#And another thing is that everyone on tumblr agrees that he is an absolute fucking loser (ngl his actions warranted these consequences)

[palebloodcvrse]

I cannot be normal about liking characters

Vergil I feel like is suspended in that permanent state of being at war with his need to connect with others (his family) and his need to isolate himself to prevent himself from being hurt again

And i feel that so deep in my soul that its not even fucking funny. Vergil is way more than just his trauma I know,(evidently, even the story presents that he had to overcome it to change and grow as a person) but those feelings are a part of him and a part of what made him human

And he despised that part of himself so much because he feared ever being hurt again and did inexcusable things (same as fuck)

Every day I think about him my heart fucking bleeds, and I find all those memes dissing him and calling him dense for it (bc he was) both extremely funny and true but also so tragically close to home that it feels like self deprication to laugh at.

I think I need to go to therapy instead of crying over fictional men

I hate to be more emo than V(ergil) is and ik this is corny but goddamnit I can see the pain in his fucking eyes

I do not idolize him. He is a reflection of me and it made me confront a part of myself that I wish I never had to achknowledge.

[feministdragon]

every once in a while a discussion flares up on tumblr:  separatism vs activism reading through the various arguments I find myself agreeing with both sides in a lot of places.   the activism side argues that without it, we wouldn’t have the right to vote, bank accounts, property ownership, financial independence, sexual harassment and abortion laws, a lot of practical structures that free women in concrete ways.  i completely agree with this. the separatism side argues that women need a space away from men to experience themselves as human beings, to experience freedom and to experience female solidarity, and to develop networks of mutual aid.  I also completely agree with this. and then everyone starts fighting, which i really don’t understand.   We need both!  Both is good!   There are more than enough women in the world to do all the projects!  We can have some women creating separatist spaces for women to take shelter in, and we can have some women banding together to create practical change that free women in the short term.   What is there to argue about? I mean, maybe the background of this is the whole lesbian vs straight women thing?   Which tbh i also don’t understand why we have to fight about this.  I’m a lesbian, and the majority of my friends and feminist collaborators are straight women.  just by looking at the women around me I’m very very aware of how being partnered with a woman saves me an incredible amount of bullshit in my life, and yet I’m equally aware of why women choose to be het-partnered. for example in our organization there’s one women whose job title includes the word ‘responsible’.  Her husband began a campaign to undermine her participation by telling her that because her job title said ‘responsible’ that when our organization ‘inevitably bankrupted’ she would be left holding the legal debt which then (his main point) would impact him.  So she was scared by him into wanting to leave her position, when we really don’t have anyone else who can fill that right now, and so it would have caused a huge strain on us, but also, she’s perfect for this position, it’s very good for her, and she likes the work.  We were able to show her that he was just fucking with her, that the legal responsiblity for the money actually lay with a different role in the org, but it was yet another example of how men could reach into our private business and stir us about, because of how women are so financialy and emotionaly bound up with their legal male partners. so, do I cut off my friendship with this woman just because her husband is a danger to us?  Obviously not, because her husband is even more of a danger to her, and I’m trying to support her until her children are old enough that she can safely choose to leave him.   Is it irritating that her husband can just reach through her and fuck with us like that?  Absolutely.  Am I angry that women are constantly misled into marriage and find out too late that they are trapped?  Of fucking course.   Do I then conclude that all straight women are bullshit?   Also of course not.   But am I going to be cautious about who joins the group in future, and only let in lesbians?   Also of course not.  Because every set of hands is valuable and necessary, and we do other things to protect ourselves (like not let any man have a position of power in the org).  so what I want to ask is,  what is the separatism/activism divide about? why are people making it a choice between the two things?  is the foundational problem just either-or thinking?    if you are separatist why do you side-eye male-involved women?   if you are a male-involved woman, why do you side-eye separatists?

(crossposted on the Cloven Hooves forum if you want to comment on it there)

[atopvisenyashill]

What are your thoughts on GRRM’s new notablog post on HOTD S2?

omg i'm sorry so i did not get notified that i had a few new asks, i didn't even see this until i logged in on desktop. tumblr eat shit smh.

ANYWAYS.

I actually agree with Xiran Jay Zhao, here, where they said this was a warning shot. It feels like a warning shot. Like a "hey I'm being nitpicky and pedantic now but if you think I won't go scroched earth you got another thing coming." I've seen so much "this is unprofessional" "this is annoying" "why is he complaining" and I think it is not only mind boggling to side with a corporation and the idiots running these shows (and we know I mostly like Condal and Hess, but come on Condal was the mastermind of Sansa Bolton why are we defending him right now!!), I think everyone is blowing his comments wildly out of proportion. He didn't take a dig at anyone but the writer's room and more specifically Ryan Condal, who he has had a working relationship with for well over a decade. He didn't shittalk any casting, he didn't shittalk any specific writers or directors except one of the main showrunners, he compliments the special effects, he has consistently had (and imo is careful) nothing but praise for the actors, even minor roles like Blood & Cheese. This was an incredibly milqtoast "please remember that every change has huge affects on the narrative later" critique and the people handwringing over his behavior are absolute losers, I'm sorry.

And beyond the fact that he didn't make any huge digs, I think this conversation also wildly ignores the way authors have no control over their own characters once they sign the rights over. They can be completely bamboozled by changes and they have no recourse to go "what the hell are you doing." And yet, signing your book's rights away (even if the production sits in developmental hell for decades) is usually what nets these author's the most money - GRRM surely makes a shitton off his books, but most authors get paid absolutely nothing even when they're wildly popular because of how book deals work now. Take, again, Xiran for example - Iron Widow was a huge runaway hit, a good and fresh take on this new boom of culturally based sff. And yet Xiran has talked about how they immediately set to work writing a middle grade novel because they desperately needed the money because they got paid 16k over two years for their runaway hit that made their publishers significantly more than 16k. I think George is not only mad for authors with less control than he has but also, obviously, for himself - I've said time and again, but I do think Dark Daenerys is where we are headed, and the fact that they completely botched showing it has got to smart. And if the ending for Dany is anything other than Jon killing her, that has got to smart too. So he watched these people fuck up his original series and push him completely out of that writer's room as they made more and more changes, and now he's watching s2 of HOTD and seeing some changes and getting some real bad vibes. It's not doomerism to think s3 is going to go massively off the rails when we have seasons 6-8 of the main show to show us just how off the rails it can go!

So anyways, that part of my rant over (and please believe me when I say I checked myself here because I could rant for hours about how it's genuinely so upsetting to see people call him unprofessional over this when not only did he write the fucking series, but he's lived in this series for three decades!!!!! this is his whole life, this is his legacy, of course he's feeling some type of way about how it's handled jesus christ on a cracker, there's people who have said worse about their mediocre nyt pushed bestsellers getting adapted badly!), when it comes to the actual meat of his post....I'm sorry idk how anyone is annoyed by this post because it was hilarious to me. He spent a whole blog post whinging about how Dead Baby #4 and Kingsguard Man #12 are gonna get cut out of the show. I think he framed it in that goofy way on purpose to hide how annoyed he is but you can see where the real annoyance lies - the changes to Helaena, losing one of his grisly death scenes, and being willfully mislead about potential changes to the plot. I think a lot of people missed those points but EYE am not a goofy ass like those people and I can guarantee you that Condal and HBO got the point too.

Of course, I do think he is also irked about Maelor and Ser Rickard's scenes being cut out. He wrote a long ass, highly meticulous, near unadaptable work, and I think when he handed the IP over he assumed he was giving it to people who would rise to the challenge and only make cuts when absolutely necessary. And that just clearly hasn't happened. Incredibly important characters get cut, main characters get their plots wildly changed for no reason, and people get personality transplants on a near constant basis for no other reason than D&D and Condal thought it would look cooler. I think if there was more dedication to keeping him in the loop and keeping true to the story, he wouldn't have bitched so much. But Hess is on record saying she doesn't feel loyal to the story and at a certain point, you reach your breaking point there and I think he has finally reached his. AND GOOD FOR HIM. LET THAT OLD MAN GO APESHIT THEY'VE COMPLETLEY FUCKED HIS WORLD UP!!!

[handofmidas-writes]

I didn't hate season 4. Or the love triangle. Let me explain.

Okay. Listen. Listenlistenlisten.

I know everyone is pissed about season 4. I hear you. I get it. I don’t think anyone is thinking that this was a well-executed season. Not by any stretch of the imagination.

But hear me out.

The bones of the thing are good in principle. The arc makes sense at the heart of it. Again, hear me out.

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

The entire series is about saving the world by stopping the apocalypse. And as all the Fives in the deli have shown, the apocalypse is due to the Hargreeves siblings’ very existence. Reginald has fucked over every iteration of the kids to bring back his wife who died as a result of her own actions in creating marigold. He couldn’t give her up, and he was willing to rip universes apart to get her back. Five has tried time and time and time again to save his family, ad infinitum. He knows how to solve the problem, but he can’t bring himself to do it. Until this Five. They are, as we here on tumblr love to say, doomed by the narrative.

Five also says the universe loves balance. We saw this in season 3 with the kugelblitz. They were an impossibility in the universe and the kugelblitz formed to solve the problem by eliminating them. Impossibility for impossibility.

One of the Fives founded the Commission to solve the problem. It happens every time.

Abigail’s purpose through the whole season is to ensure the Cleanse, to reset the universe to the correct timeline. She shouldn’t be there. The kids shouldn’t be there. They are a direct result of Reginald releasing marigold into the world to enact his plan of resurrecting Abigail. The universe is trying to return to homeostasis, balance itself. And in every iteration, it needs to rid itself of the marigold, the substance that shouldn’t exist in the first place.

Ergo, the principle is sound, in my opinion.

The execution was shit, as I’m sure we all can agree.  I don’t like that they cease to exist, necessarily, and I think there were other avenues they could have taken to avoid that. But I can stomach it.

The shit storm is certainly in the characterizations. They did almost everyone dirty in some way or another. I think it could have been saved with a few more episodes, but we know that Netflix sucks like that and the season definitely suffered after the strike. I won’t be going into all of the characters just now since I’m apparently a loquacious bitch and don’t have the space. (And I know this is all being screamed into the void anyway. None of y’all will be reading any of this lol.)

Here’s where I’m going to ruffle feathers. I buy into the whole Diego/Lila/Five thing. And here’s why. (Cut here because this bitch got real long. Like 1.5k words long. Oops.)

The first episode is called “The Unbearable Tragedy of Getting What You Want.” Is it a slightly contrived Now That We’re Not Superheroes Our Normal Lives Kind Of Suck thing? Absolutely. Has it been overused in basically everything ever? You bet. Does it kind of work here? Yeah, actually.

These people legitimately don’t know what to do without powers. They’re coming fresh off the heels of trying and failing to save the world 3 different times. That takes adjustment. A lot of adjustment.

Lila and Diego fall into parenthood, which is a huge thing in and of itself. It’s not surprising that Diego turns into the stereotypical suburban dad, the breadwinner because that’s what he thinks his role should be. It doesn’t fully make sense that Lila turns into a housewife, but I can see her trying to throw Diego a bone and trying to make up for how she’s treated him in the past. Not to mention proving herself as a mother.

It makes sense for Lila to want to get out of the house and do her own thing, without her kids and her husband. It makes sense for Diego to resent his low level job when all he’s wanted to be is a badass and a hero.  Their frustration about their family life is understandable. Being a family is a lot of effort. There’s a loss of freedom when people become parents. And these are two headstrong people who have things to prove to themselves, to make sure they show up for their kids. Which leads to breakdowns in taking care of themselves and their relationship to each other.

Now, the sticky bit comes in with the whole love triangle. I know folks hate the subway subplot. Here’s the thing, despite how it was executed, it makes sense, too.

It’s an interesting way to portray the Many Worlds Theory and it’s plausible enough that Lila and Five connect in this way because of their shared knowledge of the Commission. It makes sense that they explore it together.

Which leads me to this: Five is incredibly lonely. He spent 40 years alone in an apocalypse and tried everything in his power to get back. He fell in love with a mannequin because she was the only thing keeping him tethered and sane-adjacent (sweet Dolores, we’ll never forget you, queen). He was desperate and alone and persisted because he had to.

He joined the Commission to try and stop said apocalypse and then inadvertently ended up in another. He’s tired of trying to save his family over and over and now he’s not sure there’s anything he can do to save them this time. And now here he is, stuck in the labyrinthine Subway of Fuckery with Lila and they can’t get out. Lila who has the same training as him, the same knowledge base, who went with him to the remnants of the Commission in season 3 and tried to save them all. Let’s call them frenemies, I guess.

And now here they are. Stuck together and feeling helpless. Enduring every fucking thing under the sun, watching each other’s backs, and they only have each other. And they’re tired. They’ve been searching for a way home for six fucking years. So, they decide to stop running and catch their breath. I won’t say it’s an inevitability, but Five is so lonely and scared. And Lila is lonely and scared and without her children. But they’re safe with each other, and they take comfort in each other, and it’s so easy to blur those lines.

So yeah, they end up together in the now infamous cottagecore greenhouse with the strawberries. And they try not to think about Diego. Is it right of them to do this? Well, no. But are people messy as hell? Yes. And are their actions understandable? Also yes.

So, to me, when Five finds the notebook and keeps it hidden from Lila, it tracks. Because he’s so fucking scared of what’s going to happen now. What if they still can’t make it back? What if they can’t save the world this time? What if it all comes down around his ears again? So he hides in easy domesticity and thinks about the solace they’ve found in each other.

And Lila, understandably, blows up when she realizes Five has hidden this from her. Because for her, this was a way to cope. To survive, as she says. She loves her children. And she loves Diego. She didn’t stop loving them. She couldn’t stop loving them. But she might just love Five, too. And isn’t that scary as hell?

People are many faceted, my friends. Does it make what she did morally right? Of course not. But does it make sense? I truly think it does.

The limited number of episodes is one of the largest contributors to the half-baked-ness of it all. There’s not enough time to flesh out a proper resolution to the whole thing. Which led to Diego’s hunch from episode 2 of Lila cheating with Greek guy/Five accidentally being correct foreshadowing. Which then resulted in a heavy confession from Lila in front of the entire family (which I was digging, just like the siblings, tbh). And then the boys started throwing punches and the whole love triangle thing went completely down the shitter (a dubious and debatable statement, I know).

So, that leaves us with Lila who is now in the middle of two brothers. Said brothers are now physically fighting out bad blood and pent up frustration. And only part of it is due to Lila.

Diego’s character is criminally underdeveloped. He was always halfway between the underdog and class clown and his characterization in this season falls spectacularly flat in all aspects. He’s a character who has fought to prove himself over and over again, and is still trying to do that here, but nothing really lands. Diego and Luther are comic relief mostly. And Diego’s role, unfortunately, ended up being a stick in the spokes of a sloppy love triangle and pretty much nothing else.

Five is obviously the favorite in Blackman’s eyes. Five is knowledgeable. Five always has an idea. Five is the one the family looks to for answers, more often than not. Five is the one who almost always opts to save his family in some way, shape, or form. And this has resulted in Five being sad and helpless, in a way. He has been building this emotional bomb for decades and across timelines without any real release or acknowledgement. So Blackman chose to have Five get his emotional release in the form of “a love story” with Lila. Doing it this way, with the limited number of episodes, left Diego’s part woefully inadequate.

No resolution really takes place here. Diego kind of “wins” insofar as he convinces Lila to take their family to the subway and she takes his hand first when they all say goodbye. Five gets the teary “I hate you for this,” after she ends up choosing self-sacrifice with the others, which we know means “I am so incredibly sad and I hate that you told us the truth because it means everything ends for real this time and I’ve had to let my family go.” Then she holds his hand, too, showing that all is forgiven, here at the end of all things.

There’s definitely not a resolution for Diego, and it can certainly be inferred that he still pretty much hates Five’s guts. I get the feeling that Five is just resigned to finally ending the cycle. He knows he’s hurt Diego badly and I think he does feel bad for it, but it’s not translated into the final scene, which leaves the whole situationship hollow and earned it the well deserved hate for hilariously poor execution.

So that’s it, friends. That’s my unpopular opinion and way too many words justifying it. I surprisingly have more I could blather on about, but I’ll spare y’all from including any more in this post. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.

And for a final palate cleanser for those of you who do not care about any of this: I think we deserve a side plot of Five and Derek the Twink from the CIA. The true OTP. (Also Brisket Five, who is the real MVP.)

[thisisyourprincipalspeaking]

well students,

i really thought we might get have a nice quiet weekend without the resident wannabe-queen-bees trying to make a play for the kingdom. but here we are with grassy checking in for duty posting their harangue against the 'opinions everyone is entitled to, but cling to the pr angle and isn't it weird...'. normally i write this fool off to another wannabe-mean-girl who thinks they're doing something while no one actually cares about them. but, they've made posts policing this fandom (and me, but i'm more focused on the fandom) and i feel the need to share my piece. since everyone is entitled to their opinion and all.

this person made an account to purely give attention to the 'delulus' they can't stand and call out 'bad behavior'. yes, those delulus are fucking insane and need to be called out; but isn't what you're doing giving them the attention they want? it's all you talk about. this constant back and forth, launching thought turds to try start a fandom war is played out. but now you are going after the people who think this might be pr and lumping them in with the crazies? i hope you are including yourself with the crazies, because you sure are one. everyone is entitled to their opinion, right? just not these people who are discussing a celebrity's relationship on their blogs or in group chats. and probably not my opinion when you read this (hi!) and start using terms you don't understand to call me names. imo you are trash just like the rest of them. you and your friends are deeply concerned about those group chats, aren't you? odd. but i digress.

why do you care so much what these mods think, when by your own accord, they aren't harming anyone or sending nasty notes or hate? sorry, i added that last part, but it is implied by your other posts. you spend so much time fighting to confirm a marriage that isn't yours. you give the 'delulus' airtime time and time again. are you that bothered by people disagreeing with you? and why does it automatically have to be jealousy if someone doesn't believe the bill of goods they are being sold? fyi, seeing the awkwardness or plot holes is not confirmation bias. maybe these fans are trying to grapple with the upset of their favorite actor not living up to ideals he has claimed to hold. maybe they are just trying to continue to enjoy his projects without associating her in them. we do not have to bring her into absolutely every conversation about him, but both dumb ass 'teams' sure try. and yes, his wife is plenty problematic. she may not have directly said the horrible things her friends have and then tried to throw (at least one of) those friends under the bus, but you know what is said: when someone sits down at a table with three nazis, and if they don't call them out, there are four nazis at the table.

so what's the real reason for your constant vitriol and desperate attempt to make people 'see the truth'? why are you fighting so hard for a relationship that isn't yours? do you, just like those 'delulus', think you'll get some big prize for being his biggest defender? you don't want to have genuine conversation with anyone, you just want to argue your point of view time and time again. you want everyone to see things through your lens and agree with your confirmation bias.

yes, you, your friends, and the delulus all just love to police the fandom. i thought it was a joke when i was told about the constant policing, but here you all are, over and over, day after day. telling people what to think, telling people what to post, cruising around tumblr to comment on posts that have nothing to do with you. for what? i'm starting to believe the rumblings that you all are part of the plot to advance a certain narrative and keep the nunemployed at the forefront of the discussion. i can't prove it, but again, it's rumored.

i'll close with some words you might recognize, grassy.

these two people do not know you. they don’t care how you feel about them. you will likely never meet or know them in your lifetime. therefore it is really weird to INSIST you are right about certain things happening in their lives and/or behind the scenes when absolutely none of his fandom knows anything beyond what he presents to us.

think about it for a while. why do you care so much if someone doesn't believe this narrative? are you getting paid for this? because if not, it is very strange to be this invested in someone else's marriage. maybe you are jealous because you aren't married. i don't know. but jealousy is your go to.

from the archives: you once told people they would be accepted by you and your ilk if they admitted they were wrong. that announcement and offer gave very strange, cult leader- like vibes. so fucking odd. so here's this -if you can admit you're just a bitch who wants tumblr notoriety (HA) and has an axe to grind, we'll accept you. there's no prize for being an asshole online. ce will never care if you were his greatest warrior on the world wide web. you're just another asshole existing on the same coin with the others and think you are better than everyone else.

i will definitely be using tags on this. i will continue to use them. and as you say: most people are doing no harm. they are discussing things in private chats, but i understand that you all are so upset about not being invited. i promise, being honest with yourself will set you free.

and grassy? shove your dollar store, rip off musing up your ass.

[kings-paintbrush]

Chucky tumblr…

Can we STOP making the BOLDEST CLAIMS KNOWN TO MAN. Listen I’ve been in some fucked up fandoms. Steven Universe, Undertale, Warrior Cats, the MCU… but oh my god I’ve never seen a fandom so like… wish washy. Like one post will be an entirely different brand of WILD than another. Like… The TiffNica DNI’ers! I understand NOT liking the ship, it’s a Hostage situation, not killing stalking. Yknow? But making claims that’s whoever ships it has a fetish for torturing women and that they’re mentally ill is just… erm… AND DON MANCINI. THE NUMBER OF CLAIMS IVE SEEN ABOUT THIS OLD GAY MAN IS BUCK WILD.

Absolutely buck wild. Like YES, as a Nica Pierce enjoyer, she’s been through SO MUCH. BUT SHE’S A FINAL GIRL IN A HORROR MOVIE FRANCHISE. Sydney’s boyfriends in Scream all turned out to be killers, does the creator of scream have a kink for murderous boyfriends???? Like YES Nica’s been through way too fucking much. Her getting her limbs cut off is CRUEL. unnecessary? Possibly, yeah, I could agree with someone who said so. But I think it’s to show that- Despite how LOVEABLE of a character Tiffany is, she’s still a murderer and a monster. Like with Freddy Krueger, you sometimes want to be able to love your slasher, despite the many cruel things they do. Which is why we keep coming back to the Child’s Play franchise again and again.

all I’m saying is… it’s just SO WEIRD to me. Seeing people call Don a fetishizer and all this shit it’s WILD. Like take a step back and genuinely think about what you’re saying about a man you’ve never personally met. And who these actors have and are (to my eyes) comfortable with.

Like does Don Mancini hate women or does he just like torturing his oc’s???? I CAN SAY. Reading everyone’s posts. I do see a bit of a disproportionate level of trauma with the female cast and characters. But also I’m pretty sure in the show there’s just more women I think…. Like Jake and Devon and Chucky. And then Lexy, Nica and Tiffany okay there’s NOT more. But❗️ Devon doesn’t get any screen time let’s be so ffr. Maybe we SHOULD be talking about the lack of attention black characters get in this franchise. The two major ones (the kid in Chucky 3, and Redman) have just been objects of chucky’s attention.

I AM IN N O WAY WITCH-HUNTING OR HATING! You can BE critical of the show! I love reading people’s solid critiques! Which is why I’ve read a lot of these posts, this is just me- pointing out a kind of weird pattern. An ick, I may say. This isn’t against anyone. Please don’t tumblr cancel me

[lynn-vdg]

HALLO!!! Im Reading the jjk manga right now so just checking in because it has invaded my brain and rraaaaaaaah jjk jjk jjk… 😭 I BLAME U FOR THIS (I love jjk)

First of all, I LOVE THAT LAWYER SORCERER, he seems genuinely cool and he just reminds me of ace attorney tbh, Edgeworth if he was a jjk character FOR REAL

And this panel is also SO CUTE ONG.. YOU WERE RIGHT YES I AGREE WITH THE FACT THAT CHOSO IS THE BEST. Yuji deserves his brothers for realsies, THEY ARE BOTH AWESOME. And I keep seeing stuff saying how Todo VS Choso would go down, but I kinda think Todo would respect Choso (and ask for his workout routine MAHAHAH)

I’m even starting to get MY FRIENDS to watch it. DeterminedFanartist, aka my pookie 4evahs, IS ALSO WATCHING IT RIGHT NOW!!! My irl bruh called Choso “Cheese” and they ALL SIMP OVER GOJO. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY IRLS SIMP OVER GOJO IT IS CRAAZZZYY…

Maki’s power up WAS DESERVED and oh mah lord… I’m on chapter 202 AND KENJAKU WAS MANIPULATING MAH AMERICAN GOVERNMENT IS KENJAKU 2024 REAL?!?!! 🤩🤩🤩🤩 He’d be my president 🫡🫡🫡🇺🇸🇺🇸🏈🏈🏈🌎🌎🔫🔫🔫💪💪💪

About to read chapter 203 and… no… wtf like IT IS ALREADY STARTING OFF LIKE THIS. A “you will die” IN ANY MANGA THAT ISN’T STATED TO THE MAIN CHARACTER IS NOT GOOD NEWS…

Praying… praying right now I know EVERYONE is dying in this series but pllleaaseee GEGE LET ME HAVE THIS ONE THING PLEASE PLEASE DON’T TAKE HIIIMMMM PLEASE NO NO NO PPPLLEAASEEE 💔💔💔😭😭😭😭😭💔🥺🥺🥺😢😔😔😱😱😢😢😔😔😔😔

Anyways you weren’t lying when you said you were in your inactive arc, hoping you join me back soon DON’T LEAVE ME HERE MICHAEL MICHAEEEEEEELLLL 🔥🔥🔥🔥

I AM ALWAYS RIGHT! MY TASTE IN MEN IS IMPECCABLE! 😈 And yeah you”re SO RIGHT I fucking LOVE Higuruma (Miles edgeworth looking ass.) I don’t know how Gege always cooks so hard when it comes to characters 😩, Yuji’s and Choso’s relationship especially, HE’S THE COOK WHO COOKED UP OTHER COOKS 🙏 And i’m glad my jjk brainrot virus is spreading throughout the utmv/utc or whatever the flippio you call it at this point-

Also my fucking GOAT Maki out here destroying those dumbass sexists is absolute GIRL. BOSS. BEHAVIOR.

Ya better read up, cause in 3 weeks JJK ENDS. actually crazy but it’s true 😭 I miss it already….

Also, another suggestion, if you haven’t watched or read it is Jojo’s bizarre adventure 🤑, outside of part 1 which I dislike and part 3 which was boooooring, part 4 onwards is absolute peak, ESPECIALLY part 7 and 8 (sadly no anime for those yet 😔)

As for my inactive arc, i’ll try to revive more often, because i’ve actually just straight up been DEAD outside of looking at some random notifications I got, ALSO WHAT RLLY PISSES ME OFF IS WHEN I GET A NOTIFICATION ABOUT A SPECIFIC POST AND I CLICK ON IT AND IT JUST TAKES ME TO MY FEED, Like bitch I came to look at a specific post not search up that specific account and go through their posts 😭

As for why i’ve been dead eeehhh it’s mostly just I forgot a bit about Tumblr and started using Discord a whole lot more, not to mention i’m working on utc games 🤑 (Oh fuck, i’m in the money! I love money 🤑)

Now, my final question before I dump my doodles on you…

“Are you brainrotted because you’re 3dogbones, or are you 3dogbones because you’re brainrotted.”

I would post more doodles but there’s a 10 image limit 😭

[controversial-blorbo-bracket]

Controversial Character Tournament Round 2: Blaine Anderson from Glee vs Barok Van Zieks from The Great Ace Attorney

(remember that these characters are fictional and your fellow tumblr users are real. i will block you if you harass others in the notes, please consider sending your unhinged harassment to my inbox instead)

Propaganda under the cut, may contain spoilers:

Blaine Anderson:

LOVE: - "you know that post that's like "fandom will call a character evil and immature and then the character is just 15 yo" because that's what happens with blaine. he's just a sweet but socially inept kid with a lot of insecurities who's trying his best. compared to most glee characters he hasn't done anything wrong in his life. and yes he cheated on his boyfriend that one time, but he was super depressed afterwards (also this is glee literally every character has cheated and none have suffered as most as blaine because of it). in conclusion he's just a silly goose. my little princess <3"

HATE: (tumblr will not let me format this one bc its too long)

"A lot of people say he's the male Rachel Berry, and while I think that is absolutely a true statement, I actually don't mind his personality all that much. Literally everyone in Glee has a personality that ranges from inconsistent to downright horrendeus, so instead of talking about what he's like, here's some things he canonically does (buckle up, this'll be long): In season 2, when we first meet him, he's the leader of his school's showchoir. (redflag no.1/j) This gives him the freedom and authoritity to do a lot of stuff- not all bad, but he does serenade a closeted guy he doesn't know all that well, who works in costumer service AT HIS WORKPLACE, with a song about sex toys. (The guy in question ends up getting fired of course). He also gives some pretty hypocritical advice to his love interest, Kurt, about how he should try to blend in (hypocritical, cuz Blaine does the opposite and he's thriving under the attention), and he asks some insesitive questions, but those are all pretty excusable, or at least standard for Glee. In s3, him and Kurt are boyfriends, and he transitions school for him, which we could absolutely count as a decent thing, however it all kinda sours when he gets the part of Tony in the school's production of West side story. Why is this important? Kurt is a senior, and the performing arts university he's applying for is really competitive, so he needs all the extra curriculars and theatre experiance he can get. He asks Blaine to not aidition for Tony- which he agrees to- than promptly goes against that by singing one of Tony's songs at audition. He then gets offfered the role, doesn't turn it down, tells Kurt he should be happy for him, and honestly, BY GLEE STANDARDS, this is also pretty chill. Meanwhile: enter Sebastian Smythe, another contraversial character, who's now the new captain of Blaine's former showchoir, and who decides that either 1. Blaine is hot 2. Gonna use Blaine as an informat (His reasons are unclear tbh) Either way, he starts flirting with Blaine, who does end up rejecting his advances and telling him he's taken (though much later than it's probably ethical, idk tho, I'm aro). He (Blaine) really enjoys the attention though, so they end up keeping in touch. (Important for later.) Back to our main plot though; Blaime doesn't have sexual chemistry with his co-star, so the director tells him to lose his virginity (yes, you heared that right, it is fucked up). So he tries to sleep with Kurt, who of course, doesn't know that his boyfriend's sudden interest in him is due to directoral instructions. And then probably the most contraversial Blaine scene happens- see, Blaine, Kurt, and Sebastian (who Kurt hates with passion) end up going to this gaybar. Blaime gets drunk (though he only drinks one beer on screen, so we don't exactly know how drunk), and tries to sleep with Kurt in the parking lot. Kurt is visibly upset, and tells him no multiple times. Blaime doesn't oblige, and Kurt ends up shouting at him, which Blaine...doesn't take well, and blames Kurt, then leaves by foot. (They end up having sex by the end of this episode btw. No, Kurt still doesn't know about the directoral instructions. Whether he does it out of love or fear that Blaine will leave him is unclear) So we already know these two are not very good at boundries and communication, but the writers say they're "soulmates" so apperantly it's okay? Anyway, this all culminates in cheating incident no.1, where Kurt meets a guy whom he shares similar interests with, and who gives him some very cheesy compliements. They exchange numbers, and text a lot. Blaine doesn't like this. He checks their texts in secret, and then sings a song in front of the entire Glee club about how he's being cheated on, to humiliate Kurt.

Kurt insists it's not cheating, giving the example that Blaine's doing the same/used ro do the same with Sebastian. Blaine says "that's different" and they leave it at that. Kurt apologises via song. S4- Kurt moves to New York. Has to work a lot, since rebt is high, and also gets an internship at vague, so he's quite busy. Blaine feels ignored, so he cheats on him with some guy we only see the facebook profile of. They break up. S5- Blaine has a crush in this other guy, Sam. (He's been trying to get Kurt back, so him moving on is a big deal). Except gay marrige gets legalized, and Blaine decides to propose to Kurt. So he gets back together with him, then bot a week later he arranges a huge public proposal where it'd honestly just be plain emberassing to say no, but dontcha worry, because Kurt accepts. They move to New York together. Blaine becomes insecure, because Kurt gets ripped thanks to his fencing lessons, meanwhile he lrts go of himself a bit, enjoying all the fine food New York has to offer. His reaction to this is to try manipulating/tricking Kurt into eating copious amounts of food too. (To be fair, Kurt's reaction to the situation isn't perfect either, but this is not about him, their actions can co-exist without one of them necessarily having to be "the right one") S6- Kurt breaks up with Blaine. Blaine ends up going back to Ohio, and dating the guy who bullied, non-consensually kissed, than threatened to kill Kurt. (The guy did have a redemption arc, but I still dunno how to feel) You might be wondering- "wow, this was so lpng and extensive", and you'd be right but also this was mostly romantic relationship centric. There's also a lot of stuff Blaine says to his friends that make me question my sanity, but this is Glee, so that's every character in basically every episode. What makes me hate Blaine isn't even JUST all this- it's the fact that in universe, he almost never gets called-out, people take his side, it's as if the writers are condoning his actions, and I Don't Like That. I'm all for liking morally grey, or even morally dispicable characters, as long as their actions don't get excused. Hell, I started out just mildly disliking Blaine, but a lot of people paint him as innocent and pure, and that didn't feel right. Then I was ready to like him BECUASE of his questionable morality- but turns out, the guy doean't have much else going on besides this. His personality is almost the same as Rachel, except Rachel's more...full? If that makes sense? Blaine is just...bland. And inconsistent, and boring, and I just Do Not Like Him At All."

Baron Van Zieks:

LOVE: - "man's 6'4", british, looks like a vampire, took a mental health break for 5 years thanks to the dead bodies that cropped up after he lost in court, and is uhhhhhh kinda racist which is a key part of his character. the explanation for it is divisive but he does grow as a character eventually?? i think he's fun. there's a bonus case exclusive to the 3DS version of the games where he mentions he was almost poisoned in one of the first cases he ever handled. he objects with his leg. he brings wine into court but rarely drinks it. he has bats in his office. we have no idea where the scar on his face came from. his voice actor did a subway commercial. i think he wants to believe he is the sane one in the courtroom but that title belongs to the 16 year old judicial assistant for the defense." - "I love to hate him tbh!!! He's a complex interesting character tied up in things outside of his control and being used by the antagonist to hurt people, isolated due to his grief and rumors from the public. He also sucks SO fucking bad and I want to punch him. Lovingly. But I love him I promise."

[luxurystark-jackson]

marauders era characters as kpop stans

idk i randomly thought of this making it up as we go along

james:

stray kids and ateez stan (CLOSETED TWICE STAN FIGHT ME)

his favourite song is hoodie season because it’s cute and it reminds him of regulus

as a Rich Friend™️ he buys concert tickets

jeongin biased because he reminds him of regulus (me, a delusional jegulus shipper)

sirius:

full on stray kids stan

also day6 and txt

insult changbin or hyunjin in front of him and you’ll end up in the hospital wing

exists on 3racha’s soundcloud

as another Rich Friend™️ he is the number one profit source for JYPE

he puts his posters up ALL over his room and walburga absolutely despises it

he goes feral (changes into padfoot starts howling fucking nuts) if he pulls a changbin pc

remus:

ateez and txt ults but also stray kids

the marauders all stan skz let’s be real

he also listens to bts and seventeen (he’s such a simp for shua change my mind)

biases yeosang and taehyun

sirius buys him albums all the time (my dream omg) like 15 minutes after he mentions he might get an album it’s on his desk

has playlists for certain moods

fanfic reader™️ secret tumblr account for his recs and ao3 is bookmarked (we do not speak of wattpad but he has one of those too)

peter:

exo shinee and bts ults

low-key nct stan (especially nct 127) plus superm

anyone who tells you peter isn’t a 3rd gen stan is LYING

the only thing he can afford is spotify premium and he lives off of it

sirius and james try to buy him albums and he’s just like Absolutely Not i Refuse to listen to you tiny 4th gen stans

when he has some money he goes all out every single exo album he can get his hands on

he believes in growl supremacy also save me like if he could inject it into his bloodstream he would (don’t do drugs kids only bts)

he likes to dabble in producing he has a secret wip he’s been working on for like three years it’s coming out next month

regulus:

txt (certified beomgyu simp) stray kids and xdinary heroes

his favourite song is 9 and 3/4 because it’s the first txt song he listened to (plus like the magic references obviously he’s convinced txt are secretly wizards)

he buys albums obviously but he also buys those seasons greetings (as in those £70 bitches) and has a collection of them

touch his pcs and it’s St Mungo’s for you

he says stream good boy gone bad

that one time he asked lucius if he’s ever met stray kids because i.n did an impression of dobby-

lily:

twice and itzy stan. the hugest itzy stan.

ryujin/yeji bias i'd think probably both

will not shut up when itzy have a comeback

absolutely peer pressures (gently) everyone around her to listen to itzy songs

she has absolutely dragged all of the marauders to a concert with her. sirius agrees that ryujin is cool and their bonding mechanism is going to concerts together 100%

alice:

twice and bts and txt stan

huening kai biased. i feel it in my soul

she's the type to go on twitter and be the mediator in fan arguments

collects pcs and probably runs a tiktok account where she does deco for her pcs

she seems like the type to write jyp and hitman bang fanfiction but not say any part of it is satirical

pandora:

dreamcatcher and txt stan

she runs a lore account on twt/tiktok

probably has a corkboard where she notes down all the txt lore she can decipher and tries to work it out

she's also obsessed with ryujin even though she doesn't stan itzy. like. who isnt lets be real

she gets into in depth discussions with remus about the plausibility of certain theories they have about mvs

barty:

xdinary heroes day6 enhypen txt and wayv stan. dont ask

he would die for o.de he has said this many times. and sunoo probably

he would start the fanwars alice breaks up (90% of them are where he says something about hyunjin to piss off sirius completely on purpose)

anytime he sees a man with long hair he feels immense gender thoughts

absolutely the hugest thirster in the set. cannot resist a man with thick biceps at all

very obsessed with enha's vampire concept. very very obsessed with it

he would willingly learn how to do cosplays and makeup without magic so he can authentically create costumes based around idols in specific mvs

evan:

was roped into xdh by barty and skz by regulus but discovered nct on his own

he watches cringe tiktok compilations all the time

has met mark lee before. dont ask me how. he just has.

he is the most indifferent person when he gets albums but is loony when it comes to lightsticks

no1 sticker defender. probably would set up a prank of some kind where sticker just plays on repeat in potions to piss off slughorn

professional at pirating unreleased songs guy

PUKU PUKU POW POW 💥

narcissa:

closeted twice itzy and blackpink stan

she is crazy about lisa and jeongyeon

absolutely no one knows about her interest in kpop except lily

secret kpop specific twitter

participates in fanwars to put gasoline on the flames but mostly just here for the music

secretly learns choreographies and has a popular instagram account where she posts fan art (secretly)

[tarotoftheendless]

Sandman Ships

Ok, so since the first season dropped on Netflix there as been a lot of Dream of the Endless love especially with how absolutely gorgeous they made him look thanks to Tom Sturridge already being a beautiful man. And Tom has knack for coming into his projects and serving absolute cunt... and depending on the project, he comes in, serves cunt, has sexual chemistry with everyone, and then either leaves or even just straight up dies. That's Tom for you.

And it wasn't any different in The Sandman. He comes in, serves cunt, looks hella tortured and sad, and then tries to be all dominating when he is in fact just an absolute cinnamon roll that needs a hug and or a decent fuck. Over a hundred years in a glass bowl will make one both touch adverse but also touch starved, so...

Anyway, there are a couple ships that I do get, one ship that I get but is controversial and then a ship I don't get at all because they had no chemistry at all.

First and foremost, Hob Gadling and Dream. This whole friendship is queer-coded. They have a meet cute, a curiosity about one another, flirting, denial, reconnection... it was so romantic it's ridiculous. So, yeah, I am on the Dreamling train for sure. The way they look at each other, the way Hob was super jealous when Dream left him to go fuck Shakespeare (you absolutely know that Dream fucked Shakespeare to "inspire" him), the way Hob came to Dream's defense when 1789 Johanna Constantine came with her men with demands, the way Hob tried to bring up the fact that Dream is lonely, the way Hob looked so sad when he realized he got stood up, the way his eyes lit up when Dream finally came. Yeah, Hob is head over heals in love with Dream. Dream might need some convincing, but he is intrigued and curious about Hob in a way that he can't quite put his finger on but it is not just friendship.

I am still mad that because Dream was captured that we lost out on seeing 1989 Dream... he would've been so goth and hot it would've been criminal. I hope they do an 1980's thing in the show at some point so we can see Tom go all out in a 1980's look and the goth/metal look from that era. Tom would look so good and Hob would just die for it like the rest of us.

The other ship I see with Dream is actually modern Johanna Constantine. I don't see many people talk about their chemistry here on Tumblr but I have seen a few fanfics on AO3, so, some people agree with me. Just the way they spoke to each other, how close they stood to each other, some lingering looks. Johanna is bisexual too, so, I see it. Their chemistry was off the charts. Also, he actually listens to her when she calls him out on his bullshit. She actually gets through to him a bit, it seems, you know. A sign of respect, which all good relationships need, romantic/sexual or not, to be a halfway decent relationship.

Now the controversial one; Dream and Desire. Yeah, yeah. They're siblings. I know. They still had chemistry. Dream pulling their head back? Yeah, that was hot. And they are literally more than gods. If the gods of mythology and lore are always marrying family members, why would more than gods beings not sometimes partake in relations with their own relations? They aren't human and therefore are not bound by the same laws and rules and morals as us humans are. I am not trying to make a case or an excuse for incest as a whole, because I am not, incest is bad, but I am saying that beings that aren't human might not view incest the same as we do when it comes to other beings that are like them.

I have not read the comics fully, but apparently Desire used to be Dream's favorite, like they used to be close, whatever that looked like... and then Dream got with someone and Desire started to fuck with Dream's love life... as far as I know the comics never say how Desire was Dream's favorite, but would it be completely out of left field if they had been romantic at one time? Dreams and desires have very similar functions, they as concepts work well with one another, so, it wouldn't surprise me is Dream and Desire had been intimate once upon a time... and that would explain why Dream and Desire had a falling out after Dream started to pull away and explore other romantic interests. It is just a thought. Like I said, I have not read all the comics yet.

The one ship I do not see and will never see is The Corinthian and Dream. Yes, Dream is a dark and brooding goth twink (I know the term is outdated, but if there is another term I could use to describe him better, please let me know) and then we have our charismatic Southern hospitable gay serial killer man that is one of Dream's own creations, a nightmare... and Dream is the Dreaming and if the dreams and nightmares are Dream's creations and of the Dreaming and Dream is the Dreaming... then this would be narcissistic... though we all know Dream is sort of self important... and Cori (I'm just gonna call him that for simplicity sake), is also very much in his "but what about what I want?" era... so, both have those narcissistic tendencies, but Cori is so fed up with Dream I don't see this ever being romantic or sexual. I didn't see the chemistry, it wasn't there. It is more of a parent child relationship. And whereas I don't agree with Cori going out and inspiring a literally army of serial killers, he is very much like a millennial older child trying to talk to their boomer parent about their own toxicity. Cori is disillusioned with Dream and the way he runs things in the Dreaming. Dream is cold, unfeeling, too focused on the status quo and Cori wants to change all that. This relationship never came off as sexual or romantic, I'm sorry. All the Corintheus shippers out there, I'm sorry, but I don't buy it or see it. maybe the comics it was more prominent but Tom and Boyd didn't play it like that. I know Tom tends to have sexual chemistry with almost every costar he has ever had, but Boyd was/is not one of them.

Anyway, that's all the ships that I have seen in The Sandman show and then the one that other people saw that I just don't see at all. What do ya'll think?

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

Yesterday I posted about several Britcom tourism things I did in London, which were far too niche to make sense, or possibly to justify doing at all, but were still probably the coolest things I've done in at least 5 years. Here, though, is a far more reasonable bit of comedy tourism:

I left 2 pens, from my dad and I, because when I was young he and I read all the Hitchhiker's Guide and Dirk Gently books together, then did Last Chance to See and Salmon of Doubt. By "together", I mean he read the to me even though I was more than old enough to read on my own (11-13, I think, we went through them all a bit at a time over a couple of years), but if was a fun bonding thing and I think he wanted to share them with me because they were books he loved when he was younger.

After I left the pens there I realized that's probably some sort of thing we're not supposed to do, I'm sure it's bad for the environment or something. Like the marmalade sandwiches. Oh well, already done.

The other thing since the last update was I saw Daniel Kitson's show, which was absolutely incredible (turns out comedy is cooler in person than on a recording!), and I would write about that, but 1) I have to get off this train soon and wouldn't have time to nearly do it justice, and 2) afterward I met him briefly and got a picture with him and completely lost the ability to speak and I cannot think too hard about that without cringing. John Robins and Elis James talk about the phenomenon of "getting it wrong" when you meet your heroes and how this can be a problem because you might not be able to enjoy their work anymore without remembering the time you got it wrong, ironic that that's who described the concept to me as the main person with whom that's happened to me is John Robins (I haven't even met John Robins... but his friend telling you "I found your Tumblr blog" and then taking down a YouTube video because you shared it has to be the ultimate getting it wrong). I can't really listen to John Robins now and really need that to not happen with Kitson, I'm very glad we've added a last-minute ticket to see him Thursday so the overriding memory will be that amazing show, and not being unable to look at him or speak when some people very kindly got him to meet me and he very kindly agreed to take a picture even though he is on record as saying he hates everyone who likes him. But he did not seem to hate us, he was incredibly nice, I am very glad I did that and will be very glad I have that picture once I am able to look at it, which is not now so it's not getting posted. It might not have helped that I spent the journey here listening to recordings of him from 2003-2006, when he largely spoke about hating everyone who likes him. It may be outdated information. You cannot hold people to everything they said in 2004.

...Right, I'd like to stop thinking about that now, though as usual in a this-blog-is-cheaper-than-therapy way, I feel slightly better for having written it down. Actually writing about the show will take much more time than that, so I won't even try for now as I'm off to other stuff (but holy fuck was it ever cool to see live and it is so very good right now). Got another big comedy tourism thing coming up this morning. To the 3 separate people who've informed me in the last 2 days that they're enjoying reading this as though it's an actual travel blog... I may, by later today, have some comedy tourism pictures that are actually of interest to the Tumblr community and not just my niches. So that'll be fun.

Mind the gap. I'm still not over that.

[lestappenforever]

Let me add some unsolicited opinion to the who Lestappen breaking containment issue. I’m imagining a scenario where these feelings are real for either of them. It’s one thing for your close friends to make fun of you and tease you you’d be cute together and another for fans pushing the agenda to spaces where you often feel safe. You are now being perceived to be a certain way, in a sport where being “masculine” and presenting as a “man” means everything. Not to mention you are in a relationship. I mean yeah with the teams posting it and F1 joining in the guys can argue “oh this is just to show sworn rivals can have a cute friendship where everyone gets along and roots for each other but still fight it out respectfully on track” whereas when fans on mainstream media start picking it up and mentioning how “it’d be cute to watch you two kiss” or “do you have feelings for Max, Charles. Why do you look at him like that” I mean that’s enough to freak any average human being out and make them shut down, completely. See how easily Charles shut down after the Ferrari melodrama in the last few races. That’s his team, a team he has dreamed of being a part of since he got inside a kart and you think he and Max won’t stop interacting because of this serious issue that could threaten his very dream his very livelihood his WHOLE LIFE?? Guys (gn) let’s be empathetic, let us draw boundaries. It’s one thing for them to know that their friendship is cute and lovely, it’s another to make them feel vulnerable. We don’t know how they feel about each other at all so let’s not open a can of worms that could go a thousand times wrong and destroy people’s lives. Whatever it is, trust me, we will find it in due time, naturally. We should just all enjoy the content and leave our theories on Tumblr and Ao3. Thanks for coming to my Ted talk 💙♥️

I absolutely agree with this as well, anon.

The golden rule of any fandom is to keep fandom contained to fandom. And some fans, especially certain younger ones, are either completely unaware of this or simply don’t care because they don’t understand why it’s so important. And I sure as hell don’t want any of them to learn the hard way.

Just, separate fandom from the people the fandom is based around. It’s really not that fucking hard.

[nextomyy]

Chapter 1: START

[Notes: first-person POV, this has cursing, a plus size female reader, specific body part mentioned, talks of stereotypes, OC specific stuff, friendships not in the show (P.S. will try not to write them often as they are not written in the show and only exist in my fictional world ]

Scrolling through Tumblr became somewhat of a habit when watching a show rerun. Looking at posts related to the show was even more common. What wasn't common was the absolute fucking audacity for this boy to be lying on my bed as I watch an episode of a show he doesn't care about.

Grabbing an extra pillow from my bed and smother him for five seconds as he thrashes around from his position on my bed, yelling even at my attempt to kill him. Dropping my phone, unlocked, on the side of me and lifted the pillow to see him glaring at me.

"What is wrong with you!" His yell woke up the other bodies on the floor of the room. I hear one of them complain about it being too loud in the morning, which was a lie because it was three in the afternoon with the sun in the sky and my curtains pulled together because everyone else was asleep.

"We agreed that I'm the only one to lie on my bed." My tone wasn't meant to start an argument, just an honest statement. He begins to deflate with an evident pout on his lips.

"I thought you loved me." He cried out as he fell to the floor, next to a friend who is beginning to wake up. "Eli! She doesn't love me!" He grabbed Eli's shoulders, who just blinked at the sudden force on her shoulders.

Huffing when falling on my back as I pause on Stranger Things. One of the shows that I will never finish. Not with the number of spoilers I witnessed for season three. Clicking my tongue with my eyebrows furrowed when seeing that everyone is finally getting off the floor, except Connor who is still on the floor in a tantrum. My heart has space for one man and one man only.

My face relaxes and I can feel a smile spread on my lips at noticing I paused at the moment before Dacre's character is introduced by finally showing who is driving the Camaro.

"You're so down bad for him." Eli comments after stretching and getting out of Connor's hold.

"He's very lovely." The words leave me before I can fully think of them. It only makes Eli laugh as she moves around the bodies who are sitting up to stare at a shelf I made for this exact thing.

Getting off my bed to grab the water bottles and the small pill cases of Ibuprofen on my nightstand. After calculating how I can throw them without hitting their heads, I see three heads glare at me as I nod with a smile when they get my gift. Then I take a sniff of the room.

"Y'all stink, get out." My face scrunched in disgust at smelling the room. Bringing my hand to pinch my nose and wave my other hand to the front door. I got loud complaints and a curse to my couch after stubbing his toe.

"What did we even do last night?" MJ was moving around to walk toward me but I held my arms up. "Especially you." She gapes before falling to the floor next to her brother. Now the siblings are throwing a tantrum and Eli only shrugged at my stare to calm down her girlfriend.

"You guys became trash goblins at my joke of me throwing my clothes in it by accident." Shuddering at the memory and let go of my nose to speak properly.

Connor finally faces me with a smile that clearly tells me he didn't feel bad. Fucking weirdo he is. Rolling my eyes and throw my pillow at him. He catches it and curls himself in without his stare ever leaving mine. Yeah, weirdo.

--0--0--

Time passed rather slowly as my friends went on with their lives. Both Mark and James stayed behind to relax a little longer before going to work. They had fixed the makeshift bed on the floor to watch something on James' profile on the Netflix they leech off of me. I had given them crackers and another bottle of water as they fed each other, and I was on my bed. On my side with my dominant hand holding my head up. 

And I'm still in this position, even after they left. I already finished the movie they started to watch but paused as they had to get ready to leave. I really didn't mind them not commenting throughout the first thirty minutes of the movie. They knew me and I knew them, and nothing was going to disrupt that understanding between us. I just wished they didn't whisper when talking to one another. Feels weird when there is something on the TV already.

Unlocking my phone and see that MJ took a selfie with Connor posing with a peace sign. Shaking my phone and move the photo to an album of the things my friends had taken with my phone. Going home and go back to scrolling on Tumblr.

Immediately frowned at the first post I see on For You. Why do Billy antis have to be such cool people? Unfollowing then blocking them before the urge to write something on their post overtakes me. Breathing out with closed eyes and decide to see a reblogged post I did of him. I can feel my body start to calm down from the sudden flare of wanting to go anon and go ham on them. 

Staring at the header on my profile, and admiring Darce for a moment as Connor's behavior fills my mind. I called him a weirdo, yet here I am soothing myself after seeing a cute drawing of his character. Throwing my phone on my bed and get off to find clothes to wear. It's getting late and I haven't left my house in seventeen hours.

Walking out of the room to walk through the hallway that leads into my closet. Which basically was meant for it to be a bedroom but I placed my bed in the living room area. The kitchen was small and I only had a counter that ran on two walls that ended before getting close to the entryway. The living room was slightly larger and I still had enough space to place a coffee table in front of my couch and a nightstand beside my bed. And even a makeshift bed when moving the couch a little to the left towards the corner.

There are two dressers, one for my friends and another for myself. They don't often stay the night, so they only get ONE drawer on the dresser, except Eli. Eli has a drawer on theirs and two on mine. She's lovely.

Finding random clothes that don't make me look as if I just got out of a ten-hour gaming marathon. It hasn't happened to me... Yet. Here's to hoping it doesn't at all. I pose in front of the mirror as I blow a kiss to myself with a wink.

"I look nice."

Nodding at my outfit before sitting down on the vanity to slap some lip oil and mascara on. I rub a small amount of cream on my cheeks and forehead then let it dry. As I wait, I continue to stare with my dominant hand holding my head up. It seems that I was one of the lucky ones to have all my fat on my bottom half and not above my neck. 

Clicking my tongue at my thought, there's nothing wrong. Nothing wrong with a round face. Just wished I had one.

Taking a makeup brush and palette from the pink makeup organizer to put on a rosy blush on my cheeks. Putting the two things back before posing again. It's nice to compliment yourself every once in a while. Breathe out with my eyes closed and smile.

"I look nice." 

Fixing my outfit then leaving the closet and on the way, I grabbed my backpack from the floor and walked out of my house altogether. There's a plaza a few blocks away with new stores opening. It is just gaining attention, and I can only assume because there's a new Ross store. I could go check to see if there might be some skirts in my size. Probably, but they'll look like garbage.

Skirts are so meant to be freeing, to feel the wind on my thighs. Why would I wear a skirt that goes past my knees? If that was the case then I would have just worn pants. Them stereotypes of all us plus-size girls wanting to cover up completely. What the fuck is wrong with people? If I want to wear a dress that goes mid-thigh then I'm going to wear a dress that covers less than my thigh. The longer they complain, the shorter the dresses and skirts become.

Grumbling to myself as the radio blasts a random song as I drive to that plaza. It's barely five, but the sun is already lowering behind the plaza building once it gets into view. Moving my head to the beat of the song as I find a parking space somewhat close to the restaurant that I wanted to try. Tapping the steering when I take another turn and higher the volume of the music as I continue to look.

Parking and stayed sat as I let the song continue while mouthing the lyrics to look inside my backpack for coupons that I'd collected through the week. Will I find anything for this specific restaurant, not likely but I can try? Picking up the sandwich bag full of coupons and rummaging through them, all while the radio is still blasting music.

Pausing my movements at hearing static coming from the radio and I continue to listen until it suddenly stops and the song continues. Shaking my head at how it felt like I was in a trance. Sighing once finding no coupon, I put the bag inside my backpack and turn off the ignition but just as I do the static came back.

Pressing a button to change the station and when the static keeps going, I press another. Groaning when I kept pressing all six buttons and I kept getting the same result. Turned off the radio in the end and sighed out then took a glance out the windshield.

"Yeah. No."

Starting the car back on to reverse seeing that the sun is going up in the sky instead of the moon. In an instant, the static from the radio came back on and my head hit the steering wheel while I was driving out of the parking lot.

__I__I__

Sneezing as I start to wake up from my unexpected nap, moving my limbs when everything starts to come back to me. With wide eyes, I look around the area and I might as well be dead. Where the fuck am I?

Why is it so bright? And why does it feel like I'm getting colder?

Standing up but don't make a move to take a step. I have no idea where I am or how I got here. Or if I'm just dreaming all of this.

[Hello. You are awake.]

Blinking at the vast area of the place at hearing Siri's voice and sit down to lay on my back.

"I am going to take a nap."

[You will not. You must have questions, or are you still in shock?]

"A bit of both, no?"

[You are odd. Are you going to stay awake as I explain?]

"Do I even have a choice?" I look up at the room and spoke to the air as if this were normal. I do doubt it.

[I am ONE. It stands for Our Next Evolution. What is your name?]

"Shouldn't you know? It clearly shows that you've been watching me sleep until I awoke." Bending my knees as my eyes were set on the ceiling thing of the room. It's just blue and I can see myself but I can't tell where the light is coming from. Similar to The Void in Stranger Things.

[You have every reason to act hostile, but would it be a lot to ask for you to be nice?]

Bringing my hands up to cover my face as I let out a groan. This thing is right and I don't want it to be.

"My name is (First Name). It stands for never succeeding at anything."

[You seem calm. Do you know where you are? Have you been here before?]

I shook my head and play with my outfit. Pulling and stretching it as I stay lying down.

[You are here to play a game. Follow the rules and you will return home how you left it.]

"First of all you S.O.B, I never agreed to such a thing. Secondly, I am not going to follow your rules without even knowing anything about this game. Thirdly... I actually can't think of anything so there is no third, but still!"

[Would you like for me to tell you where you are going to play?]

"I don't have a choice and I'm starting to hate this floor. Yes."]

[The setting takes place in Hawkins, Indiana. The time you are to enter is July 22, 1983.]

"WHAT THE FUCK! What do you mean Hawkins? That place doesn't even exist, you fart knocker."

[Would you like for me to explain the rules to you?]

Sitting up as I scream into my hands as this is finally settling in.

[You are to follow my instructions so that you will gain rewards as the story continues. You are to stay in the background until September 1983 comes closer. You are to not speak of the game to anyone until told to. You are given an area to live in and a story of your own. You are to remember its details and answer accordingly when questioned. You are given a free outfit to fit the time period and 300 dollars at the start of the game.]

I give a blank stare at the room as everything is finally settling in. As MUCH as I enjoyed watching the show, interviews, and liking posts related to the show, there was never a single thought in my head of ever wanting to be in it. People's lives are at risk in this world! The thought of ever being inside the world never settled lightly in me. Why would I ever want to risk MY life for someone else, even if that someone was a favorite character?

Call me selfish or whatever but this is so not the time to fangirl and stare at the characters. Because they just no longer become characters, they now become people. And I don't like people. I don't want to continue to maintain a relationship with anyone after getting to know them. It's too troublesome, and I am not a fan of that. It's too sudden and I need to have known them way longer than six episodes. 

Knocking the sides of my head with my knuckles and stood up. A breath left me as I gave my best glare at the empty area.

"Do I not have a say in this game?"

[You do not... At the moment. Once the game continues and your behavior is at green, you may change any of the rules to your liking until then no. You will not have a say.]

"At least you were honest. When do I start?"``        

[paterklatter]

bazillion word long bones and all overthinking below be warned

i've been rotating bones and all in my mind since it came out on vod (sorry to my two friends who had to deal with my 3 separate multiparagraph rants about it in our gc, you know who you are and you're stronger than the troops) and like despite the movie having quite a few flaws i can't rate it anything lower than a 10/10 in my head. like i found myself agreeing with most negative reviews (at least partially when it came to things like the script, although they often focused too much on the "ahhh it's so gross like omg" thing like yeah obviously. did you just find out it's 2022 movie directed by luca gauadagnino staring taylor russell and timothee chalamet too or?) but the film as a whole just works so well for me. it's most likely just the tumblr cannibalism brainworms i have chronically but like it just hits. but also it could've hit so much harder if it did things a little different.

like it was very very unhorny. which i think works to it's detriment. again maybe it's the hannibal girlie in me speaking but like how can you make a movie like this and not sexualize it like bro. there are some scenes where it feels like they went out of their way to make it unhorny to the detriment of every other element of the scene.

but i also really enjoy how the movie leaves the question of ~what the cannibalism represents~ up to the veiwer. while it obviously leads pretty heavily to each conclusion it really comes down to whatever connects with the viewer the most. i've heard everything from queerness to addiction to generational trauma and they all made sense.

the one element i'm most mixed on is the performances. taylor russell flips flops between absolutely devouring a scene and just kind of staring blankly with giant doe eyes. then timothee chalamets performance was good, having some even great moments, but it felt like he was playing a different character half way through the movie. like in the mannerisms and delivery of dialogue maybe i'm just crazy or something but it was really distracting for me. and the mark rylance is doing... that. sure it's creepy as fuck but it's like family guy pedophile levels of cartoony, which i think would work fine if it weren't for another thing, the tone.

bones and all takes itself seriously the entire runtime and it works against it at multiple points, from mark rylances whole character to one specific line that literally everyone i know who's scene it said made them laugh from the delivery. i also think the film is afraid to fully get visceral. most of the gruesome elements are not shown fully on screen and left to the (absolutely amazing) sound design. which works *fine* until the final scene which has no sound and shows nothing and really kills it. it could've been such an intimate moment if the camera just got in the general radius of the action. again, unhorny to a fault. i do think it could've work a little bit better if it allowed itself a little more leeway. it feels like it's ashamed to be a horror film

and then obviously the cinematography is amazing and the soundtrack goes crazy goes stupid and me and who and you know all the shit i have to say.

all bisexuals be eating people ong

[greensaplinggrace]

do you have any darklina fic recs?

I certainly have a few! But first I want to clarify that I don’t really read fic when I’m writing it, and since I have so many fics in the works right now, I haven’t really been reading a lot of fanfiction. So this list probably won’t be as extensive as it could be.

Here are some other great fic recommendation posts, however:

DARKLINA FIC RECS by @vicioux

DARKLINA FIC RECS // part ii by @vicioux

Darklina Ruling the World Together Fic Recs by @clubofthestarlesssaint

Tumblr Ficlets

Aleksander’s First Memory by @kestrafagnor

Fivan Talk About Darklina by @jomiddlemarch

a little light in the great, big dark by @valkyrhys

Alina tells Mal she’s with Aleksander by @lorsanbitch

Darklina week day 5: intimacy & touch by @starlesscne

AO3 Fanfiction

if it ain’t me by larry_hystereks (Incomplete - 10/13 Chapters)

alina’s in her second year at Yale when she meets aleksander at one of his frat parties.

a hookup with the potential for more, only if alina wasn’t still struggling to piece herself together from last year’s breakup.

or: alina, zoya, their trust issues, and the men that fall for them

---

I’m only at about chapter 6 of this fic currently, but so far it’s one of my all time favorite Modern AUs. The characterization for Alina and Aleksander is incredibly well done, and the entire fic itself is so feminist and queer in such a refreshing way. Aleksander and Alina are bisexual as fuck, both with their own separate complex lives, and much of Alina’s own traumas and relationships are explored outside of Aleksander.

There’s some Zoyalina, with Nikolina friendship and endgame Zoyalai. There’s some mystery and some tension, but nothing too extreme, and a lot of the fic is merely an exploration in growth and overcoming one’s history and learning how to move on in healthy ways. I love it.

She Wears a Collar (With My Name) by Ceris_Malfoy (Complete)

She is immortal, and whatever lingering hints of humanity she may have once had have long been bleached from her heart.

I will grant you one wish, boy, if it is in my power to do so. What does a Shadow Smith most want?

"You," he answers.

Written for Darklina Week 2021 - Day 2: Role Reversal

---

This piece is just exquisite. This author’s writing style is one that I particularly enjoy. Their stuff is always so uniquely composed and crafted, and this one especially is a work of art. The way Darklina as a relationship is portrayed in particular is fascinating to me because it’s a role reversal but it’s still so complex. Aleksander’s character is nailed.

the bright sun was extinguish’d by athousandwinds (Complete)

Somewhere, deep in the dark forests of Ravka, a boy grows up on stories of Sankta Alina of the Wastes, the Sun-Scorched Saint.

---

This fic is just straight up magnificent. It’s so engaging and I love love love the way a role reversed Aleksander who joins the army is portrayed. He reminds me so much of Demon in the Woods Aleksander, as if he’s exactly what a grown version of that young boy would be. When I say I adore his characterization in this I’m not lying.

If I wanted any completed fic I’ve read to have a second chapter, it would be this one.

Winter in the Little Palace by redisxwing (Complete)

Written for Yuletide 2020.

Baghra and Alina's wildly different perspectives on the Darkling, and how things could have gone if nobody listened to Baghra.

Warning: Baghra is written as a harsh and arguably abusive parent, and this is darkfic about that relationship, with a side of shipping. Everything is terrible (except the parts that are pretty much okay).

Canon divergence pretty much as soon as Alina gets lessons in summoning.

This fic is likely not compatible with King of Scars (or any subsequent work).

---

As is said in the summary, this one makes Baghra a bit more extreme. If you’re a fan of Baghra, this fic probably isn’t for you. But since I’m not a fan of Baghra, I had no problems with it.

My biggest praise for this fic is in regards to the character interactions and the POVs. There’s a brilliant grasp of unique perspective and how to convey it, and that talent is carried over into the way character interactions are brought to life in the text. Also, there’s a scene where Alina gets kind of protective of the Darkling, which is one of my biggest weaknesses when it comes to Darklina.

Good Ideas by FelixRivers (Complete)

Alina Starkov had a very good idea. Aleksander Morozova would definitely agree. (or: Alina wants to go camping and Aleksander won't complain)

---

This fic is just straight up adorable and hilarious. They’re such a cute couple and Alina’s POV is great. It’s just pure fluff and humor 💕

I’m not a bad girl, but I do bad things with you by SanktaJenya - @sankta-arya (Complete)

Winter had been hard on Old Baghra and Ana Kuya was worried about her, so she decided that Alina should make the trip to her cottage on the other side of the woods to bring her some food and kvas. On her way there, Alina meets a stranger...

Darklina Red Riding Hood/Company of Wolves AU

Darklina Week, Day 4, Fairytales

---

This fic has a splendid grasp of tension and atmosphere. It’s very enchanting and dark and intriguing, and it nails those aspects with absolute precision. I love the style and the way the fairytale is incorporated into the narrative. It’s truly a masterpiece.

The Wretched by @aceofnowhere (Complete)

“We are strangers, but I want to help.” He growls at her, mocking and mistrustful. “I understand,” she said. “You think I am one of them. I certainly look like one of them. But I want to help you. Will you let me?” Prompt: fairytale. Alina saves a dragon.

---

Okay so I’ve mentioned this one before as one of my Top 5 fics of all time and I still stand by that. I can’t even describe why I love this fic so much except that the pacing is amazing and the prose is stunning and the story is beautiful. Aleksander is a dragon and Alina is a witch, and their relationship is just so...interesting and fascinating and lovely. I would literally kill for this fic. There’s such a softness to it as well. Such a tenderness. Idk, I just really love it.

Show Me Who You Are (I Want To Know) by Ceris_Malfoy (Incomplete - 12/?)

Alina takes her future in her own hands and makes her own decisions.

---

This is a great “what if Alina had stuck around after the reveal” rewrite. It doesn’t have Mal bashing and in fact still writes them as close friends, which is something I’m fond of in Darklina fics. Aleksander is allowed to be soft and Alina is allowed to be powerful, and I really enjoyed the take on their dynamics as a power couple wherein Alina is given a lot of control.

There’s something to be said for the way Aleksander is written in the scenes where he must be honest and earnest with Alina. I really enjoy the way they both come to equal ground, and I’m even more fond of the way Alina is allowed to grow darker without losing her light. She also engages a lot with quite a few other characters, developing tons of friendships and alliances on her own that help strengthen her as an individual character.

on this bridge between starshine and clay by @rhea-imagined (Complete)

"His breath narrows for a moment, his fist clenched tight before he forces himself to loosen it. She is his only opportunity for salvation, but vulnerability is not a cape he wears easily. “In those days, there was less prejudice against Shadow Summoners. But everyone fears the dark, in one way or another.” He does not look at her as he waits for the penny to drop, half-hoping it stays suspended in the air."

In which Alexander comes clean to Alina and tells her about his true identity in hopes that this will help convince her to take down the Fold.

A rewrite of the fountain scene in episode four, with a good!Darkling that is trying to make amends.

---

This is my all-time favorite good!Aleksander AU. He’s kept in character despite the major changes made to his motivations, and Alina is given a lot more agency in her own story. It’s the first fic in what might become a series, but it can stand alone beautifully.

I love how Aleksander and Alina’s relationship is allowed to grow tense without breaking, and how it’s a clear sign of change but not abandonment. I love how both characters are able to think for themselves and become self-aware and are given the chance to think critically. I love the character interaction so much because it’s honest and fresh and engaging. Everything from the smallest action to the most off-hand thought is in character and meaningful and incorporated with an amazing style of writing. It’s a very refreshing piece, and the writing only makes it that much better.

Bunnies of a Feather Stitch Together by Ill_Ratte (Complete)

"Just as Alina called to the light, gathering and twisting it into a ball in her hands, the door swung open.

Kirigan blacked out the door frame. His appearance enough would have surprised Alina, but there was something clutched in his arm, something dark and floppy. It almost looked like the stuffed toys that had been passed around to the younger Orphans." - Alina and The Darkling bond over a love of soft things

---

Soft stuffed animal shenanigans. Bits of trans!Aleksander, which I’m very fond of, as well as just a lot of fluff with a bit of something bittersweet and sad in a good way.

Half Lie by Ill_Ratte (Complete)

"Baghra always talked of the demon that had stolen her daughter." Or, Alina learns the hard way that the Darkling isn't the only one who deals in half-truths

---

This one is trans!Aleksander, and it handles it in a very interesting way. It’s quite sad, and deals a lot with Baghra & Aleksander’s relationship through Alina’s POV. I want to give a warning for transphobia, because it does center around that a lot as the premise, but it really is worth the read if that isn’t a trigger for you. This is one of my favorite trans!Aleksander fics, and the way it handles emotion and grief and pain is quite extraordinary.

The CEO and Helioseismologist by mrthology (Complete)

Aleksander Morozova doesn't get sick. He's the CEO of one of the most successful companies in the world, one that he had built from the ground up with blood, sweat, and tears. He exercised daily (usually), maintained a healthy diet, and kept himself fit.

He wasn’t sick.

Too bad no one believed him. And too bad Genya decided to call Ivan to take him home before also calling Alina to take care of him.

Maybe, just maybe, being sick wasn't so bad. Especially not when he has such a wonderful girlfriend.

---

Both of the fics in this series are great, but I love this one in particular because I’m an absolute sucker for hurt/comfort. Anyone who’s been on my blog for a while knows that it’s my all time favorite trope to read, and this fic fits the hurt/comfort trope to a T in the best of ways. It’s very tender and in character, and Aleksander and Alina are so soft with each other. It’s adorable and really makes you feel for Aleksander, and the caretaking is done perfectly.

All the different layers of dark (thousand little suns) by Anuna (Complete)

One month after the Winter Fete, Aleksander returns to the Little Palace, and Alina has been missing him.

Or

Episode five canon divergence in which Alina had never left Os Alta.

---

This one is soft emotional hurt/comfort smut. They’re both so open and vulnerable with each other, and it’s so beautiful to read. I love the writing style and the emotion in this one. It makes my heart ache in the best way.

An Honourable Man by liviy695 (Complete)

A reimagining of the scene after the winter fete. Alina catches a glimpse of a caring Darkling after he returns from integrating the Conductor. Plus, no Baghra interference.

---

This one is what it says on the tin, in that Baghra doesn’t interfere and they’re allowed to talk after the Darkling interrogates the Conductor. But more than that, it’s a great imagining of how a scene where Aleksander reveals Marie’s death would have gone. There’s a sort of quiet to it that I appreciate, with grief and solemnity weighed against care and vulnerability.

I see the real you (even if you don’t, I do) by Anonymous (Incomplete - 8/?)

A series of questionable decisions lead Alina to meet the Black General a bit earlier. Butterfly effect ensues.

---

I’ve only read half so far (I hadn’t realized it had updated!! 👀👀) but I’m already in love with this fic. Alina’s dialogue and perspective is perfect, her relationship with Mal and the other cartographers is great, and I really enjoy how much personality she has. Aleksander is so smitten, but more than that, his characterization is soft but not weak. It feels almost as if he’s swept up by Alina, instead of the other way around, and I quite like that.

Of parenting by Anuna (Complete)

Alina finds out how her husband handled yet another parenting situation.

---

This is pure adorable Darklina parenting fluff and I live for it. Yet it doesn’t lack depth and in fact explored Alina and Aleksander’s relationship with parenting quite well.

i have a longing by LRCee - @ladylyannastark (Complete)

“So, Alina Starkov, risk-taker, how did you end up being editing’s newest wunderkind?”

Alina Starkov is rising in the publishing world. Singlehandedly responsible for editing (see: rewriting) the hottest book of the year, she lands a coveted spot at Morovoz Publishers. It's the position she's always wanted, at the biggest publishing house in the country. Life is perfect. That crush on her boss though, that's gotta go.

---

OKAY! I LOVE THIS ONE SO MUCH!! Let me tell you, as someone who is not too fond of Boss/Employee dynamics, I was very wary going into this fic. But boy did it deliver in a way that was perfect for me.

The relationship that develops between Aleksander and Alina is complex but healthy, and it never feels as if there’s too much of a power imbalance or anything that would make Alina feel forced or unhappy. The tension lies purely in how she fears others will perceive her, and not in how unhealthy her relationship with Aleksander is. For somebody who’s often attracted to unhealthy ships, I have to say that my favorite fics are usually ones that don’t have that type of dynamic between the characters. This fic delivers on that.

Also, Aleksander’s POV surrounding his struggle with his Russian heritage and his feelings for Alina is amazing, and has some of the best writing and characterization I’ve seen.

You receive: an evil demon; I receive: human souls by @aceofnowhere (Complete)

The next morning while she tried to tell herself it was a dream, that of course there wasn’t a fucking demon in her house, she found a note taped to her fridge.

“You might eat this shit,” it had written, “but I would like some fucking souls please.”

Darkling Week Prompt 7: free choice. Alina has a demon in her house.

This is absolute crack, and I have no idea what the fuck is wrong with me.

---

May I just say that this is the most fun I’ve ever had when reading a fic. It’s interesting with a bit of mystery, and Aleksander as a little shit of a demon is hilarious. Alina in this fic is great too. It’s such a unique take on her POV, especially when you reread it after knowing the ending. 10000/10, this fic is brilliant in every way and I love it.

I had been lost to you, Sunlight by BrytteMystere (Complete)

A Girl became a Woman, became a Sankta, became a Goddess.

Or: An Immortal Alina calls upon merzost to reunite with the Prince of Shadows she lost long ago. She may have lost herself in the process.

But then again, maybe time and endless wars did that instead.

---

You really just have to read this one to get it. It is utterly haunting and fascinating in the best of ways. The writing style is strange and novel and fits so well with the story being told. The composition of the fic as a whole is genius.

I Look Inside Myself (And See My Heart Is Black) by Ceris_Malfoy (Complete)

"When is a monster not a monster? Why, when you love it, of course."

Written for Darklina Week 2021 - Day 6: Favorite Quote • King & Queen • Monster

---

Once more, this author comes through with an absolutely breathtaking writing style and story. The imagery is elegant yet brutal, simultaneously horrifying and glorious. There’s a certain way these stories are written, like fairytales, where the beautiful becomes the macabre and becomes ever more stunning because of it. It’s very dark but in a good way - an almost bewitching way.

Afterlife by @aceofnowhere (Complete)

“You are asking me to leave?”

“Not asking, shadow,” she said. “Telling. Time to get unlost, loser.”

Day 3 Darklina Week prompt: Modern AU (I mean, barely)

Alina expels ghosts from purgatory.

---

@aceofnowhere once again bringing the best of the paranormal to the Grishaverse. Literally everything you write is amazing idk why I’m even pointing out individual fics when I could just rec your whole page. But anyways!! This is fun and interesting and Alina is a badass. Aleksander is, of course, compelling and dark and kind of a little shit, and it’s all incorporated seamlessly into an existential paranormal narrative.

Once Upon a Shooting Star by Ceris_Malfoy (Complete)

"But most of all, she was drawn to a vast darkness that reached out above all of them, a void so hungry for companionship that she knew she could fulfill."

---

Let. Alina. Be. Feral!! Anyways, I clearly have a type when it comes to storytelling, and it’s whatever the fuck this person has got going on. Feral!Star!Alina is literally the light of my life. Her interactions with not only other people but the world in general are so well done, but my favorite parts about this fic are the numerous ways her relationship with Aleksander is described and depicted.

I love the dark and light imagery, especially with how it’s portrayed as them filling in the gaps of each other’s lives and supporting each other instead of trying to block each other out. There’s such clear passion and joy and love and devotion between them. The central focus of this fic is on her and Aleksander’s relationship, the interplay between them and their powers and the way her light fills his loneliness, the passing of adoration and trust and reliance between them. It’s very beautiful and I love it.

A Blaze of Light by Keira_63 (Complete)

They discover the Sun Summoner in the burnt-out remains of the Shu laboratory in which she has spent the last seven years of her life.

Or, the Darkling finds himself with a Sun Summoner whose greatest wish is to burn Shu Han to the ground. He is happy to oblige her.

---

👀👀 Badass Alina and Badass Aleksander. The ultimate power couple, and Alina burning a path through Shu Han before they both burn a path through the world together. The darkness and rage in this one are handled very well, and the way that rage turns to coldness and then resolve is done so well. This fic is very cathartic and also very furious, and reading it is certainly a trip down emotion lane.

One more for the Road by Rist (Complete)

He returns to the war room shaken, and finds an Alina that cannot leave without at least having tried.

---

This one hurts so much but its soooo gooood!!! Very smutty but also very tender and very bittersweet. Sad and soft all at once. I just... love the way Alina and Aleksander are written so much, and Alina’s complicated feelings for him are explored in such detail and depth. This one is truly worth the read.

[charleswaterloo]

AGREED DO THE ULTIMATE FIC REC

Thank you so much for asking!! Okay, here we go!

DC fics that I got a few paragraphs into and already KNEW were going to be AMAZING:

1. The Jason Project by loosingletters

Warnings: Major Character Death

Jason had just wanted to see his autopsy report, he had only wanted to know what information Bruce had about his death. And when Bruce hadn't given it to him, he had stolen it. He hadn’t meant to stumble upon the bucket list of a dead child and the footage of a grieving father crossing one item after another off the list.

My thoughts: I don't often cry (which isn't healthy lmao) but this fic made me cry (happy tears!). It is absolutely wonderful and while angsty it has such a beautiful ending. I can't recommend it enough!

2. Little bird by Ididloveyou_once

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Tim knew he was fucked if only for the way that his brain was chanting Jason, like a litany. So he definitely didn’t need to hear the cold, mechanical chuckle or the chillingly delighted 'lucky me' to know that this was not good.

He took a second to look down at his coffee mournfully.

Then, he threw it at Hood’s helmet and bolted down the Tower corridor.

Or: Tim is supposed to be at Gotham Academy for a parent-teacher conference. Hood has other plans (Titans Tower AU).

My thoughts: One of the best Titans Tower AU fics I have ever had the pleasure of reading. The ending is to die for and so fluffy - it never fails to warm my heart <3

3. Straight to Voicemail by cabbagetop

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

“Red Hood. I need you to incapacitate Timothy Drake-Wayne.” “Aw, man,” Jason sighs, shouldering through the old wooden doors and out into the street with his books under his arm. “You and half the northern hemisphere. What’d he do this time?”

Jason's phone is blowing up about one Timothy Drake-Wayne (who is Jason's responsibility since when, exactly?). Jason comfort-eats. Jason suffers long. Jason reluctantly tries to keep this Raphus cucullatus of a human being alive, and maybe finds himself sidling back into the family while he's at it.

My thoughts: I was crying with laughter by the third sentence. If you want free serotonin, you will find it here folks, I guarantee it. Brilliantly written and hilarious and such a fantastic interpretation of Jason's character. Please read this lmao <3

4. miss me? by envysparkler

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Jason’s plan to observe his family’s reactions to his resurrection…does not go as intended.

My thoughts: I think I've recommended this one at least once before, but I will do so again because it is one of the best stories I have ever had the honour of reading on AO3. It has a happy ending, but was another fic which actually made me tear up. It is just beautiful and I'm sure some of you have read it before. Read it again even if you have - it's that good.

5. No Pain, All Gain by @sohotthateveryonedied

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Bruce checks Tim’s IV. “Are you in any pain? Do you need more morphine?”

Tim’s pupils are so wide that only the faintest ring of blue can be seen. He watches Bruce the way a five-year-old watches cartoons. “I’m all good, B-dog. All Gucci, like we cool teens say." His words are slurred almost beyond recognition, but Tim doesn’t seem to notice or care. "I could fight Superman right now.”

My thoughts: I know of only about 3 or 4 fics featuring Tim absolutely high out of his mind on some drug or another and this has got to be one of the absolute best of them. Whenever I feel the Depression(TM) crawling in and I need to laugh INSTANTLY I read this. It has not failed me yet. I can't recommend it enough it's so funny and a great read <3 The line below from the fic makes me scream laugh EVERY TIME:

“He’s not in his right mind.” “So? Neither are you half the time but you’re still in charge of everything.”

6. The Ouija Boy by SunnyBlue

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Timothy Drake was a stillborn baby. He was born dead, stayed that way for a solid five minutes, and was then resuscitated in the delivery room. He was a child who grew up alone, but for his imaginary friends. He had so many imaginary friends, in fact, that his parents sent him to get evaluated several times over the course of his childhood, which was spent with Tim as the only heartbeat in that house.

But that didn’t mean he was alone.

---

Tim sees dead people. When a Batboys murder investigation is going nowhere, he realizes his only chance at solving the case is to speak to the ghost of one of the victims. He has to reveal his secret to his brothers -- or risk the killer getting away.

My thoughts: STAND BACK FOR POSSIBLY ONE OF MY TOP TEN FAVOURITE FICS OF ALL TIME. I'm pretty sure I've recommended this one before but I will do so again. The story is impeccable, the mystery is ELITE and everything about it is literally perfect. I re-read this at least once a month so I can bask in its greatness and become a better person for having read it.

7. there but for the grace of god by TheResurrectionist

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

From a tumblr prompt.

AKA, "A Justice League fic where everyone argues about who's the most beautiful and intimidating sexy from the Big Three and everyone has valid points."

My thoughts: I'm going to let the note I added to the bookmark I made of this fic speak for itself. Here's what I wrote: "This was so funny - shoutout Jason for undeniable lad vibes plus the fact he felt he needed to neatly organise and write down the big three's sexiest traits."

8. American Ninja Worrier by DangerBeckett

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

It's just like Tim to give a poor college student a start in the business world. Kid's a bleeding heart, and usually, that's the sort of thing Jason avoids at all costs. He prefers his bleeding hearts on the literal side, and despite Bruce's best efforts, he's never had a head for business.

Unfortunately, though, this time the business is ninjas, and that's the sort of thing that makes Jason take notice. Because Bruce is useless, and someone's gotta make sure Tim's new internship program doesn't take down all of Gotham.

That's Jason's job, after all.

My thoughts: Please GOD just read the first few paragraphs. You'll know exactly what I mean when I say that this fic is it. Hilarious, badass and adorable. I mean, see the title of this fic rec. I just knew this fic was going to be amazing from the first line.

I have many, many more of course, but I'll leave this here for now as it's getting to be a pretty long post. Anyway, these are all fics - short and long! - that I knew were going to be absolutely perfect within the first few moments of reading. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!