#so much love has gone into this series but they are certainly lacking in a lot of areas as of late

[wakeupthemembersofbylernation]

If Mike really loved El romantically, they wouldn’t have dragged out a weird plot of not being able to say ILY for two seasons. One season? Sure. I can let Season 3 slide somewhat if one discounts all the queer longing that takes place and the odd finale kiss. You could interpret S3 as an awkward kid building up the courage to say the L word.

But two seasons? Nah. If the first interpretation were true, things would’ve been resolved when El confesses that she loves him back at the end of S3. But things were not resolved? And the show goes out of its way to emphasize that Mike isn’t even writing “I love you” in his letters? And they have a big, explosive fight about it… and he still can’t say it? Nah Michael, I diagnose you with homosexuality.

“But saying I love you is scary and a big deal and yada yada…” Okay sure. Saying ILY is a big deal. But middle school kids still say it pretty casually. And they certainly at least write it. It’s not uncommon for a kid to drop the “L” bomb to someone they’ve only been dating for a short period of time, only to break up the next day. Things are fluid and chaotic and unpredictable and messy. In Romeo and Juliet, Romeo thought he was in love with Rosaline until seeing Juliet, and he immediately changed his mind.

But even if we just assume it’s harder for Mike to say ILY to El because Mlvn is serious and more meaningful than a fleeting crush, that still doesn’t let Mike off the hook. If Mlvn really is as soulmate-coded as Mlievens believe, when have you ever heard of a soulmate-coded relationship in media where the writers went out of their way to show that saying ILY was like pulling teeth? Imagine if there was a whole section of Titanic where Jack struggled with saying ILY to Rose? Imagine Leia got into a fight with Han because he couldn’t write “love” in his romantic letters, and Han was all like, “I care for you so much, Leia.”Imagine Katara pulled out the receipts, and Aang was like, “Okay, okay. Katara, you’re being ridiculous. Like what is this?”

That would be absurd. And you’d either demand an explanation or stop rooting for them. It’s not that ILY isn’t often a big deal in stories. It’s that when it’s emphasized in a weird way and dragged out for two seasons, you have to side-eye it. It’s one thing when the big ILY is the logical and natural culmination of an arc, whether at the end of a season or the end of a series. That makes sense. It’s another thing entirely when someone is literally begging you to say it, and you still can’t say it. And then when you finally do say it, it’s in the penultimate season, and it’s extremely anticlimactic. And everyone has to emphasize how you said it 9 times to cope/compensate.

If Mlvn was meant to be endgame, and Mike really loved El romantically, they would’ve just… shown Mike and El being in love with each other. There wouldn’t be any doubt. None of the other couples, other than Stancy, have ever gone through this weird kind of ritual where words are emphasized over actions. No one doubts that Lumax, Jopper, and Duzie are in love with each other. Jancy is a little more complicated cause they were separated throughout S4 and doubts were raised, but even so, it’s nowhere near the odd situation with Milkvan. Jancy, Lumax, Jopper, and Duzie have all shown they love each other through their actions. They don’t rely on big gestures or words to prove it. In fact, Lucas even specifically says to Max, “I don’t want a letter.”

All I’m saying is, if Mlvn is treated with a considerable lack of seriousness post Season 2, if the show keeps them in a weird Groundhog Day plot of constant fights and lies and not being on the same page, and if it takes a third party with vested romantic interest in the situation for Mike to finally monologue a measly ILY to his girlfriend, then maybe there’s a reason for this? 🤔

#byler #mike wheeler #will byers #mike wheeler i know what you are #stranger things #Byler endgame #el hopper

[ianthe-is-a-bitch-and-i-love-her]

I've noticed something very interesting about the structure of The Locked Tomb series recently, in that it is a series that is immeasurably more than the sum of its parts. Not that that's an uncommon thing for serialized media, it's literally the point of the format to tell a deeper story as a whole than is told in any one installment, but I think tlt is a particularly extreme example.

Like, gtn is the only book in the series that works at all as a standalone story. In most series, if you skip a book, you'll be confused about specifics and backstories and what have you, but you'll probably be able to follow along and get the gist of the theming, even if you miss some details and subtleties.

With this series, though, the subsequent books (especially HtN but also NtN) are essentially incomprehensible if you've skipped the previous books. They don't follow a predictable trajectory from the previous books that can be back-extrapolated from their stand alone contents. Like, genuinely try to imagine what you would think the previous books must have been about if you just read Nona. Imagine what you'd think the themes were. It's completely out of wack.

This is because each new book in the series isn't just a continuation of the previous books - it is in dialogue with the previous books. Each new book is a commentary on what came before, a reinterpretation that forces you to rethink or even reread the previous books with a different perspective that draws more layers of meaning to the surface. It makes the series feel like a knot that you're slowly unpicking - each new thread that is revealed to you changes how you perceive the weave of the previous threads.

I fucking love this. It makes the series incredibly rereadable, and it rewards spending a lot of time contemplating and theorizing about what you've read, which is excellent because the books are written in such a way that they invite you to ask questions without giving you answers. It make you feel ecstatic when you achieve a new level of understanding of a story you had thought you already understood.

There's a drawback to this, though, in that it makes the first read-through of a new book in the series the worst read-through. Again, HtN is infamous for this, verging on incomprehensible on a first pass but bristling with rich meaning and evocative prose on a second, but it's a trait that applies to all three books released so far. On a first read, lacking the context of the later series, GtN's story feels straightforward, sometimes juvenile, full of relatively simple but evocative characters, and burdened with what seems to be needlessly obtuse and obscure worldbuilding that only exists to slow down the reader's attempts to solve the murder mystery and to act as a backdrop to be cut through by Gideon's harshly modern and irreverent quips. (Sidenote, but as much as that is a thing that a lot of the fandom really enjoys, I know a few people who found that choice extremely jarring and unpleasant. It is a polarizing structural choice, it just doesn't seem like it because people who don't like it don't often stick with the series long enough to get invested in the deeper themes and plot of the series).

NtN too follows this format, although we don't yet have the added context of it's sequel, so a lot of what it has to say remains maddeningly out of reach. It certainly enriches rereads of the previous books, though; a lot of people have gone into great detail about how Nona's perspective on Kiriona reframes our perception of Gideon as a narrator. And John's accounting of the end of the world and the Resurrection adds so many more layers to all the interactions we witness in HtN.

It's just a very unique way to build a story, to start with something fairly simple and self-contained and then spend the next two books layering more and more meaning on those events. For me, it's not the characters (much as I love them) but the structure of the series that keeps me so fucking obsessed with these books.

#the locked tomb #tlt #gideon the ninth #harrow the ninth #nona the ninth #nona spoilers

[thunder-point]

Long ramble ahead

I've talked a bit about some things I liked, and mostly qotey, but I mentioned already that I adore phumpeem also, and this episode just spurred my love for their dynamic even more BECAUSE

THIS REACTION???????

THIS ONE AS WELL???

HOLD UP SOMEONE HOLD ME SOMEONE HOLD PHUM'S UNSTABLE ASS

For the love of everything on this planet I LOVED LIVED BREATHED FOR IT.

Not only because I adored how positive it was on both ends, but because of the differences and the genuine quality it gave me. The kiss was absolutely delightful, once again pondphuwin just delivered on that aspect, as they did throughout the entirely of Never Let Me Go.

BUT LISTEN Y'ALL

I just????? Fucking love???? HOW DIFFERENT PHUM AND PEEM EXPRESS THEIR LIKE TOWARDS EAC H OTHER

First of all I don't know how others feel about phum's character. Personally, I enjoy it very much. He has very visible flaws, emotional constipation in some aspects, but those in some way give way for other moments that just express how free he is with his feelings.

Because he likes Peem, and this episode he expressed it so openly that it gave me LIFE.

We don't know much about Phum yet, but he seems to have a complicated relationship with his parents. It gives the feelings that he lacked the affection he needed in the past. That, of course, leads to the attitude of seeking it so selfishly like he does with Peem.

And it's enjoyable to watch. He's a needy asshole, he's arrogant and he's attractive and he's attracted to Peem and he doesn't let ANY chance slip to get that attention that he wants. And even if it started in a rough way in the beginning, I genuinely think it's mostly because, for the most part, some people who never really had the attention they needed resort to getting it in very obnoxious manners later on. Phum is doing exactly that.

There are many things to talk about when it comes to Phum, and I hope that as the series goes on we get more from him, and good things while we are at it, but I just love how his crush developed. I loved that as soon as he realized he truly fucked up, he apologized THREE times, I love how remorseful he's looking in episode 6 when Peem's ruined painting is mentioned.

And I absolutely love how blunt he is with his feelings for Peem. He doesn't waste any time in episode 6. Not even caring if his friends catch on, if Peem's friends catch on. My man Phum is on a mission and he is RELENTLESS.

I think it gives me so much joy because they could have totally made a character like Phum, who is prideful and stubborn, hide his feelings behind teasing and this 'you are my slave' act that he puts forward. But instead, we got the softest smiles from him after the kiss. We got him coming into the art gallery TO TAKE PICTURES, TO START A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED.

We got him calling Peem adorable and pleading Peem to draw on a cup with him. He just wants LOVE. He wants it and as soon as he saw Peem reciprocated in some way it's like it exploded from him. And there's so much to say about it. God.

But Peem? Listen, I love it even more on Peem's side.

Not only did this man INITIATE THE FIRST KISS, the way he's processing these emotions are so funny AND SO REAL.

I loved it from the very beginning that we see that Peem is attracted by Phum as much as he's incensed with him. He admitted it - Phum is handsome, but he's an asshole. And that's real. As someone who fell for a person who I bickered with a lot at first, I had such joy watching Peem's way through his bond with Phum and how it developed.

Because Phum has his bad sides, and he seems to bring them up around Peem for that attentions and reactions it gets him, but when Phum goes soft? That's when his attractiveness and his personality clash in a way that seems to make Peem WEAK.

"You're so demanding, Peem," said softly had Peem BY THE THROAT. And I felt that.

Phum apologizing so softly, Phum eating Peem's atrocious cooking. Peem? Absolutely GONE for it. And that's certainly such a rushing feeling to have. Peem is clearly not experienced with relationships, and that just makes the fact that he initiated the kiss SO MUCH BETTER.

Because we know that he's not scared of showing his emotions. Even if he's a people pleaser, he's not a pushover. He kicked Phum's balls back into his goddamn body as soon as he had the chance. HE THREW A CHANCLA AT HIM.

Him going for the kiss when he felt the need to MAKES SENSE. it's wonderful.

And don't get me started on how often my man seemed to fantasize back to those soft moments with Phum. Don't get me started ON HIS CONVERSATION WITH Q this episode about affection and relationships and FUCK. Don't get me started on his gay panicked ass.

that's a ramble for another post. I feel like this is already too long and too incoherent. I jumped from so many topics but I have so many feelings for these two. As many as I have for Qtoey.

#phumpeem #we are the series #pondphuwin #we are #bl thai drama #thai bl

[impala-dreamer]

Tourniquet - Chapter Four

A Supernatural Dean x Reader Series Told Backwards

~Y/N has been by Dean’s side through his worst days, always there if he needs her, forever just a call away. Love is impossible to fight and more impossible to live with. Just a side character in his epic life, Y/N would give anything just to give Dean a moment’s peace.~

Please see MASTERLIST for full info/warnings/chapter links.

Impala-Dreamer’s Masterlist  ~  Patreon  ~ Published Works

The Things She Carried

She hadn’t seen him in years. 

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to. God, she wanted to so badly. She wanted to run into his arms, bury her face in his chest and fall asleep. She wanted to wake up next to him, count each freckle in the golden light of dawn. She wanted it all, she wanted him. 

But she couldn’t. She couldn’t bring herself to track him down, drive across the miles and land at his doorstep. She couldn’t imagine facing him after so long away, couldn’t bear the thought that he’d cast her away like some old trinket destined for the bin. 

She couldn’t risk it. She was road-weary and drained to the point of constant pain. Every muscle ached; every bone felt hollow and brittle. She was exhausted in her soul. She was done. 

Late at night she would lie awake and stare at whatever ceiling was overhead replaying her life, her choices good and bad. 

Maybe things would be different if she had run away with him when they were kids. Maybe she should have crossed the little stream sooner, hidden with him in the tall grass until they could escape and disappear forever. Would life be so different? Would they be together? Alive? Would the world still be turning if not for the sacrifices he’d made?

What about the sacrifices she’d made? What about all the days she spent alone, holding herself as blood seeped through her fingers? All the times she dropped everything to be there for him, all the days she spent worrying, all the nights she spent giving him whatever he needed whenever he needed it. Would anyone even remember her when she was gone? Would he?

Fuck him. He ruined one of the most important moments in her life. He stole her chance to say goodbye. While she reeled from his kiss, tried to make sense of his affection, the only other man she had ever loved had died. 

He died and she wasn’t there. He died knowing she wasn’t around. 

Fuck him for that. Fuck him for sleepless nights on the phone calming him down, listening to every trial and tribulation of his life. Fuck him for miles spent rushing to his side to wrap her heart around his wounds, staunch the flow. 

Fuck him for every kiss. 

Fuck him for every touch. 

For every fucking moment. 

The boy with the green eyes. 

Roswell, New Mexico, 2015. 

A string of murders of suspicious nature led older residents to announce that the aliens had returned to take revenge on the naysayers and folks there only to make a buck on the sacred landing spot. 

Y/N hadn’t been able to resist such a ridiculous scene and spent a week there investigating. 

In the end, they were just regular old murders committed by a regular old crazy person. No demons, no ghosts, and certainly no aliens were to be found. 

With nowhere else to be, she hung around the desert for a few more days, enjoying the sun and the dry air. 

She almost didn’t answer the phone when it rang, but curiosity had brought her to New Mexico in the first place, so there was no reason to deny its hold. 

Luckily, it wasn’t him. 

It was Sam. 

“Well, if it isn’t baby boy Winchester.” She laid back on the hood of her car and kicked up a knee. 

“Hey, Y/N.” 

He sounded terrible. Lack of sleep or too much stress, she couldn’t tell. She didn’t know Sam as well. Hadn’t studied him as closely, hadn’t learned every tick of speech, the meaning behind every subtle sigh.

Still, he didn’t sound great. 

“What’s going on, Sam?” 

He hesitated, swallowed hard, shifted the phone to his other ear. “I hate to ask you, I know you’re… Well, you’ve got your own thing going on, but-” 

Her eyes closed, her stomach churned. 

“Is he OK?” She couldn’t stop the tremble in her voice and she hated it. 

Sam cleared his throat. “No. No, I don’t think so.” 

“Shit.” 

Last she’d heard through the grapevine, Dean had died, again, and come back as a demon. She didn’t get a call back then, so for Sam to ask for help now- it was bad.

“I think he’d, uh… really like to see you.” 

The eleven-hour drive seemed endless, but it gave her time to think. 

No matter what she did, he would always be a part of her. No matter how far she ran, tried to hide, he would always win out in the end. It was useless to fight it, stupid to even try. 

Sam had given her directions to their place and Y/N stood outside of what looked to be an industrial hobbit hole.  

She leaned on her car and stared at the hill. There was still time to turn tail and hit the highway. He’d never even know she had been there. 

She fiddled with the chain around her neck, sucked on the metal pendant. It was warmed from her body heat though she always believed it got hotter when he was close. 

“Damn it, Y/N/N, just go in…” She groaned and turned away, too scared to go inside. Scared or mad, she didn’t know which. 

Just as she put one foot in the car, the big doors opened and Sam appeared. 

He was tall and tired, with a shadow on his jaw and worry in his eyes. She wondered vaguely if she had ever seen Sam without that crease in his aura, if he’d ever been truly calm and happy. 

“You gonna come in or-”

She sighed and shut the door. “How’d you know I was here?” 

He shrugged and gave her a mischievous look. “I may have been tracking your phone.” 

“What! Sam…” 

He smiled and then pushed at the door, holding it open for her. 

“You coming?” 

“Well, it’d be stupid to run away now.” 

She followed him into the hobbit hole and through another, heavier door. The first room was basically a dark hallway, four steps down from the outer doors and a few paces to the next. The walls were old concrete and the light was dim. She held no hope for nicer things to come. 

She was very wrong. 

Her little gasp echoed when she walked through the second door. The cave-like entry gave way to an expansive room that took her breath away. A wrought iron balcony met intricate stairs that wound down forever. The room below was set up with a large, map-covered table that glowed, antique computers and machines that looked as if they were sourced from a 1950’s horror movie. 

Clasping the rail, Y/N leaned over a bit, trying to comprehend the size of everything but her head hurt. She looked back at Sam and shook her head, eyes wide with awe. 

“You live here?” 

Sam nodded and shrugged. He smiled at her wild wonder and stood beside her at the railing. “There’s more. It’s, uh- it’s a really big place.” 

“Tell me you have a bowling alley or an arcade hiding somewhere in here.” 

He laughed. “No, but we do have a tv. Well, I do. In my room.” 

Y/N whistled, mockingly impressed. “Wow. Real rockin’ bachelor pad, Sam.” 

He licked his lips and looked down at his hands. His knuckles were pale, fingers cold against the metal. “Yeah, well, we don’t get many visitors.” 

She covered his hand with hers and squeezed gently. “Wanna show me the rest?”

The Men of Letters Bunker was just as impressive as he made it sound. They toured the halls while Sam explained how they came to be there, speaking candidly about his grandfather’s reappearance and how strange it was to finally have a real place to call home. 

She listened to every word, now and then offering a kind word or an interested hum. Her mind was reeling at the enormity of the Bunker. She ran her fingers over the dips between the tiles on the walls, listened carefully to how Sam’s voice echoed off of the cathedral ceilings and back again. She counted their steps, tried to construct a map in her mind so that she could find her way back to the front door, but the path was full of turns and every corridor looked the same as the last. The numbers on the doors changed, however, but they weren’t in any order that she could define. 

They stopped in front of door number eleven, and Sam shoved his hands into his pockets. His gaze narrowed on the gap between the door and the jam. The light inside was on, but he knew Dean wasn’t there. 

“This is his room?” she asked, wanting to push her way inside but afraid to pry. 

Sam cleared his throat. “Yeah.”

She placed her hand on the door and closed her eyes. She wanted to go in and wait for him, be laid out on the bed like some porn star when he walked in, but she knew better. 

The kitchen was impressive in an old restaurant that had never been upgraded kinda way, but the pantry was pitiful. Thankfully, there were a few eggs in the fridge and a half of a loaf of white bread on the shelf. Sam left her to it and she got to work making an utter mess of the counter and stove. 

She didn’t expect him back soon and he hadn’t expected to see her at all. 

“Y/N?” 

Her entire being tensed when she heard his voice and she took a breath, closed her eyes, and turned around. Spatula dripping in her hand, she screwed up a smile. 

“Surprise.” 

Every emotion imaginable flowed over his freckled face and Y/N waited for him to process before saying another word. Green eyes worked her over, lingering on the smudge on her cheek and the mess on her shirt. 

Finally, he smiled. 

“Nice surprise.” 

Her body relaxed. “Is it?” 

“Of course.” 

Dean rushed forward, rounding the giant stainless steel island, and scooped her up into a hug. 

Relief trickled down her spine and she wrapped her arms around him, pushed her face into the crook of his neck. He smelled like whiskey and sleepless nights. 

“Fuck, I’ve missed you.” He whispered into her shoulder and held on a little tighter. 

He was big and strong, solid and safe. She melted into him; listened for the comforting, steady beat of his heart. 

The necklace burned into her chest and she smiled. 

After a minute, she pushed at his shoulders but he refused to let her go. 

“You’re gonna make me burn your toast!”

He stood up straight and held her arms. “Toast? You’re making a real big mess for toast.” 

She squirmed out of his grip and turned back to the stove. “It’s French.” 

They sat at the little table in the corner and drowned the snack in maple syrup and butter. 

Y/N couldn’t stop staring at him. His face was thin; his beard slowly sneaking out of captivity. His eyes were dark, lined with red, and he held himself differently, as if every second was painful, as if he was having trouble sitting still. 

He was staring just as hard, shocked that she was there after being gone for so long. 

“Your hair’s different,” he said around a mouthful of French toast.

She cocked her head and ran a hand through her locks. “I guess,” she laughed. “It’s been a while since I cut it. Probably should.” 

Dean shook his head gently. “Nah. I like it.” 

It wasn’t even really a compliment but she took it as one. Her stomach flipped and she hated herself for enjoying such a tiny amount of attention. She was older now, wiser, stronger. She didn’t need his approval or his affection. 

“Thanks.” 

“This is…nice. Thank you for cooking.” 

Y/N laughed and choked down a corner. “It’s terrible and you know it.”

Dean shrugged and took another forkful to his lips. “It ain’t that bad.” He shoveled it in and then cringed, plucked a crunchy bit from his tongue. “I… think there’s shell in this one.”

She grinned. “I’m surprised there’s not more, actually. You know I’m a shitty cook.”

He laughed. “Always have been.” 

“It’s kinda my thing.” 

A strange moment passed between them like an autumn breeze. The air was warm but the wind was too harsh, chilling their cheeks. Y/N looked away, crossing her arms and rubbing her hands up the sides. Dean swallowed and sat back; knife and fork in his fists beside the plate. 

“So, how ya been?” 

Y/N looked around, pretending to inspect the kitchen walls, but only trying to buy herself time to think up an answer. 

“Oh, you know me, Dean. Another day, another highway, another monster to kill.” 

He licked a drop of syrup from his lip. “Musta been busy.” 

She nodded. “Yeah, pretty busy.” 

“Too busy to answer a text? Pick up the phone now and then?” 

Her guts churned. “Dean, it’s not like that…” 

He slumped forward, set his forearms on the table. “Oh, it’s like that. You vanished, Y/N/N.” 

His tone was biting and she shivered. 

“Dean-” 

“You just took off. No goodbye, nothing.” 

Anger was brewing inside and her leg bounced uncontrollably under the table. “Dean.” 

“We burned him. Without you.”

Something inside of her shattered. The words cut through her like a scythe; his tone burned like salt in the sliced flesh. She clenched her jaw, closed her eyes, and tried to push it all aside. 

“You left,” he seethed, upper lip trembling and exposing his tiny canine teeth. She always thought they looked like fangs, always loved the way they scraped across her throat. “We burned him and you weren’t there. I- we needed you and you left. You ran away to God knows where and that was it. We needed you, Y/N. I… I needed you.” 

With fists balled, she stood up, spun away from the table. She bit her tongue so hard she was sure her mouth would fill with blood. 

Dean laughed sarcastically. “Yeah. Walk away again. That’s awesome.” 

Her spine twitched. Nails dug into her palms. 

She tasted blood. 

“So fucking good at walking away when people need you.” 

She snapped. 

“Excuse me?” 

Her spin around was so fast, her hands slammed onto the table so hard that Dean startled and dropped his utensils. Unconsciously, he sat back, putting as much distance between him and the lioness he’d just unleashed. 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Her words curled but there was no question. She was giving him a speck of a chance to apologize before she truly exploded. “Well… are you?” 

Dean sucked his teeth, crossed his arms, sat forward. He met her gaze head on. His nostrils flared. 

“You left,” he said again, slowly, venomously. 

Y/N pulled in a deep breath but instead of calming her, it only added to the fire. “You didn’t ask me to stay, Dean.” 

He shook his head, confused. “Huh?” 

“You didn’t ask me to stay, Dean,” she said again, injecting as much slashing accusation into her voice as she could. “You never do. You expect me to show up whenever you want me, drop whatever I’m doing to come meet you somewhere so you can fuck your frustrations out on me then kick me out of bed in the morning. Do you know how many bruises I have from tripping over the curb when you drive away? How many nights I’ve stayed awake worrying about you? Praying for you? Not to mention all the nights I had to stay on the phone with you while you blubbered on about this and that, and your brother, and your angel, and your destiny. Do you know how much of my life I’ve spent waiting on a fucking phone call from you? How many days I’ve wasted just hoping you’d ask to see me? You can’t imagine it. You wouldn’t. Because you don’t care.” 

Anger and guilt flooded his face. He swung his legs around from under the table and stood up, towering over her with a puffed chest and searing eyes. 

“You think I don’t care about you?” He hunched his shoulders, leaning down to let it all sink in. “Is that really what you think?” 

She took a step closer. She wouldn’t back down no matter his size or the angry fire pulsing off of him. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. 

“Yeah, Dean,” she said sharply. “It is. Because it’s fucking true. You don’t give a shit about me, you never have. I’m just a goddamned Band-Aid for you. Something you put on when you’ve got a booboo and then rip off and toss away. And the one time I needed you. The one fucking time…” 

Dean was seeing red; his blood was boiling and brightening his pallid face. 

“When? When the fuck did you need me so badly!” 

She grit her teeth, showed her fangs for once. “He was my father, Dean.” 

He scoffed. “No. He wasn’t.” 

“Fuck you for saying that! He was my father the same as, if not more so than he was yours and he died while I was in the dark wondering how I could help you. You! You fucked me up in that hospital room and then you left me alone to deal with it. And he died while I was in there! He died and I wasn’t there because I was dealing with you!” 

Dean straightened, but he didn’t move to speak. He only absorbed her ire and let it burn inside of him. 

“Always dealing with you! My whole goddamned life revolves around Dean Winchester! And you know what I got for all the care and time and worry I poured into you? Nothing. I get fucking nothing. I have never been so lost as when he died and you… You didn’t ask me to stay. Didn’t… didn’t check on me. The only calls I got were from you begging me to help with Sam and to meet you in Oswego for a fucking booty call. That’s all I am to you. I’m your fucking whore.”

He huffed, chewed his lip. “That is not true!”

She wouldn’t stop, couldn’t. The simple act of raising her voice, of confronting him after everything had opened a tap that she couldn’t close. 

“And you spent a whole goddamned fucking year with her. A year! I didn’t even know if you were alive, dead, nothing. You promised to call me. You swore. And nothing. You went to her. You- did you even think of me? Did you even think, ‘oh, maybe I’ll go be with Y/N for a while’? Well? Did you?” 

His eyes closed. “No, Y/N. I didn’t.” 

“I have given you years of my life and you’ve just… Fuck, I don’t even know if you take me for granted or if you don’t even notice if I’m around or not. I honestly don’t know.”

She turned away, exhausted and aching. 

She couldn’t see the way he rubbed at the curse on his arm, didn’t notice the rage glowing in his eyes. She didn’t feel the danger because she never felt it around him. She could scream all she wanted, but she knew Dean wouldn’t hurt her. 

“If you hate me so goddamn much, why are you even here? Huh? What, did Sammy call you? Tell you I wasn’t doin’ so well?” 

Each word snapped at her like kitchen shears and Y/N spun back around. 

“Fuck you, Dean.” 

As tears fell, she raised her right hand, ready to slap him hard; show him she wasn’t fooling around. 

The Mark swelled on his arm and shot demonic power into his veins. 

Dean grabbed her wrist before she made contact with his cheek and took two steps forward, forcing her backwards into the wall. He slammed her hand onto the plaster and followed suit with her left hand. She gasped, scared but daring him, and he sneered down at her. 

“Don’t. Fucking. Ever. Hit me.”  

The Mark glowed beside her head and she looked from it to him, stuck and devastated. 

“Do you hear me!” 

Strength pulsed through him and Dean lifted her away from the wall only to crush her back into it. 

Her eyes blurred, her head ached; her ears rang. 

“Dean-” 

“You think you know anything about me? You don’t know what I’ve been through! You haven’t been around!” 

His grip tightened on her wrists and she felt the bone in the right twist. 

“Dean! You’re hurting me!”

It seemed he couldn’t stop, wouldn’t let the anger dim. His breath came out in heavy pants through tight lips and clenched teeth; his eyes were like lasers targeting her arteries and setting him up for the kill. 

“Dean!” 

Another tear trekked down her cheek and it caught his attention. 

Dean blinked quickly, clearing his head, and then backed away. He dropped her hands and covered his face, turned his back on her. 

Y/N couldn’t move. 

Silence filled the room and their heads. Guilt ravaged their bodies. 

Her knees gave out and she slid down the wall, slumped to the floor. 

When she could finally speak, her voice was small and pathetic and she hated herself even more. 

“I… I’m sorry, Dean.” 

Calmer now, Dean turned to find her in a heap on the floor and sank down as well. “Don’t be sorry, Y/N/N. I… fuck. Did I hurt you?” 

She shook her head and sat up straight, kicked her knees up to her chest. 

He crawled to her, tried to lay a hand on her knee, but she flinched away. 

“Shit,” he hissed. “I’m so sorry.” 

Y/N let out a hard breath and let her shoulders fall. She trusted him. She didn’t trust that thing on his arm. 

She nodded toward it. “Is it really bad?” 

He rolled up his sleeve and showed off his brand. Curious and horrified, she unfurled herself and leaned in, running a careful finger across the Mark. The flesh was hot, the skin raised and rough. She covered it with her hand and looked up into his face. 

“I can’t take it much more,” he whispered. “It’s gonna take over and I don’t wanna go back there.” 

Her heart hurt. “You don’t have to let it take you. You’re strong. You’re so fucking strong, Dean. So brave. So good.” 

He smiled softly and bent over; kissed her hand. 

“I’m so sorry I hurt you.” 

She sniffed back the tears and reached for him. 

“I coulda just kept my mouth shut,” she confessed. 

Dean lay his head on her shoulder and tugged her close. “No. You shouldn’t have to. I’ll be better, I promise.” 

“You don’t have to be better, Dean.” She turned inwards and pressed her lips to his ear. “You just have to be you.” 

His arms closed a little tighter, he breathed a little slower. 

“I really don’t deserve you, you know that?” 

She sighed and rubbed at the nape of his neck. 

“Shut up, Dean.” 

Tourniquet Tags:

@prettyinplaid94 @winharry @muhahaha303   @cookiechipdough @ladysparkles78

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#spn fanfic #supernatural fanfiction #dean winchester x reader #dean/reader #dean/you #angst #series #tourniquet

[the-other-art-blog]

I don't know if you have seen these comments on social media, but I have noticed a large part of people hate AmyLaurie even if they think of Jo is aro/ace or lesbian. They just hate the ship. When I read the book after the movie, I thought it was very well developed.

I've seen it. I think most of it comes from the idea that Laurie and Amy's marriage is a direct consequence of Jo's rejection. I hear people talk about them in a simplistic and superficial manner. "Laurie loves Jo but she says no, so he goes to her sister," or "Amy married her sister's ex." Cinema Therapy referred to it as Laurie getting over Jo by marrying Amy! This really hurts the relationship because it makes Amy a rebound. I just saw this post (x) that perfectly contrasts the audience vs the actual book. In the book, Laurie has headaches over his feelings. He thinks he has to remain loyal to his "love" for Jo but can't stop thinking about Amy.

And the hate for Amy alone makes people furious because she got a happy ending. Laurie's money might not have been important for the Marches, but it certainly is for some readers/viewers.

And then adaptations have never really made an honest effort to promote the couple. I know the story is not a romance, but a coming-of-age. But the character's growth led them to a place where they can build a healthy relationship.

Neither Florence nor Timothee made one intelligent comment about them. Flo justified the relationship by saying Amy had always loved him, which doesn't really mean anything, and then focused only on Amy's ambitions. And Timothee literally said Laurie lost because he didn't marry Jo and he always talked about JoLaurie 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬 (beware for a new wave of those stupid comments during Dune 2 promo). In general, the promo for that movie ignored AmyLaurie. Where were the photoshoots, the interviews?! And the movie itself doesn't care about the love story and makes it all about the economic proposition speech 🙄🙄🙄. If Greta didn't care about the romance, then why did she put so much emphasis on it?

Other adaptations have given them truly beautiful moments, but overall they fall short. The 2017 series made a video about JoFritz, but I don't think Kathryn Newton (Amy) did any press. It does have the best proposal scene, though 🥰🥰🥰🥰. And at the very least, Laurie does not publicly humiliate her and then just kiss her. And it shows that they were friends since they were children.

The 1994 film had the best shot because the actors were a real couple. But there's something about Samantha Mathis' acting that just doesn't work. Plus they added the infamous line "I always wanted to be part of the March family."

Most adaptations sideline that story or completely omit any scene in Europe. So you see Laurie proposing to Jo and in the next scene, he comes back married to Amy. Make it make sense. Because Europe is also the part where Laurie grows up so that also is gone. I keep hearing the 1970 BBC series does a good job, but it is the most difficult to find.

So, part of it is a lack of reading comprehension, plus oversimplification, and unsatisfactory adaptations. It's all part of the problem.

#little women #amy march #laurie laurence #amy x laurie #florence pugh #timothee chalamet #little women 2019 #little women 2017 #little women 1994 #amylaurie #amy and laurie #samantha mathis #kathryn newton

[itsclydebitches]

Ruby’s angst is a sore point b/c I will always remember her crying over Salem mentioning her mom only to go back to being confrontational and smug to Ironwood and the Ace Ops.

This is why I harp on about tone so much in my recaps. It is crucial to keep things consistent (within reason) because otherwise your audience is going to start doubting the persuasiveness of this characterization. If Ruby breaks down over Summer's death and then immediately shrugs that off, transitioning into smug antagonism, my takeaway is going to be, "Well, I guess she wasn't that broken up about it" and "Well, I guess Ruby lacks the insight and critical thinking skills to realize that turning on her allies is just going to make Salem murdering more people easier."

If Ruby decides to start this battle and confidently expresses the inevitability of her win against Harriet, only to then start begging for them to lay down their weapons after taking a hit, the takeaway is that Ruby back-peddles on a position the moment she's no longer winning.

If Yang rushes to Ruby's side to comfort her while she sobs and then spends a Volume ignoring her equally obvious distress, the takeaway is that Yang is becoming a worse sister, likely because she's putting all her emotional energy into Blake instead.

If Blake was introduced as a no-nonsense activist willing to get up in anyone's face and then shrinks before an angry friend, the takeaway is that she's grown more passive as the series has gone on.

If Weiss loses her entire Kingdom and then spends the first half of the Volume being used purely as the comic relief, the takeaway is that this tragedy hasn't actually hit her very hard and we shouldn't buy into these incredibly brief moments of grief.

If the group says they don't want to run anymore and then the very first fight they come across results in them running away, the takeaway is that these are heroes who talk big, but can't make those promises a reality.

Similarly, if the group hugs and makes the occasional speech about how much they love each other, but then turn around and criticize, become suspicious of, and dismiss Jaune in his ultimate time of need, the takeaway is that their care is hollow and will falter once the going gets tough.

If Ruby spends whole Volumes active bubbly, optimistic, confident, driven, and at times extraordinarily arrogant, but then kills herself after two days of mental health struggles, the takeaway is that RT is willing to use suicide as a cheap spectacle, rather than a real life issue that must be written with care and proper buildup.

If the show pushes a found-family dynamic and then has four members of that family simply stand there while Ruby kills herself... yeah, the takeaway is, "Wow. They didn't care about stopping her much then, huh?"

We know the characters are supposed to love each other. We know that we're supposed to come up with some easy explanation like, "They were in shock!" But if you actually take what's happening on screen - which, you know, is the backbone of analysis - RT continually undermines the core messages of RWBY through badly managed tone and inconsistent characterization. Every scene is a puzzle piece creating a whole and if the pieces don't fit... well, then the picture is nonsensical. It's not the job of the person observing the puzzle to go, "Well, it certainly looks like this is made up primarily of confused colors, textures, and images, but if I just imagine that all these pieces are different from what's actually in front of me, then the puzzle is perfect!"

#rwde #rwby #mymetas #suicide tw

[angelasscribbles]

Victim of Love Chapter 4: Conflicted and Confused

Series: Victim of Love

Fandom: The Royal Romance

Pairings: Drake x Riley

Word Count: 1,075

Rating: MA

Warnings for this chapter: Language

Song Inspiration for series: Victim of Love by The Eagles

You say he's a liar and he put out your fire How come you still got his gun in your hand?

My other stuff: Master List.

Drake turned around in his seat as the smell of lavender and lilac hit him like a full-throttle freight train right in the chest.

NO!

But there she was, wrapped in Liam’s arms. Gone was the floor-length designer gown and makeup. Her face was scrubbed clean, her curves poured into a pair of jeans and a form-fitting heather grey t-shirt. Converse sneakers had replaced the strappy heels and her hair was damp indicating she’d just gotten out of the shower.

Of course, she had. He had left her sweaty and sticky.

His eyes swept over her in appreciation. Far from making her appear more common, the lack of artifice allowed her natural beauty to shine through and he hated that she was even more attractive to him like this.

After he kissed her, Liam pulled away and gestured toward Drake, “Riley, love, I want you to meet my best friend!”

Her entire body froze when she saw him, panic flashed through her eyes as she fought to maintain her composure. She couldn’t hear what Liam was saying over the roar in her ears.

“Are you all right, love?”

Riley blinked as she forced her eyes back to Liam’s face, “I have a bit of a headache. Could you get me some Tylenol?”

“Yes, certainly! Here, have a seat.” He guided her to the chair he’d just vacated then excused himself to fetch the medication, “Sorry, Drake, I’ll be right back.”

“Yeah, no, it’s fine, go on.” He watched Liam leave the room then whirled on her, “You didn’t tell me your sort of boyfriend was my best friend!”

“How was I supposed to know that’s who you were?” Riley hissed at him, “In the two years I’ve known Liam, I’ve never met you!”

But it did explain why he looked familiar. The photos Liam had of him had not done him justice.

“Okay, that’s fair, but he’s still the fucking king! Are you trying to get some poor schmuck imprisoned or worse?”

“I’ve never done this before!”

That brought him up short, “What?”

“I haven’t been with anyone but Liam for the last two years until tonight!”

“But then why-“

“Here you go, two Tylenol and a glass of water!” Liam reentered the room, interrupting their conversation.

“Thanks,” she took the water and pills from him, her eyes going from Liam to Drake as she explained, ostensibly to Liam about the headache, but also to Drake about the why, “Tonight wasn’t easy for me.”

Liam looked a little abashed, “I know, I’m sorry, perhaps I shouldn’t have insisted on your attendance.”

She placed the pills on her tongue, took a sip of water to swallow them, and then fixed him with a level stare, “You think? Celebrating your anniversary to your wife, and the advent of her pregnancy was just so much fun for me.”

Liam glanced at Drake apologetically then back to Riley as he cleared his throat, “I understand. It’s just that, as the Duchess of Valtoria-“

“I’m aware of my duties!” She snapped at him, “I came, didn’t I?”

“I don’t mean to interrupt,” Drake interjected, “but Valtoria? So you-“

“Gave her a duchy, yes,” Liam answered, “To keep her nearby and give her every reason to stay at court.”

“Wow, an entire duchy?” Drake’s eyes lifted from Liam’s face to Riley’s, “That’s hard to beat.”

“I wasn’t in competition with anyone, I just wanted to show her how I felt about her.”

“Bribe me into staying, you mean.”

A sigh of exasperation escaped Liam as he pinched the bridge of his nose, “Riley….”

“You know what?” Drake sat his whiskey down on the table and stood up, “I should probably go. Let you two hash out….whatever this is….”

“Your room is ready, I made sure of it. I’d walk back with you, but I’m staying here tonight,” Liam told him, “Lunch tomorrow?”

“Sure,” Drake’s eyes went to Riley as he pictured her in the dress he had torn from her body mere hours ago. Was she really going to fuck Liam tonight? After what they had just shared?

It’s nothing you haven’t done, a voice whispered at the back of his mind. He’d had multiple partners in the same night before. Hell, he’d had multiple partners at the same time before and he didn’t know this woman, so he couldn’t judge her.

He didn’t know the first thing about her other than that they shared a disdain for the nobility, other than she was fucking his best friend, other than she had a smile that lit up whatever room she was in and a laugh that turned his insides to goo, other than her eyes were emerald depths he could drown in, other than he had never lied to his best friend before in his life yet here he was not telling him that his, for lack of a better word, mistress, had betrayed him earlier tonight.

Hands shoved in his pockets, he trudged down the hall, to the east wing, lost in thought.

Was it really betrayal if they weren’t officially a couple though? Riley was clearly unhappy with the situation as it stood. There was obviously trouble in paradise.

He’d be a real asshole to take advantage of a vulnerability in his best friend’s relationship, wouldn’t he?

If his best friend truly loved this woman, shouldn’t he want better for her than to be relegated to the role of mistress?

It wasn’t Liam’s fault that the council hadn’t approved her.

Had he bribed or manipulated her into staying?

She was a grown woman, presumably capable of making her own decisions.

She was a grown woman capable of making her own decisions, including opting out of a relationship that no longer served her, and into one that did.

Relationship? What the hell was he on about? He didn’t want a relationship, especially one that he had to take from his best friend. Right?

He shook himself out of it as he made it to his old room, right across the hall from Liam’s.

Closing the door behind him, he inhaled deeply, the smell of home engulfing him. He made a beeline for the drink cart, knowing it would be stocked with his favorite whiskey.

He intended to drown his sorrows tonight and worry about the rest in the morning.

But no matter how much he drank, he couldn’t wash the image of auburn curls and emerald eyes from his memory.

#victim of love #angelasscribbles #the royal romance #trr au #drake walker #choices fic writers creations #the royal romance fanfic #trr #cfwc fics of the week #choices

[tokiro07]

Redid the character sorter without copping out with "I like both" or "no opinion" and with the recent revelation that Gina is my current favorite (until someone else gets development that shoots them up to the top)

Gina, obviously

Fuuko. She's easily the best female protagonist, and even one of the best protagonists period that I've ever seen in Jump, so gun to my head, I couldn't really say I like anyone else more than her right now

Andy, obviously right behind Fuuko

Isshin/Haruka. I realized that my insistence that Isshin is my favorite came pretty much entirely from the shock value of the reveal of her design, and while her personality and development have been pretty solid so far, she hasn't gotten to do as much as I'd like her to while other characters have continued to evolve. Right now, she's as high as she is out of fondness, but I have to accept that she can continue to fall down the ranks if she doesn't get a killer scene soon

Feng. The amount of growth and change he had since the first half of the series was so phenomenal that I can't help loving this guy, and the realization that there's still room for him to grow more makes him an easy top 5

Sean. Similar to Feng, except he seems to have done most of his development already. The gap also wasn't as huge since he was barely present in the first place, but the flip from being absolutely unlikable to one of my favorites can't be understated

Anno Un. Similar to Isshin, Anno Un's lack of involvement in the story has made it difficult for me to maintain my enthusiasm for the character that I initially had. The small part of the story that he's actually involved in is great, certainly enough to hold him in the top 10, but there's a lot of room for other characters to overtake him

Billy

Nico. Honestly could have gone either way between him and Billy, I think right now it's just that Billy's arc is more interesting, but Nico has plenty of room to climb the ranks

Rip

Latla, right behind Rip of course, but she could have jumped above him easily

Julia

Tatiana

Juiz. Not sure how Juiz fell below Julia. It never asked me to pit them against each other, I think it might be because it pitted them both against Tatiana? Funny how that works, I like Tatiana more than Juiz, Juiz more than Julia, but Julia more than Tatiana? I guess my criteria for comparing them was different

Shen

Void. Huge jump from last time, this feels a lot more appropriate for him

Mui. I do feel like she should be above Void, though, but it's close enough that I'm not worried about it

Phil. Baby boy, baby

Top. I expect his stocks to rise with the current arc, but I'm still not super attached

Victor. He's lower than I think he should be this time given how interesting his story is, but I think the criteria I was going with may have hampered his chances (I was going for a "sparks joy" metric)

Chikara. I actively tried to make him higher than last time by remembering his character arc and not just considering how little I care for his design (he's a bit too plain for me)

Yusai. Everyone past this point has so little development that it almost completely came down to either how cute/pretty they were or how funny they were, and Yusai's pretty and silly

Creed. Not cute or funny, but he's pretty cool

Tella. Pretty boy, strong yaoi energy with Billy, needs more screen time

Bunny. Baby girl, baby

Ichico. Pretty lady, fun dynamic with Nico, but hasn't done quite enough on her own to stick out in my mind as a character

Enjin. Nice short arc, but I think we need more of him to really endear me to him

Kururu. I expect her to rocket up once we get to know her better, but for now, her lack of characterization and screen time holds her back

Ruin. Does not spark joy, deserves to be down at the bottom until he pulls a Feng and becomes the number one Fuuko simp, then he'll probably jump to at least top 15

#undead unluck #fouryearsandananime #uu spoilers #i promise i'm not going to keep doing this

[liaromancewriter]

Something To Talk About

Premise: Cassie is all about keeping up with Edenbrook’s rumor mill, much to Ethan’s dismay.

Book: Open Heart (post series) Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine) Rating/Category: Teen. Fluff. Words: 545

A/N: Submission for @choicesmonthlychallenge March prompt "Do-nothing day". I'm using @choicesflashfics week 22, prompt 1 (in bold). This fic was an anon request for story starter prompts (no.8) from @creativepromptsforwriting. Tagging for reblog to @creativepromptfills

“Have you heard about the rumors that are going around?”

Ethan Ramsey glanced up from programming the coffee machine and half-turned to face his wife. Cassie placed her elbows on the kitchen island and leaned in, anticipation written across her face.

He was not one for gossip. Cassie knew that. Naveen knew that. Hell, even his father knew his stance. And yet, the three most important people in his life always seemed to want to drag him into their ‘tea’.

“Don’t ask, don’t ask,” he mumbled under his breath, turning back to the machine.

They were enjoying a late start to their Sunday morning. While Cassie had jumped into the shower after her run, he’d gone to the kitchen to make French Toast—her favorite—with maple syrup and berries.

Knowing her eating habits, he already had whipped cream waiting next to her place setting. He resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose when she lifted the container, pointed the nozzle and sprayed some in her mouth.

“Anyway,” she continued, unfazed at his lack of interest. “Marlene heard on the nurses’ WhatsApp group that two second-year residents were caught going at it on the OR One observation room floor.”

Ethan poured their coffee and carried it over, unable to help the smile curving his lips at the utter glee on her face when she narrated the rest.

“The new surgical intern class and their preceptor certainly got an eyeful,” Cassie said, pausing briefly to sip her coffee.

“Apparently, the residents didn’t hear the door open, but everyone in the hallway outside certainly heard them. I’m told their grunting and groaning was worthy of an Oscar or two.”

She laughed then, a deep bellyful, and doubled over, clutching her stomach. She hiccupped, and tears leaked from the corner of her eyes.

Ethan shook his head and chuckled more at her reaction than the incident. He took his seat beside her on the kitchen island and spooned berries into their plates.

And then he frowned. “Wait a minute. Don’t they know how dirty those floors are, not to mention the germs? That’s got to be the craziest, most idiotic thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Like we’ve never fucked in Edenbrook,” she countered, mirth swimming in her green eyes. “Remember the supply closet outside the pediatric wing last October?”

She grinned lasciviously and winked.

This time Ethan pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered, “Christ.”

“What is the craziest thing you’ve ever done?” she asked, one brow raised in curiosity.

“Love you,” he quipped, a grin flashing.

“Ha Ha,” she pouted and rolled her eyes.

She forked up a piece of French Toast and hummed in pleasure. He grinned at the thought that the sound wasn’t that different from the one she made in bed. Definitely Oscar-worthy.

“What?” she asked, catching the look in his eyes.

He shook his head and turned back to his breakfast.

“I haven’t even told you about the latest tea from the EMTs.” Cassie picked up the coffee and held the mug between her palms, smiling at him over the rim.

Ethan hated gossip, but he loved indulging Cassie. So, he settled in to enjoy his breakfast and listen to his wife catch him up on a lazy Sunday morning.

------------------

All Fics & Edits: @annfg8 @bluebelle08 @coffeeheartaddict2 @crazy-loca-blog @doriopenheart @genevievemd @headoverheelsforramsey @lucy-268 @jamespotterthefirst @jerzwriter @lady-calypso @mainstreetreader @takemyopenheart @potionsprefect @queencarb @quixoticdreamer16 @rookiemartin @socalwriterbee @tessa-liam @trappedinfanfiction

Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Ethan & Cassie only: @cariantha @custaroonie @hopelessromantic1352 @mrs-ramsey

#open heart #choices open heart #ethan ramsey #ethan ramsey x mc #open heart fanfics #open heart fanfiction #choices fic writers creations #cfwc fics of the week #choices fanfics #choices fanfiction #short story #writers on tumblr #ethan ramsey x cassie valentine

[rxttenfish]

Mmm my love, what are some of your favorite things about Liam? Which other ROs work best as friends with him, and why?

Shipping meme.

the other ROs who work best as friends with liam is all of the ROs because they're all friends :)

ANYHOW FUCK YEAH I LOVE LIAM

he's!!!! so good!!! he was what got me into monprom (well, him and miranda...) for a reason and i still love him sosososo much. my beloved. my darling chewtoy. i want to eat him. i want to shake him until all the stuffing flies out of him and he dies forever. he's my fav and he gives me the cuteness aggression <3

first of all i just love his shitheadedness. like, he's designed to be a character who's easy to hate and be annoyed by and for him to do it with that snide confidence while also being so ridiculously ineffective and easily thwarted by his own rules and preferences that he sets that it's like watching him walk into rakes that he sat down. i adore a character who's their own punchline, who makes up their own silly rules and then has to deal with the consequences and just... opts to do that instead of realizing they made up these rules and they don't have to stick with them. or even knowing that, yes, they could just not have to deal with the consequences of their own made up rules, but no they don't want to. no one is making him do this. he has to do it anyways. it's wonderful. there's a reason him and polly are friends and its because of their mutual love of The Bit.

this is also why i rather like his just... entire stupid "holier than thou" attitude that so many other people seem to get tripped up on - because it's directly a farce. of course, it's a farce for the other characters this applies to as well, vera and miranda and damien are all equally as stupid as every other character in this series, but liam feels like the only one who's sincerely self-aware of that. he has gone on the spiritual journey. he has looked into himself. he knows this is stupid and dumb of him and he's not nearly as smart as anyone, especially not himself, makes him out to be. he will still act like it though.

why. why is he doing this. i mean part of it is, yeah, he doesn't actually want to let go of it and move on, but he has the flimsiest excuses for that and he knows it. but also i think he's just having a good time with it, tbh.

i've already mentioned before how liam is a confirmed masochist, and he's also among the characters who most talk about their fetishes, which is how i know this. he spends so much time talking about what he's into. you blackmail him and it's almost certainly a sex thing for him. as much as horny things come up, especially with other characters like polly, there's more detachment on their side, more plausible deniability. i like that liam just... lacks that. there's no plausible deniability about what he's getting out of this.

and god i just - i love characters where we can tell they're having a grand ol' time too, yaknow? this is also why i like miranda, where you can tell that she is playing up her own dramatic nature because it's fun for her (or she's using it to manipulate someone else), but liam absolutely goes the furthest with this. there's an aspect where he's so image-obsessed that he willfully becomes a parody of himself, parodying his own behavior and playing with it through the ups and downs, and this sets him out from all the other ROs to me. he's the character who most feels like there's a possibility that he's actually not having a bad time during failed events, and i LOVE that as just something on the table.

and the lore! the liam lore!! connecting him back to my dearest underutilized, underappreciated, underloved side characters, the coven!!! just... adding in his guilt and his effective need to make up for his past, for all that he's done, the suggestion that he's purposefully picking harmless things to do and a harmless personality for himself to inhabit on top of everything above? MWAH, wonderful, gorgeous, no further notes needed. i do still prefer him more with faith than joy exactly, but honestly this matters so much less to me than the complicated emotional milieu all of it leaves behind all the same.

the way that it mixes in with his genuine care of his friends and the way that he seems to act like the mom friend, fretting and worrying and caring about the others even if he tries not to show it. the way that liam can act as both as silly as everyone else, as much a part of the chaos as everyone else, and also as the straight man, as someone who is trying to maybe suggest them slow down a little. mwah mwah mwah. everything is so wonderful about liam it's genuinely hard to pick a favorite, he just has so much going on and such a rich inner world that it's hard to really have a bad time with him involved. i also just love his friendship with miranda and GOD i love how they all feel like friends. love it. love it so so much.

honestly i think the worst thing about liam is how much the latter games end up flattening him and making him boring, sticking way too much to the stereotypes and fanon, which should be considered a crime for a character that you just want to see flounce around no matter what happens to him.

anyhow <3 liam <3 im going to punt him into orbit like the football <3

#all the care guide says is 'biomass' #monster prom #asks #apocritast #LIAM MY FAV LIAM #still forever mad at that one survey that happened that said that liam and miranda were the least favorite ROs of the fandom #get some TASTE they are wonderful and fun and i adore them so #im sorry you love your demon twink so much you dont know how to have fun

[bouncycloud]

Top five favorite fics + honorable mentions 

Top five?? How can one choose top five out of millions😭

But i'll certainly try. Here's my all time faves in the ✨HP fandom ✨

1. Miðgarðsormr by xXAonoNYmouSPXx

I'm sure it's not a surprise 😄 This fic has me hooked, i even wrote a fanfic for this fic. Basically, tomione has a magical child, and when i say magical, i don't mean he's just a wizard. Their child is so much more haha. The twist: Tom had never met hermione and Hermione doesn't even know that her child has a father. Motherhood suits hermione so well in this fic and we get the bonus of seeing Tom riddle got dragged into parenthood haha. BAMF Hermione

2. In the Black + Black Mask by izzythehutt

It's a series. Regulus survived the cave and went to Sirius then boom: BLACK FAMILY REUNION. It's Sirius-centric and Sirius's characterization in this fic is so good. This story delves deep into Black family drama and the war. SiriusxOC, and while i usually don't read many HP fics with OC as a prominent character, this fic is so worth it to read.

3. Hermione Granger, Demonologist by BrilliantLady

It's a light read and it has great theories! I like to read it from time to time. Kid Hermione summoned demons in attempt to make friends and becomes a dark witch so naturally. But even though she's a dark witch, she is still very hermione!

4. Strange Attractors by Mistakes_And_Experiments

Tomione and world building! Smart people talking smart things. Tom is deep into politic. Very slow paced. Very sweet, not dark at all, unlike many tomione fics. Hermione is a bit ooc in this one, i think (not a hot headed gryffindor at all, but rather calm like luna). Still, it's an awesome read that i like to return to.

5. when sunsets look like blood (hold me till the stars appear)

Again, Tomione. Hilarious and deep. Tom riddle is not some evil overlord in this fic. Still rather evil, but just a teenager. I read this one a long time ago, but i still love it to this day.

Honorable mentions

The Laughing Heart : Regulus-centric, one shot. This fic makes you feel. It's regulus black, duh.

R. v. Riddle : Another light read! Or is it dark read? 🤔 About a murder case gone wrong (or gone right, in Tom's opinion). Intelligent Hermione but tom riddle is so much more haha. In this case, tom riddle played Hermione like a cheap kazoo :)) i really recommend this, it depicted tomione perfectly.

You Should Know : Adult hermione and adult tom riddle/voldemort. Hermione is born in the 30s, so a bit younger than tom riddle. Another light read that i like to read from time to time. It's canon hermione who grows up in the 30-40s and doesn't have harry or ron as friends.

Aberration : Harry/Hermione. Hermione is sorted into Slytherin. Honing her cunning out of necessity

Yesterday is Tomorrow (everything is connected) : who doesn't know this fic, honestly. I don't particularly like james/hermione but it's BAMF hermione so i can't resist. I'm glad i decided to read it, because this fic influences Mad Adventure a lot (I got the idea of using the Crouch family for Mad Adventure because of this fic). This fic is not one of my top favorites, but i put it here because it made great impacts on Mad Adventure

As you can see, I mostly read Tomione fics 😅 I know my fave list lacks any Regmione, but it is what it is :( I only got into regmione because i just think Regulus will suit Hermione well and deserves so much better. In any case, The Damned is one of the most memorable regmione fic for me - it's just so different and interesting.

If you have any fic recommendation for me, feel free to share! I mostly read HP and Naruto, sometimes BNHA, so if you want to share some fics from those fandoms, feel free to do so!

#ask me stuff #harry potter fic

[pennyserenade]

i saw that there’s going to be a new x-files series developed by ryan coogler and BOOKED IT to your blog!!! what do you think??! how do you feel??!!

first off: i love you omg??? i love that show so much--more than words can adequately express, as i'm sure you're aware--and im honored you want to hear my thoughts about this news.

at first i said that i wasn't going to say anything because admittedly not all my thoughts are great, and i don't want to shit on it before it even gets the chance to prove its worth. i'm not at all opposed to diversity being added into the x-files, or the show being developed by a person of color. in fact that's one of the things i'm most excited for regarding this. the entire time i watched the original show i noticed the startling lack of diversity in the cast, the plot, and the writers room. the original show does suffer at times from being written namely by white men and i think the x-files reboot probably will do better in terms of those things. at least i certainly hope

what i'm hesitant about is the fact that i don't see the x-files working in the modern day. when they did the revival back in 2018 (? i don't remember the exact year because i wasn't there yet, but i think it was around that time) it was obvious that they were all scrambling to make the plots work in the contemporary age. so much of the conflict in the x files is wrapped around the fact that fox mulder cannot prove that the government is doing all of these heinous shit, and that the paranormal and extraterrestrial stuff is real. he never could collect any tangible evidence that couldn't be ruined and he never could garner enough public support even if he did have it to build up to anything reputable before it was. they were always able to discredit him. now he could do that. we live in an age where everyone has a cell phone and an opinion and we can all get things to people faster than the speed of lightening.

but also there's the fact that every one has a cell phone and an opinion. it might not work, not because the characters can get evidence quickly and then, bam, the conflict is all gone, but also because conspiracies aren't what they used to be. we live in paranoid and tired age. our computers track us, companies own our data, and we see more ads in one year than someone in the 1960s saw in their entire lives. since 2020 i've heard the united states government twice confirm the existence of aliens and ufos. and then you've got shit like qanon and the campaigns of constant misinformation and no one is exactly sure what is real and what isn't. put fox mulder from the 90s on twitter or reddit for a week and you've got a terrible mess on your hands. in the revival scully literally tells him, "mulder the internet isn't good for you." much of the same can be said about the entire x-files in general. it simply doesn't have that magic that it did in the 90s when you translate it for the modern day.

my last complaint is the fact that i love mulder and scully so much, and the idea of anyone but these two characters doing the government work they did feels sacrilegious. i don't want other people playing fox mulder and dana scully, and i don't want other people playing remixed versions of fox mulder and dana scully. if they're going to start new i sure hope they start from scratch because these are two characters who are so beloved and cared about. i think it's almost disrespectful to tread on the paths they already walked.

having said all that i do think this reboot isn't without its hope. a lot of what i complained about can be solved with a simply putting this reboot in a different time period. i'd love to see what the an x files-like government sector would like in the '60s, '70s, or '80s. there's a lot to be said about the government in those time periods. it was all rife with reasonable conspiracy and i think they could very well do with making diverse storylines and all of that. i want this to succeed more than anyone. i'm just scared about it lol

#misc. #this is so long i'm sorry #i had to rant bc i've thought abt this for almost as long as i've loved the show #bc i do believe this reboot was in the works in 2020 but they went quiet for awhile #x files

[eleccy]

the reason why ace attorney 456 don't form a trilogy lies in the character development.

the plot threads from aa4 are never resolved. most of them aren't even picked back up or addressed. characters come and go. there's a distinct lack of cohesion.

like take for example the star wars prequel trilogy. that was a story. the story was about qui gon jinn, obi wan kenobi and anakin skywalker. regardless of your opinion of these movies, plot threads are carried through each of the three installments. the whole thing taken together reads like one big story, and each of the three movies could be seen as an "act", or chapter. sure, (spoiler ahead) qui gon does die in phantom menace, the first movie. but his influence is seen throughout the other two. his mentorship shines through in obi wan, and in anakin. he affects the plot even after he's gone.

but ace attorney 456 doesn't do any of that. it doesn't even do it the same way that 123 did. 1, 2, and 3 form a trilogy because, taken together, they are a story. the story is primarily about mia fey and maya fey, but there are other characters. yes, it is true that mia dies early on in the first game. but through channeling, she appears again. she affects the plot. whether you're talking game 1, 2, or 3, she is a part of the story. she is mentioned in cases in which she doesn't appear, like rfta, adding to the mystery and sense of continuity and cohesion. edgeworth's story ties into phoenix's, which ties into mia's, which ties into maya's. there are character arcs and growth. minor and supporting characters re-occur to show certain themes and move the plot along. taken together, it is a story.

456 is not a trilogy, i say, because apollo, trucy, and phoenix are really the only constants. there is certainly some growth there, but most of the time in the plot is not spent focusing on their growth, but rather on random gimmicks, such as perceive / mood matrix / psyche locks or whatever happens to be going on with the minor characters of the current case. once we see certain supporting characters, we really never see them again. plot threads such as those with the gavin brothers, the kitaki family, evidence forging, the mishams, the gramaryes and such are basically discarded after game 4, as if there was never really a plan for them to tie into anything in the first place. klavier does come back in game 5, yes, the gramaryes are mentioned again in game 6. but it feels... impromptu. like it's just fanservice. there's no real growth, nothing new is really learned by re-introducing these elements. it's bland. without shu takumi writing, the cohesiveness of the story really suffers. what you're left with is a series of cases all featuring apollo, but no real answer as to how apollo really grew other than "well, phoenix accepts him as a lawyer now". which, given what the first case of game 4 set up, is kind of a wet fart of an ending. they never discussed the bloody ace. what about the intrigue? what about the time apollo punched him in the face? how has apollo's opinion of phoenix really changed? how does trucy feel about it all? what happened with kristoph? what was behind the black psychelocks? helloooooooooooo!?

so, basically, as much as i love apollo as a character and i love his game, you can't call 4, 5, and 6 a trilogy so much as a collection of games. and that's ok, so long as we're all honest about it.

#ok im posting so much today #aa4 #apollo justice trilogy #apollo justice #i had to rant on this

[offdensen]

i wrote a review for army of the doomstar on letterboxd for my third watch (after marathoning the entire show in one day) and i wanted to share it here, too.

spoiler free.

⛧⛧⛧

i think it's time for me to say something actually substantial about this film now that i've rewatched it after having gone through the entire series once again.

the thing is, it's impossible for me to judge this fairly or objectively. my attachment to this series, to the music, to the characters, to anything that brendon small touches means i can never be unbiased about the production of the film. i spent years lamenting the lack of a proper ending, thankful for 2017’s galaktikon II: become the storm providing an infringement-avoidant ending but still left wanting. having a proper conclusion after so long is a wonderful gift, one that’s made me cry every time i’ve gone through it.

what's so incredible about this film is that it’s as if no time has passed since the doomstar requiem. i can certainly feel that ten years have come and gone since this series was unceremoniously cancelled by the powers that be at [adult swim], and i definitely carry at least some of the teenaged bitterness from that still, but army of the doomstar picks up so well from where we left off that it's a testament to the passion and love the cast and crew have for this silly little show about death metal musicians.

you can tell that these characters live in brendon small so intensely after all this time. he picks them up effortlessly, not just in his performance, but also in his writing and direction. tommy blacha is as strong as ever, particularly as a haunted, tormented murderface. how extraordinarily lucky we are to have victor brandt, mark hamill, and malcolm mcdowell returning to give their characters one final hurrah.

visually, it's an absolute treat. army of the doomstar feels cinematic in a way that makes it stand out not just compared to its source material, but also to its [as] contemporaries. it still has that slight titmouse jank that i dearly love, enough that it doesn't feel divorced from its roots; it is the logical conclusion to the art evolution the show had been endeavoring through every season. not showing this on the big screen, even for a very limited run, is an injustice.

music has always been metalocalypse's high-point and it remains true here. brendon small never really departed from that heavy sound during the show’s temporary death, having expanding upon it in galaktikon II with a stronger emphasis on synth. this really shines in the film’s score, balancing its orchestral and guitar-forward metal elements delicately well. dethklok itself is as technically impressive as ever, returning with that more mature sound from the last season. dethalbum IV works delightfully well as a companion piece.

i don’t know how this film would fair to those that haven’t revisited the show since it was still airing new episodes, to those that never kept up with the overarching story, or to those who were particularly married to what we were given in galaktikon II. the grand spectacle of become the storm was traded for something that better resembled the thesis of the show, the thread seen throughout that tied ego and selfishness to loss and destruction, not just to others but also to oneself.

i also don’t think it could be evaluated fairly as a standalone film. truly, how much does it matter how well something stands on its own when it's sewn from a grander piece?

army of the doomstar is different, both in overall tone from the show and plot-wise from its proxy from 2017, and i think this is to its betterment. it is still funny like its origin, but it is also heartfelt, it is genuine, it is sorrowful, it is hopeful. it is a love-letter to the music it was birthed from and to the fans that kept it breathing. it is niche, but it is ours.

thank you, brendon, for not breaking up with us.

#metalocalypse #army of the doomstar #dethklok #brendon small #text #i owe so much to this show and to brendon as an artist #will definitely be sobbing at the babyklok show next month lmao

[iwrite-sinsandtragedies]

@organized-chaotic-disaster I totally see what you mean 😭 (tho I haven’t played the Derek or Baxter DLCs myself). Tbh I think the main reason you can’t be poly is the fact that it would be hard to implement in an already complex game with high customization of your experience, especially since it’s written by one person— idk how they’d do that tbh. And I know GB has gone on record to say that Cove wouldn’t be down for a poly relationship, but it still sucks to not have the option. I understand why poly relationships aren’t really a thing in games— a combination of monogamy being the norm irl and the difficulty in implementing the mechanic itself —but I hope one day those barriers can be broken down so it becomes an option 😭 And sorry if any of this comes across as me coming for you or something, that’s not my intention!!! I just had some thoughts I wanted to share. Overall I definitely agree that things like this could and should be handled better, and hopefully will be with future games with dateable NPCs— I’d love to explore that myself, and I wish I could with OL.

[original post]

Mm, It's certainly not impossible to add in those features [the FH series, for example, is a single writer and they've added in poly options upon fan requests] but, I can understand not wanting to put the extra work in yeah, especially since the creator has been saying for a while now that "this is the last thing I'll do for olba" like, they seem to be really trying to move on to the next project, so I get it.

It's also why I don't expect to ever get any resolution for this😔but it still does make me very sad because I really do love this game so much, it's one of the few forms of media out there that make me feel comfortable/understood/safe with myself and the lack of a poly option really takes away from that feeling quite a bit.

My main gripe though is that there isn't any conversation at all about it. Like, that just takes away from the experience of the game.

Once you choose to date Baxter, everyone just goes 'Error 404' on you and seems to outright forget that you were basically setting up to and expected to marry Cove. That, to me, reads like a failing of writing.

Like, there should be some dialogue, y'know? Cove should be able to question your relationship, even in a round-about and self-concious/self-serving way, there should be some tension there where he has to tackle his very real feelings for you and you can possibly do the same for him but, there's just none. Like, if you flirt with him in Step 2, have that romantic tension carry over to Step 3 he shouldn't be able to just shrug off all his feelings instantly. Feelings don't work that way, bro😂It just bugs me that it's so inorganic and unable to be explored. Cove and MC have a lot of history, they should be able to talk about it in every aspect, y'know?

Also! Not ranting at you specifically, lmao! I'm just sharing my feelings. Thank you so much for replying to me, I really enjoyed reading your thoughts! It's also just nice to see that someone out there also wants the poly options like me🥺we got too much love in our wee little hearts for this single romance bs lmaooo

I lowkey wish there was a mod community for games like these😂ngl, it'd be nice to just have a mod that ignored certain flags or something so that you could at least have the romantic tension still there with Cove while you romance someone else. It doesn't fix the lack of dialogue option but it'd be better than the clear and noticable lack of what was clearly there before. At least then it'd be easier to pretend there was something to bite into lol

#iwrite replies #organized-chaotic-disaster #olba #ol:ba #our life beginnings and always #our life beginnings & always #poly #polymance #ol cove #ol baxter #cove holden #baxter ward #baxter dlc #iwrite rambles #iwrite rants

[thatone-churro]

honestly, what i think warriors needs the most right now is a total reset. like, world-wise.

it’s no secret that most of the clans (ThunderClan especially) have become heavily bloated - for lack of a better word - because the Erins introduce specific, named cats and then have to follow up on them and their family because of the way the arcs occur in rapid succession. that wasn’t so much of a problem in the first two or three arcs, but it certainly is now. and god knows these family trees are enough to drive anyone up the wall. and don’t get me started on how frequently characters and their personalities are drastically altered for no good reason other than to fill a narrative role. which is, fairly obviously, a big no-no for spinning a coherent narrative that relies on previous installments, if it even has to rely on them.

obviously, these aren’t the only issues the modern series has, but it’s certainly become a big one, and it’s probably caused a few other narrative issues, given that we pretty much know EVERY cat in EVERY clan, at this point.

which is why i say the world of warriors needs an absolute reset. perhaps not wiping the slate clean entirely, they’ve gone too far for that by now, but we know everyone. we’ve seen everything these past few generations have to offer. we can’t pull any twists without retcons (not that the Erins are above that, either) because we’ve seen those that would be villains already and everyone else that’s stood against them.

what i REALLY wish would happen to solve this problem (i say as if i’m invested in the actual stories at this point, but i’m saying this more from a writer/storytelling perspective) is a timeskip. a massive one. that’s what this series really needs.

the arcs happen too close together, is one of my biggest pet peeves. if a timeskip is gonna happen, it needs to be LONG. everyone we know in the current arcs/generations needs to be gone, save for maybe one or two of the younger ones as the eldest elders, but they can’t keep relying on the current cast. there needs to be a fresh slate.

new leaders and a new cast with new motives and beliefs (so they can stop butchering the current ones). basically the butchering of personalities and entire characters and retconning entire character arcs and pre-established backstories could so easily be avoided if they just. used entirely new characters.

new family trees. for the love of god, let those monstrosities of the current bloodlines rest. if the timeskip is long enough, they wouldn’t have to worry about them; they could forge relationships (familial and otherwise) from scratch. there could be room for a few references to new characters being descended from older ones, but the connection should end at that; there should be a gap of those missing generations in the family tree, no one should be able to draw an exact line back to that character/bloodline. this is honestly one of the easiest, if not only, possible coherent solutions to this issue at this point.

aside from solving some prominent issues, a long timeskip presents one of the more interesting opportunities for the series: show how the clans have changed over time. sure, there’s change happening in the current arcs, but again, everything’s so close that not a lot really is changing. if the skip is executed properly (read: they make it long enough), they can show not only how general beliefs have changed through the generations, but the actual clans and their capabilities. think of your favorite warriors rewrites (i know you have one) and all the cool little things they add to the clans: crafting, cooking, their own language; all of it could realistically be included in the series if a timeskip simply went far enough and implied that the clans developed these areas as time went on. it could pave a whole new direction for the series. and for the better.

it wouldn’t have the charm and engagement that the first arc had when the world was introduced, but it has the opportunity to be the next best thing. a complete refresh, yet a continuation of the same series.

the only way for this to work (assuming all the previous points were met) is to ABSOLUTELY NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, CREATE ANY SORT OF “PREQUEL”-ESQUE CONTENT. that means no super editions that tell a pre-established character’s backstory, no novella or whatever that bridges generations or covers these changes, nothing! the skip should be made and the entire series should move FORWARD from that point. to go backward would be to muck it all up and ruin the whole premise.

again, i really don’t keep up with the current story in-depth, but as someone who’s working on a long, multi-arc story of her own, this is my take on how to really “save” (or save as much as it can) the series or put it back on the right track. we know this won’t be what happens, but i really wish it was. it would fix so much. i wish it had been implemented already; that would save a lot of us so much suffering.

anyway, that’s my bi-yearly warrior cats essay. do with it what you will.

#don’t mind me and my english major ass over analyzing a children’s series again #this has honestly probably been said before tbh #i’m not saying i’m not guilty of some of the erins’ flaws in my own project but i at least know how to fix them #this is just my take on a direction i hope the series takes. for the sake of those still genuinely interested #grace being stupid #text post #warrior cats #warriors #wc