#first season was so funny and had a nice mystery

[smilesrobotlover]

I cant keep up with this show man….

#watching mystery inc for nostalgic reasons and I’m watching the second season for the first time #I only saw the first one #and holy nuts #I keep saying ‘what the frick’ every episode dbkdbdksbsk #first season was so funny and had a nice mystery #and this season isn’t bad but this is a lot BDJDBDKSBSKSK #it’s about SCOOBY DOO WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON 😭😭 #so close to being done with it tho

[theminecraftbee]

task: answer the following question. do you believe in curses? respond as completely with relevant information as possible.

Grian: Well, that's a lie. This isn't a task. I know it's not a task, I set the things up! Not sure why we're getting a question as pointless as this one, but sure, mysterious scroll, I'll answer. There's no such thing as curses, unless you're Timmy, in which case it's funny, yeah? Besides, I didn't actually kill Etho. Even if that did count, self-fulfilling prophecies aren't the same thing as curses, and I know which one I fall under.

Joel: Do I believe in bloody curses what kind of question is that? Do I really get hearts just for answering this? This feels like a prank or something... well, whatever. There are no such thing as curses, except the Boogeyman curse, which I sort of had today, but it wasn't actually the same at all. A lot of the bloodlust, sure, but a lot more... Etho had to be the one to do it, huh? And it's not the same. Not comforting. That's a stupid thing to say actually. Take it out of wherever you're putting this. Cut it out of the recording. Comforting. Please. As if it were ever... Yeah, I'm done actually. Don't have a good answer. Go away.

Scott: What, other than Jimmy? Bless that man, he may not have died first, but he sure tried his best. Sure, I'll believe Jimmy is cursed. I mean, mostly he's just kind of stupid. Lovingly so. I mean, despite him being stupid, I put up with him, right? That seems like a complete answer to this question. Jimmy's an omen but we put up with him anyway. That's all.

Mumbo: NO RESPONSE GIVEN.

Pearl: Oh, I mean, I'm probably cursed. That's what everyone liked to say at one point. I think... I mean, I think this time I have good friends, which is nice. They don't think I'm cursed. And it's not like I--I mean, it's surprisingly fun, acting cursed! And I am just acting. Acting scary, blowing up dance floors, all of that. And I don't really have to this time, so... Maybe I'm not cursed? And since it's acting, it's not real? This is a weird question.

Etho: Oh, man, that's a question. Um, do I have to answer? Because I feel like if I say no, that's really just asking for it, but if I say yes, I have to explain myself. Uh, I think I'm abstaining, unless the zombie thing from earlier counts. That was scary and I hated it. Curses are scary and I hate them in general, but apparently I'm good at them, if you ask everyone else. Um, it's not the only thing I find scary that apparently I'm good at.

Scar: Why, of course I believe in curses! Look at poor, poor... Timbert? Timmy? Jim? Gosh, sorry, I'm very tired right now. That's more proof of curses, by the way! That I'm tired. I've been tired straight since the desert, let me tell you what. And that, my friends, is a curse like no other. What a terrible beast, loneliness is. Wish me luck breaking it, because it's not happening this season!

Cleo: Oh, you mean the thing people like to blame instead of their own actions? Nah. My soulbond was kind of a curse, I guess, but even that's at least half just... bad people. Bad relationships. Good ones, too. We're all just doing what you can, you know? No script, no curses, no characters, just... Oh, I hope everything turns out tomorrow. Sorry, that's unrelated. It's just nicer to hope than to preemptively blame things on curses that don't exist.

Impulse: Well, I mean, I didn't until you just asked me that, but now I feel like I should. Wouldn't that be nice? Being cursed instead of just sort of unlovable? Sorry, no, that's mean to Gem. I shouldn't say that about Gem, she's been good this season. Super, super cursed, mind you, in the like, game mechanic sense? But she's been good, no backstabbing or inability to get love involved. Um, and I guess that's not fair to Bdubs, kind of, except it also totally is and I haven't forgiven him. So I guess if they ask I said I believed in curses, and that's why my life keeps circling clocks? Don't put any of that other stuff down, I'm trying to work on that.

Lizzie: NO RESPONSE GIVEN.

Gem: I was just cursed for a task, but that probably isn't what you're asking about, right? I'm new, so I don't know! A task is a concrete thing to believe in, like bloodshed or victory or fun and games. You don't have to believe in those to know they're real, either! They just are, whether you like it or not. I understand that much!

Tango: Gah, don't talk to me about... Deep breaths. Look, I don't care if it's a curse, or if it's just me being really bad, or what, I'm not going out pointlessly this time. Jimmy managed not to die first, I can manage to not go out to a stray arrow or my own bomb or a misstep this time, right? Is that so much to ask?

Skizz: Huh? Curses? I mean, I don't think so, and to be totally honest I think it's kind of mean the way people sometimes rag on people about them. Everyone's got so many good things about them! Why do people like to focus on the unfortunate luck, huh?

Bdubs: Hah! Curses! Let me tell you about curses. When I see curses, I eat them for breakfast. I don't got curses, I've got better things to do! I've got my buddies with the Mounders, and I've got-well, I'd say keeping Etho safe, but he's being weird at me again this season. Not that it matters. It never matters. Etho and I, we're... The point is, that doesn't matter anyway, because I have the Mounders, and they're the ones who matter here. And because I'm a strong, independent Bdubs, who doesn't need anyone but my bow and my perfect, flawless fighting prowess! Sorry, what was the question? I've been thinking so much lately that it's just sort of made everything else pop out of my head, so it's hard to keep track. I'm sure I answered it flawlessly, though.

Martyn: Of course there are curses. That's half the fun for you lot, isn't it? Putting your little curses on us and watching us rail against them. Bet you think it's real cute to ask us what we think of the things, too. "Oh, what do you think of curses," like we have any control over them. Please. If I had any control over curses, Jimmy--or, well, no, I guess that one was technically broken, wasn't it? Sure doesn't feel like it. Point is, curses are bad, and they're definitely real, and I hate you for them, got it?

BigB: Look, man, if you're trying to get me to write my character out for you, just say so! I won't tell anyone. We can come up with a hole thing about holes and red tasks and the Backrooms together! It'll be fun! After all, you probably don't know what kind of curse to say I have, right? Haha, just kidding. I have no idea what I'm talking about. Luckily, neither does anyone else, so I think that evens out between the lot of us.

Jimmy: NO RESPONSE GIVEN.

#secret life smp #a bee fic #not tagging everyone in this because it's. everyone #anyway i have wanted to write this for like TWO WEEKS so i figured that now's as good a time as any #anyway this is probably as thinly disguised as my character meta gets #we talk a LOT in this fandom about curses #we talk about whether we like them as fanon we talk about whether we dislike them we talk about who has them we talk about why #we talk about if they're here or broken or anything else #so i'd like to think the characters have an opinion on curses too after how much talking about them we've been doing #...at least the characters around to tell us their opinions do. #(anyway for all I claim this is thinly disguised character meta it IS actually of note that this isn’t actually about if they believe) #(but instead about how they’d respond if they were asked) #(hence why half of them don’t even answer the right question) #(this is why I’m not good at character meta btw)

[variousqueerthings]

okay I watched good omens s2 yesterday with my partner, and I was genuinely very surprised -- I think if you've grown up through superwholock/merlin/the 100/teen wolf type shows where (with the exception periodically of doctor who) you kind of had to make up the good show that something could have been in your head, that colours a lot of your viewing, and to be honest I thought season 1 of good omens was a fine little piece, honoured the book while modernising it somewhat, it was a nice, fun, low stakes time, with a couple of things I might have wanted a tad different but nothing overall awful.

so I was seeing all this meta and gifsets and discussion, while I was waiting to give s2 a watch with my partner and thought "ah, people have made up the good show in their heads again" not that I assumed s2 was going to be a bad show, but that people were taking extra deep plunges into possibilities, the way fandom does, and that was fine. I knew there was a big ol kiss, I had a sense of some kind of argument at the end, and that it was setting up a s3

I also knew that mainstream reviews were calling it (politely) self-indulgent and dependent on whether or not you enjoy david tennant and michael sheen having a good time for just under 6 hours

all in all, expectations of a somewhat mainstream show without too much to think about, a nice, fun low stakes time, moving on...

(EDIT: AND THEN I WROTE A LOT OF WORDS SO YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT MY REACTION WAS QUITE DIFFERENT)

as it turns out it seems these things that were being written on tumblr were discussing the actual text of the show and not things you could extrapolate if you squinted and tilted your head a little to the left as I'm so used to doing, so in fact there is much to think about!

and my first thought was "this is like when you read early discworld books that ask a question like a joke, only to find that over time the answer to that question becomes very serious (and also can be funny at times of course)." how terry pratchett would pick and pick at tropes and notions and social ideas and go "oh now hold on, this seems strange..." starting way back when he thought it was odd that women warriors always seemed to be dressed in metal bikinis and then realising he hadn't done a good enough job of subverting the trope, simply by depicting it and calling it a bit silly

why do goblins always get treated as the villains? what's with this divine succession of kings business? where are the female dwarfs? who do we treat as disposable?

good omens season one went: "haha what if heaven and hell were intensely incapable, bureaucratic, corrupt, and uncaring of the work they did, and we took an angel and a demon and had them actually care? wouldn't that be... a bit silly?" (and it was)

good omens season two went: "what are the consequences for caring when the people who have power over you are incapable, bureaucratic, corrupt, and uncaring? what are the forces that supersede systems built on fear, ignorance, and violent conformity? can people change and break out of/challenge/break down these structures by caring?"

and this was set up with a neat little sleight of hand (to reference aziraphale's switch-and-bait in the episode with the nazi zombies), because the majority of season 2 does feel a bit indulgent: hey, remember those two wacky angel-and-demon characters? watch some more wacky things they did through the ages, watch them take a sojourn through 1827 Edinburgh and do a magic show during the Blitz, and... stop the death of Job's and Sitis' children (actually maybe that whole segment ought to have been what they call "A Clue")

see them try to figure out a kooky mystery, all the while setting up a cute little same-gender romance on their street. watch as everything points towards a happy ending that's all about the two of them realising what they've been to one another all these thousands and thousands (and thousands and thousands) of years- but hold on. lest we forget - and the show has made this point over and over - there are powerful people who control them, who hurt them, and who plan on hurting others, throughout the whole season, and as it turns out they know what they've been to one another for far far longer, and know how to pull their strings...

season 2 then, has to show us these things, not because they're indulgent (well, maybe occasionally, but the apology dance is still important), but because in order to make the ending a tragedy, we first need to understand, properly, the impact that they have had on each other. we need to understand that Aziraphale relied heavily on Crowley to be his moral compass and leaned on black-and-white thinking in order to deal with things, because if it's all grey then where does he fit and what has it all meant and heaven has to be the good guys, even as Job's and Sitis' children are ordered to be killed, it's all he ever had...

and Crowley was always an anchor, needed to trust that Aziraphale was different, needed to bend to every whim that Aziraphale has, because otherwise what's his worth in all this? After having been already deemed worthless by the heaven that Aziraphale needs to believe in?

and that, simplistically described, is the narrative that we're seeing in s2, and alongside that the ways that the changes they have upon each other are noticed, and monitored, and placed under suspicion, and finally... broken up, not by the clumsy, brute force that's been attempted over and over again, but by a promise to return into a violent, controlling system and to "make it better from within"

and all of this is wrapped up in two queer relationships + a third queered-within-the-text relationship that creates the inverse of how it ends for Aziraphale and Crowley (so far). queer love -- whatever shape that has -- is explicitly the shape of non-conformity within this narrative, including within the symbolism of angel-and-demon love of Gabriel and Beelzebub, which in the context of the systems created is considered queer (and one can argue till the cats come home about casting cis actors, about angel-and-demon notions of gender/romance/sexuality, but the "queerness" comes from building something non-conforming to the systems they exist in), and enforced by the explicitly our-world-definition-of queer romance that Nina and Maggie have going on (which, while less high stakes, still contains the background controlling relationship that Nina initially is in)

all of this to say, that I disagree that s2 meanders, or that plotlines happen for the sake of showcasing Aziraphale and Crowley without purpose, or that characters get sidelined (I'd say it sets up a whole host of interesting characters to further get into actually), or that it's strictly mainstream easy-access narrative that's just an excuse for the main creators and actors to get back together.

the love is the point, and this show takes its time to show the love (and the unequal boundary-setting, and the fact that one of them has an undiscussed tragic backstory, and the desperation to belong again, and the fear instilled by oppressive systems, and and and), so that we understand why those last 15 minutes happen the way that they do

it's sleight of hand, and like all good magic, you don't notice until it's happened

#good omens #go2 #good omens season 2 #neil gaiman #david tennant #michael sheen

[noneorother]

The secret timeline inside of Good Omens season 2 revealed, *part2*

Part 1 l Part 2

The ineffable cut is explained in part 1. Please read that first. (I’ve burnt a timecode into this ineffable edit to help pick up the rhythm.)

So now that I've shown you XX:X6 is the number of the beast in the last installment, what else can we glean? Well, it turns out angel numbers (sequences of repeated numbers ex: 22:22 or 20:02) are quite important events in the S2 universe! I've cut together every "Angel Number" I could find in the timeline and put them in order. I first noticed this near the end of the ineffable cut, where Beelzebub and Gabriel hold hands, so I've started with that one just to give you an idea how bonkers this whole sequence is. Don't forget, sound on! Breakdown below the cut.

So we start off with this Beez and Gabriel sequence near the end of the cut. They start singing to each other a little out of time, but lo and behold, at 02:03:20 the music comes in right on time with the seconds ticking by to line them up. By the time they reach 03:33 they're gone.

Aziraphale is excited to get his "record"! He's doing something sneaky, and as a result opens the door to go off to said covert activity on 00:02:22.

Crowley asks "Do they know?" on 03:33. Who are they and why does he want to know? This whole scene is on a St-James park bench so spying and double speak is in progress, clearly.

Crowley then asks "Something big?" on 00:04:44. We get the hint for the main action of the entire second season here. Something's up with the up...

Now the real fun begins! I'll come back to the ones I just skipped in a later post because they're more subtle. Here's the first "real" angel number at 11:11. Aziraphale discovers THE box and touches it for the first time.

At 22:22 Nina and Maggie's signs are "mysteriously" ignored by a human passerby.

This is wild. Aziraphale is learning about the Everyday record and something funny happens. 33:31 Aziraphale says, " Do you have a copy?" 33:32 Maggie says, "Mm, too many of them" and at the same time a car horn beeps twice. 33:33 Aziraphale is startled by the fact that a double car horn happened on a XX:X2 and looks out the window in concern. So the question is: does Aziraphale feel or know the rhythm of the timestamps?? And are things that line up with numbers a signal he's paying attention to?

A funny one! At 44:44 Aziraphale seems to be wanting to check if Gabriel is really who he says he is, and is watching him like a hawk. Gabriel does all he can to do nothing at all and look innocent while the angel number passes by.

Another funny one. Nice. 55:55 reveals that the Bentley likes Aziraphale more than Crowley, and does whatever he wants, including not speeding when he puts his foot down.

This next one's a little peculiar. It seems like an exchange about Gabriel's whereabouts, but it's the halfway point of the edit (1:11:10-11:11:11) of the ineffable timeline and we seem to be having two conversations at once. Shax says on 11:11 "He hates you." Does she mean that she thinks Crowley hates Aziraphale, or... that Gabriel hates Aziraphale. Aziraphale looks noticeably shocked at her reply. After the eyebrow raise of "You don't seem like his type at all" I would bet we're not talking about Crowley anymore. How did she get this information?

01:22:22 Gabriel does a little laugh to himself while signalling with the lamp. What the fuck? Does someone know morse code?

01:33:33 Maggie extends her had to Nina at the ball, to invite her to dance. Nina looks pleased, but doesn't move until... a very odd miracle sound on a XX:X6 happens and she jumps up to take Maggie's hand. That miracle sound is not Aziraphale's, and besides, he would never miracle on a 6. Who's the demon making Nina dance...

Aziraphale's halo toss is the flip from ACT II to ACT III of season 2, and as such, get's a special time right before rolling over to the second hour. He decides to throw it down on exactly 01:54:45, and at 01:54:54 gets a giant tubular bell ring in the music to highlight the action. It lands on the ground at 01:55:01, and incinerates the demons at precisely 01:55:10.

01:59:59 Beez and Gabriel hold hands, and a magical chime sounds at 2:00:00. Maggie start her sentence "Aww, that's really sweet" at the same time, and manages to finish it on 2:00:02. (Dagon politely waits to pretend to barf on a XX:X3 after she's done.)

The last one is a big one : 02:02:02 gets "to face CELESTIAL punishment" by Michael. This is what we've been waiting for the entire season, the Checkov's gun of the book of life. But, where is it? We then get an odd cowboy showdown style stare-off between Michael and Shax. I'm predicting that missing chunk of time in the bookshop before we come back to Michael threatening Aziraphale with the book of life is going to be a pretty interesting reveal in season 3. -------------------------------------------

People, this is the short version of this post. There are SO MANY things to unpack. Next up is doubled numbers. If you want an ides of what it takes to break things down, here's my workflow timeline right now. The stuff after the first big space is numbers I haven't shown you yet... This show is insane.

#good omens meta #good omens 2 #art director talks good omens #go season 2 #go meta #good omens season 2 #crowley x aziraphale #good omens #good omens analysis #good omens spoilers

[ozzgin]

Prehistoric! Reader going trick or treating with Baki and the twins or something ion know or prehistoric reader and pickle seeing someone dress up in that blow up dinosaur costume please tell me you know what I’m talking about 🌚 anyway love ya stuff

I was wondering how to make everything Halloween themed, and then I thought this would actually be a nice opportunity to bring Pickle home instead. Everything would be decorated as if it came straight out of the Cretaceous. Everyone shows up as a particular dinosaur. As the idea hit me I became very nostalgic and remembered my favorite Disney movie, Dinosaur. So I made it a Dinosaur Halloween. :’)

Baki Headcanons: Prehistoric! Reader goes Trick or Treating

Special Halloween Edition 🎃 featuring the Baki characters and our recurring prehistoric reader! Also the kids.

[More Prehistoric! Reader]

It’s Spooky Season and Baki wants to introduce the prehistoric family to the ghoulish fall holiday. Truth be told, however, he’s not quite sure anymore just how much of the effort is for the twins and how much is for his own enjoyment. He feels like a little child once more, giddy with excitement as he plans costumes and activities.

Honestly, it’s rather impressive how involved the fighters are. Then again, how often might one have the chance to witness ancient humans reacting to modern celebrations? You’re not entirely sure what all the agitation and shuffling is about, but the men have reassured you the kids will enjoy it. Pickle himself is also terribly curious.

Baki has gone as far as to convince multiple people to actively participate, so when the time comes most of the men are costumed themselves. He guides you and Pickle by the hand and the twins are running around you in circles. (Professor Payne has, by the way, exhausted all praise regarding their fast motor development) What better place to improvise a haunted house, if not the beloved Underground Arena? Doppo Orochi is waiting at the entrance in a T.Rex costume, holding the head under his arm. He found the idea terribly funny, attempting to recreate his first encounter with Pickle back at the enclosure. You immediately recognize the suit and chuckle at the memories. As the twins surround the older man in awe, it dawns on you that they never had the chance to see an actual dinosaur. The smile you had earlier is now tainted with a pang of melancholy.

Following Doppo’s train of thought, Jack has attempted to reminisce his sneaky trespass with an aquatic theme. You won’t catch him dead in an actual suit - where would he even find something for his massive size? - but nonetheless he’s improvised a t shirt with a Mosasaurus print. The children’s attention is now drawn to him. He exchanges a glance with his younger Hanma sibling and reveals a bag containing mysterious garments. Jack excuses himself briefly, retreating with the twins, and brings them back shortly afterwards. Except this time they seem to be wearing some squeaky appendage filled with air. Both you and Pickle observe with raw fascination. It looks like they’re riding a small dinosaur, but their actual legs are underneath the strange costume. Pickle claps his hands, impressed.

Inside the Arena, Retsu and Katsumi are putting together the final details. There are tables overflowing with food, sweets, drinks and carved pumpkins. There’s an eerie atmosphere coming from the decorations, yet the overarching theme is not of the horror realm. You stop in your tracks and your mouth hangs open in surprise. There are artificial trees and ferns scattered all over, making the arena look like an actual jungle. Among the greenery you can discern the outline of a massive Argentinosaurus, its long neck reaching just below the ceiling. A small pack of feathered Velociraptor cutouts is placed further ahead. It looks like they’re chasing something. As your eyes follow the scene, you spot an injured Pterosaur, dragging its large wings behind. Everything is static, a snapshot frozen in time, yet you can almost hear the wailing croaks and the shuffle of the claws hitting against the ground. You can suddenly smell the moss, and feel the humidity on your skin. For a mere second, for a fleeting moment, you’re home.

Something jolts you back to reality and you notice Pickle’s hand on your shoulder. He has a worried look on his face and you realize you’ve been tearing up. It’s nothing. You shake your head to reassure him and his eyes narrow in a smile, similar to yours. He’s been thinking the same thing. Your ears are abruptly pierced by a shriek and both of you turn back in a panic. The kids are screaming in excitement, running away from Baki that seems to be imitating a Triceratops. Katsumi comes to their defense, squatting low in his costume resembling an Ankylosaurus. A fitting choice that allows him to showcase his powerful whip, using the clubbed tail of this sturdy, armored warrior.

“Pretty decent work, huh?” Old man Tokugawa approaches you and Pickle with a wide grin. “We can’t let the kids miss out, can we? I had a whole team prepare everything under the guidance of Professor Payne.” He hands you a small, empty bucket. You’re confused. “We might not have any real dinosaurs for you to hunt, but I’ll show you something similar. It’s called trick or treating. Let’s see what we can find in this fake jungle.”

#baki #baki the grappler #baki hanma #baki headcanons #pickle baki #pickle x reader #prehistoric reader #doodle

[iambicpentameterhamster]

Every umbrella academy character ranked

Prior to Season 4 coming this year, thought I'd share my character rank with you for the first 3 seasons all together. (Spoilers ahead)

#33- Marcus, Jayme, Alphonso and Fei

Painfully insignificant and underdeveloped. Their only character traits being "spoiled and a bit evil" made them EXTREMELY captivating villians...

#32- Christopher

Only higher because I find the idea of someone carrying around a cube on a stick onset really funny.

#31- Sparrow Ben

Hard to watch honestly, especially in comparison to his lovely counterpart Umbrella Ben.

In general, the Sparrows were terrible and pointless characters, and clearly the writers knew this because most were killed off pretty quickly. All except for Sparrow Ben, which just meant we had to suffer watching him for even longer.

#30- Viktor

This is a controversial choice. He is tolerable in season 1, but then just becomes a moochy emo sod who is boring to watch. I don't know if it's the acting, script or both, but he’s just such a meek and flavourless character who is PARTICULARLY bad in season 3 when he jeopardises his whole family and is repeatedly selfish and has a victim complex.

#29- Luther

He caused the apocalypse in season one and you can't convince me otherwise. Got some alamaba shit going on with Allison...

There are so many reasons I hate Luther. He's a self-centred man child who couldn't care less about his siblings and their feelings, showing zero empathy to Klaus or Vanya, for example. He only shows respect and kindness when he is attracted to the person (As shown when seasons 1 and 2 he is only nice to Allison, then completely ignores her when he moves on to Sloane) or when they pose as an authority figure to him. All he does is whine and feel sorry for himself.

What's that? You lived in the apocalypse all alone for 40 years? You are addicted to drugs and lost the love of your life in a war? You have a power you can't control and a lifetime of rejection? WELL LUTHER WENT TO THE MOON

#28- Carl Cooper

Hated him as a character but he was a menacing villian which I can respect

#27- Harlan

Couldn't care less about him, only there for plot convenience and Victor's arc pretty much

#26- Sloane

An improvement from Luther's literal sibling. Further evidence that Luther will simply fall for any woman who gives a flying fuck about the moon.

Personality: attracted to Luther

#25- Pogo

Basil exposition of the first series

#24- Detective Patch

Barely remember her

#23- The Swedes

They were kind of goofy as villians but there was some good acting and they posed a real threat. Cute moments with the cats. In general, alright, but they could have easily been replaced plot wise with something more interesting.

#22- Cha Cha

Lack of character development for me. I think she deserved to be fleshed out more, I don't think it's fair that only her partner got to be a three-dimensional being. What are her motivations? Who is she underneath it all?

But overall i liked the acting and she was a good villian.

#21- That hotel worker from season 3

He's barely a character but I liked his sass so he's on the list.

#20- Reggie (Reginald Hargreeves)

He is supposed to be the main antagonist/villian of the show, yet The Handler stole his spotlight. He's a bit too stereotypically evil and asshole-ish for me, basically twiddling his moustache and stroking a cat in a dark corner the entire show. The delivery is too blunt and that doesn't help to build the tension and mystery surrounding him as much, but if he were more complicated and cryptic in his personality it would be more effective.

This is very nit picky and overall Reggie is fine. He has some hilarious moments with Klaus in season 3 and I am genuinely intrigued about the unanswered questions surrounding him.

#19- Elliott

He wasn't a particularly important or central character but I enjoyed it when he was on screen and he played his role convincingly. He was a good comic relief in some scenes, and when he died (spoiler alert) the reactions from other characters were realistic and quite impactful. I felt for him throughout, which is impressive for less significant characters and he had a lot of depth relative to the size of his role.

#18- Destiny's children

Not a singular character, but I LOVED Destiny's children. It fit Klaus's character perfectly to have a cult and led to some of the funnies moments in the series.

#17- Dave

From the very limited moments we see with this character, a lot of personality and emotion was communicated, and I feel like we got a big sense of the character. That is down to the brilliant acting from both of Dave's actors and from Robert Sheehan that really sold this character with so little screen time.

Anyway please come back to life Dave! Death doesn't look good on you!

#16- Agnes (Donut woman)

Very sweet and I wish her all the best in life.

#15- Sissy

BRILLIANTLY acted and impactful. Stole every scene between her and Vanya.

Also, she looks EXACTLY like Sheldon's mum in young sheldon...

#14- Herb and Dot

I want to put them both in my pocket and protect them from harm.

#13- Kenny's mum

Again, barely present but I love her. She's a queen. I would go to a rave with Kenny's Mum.

#12- Stan

I love Stan, and he's a big part of Diego and Lila's character development and motivations. I hope they adopt Stan and live happily ever after.

But yeah, great one-liners from Stan.

#11- Grace

Very well acted and haunting.

Top 10 *drumroll please*

#10- Harold Jenkins (Lenoard Peabody)

Again, quite a controversial placement, but I stand by my decision. The acting and delivery of Harold Jenkins as a villain is possibly the best in the whole show. I was totally convinced Lenoard was a nice guy and I was rooting for him and Vanya, until he started dropping hints and slowly revealing his true self and losing the facade and its... it's chefs kiss. So realistic. The actor deserves an award and a standing ovation.

The writers also deserve a pat on the back for this one because he has a convincing motivation and backstory, and the dialogue is DELICIOUS when it comes to Lenoard. He is a truly menacing villain without being overtly scary and powerful and dangerous.

#9- Ray

Charismatic, gentlemanly, empathetic, loving, trusting, supportive... Ray is THE IDEAL MAN. I'm a little bit in love with Ray so I don't blame Allison.

HUGE step up from Luther, for sure.

#8- Umbrella Ben

I would have liked to see more of his character, but I liked what I did see. He loves his siblings and shows it. He is selfless and sacrifices his own existence for Vanya, he is blunt with Klaus because he cares and wants him to improve. Of course, he and Klaus are also a hilarious duo.

#7- Hazel

One of the most touching arcs that offers an insightful message about what life is for, and about Love. Beautifully acted, a very real and lovable character who probably resonates with many in some ways. Hazel is adorable and i miss him in later seasons.

#6- The Handler

I LOVE THE HANDLER MORE THAN WORDS CAN EXPLAIN!!! Funny, playful, entertaining, uexpected and whimsical and yet simultaneously dark and menacing, AMAZING villian that stole EVERY SINGLE SCENE she was in. Kate Walsh was the perfect choice for the role and she played it to perfection.

A bit of trivia about the role, The Handler was originally written for a man, and when Kate Walsh got the role she insisted they didn't change the script (which, let's be honest, they would have.) She put a wonderful spin on it and it's just perfect, I wouldn't change a thing. I would 100% watch a spinoff all about the handler. Season 3 was worse than the previous two thanks to them killing her off (amongst other questionable plot choices)

#5- Allison

Allison was the only character who knew what they were doing, and honestly, if everyone just listened to Allison, there would be no apocalypse. Her storyline losing both Claire and Ray and her powers driving her crazy with power breaks my heart but is well portrayed and impactful.

She's charismatic, clever, strong, and kind. I love Allison and I think most of us do.

#4- Diego

He's stupid but in an endearing way, I find him to be so entertaining and funny, and the actor's face is like an open book. He's not show-stopping but his consistent presence just sets the mood and allows others to act off of him, while he really sells it with his expressions. He's like the rock of the show.

#3- Lila

Lila. Mi amor. Mon amour. Amore mio. Meine Leibe.

#2- Five

For several reasons:

A) He is the daddy here, Luther!!

B) That should be the only reason you need

Seriously, though, I was SUPER impressed with Aidan Gallagher and his incredible screen presence, especially at such a young age. He really embodies the character. Five is the face of the Umbrella Acadamy, and is undoubtedly the most iconic character. 10/10, two thumbs up, absolutely BRILLIANT.

#1- Klaus

No justification necessary.

#the umbrella academy #klaus hargreeves #diego hargreeves #five hargreeves #reginald hargreeves #allison hargreeves #lila pitts #ben hargreeves #luther hargreeves #vanya hargreeves #viktor hargreeves #raymond chestnut #the handler #the sparrow academy

[shellyseashell]

2023 FIC REC LIST

I did this last year, and I thought I’d do it again. To close out 2023, here’s a list of some of my favorite fics I’ve read this year. These aren’t everything, just of course the highlights. If the author has a tumblr, I tried to tag them, but if I missed anyone let me know or feel free to tag them yourself!

WILLOW

did i dream (that we were so perfectly entwined) | General | Tanthamore | One Shot | 8.9k

Jade and Kit, from childhood through season one. Jade’s pov.

Our hardest battles are the oaths we keep by @rehizle28 | Mature | Tanthamore | 7/25 | 50.9k

Jade grows up as a Knight of Galladoorn. When Graydon and Kit are engaged, she travels to Tir Asleen as Graydon’s personal guard. Words cannot describe how much I love this. The pining and shenanigans these two get into is so so good. Kit causes problems on purpose and Jade Cannot figure out what the princess’s deal is. King Hastur is perfectly normal and has Totally Good intentions.

be my mirror (my sword and shield) by @onlyshestandsthere | Explicit | Tanthamore | 30/? | 228k

Bone Reaver Jade helps the Crone’s followers bring Kit to the Immemorial City. Quite easily one of the angstiest fics I have ever read. But for all 100k of angst there’s another 100k of fluff and that’s only vaguely an exaggeration. The magic is absolutely horrifying but it feels totally realistic to what we’ve seen in canon. Jade and Kit both need a hug.

if we’d turned a corner (if i had waited) by @sugarfey | Mature | Tanthamore | 5/? | 13.9k

Soccer au! There’s plenty of angst in this one, but it focuses on the healing. I love everything about this fic. Kit and Jade are so dumb as usual and I love the social media bits.

The Flawless Five, Vol. 1: Rise of the Five | Teen | Gen | 2/6 | 11.9k

Superhero au! It’s silly and goofy and so so much fun to read. I’m really liking the mystery so far, and I’m looking forward to how it unfolds.

Triumph of the Wyrm | Mature | Tanthamore | 3/12 | 13.8k

Series still currently in the first book. Kit successfully runs away, and every attempt to rescue Airk fails. Twenty years later, the world is under the rule of the Wyrm. Kit and Jade work in smuggling, unaware what happened to the other. Until, of course, they end up working together on a job. The world is so so horrifying but so well done. Also, Kit is allies with Sarris the Troll.

Let’s take a knife and cut the world in two by @spybrarian | Mature | Tanthamore | One Shot | 7.9k

Exorcist Jade and possessed Kit! Very angsty. The worldbuilding is very very well done and so so horrifying.

these walls come tumbling down by @onlyshestandsthere | Teen | Tanthamore | 4/? | 28.8k

Vet Jade and Perfectly Normal Human Kit. After Jade hits Kit (as a cat) with her car, she takes it upon herself to take care of her. Told in two timelines, one in Kit’s pov before the accident, and one in Jade’s pov after. I have laughed so much reading this I absolutely adore it.

One Night in October | Teen | Tanthamore | 9/9 | 29.k

Slasher fic! Angsty, mysterious, but it has a bittersweet ending.

Sink or Swim | Mature | Tanthamore | 7/7 | 16k

Lifeguard Jade and disaster Kit. Seriously she is so, so dumb and it is so, so funny.

LEGENDBORN

Rescue | General | Gen | 1/1 | 4k

Valec’s point of view of Chapter 42. I love Valec okay.

A Place at the Table | General | Gen | 1/1 | 7k

Legendborn/Merlin cross over. Basically, Arthur is a lot better than in canon and it’s so nice to read after Bloodmarked.

Beach Day Memory Walk by @justbrainrot | Mature | OT3 | 1/1 | 3.5k

Bree takes Sel and Nick on a memory walk during Sel’s birthday. Super cute and fun.

Mother, Merlin | Mature | Gen | 4/? | 13k

Natasia healing Sel after the events of Bloodmarked. Very very angsty, but also very very good. I love how Natasia is written.

Dancing in the moonlight by @nightworldlove | Teen | Willark | One Shot | 3k

William and Lark dance. Uh. In the moonlight. Very cute one shot.

Sometimes Hunting and Running Blur Together… by @ficnoire2 | Explicit | Other | 4/? | 11.9k

Valec backstory and I absolutely adore it

DESCENDANTS

Yeah I’m pretty sure we’ve all probably read most of these but nevertheless

Blessed Art Thou Among Women | Mature | Gen | One Shot | 1.3k

Claudine and the Catholic virtues

Descendants: A Different Tale by @kanzakurawrites | Teen | Gen | 9/? | 17.9k

I think this altered my brain chemistry tbh Mal deserves the best parents

Dark Fire by @dragoneyes618

Yeah just go read these if you like Claudine

Obligatory @isleofdarkness shoutout I am quite literally obsessed with this au

Let Dead Men Lie by @dragoneyes618 | General | One Shot | 2.6k

Everyone takes the blame for killing Frollo. Ben is struggling.

Death threats on Dead Beauty by @panthera-tigris-venenata | Mature | Gen | 2/3 | 2.7k

Listen I think Harry should be this feral all the time

the devil had done for the rest | Teen | Gen | One Shot | 2.5k

Harriet! Harry! Yeah that’s all.

Cursed || Harriet Hook | Teen | One Shot | 10.7k

Any Harriet content makes me insane and this is no different. Harriet backstory.

THE MECHANISMS

love in his own eyes by @nonbinarylowkey | General | Gen & Multi | One Shot | 5k

Arthur’s first night as a father

(im)mortality by @nonbinarylowkey | Teen | Multi | One Shot | 7.7k

Arthur handles Mordred’s “death” in a perfectly normal way. Sometimes I think about this fic and take physic damage.

From The Wastes His Child Came (Bringing Revelations Of All Things) | Teen | Other | 3/3 | 7k

Arthur forgets trans people exist and finds Mordred. I’ve reread this so many times I adore it.

la soleil passe son bras par la fenêtre by @ladydragonkiller | General | Gen | One Shot | 6.4k

Brian falls from the gallows and stops the Battle of Camlann, as he should

Inverse Suspension | General | Gen & Multi | One Shot | 3.4k

Mordred frees Brian, and everything turns out okay

no path past kindred’s stain | Teen | Multi | 3/3 | 9.8k

Pendragon backstories my beloved <3

#hi the amount of times I had to redo this was insane #this took hours lmao #enjoy the fics that is a THREAT #willow 2022 #disney descendants #descendants #the mechanisms #high noon over camelot #hnoc #naia recs fics

[adracat]

G Witch episode 16 thoughts

Or the episode where the real plot thickens. No offense to earth and Guel but these are the sort of stakes and drama I'm weak for. Truly a wonderful present to receive on this blessed of Sundays! Just in time for Walpurgisnacht too

And we start off strong with this heated Prospera and Bel confrontation! Cont. from last time, Bel just learned Eri Samaya is not Suletta Mercury or even alive anymore, but a mysterious 3rd thing-- her biometric code uploaded to the cloud aka Aerial. We learn her immature body couldn't handle it so she perished. Eri is now entirely composed of Permet particles, and without Aerial housing her consciousness she'll dissipate. The Gundam is literally possessed by a child's ghost.

And it seems with a permet score of 8, the datastorm can be extended with Quiet Zero and create a space for Eri to live. Or that's the implication, I gather. How exactly that would happen is a mystery though I suspect it would mean granting Eri a new physical body, perhaps by 'overwriting' Suletta's mind/soul. (Well this is sounding familiar, isn't it 3h fans?)

But amid all this, there's the matter of Benerit's leadership. Without Delling, they need someone to control the various corporate beasts so it's decided they'll hold an election. Awfully democratic of them tbh. Though I wager leadership might boil down to whoever can crush hardest in a Mobile Suit royale.

We know Shaddiq will be throwing his hat in the ring, as will our prodigal failson Guel by the looks of it. Speaking of, I wish he had a bigger moment with his brother but maybe later? Their surprise was pretty good, and I enjoyed Guel's talk with Petra. She's grown up quite a bit from the shallow bully/fangirl of the first season.

Moving on to Mio, I went nuts over this shot. Suletta is fulfilling all her promises!! Even cleaned her disaster area of a room and messaging three times per day. She's unnervingly good at following directions tbh.

Adored this so much too. Lauda is grateful to GUNDARM for their aid and subsequently clears them of suspicion in the terrorist attacks. He goes out of his way to say Mio is free from the dueling games too, but Mio could care less about that petty nonsense. Her heart and mind is set on Suletta.

Quick mention to Secilia for being the most relatable person in the show. She just wants to sit on this god forsaken couch, watch the drama, and see who'll be Miorine's husbando. She's so funny, I swear.

And ofc we get spacian/earthian hostility in the wake of the attacks. You can't blame these kids for being scared and lashing out at the nearest targets but also Earth House was clearly not involved and aiding students during. Even Lauda of all people can understand that. They are grieving for a friend apparently which just complicates the situation further. Sad for all tbh

Martin steps up to defend his housemates, which was nice to see, but it's Mio who is able to shut down their hostility with a clever bit of blackmail. She's so cool and taking no one's guff this season

Nika had a brief interaction with Sabina, but it was insightful. We understand Sabina's loyalty to Shaddiq now as she's an earthian who was taken in by Grassley. Like Nika, she wants to become a bridge for spacians and earthians. Their methods contrast Nika's but they're all coming from the same place. Sabina is anyway. Shaddiq is a bit more inscutable.

Detective Mio is exploring all avenues in her quest and the space assembly league are all too happy to collaborate. They all find Shin Sei and Prospera suspicious, it seems. Valid observation. She does manage to locate Nika, sorta, and brings that information back to the others.

Mio is so adorable when Earth House thanked her for everything. This is probably the first time in years people appreciate who she is on her own merits and formed bonds that aren't conditional or tied to her father. It was just a really wholesome moment. Ah I love her and Earth House! Especially after hearing that first drama cd sketch.

Shout out to Till for shipping these two like the rest of us. Solid wingman right there. Poor Suletta doesn't quite know where they stand after all this time and doesn't want to be a nuisance, but still desperate to show Mio her dedication.

Just look at this pathetic puppy face 🥺

Only a monster could say no to that look, and luckily for her Mio is an understanding and loving bride.

Prospera Jumpcare. Watch out y'all, this one has a mean bite. Her showing up suddenly was unnerving. For the love of all that is holy, never do this again lady. Creeping me out somethin fierce.

HOO BOOOY where to begin? So 5lan was rejected from Aerial immediately, unlike when Eri was humoring El4n and Mio. Is this a sign she's grown in power or just fed up with 5lan's gremlin antics? Could be a combo of both! I take this as confirmation there were multiple failed clones/instances of Eri and Suletta was the lone sucess. The others look Eri's age. 12 of them in total, making Suletta unlucky 13.

I kinda felt sorry for 5lan here, cause he has a right to want to live and not be a tool but also... I don't like him and wish him nothing but misery for being a creep + striking Bel, who I do love. Poor Bel is not having a good week in between Prospera's guilting and now 5lan's.

And we finally arrive at THE SCENES we've been waiting for. It's so wonderfully tense but also tentatively hopeful at the start. Suletta who wants nothing more than to bridge the gap and Mio who wants the same.

Mio starts off with an empathetic apology, stating she understands Suletta's choice in ep12 even if it was traumatic for her. But the reconciliation derailed the moment Suletta declares her mother was right after all. She did the right thing. Run gain one, move forward and gain two.

Mio is galvanized by this logic and hastens to ask Suletta how she can smile at something so terrible. She might understand why Suletta killed for her sake, but she doesn't get how Suletta can just blindly accept everything is ok; that murder was right. Then Mio goes directly in, striving to make Suletta understand. She presses her about her mother, asking if Suletta would do anything. Including giving up her dream for Mercury or killing again.

Her answer, while terrible, is yes. To all of it. Suletta would forfeit the school for Mercury. Would kill again at the behest of her mother. Would do anything so long as her mother said it was right.

Suletta only sees the positives. She got to go to school, have friends, and meet Miorine who she loves. All because she moved forward at her mother's demand. It's horrifying but it makes perfect sense why she would think this way. It's clear from her anxious gestures she's not wholly oblivious to the horror either, but deems her discomfort inconsequential when she gains so much from obeying.

Hearing this speech is the breaking point for Mio who dashes away, leaving a forlorn Suletta to gaze after her. And we're swiftly shown what exactly she has on her mind

This scene was electric from the start. Someone is finally calling out Prospera's manipulation and while she's unflappable as always you have to admire Mio's fire. She wants Suletta to be freed and doesn't care a whit what Prospera thinks.

GOOOOOD this quote. We know Mio loves Suletta genuinely but Prospera only sees her 'daughter' as a tool to be tossed around and used by others. Her phrasing is disgusting in this exchange. 'She's a good little girl, isn't she?' *shivers*

Prospera proceeds to lay her cards on the table and is amazingly forthright, declaring her intent. She reveals her hungry fixation for vengeance and 21 yr long grudge against Delling.

Ngl it's pretty hilarious that Mio doesn't mind the idea of these adults killing themselves fighting each other so long as she and Suletta are left alone. Mio in protective wife mode fr.

It's not that easy however, as Prospera coerces Miorine to help her with QZ. And the first step is to become president of the Benerit group. Miomio for President 2023!! Will she find a loophole from this dire situation? Cast your votes now as we await what becomes of our stellar cast until the next Suletta Sunday~

#gundam witch from mercury #g witch #sulemio #miorine rembran #suletta mercury #prospera mercury #belmeria winston #nika nanaura #g witch spoilers #g witch episode 16 #suletta x miorine #you can do it Mio!! #it's rough being the dueteragonist

[visionofvoid]

how they ask you out/how you ask them out - part one

Carlos Sainz:

Ezekiel was the first to notice that the two of you were interested in one another, though you would both deny it. He wasn’t annoyed with the fact that his best friend might have feelings for his sister, out of everyone Carlos was the one man that wasn’t family he would trust with you and it went the other way, Ezekiel knew you weren’t someone that was only interested in him for the life he could promise you. So, he made it a small mission of his to set the two of you up during the holiday season. 

The two of you had been stealing glances at one another throughout the small and intimate Christmas Eve dinner that Ezekiel and his wife, Magdalena, had planned. The kids were now tucked away in bed, excited for the next morning where they would receive their presents from Santa. The four adults now sat in the cosy living room, Magdalena tucked under Ezekiel’s arm. You and Carlos were on opposite ends of the other couch, both yearning for what the other two had. 

“Sorry we didn’t make it out to see the lights, I know how much you loved that before you moved.” You shrugged your shoulders, sending your older brother a soft smile. 

“I’m just happy the kids are in bed at a good time for you. Always next year.” Carlos knew that this was his opening, though he needed to make it seem friendly, especially that they were seated in front of his best friend and her older brother. 

“I have nothing else to do tonight. How about I take you?” You couldn’t hide your blushing cheeks fast enough and had hoped that he wouldn’t notice it. Ezekiel tried to contain his excitement, his wife elbowing him in the stomach to quieten him down. “What do you say?”

“I’ll go get a jacket.”

Charles Leclerc:

“You just gonna stand there or introduce yourself?”

Charles wasn’t used to extroverted girls in clubs. He knew they liked to play coy, give him signals using their eyes from across the room in the hopes it would make them look alluring, mysterious, and yeah, sometimes it did work. But he was just taken back as she stopped dancing and looked at him. Her friends continued dancing, forming a circle behind her yet still keeping a close eye on her in case she showed signs of being uncomfortable. 

“Charles Leclerc. And you are?” You bore a grin on your face, your eyes floating from the shoes he wore to the top of his hair. 

“Emotionally unavailable, incredibly high maintenance and not from around here.” He seemed confused at first before letting out a chuckle, the music bringing either more people in to dance or to see who caught the attention of the Ferrari driver. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll tell you my name if you take me somewhere nice.” Charles tapped his pockets feeling everything he needed inside; his wallet, his phone, his car keys. What did he have to lose? It wasn’t as if this was the start to some sort of fairytale. No, this was simply going to be a fling for the two of them, no matter how much she was intriguing. One night will have to do. 

“Where would you like to go, belle?” Charles questioned, smirking as your cheeks flushed red. 

“You're the local, you get to decide.”

“If I get to pick then this might become a date.” He was feeling cocky, sure of himself. 

“Better make my last night here worth it.” You had a funny feeling about this and not in the ‘this guy might take me somewhere secluded and kill me’ way, but in a way you felt an immense amount of excitement. 

Daniel Ricciardo: 

“Oh come on, I’m not that bad, am I?” Daniel was having a rather bad day. Not only did you beat him to his favourite car spot yet again but his ex was creating and spreading horrible rumours about him. Everyone knew his character, what he was like and knew he would never in a million years cheat on his partner so it hurt that Heidi would stoop that low to try and get back at him. Their relationship had simply run its course, it was nothing malicious, or so he thought. 

You were tasked with getting some data from the fan favourite driver and he was being nothing but rude and arrogant. You and Daniel had never really seen eye to eye much to the dismay of your uncle but you kept everything professional for the sake of your job. You thought Daniel was exuberant and couldn’t understand why he didn’t like you. He seemed to ignore you before finally sighing. 

“Just having a shit day.”

“Well, you seem to be having a shit day all the time. You can either let it get to you, let it consume you or you can bounce back, show whatever is making you all hot and broody and moody that you’re so much better without them.” Daniel looked up from the simulator chair and right at you, knowing you were right. “Go out and get a drink with some friends or something.”

“I don’t really have anyone here at the moment. They’re either all back home or racing or, yeah. Lame, hey?” You had never seen Daniel this down before and you weren’t a fan. You’d much rather him glare at you, beep his horn at you when you take his beloved park, just anything but mopey and sad. 

“Well then how about you come to mine? I have wine, tequila, beer and two parking spaces so we don’t have to battle it out to get the best one.” You offered. Daniel knew from other workers that you were bubbly, incredibly kind and friendly and this was his first time experiencing it, when he wasn’t letting his own ego get the best of him. “It’s not a date, so don’t let that get to your head. Just a nice person offering a few hours to forget about what’s going on. What do you say?”

“Tequila you said?”

George Russell:

For the most part you would stay home with your mother and two brothers but on the occasion you would surprise and visit your father throughout the season. You were quite lucky in the fact that you could work from wherever; travelling, home, in a park or cafe. Being a travel blogger meant that visiting your father and step-mother was literally a part of your job. You documented the second last race of the 2022 season which was a delight for your fans that were familiar with your father and with Formula One. Whenever you travelled to visit and watch a race you made it so it was like a travelling special. It was your first time in Sāo Paulo and it was the first win for Mercedes and George for the season. 

George was over the moon, absolutely elated with the win and to be standing on the podium. He was surrounded by people ever since he finished the race with reporters wanting to congratulate him, with his teammate and team principal wanting to start the celebrations early. He had noticed that with every race he was in where he did well, finishing on the podium regardless of whether it was third, second or first place, you were always there, cheering him on from the back of the pit. It was almost as if you were a lucky charm, seeing you would always encourage a good race.

You heard a knock at your hotel room door as you were getting dressed for the dinner and drinks that was organised on behalf of George’s win by her father and Susie. You knew it would turn into one big party after a few hours so wanted to wear something comfortable but lightweight. You hair was parted in a messy bun as you got up from the chair where you had all your makeup stationed, walking to the door to open it without looking through the peephole. You were shocked at first but offered a bright smile. 

“George! Congratulations!” He was still in his racing suit meaning he only just got back to the hotel after the end of the race press conference and interviews. “You should go have a shower! We only have an hour and a half until we’re to meet everyone downstairs.” He just stood there, looking at her whilst she rambled on. “George?” He seemed to break out of his trance. “Is everything okay?”

“Let me take you out sometime? Just us, no one else. Like a date. Actually, I don't want it to be ‘like’ a date, I want to take you out on a date.” He paused for a moment before taking a deep breath in and out and started again. “You have absolutely consumed every thought of mine ever since I met you and I want to get to know you more. I feel like I drive the best I can when you’re at a race, not saying I need you for me to win a race, oh goodness that sounds horrible. Y/N, may I take you out on a date?”

#f1 x oc #f1 imagine #f1 x reader #f1 smut #f1 #formula one smut #formula 1 fanfic #formula one #formula 1 #formula one x you #formula one x y/n #formula one x reader #formula 1 x reader #formula 1 x you #formula 1 x y/n #formula one imagine #carlos sainz #carlos sainz smut #carlos sainz x reader #carlos sainz imagine #carlos sainz x y/n #charles leclerc smut #charles leclerc x reader #charles leclerc #charles leclerc x you #daniel ricciardo imagine #daniel riccardo x reader #daniel ricciardo #daniel ricciardo x you #daniel ricciardo x y/n

[angel-thoughts-dump]

times they call/insinuate angel is gay/“too feminine for a man”/is attractive to men, in ats - Season 1

ep 1 A manager says to Angel he is a very beautiful man, and he wants to represent him. "Call me, this isn't a come-on"

ep 2 In the club, Angel has to "search for someone that's in trouble" and everyone thinks he is just flirting, including a man, Angel tells him "seriously I wasn't hitting on you"

ep 3 Spike, while watching him from afar, makes a LONG hilarious joke about him being gay, and caring too much about his hair and using “nancy boy hair gel”.

Later while fighting, Spike says to Angel "What’s next ? Vampire cowboy ? Vampire fireman ? Oh, vampire ballerina?" to which Angel responds "I do like to work with my legs" and kicks him

ep 4 Doyle legit admits he is attracted to him

ep 5 Cordy: "do you have (hair)mousse?...       of course you do"

ep 6 Mafia boss calls him “nancy boy”. Angel hits him with a chair.

Also, there's a joke where Cordy nags Angel for not noticing her new shoes, Angel is about to say that "men don't notice that staff" when Doyle enters and says to her "Nice shoes!". This is a 'Doyle =gay' joke but it also shows Angel has funny ideas of what makes you a man, and it's funny that the entire plot of the ep is about repressing emotions, and unwinding when you touch a magic stick.

ep 7 Angel and Doyle going to fight a vamp nest is paralleled with Cordy going on a romantic date. Doyle: “everyone has dinner plans”.

The first thing the new husband of Doyle’s ex does when he comes in, is insist on how handsome Angel is. (Doyle’s ex had also just met him, didn’t say a thing, neither did other women this ep)

ep 8, 9, 10 and 11 I didn’t catch any

ep 12 friends of Cordelia meet Wesley and Angel for the first time, the way they act and respond to their flirting and invitations to a party makes them think they are gay “the good ones are always gay” one says. Angel is not bothered about it, Wesley a little. Later they have this conversation in which Angel seems to have noticed that insecurity, and he says to Wesley that the girls liked him, that his clumsiness was charming, and that the fact they think they are gay adds mystery

(also why does angel quickly bit his lip, looks him up and down, and smiles to him like that??? asdfasdfasd)

ep 13 (refer to this post bc it needs context) in short yeah a guy is definitely attracted to him

ep 14 nothing again I guess

ep15 Kate’s dad asks her if Angel is gay, she laughs and says "no, he is just not my type, or I'm not his type".

Also, it felt like the dialogs were specially 'supernatural=queer' this episode, and he WAS getting homophobia by Kate lmao

"you don't get to kill a demon in front of me and then act like we are going to have a cappuccino together" "No offense, I know you are probably a decent guy for, you know, what you are..." "If you insist on talking about this, can you pls not call it that? It makes me uncomfortable.(don't say demon) say evil thing" "What? they are evil things that are not evil? - well yeah(me) - OH right, sorry" Then the scenes of his father calling him a disappointment make it even more uuughhh, and then he says "It was a son I wished for, a man! Instead, god gave me you".

All scenes from his past as human point to him being a fuck boy, meaning that, even if not queer, in a way, he also didn't follow the conventional norms of romance or sexuality. But it's also funny to point out the first thing he does as a vampire is feed from a man, to which Darla says "now you can have anyone you want"

ep 16 Cordelia ends up saying “if anyone is wearing a push-up bra here its-- Angel!” when Angel surprises her entering the room, (Also, Wesley describes a type of demon that howls when they are preparing to fight or mate, next scene angel is fighting them while they howl(they appear male), I know this one is a reach, but I’m putting it here bc it made me laugh).

ep 17 so he reads girl-celebs magazines and remembers this rumor about an actor? sure

also this ep Cordy(known fashion lover) compliment's Angelus fashion sense "Angelus would never wear those pants".

In the buffyverse they say everything is the same without the soul except there's no guilt, meaning no repression about what he would like to wear. So if it hadn't been obvious from before, Angel is also a fashion lover, except repressed about it.

ep 18 there was nothing much here except if you count that Darla asks him "have you met someone else?" no gender-specific.

And/or this interaction with Linsdey cuz come on the tension, the banter, the 'was it necessary getting this close?'

ep 19 Again nothing textual unless you count that Wesley risks his life and goes against the Watchers council for him, even if it means helping someone he hates(Faith), and his loyalty to Angel is called a perversion(also how does angel look so small here??asdfsas)

ep 20 two little things, first, does this joke "you show me yours, I'll show you mine" Angel says to intimidate a guy count? lol

Second, in this ep they get paid to search for blackmail pictures of a guy who went to a demon script club, after Angel takes them back Wesley looks at them, and he seems weirded out. Angel is besides him and only with a quick look he is able to tell the pictures are upside down, Wesley turns them and looks at them again, he says "oh, I can't imagine it was pleasant" to which angel makes this face like uhm???

In any case I put it here cuz even if its not an "angel=gay" moment it certainly shows he has experience with Unconventional sex staff

eps 21 and 22 I didn't catch anything, but in the last ep the "supernatural= other(queer/disabled/etc)" thing is easier to see. Because there's Kate again with the irrational hate like "I'll rid the city of your kind" etc just after Angel saves someone.

And the last scene shows the way your friends don't mind the "weird" parts of you even if you or most people do

a super endearing moment that happens just before the show promises Angel that he will "as a reward" be normal eventually, which weird, cuz then, Is the message of the story that you can find peace by finding a mission and loved ones who accept you as you are? or is it you can find peace only as long as you are useful to the normal 'innocent' people around you, and you work toward being normal? idk

#I think I started this after I saw a lot of comments on yt in a random vid calling angel straight #like how dare you insult him like that #sadfasdfsadfsdf #but I kept the bit going cuz it was funny #ats #angel ats #angel btvs #btvs #also disclaimer cuz I've seen lot of rotten staff out there #I'm not including things like: this character acts like a mother this character is saved by others a lot #or this character likes pink or cooks or is shirtless a lot #cuz those are just gender stereotypes that actually are just human things not femenine or masculine #not inherent in men or women #so I don't believe a male character having or doing staff society considers feminine means they ARE gay or feminine #lol thats so backwards #those staff only get in the list if another character or the show somehow explicitly classifies them #as a sign of being 'too feminine for a man' or gay #this attempts to be from the show's perspective

[umbrellalavender]

Series 5 of Ghosts was so good!!!!

I don’t think any of my friends at work/college have watched it yet, so I’m going to Tumblr (again)

Spoilers… obviously.

This whole season was so cute and emotional in my opinion and the best series they’ve done so far.

Episode 1:

The idea of an April fools episode was so good. I like seeing Alison and Humphrey working together. I liked seeing how each one of the ghosts went down, especially The Captain. I expected Alison to be pregnant on the last season so it’s nice that I was correct.

Episode 2:

The Kitty plot in this gave me second hand embarrassment, but I liked how it ended with her grossed out by people with parents. Fanny being a better poet than Thomas was cool. I found it cute when Thomas put her name at the bottom. Also, I love how Thomas is Scottish. Pat and Julian arguing over the north and south is pretty funny, especially as someone who lives in the midlands. The reappearing solicitor jokes are great.

Episode 3:

KITTY HAS SUCH A COOL DEATH!!!! I didn’t expect that at all and I love it. Out of all the characters, I didn’t expect Eleanor to make me cry. Looking at theories, I never really liked the idea of her killing her. It’s nice to see her actually sad by her sister’s death. I liked how even Kitty didn’t know what happened. It was a better mystery than Alberta in the CBS version.

Episode 4:

Another episode that I cried at. I love Sophie and Robin’s relationship, even if Sophie never knew he was there. It was quite depressing watching Robin being alone. It didn’t even pass my mind that he was on his own. I do want to learn more about William though. He seems like an interesting character. I was a big fan of all the French in it. I’m not French, but I did pretty well in my GCSEs and I haven’t looked at the language since, so it’s nice I understood a lot of it.

Episode 5:

I love this episode! I think it had a great plot with Robin believing one of them is going to get “sucked off.” By the end, even if it’s so unbelievable, you do start to worry one of them might go. It was finally nice to learn about The Captain’s death, however, it did give me second hand embarrassment. I was too worried about him. The moments with Havers was great, and I didn’t expect Haver’s to have given him the stick he has. It makes me change his view on him. When I first watched them together, I always thought it was a one sided relationship. I always though Havers saw him as a good friend and colleague, not in romantic way. This episode changed my view of that. I felt so bad when The Captain tried to reach for his face but he had to stick to holding his hand because… you know… 1940s and homophobia. Yes, I do have Achy Breaky Heart drilled into my head.

Episode 6:

I do like how Kitty accidentally stuck her head in Alison’s belly and her being really bad at keeping secrets. Also that she didn’t know it was the umbilical cord. I’m glad they brought up that Julian pushed her out the window because I know that’s been a big question for years whether she was aware. I’m glad they decided to stay.

#bbc ghosts #ghosts #robin bbc ghosts #humphrey bone #kitty higham #thomas thorne #fanny button #the captain #pat butcher #julian fawcett #it feels illegal knowing a lot of stuff we’ve learnt this season because it’s been a secret for so long #James suits the Captain

[mystradeholidaycollection]

Mystrade Holiday Fic Update...

Oh my goodness! So many more fics have joined the collection! They run the gamut--sweet, poignant, flirty, heartwarming, fluffy, mysterious, sexy, funny. Please do go give them some love.

So Nice and Warm by @stlgeekgirl (rated G, 1783 words)

Summoned to the Diogenes Club, Greg reflects on the year and possibilities, while outside, the temperature drops and the snow piles up. Post S2

All Is Calm by @ewebie (rated T, 2,259 words)

Leaving the office in December, even with the short, dark days, had become a spot of joy in Mycroft’s life. The Lestrade house had holiday traditions and decorations and food and plans, and Mycroft had been adopted into all of them.

Happy Holidays from Mycroft and Greg by @lavenderandvanilla (rated G, 610 words)

Mycroft and Greg sit down to write their first joint Christmas Card.

A Holiday in Hiding by @eventhorizon451 (rated G, 5,249 words)

Seeing Anthea filling your office doorway on Christmas day is not for the weak of heart. Nor is the news that Mycroft Holmes is missing. It's on Greg, now, to find him and set Anthea's worries to rest...

Epiphany by @lavenderandvanilla (rated G, 468 words)

Last Christmas Greg Lestrade separated from his wife for good. The holidays now have become a time to be endured. Mycroft Holmes wishes only to help his friend, any way he can.

Christmas Jumper Day by @littlefluffycloudsao3 (rated G, 567 words)

Greg’s strong preference for Christmas is to do very little, very late. Most years that works out just fine — he capably meets the low expectations he’s set over his adult life. This year, both his division’s Christmas fundraiser and last minute decisions about his first Christmas with Mycroft disrupt his well-honed strategy.

So Much More by @starkraivennemad (rated G, 2,700 words)

Words were said and Mycroft Holmes sat in absolutely the last place he expected to be late on Christmas Eve. The last he wanted to be on Christmas Day, but he was.

It was the last refuge for those who had nowhere else to go yet could not be to be totally alone.

Especially in late December during the holidays.

And Mycroft Holmes found himself still there on Boxing Day.

The Diogenes Club.

Sliver Light by @aworldofgoldfish (rated T, 2,166 words)

It's the small things. It's always the small things. Mycroft sees his ideas of what makes his life good change as he realises that small unimportant titbits turn big and significant when spent with Greg. After all, they are the things he can change and enjoy with the man he loves.

Any and all Mystrade holiday fics written this season are encouraged to join the collection.

#mystrade #mystrade holiday fics #mystrade holiday collection 2023 #season of light and laughter

[alexissara]

My Favorite Movies/TV/Anime of 2023

Going into 2023 I've done a lot more taking in art then in previous years and this section is all about the audio/visual/auditory art I've taken in this year and enjoyed. In fact it's a content and clickable top 10 list! Wow so engaging, much content, please enjoy. This is gonna be inclusive of movies, cartoons, anime, TV shows, etc because I don't engage any one of these mediums alone enough to make a nice little list, at least not this year.

These are roughly in an order by how much I enjoyed them but these are different pieces of art that hit you in different places for different reasons and no one piece of art here is like "Better" than the other. Ask me at a different hour let alone day and this list could be all scrambled.

Adolescence Of Utena

So I finally watched some Utena, I mean I watched a little but of Utena before, just a few episodes with some friends but I watched the full ass movie now so that counts for something. The anime is really artful and it's a very compelling queer coming of age story with all the messy trauma and feelings attached. It's a weird movie, a girl turns into a car, and that's amazing, 12/10, another girl can also turn into a car, we're really just living the dream here. Finally true lesbian representation is when a girl can turn into a car and I am here for it. It's a really great piece of art and I am glad to have finally got to take it in and enjoy it.

Glass Onion

So this is probably the biggest surprise on the list for folks who follow me but one of my girlfriends really loves mysteries and so a Glass Onion I did watch with her. It's super funny and fun, it's just good. The cast has good chemistry, the jokes land, the mystery has fun twists, and it's just a good experience overall.

One Piece Film Red

I am not a One Piece fan, I do not care for One Piece, It's like fine Shonen. However, this movie fucking slapped, it was a good fucking time. Uta is One Pieces best character and she should show up and take over the final arc of the manga because she is so good. The music was fucking killer with Ado slaying every single fucking song and it really just hit. Every song is so good on it's own and in it's context. It's what you want from a truly killer musical experience and every song being from "the villain" is just extra fun. The power of friendship and bounds is really great here, it's just good and well animated even if the women all have the same exact body.

Everything, Everywhere, All At Once

I finally watched this movie after all the hype had died down and well, it was worth the hype, it isn't my favorite movie of all time but it's a good movie. It's funny, amazingly acted, well shot, silly and just in general a good time. It touches on a lot of good themes of family, trauma, homophobia, expectations, and parental relationships. I think the queerness coulda been better in the movie and have complaints on how that is displayed here but I mean it was at least a little bit queer and that's more than most movies. As a former actor who really loves the craft I envy everyone involved too for getting to be in such a fun film, I can only imagine what a blast it was to see the final product of what I am sure was a ton of hard work to make something so fun.

Gundam The Witch From Mercury - Season 2 

Gundam ended on more of a whimper than a bang to me. Which is both not uncommon for a Gundam series to have a shitty ending but also not shocking given this series was given it had a much shorter run time. Regardless of me thinking this half of the anime is much weaker than the first half it still undeniably striking in it's animation, stunning visually, engaging to watch with a cast of very endearing characters to watch in the dramatic stakes of it all. The very end was not terrible but the time we spent to get to the final epilogue moments were questionable. Regardless, this show did not kill off Prospera, Chuchu, Secelia or Rouhi and they all were in a lot of these episodes so like an 8/10 cuz their all fucking brilliant and I really like Sulletta a ton too, I am just probably Mio's weakest solider among lesbians preferring my sweet little nervous lesbian settle down with a nice earthian girl or make use of her second hand to be polyamarous.

Kakegurui Twin

I never have and likely never will watch Kakegurui's main series but the twins series female focused cast and yuri energy captured my attention and so I turned it on. Wow, what a fucking ride. This over the top gambling game is Jojo's bizarre adventure, is sports anime, is card game anime, it's the raw spirit of these things radiating in the horny submissive lesbian factory and served back in animated form. The fucking faces these women get to make as they smugly battle in bounts of gambling is just so delicious and the tension they manage to put into each of these games of chance as the fucked up students try and cheat each other and win is just brilliant.

Harley Quinn 

HarIvy is a ship of all time for me, it's hard to have the concept of a show be "HarIvy comedy" and me not to at least kinda enjoy it and I enjoyed it a lot this new season. At the start of the season I wasn't click with it, it felt weird and forced for Harly and Ivy to be placed in these really binary hero and villain roles but in the end that's what it was really about. Neither of them are traditional heroes or villains and the show actually recognized that and let them trying to fit into the strict mold of the universe as an active issue for themself, their sense of self, their relationship, the world and more. From time to time they felt fairly out of character but I am just happy to see this arcs over all themes and the work they put into that.

I’m In Love With The Villainess 

While I would have rather had a tighter pace that went through the first two books of the series rather than one and some tiny jumps into the second book I'm In Love With The Villainess still managed to be one of my favorite things to watch this year with me viewing it multiple times. Rae's Isekai fantasy of being bullied by a hot rich woman and the eventual need to confront her own internalized homophobia and self pity as blocking her path to happiness are fun to see. Rae is really good in the anime adaptation and in it more than any other adaption it feels like everyone is friends and cares about each other which fits the light hearted comedy tone better than the light novels Rae will kill anyone for Clair, she has no friends mindset.

Scott Pilgrim: Takes Off

This was the biggest surprise of the year. I had grown out of Scott Pilgrim, while I was a fan of the comics before the movie was even a thing, I watched the movie before it even released, I even at some point was collecting the colored editions, I eventually soured on the series and sold everything I had of it. I wasn't excited about the anime and felt more like "let it go" then "OMG thing from when I was young" but hearing the good things I heard about it and about the Scott twist along with seeing the great animation in the OP I decided, fuck it why not give it a shot. So I did and wow, it's really good. It's a great take down, commentary, adaption, whatever it is of the original work. It is Scott Pilgrim having grown up alongside me, funnier than ever and a lot better about everything. I really loved all the changes and it still felt very true to the heart of Scott Pilgrim which is messy adults trying to fix their fucked up selves and relationships.

The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady

This certainly sits among my favorite anime of all time and very highly if not number one. MagiRevo mastered a light novel adaptations tempo perfecting how to make one season of what would be a nothing slow burn with no pay off at the novel and mangas pace into an exciting action packed yuri with more gay kisses in it than the rest of the years anime put together. It's funny, charming, fun but it also captures some really hard emotions too, I'll never forget the scene with Anis being pressured by old men to have children and stuff and the utter disgust she has at being treated like a piece of meat as she attempts to fill her role to the kingdom. It is devastating and heart wrenching and it just makes all the joy feel so strong.

If you want to help me enjoy more art then consider checking out my Patreon or Ko-fi and giving me a little bit of cash so I can do more of this kind of writing but also like make lots of my own art, art is hard to make and costs money and like maintain my chronically ill and trans body also takes money so anything helps, thank you. If you want more details on any of these I do have reviews for many of the pieces of art above but you can also let me know you want more and maybe I'll write more.

#the magical revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady #magirevo #yuri #yuri anime #scott pilgram takes off #scott pilgrim #glass onion #Utena #adolescence of utena #One Piece Film Red #everything everywhere all at once #Gwitch #gundam #gundam witch from mercury #gundam the witch from mercury #Kakegurui Twin #Harley Quinn #i'm in love with the villainess #iltv #2023 #Best Of 2023 #top 10 #Top 10 2023 #Anime 2023 #Shows 2023 #Movies 2023

[theminecraftbee]

Yeah, I knew it was unlikely for anyone to partner with a spirit from the start like Grian does, in fact my first idea for this was "episode where xB gets possessed by the spirit of Hiding or something and plot twist the episode doesn't end with him defeated, the monster is invisible by definition and after its conflict is done it can't be caught, plot twist xB stays like that for the rest of the season peacefully somehow, I guess that could mean somehow being a full magical girl who's just undetectable instead of having a transformation sequence, this could also power up his ability so Scar eventually forgets he even has that guy to look out for..." and then I couldn't think of any situation where a character whose whole plot point is staying hidden would do anything to cause the heroes to notice it enough for an episode to happen anyway, and then I imagined that first burst of all of them escaping, off to do various chaotic things, and then the one that's based on some concept that's naturally peaceful and quiet all along just calmly floats along until it finds someone who's used to being quiet and would be happy to be rid of what little attention he does get, so I thought it would be funny if the two just met and instantly agreed fully or however partnership works, like before the monster attacks have happened enough that xB even knows about them, you know?

That plus the "mysterious helper who may or may not know all the secrets but either way ends up not being a threat" trope and the "unremarkable background character with an inexplicably dedicated fandom" trope, it would work just as well to have him start appearing at any time but it feels funnier/more fulfilling to be able to look at this imaginary anime and have at least one frame of every single episode where he's visible!

oh hmmm that's actually a fun one. and to be fair, i think xb would be... rather happy to slip into the background, honestly. sure, this is all... a lot more than he'd prefer to deal with. but watching scar's crew deal with it has given him SOME idea of how to handle the fact he still has a spirit around, and being able to be invisible sometimes... it's useful. it's useful!

i think maybe he shows up in the background of some support group episodes afterwards and if you aren't paying attention it's hard to realize what's happening.

however i'm honestly still not sure how early in the plot we can have a spirit partnership here? i think maybe. xb is an early possession victim (maybe one of the first ones blackbird interferes with?) but the spirit escapes. xb sort of just slips away without letting anyone help him quietly because he manages to get unpossessed but he just KNOWS people are gonna be weird about the fact the spirit escaped. plus, he has unlocked a little more of his magical potential now. he can just... make himself disappear. he doesn't know why. it's not a partnership, so much as a potential he already had that, like a few other members of the plot (bdubs being out big example), due to a combination "wishing star getting closer" and "spirit possession", he can do even more.

and it's... nice. sometimes it isn't nice - he basically can't go out to eat unless he's with someone else, the waitstaff will forget he's there, and actually for anything he needs to be remembered for it's kind of a pain, but in a lot of life he just... slides in the background now. and if he really, really wants to be noticed he can mostly turn it off? but eh, he's an introvert anyway, as long as his small circle of friends still talks to him, he's fine. keralis and hypno and beef haven't forgotten he exists yet.

(hypno nearly forgets once. it makes xb's hair stand on end. he puts more effort into his side of the friendship with him for months afterwards. hypno's bemused. "you never texted back so quick before. what's gotten into you - monsters making you remember your mortality?" and it's... easier than the actual answer to go with that. hypno says xb should go to the support group again. xb doesn't say: they won't remember i'm there too if i don't make an effort to talk the whole time.)

its later in the plot, after... i had a timeline somewhere, but i think at LEAST after bdubs joins the squad and DEFINITELY after the "the magical girl crew fights the military" incident. it's then that the spirit of hiding reappears, and, drawn once again to xb's magic, despite the fact he's arguably more resistant to possession now, turns up where xb is.

and like... look. xb really, really doesn't want to get possessed again. because as nice as fading into the background is, he just... he doesn't want...

and they find themselves at an impasse.

xb gets this guy, is the thing. compared to other spirits, this guy doesn't do that much. it just... makes it easy to forget itself. to forget other people. and there's a horror in that, too, but there's also... xb can relate. before all of this started, he would have thought he'd be content to be entirely forgotten as well. it's just, the brief moment when someone he was close to had no recognition in his eyes -

"hey," xb says to the spirit that does not want to leave but that he doesn't want to let possess him. "hey. change of plans. how about we make a deal? i think there's something we can both offer to each other."

two days later, he slips into keralis's door and, once he finds the man, quietly sobs. he never says why. afterwards, he goes back to almost-normal. almost. if you aren't one of his friends, at least. his friends are... concerned. he's up to something.

xb assures them: he won't interfere that much. not his style. also, if he WERE to get noticed, he's pretty sure he might get dissected or something? so. much better to just... adjust from the background when he can.

he's sure it'll turn out fine.

#answered #eloquentornot #magical girl scar #help you weren't supposed to give me an ENTIRE OTHER MAJOR BACKGROUND CHARACTER #anyway a magic that makes it easy to be forgotten. now isn't THAT a horrifying concept.

[iambicpentameterhamster]

What's happened with Jackson's Diary lately?

If you don't read all of this, at least scroll to my point on Dexer as that's my main issue.

Please don't take this too seriously, its just my opinion and im very open to having my mind changed.

So season 1 JD had me absolutely hooked, I loved the drama and the characters. There was a lot of character development and tension with underlying notes of supernatural mystery and the artstyle was consistently good and it was just... good. It was really good.

Come mid-season 2, I think we actually start to see a significant dip in quality- the characters, in my opinion, kind of lose the edge they had in season 1.

Let me explain. In season 1, the characters feel like REAL people in the sense that they were simultaneously flawed and fun. They had redeeming traits that made them likeable enough to the reader, but they all had flaws that made them act in ways that drove the plot. For example, David was funny, loyal and outgoing, but he was overprotective, slow on the uptake and jumped to conclusions. Exer was also cool, sarcastic and funny at times, but he had some pretty obvious flaws that i won't bother listing off. Jackson was sweet and easygoing but far too trusting. Ronald was intimidating but independent and thought for himself, Brenda was generous and bubbly but prioritized popularity over true friendship, Pamela was kind but standoffish, etc. All of these characters had different dynamics with one another, they weren't all friends and they weren't consistently friends. It was these contrasting flaws and virtues and dynamics that DROVE THE PLOT. And did so brilliantly.

But by the time season 1 finished, JD had taken off and was a very popular comic with thousands and thousands of readers. And these readers had become attatched to a particular ship, Dexer, which i think might be one of the reasons for the decline in character individuality. Paola has some amazing ideas and she is clearly a very capable storywriter and is good at writing and developing characters, so i think both time pressure and pressure from the fanbase caused these problems.

Season 2 was essentially three things- Exer's redemption, one long Exer and David will-they-wont-they storyline, and Jackson being therapized by everyone around him.

Exer's redemption

First of all, Exer's redemption. I think the inversion of Jackson and Exers roles in the plot is INCREDIBLY clever, but to be honest i would have liked to see that translated differently- rather than have Exer do a complete 180 and transform into a perfect person, i would have liked to see him keep some of his snark, some of his trademark moody eyeroll attitude from season 1, but show him becoming a better person at his core. Currently, i feel like he's just way too NICE. It makes his dialogue less interesting to read and it makes me less invested in him as a character because now, instead of his actions being affected by his conflicting character traits, i know he will just try and do the right thing no matter what. Maybe thats ideal for real people in real life, but it makes for a less interesting story.

He's also lost most of his motives from season 1. These used to be 1. Liking Brenda, 2. Maintaining reputation, 3. Competing with jackson and 4. Dealing with his powers and keeping them a secret. These motives conflicted each other and made it so he never truly gets what he wants, but now he just sort of... does. He got David. He got jacksons forgiveness. His friends and dad know about the powers. Hes a better person. Feels sort of like he ended up on top, really.

I would love to see Exer faced with a decision that makes him choose between keeping David or his integrity, for example. That would be really interesting. I would love to see some of the characters fall out again because them all just being good, supportive friends just makes it quite boring and low stakes. Even Jackson, with his new power, just uses it to help Exer and David and doesn't seem to have any intention or motive to use it for something more nefarious than that. Making the diary move by itself is just a way of removing Jackson's autonomy in the matter when i would rather see him make a decision himself and be responsible for his own actions, as Exer was. I want a power shift from Exer to Jackson, not Exer to Jackson to the diary.

The problem with Dexer

Now for Dexer. I think this is a key sign that the characters are now more driven by the fanbase and their desires then by what actually drives the plot. Yes, they're cute together. But they had more chemistry in season 1 when they were characters with edge. And it seems like, David in particular, his other character traits and struggles have been completely forgotten and now his character is "poor gay boy/ Exers boyfriend". And David's reaction to the trauma of what happened to his dad is just that hes... sad? What if, for example, he went manic and kept himself constantly busy because his need to be liked by other people has been harmed by this experience? Acting irrationally or seeking distraction to cope? Or even just being ACTUALLY sad instead of looking kind of sad but still doing and saying all the right things so the fandom continue to like him. David used to have other personal problems outside of Exer, for example his need to be liked by others and for popularity, or his dad telling him his future relies on football because he isn't so great at school. Now it's all about his sexuality.

It just feels like Exer and David aren't individuals anymore and have morphed into a two headed being called "Dexer". It would be SO much more satisfying to watch them get together as they were in season 1, with Exer's cynical, sarcastic and broody remarks contrasting David's endlessly sunny and optimistic personality, gullible and airheaded humour.

Some of my favourite interactions in the whole comic are between Exer and David in season one. Like:

Jackson: "Hey, is that Meryl Streep?"

Exer: "Seriously, do you think we're idiots or something?-"

David: *letting go* "Where?"

Or David constantly calling Jackson "Jacob" in early episodes, or him being totally oblivious to Exers dislike of Jackson or his crush on Brenda and enthusiastically trying to help with what he misinterprets to be reality, or slipping up about liking guys in really funny ways, Exers dramatic "After all we've been through?" And all of the funny misunderstandings and coincidences in season 1... small but entertaining things that made the characters who they were. THESE are the characters i wanted to get together. Not the ernest, well intentioned and flawless people they are now. They don't complement each other any more because they have the same basic values and traits. Like, where did Himbo David go? Where did broody Exer go?

And may i just mention, the OTHER characters have also been done absolutely dirty by this. Brenda is barely part of the plot anymore aside from helping Exer and David, same for Ronald. Brenda's thing with Ken might just save her character and has already introduced some quite funny moments, but throughout season 2 Brenda did not have any motives or development of her own outside of Exer and David (and occasionally Jackson)

Ronald had none of his funny moments, really, either. He was just David's emotional support russian. Maybe all of the character dynamics were hurt by the fact that most of the characters are all friends with each other with zero conflict except between Exer and Jackson.

Basically as the fanbase started to revolve around Dexer, the story actually seemed to mirror this. I don't blame Paola, she was giving the people what they wanted to see.

Therapized Jackson

I hate to break it to you, but real life people are self absorbed. People, especially young people, can be clueless and tactless and don't always say the right thing. When this is reflected in fictional characters, it can lead to interesting and tense scenes and character growth.

The detention kids, however, seem pretty damn perfect friends. They're always there, right time right place, and say all the right thinks to make Jackie feel better. They don't seem to have problems of their own that get in the way of their ability to constantly support Jackson, nor do they have any apparent reason for their devotion to Jackson. I mean, do they have endless time? How are they always free to help him out? Do they just wait around until he needs them? Seems kind of like they're in it for the Exer drama.

I know Jackson healing is important, but i think some of it should be internal, because realistically, who is going to have these zero-maintinance friends who follow you around giving you life advice?

Despite this, i still like them as characters and i think they have good comedy potential. They just need motives of their own and to slip up sometimes, or talk about something other than Jacksons mental health. The main characters have also fallen into doing this since making up with Jackson.

That's another thing, actually; in season 1, the characters bonded and talked about things other then whats currently happening in the plot. Now they just give each other advice and constantly talk about Jackson and David and Exer and literally nothing else, its tiring.

Anyway end of rant i haven't proof read this and i love you paola you're brilliant season 1 is a masterpiece

#david miller #brenda miller #exer campbell #jackson smith #jacksons diary #webtoon

[bethanyactually]

Tagged by @rebeccagoesblogging! 💛

Last song: Childlike Imagination by Kerusu, which was on the pomodoro video my daughter and I had playing while we did school

Favorite color: sunflower yellow

Currently Watching/Reading:

just finished watching The Diplomat, at @pepperf's behest--it was very stressful to watch, but very good!

the US version of Ghosts, which is funny and charming!

@dimension20official's Fantasy High: Junior Year

neverending Elementary rewatch

still rewatching Nancy Drew in bits and pieces

reading Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne with Elliora for school, which I had not read since I was in high school, so that's been fun!

we just finished reading To Kill A Mockingbird, Ellie's first read and my umpteenth

we're about to start reading Terry Pratchett's Nation, which I'm excited about--I haven't read that one yet

for fun, I'm re-listening to the Rivers of London audiobooks, currently on False Value

sloooowly working my way through Angela Saini's Superior, which is a history of race science

still technically reading Murder Must Advertise, a Peter Wimsey mystery--I've just been distracted with moving and then school and a bunch of other things

Relationship status: happily married with kids and a cat

Sweet/savory/spicy: Yes, thanks!

Current obsessions: Still the CW's Nancy Drew. The caramelized cheddar from Trader Joe's. Polar Mango Blackberry Seltzer which apparently is a seasonal flavor.

Last thing you googled: 'forensic definition' because I was making my daughter's vocab worksheet for next week, and I didn't like the definition offered to me by the curriculum

Low-key, no-pressure tagging @pepperf since I mentioned her, @wereadtoliveathousandlives because it's really nice to be chatting with her again, and some folks from my recent activity: @beingstacey, @forfuckssakekidsdontlookforme, @amidalleia, @firstelevens, @brazenbells, @expectinggodot, @tremendoustenderness, @seriesmaniac, and anyone else who'd like to do this.

#meme #me #rebeccagoesblogging