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pigtailedgirl · 1 month

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#to make it make sense that he leaves after that to never return#i have to headcanon that seeing ray take yet another bullet meant for him was too much for fraser#he had to walk away to make sure it never happened again#of course after some time has passed he realizes he can't live without ray and reaches out to him and it all works out#because i'm a sucker for a happy ending

@gayvecchio stole the tags to expand because, yes this!

100% makes sense with everything Fraser is and has arc-ed up to for like the drama moment of him.

Fraser, who has spent his whole life lost to connection because of Bob and duty, who got Ray's support and it opened him up and like Ray is the only other person in his life I think who hit that I admit I needed in my life level for Fraser besides his Dad. Then their whole relationship tension is a fight and undercurrent of do you or can you admit to it though? And the dangers of going bad or duty, swing that emotional spectrum, overriding your love or friendship and break up and shooting angst part 1. Which they get through but don't talk about. Then suddenly Ray's gone, and Fraser just has to deal for their mutual survival. Undercover indeed or what? And so he hits the point of inverse, of hi Ray K who is like me, we really need to communicate for partners and stuff huh, and THEN surprise Ray's back and the specter of the why was Bob Fraser like that same time, with an answer and suddenly the narrative for like the 1000th time, makes the clear despite Fraser's very odd fire-side speech in COTW post disaster and that one friendship set up in Manhunt, that once again Ray V is paralleled to Caroline Fraser. Caroline Fraser, who was Bob's love and rock. Who teased the hell out of him by committing traffic violations and followed him all over creation while he was Mountie-ing to live with, grumbling about accommodations the whole way, and must have taken him out of his shell a bit cause they were married and were a family. Yeah. Caroline Fraser, who got shot dead cause of a case of Bob's and who's loss broke Bob Fraser expressing love there-after.

Fraser has always known his Dad's and his relationship hardship has been shadowed by his mom's loss. We see this in their profound conversation in Victoria's Secret in the canteen. He's unforgiving. Of if Bob Fraser really loved Caroline, if he was never there, if he never saw her. I get chills at that every damn time, Paul Gross and Gordon Pinsent you were so awesome. He lays into his Dad, actually holding him to account as a person, not a paragon, for failure. Rightfully so in my opinion. Here we see, his rebel against, at the same time we know he's always wanted to be like his Dad. Cause it's Dad should have loved her aka. me better. He won't relate. Until, suddenly COTW and Ray, and Fraser 180s to be I understand you now Dad.

Again, I CANT with this.

Every point in the series of he's like his dad, and reckons with the wall of it, applies especially to even in the relationships and emotions. But he wants to change and be no, dad I loved you, dad you should have been there for me, dad you were a great Mountie, but there was more. Their whole ghost thing is contending with what example of you I know and embrace and overcome.

Every point of Fraser's romantic relationships potential, the dark ex, or all the past ladies or himbo friends (Hi Mark!) being a blaring sign of Fraser wants connection and someone to just love him, cherishes or hoards the idea of, and is also unable, unwilling and so damn terrified of failure or loss of it he hides himself or he runs if it's too much.

Every point of the seasons and Chicago being a metaphorical seal clubbing of showing people need trust and help, and you are good at it in abstract and ideals, but they also need their loved ones and to embrace the damn honest truth of themselves, and you need that and want it and now you learn to know and say it. That the sad and bad in relationships and plot happen because of those who don't. Don't loose out. Learn from the new wild world re-framed instead of staying in the expansive and cold and alone North.

And so he came of the trail of the killers of his father, and yes, actually the reason he stayed does need exploring at this juncture. He "bonded" with Ray Vecchio.

And that bond, someone reaching out to him and wanting him, is how he said ok I want to stay and came back. I just had the image of, what would have become of Fraser emotionally, if he choose closer to Russia sir than Chicago and the people who want you? AAAAHHH.

Platonic or not, that's what brought solid support and connection to Fraser's life. All the people. Vecchio family. 27th. Neighborhood. Consulate.

I kinda grew to love the idea of Fraser's adventure with Ray K over the years. How wilderness and North Canada is freeing in it's solitude time, like a sabbatical or refresh away from your stresses. So I get it. But I have never got the fan idea they stay there. That they belong there. Or importantly that Fraser belongs there or in Canada now.

I've always been after, they, very much he, need to go home. The open ends of previous seasons was the connections of Due South on the daily life constants on. I've always loved the fanfic or open ends head canons of Ray, Ray, and Fraser working together, or the homecoming and reuniting possibilities ones for various pairs. But not living in the North. Because it's lonely up here I tell ya for personal experience.

Cause for Fraser, home shouldn't be isolation and Artic anymore. His home is his people. His people are in Chicago. His people started with finding Ray V and I'll be damned if that doesn't book-end to have Fraser pick that over what his father did and lost when he didn't pick his wife, or love, and ran from his son seeing and getting it from him. Seeing himself and his dad through to happy ending, should be Fraser breaking the cycle. Just like that break, coming back, rewards Ray V's boatload of issues being the unwanted and do good, get appreciated too.

And Ray K...I want him to find himself. You go baby! There's a great big world to do it with all the people you've connected with through Fraser. With what you learned about yourself working with and for seeing the importance of yourself as yourself now not as Stella's Ray or Fraser's buddy or "Ray Vecchio" or stuck out in the ice. Come on home too.

So, Wonder Twins or throuple unite. I have just rambled myself into I don't know what.

#due south #f/v #fraser/vecchio #benton fraser #bob fraser #due south meta #is this the most long-winded ramble to say i agree ever #my love of this show #my love of bob and benton #dad and son issues #my cotw issues lol #also i think this is the first time i ever went huh i could f/k/v #mostly platonicly #which hey wanna know that i ship in a gen way anyway mostly lol #ramble #im sorry everyone

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ravilson23 · 1 year

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New ep of Helluva Boss just came out and i actually want to talk about that one. I didnt even bother with the third one cause somehow I didnt have any strong feelings about it. Anyway, lets start.

First of course pacing. I was really suprised how fast we got into the main action, it starts literally a minute into the episode. We didnt even get a proper introduction of Andrealphus ( or however his name is written, i will just call him Andre) and its his first offical apperance. Its quite insane honestly. I really think it might have been better to do this in some other episode where plot would be focused on the divorce. It feels like they didnt know how to start this whole assasination businnes.

Also for me he seems... really boring? There isnt anything about him that we havent seen before. I dislike how Stella was portrayed too. She may have gotten a bit dumber than at the beginning, i mean she cares so much about killing Stolas that she isnt even thinking logically. Its a little weird when you consider how loveless their marriage was, it doesnt look like she has strong enough reason to hate him this much.

Another thing, her relationship with Andre seems as normal as it can be in hell. I hoped for some emotional manipulation or other toxic behaviour that may explain why Stella is such a bitch. But hell no, there was nothing super weird about them though it may be because there were shown for like 2-3 minutes in the whole ep. On one hand i am glad he is not ( at least yet) another villain, but still he felt important enough to get a proper introduction.

What also bothered me about pacing was the structure of plot A and B. Especially in the fight scene where they are paralleled. Its not a bad thing per se but it dissolves the tension. It also felt like there was no need for plot B except for keeping Blitz occupied and unable to rescue Stolas.

Now lets talk about characters. First Moxxie, as much as i am glad that he became a badass i cannot help but feel like it should have happened in 3rd ep. Him fighting his dad would be so much more powerful than dealing with three random guys on gus station and fighting Striker with Millie. This change would feel more natural. I am not saying he is weak, but his skills were mostly with guns, not physical violence. But in this ep he suddenly is very capable of that, he is also less anxious and more reliable (which is a good thing, thats the development from ep 6). Despite all that i was still suprised.

Both Blitz and Stolas feel pretty much in character, so i wont talk much about them. I just wanna say that i liked them. I am kinda sorry that i wont sing praises, even though there was some good stuff but there is still much to cover.

So lets talk about Striker. Oh boy, not gonna lie watching him sometimes felt like fever dream. I dont know if its so bad that its hilarious or just hilarious, i really cant say. First his sudden apperance in the middle of a restaurant with a whole crowd of witnesses, than his theme song. THEME SONG. I am crying, its just so ridiculous. Its a pretty cool joke but also so surreal. Like up until now it feels like writers tried to find a reason for adding songs. Be it jingles, intros or full stage performences the songs were always a part of an actual action. However here its more of a montage, and it can be barely counted as sth else thanks to a few lines in a dialogue. As i said, not sure if its genius or just bad. Then we have all the jokes about Strikers ego, its not out of character, but it also feels like he stopped being anything more. At first he was a genuine threat and someone who Blitz could have chose to be. Here he still tries to be, but cant because of all the jokes. The big dick statue went too far for me. Its also becoming too repetitive. However i really liked when he started choking Moxxie, he looked really wild with all the drolling. It made him look feral, which is cool. The harder joke also caught me of guard. Last thing about Striker, he is well animated. It may seem obvious but i feel like its really not, especially not in season two.

I dont have much to say about Millie, Loona and Stella. Really, my only thought is that Stella looks kinda weird in this ep. Her head feels to big, especially when Andre is next her. Fortunetly Loona and Millie look alright.

Short note about worldbuilding, it gets more and more messed up. What at first looked like nice little clues for creating a bigger picture now is more like random stuff mixed together so they can pretend to be whole. Hell looks more and more like a structured society with jails, hospitals, offices and so on and yet it makes it hard to ignore how absolutely insane this idea is. At first hell looked like a total lack of rules, then we got some info that IMP using Grimouir is illegal, then human disguises, lawsuits and even jail which overall makes an impression that there is some law. But what is this, how does it work? No idea whatsoever. Then we have hierarchy with imps being at the very bottom of it. Now it seems like they arent really so different if they can afford places like Asmodeus or restaurants Stella is willing to go to. Blitzo having a bussines was a big deal but nothing really came out of it. Also whats with their sizes?? They can be as big as Loona or small enough to fit in a bag. It gets more and more confusing. I wont even talk about Moxxies dad, an imp being a literal mob boss ( mafia exists in hell???). Its all a right mess.

Another thing thats is a mess is a quality of sound design and sometimes animation. I felt so disconected from fight scene in this episode because music didnt fit at all. The tension that should have been there went and never came back. Though the animation was gorgeous. However its not so pretty in many other moments where anatomy of characters becomes a mere suggestion. Sometimes the problem is in proportions, sometimes in perspective but also how some scenes are connected and how the mood isnt appropriate for the overall action.

But since we are getting to the end of this post, let me tell about some good things. And by that i mean the end scene. Its really good, it made me feel what i have felt while watching first season. It was emotional but in a quiet, honest way. We got some small gesture that was meaningfull in a context. We also got some explanation about what happened after Ozzie (a little too late, but better than never) and in such a way that i can appreciate. I like small clues, that u have to focus on to fully understand whats happening. Its one of the things that got me into Helluva, it was fascinating to use small things to create bigger pictures. I loved that, and i wish there was more of that in this season.

To finish, i think the biggest problem of this season is that it doesnt know how to build up on what was shown before. It got lost with all the characters, dramas and possible plots and in the end lost the core idea that was at the beggining - IMP bussines. Now it rushes into different plot points and mucks up most of them because of that. It also doesnt give us anything new? First ep was a sensation with mixed response, but despite other ones having important moments it never got up anywhere near the excitment that started with 5 ep of season 1. I really miss that feeling but i am losing hope that Helluva will return to its former quality and charm.

If u read all of this, thank u very much. :3

#helluva boss #english is not my native language #helluva disscussion #helluva spoilers #helluva critical

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scrambled-eggsed · 5 months

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gonna say smth about a ballad of songbirds and snakes even though i havent read the book and only saw trailers and listened to the olivia rodrigo song

i had a friend who watched the movie and said "it was good but it wasnt really the hunger games" and yeh sounds about right! from what im getting the prequel is built to be aesthetically completely different from the trilogy. the overarching story is entirely different, its focusing on an actual love story/a sort of relationship bw two characters for the major arch of the film, rather than fit that into a saga about fighting the fascist regime

which is not to say the the prequel is just a simple nd shallow story set in the hunger games' world of atrocities, because the relations bw the two characters are still built with that tension in mind. but it should be just ever so slightly separated from those atrocities, only for you to get hit in the face with them when it inevitably tears the characters apart

and thats why i honestly really love the title - its a ballad, its a strange forgotten story, its something just a little different and unknown in this setting. despite only being a few decades b4 the main plot its still set in an othered tone. something that diverges aesthetically from anything you could expect from the hunger games

especially since its a character we know from the trilogy, especially since its so bizarre to see him young and compassionate and full of emotion. its not impossible, it isnt out of character, not really. its just unthinkable - which only adds to that air of the unlikely story about an unlikely relationship

even lucy gray (whom again i only know from trailers) stands out in a way that she could only be seen as a myth through the lenses of the trilogy - as in, through the standard we, the viewers who know how the country looks in its future, expect to see. but shes unique - her attitude towards the capitol, towards snow himself, is defiant and rebellious in a way we never see from anyone aside from those who eventually knock the capitol down

and again, she stays within its limits - right up to the end. the only spoiler i know is what happens to her at the end of the movie, which is the aforementioned punch in the face of the world and its circumstances - such a character doesnt stay, doesnt get an ending of settling down in the system. without knowing id already guessed she either dies or runs off, because theres isnt another option for an end to this ballad. only smth that would truly pin down the story aesthetically, and let us fill in for ourselves the gap of the next few decades in snow's life

and tbh thats why ive been listening to "cant catch me now" on repeat today. bc its so perfect for this tone, for the notion of a forbidden and lost story, which only serves to add a bit of shadow and context to the cold and heartless character we see in the trilogy. the melody is so gentle and free, really ties up the story of these two characters, the final and bottom-line principle we now know of the betrayal and anger snow carries inside him. no sympathy or pity, just acceptance that although there used to be something good in him, it had long since died. all the same longing and emotion, with understanding for the hurt and the pain under the layers of cruelty

from what i gather the country in the movie is set with technology that is perceived to us as just a little outdated for the trilogy, and same with the fashion. and along with all the callbacks/callforwards to the trilogy it only help to build this story as a magical ballad, myth, legend of this world, something so big yet so delicate and special that set in motion the inevitable uprising decades later. the same spark that we saw light up in the trilogy had started burning here. absolutely magical

honestly im interested to hear if i got any of this right. and also do you guys recommend the movie is it good lmk im considering watching it

#a ballad of songbirds and snakes #the hunger games #coriolanus snow #lucy gray baird #really was i right about any of this

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i-sveikata · 6 months

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AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-

You have no idea how immersed I was in this chapter. I'm still slightly shaking from all the emotions- just finished reading.

Even though I knew what should happen I still was so anxious about every next sentence!! I love you so much for keeping those scenes that most of us fell in love with in the series! Exact scenes and lines 🖤 The pool scene!!! (Although I'm so thankful that you left out "I'm hungry" 😂)

Really, reading Vegas's misery after only seeing adds up to a whole miserable image. Why can't these unhinged bastards have any peace for a moment!? I cried again reading how Pete had broken down so bad - I would too.

I did notice you left out the L-bomb Vegas said originally and I was secretly waiting for Pete to say that 👀 But ok, I can wait. They can do it in their own time not pressured by the necessity of events happening around them.

And the cliffhanger!! I knew there would be one but this kind? 🥲

I'm still thankful it's over now. The tension is not gone but bearable.

Chan ❤️ His death is what I couldn't forgive in the series so I'm glad he is ok.

And the ring!!! Omg! I really hope it stays on him or I will throw my hands on who may take it away!! It's almost like proposing 😅

I really loved how you managed to sneak so many fond and hot interactions between them while the world seemed to be on fire. But it works so well for them ❤️‍🔥

Anyway, I'm dead.

Thank you so much for this! Love you 🥺

omg i cant believe it made you feel that much thats insane and makes me so happy to hear! lol yeah i did keep a lot of the core from the show and some of the translated lines but yeah the hungry part did not fit for the vibe of this fic because i never went into the pet/master version of the story because that really didnt interest me tbh.

oh yeah that was also intentional!! i wanted it to be in a less high stakes moment especially because most of the time the both of them are arguing/trying to leverage the other person's feelings and attractions against the other during the fight. like throwing in a love bomb in there would have felt too disingenuous (and im so sure that pete wouldnt have fully trusted it if vegas had)

yeah im sorry about that one i couldnt resist!!! just felt so funny to me the idea that pete spends his whole time worried about vegas- so hyped up on adrenaline that he doesnt even realise he himself has been shot. but i promise he'll be okay!! he'll totally recover faster than vegas thats for sure.

omg hahahaha yeah i literally noped out of that plot point. dead chan? never heard of the concept.

yessssss the ring!!! so much of vegas staking his claim on pete in really obvious ways- he is not holding back at all now that he's noticed pete's actions changing towards him. and its going to be really interesting when the other realise that pete is wearing the ring.

hahahahahahaha LITERALLY but like was so fun and amusing at the same time somehow? like i guess murder and the world being on fire makes them horny gahefjagkhflgsghj

ahhh youre so welcome! love you right back :)

#fic asks #ill fill the graveyards until i have you

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junikshanasar · 2 years

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so bakugou is dead (?)

and man i gotta say, what a cool and emotional death

this panel right here is super cool

and dude, does he really carry the all might card aronud with him? that’s cute, maybe it’s like a good luck charm or something

i loved the end of the chapter and the build-up towards the panel’s reveal too, witht he whole “oof i wanted all might to sign my card” and “man that kid of ours doesn’t like rain” and it starts raining like yayy i love that sorta stuff

anyway with that aside, this was a completely unnecessary “plot twist”

shouto may be my favourite, but I like bakugou’s character, he truly has a wonderful character arc and is definitely the most dynamic of the origin trio. ofc, i don’t want him to be dead, but i wouldn’t be opposed to it either

the issue is YOU CANT TAKE ONE OF YOUR BEST CHARACTERS AND KILL HIM OFF SO LAMELY

while the death itself was pretty sick, the reasoning behind it and it’s (current) effect on the story is just absymal

storywise, this pretty much plays like,

uh, spoilers for jojo’s part 2

this pretty much plays like caesar’s death, and if you didn’t already know, caesar is one of my favourite characters in the series (i finally understood all the caesar salad jokes my brother made ಠ_ಠ)

anyway it’s unexpected, adds shock value, and it’s very emotional

but what does it add to the story and fight? nothing! nada! it pretty much just takes a strong character out to showcase how strong our mc is. however, the difference is that storywise caesar doesnt rlly add anything to the major plot rip, but on the other hand-

bakugou is literally one of our foils and the main rival. he’s not like sir nighteye or stars and stripes who sorta appear and then disappear (altho sir nighteye was infinitely more useful to the story and a better character than star, but that’s irrelevant rn)

well, there’s been a lotta weird choices in this ‘final battle arc,’ so let’s start with deku not even being here. with all their careful planning, it only makes sense for smthing to go wrong. it’s like one of the rules of storywriting: everything that can go wrong, will go wrong, or at the very least everything should not go completely according to plan or you won’t have any tension or interest

that being said, there's rlly no narrative tension at all to things ‘going wrong’ with deku ending up in the wrong area. his presence literally does nothing for uraraka, toga and the rest, and he literally skedaddles right away. that’s one wasted opportunity for, idk smthing. def NOT a monologue tho, thank god Tsuyu cut that off it would’ve been such a waste of time, especially during battle

but okay, i understand the real tension comes from his absence where bakugou, the big 3 and aizawa are, but when we watch their battle and see just how badly they’re doing, it makes deku’s presence who we’re waiting on (for way too long, might I add) feel like it a deus ex machina of sorts, rather than the final key to their plan

it rlly just feels like wowowow shiggy too stronk we need op deku to save the day like bruh

on that vein, the reasoning behind bakugou’s death is straight up whack. ig it’s not super out there that bakugou would die, he’s all battered up after all, but here’s what it felt like we were building up for:

when deku finna arrives, bakugou and deku would hafta work together, deku with his whatever op power he's gonna one-shot shiggy with (maybe talk-no jutsu XD, idk), and bakugou with his understanding and quick pick-up of how shiggy thinks, fights and moves. together they would not only be able to anticipate shiggy's moves, but also have the firepower to carry through

but bakugou dying straight up nopes that, like what were you even building towards with bakugou predicting shiggy’s moves then???

Starting with that, one of the potential reasons for bakugou dying is that he feels the urge to help, because a hero doesnt stop fighting until they die, he must keep fighting, he needs to win

ok and? mans is one of the weakest fighters there + he’s not even in peak condition, he’s literally all beaten up. yes, afo is intimidated by him, but that’s because he’s literally kamikaze-ing this fight, when there is no reason for him to do so. his continued fighting is acc a burden on the others, since we can see they need to go out of their way to protect him (not that they succeed rip)

with all that said, i do understand it’s not in bakugou’s character to just sit back while he can ‘still fight,’ it just feels so immature and unstrategic of him, especially when he seems to have worked out shiggy’s fighting patterns which he could then communicate to the others, namely deku when he arrives. but, ig I hafta remember that bakugou is literally a kid and they are in the heat of battle, so I will put this argument aside for now

A counter argument is, he may have wanted to test out his theories on how shiggy fights, by acc fighting him. brilliant! he was clearly right! he also has absolutely no reason to do so, when earlier he was clearly observing through watching shiggy fight the others.

he coulda left it at that because a) pros like best jeanist and miruko who can still actively fight are there, b) the BIG THREE of ua are there, you cannot say that bakugou is on par with the big 3, that's just unrealistic. even if they cant handle it, what's he supposed to do?

with regards to the big three tho, it’s obvious they’ve been shoved aside and are just sorta there. despite all the hype for tamaki’s big ko move, it ends up falling flat

Well, in the end bakugou is bakugou, he will join the fray regardless, so let me just BRING UP THAT LAMEASS FINAL LINE

like in a certain context, this would be perfect. yes, this is exactly what deku has been doing for most of his battles up until now. but deku’s not even here

if bakugou and deku had been fighting together, and then bakugou got hit since he's injured and not at his best and then died? that would made a lot more sense, and had more of a narrative, but also emotional impact

yes, i admit it, i was not sad at all by bakugou’s death. shocked? yes. but sad or emotional? not rlly.

if bakugou had died while he was fighting together with deku, not only would it be a blow because deku's intelligence source abt shiggy fight patterns is out, thus tipping the supposed fight in shiggy's favour, but we also acc get that emotional tension from deku reacting to his death

acc, this is pretty much what happened when bakugou got stabbed like everywhere during the war arc while protecting midoriya. now that, i felt smthing. back there, it was done quite well and effectively, even tho bakugou didnt die. it affected the fight because deku went sicko mode (as most shounen protags tend to do), and it was in-line with bakugou's character arc

this death was too rushed! does it feel like parallels, like bakugou is experiencing what deku felt as is spoonfed to use by the top three text panels?

no, not really. it feels like we hafta show just how powerful deku has gotten by having his 'rival' literally kill himself trying to catch up to him. this death could’ve acc played out really nicely, and this line could’ve been really solid because ‘catching up’ has always been one of the themes between bakugou and midoriya.

im just upset they did his death so half-heartedly, it's so obvsly more of a shock-value thing

phew, ok, had to get that off my chest. after that entire rant, i’d like to mention that bakugou might not be perma dead lmao

i’ve seen some ppl arent believing in the death until the whole fight is over, since bakugou is literally THE most popular character according to polls. i’ve seen others mention that gran torino also had an emotional ‘death,’ but he didn’t acc die

i’d like to point out that upon rereading, they never acc say mans died, just screamed abt his heart which got desecrated here:

we only saw the image of bloody bakugou, but the last time we were only told and not shown smthing was when they were looking for the UA traitor and the chapter ended off with hagakure, who we all know is NOT the traitor

I’d acc be cheesed if after all those dramatics mans comes back to life without at the very least permanent consequences, but yea, there’s also a lot of references to the vestiges. afo relates bakugou to the second user,

so we can also mayyyybe assume the second user might have an ability that can heal/help bakugou? in any case, we know the second user and bakugou are very similar, which i think most people suspected anyway

but also just all his interactions with the vestiges. we can see here that right before shiggy does that ‘final blow,’ bakugou’s eyes are shaped like stars

plus all the star spars around him, so he might be connecting to the vestige world or maybe their powers in some way?? because right after that we see him talking to vestige all might in his head

maybe this is a sign he’s somehow connected to the vestige world through a panicked afo who did smthing idk, but regardless I suspect this isnt the end of bakugou

or i just overcomplicated things! who knows, who knows, gotta wait for the next chapterヾ(⌐■_■)ノ♪

#manga spoilers #bnha #chapter 362 #boku no hero academia #bnha spoilers #jojo spoilers #bakugou katsuki #midoriya izuku #deku #all might #bakugou death #vestiges #big three #manga analysis #Character Discussion #character death #im tired after typing that up lmao

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lumyart · 9 months

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Ok just hopping on here to sayyy, thank you for your writing!! Thank you for sharing it with us 🙏🙏🙏🫶🫶🫶

I love golden melodies (its a romcom we deserve) and my favorite is oos 🫶 its not even the sexual tension but lit the way you write the emotional push and pull between them, alicent’s spiralling, the angst, Rhaenyra hopelessly in love (and her willingness to do anything Ali wants just so that she can have her in her life again/ even tho she knows she will get hurt again) . It’s all just *chef’s kiss

Did you do any research on the dom/sub culture? I find it really refreshing how you’re writing the community and exploring the motives/desires of people who are part of the lifestyle. Usually people just hang onto the sex part without realising that even more intoxicating is the release that stems from the psychological play. The thrill of controlling someone or being controlled, letting go and having someone take care of you (especially if you’re a person that has to take care of everyone in your daily life) , it can be freeing. Anyway you really do it so well, i cant wait to see what happens next. And also hope that it will be one of your longer ones 🤞 i don’t want it to end!

thank you for the support🥰!!! couldn't be happier writing than i am now knowing how much you appreciate my fics!

OoS is my favorite too to be honest, even if golden melodies is my baby and i love her, OoS is the fic i always dreamed of writing<3 i did a tiny bit of research but not that much, mostly because 99.99% of the available sources come from straight relationships and i don't like what they have to say about bdsm😀 i gave up on finding any good lesbian spaces after a while and decided to simply write it based on my experience and what i already knew + some occasional research for like, safety things (Rhaenyra is a worried dom🫡). i'm really interested in the psychological dynamics behind it, i think it makes it even better and adds a fun bit of romance too in their case, which is why i've based the whole fic around this pretty much😭

i'm glad you enjoy it and like the choices i've made writing this fic! i know a lot of people probably expected straight up smut and nothing else (and we're definitely getting there for the smut, i think it will be in every chapter from now on) but that’s not the bdsm i enjoy and not what i felt like writing!

it will definitely be my longest fic haha don't worry about that, i have so many plot points to resolve😭

#asks #OoS

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roughentumble · 1 year

Text

just watched the monster (2016), directed and written by bryan bertino, and it was such a waste of fucking time. all the things people mock about A24 films misused and cranked up to the point of parody, melted together with the illogical shitty writing and directing one can expect from the creator of the complete disaster that is "the strangers". an idiot plot full of holes and inconsistencies just to get us from point A to point B because actually writing is really hard, so why bother trying. the monster doesnt act like a logical Thing that Exists, it acts like a plot motivator, constantly walking away from food and prey that's easily accessible because it would be ~~soooo much spooookier ooooo~~ to wait and jump back out again later. (hint: it isnt actually scarier, because the film has no idea how to craft tension on any level).

you cant even claim that the monster acted strangely because it was acting as a metaphor or something else one might predict from an A24 horror film, because it just isnt. it isnt acting as a metaphor for anything, it's just a thing that's out there and acts like the anamatronic in a dark ride, jumping out and going BOO! at scripted points to scare the protagonists, or sometimes lurking behind them pointlessly since they never turn around to see it, just like the pointless lurking in the strangers. it WANTED to be a metaphor, oh sure, it's plain as day that it WANTED to be a metaphor for ~~the monster that is parental abuse and alcoholism ooo~~, but the writing simply isnt good enough to actually Make a metaphor. bertino has no idea how to do it. so it's actions have no logical or metaphorical motivation, making it just a jumpscare puppet.

i dont really give a shit about the trials and tribulations of the abusive mom who never shouldve had custody of her child, and i dont really care when she cries or gets hurt because who the fuck feels anything for a person who smacks their child in the face to get more beer, or screams at her "fuck you, i hate you," because she wanted to be dropped off at her school play? boo hoo, your kid doesnt want you drunk in the crowd while she's trying to perform. good job convincing her you care by driving away and screaming "i hate you, fuck you, get your own fucking ride to the play," like the mature adult you are. you sure showed that 12 year old!

the only satisfaction in the plot was in her worthless, meaningless death because her character wasnt even smart enough to come up with a plan the 12 year old figured out in minutes. the entire movie was her kid being smarter than her, and her disregarding it and putting her child in danger.

the monster design was boring and uninspired, though it had potential i think, and i admire the use of practical effects and costumes. the makeup work for the monster was good, and the team behind it should be commended. also the child actress managed to hold her own despite a script that required a /lot/ of crying and emotions, so good on her. it's too bad ella ballentine's performance is buried under a trashheap of a script

#i hated this movie so fucking much and i hate this writer/director so fucking much he is so bad at making movies

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hikari-ni-naritai · 1 year

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Since you have read/ watched all of them, do you have a favorite isekai? Or like a top 5 or however many

well it's a complicated question really, because isekai is a pretty varied genre (despite what one might think), so a lot of them dont compare to each other, and we also have to consider whether we're including reverse-isekai like 'devil is a part timer' and pseudo-isekai (anime that have all the trappings of isekai but the protagonist is not from another world) like 'danmachi 'is it wrong to pick up girls in a dungeon' and also reincarnation-within-the-same-world-but-its-so-radically-different-its-like-an-isekai anime like 'misfit of demon king academy' and also non-anime isekai like 'the owl house' or 'wizard of oz' (which actually follows a very similar thread as modern isekai) and also isekai-as-a-plot-device-but-it-doesnt-follow-any-isekai-tropes like 'mairimashita iruma-kun' and the answers to all of these questions would likely change my response.

i DO however have a favorite isekai of all time, which is No Game No Life. that's a fairly well-known name though and definitely not for everyone. beyond that, while i cant specifically rank them, i CAN give you a couple that i really like!

so first off if you dont know NGNL, its about a loser neet guy and his loser neet sister who together are undefeated video game addicts, and they get sent to a world where everything is decided by games. despite stating multiple times from the very start that they will never and can never lose, the series does a remarkable job of building up tension that most overpowered protagonist isekais cant hope to match. an excellent story about believing in the potential of humanity but very heavy on the uh. very awkward fanservice. watch at your own risk.

another one i really liked was I'm Quitting Heroing, which was about a guy who defeated the demon lord, only to show up a few weeks later with a professional resume and a powerpoint about the skills and benefits he would bring to the demon lord's army. it holds a special place in my heart for reasons i cant quite articulate, though i'll hazard a guess that it might be because it features themes of learning to embrace immortality.

if you like gratuitous and lovingly animated violence, Reincarnated As A Sword was a beautiful story about a cute catgirl full of rage and murder who gets hold of a big magic sword with a guy in it. very wholesome and also very bloody! shes my daughter basically. season 2 coming!

if you like really pathetic loser guys with everything wrong with them, Eminence in Shadow is. like holy shit dude. his dream in life is to be so so powerful he can kill everything and survive an atomic bomb. but he spends all his time playing the part of Worlds Most Generic NPC. the show commits to everything with all its heart and its so fucking funny.

something more lighthearted that i really love is Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear. it's just a girl in a bear costume living in another world but its very charming. good if you like girl main characters.

I'd also recommend Fabiniku, which if you havent seen around is about two guys who get sent to another world but one becomes a cute girl. its just cute and good. and shes basically trans until shes canonically trans.

one i mentioned in my first paragraph, Misfit of Demon King Academy, is one of my favorites. the demon king sacrifices himself to end the war between demons and humans and reincarnates 2000 years later. one of those extremely overpowered protagonist type shows, but hes got real pizazz about it, yknow? hes a good guy. personally i think its a better show if you headcanon him as aroace but ymmv.

and finally, the most . tentative recommendation on my list. would be Mushoku Tensei. ive talked about this before but its SO difficult to sort out my emotions on this one bc, i cant lie, it is kinda fucking vile! its like some guy in his 30s getting reincarnated as a baby, and he uh, very extremely sexualises the girls he is around as he grows up, and they are . also children. and thats bad and gross and uncomfortable! but like. everything else, the story, the music, the animation, is SO lovingly crafted. like REALLY good. but fuck dude, yknow? you gotta put up with a LOT. but if that doesnt bother you, it's worth watching.

anyway thank you for your curiosity! <3

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ao3feed-brimsleyreynolds · 10 months

Text

You Said You Loved Me (Or Were You Just Being Kind?)

by caterpillar_rave

As the carriage ride stretched on, eventually the sounds of the city began to fade away. The squat brick lodgings turned into lines of trees and the dusty cobblestone became white gravel. Brimsley lifted his gaze from the floor. At the very heart of the grumbling city, a breath of air. He had of course seen St. James Palace before, nearly everyone in London had, but looking at it approaching now, with the promise of a very new kind of life on the horizon, the view was far more spectacular then it had been before. Brimsley could not help the swell of pride as he imagined this grand historic place to be his new home, and made the twentieth promise to himself that day that he would. get. this. job.

~~~

"All afternoon, doing every little chore The thought of you stays bright. Sometimes I stand in the middle of the floor, Not going left, not going right. I dim the lights, and think about you. Spend sleepless nights to dream about you. You said you loved me, or were you just being kind? Or am I losing my mind?" -Stephen Sondheim

~~~

Reynolds has to train the new Queens Man, emotional damage ensues.

Words: 5043, Chapters: 2/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (TV), Bridgerton (TV)

Rating: Mature

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/F, M/M

Characters: Brimsley (Bridgerton), Reynolds (Bridgerton), Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1744 -1818), George III of the United Kingdom, Princess Augusta - Character

Relationships: Brimsley/Reynolds (Bridgerton), Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1744 - 1818)/George III of the United Kingdom

Additional Tags: Augusta is def ooc, im a clown juggling historical bowling pins, dont worry about it, this is pretty much all Reynolds and Brimsley, Charlotte and George's relationship is far far in the background, Angst and Fluff and Smut, they fuck before they say they like each other, Reynolds is playing a literal game of fuck around and find out, brimsley is screaming All Too Well (10 min version) in the shower, Charlotte and George are oblivious, Augusta is exhausted, thats the plot, Boys In Love, Slow Burn, Internalized Homophobia, not too bad though, Brimsley Has Anxiety (Bridgerton), i love that that is a tag its so real, Unresolved Emotional Tension, oh uh yeah also when the smut happens heres tags for that, Dom/sub Undertones, Anal Sex, Hand Jobs, Semi-Public Sex, the victorian thing where you pass out if you see an elbow, theyre horny af, also there are some os but they are super minor background characters don't worry about them, no beta and i cant spell so have fun with that

link

#brimsley #reynolds #brimsley x reynolds #ao3feed #IFTTT #fanfic

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deonideatta · 2 years

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EPISODE 7!!!!!!!

OH OH CAMP PROM

ej promised gina he’d save the last dance for her… (the foreshadowing-)

omg gina and the rest of the girls look so good!!! and ricky choked on his fruit punch 😭

rip gina just asked ej to dance with her and he said ‘a couple more prompts’ because hes running lines with everyone because 24 hours til showtime (yk what i understand, they've barely had 2 weeks to put this musical on, id be stressed as hell)

Breakup :(

Im honestly so sad because this could've been done so much better and i really am cursing out the writers room because irrespective of shipping, the writing is so off this season and the breakup could've been so much better.

NO WHY WAS THEIR BREAKUP EMOTIONAL MOMENT CUT OFF BY COMEDIC MOMENT?? FOUL

there was a season 2 breakup with 2 of the other main characters (ricky and the other love square girl) and in comparison, that was done so much better, there was care and thought put into this and not that there isnt for the portwell breakup BUT WHAT IS THIS???

Omg ricky and gina in a room and tension and shes sad and crying and hes like *i wanna help*

Oh my god ricky was about to tell gina about his feelings and then gina saw ej and tension and he asked what happening and she told him about breakup so he decided not to

FINALE EPISODE!!!!!!!

RICKY’S BIRTHDAY!

Oh ricky went to go find gina

IM HAVING EMOTIONS

pain

well half this episode is just showtime

oH ALSO 2nd girl of the love square is here but she always does for opening nights regardless and its so supportive and loving and AH (also the actress who plays her isnt returning for the next seasons so this is a send off)

No no nooooooooo

ej calling his dad and his dad not even doing the bare minimum of checking on his kid and now hes breaking down but its okay because his friend is there

OK well fast forward and they’re at the premiere of the documentary and the trailer is basically a reality tv trailer where theyre all depicted like enemies and backstabbers

this is so messy

omg there was a part in the trailer where ricky and gina were alluded to be getting together and right after the trailer ended, gina said she’s sorry but ej said she doesnt have to be, we all saw this coming 😭

oh great confession

and kiss

great

SO THAT WAS SEASON THREE

my least favorite season for many reasons like half the cast being mia, the way characterization was (specifically ej’s) and how some plots seemed thrown in

I may have to cleanse and rewatch season 1 and 2

I cant believe they broke up skfjsjd and so unsatisfyingly too??? Bc of bad communication skfjsd I'm crying 😭😭 what about everything they built up before 😔😔 what a waste

No way they interrupted the breakup with a comedic moment 💀💀 that really is foul oml

It's fully possible to write a realistic and acceptable breakup, but from what I'm getting from your description and all the analysis people were posting in the hsmtmts tag this was very much not that lol. Also its really funny to me that they end every season with a breakup 😂

Not ricky about to tell gina about his feelings when as far as he knew she was still in a relationship 🤨 at least he held back in the end lol

The second girl in the square is nini right? I still have no idea what she even looks like lol. Good that she got a nice send off tho!

I feel rlly bad for ej hhh he lost both his last summer and his girlfriend 🥲 they really did him dirty, based on what i've seen in the tag lol people were out there writing essays 😭😭 and he deserved some appreciation for putting so much time and effort into the program, and yet he got so little 🥲 big oof that his dad didn't even acknowledge his efforts skdjs he deserves better

I saw the rina kiss and confession in gifs, and yea it was sweet skfjd they shot and acted it really well.

Not ej saying they all saw it coming tho lol rip

The trailer being huge drama bait tho skdjs I saw a clip that someone posted and it really was peak evil editing 😂😂 I wonder what impact it will have

I was going through the tag the day the episode came out and people were speaking facts about how they butchered ej's character, it's so sad 🥲 hopefully the next season will be better for him. At least Gina is happy tho? So ig that's something lol

#thanks again for the update #the final update :')#when will the next season be? have they announced it #i'll look forward to your updates on it when it comes lol #ask #hsmtmts #portwell #i need a specific tag for these posts/asks

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makowo · 1 year

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I posted 6,043 times in 2022

1,245 posts created (21%)

4,798 posts reblogged (79%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@febo-asoma

[ex-mutual that sucks]

@moodorbs

@pandadust

@penicillinsteve

I tagged 5,869 of my posts in 2022

Only 3% of my posts had no tags

#misc - 3,096 posts

#makotalk - 1,385 posts

#danganronpa - 331 posts

#art - 318 posts

#animals - 259 posts

#pokemon - 231 posts

#makoto naegi - 203 posts

#fav - 173 posts

#inscryption - 140 posts

#minecraft - 108 posts

Longest Tag: 108 characters

#🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝🤝

My Top Posts in 2022:

[no no go off flood my tags it is super weird about how Kyoko is given a hope obsession despite her just trying to make a clever compliment and I don't get how he needs better friends, like his friends are willing to harbor terrorist fugitives for him what more do you want.]

okay okay okay. SO.

Kyoko is most fucking definitely not hope obsessed. i dont know how people were led to interpret her like this, but it's obvious if you think about her backstory, motivations, and actions for a even few minutes.

Kyoko is someone entirely defined by her logical way of thinking, and is literally written to directly contrast Makoto's more emotional thought process. She makes no direct reference to Hope and Despair as actual concepts or sides to take, other than in the final trial, when everyone has to do that. She calls Makoto the Ultimate Hope with no idea that it would really catch on, or that this would be a title with any weight.

Hell, Makoto isn't even that hope-obsessed, none of the dr1 cast is (except Junko ofc, though obsessed with opposition to it). He mentions it a lot because he's gotta as the Ultimate Hope, and the world is kinda defined by this conflict. Nagito and Munakata are the only major characters that could be defined like this directly, tbh

Makoto also already has great friends. It's just that at that point, they had known each other for a month, wherein that entire month was dictated by a high stress situation where any of these strangers could be plotting their murder at any moment. The reason Kyoko is the one to save Makoto is not because she's the only one that cared, she's the only one that was entirely convinced of both his innocence and survival.

The others had to have known in some way that Makoto was innocent, even though Kyoko certainly informed none of them of this. But Monokuma had stuck tightly to this idea of following the rules he set, and the fifth trial was really out of left field. I can't blame them for not trying to go save Makoto because they had no idea if he even survived that execution anyway, and if they didnt vote for someone during that trial, they would all die. It was a lose-lose situation, with no right answer to it.

(I will say however that canon does NOT do well with showing how they would have grown closer after escaping HPA, and that scene in the cafeteria where everyone backs off from him like that was just a bad attempt to shove in some comedy to lighten the tension. This doesn't immediately mean they're assholes to him tho, just stop taking canon at face value like that.)

In the end, I do think some of this can also be attributed to Makoto fans entirely misinterpreting Makoto's character. I'm sure you've seen the Jesus Makoto posts, as well as lots of people viewing him as pure and without fault without thinking abt any of his actions (blatantly points at sdr2) critically, nor even probing the surface of his character. I don't need to say anything more.

43 notes - Posted March 19, 2022

we all know that if naekusaba somehow happened at some point in canon then they'd definitely be awkward exes at best right. like we all are aware that makoto hears abt her crush on him and felt kinda bad, so he tried to make her happy by giving it a try. it couldnt work out at all though bcs mukuro likes him just because he smiled at her once, cant hold a conversation for the life of her, and generally doesn't have the personality nor any interests that would mesh well with his at all. the only reason it lasts as long as two months is bcs makoto doesn't have the heart to back out and mukuro doesn't want to acknowledge the truth of the situation. it's painfully obvious to everyone else though, so someone steps in because it's just unbearable to watch it go on for any longer

43 notes - Posted February 18, 2022

we could be doing something very neat with despair makoto aus yknow.

something about the Ultimate Hope title being inherently cursed for the superiority it gives over other people while also constantly perpetrating the concept of Ultimates as a whole.

something about how it is a title given to those that managed to survive extreme suffering that they should never have had to go through, but only puts them further away from others around them.

something about the way it makes others glorify the person; they are brought to being a symbol of something greater, a herald of a new age. An expected martyr, at worst. that person isnt a person anymore, just a stand-in for something greater

something about how it would inevitably destroy even the kindest people, because no person could bear that weight. The inevitable end is destruction of others and the self, because there's far too much strain put upon a person who got this title for going through something horrible.

no matter how much good it symbolizes, no matter how much good can be done with it, it still holds a similar standing as Ultimate Despair. opposites inevitably reflect one another.

45 notes - Posted June 2, 2022

see if you're going to make Naegi an angel or some divine, powerful thing in an au you have to do it with some amount of irony. it is integral to Naegi's character that he is from a very normal background, a completely innocuous person who is thrust into the limelight via the most stressful method possible. You can't get around that fact without rewriting a huge chunk of what caused him to be a kind, compassionate person.

it feels just. Wrong. when Makoto starts out special. that role of being special must be thrust upon him, or it be previously stated that he wasn't always such a person. Makoto is a normal guy who must suddenly need to take on the great responsibility of leading others, due to his stellar performance of leading others in a deeply traumatizing event.

if he's specifically stated to be the one and only person able to be this beacon of hope, and/or takes it with absolute grace, then like. what the Fuck is the point yknow. that's not Makoto, that's an ideal version of Makoto that completely undermines his extremely average background, and his continuous troubles with self-esteem and the lack of experience he has in being "special".

62 notes - Posted June 19, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

543 notes - Posted March 3, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#makotalk #year in review #i love how so much of this post ends up being just a compilation of long analysis posts. topped off with The Accursed Post

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learnthisphrase · 1 year

Text

Best books of 2022

The 12 best books I read this year

The World Cannot Give by Tara Isabella Burton (Simon & Schuster, 2022)

Shortly after starting at St. Dunstan’s, a private school on the windswept Maine coast, 16-year-old Laura joins the school choir and develops an infatuation with its pious, exacting president, Virginia. Soon Virginia’s passions (God, running) become Laura’s, and the choir becomes her family. The narrative focuses relentlessly on this small group and the school campus, which both creates the impression of a faintly otherworldly setting, and reproduces within itself the hyper-focused, enveloping smallness of Laura’s obsessions.

Through Laura we see how easy it is to locate the numinous in someone or something you love – and how dangerous that can be. This is a story about how obsession is an endless vista unfolding and then, eventually, a prison; a story to make you feel fury and sympathy and pity for your younger self. In deceptively controlled prose, Burton creates a world that feels like an enchantment, filled with aching nostalgia, terror and sadness. I felt hugely invigorated by it, and left it behind reluctantly.

A History of Fear by Luke Dumas (Atria Books, 2022)

Presented as a manuscript written by convicted murderer Grayson Hale, an American student in Edinburgh who killed a classmate and claimed the Devil made him do it, A History of Fear is immediately gripping. This is a novel about repression, religion, the dangers of denying oneself and generational trauma – but it’s also just a really fucking good ghost story: brimming with atmosphere, full of the kind of creeping, swirling uncertainty that makes great horror. It walks a tricky path – balancing real emotional damage/confusion and a supernatural threat – with grace and, it seems, ease, while the pure intrigue and tension generated by the central question (is Hale really communing with the Devil?) never let up. I raced through it so quickly I barely paused for breath.

Conquest by Nina Allan (riverrun, 2023)

Nina Allan is my favourite writer and this is an extraordinary novel: a deeply complex and layered work of speculative fiction that rewards close reading yet is also incredibly enjoyable. The plot revolves around a missing man, his girlfriend’s search for him, and whether his belief in an incipient alien war has any basis in reality. Touching on themes that include conspiracy theories, mental illness, music and code, ambition and apathy, faith and doubt, it’s a story about what happens to someone who falls into the cracks between scepticism and delusion. Yet the truth is it’s impossible to capture what’s great about Conquest in a paragraph, because it’s about everything – the stuff of life, the search for meaning. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to start all over again; when I do, I know I will find new meanings and mysteries in the text.

Lote by Shola von Reinhold (Jacaranda Books, 2020)

Lote is an academic mystery about a secret society. It’s about the exclusion of Black people from (what is recorded of) history; a woman who repeatedly seeks to escape her own life and reinvent herself; an odd artists’ residency where people speak in pure cant and revere an obscure architect... All these things are in there, but there’s also a load of other stuff – about aesthetics, beauty, decadence, ways of seeing – Lote is a book of fantasies and ideas, fizzing with intelligence, infused with baroque spirit, written with immense charm and openness. It’s unique in the true sense of the word; I can think of nothing to compare it to. I read it in a delirious trance and it left me dizzy with pleasure.

Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater (Hodder & Stoughton, 2023)

Cynical, normie-hating Roach has worked at a beleaguered branch of bookshop chain Spines since she was a teenager. When a new team are brought in to reverse the shop’s fortunes, she meets a very different type of bookseller: the stylish, friendly, popular Laura. The two women soon clash over their opinions on true crime, and Roach’s initial desire for a friendship curdles into hate. What unfolds after that is a thrilling, fast-paced story of obsession with a dark, sticky soul. It combines a razor-sharp character study with bags of atmosphere and a deliciously nasty underbelly – think Looker meets The Poison Tree meets Boy Parts. So, which bookseller meets an untimely end? That’d be telling... but you won’t be able to put it down until you find out.

Liar, Dreamer, Thief by Maria Dong (Grand Central Publishing, 2023)

While I was reading Liar, Dreamer, Thief, I felt like I was living inside the world of its heroine Katrina Kim – who I found infinitely loveable even though she’s a self-confessed disaster and one of her main interests is stalking a colleague, Kurt. When he suddenly vanishes, leaving a cryptic note that seems meant for Katrina, her already-messy world spirals even further out of control. The writing is sometimes awkward, sometimes brilliant, and it suits the character perfectly – it really feels like this is Katrina’s voice rather than a novel. The story, too, is always shifting and transforming. Is it a conspiracy thriller, an ‘unhinged woman’ narrative, a story about a fractured family coming back together? It’s all three and more: a glorious Technicolor starburst of a novel. It’s funny and poignant, colourful, totally immersive, and – somehow – oddly cosy and comforting.

A Station on the Path to Somewhere Better by Benjamin Wood (Scribner, 2018)

12-year-old Daniel and his father, Francis, are going on a road trip: Francis, who creates props for TV programmes, has promised to take Daniel to visit the set of his favourite show. If that sounds wholesome, think again – Francis is a volatile, unstable man and when the visit doesn’t go to plan, devastating chaos ensues. This harrowing sequence of events unfolds with all the gravity of a factual story, imbued with a terrible urgency that sweeps the reader along. A Station on the Path to Somewhere Better is one of the most finely crafted, powerful novels I have read all year. While the details may be disturbing, the writing is simply so flawless that reading it felt, against the odds, like breathing a huge sigh of relief.

The Appeal by Janice Hallett (Viper, 2021) and The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett (Viper, 2023)

Though I feel like the last person on Earth to hear about Janice Hallett’s bestselling mystery The Appeal, I am going to shout about it anyway – I can’t remember the last time I read something that so thoroughly lived up to the label ‘unputdownable’. And her forthcoming novel, The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels, is very much in the same vein. Both feature inventive narrative approaches: The Appeal is told primarily through emails; Alperton Angels is a patchwork of text messages, transcriptions, extracts from books and scripts, etc. I can’t get enough of this format, which allows plenty of space for the story to be funny and irreverent as well as exciting. It’s also completely addictive.

The Teardrop Method by Simon Avery (TTA Press, 2017) and A Box Full of Darkness by Simon Avery (Black Shuck Books, 2021)

One thing I love about reading is finding new(-to-me) authors whose writing excites me – that feeling where you immediately want to read everything of theirs you can get your hands on. This happened to me with Simon Avery’s quietly haunting speculative novella, The Teardrop Method. Soon afterwards I picked up his excellent collection A Box Full of Darkness, which I also loved (especially ‘Perfidious Albion’, which is about a mythic TV play, a cult-like organisation, grief and magic and is just so good). Avery’s fiction is compelling as hell, and he’s got a great knack for writing about the vaguely uncanny, the weird-in-the-ordinary, but more than that his work contains a deep understanding of loneliness and the different types of human connection that offer a route out of it. He writes like a natural heir to Joel Lane, with the same (rare) ability to pin down an ethereal, unsettling mood. I cannot wait to read more from him.

A Separate Peace by John Knowles (1959)

I am really bad at writing about classics, but I couldn’t not include this. (Not least because it is the novel The World Cannot Give was inspired by and partly based on, which makes it a perfect way to end my list of the year’s favourites.) A Separate Peace is told almost entirely from the perspective of a teenage boy at a New England boarding school during the Second World War. It’s the story of how these children of privilege navigate the paradox that constrains them: they will imminently join the fight, so they’re expected to grow up fast, but adults also treat them as paragons of precious innocence, to be indulged and coddled. The writing is so clean and smooth and lucid. It rolls along wonderfully; it’s emotionally resonant. I found it beautiful, and well deserving of its status.

Honourable mentions

Stargazer by Laurie Petrou (VERVE Books, 2022): A zingy headrush of a campus novel following the friendship (and rivalry) between two girls, Stargazer is absorbing and deftly structured, with possibly my favourite literary character of the year in Diana Martin. The sort of book I will never get bored of reading.

Build Your House Around My Body by Violet Kupersmith (Oneworld, 2021): A wide-ranging epic of love, hate, family legacy and folklore that’s SO much better and more interesting (and with a much stronger supernatural element!) than I initially expected, especially given the twee title. Recommended to fans of Ghostwritten and The Kingdoms.

Out of a Clear Sky by Sally Hinchcliffe (Pan, 2007): I missed this debut from Hinchcliffe (author of my beloved Hare House) when it was first published; I’m so glad I sought it out. A literary suspense novel about a woman trying to deal with both a breakup and a stalker, it features masterful storytelling reminiscent of Barbara Vine, with excellent writing about landscape and nature.

Lunar Park by Bret Easton Ellis (Picador, 2005): BEE writes himself into a horror story as a suburban dad, and there’s also a murderous Furby. It’s pretty difficult to describe this book beyond that, but it was orders of magnitude better than I’d hoped, entertaining and comic and eerie and brilliant, with an ending that has no right being so moving.

Found Audio by N.J. Campbell (Two Dollar Radio, 2017): If you love meta novels about lost media – and I do, though I acknowledge it’s a bit of a niche – this is a must-read. Revolving around a mysterious set of tapes and a search for something called ‘the City of Dreams’, it’s a sweeping, extremely propulsive adventure enlivened by a delicious element of uncertainty.

The Candy House by Jennifer Egan (Corsair, 2022): The scope of the storytelling in this incredibly intelligent, unpredictable book took my breath away. Wide-ranging, densely interconnected, character-centric and very empathetic – and you don’t need to remember A Visit from the Goon Squad to enjoy it.

Lambda by David Musgrave (Europa Editions, 2022): One of the most interesting sci-fi stories I’ve read in a while, absolutely bursting with ideas (too many to summarise here!) and cleverly developed perspectives. A funny, chilling and true portrait of a future world.

Children of Paradise by Camilla Grudova (Atlantic Books, 2022): An offbeat coming-of-age story about a young woman working in a singularly peculiar cinema. Camilla Grudova’s writing pulls the reader down into the enveloping ambience of the bizarre, wildly intriguing Paradise.

Case Study by Graeme Macrae Burnet (Saraband, 2021): In his faux-biography of a ‘forgotten 1960s psychotherapist’, Graeme Macrae Burnet pulls off the rare feat of writing two parallel narratives that are equally compelling. A riveting meta-novel in which the ‘truth’ is revealed at exactly the right pace.

The Witch in the Well by Camilla Bruce (Transworld, 2022): This tale of two ex-friends writing competing books about the same historical figure, a reputed witch, sees Camilla Bruce making a welcome return to the winning formula that made her debut (You Let Me In) so dazzling. Unreliable narrator + hints of horror/fantasy/fable = an irresistible combination.

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James (Berkley, 2020): A virtual masterclass in how to write a spooky, atmospheric mystery; I had a great time reading this. The forlorn – and definitely haunted – motel of the title jumps off the page.

Short stories

Unexpected Places to Fall From, Unexpected Places to Land by Malcolm Devlin (Unsung Stories, 2021)

Isn’t it amazing when you buy a book on a whim and it turns out to be exactly the sort of thing you’re always longing to read? I already knew of – and liked – Malcolm Devlin’s writing, but even so, Unexpected Places took me by surprise. This is a collection of linked stories (good) and encompasses a dazzling range of genres that might best be collectively summed up as speculative litfic (even better). It centres on a man called Prentis O’Rourke and the ways in which his death affects a number of different versions of reality. I adored ‘Walking to Doggerland’ (told in three parts scattered throughout the book), ‘Five Conversations With My Daughter (Who Travels in Time)’, and ‘My Uncle Eff’. The best stories in this book are subtly strange and totally unpredictable, but very human, even when they have pure SF concepts at their heart.

Whirlwind Romance by Sam Thompson (Unsung Stories, 2022)

Don’t be fooled by the title – Sam Thompson’s short stories sit at the intersection of realism, horror/fantasy and the vaguely disturbing, non-specific Weird. They’re uniquely imaginative, evocative and charged with uncanny energy. There are many descriptions of fictional art (a thing I just absolutely love), and there is always, always an incredible sense of place. Among the best are ‘The Heights of Sleep’, about a man’s obsession with an enigmatic writer; ‘The Red Song’, in which an academic explores the traditions of a strange and sinister city; and ‘One-Eyed Jack and the Suicide Queen’, a thoughtfully written yet gripping fantasy adventure. And ‘Seafront Gothic’ might be the best ever example of a story suiting its title perfectly.

Other collections I enjoyed: Nana Nkweti’s irresistibly vibrant, spirited Walking on Cowrie Shells. The Ghost Sequences by A.C. Wise, a fabulously varied set of ghost stories (it’s a bit too long overall but some, like ‘The Nag Bride’ and ‘The Stories We Tell About Ghosts’, are indelible). Gareth E. Rees’ portraits of a Britain in meltdown in Terminal Zones. Paul Dalla Rosa’s An Exciting and Vivid Inner Life exploits affectless narrative voices brilliantly – ideal for fans of Ottessa Moshfegh’s short fiction. Ice Age by Iain Rowan, a short but powerful collection of weird tales.

A few final honourable mentions

When We Were Young by Dawn Goodwin: a captivating, entertaining mystery with unexpected heart, humour and a great portrayal of lifelong friendship. The Marsh House by Zoë Somerville: a rich historical novel of suspense and tragedy laced with elements of folklore. The Cloisters by Katy Hays: a ‘dark academia’ book that elevates itself above all the clichés with an indulgent, intoxicating atmosphere. A Child’s Book of True Crime by Chloe Hooper: a beautifully written portrait of paranoia, incredible at the sentence level.

Hawk Mountain by Conner Habib starts with a skin-crawling premise (the protagonist’s childhood nemesis finagles his way into his home & refuses to leave) and then turns it completely upside down, revealing a devilishly smart core. Skin Deep by Liz Nugent – a superb character study, something like Tana French meets (early) William Boyd – got me out of a horrible reading slump. Run Time by Catherine Ryan Howard is a thriller about the making of a horror film; a dream concept for me, so fun and surprising.

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ao3feed-charlottegeorge · 10 months

Text

You Said You Loved Me (Or Were You Just Being Kind?)

by caterpillar_rave

~~~

Reynolds has to train the new Queens Man, emotional damage ensues.

Words: 5043, Chapters: 2/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (TV), Bridgerton (TV)

Rating: Mature

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/F, M/M

Characters: Brimsley (Bridgerton), Reynolds (Bridgerton), Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1744 -1818), George III of the United Kingdom, Princess Augusta - Character

Relationships: Brimsley/Reynolds (Bridgerton), Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1744 - 1818)/George III of the United Kingdom

from AO3 works tagged 'Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1744 - 1818)/George III of the United Kingdom' https://ift.tt/DH9Bvao

#charlottegeorge #charlotte x george #queen charlotte: a bridgerton story #fanfic #ao3feed #IFTTT

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faeriecap · 11 months

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MCALPINE SESSIONS ANON HERE, BESTIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry I've been MIA, there was a little drama with a certain ship that is prominent on your blog that I just did not wanna deal with lmao. I didn't wanna project my annoyance with the ship onto you so for my sanity, I had to leave BUT I'M HERE NOW AND FERAL FOR SOME UPDATES (or just some shop talk, I need more friends 🥲) I hope you've been doing well though! I saw you were on a little hiatus a while back so I hope everything is good on your side of the universe ❤️

YAAAAAAAY YOURE BACK!!!! 🩷🩷🩷🩷 tysm for thé well wishes firstly, things are up and down over here but i’m trying my best to just keep on keeping on and the support means all the world to me! but it’s pride month so i’ve been trying have more fun and just enjoy it, i’m hoping to see some of the new marvel releases soon and OMGGG THE NEW CAP 4 content i am barking i am feral SAM LOOKS SO GOOD HES BACK HES BAAAAAACK

in terms of fic ive been writing a little bit but not as much as i’d like bc i’ve been pretty busy with life and also the rpg i’m currently modding lol HOWEVER i’ve locked in some new plot points and my definite plan once time frees up for me in a few months is a full rewatch of all 3 cap films and maybe even sam’s other cameos (and maybe fatws…. not sure yet, that one i saw more recently and a LOT of time has to pass before i can stomach rewatching anything if i ever do at all, even my favorite things, bc my attention span SUCKS lmao) + hopefully i’ll be able to crank out some of the scenes for the fic set within that time frame (bc i’ve been writing most of the ones that happen post cacw) and then it’ll be done! or ready to be beta’d at least… which… if ur interested 👀 i cant remember what my last update for u was about so i’ll update this post with a new snippet once it’s been shared <33

edit: here it is!!

the front door slammed, and sam dropped his keys on the counter before appearing upside down above them. to his credit, he did not seemed phased to find them tangled up underneath the couch’s throw blanket in the middle of the day.

“what’s this about hickeys, and why am i getting them?”

“bucky’s retired.” steve offered by way of explanation, raising his free arm to pull sam closer. even so, they couldn’t quite reach without him doubled over the frame, so he wandered down the hallway to change out of his clothes before steve could kiss him.

the problem is all the scenes post cacw after they get together are sort of just random which means it goes from this intense emotional will they won’t they with a touch of actual canon events created non romantic tension to this slush of fluff and domesticity and no real stakes anymore hahahahaha like idk where to go with it??? beyond just. making them cuddle more LMAO so…. any suggestions from the people lmk

i hope you’ve been doing well yourself and taking care of yourself and i as always look forward to hearing from you again soon :))) with regards to the ship drama, i am SOOOO curious could u elaborate??? was the drama related to my blog or just like generally in the fandom? DONT LEAVE ME HANGIN WHAT WAS THE SHIP 👀👀👀 i don’t feel like i post that many so i’m so intrigued which it could be lol since i’m assuming it’s not sambucky and probably (??) not stevebucky (tho maybe)

but seriously though i’d love to know bc i don’t want my account to be uncomfy for anyone but least of all my fav anon x so if i need to update my tagging system for u to properly blacklist my posts about it or anything of the sort pls lmk, either here (and i can answer privately too if you’d prefer 🤍) or messaging me! plus if by drama there’s smth actually problematic im rb i absolutely wanna be informed and aware of it! i will confess i’m quite curious as to who my secret admirer could be ;)) and i appreciate ur honesty!

until the next meeting, be well and lots of love 🫶🏻

#i speak #asks #the mcalpine sessions #jays fanfics

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