#(it doesn't help that i have ST playing on the background)

[moonchild-in-blue]

everything reminds me of him.... :::|

[ramblingoak]

Ratte Art

A little drabble set in an au where Omega runs a coffee shop called The Ghouls Den. (Thank you to the amazing @writingjourney for the art!)

~ Omega helps Copia deal with a customer that doesn't appreciate his latte art ~

Copia x GN Reader (coffeeshop au, background Terzo x Omega, nothing but fluff here, sfw, 1,300 words, not beta read)

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Omega had owned The Ghouls Den for almost 10 years now. 

He named it after the mascot of the local college, a place that held a lot of sentimental value for him.  For almost four years he had been the captain of their rugby team.  It all came crashing down when he’d injured his knee and was told he wouldn’t be able to play his favorite sport ever again.  So he ended up being forced to fall back on the business degree he had half-heartedly been working on.  

The coffee shop was right on the edge of campus.  It was his favorite place to study and eventually the owner threw an apron at him and told him if he was gonna be there all the time he might as well earn some money.  So he slowly began to learn how to make all sorts of caffeinated beverages as well as all the ins and outs of running a coffee shop.  When he graduated the owner offered him a chance to buy the place and Omega couldn’t think of a reason to tell him no.

There was only one thing that would have stopped him from buying the place (besides a severe lack of money).  Although it wasn’t so much a thing as it was a person: Terzo Emeritus.  He and Omega had met in their first year of college and despite a rocky start it didn’t take long for them to realize they were meant for each other.  Terzo was there when Omega hurt his knee and had to face the harsh truth of never playing rugby again and Omega was there when Terzo’s father, Nihil, cut him off.

Thankfully Terzo was an extremely talented artist and with his income from selling his pieces to Omega’s income from The Ghouls Den they both lived a very comfortable life.  Terzo sometimes worked at the shop (although Omega would use the term ‘work’ very loosely), but the majority of the other employees were college students.  His newest employee was hired as a favor for Terzo.  He had waltzed into the shop one day dragging a guy behind him.  Omega had vaguely recognized him, but the sideburns and mustache were definitely new.

College is for experimentation afterall.  

He hadn’t been very confident in Copia’s barista abilities at first.  Or his customer service abilities.  The guy seemed way too anxious for his own good.  After a few extremely iffy shifts Omega had decided to schedule him with Aurora during the mornings.  The perfect companion for Copia while he learned the ropes. She was his best employee, personable and quick.  Although she was a terror with sprinkles and ever since she had started Omega had been forced to double his order for them every week to keep up with her.  

Omega’s biggest worry was how Copia would handle a rude customer.  Most of the folks that came in were pretty chill.  Everyone wanted to be nice to the people providing caffeine.  But every now and then you’d get someone that seemed to be itching for a fight no matter how stupid the reason was.  Unfortunately this morning would be the real test because Omega had been pulled out of his office by the shouts of a woman from the front of the shop.  She was squared off against Copia, wearing a business suit that probably cost more than his monthly rent.  He observed for a few moments to figure out what was going on and once he did, Omega had to turn around to hide his laughter.

“Why would I want a rat in my latte?!”

“Technically it’s on your latte.”

Poor Copia, he seemed genuinely bewildered as to why this woman didn’t like his latte art. 

“Rats are pests!  They’re disgusting!”

Copia immediately straightened up and squared his shoulders.

“Rats are actually some of the most intelligent and cleanest creatures in the world.”

“Well I still don’t want one on my latte.”  While Copia just stood frozen in place Omega could see her gear up and he knew the next thing out of her mouth was gonna involve asking for him so he decided to intervene.

“Is there something I can help you with?”

He had honed his customer service voice many years ago although anyone that knew him well enough could tell he was annoyed.  Aurora was definitely one of those because out of the corner of his eye he saw her turn around, her shoulders shaking with laughter. 

“Yes this idiot seems to think putting a picture of a rat on top of my latte was a good idea.”

He was really glad Terzo wasn’t here right now.  Terzo had a protective streak a mile wide when it came to Copia and Omega knew this woman would’ve been wearing the latte if he had heard her insult his little brother.  Omega was angry enough on his own and all of his fake niceties flew out the window.

“My apologies ma’am, I’m sorry you didn’t like the rat.  We’ll skip the art next time.”

“That’s all I get?  An apology?!  You’re not going to offer to fix it or even refund me?”  

The woman’s voice was getting more shrill with each word and the line of customers behind her was growing.  He always hated dealing with this shit, but he hated giving in to rude people more.   

“You want me to fix it?  Fine.”  Omega reached around Copia and grabbed a small straw.  He plunked it into the cup and gave it a quick stir.  As the poor rat disappeared Copia sighed next to him.  Omega clapped a hand on his back before addressing the woman again.  “There, the rat’s gone.  Next!”

No one in the shop moved for a moment as they waited to see what the woman would do.  Omega was really hoping he wouldn’t have to call campus security on her.  When she finally moved it was to dump the latte all over the counter.  With a frustrated growl she turned and started shoving past the other customers towards the door.  She had just made it outside when Aurora shoved her way in between Omega and Copia, shouting after her as loud as she could.

“Have the day you deserve!”  The woman’s gasp was cut off as the door shut behind her.  “What a bitch.  I can help the next customer!”

Aurora gave Copia a quick hug and then scooted back to her register.  Copia was quiet as he grabbed some towels and started to sop up the spilled mess.

“Hey, you ok Copia?” 

“Si, si.  I’m fine.”  

Omega was pretty sure he wasn’t fine, but he didn’t want to push.  

“Don’t let someone like that bother you.  They just enjoy making everyone around them miserable.”  Copia nodded as he finished wiping the counter off.  “But maybe don’t do any more rat art, ok?”

“Yeah, you’re prob—“

“Actually I’d love a rat on my latte!”  Omega, Copia and Aurora all turned to stare at the customer that had spoken up.  They actually appeared to be blushing a bit when their eyes met Copia’s.  With a little shrug they walked up to the counter.  “Rats are my favorite animal.”

Copia’s mouth fell open and Omega was pretty sure if this was a cartoon there would be hearts coming out of the younger Emeritus’s eyes.  Another good reason Terzo wasn’t here.  The teasing would be relentless.  Omega would have to use some of his old rugby moves to make sure Terzo didn’t try to “assist” his little brother with whatever this might be and judging by how Copia and the customer were looking at each other this was definitely going to be something.

Omega knocked his shoulder against Copia’s and gave him a wink when he looked up at him.    

“One ratte coming up.”

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

P.S. Ratte is rat in German (thank you again @writingjourney 🤣)

If you'd like to see more from this au let me know!

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[reikiajakoiranruohoja]

RPG Thoughts: Dealing with Snowflakes

If there is one thing that has shadowed my experiences playing roleplaying games, It has to be the way special characters are treated. In World of Darkness circles, these are called Snowflakes from the 'special little snowflake' mockery people use. And I feel so much of the frustration towards the Snowflakes comes from how they take attention away from the other characters and how the GMs/STs/whatever focus plot on them. So here are so thoughts and suggestions I have for both players and gamerunners regarding how to not make other players feel bad. (I'll be using World of Darkness terms, because I know them the best. But this should be applicable to any game.) For the players; 1. If the ST says no to your concept, accept it.

As simple as that, if the ST doesn't want to run certain stories don't push for them. You want to ST to WANT to run your plots, not grit their teeth about them.

2. Give the character more depth than just their special factor.

Let's say you make a garou with 5 PB on White Howlers. While this might inform some aspects of your character, it does not mean it is all they are. Does your character have a hobby they like, do they want to learn a specific rite or a gift. What kind of relationship do they have with their (adopted) tribe? The Howler blood is something that should not come up often, so your character should have more to them than just a pedigree.

3. Involve other characters in your personal plots.

This is one of the biggest tools to avoid frustrating the other players. Your plots are their plots, they get to have a stake in your story just as much as you have a stake in theirs.

4. If it fits the concept, don't make waves.

If you play a type of character whose special factor might get them in trouble, consider how likely they are to draw attention to themselves.

You Howler blooded garou might avoid any higher position and try to work in the background. They'd avoid anything that might expose their lineage like raids to a Hive and instead choose to guard the sept. You should still have your moment in the spotlight, of course. But it should not be any more than your fellow PCs.

5. Work WITH the ST, not AGAINST them.

When you create a special character, you need to ensure that it never makes the ST's job harder or goes against their plans. Often, having some ideas for plots ready for the ST can be helpful for the both of you.

For the Storyteller/Game runners;

If you do not want it in the game, do not allow it.

Simple, you are the ST, you call the shots when it comes to the types of characters you want to run the game for.

Do NOT allow a special character in so you can punish the player for making it.

This is cruel and it just creates hostility between you and the player.

Communicate with the player of the special character about any concerns you have.

Tie the plot to the most average character. Use the special character's special trait as an obstacle rather as a spotlight. Give the other characters as much attention and give them reasons to WANT to join the special character's plot.

[dream-in-fall]

Red-blue reflections.

There are a lot of red and blue colors in the film. Often these two colors mark opposites and/or couples in one way or another. Crowley and Aziraphale, Sergeant Shadwell and Madame Tracy, Adam and Pepper, Maggie and Nina's shops, and so on. A cup of coffee and an apple of Eden. My interpretation of these colors. I assume that the color symbolism is taken from the Christian religion of the Renaissance.

In this case, the Red color means everything earthly, sensual, full of life, sexual, chaotic. Sometimes it's something aggressive (Anathema saw the red aura of an angry villager). But aggression can also be righteous bravery like Pepper, who stood up to the War. The color red does not appear symbolically in Hell and does not directly mean evil. The Blue color means everything unearthly, reasonable, calm. This is order, discipline, loyalty and stability. The blue color also does not symbolize Heaven and does not directly mean good.

I would add here the fact about two Christian saints - St. George and St. Andrew. Saint Andrew is the patron saint of the Scottish flag. The flag of Scotland has a white oblique cross on a blue background. And St. George the Victorious (the man who defeated the snake /dragon) patronizes the flag of England (this flag has a red cross on a white background. Saint George and Saint Andrew are also opposites of each other - one is a warrior (red), the other is a martyr (blue), respectively. I think it would be interesting to see these characters in the second coming?

One more color thought. Here is a screenshot. (S1E3 [54:24])

This is an image of a monitor in an office at a nuclear reactor. At the moment, there is no fuel in the nuclear reactor, there is a yellow candy that Adam placed there. The monitor shows that this yellow candy gives energy by splitting into blue and red colors. Yellow (gold) color in Christianity is a Divine color, the color of divine energy and grace. People who see it say "it's impossible". They witnessed a miracle. I associate this episode with another one.

(all subtitles are original) In this scene our angel and demon exchanged bodies and Death itself says that it is "ineffable". Death stated that it was a miracle.

I will also mention White color in my color reflections. He appears in the series four times (something I noticed.) White in this theory means purity, innocence and/or sacrifice.

1.The third baby in the S1E1. He was wrapped in a white blanket. He was a victim of circumstances. I haven't read the book, but fish were mentioned in the movie in the context of the baby. These few little facts lead me to think that this child may appear in the third season. And he will play a direct role in the second coming, as the new incarnate Christ (the fish is a symbol of Christ and also the white color his symbol too.)

2. In the theater with a red interior (1941), Aziraphale takes out a white handkerchief and theatrically waves it. I think it reflects the purity of his intentions to help his demon. And also the fact that he is the only one in this "vicious" place (where illegal alcohol is sold and people stare at half-naked girls) is a pure immaculate soul.

3. Gabriel wears a white fur coat when he goes out to the demons in the second season. He obviously intended to sacrifice himself for the sake of saving people.

4. Muriel - everything is obvious here. She's a blank slate. I really hope she doesn't fall victim to any dramatic circumstances in S3. I love Muriel).

There is also a Violet color. I have already talked about him a lot in my other posts, for example in the post about Gabriel's eyes or about the joint miracle of Azikro. I'll just mention a funny little fact here. When Aziraphale gets inside Madame Tracy, her sleeves turn violet (because she herself is marked in red, and the angel is blue, respectively.)

Violet color appears once more at the end of S2E6. When we see that Shax and Furfur are up to something together, they unite. And we see them disappearing into a violet haze. I think we need to find out exactly what this couple is up to in S3.

I assume that the violet color here means unification, union, expansion, reaching a new level.

[goldyluna]

Alphys from Undertale, BigMac from MLP and Gashu from YTTD please :3 <33

Uuuuu, nice. I love Alphys (...the rest is okay XD)

May contain spoilers!!!

ALPHYS

How I feel about this character: I love her, what more can I say? For real tho, I wasn't a fan of her at the beginning. She was just there, a stop in a game without anything more to her. There was too little to her for me, which was weird because all of the other characters had so much to them. But, with time, I started to appreciate her more and more. Act to Flirt made me feel even closer to me (because of her explaining more about herself, not because of the date aspect (not entirely))

All the people I ship romantically with this character: Undyne, Mew Mew Kissy Cutie anime and cup noodles are her only love. I saw some other ships with her, but for me, Alphyne is the only true ship. They work so well with each other, complementing each other's personalities.

And I adore nerd x jock type of ships. They can watch anime together, talk about their hobbies. Undyne can be there for Alphys if she needs help in her reasearch or to listen to her rambling. Alphys can watch Undyne work out (and be really flustered about it) and encourage her to do her best. And both would be horrible in the kitchen lol

My non-romantic OTP for this character: Mettaton and Sans! I just really think those friendships are so cute! Nerd & nerd and nerd & popular kid are very interesting dynamics for me!

With MTT, she has a unique relationship imo. Mettaton can be a little narcissistic, but I think he really cares about his friends. I can see them both doing sleepovers where the two of them gossip about everyone in the Underground (and they know a lot considering that MTT has his own show and Alphys has cameras everywhere). He would try to make her more proud with herself and brave and she would do some suggestions about looks and new modifications (mostly anime inspired).

About the relationship with Sans, I love the theory that he was a scientist and worked with Alphys! It is awesome to have someone to talk to about science, tell smart jokes that the other one will get and have someone to understand you on another level. I think the support they would give each other is something really great and they would appreciate the company of another fellow monster in misery.

My unpopular opinion about this character: I don't think she deserves the hate she gets at all. I know that people have a love-hate relationship with her, but she is so so so real for it. I get her, she is more of a background character, or she makes herself to be perceived like that. She did some horrible things, but that was something she thought was the best option. She feels remorse and guilt controls her whole life.

She may feel like an uncomfortable character, but I think it is because she is so much like a lot of people that play Undertale. She is not my favorite character, but I am sick of people calling her unimportant. Without her there wouldn't be the True Pacyfist Route, or just the Pacyfist Route. Hotland and any conversations would feel empty, like there is something missing. She is an important character to Frisk, Mettaton, Undyne, any other monster and us. And I really think neutral routes with her are really interesting.

One thing I wish would happen/had happened with this character in canon: I would love to see more of her experiments. How does she feel, did she finally tell the families what happened with their fallen down loved ones? We know she is guilty and it really bothers her. It affected her self-esteem, how she thought others looked at her.

It won't go away so fast on its own, without talking with people and letting herself feel things. I would love to see her struggle (in a good way)—for her to talk it out with Undyne and how she feels she doesn't deserve to be loved, to tell her loved ones what she did and how bad she feels because of that, so that she can get the support she deserves and needs. So she can start to heal and forgive herself for past mistakes.

And yes, I know that in one of the neutral endings she talks about how she told everybody and that others treat her like a hero despite her fears they would hate her. But I would love to see that in the pacyfist route too, where every friend is alive and well and she isn't full of desperation and hate.

BIG MAC

How I feel about this character: indifferent. I like him, but I never focused on him for more than a few minutes. I think he is a good brother and a friend. I like this silent, sturdy persona of his. And I also always think about McDonald seeing his name lol. I don't think I have more to say about him.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: To be honest, I don't really read about him or ship him with anyone paticular. I think he is canonically married to Sugar Belle and I think they look cute together. But I remember that people, years before, shipped him with Cheerilee and I saw so much art and fanfics with them. I also thought they would end together, but yea. Also, I know people shipped him also with Fluttershy, but I am not a fan. I wrote a fanfic for a friend (@avopumpkin <33), but that's all.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: I love his relationship with his family, especially his sistes. I just think he is a very good brother.

My unpopular opinion about this character: uhhhhhh, I like that he doesn't talk more? I am not mad that they made him more of a "yup" and "nope" type of guy. It suits him.

One thing I wish would happen/had happened with this character in canon: that's hard. Hmmmmm. Just see his sweet life with his new (and current too) family. I don't have anything more, sorry.

GASHU

How I feel about this character: I think he is a really interesting character! I really liked his death, even if I hated it at the same time. I just think it was such a surprising turn of events, but it was so smart and logical! He found a loophole in the rules.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: no one lol. Are there any ships with him? For sure, but I can't imagine him with anyone tho. I know there must be some ships, because if it walks and breathes, it has a ship somewhere.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: to be honest, I see him more like a standalone character. Observing and interacting with others but not really bonding with anyone. He and Safalin made Rio, but they were more like business partners, where Safalin had to do what Gashu wanted. Maybe his relations with his sons? But I wouldn't call them my OTP.

My unpopular opinion about this character: Like I said before, his death was well executed. I wouldn't have any other way for him to end his story. It is beautiful in a way, the whole family dead. Killed by other members or by themselves.

One thing I wish would happen/had happened with this character in canon: I would love to see more of his relationship with Rio/Sei and Kai. And to see more of him in yttd. Maybe I finally should watch Kai's minisode, because I saw some people change their opinions about him after it.

[einsteinsugly]

Hide and Seek

*****

January 5, 1980

Point Place, Wisconsin

11:30 am

It's felt like an eternity, since he basked in the sunshine.

His arms were wrapped around hers, and she lit the word up like a rainbow.

The tentative rainbow leaves the room, nervously sashaying away, leaving two young men. Two brothers, two nobodies.

At least, that's what Steven Hyde tries to tell himself, but Eric Forman's on his way to being somebody.

And he's…fucking nothing. Without her, his glass is half empty. At best. At worst, he's drowning himself in half empty beers.

He's trying not to think about her. He sets his beer down on the spool. Her calling him pathetic isn't like that shitty game of charades they've been playing for the past few months.

"You're pathetic, St…Hyde." She quickly corrects herself. "You've always said you don't want to be like Bud and Edna, but here you are."

Instead, she's worried about him, and she's giving him a wake up call.

Stinging clear, he still hears those words. Ringing, ringing, ringing. Like a phone that won't shut the fuck up. Pathetic, pathetic, pathetic.

After a particularly awkward silence, Eric nervously clears his throat, making an obvious proclamation. "You still miss her."

Hyde is quick to confirm the truth. Again, and again. "I do."

But there's a problem. An elephant in the room, that she's distracting herself with. "But she's with Fez, now."

"It's just a distraction, Forman."

Eric nods, well aware of the situation at hand. Fez is a sloppy third of sorts, when desperate times call for desperate measures. Her first was the worst, her second was the best, and frankly? He and Jackie don't want to know if Fez has a hairy chest.

It's painfully obvious. She doesn't want to be intimate with him, beyond a polite kiss. And maybe a bit of hesitant butt grabbing. First base, second base. Nothing more.

The somebody and the nobody are watching television, but it's just background noise. Sort of, until a new show comes on. It's The Price Is Right.

Hyde angrily turns the television off. "Damn it, that crap's worse than the Star Wars Christmas special."

Eric opens his mouth to defend his favorite franchise, but he falls flat. "Yeah, that was pretty bad. I heard that The Empire Strikes Back is going to be way, way…"

Hyde set himself up for this, on purpose. Eric can babble sometimes, kinda like Jackie. He can just tune out, and slowly escape. Like usual…

"Hey, I know you're distracting me." Eric unexpectedly stops after a couple of sentences, leaving Hyde flabbergasted. "You're distracting yourself. Instead of hiding, why don't you seek?"

Still a bit floored, Hyde sputters. Like a leaky faucet. "Seek what?"

"A purpose in life," He clarifies, "Y'know, more than hiding in this basement."

Pot, kettle. "You did that for a year."

"Then I had an epiphany, after a year of contemplation. I just don't want to be some comic book guy living with my mom." Eric shutters for a moment, just thinking about it. "I can't dwell just on Star Wars and Donna for the rest of my life. I have to be somebody, and make a difference in this crazy, crazy world."

"You need Donna, though." This time, Hyde's the one stating the obvious. "She needs you."

"I kinda need Star Wars, too, but that's just a hobby," He notably adds, "I can't be, like, a professor of Star Wars or something. Or be a comic book guy, or play with toys for a living. I need to make a difference. A mark on the world, no matter how small. So I found that teaching does that. And I'm teaching you, trying to help you…"

Hyde's tempted to smack that pompous, nervous smile off of Eric's face, but he notably refrains.

Instead, he stands up, heading towards his hovel. His bunker, cot and all, to withstand the apocalypse. "I'm not your fucking student."

"Hyde, I'm sorry for saying that…the wrong way." He stutters, like usual, quickly attempting to make brotherly amends. By patting him on the shoulder, like a supportive brother. And a pretentious asshole. "It's what I do, but I'm learning. You need to learn, too."

"I got my dojo of coolness. I'm fine."

Notably irritated, he enters the bunker. There's no door, but there's a shower curtain he recently installed. To shut out the world.

But he still sees Eric's willowy figure in the shadows, and he barges into this hellhole. "Didn't you bring Jackie into that dojo of coolness? And I remember, once, when you were cuddling with Jackie in here. You never cuddled with anyone else. I remember you thought me and Donna were lame, but yet, there you were. And now, you're alone…"

"You're alone, too."

"I've got a path." Face to face, man to man, they verbally spar. "How about you?"

Hyde collapses onto his cot, with a defeated groan. "Guess I've gotta find a path, too."

[shortnsweetspn]

12.

𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 || 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐩𝐚𝐝 || 𝐛𝐛𝐟 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

𝐓𝐖: Graphic Violence

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 846

- dividers by @anitalenia -

𝘚𝘵. 𝘓𝘰𝘶𝘪𝘴, 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪 𝘈𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘭 9

𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦, 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘦. 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘑𝘰𝘩𝘯, 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘳𝘴, 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴... 𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘭. 

𝘈𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵.

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩, 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘢𝘭. 𝘈 𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨. 𝘈 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘒𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘦 𝘔𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘻𝘢, 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦. 𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘹-𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳-𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘥𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘓𝘪𝘭𝘺, 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘵-𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘑𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯 𝘫𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘩. 𝘈𝘯 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯-𝘢𝘯𝘥-𝘴𝘩𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘴𝘪𝘵 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦.

𝘒𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘹-𝘣𝘰𝘺𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘕𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘭𝘶𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳. 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘳-𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘵. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦'𝘴 𝘭𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘢𝘥𝘥 𝘶𝘱. 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘧𝘵. 𝘔𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘹 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘮-𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘥𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘵.

𝘓𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘮 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘦�� 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴... 𝘐'𝘮 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘒𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦.

-

Lauren sat at her desk in the precinct, poring over case files. The city's familiar noise hummed in the background: sirens, car horns, and the steady buzz of voices from the bullpen outside her office. 

Her phone buzzed on the desk, and she glanced down at the screen. Dean's name lit up, and for a brief moment, her heart leapt. 

She hesitated before letting it go to voicemail. She wasn't sure she could handle whatever news Dean was calling to deliver. 

Moments later, the voicemail icon appeared, and she tapped play. "Lauren, if this is you, please call me back," Sam's voice began. 

"Dean's sick. The doc says there's nothing they can do. He doesn't look good. But we're the Winchesters. We'll figure something out. Don't worry, I'm going to do whatever it takes." Lauren's stomach twisted as his voice cracked. 

"One of Dad's buddies in Nebraska says he might be able to help-a faith healer. I just tried to call Dad, but nothing came out of that. Dean, uh... he wants me to have the car." There was a long pause before Sam added, "I figured you'd want to know. Please... call me back." The message ended, leaving her breathless. 

Dean. 

Sick. 

Dying. 

Her mind reeled as she stared at the phone, unable to move. This couldn't be happening. 

-

Lauren sat in her small St. Louis apartment, her laptop open on the coffee table. She couldn't focus on anything but Sam's voicemail. 

Faith healers in Nebraska. 

Her fingers flew across the keyboard as she searched, narrowing the results to anything within driving distance of Lincoln. One name stood out: Roy Le Grange. The articles were as conflicting as her own thoughts. Some swore by his miracles-cancers cured, terminally ill patients walking out of his church like nothing had ever been wrong. 

Others claimed it was a scam, that he preyed on people's desperation. Lauren chewed on her lip, scrolling through the reports. 

One thing was clear: this Roy guy had a reputation. She leaned back on the couch, closing her eyes. Dean would never willingly go to someone like this. He'd rather go out swinging than admit he needed help. But Sam? Sam would lie through his teeth if it meant saving his brother. 

Lauren opened her eyes and stared at the screen. She couldn't shake the feeling that Sam and Dean were already there, that they'd decided Roy was their only option.

-

Lauren paced her living room, phone in hand, biting her lip as it rang. She didn't expect him to pick up. 

"Hello?" Sam's voice came through, hesitant, almost surprised. 

She froze for a second before responding, "Sam, it's me." 

"Lauren?" His shock was evident. "You... you called." 

"Well, your voicemail was hard to ignore," she said softly. "How's Dean?" 

There was a pause. "He's fine," Sam said quickly, the words rushed and clipped. 

"Fine?" she repeated, unconvinced. "Sam, you sounded wrecked earlier. Is he really okay?" 

"He is," Sam insisted. "He's healed. He's... good." Lauren frowned, feeling the hesitation in his voice. Something was off. 

"Do you need me to come by?" 

"No!" The word came out too fast, too panicked. "No, no, we're fine. There's just... a lot going on right now. But Dean's good, I swear." 

She let the silence stretch for a moment, her heart sinking. "Alright, Sam," she said finally. "If you're sure." 

"I'm sure," he said, though his voice cracked slightly. "Thanks for calling, Lauren. It-it means a lot." 

"Take care of him, Sammy," she said quietly. 

"I will," he promised, then hung up. Lauren stared at the phone in her hand, unease settling in her chest.

[imaginarylungfish]

i just finished the last season of sex education and i have some thoughts:

first of all, i really do love what the show did. they brought sexuality, queerness, disability, mental health, and other "taboo" topics to light. it wasn't perfect, and i think they took on a lot of new arcs that were a little unresolved this last season. but overall, a solid show that i will probably re-watch in the future.

i'll list out the specifics of what i liked and disliked below, so spoiler warning! (also tw for anything mentioned in the show)

---LIKED---

ADAM

i was surprised that my favorite interaction was between adam and his father (michael).

i liked how the show handled adam's character development. we are introduced to him in season 1 as a bully. but wait, it's because he is emotionally repressed and has internalized homophobia. this is not an excuse, but an explanation. he is still accountable for the pain he caused (namely, to eric).

and being with eric helps him a lot, but they were not compatible. i really liked how they showed that dynamic. like, some people are so pivotal in your life, but they are not meant to be in it in the same capacity forever (or at all).

i also love how adam is able to admit he's bisexual to the horse girl and she's so normal about it.

MICHAEL

i am very happy they kept michael in the show even though i probably would have been fine if he never returned after the first/second season. but that's not life. people who hurt you stay in your life. and they either turn a blind eye to the pain they caused or try to make amends and change.

seeing michael come to terms with his part to play in his separation with maureen and his lack of connection with his son was peak. a father figure learning how to feel his emotions in a healthy way and take responsibility for how his behavior has hurt others? what a groundbreakingly average thing to show.

his redemption arc is clumsy. he makes adam feel uncomfortable by saying sorry and by voicing his emotions. but he is trying to break out of the cycle of emotional repression. yes, it's too late. damage has been done. but that doesn't mean you don't still work on changing yourself to stop further damage.

in general on this show, i like how character's backgrounds are shown so we understand why they act the way they do. but those are not excuses. those characters must come to terms with what they've done and put in effort to mend relationships.

(also, i cried during this scene ^)

idk like this father-son depiction was so helpful for me to see. seeing a parent take accountability was huge. i really haven't seen many depictions like this in media.

but i hope to see more.

ERIC

love love love this character! he's the flamboyant, confident gay some part of me wishes to be.

i was surprised to like his character arc this season too, even though it involved religion. tbh, when the religious scenes with him would pop up, i'd sort of ignore them and want to get back to the other stuff. but i am actually happy with what they were trying to show with him here.

i loved how they showed eric's conflict. his queerness is at odds with his spirituality. okay, what's new? well, he also wants to stay within the church because he does truly believe in its teachings. plus, his cultural identity is tied to his church, and he doesn't want to give that up.

so again, we as viewers do not get the easy way out (to just leave). we must stick it out and wade our way through the messiness of it all with eric.

i have a personal connection to this character's story as i am queer (more proudly and confidently now) and grew up catholic. i love how the show showed the pastor and other people in the church turning a blind eye to eric's queerness (at first), expecting him to hide it while citing "beliefs" as to why when it's clear jesus (if he was ever a real person) would have never done that.

i do not believe in god anymore. so i thought i'd not relate to anything more of eric's arc after it was clear he wanted to stay religious. but i think they did a great job showing how queerness and religion are not mutually exclusive for people who want/believe in that.

i love how eric stayed true to himself. he is proudly queer AND christian. and i found myself respecting that, even though i, of course, do not fully understand it.

also the moment when his mom stands up and says "i love you as you are, my son" after he comes out to the whole church was peak. a mother who is proud of their queer child? again, groundbreakingly average.

another quote i loved from eric: "i love myself too much to not tell my truth." this is now my mantra.

also, i was surprised i didn't find the whole "seeing god" thing super cheesy.

but it was kinda healing for me, as if i got some closure from my time being queer and catholic.

i remember reading a catholic book in high school that said people who had "homosexual tendencies" were just called by god to be stronger and resist those feelings, as if we are soldiers in a war. as the good little catholic girl i was back then, i obeyed.

so seeing this "god" say "i made you this bright so that others would see in the darkness" was really huge for me.

ERIC & OTIS

i always loved their dynamic. a straight man being able to show affection for his gay best friend (and even dress up in drag together)? groundbreakingly average.

i really liked how they showed their dynamic change, too. otis is eric's best friend but that doesn't mean he's going to understand everything about him. eric needs more friends than just otis. he needs queer friends, black friends, religious friends.

i loved seeing eric come to terms with this. he needs more! he feels guilty! he feels annoyed that otis doesn't listen to him! he tries talking about it with otis but otis shuts him down again and again.

but as this show likes to do, they find a way to work things out. otis is able to look inside himself and realize they don't relate to each other about things that are important to each. and that's okay. they talk. they communicate. they apologize. hurt is acknowledged and repair is happening.

they can still be really good friends, even best friends, even though they are really different than when they started.

i'm so glad a show called "sex education" knew to put a big focus on the importance of deep friendship.

---DISLIKED---

VIV

i really like this character! she is focused on her goals and straight to the point. no bullshit. (and maybe autistic-coded??) i'm glad we still have her in season 4. plus, her and jackson's friendship is still going strong (again, love me some friendship rep).

BUT i do not think they did a ~great~ job with her arc. it was too rushed. they had some great things to say, but little time to properly execute it.

i think the show did a good job showing beau's love bombing and how viv didn't mean to get caught up in the vicious cycle of emotional coercion and abuse (as it is never the victim's fault).

and i really like what aimee had to say to viv about love: "love should make you feel braver... it shouldn't be confusing and it shouldn't be scary."

i also love that viv stands up for herself by saying: "i don't wanna hear from you. i don't know what made you like this, and it's probably something really sad, and i hope you seek some therapy, but if you keep trying to contact me, i will report you."

it's such an emotionally mature response. she acknowledges that there is probably a misguided or potentially traumatic reason beau acts they way he does. but that does not excuse the harm he caused. and she makes it clear there is no avenue for repair in this relationship, so he must do the work of healing (if he so chooses) on his own. she will not allow him access to her.

but idk this whole arc seemed rushed and almost just thrown into the season. like trauma for trauma's sake.

and don't get me wrong, i am glad this was portrayed. it helped me and i imagine many other people in similar situations. but i hope to see a depiction of this more fully fleshed out in media in the future.

CAL

i have similar sentiments for cal's (and jackson's) arcs.

showing how trans dysphoria affects mental health and how medical transition is life-saving is super important !! it's not talked about or shown in media enough !!

but omg this sensitive topic was so rushed. and what was the conclusion? did cal get top surgery? did they finally get to experience gender euphoria? did they go to therapy to help them with their suicidal thoughts? we don't know.

JACKSON

i feel like they really should have kept him as a supporting character this season. he really didn't need his own storyline.

he already had a big arc when he self-harmed to get out of swimming. that was really important to see.

but this whole thing with his dad not wanting him seemed so rushed.i feel like there was something there. some message. but it totally fell flat for me. it was confusing and underdeveloped.

i really like his character so it was a little disappointing to see how he was written this season.

---HONORABLE MENTIONS---

AIMEE

i've enjoyed her character throughout the seasons. she's light-hearted, goofy, and a solid friend to maeve.

showing how she has been processing her sexual assault was liberating. i liked how the writers show her process of accepting it, naming it, and finding her power again. she learns how to continue living and loving with, and not despite, it.

ISAAC

i'm glad the show included a visibly disabled character that didn't seem like pandering (since he wasn't just added in last minute).

he's rough and abrasive sometimes. he's a lil bit of an asshole. but he's kind and has a big heart.

i have a soft spot for purposely written annoying disabled/sick characters. yes, you are allowed to not like a disabled/sick person because of their personality. please do. please just treat them like a human (cause god knows you don't like every single human on earth).

JOANNA

even though her character arc could be categorized as one that was rushed and unresolved, i think she brought a little more insight into jean's character which evened things out (for me).

i like how they show her denial of her childhood trauma. like, it's okay to not want to confront it. it makes sense. and if she never wants to, jean will still love her and help her (to a certain extent). but joanna might be able to be happier if she addresses it.

this quote was amazing: "i'm scared that if i stop moving, and start properly talking about what happened, then it might all catch up on me, and i won't be able to pretend that i'm okay anymore."

MAEVE

kinda weird for her to be so low on this list because she's one of the main characters, but idk i think that's okay. she needed to break free from moordale. she gives herself permission to do so once her mom dies and jean steps in to say the thing she needed her mom to say to her. she needs to go back to america to finish her studies, believe in herself, and see how great of a person she is. and that's hers to do, not ours to see.

the only disappointment i have with maeve just not seeing more of her being happy/content on screen. (i know i literally said that could have been the point, but idk it still would have been nice). she has a big heart, is so resilient and smart, and goes through a lot of heartbreak and loss. she deserves happiness!

THE NEWBIES: THE COVEN & O

super psyched we had some trans, disabled, ENM, and ace rep... but it did feel a little pandering ngl

i think what i liked most about these new characters was seeing the different reasons behind abbi's and o's need for control.

like yay! we're showing that queers are unlikable for their personalities (and not for their sexual orientation)! genuinely so happy to see that (for the same reason i like seeing unlikable disabled characters)!

OTIS

oh otis. he was definitely on the backburner this season. and i was fine with that. it seemed natural? idk. i don't really have much to say about him, even though he is the main character lol.

---CONCLUSION---

and there you have it! my take on the last season of sex education. like i said, i think this show did a great job talking about topics that our society deems "taboo." it gave a platform to many different topics, identities, and experiences. it portrayed sensitive topics tactfully and injected humor at the right moments. it wasn't perfect, but what show truly ever is.

if you have anything to add to my review, feel free to comment. just please be nice! these are just my opinions. and i wrote this for fun! thanks!

[flimflamfandom]

Okay I guess I gotta do a LackaSona!

That sounds more dismissive than it really should - truth is, I've had an idea for one sitting around in the back of my head and frankly I dunno why I never put it down (probably too busy ranting about Frepper and such)

I cannot draw and I haven't got the funds to attract an artist. So you'll have to picture him in your mind's eye! Which I'm sure we can do.

BELOW THE CUT: The past, present, and more, of luthier and multi-instrumentalist ARTHUR KEANE!

BACKGROUND

ARTHUR KEANE was born August 16th, 1904, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Living a mostly quiet life as the son of a violinist and vocal teacher, Arthur was the youngest of 3 siblings, and was always a bit small and sickly as a child. Because of this, most of his schooling was done at home - his mother taught him to read and write, and his aunt (a school teacher, who lived just down the street) helped with the trickier bits.

His parents taught him to love music, but his aunt taught him to love guitar.

She was a virtuoso on the instrument, practically - she played it, banjo, mandolin, just about any fretted instrument you put in her hands, she could play it. And she did, indeed, teach him just about everything he knew from an early age!

PRESENT DAY

Just like today, it was hard to find work as a guitarist - bands were getting louder and louder each passing year, and there were many limits on the bandstand. So, to chase his dream of making money on the instrument, he shipped himself all the way across the country to St. Louis, Missouri, to apprentice for a local luthier (a maker and repairer of string instruments).

These, in 1928, Arthur is well known, and still works for his mentor, Mr. Boggs. Arthur plays regularly in clubs and speakeasies when they'll have him, and is even building his own instruments - he's even built himself a new fangled, state-of-the-art resonator, like those Dopyera brothers out in California!

HOW'S THE FELLA LOOK?

As he stands, he's fairly average - He has solid cinnamon fur, big brown eyes, and stands about Rocky's height. Maybe an inch or two taller.

He wears round glasses, and normally just plain work clothes, like blue chambray shirts (he lives by those) and plain slacks and shoes - when he gigs, of course, he dresses up (he does have an all black suit he wears) but typically he's got some sort of denim on, and often forgets to remove his leather apron full of tools. He wears a flat cap.

He has one spot that's out of the ordinary - his left ear is cut about halfway down its length. This is due to an accident while playing when he was young - it's a sore spot.

ARTHUR AND THE GANG

Arthur gets along well with the Lackadaisy group, if only because once after a gig at the Marigold he was stiffed 50 cents for 'running long'. He works at other speakeasies in town though, and doesn't participate in any illegal business...there was that one time he technically became an accessory by telling Rocky which why a truck came by but that's one time!

Arthur, in truth, is a very soft hearted man - he could hardly be convinced to do something like CRIME. He's just a quiet man who likes his instruments. And Lacy Hardt.

He really likes Lacy Hardt.

-

That's about all there is to Arthur Keane! He WILL be getting written about soon!!! I think.

I hope. (I've got a busy end of the year.)

[sherlockianscholar]

part 1 (1985-1990): the saga of jeremy brett through the scuttlebutt archives

go here for part two!

since 1971, sherlockian and baker st irregular, peter blau has published a small "gossip" sheet for all sherlock holmes news under publication of the "scuttlebutt from the spermaceti press." after the advent of computers, peter started digitizing all his sheets from 1985 onward.

i went through blau's archives to look for any tidbits on jeremy brett. what i found tells jeremy's saga as granada's sherlock holmes. some of the entries are very straightforward. some of them require reading through the lines. some of them are just fun background bits of granada. but all of them paint jeremy's story through little snippets of news.

March 1985: granada premieres in america! vincent price quoted edgar w. smith, one of the foremost sherlockians in history :)

July 1985: the beginning of the closing chapter of his life

for some reason these are the only pictures i can find of joan and jeremy together, but they are absolutely adorable

August 1985 #1

August 1985 #2: jeremy's flightiness around the role trickles to the press. though he'll never say why.

"'and then i hang my pipes up,'" he said with a smile." his feelings regarding holmes were dangerous before joan's death and only got worse.

to quote producer june wyndham-davies, "when his depression was upon him, and he suffered from depression of the worst kind, he was a different person entirely. i've never known anyone whose personality could change so much. he would become aggressive and not want to continue. i had so many conversations with jeremy about not wanting to continue as sherlock holmes. he felt that sherlock holmes had turned him into a monster. jeremy brett was like that before he ever came to sherlock holmes, but it wasn't his fault and it certainly wasn't sherlock holmes fault."

December 1987: i didn't know he commissioned the play, the secret of sherlock holmes! and helped write it!!

February 1988: damn, that's audacious

May 1988: i can only imagine how much more would've been created and executed if jeremy hadn't gotten sick

okay but, the dog in the hound of the baskervilles is named khan. the movie is literally the wrath of khan.

June 1988: i can't pinpoint the timeline for when jeremy's mental illness became public knowledge and published by the media. however, from this short news clipping, it doesn't seem like they knew the real reason jeremy's hair was cut short. and almost certainly not that he chopped it off himself.

"jeremy just got into one of his manic states—you know, i hate sherlock holmes etc., and one day he cut his hair. in front of the mirror, he lopped bits off. i remember the first time I saw him after he had done it. we were both appearing in an 80th birthday tribute to sir laurence olivier at the national. he turned up at the theatre and i said, 'god, what have you done to your hair?' it was patently obvious it had not been cut by a barber—there were bits sticking up all over." -edward hardwicke

July 1988: the age of jeremy brett! forget the victorian era, this is the jeremerian? brettian? era

October 1988 #1

October 1988 #2: jeremy's insecurities shine through more. high praise for daniel day-lewis. "don't worry you haven't heard or seen the last of him!" congrats to jeremy for introducing lewis to america LOL. yay for play success! (also what does he mean by saying the private life of sherlock holmes is a "damaged film?" robert stephens was one of jeremy's life long best friends--stephens died exactly 2 months after jeremy. coincidentally, jeremy's ex-boyfriend, paul shenar, died exactly one month after jeremy.)

October 1988 #3: L O L

November 1988 #1: jeremy's opinion matters!

November 1988 #2: in my opinion, "bending the willow" is the most important part of jeremy's interpretation of holmes

August 1989: michael cox (the cornerstone of creating and shaping the first half of granada's run) begins to make his (very forced) exit. jeremy's physical health problems are becoming apparent, but they are brushed away by the actor, attributing his breathing issues and weight gain to heavy smoking. and once again, jeremy tries to cast off holmes, without revealing his true reasons.

according to granada's page on the arthur conan doyle encyclopedia, this is what was really happening:

"the performances were probably cathartic for him, but required excessive physical effort from a man with a worsening heart condition who, due to the enormous water retention caused by the lithium, found it difficult to breathe and move. he was forced to leave the theatre and go to hospital, where he stayed for a fortnight and had more than twelve litres of water removed from his body. by 1989 brett and hardwicke, who had supported him with boundless patience, were on their knees. brett took a short holiday but had to be rushed home and hospitalized: the treatments for his bipolar disorder and his heart condition had clashed."

i strongly recommend reading edward's later comments of his difficulties with jeremy during the show: link here

October 1989: two months later, jeremy has yet again changed his mind on continuing as sherlock holmes

November 1989: philip purser how d a r e you say that about my beloved watson. of course, it's from the daily mail, so his opinion doesn't matter.

December 1989: granada undergoes major changes. the conservative government was actively attacking the british media and coming after their budgets. after ousting all of the original leaders of granada's sherlock holmes, the new priorites were based off of ratings and profitability. "you must always remember that your business is to form the market as well as to supply it, [otherwise] your career will have succeeded only in restraining the arts, tarnishing the virtues, and throwing confusion into the manners of your contemporaries." -a granada staffer to the new leaders of the show

January 1990: jeremy finally feels stable in the role, but i think without that dance with "the dark side of the moon" he felt like he lost a key element in his portrayal of holmes. even though he had always been terrified of that instabiity.

end of part 1, so here's part two!

[katatonicimpression]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 💜

Thanks for the ask!

Here I Go, Don't Let Me Go

(MCU - Sambucky & Background ships)

It felt to Sam like things were really going to work between him and Bucky, and they sort of did, for a bit. But what is it about Sam and his life that brought him here? What is Bucky not seeing, and what would it take to get them to give this a serious shot?

This is an older fic, but easily my most popular. It's heavy, and sad (heed the tags), and explores Sam's life, history and mental health.

I'm Inside Your Head, and You Don't Know Me

(MCU - Sambucky & Samsharon)

Sam and Sharon have a thing. Bucky doesn't like it. This all comes to a head on a mission where the problems - and upsides - in both relationships play a role.

This is a more missiony fic than I usually write (it's still 90% people sitting around talking about their feelings lol). It's set post TFATWS and continues some of the themes, with Sharon and Sam liking each other but her not being honest, and Bucky and Sam adoring each other but Bucky still being a dipshit at times.

Mutant's Best Friend

(616 - Allerdrake (not ship heavy))

Hijinks and shenanigans ensue when Bobby accidentally leaves St. John in charge of a sentient canine ice golem.

A light, comedic, adventure fic which I genuinely think is just a lot of fun.

Don't Help Them to Bury the Light

(MCU - Sambucky)

Since he was a kid, Sam has been having these terrible dreams. The problem is, they seem to always come true.

This is another sad fic, focusing on Sam's mental health and history of grief. It's set post TFATWS but uses elements of his powers from 616 in the 70s.

Daydream

(616 - Sammisty)

Sam and Misty get caught up in some kind of psychedelic dreamscape when on a mission, forcing them to understand each other better.

A very indulgent, heavily metaphorical fic where I use imagery and psychic bird powers to explore my feelings about their recent arguments in canon. This is quite niche in its appeal, but I think it's fun.

[spaceorphan18]

Glee Musical Retrospective: The Power of Madonna Extras

Well, just like how the episode has an abundance of performances - they managed to stuff Madonna songs everywhere throughout the episode, meaning there's an abundance of extras, too.

Ray of Light

The first Madonna song we hear in the episode is Ray of Light - and it's as Sue is really embracing the idea of using Madonna as inspiration for everything she does. The song itself is kind of about a spiritual awakening or rebirth, and I can see Sue really latching onto this one as she makes her and her Cheerios over.

It's also rather upbeat and engaging, and with the (insane) choreography going on, it creates quite the spectacle visually. It kind of sets the tone for this new version of Glee where everything is heightened and everything is bigger and brighter.

Burning Up

So, this was a fun little find. It's a track they never used, sung by Jesse St. James with Vocal Adrenaline. I'm super curious how they would have used this in the episode. It totally screams Jesse seducing Rachel - but with VA there, it makes me wonder what the context would have been.

Interestingly, the song was still used in the episode - only with the Madonna original version. It's playing in the background during Santana and Brittany's talk about younger men - and then when Santana makes a move on Finn.

It makes sense with both Jesse singing it and underscoring it as Santana reveals her motivations. The song is about combining sex and ambition and using sex as a power move. This is exactly what Santana is doing. And while Jesse doesn't sing it in the episode - you can see how it could have underscored the earlier scene with Jesse and Rachel making out in her bedroom.

Sue and Emma

The episode pretty clearly points this out, but I wanted to note that Madonna isn't playing when Emma is around. As Sue states - she finds Emma weak, lacking self confidence, and lacking the same power and ambition that Sue sees herself having. Madonna is the score in Sue's life -- but it's not Emma's. Usually these kind of things are done intentionally but not usually pointed out in universe. This is Glee, however, and they want you to know how they're doing their storytelling.

Frozen

I could not find a clip for when this is used in the episode -- but it's when Mercedes and Kurt are talking by their lockers -- and Will and Sue come by, and Will insults Sue's hair, causing Kurt and Mercedes to feel something for her.

This is a really subtle, but well done nod to Sue's character. The song is darker and colder and underscores the tension between Sue and Will pretty well. Sue likes to talk a big talk - but as we'll learn, Will still can cut under the facade and get at her -- which Mercedes and Kurt catch onto, and is developed in the next scene when they decide to help her. There's a moment where Sue is seemingly vulnerable, and having this song play underneath just sets the tone speaks to the depth of her character.

You're so consumed with how much you get You waste your time with hate and regret You're broken When your heart's not open

Love is a bird, she needs to fly Let all the hurt inside of you die You're frozen When your heart's not open

The lyrics playing under the scene. Sue is the villain - and as usual, the villain always has some kind of damage to them.

So, yeah, while I do think there's the added bonus of Ryan Murphy wanting to squeeze every famous Madonna song into one episode, they did really well with picking what went there and why.

Justify My Love

Another clip I couldn't find -- near the end when Sue and Figgins are talking, and Figgins tells Sue she's an original like Madonna, this song underscores the whole conversation. It's a song about wanting validation - and everything Sue's doing in this episode is really just that. And finally -- Figgins gives her what she needs to hear -- that she's one of a kind and just like Madonna. So she doesn't need to try so hard, she can keep on being herself.

Rachel, Finn, and Jesse

There is also a song scoring the Jesse, Rachel, and Finn convo and I believe it's the original version of What It Feels Like for a Girl - but I'm not completely sure? It's just the instrumentals - which is nice, but it makes it hard to figure out - especially when the internet isn't being helpful.

But I think it's a good place to say that -- this episode is just infused with music, to the point that nearly every moment is scored with Madonna -- or the regular scoring of the show. There are a couple of moments where it is completely silent -- as I mentioned with Emma, but also after Like a Virgin. Those silences are really, really heard, too, as it grounds those emotional beats even heavier.

While the show isn't going to completely overboard like it does with this one, music will be more infused going forward. We're going to get more performances -- though, interestingly, they're going to pull back on the number of regular pop songs scoring scenes (probably cheaper?).

But like I said when we started this venture -- this episode really turns the show in a new direction (oof, pun not intended) and the music is just going to be more prominent in the story telling than it had been in the Front 13.

[pluttskutt]

Happy STS. Okay, hear me out. Your story becomes a musical. *grandly presents you with the opportunity to turn this into literally whatever you want* (Who knows all the choreography? Who is pissed? Who somehow escapes singing?) (What scene has the best song? What your story's musical sound like? Does it being a musical make any sense at all?)

Happy STS! Where is the music coming from? Obvs, the Deity of Music intervined to make this happen. I believe it would be a musical episode that all series have and the characters would be aware that they're in it, like in BtVS when everyone is like "And then I started singing..." but can't control it.

Spacy helps to teleport characters to make their numbers that much more impactful. Like, a character jumping off a building only to be teleported somewhere they are happy as part of it. Or, characters in love but apart meeting for their duet only to be torn apart by the end of it.

A fight scene between Amir and Lucy would be a dance scene and it significes their difference and how nothing is the same because they aren't and he will kill her because it's the right thing to do and she wishes he'd go with her but he can't fathom to betray all he stands for—all that she once stood for.

Mille would have a number with only instruments and chanting in the background viking style. She'd wait for her duet with her ma, because everyone gets duets, but she doesn't get it so she screams for her and the viking chanting stops as the ground as she falls to the ground.

Adina wouldn't sing either but a lament would play in the background for all those she lost. We'd see a shadow of a figure, maybe someone we would recognize, and then we would follow a whisp to a beast that was once someone Adina lost as well.

We also get a whimsical musical number of where a whisp of sort is jumping and swirling in air and it gets so loud that it dies out, then the viking music picks up but darker and harsher as we see a beast with four dirty paws running in the dark, teeth bared.

Thank you for the ask <3

[terrence-silver]

Do you have any headcanons about Terry McCain's younger life? His childhood, parents, family, time in high school, college etc?

---

― Born into a background just about as traditional as can be, I imagine, somewhere in rural Illinois on the outskirts of Chicago, on a big farm. Father might've been in law enforcement himself (a running multigenerational tradition, from grandfather, to father, to son?) mother a classical homemaker and Terry himself --- a good Catholic boy from a good Catholic household. The type that helps out at his local parish. Volunteers around the church or a soup kitchen. Feeds local stray animals around the neighborhood. Gets into fights with other kids he figures abused them, acquiring a taste for dishing out justice and pursuing what is right quite early on. Singing as a choir boy during Sunday mass, yes. Perhaps, taking up the occasional extracurricular of some local folklore troupe and getting into Irish dances and singing --- playing an instrument, sure, proving he has a knack for music; his first passion in life. Going on a heritage trip to Ireland? Maybe indulging in some occasional (and yet still weirdly innocent) mischief and pranks by switching out the local nuns' rosaries during prayer, for all we know. Nothing unconventional or controversial to see or read here. In fact, you can slap the man's face on a Norman Rockwell painting and you'd fit Terry McCain's upbringing fits the bill quite well.

― Had an equally Catholic educational phase too. St. Mary Institute or whatever it was called, and these years --- college and further studies pretty much left a pristine mark on his future too as someone diligent, hardworking and multitalented, considering how I envision Terry was groomed to be a cop very early on and that was a career choice that was simply a given he'd go into. Something, he in equal measure wanted to be, as much as it was a calling he inherited. As such, he attended an All Boys institute where he made lifelong friends (like Dylan) and later, a Police Academy and I imagine he got employment in this field extremely early on, possibly immediately post-graduation, which means by his early twenties, Terry McCain was probably already climbing the ranks within law enforcement, being a workaholic overachiever and fully dedicating himself to the job, fully detecting himself to his specialization and fully dedicating himself to martial arts; perfecting his weapon usage, combat skills and the pursuit of becoming just about as excellent as he can be in every regard, because I do believe Terry McCain is an idealist at heart and always has been, entirely convinced the myth of the 'good cop' doesn't just have to be a myth, especially how it might've been a career path numerous men in his family were in and the issue hit close to home.

― Was a definite country boy in the big city, and the somewhat drastic switch rendered him both hypersocial and introverted at the same time, meaning that in equal measure, a young Terry McCain was capable spending whole nights at the novelty that were jazz clubs, performing on stage, schmoozing at bars, honing his love of music, entertaining a crowd, being a generally liked, universally popular guy...and then retiring to his bachelor pad and being solitary for weeks and weeks, entirely bubbling himself in with the sole exception of being a cop. I think it is because Terry is a family guy at heart, plucked from his roots. Growing up in a tightly knit family unit. Instilled with family ideals. Possibly an only child who missed his family home and 'the good old days' or someone with a huge amount of siblings and nothing in between, being away from this traditional, post-card worthy environment due to the callings of his profession made it difficult to wholly adapt which he coped with by making his colleagues at the police force his adoptive family, in a sense --- which is exactly why their subsequent deaths were such a major blow to Terry. Why he went on such a rampage of revenge in their name.

― In spite of winning the genetic lottery in the looks department, being a star pupil in nearly everything he pursued, being athletic, tall, something of a jock and being undeniably popular in a sense, Terry McCain as a teenager was uncharacteristically humble about it. He might've been brash, a hothead, but, he was never a jerk. Never was a heartbreaker either, even though he very much could've been where young love was concerned. In fact, it is a shocker that Terry McCain doesn't have an extensive dating life behind him or nearly any at all, with rare exceptions. In fact, he seems like the type who would cordially take to prom someone who's parents know his parents and be a perfect gentleman about it and throw hands with anyone would be disrespectful about it. Pretty chaste about it too, as I do see that his later dedication to his profession consumed so much of his time that even as a young adult, Terry had no opportunity to put himself out there, regardless if he constantly turned eyes his way simply by walking into a room. Nobody would ever guess that this man had his first kiss relatively late and became sexually active relatively late as well just because he had this firm belief that he should do all of these things with someone he profoundly cares for and that the wait is worth it.

― Yet, I do imagine that there's a price to pay for being quite so continuously perfect in every regard and that's, yes, a whole load of pent-up repression accumulated over a great many years. Anger. Aggression. Being a bit of a pervert. Yeah, Terry has it all. And he's had it all since childhood, which means that in his adulthood and his continued career as a Detective, it actually takes anywhere from very little to a lot to trigger this man into turning a whole city upside down and leaving a literal trail of body bags behind him to enact what he sees as justice, righteousness, vigilantism, revenge, settling scores, tit for tat. You name it. Man has issues with rage galore. Issues with stubbornness. Issues with tense emotions. Issues with taking 'no' as an answer. To the degree he not only managed to hook up with a foreign model simply by being in relentless pursuit and then refusing to break up. I envision that as far back as his childhood or teenage years, Terry simply had a naturally fiery temper. That he was a kid of raw emotion and impulse. That he'd be capable of going toe to toe against a group of children all by himself because they bullied someone he considered a friend, even if the odds were stacked against him. It was the right thing to do, though, so he did it regardless.

[kakusu-shipping]

🥥&/or🍫&/or🧋for Nezu (i hope one of these works haha) - @wheresunandseameet

Yes and thankyou very much!!! I'm so sorry for being picky like this, thankyou for your patients!!

🥥 - If your familiar f/o is being hurt by someone else what would you do to help?

M-Mister Nezu.. Hurt by someone else...? I... I'm not really s-sure... All I'm good at is teleporting an-and I need to be.. touching someone to teleport them and.. Mr. Nezu... Doesn't like being touched... so I couldn't get him out of danger......

I-I'd have to go get some-someone else, someone st-stronger, a-a good hero.. May-maybe Mr. Yagi o-or Mr. Aizawa... Someone else.. wh-who could help..

🍫; What would other characters in your familiar f/o's source think of you and your f/o?

(out of character) Most of the UA staff are rather thrown off by Nezu adopting a kid, especially one raised by the Hero Commission. He's never been a compassionate mouse, he can't handle being touched in any way, and truthfully his energy for children start and end on a professional level.

All Might is probably the only one who understands the guilt Nezu carries for leaving Hawks behind when he left the Hero Commission, and that this, taking one of their child soldiers out of that life, is his way of easing his conscious at least a little. He's also the only one who supports him in this, playing a sort of co-parent to me. More like a grandfather I suppose. He's the main one to give physical affection, support, and encouragement. Though he certainly shows favoritism to Midoriya, he tries to be there for all his students, including me, especially sense I have no one else in my corner.

Most of Class 1-A and 1-B react to Nezu legally adopting me with the same amount of confusion as the teacher's did. It just seems so out of character for their aloof principal. The rumor that we're closer related than just adopted father/son spread and a lot of 1-A pestered me for background information on Nezu for a while until Bakugo made them back off.

[ottokallenhonkai3rd]

⚜ 𝒲𝒽𝓎 "𝒮𝓉. 𝐹𝓇𝑒𝓎𝒶 𝐻𝒾𝑔𝒽" 𝒾𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝐵𝒾𝑔𝑔𝑒𝓈𝓉 𝒢𝒶𝓇𝒷𝒶𝑔𝑒 𝐼'𝓋𝑒 𝐸𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝑅𝑒𝒶𝒹. ⚜

Today I unexpectedly got the pleasure of reading this great manga called "St. Freya High" and I wanted to throw up. At this point I can also understand why this manga was deleted from the site except for two chapters. And because I'm an OttoKallen blog, I only go into the parts that contain Kallen Kaslana in the case. I can't say much about Kiana's relationship with Mei either, because I only play Honkai Impact 3 and their relationship goes beyond that. ~*~ The first thing I noticed was the extreme fan service. Kiana licking Mei's wounds, breasts pressed together. A good view of the genitals and a half-naked Otto

Because I'm not a fan of hentai, especially not with a focus on women, I was a bit served. But I can't say much at this point, because there is also a little bit of fanservice in the game itself. ~♥~ The interesting part of the story for me started with Bronya connecting Kiana to a HOMU device with which she should learn something. She is beamed into an archive and is told the story of how Honkai slowly spread. She then finds the Cross of Kallen, which grants her hidden information simply for being a Kaslana.

She then bumps into Kallen and gets the story of what happened between her time in Yae Village and her sentencing. And here we come to the point of illogicality.

This page implies that Kallen had an explicit death wish, because Sakura is no longer alive. But she never had this. If you follow "Elan Palatinus" and in-game content, you know that Kallen had a choice. She had the choice of keeping her engagement promise to Otto and marrying him now or hanging by a rope. She refused Otto's request to marry her for one reason only. - She knew she would then become the pawn of the overseer (Otto's father) and she didn't want that. Just because of her oath. But that doesn't mean she didn't have feelings for Otto. The rest went under, because Otto left the room. Basecally it meant she would have liked to have married him in another world, free of corruption. In that case, the manga panel doesn't match what Kallen said to Otto. This is followed by a brief background on Kallen and her love for Sakura and the reason she was ultimately sentenced to death.

That makes no sense. If you follow the conversation between Otto and his father Nikolas, you quickly become aware of the problem. Nikolas fears that the Castile will overthrow him. The reason for this is the lost battle and the scandal that Kallen basically triggered. He basically gives Otto a choice. Either you get her to marry you, so I can control her or she has to die. And Kallen doesn't want to be controlled by him. That would mean that she has to accept the corruption. That would also mean that she has to accept, when people are sacrificed for this corruption. And that, by the way, is the twist between Otto and her. At first she thinks he's only doing the experiments out of lust for power, but then she understands that he basically wants to help people. Anyway, the fact that she should only be hanged, because of her love for Sakura makes no sense. She chose death, because she didn't want to be a pawn. It's also inherently illogical, because Sakura was already sealed and dead. So she no longer posed a threat to the church. And this is where the comic itself is illogical, because it says that the crystal was destroyed. In fact, "The grate Graduate Arc" and the samsaras could not have happened at all, because they were fed from Theresa's memories and a piece of the crystal.

But the worst was this. First of all, I've never seen Otto do that flip-hair-back pose, especially in Kallens presence. Neither in other Wecomics, nor in the game itself. Secondly, his behavior here does not correspond to his character at all. Yes. He released the Honkai Beasts to take Kallen with him in the Triggered Panic. But that wasn't his plan, it was his sister's. And yes. In "So Spoke Apocalypse", he vented his displeasure that people just accepted Kallen's death after everything she had done for them. Understandable. But he would never go so far as to willingly sacrifice these people. He was quite desperate and simply underestimated the situation. But here it is presented as if he doesn't care about the people. The main thing is that he is united with his beloved Kallen. And he has never called her "beloved" or "dear" before. that´s also new. And because Kallen sent him a letter to bring the cross to Yae Village, he probably knew about her feelings for Sakura as well. How insensitive is it, then to tell her: "We can travel to the Far East together, if you like it that much." It's also funny that this Arthur actually wanted to let her go, so it was totally unnecessary from Otto's side to release the Honkai beasts. So he's not smart, as he says himself, but stupid. If Kallen could just walk away, wouldn't that be the first option Otto would have used? To top it off, Kallen calls him "Evil" and "Disgusting" and hits him so hard, that he falls over from the punch. In "Elan Palatinus" she hits him too, but he doesn't fall directly on his face. By the way, the manga clashes with "2 Erruption", in which Kallen apparently believes in his good side. ~*~ I felt like I was reading a KiaMei & SakuKallen doujinshi. Otto has been consciously drawn like an arrogant, stupid, anti-social Kallen fanatic. And story gaps were deliberately used to squeeze in the own shipping, whether it makes sense or not. Anyone who thinks that this is canon material, can no longer be helped.