, I believe that the Strange Academy was a fresh start to her because Nico doesn’t really have a purpose. Karolina is her first stable relationship, and she’s off to space to deal with Majesdanian stuff. Besides, if Nico is considered to be the “mother” of the Runaways, Chase was the “father”, and he was taken to the future for a reason yet to be explored in future stories. Point is, she needs an adult figure to reassure her. The Midnight Suns was another good addition because she was able to open up with Illyana and find comfort and self-worth.

Personally, this is truly touching and meaningful because, as I always like to put, the magic community has something quite special going on. Their connection runs deeper because of the soul/spirituality. And that’s why I have huuuuuge hopes that Stephen will be able to reach out for her. It’s been shown that he keeps in touch with her whenever magic is involved, not to mention the school itself.

It’s true that they barely interacted in the past, mostly because Nico is always neglected when it comes to big magic events (Last Days of Magic, Civil War II etc). Strange Academy was another missed opportunity, but there’s room now thanks to the team of v6.

This is what I’m looking forward to, honestly. Even with limited powers, Nico is quite creative, although her self-destructive tendencies get in her way, which is exactly what v4!Stephen used to be. I’m pretty sure he’d see himself in her and would do his best to support her. That’s Nico’s opportunity to bond and grow as a character, to work on her trust issues, to heal from the trauma she’s been through and create healthy relationships, not only when it comes to Stephen, but the magic community as a whole. Friendly reminder that he taught magic to both Jericho and Illyana and almost became Billy’s and Wanda’s mentor.

So this is it. As you can see, the potential and background are all there. I’m really excited to see what comes next for them and I do hope they’re able to create a nice and sweet bond in the next issues!

#nico minoru #sister grimm #doctor strange #stephen strange #marvel comics #analysis

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muddyorbsblr · 1 year

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14 days of valentines collection teaser 2

I just realized that we're less than 10 days away from February, which means that 14 Days of Valentine's is inching closer and closer! With that in mind, for this teaser, I'm going to give y'all a lil summary of what to expect from each of my entries for this project.

Story summaries under the cut

not a fever – James Conrad x Reader

You're quarantined in the laboratory with James Conrad as you try to determine what the effects of the pollen he was exposed to are.

hypotheticals & distractions – Magnus Martinsson x Reader

You and Magnus are tasked with the unfortunate duty of manning the phones through a Friday night and he decides you should play some games to pass the time.

all the right answers – Tom Hiddleston x Reader

Tom decides to help you through reviewing for a certification exam by incentivizing each correct answer, making the decision to "ruin the friendship" in the process.

midnight cravings – Loki x Reader

Deciding to take advantage of the fully stocked pantry within the Avengers Compound, you go down there only to realize that Loki has the same idea, and he decides he'd much rather enjoy his little snack with you. And on you.

paris – Jonathan Pine x Reader

After spending the last few hours pretending to be a loving couple while on a mission in Paris, Jonathan decides to lose himself in the fantasy of having you to himself.

eyes on me, darling – Loki x Reader

You knew that sending Loki raunchy pictures as you tried on lingerie was going to have consequences. You just didn't think that they would be coming your way so quickly.

forgive me, father – Will Ransome x Reader

After being plagued with depraved fantasies of Aldwinter's vicar for months on end, you go to confession in a desperate attempt to alleviate yourself of these sinful thoughts. You didn't expect that the man on the other side of the confessional would be none other than Will Ransome himself.

thirty seconds – Loki x Reader

To celebrate a mission gone right, Loki invites you to his hotel room to have a drink with him, and he proposes you two play a little game beforehand.

keep me safe – James Conrad x Reader

You run into a tent for safety after being chased by a massive insect-like creature while collecting flora samples from Skull Island. The tent belongs to James Conrad.

duty of care – Jonathan Pine x Reader

After Pine rescues you from a bloodthirsty mafia leader, he confesses his feelings for you while tending to your wounds.

maintain our cover – Older Magnus Martinsson x Reader

To catch a suspected serial killer, you and Magnus go undercover in the sex club the suspect frequents to choose his victims. You knew you'd have to partake in the activities with an attendee or two. You didn't expect that he'd want you to partake in them with him.

i have never – Tom Hiddleston x Reader

When you reveal to your co-stars that you've never had a positive experience kissing anyone, let alone a good experience doing more than kissing, Tom visits you in your hotel room to rectify that situation.

measurements – Will Ransome x Reader

After Cora's birthday party, your brother Luke, along with Martha, made a few offhanded jokes about Reverend Ransome being "small", you quickly put them both in their place by explaining what you do back in London: using a man's posture, gait, and overall stature to determine certain "measurements" for your clients.

relinquish the crown: obsessions & fantasies – Loki x Reader

The morning after you had Astrid removed from the palace, you had some rather concerning thoughts about Loki. And after he comforts you through the task of sorting through the traitor's belongings, you have some vivid dreams of him later that night.

#loki x reader #james conrad x reader #tom hiddleston x reader #will ransome x reader #magnus martinsson x reader #jonathan pine x reader #14 days of valentines collection #muddyorbs writes

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kanerallels · 1 year

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Say, vod, can I get some episode plots for all the seasons of the hypothetical Hera Syndulla show?

See, THIS is the post that should be going viral. Also I love you for sending me this ask.

Season one episode plots (in no particular order):

Kanan and Chopper learning to get along in the middle of a mission where Hera basically does all the work

Kanan telling Hera about Order 66 and his past

Hera reciprocating and telling Kanan about her father and their relationship, as well as how she lost her mother and brother

An episode where Kanan and Hera get seperated and Hera ends up working with Kasmir. Neither of them know who the other is, and Kanan doesn't find out until years later

How they first met Zeb

How they first met Sabine

Like four undercover as a couple scenarios with varying plots

You know that fic of mine where Hera throws a knife at Kanan's head? Yeah that

An episode of Breha and Bail Organa reviewing what they know about the Ghost crew and also low key shipping Kanera

Heck, an episode where Breha meets Hera would be IMMACULATE

Hera telling Kanan the story of how she got the Ghost

These aren't plots, but the show would have a lot of the following:

Flirting

Hera flying as many different types of ships as possible

Waffles because Kanan can cook so there

Singing

Even more flirting

Kanera being super married

At least a couple epic cameos

Specifically a Bodhi Rook cameo cause all the other members of the Rogue One crew have shown up in more media and he deserves at least a cameo

Kanan slowly processing the Jedi thing

But like. this show is very much so HERA centric

SO MUCH FLIRTING YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW

#thanks for the ask!!#hera syndulla #kanan jarrus #kanera #chopper swr #swr #star wars rebels

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magnumdays · 1 year

Text

Magnum PI 5.07 “Birthright” review

So the episode is called birthright and while I guess in a way that works, I think it was more an episode on regrets/feel when it comes to parents and children when things get tough.

The case, Higgy’s feels and TC and his mom all deal with the what-ifs and sacrifices and choices we have in life and especially in the relationship between parents and children.

Did all the Magnum being #TeamHiggy (even if he has been for a long time), make me kind of happy? Yes, yes, it did.

I also wonder... did they tell Gordy about them? The gang clearly all know but I feel like we should have gotten something from Katsomoto if he’d know? Or not.

Anyhow, I enjoyed the case and while I was pretty sure it was the ass-holey brother as soon as we met him I did really enjoy the twist with the daughter having actually already sold the necklace.

It’s very on the nose ‘good person’ warning, but hey, I’d sell a necklace fancy family necklace if it meant it might get my mom a life saving operation too so maybe it’s not so weird.

There was actually just the one case + side plot with TC and his mom this episode but the episode just flew by. I actually enjoy it more when there is a more main focus with one side story, because it usually feels more focused and less like you’re being pulled in so many directions. They’ve made “multi” plots work well but I think I prefer this style and focus. It also meant our favourite PIs working together which is also (as fun as other team ups can be) my fave.

Yeah, because I’m pretty exhausted from life in general I just kind of let the episode wash over me in the best possible way and don’t have much to say or too many thoughts.

Juliet feeling guilty about having made a tough choice about her mom and sharing those doubts with Thomas *chef’s kiss* I enjoyed that because it’s legit one of those super hard questions, when someone really can’t take care of themselves at all, are you truly only a good person if you give up your whole life to care for them? Would parents want their kids to do that?

No matter what you do, I think in those hard situations you’d have regrets; the life you could have led if you chose to give up and the regret of not having done enough if you entrust their care to professionals. Anyways, I enjoyed Higgy being emotional and talking a little of her past and feels, because we get it so rarely.

Because her feeling connected and unsure wasn’t the focus of her/ the mains storyline, that little scene at the end felt plenty enough. The talk TC and Cade had about his mom was nice because that was that whole side plot maybe I’d have wanted a little more even though it was totally cute.

Even though we knew TC was going to talk to her, seeing sort of pissed TC was new and strange but yeah, I’d have loved to have had just a bit more of TC’s past maybe in his talk with Rick.

Over all, another freaking enjoyable episode which ended way too soon and can it be next week now thank you? I am actually more excited about the one after (5.09) with Higgy undercover but I think I already said that last week.

Now just because it’s good to be grateful for things in life, let’s collectively be grateful for the the good fortune and bounty of Miggy kisses this season as blessed us with!

#magnum PI #miggy #thomas Magnum #juliet higgins #my reviews #magnum pi review #magnum & higgins #TC

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lavenoon · 1 year

Note

Eclipse seems to be very much a lab/research/'accidentally setting things on fire' kinda guy - has he ever been in the field the same way Sun and Moon have? if not, is it because he's just a bit too gremlin to stay undercover or does Eclipse have a personal preference to not get involved with field work? - @clxckwork-sun-n-moon

He's a pure researcher/ developer! In fact, he can't work in the field - he's too blunt for that, and doesn't quite have that awareness needed for sneaky undercover work. Not quite the gremlin behavior stopping him there (or Moon would have had bad chances, too)

It's not interesting to him, anyway, so he doesn't mind! HQ however put a big, red stamp on his employee file to label him as "DO NOT DEPLOY IN THE FIELD, EVER" agent after it was so obvious that he told his brothers about his job, even asking if they could work there, too.

(HQ did accept those unorthodox applications, because a two AI animatronic in the field does offer unique opportunities for undercover work. Animatronics in general have the potential to be great agents, as they can always review their memories, rather than just recall.)

But Eclipse is happy right where he is, with funding and opportunities (and encouragement) to develop new little gadgets. HQ maybe isn't too happy with how frequently things end with flames, but all in all he's much too efficient to be let go, and he knows it <3

#answer let luce #clxckwork-sun-n-moon #accidentally undercover #he can gauge *after* he says something how it's received; but initially can't estimate what's okay to say and what isn't #he didn't think it'd be an issue; telling sun and moon about his work #and then they started freaking out on him #so that was a 'oh okay that was too much' moment #I was enabled #this is just a little taste #big ramble incoming #(maybe with delay. there's a winter market to attend)

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dairy-farmer · 2 years

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After reading the new Tim Drake comic, all I can think of is Tim having a gay panic attack about having sex with a boy so he corners one of his brothers to 'teach' him sex so it'll be good for Bernard.

Just.

Tim: Hurry up and remove your pants. I don’t have all day!

Jason: What. Wait a minute-

Tim: Time’s up. [tackles Jason]

I LOVE this!!!! because tim would be so stressed, tracking every detail of his and bernard's relationship- he doesn't want to wreck this good thing going. it's not that he wants to just be a good boyfriend he wants to be good at being a boyfriend!

he needs to be able to hold someone's hand, and write them poems and love letters, and listen to them, communicate with them.

most of all, tim needs to be good at sex. gay sex. he's been reading lots of books and magazines and he knows bad sex can put a damper on an otherwise perfect relationship.

the problem?

tim doesn't have sex. ever.

bernard's the first person he's ever felt a genuine romantic connection with and he's tim's first sexual partner. he knows bernard is interested, with the way his hands stroke down tim's side when they're kissing, cupping tim's waist and squeezing his buttt.

but tim... he chickens out because he needs to train first. he needs to make sure it'll be good first.

but tim is lucky, he has resources on hand to use.

dick, jason, and bruce are all well-versed and experienced. bruce has the most years under his belt and would likely be a good teacher but he's also in the middle of an undercover case. dick's experience is coupled with vocal and praising reviews from women but talent should transcend medium. still, he's also incredibly emotional and tim can't trust that dick won't get attatched unlike bruce who would see this purely as a favor.

jason however....jason is both free, capable, and not as emotional as dick.

tim sends jason a text asking for his help in this deficiency within his abilities.

he replies with a simple

'u srs?'

tim rolls his eyes and asks when they can meet. he doesn't hesitate to grab his keys when jason replies with a-

'i'm free rn if u want'

tim makes a quick stop at a pharmacy for lube and condoms, estimating jason's size based on his height and relative weight.

the ones tim purchased for bernard will likely be too small.

jason greets him at the door, shirtless and in sweatpants with a brow quirked at tim.

tim pushes in past him and dumps the supplied on jason's kitchen counter. he grabs the lube and one of the condoms, turning to face jason.

"i'll take the lead and then you adjust me when you have to alright?"

jason is frozen, he's staring at the table and then darting a glance at tim.

"wait a second... you were serious?"

jason's face is doing flips and twisting through several emotions as tim tugs off his jacket and kicks off his boots. tim nods and starts explaining his reasoning- that when he has sex with bernard for the first time that he wants it to be good, he wants to know what he's doing.

but tim's never had sex before, bernard has. with girls.

so if anything that at least makes it easier on tim to decide what position he'd like to be in and also tim has always been curious about penetration and being on the bottom.

jason is staring at him and tim puts his hands on his hips, crinkling the condom.

"so are you ready or not? i have a date with bernard in nine hours and i want to at least be able to suck his dick."

"alright, wait one moment," jason holds up his hands shaking his head, "your texts from earlier, you weren't pulling my leg? you want to have sex with me?"

tim rolled his eyes.

"between you, bruce, and dick- you were the best option now are you going to take out your dick or not?"

jason looked like he'd been slapped with a fish and tim shifted impatiently. he'd fingered his hole earlier following a tutorial on a porn website and the lube running down his ass and onto his underwear is more uncomfortable than he thought it'd be.

jason is still staring at him and tim can feel his patience slipping because he came here for some practice, not to be gaped at.

"can your just hurry up and remove your pants! i don’t have all day!"

he really didn't. he had to shower, be dressed, and ready to be picked up. bernard had made a reservation for them at some nice restaurant months ago.

and tim was not going to let that go to waste.

jason was tugged out of his stupor when tim started approaching him.

"wait, hold on a second-"

"i gave you plenty of seconds, time’s up."

tim pushes jason back onto his couch and straddles him. he lets his ass press to jason's cock and starts grinding a little.

small motions to raise interest as he creeps over jason and dumps the condom and lube beside jason's head. jason's eyes follow the bright yellow foil of the condom.

"holy shit, you are serious."

tim snorted and kept inching his hips back, slotting jason's cock between the seam of his ass and pressing back.

jason's hands flew to his hips as tim carefully balanced himself, placing his palms on jason's broad chest.

jason let out a small curse, curling his fingers around tim's hips as tim pushed himself up and down, adding enough force and friction to get a groan out of jason.

tim knew he could get someone hard. knew it was as simple as touching, rubbing, and sucking.

what he needed to be good at was the bringing to orgasm part.

tim deftly slid down jason's sweatpants, roughly grabbing his cock then softening his hold when jason hissed.

tim unzipped and unbuttoned his jeans, sliding them down until they were at his knees.

"pass the stuff."

jason didn't say a word, immediatly handing over the condom and lube.

tim had watched and practiced application enough on a cucumber to be able to slide it down the thick..girth of jason's cock.

jason was big. bigger than tim had been expecting from him.

tim had spent quite a bit of time stretching his asshole and...he wouldn't rip but it would be quite a squeeze to fit.

tim drizzled a bit of lube on his fingers anyway, awkwardly coruching over and shoving his fingers into himself.

jason thumbed his hip bones. tim could feel the eyes on him as he carefully spread his fingers in a 'V' and tugged at the tight muscle of his rim.

tim let out a soft grunt, closing his eyes as he sunk in down to the knuckle.

"fuck" jason breathed.

fuck was right.

tim took a deep, steadying breath as he gripped jason's erect cock. he pushed himself to his knees, looking down at himself as he lowered himself down and pressed the spongy head of jason's cock to his pink rim.

the initial push in was tight even with tim's fingers.

jason groaned as tim sunk down until the tip was fully in.

tim breathed shakily. the hand pressed to jason's abdomen dug its nails into soft flesh as tim pushed down further, letting his hole swallow more of jason's cock. feeling as his insides split apart to make room for him.

tim shook like a leaf in the wind, his hole throbbing as he felt himself finally reach bottom.

jason's fine throat was exposed as he tilted his head back to let out a drawn out-

"fuuuuuuuucckkk."

tim's hole was filled and stretched to the brim, he could barely move, his limbs were so tensed. tim stayed there on jason's lap, breathing slowly, shoulders rising up and down with each breath as he tried to figure out how he was going to tackle this.

was it up and down? he pushed up on his thighs and then let his wieght slam him back down? that seemed like it'd get tiring very quickly.

tim was pulled out of his thoughts as jason tightened his grip and slowly began moving tim on his cock.

pushing his back and then bringing them forward, making tim's hips go in a sort of 'u' shaped scoop motion.

"like this timberly-" jason breathed, eyes locked on where they were joined. "it's alllll in the motions baby- just like this"

tim repressed a moan as jason's cockhead stabbed deeper and hit something that had him jolting.

'the prostate?' tim wondered. it had to be. nothing else could be what caused that brief spark of pleasure that had his balls tightening the slightest bit.

tim whined as jason kept moving his hips, occasionally puncatuating the movements with thrust of his own that drove him in deep enough that tim was certain jason was literally fucking his intestines.

tim breathed deeply. pressing his fingers to his lower abdomen and letting out a gasped gag as he felt a moving bulge under his fingers.

shit. tim knew jason was big- but not THIS fucking big.

jason's hips thrust up and tim bent over like the wind had been knocked out of him.

"gnn gnn nnghh move your hips- fuck- move your hips-"

tim followed jason's demand immediately. his mouth fell open and tim let out soft gasps and gutted sounds as felt jason's cock fuck in and out of him. tim bit down on his lip, furrowing his brows and focusing on the feeling and the slick slide.

he could hear the wet sounds of lub sloshing around inside him as he tried to follow jason's movements when they'd been on his hips, moving his hips and not his thighs to bounce on jason's cock.

tim could feel the coiling heat building up, the white flashes behind his eyeslids that grew brighter as jason wrapped a hand around him-

"yeah yeah yeah- just like that timmy, nngh f-faster, yes, a little harder a little harder nnngh mmnn yes, y-yess oh oh fuuuckkk"

tim tilted back, resting both hands on jason's knees and letting his head fall as he let out a crying whine. his abdominals tightened, his entire body going tight as he clenched around the throbbing cock that he knew was cumming. jason's calloused hands milked every drop out of tim's cock until he was so sensitive it was like live wire had touched him.

tim rode out the feeling, jolting on jason's softening cock and slapping away the hands that tugged on him.

"j-just a moment," he panted, "i-i'm almost done j-just give me a second hahhhn-"

tim slowed, stopping his hips and hearing his heart beat in his ears as he took deep breaths. jason was still under him. hands on tim's hips and gripping him.

okay, okay, okay. good. okay.

yeah. tim could do this. he could. jason had given some good pointers and he'd cum. that had to mean tim wasn't all that bad for a noive.

slowly, tim got up. he felt as jason's cock slipped out of him. the tip of the condom was white, and nearly half filled with cum. tim watched as jason wrapped his fingers around the base and tugged it off, tying up the end and flicking it into a nearby trashcan in a smooth move.

tim made a half impressed sound.

from there it's a pretty simple run down. tim asking for pointers, wanting to see what advice jason could offer and it takes a while for jason's brain to come online but he answers.

it takes him awhile, he ummm and uuhhs a lot but tim manages to get it out of him. about tim riding a little faster, a little harder.

"you're not going to break anyone tim," he offered jokingly. "just....take what you need."

tim hummed, nodding. it was a minute before he looked back up at jason.

"so...are you ready again?"

jason stared at him.

"what?"

tim wrinkled his nose. jesus, jason was slow today.

"are you ready again? i need to suck your dick."

jason stared at him.

"so are you?" tim repeated, voice insistent.

jason's mouth opened and closed, hanging for a moment before his mouth clicked shut and he let out a strained chuckle while shaking his head.

"jesus your boy toy has his work cut out with you."

tim huffed a breath, a little offended.

"i told you not to call him that-"

jason cut him off by grabbing the back of his neck and shoving his face down onto his softened cock, still wet with cum at the tip.

"yeah, yeah, c'mon tim just start sucking."

tim muttered a few choice words under his breath.

but he listened.

#anonymous #asks #answered asks

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burningtacozombie · 1 year

Text

Script review for “Hotel Cocaine” Pilot

It’s 1978 in Miami. Cocaine is becoming THE drug, to the point where people are building tiny submarines, basically coffins, that allow them to smuggle coke into Miami from South America.

We watch as one of these coffins pops up off the Miami coast and the two riders get out and wait for the boat that’s going to pick them up. Instead, a group of Haitian pirates show up and machine gun a bunch of holes into the smugglers.

Cut to The Mutiny Hotel, the Casablanca of Miami, where we hear our hotel manager, Cuban ex-pat, Roman Compte, explain the scene: “The year was 1978 and the cocaine wars of Miami stop at our entrance. We were Switzerland, neutral territory, where drug dealers sent drinks over to DEA agents and avoided killing each other because everyone was having too much fun.”

After dealing with a Hunter S. Thompson incident (yes, the author), Roman gets cornered by two DEA agents who explain that the aforementioned submarine massacre included one of their men working undercover. They want Roman to reconnect with his estranged brother, Nestor, who’s essentially this story’s version of Scarface. Nestor is the one who owned the sub.

The last person Roman wants to deal with is his bloodthirsty crazy brother. But after the DEA threatens to send him back to Cuba, where he’ll be shot dead for betraying Castro, he doesn’t have a choice.

Nestor is not happy to see his sibling but Nestor also realizes the advantages of having an inside man at the most desirable hotel in town. Once Roman is in with Nestor, the DEA wants him to tell them when and where Nestor is going to deal with the Haitians who killed his submarine crew. They want to get there first and arrest Nestor. But when Nestor sniffs out his brother’s betrayal, he changes the meet-up location, and everything falls apart for both the DEA and Roman.

This was a really good pilot.

It gave me some Taylor Sheridan vibes. Paramount’s probably pissed they didn’t snatch this up.

When it comes to TV shows, you’re trying to find scenarios that create a never-ending series of problems that need to be solved by your protagonist. This is why cop shows are so reliable. A cop always has another problem to solve. As soon as one murder is over, another one happens in the next neighborhood.

Same thing here. The series takes place in a hotel. Even at a normal hotel, you’ve got a new problem every 30 minutes. But imagine if you took a normal hotel and turned it into one of the most high profile hotels in the world where criminals, cops, DEA, celebrities, FBI, all hung out.

Now, you’re going to have a new problem every minute. And these problems are going to be much higher grade than the ones at your average hotel. For example, you’ll have your fair share of dead bodies in rooms. That’s why this is such a good idea for a show. Roman is always going to have a problem to solve.

What’s great about Hotel Cocaine is that the writer, Chris Brancato, didn’t stop there. He turbocharged his idea by placing Roman in a very precarious position. Roman is being controlled both by the DEA, who want an inside man into Nestor’s operation, and Nestor, who wants an inside man into the DEA’s operation. This forces Roman to walk the thinnest tightrope in Miami.

This is how you write, guys. It’s not hard when you think about it.

a. Come up with a concept that generates problems. b. Place the story somewhere where those problems feel big, so the stakes are high. c. Make things as difficult as possible on your protagonist.

That simple formula is what makes this pilot work.

I do have a beef, though. There’s a big scene late in the pilot where Nestor needs to know if he can trust Roman. So he calls him over then takes him into some back room. Sitting in the back room is a guy who’s tied up. Nestor says this guy deceived him. And Nestor will work with Roman if Roman kills him right here and now. He gives Roman the gun and Roman is tasked with a difficult decision. Kill or don’t kill?

My beef? I’ve seen this scene a million times before.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s a compelling scenario. And it usually works. But if you’re not going to do anything new with it, don’t write it. Cause once you give the audience something they’ve seen a ton of times before, you lose a little piece of them. Cause they’re like, ‘Oh, I’ve been to this house before. I’ve seen this room.’ You’ve lost a little bit of that magical storytelling hold you have on the reader (or viewer). And if you do that a few more times in your script, you lose the reader altogether.

I’ll tell you how to fix that scene in the What I Learned section. But that was the only real blip on the radar here. I suspect this is going to be a really good show. Assuming, of course, that Roman can solve the hotel’s biggest problem of all – how to relocate to a streamer that viewers have access to.

What I learned: All right, so let’s say you want to write a “Shoot this guy so I can trust you” scene. You’ve heard the Scriptshadow criticism ringing in your ear imploring you to find a unique way into the scene. Yet, no matter how hard you try, you can’t come up with a fresh angle. Here’s what you do, instead: Make the person he has to kill someone we’ve set up earlier in the script as a character he has a connection with. That way, your protagonist isn’t just shooting anyone. It’s personal. They know, and are maybe even close, to this person. That scenario works 99.9% of the time, even though we’ve seen it before. There’s something about seeing our protagonist tasked with killing someone they know that’s riveting and overrides any ‘cliche’ criticisms.

#danny pino #roman compte #hotel cocaine #honestly this show sounds fucking AWESOME #I'M SO EXCITED OH MY GOD #also I love how fucking huge the internet is #and the things you stumble across BY FUCKING ACCIDENT lmfao

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the-sky-queen · 5 months

Text

Measure for Measure Review

Summary: The Duke decides to ignore his responsibilities and go undercover as a friar while his second in command, Angelo, messes everything up. Claudio (yep, it's another Claudio) is caught sleeping with his fiancé before they're married and is sentenced to death. Luckily, Claudio's about to be a nun sister, Isabella is really good at persuasion and is here to save the day.

Okay, this one's a bit different. Let's see how it goes.

So this one is a bit interesting because it brings up marriage practices from Shakespeare's day. Back then, there was this massive process you had to go through before you were officially married. There was this awkward middle spot where you weren't married yet but weren't exactly not married either. So there were like, levels of marriage and I guess Claudio wasn't wasn't married enough yet.

This play mostly focusses on Isabella trying to convince Angelo to set her brother free and not kill him. Part way through their first meeting, Angelo has an "Oh no, she's hot" moment and instantly falls in love with her. But she's about to be a nun, so obviously she doesn't want to get married.

In the end, Claudio doesn't die. The Duke comes back and decides to 'set everything right' . . . I guess? He's not really that helpful. He decides everyone's getting married, whether they like it or not. Claudio's getting married to his fiancé, Angelo's getting married to his ex-fiancé and then getting executed, Lucio (comedic relief side character who I love) is getting married to someone I can't remember, and Isabella is getting married to the Duke????? Uhhhhhhh. Aside from Claudio and his fiancé, none of this is okay.

I got to do a group scene performance for this one and we chose the one where Angelo's ex is revealing his involvement with her. We played it as this overly dramatic soap opera type thing and it was a lot of fun!

Good play, but a bit of an unsatisfying ending.

#Sky Queen #Shakespeare #Measure for Measure #review

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bookloveravenue · 1 year

Photo

Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu

This smoldering enemies-to-lovers novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu puts a superstar global phenomenon and a hotshot young spy on a collision course with danger – and Cupid’s arrow – in an electric new series perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon and Ally Carter.

Meet Winter Young – International pop sensation, with a voice like velvet and looks that could kill. His star power has smashed records, selling out stadiums from LA to London. His rabid fans would move heaven and earth for even a glimpse of him – just imagine what they’d do to become his latest fling.

Meet Sydney Cossette – Part of an elite covert ops group, Sydney joined their ranks as their youngest spy with plans to become the best agent they’ve ever had. An ice queen with moves as dangerous as her comebacks, Sydney picks up languages just as quickly as she breaks hearts. She's fiery, no-nonsense, and has zero time for romance – especially with a shameless flirt more used to serving sass than taking orders.

When a major crime boss gifts his daughter a private concert with Winter for her birthday, Sydney and Winter's lives suddenly collide. Tasked with infiltrating the crime organization’s inner circle, Sydney is assigned as Winter's bodyguard with Winter tapped to join her on the mission of a lifetime as a new spy recruit. Sydney may be the only person alive impervious to Winter's charms, but as their mission brings them closer, she’s forced to admit that there's more to Winter Young than just a handsome face . . .

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61796738-stars-and-smoke

********

April 8, 2023

My Review: 5/5 Stars

Another great story by Marie Lu! No surprises there. Marie's latest world leads us to the lives of spies. Sydney is part of an elite cover ops group. When there is something that needs to be done and the government can't do it, they are called in. And in her latest mission she is required to go undercover as a bodyguard and work with an international pop start, Winter Young. Winter may have this famous life, but it's not all that it is cracked up to be. At moments, he wonders if there is something more he can be doing. And when he is recruited by Panacea, he is at first reluctant to be some sort of spy, but is soon convinced that he can help. Especially when they have information on the death of his brother. Sydney and Winter are an unlikely pairing. But both surprise the other in so many ways. Their chemistry is full of banter and snark that you can't help but love. Their mission is to infiltrate a crime organization's boss and get the proof to finally put him away. There will be plenty of twists and turns, and revelations that will keep you one your toes. As always in Marie's books, there is lots of action and romance, and a great story line. It took me a bit to get into the story but once I hit a point, I was hooked and couldn't put it down! Hoping to see more in this world. And definitely more of Winter and Sydney.

#book #books #i love books #my review #book review #stars and smoke #marie lu

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eileenleahy · 10 months

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Donna Allegra, "Dance Africa" in the Fall 1985 issue of the Salsa Soul Gayzette

[Text under cut]

I started out to review Dance Africa, but here's what is really on my mind.

I'm a dancer and drum woman who consciously identifies with and chooses to frame myself on an African base, a spiritual woman who is nurtured and sustained by African music and dance; a channel for that divine energy from the holy on high to divine on earth when I dance and drum, and so, the 8th annual Brooklyn Academy of Music festival of African American dance and music companies was immensely satisfying to me. For years now, Dance Africa has been one of the high water marks in cultural events during the year for me, just as Kwanzaa and the women's music festivals are.

I'm also a dread locks woman, not modeled on the Rastafarian woman, but taking after the dyke sisterhood who also choose to be about Africa, sown in the soil of African- American woman strength. Its true that the Rastafarian style has been an influence, but I'm a dread woman raised to hold her own ground, not black-mailed to wälk second place behind a man with my life force sustaining his program but keeping silent with the seeds of my concerns underground.

After years of taking my lesbian self to the all too- often homophobic stomping grounds of African dance and drum classes, I am only now starting to feel less alone and isolated as a dyke. As much as there are men who loudly proclaim that women should not drum at all and certainly shouldn't play the djimbe drum between their legs, and men who sneer at faggots, there are more and more women who are taking to the drum and gay men are apparent in most of the companies.

Judging from the flambuoyant priests choreographed in the performance of Arthur Hall's Dance assemble from Philadelphia for Dance Africa, I got the revelation that it is probably traditional for gay men, and quite likely, lesbians too, to take to the ranks of the priesthood. Gay people may very well have been the spiritual channels, unacknowledged and often reviled of African communities.

Dyke women weren't so apparent and visible to me though a sister who drums is always a likely candidate in my book. It is a fact that lesbian women lead the ranks of women drummers. Have we always been undercover, yet everywhere?

On the Dance Africa stage at BAM, the Muntu company did some steps from what was once a women's martial dance called saa. My West African dance teacher once told me saa originated as a women's secret society dance. The women made up the rhythm, played the drum and marched it from Guinea to Mali and back again to demonstrate that they were just as strong as men, if not stronger. It was done to protest what we today deride as "macho." The African brothers were getting too arrogant and the women did saa to show their martial aspect and strength. Saa steps are strenuous and demanding to do even across the dance class floor and to take it from Guinea to Mali and back again is no mean feat.

Like so many inventions, the men peeped saa and took it to use for themselves, and now both sexes do saa. Tradition grows and changes like that. I don't say men shouldn't dance saa. I take a lesson from their bad behavior when they try to deny me the drum, claiming exclusive rights by citing tradition Mine is not a tit for tat stance. I just say to women to know how saa began, for our own strength and salvation, as our sisters did before us.

In traditional African dance folklore, there are generally steps that men are said to do and steps that women are said to do, though in the circle of solos, each sex can partake of the other's movement. Much African American choreography working with traditional folklore will generally show the ensemble of women doing one thing and the men doing another set of movement while in another company, the women will be given the very step the men had been given. While I frankly like to see the sexes separate, such choreography is generally in the service of reverberating old limiting and binding divisions.

It's not surprising that we reject some of the European American oppressive and poisonous ways of life, but retain and develop others. It is equally true that patriarchal attitudes were part of many African cultures, and these I reject just as wholeheartedly. Just cause its traditional doesn't make it right. Life, to me, is about evolving, growing and changing for the better as times change and we develop as African people The lindy hop, the jerk, the twist and electronic boogie are all part of the continuing spectrum of African dance tradition, just as are the Haitian, Brazilian, Caribbean and countless other dance folklores.

Despite my serious criticism of the sexism currently fashionable in the folkloric dance and drum community, the overwhelming testimony I would give of BAM's Dance Africa was one of extreme joy, happiness, peace, rejuvenation and self- affirmation. I am a part of the community of African dancers and drummers and I'm queer.

I'm not as open about my gayness because I fear the criticism and rejection of a loud few, but I think most of the folk wouldn't care, do accept me, would even shrug their shoulders, and probably know I'm gay anyway. We're in class together to dance and commune spiritually.

It has been my experience that people who judge and criticize others do so out of bad feelings for themselves. They have the all too human need to feel superior, and pointing the finger at others is a destructive expression of that human weakness. The more I hear men band together by laughing about "faggots," the more I am convinced of this. These men have nothing sure inside themselves to base their identity on, so they define themselves by what they are not. They're not (they hope) gay, they're not women. They are threatened and scared: if women can drum, how do they stand as men? If women wear pants, how can they distinguish the maleness? That, it seems to me, is their fear: not knowing who they are apart from what they can do that women cannot.

American men base their manhood on dick size, how much money they make, the cars they drive and the women they are seen with. That makes for a pretty shaky ground for holding up an identity. In the African dance and drum community, manhood often takes the form of traditional male clothing, drum playing, and oppressing women. Rather than focusing on and confining self-esteem to one's skill or just one's joy at being a part of the music, the defining point is that boys do this and girls don't.

Well, not anymore, fellas. I dream of a women's djimbe orchestra (that's a West African drum formation with djimbe and songbe drums). Sisters are now playing congas, bells, and chekeres in the Haitian, Brazilian, Latin and Cuban traditions; but I long for sisters to play more of the West African musics - the Senegambia, Guinea and Nigerian folklore; to play the djimbe drum, songbe, junjun and African bells. Soon come, this I know, just as when soonoo, lamban, koukou, mandgiani, wolofsodon, sabar, jola, lenjen, sepa and saa will be dances and rhythms as familiar to the general public as samba, guanguanco, yanvalou and the hustle.

#thought some of you might appreciate thisss. i love the way she communicates #donna allegra

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