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mrghostrat · 6 months

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some of my favourite good omens fics for @lostscript!

this got so long oh my god. i have to stop, but this is only like 2 pages of my bookmarks, in no particular order. i'll have to make another post eventually, or at least start organising my bookmarks on ao3 to rec things more easily. for now, please enjoy this tasty mix of human aus + angel/demon pining.

First Class (Hons) Christmas, University of Tadfield by heloluv

M • 41k • human AU (professors) this fic is like stepping into a beautiful, cosy, classic, high quality christmas movie. crowley and aziraphale are professors at Tadfield University, and they meet for the first time when aziraphale starts organising the yearly christmas fundraiser. "A Christmas and New Years fic, in which Aziraphale teaches Crowley how to enjoy the most wonderful time of the year."

What We Make Of It (Shotgun Wedding) by charlottemadison

E • 213k • human AU (teacher/guardian) the flow of their growing relationship in this fic is so unique and incredibly written, it seizes my heart on every reread. aziraphale is a high school english teacher, adam is his narcoleptic student, and crowley is adam's uncle/legal guardian. due to crowley's work, he cannot date a teacher, for risk of losing his job and the health insurance that covers adam's condition. but he can, technically, marry one.

Something We Were Withholding Made Us Weak by triedunture

M • 14k • angel/demon (south downs) where pre-relationship aziraphale and crowley retire and move to the south downs cottage before ever talking about their feelings, and come together as they learn to live in tandem.

the bucket list by darcylindbergh

E • 44k • angel/demon (south downs) technically still a wip, but it's been left at a satisfying, conclusive point. after armageddon, pre-relationship crowley and aziraphale decide to work through a list of human activities they haven't done before. they go travelling and dining together, try out hobbies, and end up in a south downs cottage. communication angst as they try to work out what they want from life, and each other.

Of burnt books and courting Crowley by robynvite

E • 11k • angel/demon (post s1) "a year after Armageddon't, Aziraphale finds out two pieces of very startling news: One, Newt and Anathema burned the sequel to Agnes Nutter's Nice and Accurate Prophecies. Two, Crowley was in love with him, and had been since the Beginning." aziraphale attempts to court crowley when he finds out crowley loves him.

Slow Show by mia_ugly

E • 95k • human AU (actors) "two ineffable co-stars only take four seasons of an award-winning television program to realize they’re on their own side." crowley is a washed up PR nightmare and aziraphale is in the closet, married to a beard. crowley is in love with him, and aziraphale falls over the course of the show.

South Downs by summerofspock

E • 76k • human AU (actors) this time, aziraphale is out and proud, whilst crowley needs some help figuring it out. "Blackballed from the industry ten years ago, Anthony Crowley jumps at the chance to star in a new Regency romance miniseries with well-known gay actor Aziraphale Fell in the hopes that it will help him restart his career. The trouble is, Crowley has played all sorts of characters and for the life of him, he can't figure out why he's struggling to play the romantic lead opposite a man."

Not a Mounted Dildo but a Fuck Machine by NaroMoreau, summerofspock

E • 35k • human AU (roommates) "When Aziraphale meets a nice girl on Tinder who he thinks is his perfect match, he's delighted. There's just one hurdle: that pesky virginity thing. Lucky for him, Crowley has always been there for him. He's helped Aziraphale with every other problem through the years, why not this one?"

Intermezzo by FeralTuxedo

E • 47k • human AU (musician/journalist) Music critic Aziraphale Fell is trying to break into the world of television, when he is signed to make a documentary about former-rockstar-turned-composer Anthony Crowley. It’s been eleven years since Aziraphale’s disastrous review of Crowley’s debut opera nipped his classical music career in the bud. He can only hope that Crowley will get over his admittedly justified grudge to make the TV show a success.

side note: i officially love everything feraltuxedo has ever written. their library is a slew of human AUs in all kinds of settings with varying wordcounts. they are a GIFT

Joint Honours by FeralTuxedo

E • 43k • human AU (university students) aziraphale (phd) and crowley (undergrad) live in the same student share house. they get involved before they realise crowley is a student in aziraphale's seminars. spicy drama of them trying to keep their relationship hidden + aziraphale getting his work plagarised

it's a new craze by attheborder

T • 5k • angel/demon (post armageddon) aziraphale and crowley start an advice podcast. dialogue only, with comments from listeners speculating about their relationship and potential immortality

Petrichor & Parchment by MrsNoggin

E • 33k • human AU (gardener crowley) aziraphale, a restorer of antique books, moves to a cottage in tadfield. the garden is a mess. he hires a local landscaper to sort it out. aziraphale takes his work outside and ogles.

The 21st Century, In Which They Finally Work It Out by chaya

E • 22k • angel/demon (post armageddon) crowley tries furthering their relationship after armageddon. he has to go extremely slowly so as not to spook aziraphale, but eventually they find themselves on romantic weekend getaway, in a lodge under the northern lights.

Waking Up Slow by the_moonmoth

E • 88k • human AU (lockdown roommates) aziraphale and crowley are strangers who have to quarantine together in aziraphale's cottage. exquisitely romantic mutual pining over the course of two weeks, with cosy fireplace cuddling, walking around in towel, and strip poker.

Have you told him by cyankelpie

G • 7k • angel/demon (through the ages) aziraphale can sense love, and can tell crowley is deep in it. he can only assume he's fallen for a human. again, and again, and again, and again.

The Bizarre Demons of AZ Fell & Co Antique Booksellers by WorseOmens

T • 8k • angel/demon (buzzfeed unsolved crossover) a fuckin hilarious crossover fic presented as an episode of buzzfeed unsolved, where the ghoul boys visit the bookshop and commune with crowley through a spirit box

#good omens fic recs #good omens #lostscript #rat reads

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foolishlovers · 3 months

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hi, i’m going through it with uni right now (finals season rip) and was wondering if you have any recs for some really soft, tender fics that will remind me of the good in the world 😭 maybe with some soft smut too, preferably over 20k if they’re out there and i’m happy with non au or au whatever. just need something comforting yknow. hope you’re doing well :)

oh hello love, i feel your struggle and am sending you lots of strength!!

here are some of my favourite softer good omens fics:

[You can request more fic recs here.]

Caramel Delight by AJ_Constantine (E, 16k) After years of enduring hellish neighbours, Crowley is delighted when they finally move out, and even more delighted when their replacement is easy going, friendly, doesn’t leave his bins on the kerb for weeks, and… attractive in a way that causes a fluttering in Crowley’s midsection like a battalion of butterflies attempting to form ranks. Crowley knows that hooking up with the person who lives next door to him is a Bad Idea. But a jar of his Nan’s famous caramel sauce as a ‘welcome to the neighbourhood’ gesture couldn’t hurt. And what’s he supposed to do when Aziraphale continues to show up at Crowley’s door with an irresistible smile, asking for more?

Liquid Gold by smolalienbee, Tarek_giverofcookies, Sodium_Azide, fashioncriminal (T, 36k) Goth beekeeper Crowley starts a new life in the countryside, in a suitably gothic house, with suitably goth furniture, tombstones, and bees. One day Crowley finds a surprise singing to the bees. And Crowley's suitably goth life changes. A gentle cottagecore human AU, featuring a bit of a bastard, a bit of a soft touch, and many many bees.

First Class (Hons) Christmas, University of Tadfield. by heloluv (M, 41k) Dr. A.Z. Fell is a renowned literature tutor at the prestigious University of Tadfield. December is upon the University, and Dr. Fell is leading the Christmas Charity Drive. He needs volunteers. Dr. A.J. Crowley is a skilled plant ecologist who recently began his tenure at UoT. He can't stand Christmas, and nothing at all could ever possibly convince him to partake in "festivities". Until a certain literary expert catches his eye. A Christmas and New Years fic, in which Aziraphale teaches Crowley how to enjoy the most wonderful time of the year. Lavender Apiary Of Your Honey Eyes by snek_of_eden (E, 62k) The first thing Aziraphale registered was fiery red hair matted with sweat. The second thing was the man’s face, sharp and intelligent and a little guarded, sunlight dappling a spray of freckles. Upon seeing this, two contradictory thoughts crossed his mind: ‘Gosh, he’s pretty’, and ‘I don’t believe I’ve ever heard a man use that many expletives in the space of a minute’. “Oh,” he said, swallowing hard. “Hello, then.” When Aziraphale inherits a small, cosy cottage in the countryside, he finds unexpected company in a gardener he didn't even know he had. Crowley is sweet, and strange, and about as foul-mouthed as you can get. Before he knows it, he's falling pretty goddamn hard for a man whose friendship he's terrified of risking. Ah, the foils of love. (To the surprise of no one, they're both pining extraordinarily hard for each other)

and now all of my garden is grown in lavender by ilikeblue (E, 70k, WIP) Popular queer romance author, A.Z. Fell, has been lying about having a husband and a happy marriage for years. Longing to escape a string of failed relationships and looking for a fresh start, Aziraphale moves into the cottage left to him by his Great Aunt Agnes. When a TV adaptation of one of his books leads to sudden popularity and throws him into the limelight, his fans (and the press) are eager to catch a glimpse of Aziraphale's own mysterious leading man. Unfortunately, he still has to cast someone for that role. Enter the handsome gardener… Under Crowley's meticulous care the cottage's neglected garden slowly comes back to life, and Aziraphale finds himself writing the most important love story he'll ever write: his own

you know i'll never be lonely (you're my only one) by SylWritesStuff, ladydragona (E, 256k) Anthony Crowley has long since given up on love of the romantic sort. Besides, after the tragic passing of his cousin and her husband he now has a preteen pup to care for. If only the courts and social services would quit assuming a single, unclaimed omega isn't competent enough on his own to raise one, things would be going just fine. Warlock's problems at school aside. Aziraphale Fell is an accomplished author, bookshop owner, and does quite well, if he should say so himself. Love might have conveniently passed him by and the nights can be quite lonely, but he'd rather be alone than not be himself. And the thing they're both longing for might just be each other.

[you can find more fic rec masterposts here]

#i know u said preferably over 20k but caramel delight is just too sweet (ha) not to mention here 💜#i do have tons of more fluffy recs for fics under 20k :(#i feel like the longer fics get the higher the potential for angst gets u know #but i hope you'll maybe find some rest reading one of these 💜#good omens #good omens fic rec #good omens human au #good omens fanfic #aziracrow #aziracrow fanfic #gomens fic #aziraphale x crowley #anon #answered #foolishlovers #foolish recs #go fic masterpost

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nottoofondofgaypeople · 5 months

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make an unnecessarily long post about vylad :3

Ohhhh boy a Vylad rewrite post, huh?

Vylad is honestly the character I have struggled the most with when conceptualizing when coming up with ideas for this rewrite. In my brain the main timeline MCD Vylad is aro/ace, so I never think about him in the kinds of situations characters are going to end up in.

I think for the sake of this rewrite Vylad is definitely demi both romantic, sexual, and gender. What demi gender? Good question!

Vylad needs an emotional connection with someone in order to feel attraction to them, but forming an emotional bond with Vylad is pretty difficult. In the entirety of this rewrite I think three people end up getting this, and those people are Agnes, Laurance, and Zenix but in a bad way. And two of those people end up dating his brother, and the other one goes a little insane. So Vylad is just not doing great in the dating pool.

Luckily Vylad is a lot more open to talking to people in this rewrite. Once the 15 year gap has passed, they've spent so long without anyone to really talk to that Vylad is a lot more open to communication. Agnes especially gets on his case for this, forcing Vylad to interact with people more because she will not have her baby brother that's older than her and not even her brother be so stand offish.

All my musician head canons I talked about in this post and it's follow up on my main are all canon to this story. Vylad doesn't do conversations the best, but he is able to become total besties with Aaron and Travis around the fire and kind of third wheels as Aaron and Travis are having their homosexual tension, but they don't mind that much. Vylad has always loved just observing people as they exist and do their stupid human shit, watching two dumb dorks fall in love while looking longingly at one another's hands on an instrument is Vylad's soap opera.

If popcorn existed in Ru'aun, Vylad would be addicted to it. I don't know why but this is a headcanon I will fight to the death about now, MCD Vylad would absolutely adore popcorn.

Just thought about MCD Vylad in a dress. Not something too showy, a dress that fully covers their body and is like a dark green maybe, definitely a custom order from Cadenza but one that she is happy to fill. Wait do Vylad and Cadenza even talk in the entirety of mcd?? Well they do in this rewrite because Vylad is way too shy to ask someone else to do it for them. But Cadenza is completely chill about the whole ordeal, asks the standard amount of questions, and when she's getting measurements she checks in with Vylad constantly to make sure he isn't uncomfortable.

And when Cadenza finishes it she just drops it off at Vylad's house. Vylad has a dress now :)

I don't want to ask too much but please if there are any artists that have somehow read this far I need this 🙏🏻

I think Vylad and Cadenza would have a great friendship. She's just so fucking chill despite being wound up as a lord. Vylad may not get it in the sense of being a lord, but he grew up with Garroth as an older brother and literally helped guide Agnes on the path to being a lord, so he understands it's trials and tribulations very well. I want to write a scene of these two getting high and just talking about literally whatever, maybe they make fun of Laurance, or Vylad opens up about what it feels like to be a Shadow Knight because Cadenza has a Shadow Knight as a guard and one as a brother, she fuckin gets it.

I-Is this a new rarepair? I mean, if I take it down that route we do have to acknowledge that Vylad is lowkey rebounding from Laurance to Laurance's sister which... I mean, given Vylad's track record with romance, that completely tracks. Gods even when I let him feel romantic and sexual things they're so bad at it!

Uhh, anyways, I think Vylad's favorite color is a pale green. The color of his mothers eyes because Vylad is such a mama's boy oh my Irene I will never shut up about this! I always headcanon that his scarf was made by his mom, and that's part of why Vylad is so attached to it.

Just had the thought of Vylad and Agnes singing a duet together :)

Vylad is still really shy about their singing voice and panics at the thought of singing in front of others, but they feel calm enough around Agnes that he doesn't mind if it's just the two of them. Don't know what they'd sing. Maybe Wolves of the Revolution as a trio with Garroth. Oh that's eating my brain alive right now.

I think as a teenager Vylad was really unsupervised, so they spent a lot of time just figuring out how to sneak around their estate. He made new secret passages just because he wanted to fuck with Garroth and Zane. I think Vylad was a total prankster, but both of his brothers got sick of it pretty quickly, and their reactions weren't funny anymore.

Give Vylad more chaotic energy when the alliance island is built and operational. Nothing malicious, but sometimes Vylad will just climb in through your window, grab an apple off the counter, give you a wave and then dip out. I want Vylad to disappear for like two and a half months, come back with no explanation and then hand Agnes some ancient artifact that he "just found while exploring." Vylad is the king of not elaborating. He loves hearing people's guesses, but never confirms or denies how accurate they are.

Garroth's guesses are always the closest to being accurate, but he still doesn't entirely understand the person his brother has become. I think Vylad being older than Garroth would be really weird for both of them. Like in Garroth's brain Vylad is younger little small baby brother, but Vylad is a smart ass who always has to correct him and remind Garroth that they're technically older than he is. This is thanks to both Nether time dilation, and Irene Dimension time dilation! The divine really just like fucking with time.

I think I want an entire episode of just Vylad and Hyria talking over tea. I always imagined Hyria being akin to a mother to Vylad as both of them sort of leaned on one another and used each other to cope with the losses in their lives. And Vylad still makes visits every now and then to the enchanted forest to visit Hyria and have a chat with her. I think it'd be neat.

Even funnier if Lucinda shows up to ask Hyria about a witchcraft thing and she just stares at Vylad like "When did you become friends with my mom?" "Before I met you."

One time while Vylad and Travis were practicing a song alone Vylad set down his ocarina, looked Travis in the eye and said "I've explored the entirety of Gal'ruk. No one will ever believe you." The only person who does is Laurance, but he still makes fun of Travis.

Vylad is just a chaotic confusing freak!! I love him!!!

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celestialholz · 2 years

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Celestial Live-Reacts: STP 2.8, 'Mercy

... So, last week, we had Q as the sun, brain and heart, and him behind a white door that hides the truth. Tough act to follow, lads 😂

Shall we see if they pull it off?

"I will do anything to have her survive", says the 'previously on...' for this week - mirroring before the episode even starts, we love to see it

Torchy flashbacks?

... The fuck? Is that Ricardo???? 🤔

Ducaine from Temporal Investigations in Voyager is wild

... And creepy...

Ooo, early titles today! This shit hits different after knowing about the opening credits...

CINDY APPEL'S BACK 😍😍 The legend herself! Oh, now I have hope for this episode ❤

"It's 2024 - people have trouble with revolving doors, never mind a Borg Queen" - Okay, a. rude and b. unnecessary 😂

Trouble in paradise?

Sister Seven, so wholesome ❤

... They're really selling Ducaine as not being Ducaine 😆

"I was dehydrated - after all, I'm only human." You wonderful, sarcastic bastard you 😂

Poor Kore, bless her 😔

Nice VR headset there chuck

"Patience, mon petit." Ohhhh, hello there king - on the French already I see 😍

"A friend, a firestarter, a simulacra - a living program, planted here when I hacked into your father's system, waiting for you to arrive at this very moment." More competent genius!Q, fuck yes 😍😍

"He created you, then locked you in a prison. I'm sending you the key - are you brave enough to use it?" Mmm... like Picard 'created' this situation, locking Q within - now, is he brave enough to alter his original mistake? Very clever ❤

... It has a BOW, he's so extra 😂

'Freedom'? He gave her the cure, like he gave Picard the answer 😍

Dead guy 👀

"In her shoes, I'd want nothing but connection." 😭 Bless Seven

"Can you try and be a little less happy that I'm defective?" I'm about to form the Seven Defence League here 🙁

Metallic smell, metallic taste... still lingering, from the age of six. Fuck, man.

Three Agnes settings: here, there and gone 😆

... She's still in there, bless her ❤

They're so BORED 😂

Fuck's sake Rios 😂

"A crusty old admiral", ouch 😅

Ricardo is baby 😍

Theresa: ????????????? 😂

Cake!

Trios do be beautiful though 😍

"I'd like to have more in my memory bank than all the times I saved your ass." "I like to think that we saved each other." Lovely ❤

"Pretend we're married. We used to spend every second together. Now, it feels like a business partnership. We talk, but we don't talk. Then we get stuck together, literally. Driving to see family for Christmas, and break down. We're stuck in a shitty motel. We go to a bar, and hang out for the first time in so long. I've been thinking about having an affair with a friend from work."

...

... What in the fucking fuck. 😂😂

Cindy, you need to be stopped 🤣 I am going insane, dear sweet christ...

Obviously this story is poetic licence to a degree, but fuck... shall we apply this to Picard, for just one second? 'We talk in riddles; we get stuck together in 2024, after I've gone to see my family in the past. The ship breaks down, and we're in this crappy, crappy place. We see one another for the first time in ages, and I've been considering being with Laris'.

... So Q is already framed as the husband. As the constant, the misunderstood, but the loved. And this is in Spanish, another Romance language, by the way, as though the connection wasn't obvious enough. I am UNHINGED 😂😂

"Is this you being romantic?" Of course it is, Q-Rios. He's a speechmaker. 😂

"At this bar, you tell me something about yourself. I've known you for ten years, and it brings me to tears - I never knew that. That's what I want you to tell me now, before I fly away - a fundamental, deepest truth, that in another life it took me a decade to learn about you."

... It DOESN'T END, what is my life 😂😂

"Before I fly away." "A fundamental, deepest truth." ... We're going to hear what Q was going to say in AGT. John's already told us about 'a whisper' being his favourite and most important moment of the season, and Picard's going to hear it, and have to leave.

... Fuck me. I'm dead now. No more. 😂😂 This meta I'm about to write is going to pop the fuck OFF...

Let's not even talk about the Tapestry bar relevance here, the fact that the 'friend from work' could also be Bev... it's over, I am SO DONE 😂

... Ah, bollocks. We're only twenty minutes in. I have to live-react more. The things I do for you people 😂😂 *screams*

Rios: "That, uhm... the moment I fell for you, I -" ... There are just SO MANY THINGS they could have put here, after this and instead of it, but I'll keep it simple: "I'm in love with you." Jesus christ. 👁👄👁

... They snog. Just consider the potential foreshadow of that, in light of what we've just heard and can now foresee, and die along with me 😂😍😍

"Details!" says Ducaine, as we flip directly to him after hearing all of this. Very subtle Cindy, congrats on that 😂😂 What the fuck

Ducaine, tell Uncle Jean-Luc who you are dear ❤

Q HAS INFILITRATED THE FBI. He has a phone, he's a genius, and he's in the FBI now. Dear lord 😂

John de Lancie just looks hot in anything doesn't he, my god 👁👄👁

"YOU? You summoned me?" "You must be Q." YES. Q AND GUINAN ACTION 😍😍😍 Fucking hell, this episode is a delight

He did hear it, then! But he's alarmingly slow... 😭

"And you are that multi-celled, sanctimonious, droning shrew known as Guinan." 😂😂 Beautiful

Ahh, she doesn't know him yet!

"The summoning is a SACRED RITUAL, not a CHAT" 😂 This whole thing is going to be gold-pressed latinum isn't it

Also, 'bipeds'? Q is a sentient gas cloud in his normal form confirmed?

"When the ritual stalled, I felt something - emptiness, and fear. I thought it was me, but it wasn't. I feel it on you. You're dying." ... I mean, I knew, but I didn't KNOW know and like... 😭 His face, too? 😔

Random observation: even though Q wears his heart on his FBI sleeve far more than Jean-Luc, they both jump to immediate defence at being anything like understood. Fascinating...

"Yet, now... for the first time, as I look across the temporal horizon, it darkens. You think I'm dying... I prefer to believe that I am on the threshold of the unknowable." Christ. "I've always filed Q as unknowable," anyone?

"When I first felt it, I thought to myself, 'This is good. This is new.' Infinite life, after all, has its drawbacks." ... Oh dear fuck. I am crushed. 😭

"And so I prepared myself to be enveloped by the warm glow of meaning. Well, that moment... has yet to come. Not even a glimmer. Dying stars burn brighter as they spin toward extinction; I, on the other hand, seem to be simply disappearing... into nothing." 😭😭😭

Okay, this is horrendous, and John's fucking stunning in selling this quiet, hopeless pain 😍😍 but...

... As though we didn't already know he was the sun, wow... and it's so very bright behind that door...

*snap snap snap* "You see that? I'm honestly trying to vaporise you at this moment." 😂 That is SO Q - reveal, then hide. As opposed to hide, and reveal, Jean-Luc? 🤔

"This thing you're doing to Picard, it's how you're hoping to find... meaning in your life?" Oh what the shit. 👀 It is, isn't it? This is his purpose; this is what his life has led to: saving Picard.

"I now have a lifetime. Can a single act redeem a lifetime?" Oh, you sentimental bastard. 😭 It is. And he's painted himself as the sun, the heart and the brain... this isn't just 'meaning', darling. This is love. And it's not like I wasn't fully aware from the very beginning that he was doing this for love, but... wow. Wow. 😍😭

"The trap is immaterial - it's the escape that counts." What are you dying for, otherwise? 😔

"I'll see you when I see you... unfortunately." 😆

... My god. There's still more of this episode isn't there. I wish for sweet death. 😂😭😭

Kick his ARSE Kore, you princess you 😍

"Daughter of Zeus. Father of the gods." Brilliant, particularly because the Greeks painted their gods as poetic-mythic, and thus full of human flaws. 😍

First DOZEN? The fucking god complex on this man... 😡

"'Success'? Not 'love'?" Man is a bona fide psychopath, bet Spiner's loving this 😂

"You exist because I willed it. Of course I love my work, but I love you, too." I am incredibly hesitant to compare this man directly to Q when he's the evil overlord god and Q is the good benevolent god, but... yeahhh. He's saved Picard five times now, at least - and he does love his powers, but he loves Picard too. ❤

"Maybe it's you who doesn't exist without me." I think that what's Q afraid of, yeah... 😔

Tech wives 😍

Oh, hello Elnor! ❤ This is very sweet 😍

... I take it back 😂 Damn, Raf... she thinks she got him killed. 😔 We love to see a character acknowledging and conquering their flaws though 👏

"He stayed, for me. Then he died in my arms." ... Oh. Oh no. No no no. "The chase is dying in your arms," anyone? 😭😭 They're not going to actually do this, are they? REALLY?

I do not like Cindy Appel today 😂😔😔

"I assume a lecture on the futility of resistance isn't necessary." Oh fuck. God Complex, meet Queen Complex 👀

"'All humans are stuck in the past" - niiiiicely done Q. 😍

"I know a haunted man when I see one..." and then you look remarkably unconcerned by the thought of Q dying... 😒😒 Mark my words, Picard is too repressed - this is going to pay off massively when we destroy Q at the end 🙃

"You're the monster in the dark" 😍 Oh, would you look at that - he's a. just played by the same GUY as Ducaine, which is a nice touch, and b. is another human who misunderstands the good intentions of benevolent aliens! Fuck's sake Jean-Luc... 🙄

I love this. Vulcans trying to be kind and removing his memory, and they're so stoic they must have looked so uncaring... 😍 And of course, Picard knows Vulcans very well indeed. ❤

This is lovely 😍

Hello First Contact music... this man's a MCU extra, bless him 😂

"The man who cried alien" 😆

"That our destinies run apart and together..." 😍 Also very Qcard...

"I almost can't wait to meet you." "Et moi aussi." 😍😍😍 Best friendship ever.

Interesting partnership here...

"You lose a daughter... you become godfather to a world." Oh GODDAMMIT Adam 😒😒

They're after Picard...

OH GOOD. WE'RE ASSIMILATING THE SAS NOW. 😂😂 Sweet hell, they're so fucked...

... Jesus. Bloody. Christ.

Celestial Rating: 10/10.

... Yes, alright Cindy - take my first ten, you awful woman. 😒😂 This is simply stunning character work, sparkling dialogue and some truly horrific foreshadowing - but you'll have to see my meta tomorrow for more on the matter... 😘

#star trek picard 2.8 #star trek picard spoilers #qcard (EVERYWHERE)#jean-luc picard #q of the continuum #cristobal rios #not lieutenant ducaine apparently #seven of nine #raffi musiker #elnor #agnes jurati #the borg queen #next week on picard: we inch ever closer to killing space john de lancie 😂😭#celestial live reacts #celestial reviews

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catboynecromancy · 3 years

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Kissing prompts day 3, given to me by the wonderful @creativefiend19. Thank you so much for this one, I loved writing about their first date. 💕 Do I get the extra points for making it in canon verse? 😊

Pynch — An awkward kiss given after a first date.

So, how about a date night, Parrish?

This is the question that started it all. Adam had been in the middle of homework for his Interpretation and Application of Mathematics course, unable to hold back his groans and sighs of frustration, while Ronan bounced a Spongebob ball against the wall. At one point in time, Adam would have found this distracting, but now it’s become so commonplace it melts into the background along with the buzzing of his miniature fridge and the ticking of a clock on the wall.

“So,” Ronan says after a while, pausing his incessant fidgeting. “How about a date night, Parrish?”

Adam takes a moment to glare down at the paper, his overworked brain screaming for something to break the monotony and stress building with each passing minute. He’s been at this for hours now and he thinks, if he keeps going, it’ll probably be counterintuitive to getting anything else done.

So.

Date night.

“You want to go on a date? With me?” Adam asks, turning in his old, wobbly wooden chair to glance back at Ronan where he sits on the bed, black, ripped-up jean-covered legs spread out in front of him.

Ronan shrugs, an attempt at being nonchalant but failing miserably. “It’s been weeks since we started dating,” there’s a weird bite to the word when he replies, wiggling his Doc Martens. “We haven’t even been on a real date.”

His mouth opens to respond but Ronan quickly interrupts, “And making out in the BMW doesn’t count, ya horny bastard.”

And promptly snaps shut with an audible click. “Okay,” Adam says, giving a slight nod. “What were you thinking?”

“Dinner. A movie. Taking a long, romantic drive through the countryside,” he continues in a teasing tone, “Promise I’ll get you back at a decent time.”

It doesn’t sound like the most remarkable of ideas, no different from things they would normally do, but something about it changes when the word date is attached. All of a sudden, what they’re doing is too real, no longer just two horny teenagers giving into each other’s visceral desires, and Adam isn’t certain how he feels about this when it crosses the line between physical vulnerability into the emotional side.

But it’s Ronan and there’s no one Adam trusts to hold his heart in their hands more than him, even if he’s loath to admit it.

So he leaves his grueling coursework and they go on a date. Ronan takes him to Nino’s (Really, Lynch?), where they toss fries into each other’s mouths, laughing maniacally every time they miss (which is more often than not, admittedly). They find a dumb action movie to watch at the theater a town over, stuffing their faces with the plethora of sugary snacks Ronan purchases at the concessions stand, laughing more at how inane the film is.

Then, they climb into the BMW, and Ronan puts on an impossibly dark and sultry beat, the bass throbbing in time with Adam’s pulse. The whole atmosphere changes, the creature of wants and needs inside of Adam clawing to get out. He wants Ronan to pull over on the side of the empty street; he needs to crawl on Ronan’s lap and claim every part of him mercilessly, with abandon, until there’s nothing left to give.

Instead, when Ronan pulls over, he hops out before Adam can do anything and demands that he drive them back to St. Agnes. Adam thinks of protesting but, if he can’t have Ronan, the next best thing is getting to drive the BMW. So he does this, making sure to shift gears with careful consideration and intimacy, treating her like he would a lover. Or, well, maybe not, since the way he handles Ronan is often not so cautious with his touch.

They get back after midnight and park in the church lot, climbing out of the car. “Decent time my ass, Lynch,” Adam says. “Wanna come up?”

Ronan shakes his head, stepping around the BMW, edging nearer until they’re so close, Adam feels the warmth pulsing off of him in great contrast to the chilly, autumn air. “Nah. I don’t put out on the first date.”

Adam rolls his eyes but leans in for a kiss. His parted lips hit Ronan’s cheek and he pulls away, blinking, to look at Ronan. He’s turned, dark eyebrows drawn in, uncharacteristically nervous in a moment that should be simple and easy, like all the other times their mouths have met.

What’s so different about this?

“Uh…” It’s Ronan’s turn to try, but Adam’s taken a step back and he misses.

They hesitate, mumble excuses, attempting at the same time only to make it inches away before they both pull back. Adam feels a hot, anxious flush build in his cheeks that crawls up to his ears, and Ronan’s pale features have darkened as well, apparent even with just the flickering streetlight illuminating them in bursts.

“Fuck,” Ronan mutters, “Try again.”

Adam gives himself a moment to consider what is so dissimilar about this from every other time. Maybe, he thinks, it’s more real than the rest. It’s weird, how things change, when feelings are laid bare and actual romance is involved.

This Ronan isn’t the one who just wants to make out endlessly, this is the Ronan who cares, who Adam is pretty sure is in love with him. Who Adam, although still not wholly convinced, thinks he can fall in love with, too. Soon. Maybe sooner than he intends.

“Okay.”

He cups his hands around the sides of Ronan’s throat, brushing a thumb along the very faintly risen skin where pointed, black imagery has been etched in. Ronan takes a hitching, shaky breath, all nerves in the shape of a teenage boy, and Adam pauses to allow them both a second to bask in a rare instance of shared weakness.

When he bridges the distance, pressing chapped lips together in an awkward, chaste kiss, there’s a spark of something that Adam recognizes from the first time they did this in Ronan’s childhood bedroom. The gesture is returned, but just so. Ronan is shaking, or Adam is, or maybe it’s both of them. Heat spills from Ronan’s mouth into his own, lightning courses through Adam’s pumping blood, sending dangerous shocks straight to his heart. All that anchors him to this miniscule, human form is the boy before him.

Adam wants, he needs, and yet he realizes it might be okay to take things slow for both their sakes. He pulls away but not far, jittery with equal parts apprehension and excitement. “Sure you don’t want to come up?”

It’s Ronan who breaks their connection, stepping back to look at the pavement beneath their feet, it's cracks brimming with slowly dying plants. He palms his buzzed scalp, shifting back and forth. “Not tonight,” Ronan says. “I...got some shit I gotta do in the morning.”

He recognizes a Lynch not-lie-not-truth when it's given. Carefully skirting the truth but not outright lying, a compromise that doesn’t betray his earnestness.

“Okay, I’ll seeya later.” Adam doesn’t push, even if a part of him wants to.

“Yeah, later.”

Ronan is almost at the driver’s side door when Adam finally gets the nerve to say what he should have much earlier. “Ronan?”

“Hm?”

“Thanks. For the date. I really needed a break.”

Deep-set, ice blue eyes shift towards Adam, an intensity to them that is quickly broken by a wide and goofy grin. It’s one for Adam’s eyes only, more defenseless than anything else they’ve done this night. “No problem, Parrish. Someone’s gotta keep you from melting your magnificent brain with all that boring homework.”

Adam nods. They leave it at that because there’s nothing left to say. He watches Ronan effortlessly drop into his M6, watches as he caresses the steering wheel in a way Adam wishes was him, watches the red tail lights as they speed out of the St. Agnes lot and down the street, and he watches even once Ronan is long gone and only the memory of him remains painted there, an afterimage of his wants and needs personified.

With a sigh, Adam runs his hand over his face, letting a few curses learned from Ronan spill from his lips.

It had been almost too good of a night.

Maybe love isn’t as far away of a concept as Adam had assumed.

#pynch #ronan lynch #adam parrish #trc #the raven cycle #my fics #writing prompts #kissing prompts #creativefiend19 #I took a break yesterday to write some of tapoma chapter 6 #back at it again #:)#I don't heavily edit these btw so if there are errors don't mind #haha

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thekisforkeats · 3 years

Text

TMA Changeling AU Courts

The TMA Changeling AU Courts and their Monarchs (along with a few others we might recognize):

The London freehold is a Seasonal one; those freeholds that held to other systems wound up subsumed as Jonah Magnus merged the myriad London freeholds into one. There are smatterings of holdouts, but it's the four Seasons that hold sway in London--and, up until recently, a surprisingly strong contingent of Dusk Courtiers.

Elias Bouchard/Jonah Magnus and Peter Lukas, the Autumn and Winter Kings respectively, hold most of the power in London between them. Agnes Montague has been Summer Queen for a long time, but she mostly keeps to her own business and focuses on protecting the freehold from physical and outside threats. And Spring, well... Spring's been in upheaval, and it's only recently that Nikola Orsinov came out on top as undisputed bearer of the Antler Crown.

More details below the cut.

The Autumn Court has a great deal of power in London, which naturally means Fear is a dominant emotion for Glamour-gathering. Those few Changelings of an academic or mystical bent who don't wind up in Autumn usually wind up attached to it in some manner anyhow.

Elias Bouchard is the current Autumn King, and has held the Ashen Crown since 1996. His predecessor was James Wright, but of course that doesn't matter; it is an open secret in London that both men, and several more before, are actually aliases of Jonah Magnus, who has held the Autumn Crown of his freehold since at least 1867. The Telluric Fairest is also a Mirrorskin, however, and swaps his identity every few decades, mostly to keep up mortal appearances. It's considered polite in Court society to refer to him by whatever name he's currently under and act as though his predecessors were indeed different men, but sometimes someone will call him "Magnus" out of spite.

Jonah Magnus was a Legate of the Black Apple, and thus, so is Elias Bouchard. This is understood to be part of how he's kept the freehold safe--he makes bargains with the Others, he keeps tabs on Loyalists and privateers. He was a Legate long before he was Autumn King, and he is very, very good at his position.

Much of the Ashen Court works at or is attached to the Magnus Institute in some way; Elias likes to keep a close eye on his Courtiers. There are exceptions, of course, and holdouts, but given that the Magnus Institute pledge has a generous dollop of Glamour harvest involved, it's hard to resist the pull. That Glamour harvest comes from the collection of statements, of course, and while much of the Glamour is channeled into the Panopticon, there's always enough kept aside for those who work at the Institute.

For most of the Institute's history, the position of Archivist was the London freehold's main addition to the typical Autumn Court positions (as outlined in Lords of Summer). In the mid-1970s, however, Gertrude Robinson abruptly abandoned her ties to Autumn and took up the Mantle of the Dusk Court. This severely hampered the flow of Glamour to the Ivory Tower, and forced James Wright to find alternate sources of Glamour, which led directly to his ending the six decade balance in merging the northern and southern freeholds into the present-day London freehold. This fact shifted power away from Magnus, however, a fact that has never ceased to rankle him.

Now that the position of Archivist is firmly back in Autumn hands through Jonathan Sims, the balance of power has begun to subtly shift back. Only time will tell where it will settle.

---

Winter is firmly under the control of the Lukas family, although it wasn't always this way up north. The fact is, however, that anyone who wants to Make It in the Winter Court has to kowtow to the Lukases in one way or another. There are those on the edges, gathering power and influence, planning to take Lukas down, but that's another post.

Peter Lukas is the current bearer of the Onyx Crown, and has been since about 2000. He's an Elemental through-and-through, Airtouched/Waterborn; he uses Contracts of Smoke to disappear regularly, and can be hard to actually meet in-person if you're not Winter Court yourself. He dislikes most interaction, and when dealing with those outside Winter prefers to make pledges based around wagers rather than anything more cooperative.

Peter only spends about four months of the year in London--the two weeks before the Winter Solstice, the season he wears the Crown, and the two weeks after. He spends the rest of the year on his ship, the Tundra, which is actually a big Glamour-harvesting setup. Find people dripping with Sorrow, bring them out to sea and isolate them, drain them for all the melancholy they can get. He rarely kills people, though some do slip into the fog. But it's all in pursuit of the greater good of the Lost, as Lukas puts it.

The Winter King is ruthless, even moreso than any family member before him. Peter will not hesitate to sacrifice a Courtier in pursuit of the safety of the freehold. He has no Entitlement--that would require a willingness to dedicate himself to something other than Winter, and Sorrow. He is, however, a student of the Contracts of the Sorrow-Frozen Heart, and knowing levels of said Contracts is necessary to make it very far in the Winter Court.

Peter is smart enough to know that people need an outlet, however, and so he sees to it that Winter celebrates all the usual festivals and follows long-held traditions. He also has a dedicated member of his Court that runs Radio Free Fae, and he gives them a surprising amount of latitude in what goes on-air. This makes London's RFF station a true delight to listen to, for the content is curated enough to be coherent but with enough freedom to be truly informative and entertaining. The DJs even have a regular naming pattern, each named for a different station of the London Underground (aside from those who channel DJ Otzal, of course).

For the past five years, the London RFF has been run by Martin Blackwood, who DJs under the name of Kensington--which he is quick to point out means Kensington Olympia, one of the least-used stations on the Underground network. He seems to find this funny. Most people do not know that Martin is Kensington, nor do they know that Kensington runs all of RFF, but people have noticed that the quality's gone up in the past five years.

Martin is also Peter's man on the inside at the Magnus Institute, planted there years ago as a "liaison" and recently, at Peter's request, foisted upon the Archivist's motley, to be one of his assistants. Peter's plans go deeper than mere diplomacy, but he's playing his cards close to his chest as he usually does.

---

Spring has undergone some major upheavals in the past few years. The former Queen, Jane Prentiss, had slowly been losing Clarity for years despite the best efforts of those around her and the Blackbird Bishops. Three years ago she lost the Antler Crown to a complete newcomer, Nikola Orsinov. The loss of her position contributed to her Clarity finally slipping away entirely, and after an incident in which she dropped the Mask in a hospital and killed seven people, she was declared a danger to the freehold and cast out of the Court entirely.

Nikola is a Fairest, Dancer and Manikin, and when she came into power she began to reform the Spring Court, which had been in disarray for years due to Prentiss' mismanagement. She is an Elder of the Barony of the Lesser Ones, and has strong connections to the hobs and the Goblin Market. She re-oriented the Court to a strong focus on entertainment and commerce to gather Desire. They still offer healing services, but there's a lot less focus on courtly romance and free love and a lot more focus on what might be politely termed "capitalistic media."

With Orsinov came a whole flood of other Spring changelings, bolstering the previously lagging Court. She also brought along hobs and ensorcelled humans, all part of her rather large "Circus" motley, and it can be hard to guess just what any given member of the Circus is.

Nikola has plans that involve her Court becoming more powerful in London, and she does not trust Elias very far. Under her direction, the Spring Courtiers that had been connected to Autumn in any way have found their way out of pledges and obligations with one major exception: Sasha James, who has been part of a motley at the Magnus Institute for years and has recently gone down to the Archives with the rest of the motley. Whether this is at the behest of the Spring Queen or in spite of her wishes is hard to say; it may even be that Sasha is just unimportant enough to escape Nikola's notice.

But there is the persistent rumor that Nikola's entire purpose in coming to London was to take down Jonah Magnus and his Ivory Tower once and for all.

---

Summer has never been the strongest of the London Courts. It doesn't help that summer in London is, in terms of the weather, relatively mild, even sometimes cloudy or rainy. But for the past fifty years, the London freehold has had a strong Summer Queen and been a largely unsung backbone of the freehold. Elias Bouchard may spy the threats in the Hedge from the Panopticon, but it's Summer that forms the hunting parties to take down those threats.

Agnes Montague was not supposed to be a Changeling. Her mother was a cultist who wanted to bring forth a True Fae born on Earth, one who could tear down the Hedge and bring all the Others to the world. She conceived the child with Pedicle Velvet and gave birth in the Hedge, in a ritual that burned her pregnant body away so only the baby remained. Agnes was born an Elemental Fireheart, raised by the cult, and it was only as she grew older and more powerful that her secondary kith of Flamesiren appeared.

If Agnes has ever been to Arcadia, she does not speak of the visit; it's entirely possible that she never has. When the cult felt the need to give her further connection to the "real" world they moved her to the house of a privateer at Hill Top Road in Oxford, but that only resulted in the house burning down. The cult's control broke when Agnes was in her 20's due to magic that the Archivist Gertrude Robinson performed; it's never been clear exactly what happened, but it led to Agnes coming to London with the remnants of the cult in tow.

Agnes was crowned Summer Queen after besting the former King in single combat on her arrival in London. She is not much of a physical fighter, but her knowledge and control of Contracts is immensely powerful. While rumors insist that she is one of the Lost Pantheon, in truth she joined the Legion of the Iron Wall long ago, and it is with a Legionnaire's knowledge that she defens the freehold.

Agnes is as ruthless in her way as Peter Lukas, but with a core of compassion that can be glimpsed in rare moments. She struggles with her Clarity, and keeps close ties to the Blackbird Bishops as well as spending time on simple, mundane things. (That is, rumors say, why she continues to have an unorthodox relationship with a mortal, Jack Barnabas.)

Summer is the season of Wrath, and typically responsible for the physical defense of the freehold, and the Queen takes that responsibility very seriously. It was she who declared Jane Prentiss cast out from the Freehold, and she long ago set up ties with the police and various emergency departments in London.

Not all "Section 31" officers on the London police force are Changelings--it seems, from what little anyone outside the force knows, that there are officers from pretty much every supernatural groups. Which means werewolf police, vampire police... the mind boggles. Nonetheless, many Summer Changelings with anger problems find a home on the force, and goading mortal officers into police brutality is a great way to gather Glamour, right? Never mind the "collateral damage."

Then there's the Tolltaker Knighthood, the which isn't directly tied to the police force despite their current Knight Banneret, Alice "Daisy" Tonner, being a police detective. The London Tolltakers have a reputation for being deeply ruthless, as the only arbiter of what is a "just" bounty is Daisy herself, and Daisy is deeply ruthless. It's well-known that they rarely take bounties merely to hunt someone down and return them unharmed; Daisy seems to think that beneath her order. Roughing someone up is more likely, and killing? Well. If you can convince Daisy they're a threat to the freehold she'll gladly take up the bounty. She hands them out fairly freely to the other Tolltaker Knights, but she keeps the biggest threats for herself.

---

And then there's Dusk.

There was a time in London when the Dawn Court had more power than Dusk, but it's been so long that many Lost joke that it'd be too cloudy to see the dawn in London anyway. Some people attribute Dusk's power to Gertrude Robinson, the Darkling Antiquarian whose strange alliance with Agnes Montague and usurping of the position of Archivist from Jonah Magnus gave her Court far more power than it typically has in any freehold.

The truth is much darker, as befits the Court of Dooms.

There is something rotten in the core of the London freehold. Many of the Lost know this on some level, although few even think it to themselves, let alone say it aloud. Those who do think about the problem are liable to blame it on Peter Lukas. He has formed the Winter Court into a place where there is little hope or light, no warmth to keep the chill outside at bay. There is no longer the usual flow of fresh from the Hedge Changelings, desperate to just stay safe, to Winter as a waystop on the way to another Court; those who cannot dedicate themselves wholly to Winter find no welcome among Lukas' Court. He has supressed Fetch-hunters such as the Duchy of Truth and Loss, prefering to force new Changelings to give up their old lives entirely, and this has affected the entire freehold. He is barely present in the city for most of the year, which leaves the Winter Court's usual duties of secrecy and security to others such as Autumn and Summer, throwing off the seasonal balance.

And all of this is true, so far as it goes. Winter should, in the best version of the Court, be a place of both ruthlessness and compassion, with some who embrace Sorrow wholly and some who keep it at bay with blankets and a warm fire and good cheer.

But the Dusk Courtiers of London knew that the problem goes deeper than this. Get rid of Peter Lukas, form Winter into something more balanced, and you would still have a rot at the center of the freehold, because Winter is not at the center of the London freehold. Lukas is a symptom, not the disease.

Jonah Magnus is the problem.

Gertrude Robinson knew this, even if she did not know precisely what Magnus was doing. She saw the signs, the way the whole of the freehold bent itself to the Autumn King, the way the freehold population somehow stayed generally the same over time despite the growth of the city itself. Autumn claimed to be keeping the freehold "safe," and the Hedge usually was safe, but how many newly emerged from the Hedge found their way to the Magnus Institute to give a bewildered statement about Arcadia and then disappeared? How many Lost who lurked on the edges of their Court decided to "move" with no forwarding address?

Gertrude knew, because Gertrude was the one in charge of the system Jonah Magnus was using to perpetuate his own power. And if that had been the only problem--if it had merely been that Magnus had struck some horrible bargain to feed the "weak" of the freehold to the Others to keep the rest of them safe--then she might have merely tried to take the Autumn Crown from him.

What Gertrude found, however, was not mere evidence of Jonah Magnus being a Loyalist (which she did), nor horrible bargains with privateers and True Fae to keep the London freehold safe (which exist). What she found was the outlines of a plan to use the Archives for some horrible purpose that, she believed, would bring about the end of the world as they knew it. And so she left Autumn and became Dusk, and the Crown came to her shortly after.

Exactly what she knew is hard to say. Her notes are missing, her once-powerful Court has been scattered to the winds. Gerry Delano, long the Dusk Queen's right hand, disappeared in America a year before her death. Adelard Dekker went missing in Germany a year before that, on one of his many missions to gather information about what he claimed was a push from inside Arcadia to invade Earth. The others of the Umbral Court who have not switched allegiances have gone underground or moved away.

One could think that perhaps this is merely the usual swing of power between Dawn and Dusk, but there are no Dawn Courtiers in London at all anymore. There is no hope of a better day, no glimmering light on the horizon promising change and renewal. There is only the deepening shadows, and the ever-more-persistent feeling of paranoia spreading through the freehold like a disease.

But, then, it is precisely these conditions that leads to a revival of the Dusk Court. Surely someone will read the signs, take up the call, fight the looming disaster. And there is one member of the London freehold that knows Contracts of Entropy, who knew Adelard Dekker, who chose Winter over Dusk in a desperate bid for normality over being any kind of "Chosen One."

But Martin Blackwood is working in the Archives now, and the stench of the rot will be impossible to ignore for very long.

#tma changeling au #changeling the lost #tma #the magnus archives #am i accidentally making martin the protagonist here?#not really tbh it's just that he's got more inter-court stuff going on than jon does #i look forward to expanding on the archives motley in another post bc i love them #anyway here have a dose of foreshadowing and me playing with characters and avatars

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yellowocaballero · 3 years

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thoughts on writing gertrude? loved your latest evil con update :)

Oooh, thanks for asking. Truth be told that the story was the result of me stress-procrastinating on a large project at work due that day, so the writing process was basically me slapping the keyboard a few times for about two hours and then posting it without really even looking it over. See if you can catch ALL of the grammar mistakes, lmfao!!!

But it was a lot of fun to write a POV I’d never written before, especially one so different from everybody else’s. She’s also a very distinct personality and character, with a lot of ‘rules’ that I had to come up with on the spot, lol. What I really did enjoy was structuring the story similarly to some of the older TV shows I like, like Murder She Wrote or Columbo. I also adjusted the internal narration and the style to be a little more flowery or film noir, with a focus on evocative yet precise language and ruminations, because I needed to drive home that she and Agnes were absolutely pyromaniac girlfriends and that she felt very much A Certain Way over her that she was refusing to admit.

(Some characters ruminate and some characters don’t. As a writer, try to stay away from long rambling paragraphs about a character’s thoughts, because that’s dull as shit. However, whenever I write from the POV of Archivist!Sasha and Gertrude, these two people absolutely follow logical trains of thought compulsively as part of how they problem-solve or plan. They have constructive and directed trains of thought that they use to problem-solve/narrate the story. If you’re writing from Jon’s POV, he ALSO has these trains of thought, except they are nonconstructive, rambling, illogical, and soaked in stress and anxiety. I have Jon think about how he FEELS and I have Sasha and Gertrude think about what they’re DOING. But also avoid long paragraphs of internal narration cuz that shit’s boring lol.)

But writing from Gertrude’s POV was very interesting to me, because I couldn’t use her to give the audience emotional cues. Normally when you’re writing something gross you rely on both description/word choice and the POV to signal to the audience that it’s gross - the spider’s legs were luminescent, scratchy, carapaces, shifting and groaning under their unnatural weight, but more importantly Sasha felt bile rise in her throat and was hit by a stab of nausea. You can only get so scary actually describing something, you also have to lean on emotional cues through loaded language and other character reactions. But with Gertrude, the whole scene in Jon’s bedroom (that, to be clear, was a bedroom coated in giant spider webs containing a half-human half-spider teenager groaning in agony and lashing out violently) was described clinically and professionally. Because she’s a professional, and she just wasn’t fucking scared by it. Because we’re soaked in her POV, we aren’t scared either. The scariest thing to us is how much Jon is clearly suffering. But, on the flip side, when Jon’s acting and looking more human, the most normal and innocuous things he does becomes dangerous and threatening, because Gertrude’s running her little logic programs telling her that he’s dangerous.

Beyond the joys of POV, characterization wise: Gertrude brings narrative conflict wherever she goes because she is instantly half a step away from throwing down at any moment lol, which makes her perfect for instilling tension and conflict in a story. The main tension of that story was Gertrude and her distrust/horniness for Agnes, and Gertrude and her distrust of Jon - something she ultimately only dropped because she had decided to dismiss him as a threat (orrr diiddd sheeee....). Also, exploring her and Agnes’ relationship was FUN AS HELL, because I was constrained by how little these characters wanted to talk about what they were feeling. The ‘I’m only talking to you for business reasons’ thing was lifted from WTNV, which is the platonic ideal of romance. It was fun to also kind of explore from an outsider’s perspective how weird it is that a 60 year old fire messiah (she looks more like mid-twenties, it’s a testament to how Gertrude thinks of Agnes that she thinks of her as an older woman) is best friends with a teenager and they’re both very protective of another, younger, spider-teenager. Her relationship dynamics with the other characters are fun too: she denies it but Gerry is obviously like a nephew to her, she’s entrenched in a massive Will-they-won’t-they with Agnes, and she has people in her circle, but she obviously really doesn’t actually give a shit about or love anybody but herself. Gertrude cares about herself, and keeping the world safe, and that’s it.

AU notes: so basically what happened was that Agnes had her Crisis of Faith earlier than in canon, and she’s kept up very secret and limited communication with Gerry since the 1999 Evilcon (they were banned from any evilcons afterwards, so they never met up again as kids after that and they never saw Jon again). Instead of killing herself she decided to run away instead, so she asked for Gertrude’s help in torching any of her cult members who stopped her from leaving. They Fell In Love and had A Night of Passion and Spoke Longingly of Running Away Together before Gertrude’s sense of duty to her job made her break it off. Agnes is now enthusiastically trying to live out that ‘real life’ thing when she gets word that Jon’s spider-person transformation has started happening and that he had to run away, and is now homeless in London. Gerry’s been meaning to go ditch his mom and live with Agnes too, so basically Gerry and Agnes teamed up to go rescue Jon and falsify their identities so they can all try to live the normal life they never got. They’re best friends and continue living together until we see them all as adults in the main story. Agnes and Gerry are MUCH happier than in canon and Jon’s...well, he’s having a time of it, but he’ll end up alright! Right?

Also the only music I listened to while writing the whole thing was Billy Joel, Jim Croce, Hall and Oates, etc. :) Thanks for the q!!

#'golden brown' by the stranglers is my agnes/gertrude anthem and that's the tea #gertrude is such a bad person and she is so aware of that but you can tell she's the kind of bad person who thinks bad people are superior #to nice people #gertrude handshake meme jon: self centered af #also btw i kept it ambiguous what exactly was fucking happening in jon's weird little spider-brain #eg how much he was manipulating gertrude how much he was in control of himself etc #but rest assured the kid is going THRU IT and his spidermom is giving a lot of solutions which maybe arent so good #tma #my writing

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stylishanachronism · 3 years

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6, 30, 57, 73, 100, and 125 for the book ask please^^

Lol this is v late but I had to make good choices. Anyways:

6: a book with a pink cover

I was going to say Agnes and the Hitman, by Jennifer Cruise, but it turns out I remembered the cover wrong, it’s white, so instead I’m going to rec Boy Meets Girl, by Meg Cabot (yes that Meg Cabot), which is the second funniest romance novel I’ve ever read. Not particularly sexy? Nobody blinked at me reading it at ~14, a lot funnier now that I’m vaguely in an office job. Copying the synopsis right off the back:

Meet Kate Mackenzie. She:

- works for the T.O.D. (short for Tyrannical Office Despot, also known as Amy Jenkins, Director of the Human Resources Division at the New York Journal)

- is sleeping on the couch because her boyfriend of ten years refuses to commit

- can't find an affordable studio apartment anywhere in New York City

- thinks things can't get any worse.

They can. Because:

- the T.O.D. is making her fire the most popular employee in the paper's senior staff dining room

- that employee is now suing Kate for wrongful termination, and

- now Kate has to give a deposition in front of Mitch Hertzog, the scion of one of Manhattan's wealthiest law families, who embraces everything Kate most despises ... but also happens to have a nice smile and a killer bod.

The last thing anybody—least of all Kate Mackenzie—expects to find in legal arbitration is love. But that's the kind of thing that can happen when...

Boy meets girl.

30: your favourite middle grade book

This is a tough one. Probably The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, by Patricia C Wrede? The first one is Dealing with Dragons, and it is a hoot. Princess Cimorene of Linderwall, where philosophers were highly respected and the number five was fashionable, whose interests have always fallen just outside normal princessy occupations, discovers she’s about to be married off to the most boring prince she’s ever met, and, more straightforward attempts to get out of it having failed, runs away to become a dragon’s princess. Hysterically funny, and very nice in that it doesn’t bash ‘girly’ skills (her particular non-Princess interests are Latin, cooking, and magic, among others, and several more traditional skills are important plot points), with a shocking amount of political intrigue considering it takes place almost entirely in a dragon’s cave, if you’re looking for a good time, this is it.

57: a book you want to hit bonk your head with

*cries* the goddamned history of Wells Fargo I’m slogging through. It’s an engaging enough read, but it’s really dense and not entirely factual (or like, the author skims over a lot of the intricacies of why, for example, everything went through Placer in the 1800s), and it was written in the 60s. Don’t read it unless you’re really into bank history or something, it’s not that good.

73: a good book with an awful cover

Gonna plug God Stalk, by P.C. Hodgell again, because it being a plot point in a couple of places that Jame has very little boobage, the most recent set of covers has so much cleavage oh my god.

God Stalk is the first of the Kencyrath series, which is criminally unknown, because they’re brilliant in every respect.

God Stalk follows Jame, who comes down out of the deadlands to the city of Tai-Tastigon, home of the gods. (Which gods? All of them, especially homeless ones.) Her memory is fractured; she came to in the Master’s House and found it filled with the haunts of her childhood household, and she has no idea where or how she got the things she’s carrying. Despite being Kencyr, whose honor is so thoroughly tied to their lives breaking their word can kill them, she’s caught up in the city’s thriving thieves guild, and must balance that, and everything that entails, with her need to find her brother, and the task the three-faced god, her god, has set for her.

If you read nothing else I recommend read this, because oh my god it’s been my favorite book since I was twelve and I get something else out of it every time I read it.

100: your favourite gothic novel

Is that a question? Dracula, obviously. Have to live up to the fake family history somehow!

125: your favourite autumn read

Mmmmm this is a tough one. A Stir of Bones, and it’s sequels? Spooky, queer, a little romantic. Red Heart of Memories especially was sort of instrumental in my obsession with haunted houses.

#thank you for memeing me!!#….also going to rec Agnes and the hitman it’s the funniest romance novel I’ve ever read #just hysterical all the way through #look I read a lot of books. like a lot of books. no more than that

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marziblogsworld · 4 years

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I finally watched the long waited show that was on my list, that always get delayed due to some reasons. Although i have read its book but i wanted too explore the tv series to. Good Omens just like the book was also amazing as a tv series and here is my review.

The show has a different take in telling a story. Like when can you see God actually narrating the whole show. Good Omens dabbles with an angel and a demon working together to stop an apocalypse, going against the orders of Heaven and Hell who are soo desperate to have a war.

The CGI graphics, cinematography, direction of these wonderful 6 episodes was spot on. The relationship between different characters are amazing. I definitely need 'Agnes Nice and True Prophecy' Book in my hands... No wait scratch that i want all the books that are in Aziraphale library because he has all the 1st editions and i am a sucker for that.

Talking about relationships. My favourite is definitely those divine husbands who are desperate in love and my favourite episode is the one when it showed Aziraphale and Crowley whole journey throughout history. From the time of Jesus, French Revolution, meeting Shakespeare and the 1st world war. I was soo in love when Crowley literally walked in the church with his feet all burning just to save Aziraphale from a bunch of russian mafia and the bonus part he also saved his 1st edition books. If a man takes care of your books the same way he takes care of his automobile please marry him. Aziraphale going all soft when Crowley asked for the holy water melts my heart, he always go like 'i cant see you die, you are my everything' these two desperado were the death of me.

Crowley desperation when he screamed for Aziraphale inside his bruning library *chills* *literal chill* 'YOU KILLED MY BEST FRIEND, BASTARDS!!, ALL OF YOU' yeah i felt every single raw emotions Crowley was throwing at me (hats off to you David Tennant). You know what, i cried too at that scene because it was a vintage library and my heart just *gasped* seeing all of those books, those minted books buring.

I laughed at the most famous wife threat Aziraphale throwed at Crowley when they were in the middle of a showdown between the Anti Christ and his pissed father Satan who was coming on top of the Earth and they didn't had any plans and everything was going into doom and at that moment Aziraphale just looked at Crowley with his soft eyes and said 'Do something, or else i will never talk to you again' yesss! This one simple line and Crowley was like 'naa i cant afford to sleep on the couch again, my wife is angry' 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂. With a dialogue like that of course people Crowley made a plan. 🤩

I could goo on and on and on with these two and will never get tired because they were that amazing. There breakup 'oooh the angst' and than there whole tag teaming and swaping faces to threat heaven and hell *badass divine husbands* and that dining in the Ritz awwwwwwwwwwww *kill me* i want them more!!! 😭😭😭

The overall story was kinda similar to the books they did change a few tatics and the scenario to stretch it up a bit but i accept, the aura of Death was spot on like with every other series there are 3 horsemen and then there is 'Death' . Famine going all 'your tea is getting cold my lord' to Death oooh i felt that. I wish they would have made his voice more metalic and not too human also his appearance was all like Darth Vader and i like how these kids killed or made all of the other horsemen vanished with the sword but they all pleaded to Death to leave because hahha why would you mess with something that inevitable and eternal.

The witch and the witchfinder scene was throwing me off a bit. They should have been more to explore and not just wrapped around themselves to each other because the prophecy said so.

Adam is dangerous i tell ya and i feel like it isn't over yet. He is still using his powers and if he starts liking it again, destruction awaits. The whole gang of these kids gave me such stranger things vibes, fighting the monster to save the world,while riding in their bicycle. Pepper i want to meet your mom she is an icon and queen. The things she taught her child 👏👏👏👏. To be very honest i was expecting more from the hell hound then just be 'Dog' but i get it, it was a light hearted tv series just like book not YA.

The show has all the elements, the suspense, the drama, the romance, the angst, the laughter consumed all in 6 episodes. I enjoyed it alot. Crowley and Azraphale were definitely my favourite. My divine husbands😍😍😍😍.

Follow me guys for more amazing reviews on your favourite tvshows, movies and books. Open for all and any recommendations 😉

He fucking saved his books😭😭😭😭

Can you see the raw emotions in crowley face!!!.thats the scene where he thought he lost his best friend. *internally sobbing*

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rockislandadultreads · 4 years

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New Arrivals that have just hit our shelves

You can go home now : a novel / Michael Elias

Nina is a tough Queens detective with a series of cold case homicides on her desk--men whose widows had the same alibi: they were living in Artemis, a battered women's shelter, when their husbands were killed. Nina goes undercover into Artemis. Though she is playing the victim, she's anything but. Nina knows about violence and the bullies who rely on it because she's experienced it in her own life. For the women living in Artemis there is no absolute moral compass--there is the law and there is survival. And, for Nina, who became a cop so she could find the man who murdered her father, there is only revenge.

Something to talk about / Meryl Wilsner

A showrunner and her assistant give the world something to talk about when they accidentally fuel a ridiculous rumor in this debut romance. Hollywood powerhouse Jo is photographed making her assistant Emma laugh on the red carpet, and just like that, the tabloids declare them a couple. The so-called scandal couldn't come at a worse time-threatening Emma's promotion and Jo's new movie. As the gossip spreads, it starts to affect all areas of their lives. Paparazzi are following them outside the office, coworkers are treating them differently, and a "source" is feeding information to the media. But their only comment is "no comment." With the launch of Jo's film project fast approaching, the two women begin to spend even more time together, getting along famously. Emma seems to have a sixth sense for knowing what Jo needs. And Jo, known for being aloof and outwardly cold, opens up to Emma in a way neither of them expects. They begin to realize the rumor might not be so off base after all ... but is acting on the spark between them worth fanning the gossip flames?

My kind of people / Lisa Duffy

On Ichabod Island, a jagged strip of land thirteen miles off the coast of Massachusetts, ten-year-old Sky becomes an orphan for the second time after a tragic accident claims the lives of her adoptive parents. Grieving the death of his best friends, Leo's life is turned upside down when he finds himself the guardian of young Sky. Back on the island and struggling to balance his new responsibilities and his marriage to his husband, Leo is supported by a powerful community of neighbors, many of them harboring secrets of their own. Maggie, who helps with Sky's childcare, has hit a breaking point with her police chief husband, who becomes embroiled in a local scandal. Her best friend Agnes, the island busybody, invites Sky's estranged grandmother to stay for the summer, straining already precarious relationships. Their neighbor Joe struggles with whether to tell all was not well in Sky's house in the months leading up to the accident. And among them all is a mysterious woman, drawn to Ichabod to fulfill a dying wish.

Coffeeland : one man's dark empire and the making of our favorite drug / Augustine Sedgewick

The epic story of the rise of coffee in the Americas, and how it connected and divided the modern world. Sedgewick reveals how the growth of coffee production, trade, and consumption went hand in hand with the rise of the scientific idea of energy as a universal force, which transformed thinking about how the human body works as well as ideas about the relationship of one person's work to another's. In the process, both El Salvador and the United States earned the nickname "Coffeeland," though for radically different reasons, and with consequences that reach into the present. This history of how coffee came to be produced by the world's poorest people and consumed by its richest opens up a unique perspective on how the modern globalized world works, ultimately provoking a reconsideration of what it means to be connected to far-away people and places through the familiar things that make up our everyday lives.

Faith, family & the feast : recipes to feed your crew from the grill, garden, and iron skillet / Kent Rollins & Shannon Rollins ; photographs by Shannon Rollins

The world is a busy place, and many families rely on fast food. Kent and Shannon Rollins serve up spins on Southern and Western favorites, with a side of spiritual values. Their cookbook is an open invitation to spend time with them, praise the Lord, and pass the biscuits!

Who is Alex Trebek? : a biography / Lisa Rogak

As the host of Jeopardy! since its revival in 1984, Alex Trebek has been in the lives of its millions of viewers for over three decades and is beloved by many. Now bestselling biographer Lisa Rogak gives readers a first-time look at Trebek's early life, his career, and his personal life.From Trebek discovering that he has a half brother late in life, to the fact that he at one point wanted to become a priest, Who Is Alex Trebek? will celebrate a person who has created a legacy that will live on in popular culture for generations to come.

#new books #library #public library #bitmoji #fiction #nonfiction #biography #reading recs #book recs #reading recommendations #Book Recommendations #currently reading #booklist #booklr

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jonarchivistcansing · 4 years

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So I have a magnus archives playlist

I’ve been making a long chronological Magnus Archives playlist for my own amusement (So This Is Basically The Magnus Archives) , but since season 5 is close and my college kicked everyone out i decided to Do Something Unnecessary.

I have taken painstaking effort to not only properly organize this stupid thing with specific tma episodes, but also have documented the episodes as well as why I included the songs (under the cut). This is my Magnum Opus. I have officially pulled an all nighter to work on this. AND i’m making another playlist with songs that I wanted to keep tabs on in case I end up needing to use them as s5 comes out (here) Spoiler warning obviously

Please send me some songs if you follow the playlist and think they should be on there!

TLDR - Grace for sale = season 1 finale; Bad Bad Things = season 2 finale; Greatest Show Unearthed = season 3 finale; Just Did a Bad Thing = Season 4 finale.

I bold the songs I added most recently. Honestly I recommend listening to the playlist first because its way fun and like referencing this if you really care about it. Please give me song suggestions or alterations!

Song Name - MAG00 - PoV/Sung at/etc; Event. NA = Not Applicable

The Office Theme - NA

memes

Turn The Lights Off - MAG 01

The whole “Dont go in there” theme is applicable to the danger of the Angler fish, which also parallels that first statement acting as a lure for Jon

Don’t Worry We’ll Be Watching You - NA

I didn’t want to comb through to find an episode where Jon says hes being watched. I might move this somewhere else because it’s really slow for the begining of the playlist. Maybe where he went to America

Somebody’s Watching Me - NA

Same as above + memes

Bloody Nose - MAG 17 - PoV Jared Hopworth

the boneturner’s tale statement

Grace For Sale - MAG 39 - PoV Jane Prentiss; S1 Finale

I didn’t know this was part of a whole carnival themed album when I added it, but I felt that the themes of shedding your skin and worms were relevant enough. Still looking for a good song for the s1 finale tho :/

I Don’t Trust You Anymore - MAG 40/41 - PoV Jon

Immediately after the Worm Attack, Jon realizes he can’t trust anyone in the archives.

Losing My Mind - NA - PoV Jon

Jon makes a lot of mentions of his paranoia thruout this season and I feel it just fits best here

Little Pistols - NA - PoV Jon

Same as above, but its like Really Sad because this one paints the paranoia as much more self-destructive.

Afraid - MAG 77 - Multi PoV/Sasha

Jon just realized the NotSasha replaced Sashsa. Could be from Sasha or NotSasha or even Jon realizing the implications a shapeshifting creature, just fkcn love the chorus for the whole NotSasha fiasco

Mr Capgras - MAG 78/79 - Sung by the NotThem

Jon’s a huge idiot and the NotThem is Out For Blood

Bad Bad Things - MAG 80 - PoV Elias; S2 Finale

Bitch boy Murkd Leitner and Gertrude and he’s an asshole for it

Its not overly literal but i think some characters in the song could be interpreted as Leitner and Gertrude, with the POV Elias speaking to Jon.

I’m Not Ok - MAG 81 - PoV Jon

Georgie pls....help this nasty man

The Cult of Dionysus - NA

Honestly this isn’t very specific at all there’s just a lot more cult activity in this season and this song lines up well with the next few

Rejoice - MAG 89 - PoV Jude Perry/Lightless Flame

this ep is jude’s statement and this is a Good cult song

Bust Your Kneecaps - MAG 67 - PoV Agnes Montague

Keeps with the theme better here than in order with s2. Statement of cafe boy who tried to romance Agnes that one time

Are Things Still Burning - MAG 67/89 - PoV Agnes Montague

You’ll get it.

I’m Gonna Win - MAG 101 - PoV Gertrude or Michael

Really connect this song with gertrude’s Bad Bitch energy and MAG 101 is the episode where we really get a scope of how morally gray she is

But the overall cocky tone of the song is real good for Michael

The Distortionist - MAG 101 - PoV Michael

this ep is Michael’s statement.

Its kind of hard to tell because of the vocaloid, but the song's character seems to have been pushed and manipulated into something like Michael. I can see the song shifting from Michael singing about how Gertrude created him into accepting it and them singing at Jon

Has wayyyyy too much Spiral imagery to not include

Seven Devils - MAG111 - PoV Gerard Kaey

this is the ep where Gerard properly explains the fears to Jon

Dirty Night Clowns - MAG 104 - PoV Tim Stoker?

sort of Tim about his brother

Blood End Credits - no MAG/MAG 119 - PoV Tim Stoker

god i miss tim. I don’t think it translates exactly to 119, but it’s more of the climax of his character arch. He’s literally given everything to the Institute and to Elias and now he has to fucking die? FUck.

Greatest Show Unearthed - MAG 139 - PoV Nikola/The Circus

This one is literal lol. u can figure it out

My Time - MAG 120/121 - Sung about Jon

*Mable pines picture* “He’s resting”

Who Are You, Really? - MAG 121 - Sung at/for Jon

Jon has to decide whether to let himself die human or risk becoming a monster to protect the people he loves*

*Martin

Cold Cold Man - MAG 124 - PoV Jon

This is the first time Jon and Martin have seen each other since he woke, and I think really the first time Jon has sought out Martin because he just...wanted to see him

Ruler of Everything - MAG 124 - PoV Martin

This is Martin’s side of the exchange he and Jon had. This is where he started pushing Jon away (Shot as wily one/only friend), and Peter is making him into the “ruler of everything” aka running the Institute, and just doing his best to go one day at a time until whatever Peter has planned gets done

Catabolic Seed - MAG 125 - PoV Melanie

Honestly, I just really wanted this song for melanie. The Magnus Institute is taking too much out of her, making her into a hollow, and she’s just trying to keep herself together with emotional duct tape

Body - MAG 131 Build Up - PoV Jon

I see this as the culmination of Jon’s survival guilt and desperation to make himself worthy of humanity again. Since he has a healing factor now, he has no sense of self-preservation and is willing to sacrifice his entire body to make himself worthy of humaity.

Skeleton Appreciation Day - MAG 131 - PoV Jared Hopworth

THE MEATBONE MANNNN

What Am I Becoming? - MAG 146/147 - PoV Jon

It hurts

in 146 Jon admited to Basira, Daisy, and Melanie confronted him about his live feedings. 147 Jon realises that he doesn’t want to stop feeding

Human - Mag 147/152 - For Jon

Couldn’t decide where this goes chronologically, but these in these two eps jon is seriously debating his humanity and disturbed that he even needs to do that

Isle Unto Thyself - NA

this fits....somewhere in this season. I believe i see this as Jon singing about Martin’s isolation, but really its just applicable to their whole situation

Train Remastered - MAG 154 - PoV Jon

a fukn EASY one FINALLY.

THis bitch is Jon asking Martin to blind himself with Jon so they can run away together. Their romantic arcs got me feeling all sorts of ways

No Eyed Girl - MAG 157

this is so literal lmao its just Melanie and Georgie

Not Human - MAG 158 - About Daisy

She’s spent so long serving the Hunt and trying to undo its power over her, and she really just Did That(tm) for her friends. We stan a werewolf queen

Monster - Many MAGs

honestly can fit Martin, Jon, Melanie and Daisy at different points, but i think its a good end to Daisy’s character arc currently

Ship In A Bottle - MAG 159 - About Martin and Peter

I like to see this as the climax of Martin’s Loneliness and his relationship with Peter as well as like the culmination of Peter’s deal with Elias and Martin’s Deal with Peter

It’s Alright - MAG 159 - To Jon and Martin

Jon Rescued Martin from the Lonely and is finally able to have a purpose and they are allowed to Be Okay

Honeybee - MAG 160 - PoV Jon

WE STAN TRUE LOVE AND SATISFYING ROMANCE IN THIS HOUSEEEEEEE

Great Vacation - Thematic transition

If Honeybee was the first 2 minutes of 160, then we know what’s coming next. The Scottish Cottage isn’t a vacation

Just Did A Bad Thing - MAG 160

ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

Its the end of the world as we know it - Season 5 trailer

ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

#The Magnus Archives spoilers #the magnus archvies #tma #tma s5

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alexsfictionaddiction · 4 years

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Alex Recommends: May and June Books

I must apologise for the late arrival of this post. It should have been up days ago but I’ve been struggling to read much for the last month or so. My head has been very foggy and dark with all of the confusion, anxiety and hate that has been filling my news feeds and I’ve been filled with a desire to combat it. Before this month, I’d have run in the opposite direction from any kind of confrontation but recent events have given me the kick up the butt to actively do better. I’ve been calling out bigotry when I come across it and I’ve noticed that some people, notably my older relatives, haven’t necessarily reacted favorably to the changed, more outspoken Alex. It has been pretty daunting and I’ve worked myself up into fits of rage and tears several times over the last couple of months.

A lot of things have changed for me since my last Alex Recommends post. I’m currently temporarily living in Staffordshire with my boyfriend because my depression got too bad for me to stay at home for much longer. I missed him unbelievably much and I knew that spending some prolonged time with him would help -and it has. Both him and I have spent 12 weeks religiously following all of the rules, so we’re both extremely low-risk for catching and spreading COVID-19 and being together was something that we simply really needed to do. Please don’t hate me for it! In other news, I have also started writing again, which feels amazing. I’m now a few thousand words into a queer Rapunzel retelling that I have lots of ideas for. Maybe I’ll even post an extract or two, when I feel it’s ready to show you.

In the centre of the renewed energy of Black Lives Matter and the undeniable exposure of the horrors that is police brutality, the book blogging and BookTube worlds vowed to uplift Black voices. I wrote a very long, in-depth blog post full of Black-written books and Black book influencers. Please check it out to diversify your TBR and educate yourself on Black issues, which is what every white person should be doing now and always.

June was Pride Month and I tried my best to compile a series of recommendation posts in honour of it. These included gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, ace, pansexual and intersex lists. I’ve had some great feedback on this, so I hope you find some fantastic new reads. It felt especially poignant to put them together the same year that one of my childhood heroes came out as an ignorant trans-exclusive feminist. As a lifelong Harry Potter superfan and someone who has repeatedly publicly supported Rowling in the past, I feel the need to clarify where I now stand. I do not support or agree with a single thing that she has said in recent times with regard to transgender people. I’ve never felt my own status as a cisgender female threatened by trans people wanting more rights or believed that children or women were at risk due to their existence.

I read her words more than once and struggled to find any semblance of the woman who wrote the books that have most defined my life. I’m hesitant to say that we can always successfully separate the art from the artist but I will say that it makes sense to me that the Rowling of 2020 is not the same Rowling that wrote Harry Potter. She was a destitute single mother when Philosopher’s Stone was published in 1997 and of course, she is now a million worlds away from that lifestyle. It breaks my heart but it makes sense to me that she has changed beyond belief because her life has changed beyond belief. I’m not and never would make any excuses for her recent behaviour and I have stopped supporting her personally but I will not be getting rid of my Harry Potter books and I will undoubtedly re-read them several more times. However, I am now hugely reluctant to buy any more merchandise or special editions of the books, which saddens me but at the moment, it feels right. There is no coming back for her from this and I will make a conscious effort to keep Harry Potter and Rowling away from my future content. It can be really tough to admit that the people you once really admired aren’t great humans but it’s something that we all have to acknowledge in this case, in order to move forward with our own quests to become our best selves.

It didn’t feel right to post my May recommendations last month as I didn’t feel comfortable promoting my own content in the midst of boosting Black voices. So today I’m bringing you a bumper edition of Alex Recommends. Here are 10 books that I’ve enjoyed since the start of May that I’d love to share with you. Enjoy! -Love, Alex x

FICTION: Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Set in the affluent neighbourhood of Shaker Heights, Ohio in the 1990s, two families are brought together and pulled apart by the most intense, devastating circumstances. Dealing with issues of race, class, coming-of-age, motherhood and the dangers of perfection, Little Fires Everywhere is highly addictive and effecting. With characters who are so heartbreakingly real and a story that weaves its way to your very core, I couldn’t put it down and I’m still thinking about it over a month after finishing it.

FICTION: Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

When coding nerd Chloe Brown almost dies, she makes a list of goals and vows to finally Get A Life. So she enlists tattooed redhead handyman and biker Red to teach her how. Cute, funny and ultimately life-affirming, this enemies-to-lovers rom-com was exactly the brand of light relief that I needed this month. The follow-up Take A Hint, Dani Brown focuses on a fake-dating situation with Chloe’s over-achieving academic sister and I can’t wait to get my hands on that.

FICTION: The Rearranged Life of Oona Lockhart by Margarita Montimore

Just before her 19th birthday at midnight on New Year’s Eve 1983, Oona Lockhart finds herself inexplicably in 2015 inside her 51-year-old body. She soon learns that every year on New Year’s Day, she will now find herself inside a random year of her life and she has no control over it. Seeing her through relationships, friendships and extreme wealth, this strange novel has echoes of Back To The Future and 13 Going On 30 with a final revelation that I certainly never saw coming.

NON-FICTION: The Five by Hallie Rubenhold

Atmospheric and engaging, The Five details the previously untold stories of Polly, Annie, Elisabeth, Kate and Mary-Jane -the women who lost their lives at the hands of Jack the Ripper. Full of fascinating research and heartbreaking accounts of what these women’s lives may have been like, Rubenhold paints a dark immersive portrait of Victorian London and gives voice to these tragic silenced lives. Although we can’t know for certain if these accounts are entirely accurate, they feel very plausible and in some ways, The Five exposes how little time has moved on, when it comes to the public portrayal of single, troubled women.

NON-FICTION: Unicorn by Amrou Al-Kadhi

From a childhood crush on Macaulay Culkin to how a teenage obsession with marine biology helped them realise their non-binary identity, Unicorn tells the story of how the obsessive perfectionist son of a strict Muslim Iraqi family became the gorgeous drag queen Glamrou. Packed full of humour, honesty and heart, this book will give you the strength and inspiration to harness what you were born with and be who you were always meant to be.

MIDDLE-GRADE: The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates by Jenny Pearson

When fact-obsessed Freddie’s grandmother dies, he discovers that the father he has never met may actually be alive and living in Wales. So he has no choice but to grab his best friends Ben and Charlie, leave his home in Andover and go to find his dad! I laughed so many times during this madcap adventure and I know the slapstick crazy humour will hit the middle-grade target audience just right. It’s also a wonderful depiction of small town Britain with a focus on the true meaning of family.

MIDDLE-GRADE: A Kind Of Spark by Elle McNicoll

When Addie learns about her hometown’s history of witch trials, she campaigns tirelessly to get a memorial for the women who lost their lives through it. This wonderfully beautiful novel gives a unique insight into the mind of an 11-year-old autistic girl with a huge heart. Busting myths about neurodiversity while tackling typical pre-teen drama, you’ll laugh, you’ll cry but most of all, you’ll close the book with a huge smile on your face.

HISTORICAL FICTION: Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell

In 16th century Warwickshire, Agnes is a woman with a unique gift whose relationship with a young Latin tutor produces three children and a legacy that lasts for centuries. This enchanting, all-consuming account of the tragic story of Shakespeare’s lost son, the effects that rippled through the family and the play that was born from their pain will send a bullet straight through your heart. Wonderfully researched and beautifully written, Hamnet is worth all of the hype.

HISTORICAL FICTION: The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

When a vicious storm kills most of the men of Vardø, Norway, it’s up to the women to keep things going but a man with a murderous past is about to come down with an iron fist. At the heart of this dark tale of witch trials, grief and feminism, two women find something they’ve each been searching for within each other. Gorgeously written with a fantastically slow-burning queer romance, Kiran Millwood Hargrave’s first adult novel is an addictive, atmospheric read with a poignant, tearjerker of an ending.

SCI-FI: Q by Christina Dalcher

When one of Elena’s daughters manages to drop below the country’s desired Q number, she is sent away to one of the new state schools and Elena is about to find out something she’d really rather not know about the new system. Packed full of real social commentary and critique of life as we know it while painting a picture of how things could be even worse (yes, really!), this pulse-racing, horrifying sci-fi dystopian gripped me from the first page and refused to let me go.

#book recommendations #recommended #recommendations #may #june #books #bookworm

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cherrycoveredpythia · 5 years

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Extended thoughts on Brave the Tempest

2017’s Ride the Storm closed out the four-book arc that also included Hunt the Moon, Tempt the Stars, and Reap the Wind. In these books, Cassie battled Ares and his minions while drawing closer to Pritkin and eventually hunting him through time and space. She learns more about her abilities while trying to save his life, and also becomes a reluctant power player in supernatural (and inter-dimensional) politics. Without her faithful companion by her side, she becomes more confident in her own powers and resourcefulness. Of course, she’s still Cassie, so all her discoveries and victories are slapdash and hard-won. But they are still victories. She’s a daughter of Chaos, give her a break.

Brave the Tempest focuses on Cassie’s political duties and her complicated feelings about being a leader and a “hero”. She’s now slain two gods (with help), but that doesn’t result in easy respect from the witches or the vampires. The witches see her as a tool of the Silver Circle, while the vampires see her as an extension of Mircea. They are all so wrong.

Cassie has to demonstrate her full strength to convince these factions to cooperate with her. It works, but nothing is ever simple. In the long run, who will love her and who will fear her?

She’s becoming more like her mother every day.

Overall feelings

There are some amazing, joyful moments here. Please understand that I adore these books and characters, so I say this with love…

… but the book felt disjointed to me. We buzz back and forth from the witches to the vampires to the demons, and then go to Faerie and Victorian England. We get emotional scenes with Mircea, Pritkin, Marco, Rhea, and Rico. Augustine brings home a kidnapped fae. Tami needs to hire some staff but no one will take the job. Fred is a spy. Cassie is exhausted. I felt kind of exhausted too.

Important plotlines: Cassie’s growing pains with her powers, the political trouble with the witches and vampires, and the imminent invasion of Faerie. And then there was the timeline rupture. The rupture was terrifying and the fight with Jo in Victorian London was a full-on horror show. Cassie learned more about Pythian spells and then linked up her powers with Pritkin through the Lover’s Knot spell. She’ll probably need these tools for the coming showdown. She and Pritkin are even more powerful together than they are apart. And they are both forces for good. But will everyone see them that way?

I think Karen is just laying out all the pieces for the next arc. It’s a little messy right now, but it will all fit together soon. I’m glad that Shatter the Earth is coming in December. If I had to wait another two years for the next book, I would be upset.

Favorite moments

Pritkin flirting and Cassie retaliating during S’mores night. Especially the marshmallow at the end. Goddamn.

The Dickening.

Everything related to Saffy and Vi, and seeing Saffy and Rhea becoming friends. I think she is a great influence on Rhea.

Pritkin and Cassie’s meeting with Adra. I high-key love Adra. He’s a really interesting foil for Caedmon, who leads their alliance with the “heavenly” planes. Caedmon is manic and charming, while Adra is pleasant and even-keeled. Except when he forgets to animate his glamourie. I reallllllly want to know what Adra looks like under there, but I figure he’s a Lovecraftian monster that would drive us insane.

Adra shading Pritkin for never attending demon council meetings like other “heirs apparent.”

Cassie nonchalantly offering to bring Adra to the vampire council.

Gertie nonchalantly easing Pritkin out of the room and shifting him to the depot.

Cassie borrowing Pritkin’s powers to suck the energy out of Jo.

Big events and revelations

Pritkin is not shy and neither is Cassie. I thought we would get some pussy-footing about their relationship, but we DID NOT. Pritkin came on strong and Cassie reciprocated. I wish I had a chance to read Siren’s Song first. They had some time to let the tension build and I *do* love a slow burn… torture me, baby!

Ancient Horrors! Children of Tiamat/Tethys! Pritkin is 1/16th divine! Kind of a watered-down Ancient Horror, if you will. Minus the tentacles.

Lover’s Knot

Fucking Jonathan

Invasion of Faerie needs to happen ASAP

Jo is more dangerous as a ghost because ghosts can absorb infinite power. (Can we turn Billy Joe into a super soldier???)

MIRCEA THE BOLD!

Cassie agreed to go find Elena because she’s afraid that Mircea will do it himself. And she doesn’t want to kill him.

Fred is a spy working for MARLOWE! And I guess his master power is camouflaging his aura.

Rico is from Napoli (this explains a lot, because I was confused when he said putanas instead of putane. Dialect!)

NEW PYTHIAN SPELLS: Shards and Chimera!

Young Agnes is a real bitch.

The pros

I said this in a separate post, but I’ll say it here too. Cassie and Pritkin are back together and their relationship is so healthy and mutually supportive that it makes my heart ache. This is real #relationshipgoals. They are confidants and protectors and cheerleaders for each other. They don’t keep secrets or manipulate or gaslight. We need more of this sci-fi/fantasy and romance. There are too many dark, brooding male love interests who are borderline abusive. (Ahem, Mircea.)

MORE LGBT REPRESENTATION!

The emergence of Mircea the Bold. I like Mircea as a character, but not as a love interest for Cassie. I’m happy to see him going through this transformation. He’s becoming more open and genuine. He’s not going to win Cassie’s affections, but I do think that he’s going to redeem himself in Dory’s eyes.

GERTIE IS BACK! And *not* as a roadblock. She’s a powerful woman who helps other women, and I am all. about. that. mood.

The cons

TOO. MUCH. RECAP. Especially recap that broke up highly emotional moments. I don’t care if you are trying to explain things for new readers. Fuck ‘em. Anyone who buys a book, discovers it is part 1000 of an ongoing series, and tries to read it anyways… is a psychopath.

Too many plot-lines

I miss Rosier.

We all knew that something was up with Fred, but I don’t think that his revelation as a spy got as much weight and screen-time as it deserved.

I feel like the “wrap-up” with Jonathan felt rushed. He’s supposed to be terrifying but I’m like “meh, whatever, Jonathan, small fry compared to Apollo and Ares.” But I think she’ll get back to it in greater depth in the next book, so I can deal.

Can we PLEASE have some consistency about Agnes’s age? We see her as a teenager in late 19th-century London, for god’s sake. She must have been *at least* 130 years old when she died, and that’s being charitable. Previously, Cassie has said that Agnes was about 80. Lies.

The questions

1. My BIGGEST question. Cassie is changing. Not just maturing, but changing on a metaphysical level. The coldness, the hunger… I’m frightened for her. It’s not withdrawal from the Tears of Apollo and it’s not normal exhaustion. I have some theories.

Her divine side is becoming stronger and she’s beginning to require life energy in the same way that her human side needs food, water, and sleep. Why is this happening now? Maybe the Tears of Apollo are part of the equation, albeit indirectly. She’s been using more and more Pythian power thanks to the potion, and perhaps that has awakened her divine side more strongly. This is a little worrisome because she may have to feed on a regular basis to stay functional. Can she get all the energy she needs from incubus sex or from the Lover’s Knot? What are the moral considerations here?

Less likely, but she might really be pregnant. I’m not a huge fan of this idea, but Rosier does mention in Reap the Wind or Ride the Storm that the incubus-child feeds on the life energy of the mother as it grows. That’s why his attempts at procreation failed until he impregnated Morgaine, who was part royal fae and part divine. If this is the case, Cassie might be having life-energy cravings instead of food cravings. Or maybe this is the divine/demon/fey version of morning sickness? Pritkin, please start using birth control.

2. What happened with Pritkin in Siren’s Song? Does Jonas know his true identity now?

3. So who is Pritkin’s divine great-great grandmother? Any speculation?

4. Cassie begins to wonder if any of the gods might be open to diplomacy. This must go somewhere. And it’s true, there are a number of gods in the pantheon who are traditionally friendlier towards humans than others. Athena is the first that comes to mind. There’s also the mythic trope of the Trickster/Fire-Bringer who helps humanity: Prometheus, Anansi, etc. And there’s Loki, who doesn’t so much love humans as he loves to trouble the other gods.

MVPs

Ok, Cassie is the real MVP, as always. But barring her, I’m awarding this prize to the no-nonsense, sisterly duo of our hearts: Gertie and Hilde. They are officious and annoying, but that’s because they tell you what you don’t want to hear, and they are RIGHT. They are so right.

#btt spoilers #brave the tempest #my disorganized thoughts #please feel free to disagree and discuss #cassie palmer #karen chance

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sidhewrites · 5 years

Text

Character Interview

tagged by @soruawrites Rules: Pick a character from your WIP and have them answer these fifteen questions, then tag fifteen people.

The character chosen is Winnie Ashley, the main character of Her Lady of Ashes, as she appears at the start of the story, rather than any time after the end of act one.

1. What is your full name?

"Marquise Winifred Florine Therese Ashley-Raffine. I only sign my name as Winifred Therese Ashley nowadays.” The title, especially, is something she doesn’t like to advertise, especially now that she’s living comfortably in a large apartment above her best friend’s hat shop, only dipping into her family’s money when necessary. It’s is a courtesy title, rather than denoting any standing, given to her grandfather for all the donations he sent to Moriel’s university and to public works.

2. What does your full name mean?

She shrugs. “I don’t know. I was named after my grandmother. Maman wanted to name me something Davenish even though she was marrying a Noquesier man, and the rest of the names were picked from her favorite poems.”

Winifred has a few different meanings -- friend of peace being the most accepted one. White, fair, blessed, and holy, are other common names. Florine is the French feminine form of Florinus, meaning flower. Therese, the French form of Theresa meaning either summer, or to harvest.

Ashley means an ash tree clearing, and Raffine means refined.

3. What are your nicknames/other names?

“Most everyone calls me Winnie, or Winn for short.” She shrugs again, hands fidgeting in her lap, attempting to be as polite as possible. “Rafe still calls me Young Miss sometimes, and Rhoan calls me Lady Ash. Everyone else usually calls me Winnie or Miss Winnie.”

4. What’s your gender?

“I’m a girl,” she says, simply, and a little confused. Winnie doesn’t totally understand gender, truth told, but she also accepts whatever anyone says they are without question. She herself is a cis woman.

5. What’s your sexuality?

Winnie looks down again. “I think I tend to prefer men, but I...really don’t know. I have all these ideas of romance and the like, but when it comes to actual ...” She coughs. “Well, wifely duties, I get a bit squeamish. There isn’t much there I’ve really liked the idea of just yet.”

She’s panromantic, leaning towards men and masculine presenting people, and demisexual, not that there’s a word for it in their world quite yet.

6. Where are you from?

“I was born in the Noques countryside, but I like to think I belong to Merveaux, the capital city. It feels more welcoming than the estate ever did, or ever will again.” Her smile may seem a bit strained, but it remains, polite and shy as always.

7. How old are you?

“Nineteen. I’ll be twenty this September.” And no doubt Agnes is planning something big.

8. What is your magic form/what species are you?

"Well, I’m pretty sure I’m a human,” she answers, with a confused chuckle. “But I don’t have any magic. I can mend just about any kind of clothing, though -- even lace, and Agnes says it’s practically magic. But she’s just being nice.” Having spent a good portion of her youth in a university that specializes in educating and training fabricants, which make up about 10-15% of the entire Noques population.

9. What does your human form look like?

“I’d like to think I’m passably acceptable. Nothing out of place, and everything is about the right size. And I’d like to think I’m a bit nicer than plain, but that’s about where it ends. I’ve always been too pale, and I stay indoors far too much for it to improve. I think I like my eyes. They’re a nice blue, and about the right size. But really the only thing I like about myself is my hair -- long and brown and curly. I know it’s not obvious -- I always braid it back anyway, but it’s still the best part of me, I think.”

10. What’s your aesthetic?

“My...aesthetic?” It’s a difficult question for someone who tries to ignore her physical appearance as much as possible. She’d always been dressed by her governess as a child, then had a uniform while at Moriel’s, and she liked not having to choose for herself. “I like blue. And practicality. I don’t really need anything too fancy, though I do like a bit of lace. Agnes is usually the one who does the shopping for me.”

It’s a very soft, effeminate aesthetic. Lace blouses, soft blues, and freshly made tea in a porcelain cup. Sitting at her workbench, with light filtering in through the window, sewing decor onto a hat while she hums softly. It’s about the most Winnie aesthetic one can think of.

11. Who’s your best friend?

This question is much easier, and she offers a much quicker, more confident answer. “Agnes, of course. I met her in school. She was one of the few people who would actually talk to me there. I’d do anything for her.”

12. Would you ever get a piercing/tattoo?

"I don’t think I could. I get nervous around anything that might be painful or messy, and I get dizzy when I see even a bit of blood.”

13. When are you happiest?

"I like when everyone is home. The children are back from school and we’re sitting in the living area with an informal dinner. The best days are when Duva doesn’t have rehearsal. She and Agnes never have enough time together.” Her expression grows distant, thinking back to her youth. “It’s nice, having a full home of people who laugh so much.”

14. What’s your biggest secret?

She shakes her head. “I don’t do well with secrets, and Agnes is too good at sniffing anything out. I’ve known her so long that I don’t like keeping anything from her, nor her from me. Although -- I don’t like sharing my history, really. The Ashley-Raffine estate is still in my name, but I don’t think I could stomach ever going back there again. Is that very terrible of me?”

15. What was your first impression of Rafe?

There’s no small amount of guilt as she admits, “I didn’t notice him at first. He arrived when I was about six, just another footman in my parent’s estate. I was a spoiled little girl, and I read and embroidered more than I would talk to anyone, but eventually I began to properly notice him and the other servants.” Her smile flickers despite her best efforts. “He was very kind to me, and very patient, and I don’t think I’d have survived without him. I loved him dearly, and I miss him too much for words.”

Tagging: @punk-rock-pixie, @fearlings-lament, @madammuffins, @maitretmaitresse, @flightglyph, @timetravelingpigeon

#ashes #ashes: misc #tag game

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waltongoggins · 5 years

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ohhh may i ask what you didn't like about the first season? fyi i never read the comics and i think the story kinda dragged at times (esp. abt the hazel&chacha bits??), and ik i'm gonna be lynched for this but i think ellen page was pretty meh as vanya...but since you've read the comics i'm curious abt what you think

yes, you can absolutely ask but the answer may be long...and keep in mind this is from the perspective of someone who not only has read the comics, but has been completely enamored with them since ‘07...i’ll start with hazel & cha-cha since you mentioned them and because it’s a Big One for me. (this is going under a cut because it’s long as hell, and i’m prone to rambling)

steve blackman, the showrunner, was so excited to bring H&CC into s1 and yet what he essentially did was create two OC’s. on one hand, i get. in the comics they have very little depth, but the few key traits they do have were essentially erased. they became bland, joyless versions of some of the most iconic characters in the whole series. the more time i spend with tuatv the less i give a sh*t about hazel/agnes (and it was already part of the show that dragged for me). i’m annoyed they massively revamped these characters, but i’m disgusted by the way they made the White Man redeemable and Loving and Soft, while focusing on the hyperviolent, revenge-seeking black woman trying to ruin the Quirky White Indie Couple. i’m annoyed they ruined the love and camaraderie between comics H&CC in favor of a forced romance subplot that they used to fill time. i’m mad that hazel got a second chance and a few layers worth of depth while cha-cha started and ended with “she likes murder!” with about one second worth of deeper characterization before it gets shit on again. either give both characters the same care and attention or keep them both as Gleeful Assassins, prioritizing and humanizing the white man while reducing the black woman to harmful tropes at the same time without even hope for something more is UGLY.

moving on to vanya because you also mentioned her (and i’m bitter) i love ellen page and i think she did an amazing job in the show. and i like tv!vanya for what she is, but it didn’t feel much like vanya to me and while i work really hard to keep the show separate from the comics and enjoy both for what they bring to the table, i wish i saw more of that character on screen. that’s essentially the base of a lot of my issues with the show as a comics fan...in so many ways it doesn’t /fee/ like the comics at all. and that’s a bummer for me, because i spent over a decade imagining what this adaptation would look like. i could go into detail here and make a list of specific things that disappointed me re: character details, personality changes, world building, etc. but it would be long and tedious and it’s just as easy to say that it wasn’t what i hoped it would be. (not that i don’t love the show, i do!!!! but coming from this specific perspective, some of these things are just hard to accept, and a lot of the changes i’m just not a fan of, no matter how hard i try to be. some of them make sense and some of them just didn’t need to be done imo...). overall i feel like the show lost a lot of the magic from the comics, and certainly much of its uniqueness.

as for some Bigger, more Tangible issues i have with the overall narrative of the show itself:

dave. listen, i was ecstatic when i read that klaus was going to have a canon boyfriend, but this isn’t what i expected nor what i wanted. you want to talk about Bury Your Gays? this is a pretty significant example, and dave doesn’t even have any actual characterization out of fanon and/or what the actor had to make up for himself to give any semblance of life to that relationship (or the idea of it). in the end he was simply fodder to klaus’ arc and while i respect any/all fans who try to salvage this and make the best of it, it really did Nothing for me at all besides make me angry.

EUDORA PATCH. similar to above, another example of a harmful and ultimately unneeded trope to fuel diego’s pain and personal tragedy which he’s already full up on. another new addition to the story i was excited to see on screen that really just ultimately left me bitter.

to be fair, both of these could be fixed or at least revisited via time travel, but i’m still cautious about being hopeful. i feel like the chances of seeing dave again might be higher than that of patch bc of certain details of the Dallas arc that might land them back in the 60s, but STILL. a season with this kind of thing back-to-back just ain’t cute.

on a different level, i have such a big problem with how the plot is revealed in this show, specifically re: pogo. let me say this, if your entire plot can be avoided by ONE CHARACTER revealing some truth then it’s...Not Great...and the fact that pogo has THREE bombshell pieces of news that are littered off one after the other and significantly drive the story just feels lazy, frankly. and the more i watch it the more i hate it. (also i feel like they missed the opportunity to make the audience really /care/ and /feel/ for pogo. maybe instead of all that time with hazel/agnes they could’ve added in more flashbacks to reveal character rs’s for ALL the kids and their parents/guardian figures hmm just a thought...)

give me time and i can think of more, but i guess (barring some of the more petty issues i have regarding certain choice changes from the comics) these are mostly the Big Ones i feel toward the show.

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