#Because there's a lot of little things to tie together and it's getting progressively more openended

[yokohamapound]

Ooh, a new BSD blog! :D How about the reactions of Dazai, Ranpo, Chuuya, Akutagawa and Fyodor when they see their female S/O in fancy attire for the first time? Like if they're going to some formal events together as a couple.

Hmm, it's almost like you knew I am addicted to fancy clothes...this sent me on a deep dive through my extensive Pinterest board.

Characters: Dazai Osamu, Edogawa Ranpo, Nakahara Chuuya, Akutagawa Ryuunosuke, Fyodor Dostoevsky

Contents: fem!reader, possessive, controlling Fyodor

Dazai Osamu

Dazai is the type of man to enjoy seeing you in everything you wear, especially when you're puttering around the apartment in just one of his his shirts, but seeing you in formalwear is something special.

Maybe it's another award ceremony for the Armed Detective Agency, a fancy gala that requires you to wear something more upscale than business casual. Dazai has a suit he can fall back on—probably something in a dark blue or a shade of camel, because black reminds him too much of his time in the Port Mafia.

He's waiting in the living room for you to come out of the bedroom, periodically whining for you to come out of the bedroom and pay attention to him.

"I'm going to die of neglect out here," he calls forlornly. "And I always wanted us to die togeth—"

The door slides open, and Dazai cuts off his wailing, looking over his shoulder. There's a moment of silence—yes, actual silence from Dazai—as his gaze moves slowly up your legs, his eyes getting progressively wider as he takes in the slinky little number clinging to your curves, how the neckline reveals the arch of your throat. Your make-up, those smoky eyes and glossy lips...

"I don't want to go," he blurts, shuffling over on his knees and wrapping his arms around your waist. "Let's stay home. I'll pour you sake and feed you grapes."

Edogawa Ranpo

Ranpo doesn't tend to make a big deal about what you wear. He notices of course, because he notices everything, but he'll only comment if you're wearing something particularly cute or if he's deduced something interesting from your choice of attire, which usually goes like:

"Are you wearing that skirt 'cause you wanted me to notice you waxed your legs?"

"Ranpo, even if you know something, it doesn't mean you have to say it."

"What? You wanted me to notice and I'm noticing. It's not my fault you're not subtle," he says, grinning around his lollipop.

"Right, because I'm the one that's not subtle."

He's fiddling with his tie as the pair of you get ready for a formal event thrown in the ADA's honour (normally he'd complain about going to something so boring, but Fukuzawa promised him there'd be a buffet and lots of people wanting to praise him) and complaining that he can't tie it and he doesn't want to wear it.

"Oh, you big baby," you chide playfully, sauntering out of the bedroom, heels clicking as you fix one of your earrings in place "You wear a tie every day."

Taking the ends of the tie, you start to weave it into a simple Windsor knot, glancing up to see Ranpo gawking at you, his pretty green eyes wide open. For once, his brain isn't processing information at warp speed. It's crickets in there, like he's short-circuited.

"That good, huh?" you ask, tightening his tie. "No deductions, smart boy?"

"Uh..." Ranpo falters a bit as you draw him closer by his carefully knotted tie. "Nope."

You give him a kiss and release him. He's grinning like a Cheshire Cat as he follows you to the door.

"Hey, is there room for snacks in your clutch?"

Nakahara Chuuya

If you're Chuuya's girl, you'll never want for the finer things in life, but that first, first time he sees you all dolled up is very memorable. Even if you have cash of your own, he would have handed you his shiny black card, pressing it into your hand with a kiss and a grin.

"Let me treat ya. Don't even look at the prices."

After some credit card BDSM—that plastic rectangle got used and abused and it liked it—you came back to the penthouse laden with shopping bags, your hair freshly styled, a mani pedi, and a facial. By the time Chuuya comes to pick you up, you're dolled up to the nines.

Chuuya walks in, calling out for you, only to stop dead in his tracks when he sees you. You've got your back to him, carefully fixing the edge of your lipstick in the vanity mirror, when you spot his reflection.

"Hey, babe, almost ready," you say, turning to face him.

A slow grin breaks out across Chuuya's face. He reaches up and pushes his hat back, as if to see you better, his blue eyes wide.

"Fuck me, doll," he says, his voice coming out rough. "You look incredible..."

You make a show of checking your beautiful antique watch. "I don't think we have time for that right now, but when we get home..."

Chuuya lets out a groan, pulling you toward him by the hips. You won't let him smudge your fresh lipstick, so he leaves a love bite on your throat instead, like a promise for later.

Akutagawa Ryuunosuke

Akutagawa swears by formalwear (even if his taste in formalwear is over a century out of date), so he's no stranger to being suited and booted. Perhaps the two of you have been tasked to infiltrate a high society soiree as part of Mori's plans, or perhaps you are his undercover bodyguards while he attends one himself.

Akutagawa dislikes clothes shopping, so he flatly refused to accompany you to buy a dress for the occasion. This is probably for the best. It's a lot less stressful to shop with Gin and Higuchi than it is with an irritable, murderous Ryuunosuke dogging your heels and glaring daggers at the sales assistant.

Which is to say, he has no idea what you are wearing until you show up to the gala. He's watching Mori from near the wall, his hands thrust into the pockets of his long black coat. Disinterested.

His pale grey eyes sweep over you at first, mistaking you for another of the wealthy partygoers.

Then they snap back, going wide. Akutagawa stands there as if he's been locked into place as you saunter over to join him, a flute of champagne in each hand.

The way the dress moves, how it flows or clings to the various planes and curves of your body, how you move while you wear it, as if you've become a new, elevated version of yourself.

"Sorry I'm late," you say, handing him a champagne flute. He's surprised enough to take it without muttering that he doesn't like champagne. "The boss did say to arrive separately."

"...what are you wearing?" he finally manages to say. "You look—"

"Ridiculous? Yeah, I know, but this is what we have to wear to these stupid things. I can't even get away with hiding a gun under this thing."

"No—"

Too late, you've already moved away toward the buffet to grab a couple of hors d'oeuvres for you and him. Akutagawa finds his voice a little too late.

"You don't look ridiculous."

Fyodor Dostoevsky

I can guarantee with 100% certainty that Fyodor knows exactly what you're wearing, because he took you to the exclusive boutique in order to purchase it—after he had you model several dozen gowns for his appreciation and approval. He had to spend all that money he stole from the Guild on something, after all, so there were shoes and jewellery into the bargain.

There are staff to pamper you: a hairstylist, a nail tech, and a make-up artist, all under strict orders not to speak to you or dare look you in the eye as they primp and doll you up.

"Doll" being the operative word, because you look like a porcelain doll by the time they're done with you.

Airy layers float around you as you carefully pick your way down the sweeping staircase, ankles wobbling in your slightly-too-high heels, giving you that vulnerable, fawnish air that Fyodor likes so much.

He stands at the bottom of the stairs, cool violet eyes watching every tentative step. His masterpiece is complete.

"Myshka," he purrs at the sight of you. "You look perfect."

He offers you his hand, cold fingers closing around yours as you stumble off the very last step and into his arms. He makes a soft, slightly mocking sound of amusement in the back of his throat.

"Careful, darling," he chides, his hand settling firmly, possessively in the small of your back. "I can't have you falling for anyone but me."

The humour carries a note of truth. Fyodor's finger traces along the line of your jaw, curling beneath your chin and tipping your face up toward his. His breath ghosts over your lips.

"I will have to dress you this way more often."

AO3 | Other Blogs: Bleach | BNHA | Naruto | JJK

[omaano]

SW Hades AU March-April Update

Some links and previous updates: May - June - July - August - September - October/November - December - January - February - everything else in this AU

I'm here with another two-month joint update because at the end of April I can hardly call it a March update, and truth be told I don't think I did much for this AU in the first month of spring anyway.

I started playing Hades 2 again, and made some progress with the Omega and Boba redraw of the Warsong update wallpaper :3 The more time that passes between posting and writing this the happier I am with this piece. Who could find all the gear that Omega wears from the Batch? 👀

Which cannot exactly be said about Sabine and Ezra as well, but I finally have something to show for them!!

Next up is Satine (now that I can show a small illustration in my skethcbook for her, it should go easy - I hope), and maybe Fennec or the Armorer. And lining Axe and laying down flat colors for him and Koska as well. I'm trying to get a drawing for all the missing characters and get them to the part where only detailed shading is missing. If my hand doesn't hurt too much at least ^^;

I'm also gearing up to drawing a new Ares!Boba too, but I'm still in denial about that ^^;

I did not have a particulrly good time with these drawings, I will be very honest upfront. I had to redraw Omega two times because I tried to line that piece in CSP and for some reason faces are just not happening for me there; It hadn't go well with Echo either months ago. I don't know what's up. The tilt of my tablet or that I don't have o zoom un until all I can see are pixels?? OTL

...and then the colours fought me something awful too. Between Boba and Omega they had red, yellow, green and blue covered, and all that with Boba's white flightsuit was not fun ^^; I don't know, I just cannot deal with that many colours - so figuring out what and how I should desaturate was quite an experiment in patience for me until they looked somewhat cohesive. Thankfully the added moonlight turned out to be distracting enough that I'm pretty much warming up to it all now.

I'm afraid I will have to use actual Multiply layers for the full shading.

And Sabine. Oh Sabine.

I've struggled here, big time, and I'm still deeply unhappy with her. I experimeted a lot in my sketchbook with her pose, but any time I thought I was finally on to something as soon as I went in to fix some minor anatomy issues digitally and add some details things just fell apart.

It was the tooka that messed everything up, I'm sure of it D: ^^; I wanted something to visually tie Sabine and Ezra together, and my decision fell on the little white tooka that was in Sabine's mural too at the end of Rebels. But now Sabine's shoulder had to stand in a way that the little critter can perch on and judge from...

Honest to god I almost cried with relief when I came across Eurydice in Asphodel when I switched back to playing Hades for a bit, and realized that she has the lean and attitude in her pose that I was looking for with Sabine. So it was either the coward's way out, or to throw the entire project out the window and become a hermit in the mountains or something.

You can see which option I picked XD

I am deeply, deeply fond of Ezra however Q^Q He was so cooperative after a few initial testing sketches, his hair is perfect, I didn't forget his scars, and I will find it in me to forgive his weird not-really-chainmail shirt, because that one I did to myself XD

I also finally got around to drawing a quick sketch for Fennec - for a hot minute I was very very tempted to pick for her a pose that's a lot closer to Widowmaker from Overwatch, but the vibes just didn't quite match. That was a very sad realization :'(

(Yes, I took the picture after Satine bled through the page in all her alcohol marker glory, yes, I regret it, and no, I cannot relably draw faces on paper. It is a real tragey. I'm in mourning.)

And just so that I cannot really sigh in relief, Leia is my next struggle. I still don't know how to make her work, and it's been months. Terrible. Horrible. Really really bad. Why am I even trying...TT^TT

So that's it for this month. It's both less and more than how it feels, and I'm also kinda losing a bit of steam - my mind is at re-drawing the entire background section for the House of Hades, so on the backburner i'm trying to cook up various background elements to fill the halls up with. Hades is such a beautifully designed game with such amazing shapes and colours, and Star Wars is such a different style especially when it comes to decorations... So there is a lot of cooking that will have to happen here. But I spent a not insignificant part of my last week (I'd been sick, I could get away with it) watching Drawfee speedpaints (they are so fun and so educational sometimes) and Jacob really popped off in one video creating a pixel art game of some sort? And ever since all I could think about is how and IF I could make my pocket Din move through my version of the Hades AU. Just a section of it. I'm itching to draw the backgrounds, but goddamn I am tired, so I just keep distracting myself from the important character art stuff with these daydreams X"D

I also very badly and incredibly distractingly want to re-draw Boba - I've drawn him so long ago, and it feels deeply unfair that I tried to puzzle out the style on him - and while Din got his upgrades bit by bit Boba just didn't. Also. Ares. Ares looks so good in his character art just sitting around like that - all casual-like - and Boba also has his trademark sprawl and... Look. I'm back to Boba being my most favourite clone, okay? I miss him. I miss drawing him. There.

Okay, rant over. Maybe this way I will be able to concentrate again XD Here's to hoping 🤞 I hope you guys are doing better with your creative projects! ❤️ See you all in May! Hopefully with something a bit more substantive and some proper links, not just wips like these ^^;

Taglist of anyone who wants to be pinged once a month for these updates <3 If you want to be added to the list send me a message, or just reply to this post (a 👀 would do, nothing fancy required ;))

@elwinged @yeehawgeek @velsayshi @lionsaint @hastalavistabyebye

If you want to be taken off the list just message me and I’ll take you off, no hard feelings :)

[deadkraker]

ok had a reblog that awoke the cTommy demons in me so let me just rant for a second about my very specific flavour of cTommy I've made up ok? ok.

you know how like there's stories of kids surviving in the woods by themselves and living among animals? well my ctom is that but with a twist basically.

he spent about his all his early childhood (1 to a 8 year old) in the woods, alone, and like, he was living his best life honestly, I think that he'd sometimes spy on some village kids on the edges of the village but otherwise he was totally content to just frolic in the woods and eat bugs n shit.

but then cwil found him and was like 'oh no whats this child doing running around covered in mud living in a forest' and just kinda picked him by his scruff and carried him home, not really understanding that the kid he just picked up might not be a human child that needed that sort of assistance, all children bite right? like it's totally normal for them to claw at the walls of the home, begging to be released back to the wild for the first week they're inside a home? yeah. and the shiny eyes and claws are just quirks he's sure. this child is perfectly normal and meant to live among humans.

after a while tommy kinda warmed up to wil even when he didn't really understand why he had to do a lot of things, why on earth were shoes necessary anyways? the shirts and trousers he got, they were soft and made him warm in chilly night but god, shoes were his worst enemy. and wil would also develop a fondness for him, and after that they kinda began traveling together.

wil mostly saw tommy's habits as just little odd quirks, and unless it intervened with thing he deemed important he let the boy be.

but then the wars happened and wil became very strict on how tommy should act, how he made the state look bad by climbing trees and walking around barefoot getting his uniform all dirty and untidy, and tommy you have to wear the tie, don't you care what they will think of us if my right hand man won't even dress properly?

and despite all the efforts he made to understand why the things that his brother- no, his general said were important and should matter, the uniforms made his skin itch and the long depatings and peace negotiations made him miss the vague memories of the days where all he had to be was himself in the forest. at least he had tubbo, he'd never leave him.

woops, wil dies, other shit happens, tubbo becomes the president and then exiles him, leaving him, cdream's abuse makes him both regress and progress with his masking, he's never been so much of a starved animal and a obedient follower as he was now, a wild thing kicked and tortured until any form of affection got his complete trust. only for it to be blown up like everything else.

he escapes, finds a safe place, get betrayed, flees again, holes up away from everyone else, because apparently this people thing that everyone seemed to be so in on just wasn't his thing.

some people offer to try and help him, and he accepts. once again.

they say he needs closure, which sure, he'll get closure, dream's in prison now right? it'll be safe right?

one cracked skull and revival and he's proven wrong.

but is it just me or is he kinda..odd now? a boy that once couldn't stand still to save his life, now just watched in the background, with those creepy dead eyes that were nowadays covered by those bangs of his. he seemed more like a ghost than ghostbur ever was.

he just wanders around in the woods, and the claws that had been clipped short by wil now were untrimmed, I swear I saw him hunt a bunny and kill it with his hands alone one time!

he doesn't really talk to people like he used to, mostly he sticks to chatting with tubbo and cranboo, cphil's tried to talk to him, tried to apologize for how things turned out..but he doesn't really get anything back from tommy. he seems more busy with collecting bugs and skinning small rodents for their skulls to try and unpack years worth of complicated feelings towards everyone in his life, maybe things would've been better if he'd stayed in that forest of his, at least he sometimes wishes so.

[crudely-drawn-ben]

Introducing Trilogy

Yesterday I released Trilogy, a new tabletop RPG crafted to support you in having grand adventures in worlds of your own making.

There are several reasons I started writing Trilogy, but the biggest one is that I ran a Dungeon World podcast called Crudely Drawn Swords for seven years and that was a lot of time to think about what we were playing. To a degree Trilogy is the game I wish that we could have had to run the podcast.

Starting from the question "what would a purely PbtA game for epic fantasy look like?" I started thinking more widely - what do I want from a fantasy game? And the truth is that I want a game that supports the structure of characters and their interactions but doesn't tie itself to a specific setting.

Trilogy begins with The Appendices - conventionally in epic fantasy these are at the end and document information about the wider world that might not have made it into the story, but here it is where you sit down as a group and decide what tone you want your game to have, and your world looks like. What kind of place is it? What magic is there? What is religion like? What are the major cultures where the story begins? How would it feel to be in this world? Trilogy doesn't tell you any of these things, it gives you the tools to think through how you want your world to look.

This creates a secondary challenge - without knowing what the world looks like, how could I design character classes for this type of game? Trilogy answers this by going back to the fundamentals - instead of a conventional character class, the playbooks in Trilogy represent a narrative arc. Some of them, like The Fighter, The Priest, or The Magus, look like familiar classes. Others, such as The Volunteer, The Mentor, The Weapon, or The Defeated, are a little different. Character arcs have a set of turning points, story beats that allow you to advance along your arc after you have collected a certain amount of experience. Some are positive and others negative, you choose which ones you want to hit and when, but every character's story has its highs and lows and to get the most from the game you need to lean into both. A character can pass through three arcs as they grow and change, like the three volumes of a trilogy.

The aim of the game is to create a slower but satisfying sense of progression - instead of hit points characters take Stress and Harm like in other Powered by the Apocalypse games that can have both mechanical and narrative effects. That makes combat feel dangerous, but the game also offers more ways to solve problems without getting into combat - I have played games where the player characters never got into a fight, instead resolving confrontations through an ingenious selection of alternative strategies including "lying" and "vomiting magic ink all over the floor." I'm genuinely enthusiastic about this game - I think I would be as excited about it if somebody else had written it. It leans hard into the joy of discovery and the excitement of adventure - you can play it as spooky and whimsical or gritty and hard-edged and anywhere in between.

Because I was writing it I even got to make most of the examples of play roll out as the story of someone's game, something I always appreciate when I read it. It also contains every technique I use as a GM in the hope that even before people get the chance to play it (heaven forbid any TTRPG afficionado have books we haven't got around to playing yet!) people who read it will still be able to use that advice in their other games. So that's Trilogy, the game I've been working on for the last few years. I think it's pretty great and I hope you will too:

Obviously it's a full-priced game and that's a big gamble from an unfamiliar creator - if you want an idea of what it's like in practice we've got the CDS team back together and we're starting a streamed campaign so you have a chance to see it in action. You can find that over on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxpXacko9Nc

The first episode includes me notably failing to use OBS at both the beginning and end, and I can't make any promises things will improve in that regard, but it should be a good opportunity to see how the game shapes up from this start and with this crew I know it's going to be funny and take some wild swings. If you're interested in reviewing Trilogy or you really want to give it a try but you can't afford it, drop me a message

[jaytalking]

Okay okay.

NAOOOO—

*inhaaalE*

So your Plasmius design.

*claps hands together multiple times*

Where do I even BEGIN to appreciate it OML I would fail at doing so-

Okay so.

Numero uno *cough*

The whole thing about him looking younger to embrace the vampire part. Yes. Yes I love that. That is now canon in my heart because it just WORKS. SO MUCH.

Because I feel like it could also tie into the fact that Vlad in the show is so obsessed with having lost everything and wanting all of it back, his youth included-

So he'd look younger as Plasmius EEEEEEEE

Also I LOVE how his eye shape changes as Plasmius and he looks more. Hostile and dangerous if you will—*explodes* eyes are the windows to one's soul I love eyes sm-

THE FANGS. THE FANGSSSSS—*taps the microphone* HE'S A VAMPIREEEE—

The way you turned the top of his cape into flames??? That is literally so so SO cool and amazing

Makes me wonder if he can maybe. Change the shape of it/make it appear and disappear whenever he wants?

Also his hands constantly looking like they have blood on them??? AND IT CAN SPREAD ONTO THE SURFACES HE TOUCHES??? TEN OUT OF TEN ISTG THAT IS JUST SOMETHING ELSEEEE/POS

Your young Vlad looks so huggable idk why

(Sorry kinda unrelated but I feel like younger Vlad was SUCH a timid person. And he'd get shy fast but he'd also be quite confident whenever he wanted.)

THE LOWER PART OF HIS HAIR BEING WHITE. I WILL—*holds head* "yes officer it's this design right here—"/silly

AND THE SCAR

Gosh my favorite part EVER

THEM GLOWING

OH MY DAYS THAT IS AWESOME

He looks like a fiery demon from the pits of hell I love it

I'm here for it

I'll put him in a freezer so he can cool down—/silly

I think we should give him pomegranate sorbet I think he'll like it

Cuz like

It's sour, but also has a sliiiight sweetness to it, and it has a bitterness in its core because of the pomegranate seeds. Idk I feel like that is just. So Vlad. Shfjfkvkvkv—/silly

Also very randomly: Vlad be like:

"Oh look, a sophisticated business man!"

"Oh, he’s a little bit messed up, actually..."

BUT YEAH I JUST ABSOLUTELY LOVE YOUR DESIGN FOR HIM I'LL HOLD HIM IN MY HANDS LIKE A LITTLE CREATURE/POS

Jophofhchvv thank you I never know how to respond to but know that we're screaming together!

Here's some fun facts about EctoScience Vlad:

-I really wanted to give him a dangerous vibe, ghosts can eat other ghosts to grow stronger extremely quickly in this AU and that's partly why he's as strong as he is, the other part being... halfas are just very powerful. Simply. Anyways everyone in the Zone knows and fears him; at the start of the series he's almost a boogeyman of sorts there until Danny starts beating him.

- Vlad didn't have a ghost form at first! His becoming a Halfa actually took a long time due to how it happened, and that's technically how it'll go for Danny too, he's just further along due to his own death being wayyy more violent than Vlad's. The progression into full ghost has slowed down a lot in Vlad's case, but for the reason I just mentioned, Danny's progression is fast.

- The "I hate you!" "You're like me!" Exchange is something I've had in mind since the start. In this AU specifically the circumstances of their "deaths" are extremely similar, but above all Danny fears turning fully into a ghost will make him lose his humanity and turn him evil due to, you know, actually listening to the "all ghosts are evil" bogus his parents believe. Vlad can sense that insecurity and in this AU he latches onto it like a vice to make Danny think him joining Vlad's side is inevitable in the end.

- Yes, he CAN make his cape disappear if it starts getting in his way in a fight, but I would also like to highlight his fire core making him very warm. Cats love him.

- His general behaviour as a ghost has been changed a little, he acts and fights fairly normally at first, but if the fight drags on for too long or his opponent runs away he's going FULL HORROR MOVIE VILLAIN. That first fight in the mansion was a lot longer and made Danny genuinely fear for his life. Let Vlad be MORE unhinged when he's pissed off I say.

[chamoemileclown]

I finally watched Wato's 100 days because of you and oh wow. it got to me good. Now looking at your piece with a newfound understanding.... wow

it makes me incredibly happy when people tell me my art encouraged them to watch something because that’s how i’ve gotten into most of the things i love!! im using this as an opportunity to talk about my own art and the things i really enjoyed about the video so spoilers ahead for this piece under the cut!

you can watch the video here if you haven’t already!

I’ve noticed in a lot of 100 days videos there’s usually a “drag” point in the middle where the cc gets tired or frustrated with their challenge. They might reach a point where they get stuck or grow lonely and the task ahead grows to arduous only for them to pivot and overcome their problems. Wato’s video asks, “well what if you can’t overcome?” and delves into the psychological horror of being trapped doing the same tasks over and over again not even knowing if you’re goals are attainable.

It might be hard for some people to watch because it does drag on, and that’s the point it was not a fun experience for Wato, but it’s so beautifully cinematic. The video does a lot of overlaying, certain scenes fading into others as if time is blurring together for Wato.

some of my favorite shots included these overlays, they’re so beautiful! I think a lot of 100 days videos fail to convey how long 100 days really feels like, often summing things up quickly and cutting down footage but with this video it makes sure to stay and focus on this stuff since that’s where the horror comes from.

I tried to include this with the endermen dotted around my piece!

in a lot of these shots the most noatble thing is the bright endermen eyes overlayed ontop of everything because not matter what Wato does he can’t really keep them away. As long as she’s there the endermen as going to spawn. That’s why I drew him trying to climb out of the frame, he’s trying to escape it but no matter how many times he jumps off one of his hotels to death reset he comes back and he’s still made little progress.

Wato usually wears a matching pink boutonniere and tie but I shifted the color more orange to complement the color pallet a pay homage to Kenadian and his loss early on in the challenge.

Wifies on exists in Wato’s line of sight, his lower half disappearing underneath their outstretched arm because Wifies only exists for his own comfort.

Wato is able to escape, he does so by making it to the nether but he leaves behind Ken and his hallucination of Wifies in the process. like hallucination Wifies said, “well- you can get out of here-“ Wato did succeed at the very end of his challenge, and even after he made it to the nether he flung himself into the lava, going back to death reseting even knowing he had a chance to beat the goal he set out with now.

[mrowmrowmrow9]

ranking supergirl characters

i've been pondering my tumultuous relationship with this show lately, and decided it might help to organize my thoughts on the characters specifically. in ascending order, season regulars only, based on how much i love/care about/connect to the character, here we go!

11. Lena

this one is pretty self-explanatory. i'd make her -1000th if i could, but moving right along...

10. Maggie

idk why, but I just never really liked her much. i think her badass sarcastic lady cop archetype is just not my thing...plus the way she and alex got together felt a little sketchy on her part.

9. James

Man, i would love to know what the hell was going on in the writing room when they were creating this character. It felt like they had absolutely no idea what to do with him, and honestly i think the show might've been better off without him. his rivalry with winn in season 1 was kind of funny, but the whole love triangle with kara and lucy was just weird and kind of gross. and it only went downhill as the seasons progressed.

8. Cat

She was definitely entertaining, but i feel like she'd also be a nightmare to actually have as your boss. in terms of loving/connecting to her, i'm kind of in the middle.

7. Brainy

He could be pretty funny, but a poor substitute for Winn. and the fact that he guilt-tripped Mon-El into going back to the future and then three seasons later completely abandoned it himself so he could stay with his girlfriend? dude, come on. i like him with nia, but more for her sake than anything

6. Alex

I feel bad for saying this, but I've never really liked Alex. she's Kara's sister and all, but she's so violent and hotheaded and weirdly xenophobic for someone with an alien for a sister. I probably disliked her the least in season 3, i guess.

5. Kelly

is there anything bad to say about kelly? she's just awesome all around. she's not quite a major enough character for me to really connect with, but i like her plenty.

4. Winn

i'm not as into him as other people in the fandom are, but as with kelly i have almost nothing bad to say. he could be kind of a jerk for a minute in s1, but he redeemed himself and i love his friendship with Mon. and especially Kara, where did that go in seasons 2 and 3? though for some reason, i struggle with writing him in fanfic as anything but a background character.

3. J'onn

Space Dad, I love you. his arc could be a little wobbly at times but i love the way him and m'gann are together even when they're apart, and i love his relationship with kara especially during s4 when she had no one. all-around one of the best characters.

2. Nia

It was very close between her and J'onn, basically a tie but I was invested in her character from day one. nicole maines plays her as such a sweet and funny character and i think i've loved her in every season she's been in!

Kara and Mon-El

My precious space puppies. I couldn't choose between them if i tried. Kara can definitely be arrogant, impulsive or stubborn at times but her kindness shines over that and i love her lightness and integrity as a character. this is a bit of an unpopular opinion but i like mon-el even more in season 3, partially because i'm a sucker for angst and tragedy but also i liked the mature version of him that had learned a lot about being a hero and a person. i just wish we could have seen him get to return to his cheerful and jokey self from time to time if he had stayed on the show which he fucking should have.

thanks! that's all

[reggies-eyeliner]

THE CLASSIC MATCHUP - @littlelilbun

THE "HEAVEN IS A PLACE ON EARTH WITH YOU" COUPLE

#now playing ... video games by lana del rey!

miguel o'hara had never been big on physical touch. or talking. or purposefully making funny jokes. he actually wasn't a big fan on a lot of things. the only person he really regularly talked to was lyla, but that was only because he had to in order to get things going in the spider society-- but someone he could never find himself pushing away from was you. at first, being completely honest, he'd been so busy with monitoring the whole spider society that he'd neglected to realize that you and lyla were attached at the hip. both of you got along great, both having similar wardrobes and the occasional matching sunglasses. what began with conversations with solely lyla, even after work hours, ended with miguel joining in with the occasional wry joke every now and then. that slowly began to grow more into full fleged conversations with the three of you, and you and miguel had created a bond that seemed to be just about unbreakable.

he isn't big on romance, he likes to think, because he doesn't have the time for it. sometimes miguel says the words "the fate of the multiverse" and you and peter b. look at each other and snort a little, but sometimes you see the the corner of his lips twitch.

the first time miguel o'hara does anything remotely romantic is in battle, when some random universe's doc ock decides that you'd be the perfect victim. you weren't awake for most of it, but lyla tells you that miguel had practically dropped everything to save you, refusing to acknowledge the possibility that you wouldn't make it. he had stayed at the hospital every night to look after you, and every day grew into a week into two weeks before you were discharged, and during that time, both of you talked like there was no tomorrow.

when miguel actually realizes that he's in love and he's not having some sort of allergic reaction, he kind of sneaks in a small, quick question, even leaning against the wall to sound extra casual to lyla, "hey uh what's that new album taylor swift released" and lyla drops everything because . why is this man even asking this question . but it doesn't take long for her to connect the dots, and realizes that he wants to know more about your interests and what you like. lyla tells you, obviously, and fortunately, things progress from there.

once you two are actually together, miguel treasures lazy saturday mornings and cozy friday evenings. he even loves the "i'm so exhausted i might die" monday mornings on his way to the spider society, because he's with you. if you struggle with anxiety, while he might not know the best thing to do at first, he'll talk you through it every step of the way. but he won't ever pity you or see you as something broken, he sees you as someone who's deserving of respect, and most importantly, love.

oh man this guy starts keeping an extra hair tie on his wrist for you, or he literally keeps make up wipes in his storage cabinet (he asked peter b advice on what he keeps on hand for his wife 😭<33), and he definitely thinks it's awesome that you're studying six languages, and he'll also definitely ask you about it !! also he loves holding you while sleeping beacuse if a man is touch starved it's him

RANDOMIZED TROPE:

" SHARING A BED "

-> within two weeks of dating, miguel o'hara has realized a lot of things, mainly being that you thrive on physical touch-- something he's tried his best to shake himself away from. but as he watches you, arms opened wide for an embrace laying on a hospital bed after a particulary taxing day fighting doc ock, his heart stutters. slowly, hesitantly, he takes your hand, lying down beside you. he immediately warms up to your embrace, letting your head fall to his chest. lyla takes photos<33

a/n: thank you so so much for the request!! i am so so sorry that this took so long!!! if i missed anything please let me know >:D!<3 i hope you're doing alright + things are going okay for you!! remember to hydrate and eat well, take care!!!

[stygiansauce]

sauce, holy crap. i just finished MOE chapter 4 and my god that was AMAZING!!!!!!!

your writing is genuinely some of the best i've ever read, fanfiction or otherwise. the way you write ranchers had me kicking and screaming, their banter is just SO GOOD AHHHHHH

anyways, i am so happy i randomly stumbled across your blog a few weeks ago and read MOE (and then you followed me and i may have lost my mind a bit) who said that, i'm a totally chill calm person! mhmhmhm

the way you wrote the angst for this chapter was so good, and the fact that Tango couldn't look at Jimmy but still tried to comfort him, and their whole flirty scene in the store, and the way you incorporated Tango's guilt for liking Jimmy cause of Grian (i think i remember you saying you were struggling to do that but this worked SO WELL)

and not to mention the playlists, i love them sm, the team TIES one is literally just all music i grew up listening to when my dad played it and yes they would absolutely listen to that sorta music

apologies for the complete chaos that was this ask (i have no coherent thoughts about your fic, it's mostly just happy screaming inside my head that doesn't translate to words very well) (and also this was very long.....i do not know how to do asks very well.....oops....)

wait i need to add one more thing, you're unnamed super hero au????? like hello?????? it sounds so cool!!!!! if/when you ever do anything with it, i will lose my mind even more than i've already lost it (but even just your little posts on here make my brain go "brrrr" lol)

okay, now i'm actually done bothering you (for now) (that came off more threatening than i meant) so, byee!

GUYS! This is my moot Grem, He makes posts about Tango and I know when he wakes up becuase he spams my notifications and I love it. Go follow Grem, we love Grem.

HAAIIII GREM!!!! You could never bother me. Here at Sauce INC. we write long posts back and annoy everyone that follows me.

I am so so so so so so so happy you liked the chapter. she was a labor of LOVE. lots of chatting with Junie (the all knowing beta) and making sure we got Tango to feel right for the obsicals he was facing. Trying to tie in parallels and set up forshadowing. everyone please send a silent thank you to June.

I am so happy you noticed Tango's comfort in the car. one of the last things I wrote for that scene was the gorge analogy because I was stumped on how he would reply to that. Like your crush just dumped all this crazy lore on you, what do you even say to that? how do you react?? (again, thank you June for Tango's line "I don't think thats very fair to you" or something like that)

I loved the store!! It came out of me in like three hours and then I didnt need to touch it. (This reminds me an anon asked to see my writing process and I used the store scene for that. I need to post the stages of scene progression for them)

YES! The anon that reminded me the purpose of this fic THANK YOU. that ask is the reason scene four got the big brown eyes conversation and the flashback to set up future chapters.

The TIES playlist is so silly to me and I think you guys will also love Oli's banger DJ set, but i won't release that until chapter five comes out because spoils. I do love TIES ENGINEERING though because I got on the phone with my dad and we put songs on it together. I'm so glad we could make our blorbos old men at heart.

the superhero AU will be getting a fic...one day. I'm trying to work out the plot but there are like 4 main fics to the MOE verse and I wanna start drafting dealing in dispair too. one day, and I will give you all peeks along the way.

THANK YOU FOR THE ASK GREM WE LOVE YOUUUUUUU!

[noahsartt]

My reservations with the 2022 Interview with the Vampire tv series:

My thoughts on amc’s Interview with the Vampire (2022) tv series compared to the 1976 source material and what I liked about the 1994 movie.

Some reflections before the second season airs. I watched the series as it was coming out in 2022, so these thoughts have been sitting for over a year.

This is a subjective critique of the show, not me hating on it. I liked the show a lot & watched it twice. Many of the key changes were extremely creative ways of exploring those characters from new perspectives, instead of just pointlessly remaking something that's been done before. Distinct creative change should be the basis of every remake, no point is making something 'new' if there's nothing new about it. This show knew that, and the changes for the most part were written beautifully. ...But the movie is still my favourite despite its many flaws. Camp classic right there.

Issues with the show:

Making it take place 100 years later, it ruins the specific aesthetic of the book for me. (But I understand they had to in order to re-write Louis & Claudia as black).

Aging up Claudia. The way Bailey Bass played Claudia was amazing, no notes at all for her. I just wish they kept her younger because that was a very symbolic part of what made Claudia’s original character so tragic. She suffers in an entirely different way to Louis because of her age. New Claudia is supposed to be in the body of a 14 year old, but the actress was 18/19 so she looks much older already,  and no matter how well she played it, the age factor can’t be helped. Being stuck eternally in the body of a 5 year old (book) is so different to a 14 year old, who looks much older (tv show). Kirsten Dunst who was 10 in the movie, was able to play the little child - adult vampire progression a lot better. People say Claudia's original age is too 'disturbing' to see on screen... but that's the character...

Daniel being old… WHY?? Just so they could tie together the storyline or him meeting Armand multiple decades before ???? I only read IWTV and some of the TVL so I don't know everything that happens down the line for him, or what amc plans for the character in the show... but I don't understand the aging up except for 'diversity' reasons. Which, ok, but just to check a box? Louis and Claudia's race change make sense as a creative decision. But the Daniel in the book and film is a 20-something year old which is why he's so fascinated by Louis' 'gift', and doesn't understand the message Louis is sending, instead wanting to become a vampire too. Why would old Daniel want those same things? Changing Daniel's age is such an inherent thing... it's like if they didn't make Lestat blond. Eric Bogosian plays him funny though, I will say that. Christian Slater kind of just sat there.

Louis having no money and needing Lestat's financial support for his business ventures????? When it’s supposed to be Lestat leeching off Louis' estate … WHY. Why did they change something so fundamental about their dynamic. Lestat moves in because he needs wealth and Louis has it. And then he starts acting like it's both of theirs and Louis just lets him. Funniest thing ever. But in the show Louis moves in with him instead. That's just wrong.

Louis asking (basically begging) Lestat to make Claudia when Lestat is supposed to be the one to do it in order to ensure Louis doesn't leave him. Another fundamental part of their relationship that just got flipped around completely... and for what? Why did it change the things it didn't need to?

Antoinette... girl why are you there... we don't need more characters. Go away.

The guy that Louis gets with to make Lestat jealous …. why is he there either? In the book they don't need to bring other people in to irritate each other.

One of the most perfect scenes from the film was when Lestat was tormenting that girl and trying to get Louis to kill her. The show’s version with the opera singer wasn’t the same. The original scene is such a good depiction of their dynamic with each other: Lestat's eccentric killing methods and Louis’ shame and guilt. The show’s version didn’t live up to it. That scene was so excellent in what it set out to do. It captured their back and forth in such a simple way. That dynamic follows them forever, even as Louis begins to accept his nature, that spark of annoyance towards Lestat is ready to become a full fire at any moment. That scene is enough to be a full character study. The show has little bits here and there which capture something similar. But they should have recreated that scene at least.

Claudia and Lestat's relationship evolving from enjoying each others company and similarities, to detesting each other and competing for Louis’ affection. They didn’t spend enough time on Lestat and Claudia’s relationship in the show to fully demonstrate that, only a few scenes of them driving together and hunting together at the beginning. Even the two hour movie found a way to intergrade that better. Their relationship and the way Claudia is so starkly similar to Lestat when they move to Paris, is one of the my favourite parts of the book to analyse. Louis leaving Lestat and moving all the way across the ocean, only to be reminded of him in everything Claudia did. The show did have some purposeful parallels between Lestat and Claudia in the dialogue which I appreciate, I hope that continues in season 2.

Louis being in on Claudia's plan to kill Lestat and even being the one to finish off Lestat when it’s supposed to be Claudia’s idea on her own...?? Lestat's death is supposed to be an "ok, I guess that was necessary, time to move on with our lives now," moment for Louis. But he wasn't supposed to have the courage or the want to be the one to do it himself. He was hesitant and regretful in the show, but he still slit his throat... it was supposed to be Claudia alone. Credit where credit is due, the scene was beautifully filmed, the red blood on white cloth looked incredible and the entire scene captured the tone of devastation that the movie didn't. It was all very quick and emotionless in the movie.

Even though I hate Br*d Pitt's acting, his Louis was way more accurate to the book Louis. He basically was the embodiment of book Louis. Just sad and whiny the entire time. New Louis had more to him, I think Jacob Anderson even said in an interview that it was a purposeful decision to give Louis more grit. It's not a change I appreciated because it alters the original character too much. You can't change something that fundamental. Just ugh. In the show, Louis is more angry than pathetically sad, it’s very different to how the character was originally written. 

Sam Reid’s Lestat is pretty on the nose but still more serious than the original Lestat & Tom Cruise’s portrayal which was the perfect level of camp and eccentric. Tom cruise was playing Lestat from just IWTV but Sam Reid is playing him with the baggage of his entire life as written in the other books, maybe that's why he is different. Maybe his performance is even better because of it. I haven't read the other books so I can't really say.

I won't say anything about Armand (yet) because he hasn’t had his time to shine. We’ll see after season 2. I loved Antonio Banderas as Armand, and even though he was very different from how book Armand was, it was a change I liked. New Armand is going to be more accurate to the books I believe, but i didn’t like how Armand was there the entire time Louis was being interviewed… why...

Maybe I am one of the few that doesn't overtly appreciate the 'fresh' take of this story. Many of the things that draw me to the book and the movie have been taken away in this adaptation.

---

I recommend this fan fiction that explores the idea of Louis being a person of colour in the context of the original book's 1700s timeline. It explores the intersectionality of Louis' struggle with vampirism, queerness & race while still being authentic to the book. Go read it.

In the Author's words: This is NOT a rewrite of the AMC TV show, nor does it intend to be. This is us making one (subtextually plausible) change to canon in order to 1) explore underlying issues with the source material and 2) see how it affects the way the events of IWTV played out.

Ok that's it. Will maybe add to this when the second season airs. For months, this was just for me in my notes app but what is tumblr for if not to air out my locked away ideas.

[blanketorghost]

SIDE A:

I fell in love with the ideal person But as you can see They had to go And it is the love that tore apart my entire heart and soul When holding hands, In the park we kissed and tears fell On fallen rose petals And, sadly, they told me so: "I have to leave, And it's not because of me, my heart lies with you All the love of my insides, my chest and my soul I know one day I will return."

SIDE B:

It was you who said goodbye And yet tears run down your cheeks If you are going to erase even the memory of yesterday like this, That's enough. Just smile for me. I sing and sing about love, one that's out above the clouds But I can't see it with my clouded mind No, no, we talk and talk about those regrets that grow day by day, and as the night swarms We forgive each other but there's no meaning to it.

SO HEY UH. LIL SNEAK PEEK OF THEIR BREAKUP ARC???

TW: for mention of underaged sex (??? only adding this just in case bc it all depends if you think their bio ages are counting their bdays during the school year the main story takes place so they'd be 17/18 respectively but I consider them to be before the school year so they'd be 18/19)

ANYWAYS HI

I decided to make their breakup so specifically heartbreaking i myself choke up a little when I imagine the scenes I'll have to write (I'll definitely cry)

So uh.

The inevitable happens and Yuu has to leave. The days leading up to his leaving date things are very tense between them. A lot of their conversations are thinly veiled arguments about Azul wanting Yuu to stay and Yuu telling him he has to leave even though he doesn't want to. Azul thinks that he's making excuses and wants him to admit that he values his life on earth more than their relationship─ Yuu just wants Azul to understand that he has way too many responsibilities and life issues he needs to tie up before he can even think about running away with him to another dimension where he has nothing to his name and could slow Azul's progress down (It also doesn't help that Yuu never actually tells Azul just how famous and influential he is on earth). Yuu also thinks that they could try making a long distance relationship work since Idia and Ortho are working on ways to allow Yuu to reliably travel since they've already managed to make phones work, but Azul is very against long distance because he thinks Yuu would fall out of love if Azul isn't physically there to be of use to Yuu. They always get out of these fights by apologizing and just expressing how sad they are they can't be together but they ultimately never decide on anything. It's actually so stress inducing for everyone because they were in their whole honeymoon phase before this.

There's a whole going away party the day before Yuu leaves and even though it's fun, everything is very bittersweet and I even have this cute scene where Grim asks to go to sleep on Yuu's bed like how they did before Ramshackle was fixed up pre ch.3 🥺

BUT ANYWAYS before the Grim scene, Azul texts Yuu to come to his room in Ramshackle (Yuu often gifts the dorm's spare rooms to friends including Azul ofc) so they can talk about what they're going to do. Yeah well the conversation gets derailed and they end up having sex for the first time as like a way of Yuu physically trying to show Azul that he will love him forever no matter what //sobs

Thats when Grim barges in after they're done and asks for Yuu to sleep over. With Azul's permission he goes and sleeps with Grim but he still feels guilty because they did something very intimate together and if able he would've wanted to spend the night with Azul instead. Yuu ofc can't say no to Grim because he also loves him a lot, though.

In the morning then Yuu wakes up and makes breakfast for Azul as like a way to apologize for not staying over+ maybe make up and talk more about what they'll do?? but when he goes over to Azul's room he finds out that Azul left even earlier in the morning and broke up with him through LETTER.

So uhm yeah Yuu is obviously very heartbroken about all this but he tries to keep a strong face for his friends since he is literally leaving today and doesn't want anyone to feel even worse than they are rn. All while Yuu is giving his goodbyes, he doesn't see Azul and thinks he just dipped and won't say goodbye in person. But Azul actually does go at the last second and they say goodbye, trying to leave their relationship in amicable terms despite everything and despite they're both crying like babies. But then Yuu kisses his forehead tells him he LOVES HIM so Azul decides to play the bad guy and say goodbye to him for good.

Obviously he eventually regrets that decision but in the meantime,

here we are

also fun fact!! Yuu's vc is Symag (alongside others- im trying to catch a vibe) and this SONG in Yuu's canon he actually writes it after their break up so legit this song is about Azul in Yuu's universe BYE

[nellie-elizabeth]

What We Do in the Shadows: The Promotion (6x10)

Aww! This was so great!

Cons:

This show doesn't have a lot of consistency/follow-through from earlier elements, and I do find myself wishing that there would be an acknowledgment of Laszlo raising Colin Robinson from a baby. There's this whole thread with Cravensworth's Monster this season, where the two of them are basically co-parenting, and it would be funny to tie back that earlier father/son dynamic to what's happening now. But there's never any mention of it, which I just think is a missed opportunity!

This isn't really a complaint about this episode, but rather a fervent hope for the finale next week... I hope that the documentary gets a proper payoff, even in some small way. The moment where Jordan is trying to call "cut" at the end felt like it needed a punch-up, a bit more of a grand reveal about the documentary that's been in progress for such a long time. I guess we'll see if they have a good final bit about this next week!

Pros:

This was a great culmination of the Cannon Capital plot thread from this season! We've got the whole big office set, and our entire vampire gang coming along to a party that's supposedly in part to honor Guillermo as he gets a big promotion. What worked so well about this plot thread was that it managed to fit the predicted beats, but then have real emotional catharsis too.

Because of course Jordan is a jerk who is just stringing Guillermo along. Of course the gang is going to come to the party and cause shenanigans, escalating into more and more ridiculous scenarios. Of course, Guillermo is going to get disappointed once more.

But... Guillermo decides he's done with the cycle. He says no. He stands up for himself. And then, even more astonishing, Nandor stands up for him! It's so funny that Nandor hears someone describing the basic dynamic he had with Guillermo for years, but suddenly sees it for the injustice that it is. It was, not gonna lie, pretty sexy to see Nandor slam Jordan up against the wall, and even sexier to hear Guillermo say "drop him" with such command in his voice. And Nandor obeys! Oof! My favorite small moment was when Guillermo says, looking over his shoulder at Nandor, "it's his documentary." There was something so sweet and intimate about his tone. The shared inside joke. The shared victory over this asshole who mistreated Guillermo and got Nandor fired.

And then we get Nandor telling Guillermo that they are destined to have this unbreakable alliance together. That Guillermo doesn't belong with the humans, he belongs with vampires. When Guillermo says "I'm not a vampire" and Nandor says "no, you're something even cooler," you expect there to be some sort of goofy punchline. But Nandor says "you're a warrior." Which is just perfect and sincere and everything! Of course, their hand-clasp of camaraderie and dedication is broke up by Nandor telling Guillermo his hands are too clammy. Very typical of this show to mix the oddly emotionally affecting with another instance of Nandor being dismissive of Guillermo in some way.

In subplot news, I like that Colin took a stand against Laszlo and stood up for the Monster, who then declares himself to be "Robinson's Monster" instead of "Cravensworth's." Of course, in the end it turns out he thinks of both of these men has his fathers, and wants them to kiss in the elevator. And Nadja gets scammed, thinking she's got a new job, and all she had to do was send $10,000 and feet pictures to her new "employer"! This is the kind of ridiculous shenanigans I tune into this show to see. Just in general, the fact that they all turned up to support Guillermo, even if they'd never admit that's what they were doing, was heartwarming. And Nadja even got to take a souvenir in the form of the severed head of one of her favorite and most annoying former co-workers. It's the little things, really.

I'm genuinely a little weepy about this show coming to an end next week. It's the perfect kind of cozy sitcom where wild stuff can happen at any moment and yet you always know a general status quo will reassert itself. Sometimes that can be frustrating as you want things to be pushed a little further, but usually at the end of the day it's nice to know what you're going to get.

9/10

[redroomroaving]

2024 Writing Round-Up

Thank you for the tag @librivore42 and your very kind recommendation, too. I'm very glad to have met you, and look forward to writing with you in 2025.

No pressure tags to everyone I mention as I go along and @darkurgetrash and @lemonsrosesandlavender

words posted: 555,975

additional words written:

oh god hold on, I have ... a lot of WIPS uh... about ... 39,335+ (I gave up trying to pull together at a certain point. It's probably closer to another 45k at least sat in various forms in my docs.)

fandoms:

This year it's been all Baldur's Gate 3

highest kudos:

Sufferer I shall, my Abdirak x Donnick fic, with 91.

highest hit one-shot:

Trusting, Trusted, my Klaus x Kar'niss one shot, at 550.

new things I tried:

So many things! I'd never written a word of smut before February this year; I'd never written M/M, I'd never written a longfic or collaborated in fandom writing events. I also barrelled into drawing smut, pushing myself to fun new places with my art and even doing a little bit of animation.

Also I like, joined discord to start a Geraldus server and made a load of friends in the process. It's been a fun year!

fic I spent the most time on:

The Harper & The Tower, my Rolan x Geraldus longfic, which I finally completed a few weeks ago but started way back at the end of February. 155k words, making it my longest fic ever and probably the longest thing I've written to date.

fic I spent the least time on:

I wrote a few lil snippet-y things, so it's probably a tie between Dandelions (Lorin x The Thief) and Alas, Poor Jaymes (onesided Gortash > Waiter Jaymes)

favourite thing I wrote:

'Sufferer, I shall.' Spilled outta me like a hurricaine, pulled my heart open, left an OTP in my chest.

Good times. 😭

favourite thing(s) I read:

I'll steal Libri's approach here; go read the wonderful works of @tickitytockityrattityrottity, @benicemurphy (yo please read 'Cute', the Kar'niss x Geraldus fic because-), @lizziemajestic, @adoenamedjane, @graysparrowao3, @captainsigge, @littlemisscactus amongst far far too many others I haven't listed here. This fandom is brimming with so much talent.

writing goals for 2025:

Another 500k!

Nah, that's not a real goal. I'd like to complete my other WIPS, make some progress on my big chunky AUs, get Harper Bor the number of fics on Ao3 he deserves, and branch out a bit; write some other fandoms and more F/F pairings and... evergreen ...

FINISH MY STUPID NOVEL.

new works:

I've got a few I've just about started that I'll count as 2025 works really; my Bor x Geraldus fic 'A Harper Fell Here', 'The Gauntlet', my Lae'zel x HWW oneshot, and my planned collaboration with @librivore42 - Waiter Jaymes x Skoona.

[mightnotfeelrealbutitsok]

Lorelai and Luke's songs on The Tortured Poets Department: loml

It's self-explanatory; Luke is the love of Lorelai's life and the loss of her life. This song is about the devastation of them calling off their engagement and cancelling everything at the end of season 6.

I felt aglow like this never before and never since. Obviously, this is about how Luke is unique amongst Lorelai's boyfriends (because he is, in fact, the love of her life).

you and I go from one kiss to getting married... It seems like the straight-forward way to interpret this lyric is it meaning that the progression from first kiss to marriage is rapid, but I think to me it means more that the progression is smooth and natural. They are so right for each other that from the first kiss it was inevitable they were going to get married, and it's no surprise for it to happen, so that it could seem like it passed in the blink of an eye. And I feel like that applies to Lorelai and Luke.

in your suit and tie, in the nick of time; you lowdown boy, you standup guy. I honestly just love these simple little lyrics. And think I can relate them perfectly to Luke. (he wears a suit and tie. and it's the nick of time when he finally makes a move on Lorelai at Liz' wedding) (he's a lowdown (secretive) kind of boy) (he's a standup guy)

you told me I'm the love of your life... I think when Luke told Lorelai how he waited 8 years... he was basically saying she was the love of his life.

what we thought was for all time was momentary. Yeah ouch

you cinephile, in black and white, all those plot twists and dynamite Just for fun: (Lorelai is a total cinephile)

TALKING RINGS AND TALKING CRADLES I WISH I COULD UNRECALL HOW WE ALMOST HAD IT ALL I am dying. They had all those conversations and plans about marriage and moving in together and having kids... they both wanted kids... they had this life ahead of them that slipped from their hands...

it was legendary. it was momentary.

what a bland goodbye... 'I slept with Christopher' and Luke driving away was painfully bland.

I'll never leave - never mind. What happened to 'I'm all in'????

you're the loss of my life. Losing Luke was a whole lot of a bigger thing in Lorelai's life than losing anyone other guy. She didn't necessarily act like it, but the people around her did (like Rory or Sookie), and it was losing a friend too and losing an element of her life (Luke's coffee), and it was losing what had been her best chance at a forever relationship.

[humbledragon669]

Season 1 Opening and Closing Credits

This write up will likely end up feeling a bit scatty, partly because there are a lot of different bits and pieces to cover, but also because that opening credits scene is, to be quite honest, a little bit frantic. There’s a lot of stuff going on in there, despite the fact that it’s less than a minute and a half long. I’m intending on covering all of the opening credits scene here, so to make things a bit easier to digest, I broke it down into what I’m calling tableaus. The intent is to describe what we can physically see happening in each tableau before offering any observations on them in turn – it was the only way I could really see to break it all down. Lastly, there’ll be a quick summary of the music for each of the end credit scenes. Hopefully that all makes sense, and gives the opportunity to decide you’re not all that interested in the upcoming content before you get too far into the weeds with me.

Opening Credits

Before I get going with tableau #1, I thought I might offer a suggestion as to what I think the story is that we’re being told by the animation that takes place throughout the credits. From what I could gather, it appears to be telling the story of the consequences of Armageddon actually taking place. I hope that story arc will become a little clearer as we progress through each of the tableaus.

There’s one other thing I want to address before getting into the nitty gritty, and it won’t surprise you that it’s to do with the music. Something I noticed very early on in my GO-related brainrot journey is that the theme tune is written in ¾ time. That along with its very characteristic bass line accompaniment would qualify it as a waltz, which were predominantly used as courtship dances. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the music we come to associate with this show is representative of a genre of music that was banned in some places because it was considered to be sinful. Subtext on multiple levels there methinks.

Side note: the original theme tune for the series was intended to be Buddy Holly’s “Everyday”, but when David Arnold presented the piece that he’d composed as a potential replacement to Neil, it was love at first hearing. It’s lovely that we got to keep the Buddy Holly song in the show in season two, as it was apparently something that Terry was keen about having as a theme running throughout the whole of season one.

Tableau #1

Crowley and Aziraphale (with Crowley in the lead) are walking through the darkness.

Camera pans out to show a barren landscape.

Straight from the off, we see Crowley and Aziraphale together, very much like in the show itself. The animation leaves us in no doubt that these two characters are meant to be seen as a partnership. It’s noticeable that the ground they’re walking on is curved, which would suggest it’s Earth they’re walking across, and I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that the barren landscape gives the impression that the two of them are striking off into the wilderness together. If we tie that into the timeline and story, this scene feels like this is a representation of the two of them as they leave the Garden of Eden.

Tableau #2

Crowley and Aziraphale have been joined by a small procession of two hooded figures and a small demonic-looking being.

The landscape in the background has more landmarks – rocks and bare trees.

The camera has adopted a closer position to the beings in view.

A warped tree grows as Crowley and Aziraphale pass a particular point in the scene. An apple springs from it.

The small demonic-looking being runs ahead of the hooded figures and picks the apple from the tree. He carries it out of the tableau.

The vegetation in the background grows more luscious as the scene moves into the next tableau.

The only observations I have about this tableau are unfortunately more like questions. First off, I don’t think I could say who/what any of the procession members are here:

Those hooded figures could literally be absolutely anything. And WHAT is that little thing at the back? It has a mohawk and sunglasses. I can’t recall any characters in the show that would fit that description. And why does he pick the apple and carry it away?

It’s almost like he’s trying to get Crowley or Aziraphale to take it (perhaps trying to tempt them with it?), but I don’t know why that would be.

Tableau #3

Foliage now thick, like a rainforest.

Flowers spring up from the ground as Crowley and Aziraphale walk into the tableau.

The procession has expanded with the addition of a bearded man, a nun, a different small being, and a priest.

There is a large cherub statue in the background.

A butterfly lands on the vicar’s hand, before flying across the shot.

The flowers springing from the ground is the second instance of foliage growing where Aziraphale and Crowley pass over, and it makes me wonder if the growth is either inspired or commanded by their presence. The apple has now disappeared from the tableau, but we have no indication of where it went, especially since the demonic-looking being that was carrying it has either changed or transformed into a completely different small being, one that looks an awful lot like Shax!

I realise this could be a representation of Madame Tracy, but there’s something about the sunglasses that makes me feel that’s not right.

Knowing that nothing ever makes it into this show by accident, I find myself wondering if the butterfly in this scene has been put there to suggest transformation.

We certainly know by the end of the season that both Aziraphale and Crowley go through actual physical transformations in the body swap, but the personal growth of many of the characters throughout the show forms a very important theme in the story too. And speaking of transformations, the device used to “transform” us from this tableau to the next is a large statue, which appears to be the back of the same one we can see in the background, or at least an identical one.

Tableau #4

Crowley and Aziraphale are sharing a glass of red wine whilst seated at a table.

The cherub statue from the previous tableau is still present in the background. Our point of view appears to be revolving around it.

The table is in front of a phone box.

The Bentley is seen in front of the bookshop.

There is a fire blazing in the upstairs window of the bookshop.

The instantly noticeable difference between this tableau and the ones that came before is that Crowley and Aziraphale are no longer marching as part/the head of the procession. In fact, it looks like they’re sitting at a table in a very lovely garden, what with the shady tree and the verdant grass in the forefront of the shot. What’s more, we can see the procession relentlessly marching away over a hill in the background. This tableau suggests to me that we’re at the point in the storyline where our hero pair have subconsciously abandoned their Heavenly and Hellish duties, happily settled in their own side, and with that in mind, I would say that this tableau represents the “present day” of this season as a snapshot in time. The flames in the upper floor window of the book shop are of course foreshadowing of what’s to come, and I do find it interesting that it’s there at all, major spoiler as it is, but it’s pretty fleeting as with the collage device used in episode 6, so perhaps the hope is that its presence won’t register with most audience members.

Tableau #5

An ark is resting on a building in the background.

The procession has had a few additions:

A brass band.

A hooded figure on a horse holding a scythe – Death.

A man in a top hat.

The alien being from episode 4.

A duck.

Something that looks like a rat.

A nun.

A second bearded man.

The procession is watched over by a demon (looks like Usher, the small demon that was used to test the holy water in episode 6).

Towards the end of the tableau, the procession starts to proceed up an escalator.

From certain angles, the building that the ark is resting on (or has crashed into) looks a little like the building that hosts the entrances to Heaven and Hell, though quite why this would have happened, I’m not sure.

There’s a change in the music in this tableau too, to what I will describe from this point on as theme #2. It’s probably most recognisable as being the tune to the lullaby that Aziraphale sings to Adam, although it is used throughout the season for a multitude of other scenarios. Interestingly, the change in tone in the music isn’t accompanied by a change in tone in the animation.

We see the first appearance of one of the four Horsemen in this tableau. In a sort of round-about-face way, the first we see in the opening credits is the last we meet in the storyline, the last to be called, and the last to be dismissed on the tarmac in Tadfield. I do like that Death has been put on a horse in this setting, making him a literal horseman as well as a metaphorical one.

This is the first tableau that Aziraphale and Crowley are nowhere to be seen in. If my theory about the story being told is correct, perhaps this is to show events continuing without their awareness, but I feel like that’s a bit of a stretch.

Tableau 6

Procession now proceeds along a moving walkway.

Additions to procession membership:

Weird tall being that looks like a bear.

Something that looks like it might be from Atlantis?

A short being of human appearance.

Small being carrying an “END IS NIGH” placard.

Somebody in a hazmat suit.

Something wearing some sort of face mask.

An additional dark figure on horseback – Famine.

Another unidentifiable short being.

The short demonic-looking being from the procession in tableau #2.

The backdrop now is of a night sky containing nebulae and galaxies.

Crowley arrives from the left and hovers over the procession.

The UFO from episode 4 appears and collides with Crowley, who is thrown of course. The UFO, now smoking, begins a descent into what will likely end in a crash.

I don’t have an awful lot to say about this tableau, other than it being the first time we see Crowley or Aziraphale without the other. It’s also the first time we see the transition into the next tableau being led by movement downwards, instead of from left to right.

Tableau #7

UFO crashes through a layer of cloud to reveal a descending escalator carrying, what appears to be, a procession consisting of a different set of people.

Aziraphale is hovering above the escalator and observing the descending procession.

Aziraphale deliberately flies into the UFO, causing it to explode into a shower of fish.

A single being can be seen ascending the escalator, against the flow of the procession.

It was at this point that I realised that if the escalators were supposed to represent the entrances to Heaven and Hell, with the beings on them going to their final place of rest, Aziraphale and Crowley were in the wrong places. You’d expect the angel to be watching the beings on their ascent to Heaven, wouldn’t you? So I actually think this might be a representation of the start of the war between Heaven and Hell, with forces from Hell ascending (perhaps invading?) Heaven, and vice versa. The presence of Crowley watching over, or perhaps feigning participation, would be more fitting in this case.

Unfortunately, the procession on the descending escalator is too far from the camera POV to make out individual members. The being going up the escalator instead of down is the mysterious little Shax-lookalike we saw introduced in tableau #3.

I’d quite like to know a) how that being got there and b) why they’re going against the flow of traffic. Perhaps they’re just late to the invasion of Heaven.

The shower of fish is a nice little callback to something that was used as a device on more than one occasion in the book, and was even intended to be used for the show in the original script but was unfortunately cut. It’s good to see it as a little Easter egg here in the credits.

Tableau #8

Backdrop is now of a wood or forest. The remainder of the shower of fish can be seen falling through the trees and into water.

Aziraphale and Crowley are now together again, with Crowley leading the way.

A military ship comes into view. It holds a lot of passengers, and definitely has members of the first procession on it. There is now a white figure on horseback present – Pollution.

The camera POV pans under water to provide the next transition.

It’s unclear whether the passengers on the ship are of members of both of the processions we’ve seen (mostly because the only shot we’ve seen of the second procession was too far away from the camera to make out distinct characters), but they seem to be mostly from the first procession. It’s also unclear as to whether Crowley and Aziraphale are simply observing the ship and its passengers, pursuing it, or even trying to overtake it.

Tableau #9

Backdrop is now of an ocean floor, complete with a kelp forest.

Crowley and Aziraphale are hovering over the procession in the same formation as the previous tableau (with Crowley in the lead).

The procession is now very large, with many members carrying placards and signs.

The kraken appears in the background, watching over the procession.

The procession starts an ascent up a hill, leading into a destroyed cityscape in the background.

Crowley and Aziraphale deliberately exit this tableau, accelerating out of shot.

The camera point of view focuses in on the head of the procession.

There is now a red-headed figure on horseback present – War.

The procession is now being lead by the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

There are some objects that we can see floating through the ocean during this tableau.

They look quite like plastic bags to me, so I wonder if this has been put here as a social commentary of the seemingly incessant need for humans to pollute the oceans. I think this tableau, with all four horsemen leading the procession, is representative of Armageddon having actually occurred, with the procession consisting of beings who are all now marching forward to be judged. Interestingly War was the last of the Horsemen to join the procession but the first that we are introduced to in the show, and the first that would be called upon in a nuclear holocaust situation.

Tableau #10

Backdrop is now of a destroyed cityscape.

The Horsemen of the Apocalypse are now at the rear of the procession.

Madame Tracy and Shadwell ride Madame Tracy’s scooter across the tableau, in front of the procession.

Aziraphale can be seen observing the procession from the top of a road sign signalling the M25.

The repositioning of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse suggests that their roles have shifted from leading the procession to ushering its members. This makes sense, given the backdrop of this tableau suggests that Armageddon has happened by this point.

Tableau #11

The procession continues up a rock bridge.

Backdrop has become a stereotypically “Hellish” landscape.

We can see the back of Aziraphale and the road sign he sits on as we pan into this tableau.

Crowley is floating above the procession, apparently observing.

The Shax lookalike demon can be seen running against the flow of traffic at this point.

The procession is being watched over by hellhounds (one in the background, an additional one in the extreme foreground).

We can see parts of the rock bridge crumbling under the weight of all of the beings in the procession, which brings my attention to the fact that there have been sound effects added to the soundtrack for certain things – these crumbling rocks, the flutter of wings, the pop of the UFO as it explodes into a shower of fish, and the roaring of the hellhound as the camera passes by. It adds to the impression that this isn’t just a credit sequence needed for logistical purposes, but that it is telling a story in its own right. It’s also possible to see that the procession participants not only look distinct, but have different walking styles too. It’s a tiny detail that would go amiss by so many, yet would have taken a lot of effort to implement. There hasn’t been anywhere for me to give credit to the animators in my write ups prior to now, so this is their chapeau – well done all, little things like that really add to the richness of this show.

Tableau #12

We see a view of the end of rock bridge and a bright white light in the sky.

The supporting pillars crumble as the camera approaches the end of the bridge.

I don’t have a lot to say about this tableau, partly because it’s very short but also because it has the least amount of content to it. As the penultimate tableau in the credit sequence, it’s the only one that takes place from the point of view of the procession.

Tableau #13

Point of view returns to a side view of the procession.

We see the front of the procession approaching the end of the rock bridge.

The Shaz lookalike can be seen, once again, running against the flow of traffic, away from the end of the bridge.

The camera perspective changes as it passes the bridge’s supporting pillar. It’s now further away and the light in the tableau is much stronger.

Members of the procession start to fall off the end of the bridge, some gaining wings and flying upwards, others falling straight down.

The camera pans out to show the title card for the show whilst procession members continue to march off the end of the rock bridge in the background.

That weird little Shax lookalike is busy running away in this shot, not once but twice. Once before the camera pans across the bridge’s supporting pillars:

And again, right after:

There seems to be a bit of a continuity error here, as those two gifs lead literally one into the other. What I really want to know though, is who or what that being really is, what its purpose is and why is it almost always travelling in the opposite direction to the rest of the procession.

And so we come to the end of the road (quite literally) for the procession. We can see the outcome of the judgement for each of them as they either ascend to Heaven or fall into Hell. Strangely, Crowley and Aziraphale aren’t present to see any of this – it makes me wonder if they’ve decided to flee to Alpha Centauri after all, seeing as in this series of tableaus it looks like they failed to avert the end of the World. Perhaps the halo over the “O” and the little devil tail on the “M” of the Good Omens title card is meant as a representation of their presence, albeit transformed somewhat.

End credits

Episode 1 end credits

Description: “The Theme That Got Left in the Car”. Queen-style symphonic rock of theme #1 from the Opening Title music.

Notes: links to the episode through the introduction of Queen as the music mascot for the show and its general feeling of impending doom. It’s orchestration also sets the scene for the epic nature of the show. One a personal note, and I know I’ve mentioned this before, this is HANDS DOWN my favourite piece of music in the entire season. I love absolutely everything about it – the wailing guitar, the operatic piano, everything about is JUST AWESOME.

Episode 2 end credits

Description: string quartet fugue-style of the Opening Title music. Has an extended theme #2 section and a variation on this theme before the return to theme #1. Not included on the OST album.

Notes: this version of the end credits theme offers an incredible contrast from the thickly layered version from episode 1. Its tone brings to mind an Austen-style ball, and although that would link beautifully with some of the concepts in season 2, I struggle to find how it connects with the episode content here. It’s beautifully crafted nonetheless.

Episode 3 end credits

Description: 60s instrumental style setting of theme #1, complete with Hammond organ and hand claps. Has an exploratory middle section and a distinct “Tarantino” feel. Not included on the OST album.

Notes: links to the episode through the 1967 flashback scene. There was, of course, a whole host of historic periods David Arnold could have chosen to use as the theming for this particular instance. Perhaps this was just the most fun to write.

Episode 4 end credits

Description: sounds like circus music! May use a calliope, or uses instrumentation to achieve that type of sound. Encompasses the entirety of the Opening Title music and includes a key change in the theme #2 section (the only end credits music that does). Not on the OST album.

Notes: I would argue that this piece offers the most obvious representation of the characteristics of a waltz, despite its very different instrumental setting. As with the episode 2 tune, I struggle to find the link to the dark episode content with this version, which is cheerful to the point of insanity.

Episode 5 end credits

Description: pipe organ fugue. There is a choir that joins to punctuate the phrasing towards the end. There is no other instrumentation. Not on the OST album.

Notes: I was told by the head of department when I was doing my music degree that the most evil instrument in all music was the pipe organ. He argued that if you ever ask somebody to think of “evil music” they will instantly summon the sound of a pipe organ, most likely the first movement of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, which I think this piece is heavily influenced by. It links beautifully with the cliffhanger of impending Armageddon at the end of the episode.

Episode 6 end credits

Description: “A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square” by Tori Amos. ‘Nuff said.

End credits general notes

The breadth of styles encompassed in the 5 different treatments of the Opening Titles music is, to be frank, astonishing. Each one is entirely convincing as an example of the style its written in, which really just goes to show, at least as far as I’m concerned, that David Arnold is nothing short of a genius. It’s really unfortunate that only one of these can be found on the OST album - I can only assume that this is due to a need to keep the album to a certain length. Honestly, I feel like each one deserves its own full musical critical analysis, but it does not appear that the score is available.

And there we have it. I said it might be a bit scatty, didn’t I?! Also long. Sorry about that, I didn’t think it would take as long as it did to analyse one and a half minutes of opening credits! As ever, questions, comments, discussion: always welcome. See you next time 😊

[spikehunter]

alright. here's the thing about sexualizing a stop sign. it's going to be about context, not the physical representation of the stop sign. you can't just draw a picture of a stop sign and confer sexiness upon it by pasting on anime blush and sweat droplets. you are not Sexualizing The Stop Sign. you're just applying signifiers of "sexyness" to the stop sign without really interacting with it. they're on different layers, you know , like you are not integrating the sexiness into the parts of the stop sign. which is fair, because that's a difficult task -- a stop sign doesn't have a lot of well-defined "parts" to begin with. right now without looking it up name all the parts of a stop sign. uhhhh. well there's the sign part, and the post. the post maybe has a base if it's mounted on concrete. there's some bolts somewhere holding it all together, assumedly. unless you are a real SignFreak, its very hard to find these things inherently sexy. a stop sign is a very functional and regular object.

(speaking of the SignFreaks, aka people who are literally sexually attracted to stop signs as they are with no additional semiotic garnishes, the kind of person who can look at a wikimedia commons image of a stop sign and get turned on: in this case the stop sign does not need to be sexualized. its already sexy. we're talking about things the artist can do to elicit sexualization for an audience who does not normally find stop signs sexual.)

a stop sign is also simple and nonresponsive. contemporary objectum culture is dominated (ha ha) by computers, which are about the most responsive, interactible, reciprocal objects you can think of. a computer has several loci of interaction, it's very tactile, and the aesthetic variety of computers means they can be different and unique. a picture of a computer is enough to elicit sexuality because you can imagine interacting with it, and that interaction can be intimate -- basic usage of a computer is already very "hands-on", and plenty of people have some experience with maintenance or repairs that involve putting your whole hand inside the computer and fiddling with stuff. which is basically sex. not a wild leap there.

but a stop sign is a distant, boring, non-unique thing. it's more like landscaping than an "object." an inert prop. a stop sign has no moving parts, no analogs for limbs or eyes or organs, even the construction of the word "STOP" resists pareidolia.

(except in arabic. i can see this as a face.)

it's difficult to think of how you could even interact with one intimately. the only hands-on-interaction a stop sign gets is being installed, which we can imagine is not a particularly romantic or dramatic event. besides that, you can look at stop signs, which is their primary function, and you can also lean on them or tie something to them or any other functions you can do with any post on earth. more interestingly, you can crash a car into a stop sign; you can steal a stop sign, if you're a bastard little troublemaker. but the stop sign is not going to do anything back to you. it's just going to stand there.

so the mission is making "just standing there" sexy.

a stop sign is as a stop sign does. a stop sign is standing in the same place forever, saying the same thing forever, and the only interesting thing that can happen to it is getting damaged. there's a clear inflection point there -- a sequence of images of a stop sign getting progressively more damaged is a pretty obvious narrative. it elicits pathos. do you want to make the stop sign more damaged, or do you want to fix it? do you want it to hurt? this is not immediately sexual, you're not putting the stop sign into a sex-analogous situation or anthropomorphizing it to have indicators of sexual arousal, but it's a power dynamic. there is are active and passive roles (the entity damaging the stop sign, the stop sign itself) you can imagine taking.

the stop sign is still relegated to a symbolic role, and most people are probably going to take it as metaphorical and not be literally sexually attracted to the stop sign. but a contextualized, conditional, nuanced sexiness is still a lot better than just putting ahegao faces on shit.