#yikes this got a lot longer than expected

[teshamerkel]

Does anyone ever try to rescue the Pokémon that become ferals in the mystery dungeons?

Ooh, good question! I’d say if a Pokemon knew that their loved one was was in the mystery dungeon area when it popped up, they’d likely put in a request to have them extracted.

The difficult part of it is that they’d still be under the influence of the dungeon until they were clear of the affected area, so it’d be difficult to drag them along to the exit when they were fighting the whole way. The easiest way would probably be to find the target, grab ‘em, then use an escape orb or something to get out of there fast.

If you’re asking if teams or guilds try to “evacuate” entire dungeons? No. There are definitely evacuations for areas that are showing the first signs of becoming a mystery dungeon, but if it’s already in place then there are just too many feral Pokemon to manage without an entire guild working together to tackle it.

Most feral Pokemon “wake up” once the dungeon fades, and usually they’re left alone in the meantime. They don’t tend to attack one another for some strange reason (only “outsiders”), so they’re actually pretty safe while under the dungeon’s influence.

[teaableu]

First refs for the Even More Disasters au which took me a LOT longer than I bargained for

I wouldn’t be surprised if I changed some things here and there as me and @3lectricinsomnia work on it but this is a starting point

Here’s Somni’s summary of the au: 

Also sorry for my handwriting, I have the typed text below the cut :)

ONE - Experiment 001D-Alpha 9

soldier

draxum trained him as early as possible

not REALLY a ninja, but he’s been partly trained as one

Gets Two out of trouble

Insanely keen strategist/manipulator

follows Draxum’s orders but not blindly

Draxum always on his back, pushing him too hard

Poor self-care

Draxum makes him responsible for Two [would also be responsible for more people if One had more under his command]

LOTS of pressure to live up to expectations

Learned healing to help with Two’s injuries/health [see missing ARM]

Used to being in charge -> conflict with Raph

Hidden City knows he’s trouble

Raised to fulfill Drax’s mission but actually pretty [self-oriented, where he would prioritize his (and Two’s) own interests over Draxum’s if necessary]

Excellent escape artist even without portaling 

TWO - Experiment 002D-Alpha 9

Anger Issues

Raised to follow One’s orders

Minimal training -> less muscle than in canon or than One

Dadxum gets him to focus primarily on recreating what Lou Jitsu destroyed

^^ obviously takes a lot of time, so Two doesn’t really know how to fight and relies on Leo (don’t mind me using their names interchangeably)

Still tech savvy but with added expertise in mysticism and alchemy (thanks Drax)

Desperate for Dad’s approval... doesn’t get much

poor self-preservation

Unethical science (dad-approved)

Evil scientist fr

not really a GOD complex, but thinks he’s indestructible [see ARM]

feels isolated from One most of the time, more like he’s Don’s commander more than his brother

ARROWS (Left to right, up to down)

One:

Retractable claws

Gets them out of trouble

Bro’s got that Bluetooth Heart

[Shirt] Back exposed

Two:

Gets them into trouble

[Goggles] more for protection

Enhanced vision via tech contact lenses

Gas mask for work and trips to surface

Mystic cape in place of battle shell and for stealth

Power source for One’s heart and Two’s arm

Also, possible spine (spike) implants for additional defense, would be attached to nerves and mobile/reactive (instinctive, like hackles)

[Boot] makes him as tall as One

Both:

Both don’t have access to their ninpō, to Drax’s disappointment -> Two has a personal mission to artificially give/activate their mystic powers (lots of self-experiments, yikes)

[datrbdumpster]

Got them stitches removed yesterday!

That process was surprisingly a lot less painful than i expected it to be but certainly a lot longer than i anticipated. I thought i had like 6 stitches but turned out i actually had 10, which... Yikes.

Also a week ago they replaced an initial cast with a custom-made plastic brace that's A TON more comfortable and allows for better mobility due to being lightweight.

I can finally sleep on my side again, i missed it so much!

All in all, so far the recovery goes as smoothly as can be, with pain being slowly replaced with itchiness and only spiking if i do some uncareful movement. Honestly, each time that happens my brain just goes into a blue screen mode for a while. But that should disappear when tissues heal a bit more.

4 more weeks to go without movement!

[cherryfreeze]

Yet another great episode of Bocchi The Rock adapted from a single chapter. That makes 3 now (ep 5, 6, & 7) and we'll likely get a 4th later in the season. I absolutely love how this episode was adapted so I wanted to talk about it a bit.

The first 2 minutes are spent adapting the first 4 panels and expanding upon the conversation between Nijika and Kita. I like how they built upon Ryou's awful excuses,

The anime also uses this moment to play into Kita's obsession with Ryou as in the manga it's not used a whole lot.

Skipping a bit forward to when Futari and Jimihen show up. Their appearance in manga last for only 4 panels and they don't appear for the rest of chapter.

In the manga we skip to when they're no longer in the room. The anime adds in how Bocchi got her out of the room (bribing her with an ice pop)

The episode continues with the band (minus Ryou) discussing the t-shirt design and then we get another anime original scene where the parents arrive home from shopping.

We then cut back to the band and as the topic of sports festivals comes up, the anime has another incredibly creative sequence to represent Bocchi's imagination, using stop motion animation this time.

This is then continued with a change of the aspect ratio into 4:3 and imagery more similar to that in the manga

Bocchi's wild imagination really lets the anime staff show off their creativity and I am living for it.

The next 3 minutes of the anime are entirely original, with Futari and the parents showing up.

We get to see Nijika and Kita interact with the rest of Bocchi's family. This is a really nice moment. We never got the parents meeting the band in the manga and I think it really helps flesh out her family more.

There was also a nice bit about the typhoon on the news to foreshadow the end of the episode. After they return to the room, we continue adapting the manga as usual.

Bocchi's death was adapted beautifully. The music choice was perfect for this scene. The added bit with the family coming in was hilarious.

The episode continues back at Starry and there's an anime original moment where Nijika can tell what Bocchi was thinking, showcasing how much she's come to understand how Bocchi thinks. The band has been steadily growing closer and it's nice to see that they've come to understand each other more.

After adapting the manga some more, the anime does one more original moment with Bocchi taking initiative and suggesting that they all make rain charms, just in case.

She's grown quite a lot from episode 1 and it's little moments like these that show just how much progress she's made. Still avoiding eye contact but she'll get there one day. We then time skip 2 days to the day of the concert, setting up next episode.

Yikes this post got way longer than I anticipated but I couldn't help myself. That was all I wanted to talk about this episode. This adaptation has really gone above and beyond all my expectations for it. I love how every original scene manages to perfectly capture the tone and charm of the original 4-koma manga. If it can keep this consistent level of quality all the way to episode 12, this very well may be one of the greatest adaptations of a manga I've ever seen.

[blackberrysummerblog]

Six Sentence Sunday

Thank you for the tags, @captain-aralias, @letraspal and @palimpsessed! Thanks as well to @aristocratic-otter and @ileadacharmedlife for the tags on WIP Wednesday. I’ve been totally exhausted from work lately, and I’m just finishing up my fic for Erotic Grope Fest, so I’m going to share an excerpt from my AU where Baz and Simon were married by the Crucible. (I really need to get a working title or something so I stop describing it every time yikes 😬)

This scene has yet more Fiona! I had some fun writing a conversation between Baz and his aunt that happened after she froze Simon’s face, but this takes place after that, when Fiona finds Simon and attempts a heart-to-heart with all the warmth you’d expect, lol.

Simon

I’m playing Legend of Zelda with Mordelia when the game room door slams open to reveal Baz’s mad aunt standing there like she’s spoiling for a fight. Great. Granted, I was ready to murder her after she spelled my hands over my mouth an hour ago, but I no longer feel like getting into it. “What’s the matter, Fiona, lose track of your latest one-night stand? He didn’t run through here.” All right, I feel a little like getting into it.

The corner of Fiona’s mouth lifts slightly, but the overall effect is of distaste. “What’s a one-night stand?” Mordelia demands, and Fiona cackles at my mortified expression.

“Something the Chosen One knows precious little about,” Fiona says, plopping down on the end of the couch.

“That’s not a bad thing!”

She lifts an eyebrow at me; Christ, she’s Baz all over. “Mordelia, Vera just took a fresh batch of cupcakes from the oven,” Fiona says, and I’m already standing when she points a finger down toward the cushions. “Not you, Golden Boy. Park it.” She catches Mordelia’s controller as it’s tossed in the air.

“I’d have liked a snack too,” I mutter sourly once the door’s closed. “You could at least bring me one if you’ve got plans to kill me—let me have one last meal and all.”

Fiona rolls her eyes. “Jesus,” she snarls, reminding me that Baz once told me she thinks it’s punk to swear like a Normal. He really isn’t intimidated by her at all. It makes me wonder if she’s all bark and no bite. “Do you just burn all that food into the magical ethos, Snow? At your age it shouldn’t just be evaporating off your bones anymore.” She squints at me. “Although…you do look a bit rounder round the edges than you were when you got here.”

“Thanks.” I glare as she brings an unlit cigarette to her lips. “Don’t smoke that in here.” Of course she fucking does, though. She snaps her fingers at the end and lights the cigarette without breaking eye contact with me.

“What are your intentions with my nephew, Snow?”

You’ve got to be kidding me—she can’t be serious. “What?” When she only stares, I wave my hands, palms up. “I’m married to him!”

“You know damned well what I mean. Are you gathering reconnaissance on Basilton for your cut-rate Robin Hood mentor?”

“Reconnaissance…”

“It means to—”

“—I know what it means!” We scowl at each other for a solid ten seconds, then I drop one hand to the game controller in my lap, fiddling with the buttons while my other hand tugs at my hair. “I mean, what would there even be to report? Baz’s not running a human sacrifice ring. Not one that I’ve seen yet, at any rate.”

Fiona blows smoke in my face. “Would you stand by him if he were?”

She’s ridiculous. I flap a hand through the putrid cloud and scowl at her. “I’m not up to anything underhanded, Fiona. Merlin. This place is stocked to the rafters with forbidden books and artifacts; I’ve not said a word about it because it isn’t my business. You lot seem more concerned with keeping up the appearance of punk goth darkness than in getting on with anything actually sinister, anyway. Oooh, you’re so scary, like the Addams Family.”

I swear she tries to bite back a laugh. I wave at her smoke again and Fiona sighs and points her wand up. “Clear the air!” It’s like the air in my lungs just got ten times lighter, somehow. I feel clean, refreshed, and the smell of Fiona’s gross cigarette is gone, although the smoke is still visible above her head. “How do you feel about my nephew, Chosen One?”

I’m in love with him, I almost say, but I catch myself just in time. Did that spell do something besides clean up Fiona’s noxious fumes? “I care about him. A lot.” I flip the game controller over in my hands, watching as Fiona turns away and looks at the tv, resuming play on the game. Cautiously, I shift around and do the same. “I won’t do anything to hurt him, Fiona. And that includes hurting his family. Even you.”

She does smile then, although it’s with only one side of her mouth. She doesn’t look at me, just the screen. “You know about what happened to Basil when he was five. What he…is.”

I lick my lips. “He’s my husband. That’s what he is. I lo—” Fuck. I grimace when Fiona swivels back around to hold me in her gaze. “Fine.” I shrug. I’ve faced worse than this. “I love him. Go ahead and laugh at me, or don’t believe me, I don’t really care. I just…do, though.”

Her eyebrows lower; like Baz, almost all of her facial expression takes place on her forehead. Fiona chews at the inside of her cheek for a moment and then turns back to the game. “Have you told him that?” I shake my head. “Why not?”

“I don’t know.” I watch her from the side of my eye. “D’you think he’d want to hear it?”

It must be more frankness than she was expecting, spell or no, because her face creases up. “I think it’s better not to hide your hand too long, Chosen One. I won’t have you playing with him.”

“Yeah, been right clear on that, you have.” I keep my sight focused straight ahead as Fiona turns to see if I’ve said what she thinks I’ve said, and then she gives a short bark of laughter.

“Watch it, Golden Boy,” she says, stabbing the burnt stub of her cigarette in my direction before turning back to the game.

Sorry if I’m tagging anyone who’s already posted! @rwithoutaspoon @cutestkilla @thewholelemon @aroace-genderfluid-sheep @aceumbrellaheroes @onepintobean @confused-bi-queer @facewithoutheart @hushed-chorus @sillyunicorn @basiltonbutliketheherb @ileadacharmedlife @asocialpessimist @bookish-bogwitch @aristocratic-otter @takenabackbytuesdays @martsonmars @nightimedreamersghost @ionlydrinkhotwater @shrek-gogurt @fatalfangirl @raenestee @artsyunderstudy @ninemagicks @larkral

[stcrmborne]

ooc: yikes yikes yikes I was gone a lot longer than expected but I'll be taking some time over the long weekend to get through some drafts and try to catch up on everything I owe. I know it's been a hot minute and I've got some new followers (hello!) so if anyone isn't feeling a thread we had or you'd like to start something new feel free to come kick me in the pants

[chen-chen-chen-again-chen]

The tears of Mummers House: An experiment with time (Or, Why I usually don't post WIPs)

Right now, I am posting a fic called The tears of Mummers House. It’s only 3500 words total, but it’s divided into 21 chapters. I started posting it on September 24, and I’ll post one chapter a day for 20 days; there will be two chapters on the last day, October 13. 

Why on earth, you might ask, would I do this? 

Why I usually don’t post WIPs

So, I have posted at least two multi-chap WIPs before, in fandoms other than Carry On. The reception to those stories was lovely and warm, but I felt such intense guilt and anxiety over leaving readers hanging while I was struggling to draft chapters. I did eventually finish both - in the case of one story, literally five years after I’d posted the first chapter. YIKES.

Fun writing lesson for me: It is very difficult to create when you are weighed down by guilt, anxiety, and reader expectations.

So, I switched to my current method instead. I tend to draft and edit a complete piece, and then I post it all in one go. I like it a lot better this way, for a lot of reasons: 

01 My stories are often meant to be read like a film, not a TV show.

When I write a story, I usually intend it to be read in one go, like a film, with a complete beginning, middle, and end. I like the emotional satisfaction of reading a complete story. 

(But I’m also a hypocrite who will torture myself by re-reading old WIPs that I know will never get finished. Incidentally, if you ever watched Witch Hunter Robin, you should read The Disappearing Life by tripping fruit if you want to be tortured too). 

There are some writers who are very good at writing satisfying, chaptered instalments of  a longer work (LalaZee, Dickens). I am not very good at it (at least, not right now. I'd love to work on this more in the future!).

02 You can see how the conflict is set up and resolved (instead of just being stuck at the set up). 

It is sometimes very difficult for me to get reader’s responses out of my head if I am reading comments while also drafting. (I mean, I have enough difficulty responding to comments on finished stories while also drafting new things. I’m working on it!). 

With one of my longer fics especially, I would sometimes find myself frustrated at reader’s (negative) reactions to things unfolding in the moment, and I wanted to say, “It’s part of the story! This conflict is going to be resolved! This is a necessary step in the narrative!” 

But there’s no gracious way to yell back on the internet. ;)

03 It puts helpful boundaries around my vision of the story. 

This is connected to the second point. I don’t know what it is about the other fandoms that I write in, but I would sometimes get comments like, “They should do this! They should communicate like this! What if this happened instead? Why is it like that?” and I would want to be like, Shhhh, I’ve got this. I know where I’m going. 

Even if you don’t agree with the comments, it takes a certain amount of energy to wrestle with them and put them aside when you actually sit down to write.

I’ve cut out that struggle by basically maintaining my vision of how the work will go, and then releasing it into the world in its complete form.

This makes reader comments more delightful, and (if I’m very lucky) fuel for future fics. :) 

The tears of Mummers House: An experiment with time

“The tears of Mummers House” is a bit different from the other WIPs that I’ve posted before. For one thing, it’s complete. The only editing I do now is day-to-day copy editing to catch embarrassing mistakes before I post a daily chapter (and sometimes even then, I miss things). 

I thought it would be interesting, with this story, to turn my current method (posting a complete story) on its head. To play with delay, with deferral, with denial - which can be so frustrating in the moment, but so satisfying in the end (and now, here's me, struggling not to make a joke about orgasm denial, which is a great kink trope, just *chef's kiss*).

Thewesterndoor said (when I was originally brainstorming this), “It’s like the beginning of Carry On, when Simon is waiting for Baz," and I was like YES.

I love the beginning of Carry On, which reminds me a lot of The Third Man (also an amazing exercise in delay and in pay off). It takes bottle to not have Baz show up until page 152, and I am living for it. 

I want people to feel that frustration, that impatience, that delicious agony: Where’s Baz? Where's Simon? What's going on? What will happen next?

Influences on how “The tears of Mummers House” handles time 

I mentioned in the author’s note to this fic that I adore Dracula Daily. I love the real-time unfolding of that story, the digestible chunks, the cross-talk and delays with the post. 

The posting schedule for “Tears” is also inspired by Dear John by wendymarlowe, an incredible Sherlock fic that also played out in real time. I only found the story afterwards in its completed form, and not as a WIP but it must've been SO COOL to follow along with it when it was live.

One of the most amazing video game experiences I’ve had in the past few years is a game called The Longing. You play as a lonely Shade, waiting 400 days in real time for a sleeping king to wake. Playing this during the pandemic was a fucking mind trip (in a good way). 20 days doesn’t seem quite as bad as 400. 

I cannot contain my excitement

I said in some of my responses to comments that this is an exercise in delay, in denial, and in self-restraint for me as well. I want so badly to just post it all at once, but I also want to see this experiment play out. I love mystery stories but I don’t usually write them, so I am excited to dole out this particular mystery, bit by bit. 

I think there is something very cool about the fact that this story is changing day by day, and that my own author’s notes will eventually have to change. That depending on when you jump in, you might have a completely different reading experience from someone else. And that at the end, when it’s all posted, it’ll become a different beast again. These are things that are true of any WIP, but it’s fun to be playing with that dynamic consciously and deliberately. 

Some of the chapters are so short (as short as some of the chapters in Carry On), and so stark and spare that they are more like poetry. So some days will definitely be more frustrating than others.

But I hope the end result is worth it. I hope that this story gives you something to meditate on,  to look forward to - to dream about.

Thank you so much for everyone who is joining me on this ride, for reading and commenting and dreaming right along with Simon. 

<3 

[pr1ncess01]

*doesn’t include spoilers*

Why the hell not…

Summary- It’s the year 1986 and fortunately for you, your graduation year. You live in a small town and obviously go to a small school. However, the repetitive dullness that is living Hawkins is made up by your school’s annual cabin trip for seniors. Yet what you didn’t expect, was to spend this time with the stupid freak that is Eddie Munson…

Pairing- Eddie Munson x fem reader

Warnings- nsfw

Word count- 2k

Twenty minutes or so had passed since the two of you decided to enjoy each other’s company rather than uphold a petty act of fake rivalry. For one it was a lie, and to top that off, it was childish…that’s something that you definitely weren’t, not anymore at least. What had shocked you the most so far is that you felt comfortable? He made you feel comfortable. Sure, you’d still feel butterflies when he got too close…and your hands would feel all clammy whenever his gaze lingered on you for longer than usual, but still, you felt so comfortable. His presence was nostalgic, and spending time with him in this way felt good, really good.

“Truth or dare?” You asked with enthusiasm, knowing you had a trick up your sleeve regardless of what he picked. He tilted his head sideways and proceeded to twirl his invisible mustache, making you laugh.

“I’ll play it safe…truth.” He said, head held high with confidence.

“Safe huh?” You remarked while smirking. “What’s the craziest rumor you’ve heard about yourself?”

“Yikes- I’ve heard a lot of rumors about myself: my d&d club is a cult…I’m using heavy metal to summon demons…I’m a drug dealer- well that one’s true actually, but apparently I’m also a crackhead?” The two of you couldn’t help but laugh at how ridiculous it all sounded.

“People are so stupid sometimes.” You looked at him, eyes laying upon him more earnestly this time…you wanted him to see that. There was a lot that Ed kept to himself, a lot that he had locked away.

“Eddie- I just want you to know that I see you. Of course it’s the bare minimum, but I’ve never fed into anything anyone’s made up about you. People have got this idea about you that just Isn’t true…you don’t deserve that.” Your voice was soft, and you spoke cautiously as you didn’t have the best reputation for translating your thoughts into words. He quickly turned his head in an attempt to avoid your gaze, it was of no use however as you could still see the coy smile he wore.

*No way he’s blushing because of me?*

𓆩♡𓆪

“You’ve always been so sweet.” He whispered tenderly, he gave you a soft look, one that melted into you. This time neither of you looked away. You watched as he inched closer to you, probably waiting for any signs disapproval before moving on.

“Is this okay?” Your ear buzzed as his seductive voice invaded your mind. You looked up at him and gave him a nod of approval. He was on top of you now and just a few inches away from your face. It was all too much to process, you’d never been this intimate with him…or anyone for that matter. His cheeks had cast a red tint…he was easily flustered. You crumbled underneath the look of desire he gave you, causing you to subconsciously mirror him. His breath was now heavy on your face, and now his lips had met yours, just grazing them…he wanted to take his time.

“Please” The words fell from your lips in an entreating whisper. Warmth consumed you as you anticipated his touch…you needed him to touch you. His lips brushed against yours tenderly, it felt like a warm cushion against yours. One hand caressing the back of your head tentatively and the other wrapped around your waist, he was so gentle despite being so strong. His lips chased you with passion and he pressed into you further, causing you to moan into the kiss.

“You’re look so pretty like this…under me.” He panted, now breaking away from the kiss. Your heart fluttered at his words, so much so that all you could respond with was with a nervous chuckle. You had never gotten this far with anyone…ever.

“You’re not comfortable…are you?” His face scrunched in realization, noticing your attempts to act normal. You went silent again. It was a force of habit really, your mind would get too overwhelmed to form a thought, much less put one into words. Eddie sat up now, pulling you up into his chest. His arms wrapped around your body, burying you in his embrace. He would always do this when you got too anxious or overwhelmed.

“You don’t owe me anything, mkay sweetheart.” He whispered, your face now rubbing against his bare chest as you nodded your head yes. You silently longed for him, even through all the nerves.

“I’m sorry if I came on to you too fast, or-“

“I want to do this.” You have him a quick peck on his cheek. “I guess I’m just a little nervous.” You admitted, slightly embarrassed.

“I’ll take care of you.” He soothed now kissing your neck. “Let me make you feel good hmm?” His voice was low and raspy, tickling your neck.

𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊

His actions were painfully slow, and you twitched under his touch, his hands now slowly trailing along your side as he worked on your neck. You felt his teeth graze against you, forming a knowing smile.

“I need you to touch me…please.” You whined desperately, tired of his games.

“Good fucking girl” he smirked, moving behind you now to sit you in between his legs. He motioned you to take off you shirt while he unclasped your bra. He eagerly covered every area of your with as many kisses as he could in that position while also fondling your breasts. The coldness of his rings adding a new sensation into play. His hands reached into your pants and you were beyond soaked by now. You throbbed so much that it hurt.

“Fuck” a raspy murmur came from him in surprise. You could feel him harden against you through his thin sweatpants. He was still being a tease as his fingers lightly traced along your inner thighs and occasionally rubbed against your clit. You motioned your hips upwards in attempt to add more friction. You whimpered in defeat as he still managed to deprive you of any sensation.

“I know baby, just wait okay.” he chuckled into your ear as your head rested on his shoulder. He directed you to pull down your pants and parted your legs open, leaving you exposed. He took two fingers and dragged the wetness of your entrance to your throbbing clit. Your nails dug into his skin as you gripped him tightly, mouth slightly parted, and eyes clamped shut. He sat there praising you while his one hand was spreading you inner lips and the other circled your clit.

“You like being touched like this huh?” His fingers now entering your warm cunt. You moaned in agreement as his fingers pumped in and out of you.

“Hm? I don’t think I heard you princess.” He cooed, now slowing down his pace.

“Mmm fuck- yes” you whined, struggling to speak under such circumstances. He kissed you to express his approval. You were surprised at how good he was at this. He handed you a pillow to rest on and moved in between your legs.

“Good girl” he affirmed as he pint your legs up to your chest. Your throbbing core was so sensitive from his lack of touch. He slid one finger in…then another and curled them inside of you. You looked down to see him face deep into you, his tongue sloppily lapping your clit over and over again. You watched him in a daze, the sight of him alone was enough to make you cum.

“Fuck baby just like that” you said, voice carrying a higher pitch due to your arousal. It felt so fucking good. So good that he practically had you crying. A tingling feeling had built up in your stomach, causing your back to arch.

The sound of Ed’s waistband snapping caught your attention. He started moaning into you while he stroked himself, he tried to wait but he couldn’t resist touching it any longer. You watched as his hand circled up and down his cock. He looked so pleasantly erotic and watching him made you pulse around his fingers. Your breath hitched now that he had picked up the pace, that tingling feeling that you were chasing had seemed to draw closer.

“Don’t stop don’t stop pleaseplease” your words were barely audible since your moaning masked every other thing you tried to say. You were still looking at him, watching him get off to you. Seeing him like that drove you wild. You grabbed onto your breasts at the sight of him, he looked up at you, cheeks reddening from embarrassment once he noticed what you were looking at.

“Look at me” your eyes landed on his lustful face and you quickly looked away, eye contact being something you struggled at.

“No- I want to see the look on your face when you cum.” He demanded, causing you to clinch around him once more. You liked when he took control. The way he looked at you sent you over the edge. It was intense and passionate, he was practically fucking you with his eyes. You let out a loud cry as the sensation in your stomach finally caught up to you. Your legs twitched and Eddie sucked on your clit even more intensely to help you ride out your orgasm.

“You did so good angel.” He made his way up to you to kiss your worn out face. You felt amazing and you honestly could’ve stopped there but you wanted to make him feel good too. Feeling more confident, you decided to make the first move. You took him by the hand and guided him to the edge of the bed. He as bigger than you anticipated, and his cock looked to be painfully red, tip engulfed with sticky precum. He sat there timidly, your sudden rise of control shocking him…he secretly liked being put in his place.

𓆩♡𓆪

“Slap it on my tongue.” You stuck your tongue out for him to do so. He hesitated but did as you told him to. He had a needy look in his eyes opposed to his once assertive one. You took your hand and stroked him just once, leaving him disappointed. You wanted him to crave your touch they way he had made you crave his.

“Look at you, you’re such a pretty boy.” A flush crept upon his face…god was he adorable. You left light kisses around him and he twitched in your hand every time your skin would make contact.

“C-can you touch it already?” He asked squirming beneath you. It took everything in him to restrain himself from touching. You obliged of course and gave him a few pumps before taking him in your mouth. He was warm and really thick, basically chocking you. He groaned in pleasure at the feeling of your luscious lips pillowing around his cock and his tip hitting the roof of your mouth. He eagerly grabbed a handful of your hair and shoved himself deeper inside you.

“Mmm fuck- take it just like that yeah” he mumbled, eyes rolling back in intense pleasure. You noticed him twitch inside you and pulled yourself off of him, denying him of an orgasm. You put him back in, but only at the tip and slowly lapped your tongue around him. You took the opportunity to stroke his shaft, his whines and whimpers now increasing in speed and rising in pitch. He was a panting mess, face flushed, and hair stuck to his forehead from sweat.

“I’m gonna cum” he panted, and you picked up the pace. Your mouth flooded with warmth as he came leaving you with a feeling of pride. You smiled at him and kissed his face, praising him of how good he did.

𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊

The two of you decided to shower together as it was late and well…this was still a school trip. You didn’t say much in the shower, you just proceeded as you normally would, which was to be quiet. Eddie however felt the need to sing, and perform. He was mess but not in a bad way- similar to that of an abstract painting…beautiful.

“Eds” you called out to him, unsure if he was still awake or not.

You were sprawled out on top of him, head lying against his chest, and legs wrapped around his torso. He began to stroke your pretty little head again.

“Yeah?” He answered groggily.

“Promise me we’ll stay like this?” You could hear his lips form a smile.

“I could never leave you angel.” He said then kissing your forehead. You smiled and snuggled into his chest, feeling safe in his arms and falling fast asleep. Who would’ve thought your night would end up like this.

Part 2/2

A/n: this was lowkey all over the place but I tried my best as this was my first time writing smut. Let me know if you have any requests.

Tagged: @local-airhead @kurt-nightcrawler

[penneferofvenerburg]

A Heart full of love Chapter Five

@henrycavillfan @henrycavillfanfics @littlefreya @elizabetharegina @hertzwritings @princess-of-riviaa @cavills-little-princess @catierambles @demivampirew @dedicated-to-mr-cavill etc)

Title: A Heart full of love

Henry Cavill x Georgina Biswell

💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋

Georgie couldn't hold a laugh in, " Base post? Haha don't you mean the start"?

" To us geekies its base post so if you really want a challenge to get yourself into Warhammer then it's best to start at the bottom and then work your way though it slowly"! Henry advised her wiping the tears from his eyes.

"Right oh base post it is"! Georgina laughed throwing her head back. The once two snoozing dogs starled by the loud laughter jumped up respectfully at their owners.

" Hey it's okay we're just having fun"! They both reassured the animals so satisfied they went back to snoozing.

" I'm egear to know how long have you been a fan of mine"? Henry asked eyes beaming with a bright smile.

" ooh since you starred in The Tudors"! Georgina replied with a polite smile nervous to see how he'd react.

" Wow! That long huh .... that's an awful long time"! Henry smiled, he was getting more and more engaged in this woman as she was with him.

" Yes when was that again? 2006 to 2010! Yikes that's a lot longer I expected I loved Charles Brandon though such a gent as you are Henry as you are"! Georgina smiled.

" I loved Charles Brandon did you"? Henry asked incredulous.

Georgie stuck her head aloft " Yes I did .... he was better than that Sir Francis Bryan I never liked him"! She confessed.

" Which of the six wives do you like the best"? Henry asked.

" ooof hard one! I like them all .... not all but some .... I think my favourite wives have to be Katherine , Jane and Katherine Parr"! Georgie lamented talking about her favourite subject.

" Do you remember the ryrhem of the Six wives"? Henry asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

" Of course I do

• divorced

• beheaded

• died

• divorced

• beheaded

• survived,"!

" I'm very impressed get you with your tudor history"!

" Ah well I was abit off a swat at school so"! Georgie repiled smirking sipping her coffee.

" No I can't believe that of you! I bet you got up to all sorts of trouble"! He jested

" Nope I was good girl"! She repiled.

" I've just recently read The six Tudor Queen sires by Alison Weir God I love those books"! She told him.

" it's like a fictional telling of the six wives and their stories"! She went on.

Henry smiled beaming at this gorgeous woman with her red russet hair how he wanted to run his fingers though it.

" I see! Have you ever been to Hampton Court Palace"? Henry asked with a frown out of surprise.

" No why"? Georgina asked.

Her stomach was lurching inside her at this man.

" May I take you there"? Henry asked.

Georgina had officially felt her heart stop in her chest at Henry asking her whether he could take her.

" Henry I couldn't what about your schedule or your meetings"? Georgina asked him concerned.

Henry immediately stuck his hand and held hers " Georgina I'd love to! The meetings can wait I can move them"! Henry told her assuring her of the insecurity that crept into her head.

[chicgeekgirl89]

5, 4, 3, 2, 1

Rules: post the top 5 works you’re most proud of that you released in 2022 (not necessarily your most popular), your top 4 current WIPs that you’re excited to release in the new year, your top 3 biggest improvements in your writing over the past year, your top 2 resolutions (ways you wish to improve your writing/blog) for the new year, and your number 1 favorite line you’ve written this year!   

Thanks so much for the tag @irispurpurea! This was a fun way to reflect on the year!

5 Works

You Have the Right to Remain Silent (But I Know You Won’t)- This one was such a challenge because it involved the entire 126, but I’m super proud of how it turned out!

Hold Onto Me- I think this was my first +1 fic and I love all the little moments I came up with.

Never Enough- The ice storm arc STRESSED ME THE FRICK FRACK OUT. In fact, most of last season did. I wrote this because I needed the boys to have some soft, sweet, perfect time together. It might not be a perfect fic, but it was cathartic to write. 

Not a Booty Call- I loved exploring the boys’ early days and T.K.’s softening toward Carlos. 

Sisters, Sisters- What can I say? I never expected to write oc’s, and I certainly never expected to love them as much as I love Francesca and Adriana. It was DELIGHTFUL to write their dialogue and all their sass and love for Carlos and T.K.

4 Wips

These are such a wreck, I don’t even know lol

1. Packing a Piece- a deeper look into that fateful match of darts and what happened before and after.

2. My Pain Fits in the Palm of Your Freezing Hand- The ice storm arc from Carlos’ perspective that I’ve been working on for almost a literal year now. Yikes. 

3. I have a camping fic involving the 126 boys and Carlos that will fill a bingo spot that I have a love/hate relationship with. Hopefully that goes up at some point. 

4. I’m looking through my ideas doc and realizing I’ve written most of them, so hopefully LS S4 gives me some new ideas lol. I have a funny idea for a fic where Carlos has to set some stern boundaries for T.K. about where they can and cannot have sex, but I can’t seem to get much going on that, so we’ll see! 

3 Biggest Improvements

1. I now go through all my fics and remove the word “just” as much as I possibly can. It’s my go-to filler word and it “just” doesn’t need to be used as often as I like to throw it in there. 

2. I’ve tried to get a little less precious about things. Sometimes I love moments too much and I’ve held onto them longer than they were productive for the fic. I’m working on getting better at letting them go, or reworking them so they serve the fic better. 

3. I think I’ve gotten better at writing longer form fic. I am definitely a more concise writer so trying to write more lengthy pieces has been a challenge. 

2 Resolutions

1. I’d like to get better at description and world building. I’m a dialogue person through and through, and I forget to describe what’s going on around the characters a lot of the time. 

2. I’d like to be more consistent about building time to write. I tend to write when the muse strikes, but I’d like to actually be setting time aside to write each week. Not sure that will happen but...we will see!

1 Favorite Line

@bluenet13 knows I’m extremely bad at favorites, so this is tough! It’s technically more than one line...but Nancy’s the only one talking, so...it’s one in my mind lol!

From A Lifetime Original Movie Kind of Way- “AH!” she yelled, pointing a finger at him. “Ah! See! That is the heart of the issue right there! That cavalier attitude. You think you have nine fucking lives and you don’t T.K. You don’t. You’ve only got one and you nearly lost it. I had to literally shove life back into your cold, naked body, which, to be clear, is not something I have ever desired to see anywhere at anytime. You died between my hands and I had to touch your frosty corpse, and it’s only by the grace of like eternal love or some bullshit that you made it through.”

Tagging @bluenet13, @ejzah, @wanna-be-bold, and @mashmaiden.

[ginnsbaker]

Hi chapter thoughts here I probably will still break this up tho :)

First vision. I think his plan is probably to “expose” wanda and reader to yelena or something maybe take a picture of them together. But to be honest I don’t think it’s gonna have the desired effect because i think the two of them genuinely will end up together anyway so trying to hurt reader by breaking their current relationship is more like a blessing in disguise. (Started with this cos it was quick and we all know everything else is super long so get ready)

I already touched on it briefly but once again Wanda’s character growth and maturity. The way you write her development especially the therapy sessions continues to amaze me. Its not rushed to fit the pace of anything else its completely raw and i just love what you’ve done with it.

The sex thing. Oh boy. “You can tell its been longer than yelena inteded” thats just so awkward. I kinda feel bad for her but was also slightly amused by the situation if not a little second hand embarrassment but yeah I mean i get it you had a dream of a top 10 experience with your ex wife who had lots of time to learn what you like and stuff and then woke up and its the wrong person uh down there.

Past Wanda’s present. If thats not the sweetest god damn thing. Correct me if i got this wrong but she managed to track down the actual one from readers past not a new copy but the original one. The time and effort that must have taken is insane like I genuinely can’t put into words the feels i got from this part (where can i find me a wanda). And its such an amazing gift not only for the sentimental value and what it means to reader but it shows how much she truly loves them and also actually listens to what they say and pay attention. Very sweet 10/10 loved it.

THANK YOU CLINT. Im so happy he mentioned seeing wanda having been to a therapist and a substance abuse specialist. I hope it plants seeds in readers mind even though they immediately denied it (i see them protecting her reputation they care) im hoping they connect the dots because agatha was dropping hints earlier and they had to bring her home when she was drunk but i have a feeling they’re gonna be oblivious 💀.

Yikes Yelena dropping reader in it by saying they’ve seen Wanda recently in front of Nat. She knows what shes doing. The talk with Nat went about as well as I expected and its a very sucky thing to happen on your birthday (thanks yelena). I do see Nat’s point and if I was her I would probably act the same way but if I was reader (which I guess i am?) i would be slightly frustrated because she’s not considering it from reader’s perspective shes seeing it from the point of Yelena’s big sister which I completely understand but she’s supposed to be reader’s best friend. Sometimes our friends make decisions we don’t agree with but all you can do is advise them and support whatever decision they make. It seems that Nat is giving the advice but isn’t willing to give the support if a different decision is made which i completely understand it is her sister its still a bit sad. Its true what they say sometimes friendship breakups or fights hurt way more than romantic ones.

Agatha is still such a good friend and a great character we love her.

Okay so I thought i would cover everything i wanted in 2 posts but it might be more so up next reader and their mom, reader and yelena, the present, yelenas speech and of course reader and wanda

-🧃

Vision - It's got nothing to do with Yelena. And he's got everything to gain from it. Chapter 14 will immediately get to that.

The sex thing - I think I write awkward sex better than normal sex lol. I actually had fun writing that scene.

Past Wanda’s present. If thats not the sweetest god damn thing. Correct me if i got this wrong but she managed to track down the actual one from readers past not a new copy but the original one. - Yes. She tracked the original, the one that R's mom accidentally donated away. While Yelena got her a fresh copy of the same puzzle because she thought the one framed is worn down.

Natasha - She's very anti "getting back with your ex wife". I think she's looking at it from her own experience. Her own thing with Bruce never worked out. They were very on and off, and she finally managed to crawl out of that cycle and thinks that it's a similar situation with R and she can be strong enough to do the same.

Keep them coming :D

It's going to be a week before I post chapter 14.. but who knows.. so better send them all in before then lol

[mindstriker]

If you are still writing about Batman rogue headcanons I was wondering how would each one treat retail workers?

I'm absolutely still posting rogues headcanons! I just haven't been super active on this blog lately/ haven't had a lot of interaction- so I haven't been getting any asks to answer! I should post about that again tbh. Anyways, I'm probably not going to cover everyone, but here are some of my faves and how I think they'd act. We're running specifically w/ food service workers here because that's the form of retail I have experience with teehee

Riddler: Look, I love him as much as the next guy, but he would fucking SUCK to deal with as a customer. Edward has a massive complex about being better than other people, and that of COURSE applies to retail workers as well, unfortunately. He'd be just as snappy and prone to insults as he is with his own henchmen, lmfao. Expect to get called something demeaning if you fuck something up in his order, and try not to take it personally- it's not specifically because you're working customer service, it's just because you're somebody who isn't him or one of his close friends (skull emoji).

Catwoman: Literally the model customer. She's friendly and will strike up a conversation, but not in that over-the-top enthusiastic way that can sometimes be exhausting to deal with. She might have her eye set on stealing the finer things in life, but that doesn't mean she doesn't respect the people who are working customer service jobs to get by- hell, she's probably worked some shitty retail jobs of her own as a teen before getting into crime full-time. She gets it. She's not going to give you a hard time, ever.

Harley Quinn: Very friendly and easy to serve! She'll take forever to decide what she wants off the menu, and will probably ask you at least seven questions about different items, but at the end of the day she's not rude and doesn't cause much of a fuss, so it's all good.

Scarecrow: Whether or not you consider him an easy customer or not depends on whether or not you're cool with someone who just abruptly orders their food/drinks before you can get your "Hi, welcome to (blank), what can I get you?" spiel out of your mouth and then just goes completely silent the entire time their order is being prepared. That's Jonathan. Don't even bother trying to make small talk, just ignore the Kubrick stare being levelled at you while you work- he's probably relatively harmless if he's just there to pick up something to eat.

Two-Face: Hear me out. He's easy to handle if you know how to. If he's just at your place of work to order food or something, you're not going to wind up on the wrong end of a coin flip unless you fuck up majorly and do something cringe and fail. Just be a normal guy. Treat him like any other customer in this scenario, and he's probably about as average a customer as you can get, if a little on the intimidating and impatient side. Harvey seems like he's always got somewhere to be, and might be a little bit peeved if things take longer than they should- he does have a bit of a hair-trigger temper, after all, but like... it shouldn't be an issue. A simple polite apology and a promise that the order's on it's way, and you're not in danger at all.

And finally, the Joker. Do I even need to tell you how the Joker probably treats retail workers? Methinks the answer is no. You can imagine that one yourself... yikes.

[sshbpodcast]

How do you feel? Diseases in Star Trek

By Ames

We’re a little late to the pandemic blog party, but disease is still topical everywhere you look today. And that includes Star Trek! It seems like every other week the respective chief medical officer is tasked with whipping up some miracle cure for this or that because people still don’t know how to self isolate in the future. At least everyone is up to date on their boosters.

This list is going to be longer than usual because we at A Star to Steer Her By didn’t foresee just how many different diseases our crews encountered. So follow along below and on this week’s podcast episode (discussion starts at 1:07:16), slap on your EV suits, quarantine sickbay immediately, and if you’ve come in contact with some goo on a planet surface, maybe wash your damn hands!

[images © CBS/Paramount]

Psi 2000 virus / polywater intoxication –“The Naked Time”

Our first outbreak got the whole crew drunk to reveal hidden character traits, like singing “Kathleen” ad nauseam or swashbuckling around the bridge. One more time!

Puberty plague – “Miri”

Say what you will about the bad child acting in this episode (and we did), but watching Bones cure the anti-aging experiment disease was heroic as hell. No bonks for you, McCoy.

Rapid aging caused by comet radiation –“The Deadly Years”

The old-age makeup in this episode varied wildly, but the cure of getting scared and creating adrenaline was also utterly perplexing. Cowards like Chekov rejoice!

Omega IV virus – “The Omega Glory”

Leave the planet Omega IV and succumb to an infection that turns you into a pile of glitter. But stay on planet and you’re effectively immortal. Choices, choices…

Xenopolycythemia – “For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky”

We sure loved this episode, and at the center of it is watching McCoy accept his diagnosis with a fatal disease and curtailed life expectancy with dignity and makeouts with Natira.

Kirk’s STDs – “The Mark of Gideon��

This race of people might be the biggest hypocrites we’ve met. Instead of just using contraception, they want to expose their people to Kirk’s STDs to decrease their population. Yikes.

Choriocytosis – “The Pirates of Orion”

After watching episode after episode of Vulcans being less susceptible to diseases, we finally see one that’s specifically bad for our pointy-eared friends. Quick, quarantine Spock!

Dramia II plague – “Albatross”

Another perplexing disease that doesn’t really hold up to scrutiny. Going through a space aurora turns you different colors? Wait, space auroras are even a thing? Color us incredulous.

Psi 2000 virus / polywater intoxication – “The Naked Now”

A rehash of “The Naked Time” but way less interesting. Points off for drunk Wesley saving the ship, but this episode makes up for it with extra points for showing us how fully functional Data is.

Tarellian plague – “Haven”

How did we go this long in Trek before meeting up with a ship of plague victims? The concept makes for an interesting exploration into how we treat sick people like… well, like lepers frankly.

Quazulu VIII virus – “Angel One”

How did this disease spread over so much of the ship before Crusher realized it was airborne? At the same time, I’d rather take my chances with the smelly disease over visiting Lady Planet.

Iverson’s disease – “Too Short a Season”

We’ve given Admiral Jameson a lot of guff on this podcast (and for good reason!) as curing his Iverson’s disease with experimental drugs isn’t even the least ethical thing he’s done!

Rapid aging caused by mutant children – “Unnatural Selection”

Another day, another rapid-aging virus. Pulaski’s methods to keep the disease contained were sound, but even she couldn’t keep from getting exposed to a group of experimental super babies!

Acamarian microvirus – “The Vengeance Factor”

Who other than Khan has such a vendetta against their foes? Enter Yuta, who can infect you with a personalized pathogen with just a touch of her hand. Revenge is a dish best made to order.

Bendii Syndrome – “Sarek”

What a touching look at what’s effectively an allegory for dementia, which is devastating enough as it is. But in the hands of a pro like Mark Lenard, it’s spell binding and one of our favorites.

Barclay’s Protomorphosis Syndrome – “Genesis”

Excellent makeup aside, the mutation virus in this episode makes absolutely no sense. Humans wouldn’t devolve into spiders, would they? Then again, maybe Barclay would?

Tarchannen retro mutation – “Identity Crisis”

More stellar makeup for an episode that is mostly a head scratcher. Geordi and friends are exposed to a race that turns them into one of them as a form of reproduction. Not my kink, but okay.

Irumodic Syndrome – “All Good Things”

Like in “Sarek,” watching one of the show’s best actors (arguably the best, but that’s another blogpost) dealing with a debilitating condition makes for a heart-wrenching episode. Why didn’t they give him Irumodic Syndrome canonically in Picard?

Aphasia virus – “Babel”

Our first outbreak in Deep Space Nine had everyone speaking gibberish. You can thank Bajoran bioterrorists for this disease, if you can speak coherently that is. Dog… fellow… distance?

Harvester bioweapons – “Armageddon Game”

O’Brien, as usual, is someone’s pawn in this episode in which he contracts a disease that has been genociding a whole planet. The suffering meme had to begin somewhere!

Zanthi fever – “Fascination”

Sometimes sci-fi plots serve as metaphors for real-world issues that allow us a new perspective on society. And sometimes someone in the writers room just decides horniness is contagious for some reason.

Teplan blight – “The Quickening”

One of the best portrayals of a disease in all of Trek has got to be “The Quickening,” which deals with death with dignity, shows how a dying culture perseveres, and develops Bashir as a character!

Morphogenic virus – Dominion War Arc

Throughout season seven of DS9, we see the Changelings succumbing to a disease that makes them melt more than usual. It’s cruel and humanizing, but also cathartic to watch.

Tuvan Syndrome – “Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges”

Briefly, we dig into some Romulan politics while playing Section 31 games and see that they would throw a senator with Tuvan Syndrome to the wolves if that news got out. Brutal.

Phage – “Phage” et al

The Vidiians are one of the more memorable villainous races in Voyager because they’ve been pushed to the extreme. Their episodes ask “how far would you go to survive?” Pretty damn far.

Levodian flu – “Tattoo”

The comedic subplot of this generally problematic episode gives the EMH a taste of his own medicine. Literally! He whines more in the hours he’s sick than the rest of the crew series wide.

Unnamed disease – “Resolutions”

We don’t learn an awful lot about whatever disease Janeway and Chakotay picked up except that they’re naturally immune on the planet where they contracted it and are subsequently stranded.

Memory virus – “Flashback”

The virus that Tuvok picked up on the Excelsior is a fascinating one because it hides out in the host’s memory. Viruses don’t want to kill you. They want to spread and this one’s methods are ingenious.

Macrovirus – “Macrocosm”

Go big or go home, says the macrovirus from “Macrocosm.” It’s goofy as hell to watch these CGI disasters float around, but worth it to watch them terrorize everyone at the Paxau Resort.

Taresian mutagenic virus – “Favorite Son”

The Taresians are neither the first nor the last race to lure people to them for the purpose of using them to reproduce in some weird, weird way, but they might be the rudest.

Chroniton radiation – “Before and After”

Watching her solve the puzzle of her traveling backwards in time was one of the highlights for the character Kes, and the radiation sickness being the lynchpin of it all made for a neat little mystery.

Species 6339 synthetic pathogen – “Infinite Regress”

When some aliens try to infect the Borg with a pathogen by sabotaging their Cube’s vinculum, Seven gets caught in the crossfire. It gives Jeri Ryan a lot to play with, so that’s always a plus.

Chromovirus – “Critical Care”

This episode is a thought-provoking look at the classism inherent in healthcare systems, and who better than the EMH to expose how broken the machine is and expose some jerkstore to a virus too?

Nehret – “Prophecy”

One last disease strain from Voyager. In this one, a crew of Klingons neglects to tell anyone they’re carrying a Klingon virus. Today isn’t a good day to die, guys! Knock it off!

Akaali disease – “Civilization”

Moving on to Enterprise, where there are a ton more diseases, we start off with a prewarp community getting fucked over by an advanced race. If only there were some kind of directive…

Valakian plague – “Dear Doctor”

Speaking of such directives we could really make use of, we talked about this episode before when Phlox decided not to cure a whole race because of his interpretation of noninterference.

Obsession radiation disease – “Singularity”

Sound the Reed Alert! We saw it a lot during TOS, but Vulcans are often less susceptible to the diseases that ravage the rest of the crew, in this case making them obsessive over niggling details.

Pa'nar Syndrome – “Stigma”

A disease that Vulcans do tend to get is Pa’nar Syndrome in this episode that makes for a fairly intriguing discussion point comparing it to how modern society deals with the AIDS crisis.

Loque’eque mutagenic virus – “Extinction”

Here we have another virus that turns you into a race that is really bad at reproduction! And yet again, the Vulcan predictably doesn’t succumb to the disease because they’re boringly superior at everything.

Interspatial parasites – “Twilight”

In season three, Enterprise thankfully breaks up a string in their Xindi arc to give us one of their best episodes, in which Archer contracts an amnesia virus that I should have brought up in our memory loss blogpost but I need to get checked for parasites.

Silicon-based virus – “Observer Effect”

We’ve brought up this episode on multiple occasions now, ranging from topics like memory loss to character possessions, and it delivers on all fronts, including how to deal with a virus without infecting the whole crew!

Klingon augment virus – “Affliction” and “Divergence”

What doesn’t particularly deliver is the retcon that explains away why the Klingons have smooth foreheads in TOS and craggy foreheads in later series. We didn’t need this, Star Trek.

Rage virus – “Second Contact”

Moving on to the currently running series, the very first taste we get of Lower Decks introduces a rapidly spreading virus that gives its victims a hunger for flesh! Om nom!

Light virus – “Ghosts of Illyria”

Strange New Worlds introduced us to an interesting disease that made everyone addicted to light sources. Unless you’re Una and have a deep dark secret. There is Number One light!

The curse of the Gallows – “All the World’s a Stage”

Spoilers abound! In this ingenious episode of Prodigy, the Enderprizians are afflicted with a dreaded and mythical sickness that turns out to be caused by toxic runoff from a plasma leak. Live logs and proper!

Cygnokemia – Rukiya M’Benga’s arc

Okay, last one we could think of (finally!). Doctor M’Benga was a standout character in the first season of SNW, and it’s his relationship with his terminally ill daughter that really shines and shines.

—

We hope you’re feeling better. According to Voyager’s “The Disease,” the greatest disease of all is love, so make sure you’re up to date on your vaccinations by hanging out with us, whom you clearly love if you’ve read this far! Also make sure you’re following along with more of our Voyager watchthrough on SoundCloud, pop in for visiting hours on Facebook and Twitter, and get well soon!

[snvxiii]

Snow-Centric Merch Haul Part 4: Art Museum Kai Trading Card Booster Box First Edition

07/22/22 | Bought on eBay | 26.20 USD (5 USD shipping)

Welcome to part 4 of my Snow-Centric Merch Haul!

I answered an ask last Friday helping someone narrow down their search results to find Snow’s silver pendant—and accidentally found a listing on eBay for a booster box of the Museum Kai trading cards.

I didn't know they were a thing until last Friday. Impulsively, I bought it.

–

Pricing points:

Other listings show for 50+ USD, but those listings belong to the seller I bought from.

I believe they’re auctioning off the individual boxes because: a) no one is buying these for 50 USD; b) they've been sitting so long, they want to move them quickly; c) the auction price looks like a “better” deal, which is why they’re leaving their more expensive listings up.

Sold listings go from 20-40 USD—but I think spending anything more than 20 USD for, arguably questionable quality, screenshots printed on, what looks to be, 3” x 5” laminated cards is a rip-off.

No, seriously. Some of these scenes are blurry and low-res. It looks like they wanted to keep to scenes from the beginning of Palumpolum and early-game to avoid spoilers. You can tell by the lack of Fang.

Individual cards go for 5-8 USD (shipping not included, yikes), but I know those listings have been sitting for at least a year, if not longer.

–

Packaging:

The plastic wrap is easy to tear—I couldn’t get a clean cut unlike with opening Pokemon cards. I did manage to open the box without any rips though, so that’s a win!

I'll save the box to store all of my Snow cards in.

–

The first pull:

Ever played a gacha game? You know that feeling, when you summon the UR on the very first draw?

Yeah.

The very first card inside was Snow's special foil! It's reflective and catches dust better than dust cloths. You can see my phone case in the bottom left.

The feel of the cards themselves feel similar to... laminate, I'd say. I expected a feel similar to the FF TCG cards, but it lacks any texture. They feel closer to photo cards, maybe?

–

Final results:

I kept any and every card with Snow's face–including the cards with his face on the back.

I kept Serah's cards, as well as the environmental cards. Serah's portrait card is really pretty! I'm impressed they chose such a good shot.

The environmental cards are gorgeous pieces too. They'll make great references I can pull from.

–

Everything together:

Here are all the cards in total—aside from one not shown.

This booster pack had a heavy bias towards Lightning, Snow, and the environment cards—along with two absolutely BS cards that just show the XIII logo. Like, gee, thanks. If I wanted to look at the package imagery, I’d look at the box the cards came in!

I'm surprised to see the lack of Cid Raines. We got Jihl, who was portrayed as a complete moron and anti-climactically killed and forgotten–but no Raines? The man who actually gave us a boss fight?

Going off the wiki page–it seems with each booster box, you'll get one of each card except for the foils. I got Snow and Lightning's foils, but am missing Vanille's. Oh well.

—

Final thoughts:

I had fun! I got a nice little bump to my Snow collection. I'll be selling the others off in character-themed lots on Mercari to make my money back + a little profit.

[pineforphantompain]

2023 Drama Year in Review

For me, this was a pretty good year (drama watching wise). I don't watch a lot these days, but I'm really working on finishing things and not feeling like I have to watch everything, or the most popular shows. I'm sure I missed some good ones this year (and I'll always accept recs), but at least I no longer start too many only to leave them all on-hold.

Movies first:

The Houseguest of My Mother (2007) Rating: 6.5/10

(J) Pale Moon (2014) Rating: 7.0/10

Hero (2022) Rating: 8.0/10

Office (2015) Rating: 6.5/10

Dream (2023) I just watched this for the cast, but it turned out to be rather entertaining too. Not something I’d likely revisit, though. Rating: 7.5/10

The Legendary Courtesan Hwang Jin Yi (2007) Kind of disappointed by this one. I do think that I would prefer a drama version of this story though so I still intend to watch that eventually. Rating: 7.0/10

A Girl at My Door (2014) Rating: 6.5/10

Poetry (2010) Best of the year. Rating: 8.5/10

Don’t Cry, Mommy (2012) This one just fell flat for me. As a film it is quite weak, but it is obvious that entertainment and artistic value were not the priority, it was mostly just about pointing to an issue and it did exactly that. Rating: 5.5/10

Now onto dramas, beginning with the two carry-overs from last year

Money Heist Part 2 (2022) 2/6 eps previously watched Rating: 7.5/10

Green Mothers’ Club (2022) 5/16 eps previously watched Rating: 7.5/10

The Good Bad Mother (2023) 14/14 eps watched Rating: 8.5/10

Race (2023) 12/12 watched Yes, it was boring, but I liked it. The ending was kind of a mess though. Rating: 8.5/10

Lies Hidden in My Garden (2023) 8/8 watched Ending was underwhelming, but I like Kim Tae Hee and this is exactly the kind of drama I will always be interested in watching. Rating: 8.0/10

Bitch x Rich (2023) Style over substance. Watchable, but unremarkable. Rating: 7.5/10

Lady Durian (2023) 16/16 watched I only got about halfway through when it was airing, but I returned and managed to finish (on New Year’s Eve). I found it mostly fun to watch. Not a fan of the ending at all and I doubt it’s one that will stick with me forever, but it was a reasonably enjoyable viewing experience and I’m glad I pushed through to complete this one last drama for the year. Rating: 7.5/10

And now for older dramas I watched this year

Kaibutsu (2013) (Drama Special) 1/1 watched For something that is so obviously supposed to be thought provoking I have absolutely no thoughts about it. I don’t have any significant enough complaints to give a low rating, but I do not care. Rating: 7.0/10

Hana Kimi Remake (2011) 4/11 previously watched Hana Kimi is always good. No surprise it's my favourite watch of the year. Some aspects were even better than the 2007 version. Unfortunately Sano is so bland here and the romance so uncompelling it drags down an otherwise great viewing experience. (Oguri Shun is the only Sano I actually enjoy watching - this one is a just a beige wall wet blanket of a man giving blank stares and then sometimes randomly yelling). I will almost certainly watch again, but probably skip through some scenes. Overall I’d say this is on par with the Taiwanese version. Rating: 8.5/10

Little Mom Scandal 2 (2008) 8/8 watched I started this many years ago (so long ago that I hadn’t tracked progress in mdl yet) and thought I had watched about half of the second part. Finally returned to make sure I’d finished it this year. I could have done without the icky romanticized age-gap romance and it did lose its way a little toward the end. Overall, I did like a lot about it and it is pretty Age of Youth-esque in some ways. Rating: 8.0/10

And lastly, the one drama I started and haven’t finished yet

Flower Boy Ramen Shop (2011) 8/16 watched Sometimes you just need a little early 2010s tvn romcom. I do intend to pick it back up when I’m in that mood again. There is too much toilet talk for my taste and the romance is… yikes (as expected), but it is very entertaining.

2023 goals review: ✅

5/5 dramas watched at least

1+ from this year

1/1 jdrama

1/1 drama completed from the backlog

3+/3 movies

The lesson here is that I should stick to easy non-specific goals and so my 2024 plans are:

Watch 3 movies

Watch 5 dramas again including at least:

1 new drama

1 pre-2010 drama

2 from on-hold

[nellie-elizabeth]

Barry: yikes/bestest place on the earth (4x01/02)

We're back for the final season!

Cons:

When there's a show this good, I feel myself unequal to really talking about it or explaining the ways in which it's brilliant. If I had to delve into what isn't working for me so far in these first two episodes, the first thing I'd say is that Sally running home and then immediately coming back to LA was sort of odd. I guess I expected her to stay put with her awful mother for a bit longer. Would have been interesting to see how that played out.

I also think that Barry can go a little too hard on the meta stuff for my taste, and I know that's what the show is going for, I'm not saying it's bad, it's just... personal preference means that watching Cousineau play out his history with Barry in the form of a one man show felt a little more time-wasting than it did comedic to me personally.

Pros:

Over the course of the last season and now especially here, we see the way Barry has fully settled into this creepy, almost child-like serial killer persona. It's like he's just entirely shut down and is approaching everything from this place of... fun-house-mirror innocence, that I find super fascinating and very well acted. His call to Mr. Cousineau, where he asks if he's mad at him. His begging of Sally: "do you really feel safe with me Sally?" And the flashbacks we see of him as a young boy, meeting Fuches for the first time. It all creates this sense of child-like creepiness. And then you see his ruthlessness, filtered through this sense of how little he sees any choice he makes as being his own responsibility. He knows he's done bad things, and yet he's still twisting himself up to become the victim again, like when he baits a guard who was trying to be kind to him, into beating him up. And now, Barry has turned his back on Fuches's loyalty and decided to take a deal.

The scenes with Sally and her mother were chillingly awful. It made me sick to my stomach (in a good way?) to see her mother dismiss her pain and talk about how awkward it was going to be to have to explain to Sally's abuser's family about the TV show and the depiction of the abuse present in it. And her father awkwardly offering her affection and support without really being able to connect with or understand his daughter... it was really something else. The moment that sticks with me most is the mom not understanding the TV show and how it's based on Sally's experiences. "You don't have a daughter. Who wrote this?" Just like... her utter inability/unwillingness to study the piece for its emotional resonances, or maybe to examine why Sally felt like telling a story about a complicated mother/daughter relationship to begin with.

Then we've got Hank and Cristobal. I've gotta say, the scene where Hank has a bad dream that he's still locked up, made me gasp out loud and say to the screen, "oh, fuck no," because for half a second I thought maybe Hank killing everyone and rescuing his boyfriend was all a delusion, and he was still back there. And then he looks over and sees Barry and it's like "ah, okay, this is just a dream." This show plays around with perception a lot, we see it with Barry too as he imagines Sally and Cousineau there in the prison with him, but then it's Fuches who shows up, and he's the one who's real, but then we're also slipping through Barry's memories of him and Fuches in the past... it's so cool.

But back to Hank and Cristobal, I find their relationship so charmingly bizarre, and I like how they immediately want to get back into a life of crime. They just can't help themselves. Nobody who gets involved in this can ever successfully extricate themselves from it. We've also got Hank's moving and yet ultimately quite pathetic loyalty towards Barry, who probably wouldn't extend him the same courtesy. Hank wants to rescue Barry and Fuches from prison, but the minute he learns from Fuches that Barry is working with the feds, he ends the second episode declaring: "we have to kill Barry."

And we're off to the races! I already feel insane about all the stuff happening here. Fuches crying and cradling a bloodied Barry in his arms, apologizing and saying I love you? Oof. Not getting over that any time soon.

9/10