#FANTASY ISLAND (2020)

[patwrites]

Fun fact about me: Fantasy Island was my last pre-pandemic film in cinemas.

[academicelephant]

So, I watched Guardians of the Galaxy for the third time in the beginning of November 2022, had a huge crush on Rooker and in less than two months I watched all these movies of his (I haven’t yet finished watching the ones in italics and the ones in bold are my favorites):

Fantasy Island (2020)

Jumper (2008)

Love and Monsters (2020)

Fast and furious 9 (2021)

The Bone Collector (1999)

Mississippi Burning (1988)

The Hard Truth (1994)

Deceiver (1997)

JFK (1991)

The Eliminator (2004)

Brother’s keeper (2013)

Freeway killer (2010)

Afterburn (1992)

Renegade force (1998)

Corrective Measures (2022)

Vivo (2021)

L.A. Takedown (1989)

[abs0luteb4stard]

W A T C H I N G

This movie is already better than all the versions of the TV series. I've seen reruns of three original, I've seen 2 episodes of the newest one. And virtually nothing of the Malcolm McDowell one.

Negative reviews be damned. I'm 30 minutes in and I like it.

[roseshavethoughts]

Fantasy Island (2020)

#SundayCinemaClub Fantasy Island (2020) - Quick Review ★★★

[evan-collins90]

Farallon restaurant - 450 Post Street, San Francisco, CA (opened June 1997 - closed 2020)

"Farallon is named after a fishing island off the Pacific coast.

The underwater fantasy theme drives the $4 million restaurant. The electric atmosphere grabs customers the minute they walk through the glass doors framed by a brushed steel and Lucite canopy, which vaguely looks like a scallop shell. Giant jellyfish chandeliers hang from the high ceiling. The walls are textured with shellfish impressions, and lighted yellow pillars that climb the walls are imprinted with seaweed. And that's just the bar.

The big main dining room is more elegant, but maintains the marine motif. Tiny tiles form mosaics on the ceiling, where two huge light fixtures are formed into seashells. Even the hood over the kitchen carries out the theme: It's covered in copper scales. And suspended over the counter are beautiful blown-glass lights shaped like fish.

A gracefully curving staircase leading to the mezzanine is covered in 50,000 blue-black glass beads that resemble magnified caviar, while the wall sconces replicate stands of coral and barnacles."

Excellent examples of the 'Org-Nouveau' style popular in the 1990's

Designed by Pat Kuleto

Scanned from American Theme Restaurants by I.M. Tao (1999) and the February 1998 issue of Interiors Magazine

[sgiandubh]

I must have missed it recently but from a post I read yesterday I think you have you left your position and are moving? Or is this something that happens often in your line of work?

Dear Position Anon,

When you are a diplomat, you must also be ready to change places on the regular. Staying indefinitely in a country is not really encouraged, as the longer you stay, the more biased or blasé you can become: it's called 'going native' (I know, that's an idiom, nothing more).

Before the Industrial Revolution, the world was a much bigger place than now. People like Ruy González de Clavijo were not expected to return anytime soon to Madrid, from his embassy to Tamerlane, in 1403. Others were posted for life to Venice, to Versailles or to Munich, especially from the Renaissance and until the Congress of Vienna, in 1815. But this (bad) habit was gradually abandoned, thank God!

Five years and a half spent here are more than enough, even if I will always feel like three of them were robbed by COVID (and, unlike many other colleagues, I did go on holiday in the islands in 2020, because otherwise my brain would have burst). Anyways, all this time flies by in a jiffy.

Where next? I wish I knew and, despite the general fantasy, you never get to choose the where and when. Also, you are rarely sent to familiar places and stepping into the unknown is one of the greatest appeals of this job, to me. Until then, I am homeward bound, for a while. That is a much, much needed decompression chamber moment.

I will always, always come back to this view, Anon, but I prefer to do it without the extra daily life pressure, to be honest. This is a lazy summer evening in Kardamyli, in the sublime Mani Peninsula, a place Patrick Leigh Fermor never left:

Taken by me, in 2021. As for the rest, I'll keep you posted. I am ready to say good-bye. Farewell? Never.

[jimhines]

2022 Writing Income

It’s that time again – for fifteen years now I’ve been writing an annual blog post about my income as a writer. Money tends to be an uncomfortable, even taboo topic, but I think it’s important to help counter the myths that we’re all multimillionaires living in Glass Onion-style mansions. (Side note: If anyone wants to pay millions of dollars for my book, I’ll happily update this blog post from my private island mansion.)

Remember, every writer’s career is different, and I’m only one data point.

Prior Years: Here are the annual write-ups going back to 2007: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021.

In 2016, instead of a personal income write-up, I did a survey of almost 400 novelists about their income.

My Background: I’m a primarily “traditionally published,” U.S.-based SF/F author with 15 books in print from major New York publishers. The first of those books came out from DAW in 2006. I have an agent, and have been with them since about 2004.

I’ve self-published a middle grade fantasy and a few short collections. I’ve also sold about 50 short stories to different magazines and anthologies.

I’ve never hit the NYT or USA Today bestseller lists.

I’m currently the sole parent of a teenager (at home) and a 22-year-old (at college). I have a day job that’s just over half-time, both for the paycheck and the benefits.

2022 in Summary: There’s no gentle way to say this. The last several years have kind of sucked. Losing my wife to cancer in 2019 completely derailed my writing. I was hoping 2022 would be a comeback year, but life had other plans…

I did write and sell two new short stories and one nonfiction piece, which was nice. I’ve got a finished middle grade book that’s been on submission for a while. I finished a standalone fantasy that’s been sitting with my publisher for a while.

Normally, my editor is pretty quick about responding, but last year wasn’t normal for DAW, either. DAW was acquired by Astra House. A lot of their time and energy went into that deal. I’m hoping for the best, but things still haven’t settled into the new “normal.”

Last year did see the release — finally — of Terminal Peace, the third book in the Janitors of the Post-Apocalypse series. I’m thrilled and relieved to see that book in print, but it came out right in the middle of the Astra House acquisition, which may have impacted things like promotion and publicity.

I also finished the first draft and started revising a new standalone middle grade fantasy with series potential.

2022 Income: The biggest check was the publication payment for Terminal Peace. All total, before taxes and various expenses, the writing brought in $13,957.16. While that’s absolutely nothing to sneer at, and I’m grateful for the success, it’s also a dropoff from the past couple of years. To be blunt, if you look at the cumulative graph, things have been slumping a bit.

Income Breakdown:

Patreon has been a small but steady and helpful source of income. My thanks to everyone for that!

As usual, my U.S. novels are the biggest piece of the pie. The short fiction category is a bit higher this year, thanks to those two new stories. I didn’t self-publish anything new in 2022, but if that middle grade book doesn’t sell, I’d like to publish that one later this year.

Novels (U.S. editions): $8,542.83

Novels (Non-U.S. editions): $473.25

Self-Published: $1158.24

Short fiction: $892.86

Audio: $521.04

Patreon: $1668.94

Other: $700

I mentioned earlier that things have been in a bit of a slump, and I need to focus on breaking out of that. Some things I can’t currently control. Tomorrow I could wake up to an offer from DAW on the book they’ve got, and maybe an email from my agent that the middle grade title he’s been shopping around went to auction and got a six-figure advance. But I can’t make these things happen.

Priority #1 is to keep writing. If I’m not doing that, other goals are pretty much moot.

Priority #2 is to figure out some alternate options. It may be time to put more time and effort into self-publishing as a complement to my traditionally published work.

The biggest thing making me anxious is that I’m pretty much out of contract. The paperback of Terminal Peace comes out this year, but for the first time in about 15 years, I don’t have the security, the luxury, or the deadlines of a signed contract. In some ways, this is freeing: I can write whatever I want. But there’s no guarantee as to when things will see print. Submitting to the traditional publishers is a long, slow process…

From talking to other writers who’ve been doing this a while, I’ve learned that pretty much every career has its ups and downs. Personal, pandemic, and publisher issues have been a bit of a perfect storm for me these past few years, but I’m not going anywhere. After 27 years as a writer, I’m excited to see what comes next.

Wrap Up:

I hope this has been helpful. As always, feel free to share the post and/or ask questions.

[fatehbaz]

going through some recent essays from e-flux Journal on intersections of gender and trans-ness with colonialism and imperial imaginaries (of music, architecture, geography). all can be read online:

"Hija de Perra: Writings from a Poor, Aspirational, Sudaca, Third World Perspective" by Julia Eilers Smitth (Journal Issue #140, November 2023)

"Anarcho-Ecstasy: Options for an Afri-Queer Becoming" by KJ Abudu (Journal Issue #139, October 2023)

"Sadistic Chola Manifesto" by Olga Rodriguez-Ulloa (Journal Issue #137, June 2023)

"Reluctantly Queer" by Akosua Adoma Owusu and Kwame Edwin Otu (Journal Issue #137, June 2023)

"Don't Take It Away: BlackFem Voices in Electronic Dance Music" by Alexander Ghedi Weheliye (theme issue "Black Rave", Journal Issue #132, December 2022)

"Dark Banjee Aesthetic: Hearing a Queer-of-Color Archive within Club Music" by Blair Black (theme issue "Black Rave", Journal Issue #132, December 2022)

"A Whale Unbothered: Theorizing the Ecosystem of the Ballroom Scene" by Julian Kevon Glover (theme issue "Black Rave", Journal Issue #132, December 2022)

"Editorial: Black Rave" by madison moore and McKenzie Wark (December 2022)

"Pasolini and the Queer Revolution in Beirut" by Raed Rafei (Journal Issue #126, April 2022)

"Inappropriate Gestures: Vogue in Three Acts of Appropriation" by Sabel Gavaldon (Journal Issue #122, November 2021)

"Taking the Fiction Out of Science Fiction: A Conversation about Indigenous Futurisms" by Grace Dillon and Pedro Neves Marques (Journal Issue #120, September 2021)

"Editorial: trans femme aesthetics" by McKenzie Wark (Journal Issue #117, April 2021)

"The Cis Gaze and Its Others (for Shola)" by McKenzie Wark (Journal Issue #117, April 2021)

"Our Own Words: Fem & Trans, Past & Future" by Rosza Daniel Lang/Levitsky (Journal Issue #117, April 2021)

"Post-genitalist Fantasies / Temporalities of Latin American Trans Art" by Kira Xonorika (Journal Issue #117, April 2021)

"S/pacific Islands: Some Reflections on Identity and Art in Contemporary Oceania" by Greg Dvorak (Journal Issue #112, October 2020)

"Capitalocene, Waste, Race, and Gender" by Françoise Vergès (Journal Issue #100, May 2019)

"Non-Aligned Extinctions: Slavery, Neo-Orientalism, and Queerness" by Ana Hoffner ex-Prvulovic (Journal Issue #97, February 2019)

[ismellpestilence]

Things to watch if your favorite show is being affected by the WGA strike

This is everything that I have watched and enjoyed. They are by no means perfect shows. This includes complete series, cancelled series, and series that are still in progress. Feel free to add your own recommendations.

Only Murders in the Building (Hulu; currently on season 3)

Murder mystery dramedy set in a wealthy NYC apartment complex

Staring Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomes as three residents who decide to make a podcast about the murder

The cast has great chemistry and the twists are compelling

Gravity Falls (Hulu/Disney; ended after 2 seasons in 2014)

An animated show about a pair of fraternal twins who spend the summer with their con-man great uncle in a weird, monster filled town

Absolutely iconic children's show.

Dead End: Paranormal Park (Netflix; cancelled after 2 seasons in 2023)

Animated YA show about two teens, an exiled demon, and a pug, that all work at a haunted theme park and are investigating the disappearances of some of the staff

Similar in style to Gravity Falls

Sadly cancelled by Netflix, but there's also the graphic novels to enjoy

Reservation Dogs (Hulu, ended after season 3 in 2023)

Coming of age dramedy about four Indigenous teens living on a reservation in Oklahoma as they mourn a friend who died and dream of running away to California together

Made by an all Indigenous writers, directors, and main cast

Scrubs (Hulu; ended after 8 seasons 2010)

Workplace comedy about staff at a California hospital

Praised as the one of most medically accurate medical show

Very much a 2000s comedy. Humor can be jarring/mean by today's standards

What We Do in the Shadows (Hulu, currently on season 5)

A mockumentary following 4 vampires and their familiar that live on Staten Island as they go about their boring, pathetic lives

Makes fun of the "cool, sexy, edgy" vampire trope

Based on a 2014 movie of the same name

Dead to Me (Netflix, ended after 3 seasons in 2022)

A traumedy (trauma comedy) following a woman who's husband was killed in a hit-and-run and the perpetrator who lost her own partner and secretly befriends her

It's funny about what happens but does deal with some heavy topics so definitely look into that before watching

The Owl House (Disney; ended after 3-ish seasons in 2023)

About a young girl who wanders into the Demon Realm and decides to stay there and become of witch instead of going to summer camp

Celebrates being the weirdo and being kind to people

Made by many of the same people who did Gravity Falls

The Office (Peacock; ended after 9 seasons in 2013)

Workplace mockumentary about some bizarre people who work in a boring office space

Features a lot of cringe/second-hand embarrassment based humor

Based on the British limited series of the same name

Very much a 2000s comedy that can at times be just plain mean. Season 1 is the worst season by far so if you can get through it the character become way more likeable

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (Netflix, ended after 5 seasons in 2020)

An animated fantasy about a young soldier who simultaneously discovers that her side is the aggressor in the war and that the planet has chosen her to be it's legendary protector. This forces her to leave the only home she's known and her childhood friend to fight for the rebellion, who she thought were her enemies

A remake of the 1985 He-Man spinoff series

Very "defeat them with power of friendship and also this sword you found in the woods"

BoJack Horseman (Netflix, ended after 6 seasons in 2020)

An adult animated comedy about a self-centered, washed-up 90s sitcom actor (who is a horse) as he struggles to become famous again and break out of his destructive habits

Satirizes Hollywood, media culture, and American politics

One of those shows where you aren't supposed to admire the main characters

Big trigger warnings for this one. Seriously.

Good Omens (Amazon Prime, currently on season 2)

Follows the misadventures of a demon and an angel, a witch's descendent, two unskilled witch hunters, a sex-worker, and the antichrist and his friends as the antichrist grows into his power and brings about Armageddon, all set to Queen songs

Based on the 1990 book by Neil Gaiman and Sir Terry Pratchett

The fandom focuses a lot of the shipping side of the show but forget all of that if you plan to watch it

Season 2 wrecked me

Gentleman Jack (HBO Max & the BBC; cancelled after season 2 in 2022)

Based on the real diaries of Anne Lister, a wealthy lesbian in 1830s England who is looking for a wife and to expand her business enterprises

Sadly HBO pulled away and the BBC couldn't afford to make another season without them. What was made is still worth checking out.

Our Flag Means Death (HBO Max; currently on season 1)

A pirate workplace comedy/romcom that loosely follows the real life of Stede Bonnet, a wealthy landowner who ran away to become a pirate due to a mid-life crisis. He wants so badly to be a pirate captain but is far from qualified for the role.

"Traditionally, piracy is a culture of abuse...floggings, keelhaulings. And my thought is, "Why?" And also, what if it weren't like that?" really is the thesis of the show

(Edit) omg I cant believe I forgot:

Avatar: the Last Airbender (Netflix; ended after 3 seasons in 2008)

An animated children's fantasy series in which people can manipulate one of the four elements, and their peacekeeper, the Avatar, can manipulate all four. After being frozen in ice for 100 years, the 12 year old Avatar learns that the Fire Nation has begun a war that he must stop by next summer

Literally the blueprint for the modern animation that we enjoy today. IDK what else to say. It's iconic

Hilda (Netflix; ended after 2 seasons and 1 movie in 2021)

An animated children's fantasy series set in a world full of Nordic folk creatures

After spending much of her life living in the woods with her mom and her pet deerfox, Hilda is upset to learn that her mom now wants to move to Trolberg, a walled-off city where Hilda fears there is nothing interesting to do. She quickly discovers that there is just as much magic and wonder in the city as there is in the woods.

She's voiced by Bella Ramsay and the animation is beautiful. It's all all-around good vibes show.

Interview with the Vampire (AMC; currently on season 1)

After the first interview in the 70s that ended in disaster, Louis de Pointe du Lac reached out to Daniel Molloy and demanded a do-over. He goes back to his life as a black businessman in 1910s New Orleans and the complicated relationship between himself and Lestat de Lioncourt.

It's actually gay enough this time you guys.

I'd also like to add:

The Bear (FX/Hulu; currently on season 2)

A dramedy about a New York chef who inherits a failing sandwich shop after his older brother commits suicide.

Sometimes a found family isn't all sunshine and unicorns. Sometimes its a lot of screaming and resentment and cussing each other out.

It's a very stressful to watch so it's not for everyone, but if you're the type who finds that cathartic then you should give it a watch.

The Sandman (Netflix; currently on season 1)

Begins in 1916 with the capture of the god of dreams by a greedy sorcerer. After he escapes he must rebuild his realm and repair the damage done by his absence.

Trying to describe this show is really, really, difficult. It would be easier to describe what this show isn't.

Based on the DC comic of the same name by Neil Gaiman.

[andrew-ism]

Hey, I just wanted to ask as a person from the Caribbean also. What got you so passionate about, or I guess got you into the political sphere. A lot of the things you speak about aren't typical of a lot of Caribbean YouTubers one of the reasons your content stood out to me.

From a very young age, I noticed the problems in my country (Trinidad & Tobago) just from looking around and I wanted to change things. Many of my old drawing and writing books were thus filled with ideas for change or worldbuilding fantasies. I've always loved writing and seen it as my way of shaping the world. As I got older, I spent more time trying to understand the issues, the history, and the contemporary situation by reading, chatting with folks in person and online, and consuming edutainment. My passion for learning was also helped by my homeschooling experience.

Without getting deep into my whole life story and political journey, this pursuit of knowledge and solutions was kicked into overdrive in 2019 as I was introduced to the ideas of socialism and anarchism and later in that same year experienced the depressing and life-draining nature of full-time work for the first time (previously I had done a few part-time internships, short-term contracts, and sole trade work). While in the office, I read digital copies of both The Communist Manifesto and The Conquest of Bread, which led me to start a blog in 2020 where I would be able to publicly share what I had been thinking about and learning about for so long. That was on Medium.com. At that point, I wanted to be an art journalist.

Before long, radical ideas explored through a local lens became the prime focus. But due to low readership over months of consistent effort, I came to see blogging as a medium with limited opportunity for reach in our increasingly video-dominated age, which culminated with the creation of my YouTube channel.

However, as much as I wanted to keep my focus on the country and the region, I couldn't limit my message. I don't tailor my voice and message to either a local audience or an American audience. I grew up on content that acted like America was the only country and audience in the world, but I knew there were people like me globally going through the same issues who didn't want to hear every message filtered through the American lens.

I think both globally and locally when I make my videos, and I believe my approach has allowed me to reach folks internationally, which has gotten me to a size where people across the islands can now more easily take notice of my work and hopefully get some good out of it. My heart remains here in the region, and I would like to expand my reach here in the region, but it's easier said than done. I've seen an opportunity in TikTok, but I really can't add more to my plate at this point. A burning passion for learning combined with consistent effort, the help of various folks, and luck sprinkled in has brought me to where I am now, and that's what I'm trying to maintain going forward.

[ellephantseals]

Anybody notice how nothing really happens in Disney movies anymore? I haven’t watched the second inside out yet so i’m not including that here, but for the past few years disney movies just suck. The only good ones in my opinion have been Encanto, Luca, and Turning red, something happened in those movies, there was a message in them, and even if they only took place in this one very specific spot, you really got the world.

But then every other animated movie just doesn’t have anything. Onward (2020) is i think what started this, interesting concepts, could be because chris pratt was one of the main characters, but it just didn’t feel engaging, i wasn’t engaged. They present us with an entire fantasy world and then they’re like “oh yeah look at that character! Look at that character! Look at this thing!” And then its just a regular world but every single person looks different. And by the end literally nothing happened, nothing has changed.

And then there was Raya and the last dragon (2021), who has the exact same problem except chris pratt is replaced with awkwafina, and i agree that that would have been better as a series, because they’re just throwing stuff at you going “look how cool this worldbuilding is!” And then its just that there happens to be dragons that dont influence the world whatsoever.

Then Soul (2022), i don’t remember most of this movie, but it was the “by the end nothing changed” kinda thing. It also has the same problem as princess and the frog where they have a black main character and then go “yeah but what if they werent human for like the entire movie”, it was a cute movie, but other than that i don’t have anything to say

And for a while that had a pretty good run, then strange world came out, lightyear was also there but i never watched it. Strange world (2022) had this amazing concept, and it had a meaning, multiple, but everything once again felt so empty, instead of showing you stuff they explain it to you like you’re a child that just doesn’t get it. “Oh yeah the energy berries” “oh yeah he has a crush on that guy” “oh yeah he hates his dad” “oh yeah generational truama” “okay the world is dying”. Despite being an entire massive “island”, Encanto somehow did it so much better within a small town.

And Elemental (2023), same exact problem, but add on “what if straight people couldn’t be in love 😧” and i agknowledge there was probably a racial aspect to that, but DISNEY! YOUR RACIAL ALLEGORIES ARE REALLY BAD! STOP MAKING PEOPLE OF COLOUR LITERAL DIFFERENT SPECIES TO EVERYBODY ELSE?! And then at the end nothing changed except the main character like? Got a job? And nobody agknowledges anything changed, also eyy generational truama disney’s latest favourite trope.

I can’t even talk about Wish, i think it’s been talked about enough and i haven’t even watched it, but just the way people talk about it i can tell it’s bad and soulless, and it being a disney anniversary present?!

Why are Disney movies so soulless these days?

[brian-in-finance]

Question.

Considering that Cait is pretty much gone from SM, do you think it works in her favor acting wise or not?

She's probably busy now with The Amateur resuming filming but in general how do you see it?

Thanks for the questions, Anon. 😃

Do I think Caitríona’s limited social media use works in her favour, acting wise?

Gifer

I think her limited use of social media is incidental, acting wise.

While she’s still a relatively small fish in a big pond, the quality of her performances, accolades from directors, colleagues, and critics, and her 19 award wins and 51 nominations (IMBd) make enough noise. Her name is listed among the nominees and winners of four of the five top acting awards.* She’s been nominated for a BAFTA, won one Scottish BAFTA and been nominated for another. She’s been nominated for five Golden Globe, three Critics Choice, and two Screen Actors Guild awards. (And has won an IFTA award and been nominated for eight others.)

Despite her not being nominated for an Academy Award, she, with Tony, represented Le Mans ’66 (Ford v. Ferrari) and Belfast at the 2020 and 2022 ceremonies, where the films won three Oscars in total.

FarFarAwaySite

Instagram

You mentioned she’s currently busy filming (The) Amateur. Its star and executive producer, Rami Malek, is the 12th Oscar winner who’s shared film credits with Caitríona. The others are:

Sir Michael Caine (2)

Morgan Freeman

Jodie Foster (2)

Julia Roberts

George Clooney (2)

Matt Damon

Christian Bale

Andrew Buckland & Michael McCusker**

Donald Sylvester***

Dame Judi Dench

Sir Kenneth Branagh

She is and has been in good company.

Your second question, Anon, is how do I see it in general, Caitríona’s limited social media use?

I appreciate her limited use of social media. I imagine she fulfills contractual obligations and posts beyond that when the spirit moves her, but I get why she’s pulled back. Many actors who have the luxury of choosing not to use social media stay away from it. Some who choose to use it post only project-related, non-personal information. Her being cast in Outlander, and the show’s success, are gifts she cherishes, but they’ve come at a cost. We’ve seen where fans ignore reality and comment on her social media “direct from” Fantasy Island. Who needs that?

Remember… if you're gonna ask people to pay money to come see you in a movie, they don't need to know your every thought all the time. I think there has to be some element of mystery. — George Clooney in Esquire

*Alphabetically, Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Critics Choice Award, Golden Globe Award, Screen Actors Guild Award

**Best Achievement in Film Editing, Le Mans ’66/Ford v. Ferrari

***Best Achievement in Sound Editing, Le Mans ’66/Ford v. Ferrari

[mariacallous]

“I am opposed to war, unless in self-defense.” This was the most-liked comment on Douyin—the Chinese counterpart to TikTok—in reaction to a speech delivered by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Jan. 9. In his address, Wang previewed China’s top diplomatic goals for 2024 and emphasized “the unwavering resolve of all 1.4 billion Chinese citizens to achieve reunification with Taiwan,” a statement made just days prior to the island’s general elections.

The broader reaction to Wang’s remarks likely wasn’t what the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) hoped for: Tens of thousands of Chinese social media users responded, many of them with grievances, sarcasm, and defiance, widely questioning the costs of a potential war.

One man from Shanghai complained, “Who is going to fight the war? If I die, who is going to pay my mortgage or my car loan?” Wang’s speech framed “national unification” as one of “China’s core interests,” but as one user from Hunan rebutted, “[China’s] core interests are that every Chinese can be treated equally and have access to elderly care and health care.” The pushback went beyond economic and social grievances. Some posters were even bolder, suggesting that Taiwan’s democracy may demonstrate a political alternative to mainland China: “The fact that Taiwanese choose their own way of life,” said one commentator from Shandong, “might show that Chinese people can take a different route.”

The mood among social media users is a sharp departure from past elections. After almost every Taiwanese general election since 2016, a wave of pro-war fever has swept the Chinese internet. After Taiwan’s 2020 elections, for example, upbeat war enthusiasts in China produced oil paintings that illustrated wild fantasies of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) capturing Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen alive after landing in Taiwan and forcing her to sign an official surrender document onboard a Chinese aircraft carrier—a scene reminiscent of the 1945 Japanese surrender that ended World War II.

In 2021, one of the most popular songs to go viral on Chinese social media was “Take A Bullet Train to Taiwan in 2035.” Its allusion to a high-speed rail line connecting Beijing and Taipei was a dog whistle to nationalist masses who hoped that unification was on the horizon—by force, if necessary.

Absent from these fantasies, however, was the blood and violence that accompanies real war. At the time, China’s star was rising on the international stage, and public confidence was riding high on China’s success in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic within its borders. As such, the sentiments surrounding unification and the use of military force were quite romantic; many people believed that victory over Taiwan would be easy, that the Taiwanese would surrender voluntarily if the PLA simply blockaded the island.

In 2024, however, things have changed. The most recent Taiwanese presidential election—in which the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won a repeat victory—served as an uncomfortable reminder to the Chinese public that neither Taiwanese politicians nor voters are interested in Beijing’s plans for political unification. Although the forceful unification narrative still exists, any push from nationalists to reignite war fever has now run into a wall of skepticism following the DPP victory.

“Wake up,” one Weibo user wrote in opposition to the broader online calls for forceful unification. “Stop dreaming,” another echoed. The defiant voices are becoming a common reaction to the suggested use of military force to an extent rarely seen, given the massive culture of censorship on Chinese social media.

A clear reason for this change is China’s economic slowdown. While Taiwan went to the polls in 2024, China was grappling with a youth unemployment rate above 20 percent, a housing market crisis with sales down by 45 percent, and a stock market in free fall that lost $6 trillion in just three years, the likes of which haven’t been seen in almost a decade. News about Taiwanese elections failed to arouse the same nationalistic reactions among the preoccupied Chinese public that had occurred in the previous two contests.

Instead, the 2024 elections triggered a flood of complaints: “Sort out our own economy, what a mess.” a Shanghai resident said angrily. “Look at our stock market,” an apparently frustrated investor from Hunan grieved, “It’d be better to keep the status quo, and leave Taiwanese alone.” The gloomy economy has made some commenters question the underlying justification for war: “With low-income people making less than 1,000 yuan a month ($140), and the national insurance tax going up, huge medical bills, and unaffordable apartments, why do you want forceful unification? I don’t get it.”

“It is the economy that really matters,” another person from Tianjin pointed out. “[Taiwan] being independent or not has nothing to do with ordinary people.”

The changing attitudes toward Taiwan’s elections reflect a broader shift in public sentiment in China’s online space. Discontent about the country’s poor economic reality has been growing louder, drowning out calls for a military takeover.

Ironically, the CCP’s own past propaganda efforts contributed to this cooling effect. Right before Nancy Pelosi, then the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, visited Taiwan in August 2022, official and semiofficial rhetoric in mainland China was so belligerent that it led many Chinese to believe that the day of unification had finally arrived and that the military would shoot down her plane and launch its attack on Taiwan imminently.

This was the peak of forceful unification hysteria, but it only left its crusaders disappointed. In the end, there was not only no shootdown of Pelosi’s plane, but there also weren’t even military exercises conducted before she left Taiwan. Many Chinese, especially forceful unification advocates, felt betrayed and disillusioned by their government’s failure to follow through on its belligerent rhetoric, and the after-effects of this letdown are still being felt today.

During Taiwan’s 2024 elections, war enthusiasts were continuously reminded of Beijing’s military inaction following Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan. “Have you guys forgotten Pelosi?” one said. One commonly repeated joke, observing the lack of military action, scoffed that the only thing that was fired up when Pelosi visited was the stove in her hotel. The kinds of threats that once resonated with nationalists now drew widespread ridicule online: “delusion,” “talking a big game,” “an unrealistic fantasy,” and “all hat, no cattle.”

Meanwhile, at the other end of the Chinese political spectrum, the 2024 election prompted the resurgence of the view among many liberals that Taiwan’s democracy represents a desirable political model. In the early 2010s, many Chinese saw Taiwan as a beacon of hope for Chinese society—a liberal, civic, and democratic alternative to the one-party state. The liberal Chinese writer Han Han coined a popular phrase—“The most beautiful scenery of Taiwan is its people.”—that encapsulated the view of how trustworthy and free a people can become under democracy.

But after the crackdown on liberal intellectuals and online speech under Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the honeymoon did not last long and was gradually replaced by a climate of xenophobia, jingoism, war euphoria, and a longing for unification by force. Making matters worse, a growing nationalist mood in Taiwan led many to believe that Taiwanese looked down on mainlanders.

The 2024 elections, however, prompted a renewed interest from the Chinese public about their neighbor, home to the world’s only Chinese-speaking democracy. News about Taiwanese elections aroused great curiosity on Weibo about the nuts and bolts of the electoral process—what a ballot looks like, how many ballots one can cast, how votes are counted, and how candidates are selected. When a few Taiwanese Weibo users answered these questions, they were liked and retweeted by thousands of Chinese accounts, drawing genuine admiration and blessings from many.

“Are we going to see one day like this?” one user from Gansu wondered with a crying emoji. “Maybe this is accumulating experience for our own future: giving speeches, holding debates, and counting votes,” commented another, from Tianjin.

China’s shifting public sentiment is bound to have repercussions for cross-strait relations, but it would probably be a bridge too far to infer that the Chinese public will fiercely oppose a war in the Taiwan Strait. Ultimately, the nationalist base remains. At present, the euphoria about forceful unification is quieting down, mainly because the party’s over-the-top propaganda failed to meet the expectations of its most ardent supporters. But if aggressive rhetoric were followed by military action in the future, war fever could be easily fanned again.

Despite the prevalence of extreme nationalism, Chinese public opinion is more divided on Taiwan than it seems, and these divisions are only likely to increase. What concerns most ordinary Chinese are decent jobs, good income, accumulating savings for retirement, and getting affordable access to health care and housing.

So long as the economy is struggling and people’s livelihoods are threatened, there is no guarantee that the CCP’s attempts to exploit nationalism will work; quite the opposite, it could be faced with plenty of pushback.

[startrekfangirl2233-writes]

Spring, 2020 - North Island Naval Base

Chapter 5 Part 2 of You Are My Soulmate

Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw x Reader

Description: Rooster's been on house arrest for months now. Months of Ice and Mav, his parents for all intents and purposes, constantly around. Months in which he's been thinking and thinking about Tinkerbell. How she could be his. How she's all alone. How everyone seems intent on painting her as the bad guy. But more than that, Bradley's been thinking about how sorry he is. Sorry that he hadn't said anything before that disastrous flight. Sorry that he was so stupid. Sorry that he wasn't enough.

A chance encounter on base shows him who the true culprit is, as well as how many people are on his side, on both of their sides.

Disclaimers: Misogynistic speech. Mentioned Homosexual Relationships. Angst. Flagrant disregard for protocols or Authority. Angst. Anguish.

This content presented in this story is for audiences age 18 and over only. MINORS DNI. I will not be accepting tag-list requests from Blank or Ageless Blogs for this story.

Warnings: Female!Reader

Word Count: 3465

A/N: Here’s the second part of Chapter 5! We've seen what is happening with Tinkerbell, now we're going to see what is happening with Rooster. He's a bit of a mess, but hopefully he's able to sort himself out. Thanks to @roosterforme for reading over this part when I was struggling with Rooster's perspective and giving me all the feedback!

AO3: Cross-posted Here!

Wattpad: Cross-posted Here!

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Rooster

There’s this incessant beeping in the background and all Bradley can think in that moment is that he wants it to stop. His limbs feel like they weigh a million pounds and his eyelids feel even heavier. There’s somebody talking, but a part of Bradley isn’t ready to leave the fantasy world he’d been in. Honestly, who could blame him? He’d spent time with his parents! Bradley’s not sure it was real, not really. He's too rational for that, but it feels like the balm his soul needed. Maybe it is time to wake up.

All through his time dreaming, there’s been a nagging thought in his mind. His soulmate. How is she doing? What is she doing? Did she feel his pain? Bradley can still remember what it had been like when they’d found out his dad had passed away. The Navy had sent out an honor guard with that stupid ridiculous triangular folded flag like it would automatically bring him back. But they hadn’t needed to send the guard out at all. His mom had known the second it happened. The invincible Carole Bradshaw had blanched and folded onto her knees like a marionette with its strings cut. She had gone quiet and unresponsive at first. If that wasn’t terrifying enough for a two year old, then there was the way she had screamed and screamed. 

Mom had screamed like she was the heroine in a horror movie facing down the villain. And she hadn’t stopped even when the Navy had come a-knocking. Bradley had climbed a stool and opened the door to the soundtrack of her wails. That’s the sound he hears in his nightmares. That’s why he never wanted to find his soulmate. He’s his father’s son. How could he leave behind a soulmate like his dad left his mom? It’s only inevitable after all.

When his eyes open, it's to a blinding white light. It's almost too bright for sensitive eyes that have been closed for far too long. It's obvious he's missing time, if only in that the last thing he remembers is sirens blaring and voices screaming and flames crackling. Then there had been silence, blessed, complete, silence before he’d seen his parents again.

The hospital room he's in is anything but silent. There are alarms blaring and hurried footsteps and there is the pain throbbing behind his temples. It's far too much, far too soon and it hurts. But he hadn't wanted to stay in limbo with his mom and dad, where everything was cool and quiet and calm. Bradley has a soulmate to find after all, and he’s already spent far too long without her.

It's time to live life like Carole and Goose, like his Mom and Dad, would have wanted him to. He can't be afraid of death, of loss, of pain and sorrow and suffering, not anymore. As his eyes adjust, he's faced with the other reasons why he hadn't stayed asleep. Mav and Ice. They look incredibly worn and old and tired. There are new lines creasing Mav's forehead and a tremble to Ice's hands that he's never seen before.

“Bradley, kiddo, can you hear us?” Bradley can’t do anything other than blink. His entire body feels like it weighs a ton and it takes far too much energy to even blink. But that seems to be enough for Mav and Ice. A tremulous smile curls his dad’s mouth even as tears shine and well in his tired green eyes. Mav folds into the nearest chair, his legs seemingly unable to hold him anymore even as his hand clasps securely around Bradley's own.

"Baby Goose, don't you EVER do that again." If Bradley could talk right now, he would wholeheartedly agree. When his body feels like an open burn and everything stings and aches, there is absolutely no way he would ever willingly do what he did again. The doctors pull his dad away, leaving his Pops in his place. The two of them sit like that for hours, completely still in the midst of the frantic activity that erupts as the doctors and nurses check him out and finally spoon ice chips into his parched desert mouth.

Mav's knocked out on the sofa in the corner before the iceberg his dad has turned into melts. "Bradley Bradshaw. Kid if there was any doubt that you take after your dad, both your dads, that doubt would be wiped away at this moment." Pops smiles, his voice hoarser and deeper than it was when he was a kid. Bradley knows that was the price his Uncle Ice, his Pops, paid for fighting cancer and winning. 

"Why did you do it, kiddo? Why?" There's this unreadable pain in his cool blue eyes as he stares down at Bradley.

"Because she drives me crazy, Ice." His voice is like he's been gargling a bunch of rocks.

"The AMDO Officer? Tinkerbell?" That his dad laughs makes Bradley feel irritated, like a porcupine with its spines out.

"Do you know what happened the last time I found somebody that infuriated me into doing something that stupid?"

It's a rhetorical question. One which prompts a response Bradley has been parroting for most of his life, "You married him?"

His dad's chuckle sounds like pure happiness. "Yeah, kiddo. I married him."

"So why haven't you acted on the reason why she drives you crazy yet?"

Damn him for getting exactly to the root of why this girl bothers him so much. 

"Because as much as she feels like she should be mine, she's not, Pops." His throat visibly tightens at the thought of explaining how confused about Tinkerbell that he actually is.

"She's not my soulmate. She has a soul already and Ice, he's perfect for her. He makes her smile, he takes care of her, and he's never frightened that she's not going to be able to take care of herself or that she's going to get hurt, like I am."

"If you're afraid for her, then that makes it even more likely that she's yours. Kiddo that was how I felt on the Leyte Gulf all those years ago. And how I felt when Mav and your dad went into the flat spin. It feels like your heart is in your throat while at the same time it's in a vice nobody can escape."

That description feels like a punch to the gut.

"But what if I've seen her with her soulmate? What if I know exactly who he is? I have to fly with him, Ice. Work with him. I won't destroy their love when literally anything else, hell even the Navy itself, could." Ice looks thoughtful, pushing his wire-rimmed glasses up his nose.

"Who do you think her soulmate is, kiddo? Don't tell your dad, but I can be a rule breaker every once in a while. I can see if her file has a soulmate listed." There has to be a catch right? The last thing Bradley needs is to get into trouble again.

"Seresin. Jake 'Hangman' Seresin." Before Pops can even pull out his phone or make a single call, another all too familiar voice pipes in.

"Baby Goose, there is no way, Tinkerbell's soulmate is Hangman." Mav's voice may be half asleep but it still has all of the infectious energy it always has. "I look at all of your files pretty often. Hangman has a soulmate, but kiddo, it's not Tinkerbell."

"Why else do I feel so attracted to her then, Mav?" Bradley can't keep a hold on everything he's been feeling, not anymore. He lets every sordid bit of the tale spill. From the first electric touch to the dreams and the way he wants to peacock for her.

"It kind of sounds to me like you've found her, Brad. You've found your soulmate, kid." Mav's smiling, green eyes glinting with joy in the midnight light. But the sick feeling in Bradley's chest hasn't gone away. If what his Dad and Pops are saying is true, he's treated Tinkerbell worse than he thought. He's destroyed any hopes of ever having her take him seriously. All because of a misconception? Some miscommunication? 

Mav misreads his grimace of disgust as pain, so it isn't long before his medical team is around again. When he's hopped up on the good painkillers, it feels like there isn't a thing to worry about in all the world. All of his emotions about Tinkerbell get pushed to the wayside over the next few days. First there's the pain and horror at seeing even more scars criss-cross his face when the bandages come off. Then there is the torture of the many, many rounds of physical therapy the doctors put him through.

Each session exhausts his body completely, leaving each muscle as weak as a limp noodle. But if only those sessions did the same for his mind. Since he's been released into his parents loving care, all he's been doing is thinking. About Tink, about his actions to her, about how much he regrets them. Then there were the articles plastered across the internet. The ones that little shit Taylor had spread about Tinkerbell. 

His heart hurts thinking of the pain she must be in. At least she'll have Coyote and Hangman to make sure she's safe. Her brothers. Her best friends. He wishes he could be there too. That he could have stopped Hawk before he started spreading vile rumors. That was his fault too, sadly. If he hadn't been so chicken, for lack of a better term, he would've been able to tell Tink how he felt. Or at least tell her his suspicions before crashing down to earth with his feathers on fire. Now, it’s probably too late. He can try texting Jake to see how she is, right?

What’s the likelihood that he even responds though? If Bradley were in Jake’s shoes, he wouldn’t respond to his best friend’s soulmate, especially not if he’s as big an asshole as Bradley has been. And Bradley’s not sure she’d want to see him either. As if Mav and Ice would let him onto base and out of their range of sight anyways. Hell the two of them have been so overprotective that they haven’t even let Bradley be alone in a room by himself since he was released from the hospital. But he can’t blame them. He has the feeling his mom and Goose would have acted the same way. But they’re smothering and it’s an unintentional relief when Ice drags him onto base with him one day about two months after he woke up. He’s still bandaged up and walking on crutches, but it feels like a breath of fresh air to be on base again. Even lying on the sofa in the corner of Ice’s office on base feels like a new experience today.

Of course, he’s startled out of his dozing state when Pops’ secretary announces two JAG officers into the office.

"Commanders Marks and Greybank. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Pops coughs a little, sipping on some of the tea always present on his desk. “I only wish it had been under better circumstances.”

“Admiral Kazansky, yes.” It's Marks who starts off the debrief and what Bradley hears leaves him reeling. 

“We wanted to speak to you about the incidents on base that occurred three months ago. But before we get started, we are aware that Lieutenant Bradshaw is here, and we wanted to speak to him as well.” It’s a little unwieldy to stand up and take the one remaining chair on crutches, but Bradley’s sure he manages without looking quite as ungraceful as he feels.

“You wanted to speak to me, Commanders?” Bradley’s feeling tense and worried, all of his languid ease dissipated into tension as he settles in for the conversation. 

“Yes. We wanted to confirm what you heard in Hangar Three during the first AMDO inspection that the Lieutenant Commander most commonly known as Tinkerbell presided over.” Bradley’s a little taken aback at the line of questioning, but after exchanging a look with his dad, complies. He lays out the facts as he remembers them, including the look of derision on Hawk’s face as he’d laid into Tinkerbell’s team and Tinkerbell herself. If he takes a bit of joy in describing how she put Hawk back in his place, he’s sure neither his dad nor the commanders will ever mention it. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

“In your opinion, did it seem that day like Hawk had formed a grudge against the Lieutenant Commander for being a woman in her position?” Faced with that blunt question, Rooster’s forced to re-examine everything Hawk has done or said in his presence since that day about Tinkerbell.

And he doesn’t like the picture being painted at the moment. “Yes, sir.” His voice is quiet, subdued. 

“Do you hold any ill will towards the Lieutenant Commander, either for her actions that day, or for her actions on the day of your accident?”

He’s blurting the word ‘NO’ out before his mind is even made up. “I do not hold any ill will towards the Lieutenant Commander, sirs.”

He doesn’t miss the telling glances the Commanders share with each other and with Admiral Kazansky, because his Pops is gone, the Admiral taking his place.

“Lieutenant Bradshaw, what would you say if we told you that we want to keep Tinkerbell from a court martial and that indeed we’re inclined to proceed with court martial proceedings against Lieutenant Junior Grade Taylor?”

“I’d be happy to help in any way I can. Tinkerbell isn’t at fault for what is happening to me. I went against her orders and got into my jet before it was flight-ready. It was not her fault.”

“There, Lieutenant Commander, we are agreed.” It’s Commander Marks who picks up the conversation. “Especially since we have video evidence that it was Hawk who sabotaged your jet.”

Bradley’s brain must shut down because he can’t believe what he’s hearing. That shit! That complete and total utter lily-livered coward! He sabotaged the jet. Hawk’s the reason why he’s in so much pain every day, the kind of pain that even a good night’s sleep can’t occlude? He deserves so much more than a court martial.

“Those news articles about Tinkerbell. Were they his doing as well?” There’s rage descending in a red film over his vision. His already pain-ridden shaky limbs quake with the force of it, silent tremors which he tries to quell by tensing his muscles.

“Yes, it appears so. We’ve been in contact with the news outlets who published those articles. The contracts Lieutenant Junior Grade Taylor signed did not include an anonymity clause. So we have the proof that he is culpable for those as well.”

There is a sick feeling roiling in his gut. It’s fighting with the rage pulsing with every beat of his heart for dominance. He barely realizes what’s happening, because all of a sudden he blinks and Commanders Marks and Greybank are being shown out of the office.

“Hey, kiddo.” 

“Kiddo?”

“Baby Goose!” It’s his childhood nickname at a near shout which shakes him out of his thoughts.

“Yeah, Pops?” Bradley can hear the crack in his voice. 

“Are you going to be okay? Testifying against Taylor so soon after your own injuries?” There’s an unreadable look on his face, something trapped between fear and Iceman calm and collected. 

“Whether I’m okay or not, it doesn’t matter, Icepop.” Ice’s smile is halfway to genuine then. “All that matters is that we take that little asshole down before he hurts Tinkerbell further.”

“I agree, kiddo.” His dad sighs, slow and soft. “It’s what I would do if some idiot had been the reason why Mav had been injured. I can’t pretend to know what you’re feeling, but whatever you need, your dad and I are in your corner, yours and hers, no matter what.”

Bradley’s not ashamed in the slightest to find he��s brushing a couple of tears away.

“I have it on good authority that the Daggers are having a bit of a break right now. They should be in the ready room. Why don’t you head over there and catch up with your squad, kid? I’ll text you when I’m ready to head home.”

Bradley slips out of the door soon after, texting Mav to let him know that it looks like Pops has a killer headache if the way he is rubbing his temples is any indication. His progress down the halls of North Island are in direct contrast to any of the other times in his life where he’s positively rocketed down the halls. Usually he’s walking as fast as he can past the Admiral’s offices, because it’s well-known that everyone enlisted is a little bit paranoid around the big brass. Just because his dads are two of the members of the big brass doesn’t change that. 

His progress is halting and slow, the crutches still seem incredibly unwieldy, despite the fact that he’s been using them for months now. He still can’t wait to be away from them. When he finally shoulders the door to the ready room ready, he’s praying that it’s only the Daggers on the premises. He can’t exactly hide the new scars criss-crossing his face, they’re far too evident for that. But while he can take Hangman’s gentle (nearly loving) prodding and Payback’s ribbing, he’s not sure he can handle the less light-hearted, less fun teasing if the Top Gun class is also in the room. As is evident by his luck, or lack thereof, it’s Hawk’s bray-like laughter which greets him as he walks into the room.

He shouldn’t feel like a specimen under the microscope as he walks towards the corner with the big sofa that the Daggers have claimed. But it’s hard to feel like anything but when it feels like everyone in the room has their eyes on him. In that instant, it feels like all of his injuries are worse than they were when he walked into the room. He can almost feel whispering conversations starting up, the ones claiming that “Bradshaw’s flown his last hop, ever. Bradshaw’s been cut down in his prime.”

Of course, the moment the Daggers see him coming, he’s greeted with nothing but smiles. It’s almost too easy to sink into the easy camaraderie he has with his friends. He still feels like he’s being watched, of course, but he can ignore the prying gazes so long as he’s with his friends. Nat’s showing him pictures of what he’s missed, and he’s actually having a nice time, for the first time in what feels like forever. At least, that is, until Hawk comes swaggering up to the sofa where he’s squished between Nat, Bob, Fanboy, and Hangman of all people.

“Well, hi there, Rooster.” He’s exuding smug superiority standing there in his neatly pressed khakis. “I thought you weren’t going to show up on base for a bit longer, old man.”

He’s not deigning this asshole with a response. Not now.

“I mean, I don’t blame you for wanting to come back so soon. I would want to do the same after what that stupid bitch did to me.” Bradley can’t decide if he’s puffing up in anger or if he’s feeling the second-hand rage from Jake at his side. “And let’s be honest, old man. You’re definitely not the spring chicken you were when you got your callsign. I’d take any jump on re-establishing my dominance if I were you.”

Now Rooster can feel Nat’s rage building in addition to his own.

“I’m sure we’re all agreed that the little whore that she is got her comeuppance. She sabotaged you, after all.” 

That’s when Rooster’s tenuous control on his temper snaps. Before Hawk can blink or even gather his thoughts, he’s on the floor. His hand hurts and Hawk’s nose is bleeding. It hadn’t looked all that good earlier, either, still a little bruised and providing a horrible nasal quality to his voice. Hawk wasn’t half the looker he thought he was earlier. 

But of course, just when Rooster thinks Hawk’s finally shut his mouth, he’s back up again. He’s spitting more nonsense about Tinkerbell, hell about Rooster again, But his voice dies down when he has Hangman, Coyote, Payback and Phoenix circling him. Say what you will about the Daggers, but they’re nothing if not family. And you may think that Coyote, Payback and Hangman are scary. But they’ve got nothing on Phoenix. Especially when Rooster can see the idiot’s face blanche at what she whispers into his ear. The court martial proceedings cannot come soon enough.

I DO NOT CONSENT TO HAVE MY WORK POSTED, TRANSLATED, OR PUBLISHED ON ANY SITES OTHER THAN HERE, ON WATTPAD, OR ON AO3 BY ME. IF YOU SEE MY WORKS ANYWHERE OTHER THAN HERE, ON WATTPAD, OR AO3, THEN THEY HAVE BEEN POSTED WITHOUT MY PERMISSION AND I WILL BE WORKING TO TAKE THEM DOWN.

Taglist:

 @roosters-girl @infamous-reindeer @caitsymichelle13  @mattyskies @cosmic-psychickitty @mygyn  @julesclues @greenbaby12 @bubblegumbeautyqueen  @briseisgone @soulmates8  @meganlpie  @captain-fandomwriter58 @caidi-paris @mazzbarnes  @super-btstrash-posts @eli2447 @chaoticassidy  @kmc1989 @abaker74 @marvelouslyme96  @faithiegirl01  @shanimallina87 @desert-fern @dakotakazansky @horseshoegirl @sarahsmi13s @teacupsandtopgun @roosterforme @mak-32 @thedroneranger @beyondthesefourwalls

[scifipinups]

Retrospective: Adrienne Barbeau

Fantasy Island 'Class of '69/The Pug' (1979)

The Fog (1980)

Escape From New York (1981)

Swamp Thing (1982)

Creepshow (1982)

The Next One [The Time Traveller] (1984)

The Twilight Zone 'Teacher's Aide' (1985)

Two Evil Eyes (1990)

Babylon 5 'Spider in the Web' (1994)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 'Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges' (1999)

Halloween (2007)

Unholy (2007)

Unearth (2020)

American Horror Stories 'Drive In' (2021)

Cowboy Bebop (2021)

[sitp-recs]

today is hubby’s bday! few people know this but he was my first supporter when I created this blog - in fact, the whole thing was his idea! at the time I had a starker/MCU blog and did a couple reclists. when I fell back into the drarry pit he was like “what if you did the same thing for drarry but with single recs like those book review YT channels” I was very reluctant because big fandoms can be overwhelming and I didn’t feel creative or qualified to rec HP. not only I wasn’t up to date in terms of reading, I’d always been a lurker and didn’t know anyone around here; starker was a smaller, safe community without an insane to-read list or any other type of pressure. when covid hit I decided to take his advice and created the blog to distract myself at lockdown, that’s how the sit-pee brand kick off 😂 the rest is history. I’m feeling nostalgic and wanted to celebrate him somehow; since he’s a fan of fantasy books and magical creatures - dragons in particular - I decided to do a 🐉 reclist! I’ve been wanting to rec some Charlie rarepair fics so this is the perfect excuse. enjoy!

Drarry:

Sanctuary by @stargazing-enby (2021, G, 2k)

Harry finds warmth in peculiar ways on a freezing Romanian winter day.

Keeping the Dragon Keeper by @xx-thedarklord-xx (2018, T, 4k)

Charlie still wasn’t sure what it was about dragons that drew him in. Perhaps it was their intense nature or the way they protected their kind. Maybe it was the way Harry cared for Draco, or the way the latter always kept an eye on his mate. Either way, he would do anything to protect them.

Tiny Dragons & Where to Find Them by @tasteofshapes (2020, T, 5k)

Draco finds the tiny dragon sleeping on the staircase leading up to the astronomy tower.

Dragon Wings and Flying Things by rillalicious (2018, NR, 6k)

The Annual Broom Race of Sweden is headed through the Swedish Short-Snout dragon reservation. Charlie has arranged for Harry to bring Teddy. In the midst of all the excitement, Harry finds out that one of the most famous Dragonologists in recent history is someone very familiar.

Fighting fire with fire by azyxy (2021, E, 12k)

As Deputy Director of the Ministry’s Fire Brigade, Draco Malfoy is an expert firefighter. But after things get out of hand in what should have been a routine operation and Harry Potter arrives to help, Draco finds himself getting hot and bothered for totally unprofessional reasons.

Fata Morgana by @icmezzo (2014, M, 16k)

“It’s only a mirage,” they tell Draco (and Pepper). “You must be imagining,” they dismiss him in turn. But Draco Malfoy is certain that something is out there, and, come hell or Harry Potter, he’ll find out. He will.

Next Time I Fall by sassy_cissa (2019, E, 21k)

When Harry visits Charlie in Romania – he ends up finding more than he bargained for.

Here Be Dragons by birdsofshore (2016, E, 22k)

Harry doesn’t want to waste his time investigating illegal dragonhide trading, whether it involves a fetish club in Knockturn Alley or visiting a remote island in Wales. Why the bloody hell does Malfoy always have to be up to something?

Under Giant Mountains by @wolfpants (2022, E, 33k)

Harry doesn't know where he's going. Everyone else has their life paths figured out; he doesn't even know where his map is. Who'd have thought Draco Malfoy bathing in a Norwegian forest would be the guidepost Harry needed?

Blood and Fire by @lqtraintracks (2017, E, 45k)

Harry has spent the last twelve years in Romania, not returning to England as often as he knows he should. It's complicated. But when Ginny asks him to be her best man and help her plan her wedding, he can't say no. Having a reckoning with his choices, with himself, won't be easy. To say nothing of seeing Draco again.

Survival of the Species by @romaine2424 (2011, E, 46k)

Draco approaches Harry on the 9 ¾ platform, after their sons have boarded the Hogwarts Express, and invites him over for tea. The discussion they have leads them on an adventure that neither could have expected. There be dragons! HPDH compliant but before any other canon info had been released.

An Offering of Dragons by Lomonaaeren (2015, M, 46k)

Harry decides that he really needs to take a holiday. He hits on the idea of touring the respective dragon sanctuaries of the world, and invites Draco, who he’s casually dating, to come with him.

Kept in Cages by @sweet-s0rr0w, art by @ihopeyoubothstaysafefromharm (2022, E, 76k)

Deep in the heart of the Ministry lies the Beast Division: a hidden room where ancient beasts roam, and winged creatures soar, and grumpy giant ferrets eat all your biscuits unless you keep them well hidden. Draco Malfoy would know – he’s been working there for five years now, after all.

Such Great Heights by aideomai (2015, E, 93k)

Draco Malfoy, wide-eyed and pale and in a decidedly ragged shirt, was crouched next to the pile of whatever the dragon had been eating. Harry threw himself to a halt and yelled, “Merlin, how many times do I have to save your life?”

Chasing Dragons by @the-sinking-ship (2021, E, 98k)

Draco can think of only one way to outclass his pleat-front-khaki-wearing politician ex, and that’s by making headlines with an obvious upgrade. And who better to upstage the cheating bastard than the Saviour of the World, Harry Potter himself?

He Comes Like a Thunderstorm by @korlaena (2021, E, 140k)

Draco is doing his best to balance the life he wants to live and the life he’s forced to live. He’s nearing the tail-end of a long, post-war probation when Harry Potter crashes back into his life with all the grace of a charging Erumpent, breaking through his carefully constructed rules and routine.

Rarepairs:

love on high by tryslora (2015, E, 1.3k) - Charlie/Draco

Charlie loves to take Draco up on dragon back and fuck him high above the ground.

Use My Last Breath (to say I love you) by Cassiara (2020, E, 6k) - Charlie/Harry

Harry loves the way Charlie's hands feel around his neck. He's not sure how to feel about the tiny dragon or the long-distance relationship.

On the Same Side by rillalicious (2018, M, 7.5k) - Charlie/Teddy

Teddy is heading to Romania to protest a proposed anti-dragon law. He finds an interesting ally there.

Where the kind things are by epsilonargus (2018, T, 8k) - Charlie/Teddy

Charlie didn't think there was any other way to live, until he was forced to take Teddy Lupin in as a dragon trainer. Teddy didn't think he could ever be forgiven, until Charlie Weasley told him there was no shame in being kind.

Putting Charlie Right by mindabbles (2018, E, 9k) - Charlie/Teddy

Teddy is good at his job. He can take the most disorganised, poorly maintained record keeping system and have it pass any audit within weeks. Teddy is very, very good at his job, and he’d be able to prove that fact if Charlie wasn’t bent on distracting him.

In the Land of Dragons by megyal (2008, M, 10k) - Charlie/Draco

Charlie's job has changed from dragon-keeper to dragon-hunter in the apocalyptic aftermath of the war. DH-based, but not EWE-compliant; I'm sure I can say it veers into AU territory. Influenced by the movie Reign of Fire.

Exhaling Invisible Fire by gonergone (2014, G, 12k) - Charlie/Harry

As the Wizarding World tries to get itself back in order, Harry needs takes the opportunity for a rest.

Charlie Weasley's Fuck Autobiography by @lqtraintracks (2014, E, 14k) - Charlie/Teddy/Harry/Draco, minor Charlie/Bill

Charlie doesn't think that this is his Fuck Autobiography. But it so is.

Dreaming Skies by @sweet-s0rr0w and @tackytigerfic (2021, E, 20k) - Draco/Ron

Draco's life is going nowhere, so when Charlie Weasley offers him a job out on his reserve, Draco doesn't think twice before booking a Portkey. After all, it's not as if he has many other options. But when he arrives in Romania, he realises that nothing is quite what he expected...

Licurici by @lou-isfake (2021, E, 133k) - Harry/Charlie/Draco

Charlie wanted Harry, but he’d never planned on having him. He’d never planned on Draco Malfoy, either. He hadn’t planned on anything but living out his days in Romania, with his friends and his dragons and his safe, peaceful distance. Apparently, it wasn’t a very popular plan.