#(just re-binged it and what a gem)

[mindibindi]

Do you prefer to watch reality tv or sitcoms?

I will randomly get pulled in by cooking or singing competition show. And I have watched RuPaul's Drag Race for years. But my tumblr shows the truth about my preferred genre:

[trash-bats]

I had a really bad experience at the hospital last week that re-opened some deep emotional wounds.

I spent the following days binging Steven Universe from the beginning. I had legitimately not watched the show since Future ended in 2020, despite it being my favorite show for years. Maybe it was because I was so caught up in trying to watch new-to-me shows so that I could attempt to keep up with the cultural zeitgeist. Maybe all the years of online discourse over the show finally convinced me it wasn't as good as I had remembered it being. Maybe I was just upset that it was over (isn't it, isn't it). But in that moment where I needed something to ground me and distract me from the pain I was in, I knew that it would bring the comfort I sought.

At the time of writing, I just watched the movie a couple hours ago and will be watching Future in the coming days. I barely remember what happened in Future & I'm looking forward to revisiting it with the all that came before it fresh in my mind. I'm planning to also finally tackle my copy of Save the Light that I bought for my Switch 5 years ago and just never bothered playing. And I'm working on completely revamping my original gemsona from 9 years ago (Charoite - can you believe a gem containing my name ended up being a lovely mix of purples and blacks?!) and cooking up a whole backstory for how they would fit into the show's lore & how to reflect all the changes to who I am all these years later in the design.

Steven Universe was probably the most important television show to ever enter my life. I'd followed it since the day Cartoon Network released the pilot episode online in 2013. I agonized through every lengthy hiatus & excitedly ran to Tumblr when a new episode had dropped. I used to spend so much time looking for all the beautiful fan art made for it, and it had a huge influence on my own art style -- some parts of which can still be seen in how I draw now. The first conversation I ever had with my wife was her asking me about my favorite SU characters, and now 8 years later we're revisiting the show together. Stevonnie was one of my first real encounters with a non-binary character & certainly played a part in coming to term with my own non-binary identity less than a year after "Alone Together" premiered (re-watching that episode last week made me cry). I'm...quite bad with finding words sometimes, but I'm just glad that I was able to reconnect with this part of myself that I had unknowingly stifled for the past few years. Rekindling the fire of something I have such a passion for, getting excited over all the new things I'm inspired to create because of it, and getting to share it with many of the friends I've made in recent years...it's nice.

[the-nysh]

have you posted anywhere about your thoughts on tristamp as an adaptation from the manga? if not id love to hear your thoughts on how you found it as a long time trigun fan!

Whew! (It's been 20+yrs as a fan of the old anime) Honestly you've probably seen most of what I've posted already :'D but as an adaption.....it draws on many endgame manga elements and spins them into its own thing! With a reshuffled timeline, new context, and expanded world building for ex. It's not a 1:1 at all but an entirely new re-imagining! That's different from both the manga and old 98anime. (As a prequel of sorts leading up to the destruction of July city, which in the original story, is an event that happens before the main plot even begins!)

But things like Wolfwood's healing capsules, the whole side plot about 'awakening' Livio, Meryl (& Roberto) getting captured by Zazie to hear the history of the world (and them acting as bait to lead Vash into a trap...), the very important backstory of Knives & Vash discovering the abuse/experimentation on their sister Tessla, all the references in ep12 like Vash's hair, wings, Angel Arm, augmented bullets with Plant markings, and Chronica - the modern Independent Plant coming from Earth, as teased in the post-credits....ALL those things come from the manga (that the 98 anime never got to)! :O And many more I probably can't list off the top of my head...but they're sprinkled everywhere in a way that you can tell Studio Orange did their homework to make this their love letter towards the the source material.

As for how I found it....honestly it was already on my to-watch list! As I'd heard news of it in production for a while and was curious to give it a chance. Until (around ep1-2 released) I saw some friends reblog some gifs/art and this is embarrassing but ACTUALLY it was some of the early vashmeryl fanarts shared around that really jolted my long-forgotten memories like firing neurons awake from cryosleep and I was like ?!?! holywaitasecond...ended up binge-rewatching the 98anime just to 'check' and refresh my memories about that and OOOOOHHHHMY GOD the nostalgia hit me like a Truck ;o; YES I could Remember Everything then!!!!! aaaaaaaaa And then after reading Trimax (super angry it'd been legally inaccessible and practically lost here for such a gem!!!) I've never recovered been the same~~~ 8'D Well then. So yup, Stampede helped respark + awaken all those things for sure!

[twigg96]

(Basthr0mnse) What do you think all of the boys smell like on the day to day and/or their signature go-to fragrances are when they dress up for events?

@Basthr0mnse 👀 ya know…. I never really thought about it before 😂 but I fucking love this idea!! I agree with you I think they smell different when they are just doing guy things vs when they are at fancy places Charles makes them go to. So let’s find out what that is!

Nathan- Nathan’s go to fragrance is Old Spice Deodorant. He’s fond of the Fiji “flavored” one. (Yes he did in fact take a massive bite out of a stick of one. No it did not taste like Fiji… he didn’t like to talk about it.) But more often than not he smells like stale the booze he spilled on himself, a subtle hint of man sweat, and whatever chips are on his breath. Now… all that changes when he puts an effort in. Nathan still wore Old Spice but instead wears the scent Bearglove paired with the smallest spay of Original Old Spice cologne. Nearer the end of the night his man smell re-emerges but it isn’t as strong until the morning after.

Pickles - this man smells like weed. There’s no getting around it. He smells like he’s smoked a bowl 24/7. But he tried to cover it up with various colones. Most were cheap skunky smelling. However there were a few gems in the rough that really smelled good. They weren’t strong enough to cover his natural weed smell but they worked with it. On bad days however, when he binged too much. He just smelled like old vomit. But when he was all cleaned up, his dreads still had a feint aroma of weed, which was comforting in a familiar way. However he bathed in Cremo Bourbon Vanilla body wash before dressing to the nines in his favorite suite which he was always told was off limits to any smoking of any kind. His favorite cologne for special occasions was called Yellowstone’s Ride and was a sweeter more seductive scent.

Murderface - this man has a unique smell to him that can not be replicated. It’s a mix of medicated deodorant, grease, gasoline from his hot rods, the sweet smell of whatever booze he was drinking earlier in the day on his breath, and the coconut oil he puts in his hair. To say it’s an unpleasant smell would be a lie. It’s just an acquired smell that someone would have to get used to. It was Ode De William. However freshly out of a shower and when he brushes his teeth is when William smells the freshest. He doesn’t bother with any fancy BS. He is always going to smell like Degree Clinical Strength deodorant there was no hiding it. But he at least smelled like the subtle smell of his aftershave and lotion, an almost menthol richness that cooled the skin and made his skin feel baby soft while also cooling the lips of his partner when they kissed it.

Toki - this boy smells like the epoxy used to make his model air planes, the paint and primer he uses to paint them with too. He smells like wood chips, coal ash, leather, and metal dust when he works with the gears in the early morning before every one else wakes up. His hair always smelled of Heads and Shoulders 2 for 1 Shampoo and Conditioner. His sweat has a distinctive scent to it depending on the circumstances. Normally it’s very musky but it never smells bad. That changed however whenever he was stressed or when his sugars went too high. Then he stank to high heaven. Toki didn’t normally wear any deodorant or cologne however. He didn’t believe he needed any. This really didn’t change much when he went out somewhere special. Toki put some light smelling cologne on and washed with Irish Spring soap.

Skwisgaar - on a normal day Skwis smelled amazing. He took pride in his self care routine. The secret however was that he never used anything that was scented. He used all natural, organic ingredients to make his own unique soaps and shampoo lines that were astronomically expensive. He made oat milk and coconut butter conditioners perfect for curly hair. Shampoos made of oil lifting ingredients that also were gentle on the hair follicle. And a curl mask he kept in at night that was made of iced Aloe plants. His breath on the other hand… could use work. He brushed but not regularly enough to be called a routine. He just let the sour taste in his mouth tell him if he needed to brush or not. Which was unfortunate for his kissing partners. But no one ever complained. When he had to go to a fancy event he smelled like he walked out of the cologne section of a mall. He doused himself in $100,000 cologne that smelled to some like musky old man. To others however it was the most sensual thing in the world (to each their own). He changed his whole routine to be more “masculine” smelling for the ladies. Unfortunately he always managed to break out in hives after any formal event due to the cologne so he needed a few days of Benadryl and rest before he could do anything else.

Charles smelled like wood smoke, old leather, and paper and ink from the office. He did not sweat. It was just not something he allowed himself to do in front of others. But his cologne was distinct and distinguished, it smelled of leather, woody earthy smells, with a slight musk that would sweep anybody off their feet. None of this really changed when he went to formal events. His moto was “be ready for anything” whether that be to care for his bois mistakes at a press conference, meet the king of an important country, manage PR at a concert or party, or simply look good on a date. The only subtle difference in his scent was that he managed to smell like the dry cleaning he used.

Magnus smelled like metal shavings, gasoline, car oil, and grass. Being a mechanic he was often covered in some kind of smelly substance or another. On slow days at the shop he smells like rubber smoke from tires he had to burn. His sweat didn’t smell bad. It smelled of the hard work he put in for himself and his family. On date night however he bought the fanciest cologne he could afford and spritzed himself liberally. He brought out the fancy shampoo but he still smelled a little like work, which was calming to his partner. They’d never want him to cover up who he really is just for them.

[smillingcartoonist]

Doctor Who 7.07 The Rings of Akhaten

This episode have some amazing production design !! yeah let's put a bunch of aliens here no dispenses into re using part of old aliens costumes to make new one !! it must have been a nightmare to film this one actually !! I remember hating this one when I first watched, on re watched, it's fine, just like the rest of Season 7, that season does surfer on binge watch, like any one that is binging this show from Season 1, needs a warning to take it slow on this one, there is no gems on this season it's a bunch of mid episodes and bad ones !!

and what are aliens in the Chibnall era !!? Some humanoid people with Bumbs in their head !! whoa so creative !!

[cactusringed]

its t. literally if bdubs wins you will be the first person i think about. if he dies too. im so glad you liveblog your reactions to the episodes because i generally know where youre at to avoid spoiling you. the moment i find out about him winning. i truly think he could.

while having one foot in many worlds isnt great, bdubs really does have a lot of allies and sort of allies and just people who wouldnt kill him first. the roomies wouldnt kill him first, because he would help them if need be because of his thing with etho. hes too useful. pearl and joel wouldnt kill him.

also

bdubs has what he has never had before, and that is someone who is as loyal to him as he always is to others. pearl.

look do you want to know what i need from this. i need pearl to die fighting someone off from bdubs. i need her to do that and for him to win. i need someone to be his sword for once. i need her to die for him and for it to lead to his victory.

Brother I'll have to wait till the evening to binge all the episodes too this time imma be suffering esp because it means I can't even check tumblr while I'm bored KSJDKDJD phobic to me specifically

Yeah no I do think he could win... Although he mightve seriously hurt his allyship w pearl last episode, so I'm worried about that, she's not someone you want to anger or get on your bad side. But if he can cling to Joel then he should be okay. Joel's really good at being a red life.

I'm so worried because bdubs has a really difficult task rn, it would be better for him to reroll than spend all session trying to accomplish it, because it's so risky. I'm so worried because of that I rly rly hope for his sake he rerolls, I know it means - 2 hearts but if he gets an easier task he can very easily gain them back

He's also got martyn at his side although I wouldn't necessarily call martyn trustworthy.... I also don't know how much I would trust grian not to hurt bdubs, whilst cletho I think is pretty safe to assume won't lay a finger on him

As for gem and the scotts.... It's rrally hard to tell. Scott is always a force to reckon with in those series because he's such a try hard AJDKSJDD, and then both impulse and gem are very, very very very good at this game, so they are very much to be feared, and they're very tight knit. It wouldn't be surprising if one of them won, but I maintain that it would be more satisfying if someone like bdubs or etho or Joel won. It's not even just bc they're my blorbos I swear LOL they've just had such good arcs this season

I also don't know if scar would be likely to target bdubs.... Bdubs is very likely to target scar in spite of their 'truce'. I don't think scar realises just how angry bdubs still is at him. Thing is, Scar can be pretty deadly, and I thhhhink he's got more hearts than bdubs atm? So a fight against him might not go so well

Bless their hearts I don't think there's much to worry re: the heart foundation, I think they'll be mroe focused on getting revenge on Scar, Bdubs hasn't really antagonised them and they're also, I say this with so so much love, not amazing at pvp or being red lives LOL

Maybe.... Maybe..... I still believe... I believe with worry but I believe....

[vcutparis]

@03jyh23 (my heart leaped out of my chest reading that 3shot of hj i still cant move on and read longer pieces on here tysm 🤪🚬)

@seonghw4ffles (i need to learn how to make my characters alive from you like omg u have a way with distinct visualizations of a setting also friend, i'll be there for every post of your tumblr.)

@ennysbookstore (you're a gem. your works are a piece of literature. LIKE WHY AM I DOWN THE LEATHER WORK RABBITHOLE BECAUSE OF A FANFICTIONS GOO DLORD?>q)

@lividstar (ill be there for every work u put out on here. i have run out of time to finish your works liekhrjhng WOW. i want to take a day off from my lectures to binge read ur masterlist because spectacular give me 14 of them rightno- oh shit there's a lot i wont ask for more but ill be there)

@nonclassyparty (on my knees. what a world u ahve build in variations of a heartbreak and starring role, i felt like i'm reading a screenplay(?) thank you i have cried, laughed and hugged myself all while reading your works. i'll keep them tucked in a safe cool place and not under direct sunlight. 🫂❤️‍🩹)

@yundeob (*tasty in candy crush voice while looking at that hollywood masterlist* u have a cinema wh*re at ur feet, please keep writing *pops the confetti, bows and leaves the stage*)

@berryunho (OH HELLO THERE LEGEND, THANK YOU FOR MAKING GO DOWN THE RABBIT HOLD OF ATEEZ LORE. I THINK YOU'RE THE REASON I KINDA CONVERTED FROM A CASUAL STAN TO A ATINY. THANK YOU ‼️‼️🫡)

@bvidzsoo (oh my god, oh my good lord. your brain? your worldbuilding? let me inside ur brain. ur a gem. u captured me when i was new to ateez fanfic community on tumblr. black ocean masterlist is my home. i will always be there no matter what u think of writing.)

@hwaslayer (THE LEGEND OF ARMY FANFIC COMMUNITY TYSM FOR THE CONTRIBUTION TO THE ATEEZ COMMUNITY IM ABSOLUTELY BUZZED I CANT WAIT TO FIND TIME TO READ THE NORMANI ALBUM INSPIRED CHOIS SAN OH EMGEEEEE. )

@jiminrings (PRESIDENT!!!!!!!YOU ARE SO COOL SUCHA REVOLUTION IN MY LIFE EEEEEEKKKK YOU DONT KNOW HOW MANY TIMES U HAVE BROUGHT ME OUT OF MY CREATIVE SLUMP OH MY GOD IM IN ABOSLUTELY LOVE WITH YOUR WRITING ALL THOSE SCRIPTS I HAD LEFT BECAUSE I WAS SO FRUSTRATED BUT WOW THE ANGER I FELT BECAUSE OF FS YOONGI AND HB JIMIN????? applied all that emotion to my scripts and all the characters i ahd to write for my theatre class. please consider screenwriting, please please please)

@jeonstudios (i love the diversity of aus and tropes u use? absolutely fabulous, raised my standards as a reader)

@songmingisthighs (DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH YOUR UPDATES MAKE MY DAY????? i wish to be a background character of all your worlds in the fics because damn THE DRAMA THE EMOTIONS THEY ERUPT IN MY BEING???? abosolute sucker for that. please never leave writing i live your MCs)

@welcometomyoasis (if i could grow another heart to love all your fics, i definitely would make it happen anyhow. thank you for making me love seventeen from your persective)

@eightmakesonebraincell (YOUR'E SO KEWL? YOUR WORKS ARE SO KEWL? TEW GOOD? LITERALLY LIKE KAI SONGS OF ATEEZ FANFIC COMMUNITYidk if u got that but please know i just love your fics, your honour)

@wordstro (i knew i was fucked up by ateez when i stayed up and read all your fics and still cant finish the last parts of each one. thank you, from the heart.)

@fairyhaos ( JUST KNOW I ACQUIRED YOUR HABIT OF WRITING LONG TAGS IM STUPID FOR THSIBD BUT WOWBRFB I LOVE YOU HEADCANONS????? BEST HEADCANON-ER ON TUMBLR. PLEASE NEVER STOP. THEY ARE MY DRUG. SEVENTEEN FROM UR VISION ARE SO LOVE LOVE LOVE. SO ADORABLE CUTEIEBR FPIES.)

@sorryimananti-romantic (you're the kohinoor of this community. i adore all of that you have put out.)

@ahundredtimesover (miss mimi, your works have kept me company during the worst of my days and they have helped me grow a lot. thats all i can say. your characters always come to my mind whenever im going thru any phase of life. thank you so much. 🫂)

@go1denjeon (publish ur works and ill buy each copy from the nearest bookstore. i am so serious. i cant express how much ur fics ahve imapcted me in a revolutionary way.)

@seongwars (i ran a lap before entering the lecture room when i saw ur update of away with the wind. yes or no by jk was playing in my head i felt like i loved that day. ALSO THE WITCH READER AUDBGHVNBFHNDBGN I GRRRRRRR THANK YOU THANK TYOU THANK YOUUU)

@hwaightme (i love seonghwa from your eyes. i love ateez from ur eyes. thank you. i hope u get flowers gifted to you everyday, with a happy love movie soundtrack playing in the background.)

@skrrts (EVERY DAY i scroll thru tumblr and everyday i add fic from ur masterlist. i swear to god, i get a week off and ill read each one of them, i have read a few and wow GASP DOUBLE TRIPLE 100X GASPS i cant wait to marinate all of them and leave my thoughts in the tags T-T)

@adelusionforyourthoughts (YOUR TEXTS ARE SO SCRUMPTIOUS. I EAT THEM UP EVEYRTIME THANK YOU FOR THEM I LOVE TO READ THEM AAAGHHHH I HOPE YOU NEVER GET SUNBURNT, PILLOWS ALWAYS COLD, SOCKS NEVER GET WET)

@tomodachiii (slice of life au never au-ed like u made it do in svt tumblr. im in love with mingyu and his lil fam)

special mentions to all of them @kpopfanfictrash @whatifyoulivelikethat @namfinessed @pbandjk @bangtangalicious @yeojaa @crystaljins @hansolmates @suhnshinehaos @mint-yooxgi @yoonia (your stories had grabbed me by the throat, blurred my eyesight and unclogged my thoughts so good i really have no words left to convey what your characters and words have contributed to my mindset, my goals, my everything as a person. so thank you so much ☹️🤝)

It's Fanfic Writer Appreciation Day! So go on, appreciate the fuck out of those who generously share their ideas and talents with us. Today and every day after.

[starseedfxofficial]

The Hidden Rectangle: EURAUD Trading Tips That the Pros Won't Tell You The Forex market is like a playground for those who know where to look, and hidden gems like the rectangle pattern can be game-changers, especially when applied to EURAUD. If you're rolling your eyes, thinking, "Great, another pattern," I get it. But hold on a second. Imagine missing out on that perfect trade setup—kind of like going to a massive sale, but leaving your wallet at home. Yeah, nobody likes that feeling. Let’s make sure you’re not just showing up; you’re showing up ready and loaded. Rectangle Pattern: The Trend Pause You Never Knew You Needed Before we dig into why the rectangle pattern is a must-have in your EURAUD trading arsenal, let’s clear up what it actually is. Think of a rectangle pattern like a game of "tug-of-war" between buyers and sellers—nobody’s winning, but the tension keeps building. This price action moves sideways, giving us those nice and clean support and resistance levels that you can practically hear saying, "Hello, look here!" But why is it perfect for EURAUD? Well, EURAUD is known for its wild personality, like that one friend who’s the life of every party. It's full of surprises, yet tends to linger at certain levels just long enough for the savvy trader to capitalize. Why Most Traders Get EURAUD Rectangle Patterns Wrong Rectangle patterns may seem straightforward, but here’s the kicker—most traders get them wrong because they don’t understand when to play the breakout game and when to keep it cool. You see, the rectangle pattern often acts like an emotional rollercoaster—false breakouts and fake-outs, anyone? It’s like the trading equivalent of trying to navigate a maze blindfolded while someone moves the walls around. The trick here is knowing how to use volume analysis alongside the rectangle. A sharp increase in volume towards a breakout? That’s your clue, Sherlock. No volume? It’s probably just another “fake” friend trying to trick you into a bad decision, much like that one time you almost trusted a cat meme for financial advice. No judgment. How to Master EURAUD Rectangle Patterns with Volume Analysis Here’s where the real ninja tactics come in—you’ve got to blend that classic rectangle analysis with a volume study to gain the upper hand. - Identify the Rectangle: Obviously, first things first, spot that range. You’re looking for those flat lines—support and resistance levels that are unmistakable, like two rows of identical bowling pins. - Check the Volume: Here’s the secret sauce most people miss—monitor the volume closely. A breakout with a whisper-thin volume? That’s not your cue to enter. You're waiting for volume to spike like your caffeine intake during a late-night Netflix binge. - Wait for the Retest: If you want to trade rectangle patterns like a pro, patience is the name of the game. A lot of breakout traders get FOMO and jump in, only to end up like someone who bought that non-refundable flight ticket to a destination no one even likes. Always wait for a pullback to test that newly broken level before getting on board. The Secret of EURAUD's "Rectangle Rebounds" Want to hear a little-known trick for EURAUD? While most traders only look for breakouts, a contrarian (yes, that’s you now) loves to exploit fakeouts for profit. EURAUD tends to give false breaks, especially in the Asian session when market liquidity isn’t as high. This means that if the price briefly breaks out of the rectangle without volume to back it up, there’s a good chance it’s just playing a game of peek-a-boo before it slips back inside. Exploiting these rebounds can be hugely profitable. Think of it as your typical sitcom scenario—like when someone tries to make a grand entrance and accidentally slips. The re-entry is what you're eyeing, and boy, it’s satisfying when it happens. The Power Move: Combining Rectangle Patterns with News Events EURAUD can’t help but react dramatically to economic news, especially given that we’re dealing with two economies that are often moving in different directions—Europe and Australia. Here’s a master-level trick: if EURAUD is sitting in a rectangle pattern ahead of a major news release—say, the European Central Bank decides to make an announcement—get ready for fireworks. The rectangle pattern is basically the market's way of saying, "We’re waiting for something big." When the news comes, volume pours in, and the breakout becomes clearer. Pairing technicals with news-based momentum? That’s like ordering dessert and realizing it’s on the house—unexpected, sweet, and totally worth it. The Fakeout Bounce: Turning a Common Pitfall into Profit Here’s a juicy insider tip: many traders—even those who’ve been around the block—fall victim to fakeouts. It’s the classic case of “oops, I thought it was a breakout.” But if you’ve got a keen eye for spotting a fakeout, it’s a golden opportunity. Enter after the price slips back into the rectangle, and ride it towards the opposite end. This type of move happens more often in EURAUD because this pair loves fakeouts more than a cat loves knocking things off tables. Trading a fakeout bounce is like knowing the plot twist of a movie before everyone else—you’ve got the inside scoop, and you’re already adjusting accordingly. Leveraging StarseedFX Tools for EURAUD Mastery By now, you might be thinking, "These insights are cool, but how do I consistently spot these moves?" That’s where tools come into play. At StarseedFX, we’ve got resources like the Smart Trading Tool to help with those tricky lot sizes, and our free trading journal helps you refine strategies without needing a crystal ball. Not to mention, you’ll get daily alerts and expert-level guidance, which is like having your own GPS through the maze that is Forex trading. - Latest Economic Indicators and Forex news to keep you ahead of upcoming fireworks. Check it out here. - Forex Education: Want to take rectangle pattern trades from rookie to rockstar? Grab some free courses here. - Community Membership: Join like-minded traders in the StarseedFX community for live alerts, analysis, and ninja-level tips. Learn more. The EURAUD Rectangle Recap So, let’s summarize some of the most important takeaways here: - Rectangle Pattern: It’s a game of waiting and knowing when the breakout is genuine. - Volume is Your Ally: Check volume like it’s a secret ingredient—because it is. - Contrarian Moves Win: Watch for fakeouts during quieter sessions; there’s profit to be made where most see only mistakes. - News Events Add Power: Pair rectangle breakouts with news to catch big moves. The rectangle pattern isn’t just another brick in the wall; it’s a launchpad for solid trades. EURAUD loves playing mind games, but if you understand the rules and have the right strategies, you’ll always stay one step ahead. Now, what about you? Ever caught a rectangle breakout that turned into a full-blown home run? Or maybe you’ve been burned by a fakeout in the past? Share your stories, and let’s learn from each other’s experiences in the comments below! —————– Image Credits: Cover image at the top is AI-generated   Read the full article

[lustrumlane]

RE: WITNESSES | Anisha

Anisha watches the beam shoot through the gun... Her eyes go WIDE. While everyone else is fighting over Dante and Matt, Anisha points at the gun. "It's early, but even so, I have a theory!"

Anisha slams her fist into her palm like a gavel. 

"First, thank you for testing that, Emerson- um, but any further tests should probably be operated by someone who can handle a bit of ol' fashioned recoil. But really, nice work! Because... This changes things. I'm not sure what it means, but I think that the beam is why the one crystal is damaged in the circle. It was directly behind Upsilon, and that shot went clean through the front of her at seemingly no real horizontal angle. So, beam goes through her, hits the crystal, damages it. Badda bing, badda boom."

Anisha makes a finger gun and aims it forward like a rifle, one eye closed. "This may seem obvious now, but if the damage to the crystal was caused by the laser, which I now believe is true, it provides us with a lot more information than you'd think. One, Upsilon was definitively shot standing up or at least in some way upwards, not in the pool. She would've definitely gotten shot and fallen back, but we already suspected this. However... The crystals were significantly smaller than her, and lower down... To hit them, that means that the shooter would've been aiming downwards, causing the beam to go through her and into the gem! Upsilon is 5'8, meaning that, if my theory is correct, either this person shot from a tree... Which I guess is possible, but I doubt it... OR!"

Anisha holds her gun up like she's cockily holding a pistol now.

"Two, our shooter would be significantly taller than Upsilon!"

She blows smoke off her fake hand-pistol.

"Of course, there could be other explanations: like the deck being higher than the spa (which it is actually now that I think about it). I think the angle is a vital thing to consider, and we should focus on these details before we start questioning alibis... No offense to Matt, though, I just wanna keep us focused."

She says the in-parentheses part pretty fast, eyes darting upwards to the side. Is she basically pacing around the scene in her mind palace right now?

[popculturebuffet]

Hang Around For Scooby Doo: SD Ghoul School Review (Comission for Emma Fici)

Happy Halloween all you happy people! Our halloween stuff rolls on as I introduce a new not at all consitent series on this blog, Hang Around For Scooby Doo! This probably won't be a monthly thing like my muppets reviews, but it will be fun.

See over a year and a half ago my good friend @jess-the-vampire and I started having movie nights every Tuesday and Wedsday on her nights off. It was during this we found a mutual love of Scooby Doo, both having grown up with it despite being a generation apart. So when she told me about a Scooby Doo film where Scooby goes into space in a trek inspired heavily by BioShock and alien, how could I say no? The film was Moon Monster Madness, and I shall cover it some day. Finding out i'd missed films like this made me curious: I'd grown up with the DTV scooby movies, even watching them into high school on sick days or summer days as CN played them a lot, but after Chill Out, Scooby Doo, they stopped playing them as much, and I stopped seeing them as a result.

So in over a year and a half we watched and re-watched ALLL OF THEM. No hyperbole. We watched the greats, we found hidden gems and we also suffered through Return To Zombie Island and Fred's weird singing voice in the somehow boring vampire musical. And once we were done… we kept going and have been watching some Scooby doo ever so often since. We watch other stuff sure, it's how I got sucked down the Miraculous Ladybug Hole, but it's built on a foundation of Scooby Doo

And of course watching entirely too much Scooby Doo has given me a MASIVE repository of review material yet untapped. From weird individual episodes like Shaggy becoming king of the goths, Fred's ass terrifying everyone, One of NSYNC framing the Gang for crimes, Shaggy nearly being drowned for being a witch or a rejected skeletor minion haunting a 70's dude at Wimbledon. IT's a weird wonderful buffet and since my good friend Emma commissioned this from me, we got a great place to start digging in Shaggy style so Hang Around after the Read More for Scooby Doo: Ghoul School!

The history for this one is interesting, as this flim happens to be part of another small project I've intended to start for a while: an on and off look at the Superstar 10, 10 films packaged for Hanna Barbera's funtastic world of hannaa barbera saturday morning block. Even if you haven't heard of them, you may of seen some as all three red shirt shaggy films as well as Flintstones Meet the Jetsons are part of it, and cartoon network tended to air them a lot growing up as they filled up time nicely. Why the others weren't used, especially since one of Yogi Bear's other films, his wonderful christmas special, was aired every year…

But the non-scooby ones are only avaliable via Warner Archives, so i'm curoius to see what hiden gems and things that are better off locked in the archives lie in wait, so once again while this review is paid for, it's something that was inevitble.

The Superstar Ten Trilogy of Scooby Films is highly notable for being the first Scooby Doo films, the ones that likely gave the crew of Zombie Island to try one for the DTV market as unsuprisingly these three had vhs' (and I had one for the reluctant werewolf. Wish I still did. It was sweet. ). These films paved the way for us to have almost 50 MORE after them.

This trilogy is also intresting for when it was made: coming out in the mid 80's, this was around the same time as 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo, The New Scooby Doo shows and others that largely broke from formula with Fred and Velma largely put on a bus , leaving the gang just Scooby, Shaggy, Daphne.. Scrappy

And their bitching van. Despite the show before it being the bane of many fans at the times existence, the Daphne and Shaggy era shows are well regarded and I hope to binge 13 ghosts at some point as it sounds utterly awesome. Weirdly though despite Scrappy's wide backlash he wasn't the team member to get dumped for these movies, with the trio instead being reduced to just Shaggy, Scooby and Scrappy. Now…

Scrappy.. really isn't that annoying here. He still has his traits of running at danger and being Scooby's Hype Dog, but he's also fairly intelligent, helpful and functions as a replacement Fred without being nearly as bland as pre-Zombie Island Fred Jones. I mean he can't say treasure that special way

But he still does well. It's why i'm really baffled at how Scrappy's been reduced to either not existing anymore (Curse of the 13th ghost) or a hilarious joke not to be talked about (Mystery Incorpeated): yes he's widely hated but you can do stuff with him as seen with the 2001 Movie and Scooby Apocalypse. And you can do stuff with him as is. I will always be in favor of fixing a character if possible instead of just tossing them aside because it's supposedly what people want, something I doubt will change for poor Scrappy as Warner Bros Discovery has shown it doesn't care what anyone wants, needs or feels.

The Red Shirt Trilogy is also notable for being one of the biggest examples of real monsters in the franchise. As I found out via Billiam's videos these weren't the first time this happened, but it became one of the most memorable, both due to these films getting replayed more often than the scrappy era shows, and because of the neat designs, memorable characters, and all three breaking from the mystery of the week format. Sure there is an unmasking in Boo Brothers, but instead of trying to figure out whose haunting them the Red Shirt trilogy focuses on different genres each time: Reluctant Werewolf is a very mild Horror Comedy that turns into Wacky Races, and our feature presentation today being a slice of life school based story that turns into an adventure film in the last act. It shows just how flexible Scooby Doo is and why it's lasted so long: You can do a LOT with these characters, whether there's a mystery or not and new writers never stop coming or having new ideas to bring to the table. While it was a surprise, it wasn't hugely shocking to find out the writer of this one, Glenn Leopold, went on to write the first three dtv scooby doo movies, all very different. It does surprise me he wrote the godawful and boring Scooby-Doo! in Arabian Nights, but I forgive him.

So with that we can actually get to the movie itself which as I said is a shockingly chill for most of it's runtime slice of life comedy: Shaggy, Scooby and Scrappy are heading to Grimwood's School for Girls to become the new gym teachers. Some of you less familiar with Scooby Doo may laugh, but keep in mind both Scooby and Shaggy are storied Laugh-A-Lympics trained athletes, their team the Scoobie Doobies having won a mind boggling 14 out of 24 games in this storied contest, and Shaggy would later participate in the World Invitational Games. Their more than qualified. Scrappy is there because I assume Scooby just adopted him at some point becaues having scrappy for a child did this to a his mother

So she had to pass the curse on to someone. Naturally things can't ever be easy for our heroes and they find out that while Miss Grimwood herself seems human, we'll get to that, the rest of the students are all the daughters of classic horror monsters: Sibella, the fantastic daughter of dracula with a habit of saying fantastic, using her hair like a cape (something Jess caught and I didn't) and turnign into a bat, Elsa Frankentien, daughter of Frankenstien and somehow bride of Frankenstein, maybe they had hate sex and they alternate weeks I dunno, Phanty, a delightfully hyper phantom with a love of exorcist head and a dad whose apparently the phantom of the opera's ghost? I have a lot of questions I dont' think Erik is ever going to answer. but I mean.. it tracks. He does die in most adaptations, so… there's that, Winnie the son of some sort of wolfman, and Tanis, an adorable Mummy child whose conception is best left a mystery.

Shaggy naturally tries to run the fuck away but he's under contract, with Scooby and Scrappy as witnesses. What's nice though is while Shaggy is, being shaggy, is a bit freaked at first he quickly warms up to the girls. It's a gradual shift and while the character development probably could be done a tad more overtly, it still works for the time with Shaggy going from being afraid of these precious children to genuinely supporting them and being the coach they need. The bulk of the first act is just shaggy training up these girls and doing fun exercises with them. The girls even happily get their coach a pizza without being asked when he can't find anything he likes to eat at grimwood (understandably since in classic adamss family fashion everything's rotten). And while it has cobwebs and stuff they genuinely like it and try it. It's small stuff.. but it works.

It helps the girls themselves are incredibly endearing. Their not huge on personality in the dialogue itself, mostly being limited to their traits of "Vampire", "Kinda awkward", "goofy and does the head spin", "energetic werewolf" and "baby girl baby", but the various quirks they have animation wise and their genuine kindness and enthuastim towards their coaches make them hard not to root for. It's no wonder the five became instant fan faviorites and it's more suprising it took TWENTY YEARS to have any sort of followup, especially since after likewise breaking out the Hex Girls have shown up in every series sense. Also if your curious yes we will be getting to it this halloween, Emma's using her patreon review for it. Their just well designed, fun characters and add to the fun chill atmosphere. It's also a nice lesson about tolerance without hitting you over the head with it: Shaggy sees someone different, reacts badly, but grows to see them as what they are: people who are different but at the end of the day still just people. Simple yet heartwarming.

Playing our girls we have Susan Blu, whose a long time voice actor and voice director, best known for this flim and Transformers The Movie as Arcee, as Sibella, Patty Maloney who played Twiki on Buck Rogers a few times and Darla in the 80's version of the little rascals I just found out existed, as Lil Tanis, the late, great Russi Taylor as Phanty, Susan Blu, mother of Mae Witman it turns out and vetran va as Elsa, and the late longtime HB voice actress Marilyn Schreffler as Winnie. Impressively all but two of them came back for the OK KO reunion years later, with only Schreffler and Maloney being replaced as the former had sadly passed ona nd the later had retired, with it being JUST in time to catch Russi Taylor before her tragic passing not long after.

As for what Shaggy's coaching them for in grand 80's fashion he's training them for the big game with the snotty rivals just next door, the Callaway Cadets who seem to be actively in denial about the girls being monsters. Thankfully while they avoid the trap of most standard 80's

Characters: Unlike say Huey Dewey and Louie or the bros of my little pony tales, the boys, while cocky and confident, are mostly just clever and ready to win and are heavily regimented. At most their petty jerks and cheaters, but there's no overt sexism needing to be taught a lesson here. It's also nice that their one plus sized member Tug is NOT singled out for his weight or the subject of constant fat jokes. Which doesn't seem like a high bar clear but for the time it is. At most he falls on a guy maybe once. Their a little charming but obviously leagues behind the girls in terms of actually being memorable. Their col is also delightfully stuck up, the Callaway himself. Their also well child acted, with future robin Scott Mellinvlle being one of them.

I will admit there's not a huge amount of build up to said game, it's the main goal for 2/3 of the movie but htere's no traning montages or real drive to win other than Tanis wanting one for her big ass mummy case. But it really doesn't matter: It's more about having fun with these characters with the game simply a setup for said fun and some hyjinks. The big game isn't the reason we're here, i'ts to see shaggy and scooby get into antics, some ghoul children be adorable and quirky, and legendary action Glynis Johns to ham it up to all hell as Mrs. Grimwood. Mrs. G is delightful, being wonderful supportive of her girls, a decent enough boss, and fun to be around. She's also in my eyes a witch since, given the later OK KO crossover, that's an actual species in this unvierse and we don't have one on the good guys side so why not. She also has an octopus butler i'm hence dubbing Geoffry. He rocks even if I somehow forget about him EVERY TIME I watch this film. The film is good Adams Family/Munsters style fun complete with thinking creepy things are fun, eating gross food, and shrieking for exercise making the two buzzards who work there quit.

The actual game is engaging though as you want the girls to win, they use their powers, the boys use the power of cheating, it's good times. Seriously the cadets just.. blatantly cheat in front of them. Dick Dastardly at least had the decency to try and do it while no one but the audience was looking. Come on man. OUr heroines naturally win of course, with Tanis getting the trophy that they just pass back and forth because why not.

We also get a really adorable scene as it's PARENTS DAY!… which for Shaggy and Scooby means

Though it turns out like their kids the various parents.. are all nice. Tanis' dad in paticular gets the immortal line "I don't want to hurt you I want to HUG YOU!" Awww, what a sweetheart. THey also all thretan to straight up murder shaggy and scooby if their daughters get hurt

This leads us into the last act.. and the weakest part of the film. See either because the script ran short, the execs wanted it or the writer just done goofed, the last part feels kind of jammed in there. The first chonk of the film is fun slice of life while the last third is an adventure film with horror elements in which the dread witch Revolta and her much cooler and more intmidating assitant the Grim Creeper kidnap the girls and plan to brainwash them to give Revolta an army to become top monster since the girls dads went soft raising families. I mean dracula emptied a whole boat before settling down. Can't argue that.

The problem is besides Revolta feeling really jammed in, only showing up for one scene to show us she exists in the first section of the film, she's also REALLY boring. Ruta Lee gives a great voice performace but Revolta's design is meh and her personality is entirely absent. She has no motive other than

Which granted isn't much of a step down from most scooby doo villians crooked real estate schemes, but it just makes her boring. And if she did more I might respect her but she spends the film sending out minons, her spider bats and the again far more awesome grim creeper and grousing at the Creeper ocasionally. She could be replaced by her sidekick entirely and the film would not change. She also somehow.. surivives the finale? Which like.. is someone going to send the cops after her? Are there monster cops? Would anyone else want to see that spinoff? Valid questions.

The Creeper is great though, voiced by Andre Stojka who played the owl in winnie the poo after this. Great guy. The creeper has a neat , creepy design, a great voice and depsite bein ga tad goofy is a through threat, being the one who actually you know does shit, using his vines to grab people, going out to help the spider-bats with the kidnapping and generally doing all the work. He even tries feading Scooby , Shaggy and Scrappy to a well dweller who also looks neat, and is cleverly defeated by scrappy getting it to play with a bouncing ball. I genuinely wish he was the main villian. Granted I also love any and all cyclopses like this boy here

But still the Grim Creeper rocks. The last third of the film dosen't: Once the kidnappings happen, which are genuinely creepy and unsettling , paticuarlly Sibella as while she tries to escape she's captured mid-air by the bats and Winnie and Tanis who are dragged into an abandoned shack by their big sister figures, so it's not al lbad.. but then the last 25 minutes is just almost entirely our heroes dicking around a castle. There's some good bits such as Shaggy meeting the bad shaggy, because he's the good shaggy, whose just a …

With Evil Shag being genuinely creepy.. but instead of serving any plot ponit he just.. runs back into the mirror after chasing Scooby and then Scrappy for a bit while the girls chant "I obey only revolta " to an annoying degree. It'd be creepier to have them actually attack their surrogate uncles instead of just, you know chanting and doing nothing. It's not TERRIBLE, the good set pieces help outweigh the bad parts, but it's nothing really special or necessary after 2/3 of a really fun chill slice of life comedy.

The climax likewise is just kinda there: Our heroes just happen to accidently break Sibella free, she frees the rest, and the cadets, who previously refused to help for no good reason…

Had a change of heart and decided to come help and take everyone away on their helicopter they have because the one kids an inventor and they actually set it up so good for them. Our heroes escape and have a really fun dance party to the Scrappy Rap, aka Scrappy being shockingly fun as an mc. It's cheesy sure but it's sstill got a decent beat, is fine for a goofy 80's film, and is far from the most embarassing rap i've seen

The ending.. dosen't quite work for me as Shaggy and Scooby run off from next semesters kids: A creature from the black lagoon who looks delightfully orange, an alien, and Godzooky 2: The Quickening. Seriously I want to know more about these kids they look adorable. GIVE ME A SEQUEL YOU COWARDS

DON'T GIVE ME ONE FOR GOD'S SAKE YOU COWARDS.

So that was Scooby Doo and the Ghoul School and while far from the deepst or scariest scooby work, it's one of the funnest, the most creative and it has an octopus butler. None of us can say that and more should frankly. If you can find it, as it is on DVD at least, check it out. It's a fun ride and easily the best of the Red Shirt Trilogy, which i'll get back to.. eventually. For now have a good day, follow me here for more and on patreon, feel free to hit me up for comissions and thanks for reading.

[theroomofreq]

can you give me muggle jily recs pleaaseeee <3 :D

HOW MANY HIGH-QUALITY MUGGLE JILY FICS ARE THERE?? TOO MANY TO COUNT. *cracks knuckles* BUT I am here for the challenge. Jily AUs are my JAM.

Again, shoutout to our amazing @jilyarchive friends who tag every wonderful muggle jily au they come across. here is the link that will take you to their tags page. You'll find links to specific tropes and AUs :')

I've searched through my own AO3 bookmarks and history tabs, and I present to you 28 jily muggle fics that I LOVE. I am THRILLED thinking about all the good things in store for those that read these wonderful stories. This list took me ages to make because I went through and reread most of these brilliant fics. Happy reading !! xx

properly improper by @lizardcookie

“Marry me,” Mr. Potter repeats, closing the distance between them by striding back up towards the sofa, only to stop and crouch to one knee right there at her feet, looking up at her. Burning. “Pick me,” he elaborates. “Pick me, choose me, love me instead.”

- this fic is the reason why I comment the way that I do (spoiler it's because it's amazing)

The Wedding Ring by @mppmaraudergirl

What is undeniably worse than attending your sister's wedding looking as desolate and forgotten as a wilted houseplant? Drunkenly ringing your ex-boyfriend and asking him to be your date.

- SOBS UNCONTROLLABLY AT THE PERFECTION

Oh my god, they were ROOMMATES by @magic-girl-in-a-muggle-world

Silly one-shot, Muggle AU with Fem!Jily as pining roommates and Marlene as their matchmaker.

- the fic that brought me back to jily and inspired my deep obsession of fem!jily

Swipe Right, Swing Left by @downn-in-flames

The unspoken rule of using dating apps in D.C. is that you always start with where you work.

James Potter, it seems, never picked up on that one.

- giddy just thinking about this gem

'Tis the Damn Season by @petalstofish

It doesn't feel like Christmas for Lily Evans, not after losing her parents to COVID before the Holiday season. She anticipates spending Christmas all alone until a boy from her past shows up and offers her a mutually benefiting deal that has her calling him 'babe' just for the weekend. 'Tis the damn season, after all.

- cries in respect for lyrical writing

Watch Me Unwind by @maraudersftw

Lily Evans hates her job, hates the bigoted customers she has to serve as a bartender at the richest club in the city. But the one person who makes bearing all of it worth it has someone else in his arms tonight. (Rated: M)

- obsessed with the way the plot jumps around the time line in this

oil be there for you by @abby10fanfic

Texting/Social Media AU: Lily and James haven't spoken for 2 years. But that's all about to change thanks to Peter and his involvement in an essential oil pyramid scheme. Featuring boss babes, toxin-free lifestyles, binding contracts, and a very oily journey.

- YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE HOW FAB THIS IS

a matchmaking mission by @downn-in-flames

James Potter has a mission: get Sirius Black and Remus Lupin to finally admit that they both fancy the pants off each other by Valentine's Day.

His partner in crime? Lily Evans, Remus' flatmate, who he also happens to be slightly in love with

- DOUBLE the amount of pining idiots in love :")

about time by @jilyss

'sure, yeah, I can accompany you to that black tie event for your work tonight. wait. why are we on a red carpet?'

- this is my emotional comfort fic, your honor

whiskey business by @elanev91

Sirius Black has a (bad?) habit of picking up hobbies that take over his and James' flat -- this most recent one? Homemade vodka that James now has to try and peddle to everyone in the building.

- hysterical! must read!

Fashion Disaster by @maraudersftw

James Potter is roped into an awful dare by his best-mate, which involves him wearing atrocious pieces of clothing for all days until Christmas as dictated by Sirius. If this wasn't terrible enough, he now has to contend with his maddening crush on the beautiful saleswoman at the clothing store.

- classic hijinks that I live for

it wasn't a pity invite by @elanev91

Part of the December "Winter Tropes" Jily challenge. Prompt: my family invites you to join our holiday meal as an obvious setup and omG i’m so sorry

- awkward Christmas date that owns my heart

spice and honey by @clare-with-no-i

tagging along with her food reporter sister to profile James Potter, London's hottest young chef, is not how Lily Evans pictured her Monday going - especially if he's anything like Petunia’s described.

needless to say, she's in for a whirlwind at Chez Maraudeur.

- I'm one re-read away from printing this out and putting it on my bookshelf.

Waffle Wars by @elanev91

There's only one waffle maker in the dining hall and it literally always breaks. So, naturally, the only reasonable course of action is to meticulously map out when it's working and, ultimately, do a heist.

- the witty narration in this fic can not be matched

You Can Hear It In The Silence by @alrightginger

Lily is non-verbal and deaf in a world where the things your soulmate says about you end up written on your skin. She has known about her soulmate since she was seven, but knows they don't have a clue she exists and possibly never will.

- exquisite, cue me sobbing forever

out the window by @displayheartcode

A new family moves to Ottery St Catchpole.

- everything I could ever want in a fic, forever in my mind rent free

The Christmas Guest by @thegodmachine

An Evans Family Christmas: Petunia is bringing her fiancé and Lily is bringing her…Friend…

- petunia pov that gives me WINGS

Football, Calculus, and Cappuccinos by @moonawrites

At eighteen years old, James Potter has a lot going on. He's a rising star navigating the politics of professional football, the pitfalls of sudden fame, the fallout from choosing his dream over his father's company... and a serious crush on the red headed new barista at his favourite coffee shop.

- I'm still working my way through this fic, but trust me when I say its a GEM

if u like pina coladas by @zephyrcove

Lily is desperate for a date to Petunia's wedding, James has been pining, and their friends meddle ;)

- explain to me how characters can be so perfect via texting fics?

Shelf Awareness by @ghostofbambifanfiction

It's too far out of her way and she's wasting so much money, but Lily can't help but return to the bookstore every weekend, where her passion for good literature has, perhaps, been unexpectedly reignited by the messy-haired, pun-making, rather handsome bloke who works there.

- you absolutely must know that I binge read this and then immediately REREAD it

How to win a witch in 10 days by @adenei

“She’s going to find some unsuspecting wizard, get him to fall for her, and then do all the things that turn men away to get him to break things off! Won’t it be the best way to see what witches do that drives men crazy?” But what happens when the man in question is a blast from Lily Evans's past? A Jily Magical AU based on the romantic comedy "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days."

- fic based off of a rom com? YES PLZ :’)

The Fight Before Christmas by @ghostofbambifanfiction

The heartwarming Christmas tale of Lily Evans and James Potter - two plucky kids who hated one other, until the day they really, really didn't.

- complete sucker for this one

All This Time by @thejilyship

James and Lily grew up next door to one another. Their bedroom windows giving them glimpses into the others life, and also offering prime opportunities to argue with each other over every little thing. They never figured out how to be friends when they were kids, but now that they've graduated from college and are home for the summer, they have a second chance to get things right.

- one of my favvvv tropes

Let Me Love You by @thejilyship

With only a month until she's set to take the throne of Gryffindor, Lily is informed that she'll have to get married or choose to give up her throne. She never thought she'd have to even entertain the idea of an arranged marriage. Enter, James Potter.

- cries in princess diares AU

The Fabulous Baker Brothers by @frustratedpoetwrites

Lily walks a different route home from work and stumbles upon a cute little Bakery with an even cuter baker in the window.

- yes yes yes to embarrassed pining.

Marigold Mornings by @mppmaraudergirl

This is a fun game she thinks, as she removes her hand from his side and reaches up to run it down his chest.  He catches her hand in his own, takes a step forward so that her nose nearly brushes against his shirt. She can feel the heat radiating off of him—or maybe it’s from her. He licks his lips and her eyes are drawn to the motion.  She knows it is a bad idea, absolutely knows it.

- incredible storytelling featuring dynamic characters :') a favvv

Welcome to Pettyville by@women-inthe-sequel @alrightginger

When Lily Evans accidentally sends a text to the wrong number, she isn’t expecting to find the right person behind it. She can’t stop talking to Prongs. The only thing is, Prongs can’t stop talking about the girl in his class. What could go wrong, other than the number?

- LOVE SQUARE ANYONE

The Kiss a Stranger Project by @alrightginger

“What’s your name, then?” she asks, realizing they haven’t even properly introduced themselves yet. She nervously crosses her arms.

You shouldn’t kiss a guy without knowing his name first.

Right?

- THIS ONE WILL LIVE IN MY MIND FOREVER

[a-bucket-full-of-feels]

I binged re-watched hakata hyakkaten season 1 and 2 many years after, and i’m reminded why this show is such an underrated gem which transformed me into a hkt oshi:

- this was hkt’s first variety show which featured them alone only without any “veteran” members (other than the sister group guest members), and they were all diamonds in the rough, trying to figure out the kind of character they wanted to portray as an idol, and looking back you can really see the growth from back then vs how they were many years later up till present/the moment of graduation

- like within these 2 seasons of hyakkaten you can see several members finding their personality e.g. natsumikan’s transformation into hkt’s “boss” by the end of s2 and finding her niche in MCing/talking, chiichan’s “ponkotsu captain” character being established

- although i would like to note that it’s quite amazing that chori and to some extent tani (she didn’t appear much cos 2nd gen) were such natural comedians from the moment they appeared on the show - chori was basically as funny today as she was back in 2013 (also we were robbed of a potential star hkt owarai combi chori/tani cos they were too good for hkt and had to be pulled to akb/ske)

- the weird recurring jokes/segments were really something e.g. chiichan trying to play the guitar at every opportunity, aoi crying at the most trivial shit, murashige trying to appeal to the guests every episode by standing up and shouting “xxx daisuki!!”, the “gui gui corner” which first was just murashige but eventually including some of the more variety oriented girls who would take every opportunity to stand up to be noticed

- i’m just blown away at sasshi’s MC skills - she was able to draw our attention to the uniqueness of the hkt girls while at the same time bringing in a lot of her own personality and making entertaining comments - and all at just 19 years old (back then i didn’t think that was a big deal, but in retrospect as a much older person now i’m like...wow)

- something i also noticed a bit more in the rewatch is how much the girls look up to and trust sasshi e.g. the way they tend to look at her a bit more when talking in the presence of the guest members (especially when it’s just the 3 of them) - a subtle detail, not sure if i’m looking to much into it

arguably, hkt48 no odekake was the show that helped to bring out a lot more of the members’ personalities since it was a longer running show and the format was less structured, but it’s way too long to binge and i don’t recall that many iconic moments lol. but the “rawness” of hyakkaten was what made it charming and cemented hkt 1st gen as one of my favourite 48g teams

[the-nysh]

... alright! i'm tired! tired of 90% of your blog being blacked out to me because i censored 'trigun' 😭 tell me, where do i begin? where do i start... consuming, this story? there's like, an anime, i know, and the... rewrite of said anime?? all based on a manga i assume??? where do i start. what do i see. what do i skip. tell me i cannot live with this hamster drip of nysh content 😭😭

...?! HOLD UP also rip to your blacklist omfg I was totally under the impression you already knew, since you were the very first to notice a while back and ask me opinionated stuff about it! x'D Fortunately I've answered a similar ask relating to your current predicament~

As you can probably guess, each 'version' of Trigun essentially has its own separate canon (the 98 anime, the manga, and the new Stampede anime; there's 3 whole cakes to enjoy here~) as different tellings of the story + characters that diverge to explore the core themes and messages in their own ways. I do not recommend skipping anything, as it all builds to the lore, world, and characters! :O (Yes, even the silly 'filler' breather eps in the 98 anime's first half all build towards the whole picture, slowly revealing bits and pieces along the way. Even the 'recap' ep at midway pieces everything about Vash's character together thru Meryl's perspective, then introduces more to reframe what's known about him in new complexity.)

But if you're familiar with the old 98 anime (as I've been since 20+yrs ago) I'd recommend a rewatch just to freshen your memory of what happens. JYB's iconic voice work for the dub makes it worth (re)watching alone. Note the anime was created before the manga was even finished, so it draws from the first few early volumes then essentially becomes its own anime-original plotline with different lore akin to how the first fma anime went for example. :O Which upon rewatching recently myself, while it def has some dated 90s bits/gags you can safely ignore, the writing's core messages, themes, intent, and character-driven growth are still very solid and satisfying, with plenty of room left open for more. The strong emotional beats hit very hard for some unsuspecting watchers - going from a seemingly silly lighthearted episodic slapstick comedy at first, to transitioning thru the tragedies of some very heavy/difficult topics later. But worth it for the hopeful, healing process of living through major loss and trauma, and recovering from suffering emotional breakdowns and depressive spirals. :') So fair warning to pace yourself with breaks if needed, without speeding/binge-watching through that kind of content (eps23-25 are where it Hurts the hardest)!

...Cause then the manga takes all those emotional beats (+ the plot & characters) even further and harder than the old anime ever could!!! 8'D That coming out of that will probably make you question your whole existence worldview. Yes, the story's one of those gems that'll probably change your life~ In ways you simply have to experience for yourself to decide what meaning/interpretation/value it holds for you.

But Stampede is completely different from the old anime, since it draws its lore from the completed manga! :O While restructuring and exploring things in a whole new way. As long as you realize that - to not compare it to the old anime (since it's not a 'rewrite' of that story at all) and see it with open eyes as its own independent artform, then you'll have a much better time. Since I'd read the manga beforehand, I really enjoyed seeing the many endgame plot elements Stampede mixed in to set up and enrich what happens. You can of course choose to go in watching blind without that manga knowledge--it's up to you, but imo there's many more layers of appreciation once you realize how much they happened to rearrange and spin into their own thing. (So personally, I'd check out the manga first so you aren't spoiled with sudden endgame elements introduced early here.) BECAUSE, the biggest telling hint is seeing the whole season's timeline as an establishing 'prelude' of sorts before one of the major story events [July City] even happens (cause in the original story--for both the manga & old anime, that incident happens before the story begins, but here it's all different lead up with modified character backstories) with plenty more to continue the manga's (Trimax's) unadapted plot later in s2. Where of course you can have preferences to how it's done, but the overall lesson here is to have patience and let Studio Orange cook, because they knew exactly what they were doing--they did their homework on many meticulous fields of Interest, with everything done with care and purpose (yes, all those conspicuous 'odd' details like the reason why Milly's not here yet- it's explained!) with genuine love for the source material. :'D

The source material which--yes, begins as the Trigun manga (2 vols) and continues renamed as Trigun Maximum (14vols) under a new publisher as a hard seinen. Which currently! The fandom's having a whole bookclub (re)reading event, so it's the perfect time to join in if you feel so inclined! 8'D For enjoying maximum emotional damage and suffering, but easier to cope, navigate, and process among a friendly and supportive group environment~ I've already read the official Dark Horse translation (easily found on most manga sites, but thankfully there's a new hardcover reprint incoming!) but currently I'm trying a reread of the overhaul fan translation instead, as I hear it's more accurate overall. :'3 Hopefully all this info helps, as I bet there's plenty of overwhelming content you may have missed out on!

[smol-and-grumpy]

So it's been a bit of a rough patch for me lately and last night I was feeling even more down than usual so to cheer me up I re-read home to you. I just needed a bit of caring, stubborn protector soldier!dean.

I literally devoured the whole thing in one night. Because that's me - the binge reading little worm 😅, and I cannot wait for your other series to be completed so I can obsess over them.

I don't think I will ever be able to thank you enough for creating a little island with your blog and stories that is a safe heaven for me - that it manage to ground me and make me dream at the same time. I'm also extremely sorry because I would really love to support you in the way you deserve by signing up for your patreon but it seems that every single time I manage to spare some money the world around me goes to hell and I'm back to square one.

'Till the day I will be able to actually give you something back for your incredible talent I will continue to support in any way I can even if is not as much as I would like to.

Thank you again for making me smile and cry, curse and dream. You're a rare gem in this world!

First of all, I’m sorry you feel so down, babe. I hope you’re feeling better now, though.

Lol you did what?! How? It’s such a long story to read in one night 😂

I am so, so happy that you see my blog and my story as your little happy place. It means a lot. Also because some of the stories can be a little angsty, but if that is something that grounds you, I’m relieved.

Please, please, never worry about not being able to sign up on patreon. I know how life can be cruel, believe me. Been there way too often in my life.

You know what’s my fuel? If you could come in from time to time and talk to me about how you’re doing and leave me comments when you enjoy something. It honestly is the best feeling in the world for me.

Thank you for taking your time and sending me this. You might not know it but you also made my day because it’s much needed right now ❤️❤️❤️

Home To You

[ficsforeren]

This is so off topic to the tls talk, but I love how your blog just feels like one big group chat for Eren simps. I’ve never seen a writer so happy and genuinely interested in what their readers think, or even just to interact with the random Eren related content we send you. I feel like a lot of writers that have blown up for Eren fics act a little weird, uh I’m not sure how to explain it, I mean it’s valid sometimes considering the way this fandom harasses authors. I don’t really know what I’m trying to say lol, you’re just really great and I appreciate that.

As much as I want TLS to go viral and get the credit it deserves I kind of love that it’s like a little gem on tumblr, your readers really get to enjoy it without a mass amount of people here to ruin it. And it’s also not a fic that we’re reading just because it’s so overly hyped, this is genuinely good content. ALSO, THE EXTRA THICCC AND JUICY CHAPTERS 😩 I binged this fic when you were on chapter 8 I think and I was hooked from the first chapter, I never would’ve imagined a fic this detailed to be updated so frequently. I already told you how this fic feels a little personal to me, but you always have me feeling absolutely every emotion you write about, I love getting tingles at the little romance scenes. Btw your absolutely insane in the best way for writing 30k for the last chapter.💀

You are absolutely incredible, I genuinely believe you can do no wrong with your writing (I hope this is somewhat reassuring since you seem a little stressed about the ending), but I really mean it. Idk what you do for a living but if you aren’t perusing writing as an actual career I definitely think you should. PRINT TLS AND I WILL LITERALLY BUY IT NO JOKE! I’m so bad with words lol I feel like I can’t explain how much I adore you as a writer and a person 😭 Your fics are such a great distraction for me and I really appreciate them, I just really hope outside of your blog you’re happy and living a great life, you deserve it.❤️

Idk if you get hate or have any toxic readers but I just think you should know your work is appreciated. I didn’t mean for this to get so sappy oops😗 love you tho

oh no... you're gonna make me cry again

HERE COMES THE TEARS ASKDLFLDFMASD

honestly every time i see you in my inbox, i get so happy and excited because your messages are always so sweet and supportive, like omg girl, you don't know just how much your words mean to me. i always go back and read your messages again and again when i need to find some motivations to write. i've been having a hard time writing chapter 15 and the epilogue because I'm trying my best to meet your expectation but every time i re-read the stuff i wrote i'm like... man, i don't think this is good enough but i don't know what else i have to do to improve it 😭writing makes me happy but sometimes it can get a bit frustrating you know? i always feel like i have this wonderful scene i want to write in my head but when i put it down into words, it feels... meh. my vocabulary is limited, sometimes i know how to describe it my native language but i don't know how to write it beautifully in english. i lack imagination too and i keep repeating the same formula and sometimes it's just AARRGHHHH

i think it's because of that time when i wrote my first fanfic in EXO fandom. there was this one person i found on twitter who legit made a thread to make fun about my writings. my fic had almost 650,000 views and more than 28k subscribers so it was... pretty popular, i guess, at that time (personally i don't think so and i don't understand why it got recommended a lot by people). so this person made a thread and she was like, "can't believe people actually read this bullshit. i bet a thirteen years-old girl wrote it." and that... really hurt me. and i stopped writing for a while, i was so scared of being made fun of again. i guess that's what makes me feel so insecure about my writings, even to this day, so i'm very happy when people compliment me on my writings. and not just my writing, but also the effort i put into it. it makes me feel so appreciated so thank you so much 😭😭😭

and i think i'm just really lucky to have you guys as my readers. i only have 1.5k followers for this sideblog but all of you are so nice and you always give me feedbacks every time i posted a new chapter and that means A LOT to me. it keeps me motivated to write more and more. i don't mind if my chapter only gets a few notes, as long as i can hear your feedbacks and reviews.

thank you for existing, each and every one of you. i love you guys so much and i hope i can always make you guys happy with my stories.

[commandtrek]

what are your favourite spock fics?

Hey there Nonnie! I don't really have a lot of Spock-centric fics bookmarked (an absolute tragedy I need to fix), but here are some I enjoyed where he is featured prominently alongside other characters, mostly his friendship with Jim:

Sister Mine (spoilers for season 1 of Discovery)

The Vulcan Heart (Spirk)

White Stretches Upon a Flat Country (light Spirk) @bunnyofnegativeeuphoria

Leave No Soul Behind (slight AU Spirk and VERY long but VERY good)

Antigravity (Spirk)

A Whole New World (kid!Spock and kid!Jim)

The Golden Ratio (as a general rule- just read everything by beamirang)

We Used to Talk (bonus- mentions of Spock Prime!)

Bishops of Opposite Colors

The Days After

Hopefully you find something here to your liking! I dove deep into my old FFNet bookmarks for some of these, and I'm currently re-reading one of the old hidden gems I found, so maybe a ST fic binge is in my near future...

Maybe someone else has some suggestions they would like to add? We can always use more good fic recs!

My ao3 ST bookmarks

My ffnet ST bookmarks

LLAP