#who doesn't love a murder rom com

[ashilrak]

20 Questions Writer Meme

I was tagged by @skywalking-through-life! This is super fun omg, thank you!!

1. How many works do you have on ao3?

210!

2. What's your total ao3 word count?

1,670,384 words, which feels insane

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently, Percy Jackson! I tend to be pretty one fandom at a time, but in the past I've written for Hamilton, Harry Potter, and Marvel to name a few.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Electing Strange Perfections (1,951)

If You Ask Me For My Fire (1,842)

See The Beast You've Made Of Me (1,769)

On Each Other's Team (1,656)

Come Loaded With The Safety Switched Off (1,604)

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

Yes! I'm a huge believe in fandom as a community, and fanfiction as an avenue for that community vs just 'content'. I love answering questions and talking about the fics, and I've honestly made some amazing fandom friends in comments on fics. I think commenting is a really valuable part of community-building in fandom, and I think that replying to comments helps with that :)

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

I think this is all a matter of perspective, but I definitely have a few that are regarded as angsty even if I don't necessarily see them that way? Picking one, I might have to say See The Beast You've Made of Me.

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

This is harder to answer lol, a lot of my happier fics are more moments, rather than a having an ending with build-up. But, Love Has A Way To Find Ya (Sneaks Up Right Behind Ya) is the first one that comes to mind!

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I have actually been very fortunate in this regard! I've had a few negative comments for sure, but most are more along the lines of "stopping reading here" or just poorly worded. I have several fics I've been more worried about, but locking the fics has seemed to discourage anyone who wants to be senselessly cruel! A lot of what I write isn't to everyone's taste, so some less than perfect comments come with that territory.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I absolutely have lmao. I haven't been in the mood for it recently, but I have my fair share. As for what kind, it depends on the ship and dynamic, and how seriously I'm treating it lol. I've written daddy kink to casual pegging to sweet losses of virginity.

10. Do you write crossovers?

Not really? I have a few ideas that have broached crossover territory, but I don't make a habit or it!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yes, though not recently. I'm sure there's a lot more out there in all honesty, but I've only stumbled across it once or twice on random websites when I've had the thought to google my username.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! I've been fortunate to have a couple translated, and it's always the most amazing feeling ever.

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

Yes, I've co-written quite a few! I've done round-robins as well as more formal collabs where both authors are working together and writing together throughout the process. I really enjoy doing them and have written some of my favorite fics with others! They're definitely challenging, but I think I have the benefit of being pretty adaptable.

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

So one thing you need to know about me is that I'm really bad at favorites. I think my favorite canon ship amongst my fandoms would be Percabeth, but my favorite ship for reading fanfiction for would, historically, be Tomarry/Harrymort/whatever you want to call it.

15. What's a wip you want to finish, but don't think you ever will?

I am actively determined to finish the ones first coming to mind, but honestly the one I doubt I'll ever do anything with is the AU lovingly referred to as Percy French Whore lmfao

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think my adaptability is my greatest strength. I definitely have themes and patterns I fall into, but overall I try to keep an open-mind to ships, aus, and more. I've gone back and forth between past and present tense, I've written over 25 ships for PJO alone. There's very little I look at and think I can't write, even if it takes some time to come around to it/make it work for me.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I think my biggest weaknesses have to do with managing a story as a whole. I have these grand ideas, but I struggle to bring them to Completeness. I'll have dreams of showing a realistic development of a character from the one we know and love to something twisted and taken advantage of and miss a few beats, and drop a few characters and plot points along the way. I'm also not the best at worldbuilding. I'm a pretty low-context type of person, and it's highlighted in a fanfction type of environment. I'll get questions about worldbuilding in fics--and they'll be GOOD questions--and I'll sit there with my head tilted at the screen wondering why anyone would think of that 😭

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

I like the idea of it, but would definitely need help from a native speaker. I got overly confident with my high school Spanish classes and made an attempt and I will never be doing that again.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Twilight. First fandom I read for, first fandom I posted for. Twilight was how I discovered fanfiction.net and started me down this path.

20. Favorite fic you've written?

This is almost impossible to answer just because there are so many factors at play, but the first two (very, very different fics) coming to mind are both collabs: HAUNT ME, THEN— with @mrthology and The Murder Monologues with @theinevitablesense

I tag @sappho-of-space 💛

[sunflowervoltwentyeight]

Happy 28th! Here is my July 2024 fic rec, organized by word count, from longest to shortest. You can view my other fic recs here. Enjoy!

Bulletproof by justahappycloud / @justahappycloud (137k)

Harry's relationship with his boyfriend — sorry, fiancé — is quite literally in shambles. More often than not, days at their flat end in repressed tears, lonesome nights on the couch, or giving his back to the man he adores more than anything in the world. The lies that come with Harry's lifestyle are tearing them apart, but there's nothing he can do about it. He can't exactly tell the love of his life that every time he goes to work, he kills under the orders of the most powerful man in England. But when the opportunity to end his torment appears, Harry ignores the danger and takes a huge risk in what has to be his most difficult mission up to date. One trip to America. That's all he needs. And after that, maybe he'll get to keep the only person that showed him light in a world where he saw none.

Beautiful War by Itsmotivatingcara / @itsmotivatingcara (103k)

Five years ago, Louis was nearly the next victim in a string of murders plaguing Portland, Oregon. He managed to escape and the Angel Killer was apprehended and sent to prison. Now, Louis' a best-selling author that assists state police with minor cases. He still suffers from the events of the days he'd been held hostage, but he's found ways to cope.

That is, until the killings start up again. A body was found in the woods. A body that bared the same signature the media had dubbed: The Angel of Death.

Special Agent Harry Styles leads the case, and he doesn't buy into the clairvoyant bullshit that Louis spewed to save face five years ago. He's certain that Louis Tomlinson was involved.

Until they meet, and they're both left questioning everything they'd thought to be true.

Or

An FBI-Clairvoyant AU

Want You More Than A by TheCellarDoor / @donotdialnine (73k)

Falling in love with your step-brother’s best friend is a disaster enough. When he happens to be the boy everyone loves and you’re a nerd who wears sweater vests and cries during rom-coms, it takes it to a whole new level.

Your Brightest Star by staybeautiful / @harruandlou (35k)

My baby,” Louis whispered into Harry’s neck, closing his eyes tightly into the embrace. Harry squeezed him closer and Louis could feel him nodding into his throat before he kissed him gently behind the ear.

“I love you,” Harry mumbled into his shoulder.

He tried to move closer, but they were already pressed together from cheek to where their ankles were tangled precariously together. “Me too, me too.”

“I’ve missed you so much,” he whispered, just for Louis’ ears. They swayed slightly, like a delicate dance to the distilled noise around them.

“Oh, darling. Sunshine.”

Or a series of timestamps from the sunshine, baby! universe 𖤓

Part 2 of you're the sun to me

Of the Earth by angelichl / @angelichl (24k)

Harry embarks on a backpacking trip in West Virginia to figure his life out after breaking up with his boyfriend. He meets Louis along the way.

Foolishly Laying Our Hearts On The Table by runaway_train @runawaytrain (11k)

“You think Harry wants that?”

“Dunno. Maybe. Wanna make him happy.” Harry takes advantage of the red light he’s pulled up to turn and look properly at Louis’ face. He’s not even looking in Harry’s direction though, focused instead on something out of his side window, head drooped, mindlessly playing with the string of his hoodie between his fingers, lost in his own world somewhere. For some reason, it makes Harry’s spine straighten. 

“Because he’s your best mate?” Harry questions carefully. 

“He’s my boyfriend.”

He couldn’t have heard him right. “What?”

Louis releases a deep breath, still not turning around. Harry wonders who he thinks he’s talking to right now. “He’s so pretty. Want to kiss him all day long. And buy him a big house and give him presents and marry him.”

Or

The one where Harry is in love with his best friend Louis but doesn't think he stands a chance until some wisdom teeth and a rather unusual confession might just change his mind.

Congratulations, Mr. President by OneSweetWorld18 (Katbrown88) / @onesweetworld18 (2k)

Louis holds his first meeting as PTA President at the Boo Hoo Breakfast on the first day of school. Harry is a supportive husband, and Niall is supportive, as always.

I'll Be Yours Forever ('Til Forever Falls Apart) by callmelover / @whenyoucallmelover (1k)

“You're just so intricate and beautiful. I want to know every part of you. I guess I can't help it.” The blush that warms Harry’s cheeks is more beautiful than any part of himself, Louis wants to argue. He knows Harry wouldn’t let him win, though, so the rebuttal fades from between his lips.

“Well it's a good thing that I think you are just as worthy of being explored, then.”

⚘

or, the one where louis and harry are so in love that love doesn't feel like a big enough word (ft. morning cuddles and just a little bit of kissing)

[asliceofzosan]

zoro doesn't care if people forget his birthday. he really doesn't. but when it's his own boyfriend who doesn't acknowledge his birthday at all... that's a whole different thing entirely. (zosan modern au for zoro's birthday!)

Zoro never understood the hype around birthdays.

It's just another year. 19 didn't feel that different to being 18. 21 didn't feel that different to being 20. He's pretty sure it's going to be the same all the way up to his 80's. He understands the importance of milestones and whatnot but other than that, celebrating his birthday was an afterthought.

It's the big 26 today — one year closer to his thirties — but again, it's just an ordinary day. He woke up, showered for once, and headed straight for the kitchen where his boyfriend was already cooking breakfast and dancing to whatever new K-POP song came out. One of the perks of moving in with Sanji was the early morning entertainment Zoro gets everyday.

Zoro leans against the kitchen island, just watching Sanji hum along to words Zoro can't understand. He loves moments like this. He developed a habit of watching Sanji every time he isn't looking. It's his favorite way to start the day. It gets even better when Sanji notices him, his face lighting up brighter than the sun, and throws his arms around Zoro in their daily good morning embrace.

However, this time, Sanji just looks over his shoulder with a shocked expression.

"Oh, you're already awake!" Sanji exclaims and he steps aside from his work station to reveal he was packing up bento boxes. "I wasn't expecting you to wake up until 10 since you're off work today."

"Thought it would be a good day to wake up early," Zoro says slowly, brows furrowed at each passing second that Sanji doesn't give him his morning hug and kiss. Zoro doesn't think he's clingy, he'd murder you if you said so, but they have a routine. And the routine includes morning hugs and kisses until they're both breathless. Why isn't Sanji bounding over to him and showering his face with kisses and squeezing the daylights out of him? Was he in the twilight zone?

Sanji just keeps on arranging the bento boxes carefully, labelling them with post-it notes and his signature sparkly gel pen that Nami gave him as a joke gift. Zoro stays rooted to the spot, patience waning the longer Sanji doesn't kiss him.

"I was called in today to cover some shifts at the Baratie," Sanji starts to say as he maneuvers his way to the fridge. Zoro scowls when Sanji passes him and doesn't even peck him on the cheek. His voice is a little muffled when he places the bento boxes into the fridge, explaining that he might be out the whole day and won't be back until 10PM earliest.

10PM. Earliest.

"I already pre-made your meals for the day. Breakfast is warming up in the oven right now." Eventually, Sanji does end up giving Zoro a little peck on the cheek, but Zoro felt himself subconsciously chasing after the cook's lips as he moves away. Sanji gives him a warm smile. Zoro thinks he's about to have an aneurysm.

"Sorry, I can't eat breakfast with you today." And to his credit, Sanji looks genuinely apologetic. "The Baratie's gonna be packed. You'll be okay by yourself, right?"

Zoro knew that not making a big deal out of his birthday was his own damn fault but this just seems... off. In every way possible.

Because of all the people in the world, how is it that Sanji has forgotten his birthday?

Sanji, the man who marks every major and minor holiday on his google calendar so he has an excuse to cook a big feast for his friends? Sanji, the man who cried his eyes out when he found out Zoro never had a proper birthday party because he understands the feeling of not being celebrated. Sanji, who loves rom-coms, choose-your-own-adventure interactive novels, and thinks that the way food is arranged on the plate can clearly indicate one's emotions.

Sanji, the biggest sap in history, has forgotten his boyfriend's birthday.

"Zoro?" Sanji's voice slices through the fog of confusion slowly filling up his brain. The hand cradling his face forces him back to reality but all he could do was stare longingly at Sanji, begging him with his eyes to not go. Sanji runs his thumb gently over his cheek and Zoro nuzzles into his hand like a stubborn child. Sanji chuckles.

"I'll be back, you big softie." His reassurance doesn't sit well with Zoro but he only manages to nod. Sanji leans down to kiss Zoro, too chaste and too fast, before pulling away far too quickly. Zoro watches miserably as Sanji puts his jacket on, grabs his keys, and bids him goodbye.

Zoro manages to meet him at the entryway, his hand catching Sanji's arm before he leaves. Sanji tilts his head at him, smiling at him in the way he does when Zoro is being stubborn. "What is it, marimo?"

Zoro stares down Sanji with his good eye, willing and pleading him to remember. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

Sanji blinks. Zoro blinks. Then, Sanji smiles and Zoro thinks he actually gets it.

Until Sanji pulls him into a searing kiss. When they pull away, Sanji rubs their noses together and lets go.

"Can't forget the goodbye kiss!" Sanji places one more kiss on Zoro's nose then leaves a very dazed, very irritated Zoro at the entryway.

from: cap'n luffy

zoooorrooooooo happy birthday !!!!!!!!!! zoro zoro zorooooo have a good day ^_^

from: witch of the sea

happy birthday you big lug <3 as my present, your debt is reduced by 10% ;)

from: chopper

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZORO! I LOVE YOU! DON'T GET SICK TODAY OKAY?!?

from: ussop :^\

BIG 26 ! HBD MY MAN ! you don't look a day over 19 ^_^ honest!! maybe they'll even ID you at the club HAHAHHAHAHAHA

from: robin

Happiest birthday, Zoro. I've deposited birthday booze money into your bank account. Have fun.

from: franky B)

HAVE A SUUUUUPPPEEERR BDAY BRO ! My bday gift isnt ready yet tho i still need to tweek it bUT ! ur gonna love it!! trust !

from: brook

zoro_birthday song_final_real final_absolutely final.mp3

from: jinbe

Have a fruitful birthday today, Zoro. You only turn 26 once!

Time ticks by and Zoro reads and re-reads all the birthday greetings from his friends. Many of them even sent multiple messages in their group chat. It mostly consisted of Luffy and Chopper spamming the chat with birthday gifs. It eased Zoro's racing mind just a little. But he can't help himself from opening up his chat logs with Sanji...

And still nothing.

Just a simple 'hbd marimo' from him would have eased his worries. But Sanji hasn't even messaged him once throughout the entire day. Usually, he'd send a couple of pictures to prove that he's alive. One time, he event sent a selfie while something caught on fire behind him. That's Zoro's wallpaper right now.

It really, really shouldn't be bothering him this much that Sanji hasn't said anything about his birthday. It's also not hard to forget Zoro's birthday. It's literally 11/11. It could not have been a more convenient date.

But Sanji was always the more romantic one of the two of them. Zoro can be accidentally romantic, sure, but Sanji likes grand gestures and showering others with love in every way possible.

Sanji is the last person on earth to forget Zoro's birthday.

He may have never understood the hype around celebrating his birthday. He hasn't had a party since his 18th. But there's something that's mildly irritating that his own boyfriend just straight up treats it like any other day. And not only that, he just leaves Zoro alone too. To celebrate his birthday miserably in their empty apartment with a box of reheated leftovers on his lap.

He doesn't want to admit that he's hurt.

But he is.

However, before he could pick up his phone again to call Sanji and give him a piece of his mind, it starts to ring. He scrambles to answer it without even checking the caller ID. The relief that washes over him when he hears Sanji's voice on the other line was indescribable.

"Cook," and it really shouldn't have come out this desperate. But Zoro is really hanging on by a thread here. "Are you going to tell me something?"

"Yeah! I can't believe I completely forgot!" Sanji's laugh is like a balm to Zoro's anxious conscience but it immediately slips away when Sanji continues.

"I forgot my phone at home."

Zoro almost growls in frustration. "I'm borrowing Patty's right now. Can you do me a favor and look for a recipe that I saved on my notes app? It's super important."

"What could be so much more important than..." Zoro trails off, managing to actually find Sanji's phone on the kitchen counter. Right where he was just this morning. "I fuckin' found it." He taps on the screen, his heart pinching when he sees that Sanji's lockscreen is a candid photo of the two of them taken the exact day they finally got together. Sanji's head was tucked against Zoro's shoulder, his cheeks flushed red, laughing and laughing at something Zoro can't remember anymore. And Zoro... was just looking at Sanji like he was his whole world.

And he still is.

Maybe that's why Sanji forgetting hurts even more.

"What's your passcode?" He grumbles, putting his own phone on speaker.

"I'm surprised you don't know it," Sanji says, footsteps seeming to echo on the other line. "It's pretty hard to forget."

"Contrary to popular opinion, I respect your privacy sometimes Curly."

"How sweet," Sanji says sarcastically. Zoro can practically hear the eyeroll. "But seriously. You know the passcode."

"No I fucking don't?" He exclaims incredulously, glaring at his phone in the hopes Sanji can probably feel it too. "What the fuck are you on about, cook? I don't know your damn passcode!"

"Yes, you do." The fact that Sanji isn't yelling back like he usually does sits uneasily in Zoro's stomach. "Fine, I'll give you a hint since my little marimo needs some help with his homework." Zoro grumbles that he's not a child but Sanji just ignores it. "It's related to the most important person in my life."

Zoro furrows his brows. "Zeff?"

Sanji chuckles. "Try again."

"Um," He scratches his head this time. "Nami?"

"As much as I wish that were true," Sanji sighs dramatically and it was Zoro's turn to roll his eyes. "It's not her. Come on now, mosshead. You know who it is."

The way Sanji's voice softened made something click in Zoro's brain. With a long shaky breath, Zoro took Sanji's phone, stared at the lockscreen one more time, and inputted a significant number.

111197

November 11, 1997

Then Sanji's phone unlocked.

"Did you get it?"

Zoro couldn't concentrate on Sanji's voice. Because staring right at him was the picture Sanji used as his homescreen.

A beautifully edited candid picture of Zoro, his face glowing against a gorgeous sunset, the light shining through his hair in an otherworldly haze. There was text edited above his chest and it read, clear as day:

Happy Birthday, my everything

"Can you open the door for me, love?"

As if on autopilot, Zoro walked to the door, Sanji's phone still in his hand, and he opened it to see his boyfriend standing right there. His face was illuminated by the glow of a single candle sitting on top of a simple vanilla cupcake. Surrounding that cupcake was a plate full of carefully arranged sushi, onigiri, grilled meats, and dipping sauces.

And written with an elegant hand at the edge of the plate, with something Zoro can somehow identify as a thickened oyster sauce was the same thing he read on Sanji's home screen wallpaper:

Happy Birthday, my everything

"Did you really think that I would forget?" Sanji says, the love in his eyes shining through the light of the candle. "You guessed the passcode, didn't you?"

"You piece of shit." Zoro's voice cracked only slightly (only slightly!) "I'm gonna fucking murder you, I swear to god."

"You don't believe in god," Sanji says matter of factly, reaching up to cup Zoro's face with one hand. Zoro scoffs but there's no lick of malice to it. Sanji then presents the cupcake to him and with another roll of his eye, Zoro blows the candle out, much to Sanji's amusement.

He knows he's supposed to be making a wish or whatever but he doesn't. Everything he's ever wished for is right here, standing in their doorway, with a plate of food made by his own hands. Hands that he kisses every night. Hands that cradle his face like Zoro is something to be treasured.

Hands that hold his, no matter what life throws at them.

Stepping into the apartment, Sanji places the plate of food on the table at the entryway, then drapes his arms over Zoro's shoulders. Zoro's hands find Sanji's waist immediately.

And finally, Sanji says the words Zoro's been waiting to hear all day.

"Happy Birthday, Zoro."

Then, Sanji kisses him, his lips soft and his hands warm as they tangle into Zoro's hair. Zoro deepens the kiss, thinking that maybe celebrating his birthday isn't so bad after all.

[patheticbabie]

Jason Todd headcanons

back again with my own jason headcanons. I'll get round to posting for others. Also requests are always open, so don't be shy.

• Jay takes in strays, especially if they're babies. He doesn't mind taking in babies, he's got really good fatherly instincts

• Everyone always makes up an excuse to come over to his place, because they don't wanna admit that they love his cooking

• Has a protective mother hen vibe. He's the mother of every friend group, especially towards Roy and Kyle

• Will always text good morning and good night, doesn't matter where he is. His day isn't complete if he doesn't send a text

• In his free time he likes to game, believe it or not he's got over 100 hours on animal crossing

• Although he's got amazing detective skills, he sucks at murder mystery games and movies

• His fave movie genre are rom coms, he even has a top 10 list with his fave movies. His all time fave is 10 things I hate about you and Romeo + Juliet

• Family game night? He's super competitive. There is no such thing as friendship and family during those nights

• He likes feeling wanted within his family, so if Cass asks him if he can accompany her to ballet lessons, or with her and Steph during shopping trips? He's dropping everything to be there

• Will never admit it, but he does love when Dick calls him little wing and he secretly loves his hugs

• Even though he constantly bullies Tim, he will always come by and give him a new cup of coffee and a snack

• If he comes across a stray puppy in the alley? Best believe he's taking the puppy home, and asking Damian to come over to help out

• Every Saturday, he likes to come over and him and Alfred will spend the day cooking new recipes, and then serving it for dinner

• Will act smug and say "yep, Alfred and I cooked this"

• He loves loves compliments. Go on inflate his ego, he deserves all the compliments

• This man is a downright flirt. You're his s/o patrolling with him or you're a villain? Best believe he'll corner you and do the hands above your head trick and lean in close enough to kiss you

• The type to jam the comms by asking the dumbest questions "what type of cheese is your fave? Because mine is parmesan? You could put that shit on anything"

• Also "who's your top 5 rom com leading ladies, and why?"

• Once Dick heard him giggle while wearing his red hood helmet, and he has never let him live since then

Jay: do you think my helmet makes my head look big?

You: is that serious question? Because the answer I'd give you isn't one you'd like

• He is petty as hell!! Eat the cookie he was saving? He'll mess up your apartment by slowly stealing one item at a time

• His fave thing to do after patrol is to snuggle up next to you, head on your chest as you play with his hair

• He loves when you have your head on his lap while he reads or watches tv

• He wears glasses when he's at home, and it's hard keeping your hands to yourself when he's wearing them

• He has a few tattoos, one on his chest with the R for Robin, and half a sleeve on his upper arm

• Has both ears pierced

• He lives for your massages, especially after taking a beating during patrol. He'll be on the bed, muscles tense as you work his shoulders while kissing his neck

• The type to text "this reminded me of you" if he's away on a mission

• As soon as he comes home from a mission, don't expect to leave the apartment, he's gonna show you how much he missed you

• Loves pet names: baby, babe, darling, sweetheart, love, princess, pretty, petal

• If he's had a hard day, always make sure you have his fave food ready, and hold him close to you

• Jason's love language is touch and words of affirmation. Sometimes he gets in his head and overthinks. Be there to remind him how important he is to you, and why he deserves to be loved

• His fave way to spend weekends is by sleeping in, or waking you up with his head between your thighs, or leaving kisses down your neck asking if you wanted a little morning workout

[vmplvr1977]

Chapter Six is posted!!

Fate is a funny thing. Just when you think you have your life planned out, destiny sweeps in and fucks it up. And the worst part? You're helpless to stop it. Like a boat without a rudder or anchor, floating from one end of the ocean to the next with no way to impede or change its direction. Next thing you know, you're stranded on an island with no hope of escape. That is destiny. Or Clarke's, at least.

Sometimes, fate's intervention is for the best. A meet-cute, of sorts, where two people destined to be together, whether as friends or lovers, share a random moment that changes everything. Usually, it is bumping into a stranger and spilling a drink all over their new shirt. Or two people who pass each other only moments apart at the same coffee shop for years before fate finally intervenes.

Clarke's parents had a charming little tale like that. They told it at dinner parties, anniversaries, and family gatherings more times than their daughter could count. But Clarke's first meeting with Lexa was nothing like the rom-coms on TV. Nor was it a tale to share with friends and family without extensive revisions. Still, it was clear that destiny had brought them together, though the reasons remained unclear for some time...

Clarke and Lexa's love was forbidden for many reasons, notably their different natures. Their people had been sworn enemies for centuries. So, by all rights, the wolf and vampire were born to despise one another. But fate doesn't give a damn if its intervention is untimely or unwanted. Destiny blazes its own path without care for the world's rules.

It all began on a particularly gruesome night. The pack was under tremendous pressure after a string of murders within Skaikru's territory had garnered the attention of humans. Skaikru couldn't risk mortals discovering their secret, especially after centuries of carefully integrating into mortal society. So, Clarke's mother and the pack's leader, Abby, ordered her to find the killer and bring them justice as swiftly as possible.

Of course, many assumed the vampires were to blame. Each slaying had occurred near the invisible border that marked Heda's territory. Furthermore, the victims had been exsanguinated with their bodies riddled with bite marks. Naturally, the wolves were eager to place the blame on their oldest enemies.

But they had to be sure before they broke a two-century-long treaty with the Vampire Queen, Heda. Which is why Abby specifically assigned her daughter to lead the hunt. Clarke may be the typical alpha, but she is more intelligent than most and often seeks peaceful solutions before resorting to violence. Furthermore, as a physician, Clarke was better qualified to inspect the crime scenes and sniff out the killer.

Additionally, Abby hoped this special mission would grant Clarke the opportunity to prove herself as the next pack leader. If her mother had known the chaos this assignment might bring, she likely would have chosen another to take Clarke's place. Perhaps if Abby had, her daughter would not have been dragged into a fight with hontas (hunters), nor would she have had the opportunity to fall in love with a bloodsucker.

There were countless times through the following centuries that Abby wished she'd sent anyone but Clarke. But she couldn't have known the mysterious killer had set a trap. Nor did they realize that wolves and vampires were the prey, not the hunters.

Continue Reading

[jbuffyangel]

Second Chance: Arrow 1x18 Review (Salvation)

The villain of the week is one step ahead of Felicity in "Salvation" which gives Oliver the opportunity to be there for HER, as they race to save Roy Harper's life.

And oh holy cow is there Lance family drama y'all. WOW. Scandalous.

Let's dig in...

Olicity

This is one of Arrow’s more suspenseful episodes. Felicity goes toe to toe with the villain of the week and she more than meets her match. This results in one of Arrow's cooler action sequences and some iconic Olictiy moments.

But first, we must work out.

Of all the times Felicity watches Oliver working out, this is my favorite. Emily Bett Richard’s face is hilarious.

Her comic skills are so on point and she brings a much needed levity to the show. But do not deny this woman her dramatic work. She can bring her A game anytime - as we will soon see.

Oliver is off to threaten (or kill?) a dirty real estate developer named John Nichols, who doesn’t mind skipping code requirements if it means saving a buck. Oliver fed up with this guy killing people in the Glades and he’s on the List, so hasta la vista, baby. (Do not deny my my nineties cliché remarks. They bring me comfort and joy.)

Unfortunately (or fortunately?) someone else beats Oliver to it and kidnaps Nichols. Oliver is strangely displeased. I mean... what's the difference? Felicity and I share a brain sometimes, so she asks Oliver on my behalf.

Source: @andjustforthismoment

These two are in their own rom com and we’re just along for the ride. The way he growls “They don’t show my level of restraint,” at Felicity is a lot. Is it really necessary to stand that close to her Oliver? No it’s not. I SEE YOU SIR.

The man who kidnapped Nichols executes him on live television which was super creepy. He definitely has a Heath Ledger as the Joker vibe to him. (Nobody said the comparisons to the Dark Knight are unfair.)

Felicity is unable to crack his encryption code because he’s a former cyber crusader called “The Savior” and the NSA has been searching for him for years.  His real name is Joseph Falk and he erased his existence after his wife was murdered in the Glades.

When he failed to get justice for his wife's death, the Savior took matters into his own hands - not unlike our favorite vigilante. His cyber skills are no joke and give Felicity a real run for her money. She is unable to track him down before he kills Nichols, which leads to a hilarious if frustrated exchange between Felicity and Oliver.

Source: @yet-i-remain-quiet

JUST GET MARRIED.

Things go from bad to worse for Felicity when Falk kidnaps the district attorney. His crime was not prosecuting the person who murdered Falk’s wife. If we were on the fence as to whether Nichols should live or die, then the district attorney snaps us out of the moral grey zone. Prosecutors choose not try cases all of the time for lack of evidence. It doesn’t mean they should die for it.

Source:  msr-olicity-love

Oliver's impatience only heightens Felicity's stress, but she finally gets a location. It’s the middle of the day which means Oliver can’t hood up. So he grabs the motorcycle and his super sexy brown jacket to hunt Falk down and save the DA.

This leads to one of my favorite Arrow action scenes. Falk is not at the location Felicity sends Oliver to, which means he has to sprint across town and leap between buildings to next location. Felicity is completely flummoxed because she doesn't understand how this guy is moving locations. Oliver screaming at her over comms is not particularly helpful either. 

Unfortunately, Team Arrow loses and Falk murders the DA on live television, which is completely traumatizing to Felicity who has never seen anyone die before. 

Oliver returns home to find Felicity alone in the dark, twirling one of his arrows in her hands. Oliver immediately wants to know where Diggle is because he’s probably wondering why John left Felicity all alone in the dark.

Felicity: I asked him to leave me alone in my loud voice.

Source: @westallenolicitygifs

Oliver isn’t going to do the same. He immediately reassures Felicity that it wasn’t her fault (because it isn’t). This is the price of the life they’ve chosen to live. It’s a very lonely one as Oliver knows all too well.

Source: @jamiedornaniseverything

Felicity is understandably feeling defeatist, so it’s one of the rare times she says it’s better to be alone. Oliver doesn’t have much to say in return, but notice how the scene is shot. The entire bunker is dark except for the brightly backlit desk lamp. Oliver and Felicity are the only thing we see in the darkness.

Felicity also mentions her relationship status, which feels like an oddly placed comment. Umm… ok? SHE’S SINGLE AND HETEROSEXUAL GUYS!

I love receiving pieces to the Felicity Smoak puzzle, but this comment felt very out of context. “Hey I’m sad, but I wouldn’t know how to talk to my boyfriend about fighting crime. Good thing I don’t have one.”

It is NOT the fans who create romantic undertones to Oliver and Felicity’s scenes. The writers make it romantic with conversations like this. It’s very easy to keep a scene like this strictly platonic, but nope! The writers decide it’s super important that Oliver knows *right now* that Felicity is single as she pours her heart out to him in her time of need.

The light is equally important, because this relationship (regardless of romantic or platonic) has to be a two way street. Felicity cannot always help Oliver find the light. He has to help her too.

Oliver does come through Felicity by the end of the episode. Not at first because he is equally struggling with the loneliness of the life he’s chosen. He can’t really advise Felicity against being alone because that’s the choice he’s made for himself. So much so, that Diggle takes him out for a burger and a little therapy session. After the disaster zone his past relationships have left in their wake, Oliver is tapping out. He doesn’t require a life, or entanglements, or feelings.

Diggle: You’ve been home for eight months Oliver, I don’t think you’ve left that island yet.

Diggle, per usual, disagrees. He wants Oliver entangled. He wants Oliver as entangled as he can get. It makes you wonder if he has someone specific in mind.

The Savior puts a big mirror up to Oliver’s face. He is man grieving the loss of his wife and chose to channel that rage and sadness into exacting his brand of justice.  Oliver can see himself in Falk and he doesn’t like what he sees.

Being alone leads to exactly that. While Oliver may say he doesn’t want the complexity of relationships and the difficulties they can bring, the reality of living life alone can lead to some pretty terrible results. Falk cut himself off from his humanity. This lead to selecting victims who didn’t deserve to die. If Oliver wants to maintain a moral high ground, make difficult but ultimately right choices, then he needs his humanity fully intact. Humanity requires human contact.

Oliver reaches out to someone first, but it’s not Felicity. It’s L*urel. He wants to have dinner or coffee or whatever because he no longer wants to be on an island.  It’s a nice line. It would have more meaning if we saw that dinner or conversation, but we don't.

Instead we see Oliver return home to the bunker, to Felicity and Diggle, and they debrief their latest Team Arrow victory.  It would be easy to leave this scene at Felicity’s funny remark about Roy and Thea.

Diggle: You ok?

Oliver: Getting there.

Instead, Oliver acknowledges, more to himself, that he’s feeling better because John was right. Then we actually see this rigid man move and in the cutest way possible - with a little "Psst." It is a small yet definitive step towards his second chance.

Oliver approaches Felicity in the now brightly lit bunker and tells her she is not alone. He is there for her always. Felicity may not have a “boyfriend” to talk to, but she has Oliver.

Then he gently touches her shoulder and lets his hand linger there just long enough to even make Felicity wonder if maybe, just maybe, he means more.

Actions speak louder than words.  Oliver may talk about not being on an island anymore with L*urel, but he leaves that island for Felicity.

Roy Harper

What are we doing with Roy Harper? Thus far it’s been a lot of Roy and Thea having the same “make better choices” argument and debate their wildly different economic lots in life. This is all well and good but we eventually need movement on this character and “Unfinished Business” give it to us BIG TIME.

Thea is understandably frustrated when Roy admits he plans to hold up a liquor store because he “owes” people in the Glades and that’s how this town works.

Thea: I got you a job at my brother’s club. You have choices. You don’t have to be a criminal.

Somehow this decision puts Roy in the Savior’s cross hairs. According to Falk, Roy Harper is a gang banger.

Roy has a criminal record and holding up a liquor store with an empty gun is not great, but a freaking death sentence? Calm down crazy. The Savior can’t find bigger fish to fry?

Roy doesn’t make excuses or ask for forgiveness when Falk challenges him to defend himself against his “crimes.” He doesn’t care if he lives or dies (just like someone else we know).

Roy: No one’s gonna miss me. I’m just a waste.

Gut punch. This kid wrecks me. Now Thea is crying in Tommy’s big brotherly-like arms. WE MUST SAVE THE PARKOUR PRINCE!!!

Felicity and Diggle determine Falk is on the old abandoned subway system in Star City, which is why he was moving locations. The Hood finds Roy before Falk can pull the trigger and they engage in a morality debate, which thankfully isn’t broadcasted across the whole city after the feed is cut off. Or maybe the city should have heard Oliver’s arguments.

Oliver: I understand being alone, but it doesn’t give you the right to kill people in cold blood.

The Savior challenges Oliver on the difference between them and, once again, he doesn’t have a lot to say. There's minimal morality wiggle room for Oliver. The only difference between the Savior and the Hood is the people they are choosing. Oliver wasn’t wrong at the beginning of the episode. He has more restraint. He also has a better list of names. The Savior should ask for a couple.

Killing the District Attorney and kidnapping Roy Harper show that Falk is very bad at being judge, jury and executioner. Arrow is putting other vigilantes up against Oliver to show that he is better. There is a good heart under that hood – a potential superhero’s heart. Oliver’s morals and how he measures the sins of others are more just, but that doesn’t make him right. These distinctions we are drawing between Oliver and people like Falk and Helena are merely shades of grey. He is balancing on a very razor thin edge.

Oliver begs Falk to give Roy a second chance, but is forced to put an arrow in him when he refuses. “Salvation” is asking an important question. Who is worthy of a second chance? And who decides who is worthy?

Killing not only ends someone’s life it removes the possibility for change. There is a clear distinction between a man like Nichols and Roy Harper. There should be consequences to sinful actions, but what sins warrant death and what sins warrant forgiveness? Who decides? It’s a question we grapple with constantly in our imperfect legal system and it’s one Oliver Queen must answer as the city’s self appointed protector.

Roy is an easy call to make. He made mistakes, but he is deserving of a second chance. However, the question of whether he is worthy of it can only be answered by Roy Harper.  As he pulls the small arrow that saved his life out from his pocket, Roy is illuminated by a bright red light – a not so subtle nod to the Red Arrow. 

And thus a hero’s journey begins with a second chance.

The Lance Family

This week on Loving the Lances… Dinah returns home with hopes of resurrecting their dead daughter but family secrets were unearthed instead. Dun dun dunnnnn!!!!

L*urel is on her own show, so I thought I’d give it a proper soap opera name. She never intersects with Oliver’s storyline except when she randomly pops up at the club looking for Tommy, but I digress. In all seriousness, this episode is pretty damn good because some scalding hot tea was spilled!

Dinah is CONVINCED that Sara is alive because she had the exact same baseball cap as the woman in the photo. This is such a weird detail to hang all her hopes on. Does Dinah think Sara was holding the rockets hat in her hand while she was swept out to sea? What’s with the hat? I HAVE QUESTIONS.

Long story short, Sara is truly dead. L*urel finds the woman in the photo. She’s American, spent some time in China and owns a Starling City Rocket’s hat. We’re going to pretend the Chinese Embassy can find some rando in a photo and deliver her name to L*urel in five seconds flat. Also, Oliver confirms once again Sara is dead and he never lies so we’re all good.

But now we can get to the really interesting part of this little Lance drama unfolding before us. L*urel has the same questions about the hat as I do! I am wildly uncomfortable being this much in agreement with her, but here we are.

Dinah came home while Sara was packing for her little get away with Oliver. She watched Sara pack the hat. Dinah told her not to go, but Sara said she was in love and following her heart even though others may not think it is right. Just like Dinah did with Quentin (side note – what’s the story on those two?)

Dinah: So I let her go. I killed my daughter.

HOLY FRIGGIN CRAP! MOMMY KNEW ABOUT THE CHEATING AND NOT ONLY DID SHE NOT SAYING ANYTHING TO L*UREL SHE LET SARA GO ON THE DAMN BOAT!!

This family is so jacked up. They make the Queens look halfway normal. Y’all I don’t even know what to do with this information. HOT. MESS. EXPRESS.

Clearly Dinah is riddled with guilt and is desperate to find Sara alive to erase the terrible decision she made, but she can’t erase it. Just like Oliver can’t.

Somehow this betrayal almost feels worse than what Oliver and Sara did. Alright, maybe that’s too harsh, but it feels just as bad. It feels like Dinah was taking sides and she chose Sara. 

I really need a therapy session with these women to unpack all that, but this is Arrow and L*urel doesn’t get that much screen time. The best we’ll get is an awkward hug and L*urel asking her mother to call her sometime.

What L*urel is offering is a generous second chance. Perhaps she’s realized that forgiveness is less painful than holding onto all the anger and hurt. Perhaps Oliver coming home and her mother’s time away made her realize she wants Dinah in her life than not at all. It’s really only a decision L*urel can make, but it’s a chance Dinah needs to jump on. She didn’t stop being a mother when Sara died. L*urel needs her too.

Stray Thoughts

L*urel advises Thea to run from the bad boys. Snort. So it’s a “do what I say, not what I do” type of advice day.

Moira serves Frank up on a platter to Malcolm Merlyn as the person who hired Deadshot. Moira’s hands are getting pretty damn bloody.

It has to be hard on L*urel to see that the only time her parents can be in a room together, affectionately touching, and being on the same team, is when they are searching for Sara. I really felt bad for her this episode. Ugh.

Slade and Oliver ransom the chips for a boat. It goes disastrously. Now Yao Fei is captured again.

Hey! Shado speaks English and can kick ass. Neat!

 “Keeps my ears warm.” He jokes!

“I’ll be home in a flash.” Dinah lives in Central City. Season 1 Jen didn’t get that reference, but I am a seasoned professional in the art of comic book references and I totally picked up on it the second time.

“Stay” by Rihanna was playing during Oliver & L*urel’s scene at the end of the episode. This was my song of pain in 2013. The Vampire Diaries used it in a particularly agonizing Stefan and Elena scene as well that year.  It's like white hot pokers in my heart.

Listen to the Watchover podcast reaction to 1x18!!!

If you’d like to support the blog, please buy me a cup of tea!

Disclaimer: Any gifs on the blog are not mine. If you would like a gif removed from my reviews, please message me.

[pandorasword]

Chaeri as the 8th and youngest member of BTS.

Chaeri's Masterlist

ATTENTION: 'MY NAME' DRAMA SPOILER AHEAD

Web article

Why you shouldn't miss 'My Name', the series starring the kick-ass girl of the year

Revenge is woman

My Name is one of those realistic, down-to-earth, tough stories. Tough as hell. Premiering at the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea, it is a crime thriller directed by Kim Jin-min, director of 2004's Pride and Prejudice, and starring Chaeri of BTS. It is a story of pure revenge, but veered to the female side, with a very young girl at the center. My Name is an adrenaline-fueled, violent series that is a pleasure to follow.

"It's the least for a gangster's daughter." That's what Ji-woo Yoon (Chaeri) says after beating the crap out of a schoolmate who was bullying her. On her desk, in fact, she had put a bag with something that looked like cocaine in it, for the purpose of teasing her or, who knows, getting her called out of school. Ji-woo's reaction is violent, and without mercy. Soon after, when she is in her apartment, she receives a visit from her father, who has brought her a present for her birthday. But she, who does not accept his choice to be a criminal, refuses to see him and doesn't open the door for him. In the hallway, in front of that closed door, the man is murdered. The girl's guilt-ridden mission will be to find who killed him. Whatever it takes.

My Name rests entirely on the shoulders of the very young Chaeri and to her performance. She makes her acting debut embodying a role very different from what fans are used to seeing of her on stage. Unlike many equally young and pretty female colleagues who have chosen a career path propped up with sugary roles in sappy rom-coms, Chaeri opted to take on a far more uncomfortable role for her screen debut. Petite, her face graceful and sweet, she proves to be an actress who can bring to life the contrast between the delicacy of her age and status as a high school student, with the world she faces, and with the very characteristics of a tireless and indomitable fighter she manages to pull off. In the first scenes of the series we saw her getting ready for school, neat and elegant. All this before the surprising explosion of violence we witness at her school. And it is only the prologue to an endless spiral of violence. The action of My Name is tight, rhythmic, not giving a moment's respite. The protagonist moves to the rhythm of the beats of cold, pressing electronic music.

We see her juggling a noir-tinged story in which the very young Yoon Ji-woo must move not only deftly but also intelligently between two opposing organizations: the police organization, particularly Narcotics, and the gang of the mellifluous boss Choi Mu-jin, the best friend of Ji-woo's late parent. Hidden among them is the killer of the girl's father, and the search for the truth is as exciting as the bloody showdown.

"My Name" breaks free from the constraints of traditional Korean TV censorship, providing a platform for explicit depictions of violence, sex, and the exploration of intense emotions like love and hate. As a Netflix original production, the series offers a refreshing and unfiltered viewing experience. Since its debut on October 15, 2021, "My Name" has captivated audiences with its gripping storyline and Chaeri's remarkable acting debut.

The controversial themes and many parents' reaction to the TV series' debut trailer

Blog: Parenting teenagers

User_1: I just read the news that Chaeri is going to act in a TV series with highly debatable themes. I'm really concerned about my son, who is a huge fan of hers. How can we ensure that our children aren't negatively influenced by this kind of content?

User_2: I'm disappointed that an artist like Chaeri has decided to participate in a series with such themes. As parents, we need to protect our children from these harmful influences. We should encourage greater scrutiny of the artists they follow and promote more positive and age-appropriate content.

User_3: This is just an example of how our young ones are exposed to inappropriate content because of the choices made by the artists they follow. As parents, we need to be mindful and educate our children about the negative effects of such content. It's essential that we seek healthier alternatives for them.

User_4: Have you heard about Chaeri's upcoming role in that TV series? I can't believe she's choosing to be a part of something so inappropriate for her young fanbase. It's really disappointing.

User_5: I agree completely. As parents, we should expect better from these idols who have such a significant influence on our children. It's a shame that Chaeri is going down this path.

User_6: I've already had to have some difficult conversations with my daughter about the content in K-pop. Now, with Chaeri taking on such a controversial role, it's going to be even harder to guide our kids through these complex issues.

Related Tweets

Some highlights from the show

Dating Rumors

Web article

Explosion of Speculations: Chaeri and Ahn Bo-Hyun, the Chemistry Behind the Scenes of 'My Name' Sparks Possible Dating Rumor

The Hit TV Series Fuels Rumors of Off-Screen Romance

Amidst the excitement generated by the TV series "My Name," which has captivated millions of viewers worldwide, a new wave of gossip is spreading regarding the possible relationship between the lead actors Chaeri and Ahn Bo-Hyun. Eager fans can't help but wonder if the intense chemistry displayed on-screen has translated into a real-life spark.

The rumors gained momentum after the two actors showcased undeniable affinity in their roles as Ji-woo and Pil-do on the Netflix series. Their characters were involved in intimate and emotionally charged scenes that piqued the interest and enthusiasm of viewers.

While many viewers were simply swept away by the actors' magnificent performances, others couldn't help but notice the chemistry that seemed to extend beyond acting. The palpable energy between Chaeri and Ahn Bo-Hyun has sparked speculation that there might be more than just friendship between them.

Sources close to the set of "My Name" have revealed that Chaeri and Ahn Bo-Hyun have become very close friends during filming. Their mutual admiration and respect seem to have transcended the set, laying the foundation for a possible romantic connection.

However, it's important to note that both actors have yet to make any official statements regarding their alleged romantic involvement. Media attention on them has significantly increased, but until concrete statements are made, their relationship will remain subject to speculation.

Regardless, fans of "My Name" don't seem too concerned about the truth behind the rumors. Both Chaeri and Ahn Bo-Hyun have proven themselves as talented professionals capable of creating an extraordinary chemistry on-screen. Whether their rapport is a result of a solid friendship or something more, the legacy of "My Name" will remain in the hearts of fans for a long time.

The anticipation for an official statement from the two actors continues as viewers continue to dream of a possible love story that can bring the intensity of Ji-woo and Pil-do into reality. Only time will tell if these hopes will turn into reality or remain a dream for fans fascinated by this dynamic duo.

Web article

Chaeri and Ahn Bo-Hyun Address Dating Rumors, Confirm They're Just Friends

The stars of "My Name," Chaeri and Ahn Bo-Hyun, have officially denied the recent dating rumors surrounding their relationship. In separate statements, both actors emphasized that they are only close friends and colleagues. They expressed gratitude for the support from fans and emphasized their commitment to their professional careers. The statements aim to put an end to the speculation and redirect attention to the success of "My Name" and their future projects. Fans can now appreciate their on-screen chemistry without romantic implications, respecting the actors' personal lives.

Unhappy male fans

Twitter: Search results on #MyName

💭 chaeribemywife: I'm happy for Chaeri's success in 'My Name,' but those intimate scenes with Ahn Bo-Hyun are making me feel a bit jealous 😅

💭 fanboy11: I understand it's acting, but seeing Chaeri and Ahn Bo-Hyun's steamy scenes in 'My Name' is really testing my emotions!

💭 chaeri1stan: Seriously, can't they tone down the intimacy between Chaeri and Ahn Bo-Hyun in 'My Name'? It's making it hard to watch

💭 chaerislips: The chemistry between Chaeri and Ahn Bo-Hyun is so intense that I can't help but feel slightly jealous of their kissing in 'My Name.' I hope they are just acting

💭 notdelulufan: Wow, I have to admit that being Ahn Bo-Hyun and having a scene with Chaeri where she's undressed in 'My Name' is a dream! A bit of male jealousy here

What BTS think of Chaeri in the lead role of My Name, interview extracts

Suga: Chaeri has proven to be an all-around artist, her versatility in moving from a world that was strictly about music to the world of film and TV series is impressive. She has handled the complex role she has been given managing to convey genuine emotions. She has given life to an extraordinary character. We are very proud of her

Jin: She surprised us by auditioning without letting us know. When she returned home with a carrot cake, her favorite, she exclaimed, 'Guys, today calls for a celebration!' It caught us off guard. We were aware of her acting lessons but hadn't anticipated her involvement in such a significant project. From the first day of filming until the very end, we wholeheartedly cheered her on

Suga: I've been on set many times

V: I've been on set as well. I have brought her lunch more than once and stayed to watch the scenes being filmed

Jimin: As part of the BTS family, we have always stood together, supporting each other's dreams and aspirations. It brings us immense joy to witness Chaeri's artistic evolution and the milestones she reaches. Every success she achieves feels like a shared victory for all of us

RM: To be frank, when she shared the details and genre of the show she was going to be a part of, I couldn't help but ask if she felt ready to make her debut as an actress in such a demanding role. The first impression is crucial, as it can shape an artist's future prospects, and I was worried that the role might be too overwhelming. However, she proved me wrong, and she amazed everyone. I suppose I will always have a sense of concern for her, just like when she was 14 years old. It's a part of me that I can't shake off. Nevertheless, I have to acknowledge and accept that she has blossomed into a strong, beautiful and independent woman

J-Hope: She's the youngest in the family, and it's tough to see her all grown up

J-Hope: A significant buzz has emerged online surrounding her involvement in this show. However, I strongly believe that she deserves nothing but admiration. Despite it being her debut, she has demonstrated remarkable artistic skills. My Name is the type of TV series that I would gladly watch repeatedly, to the point of memorizing every scene. Chaeri's performance was nothing short of perfection

Jungkook: Her dedication serves as an inspiration to all. We were a bit worried at first. Our busy schedules consume a major part of our day and she would sacrifice hours of sleep to become the leading actress everyone expected. I witnessed her taking boxing lessons, filming scenes at improbable hours, and studying the script even while eating. She is a hard worker, and all her efforts have paid off

V: There are no adequate words to express how proud I am of her. She knew that joining the cast would unsettle some people, yet she pursued it because it was what she wanted. As idols, we have a responsibility to set a good example for our followers, that's true. However, it's important to remember that movies and TV series are purely fictional and go beyond our role as role models. I have always supported her in every decision, and I have cherished every minute of 'My Name'

taglist: @alixnsuperstxr | @bts-dream | @ycuvi

[spiderfunkz]

✧.* coffee

— summary : in which you meet a pretty customer while working as a barista in your local coffee shop.

— pairings : nancy wheeler x gn!reader

— word count : 0,6k

— warnings : tooth rotting fluff, coffee shop au, modern au(?), sorta set around s3 but canons off the table again, the typical love at first sight stuff, foul language, robin is readers coworker, messy plot & writing.

a/n : this is so cute so thank u for the idea jas ^^ hope u like this little blurb <3 also i don't know shit about coffee oops.

summer of 85' was suppose to be like some kind of rom-com you've imagined.

but here you are at 8 am, working at the local coffee shop to get some extra change, and the sounds of the old coffee machine breaking up was already annoying you.

your coworker aka the only other person here, robin who you've been getting really close with now, was ranting about the pretty person she met a few days ago.

"i'm telling you, y/n, they're really pretty, their hair is like molly ringwald, and they have amazing taste in movies." she continues. "i can look like molly ringwald." you joked, "but you've only met them once robin, they could be an axe murderer or something." you shrug.

"yeah but we had like a chat and stuff, they seem nice." your coworker stated, "that. only happens in movies, beware." you joke, getting interrupted by the welcome bell.

you roll your eyes at robin mocking you before approching the girl infront of you. "hi! welcome to bear brews, what can i get for you?"

"hi, can i get uh-" she paused, looking at the menu screen above you. "actually, what do you recommend here?"

the stranger looked incredibly gorgeous, you were love struck to say the least. her makeup was flawless and her hair was neatly clipped into a small ponytail.

you realize you were probably staring, "oh sorry, uh well are you looking for americanos or lattes or?" you asked. "oh uh, anything with caffeine little or big, up to you." she replied.

"okay, uh does a caramel macchiato with oat milk sound good? it's one of my favorites. i can upper the caffeine level to your liking if you want." you smiled. "yeah, that sounds good!" she smiled back. "the names nance by the way- nancy." she continued.

"pretty," you blurt out — "the name, your name is pretty, sorry uh." your face turns pink as you fumble your words. "sorry, i'll ring you up. your totals $3.75" you smile, "it's alright, thank you so much." she smiles, handing you the money.

you give her, her change before walking towards robin again as nancy sits in one of the seats.

the shop was empty, it was early and most people already made their coffee from home. it's quiet, most of the noise coming from the probably broken coffee machine, robin ranting, or the faint background music you probably forgot to turn on.

"that only happens in movies." robin laughs, "i just saw you go head over heels over a person you just met by the way!" she continues.

"i wasn't-" you paused, "i didn't know a literal princess would be entering a hawkins coffee shop!" you say, a bit too loud maybe.

"go talk to her." robin points.

you thought about it as you made her the drink, ringing it up as soon as your done.

you build up the courage to talk to her when she got up to get the drink, and the talk slowly became a conversation.

you've gotten to know the girl, turns out she works at the hawkins post a few walks away from where you work. her job doesn't start for another hour, and she's already got everything prepared for her 'coworkers' she explained as well, while drinking the coffee you suggested.

time passes and she has to go back.

"it's really nice talking to you, nancy." you smile. "yeah, it was nice talking to you too, i will 100% come back here." she smiled waving before sending you a wink.

you smile before turning to robin who has been behind the counter the whole time. "only in the movies?" she asked as you chuckle, "i change my mind."

[autisticsupervillain]

FTF: Isekai Invasion!

The show where we take a character and drop them into a different franchise at a random location to see if they can conquer the world.

This Episode...

Karkat Vantas vs The Underground!

Conditions:

Karkat's only goal is to escape the Underground alive.

Everyone in the Underground us operating under the assumption that Karkat is a human who is very dedicated to his cosplay, regardless of what he insists.

Flowey doesn't interfere because he finds Karkat's antics entertaining.

Besides that, everyone is in character.

It's assumed Karkat is capable of passing through the barrier.

Scenario:

Karkat falls into the Underground and wants to go home.

Invader: Karkat

Ask yourself one very important question. A question that has plagued nearly all of mankind since its very inception. What does God, our omnipotent creator, look like?

Stop thinking, because you're wrong. Our God is just an internet troll from another universe who wears a massive sweater, pulls his pants up to his chest, and has a love for dumb rom coms.

Meet Karkat Vantas, a mutant blooded alien troll from the distant planet of Alternia. Born as a mutant with bright red blood, Karkat had no place in Alternia's dystopic blood-based caste system and, as such, his very existence was a crime punishable by death. As such, Karkat has lived his entire life in constant fear and paranoia that one day his blood would be discovered and he would be killed. Growing up as a born outlaw in a murderous dystopia did not do well for Karkat's psyche, resulting in him growing up into an abrasive asshole who was fully convinced he would die at any moment.

Little did he know until his 13th birthday (or 6.5th birthday going off Alternia's time measurement system), he had inherited a destiny, regarding both the future of his race and the future of his very universe.

See, Karkat wasn't any mutant. He was a direct descendant of the Signless. A troll who, many centuries ago, had rebelled in the name of trolls of every caste, seeking to bring peace to the horrific, bloodthirsty dystopia. He was executed for his efforts, but not before his genetic information was copied.... by Karkat himself. Technically.

Karkat's other destiny was his destiny as a SBURB Player. He and all his friends were destined to play a video game called SGRUB, which would bring about the end of their world. The game, if played right, would allow Karkat and friends to become the gods of the new world, but in order for that to happen at all, the game had to allow Karkat to ensure his own existence through time traveling clone science fuckery. It's complicated.

This gave Karkat a golden opportunity to both escape his horrible situation and rule as the leader of a pantheon of gods over his own personal universe. Namely, our universe. He kindly assures us that it would've been a horrific and brutal regime, but it never really got off the ground, as Karkat's victory was stolen from him at the last second by an invincible time demon and Karkat would up having to work with the humans he had intended to enslave for the sake of survival.

This is because Karkat is not even half the conquer he wants to be. He isn't even really the leader of his team. Despite all his bluster of being a God born from a superior warrior race, Karkat is a loud mouthed weakling when measured up to nearly anyone else on his team. He has no special powers, he's physically the weakest out of everyone, and he isn't even an actual God.

What Karkat does have... is heart. Much to his chagrin, Karkat's special power is basically friendship. As a Blood Player, Karkat is supernaturally predisposed to being really good at making friends and maintaining friendships... which turned out to be the very thing he needed to succeed as well as he did.

See, all of Karkat's friends have a very deep, bloody history. As in, "these people are personally responsible for the most traumatic and horrifying events in my life. Events that shape who I am as a person to this day" deep. They've killed each other before and they would again. However, thanks to Karkat's influence, they're able to not only work together but actually almost get along. Karkat had a genocidal highblood supremacist counting him as one of his best friends, that's how potent this guy's friendship power inexplicably is.

A lot of this can be chalked up to the Blood Aspect, sure, but a lot of it can also be chalked up to who Karkat is under all the paranoia and anger. He gets people, he understands their character flaws, their failings, their fears, and he sympathizes with them. He gets, probably better than anyone else, that everyone around him is effectively a terrified kid with boatloads of trauma. That's the real reason he could never by the bloodthirsty tyrant he dreamed of. It's not who he is, at his foundation. It just took a long time and a lot of bonding with the humans he supposedly despised for him to realize that.

That said, Karkat is only physically unimpressive by the standards of the literal gods that surround him. He's still a SBURB Player and he still grew up on an inhospitable hell planet. As such, he is much stronger than your ordinary human.

Notably, he should powerscale to the same kind of meteor trip that Dave's sprite survived, as it wasn't even Prototyped yet and the Players are generally shown to be able to fight evenly alongside their sprite. That's an impact of almost 4.24 Megatons of TNT.

Source:

He also much faster. Comparing to the human's Guardians, who can move in the span of lightning flashes and nanoseconds.

From this point, Karkat has been getting stronger all of his life. Everyone and everything in Homestuck has an Echeladder, a video game style leveling system that continues to make them stronger as they accomplish random things throughout their life, ranging from opening a fridge to winning a fight.

On top of this, Karkat is certainly a much more skilled fighter than your average human being. His team was able to take in the armies of the Kingdom of Derse, which has been warring with its opposite Kingdom of Prospite for as long as its home reality has existed. Despite that, Karkat found himself being flat out disappointed by how easy they were to fight against, with only the King proving to be enough of a challenge to rally the whole team.

As with all Homestuck characters, Karkat also has a sylladex, a hammerspace inventory system where he can store objects much too big to carry on his person, allowing him to pull out his handy twin sickles whenever he needs them. Really, the fact that most of his friends can knock him out cold with a love tap says more about them than it does about him.

Despite that though, Karkat is still not a fighter and he possesses bad luck to a literally superhuman degree. In fact, his luck is so horrible that it completely counters out luck based superpowers, allowing him to beat Clover, whose luck is so supernaturally good that it made him completely untouchable to everyone else on the battlefield except for Karkat. Turning all your negatives into a positive. If that isn't just Karkat's entire character arc.

Karkat is not the conquerer he so desperately wanted to be. But he is a leader and he is a friend, and in the hands of a Blood Player, those two titles are far more powerful than a warrior ever could be.

Invaded: Underground

Long ago, two races ruled over Earth: HUMANS and MONSTERS. One day, war broke out between the two races. After a long battle, the humans were victorious. They sealed the monsters underground with a magic spell. Until many years later, the seventh human would fall into the Underground, with the last soul they'd need to escape their prison.

Having resigned himself to a quest for revenge after the death of his son and adoptive child at humanity's hands, Asgore swore to use the human souls to achieve godhood and destroy mankind.

And if they were going up against the regular real world humanity? Well, let's just say they'd be wildly successful.

Monsters as a whole seem to be genuinely superhuman by any real world standard, as they frequently show to be able to tank explosions, bust down steel walls, and dodge sound. But, their real strength comes from their magic. As beings made entirely from magic, monsters can damage both the human body and soul with all of their attacks, bypassing a targets conventional durability.

How exactly this manifests depends on the monster specifically. Skeleton monsters throw bones at you, fire monsters throw fire, and snow monsters such as Snowdrake can even create blizzards, a feat that would generate energy equivalent to 15 Megatons of TNT.

Source:

But, they can get much more versatile than that. Like Tsunderplane, a sentient airplane, Vulcan, a sentient mini volcano that can create storms and shoot lightning, and Knight Knight, a giant sleepy knight woman who can create a small sun and call down meteors.... underground.... somehow. Every monster has unique bullet hell attack patterns that can be used in tandem with each other's, coming at you from seemingly all directions at once.

Thankfully, monsters are generally good sports, who will happily wait for you to solve their puzzles and explain how their weird attacks work to you if you seem to not be getting it. Take Papyrus, the confident, boisterous sentry of Snowden who, despite his aspirations to capture a human, could never bring himself to actually hurt one. Even his commander Undyne, arguably the most gung ho about capturing humans, will explain how her powers work to the opponent if they appear to be having trouble... provided you don't test her patience.

And, if soul destroying magical attacks aren't enough, they come in different types. Blue attacks go right through you if you aren't moving, while orange attacks go right through you if you are, and green attacks heal you on contact. Beyond even that, some monsters have special techniques that can change the nature of your soul itself.

Papyrus and his lazy brother Sans can turn your soul blue, subjecting you to increased gravity to force you to jump over their sea of bones, including bones that can stretch as high as a building. Though, Sans's forth wall breaking and teleportation imply that something... more is going on with him.

Undyne, Captain of the Royal Guard and Gero of the Underground, can turn your soul green to freeze you in place, before honorably handing you a spear so you can block all of her attacks.

Muffet, a nefarious spider baker with a penchant for cooking stingy customers into pasteries, turns your soul purple, leaving you tied up in her web and jumping from string to string to escape her man eating pet.

Mettaton, a charming ghost whose robotic body was built by the brilliant Dr. Alphys, serves as the Underground's biggest star, rocking and indestructible body in his base form while his EX form rocks a host of lasers, bombs, and... legs. Some of his attacks can only be dodged with the Yellow Mode soul power provided by Alphys inventions.

And finally, there is the royal family. Toriel Dreemurr is the caretaker of the Ruins, bent on protecting any humans that fall down from her ex-husbands madness. She is the first monster you'll face and Asgore is the last, and though neither force unique soul modes on you, both stand as the strongest monsters out there, burning away all opposition with blistering hot fire.

Despite this incredible variety in powers and skills, monsterkind is held back by some crippling weaknesses. The stronger their foes killing intent, the more damage they take, even being wiped out in one hit by those with genocidal ambitions. Due to their not fully physical nature, their power depends heavily on their own emotions and they lack the ability to wield the time altering power of Determination without eventually melting into a puddle.

So, monsterkind is most held back by the fact that very few of them actually want to hurt you. They're just decent people trapped in a hopeless situation. Even Asgore underneath it all is just sad and tired and misses his family.

Exploit this kindness at your peril, for two monsters in particular stand ready to smite you down should you threaten their world. Undyne the Undying and Sans.

Should Undyne be pushed to the brink, she'll absorb the power of the Earth and use her Determination to strike you down with all her power, going strong with all her might even as she melts from her own Determination. Sans, on the other hand, cheats. Blasting you with Gaster Blasters, throwing you around by manipulating your Souls gravity, and poisoning your soul with your own sins. He's fast enough to dodge any attack you throw at him, and can even break the forth wall to trap you in an eternal stalemate, attacking during your turn or simply never even taking his.

Humans who head for the cliffs of Mt. Ebott beware, for all humans who venture to the mountain never return... and for good reason.

Throwdown Breakdown:

Alright, first off, statistics.

Monsters are consistently much stronger than Karkat, with even characters as early as Snowdrake able to create snowy weather with 15 Megatons of TNT. This is both much higher than the feat Karkat scales to at 4.24 Megatons and is consistent with feats performed later like Vulcan creating a storm cloud.

However, scaling to Mom Lalonde moving disappearing in a flash of lightning and Bro being stated to move in nanoseconds, Karkat is much faster than anyone in the Underground. Light speed is thousands of times faster than lightning and millions of times faster than sound, putting Karkat at much faster than any projectile monsterkind can throw at him. This is a very significant advantage, as not only is it much bigger than the strength gap, but it compensates for Karkat's biggest weakness. Without any resistance to soul destroying attacks, Karkat would get absolutely shredded by a monster's magic.... if they can land a hit on him.

If they can't land a hit, then Karkat stands a fighting chance. Attacks that would otherwise trip him up and kill him, such as the various soul modes, would be more manageable just because Karkat can react so much faster than monsters can attack, keeping them from reliably capitalizing on their strange movesets.

The question then becomes: how does Karkat react to the residents of the Underground? Because that's going to influence who he has to fight and why.

If this were Act 5 Act 1 Karkat, I'd say "kill almost everything without thinking twice about it?" People do forget that Karkat, especially early on, was not a pacifist or a revolutionary. He was a bootlicker and he still holds many of those qualities until the end of the comic, flat out idolizing the Condescension and the bloodthirsty culture she created, largely because he had no choice.

Buuuuuut, Karkat by the end of the comic has changed significantly. The ability to talk no jutsu his way out of dangerous situations with genuine compassion is a skill he develops with time and circumstance as he gradually unlearns a lot of his past behavior. So while he would still be willing to fight people who seem absolutely dead set on killing him, he would be entirely willing to approach the situation more reasonably.

If Karkat is able to see and willing to approach the good qualities in Eridan and Gamzee, despite their genocidal nature, then I can very well see him seeing those aspects mirrored in people like Undyne and Asgore. Hell, Jack tried to stab him to death and Karkat imprinted on him like a lost baby bird. Do you really think that he could bring himself to kill Toriel?

Karkat would likely bully his way through the Ruins. Quite literally, as his screaming would probably scare away most of the regular monsters, much to Toriel's disgruntlement. She's protective but she would prefer you watch your language young man. Despite that, Karkat begrudgingly warms up to her, as her scaring off aggressive monsters with a glare would earn her some cool points in his book, even if he questions the logic of her "talk it out" preaching and annoyed by her protective tendencies. He'd be a hypocrite for it, granted, but still.

Then comes the question of whether he'd kill her when the time came. After all, he doesn’t know about Toriel's weakness to harmful intent, nor does Toriel necessarily phrase the battle as a fight to the death.

I went back and forth on whether or not Karkat would accidentally kill Toriel and then cry his little eyes out. Until I reread the lore and noticed something.

"A being with a powerful soul". As in, a human soul. Karkat isn't human. Karkat is significantly less likely to accidentally kill Toriel in this context than Frisk is for the same reason that monsters can frequently spar with each other and not accidentally dust each other. He lacks the powerful soul needed to make his attacks devastatingly lethal when his only intent is to "prove himself" as per Toriel's ultimatum.

Karkat would get close to killing her, stop, and then when Toriel keeps fighting, go on a tirade. He'd rip into her verbally about how selfish she's being in trying to keep him here. Even without knowing her for very long, Karkat is generally emotionally intelligent enough to put the pieces together, between the discarded shoes and Toriel's stories about the rest of the Underground, to realize she's trying to avoid being hurt by losing another child, even if he wouldn't get close to understanding the full story.

"FUCKING NEWSFLASH, LADY! I'M NOT YOUR DUMB HUMAN KID! I'M NOT EVEN A HUMAN KID! YOU'RE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ME WANDERING OFF TO GET MYSELF KILLED AND YOU DON’T GET TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT I TRY!! I HAVE A LIFE OUTSIDE OF THIS SHITTY CAVE AND A FAMILY AND A LUSUS- ER, DAD? MOM? WHATEVER. THAT ISN'T YOU! SO LET ME OUT!!"

It would work. Toriel is capable of recognizing when her protective desires are selfish.

This is where Karkat hits his first big road block: Papyrus. After a few rounds if hilarious back and forth with Sans annoying the fuck out of him and Karkat's tirades bouncing right off Papyrus's big dumb grin. ("YOU TWO REMIND ME OF THE TWO WORST CLOWNS I'VE EVER MET." I can see a bit where Papyrus goes on a tirade about Papyrus's cooking only for Paps to go "WOW, YOU MUST REALLY HATE YOURSELF TO SAY ALL THESE BAD THINGS ABOUT YOURSELF" and just.... destroy Karkat emotionally by complete accident. Sans is having a blast watching all this. Karkat gets trolled by Papyrus being himself. Best prank ever.

Besides that, this is where an issue crops up. No one is going to know that Karkat gets one-hit by any soul attack until it actually happens. Not Karkat, not Papyrus. This means that even people who aren't trying to kill Karkat won't hold back against him adequately enough to avoid it. And Karkat won't know because every attack that comes at him is so much slower than he is that he won't take them as a credible threat.

This culminates in the issue at hand: Karkat cannot handle Blue Mode. Blue Mode is gravity manipulation that directly effects the soul and Karkat has no resistance to anything soul related. His acrobatics are completely crippled because he can't jump like he could anymore. So Karkat may very well stop here as Papyrus accidentally kills him.

But I do think that Karkat could cut through or climb the sea of bones with his sickles using his superior speed. Papyrus isn't so much stronger that such a thing would be impossible and, unlike Sans's attacks that go right through you, Papyrus's attacks are physical objects that can be picked uo and he physically carries around.

Beyond that, the fight plays out basically the same as if you were to fight Papyrus. Papyrus accidentally roasting Karkat would likely lead to an emotional moment that culminates in a friendship that keeps them from killing each other in the end.

Waterfall beyond that is a wash. No pun intended. Karkat being literally thousands of times faster means Undyne straight up isn't catching up with him, much less hitting him with green mode given his reaction time. I do think Karkat can just run right past her into Hotland, as she's one-third his speed.

Karkat skips Mettaton by saying enough slurs on TV to get him canceled and Mettaton calls it a wash. Can't say words like that in show biz and the censors (Burgerpants) don't get payed enough for this. Then Alphys just.... awkwardly leads him to the exit. She wouldn't even pass out on the bridge because she'd lose him before getting that far.

Okay, no, but really, Mettaton came prepared by having every word Karkat says preemptively bleeped. Karkat then reads Alphys for filth when the question of her crush comes up, making a tierlist of all four options in each quadrant before going on a three hour tirade about what quadrants are. Mettaton capitalizes on the memetic outburst with quadrant themed merch and Alphys gets a new shipping chart.

Frankly, Karkat's instantly memeable rants make all his guest appearances smash hits as Mettaton effectively recreates the Homestuck fandom around him in the Underground. Karkat ultimately prevails in their final encounter by just being a more proactive protagonist than Frisk, spelling out for Mettaton how much the Underground needs him rather than letting him figure it out himself. Karkat and Alphys have a heart to heart where Karkat gives her shockingly genuine encouragement about her insecurities, even for as much trouble as they caused him. She's done nothing but try and be helpful so far and, well.... Karkat takes care of his friends when the chips are down.

Then Karkat beats Asgore (speed gap go brrrrrr) but refuses to kill him and leaves, dropping his grumpy act one last time to genuinely wish him the best, before leaving victorious.

Until Flowey resets to dick with him some more, but that's outside the scope of this analysis.

Karkat lacks the DETERMINATION needed to achieve a True Pacifist ending, but he has all other parts of the equation, the compassion, charisma, and speed to not get hit, giving him a comfortable Neutral Pacifist ending.

This Throwdown's Winner is...

Karkat Vantas!

[amethystina]

I want to ask sooooo many qurstions honestly but I'll settle on these 3:

🎢 Which of your fics would you call your wildest ride?

🌞 Do you have a preferred time of day to write?

🤩 Who is your favorite character to write?

Alrighty! :D

🎢 Which of your fics would you call your wildest ride?

Until Death Do Us Unite, hands down. No contest, whatsoever.

I mean, first of all, the source material is questionable all on its own, what with Moon Jo being a cannibalistic serial killer. And then I take it a step further by turning him into an undead zombie. And then Jong Woo proceeds to not only fall in love with said zombie, but also have sex with him.

I had to tag the fic with necrophilia x'D

And have a very serious discussion with my wife regarding zombie sperm.

On top of that, there are several murders, a lot of violence, Jong Woo's questionable mental health, and the kinkiest sex I've written so far in my entire fanfic career (which honestly isn't saying much since I don't write sex scenes often — and especially not of the kinky kind).

So yeah. Definitely Until Death Do Us Unite. Because it also somehow ends with a disgustingly sweet happily ever after? Like, it starts as a straight-up horror and turns into a dark rom-com before the end. I'd call that a pretty wild ride xD

🌞 Do you have a preferred time of day to write?

Not really, but I know that I write more often in the evenings. But that's usually because I have work and chores that I have to do during the day. And I admit that there's something very cosy about sitting down with a cup of tea in the evenings to write. The vibes aren't quite the same during the day xD

But what I like about writing during the day is that I can get a flow going and know I don't have to stop for hours if I don't want to. I also tend to be more alert during the day since the fevers usually don't hit until after 2 PM — maybe even later than that if I'm lucky — so I can be a lot more efficient and get more done if I write during the day.

I also really like the feeling of writing first thing in the morning since that usually only happens when I'm so excited to write that I boot up my computer as soon as humanly possible. More often than not, it's because I was writing the night before and the hours of sleep have both recharged my brain and given it time to process what I want to write next.

So I guess the real answer is that I would have a hard time picking a favourite since all of the scenarios are ones I experience and enjoy for different reasons. There isn't one I prefer more than the other since I just love all instances when I can write and enjoy myself.

🤩 Who is your favorite character to write?

This answer definitely depends on my mood and when in my writing career I am asked this question. Because, right now, the answer is probably Kang Yo Han from The Devil Judge, though it would have been Thranduil from The Hobbit movies a couple of years ago.

I want to point out that this doesn't mean they're necessarily my favourite characters in their respective fandoms — just that they're my favourite characters to write. And there's a subtle but important difference. I love writing arrogant assholes because their quirks and behaviours are fun to explore, but I also tend to think they're annoying and shitty people xD

But I love to portray complex characters and the challenge of trying to do them justice keeps things interesting, which also makes them more fun to write. Especially when they have certain traits that stand in stark contrast to their assholishness. Like, Yo Han may be a literal mass murderer and a master of schemes and manipulation, but he's also a dork who loves people so fiercely and loyally that it kind of makes him stupid.

Get you a man who can do both, and all that.

So yeah. Kang Yo Han, I guess? xD

Thank you so much for the ask! 💜

Fanfic Writer Emoji Ask

[halfbakedreviews]

Half Baked Review: Miss Night & Day

Length: 16 episodes | ~ 30 min/episode Half Baked Jury: It's fun Emotional Investment Level & Binge Degree: Grill Cheese Sandwich Overeasy (Low to Medium) + Serial Murders FL: LOVE! ML: We love a strong lead 2ndML: He exists Genre: Rom-Com, Fantasy/Supernatural, Murder Mystery,

Characters Ingredients:

☀️: FL day time, ~ 50 years old 🌙: FL night time, ~28 years old ⚖️: ML, tall prosecutor 🎤: 2nd ML, kpop star with anxiety 🔪: murder, murderer 🚨: police

Plot Synopsis Instructions w/ a Dash of Spoilers

Okay so... 🌙 is an unemployed 28-year-old, and it's not because she hasn't been trying. 🌙 lives with her parents and becomes the victim of a scam and that's how she meets ⚖️. It's a really cute meet cue in all honesty. Anyway, 🌙 meets a magic cat and falls down a well and magically inherits a body that turns 50 years old in the daytime and then 28 years old at night. At first, 🌙 upset but then she gets over it and then finds a job at the ⚖️ office when she is ☀️. Her parents freak out though. ☀️ takes the name of her missing/deceased aunt as an identity. ☀️ is great at her job, she is really excited that she can land a job as an older woman and finally fulfill her dream of working as a civil servant (sort of). ☀️ is full of stamina and eventually gets promoted. ⚖️ is a bit ageist (just a heads up). Anyway, ⚖️☀️are chasing a drug/murder case by day, while ⚖️🌙 are catching feelings at night.

This is a fun light-hearted drama with a really interesting murder mystery in the background.

Recipe Hiccups

It seems that drug addiction is something that is being shown more and more in South Korea. Interestingly, there is a juxtaposition that is explored here -- drug addiction that is part of a societally rejected subculture vs. drug dependence that is a result of mental unwellness. Personally, I think this is a really sticky issue to be black and white on because everyone has their own story and struggles. I just hope that the portrayal doesn't result in continued misunderstanding. K-drama writers, what is it with dismembering bodies?!!! I will say this particular serial killer's approach is different & weird (hint it includes drugs and hacking of body parts). The only thing I can't wrap my mind around is why the two were combined. Are they making a case that drugs and heinous crimes are correlated? Is it an attempt to create a unique psycho? did the K-drama generator insist on the two?

Beware of the hideous CGI cat and some annoying people who thought beating up a cat was a good idea. There is a special place at the bottom of earth's broiler for people like that.

Baked till Golden

I love love love love love it when k-dramas explore different stories. This k-drama we get to interact with older folks in such a delightful way, it's almost like sitting in a high school cafeteria. The title sequence is so cute. It's a mashup of Sailor Moon influence & comic books. super cute 🥹✨💕

Jung Eun Ji APINK queennnn is our FL so obviously it's wonderful and so is Lee Jung Eun one of the Greatest Actress of All Time (prove me wrong).

If I said it wasn't chef's kiss I would be lying, these ladies really carryyyy the story and I am eating it up. The pace of this drama is nice. This is a gimme the recipe kinda of drama. I recommend it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ happy watching! 🍪

[shot-in-the-sky]

While I knew this season wouldn't really fully commit to the angst (it is, at the end of the day, mainly a fun rom-com, and the stuff they did do early on I loved), in my heart, I wanted Ed and Stede to have a season-long getting-back together arch where Stede admits his own mistakes but struggles with the relationship because he actually cared that Ed attempted to murder the crew. Also they don't get together then break up after one episode (Izzy lives because I want to see that development take longer, and he is cool and interesting, and my housemate claims to descend from him, so he has to live, or she doesn't exist in the OFMD universe).

In general, my favourite bit about the show is the crew. They got a lot less to do this season, and we lost four of them throughout the season. I want them to matter, and for the way people treat them to matter as well. I liked this season, but god let Lucius not forgive Blackbeard for a while and have some trauma. If this is a safe space, have Ed be called out for not actually apologising. Pete named himself after Ed and is never really shown to feel anything over his idol killing his boyfriend. Make the angst last longer so that the payoff is even better. Have a season where they aren't together so they can work out who they are without the other. Allow them to find definition outside EdandStede. Ultimately, it will only make the relationship stronger, not weaker.

[jinhogae]

AL'S DRAMA RECS VOL.1: these recs will solely focus on the writing of the shows, which to me comes down to two things: how well does the plot accomplish what it set out to do in the beginning? and how compelling are the characters written, no matter if their character arc means they become better or worse through the story or even remain who they are? my favourite dramas usually succeed in giving us a satisfying answer to both questions and these are the ones you will see on this list!

★★★★★ dramas (aka the greatest hits):

SECRET FOREST / STRANGER (2017-2021): the pinnacle of all dramas. follows the duo of no-nonsense prosecutor hwang si-mok (the acting star turn of he century by cho seung-woo) and police detective han yeo-jin (the ever-exceptional bae doo-na) investigating a murder case that blows open several scandals in the prosecution. season 2 follows several cases leading to an internal investigation on police bribery. it just does not get better than this and i fear it won't ever will. this drama has the understated styling of nordic noir, the classic shenanigans of an unlikely leading kdrama duo, and one of the tightest scripts ever seen in any tv show ever. | genre: thriller, melodrama, crime procedural

MY LIBERATION NOTES (2022): following the yeom family's three siblings living in the small town of sanpo on the outskirts of seoul, and the stranger moving into the house next door to theirs, this story navigates questions of sibling-hood and family, the purpose of life, as well as the sacrifices we make for the relationships in our life as well as our own happiness. this show earned its hype from the central love story between mr. gu and yeom mi-jeong (son seok-ku and kim ji-won acting the house down) but every one of the three main storylines is well-paced, gives the main actors moments to shine and grow, and ties neatly into the overarching plot to render you either moved or comforted, or even both. | genre: slice of life, melodrama

VINCENZO (2020): at this point are there still followers on this blog who haven't at least seen me talk about vincenzo? the writing of this show is maybe the peak of genre-blending done in kdrama, a culmination of years refining this skill to sharp perfection in a biting black comedy. vincenzo cassano (song joong-ki), consiglieri of a mafia clan he got adopted into, goes back to south korea to recover a frankly unholy amount of gold and fights a gigantic conglomerate (babel) to get there. if you watch past episode four, you will finish this drama, because everything ensuing from then on is just one iconic story beat after another. | genre: black comedy / satire, crime, romance

HOSPITAL PLAYLIST (2020-2022): a medical drama beyond reproach. this show is on this list for the way it wrote its characters and achieved the most satisfying character arcs in any kdrama, maybe, ever. a group of five friends in their fourties all working at the same hospital and navigating their professional and private lives, this drama doesn't shy away from eclectic backstories (and the leads all playing music together in a band) as well as truly heart-tearing moments of friendship and romance. never have i seen character growth done as well as i have seen it in the characters of yang seok-hyeong and kim-jun-wan. | genre: medical, slice of life, rom-com

D.P. / DESERTER PURSUIT (2021-2023): d.p. to me is a no-notes kind of show. it depicts the work of the military police pursuing army deserters through freshly enlisted ahn jun-ho (jung hae-in playing years below his age and leagues above many his actual age) who ends up empathizing and working to help and save the deserters he and his team partner han ho-yeol (an exceptional koo kyo-hwan) are meant to bring back to the army instead of incriminating them further. d.p. is much better for its tone, its writing and the risks it takes in its no-nonsense approach than some of the drivel revered solely for being more flashy and showy in this genre. | genre: military drama, action

★★★★☆ dramas (aka near-perfection):

PRISON PLAYBOOK (2017): the perfect prototype of the bromance as romance formula and one of the best found family dramas that really focuses on that. star baseball player kim je-hyuk (park hae-soo in his career-defining role) loses his career and lands in prison after he assaults the ex-boyfriend of his younger sister to protect her. the show centers on je-hyuk's time in prison, where he reunites with his childhood best-friend-now-prison-guard lee jun-ho (a supreme jung kyung-ho) and assimilates himself with the people he meets in his cell. this show hits all the beats so well from a stellar supporting cast to a great comeback kid narrative for je-hyuk from his time in prison to being released. glaring flaw: the age-gap / childhood friends romance, the conclusion of hanyang's story arc, who gets the short end of the stick while being the one out gay character in the show. | genre: black comedy, found family, slice of life

GOBLIN: THE LONELY AND GREAT GOD (2017): the defining kdrama for many. it may be the one drama that really delivers in answering its plot's defining question twice over and then some. goblin kim shin (gong yoo), cursed to immortality, gets his life upended once a grim reaper (lee dong-wook as wang yeo, a performance never to be seen or repeated again since) and the young woman (kim go-eun as ji eun-tak) who turns out to be his fated bride enter his life. an immortal man resigned on life finds purpose while knowing he will fatally die once the woman he falls in love with cures him of his curse. glaring flaw: the age gap romance between eun-tak and kim shin. could she have not been in college at least? | genre: melodrama, romance, fantasy

CRASH LANDING ON YOU (2019): the romance drama that could, and did. based on a real life incident, ceo yoon se-ri (son ye-jin, an acting veteran near beyond reproach imo) accidentally crash lands in north korea after a paragliding flight gone wrong. there she meets active duty soldier captain ri jeong-hyeok (hyun bin, thank you for your service) and has to stay with him and his military company. the fated love story starts there, but neither of them know they have met before, and already changed the courses of each other's lives before doing so again. minor flaw: is this drama romanticising the military? or is depicting of that on screen just that and nothing more? that is up to you to decide. | genre: melodrama, romance

HOMETOWN CHA CHA CHA (2021): the series remake of a korean rom-com film of the early aughts, this remains my favourite romance drama over all. dentist yoon hye-jin (shin min-a blessing our screens) moves to rural gongjin, a seaside village where nothing happens at all, after her professional life in seoul goes up in flames. it's not all sunshine in gongjin either as ye-jin meets hong du-sik (kim seon-ho),a handyman who is called chief hong by everyone and fixes all the big and small fires in the village. the two start as enemies that eventually fall in love. the romance is well-handled and paced and the second lead (lee sang-yi) is the best i have ever seen in a show, especially because of the arc written for him. minor flaw: the plot is not as tight as the respective character arcs, so sometimes sacrifices are made for the sake of a more emotional scenes. | genre: rom-com, slice of life

THE GLORY (2022): when you put the revenge in revenge drama, this is what you can get. song hye-ko returns to small screen brilliance in an incomparable performance as moon dong-eun, a woman who decides to infiltrate the lives of her school bullies and take them down one by one. this show delivers on plot even more than on characters, following through on every step of moon dong-eun's revenge without shying away from how gruesome or painful that path of vengeance can be. dong-eun gets help from plastic surgeon joo yeo-jeong (a delightful lee do-hyun), and the main cast is rounded out by lim ji-yeon and jung sung-il as dong-eun's grown up tormentor and her reluctant husband respectively. minor flaw: the show does spend a big chunk of its time on the group of school bullies and their interpersonal relations, which sometimes takes time away from the main plot. | genre: psychological thriller, revenge drama

♡ more specific genre watches (beware: usually crime):

LIFE (2018): written by the writers of secret forest, life is another thriller with understated direction and a more sombre tone. i would have put it in the greatest hits category, but watching it with other people made me realise how niche it actually is in genre. a corporate hospital thriller, the show revolves around the newly-minted ceo of sangkook university hospital, gu seung-hyo (a once again flawless cho seung-woo) and a dedicated ER doctor (lee dong-wook, stellar as ever) who depict the two sides of the patient care vs. profit conflict in the hospital. i can't even say more about the show because every other plot point is basically a spoiler. sharply directed and written, this is one of the best genre pieces i have ever watched, and is mildly reminiscent of hbo prestige television of the decade before. | genre: medical drama, corporate thriller

THE WORST OF EVIL (2023): are you even surprised? this was the drama of 2023 for me, one of the most stellar scripts i have seen. the worst of evil is very firmly a noir show and you have to treat what you are watching as such. it is heavily entrenched into its genre tropes and arcs, even more than most crime shows i have seen, and that can be off-putting for people unfamiliar with the genre, but if you are up for it, you will not be disappointed. opportune violent crime detective park jun-mo (ji chang wook, korea's finest new gen action actor) infiltrates a drug ring lead by jung gi-cheol ( fantastic and emotional tour de force by wi ha joon) and the lines begin to blur when neither of them knows if what they bargained for is actually what they want. the show lets its main plot dictate the pace, focusing on park jun-mo's descent into crime, and it is all the more better for it. | genre: noir, crime thriller, action

BEYOND EVIL (2020): the story about dejected and grieving small-town detective lee dong-sik (baeksang-awarded veteran actor shin ha-kyun) being partnered with elite detective and spinster seoulite han joo-won (child actor prodigy turned actor to watch du jour) has made its waves online for its very apparent gay subtext, but to reduce beyond evil to this would be a crime in itself. following lee dong-sik and han joo-won as they are tasked to solve a reoccurring serial killer case, the framing plot then fans open the age-old wound of dong-sik losing his twin sister and being blamed for her disappearance with joo-won having taken an obsessive fascination with the case. the two crime cases are exceptionally interwoven and the stories of the people in the small town of manyang, and how they all somehow tie back to dong-sik, is the perfect example of turning the small centrepiece of a plot into the binding force of every thread. | genre: procedural, psychological thriller

OUR BELOVED SUMMER (2021): i put this into the genre-piece category because obl is majorly focused on its main trope. romantic dramas can easily be trite to me, as this obvious list of crime shows doesn't tell you, but our beloved summer is one of the few that did everything right. it plays out the best trope ever done - exes to lovers - and does not back down from embracing the whole shebang to the nth degree. high school / college sweethearts choi woong (known beloved actor on ye-xiu tumblr dot com, choi woo-shik) and kook yeun-soo (the ever great kim da-mi) have to unite to replicate, or rather continue, the viral high school documentary they filmed years ago. the show shimmies its way from one moment of reconnection to another, culminating in the best kdrama kiss to ever be put to screen, and concludes in one of the most satisfying and, yes, romantic endings ever. the things a show can do when it just sticks to its main narrative, huh. | genre: rom-com, coming of age

[haggishlyhagging]

“Women who obsess over stories about killer husbands aren’t indulging in tabloid sensationalism or thinking in complicated psychosexual metaphors. They are, literally, worried that their husbands are going to kill them — and those fears are not irrational.

‘Our trust in men is as unearned as it is unreciprocated — yet it's expected,’ writes feminist Chelsea G. Summers. And this is where true crime's real value lies: Unlike love songs, unlike rom-coms, and unlike romance novels, true crime has no interest in telling us to trust men. Unlike politicians or bosses, it doesn't seek to gaslight women.

Bluebeard stories provide one of the few venues women have to talk about the pervasive nature of marital violence. Like the slashers, they convert private trauma into public spectacle, giving women a language for their pain.

Look again to all those women obsessing over Laci Peterson while we waged war on Iraq, the trivial housewives with their trivial concerns: Between 2001 and 2012, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan killed 6,488 US soldiers. In that same span of time, over 10,470 American women were murdered by their partners. Women who followed Laci's case weren't ignoring the war abroad, they were paying attention to the war at home. That war is long and bloody, and there is no chance of a ceasefire any time soon. If we had no way to talk about it, we might die of the silence alone.”

-Sady Doyle, Dead Blondes and Bad Mothers

[abominable-space-they]

Ok but now I can't stop thinking about this

I need this story, it has so much bloody action rom-com Au potential

I physically can't stop thinking about how it would go down...

Say the Mizumono break up was real?

& Hannibal didn't follow the plan. He ran w/ Frederick instead just to be spiteful. Leaving a an easily FBI trackable trail specifically for Will to follow once he wakes up.

Alana didn't get pushed out a window because Hannigram were to busy breaking up for real to do all their carefully planned torture, so she's the one telling Will that Hannibal had been having an affair w/Chilton behind her(their) back once he does wake up.

Will dragging himself out of the hospital the second he's able to at all, still kinda weak, unmasked, no person suit, no sad wet cat, just furious & deadly, carrying a gun and his favorite hunting knife.

During the chase across Europe Hannibal is pretending to woo Frederick, wining and dining him, being seen with him very publically everywhere, taking him through all his past haunts. Frederick doesn't know the significance of the places they're going but Will does. Will is very much for real hunting them through the tour of Hannibal's past.

Frederick starts getting increasingly anxious about the bloody swath Will is cutting behind them... but doesn't want to believe Hannibal doesn't really love him. His ego can't take the strain. Hannibal giggling & kicking his feet at all the murder drama bc it means Will still cares enough to be jealous.

Maybe Will would snatch Bedelia too, thinking he could make Hannibal jealous right back. Bedelia and Will just mean girl snarking at each other all through Europe.

The Verger grab still happens more or less as originally planned.

Frederick & Bedelia end up sitting in an Italian hotel after the grab. He's trying to make polite conversation, pretending he's not relieved, while she's getting blisteringly high.

He says fuck it and joins her in tossing whiskey back like his life depends on it. Maybe it does anyway

Margot still lets Hannibal out of his restraints, he still saves Will. But Will isn't plausible deniability unconscious. They fight it out & make up(make out) while massacring everyone there together.

It was really just a misunderstanding after all.

The FBI gets an anonymous tip 5 days later about Muskrat farms. It was a blood bath, the pigs got out, they ate everything, including the two men hog tied in the barn. there was so much blood...

Will Graham & Hannibal Lecter were officially reported dead a month later after an extensive investigation.

Bedelia goes back to self medicating away her issues in seclusion, Frederick retires to write a book about the whole thing.

Because of her seclusion and acidic demeanor, no one really notices Bedelia's gone missing. Frederick leaves a note about writing a sequel to his best selling book, "Like Blood & Chocolate, One Year In Hannibal the Cannibal's Heart", at a private writing retreat. No one noticed he was actually missing for months.

When Alana went missing, people, the relevant people, understood what was going on. But it was much to late by then.

Vengeance would be had

Divine Retribution on the tip of their sacred tongues

The few people left who thought Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham might have a bone to pick with them scattered like rats abandoning a sinking ship.

That was their Design

If you were wise, you would run too.

Even though it's much to late

[vmplvr1977]

Chapter 5 of Whims is posted!!

Fate is a funny thing. Just when you think you have your life planned out, destiny sweeps in and fucks it up. And the worst part? You're helpless to stop it. Like a boat without a rudder or anchor, floating from one end of the ocean to the next with no way to impede or change its direction. Next thing you know, you're stranded on an island with no hope of escape. That is destiny. Or Clarke's, at least.

Sometimes, fate's intervention is for the best. A meet-cute, of sorts, where two people destined to be together, whether as friends or lovers, share a random moment that changes everything. Usually, it is bumping into a stranger and spilling a drink all over their new shirt. Or two people who pass each other only moments apart at the same coffee shop for years before fate finally intervenes.

Clarke's parents had a charming little tale like that. They told it at dinner parties, anniversaries, and family gatherings more times than their daughter could count. But Clarke's first meeting with Lexa was nothing like the rom-coms on TV. Nor was it a tale to share with friends and family without extensive revisions. Still, it was clear that destiny had brought them together, though the reasons remained unclear for some time...

Clarke and Lexa's love was forbidden for many reasons, notably their different natures. Their people had been sworn enemies for centuries. So, by all rights, the wolf and vampire were born to despise one another. But fate doesn't give a damn if its intervention is untimely or unwanted. Destiny blazes its own path without care for the world's rules.

It all began on a particularly gruesome night. The pack was under tremendous pressure after a string of murders within Skaikru's territory had garnered the attention of humans. Skaikru couldn't risk mortals discovering their secret, especially after centuries of carefully integrating into mortal society. So, Clarke's mother and the pack's leader, Abby, ordered her to find the killer and bring them justice as swiftly as possible.

Of course, many assumed the vampires were to blame. Each slaying had occurred near the invisible border that marked Heda's territory. Furthermore, the victims had been exsanguinated with their bodies riddled with bite marks. Naturally, the wolves were eager to place the blame on their oldest enemies.

But they had to be sure before they broke a two-century-long treaty with the Vampire Queen, Heda. Which is why Abby specifically assigned her daughter to lead the hunt. Clarke may be the typical alpha, but she is more intelligent than most and often seeks peaceful solutions before resorting to violence. Furthermore, as a physician, Clarke was better qualified to inspect the crime scenes and sniff out the killer.

Additionally, Abby hoped this special mission would grant Clarke the opportunity to prove herself as the next pack leader. If her mother had known the chaos this assignment might bring, she likely would have chosen another to take Clarke's place. Perhaps if Abby had, her daughter would not have been dragged into a fight with hontas (hunters), nor would she have had the opportunity to fall in love with a bloodsucker.

There were countless times through the following centuries that Abby wished she'd sent anyone but Clarke. But she couldn't have known the mysterious killer had set a trap. Nor did they realize that wolves and vampires were the prey, not the hunters.

Read more here.