#this also is obviously set several years pre series

[kanerallels]

Today for @monthly-challenge's Spring Fling we have day 13: Earth! I wrote another Wingfeather Saga fan fic-- hope you guys like it! It's kind of a follow up to the one I wrote a couple days back, I'll link that here! (I'd also like to put these up on AO3 but I so do not have the motivation and energy for it right now. Perhaps later!)

(TW for mentions of death)

From the earth we come, and to the earth we are returned…

Esben stared straight forward as the priest continued speaking. He knew Artham was standing at his side, but his brother had his arm around their mother as she wept. And in this moment, Esben felt terribly, terribly alone.

His father, Jru Wingfeather, was dead. And he was High King of the Shining Isle.

It hadn’t been expected. Not really. His father had been older, yes, but healthy and hale. Mere days earlier he’d been joking around with the two of them, eyes sparkling with joy.

And then, two days ago, he passed in his sleep, a smile on his face. The doctor guessed that his heart had given out, which Esben still didn’t fully understand. How could one’s heart give out if it was so full of so many things? And his father had loved his family, and Anniera, with all his heart.

Nevertheless, he was gone now. Which meant Esben was the High King, and that was a little terrifying in a way that Esben preferred not to contemplate more than he had to.

Sure, he’d been training his whole life for this. But he was nineteen years old, and felt horribly unprepared and unready, and his heart still ached whenever he thought about taking up the crown his father had worn not even a full week ago.

They were going to have to have a coronation. Esben almost groaned out loud at the thought. He couldn’t imagine pretending to be kingly and majestic in front of a crowd right now. If he tried, he’d probably start to laugh. Or cry, and neither option was particularly appealing.

Artham’s nudge in the ribs startled him out of his thoughts. For a wild moment, he worried he’d voiced his thoughts out loud and his brother was going to scold him. But there was no reprimand in Artham’s gaze as he tilted his head silently at the priest, who’d finished speaking and was watching him expectantly.

Oh, right. He’d almost forgotten his own part in the ceremony. Stepping forward, Esben forced himself to look at it— the grave, the coffin that held his father. The mound of fresh earth next to it loomed darkly as Esben approached.

Reaching out, he took a handful of the earth and dropped it on top of the coffin. “May the Maker receive you with all joy, even as we mourn you here,” he recited, loud enough that the crowd could hear. Hesitating, he stared down at the coffin and added, only loud enough for him to hear, “I’ll try to make you proud, Papa. I’ll be a good king.” I hope.

He stepped back, and everything was suddenly moving faster than he could process. Before Esben knew it, the gaping hole was filled in, leaving a dark patch to mark the grave. Artham stepped forward with a tiny sapling, the roots encased in a ball of dirt. Together, as was the tradition, the two brothers dug a hole in the mound of dirt covering the grave and planted the sapling. As Artham shored it up with dirt, Esben stared at the small tree. Out of death, new life. Somehow, that thought didn’t bring him much comfort yet.

They got to their feet together, Artham’s hand on his shoulder lending Esben a little comfort. In turn, he put his arm around his mother’s shoulder when they moved to stand next to her. She pressed her hand against his, and Esben could see her blinking back tears.

And then the funeral was over, and they were heading into the main hall of Castle Rysen, where food had been set out and they could visit with the guests who came to express their condolences and support. 

Esben had expected to hate this part. But as guests stopped by, their words lent him strength. They spoke about his father, telling stories— of the king and the man, stories that were funny and stories that made both brothers and their mother cry. It was a bittersweet way to spend the day, mourning the High King, but celebrating him, too.

“It’s how Jru would have wanted it,” their mother said quietly. “He would have loved this, so many friends together here.” She gazed across the room, at the groups of people talking. 

“Sorrow, yet joy,” Artham said. “Loss, yet healing.”

Nala laughed softly. “Exactly.”

It was enough to bring a smile to Esben’s face, but only briefly. As another guest approached his mother, he murmured an excuse and slipped away. He needed a minute to himself, just one.

There was a small door in the right hand wall of the hall that led out to a balcony set in the side of the hill. A set of stairs led down to the green below, but Esben didn’t take them now. He just leaned against the railing and took a long, deep breath. Finally, he had a moment to himself, to think.

The sun was shining, which seemed a little wrong. Most funerals he’d read about had rain. When his aunt died, it was raining. But the sun was shining, the light glimmering on the sea. The breeze streamed through the nearby trees, the hush of leaves reaching his ears even from a distance.

It would have been a nice day for sailing, and Esben almost snorted at the thought. At the fact that he could think about those things when… when he was the High King now.

Every time he thought about it, the idea seemed to weigh a little heavier on his shoulders, and he closed his eyes. Oh, Maker. How am I supposed to do this on my own?

He wasn’t quite sure how long he’d been there when he heard the door behind him open, then close, and soft footsteps sounded. Artham? It didn’t really sound like him, which meant it was probably a guest. Esben straightened up, turning to face— Nia Helmer?

His eyes widened as she said, “I’m sorry to disturb you. I thought you’d probably want some time on your own, but Artham— well, he disagreed. I can leave, if you—”

“No,” Esben said immediately. “Stay. Please?”

The small smile she gave him sent a flash of warmth through him, and she came to stand next to him, hands resting on the railing as she stared out at the view.

Esben, however, wasn’t watching the view anymore. He was watching her— dressed in dark, somber clothing, her dark hair braided and twisted back, not a strand loose.

Artham had been right to send her. Anyone else, he would have been impatient or short with, but Nia… he didn’t think he could bring himself to snap at her. They’d been writing back and forth for three years now, with the odd meeting in person when he came to the Green Hollows with his family. 

Every time Esben got a letter, he read it again and again, tucking it into his shirt and carrying it close to his heart. He had one with him even now, although he probably shouldn’t admit that. Nor should he admit that just seeing her again seemed to lift some of the weight from his shoulders, to bring him peace he desperately needed.

He looked at her again, at the way she was gazing at the trees and the ocean before them, the sunlight highlighting her skin. Then again, maybe he should tell her. 

But not now. Not when he’d just lost his father. A twinge of guilt went through Esben. He shouldn’t even be thinking about this right now.

“I’d guess you’re tired of being asked how you are,” Nia said, breaking through his thoughts.

Letting out a low chuckle, Esben admitted, “I’ve gotten a lot of it, yes.”

“I thought so. So then… what do you need?”

Esben glanced at her, surprised, as she continued, “I can leave you be, or we can talk, or I can just keep you company, or I can get Artham out here. And if you need a hug, I’m here.”

A laugh slipped out, despite himself. “You are… incredible.”

“I’m just doing what anyone would do,” Nia said, turning slightly pink.

“No. You’re incredible. Trust me.”

She smiled. “Well, then, are you going to help me in my incredibleness and tell me what you need?”

“Yes, ma’am. I…” Esben hesitated, then said, “I’d take a hug.”

Without hesitating, before he could think better of his words, Nia pulled him gently into a hug. She was warm and smelled like something sweet, and Esben could feel the strain of the day melting away.

“How am I supposed to do this?” he whispered into her hair.

“Take it one day at a time,” she said quietly. “And remember you’re not alone, Esben. You have people who love you, who will support you. Artham, and your mother, and—”

“And you?” he asked, pulling back a little, his heart stuttering a little as he looked at her. It was something else he shouldn’t have said, maybe. But with Nia in his arms, it felt a little like he could topple the world if he needed to.

She smiled at him like the sun rising over the Shining Isle. “And me,” she told him. “Though… I cannot stay long. I’m sorry.”

“I know,” Esben said, taking her hands. “Just hearing your voice for now is enough. I’ll be here at home for a while after the funeral, but… could I come see you, sometime soon? And your family?”

“Please do,” Nia said, and he knew that she understood exactly what he was thinking.Sorrow, he thought, and yet joy. Finally, he thought he understood it.

#springfling2024 #the wingfeather saga #esben wingfeather #nia wingfeather #artham wingfeather #nala wingfeather #this also is obviously set several years pre series #writing stories is a kind of magic too #not gonna lie i could write a WHOLE lot more about esben and nia #they're just. exactly my kind of ship. i would die for them

[wosoamazing]

Team Bonding Night

Part 5 - Fire on Fire Series A/N: I do have up to chapter 14ish of this pre-planned however if anyone has anything they might want to see in it please let me know and I will try to include it in here somewhere, if I don't already have it included.

Tonight was team bonding night and you decided that you would start the year right and offer to hold the first team bonding of the year. Stina and Frida came over and helped you set up. It was decided there would be a few games of pool before a movie. As all the girls arrived there were plenty of comments about how fancy your place was and how your parents must be rich, they were all light hearted and really just jokes but unbeknownst to everyone they all hit a nerve, but you had prepared for this and so you just ignored it, knowing that the girls meant nothing.

You had just performed the break shot for the last game of the night when Leah came up behind you, wrapping her arms around your waist as she rested her chin on your shoulder. You were almost expecting a comment from someone or even at least a look from Beth, who kept teasing you about ‘your very close friendship with Leah’, at Leah’s actions however no one batted an eyelid. But it was most likely because Leah was known for her hugs and hugging people, so much so that it didn’t even surprise you when she did it.

“Hello,” you said as she turned her head so it rested on your shoulder, “as much as I appreciate this it’s almost my turn again,” you informed her, she just hummed before letting you go. 

The pool game was coming to an end, with Katie and Caitlin having two remaining balls to sink whilst you and Steph were now trying to sink the 8-ball, so Stina decided to start setting up for the movie, opening the door to the gym to get the bean bags.

“Holy Crap, how do you have so many trophies and medals?” Alessia let out, announcing the fact to the whole team, causing you to wish that you could just vanish right there and then, not even thinking about the fact everyone would see them, whilst you were getting ready, to be fair Alessia wasn’t over reacting, you had a large amount of Trophies. With at least one trophy for every football season, and at least two medals per season, plus an assortment of Track & Field and Cross Country trophies and medals, the collection grew pretty quickly.

“Where are they all from?” Kyra asked in awe, “Well school gave us them, if you scored the most goals, and then each season we got medals, and all the cross country and Track ones are school, and then obviously club football too,”

“You got medals and trophies for sport? Like regularly,” “Yeah, at awards nights, we got them for academic stuff too,”

“See that’s what happens when you go to a School like Melbourne Grammar, you’ve got to sit through the several hours long assemblies regularly.” Steph joked, it was something you always complained about to her.

“Isn’t Melbourne Grammar Expensive? Wait but is it true that your parents are also totally rich?” Katie asked, you just slightly nodded as you saw Leah’s eye widen from across the room at the mention of your parents, thankfully Beth diverted the conversation without anyone returning to the topic. 

______

You were sitting on the couch next to Leah as you all watched a movie. At some point Leah’s arm migrated to be around your back with her hand resting on your waist and you had dropped your head to rest on her shoulder.

“You must’ve had a good childhood,” Katie said as she looked around at the photos of you on the wall, you grinning in almost every single one, your Aunt’s by your side for a lot of them. However you hadn’t noticed she was looking at the photos and you thought that she was still on about the whole money thing, but not wanting to make a big deal you didn’t want to say much, so you settled with a simple “sure,” sounding a little annoyed.

“Oh did you never get a pony,” her joke sent you over the edge and so you snapped, you felt Leah’s hand grip onto your wrist as you stood up encouraging you not to do so, but you just ripped your arm from her grip.

“No Katie. I got a Pony. I’m just an embarrassment to the family according to my parents. I was told that football didn't matter, that the thing I was best at and loved was pointless and never going to happen as the family reputation needed to be upheld. I missed my first ever national camp, because I wasn't allowed to go, because it would’ve meant I would miss too much school, and CEOs, CFOs, doctors, professors or board members don’t take days off school. I have never made my parents proud, the more milestones I reach in my career, the more successful I am the more I become a failure to them. So yes, I did have money, and I thankfully had two very kind hearted women who made up for the fact I didn’t have parents, but my life wasn’t and will never be pure rainbows and sunshine,” you felt tears well up in your eyes as you suddenly realised you had just revealed a major part of your past to not just Katie but the whole team, you felt all eyes in the room on you, you couldn’t stay, you felt like the dam would break soon and you couldn’t embarrass yourself further in front of the team, so you got up, you left the room and headed towards the stairs, not knowing what else to do.

You slid down the wall of the spare bedroom upstairs as you dropped your head, holding it in your hands as you began to cry.

Stina had followed you and she quickly came to sit by your side, pulling you into her side.

“I can’t believe I did that, I just, jag bara. Jag tänkte inte och nu vet de alla. Tänk om-” (I just. I didn’t think and now they all know. What if-)

“Y/N/N andetag, ta några djupa andetag” (breath, take some deep breaths), Stina instructed you as she placed her hands on your shoulders, shifting to be kneeling in front of you.

A light knock was heard from the door and Beth and Steph popped their heads around the corner, “Oh sorry, we just thought you might want some water,” Stina nodded her head and they came in, placing the water on the floor next to you.

“Tack,” (thank you) you replied forgetting you weren’t talking to Stina anymore, “Sorry, thank you,” both women nodded and smiled before turning around to head out.

“Will Katie hate me now?” you ask no one specifically, causing the two women to turn around again.

“Y/N, no she won't, if anything I think she feels bad and is worried you won’t like her anymore.” Beth said and you nodded softly.

“Is everyone still downstairs?” You questioned, “No, Leah is letting them all out,” Steph told you nodded as you relaxed a little again, “I should probably go, Kyra will be waiting for me,” “yeah, Viv will be waiting for me,” “I think I’m taking Frida home, unless you want us to stay,” “No, its okay, I should go see if Leah is still here and apologise to her,” as you walked down the stairs you saw Leah standing in the middle of the living room fiddling with her wrist, you walked up to her.

“I’m sorry, did I hurt you?” You asked and she wrapped her arms around you, to give you a hug.

“No, it’s okay, you didn’t, but I’m sorry for not letting you speak up, I know she was only joking but it still wasn't right.” she said as she tried to pull back, “as much as I would love to stay and talk I think Lia is waiting for me in the car,” you let go of the hug as your mood slightly dropped “oh,” you said taking a step back, “come over for breakfast tomorrow?” “of course” she replied smiling and you returned the smile before she let herself out.

“So,” Steph said as she walked into the room, “That was,” Beth followed, dragging out as she couldn’t find the right word, “Palpable,” Stina said, assisting Beth.

“Please don’t I’ve already told you we’re just friends,”

“Okay,” they all replied with a raised eyebrow before hugging you and saying their goodbyes. 

_______

You were sitting at the kitchen island next to Leah as you ate breakfast when the doorbell rang.

“Oh, I’ll go get that, don’t you dare eat any more of my food,” you looked at her and she smirked, “Leah, don’t,” you instructed her again as you opened the door.

“Oh Katie, hi,” your words were enough for Leah to get up out of her chair and come over to where you were at the door.

“Erm, hi,” the Irish woman said, “I just wanted to apologise for last night, I erm, I shouldn’t hav-” “It’s okay Katie, you couldn’t have known and I’m sorry for snapping at you, I, well some stuff is going on with my family, more my parents currently, so it’s just something that is currently a sensitive topic, usually it doesn’t bug me,” you cut her off, “Erm, okay yeah, sorry,” she said still kind of awkwardly, “It’s okay,” you reminded her as you pulled her in for a hug, “you’re welcome to join us for breakfast if you want.”

Katie took you up on your offer and so you, Leah and her all had breakfast together before driving to training.

#woso #woso fanfics #woso community #woso imagine #woso x reader #arsenal wfc #awfc x reader #awfc #leah williamson x reader #leah williamson #wosoamazing fireonfire

[bluebudgie]

Behold! The long announced whiny pissbaby gamer rage essay that noone on the internet asked for.

Disclaimer up front: This is about Eff Eff Sixteen. If you're a fan of this game I advise you to just ignore this because I genuinely don't want to piss into your morning coffee with my negativity. I will rip this game several new assholes. You have been warned.

FAQ Q: Don't you have anything better to spend your time on than writing a ridiculously lengthy internet text post about a video game whose existence you are free to simply ignore? A: Yes, but this matter is personal. I'm writing this for the sake of carthasis. Closure. To be free of the rage that has possessed me for the past months. Q: Have you tried touching grass? A: I have sat in a field of grass for a prolonged amount of time prior to writing this. I am beyond the need of touching grass. Q: Do you expect anyone to actually read all this? A: No.

Spoilers ahead, obviously. Let's go.

------

Table of Contents

Introduction: Is this the worst game ever made? 1.1 It's personal 1.2 Pre-release & producer statements

The battle system

The narrative 3.1 Storytelling and morality 3.2 Pacing 3.3 Visuals 3.4 Characters 3.4.1 The game's biggest mistake 3.4.2 The state of women 3.5 Music

Credit where credit is due 4.1 It's personal again

Conclusion

------

1. Introduction: Is this the worst game ever made? What a strange way to start, you may think. Shouldn't this question rather be addressed in a conclusion at the end? I want to set the record straight from the start: No, it is not the worst game ever made. All things considered I don't even think it's the worst game of its series. And yet I have never in my life felt such unbridled hatred for a video game, or honestly, any piece of entertainment media I can currently think of. Why is that?

1.1 It's personal Usually I'm pretty good at doing the sensible thing people should do when they don't like something - ignore it. Why bother wasting your energy deliberately seeking out something that you know will make you angry?

Hear me out for a moment, I'll have to go on a tangent here.

I didn't actively get into the series until a year before FFXIII released - which at this point in time is 15 years ago now, but considering we've had only two more (singleplayer) mainline games since then, it's still a relatively late entry point. This is to say: I don't think I'm wearing the worst nostalgia goggles, but I do have a long history with the series nonetheless. These games have played a big role in my life for those past 15 years.

I used to roll my eyes at the "the series died after FFX" crowd. FFXII is one of the best in the series, sure FFXIII was a landslide miss for me, but... that's one game, right. Then FFXV's release drew closer. I did not like what I saw, for many reasons I won't detail now. What did I do? I blacklisted the game's name on all social media platforms, and didn't hear anything about it anymore. To this day I haven't actually seen much of it, though I do know the rough outline. And I know that while the game has a dedicated fanbase, it has also received its fair share of harsh criticism.

Why am I telling you all this?

1.2 Pre-release & producer statements

A few years ago, FFXVI was announced. And I have to be honest: I was negatively biased from the start. I hadn't been happy with SE's general direction for years and I wasn't particularly hopeful for this entry either. But - and I want to make this very clear - I was open to give this game a fair chance. The announcement trailer didn't really hook me but it looked alright, some visual and audio gripes aside. I was... cautiously curious. Not quite enough to call it optimistic, but I wanted to be hopeful.

You know what's excellent at crushing hopes? Game producer interviews that range from "that's a severely stupid opinion to have but you do you" aka (paraphrased) "our traditionally turn-based series can't be turn-based anymore because in order to get the production costs covered we have to appeal to the masses, and the masses are kids who love action and not outdated combat systems in which you have to navigate menus to act" (source); to downright offensive statements such as "we are creating a fantasy world based on reality and therefore black people can't exist in our european medieval setting" (source); and "I have gamer pride so I don't want to feature an easy difficulty setting in my game" (source - for clarity's sake there are accessibility options in the game in the form of equipment that helps simplify combat, however the statement itself is still really goddamn stupid).

And I know these statements have been called out by some - but it definitely didn't blow up as much as it should have considering the popularity of this franchise. It's an open secret why this is the case (if you're out of the loop: the game producer in question is an untouchable god with a really large cult fan following), and quite frankly I believe this is probably where the first seeds of my hatred were sown. Knowing that no matter what FFXVI was going to be it would have people defend it out of their blind commitment to the team behind the game's development, left a.... spiteful aftertaste in my mouth.

Ironically looking back now, and plain offensive statements aside, my biggest concern for the game itself was actually the combat system. I'm definitely part of the old-school "a main series FF game needs turn-based combat" crowd. Oh sweet summer child.

At this point I decided it would be better to go the FFXV route (which, by the way, had some similarly stupid dev comments at its release). All marketing made it clear that I was not the target audience for this game, so best to just ignore its existence.

That worked... alright...ish... until the demo's release. I guess you could say curiousity killed the cat. I decided to take a look at someone's playthrough... and that's where my initial "pissbaby gamer rage" draft that I ended up not posting came from. Go big or go home, if I wanted to be angry about this game in public I should at least be fair and wait for the full release. Not judge the game by its (admittedly generous in length) demo. Get the full receipts, see it for all that it is in its entirety. I think in a way I still didn't want to give up hope completely.

And that's where we are now, two months later I've watched a full playthrough of the game including all sidequests. It's been a wild ride to say the least.

2. The battle system

Let's get this out of the way before we finally get to the really meaty part: As mentioned earlier my primary concern before release was the combat system since it's so far removed from the older entries of the series. Ironically, of all things, this is probably the smallest issue I have with the game now.

I still don't think the combat is good, mind you - this is mostly a matter of personal taste but I'll never see how button mashing and a series of QTEs overlayed over 20 minutes of cinematic cutscene is supposed to be more impactful or fun than the oh-so-outdated turn based menu inputs. Then again, I didn't play the game myself and can therefore obviously not judge how good or bad it feels in the heat of battle. I say "button mashing", by the way, as what I've gathered from other people's reviews - who genuinely enjoyed the game - the combat is really watered down and repetitive in comparison to games with similar systems like the DMC series. While you do pick up new abilities over the course of the game it seems like once you've found one combination that works you can solve every single battle following those exact inputs. This is one of the two really big complaints about this game I've seen consistently in almost every review.

Speaking of combat, the game has the weirdest way to pull you out of the action and emotional moments by freezing mid cutscene, showing a "you won the battle - here's your loot" screen while blasting an epic choir rendition of the classic FF fanfare, before picking that same cutscene right back up. I don't know who thought this was a good idea, but it's honestly jarring. For an extremely cinematic game that supposedly wants to break with "outdated" traditions, implementing that very video game-y results screen is a strange choice.

You could say this last point is nitpicking, and if this game had no other issues I would probably not mention it at all, but as it is this little detail is indicative of a much, much larger issue.

3. The narrative

[The sound of cracking knuckles can be heard in the distance.] Let the slaughter begin.

Prior to release the game was marketed as a departure from the rest of the series - the setting was advertised as a darker, more mature, political intrigue for an adult audience. ('But the masses of kids that like action com-' Who? What are you talking about?) Because as we all know, no other FF game has ever been dark before (/sarcasm).

What we got was storytelling and character writing with about the maturity level of a twelve year old teenage boy in his edgelord phase making his first Game of Thrones fanfiction drafts. This game oozes of sexism, really stupid slavery allegories, the most dumbed down black and white morality with a matching set of one-dimensional black and white characters, godawful pacing and some of the worst NPC dialogues I've ever had to witness.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

3.1 Storytelling and morality

So this dark and mature political story... I'm still searching for it. I know GoT started this trend where writers will use "politics" as a buzz word to make their games look complex (FFXVI hasn't been the sole offender in the past years). Then they expose you to a few kingdom names, show you a map with territories, drop a few year dates with barely any significant relevance to anything over the course of the game, and pretend that's a deep political intrigue. I have news for you: It's not.

Alright, then... this dark and mature... oh. Oh you mean that's because there's a plethora of blood splatters and people say "fuck" and "cock" and "whore" and there's goofily censored sex on screen? Ah... oh. Alright, I see. If that's what you'd call that... sure.

But surely the people who are tattooed like cattle and used as slaves due to being born as magic users will have an interesting role in the story dealing with the very delicate topic of slaver- ...oh, uh... what do you mean the perfect king beloved by everyone is the good guy because unlike all the other people who held slaves, he treated his slaves nicely? And, before you ask.... No, this isn't some sort of commentary the game wants you to question. This guy is unironically, unambiguously portrayed as the perfect good guy. Brought up many, many times for how flawless he is.

And that... is where we're diving into one of this game's biggest and most glaring issues. The writing is so mindnumbingly black and white with not the slightest room for ambiguous or grey morality it's painful. Everything and everyone in this game is always either good with no failings - or so stupidly evil they may as well be a bad saturday morning cartoon villain.

Good characters are always good, and always act out of the pure kindness of their heart. When you think a good character fucked up and actually did something bad, it will later be revealed that either it wasn't them at all and it was all a scheme, or they were possessed by the big baddie and therefore not actually responsible for their actions. Can't possibly risk anyone appearing like a realistic person with character depth now, can we?

And don't worry, just in case you have an extremely bad case of media illiteracy with the slightest hint of doubt of anyone's alignment on the binary moral chart, the game will make sure to overexplain literally every tiny detail to you in the worst way possible. You see, the evil woman right at the start? The one who looks really evil and moves really evil and the first thing she does is being mean to the slaves and being dismissive of her own son? In case you didn't get yet that she's evil, there will be guards whispering about how evil she is when she leaves the scene. Also a scene later the good perfect king will point out how evil she is. And worry not, in case you forget in the few hours she's not on screen, characters will make sure to remind you how she has not a single redeeming quality and every breath she has ever taken has been filled with evil.

And this might sound like I'm exaggerating. But the game is like this with Every. Single. Thing. Sometimes I found myself genuinely wondering if the writers were actively trying to insult the player's intelligence with this condescending amount of overexplanation. Characters constantly comment on everything that is visibly happening on screen - for God's sake if you want to make a modern game that moves away from "outdated" mechanics then write it this way. If you show what is going on with detailed realistic graphics, you do not need characters monologuing a description of what they're seeing. You do not need to voice a character saying "I'm sad" when you can clearly see their facial expression. You do not need to make a character loudly ask himself with noone else present by his side "Is he hallucinating?" when showing another character's hallucinations. Old games did that because they had limited visual capabilities. If you sit on your high horse talking about moving the series forward while spitting into your old playerbase's faces, then do it right at the very least.

Once in a while you'll be exposed to some textbook philosophy theories, which in essence wouldn't be a bad idea at all if those philosophies were somehow smartly woven into the game's narrative… but instead you get characters quoting essentially the wikipedia summary of what that philosophy is about and call it a day.

I wish this was the only issue with the game's writing.

3.2 Pacing

This game's pacing is atrocious. Genuinely, utterly awful. And there`s mostly one thing to blame: Sidequests. If you've heard a single criticism for this game even from people who highly praise it, it's this.

The sidequests are absolutely horrendous filler content on so many levels. Gameplay wise they're usually "follow 10 meters of a linear corridor to defeat an enemy and then grab a carrot at the end" fetch quests. Visually they are not just a nose dive but an entire plane crash compared to the well animated main quests, consisting mostly of the same three reused conversation animations from FFXIV (I'm all for reusing assets if it helps developers save time, work smarter not harder, but this one is blatantly obvious in all the worst ways). And the writing.... oh boy.

NPCs go on and on and on and on having the most blandly written expository dialogue. I get that the writer's intention was to give the world a bit of context and make it feel more alive with random people telling you about their life stories and everyday hurdles, but they failed miserably at making this remotely engaging. They may as well have had people read the dictionary. And maybe this would have worked better as purely written textbox dialogue (if about half of the dialogue was cut, which would still leave more than enough padding around the actually relevant information) - but in a game with voice acting, making people audibly speak in ways noone would ever speak to another person, just doesn't work. It's stilted and unnatural, and really awkward to listen to.

Delivery aside, the stories told in these sidequests vary from "farmer's everyday life issues about growing their crops" to "random child ends oppression by convincing an angry mob of adults they shouldn't be stoning someone because that someone has been a valuable asset to their society (by reminding them they need to keep the streets clean) and suddenly every adult in range is free of bigoted feelings". And then everyone in the bus clapped, I guess. And again, I get the intention behind these stories but they're so clumsily written.

And yes, these are sidequests - you are free to ignore them. But they do make up a considerable chunk of the game. And, unfortuantely, a fair handful of the main quests follow this same fetch quest formula.

This game goes long, very long stretches without anything substential happening. And it's good to have downtime to breathe - the game's big main story moments pack a punch in terms of epic adrenaline filled battles. But this game honestly feels like 60 hours of filler fetch quests with the occasional relevant story sequence sprinkled in between.

3.3 Visuals

I'm not a film student so maybe it's not my place to comment on cinematography, but I felt like visually many of the cutscenes were also really... bland. Not necessarily bad looking (if you can see anything behind the millions of particle effects) but it definitely felt like less care was put into choosing narratively interesting image composition compared to a game like FFXII.

And then it also does this really annoying thing where it will constantly fade to black for absolutely no reason.

Character A: Oh that seems like an exciting story! Tell me all about it. Character B: Okay, so this is a long story... [screen fades to black] [screen fades from black to the exact same shot we had before the fade] Character B: So the story goes like this... (starts telling the story you thought was told off screen indicated by the black sreen)

This and similar instances happen fairly often and I just don't get why. It's nothing to hate the game for but it's just... really strange. Just like those really silly "In the meantime..." text overlays for scenes that are very clearly happening in the meantime. Seriously, we get it. You don't have to spell it out. But whatever, this is one of those things I'd look past if it weren't for the whole rest of this trainwreck.

3.4 Characters

Speaking of trainwrecks. [Takes a deep breath] I've avoided this topic for long enough now. This is where the last seams that hold the game together break and make it fall apart entirely. This is where the pile of shit that's been tossed across the room finally hits the fan.

If you're remotely familiar with any Final Fantasy title you know how important a solid cast is to those games. Your allies and party members you meet over the course of the game, their stories and views on the world's happenings... a charismatic villain. Well, how about we just simply didn't have any of that.

3.4.1 The game's biggest mistake

FFXVI's writers made the decision to focus the game's narrative around a single character, our playable protagonist. There is a small supporting cast of characters that you meet, and occasionally travels alongside you temporarily, but most of them have... not much to them. The game makes it clear: This story is about Clive, and him alone.

And... I don't think having a story focused on a single character is necessarily a bad decision per se, even if highly unusual for a series that was driven by party systems for decades, but... If you decide to do that, then your protagonist needs to have more personality than a soggy wet sponge. It's bad enough that pretty much noone in this game has any sort of depth to them, but if you sideline literally every character in favour of your protagonist's narrative then... at least give that protagonist a character?

This man's personality is nothing beyond helping people because it's the right thing to do. The attempted "he feels guilty for killing his brother" (which naturally he didn't actually do, because that would be too complex of a story) subplot gets dropped a few hours in and he's just... that guy who runs everyone's errands with no input of his own. And it doesn't make him unlikeable necessarily, it just makes him terribly boring.

What is really, really grating however is how every other character portrays him. Named characters and unnamed NPCs alike will throw pity parties for him over and over, going on about how he's so self-sacrificial, always doing everything for others while never expecting anything in return and never taking enough care of himself. It's exhausting. We get it. He's the perfect heroic nice guy, just like his (slave having) dad, the unfailable king. And unlike his evil witch of a mother. Who is so evil, by the way. At times I felt like Clive was some sort of dream fantasy guy self insert of the writers.

I'll say it plainly now: the lack of a well developped playable party is, in my opinion, the game's downfall. Clive alone can't carry the narrative because there isn't nearly enough depth to him, and everyone else has deliberately been stripped of any sort of meaningful screentime. Narrative aside I also feel like multiple playable characters would have done a lot for more variety in terms of gameplay. And before you raise your pitchforks - yes, there are few, very few characters that have their own little story moment. But boy... at what cost.

3.4.2 The state of women

! Rape & suicide mention trigger warning for this section !

So you know, Clive's sidekick? No, not the dog, the girl. Jill. The one who spends most of the game sick in bed, kidnapped, or otherwise missing, and whose single personality trait is being Clive's pure and innocent love interest. Surprisingly, she has her own 30 minutes of side story! A side story that essentially boils down to finding out she was held captive by a weird cult that had no relevance prior to this point and will have no relevance at all after this point. You get to beat up the cult's leader who is revealed to sexually assault underage girls.

Is that ever addressed again at any point? No.

But worry not. We still have a few more women in the bigger roles of the game. One of them, Benedikta, is an early game antagonist whose entire thing is seducing men, and most of the screentime she has is sex scenes. Once you defeat her in battle she flees, and a randomly passing by group of bandits is implied to attempt to rape her. This triggers a flashback of a past assault she was rescued from, and she goes mad. You fight her again, now in her powered up form, and kill her. Then she gets decapitated and her head is sent in a box to her lover to fuel his man rage. Don't worry, you'll get more sex scene flashbacks with her after her death.

But hey. We have another woman in a leading role. The supposedly main antagonist before the real big baddie (who is so boring of a villain i can't even get myself to say anything more about him) is revealed to have business with her. Clive's evil slave-mistreating mum. Her purpose in the story is breeding a flawless heir. What fuels this dignified ambition? Hell if I know. She's written in a hateable way for the sake of it. Likely to contrast Clive and his flawless dad. Absolutely zero depth to anything.

Guess her age here.

If you guessed "at least in her 50s" you are correct! Do I even have to say anything more about this.

The moment her perfect heir is killed, she loses it and slits her own throat. A very anticlimatic conclusion to her non-existent character arc.

Yes, there are a couple more secondary female characters who aren't necessarily walking misogyny targets, but they're pretty much irrelevant to the plot.

Here's a quote from my girlfriend, who is a woman, about the state of women in this game: "I have scarcely felt this alienated by the depiction of women in a video game."

! Trigger warning ends here !

So, uh... how do we move on from here... Let's head somewhere less offensive.

3.5 Music

Usually I'd give the soundtrack a lot more attention since I'm of the opinion that music is one of the most vital parts in a game and can absolutely make or break it - but quite frankly I don't have much to say about this one in detail. It's largely generic epic orchestra music with nothing much unique going for it. The regular battle theme is fairly memorable; and then there's that really aggravatingly annoying acoustic guitar ambient song that seems to play for about half of the game's time. Seriously I hate that one. It drove me nuts. In general I don't know if there's more than 10 songs in the OST because I don't think I heard more than that. Either that, or they all sounded the same.

What stuck out negatively to me especially (apart from that godsdamned acoustic guitar) was the overusage of over the top orchestral arrangements for the tiniest occasions, which was unfitting at best and really tiring at worst. I got used to it with time, but still a good soundtrack isn't just making every moment sound like it's as epic as the final boss, it's making varied music that fits the moment and sets the ambience.

Also not to ruin the OST for anyone who actually enjoys it, but the game's leitmotif sounds like Army of Lovers' Crucified. Noticed it during the demo and couldn't unhear it for the entirety of the game. You're welcome.

4. Credit where credit is due

As should be evident by now, I'm not finding much redeemable in this game. And yet - I would be lying if I said I didn't find myself liking some aspects of it.

Some of the armour designs are pretty neat. In general the character design as a whole feels coherent and mostly fits the setting, some questionable haircut choices aside.

There are chocobos. In different colours. They look nice. Not a big surprise, I suppose.

The voice acting is really good. I can't comment much on the English dub since I only watched the demo in English and then watched the full game with a streamer who played in German; but the German voice actors did an amazing job, and I've heard only good things about the English cast as well. Listening to a few comparisons I was surprised how deep English Joshua's voice is. He sounds like a teenage boy even after the last timeskip in German. That took me out a bit. I also realized I'm very partial to Dion's German voice acting. His final scene was extremely strong in that regard.

Speaking of Dion....

4.1 It's personal again

Alright. Listen. I hate this. I fucking hate this. For weeks I suffered through this game, nothing but this burning passionate hatred within me, ready to shred and tear every single aspect of it apart.

And then. So close to the end. In the final stretch. When I've almost made it through with nothing but rage and hatred by my side. This fucking stupid garbage game attacks my one goddamn weak point: The gay prince and his lover share a small "it isn't meant to be" moment. And I genuinely enjoyed the little gestures in that cutscene. It was a good cutscene.

And at this point I was unfortunately confronted with a hard to swallow pill: I had been kinda looking forward to every time Dion showed up on screen. I'll be honest I'm not sure I would have made it through the game without the driving force of "hey maybe he'll show up again". Over time he turned into my single point of fixation, and it's sad because ultimately he too is pretty much a wet sponge of a character, though maybe the least wet and spongy one. I think he does have some of the stronger scenes in the game (as well as the most visually appealing boss battle - whatever was going on with that bullet hell laser fight in space). He's also unfortunately a sad blond Final Fantasy prince and. Uh. Yeah. Ahem. Alas, he's kinda ugly. Subjectively. But he has an absolutely mighty hip swing when he walks. And a pretty cool spear. Good weapon choice.

In general, props to SE for including an unambiguously gay character in a decently written way. We all know this company is pretty behind in terms of diversity and representation, so seeing that was a pleasant surprise.

Anyway I really REALLY hate to admit it but I've been kinda held hostage by the game over this stupid prince. I'm hoping this is a temporary side effect (derogatory) from being exposed to the game for a prolonged amount of time and in a few weeks I won't care anymore. I hate it here.

5. Conclusion

When I finally finished watching the game after having spent 2 entire months with it I was mostly asking myself one question... What is worse in regards to an art medium? To hate it so intensely that you're willing to dive into every little aspect of it; or to feel complete indifference?

I can't tell you if I think FFXVI is the worst game in the series. It's the one I feel the most passionate hate for, that's for sure. But a game like FFXV seems so inherently unappealing I don't even care to look at it. Not because I think I'll dislike it any more, I just think it will bore me. (Irrelevant side note - I do plan to finally watch a playthrough of that one too in the future. Might as well commit now.)

There are aspects of FFXVI I do think are inexcusable in an objective way; delicate topics handled badly, developers that need an attitude check, and also... by god go meet a woman in real life, please.

For a game that was said to modernize and move the series forward, it makes terribly outdated choices in many regards. It somehow tries so hard to be a departure from the other games in the series, losing a lot of what makes a good Final Fantasy game, and simultaneously clings so hard to references that feel so empty when the core of these games has been trampled on. No amount of preludes and FF1 overworld theme rearrangements and corny "this will be your final fantasy" puns can bring the series' essence back that this game failed to capture. A sense of adventure, a compelling story with a meaningful cast of companions, a world to explore beyond grey corridors.

It should have been a spin-off, not a main title game. Obviously a different name wouldn't have changed the quality of the game, but I can't shake off the feeling that had it been called FFXIV: The Offline Singleplayer Experience (which quite frankly it feels like in many regards), I might have been a bit more lenient with my judgement.

Still...public reception of the game seems, surprisingly, fairly mixed. My fears of the game being hailed as the second coming of Christ didn't actually become true. At the very least the gameplay is oftentimes heavily criticized. And while I really have to wonder if all the people who praise the story and character writing have watched the same thing as I have, seeing the game actually receive some nuanced opinions from both people who like and dislike it alike is a refreshing twist I didn't expect. (Just in case this comes across wrong: I don't consider my opinions to be nuanced. I'm just a hater. But I'm right. Ha.)

Well... uh... After all this I don't quite know how to end this. I feel like I've said more than anyone should say about this game and somehow nothing of substance at all. Topical, I suppose. Oh well. Congrats (I guess) to this game for sparking something in me (negative) no other game has ever done before. For all it's worth, it strengthened my bond to some of the older entries I used to judge more harshly. I know better now.

-----

If you're the single person who made it this far, I think you deserve to have some pictures. Here's my favourite battle phase: (Something about those symmetrical orb patterns was very aesthetically pleasing. Better in motion though.)

And here's an exclusive look at parts of my initial draft and some discord liveblogging:

anyway peace out ✌️ go watch dions death scene in german

#this is my villain origin story #and also the unskippable cutscene villain monologue i'll drop 3/4th through the story

[mizugucci]

hiii everyone im finally posting this after ignoring all my tags for two weeks lmao. i love these kind of games though its fun to look back, so thank you for tagging me:

@floweruna / @hongberries @gnanii @yangsminho and @honeydewtual

rules: link your favorite and/or most popular post from each month this year <3 (it’s totally fine to skip months!) and tag some CCs you love!

im sure most people have already done it, but ill tag some people just to say hi @taegyunie @ambivartence @awek-s @flops @strhwaberries @hwichanis

i added way too much commentary, so this will go under a readmore lmao. also i included ALL gifs including from my gg and fandom sideblogs, not just bgs.

january

favorite: obviously my favorite was my magazine/gif thing i made for kenta's birthday (6th year in a row, this year will be 7) unfortunately it doesnt load very well lol

most popular: these txt gifs (sugar rush ride) and taehyun+stickers

february

favorite: i cant deny i still think about this set of sebin during snuper's rain of mind era... the sparkles will always have a chokehold on me. ps check out my pixy wings set

most popular: this joshua set (for whatever reason lol)

march

favorite: i have several but im rly happy at how the wjsn + butterflies set turned out, its so nice. also my two harry june sets have a soft spot in my heart

most popular: this set of svt aju nice, its not a surprise that when i post svt it gets way more notes lol. i do like it a lot though

april

favorite: by FAR my fav (excluding macarena) is my loona as witches gifset. its one ofmy best im not gonna lie but also.... yuma sunshine...

most popular: actually i had a couple that were fairly popular but uh another joshua gifset has the most but ALSO this blitzers macarena post is nearing 200 notes??? i would consider that a fave too. and apparently tumblr loves big yuto/little yuto the same i do

may

favorite: i outdid myself in my dkz 9 to 5 set here. like idk how it ended up looking good but i love it sm.

most popular: ANOTHER joshua set??? im not even joshua biased. hes just so pretty LOL this is boring ill mention the 2nd most popular too. which is also another boring svt set. NEXT is big yuto/little yuto again <3

june

favorite: i made a gifset pretending fly me to the moon had a m/v and it flopped SO HARD i forget that i actually made it. also not to sneak this one but bitsaeon is SOOOO beautiful

most popular: campus crush junseo was my most popular this month, AS IT SHOULD BE. everyone should love that teddy bear

july

favorite: mmm two horror-adjacent gifsets!!! a set for dreamcatcher's chase me and an au that set kino (ptg) as a horror protag. lol it was so niche but i enjoyed it

most popular: omg i didnt think it would be but junghwan in the move m/v... as it SHOULD BE (again) i was let down a lot by trsr this year but this song kept me interested

august

favorite: mmm probably changsun in heartbeat. i LOVE that song and also it brought me back to 2017. nostalgia is.. very strong lol

most popular: im ignoring yet another joshua set. sorry josh but lets let others have a spot lmao. actually after that, a gifset of jaechan in his pre-release solo has the most notes. thats crazy!

september

favorite: my fav is OBVIOUSLY the set of snuper + sparkles. supposedly i was going to turn it into a series of boys+sparkles but we'll see.

most popular: its kind of funny, it seems like there arent a lot of ptg stans on tumblr but they always crawl out of the woodwork to rb my ptg stuff. i love u guys. and i miss yanan.

october

favorite: another installment in my women+horror series was my fav for this month. girlies gotta love vampires

most popular: i am SO glad. if it is any of my sets to be popular, i would never be disappointed if its omega x. they deserve the WORLD and ill personally give it to them. btw my pics with jaehan and taedong turned out soo well but i look AWFUL with sebin lmaooo

november

favorite: ahhh definitely anthonny in magic hour jacket behind. hes an ICON and i really liked him in bp

most popular: ohhh this was a surprise, i guess bc i only did 4 gifsets in november, but this seowon in wonderland m/v has the most notes. totally valid, hes beautiful

december

favorite: baby... yuma... sunshine loml obviously is my fav. hes sooo cute in that beret. and his smile. oh im gonna cry hes so cute LOOK AT MY SON!!!!!

most popular: i guess kpop has less of a reach on tumblr now because my one and only fandom post has the most notes lol. anyway if you havent seen a journey to love, you really should

a few thoughts:

well, its not a surprise that my most popular were seventeen and txt but it was interesting to see the variety of groups that i did gif besides them

peak time really had (has) a chokehold on me lmaoooo so many sets spawned from that show.

i also giffed more than i thought i had, so that was very neat to discover. although it was funny i posted 4 gifsets in the entirety of november

i talked so much and i apologize but thank you to anyone who even scrolled down this far, thanks for bearing with me!!

#mtxt #op

[ghoulical]

Notes on FDA

A list of notes and possible FAQs about certain decisions and ground rules I’ve made throughout the writing process. If you do have any other questions, feel free to shoot me an Ask or a DM, and I'll try my best to answer!

Canonicity

Establishing the canon for this story, and this series as a whole, is difficult, to say the least. For one, while most of the Slenderverse series share a canon universe, Marble Hornets does not. I also did not follow the ARGs as religiously as other fans do when they were at peak activity, so I might be missing details from there. As of editing this in 2023, the canon comic sequel series to Marble Hornets has introduced new lore that makes it even more difficult for me to fit it into everything I've established with this work so far (the Ark sequence was cool as hell but it sure threw a wrench to my plot planning).

Obviously, add in popular creepypastas like Eyeless Jack and Jeff the Killer into the mix, as well as a pinch of SCP Foundation, and it is, indeed, a horrifying amalgamation of something.

That being said, I still want to make this work, and to do that, I do need to bend, or even break, a few rules. I will try to be as faithful to the original material as much as possible, but to find a way to connect everything in a way that ties the most loose ends and makes the most sense with what bits of lore and information from each series, it may mean that I will have to omit some things and change others.

If you don't like it, don't read it, and don't come at me with torches and pitchforks. Make your own thing if you want. I am but a simple fan-fiction writer trying to make something that made me happy once.

Time & Setting

I first wrote this story in 2017, hence why the story is set in 2017, because up until that point, I was still pretty much up-to-date with what goes on in all the fandoms attached to this story. 2017 also happened to be the year that everything sort-of started to die out; EMH, which was the only series with some activity back then, was in "full ARG mode" as I was told, and I did not participate in any of it because I had IRL things to worry about.

During the 3-year hiatus I took in writing, I did work on the timeline of this series—a lot—and I can safely say that it is better for this first book to be set in 2017 rather than present time, considering most creepypastas were set/created in the early 2010s. I also did the math, as best as I could with what little information I have, for when all the pre-story events would have taken place (including canon events) and it's all conveniently lined up if I had the present story set in 2017.

As for location, “New Haven” is indeed the name of several real-life locations in the United States. But none of them are the actual setting for this story—I really just chose a generic town name that's nice and possibly has a metaphorical meaning to the story, but don't sweat trying to look into it. Other named locations would be established canon settings (e.g. Alabama for Marble Hornets), or derived connections to other canon settings (e.g. Skye, Jack and Toby are from Denver, because Toby was canonically from Denver, so story-wise it would make most sense if Skye and Jack were too).

Theme, Content, Genre

You won't find fluff here—not technically, anyway. The reason I say this is because I want to clarify to potential readers that this is not the type of fan-fiction where everybody knows each other, everybody’s friends with each other, and they all live in a giant mansion in the middle of the woods. This story is about as real as the ARGs would be, where not everybody is guaranteed to like each other. Really, it's more likely that they don't.

But I don’t often see creepypasta fan works that focus on the humanity and psychology of these characters. I know the more monstrous ones technically don’t have humanity, and they don’t have typical psychological processes either because they’re monsters and they’re not real. However, I as the author, and as someone who enjoys and majored in Psychology, am very much interested in these topics and how they would apply to these characters, if they ever exist. These people, their characters, and their relationships—it’s what drew me to the ARG series in the first place. I want to explore that more throughout this story, as much as I can.

So yes, relationships exist, but their nuances are much more complicated, and that's personally the best part about writing this story.

Ticci Toby

So about halfway through the book, Toby Rogers (F.K.A. Ticci Toby) has like one actual appearance, and only mostly mentioned or referred to by other characters, despite originally being billed as one of the main characters in the story. This was done on purpose.

In the time I've worked on this story, Toby's creator grisgrisdoll (F.K.A. Kastoway) has publicly stated that they are distancing themselves from the creepypasta community, and wish to move on to other non-pasta-related art projects. Presently, their new concept of Tobias Rogers has no affiliations to Slender Man or creepypasta. All in all, the character belongs to them, so I want to respect their wishes as much as I can.

My original plan was for Toby to have a larger role as we go along (think recurring character getting promoted to series regular). He does still have a pretty big part in the plot of the first book, and frankly, a big part in the background story preceding the book's written plot, especially Skye's background. Because of this, while I can eventually remove him from the plot in future installments, it's impossible for me to remove him completely from the first book, without pretty much completely overhauling the entire damn thing.

So instead, what I can do is minimize his appearances for as much as possible, and only writing him into scenes when absolutely necessary. In the meantime, I'll also be taking caution in staying true to the original material as much as possible, as I do with almost all creepypasta I include in this story.

Tr*beTw*lve

If you've been here a while and read the story in its previous iterations, you would know that Tr*beTw*lve was originally one of the series this story was heavily referencing from. It was also one of the bigger contributors to the Slender Man mythos and lore in general, most notably expanding the concept of proxies.

In 2020, it became apparent through multiple allegations that the series' creator has done terrible things that I personally condemn and do not condone, and as such, I will no longer support anything from him, nor do I want this dear project of mine to be affiliated to anything derived from him in any way, shape or form.

Since then, I've worked to remove all references to TT from this story, and changed all the plot-relevant details that were derived from TT, to tie in more into either Marble Hornets or EverymanHYBRID, or more original ideas (yeah, I have those too). There are some previous drafts that are still currently available to read that still have some references, but in the future these will likely be rewritten, and these references will be removed as well.

It was fun while it lasted, but hey at least my brain spawned another couple sequel ideas because of this development, so it really did work out for the better for me.

More to be added in the future!

#ghl: averno #ghl: fda #facilis descensus averno

[kamenstranger]

Godzilla Minus One Review: Conflicting emotions for a solid entry.

Oh boy, I can't wait to see the reaction this one gets.

This is one I was originally going to wait on reviewing when it hit Home video so I could have a fresher experience and do a more thorough covering of all that I wanted, not to mention screen grabs. I usually give much shorter reviews on theatrical release, but this one it didn't feel right to do that with. I did however see it more recently, so I figured it was finally time to gather my thoughts and finish this up.

If you want my non-spoiler thoughts, I think Minus One was a great time and one of the better Godzilla films. It is remarkably well made, with a solid structure that puts much higher budget films to shame with what it accomplishes. However I also don't believe the film takes advantage of its setting to properly explore some of complex themes and elements, nor do I believe it to be as deep as many critics have lauded. There are great emotional segments that work to ground the grandiose dread incurred by Godzilla. But I found the social commentary aspects rudimentary and entry level, even afraid to get truly mean, which I can only chalk up to nostalgic admiration for the era.

Now, if you wanna get more into my thoughts, hit the jump.

We follow Kōichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki), a failed Kamikaze pilot who, near the end of the war, deferred to Odo Island rather than carry out his duty. There, his mortal fear results in the death of multiple other men when he is unable to take a shot at a (pre-mutated) creature the natives call Godzilla, with the only other survivor, technician Sōsaku Tachibana (Munetaka Aoki) blaming him for their needless deaths.

Riddled with survivors guilt and PTSD, Shikishima's life doesn't get any easier upon returning the burned out Tokyo, where he finds his home and family were destroyed in the fire bombing. A series of circumstances soon brings him together with Noriko Ōishi (Minami Hamabe) and the baby she rescued during the bombings, Akiko (Sae Nagatani, as a toddler), the two are taken in by Shikishima, although more so on Ōishi's choice than Shikishima's. Over the course of a couple of years, Shikishima manages to build something out of the rubble for himself, gaining employment with the Government as a Mine Sweeper aboard the Shinsei Maru. Here we're introduced to the rest of our supporting cast: Kenji "Doc" Noda (Hidetaka Yoshioka) a former Naval weapons developer; Capt. Yōji Akitsu (Kuranosuke Sasaki); and Shirō "Kid" Mizushima (Yuki Yamada) the only member not to see military service.

But soon the consequence of the US' Operations Crossroads test become apparent when the USS Redfish is sunk after pursuing an unidentified creature. Due to various geopolitical reasons, the US refuses to get anymore involved. Douglas MacArthur releases several Battleships back to the Japanese Government, who themselves remain coy to the public about the reality of the situation. The Minesweeper crew are sent near the Ogasawara to stall until the heavy Cruiser Tako makes its voyage back from Singapore. It's here where Shikishima realizes what the monster is.

Obviously, a glorified tugboat is less than ideal to go up against Godzilla, but one of two mines acquired for the mission manages to lodge into Godzilla's mouth, which upon exploding takes a chunk of its skull out, temporarily killing Godzilla before immediately regenerating. The crew are saved by the arrival of the Tako, which manages to knock Godzilla down, but it has less success than the mine; ultimately succumbing to Godzilla's Atomic Ray, but allowing the Maru to escape.

Days later, Godzilla breaks through Tokyo bay and into Ginza, laying waste to the district and attacking a train Ōishi is upon, who barely escapes. Shikishima rushes to the area and reunites with Ōishi, just as tanks engage with Godzilla, causing a retaliation with Atomic breath. Ōishi pushes Shikishima in an alley as she and other bystanders are swept up in the atomic winds, leaving Shikishima once again a lone survivor, as black rain pours down.

After Ōishi's funeral, Noda informs Shikishima of a civilian led plan to kill Godzilla, mostly formed with former naval veterans.

The plan is one of the more ingenious of the series. Two naval vessels will carry a line of Freon gas containers to entrap Godzilla over the Sagami Trough. The Freon will lower buoyancy and sink Godzilla 1,500m+ deep, presumably crushing it under the pressure. As a plan B, inflation devices will be deployed to induce rapid decompression.

Shikishima proposes getting a hold of a fighter plane to help lure Godzilla, although his actual intentions are making use of a kamikaze attack right into the mouth as a plan C. However all planes were decommissioned after the war. The one exception Noda finds being a prototype Kyushu J7W Shinden in massive disrepair. Thus, Shikishima begins the arduous task of specifically tracking down Tachibana, getting a black-eye for his trouble. Still, Tachibana arrives nonetheless and gets to work on the aircraft, while Shikishima prepares to leave Akiko in the care of his neighbor.

Things do not go according to Plan. While Godzilla sinks, it has no adverse effect. Plan B in enacted, but at 800 meters Godzilla stops ascending, having torn through the inflation devices. The ships aren't strong enough to pull Godzilla manually, but thankfully help arrives in the form of Mizushima and a fleet of tug boats. Together they manage to force Godzilla to the surface, badly damaged, but not enough. The Kaiju begins charging an atomic assault when Shikishima speeds in, flying directly into the mouth, exploding the head. The Atomic charge, with no where to go, tears through Godzilla's body, destroying it.

In the air, Shikishima descends from a parachute, thanks to Tachibana installing an ejection seat and encouraging him to let go and live.

Upon returning to land, Shikishima learns of Ōishi's survival and reunites with her badly bandaged, but alive and surprisingly intact self. Tearfully hugging, as a mysterious black mark spreads across her neck.

Deep in the ocean, Godzilla's remains sink further down, and begin regenerating.

We will be talking about the story elements here in a bit, but first I wanna front-load this with more praise before tackling that beast.

First off, a lot of attention has been given towards the CG, something which at the time of this writing has garnered an Oscar. A common clickbait buzz article around the film is "Better than Hollywood." In spite if that gaudy terminology, it's not something I disagree with. Some of the vehicle models are rougher and honestly not much different than what was seen in Shin. But Godzilla and the water are incredible. In fact, Yamazaki was so enamored with the fidelity that he rewrote the climax to be in the ocean, a choice I fully agree with. Although I am curious what the original entailed.

But while the CG quality is quite literally Oscar worthy, I think it's worth examining that it's not just a matter of graphics, but presentation. Takashi Yamazaki is above all else a talented director who knows how to make a scene exciting, capable of envisioning the finished product and what is needed every step of the way. This is by far the greatest strength of the film. Almost every scene is approached asking how to best showcase it, which is accomplished in flying colors. Suffice to say, every instance with Godzilla is harrowing and breathtaking, having quite possibly the scariest moments in the franchises 70+ year history. The attack on Ginza is largely filled with recreations from '54, but they are incredibly well done, and the original bits are worthy of the upmost praise; I cannot stress how truly great the boat chase is. Not only is it one of the best moments of the film, but it's also a demonstration of Yamazaki incorporating influences in a more original and less derivative manner compared to some previous efforts.

That said, for long time fans there are a plethora of visual nods to past material. From Gojirasaurus, to the Atomic build up in '14, a foggy blue atomic haze like in '54 and '62, Godzilla's eventual demise is reminiscent of GMK, even the model lacks muscle simulation to make it stiffer and more suit like. There are also numerous other details, my favorite of which is that Godzilla's Atomic ray causes self inflicted damage, and you will always see Godzilla's mouth healing afterwards, particularly the left side. Little touches like that go a long way for me.

Likewise, the score is impeccable. Akira Ifukube's legendary Godzilla March returns, arranged by Naoki Satō along with a few tracks from King Kong vs. Godzilla and Mothra vs. Godzilla as a new Suite. The theme is not over used, only appearing twice maybe three times in the film, plus a pre-credits scene, all very appropriate usages. Meanwhile, Naoki Satō's original score is a wonderful mixture of understated-- even atmospheric pieces, and a grandiose haunting apocalyptic orchestra. He utilizes these long drones that invoke naval horns, prop aircraft, and air-raid sirens that blend into each other. What might sound like a siren slowly builds, becoming more prolonged and pitched until it's suddenly an aircraft in a nose dive. Really spectacular stuff.

By far the stand out pieces of the Score are "Divine" and "Promise" (A leitmotif of the former) You likely heard these in the trailers, and with good reason. They are a befitting crescendo to Godzilla's rein of biblical destruction, ones that I have listened to repeatedly.

But while I do have a lot of praise for the audio visual aspects, we also need to delve a bit deeper into the story beyond just the basic plot points. And it's here where I think Minus One is at its most interesting, and also where I'm most critical. The reasons why being more thematic than structural.

In the lead up to Minus One's theatrical release there were rumblings on what exactly sort of picture the film would be thematically. Writer/Director/SFX Supervisor, Takashi Yamazaki, has a semi notorious reputation for doing conservative leaning, and to some, borderline propagandist films. That might come as a surprise if you only know his work on animated features, but he's also had his hand in many period pieces set from the 30s to 50s, mostly adaptive works like Sunset on Third Street, and The Great War of Archimedes. All this lead to speculation that Minus One could be this nationalistic throwback to imperial sentimentality. Was this simply going to be a film in which the shame of a failed kamikaze pilot finds new purpose through overcoming Godzilla to gain a win after the war; was Godzilla going to be a metaphor for not accomplishing a task in war leading a much larger and harder to kill atomic monster i.e. "the enemy" etc. etc.

The answer is more complicated than a straight yes or no. On the surface, Minus one seems like a film that could go down either the nationalist rabbit hole, or an opportunity for the nuanced exploratory personal growth of a broken veteran fighting to build a better future. At face value this isn't a problem, and there are clearly elements which work in favor of the latter. But I think it's fair to say they're never fully examined. Indeed, omission and glossing over if not outright ignoring certain key topics is the most concerning part of the film, rather than anything blatant.

Yamazaki has this… bizarre obsession with nostalgia. It falls into an unhealthy combination of adoring the past simply for being the past, acknowledging that maybe there were bad things, but mainly rose tinting everything while cutting out the really bad stuff.

Quite honestly, I do think the film suffers due to those eccentricities. The film wants to be a story about our protagonist struggling alongside others also disenfranchised by the conflict, with Godzilla being a simple distillation of those challenges and a reminder of our protagonist's failure. Yet the film doesn't begin to scratch the surface of the subject material it's pulling from, nor does it allow the audience to pontificate on them. Minus One wants to be seen in the same sociopolitical light as the original '54, or at least as Shin. Yet it never reckons with the reality of the war and post war beyond very mild criticisms of leadership and Shikishima's own guilt.

I want to highlight two key points of this tangent: Yamazaki's creative talent/weakness, and the film's aforementioned criticism of Japanese leadership. The former is relatively straightforward, Yamazaki is talented. Whatever there is to say about the man, he's competent in the grammar of film, and a particularly brilliant visual story teller. While I am ragging on the film's story and narrative themes-- they're not badly told. It's a solid 3 act structure and presentation is for the most part really good. Shikishima is a compelling character who has an interesting chip on his shoulder with survivors guilt. There's a captivating set up about personal shame and a recognition of how pointless the loss of life was, only to be faced with more hardships after the war. That is a fantastic angle to start off with. Minus One also does something that I felt was lacking in Shin Godzilla, which is not sanitizing the loss of life by avoiding depictions of it. You never saw the human cost in Shin Godzilla, as the movie focused so much on the economic impact without a harsh contrast to the dry satire. But here? Carnage is on full display and used appropriately, contrasted with the more personal story of our protagonist who is just one of thousands suffering.

But this movie isn't in isolation; its scenes are not in isolation. I have to look at it as a whole and all that entails. While the story itself is not badly told, you can see weakness in the writing from the supporting characters. They're not bad, in fact I enjoy the cast, but they're not really people so much as archetypes. The elder, the smart guy, the green horn, the love interest. Characters who exist more to support Shikishima and give him drive, but that's kinda it. Noriko gets it the worst as her main purpose in the narrative to simply be ripped away from the protagonist as a driving force. The saving grace is she isn't fridged, and Minami Hamabe gives one hell of a performance for a character that's predominately "wife type". But goddamn does she make the emotional scenes she gets stand out, particularly Shikishima's breakdown and admission to the Oda Island incident. She also sells the hell out of the train sequence.

Regardless, the above is indicative of a wider issue with the side characters, and that's a refusal to simmer on most sources of conflict without immediate resolution or abandonment for our Protagonist's sake. For example, Shikishima's neighbor, Sumiko Ōta (Sakura Ando), blames him for the death of her children, that people like him was why the war was lost. Not 5 minutes later we get a scene of her taunting Shikishima for helping Noriko and Akiko, and how she's done caring about others; only to immediately give food when she realizes Noriko can't breastfeed the baby. On paper, I like this. That even the bitter and misanthropic can still have heart. But it speed runs through that conflict, and because of the time skips, we just have to accept that they're on great terms two years on, even babysitting Akiko. (As an aside, it also sucks there are only two women with speaking roles and both have their rougher edges rounded off in the first 20 minutes.) It goes beyond simply being hopeful in the face of nihilism and frankly into a degree of ignorance needed to service a plot. With the one exception outside Shikishima maybe being Tachibana, most characters aren't allowed to be complicated people. We just have vague uncaring monoliths like Government.

This brings me to the films criticism of Japan's leadership.

At a glance, it might seem like the film will engage with at least some the country's horrific wartime excursions… and it just doesn't go beyond the leaders sucking. The most we get is Noda going off about how Tanks lacked appropriate armor, the lack of ejection seats in aircraft, poor supply lines, the general disregard of Japanese lives, etc. And that sequence is mainly there just to foreshadow the climax with that mention of the ejection seat. But it's also interesting how this is as far as critiquing the war itself goes.

A common rhetoric among even the most nationalist of Japan's conservatives is that leadership during the war was bad. Not that the goals were wrong, just the fact that they hindered the war effort. It's a clever way to seem like you're being critical of the war without bringing up the rape camps or mass murdering of innocents. You get to celebrate and mourn the service men as martyrs, while condemning the higher ups for failing in strategy and equipment. This is clever, because I don't believe most people would pick up on this element. This isn't "waving an imperial flag and screaming at Korean students at school" sort of messaging. This is actually closer to what a lot of confederate apologist employ as a tactic by portraying more sympathetic scenarios. A not necessarily disagreeable humanization of the soldiers who got a shitty deal, but one that also selectively cuts around the most unsavory elements. They'll highlight the humanity of veterans wholesale, but not condemn let alone mention their role in anyone else's suffering. Lament the firebombing of Tokyo, but ignore the lives ruined by Unit 731, Rape of Nanjing, and Three Alls Policy.

Because the film never pushes super hard on the Government criticism, the above can be read as applicable to Minus One for their absence. I believe a more nuanced film would explore at least some of those aspects, be capable of self reflection while making much harsher critiques of the Japanese Government during and after the war to avoid such comparisons. Not to mention the Allies who, let's face it, cared more about their colonies being fucked over than the atrocities. Hell, the head officers of Unit 731 weren't even prosecuted for war crimes in exchange for their research.

But that isn't the point. We're here to focus on the suffering Japanese, but only in nebulous ways that may mention the food shortages in post war, or Government imposed gag orders, but we never explore them with any sort of befitting gravitas.

The narrative wants you to think-- but not too much. Don't think about the events that lead here, definitely don't think about war crimes, and certainly don't think about those occupying US forces.

To me, that last one is the most egregious of all because it was the most inescapable subject of post war Japan, an occupation that infested every single aspect of daily life for 7 years. They just gloss right over it. It's not even a visual or narrative background element, and the occupying forces never engage with Godzilla because of Cold War tensions with the Soviets.

This isn't to say that the film has to get into every facet of its setting or subject. 2001's GMK featured a Godzilla reincarnated from the souls of WWII victims, enraged that Modern day Japan has forgotten both its crimes and the horrors of the bomb. But that's just a part of what is by in large a monster brawl movie in a contemporary setting.

I then have to ask why GMO is predominantly set just 2 years after the war if they're simply going to ignore swaths of the real history of the era? It's practically negligent, even revisionist. That flagrant disregard towards very real events is done repeatedly throughout. There's a heavy emphasis on the uselessness of the post war Japanese Government, but like the occupation, it's milquetoast at best and largely used as an excuse for a civilian led effort to kill Godzilla.

All this paints a bizarre picture of a post war Tokyo as being a rough shanty town, but also full of resourceful quirky citizens able to build a living if they work hard; blissfully free from an Occupation that will force you into a union, then bust it when there's a dispute because Unions are for commies.

This is a reoccurring issue in Yamashiki's works. He often sugar coats the most damning elements and has a tendency to become overly mawkish towards the main characters and the era they reside, regardless of whatever struggles are present. There will be one or two lines that address some serious shit, but just as quickly moved past. That's fine for a Doraemon story, but it becomes pervasive in a post war PTSD picture. It gives the impression that the absence is intentional, as is often the case with toxic nostalgia. Because if one suddenly views an era as all encompassing, if you have to think of people and events as complex, nuanced, or imperfect, then you might have to confront some really challenging ideas that get in the way of one's philosophy in wanking to the good 'ol days.

Remember the past, but only the parts that matter for convenience.

But, let's be fair about this. Minus One was a very low budget film, barely 12 Million USD, if that, but certainly less than $15 mil. That puts it in the same range as something like M3GAN, which makes me question what the hell was going on with the VFX department. Still, it's worth examining that budget is a legit reason to not tackle the subject of occupation. If you can't afford a bunch of foreigners, why bother in the first place? Besides, Shin Godzilla showed that trying to direct people in a language you might not understand, and who might not understand you, can be painfully awkward. So just figure out a way to write them out, and they did. Hell, according to Yamazaki, Toho wouldn't even let him do pick-up shots, so that's pretty damn restrictive.

The other reason is narrative focus. Those aforementioned subjects arguably wouldn't play much of a role within this story. Would a story that incorporates them be more interesting? Potentially. They could also just as easily be poorly handled or bog down the journey our protagonist goes through. This is squarely Kōichi Shikishima's tale of survivors guilt, to the extent that money, shelter, and food are largely waved away in time skips. Instead, this is how the war never ended for people like him and Tachibana, how the death of those men haunt them. While that could easily lead to a fairly dark and cliched "Do we get to win this time?" narrative, I think the film handles it well enough, particularly in that Shikishima doesn't commit a suicide run. I will admit not everything is perfect even here; the handling of his PTSD ranges from one of the best scenes in the film as a nightmare, to clunky, even bordering on outright comical in one instance. Still, the film mainly hits most of the major marks for his journey in a well told fashion. We have really great initial set up showcasing his personality and the start of this troubles; he finds purposes in post war Japan; builds a modest living; 40 minutes in we establish a weakness for Godzilla; Shikishima slowly begins to accept that he should be happy despite the ghosts still haunting his dreams; right at the one hour mark he has that optimism crushed by Godzilla in a gut wrenching sequence in Ginza; he's brought to his lowest point; sets out upon revenge no matter the cost; gets told to live his life by Tachibana himself; defeats the physical manifestation of his demons; is rewarded with a family and is able to finally leave the war behind.

As is, Minus One is a tight little package of a story that breezes past its 2 hour run time and never drags nor feels overly rushed. Whatever grievances I have with the supporting characters and setting, the broad strokes work very well. And I think you could make an argument that having a strong focus on a central character and their one major struggle is far better than trying to balance three characters who don't have defining characteristics. Minus One knows what it wants out of the protagonist and it hits the mark perfectly, even I don't think it's quite as deep a others have made it out to be. But it bears mentioning that it's still a success. I have and will remember Shikishima and his story far more than, well, most Kaiju film protagonists.

This then leaves us with the ending, which culminates in this "unite and overcome hardships" angle, ostensibly doing what Shin Godzilla did. But whereas Shin critiqued red tape and bureaucratic apathy from its leaders and an overbearing U.S., all while showing a willingness to work with other nations as equals; Minus One sort of implies that the Japanese population can defeat any monster if they are truly united. Which can be concerning given everything else we've discussed up to this point about dog whistles. In any other circumstance I would give a great benefit of the doubt to this narrative morsel. This could easily be a story of citizens coming together to solve problems the useless ass Government refuses to and it be as simple as that.

But knowing Takashi Yamazaki's previous work includes Eternal Zero, based on the book by war crime denier Hyakuta Naoki, and adapted without a hint of Verhoven-esque satire, well, it's hard not to scrutinize the intent in any of Yamazaki's films.

That's the crux of all this. Because a lot of elements in Minus One could be interpreted as the complete opposite of a nationalist message, and the vast majority of people have viewed it as such. I also can see this as Shikishima and others as symbolically defeating the manifestation of the atomic monster, overcoming the lingering horror that destroyed their nation in the hopes of making a better tomorrow. That despite an apathetic Government and nuking, the people can unite and rebuild from the ashes, no matter how many times they're knocked down. It's inspirational on a very basic level that carries with it a real human connection.

I would, under most instances, say it's a shame that the film doesn't fully utilize the setting; yet despite some shortcomings preventing its full potential, the film remains an enjoyable ride about learning to find family and live again, with some incredible direction and spectacle. After being bombarded with a glutton of disposable cookie cutter blockbusters with indistinguishable directors, it is refreshing just to see something earnest with some actual vision that fits the bill of "Summer Blockbuster" in a way Hollywood has more often than not failed at in recent years.

But given the director's history with brushing off real world issues for his period films, and callous disregard in approaching the work of real monsters, I can't say with a hundred percent certain there's an inherent innocence to all the choices being made.

The most charitable view point I can give is that Yamazaki is a talented visual artist blinded by sentimentality for a past that never existed; limited by his inability to portray a hopeful message while still interrogating Japanese historical subjects with the mature, honest, and critical fashion that they deserve.

Alternatively, he's incredibly disingenuous, with a truly insidious and reprehensible ideology that is barely covered by a veneer of fetishistic whimsy that softens the realities of an era he wasn't even alive in.

Do I think that he's potentially the next Hajime Isayama? Until he says some truly fucked up shit, I think that's out of the question and should not be entertained with speculation. Besides, most people have a hard time keeping their mouth shut about stuff like that. They get drunk and rant about x group or make t-shirts quoting dictators after committing fraud... But I also wouldn't be chocked if that did happen.

My intention is to make aware the thematic elements likely overlooked by those not in the know, and highlight what I believe to be, at the very least, a creative weakness. I stand by the statement that Yamazaki's likes his rose-tintend glasses a bit too much. I see a lot of potential in him, a lot of skill shining beyond his ignorant nostalgic tendencies that, if tempered, could result in a brilliant seasoned filmmaker. All the same, I don't believe you can employ the degree of ambiguity Minus One does with it's refusal to adequately engage with heavy subject material and not create a pervasive feeling of unease around the intent behind that decision.

It's not exactly what I was expecting going into Minus One. I thought, at worst, my criticism would lie with some slightly lackluster writing-- similar to another of Yamazaki's films: Lupin III:The First. Well directed, stunning work by the CG department; but story wise is too busy trying to capture the essence of other iconic works to forge it's own path, with confusing characterization masquerading as nuance. Instead, I got all this other shit.

Despite how it may seem, I'm not going to tell you that Minus One is a bad movie. It's flawed in many ways that I realize isn't the popular opinion. I didn't find it the great introspective ride many have made it out to be, but rather a popcorn flick's facsimile of depth. But there are still merits to that. It's solidly made, and it accomplishes more than a lot of higher budget films have.

Do I think you should watch it? Absolutely. I'm not going to tell you not because I think there are elements that are questionable, it's not like Yamazaki is knowingly donating to hate groups like some other creatives. However, I think it's a film which you should be very much aware of the real world topics downplayed if not outright cut around. You should be aware of the director's history of doing that very thing for much of his filmography. Once you become aware of what to look for, it's impossible not to see glaring absences in every direction.

I'm going to link several other articles below that I found compelling and immensely helpful for this review. I typically avoid other reviews to not influence my own thoughts, but I probably would've thought I was crazy in my admittedly simple analysis had I not seen others sharing in my feelings. If you'd like some further reading on Minus One and some light history of Post War Japan, definitely check them out.

Tokyo Correspondence One THE ANTI-GODZILLA By Kaisa Saarinen

Godzilla -1 Held back by misguided and trouble Nostalgia. By words Maybe Some Thoughts on Godzilla By A. Pratt.

Godzilla Minus One By Esmé Holden

#tokusatsu #review #kaiju #toho #Godzilla #gojira #godzilla minus one #minus 1 #-1

[bills-bible-basics]

Do NOT Share Old Endtime Prophecy Net Graphics https://www.billkochman.com/Blog/index.php/do-not-share-old-endtime-prophecy-net-graphics/ Dear friends, as I explain in my 2016 series called "In the Ages to Come", and as some of you may already know, from the year 2000 to 2016, I was the owner of the domain name endtimeprophecy.net, and my website and ministry was known as "Endtime Prophecy Net". However, as I explain in the aforementioned series and elsewhere, for a variety of reasons, seven years ago in 2016, I relinquished ownership of the aforementioned domain name, and I switched my website to the billkochman.com domain name instead. It was also at that time that I changed the name of my website and ministry to Bill's Bible Basics. Of course, by that time, I had already created thousands of graphics which had the endtimeprophecy.net URL included on them, as a means to drive traffic to my website. The result is that for at least sixteen years, thousands of my graphics with "endtimeprophecy.net" on them were propagated all across the Internet via the various social networks. After the 2016 domain name change and the website name change, I immediately began redoing all of my graphics with "billkochman.com" included on them, instead of "endtimeprophecy.net", and all new graphics since then have been made with "billkochman.com" on them as well. But, alas, not long after that, a problem developed! You see, after I let go of the "endtimeprophecy.net" domain name, some unknown domain name squatter -- that is, people who buy and sell domain names, sometimes just to sit on them -- purchased "endtimeprophecy.net" and they began using the domain name to advertise a hotel chain. It had, and has, absolutely nothing to do with the Bible or with Bible prophecy. What they are doing is obviously dishonest, and an intentional deception, in order to draw people to their website, by using a popular Christian phrase and domain name. Over the years, I have tried contacting the current owner of the "endtimeprophecy.net" domain name several times, and requesting that they stop doing what they are doing. Sadly, to this day, they have never responded to any of my emails. It's just a wall of silence from them. Furthermore, they continue to use the "endtimeprophecy.net" domain name to advertise their hotel chain. Worse yet, in order to purposely deceive people -- particularly Christians -- and trick search engine bots into driving traffic to their website, near the top of their page, the domain name squatter includes portions of one of my very early versions of the Endtime Prophecy Net website from almost 18 years ago! But that is not all. If someone sees the "endtimeprophecy.net" URL on one of my older graphics somewhere on one of the social networks, or anywhere else for that matter, and tries to go to "endtimeprophecy.net", depending on their security settings, their web browser will display an error message and warning, advising the user to NOT proceed, because the bogus website is NOT safe! However, if the person chooses to ignore the web browser warning, and proceeds anyway, they will be taken to the URL below, and they will see everything that I described above: https://www.hotels-atlanta.net/en/endtimeprophecy.html So, it is for the aforementioned reasons, that I advise and request that anyone on any of the social networks who may still be sharing some of my old pre-2016 graphics which have "endtimeprophecy.net" included on them, please immediately remove said graphics from all of your social network pages. Failure to do so will lead your friends to a bogus website which is NOT about our Christian faith. In fact, the reason why I am posting this current message on my Bill's Bible Basics blog, is because just this past week, I came across two people on Facebook who recently used two of my old graphics with "endtimeprophecy.net" on them. As I said, all modern versions of my graphics now have "billkochman.com" on them. You are free to share these new and updated graphics from whatever social networks you participate on. Or, if you would like to see all of the graphics I have created to date -- there are over 4,300 of them arranged by topic -- you are welcome to visit my Bill's Bible Basics Graphics Library at the URL below. There are currently 4,300+ images there: https://www.billkochman.com/Graphics-Library/ God bless you, and thank you for taking the time to read this. https://www.billkochman.com/Blog/index.php/do-not-share-old-endtime-prophecy-net-graphics/?feed_id=138606&Do%20NOT%20Share%20Old%20Endtime%20Prophecy%20Net%20Graphics

#All_Posts #Uncategorized #bill_kochman #bills_bible_basics #endtime #endtime_prophecy #endtime_prophecy_net #graphics #images #prophecy

[castielcommunism]

the confession IS bad and the emotional whiplash is so severe. like. I had been absent from destiel fandom for Many Years and then I find out it's canon and my brain is like 🚨🚨🚨 and then I watch a clip and it's. so ugly (maybe contender for top five ugliest scenes in all of spn?????) and the text is actually so bad. I then warm up to it because brain worms and it Is after all a big victory for 15 year old me. I rewatch the show to catch up and it turns out cas said all that one episode after dean committed some of his most dislikable actions ever (against cas' CHILD nonetheless) and it's just... Why and How and Why again

It’s often really frustrating talking about the confession on here because you need to pre-empt the discussion with a bunch of caveats. Because like yes it is actually pretty monumental that we have explicit textual confirmation that Cas is gay after all these years, and that retroactively re-informs how you read a lot of his scenes with Dean leading up to it. It’s not just representation at the point of introduction, it also re-contextualises prior canon. Which is cool! That’s a lot better than “Cas was gay all along but it wasn’t relevant to Harry’s journey” style of rep. I’m a post-Nov 5th casualty, so I wasn’t around for a lot of the homophobic fandom stuff. It’s obviously been a hostile environment for lgbt rep for a long time and having that finally be validated on screen is, in a vacuum, a win (although I think you should be deeply suspicious of anyone who claims that spn’s central flaw was homophobia). It has also led to some of the best posting I’ve seen in years, so for that reason alone I’m glad it happened.

But stepping away from that history of general hostility towards fans, the confession sucks ass lmfao. Even setting aside how ugly the blocking and lighting and make-up and editing and camera work is, the substance of the confession is poor. I made the point badly in this post, but real “rep” is not a singular pronouncement of queerness that has no lead up or follow through. What does the story gain by having Cas be in love with Dean? What are the consequences? How does this develop the characters? It happened in the third-to-last episode of the series finale, had 0 textual build-up (subtext that can be read as textually gay in light of the confession is a poor replacement for intentional build-up), and then it was never brought up again. The substance of Cas’ representation can be condensed into a single tweet, which is not so much a win for the homo community but rather a marketing strategy that, again, was baffling in its execution because it had no follow through. It is a hollow victory that serves as little else but a rhetorical tool to own anti-destiel people online (“never give an impassioned reply when a ‘Castiel supernatural has gay sex’ will suffice” as the saying goes). Which as a terminally online person that isn’t nothing, but aside from discourse and some great posts, what have we substantially gained in the realm of character development or representation?

Now the lack of build-up is a narrative staple of spn, so it’s not a sin that is unique to the confession. There’s also a lot of external factors that made it a lot worse than it likely would have been otherwise (COVID, writers room bullshit, actor drama, etc), so I don’t want to imply that the confession is bad on purpose or whatever. But like *speaking as a casgirl voice* speaking as a casgirl it does legitimately suck that the bulk of Cas’ confession was essentially an ode to Dean before he was killed off for mainpain AND THEN NEVER BROUGHT UP AGAIN. like that is insane lmao.

And again I know obviously if you’re confessing your secret love to a guy after years of hiding it, the topic of conversation is going to be about that guy. My issue is that it feeds into a broader problem, which is that all roads lead to Dean Winchester in the show. I want Cas to express his love on his own terms, from his own perspective, with his own complex mix of feelings on the subject. I’ve said this before but you don’t secretly love a man from afar for 12 years and not go a little bit insane. Resentment and bitterness and hopelessness and anger are normal, human responses to suppressing that amount of intense emotion for that length of time. Being in love with someone you’re convinced doesn’t love you back is a horrific position to be in. And instead of playing on the beautiful human tragedy of that, we get “ur the perfect most special guy ever I love you bye.” It’s not even that I want the confession to be Cas angrily yelling at Dean about how hard it’s been for him, but can we PLEASE get some of the energy we had in the alleyway scene where Cas shoves Dean around and screams about the sacrifices he’s made for him.

My other issue is that by s15, the narrative rot is so entrenched that I can’t really take it seriously, so even the narrative lead-up to the confession (such as it exists) is one that I’m not really interested in entertaining. the Jack stuff, Dean being the angriest most intolerable guy ever, the Chuck plot, the fact that Sam had been a non-entity in the show for so many seasons, everyone is miserable all the time, the racist shit they pulled with Billie at the last minute, etc. The confession exists in a sea of other stupid and ridiculous storytelling decisions.

I always feel like I’m making my point badly when I talk about this, and if you disagree with what I’ve said I don’t mind reframing what I’m talking about because we probably actually agree, I’m just expressing my point poorly. Like I feel like a lot of the discussion about “is the confession good” is a bunch of people who agree with each other yelling across the room at one another (or that’s been my experience, anyway). The crux of the argument I’m trying to make is that Cas is essentially treated like an accessory to Dean in his confession, much the same way that female love interests are in stock standard manly movies about manly men. The scene is about Dean more than it’s about Cas, especially in light of the fact that Cas is never seen on screen again and it is, AGAIN, never addressed by any of the characters. That sucks, I don’t like that, I don’t think it’s good representation no matter how much it’s a win for the hellers or whatever, and I don’t like it very much.

I have to concede that “the one thing I want is something I know I can’t have” is a certified banger though. If the confession had been that and some alleyway action I’d be a lot happier.

#deancas.txt #cas.txt #spn.txt #asks #cas studies #meta #? idk what to tag this as lol

[letteredlettered]

Do you have any complaints about HP canon, and if so, what are they? For example I know a lot of people really dont like that Draco didnt get a redemption arc, but your work seems to really thrive off of a close reading of canon Draco in a way I think a lot of fanfic just cant because hes like... a very bad person. Its made me wonder if you are very... canon positive? I guess? Or more positive than most, maybe.

I have too many complaints about HP canon to list in an ask, but I can try to list some of them. First I want to say that choosing to use canon to inform your fic has less to do with whether or not you like the canon and more to do with what you like or want from fanfic. If you don’t like that Draco wasn’t redeemed, you can write a fic that posits he is redeemed and so that canon doesn’t have to be dealt with. Or, you can write a fic that shows how he gets redeemed or deals with the fact of his redemption to show what canon could have been. I obviously prefer the latter style, though I respect anyone’s choice to write in the former style. I can’t say I always understand the former style, but I respect the fact that people want to do it and should if that’s what they want.

I will say that I’m not sure I’ve ever written a fic that’s fully canon compliant, and I can’t quite imagine wanting to. Most of my fics a response to canon--they’re about something that wasn’t in canon, that I wish was in canon; or they’re about something that wasn’t in canon, and I don’t want to be in canon, but I still want to be explored. I wish the MCU would actually deal with the responsibility of wielding outsized power of destruction, so I wrote MCU fics. I do not want Schitt’s Creek to deal with the darkness of David Rose’s trauma or past, but I was still interested in it, so I wrote darker SC fic. I love Star Trek TOS, but I want to see Kirk and Spock hook up, so I wrote TOS fic.

There are a few things where I like the canon just the way it is, so I don’t write fic for it. Rainbow Rowell’s Carry On series is just what I want. I don’t need to write fic.

Back to my complaints with HP canon, the major problem I had was a lot of set up without the follow-through I expected or desired. I discussed that in my tumblr posts about Ron and Ginny. The set up of the Harry Potter universe is rather black and white, which I appreciate--it’s easy to get invested; it’s easy to consume. You know who the good guys are right away, and there’s no more complication. LOTR is rather like that, and I love it. But then HP begins to deconstruct its premise--James Potter was good, but he wasn’t kind. Dumbledore was trying to stop Voldemort, but he wasn’t honest. Snape is a horrible person, but he’s trying to do the right thing. This is my favorite sort of story, the one that starts black and white--vampires are evil; the robots will kill us, and the Gems that didn’t rebel are the enemy. Then a vampire earns his soul, or you find out you’re a robot, or--well, actually I didn’t like where Stephen Universe really went with that, but you get the picture. The Harry Potter series began the process of turning its own premise inside out, but somewhere in Halfblood Prince, that got too hard, and things began to snap back to their original shape. Good is good, actually, and bad people will always be bad.

One example of this is the death of Voldemort. Harry is set up as a mirror to Voldemort. Their pasts are very similar. Harry even feels compassion for Voldemort. At several different points, Harry is faced with the fact that he has to kill Voldemort. But Harry never has to deal with killing Voldemort, or with making a decision to spare Voldemort. In the end, Voldemort causes his own end as a result of his own destructive tendencies. This makes me feel that the text is suggesting that Voldemort deserves death. The idea that anyone “deserves” death for bad things they’ve done is not something I believe in or ascribe to. But even if it is the argument the text wants to make--what was the point of showing us that Tom Riddle was lonely, hurt, feared, and probably mistreated? The point really appears to be to show that two boys can have the same background and one turns out good while the other turns out bad, because goodness is inherent to some people while evil is inherent to others. I find this conclusion abhorrent, but I feel the conclusion is ultimately borne out by plenty of other aspects of the HP books.

The other example is Draco’s lack of redemption. I do not think villains have to be redeemed. The world has proven that shitty people can remain shitty. I also appreciate stories that show us the humanity of shitty people. A story about someone who is faced with thier bad choices but continues to make bad choices because they’re too afraid to do otherwise can be a good story. But I guess with Draco, I felt like I saw enough of his inner turmoil to understand why his heart would change, but not a thorough explanation of why it wouldn’t. Combined with many other similar characterizations in HP canon, it just feels like more essentialism--bad people are bad, and that’s how it is. I don’t mean there’s no nuance--as I said, the series does begin to deconstruct its own premise; we even saw how the Trio could be shitty. But ultimately they make the right choices. The characters who make the wrong choices generally continue to make them, except for Snape and Dudley. My complaint with those two representing a change of heart is that we don’t get to see the actual painful process of what that looks like--Snape’s happens pre-canon and there is too little of Dudley to show what is going on in Dudley’s brain.

The last thing I absolutely hate about HP is a lot of the “bad” characters tend to be overweight or unappealing in appearance. It’s true that a lot of this might be Harry’s POV--maybe Snape actually is the sex god some fics make him out to be, and Harry just he’s greasy because he doesn’t like him, and maybe Harry doesn’t like a good hook nose (I do). Additionally, Lockhart is very pretty, and while I want to firmly stress that Draco is never describes as good-looking, he’s not really described as ugly, and I believe Narcissa is even described as beautiful. But the book isn’t written in close third-person Harry POV, and “pointy” isn’t very flattering. Unkind words and stereotypes are used throughout to highlight the badness or evil of almost all the characters we’re not “supposed to” like. The descriptions of the Dursleys in particular are upsetting.

In my opinion, the  above examples demonstrate a lack of compassion at the heart of the HP story. That’s what I’ve always hated about it and what always made me want to write about it. I want to write and say, “Look at this. This is fucked up. This is wrong.” Some people don’t read fic for that reason, and I think that’s fine. Plenty of those people really hate my fic, which is also fine. I know that many things in this world lack compassion, and I don’t spend years of my life writing fanfic about them. I think the reason I keep coming back is to me, the premise was unkind--which I was fine with, and then the text itself began to deconstruct itself--which I was overjoyed by. It made me fall in love with the series. But when the premise snapped back to an essentially black and white world, I felt betrayed.

In conclusion, I find HP at its very essence to be unkind. Ursula K Le Guin said it best when she said that it was “ethically rather mean-spirited.”

#harry potter

[filmmakerdreamst]

Why Xena: Warrior Princess Was Groundbreaking

If you remember Xena: Warrior Princess, you probably do for a few reasons. The tiny, tight-fitting costumes worn by its lead characters. That circular spinny thing Xena threw at people (it’s called a chakram). Xena’s fabulous ululating war cry. The bizarre mish-mash of history the show threw together (though the producers knew their stuff, deep down – Rob Tapert later produced the rather more accurate Spartacus for STARZ). What you might not remember, or might not know if you’re unfamiliar with the show, is just how important and ground-breaking Xena was when it first aired between 1995 and 2001.

The first and most obviously groundbreaking thing about Xena: Warrior Princess was, of course, the gender of its lead character. Xena wasn’t the first female lead of an action-adventure series – Charlie’s Angels and Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman, for example, had enjoyed success in the 1970s, while non-action-adventure shows led by women had been common for quite some time, with 1990s examples including Ellen, Blossom, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Cybill.

The way Xena presented its female hero, though, was a bit different. The opening narration describes how “a land in turmoil cried out for a hero” and then presents the hero in question with an emphatic “she” as we see Xena riding into battle. Lucy Lawless, aside from being likable and charismatic, gave us a heroine who looked like she could physically handle a fight (rather than a super-powered waif-like heroine) while still being extremely attractive (as the costume department and directors were keen to emphasize!). She owed a lot to Carter and Wonder Woman, but Xena’s capability, confidence, and independence were a breath of fresh air in the 1990s SFF television landscape.

Xena’s portrayals of race, gender, and sexuality may seem fairly normal or even disappointing now but were highly progressive at the time. While the show was white-dominated, there was a clear effort made to introduce a more diverse cast. One of Xena’s early love interests was a black man, something hopefully no longer of note, but still relatively unusual at the time. The show also cast a black actress, Galyn Görg, as Helen of Troy, the most beautiful woman in the world, offering a nice change from the usual blonde, blue-eyed Helens we’ve seen on film and TV for decades. Similarly, Cleopatra was later played by Gina Torres. The series also set several episodes in Asia, featuring Asian guest characters.

The most significant relationship on Xena was, of course, that between Xena and Gabrielle. To a modern viewer, their relationship probably comes across as frustrating and disappointing, as despite many hints, frequent sub-textual references, and great chemistry between the two actresses, their relationship was never officially clearly stated to be romantic. They did, however, kiss as early as season 2.

Back in the 1990s, two characters of the same gender kissing was still a huge deal. Carol and Susan on Friends were restricted to hugging even at their wedding, while Willow and Tara’s first on-screen kiss on Buffy the Vampire Slayer was eventually worked into the deeply emotional episode “The Body,” after almost two years of subtext and more hugging.

On Xena, in the grand tradition of SFF TV (see also: Star Trek‘s “Plato’s Stepchildren”), a way was found to make the kiss more palatable to the networks. Xena was occupying the body of a man, Autolycus, at the time, so we see Xena’s spirit and Gabrielle’s come together for the kiss, played by the actresses, and then cut to Renee O’Connor’s Gabrielle kissing Bruce Campbell’s Autolycus, so the image actually broadcast is that of a man and a woman kissing. This may look like pandering and queer-baiting to modern eyes, but for the 1990s, it was a major step forward and the kiss was hugely important to LGBTQ Xena fans. Throughout the series, tricks like this were used to create a romantic story by the back door, so to speak. In another plot arc, Xena and Gabrielle’s reincarnated souls married each other.

Both characters had relationships with men throughout the series as well, but a reading of the show as led by two bisexual female characters who were in a relationship with each other was positively encouraged by numerous hints. In 1997, the same year as Xena and Gabrielle’s kiss, both Ellen DeGeneres and her namesake character on her own sitcom came out, something which sent shock waves through the entertainment industry, so this was a genuinely progressive move. And Xena told progressive stories about gender in other ways as well. Also in 1997, the episode “Here She Comes… Miss Amphipolis” featured a transvestite character winning a beauty pageant (in which Gabrielle acts as Xena’s “sponsor,” surrounded by men “sponsoring” their girlfriends).

Xena was groundbreaking in its format as well. Like contemporary show Frasier, Xena was a spin-off based on a character from another series and this produced a setup that might not have sold without its head start from Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. Our hero is not a pure and innocent champion of good, but a former villain trying to redeem herself for the bad things she’s done (this may sound familiar, but remember, the show pre-dates Angel!). This setup ensures that Xena never slips into standard Strong Female Character tropes. Strong she certainly is, but she is also fully three-dimensional, flawed (always trying to balance violent impulses and a desire for peace), looking for ways to use her violent skills for good and burdened by guilt. And then there’s her counterpart, Gabrielle – resisting physical violence for a long time, interested in art and literature but unable to tear herself away from Xena and the violence inherent in Xena’s lifestyle.

The show also popularized some of modern SFF television’s most beloved tropes. It was not the first show to break the fourth wall, or do a musical episode, or do a time loop episode, or any of the other tropes that show up. However, it did do a lot to popularize more experimental episodes like “A Day In The Life” or the famous first musical episode “The Bitter Suite” – which took the musical format completely seriously, a move unusual at the time – as the show used these in a manner and with a frequency that were unusual at the time (along with its parent show, Hercules).

The X-Files, for example, produced some great format-bending episodes, but usually only once or twice a season (with the exception of season six). Xena showed that a series format could be seriously flexible, including multiple episodes set in the twentieth century, hundreds of years away from the main setting of the show, as well as a wide range of other stories. Again, it was not the first or the only show to do so (Doctor Who is the most obvious example of a show with a seriously flexible format) but it made this type of television seem viable and popular.

Xena has had a huge influence on SFF film and television over the years. It takes only a brief look at a basic description of the show to see how much Buffy the Vampire Slayer (which debuted as a television series two years after Xena, in 1997, though the 1992 film pre-dates Xena) and Angel owe to Xena, and the debt was acknowledged in Buffy’s “Halloween” (“She couldn’t have dressed up like Xena?”).

It’s also worth noting that, before The Lord of The Rings showed the world how beautiful the New Zealand landscape was, the cast and crew of Xena and Hercules were ignoring the distinct lack of any similarity between the geography of New Zealand and Greece and showing the scenery off as best they could on relatively low budget television. Many of the cast and crew worked on the Lord of the Rings films as well – notable examples include cast members Karl Urban and Martin Csokas, costume designer Ngila Dickson (whose departure in 1999 presumably allowed her to focus on the films), and Richard Taylor and Tania Rodger, co-founders of Weta Workshop, who worked on a handful of early episodes.

In some ways, Xena: Warrior Princess hasn’t aged too well. The special effects can look a bit ropey (not surprising considering the show’s era and budget), the stories are often cheesy, and its episodic format has gone out of fashion. But the show is well worth a watch if you haven’t yet caught an episode. It has heart and heap-loads of humor (every episode ends with a joke disclaimer about who was or was not harmed during the making of it) and managed to balance dark and light pretty well, veering between pure comedy and deeply serious material with relative ease. The current SFF TV landscape wouldn’t be what it is without Xena and her chakram.

- Why Xena: Warrior Princess Was Groundbreaking by Juliette Harrisson

#xena: warrior princess #xwp #xena warrior princess #xena and gabrielle #xena/gabrielle #xena x gabrielle #xena #tv show #article #quote #passage #xena & gabrielle #gabrielle #gabrielle/xena #lgbtqia #lgbt #lucy lawless #renee o'connor

[inevitably-johnlocked]

hey Steph, really adore your blog. I saw your ask about s3 and s4 John and his anger. do you have any pics that deal with that? I think his anger is caused by his jealousy. he loves Sherlock and is deeply insecure about S's love for him. I'd love to find some fics that actually deal with all of that. thank you. x

Hey Nonny!!

I DO!!! Been waiting for another ask to finally get this list up and out! Hope you find something you enjoy on this one! <3

ANGRY / CRANKY JOHN

See also:

Jealous John b/c of Other People

Jealous John

Jealous John Pt. 2 and Jealous Sherlock Pt 2 

Jealous John Pt 3 and Jealous Sherlock Pt 3 

Jealous John and Sherlock Pt. 4 

Jealous John and Sherlock Pt. 5

Texts and Tea by JillianWatson1058 (K, 959 w., 1 Ch. || Friendship, Texting, Humour, Fluff, POV John, Cranky John) – A John who is woken up at 2:30 in the morning is not a happy John. Sherlock, frankly, doesn’t care. He just wants his tea.

And, Usually, He's the One Who GIVES Me a Headache by Cumberbatch Critter (T, 1,315 w., 1 Ch. || Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, POV John, Cranky John, Headaches, Head Massage) – A migraine is never fun.

Hallucinations can't open doors by Bespectacled dreamer (K+, 1,330 w., 1 Ch. || Reunion, Hurt / Comfort, Friendship, Hallucinations, John’s Wedding, Light Humour) – In which John gets married and Sherlock gets a broken nose.

The 3x John Carried Sherlock, and Once ViceVersa by ShinkonoKokoro (K+, 1,673 w., 1 Ch. || Fluff, Friendship, Three and One, BAMF John, Sherlock Whump, Worried Sherlock, John Gets Shot) – It happens more than he suspects.

Baskerville After Dark by Ttime42 (T, 1,921 w., 1 Ch. || THoB, Friendship, Humor, Bed Sharing, Missing Scenes, Cranky John, Cuddles) – John and Sherlock have to share a bed at Baskerville. Gen, but can be preslash.

Stay by sussexbound (M, 2,067 w., 1 Ch. || Post TAB, Suicidal Ideation Mention, Implied / Referenced Drug Use, Kissing, Love Confessions, Frottage, Coming in Pants) –  “Why? Why did you do it? Hmm…?” He takes a deep breath, waits, lets it out again. “Look at me.” There’s no denying him when he takes this tone. “Why did you kill him? Hmm…? For her? After…” A muscle twitches in the corner of John’s eye, and he clamps his jaw down tightly, swallows and sniffs a little before continuing. “For her? After everything she’s done?” “For you.” Before he can even stop himself. Just like that.

Denial Isn’t Just a River in Egypt by satanatemycat (T, 2,107 w., 1 Ch. || Humour, Friendship, Texting, Bored/Cranky Sherlock) – In which John makes a bet with a co-worker. If he wins, she shuts up about him and Sherlock being a couple. If he loses… well, that doesn’t matter, because he won’t lose. Because he and Sherlock ARE NOT a couple. Right?

Nothing Left Untouched by ForeverShippingJohnlock (K+, 2,617 w., 1 Ch. || Friendship, Romance, Bed Sharing, Oblivious Sherlock, Anxious/Worried Sherlock, Grumpy John, Fluff and Cuddles) – Sherlock rearranges the flat. So what if John's bedroom is now a research library. It's not like John needs a bedroom, he can share with Sherlock. They're friends and John has obviously slept in close quarters with men before and it's not like Sherlock sleeps much anyway. It'll be fine.

Those Days by StillWaters1 (T, 2,663 w., 1 Ch. || Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, PTSD / Sensory Attacks, Caring Sherlock) – If Sherlock had danger nights, then these were John's danger days.

Extraordinary by ardenteurophile (T, 2,739 w., 7 Ch. || Angst, Pining, Romance, Second Person POV Sherlock, Pre-Slash) – Sherlock tries to understand his preoccupation with one Doctor John Watson - the one case he can never solve.

BBCSH 'The Comfort of Company' by tigersilver (T, 2,769 w., 1 Ch. || Post-TRF/Mary, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Bed Sharing, Grumpy John, Touching, Clingy/Handsy Sherlock, Cranky Sherlock, Fluff and Light Angst) – It's a trope that John and Sherlock end up sharing in the same bed eventually and I admit I do adore it unconditionally, along with all it infers as to the lowering of defenses and the heightening of trust. I put forth for your consideration that the notion persists because those who think about these things realize these two men are each in dire need of some good company.

Unquantifiable by 221b_hound (M, 2,799 w. 1 Ch. || Est. Rel., Grumpy John, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Pet Names, Texting, Sweet Sherlock, Princess Bride References) – John remains a terrible and foul-tempered patient, but he does try to make up for it with pet names and text message silliness. In the meantime, Sally Donovan visits Baker Street for a hint about the Milverton case, and has to deal with a Sherlock Holmes who can't find words big enough to thank her for saving John's life at the warehouse. For afters, there's a viewing of The Princess Bride. Part 33 of the Unkissed series

Bathroom Accessories by Evenlodes_Friend (E, 3,324 w., 1 Ch. || Sex Toys, Butt Plug, First Kiss / Time, Romance, Horny Sherlock, John’s Patience Wears Thin, Humour, Bottomlock) – John discovers that Sherlock has been playing with some very adult toys in the bath.

After the Bombs by VampirePam (T, 3,337 w., 2 Ch. || THoB AU, Drugs, John’s PTSD, Panic Attack, Nightmares, Caring Sherlock, Cuddles, Bed Sharing, Angst, Hurt/Comfort) – In which the drugs Sherlock used to dose John trigger a severe episode of PTSD. When terrors old and new cause John to fall apart, Sherlock must rectify his mistake and pick up the pieces.

Breakfast, acronyms and brotherhood by Rose de Sharon (K+, 4,074 w., 1 Ch. || TBB Fic, Friendship/Bromance, Hurt/Comfort, Protective John, Fluff) – Set after The Blind Banker: my take of Sherlock and John's conversation over breakfast. S/J friendship, bromance, no slash.

Afghanistan in Baskerville by Amaya Ramiel (K+, 4,357 w., 1 Ch. || THoB Fic, Hurt/Comfort, Drugged John, PTSD / Panic Attack, Hallucinations, Worried Sherlock, John’s Past, Friendship) – What if John hadn't seen the hound when Sherlock trapped him in the lab? What if instead, his very real nightmares of the war had materialized all around him? Trapped and drugged, John can't tell what's real and what's not. How will Sherlock react?

What John Doesn't Know (Won't Hurt Him) by blueink3 (NR [T], 4,392 w., 1 Ch, || S3 Fix It, Pining Sherlock, Snippets of Life, Hurt/Comfort, Scars, Fluff and Angst, Five and One, Hopeful Ending, POV Sherlock) – Five people who see Sherlock's scars before John Watson. But Sherlock's secrets were never something he could keep from his blogger for long.

Overture by Kate_Lear (M, 4,435 w., 1 Ch. || First Kiss / Time, Friends to Lovers, Angry John, Introspection, Dev. Rel., Embarassed / Insecure Sherlock, Morning After, Bed Sharing, Cuddles / Limpet Sherlock) – A short snippet on how John and Sherlock might have got together.

When Your Belly's in the Trench by Morgan_Stuart (T, 4,743 w., 1 Ch. || PTSD, Character Study, Rescue, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Torture, Trauma, Danger, Drama, Kidnapping/Captivity) – The next time that door opens, John Watson will kill the person on the other side.

Given In Evidence by verityburns (M, 5,034 w., 19 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Post-TRF, Angst, Drama, Case Fic, Romance, BAMF!John, Submissive Sherlock, First Kiss, Humour) – Coming back from the dead can be a complicated business. With a new case on the horizon, rebuilding a life is one thing... rebuilding a friendship quite another. For Sherlock and John, things may never be just the same...

This Year by DiscordantWords (T, 6,283 w., 2 Ch. || TEH Divergence / No Mary, New Year’s Eve, John’s A Mess, Jealous John, Awkward Conversations, Trapped in a Closet, Estranged After Return, John POV, Semi-Reunion, Angry John, First Kiss, Reconciliation, Clueless Sherlock, Happy Ending) – Last year, Sherlock Holmes showed up at the Landmark with a fake moustache and a bad French accent and threw John's entire life into disarray with two words: "Not dead." This year, there are more surprises in store.

An Interpretation of Viewing Habits by akitsuko (E, 6,653 w., 1 Ch. || Porn Watching, Masturbation, Anal, Friends to Lovers, First Kiss / Time, Declarations of Love, Jealous Sherlock, Fantasizing, John in Denial / Internalized Homophobia, Bottomlock, Pining Idiots, Sherlock Has No Boundaries, Cockblocking Sherlock) – John watches porn. It's a perfectly normal thing to do.If every video he watches happens to feature actors with remarkable physical similarities to his flatmate, well, that's no one's business but his own. Or: John is in denial, until his infatuation with Sherlock is impossible to deny anymore.

BANG by ElvendorkInfinity (T, 7,016 w., 3 Ch. || Post-TGG AU, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Worried / Scared Sherlock, Alternating POV, Whump, Hospital Recovery, Open Ending) – 'I should warn you,' Sherlock says, his voice steady and his eyes fixed on Moriarty. 'You are sadly misinformed.' And he fires. Prequel to M Is For Moriarty

Stranded by BeautifulFiction (T, 5, 798 w., 1 Ch. || First Kiss, Communication / Relationship Discussion, Pining Sherlock, Sherlock POV, BAMF John, Doctor John, Case Fic, Drinking, Huddling For Warmth, Friends to More) –  When stranded on a derelict barge at high tide, John and Sherlock reconsider their friendship.

London Gods by a_different_equation (E, 11,092 w., 5 Ch. || American Gods Fusion || Magical Realism, Sex Magic, True Love, PTSD John, First Kiss/Time, Marathon Sex, Sensuality, Genie Sherlock, Human John, Internalize Homophobia, Star-Crossed Lovers, Soul Mates) – Sherlock Holmes is a jinn who does not grant wishes. However, when Dr. John H. Watson, recently returned from the war in Afghanistan, gets into his cab by "accident", it might not even need magic to grant both men their deepest wish: love.

There's So Much Labour Just in Breathing Lately by Susan (E, 12,708 w., 1 Ch. || Post-TRF / Mentions of S3 Events, Romance, Angst, Grief/Mourning, Grieving John, Mutual Pining, Meddling Mycroft, Therapy, Ambiguous Hopeful Ending, Infidelity) – The dreams he hated most – the ones that left him a sweating, shaking mess when he woke – were the ones in which Sherlock was just Sherlock. Laughing or drinking tea. Sitting across the table from him at Angelo��s eating pasta. Trailing his open hand behind him on the way to the bedroom. “C’mon, John. I’m about to have my way with you.”

Shuteye Shenanigans by Ayakae (K+, 13,263 w., 8 Ch. || Post-TRF, Friendship / Epic Bromance, John’s Nightmares, Angsty Fluff, Bed Sharing, Humour, Cuddles, Taking Care of Each Other, Domestics) – John Watson has never slept with Sherlock Holmes. Never ever ever. And never will, thank you very much. Well, there was that one time, but John didn't count that. It was completely different, just like the second time it happened. And the third. And the fourth. Epic bromance, but it can be read as pre-slash if you wish.

The Palmyra Atoll by elwinglyre (E, 16,609 w., 3 Ch. || TSo3 Divergence / Episode Fix-It, Stockholm Syndrome, Kidnapped John Watson, John Whump, Evil Mary, Angst, Cuddling & Snuggling, Toplock, Limited 3rd John POV) – As John's preparing for the wedding, Sherlock is preparing to have his heart broken, and Mary is prepared to do the unthinkable. Intervention required. Enter Sherlock. Set before Sign of Three with a far different outcome. John is drugged, kidnapped, and left on an island, but not just any old island.

Wonderful, Etcetera. by VictoryCandescence (T, 16,955 w., 3 Ch. || Wonderful Life AU || Alternate Timelines, Brotherhood, Homophobia, Suicidal Ideations, Mentions of Drug Use, Friendship, Different TRF, Sherlock’s Past, Victor Trevor is Past Boyfriend, Depression, Hallucination?, Love Confessions, Christmas, First Kiss) – Sherlock thinks everyone would be better off if he had never existed, including and especially himself. When he finds himself in a world in which his wish has been granted, he begins to think perhaps even he could be wrong – but it takes an unlikely chaperone to make him not only observe, but understand.

I Think I've Come A Long Long Way To Sit Before You Here Today by ArwenKenobi (T, 18,251 w., 3 Ch. || Grief/Mourning, Passage of Time, Major Character Death, Alternating POV, Sherlock Whump, Pining Sherlock, Hospitalization, Coma, Revenge Murders, Hallucinations, Love Confessions, Brutal Accident, Mystrade, Ghost John) – One year after John is killed Sherlock starts to wonder whether John has actually gone anywhere.

Out of the Woods by SilentAuror (E, 20,471 w., 1 Ch. || Post S4, Romance, Slow Burn, Flirting, Drunk Sex, Practical Jokes, POV Sherlock, Bottomlock, Possessive John, Pining Sherlock, Frustrated Wanking, Frottage, Hand Jobs, Blow Jobs, First Kiss/Time, Virgin Sherlock, Love Confessions, Soft Sherlock, Dancing, Bum Appreciation, Hanging out with the Yard) – Sherlock is fairly certain that John has taken to flirting with him of late, but can't be entirely certain of it. At least, not until a case takes them into a forest, along with Lestrade's team and something happens that will change everything about their lives...

A Quiet Life by DiscordantWords (M, 25,176 w., 6 Ch. || Post S4, Retirement, POV Sherlock, Awkwardness, Established Relationship, Family Dynamics, Minor Character Death, Questionable Parenting Choices, Non-Linear Narrative, 20 Year Old Rosie, Meddling Mycroft, Pining Sherlock, First Kiss, Love Confessions, Angst, Sherlock Whump) – There had been three days of silence and a funeral. Sherlock had the terrible feeling that whatever happened next would depend, entirely, on him.

To Mend Icarus by AlessNox (T, 28,347 w., 14 Ch. || Post-TRF / Pre-S3 Divergence, BAMF John, Anger, Fighting, Sex, Bed Sharing, Stalking, Case Fic, John’s Past, Introspection, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Crime, Mythology, Darkness) – After a case lands John Watson in court, he tells Sherlock that he is leaving. Not understanding why, Sherlock decides that the only way to learn the truth is to investigate his flatmate, Dr. John Watson. Sherlock finds that coming back is not enough to fix all of the damage that he caused by leaving. A post Reichenbach, post reunion re-discovery fic.

Hellfire by testosterone_tea (E, 28,596 w., 9 Ch. || Fantasy / Magic / Mages / Elementals AU || Mage Sherlock, Elemental John, Developing Relationship, Torture, Powerful / BAMF John, POV Alternating, Dark / Blood Magic, UST, First Kiss) – Sherlock is a Mage that gets involved with a case involving Dark Summoning rituals, leading him to John Watson, a man with Berserker blood. The only thing is, Berserkers have been extinct for centuries. And of course, nothing involving Mycroft and his interfering ways is ever simple. This time, even Sherlock may have bitten off more than he can chew.

A Home for Us by sussexbound (M, 30,581 w., 12 Ch. || Scars, Bedsharing, Grief, Doctor John, Hurt/Comfort, Post-TRF, Implied/Referenced Torture, Sherlock POV, Pining Sherlock, Suicidal Ideation, Heavy Emotions, Clingy Sherlock, Hallucinations, Disassociation, Emotional Turmoil) – He has been on the road for two years, and he is exhausted. He’s almost accepted that he will never see London (John) again—almost. But then there are nights like tonight, where he is weak, and all he can think of is the warmth of the flat they once shared, the crackle of the fire in the hearth, the teasing smile playing at the corner of John’s lips, the boxes of half-eaten Chinese takeaway balanced precariously in their laps. He aches at the memory of it, at the realisation that it is something he may never experience again.

carrying up his morning tea by darcylindbergh (E, 34,504 w., 5 Ch. || Post S3, Minor Character Death, Grief/Mourning, Wakes/Funerals, Estranged John, Pining Sherlock, Depression/Insecurity, Slow Burn, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Chronic Pain/Injury, Reconciliation, Awkwardness, Loneliness, Scars, Angst With Happy Ending) – His fingers tremble as he dials and he can’t force them steady. Familiar number, even though he hasn’t used it in two years. He isn’t even sure he should be calling it now, but she’d asked. She’d made him promise.

(Never) Turn Your Back to the Sea by DiscordantWords (M, 39,968 w., 7 Ch. || Post S4 Fix It || Grief / Mourning, Victor Trevor, Friendship, Sherlock is Not Okay, Nightmares/Flashbacks/Panic Attacks, Parentlock, Pining Sherlock, Angst with Happy Ending, John Comes Home) – Baker Street is very much the same. Only different. And Sherlock is just trying not to drown.

Only To Be With You by SinceWhenDoYouCallMe_John (M, 40,768 w., 4 Ch. || Black Mirror / Future AU || Character Death, Future Technology, Sickness/Cancer/Illness, Heavy Angst with Happy Ending, First Person POV John, Pining John, Heart-Wrenching Angst) – I tell myself that next time I’ll come near this same place again. Wait around for the mysterious stranger in his coat to dash past me, hot on the heels of a new criminal in black. I think this all the way back to my Exit, planning where I’ll wait and what I’ll say when I see him. Scheming on how to get his name. It’s only once I reach the Exit Point door that I realize two hours and forty-five minutes have passed, and I realize that this won’t be the last time I Visit. It won’t be the last time at all.

Guidelines by WithLoweredVoices (M, 43,018 w., 15 Ch. || Winglock || Angels, Fantasy, Angst, BAMF! John, War, Jealous Sherlock, Possessive Sherlock, Jealous John, Falling in Various Ways) – The Good Soldier, one of the oldest and strongest of the fallen, is offered a bargain: to live as John Watson and to Guide a fledgling archangel so that he will stay on the path of good. Of course, Sherlock Holmes has different ideas about his destiny. Fantasy AU. Warnings for violence, occasional gore, and a whole load of hurt and angst.

The Real Great Perfumers by shelleysprometheus (E, 45,355 w., 68 Ch. || Case Fic, Alternating POV, Gay Sherlock / Bi John, Canon Compliant with Divergence at TRF, Friends to Lovers, Oral / Anal, Pining, First Kiss / Time, Dev. Rel., Drugging, Body Worship, Bathing, Love Confessions, Travelling, Bottomlock, Cranky Sherlock, BJ’s, Alternating POV, Jealous John) – The case, this case. This extraordinary, fascinating, scintillating case. A house. Designed entirely by its eccentric owner, built by no less than five hundred expert tradesmen in the heart of Marrakesh. A house that had, seemingly not only driven its owner out, but also to his quite unpleasant death. And a perfumer, a chemist no less, the very thought of the secrets that house could reveal, would reveal was irresistible. Sherlock had to have this case ... and it seems, he also had to have John! Part 1 of the Forethought and Fire series

Inscrutable to the Last by DiscordantWords (M, 48,842 w., 6 Ch. || Post-TRF, Alternate S3, John’s Blog/S3 is a Story By John, Divorce, Marital Difficulties, John is a Mess, Emotional Reunion, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Grief / Mourning, Pining John, First Kiss, Adorably Clueless Sherlock, Nostalgia, Love Confessions, Eventual Happy Ending) – He wasn't Sherlock, he couldn't work miracles. All he'd ever been able to do was write about them.

Impossible to Feign by achray (M, 49,204 w., 12 Ch. || TRF Rewrite / Reverse Reichenbach, Suicidal Ideations / Discussions, Drug Use/Abuse, Mutual Pining, Friends With Benefits, John Accepts his Sexuality, Anxious Sherlock, Meddling Mycroft, Depression, Hallucinations, Secret Agent John, BAMF John, Reunion, Make-Up Sex, Ambiguous Ending) – Sherlock leant forward, his long fingers curving round to grip John’s.“I won’t let him win,” he said, eyes hard. “I will do whatever it takes to get you out.”

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse by SilentAuror (E, 50,635 w., 1 Ch. || Post-S4/S4 Divergence, Case Fic, For a Case / Reverse Fake-Relationship, Conferences, Marriage Equality, Travelling / New York, Pride, Homophobia, Bottomlock, Marriage Proposal, John POV, Sexuality, Love Confessions, Emotional Love Making, Public Hand Jobs, Blow Jobs, Passionate Kissing, Needy/Clingy Sherlock, Virgin Sherlock, Touching / Hand Holding, Bed Sharing, Little Spoon Sherlock, Intense Orgasms) – John and Sherlock go to New York to attend a conference run by the National Defence of Traditional Marriage Coalition in order to investigate the potential bombing of the annual Manhattan Pride parade. As the conference unfolds, John finds himself repulsed by the toxic ideology being presented, which becomes relevent to his own unacknowledged issues and his friendship with Sherlock...

Repairing the Broken Things by BakerTumblings (M, 75,252 w., 15 Ch. || S4 Compliant, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Medical Trauma, Hospitals, Big Brother Mycroft, Misunderstandings, Realizations, Severe Accident, John Whump, Pneumonia, Medical Procedures, Bed Sharing, First Time, Healing, Happy Ending) – "I'm calling today to notify you that there's been an accident."

The Hollow Woman by ScopesMonkey (M, 51,335 w., 22 Ch. || Post-TRF, Major Character Death, Mystery, Romance, Friendship, Family, Angst, Crime, Reunion, First Kiss / Time, Nightmares, Doctor John, Jealous Sherlock, Jealous John, BAMF John, Angry John, Dub-Con, Rough Sex, Bottomlock, Possessive John, Villain Mary, Open Ending) – Forced to return to London sooner than expected, Sherlock falls into a case too close to home. Part 1 of the Hollowverse series

A Goose Quill Dipped in Venom by Polyphony (M, 52,748 w., 16 Ch. || Celebrity John AU || Alternate First Meeting, TV Host John, Supermodel Mary, Character Death, Mystery, Romance, Case Fic, First Kiss/Time, Meddling Mycroft, Drug Abuse, Doctor John, PDA, Deductions, POV Sherlock, Toplock, Sexual Tension, Angry/Rough Sex, Hopeful Ending, Asperger’s Sherlock) – Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective, is called in to a very ordinary although brutal murder. Something is badly out of tune with the whole scenario and Sherlock finds himself becoming more and more obsessed with the crime - and also with the victim.

Points by lifeonmars (E, 53,791 w., 42 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || HLV Rewrite / Canon Divergence, Married Life, Pregnancy / Baby Watson, Drinking to Cope, Boxing / Fisticuffs, Clueless John, Angst, Minor Medical Drama, Tattoos, Christmas, First Kiss/Time, Eventual Happy Ending, Love Confessions, Doctor John, Sexuality Crisis, Slow Burn, Case Fic, Drugging, Blow/Hand Job, Emotional Love Making, Parenthood, Passage of Time) – What if His Last Vow never happened? This fic picks up a few months after John and Mary's wedding, in an alternate universe where Magnussen doesn't exist, but Mary is still pregnant. Life continues -- just in a different direction. And slowly, Sherlock and John find their way to each other.

Never Change a Running System by Lorelei_Lee (E, 54,246 w., 18 Ch. || Pre-TRF, Romance, Humour, Drama, Sex Toys, Anal, Rimming, Masturbation, Frottage, Blow Jobs, Public Sex, First Kiss / Time, Virgin Sherlock / Loss of Virginity, Accidental Voyeurism, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Experiments, Naive Sherlock, Pining Sherlock, Jealous Sherlock, Possessive Sherlock, Straight With an Exception John, Hand Jobs) – Sherlock discovers his sexuality – with far-reaching consequences for John.

Albion and the Woodsman by Glenmore (NR [E], 54,437 w., 50 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Post S3, Parentlock, Pining Sherlock, Angst, Family, Drug Use, Depression, Sherlock POV, Light Humour, Reconnecting, Declarations of Love) – Sherlock and John are devastated after Mary Morstan makes her final moves. Sherlock relapses at the crack house, John walks around the world … and a lot happens in between. Parentlock, in the good way.

The Thing Is by TSylvestris (E, 56,743 w., 21 Ch. || Case Fic, Dev. Rel., Anal/Oral, Blow Jobs, Meddling Mycroft, Drama, Romance, Humour, Casual Encounters, Pining Idiots, Possessive Sherlock, Orgasm Delay, Rough / Alley Sex, Public Sex, John Whump, Drugged John, Emotional Love Making, Awkward Relationship, Marriage of Convenience, Switchlock) – The problem with living with Sherlock, John thought, was that you never, never, ever knew the significance of anything. Like your flatmate's nose buried in your hair. Whilst you're in bed. Part 1 of Nitroglycerine

Lunar Landscapes by J_Baillier (M, 57,046 w., 21 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || S3/TAB Fix-It, Slow Burn Angst, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Confessions, Drugs, Pain, Medical, Injury, Sherlock Whump, Mental Health Issues, Panic Attacks, Romance, Secrets,  Tragedy, Trauma, BAMF John, Doctor!John, Drug Addict Sherlock, Injured Sherlock, Grieving John, Idiots In Love,  Protective John, POV John Watson, PTSD Sherlock, Sherlock is a Mess, Medical Realism) – An accident forces John to face the fact that Sherlock's downward spiral had started long before his flight to exile even left the tarmac.

The Bells of King's College by SilentAuror (E, 64,019 w., 5 Ch. || Post-S4, Missed Opportunities, Angst with Happy Ending, Fake Relationship, Case Fic, John POV, Jealous John, John in Denial, Travelling / Holidays, Virgin Sherlock, Wedding Proposals) – It's only been two weeks since Eurus Holmes disrupted their lives when Mycroft sends John and Sherlock to Cambridge to pose as an engaged couple at a wedding show in the hopes of solving six unsolved deaths...

Hell Sent, Heaven Bound by ConsultingHound (M, 64,381 w, 16 Ch. || Angels / Demons AU ||  Fallen Angel Sherlock / Angel Cop John, Alternate First Meeting, Slow Burn, Case Fic, John & Lestrade are Friends Before Sherlock, BAMF John, Mind Palace John, Friends to Lovers, John in Denial, Sherlock Picks Out John’s Clothing, Clubbing / Dancing, Mildly Jealous John, Awkwardness, Kidnapping, Sherlock’s Mind Palace, Sacrifice, Worried / Anxious Sherlock, Angst with Happy Ending, Immortal to Mortal) – Ex-War healer and current angelic guard John Watson is not having the best day. He overslept, he’s underpaid, and now there’s someone tagging the Council’s building walls. However things may be about to get interesting: there’s an unusual stranger hanging around (the definition of tall, dark, and handsome), a literal underground cult is brewing, and rumblings are coming from hell. Can he keep his neighbourhood safe, how and why is he being connected to all this, and who the hell is Sherlock Holmes?

White Knight by DiscordantWords (M, 69,840 w., 13 Ch. || S4 Compliant/Post S4, Marriage For a Case, Jealous John, Pining John, Janine / Sherlock Fake Relationship, Serial Killers, Case Fic, Undercover as a Couple, Weddings, John is a Mess, Misunderstandings, Wedding Planning, Jealousy, Drunkenness, Love Confessions, Angst with Happy Ending) – Green. The word green was used to convey a great many things. Illness. Envy. Inexperience. Standing there amidst Janine's chattering bridesmaids, watching Sherlock furrow his brow and study fabric swatches, watching him smile and simper and flirt, John thought it a remarkably apt colour choice. Because he felt quite sick to his stomach, he feared the source of said sickness might very well be jealousy, and he had absolutely no idea at all what to do about it. Or: Sherlock needs to fake a relationship for a case. He doesn't ask John.

Just To Hold You Close by sussexbound (E, 70,841 w., 18 Ch. || Alternate First Meeting, Sherlock POV, ASD Sherlock, PTSD John, Demisexual Sherlock, Bisexual John, Cuddling/Snuggling, Platonic Cuddling, Enthusiastic Consent, Bed Sharing, Love Confessions, First Kiss/Time, Sexual Tension, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Cuddle Negotiations, For a Case Until It Isn’t, Hair Petting, Sexual Negotiation, Anxiety, Trust Issues, Slow Burn, Panic Attacks, Frottage, Hand/Blow Jobs, Referenced Self Harm / Abuse / Suicidal Ideation, First Kiss/Time, Anal) – When a woman is murdered and the last person to see her alive is recently invalided army vet turned reluctant (and prickly) professional cuddler, John Watson, Sherlock Holmes is pulled into a world of intimacy and intrigue he never could have imagined. John is a conundrum and mystery: frank yet reserved, tender yet angry, open yet afraid. Sherlock is instantly drawn into his orbit, and begins to feel and desire things he never has before.

The Vapor Variant by 88thParallel (CanadaHolm) (M, 72,684 w., 18 Ch. || Post-THoB, John Whump, Protective Sherlock, Guilty Sherlock, Anxious/Worried Sherlock, Virgin Sherlock, Angst with Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, PTSD John, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Suspense, Virus, Sickfic, Big Brother Mycroft) – They stood face to face in the middle of a clearing. The dim light of the moon barely allowed Sherlock to see the glassy terror in John’s eyes and the sweat that glistened off his forehead. His nose was bleeding again, blood dripping in a slow stream from his right nostril. They were both gasping for air, John’s eyes locked on Sherlock’s. There was no recognition there, just wild animal fear. Time stood still for an eternal few seconds, and Sherlock took a shaky breath. “John—”Spell broken, John spun and bolted back into the woods. Still heaving for air, Sherlock took off after him.

The Monument of Memory by J_Baillier (M, 79,663 w., 14 Ch. || Post S4 Fix It Fic / S4 is Canon, Angst, Family Drama, Guilt, Case Fic, John Loves Sherlock, Complicated Feelings, Mentalism / Hypnosis, Murder, Grieving John, Sherlock is a Bit Not Good, Team Work, Trust Issues, BAMF John, Psychological Trauma, Protective John, Autistic-Spectrum Sherlock, Parentlock, John POV) –  A genius traumatised by a past he's only beginning to recall. The psychopath sister that time forgot. A missing woman and a mentalist who may or may not be a murderer. And, in the middle of it all, stands John Watson.

Thermocline by J_Baillier (M, 83,557 w., 14 Ch. || Scuba Diving AU || Adventure, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Marine Archaeology, Asexual Sherlock, Horny John, Relationship Drama, Technical/Scuba/Wreck Diving, Slow Burn, Underwater /  Medical Peril, Doctor John, Hurt Sherlock, Anxious Sherlock, John POV, Protective John, Body Appreciation) – John "Five Oceans" Watson — technical dive instructor, dive accident analyst and weapon of mass seduction — meets recluse professor of maritime archaeology Holmes. As they head out to a remote archipelago off the coast of Guatemala to study and film its shipwrecks for a documentary, will sparks fly or fizzle out?

Not Broken, Just Bent by Schmiezi (E, 87,585 w., 43 Ch. || Pining, Love Confessions, Rape/Sexual Assault, Torture, Hurt/Comfort, Heavy Angst, Villain!Mary, Suicidal Ideations, Main Character Death, Sherlock First Person POV, Parentlock, Sherlock’s Mind Palace, Grief/Mourning, Emotional Love Making, Possessiveness, Depression, PTSD, Kidnapping, Virgin Sherlock, Eventual Happy Ending) – "For a second, I allow myself to remember teaching John how to waltz. There is a special room in my mind palace for it. A big one, with a proper parquet dance floor. For a second, I go there. I remember holding him, closer than the World Dance Council asks for, excusing it with the fact that we are training for a wedding, not for a competition. For a second, I feel his hand on mine again, smell his sweat, hear the song we used. For a second, I allow myself to love him deeply. For a second, only a second, that love reflects on my face." Fix-it for S3, starting at the end of TSoT. Evil Mary.

Kintsukuroi by sussexbound (E, 91,823 w., 20 Ch. || S4 Compliant / Post-TLD, Grief / Mourning, PTSD, Internalized Homophobia, Therapy, Past Abuse, Alcohol Abuse, Nightmares, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Depression, Anxiety, Bed Sharing, Love Confessions, Cuddling, Suicidal Ideation, Masturbation, Minor Character Death, Sexting, Frottage, Inexperienced Sherlock, Rimming / Anal / BJ’s, Emotional Turmoil, Finding Each Other) – “I love you.” Sherlock sees the words hit John with almost physical force. He reels back a little, jaw twitching and eyes filling. “I love you,” he repeats, a little softer, a little more gentle, as earnest as he possibly can. Because they’ve been teetering on the brink of this thing for years, and it had become painfully obvious over the last few months that they were at a tipping point. This had to happen. Now it has. Now they can see where they end up. The tears in John’s eyes spill over, and he wipes at them angrily. “Do you even know what that means?”  

The Summer Boy by khorazir (T, 94,706 w., 6 Ch. || Post S3/Post TAB/Alternate S4, Friends to Lovers, Asexual Sherlock, POV Sherlock, Flashbacks, Bullying, 1980′s Kid Sherlock, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Inexperienced Sherlock, Grief/Mourning, Pining Sherlock, Case Fic, Sherlock’s Past, Awkward Conversations, Anxious Sherlock, John Separated From His Child) – About half a year after the fateful events at Appledore, Sherlock and John embark on a private case in Sussex. For Sherlock, it’s a journey into his past, bringing up memories both happy and sad that he has locked away for almost thirty years. For John, it means coming to terms with the present – and a potential future with Sherlock. Part 1 of the The Summer Boy series

Northwest Passage by Kryptaria (E, 95,157 w., 27 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Canadian AU ||  BAMF!John, Canadian John, PTSD, Anal / Oral Sex, Rimming, Emotional Hurt / Comfort, Drug Rehab, Falling in Love, Pining Sherlock, Love Confessions, Sherlock’s Violin, Panic Attacks, Switching, Anxious / Protective Sherlock, Hugs for Comfort, Suicide Mentions, Healing Each Other) – Seven years ago, Captain John Watson of the Canadian Forces Medical Service withdrew from society, seeking a simple, isolated life in the distant northern wilderness of Canada. Though he survives from one day to the next, he doesn't truly live until someone from his dark past calls in a favor and turns his world upside-down with the introduction of Sherlock Holmes." Part 1 of Tales from the Northwest

The Cost of a Wish by slashscribe (E, 102,493 w., 12 Ch. || xxxHolic Fusion || Spirits / Ghosts and Magic, Love Confessions, Slow Burn, Soul Mates / Fated Lovers, Adventure, Immortal Sherlock, Powerful John, POV John, Frottage, Wish Granting, Angst with Happy Ending, Nightmares) – John has been plagued by a secret his entire life that has made him feel hopeless until he meets a mysterious, seemingly omniscient man named Sherlock Holmes who owns a wish-granting shop. Their meeting sets off a series of inevitable events that will change the course of both of their lives forever.

Two Two One Bravo Baker by abundantlyqueer (E, 114,574 w., 27 Ch. || Military AU || Afghanistan, War Story, Thriller) – Captain John Watson of 40 Commando, the Royal Marines, is assigned to protect and assist Sherlock Holmes as he investigates what appears to be a simple war atrocity in Afghanistan. An intense attraction ignites between the two men as they uncover a conspiracy that threatens everything they’ve ever known, but Sherlock is as much hunted as hunter, and everyone close to him is in deadly danger. Can he solve the case in time to save himself and John? Part 1 of Two Two One Bravo Baker Universe

A Further Sea by i_ship_an_armada & ShinySherlock (E, 125,492 w., 23 Ch. || Historical Pirates AU || Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Doctor John / Pirate Captain Sherlock, Sailing, UST / RST, Masturbation, Action / Adventure, Mild Angst & Peril, Romance, Shaving, Molly/Janine, Bottomlock, Past Drug Use, Slow Burn, Mild Violence, Happy Ending) – Here be a tale of adventure for both body and soul, but beware if ye be not of stout heart, for this be piratelock, ya savvy? Luckless ship's surgeon John Watson takes a chance, and finds himself eye to eye with The Ghost, the scourge of the seven seas and a definite thorn in the side of the blaggard, James Moriarty. But when John finds there's more to this most cunning pirate than be meetin' the eye, he has to choose... is it a pirate's life for him?

The Bang and the Clatter by earlgreytea68 (M, 137,049 w., 37 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Baseball AU || Slow Burn / Dev. Rel., Possessive/Obsessive Sherlock, Jealous Sherlock, Mutual Pining, Body Appreciation, Depression, Closeted Sexuality, Family, Sherlock’s Mind Palace, Ogling Each Other, Anxious Sherlock, Panic Attack, Drunkenness, Talk of Forever, Big Feelings™) – Sherlock Holmes is a pitcher and John Watson is a catcher. No, no, no, it's a baseball AU. Part 1 of Baseball

The Adventure of the Silver Scars by tangledblue (NR [M], 142,458 w., 41 Ch. || S3 Fix-It, Post-HLV/ Post-TAB / Canon Compliant, Case Fic, No Baby, Angst, Humour, UST, Slow Burn, Angry John, Reconciliation, Not Nice Mary / Leaving Mary, Dependent Sherlock, Pining Sherlock, Caretaker John, Fist Fights, It’s An Experiment, Virgin Sherlock, Dancing, Drugging, John Whump, Pet Names, Sherlock’s Mind Palace, Scars) – It’s been thirteen months since Mary shot Sherlock and John finds he’s still pissed off about it. Sherlock had thought everything was settled: John and Mary, domestic bliss. But when John turns up at Baker Street with suitcases, the world’s only consulting detective might not be prepared for the consequences. A new case. Some old scores to settle. Certain danger. Concertos, waltzes, and whisky.

The Lost Special: Family Matters (As Do Relationships) by ShirleyCarlton  (M, 144,688 w., 40 Ch. || S4 Fix It Fic / Meta Fic, Unreliable Narrator, John’s Mind Bungalow, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Demisexual Sherlock, Holmes Family, John Whump, Gay Mycroft, Misunderstandings, Drug Addiction, Parenting, TFP is a Nightmare, Virgin Sherlock, Slow Burn, Minor Character Death, Switchlock, John’s Past, Sherlock’s Past, Eurus, Love Confessions) – Sherrinford is not really the name of some high security prison. That was just a figment of John’s frantic coma dream. And Eurus is not actually Sherlock’s sister. That’s just something random she said to John before shooting him. Sherlock and John were never actually estranged. That was just their act to cover up what really happened to Mary – or Rosamund Moran, as her real name has turned out to be. Sherlock does have a secret sibling, though, and his name is Sherrinford. After finally eliminating Moran – though in a rather dramatically different way than they had envisioned – and exposing the truth about Eurus, John encourages Sherlock to delve into his past and to find out whether the reasons to keep Sherrinford away from Sherlock were the right ones, and to discover what really happened in 1981. Along the way, Sherlock and John gradually, finally, stop keeping each other at a distance, and eventually become a proper family of their own.

Against the Rest of the World by SilentAuror (E, 151,714 w., 20 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Post-TRF, Hiatus Fic, POV First Person Sherlock, Present Tense, First Kiss/Time, Big Brother Mycroft, Escaping from Capture, Soft Sherlock, Toplock, Insecurity, Infidelity, Travelling, Introspection, Pining Sherlock, Depression, Fantasies, Yearning for the Past, PTSD Sherlock, Suicidal Ideation) – Sherlock has been away from London for nine hundred and twelve days and counting, and has no idea what sort of reception to expect when he finally returns.

Proving A Point by elldotsee & J_Baillier (E, 186,270 w., 28 Ch. || Me Before You Fusion || Medical Realism, Insecure John, Depression, Romance, Angst, POV John, Sherlock Whump, Serious Illness, Doctor John, Injury Recovery, Assisted Suicide, Sherlock’s Violin, Awkward Sexual Situations, Alcoholism, Drugs, Idiots in Love, Slow Burn, Body Image, Friends to Lovers, Hurt / Comfort, Pain, Big Brother Mycroft, Intimacy, Anxiety, PTSD, Family Issues, Psychological Trauma, John Whump, Case Fics, Loneliness, Pain) – Invalided home from Afghanistan, running out of funds and convinced that his surgical career is over, John Watson accepts a mysterious job offer to provide care and companionship for a disabled person. Little does he know how much hangs in the balance of his performance as he settles into his new life at Musgrave Court.

#steph replies #johnlock fic recs #angry john #cranky john #my fic recs #long post

[tropes-and-tales]

Burning Bright, Chapter One

Characters:  Oberyn Martell and F!Reader and Ellaria Sand

WC:  3197

Other Pieces:  This is part of a series.

CW:  Angsty, but mildly so.

AN:  I will say this with every piece – this hews closer to the books, not the television show, but either way – it’s gratuitous fan-fiction stuffed full of tropes, so….fair warning!

________________

It was funny to you, how time worked.

Take a fortnight, for example.  In your usual life – your boring, too-quiet life in Ashemark – a fortnight could feel like an eternity.  It was a struggle to fill the hours.  The library was small and mostly filled with old account books and law treatises.  You abhorred needlepoint and lace-making and most of the hobbies that were acceptable to high-born ladies.  

You did enjoy singing, but your voice was too low, too throaty to be any good.  You enjoyed riding your sturdy old mare along the shores of the Tumblestone as your mind wandered and made up adventures for some spirit version of you to go enjoy.  But singing and riding and daft little imaginings didn’t fill up a day.

But suddenly, a fortnight was no time at all.  After your father’s proclamation that you were to go to Dorne to wed the Red Viper, you and Septa Jayna scrambled to pull together everything you needed for the trip.  You needed an entire trousseau.  You needed the small dowry that was agreed upon between the Martells and the Marbrands.  

You needed a gift for your husband-to-be, and you had agonized over what it should be.  You knew very little of men (they seemed to enjoy fighting and going to war, in your estimation), so you had commissioned a dagger for him.  Nothing elaborate, but you had arranged for the pommel to be set with a brilliant yellow topaz from your family’s small mine.  It was like crystallized sunlight, and it felt appropriate for a man whose coat of arms was a sun.

You also needed to pack whatever scant belongings you planned to take to your new home.  That was easy enough:  you had nearly nothing that you treasured that much.  There was a small miniature painting of your mother, beauty that she was, before she died in childbirth.  

There was a bound volume of children’s fairy stories given to you by a kindly elderly aunt on your name day years ago.  You had nearly read the book to pieces, and even now, you drew your forefinger along the embossed cover and felt the thrill in your blood at those stories.  They had been perhaps too dark for a small child – tales of Old Valyria, tales of dragon-riders, tales of black glass candles and deep magic and more – but no one had really heeded what you did.

Perhaps you would read those stories to your own children one day.  The thought put a small frown on your face.  A marriage would imply the marital bed, but your Septa had been less than forthcoming what that truly meant.  You knew that Prince Oberyn had several bastards already, was obviously well-versed in whatever that was, and the thought of embarrassing yourself on your wedding night make your face burn in pre-emptive shame.

You and Septa Jayna were traveling to Lannisport in a few days’ time to make some final purchases and arrangements.  Perhaps you could discreetly purchase a book there.

*****

Oberyn put his impending marriage so far out of his mind that many days, he forgot about it entirely.  

Instead, he traveled across the Narrow Sea to represent Dornish interests with certain merchants there.  He read, studied every scrap of paper he could about poisons.  He spent time with his daughters – perhaps the one growing in Ellaria’s belly would be another.  He spent time with Ellaria, fucked her senseless, fell asleep with his arms around her protectively.  Woke up to bad dreams, paced the castle.

He did not think about you.

Until he got your first letter.

There was no clue that it was from you – the addressing on the front was written in a plain hand, and it was sealed with a bit of blue wax imprinted with a little bird.  When he opened it, though, he saw how it was addressed.

My dear betrothed…

Oberyn groaned and tossed the letter onto the bed, then flopped down unceremoniously beside Ellaria, who chuckled at him.  She ran her slender fingers through his hair, tugging against a few snarls, then reached past him to retrieve the letter.

Oberyn shifted to watch his lover read.  She pursed her lips as her eyes drifted over the page, and then she gave another laugh.

“Your bride-to-be is in Crakehall,” she informed him.  “And she has a knack for drawing, it seems.”  Oberyn arched an eyebrow at her, and she continued.  “She sketched out a picture of Lord Crakehall, and he looks strikingly like the tusked boar in his coat of arms.”

She held up the letter to show him, but Oberyn turned away.

“She’s not my bride-to-be.  That wedding is not going to happen.”

-----

The letters kept coming, and Ellaria read all of them and tried to give Oberyn the salient details.  

“She’s at Old Oak now.  See?  She drew this lovely tree.”

“She’s at Highgarden.  She’s pressed a rosebud into this letter.”

“Now she’s at Nightsong.  She says that the singing towers have a haunting melody.”

Oberyn ignored them, or tried to.  If Ellaria hadn’t been rounded with his child, he might snap at her, tell her to give up on her futile attempts at making you seem likeable.  After all, shouldn’t she, more than anyone else, loathe you?  You were coming to marry him, give him a legitimate heir, possibly cast her and her children aside.  Northerners didn’t understand Dornish ways, after all.

“She always ends each letter with news of where she is heading next.  I think, my love, she may like a letter in return from you.”

“She may like that,” Oberyn muttered through clenched teeth.  “But I won’t write one.”

“It’s the kind thing to do.”

He fixed his lover with a glare, the closest he allowed his temper to come to her in her delicate state.  “I have no kindness for anyone loyal to the Lannisters,” he growled.  “The sooner she realizes it, the better it shall be for her.”

*****

Septa Jayna said that all girls were in high spirits before they wed, and she admonished you several times a day to sit still in your carriage, to calm down, to be a lady.  You knew in your heart that your fidgeting was less about your impending marriage and was more for the feast of sights before your eyes.

Aside from your excursions on your horse and the few trips to Lannisport, you had never left Ashemark before.  Now…you had traveled.  Were traveling.  You saw Red Lake, and the lush gardens of Highgarden, and the cold steppes of the Dornish Marches, and now you were on the Prince’s Pass between the mountains and properly in Dorne.

It wasn’t just the sights either.  It was the people.  People were…nice.  They were hospitable, kind.  Lord Willas Tyrell had been especially kind, pressing cuttings of flowers onto you during your three day stay at Highgarden.  He had showed you his falcons and his hounds, and he had promised to send a puppy when his prized bitch whelped.

“A belated wedding gift,” he had said, and it was all the reminder you needed that this trip had a destination.

You had started sending letters to Prince Oberyn, a sort of opening salvo so that he may get to know you.  You had hoped he might reply, but it was likely too hard to guess where you would be at any given moment.

And now you were in Dorne.  Your new home.

It wasn’t until you reached the Greenblood that you realized how foreign this land truly was.  The Tumblestone back home was a wild river, full of foamy rapids breaking against jagged rocks.  The Greenblood was more sedate, leisurely flowing through the land.

Then you were in Godsgrace.

And then you were in Sunspear.

*****

Ellaria Sand was many things, and curious was near the top of the list.  She was a learned woman, had traveled a fair share, but she was most curious about people – what made them unique, their inner thoughts and dreams and loves and fears.

She was curious about you.

Oberyn refused to read your letters, but Ellaria read them over and over, tried to glean information between your pretty little sentiments about the places you were traveling through.  She made some initial judgements about you:  you were a highborn lady but likely not trained as one – your penmanship was neat and tidy, not the curling flourishes of other ladies.  You seemed to observe more than participate, judging by your sketches.

She studied the little portrait that your father had sent to Doran during the marriage contract negotiations.  Ellaria studied the stern little face, those dark eyes, and she wondered what your inner thoughts and dreams and loves and fears may be.

Oberyn had tried to make the point that Ellaria should be jealous, but she didn’t have a hint of that within her.  In truth, she thought a wife may be good for her lover, if the wife could be brought around to accept certain Dornish tendencies.  Oberyn needed distraction, and Ellaria could only do so much:  she had fucked him, certainly, had taken him to brothels and pleasure houses on both sides of the Narrow Sea, had tried to tire him that way.  She had tried more placid entertainments, rode with him along the Greenblood, played with their small daughter, read poetry to him.  She had soothed him to sleep when he was restless, held him when he cried out at whatever plagued his dreams.

She knew what plagued him:  his sister.  Raped, murdered.  But not before she was abandoned by her own husband for some wisp of a Stark girl.  Poor, sweet Elia – too gentle for the game of thrones and slaughtered without mercy for it.  The namesake of her own eldest daughter, though her Elia seemed to be far more fiery in nature.

If only you had been from anywhere other than the westerlands.  Oberyn would have been stubborn in any marriage to any Northern lady, but to a vassal of the Lannisters?  It made sense, politically, for Doran to accept the betrothal as an offering of peace, but the younger Martell prince was anything but placated.  Oberyn’s thoughts were bloody and full of barely restrained rage, no matter how hard Ellaria tried to turn him from them.

Your arrival to Sunspear was so quiet that you nearly slipped past everyone.  The Martells had been expecting a caravan, an honor guard of you lord father and brother and minor lordlings, but it had been….far less than that.  One carriage held your belongings, one carriage held you and your septa.  There were a few Marbrand soldiers for protection, but that was it.

It would be something for her to consider, later on.

*****

Sunspear was marvelous, and Septa Jayna eventually gave up admonishing you to close your mouth as you gaped at the city.  Built in the Rhoyish fashion, the tall towers were capped with lovely curved roofs that glinted gold in the sun.

If the city was a delight, your welcome was less so.  There was no welcoming party beyond the castellan who directed your carriages through the Threefold Gate and then led you to temporary quarters to clean up.  There was a dinner planned, he told you, and you’d meet the Martells and other Dornish lords then.

Suddenly the absence of any responding letters from your betrothed felt more purposeful.

Septa Jayna had hinted at as much.  As you had progressed across the harsh Dornish landscape, your taciturn septa had finally found her tongue.  She had told you that most high-born marriages are political, not for love, and that your future husband had many paramours.  

“He’ll expect an heir, maybe two, but don’t expect more than that,” she had told you.  “This probably won’t end up lucky like your parents.”

You had heard that, growing up – how your parent’s marriage had been the usual political bond between great houses, but how they found themselves to love each other anyway.  Your mother’s death had struck your father so hard that he hadn’t remarried, as most lords usually did.

You pushed all of that out of your mind in the meantime.  For now, you only cleaned up.  You splashed cool water onto your face, and you pulled out your cleanest, least wrinkled gown, a simple frock of pale blue that brought out your eyes.  

There was a knock at your door, and you opened it to find Septa Jayna standing there.  Without a word, she led you to the small dressing area.  She helped you unpin your hair, brushed it back out until it gleamed in the low light, and then pinned it back up.  In a rare attempt at beauty, she tucked a few jeweled pins, tipped in tiny topazes, into your hair.

And then, in a move of unexpected tenderness, your septa then laid a gnarled hand gently on your head.  

“Courage, girl,” she told you.  “You may be walking into a pit of vipers, but don’t forget that you’re a Marbrand.  Remember your house’s words.”

“Burning bright,” you murmured in reply.

“That’s right.”  She removed her hand and made eye contact with you in the reflection in the mirror.  “Nothing can stand against flames.  Not even snakes, no matter how venomous.”

-----

The next knock on your door was a servant, and a noblewoman who breezed into your room and introduced herself as Lady Larra Blackmont.  She was older, her near-black hair shot through with silver, but she had a sweet smile.

“I’m to escort you into the Great Hall, my lady,” she said, and she hooked a companionable arm through yours as she tugged you toward the door.  “As we walk, tell me about your journey here.”

With each step closer to your future husband, though, you found that your tongue refused to form any words.  Your mouth felt like it was full of sand, and your heart was hammering against your ribcage like a trapped rabbit.  Lady Blackmont seemed to sense your distress, and she slowed her steps and glanced over at you.

“There’s nothing to fear, sweet girl,” she said softly.  “The Martells are a kind family.  Prince Oberyn is…fiery, perhaps, but he’s never unkind.”

You swallowed hard and nodded.  “I know…” you started.  You took a deep breath.  “I know that Dorne doesn’t particularly like Northerners – “

“Nonsense.”  She cut you off with a wave of her free hand.  “If anyone should have quarrel with the Northern lords, it’s us Blackmonts, but we’ve put aside all that petty squabbling with the marcher lords long ago.”

She gave your arm a squeeze and added, “if you can get used to the heat, I think you’ll find Dorne quite lovely.”

“The heat doesn’t bother me,” you answered truthfully.  Put a bit at ease, you told her about Ashemark and its chilly passages and rooms that always seemed damp despite routine airings and perpetually burning fires in the hearths.

“I was in Ashemark once,” Lady Blackmont said.  “I knew your mother and was at her wedding.”  She sighed and squeezed your arm again.  “She was a sweet soul.”

“And beautiful,” you added.  

“And beautiful,” she agreed.  “She was renowned for her beauty.  She had her share of suitors, and she turned heads at court so much that Queen Rhaella had to dismiss her from her service.”

“I fear Prince Oberyn will be sorely disappointed with me, if he’s expecting me to look anything like her.”

You had reached the end of your walk, and Lady Blackmont turned and studied you with a critical eye.

“You have something of your mother in your eyes,” she said, not unkindly.  “But you are still so young.  Many girls don’t grow into their beauty until they are older.  Just be your own sweet self and the prince will adore you, I’m sure.” She drew herself up and nodded at you.  “Now then.  Ready?”

-----

You were not ready, and the prince did not adore you.

When you and Lady Blackmont entered the great hall, every pair of eyes turned and stared as the pair of you walked – slowly, slowly, far too slowly when you just wanted to flee – to the table that was set apart, a little higher on a dais.  Where the members of House Martell sat and waited for you.

Lady Blackmont took her time, whispering in your ear, pointing out each lord and lady.  The Yronwoods, the Daynes, the Manwoodys, the Ullers.  The pale man with pale hair, nicknamed Darkstar, who glowered at you (but who, admittedly, seemed to glower at everyone).  Lord Fowler with his twins.  An entire host of Dornish houses, and most of them smiled and nodded at you, murmured their greetings and wishes for your health and happiness.

Then the Martells:  Prince Doran winced in pain as he stood to give you a half-bow, but his lined face was kind and he smiled broadly at you.  The woman to his right was maybe your age, barely out of girlhood too, with dark brown curls and warm brown eyes.  His heir, Arianne.  And his other two children, just boys, but with the same brown eyes and deep golden complexions as their sister and father.

To Doran’s right was Prince Oberyn, and to his right was a dark-haired woman whose curving belly belied her as the paramour.  Ellaria, she introduced herself as, and when you curtseyed and murmured “my lady” at her, she laughed and said that she was no lady and to just call her Ellaria.

Through it all, Prince Oberyn remained stone-faced.  Quiet.  This close, you tried to study him out of the corner of your eye as you greeted everyone else.  He had strong features – a sharp nose and a sensuous mouth set in frown.  His eyes were the same deep brown as the rest of his family, but there was no warmth in them.  The trapped-rabbit feeling in your chest grew.  Lady Blackmont seemed to sense it, and she drew you closer to her by a fraction.

“Prince Oberyn,” she said, “may I introduce you to the Lady Marbrand?”

You murmured my prince and curtseyed deeply, not quite able to meet his eye, and when he didn’t reply, a long and uncomfortable silence fell over the hall.  It felt like an eternity, and your mind raced.  He was handsome, and his paramour was beautiful, and of course you were a disappointment….you felt the salt-sting of tears behind your eyelids, and you willed them to stay where they were.

Burning bright, you reminded yourself.  Nothing can stand against flames.

Someone finally cleared their throat and broke the tense spell that had fallen over the room, and Lady Blackmont gently pulled you up from your curtsy and led you to the empty seat between the two elder princes.

Your stomach churned too much to eat, so you pushed the food around your plate and tried to keep an agreeable expression on your face as you answered Prince Doran’s polite questions and waited for Prince Oberyn to say something to you.  Anything at all.

But he never did.  

And that was your first night in Dorne.

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#Oberyn Martell #oberyn martell x reader #oberyn x reader x ellaria #oberyn martell imagine #game of thrones

[tainted-wine]

I hope you don’t mind this being exclusive for the Pro-Heroes!

(NSFW)

Papers? Check. Writing utensils? Check. Lube? Check.

You were primed and ready to begin this cocktastic journey. Completing this project will be a great benefit to Thirstology. You can’t believe that they put their trust in you to collect such valuable information from several willing participants. There’s no way you’re going to let the people at National Thirst Studies down.

With your lower body completely bare, you and your ambitious pussy set out to begin the cockwarming interviews.

Yagi Toshinori/All Might

Pre-Notes: The Symbol of Peace. It’s still surreal to see him in such a fragile state. Strangely enough, I never once asked myself: Does All Might fuck? “Obviously he was too pure for fucking,” is what I would have said before I devoted my life to Thirst Studies. But I have learned over the years that there is no such thing as purity.

------

After he got over the initial shock of you wearing no pants or underwear, you were finally able to begin your study and ask him the main question.

You barely dodged the spray of blood spewing out of his mouth. “Am I into what?” He sputtered.

“Cockwarming, sir. The act of settling a penis in a nice cozy orifice. There’s no movement, only penetration. Surely you already at least knew the definition when you agreed to this?” You offered him a paper towel, which he accepted with a choked “thank you.”

“Midnight told me this would be about intimate relationships,” he anxiously explained while wiping the red off of his lips. “But I wasn’t expecting to hear something that graphic.”

Ah, so he was talked into this. “Well, with your permission, I can give you a personal demonstration.”

His answer was inaudible the first time; you had to ask him to speak up in order to hear his adorably high “yes.” He was a lot shyer than you imagined. Poor guy was shaking like he was on a verge of a heart attack when you took his cock out and boy, did he put the ‘long’ in ‘schlong.’ But your mission wasn’t to admire the dick’s appearance, it was to learn how their owners used them inside a hot snatch. You climbed onto him and lowered yourself and ooooh shit, both of you were moaning as his inches sank into you. You couldn’t take it all, but it was more than enough to get the job done.

“Mmnngh, yes, very long. Pushing almost painfully,” You said through clenched teeth, scribbling in your notepad as you sat semi-comfortably in his lap. “Can you give me your input, Toshinori? How is this feeling for you?”

“Blrraaaffggg.”

“Toshi?”

“…”

He laid limp in the interview chair as crimson liquid continued to flow from his mouth. Well, this is troublesome. You’ll have to wait for him to regain consciousness to hear his feedback.

------

Conclusion: This was his first time experiencing cockwarming. He described it as ‘intense, but not unpleasant’. Unfortunately, whenever I ask for more details, he would get too embarrassed to share anything. Frankly, this isn’t the most fruitful start to my series of interviews, but it was a great privilege to meet the amazing All Might.

Shouta Aizawa/Eraserhead

Pre-Notes: I honestly don’t even know who the hell this is. An underground hero, apparently. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you that he brought a cat with him. I told him that it needs to stay outside during the interview, but the difficult bastard was ready to turn around and leave unless I allowed the furball in. What a hassle. Do I even want to sit on this man?

------

You’re thankful that you did, in fact, sit on this man. His sleek ebony cat was relaxing in your lap while your pink kitty was stuffed with his cock. Despite his indifference to the situation, it was strangely intimate. Taking notes over a cute feline while his length twitched inside you was rather challenging.

“You seem like a rather exhausted fellow. Is it maybe the laid-back nature of the act that you find so alluring?” You asked.

“Mmhmm.” His arms circled around you to stroke his adorable pet.

“Being able to just wind down by giving your hard snake a wet hot crib to rest in?”

“Mmmmm.”

“I would appreciate a more elaborate answer.”

“Mmmmm...”

You shifted just enough to turn your head and see Aizawa’s head lolled back, his breaths getting heavier after each exhale. You can feel him quickly going soft inside you.

Ugh...

------

Conclusion: Given that he fell asleep in the middle of the demonstration, it’s safe to say that he finds the act very relaxing. I can only make guesses because the moment he woke up, he hurried me off his lap, picked up his cat and headed out. I did my best to chase him and ask if I could at least hear his final thoughts, but that bastard leaps on cars and buildings as skillfully as Edgeshot.

Hizashi Yamada/Present Mic

Pre-Notes: I’m not sure what to expect from the Voice Hero. His radio show has hosted some surprisingly insightful interviews. Unlike the last two, he will hopefully have some truly constructive answers to give.

------

“Not gonna lie, I always wanted to try this!”

Both of you were red in the face as you sat on his throbbing cock. Despite the blush and slight shake in his voice, he was as cheerful as ever. “Sometimes I just wonder, it would be pretty cool to just have a hottie warmin’ me up during my show, ya dig? No sex, though. I know I’m not quiet enough to get away with that on the air!” He laughed loudly right into your ear.

Well that kinda hurt, but it’s nice to finally have a fully cooperative interviewee. You were actually able to ask all of your planned questions for once, and Hizashi gave a satisfying answer to each one.

Unfortunately, it just couldn’t go perfectly, and his phone ended up ringing near the end of the interview.

“Hold on, listener. I gotta take this.”

Did he really? You wished he would wait until you were done.

You felt him lean back as you remained on his lap. “Shouta, buddy! What’s goin’ on?”

Shouta? Does he mean...?

“Sorry about that! I’m not home yet, I’m doin’ a...special interview, with a hard-working thirstologist.” You heard the voice on the other end respond, and Hizashi made a noise of confusion. “Eh? What do you mean ‘you too?’”

Oh dear, he does. They actually know each other.

The conversation quickly transformed into an argument, a loud one. The two heroes apparently have some...tension between them.

“Oh, so I throw hints at you for years and you act as innocent as your cats, but you’ll sit down and let a girl hop on your dick during an interview?!”

You had to lift yourself off of his softening member and take shelter from his booming voice. He was tucking himself back into his pants with one hand as he marched out of the room, but his hurt and anger was still loud and clear. “Don’t give me that bull. I bet if I hit you with twenty one questions about cockwarming, you’d just pretend you’re asleep! Oh, you actually did fall asleep? Huh.”

You awkwardly collected your notes as the two gentlemen were seemingly making up.

“Damn right I’ve always felt this way. Oh man, you better get ready tonight because I’ve got over ten years of pent up feelings, and you’re gonna take it all.”

------

Conclusion: It feels good to have a full interview. In summary, Hizashi is intrigued by the combination of closeness and casualness of it all. His interest in cockwarming during his jobs also indicate a possible thrill out of doing it in public. In addition, I’d like to announce with some pride that I may have assisted in taking two friends to the next level of their relationship.

Hawks

Pre-Notes: I’m eager to hear what the handsome winged hero has to say. I wouldn’t mind if we just stare at each other throughout the entire interview. My lust for him is unbearably strong and I’m not sure why. It’s probably just the horny writer’s obvious bias towards this bird. She could use another hobby.

------

Hawks laughed once you gave him the question that officially begins the interview. “Gotta admit, I’ve actually never tried it.”

That’s a surprise that you quickly jot down in your notes. “I see. Is it something you’re interested in trying? I can give you a demonstration right here.”

“Oh? I’d love one.”

You try not to look too excited as you leave your seat and move to undo his pants, but Hawks raises a hand.

“But I want you to do it on your knees.”

Your eyebrows furrowed. “My knees? How do I-”

“With your mouth.”

Oh my.

You granted his request and kneeled down to take his half-hard cock into your mouth.

“Ahhh, that’s nice.” He sighed loudly, spreading his legs more as he stared down at you.

You detached your mouth from him to speak. “Can you tell me what it is that you-mmffrrf.”

A hand pushed you back down onto his man meat. “No no no, just...stay right there. I’ll do the talking in a minute.”

You sat there with his cock growing in the heat of your mouth. Hawks’s eyes were closed, a small content smile on his face. Every time you lifted your head just an inch, the hand on your head pressed you back down. Just when this interview was starting to feel more like a hookup, he finally began to talk.

“Oh yeah, I’ve fantasized stuff like this. You got a shitty boss? I do, don’t tell them I said that, though. They’re always finding something to get on my ass about. Working me like a dog everyday, expecting me to pull off these insane missions flawlessly.”

All you could do was look up and listen to his rant. He must have loved the sight of you, going by the strong twitch of his length in your mouth.

“They just keep asking more and more from me. ‘Do this faster next time, Hawks!’ or ‘I know you’ve never done something like this before, but don’t fail us, Hawks!’ Sometimes I just wanna shove something in their mouths...like my dick. Can you relate?”

You shook your head as well as you could in your current position.

He shrugged. “Oh well. As far as I know, I’ll always be the one getting fucked by them. But something like this...” He pat your head. “Ah yeah, it would be so nice to see them like this...”

------

Conclusion: Hawks was sadly short on time and had to leave before I could even get into the questions. Going by the very personal feelings and frustrations he shared, Hawks enjoys the dominance displayed from cockwarming, and prefers it be done orally. I will respect his wishes and not reveal any of the opinions that he shared about the establishment he works for and its executives.

Taishiro Toyomitsu/Fat Gum

Pre-Notes: It’s best that I continue to be honest: I’m anxious. Fat Gum is one of the biggest heroes around, and I just know that there is a deadly pillar of pussy destruction in those pants. I know that I should be more concerned with the questions, but it just won’t leave my mind.

------

“So, what experience do you have with this, Toyomitsu?”

The large man chuckled. He was currently in his skinny form, which you’re pretty thankful for since his fat form would have been beyond awkward to straddle. That would be like trying to hump one of those giant inflatable characters at parades. “A pretty lady I knew was really into it! I tried it for her sake, but I’ll say this with no ego, my sausage ain’t something to be taken lightly! Still, she was determined, and I was really digging just how strong her will was to take me.”

‘She sounds like a very brave soul,‘ you thought as your pen glided across your paper.

“I couldn’t believe it when she managed to get all of me inside. She couldn’t either, because she passed out! At first I just wanted to laugh it off,” he cackled as if to give an example, but his face quickly drooped into a somber expression. “But then I realized she wasn’t breathing...” His eyes shut in pain and sorrow. “And I couldn’t find a pulse...”

You nearly dropped your pen in horror. “My goodness, Toyomitsu. I’m so sor-”

“I’m just messin’ with ya! She’s fine!” His face immediately brightened up again, leaving you shocked and somewhat upset over the scare. “But seriously, if you want a seat on this big boy, I hope you’ve got plenty of lube on hand.”

“Don’t worry, I do. More than enough for the biggest flesh towers.”

But your doubts instantly returned when the bulging monster was freed from his pants. It’s huge. Toshinori may have been long, but this monster was unbelievable in both length and girth.

Your fear must have been evident on your face, because Toyomitsu asked, “You sure you wanna do this? Don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

You whipped out your bottle of lube and drenched your hands. “Thirstology is my passion. My life’s work. I am more than willing to put my life on the line for science.”

The hero raised an eyebrow. “It’s...not that serious, but I really like your guts, missy.” He gave himself a few strokes. “So let me tear them up.”

Even with the coatings of lube inside your pussy and on his massive cock, this was still the most arduous task you have ever performed in your life. You didn’t know it was possible to be stretched this far. The light blonde was mesmerized by your trembles and scrunched expressions and as you tried to take more of him, his mouth slightly open when he noticed the swell in your lower abdomen.

“Oh, that is hot.”

------

Conclusion: I did it. I took the Fat Gun. Fat Gum himself takes a lot of pleasure in watching the strain of someone trying to take him in, and due to his partner often being much smaller than him, the tightness is very pleasurable to him. He was the only interviewee that actually came during the demonstration, so I suppose it’s safe to say that he is the biggest fan of cockwarming out of the five. He was very panicked when he came inside me, but I reassured him that I am on the pill. This is still a hell of a mess to clean up, however.

(I hope the information I have obtained will be useful for the institute. Thank you for giving me this opportunity)

#asks #smut #all might #shouta aizawa #hawks #present mic #fatgum #yagi toshinori #keigo takami #yamada hizashi #i got more invested in this as i went on #also how the hell do you write fatgum

[justfor2am]

i was gonna say this in a reblog but ngl it's gotten to the point that i would've just derailed the post so here.

also would like to mention that obviously everyone is entitled to their opinions, this is just mine. also that this post is long, there's a tl;dr at the end tho don't worry.

i saw a post about people talking about how it's been about two years since the last sanders sides episode, and to continuously refer to this hiatus as a "break" just feels kinda shitty at this point. honestly i don't disagree with that, i think at this rate there's been such a gap between episode releases that to keep calling this a "break", considering also that other videos have gone up in the meanwhile just doesn't make sense, and is a little disrespectful of the fanbases desire for content, or at the very least an update.

we are currently in an annoyingly long hiatus for sanders sides as a series. but i don't think that this is a bad thing for the fanbase as a whole.

what the fuck do i mean by that? let me explain. as someone who's been an avid fan of the series for several years now, joining the fandom officially when Accepting Anxiety Part 2 dropped back in mid-2017, there is a notable distinction within this time of the series that marked a huge change for production speed.

I would consider that episode specifically the beginning of the B.C. and A.C. of sanders sides episode release frequency change.

Pre-AA Part 2, episodes were short and zany, the longest during this era being the Growing Up video, which the crew mentioned took so long because of all the cutaway shots and extra scenes that had to be filmed aside from just Thomas standing in his apartment. It was just under 15 minutes long.

Post-AA Part 2, videos starting picking up in length, with the shortest episode in this season (discounting the Crofters episodes because lets be real, those were made solely for promo reasons) was the Christmas episode at a flat 14 minutes. The longest thus far has been the Putting Others First Redux at 51 minutes. Most episodes now are roughly a minimum of 20 minutes, if not more. The production value going into the series also took an upturn after season 2 launched, with an increase in props, a merch release (which as an aside, the christmas episode was also mostly just a sweater promo, right? we can all agree on that right??), two jam releases, the addition of a team to work along side thomas to work on not just sanders sides but videos for his channel as a whole, and most notably to me, an increase in a) location changes, and b) actors other than thomas.

all this to say, lots of things have changed during the season 2 run of the series, some which undoubtably caused delays. my guess for the main issues would be:

accommodating a new staff and figuring out how to best work as a team

side projects like merch

other video series (awkward adventures, real or fake anime)

stand alone videos

the new D&D series

personal projects for thomas like musical ventures/photoshoots

accommodating a new patreon-only audience (and doing monthly streams for that)

any potential booking issues for new set locations for videos (how in the fuck they found a courtroom to rent out just to film in is beyond me)

i bring this all up not as excuses, but things to keep in mind. season two started mid-late 2017, and ran into several hiatuses along the way. all of this was happening during this time, so surely a little wiggle room is permitted, right?

and now, we've reached the present. however, a minor correction i'd like to make for the post critiquing the team im referencing, it's not been two years since the last video. the five year special was released november 2021, unless for some odd reason you're considering the remus/logan aside episode to be the last "official" episode.

...which also came out in 2021. on july 31st, so it was basically august when it came out. unless you don't count the aside videos as main series episodes either and they're strictly filler (which that does bother me about how asides are treated, considering they were supposed to be filler but clearly aren't but whatever), leaving the last "official" episode to be the putting other's first redux which came out may 2020, indeed two years ago. but you all would be fucking lying if you said the aside videos and the five year special didn't count as episodes, so let's not pretend it's been two years alright? at most, if you really don't count the 5 year special and instead are marking the last video at the remus/logan episode, we're only really been in this hiatus for 7 months and some days. if you do count the five year ep, it's been about 4 months.

i'll be real, that's not fucking ideal either! but it's not been nearly as long as we think.

it has become such a running joke in this fandom that breaks between episodes are to be expected, and will be months at minimum, that a NEW joke spring up about the "sanders sides -> dsmp" pipeline started popping up some time ago, which i can speak to as (personally) being true.

people started leaving. new fandoms were joined, accounts were revamped or abandoned, all the while those that remained grew restless and worried for the longevity of the fanders as a whole.

but personally, i don't think we as a fanbase have as much to worry about as we should.

this "ride or die" mentally that fandom holds over teens and young adults is something that i honest to god hate about tumblr. the idea that you must pick a fanbase, squeeze it dry of as much content as you can possibly force out of the creators in as short a timeframe as you can, and then either resort to hate watching it later on or fiercely defending without any critical thinking skills sucks fucking ass. (it's fandom brainrot and we really should let it die btw) thomas could tweet tomorrow that the season 2 finale is cancelled and that he's not making any more videos for the series. then what? what do you do with all this built up anticipation for something that's just been shot dead? are you going to hate tweet at him, and @ him in posts about how angry you are that what you want didn't happen? no. or at least, i hope you all wouldn't. because that would be insanely childish and hostile to someone who, in this hypothetical scenario, chose to end it all instead of giving you a shitty, slapped together end result. none of us would want a garbage ending to a series so near and dear to our hearts. now im not hoping that thomas does that, because i would be kinda peeved. we all would be. but i know that this series is going to end one day, like it or not. and as a fandom we will have to make due with the fact that content is not promised, nor is it eternal from the creator. that is what the fanbase is for. to create, to vent, to analyze, and most importantly: to have fun.

i mentioned fandom brainrot before because i have a final point to make, a proposed solution to everyone's desire for content. which, with covid leaving many stuck indoors for prolonged periods of time, makes the itch for something new ever stronger.

sanders sides is not, and has never been, the end all be all of content on the internet. that sanders sides -> dsmp pipeline joke? it started going around because people were looking for new fandoms to enjoy to hold them over until the new episode. i had a kinda clever metaphor here but it didn't really make sense so. basically what im saying is touch grass /hj tl;dr: as far as we know, sanders sides isn't going anywhere. when the season 2 4-part finale drops, it'll be there. you don't have to sit and wait for god knows how long for it to come. watch a new show. get a new hobby. find a new fandom that makes you happy, and fills your desire for content in the meanwhile. guess what? depending on who you watch in the dsmp, you're probably dealing with a similar, more short term problem. the solution is the same goddamn thing: watch someone else.

maturing means that one single thing is not, and should never be your entire personality. mentally, it is always better to expand your horizons and consume content not out of obligation, but because you enjoy it. for the fanders, don't let this hiatus be the 'make-or-break' point for you. go explore new fandoms, and i promise you, your enjoyment of sanders sides as a whole will increase drastically. i promise.

#sanders sides #thomas sanders #sanders sides critique #sanderssides #justfor2talks

[bills-bible-basics]

Do NOT Share Old Endtime Prophecy Net Graphics https://www.billkochman.com/Blog/index.php/do-not-share-old-endtime-prophecy-net-graphics/ Dear friends, as I explain in my 2016 series called "In the Ages to Come", and as some of you may already know, from the year 2000 to 2016, I was the owner of the domain name endtimeprophecy.net, and my website and ministry was known as "Endtime Prophecy Net". However, as I explain in the aforementioned series and elsewhere, for a variety of reasons, seven years ago in 2016, I relinquished ownership of the aforementioned domain name, and I switched my website to the billkochman.com domain name instead. It was also at that time that I changed the name of my website and ministry to Bill's Bible Basics. Of course, by that time, I had already created thousands of graphics which had the endtimeprophecy.net URL included on them, as a means to drive traffic to my website. The result is that for at least sixteen years, thousands of my graphics with "endtimeprophecy.net" on them were propagated all across the Internet via the various social networks. After the 2016 domain name change and the website name change, I immediately began redoing all of my graphics with "billkochman.com" included on them, instead of "endtimeprophecy.net", and all new graphics since then have been made with "billkochman.com" on them as well. But, alas, not long after that, a problem developed! You see, after I let go of the "endtimeprophecy.net" domain name, some unknown domain name squatter -- that is, people who buy and sell domain names, sometimes just to sit on them -- purchased "endtimeprophecy.net" and they began using the domain name to advertise a hotel chain. It had, and has, absolutely nothing to do with the Bible or with Bible prophecy. What they are doing is obviously dishonest, and an intentional deception, in order to draw people to their website, by using a popular Christian phrase and domain name. Over the years, I have tried contacting the current owner of the "endtimeprophecy.net" domain name several times, and requesting that they stop doing what they are doing. Sadly, to this day, they have never responded to any of my emails. It's just a wall of silence from them. Furthermore, they continue to use the "endtimeprophecy.net" domain name to advertise their hotel chain. Worse yet, in order to purposely deceive people -- particularly Christians -- and trick search engine bots into driving traffic to their website, near the top of their page, the domain name squatter includes portions of one of my very early versions of the Endtime Prophecy Net website from almost 18 years ago! But that is not all. If someone sees the "endtimeprophecy.net" URL on one of my older graphics somewhere on one of the social networks, or anywhere else for that matter, and tries to go to "endtimeprophecy.net", depending on their security settings, their web browser will display an error message and warning, advising the user to NOT proceed, because the bogus website is NOT safe! However, if the person chooses to ignore the web browser warning, and proceeds anyway, they will be taken to the URL below, and they will see everything that I described above: https://www.hotels-atlanta.net/en/endtimeprophecy.html So, it is for the aforementioned reasons, that I advise and request that anyone on any of the social networks who may still be sharing some of my old pre-2016 graphics which have "endtimeprophecy.net" included on them, please immediately remove said graphics from all of your social network pages. Failure to do so will lead your friends to a bogus website which is NOT about our Christian faith. In fact, the reason why I am posting this current message on my Bill's Bible Basics blog, is because just this past week, I came across two people on Facebook who recently used two of my old graphics with "endtimeprophecy.net" on them. As I said, all modern versions of my graphics now have "billkochman.com" on them.

You are free to share these new and updated graphics from whatever social networks you participate on. Or, if you would like to see all of the graphics I have created to date -- there are over 4,300 of them arranged by topic -- you are welcome to visit my Bill's Bible Basics Graphics Library at the URL below. There are currently 4,300+ images there: https://www.billkochman.com/Graphics-Library/index.html God bless you, and thank you for taking the time to read this. https://www.billkochman.com/Blog/index.php/do-not-share-old-endtime-prophecy-net-graphics/?feed_id=22153&_unique_id=63b6ee92aa60e&Do%20NOT%20Share%20Old%20Endtime%20Prophecy%20Net%20Graphics

#Uncategorized #bill_kochman #bills_bible_basics #endtime #endtime_prophecy #endtime_prophecy_net #graphics #images #prophecy

[canyousonicme]

“Certain actors have a reputation for being difficult. I don’t want to be one of those people”. - Alex Kingston


INTERVIEW: The Sunday Post


It comes as no surprise to Alex Kingston that her daughter has decided to follow in her footsteps, despite her best efforts to temper her acting ambitions.

The actress fell pregnant with Salome, now 19, when she was playing surgeon Elizabeth Corday on the long-running US medical drama ER in the ’90s.

Alex’s pregnancy was written into the script and Salome, whose father is German writer Florian Haertel, was just weeks old when she joined the cast as Elizabeth and Dr Mark Greene’s baby girl.

Now, two decades on, mother and daughter are working together again, this time in a Doctor Who spin-off audio drama, The Diary Of River Song. Now in its eighth series, it focuses on the Time Lord’s brilliant wife, the poetically named River Song, whom Alex has played on the TV show since 2008. Salome, meanwhile, plays the part of her synthetic humanoid companion, Rachel.

Alex said: “My daughter was in my belly on ER then played the role of our baby girl Ella Greene. She’s secretly always had the desire to act, but I was always adamant that she finished her education first.

“Salome plays a character who River Song meets up with occasionally and they have adventures together. Working with my daughter has been terrific fun. I am super-impressed with her. She is incredibly professional.”

© Big Finish

Alex with daughter Salome

For the past year Alex and Salome have been isolating together at her London home, alongside Alex’s third husband, television producer Jonathan Stamp. The pair married in an intimate Italian ceremony in 2015, and Salome was a bridesmaid.

They are joined by Alex’s German-born mother, Margarethe, who sadly suffers from dementia. It sounds like a potentially stressful set-up but Alex has cherished the unexpected extra family time lockdown gifted her.

Alex, who celebrated her 57th birthday a few days after the first lockdown was announced last March, said: “My daughter had arrived from New York and decided she wanted to live with us. Then my mother, who has dementia, suffered two strokes early on in lockdown and she moved in as well. So I was her carer.

“It was an amazingly special time. And I cherish it. Particularly with my mother, because I wouldn’t have had that opportunity otherwise.”

Like the rest of us, Alex has relied heavily on streaming services to keep her entertained during the long days spent at home. She even broke her self-imposed rule of not watching her own stuff on screen.

She said: “We did all the usual things, massive clear-outs, and of course binge-watched TV. I loved Schitt’s Creek, Call My Agent, Bridgerton and Luther. I can’t bear to watch myself on the television. However, I started watching ER, because it was streaming on Channel 4. I look at myself and it’s like I am watching someone else. It’s such a good show, and it’s really held up!”

She added: “As much as everyone is saying this is the year that they want to forget, I actually feel it’s a year one can never forget. It certainly wasn’t an easy time. However, I have much stronger memories of the year, and of the patterns of the year than I have ever had pre-pandemic, when there was always so much rushing around.”

© Paul Drinkwater/Warner Bros Tv/Amblin TV

Alex in 1994 with fellow ER cast members (l-r) Anthony Edwards, Eriq La Salle, Goran Visnjic, Noah Wyle

Alex began her career at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where she met her first husband, Skyfall actor Ralph Fiennes. They were together for 10 years before marrying in 1993. Two years later, Alex was left bereft when Fiennes left her after an alleged affair with a co-star. The London-born actress has barely stopped working since she first appeared on UK screens in 1980, as Jill Harcourt on the iconic children’s series Grange Hill. She continued to find success in UK dramas including Upstairs Downstairs, and The Fortunes And Misfortunes of Moll Flanders.

She first appeared in the fourth series of Doctor Who alongside David Tennant in 2008. Alex thought it was a one-off but has reprised the role in 15 episodes between 2008 and 2015.

It’s thanks to her Doctor Who appearances and, more recently, Sky’s hit supernatural drama, A Discovery Of Witches, that she has become known to a new generation of fans.

During her long and successful career, Alex has never been afraid to call out sexism in the industry. When she was dropped from ER aged 41, after seven seasons, she accused producers of ageism. saying “Apparently, I, according to the producers and the writers, am part of the old fogies who are no longer interesting.”

Then, when she auditioned for the role of Lynette Scavo on Desperate Housewives which eventually went to Felicity Huffman, she says she was turned away for being too curvy.

Although vocal about the challenges that face women, she admits she has seen positive changes in attitudes towards female talent in recent years.

She says: “When I was working on ER, I thought that I wasn’t allowed to get pregnant, I didn’t want to offend the producers as that is not what they had intended. I thought that I would have to ask permission. It was Anthony Edwards, who played my on-screen husband, who said ‘Don’t be ridiculous, don’t wait for them to allow you, you are not that important. If you want to have a child, go and have a child, and they will find a way to work round you.’ So I took his advice.

“I grew up with this notion that one had to be polite and always ask for permission. Whereas this generation don’t. They just get up and do it. The lovely and talented Teresa Palmer, whom I work with on A Discovery of Witches, is constantly popping out babies. Production just work around her. And it’s great, I admire her very much for that.”

© Chris Haston/Warner Bros Tv/Amblin TV

Alex in ER

Alex puts her staying power down to being in the right place at the right time – and being nice to people, though she says theatre will provide her with a safety net should the TV work dry up one day.

She said: “Being as versatile as possible helps. I’m up for anything as long it is written well.

“I had a formal training. My first love is theatre. Having that as a backbone will always support me. In an industry that will favour youth more, theatre is always there. In order to succeed on the stage you have to have had good solid training and know how to handle your voice.

“Also, being a nice person counts for a lot. If you were difficult you would get a reputation. Of course there are actors who are extremely difficult and tiresome to work with, and there will come a point at which you think is it worth it? I don’t want to be one of those people.”

Despite her time-travelling credentials Alex has no idea what the future holds but still harbours a dream of being a Bond Girl (though obviously not one who falls for the smooth-talking spy).

She laughs: “I would love to be a villain in a James Bond movie, the real villain, the main one. Because they’ve never had a female villain. And I want to be a villain who does not find James Bond sexy at all. And doesn’t succumb to his charms, I want to be his real nemesis.”

Time for a return to Tardis?

© PA / BBC

Alex alongside Peter Capaldi in Doctor Who

From ER to the Tardis, Alex’s career to date has been distinguished by roles opposite fictional doctors, whether medical or time-travelling.

The smash-hit hospital drama which made her a star in the ’90s famously launched the Hollywood career of a certain George Clooney. Then in 2008, Alex won a new generation of fans as the wife of Doctor Who.

Because the Doctor transmutates over time Alex, as River Song, gets several leading men for the price of one. Alex said: “Essentially my character is the same, so there’s continuity there, and the fun is interacting with someone who is essentially the same man, but in a different skin and with a different energy.”

Perhaps the least lucky man in the role was Matt Smith.

Alex explained: “One of the most memorable parts of filming was when I flew through the universe, got caught in the Tardis and kneed Matt Smith, who was playing the Doctor at the time, in a sore place by mistake. There were a few tears of laughter from me and cries of pain from him.”

Speculation is rife among fans that Alex will return to the Whoniverse, if the incumbent Time Lord Jodie Whittaker steps down. All Alex will say is: “My Tardis door is always open…” [x]

#Alex Kingston #Salome Haertel #River Song #Doctor Who #Kingston Edit #ER #NEW #Interview #2021 #The Sunday Post #New