#I appreciate Ana Lucia more

[brownskinsugarplum76]

The hurt/comfort of Sawyer and Kate is so... 😫😫😫🥰

[guardianreadersofthegalaxy]

So I'm rewatching Lost on Disney+ and here's what I think about all the characters:

Charlie is a talentless, over-possessive dweeb and I hate him

Locke would be a great father in law but he's only right all the time because the writers made him clairvoyant

Kate's got agency and a sense of humour so I quite like her

Jin's only likeable if you forget how much of a bastard he was in Series 1

Sun's just sort of there

Sayid's a killjoy but he's also a sexy badass and I like his episodes

Ben is an example of the inscrutable "Can we trust him?" trope that I hate

Claire and Michael just say "Moy baby!" and "my son!" respectively

Desmond's "aye brother" thing is annoying but he's fit so who cares

I'm torn about Jack because I like that he's the most rational person on an island full of homeopathic hippies but he's also such a hero all the time that it's frankly obnoxious.

I like Juliet but I'm only up to series 3 on my rewatch so we'll see

Hurley seems like a good bloke, even if his 'dude's and 'chick's and 'awesome's are a bit grating.

I hated Ana Lucia until the Shannon incident and after that humbling experience she was more likeable

Mr Eko is a god-bothering twit who ignores people until he wants something from them.

I'm surprised to say this but Sawyer is the GOAT. He's tough but vulnerable, standoffish but capable of real friendship, and I ship him with Kate. Also my wife calls him 'Bean Curd' which I think he'd appreciate.

[savingthrcw]

okay but I have some muses who are so non-average about their s.exuality compared to average? And I mean their relationship with it, not their orientation, so here some... s.excanons about how they view it, I guess? Like:

-Kate, beautiful Kate from Lost: apparently never had a one night stand, is a romantic, had one love who died, was on the run so didn't have much time to fall again, married once (quickly) because she wanted that life... so she's not THAT experienced and she only wants it when she's deeply connected to someone (demi-romantic??) which is kinda rare for a female protagonist, she really wants that bond. -Neria: was convinced by the Circle that she should keep distance from other mages because That's How It Is, but was also curious and not so distant that she didn't make a few friends, so my headcanon is that she decided to try, picked a guy, did it, decided she liked it and every now and then did it again because in that mood. Very "non attached", very non romantic, it's only much later when she falls in love during DAO that she decides she likes it more when it's about romance, but as first time goes you don't often find a teenage girl who picks a guy, uses him and disregards him after. -Solona: kinda like Neria but worse, it meant kinda nothing to her? No particular need behind it, it was done out of curiosity and felt nice, but she doesn't initiate it, doesn't think much of it besides the fact that it's fun? I am headcanoning that if she falls in love with someone she'll be into it and the more she becomes "human" the more she'll appreciate the intimacy, but she's not dying to do it all the time for the sake of it? more like a general 'feels nice so why not if you want it' and if she's in love 'feels extra nice with you so I think I want it too yep'. She does experience se.xual attraction so she's not ace, but doesn't give it much weight unless asked or unless she's in a relationship and feels comfortable asking for it. -Jemma: she's sooo messed up. Her first time was scientific, she decided to do the guy, he actually left her in the woods after and she had to wait for a ride home. Super high s.ex drive, has a thousand one night stands, gets weird about getting to know the guy after because what are they, married? When in a romantic relationship she's a sap and her s.exual attraction towards other men disappears. Literally, it just isn't there anymore, she becomes solely focused on her guy. Super weird about that. More attracted to what she can do to the man she loves than following her libido once there is the chance to focus all that energy on him

-Lily: would legit get freaked out by romantic intimacy and gentleness, she'd need a second to get used to it. It was always, always rough, HER DOING, even her first time was with her being like 'come on, don't be a wuss' because the guy was trying to be gentle. She didn't get that. It's not that she doesn't like it, it's that she doesn't want intimacy from people unless she really cares about them.

-Sarah: Sarah is more average, she feels regular sexual attraction, can have one night stands or romantic and intimate s.ex, she's fine with both. Granted, for the latter you'd have to persuade her to be in a romantic relationship first, and that requires a lot of romancing her and heart in your hands

-Ana Lucia: literally did it to steal a gun from Sawyer once?? honestly I didn't see her as attracted to him all that much, more like annoyed, but thinking back about it I believe that annoyance is one of the ways to make her want to do it. She'd definitely do it again too while still threatening to kill him if he tells anyone. I doubt it was the first time she jumped a semi-stranger judging from Sawyer's super pleased expression after. There was no hesitation. Her time seems to be sad and angry enough that he may be a problem.

-Shale: grossed out grossed out grossed out

-Ellana: was ready to jump Cullen on day one but then caught feelings. also kinda more average like Sarah, in the sense that she's into relationships but can have one night stands.

-Freya: oh Freya. She got pregnant from her first s.exual partner, whom she loved, he did what he did, she killed him, and she spent the next what, decades? being an Evil Queen in her icy castle, hasn't touched a man ever since her lover died. Hasn't even thought of it. She will think of it now that her heart is back a little, and I'm guessing the pour soul she'll set her eyes on will have to bear the brunt of it.

-Clarke: I do not understand Clarke at all, because it felt like Finn was her first, but at the same time: really? with a guy you never even kissed before, you are that ready for your first time ever?? but then the show wrote teenagers being all super comfortable with thr.eesomes, nobody is awkward, nobody is inexperienced, everyone is ready to try anything at all times so I guess the entire view of s.ex is different in the future? she's very comfy with both one night stands and romance but she mostly seems to use it to comfort herself 90% of the time, it doesn't seem a super happy occasion whenever she initiates it. Would love for her to have a time when it starts with laughs tho. (note: it's not that teenagers are too pure for that, it's that statistically it felt weird that they were THAT comfortable)

-Emma Swan: oh Emma had a lot of seld-deprecating self-hating s.ex. She doesn't have one night stands like Jemma does, the 'I do this because I have a healthy relationship with s.ex and I decided I enjoy it so I'll do it' type, no, she has the 'I don't deserve more than this' type. She apparently had a relationship with at least one married man and given the woman she's shown to be I'm guessing it happened because she didn't know he was married. She'd much rather have it because she's in a relationship but she'll use it to distract herself. I make the distinction with Jemma because in Jemma's case there is no sad or dark reason behind wanting casual encounters, she's just enjoying herself, Emma would like more but settles and is a bit judgy about it later.

[vreenak]

female character meme > day10 - a female character in a scifi / supernatural show - Ana Lucia Cortez from Lost.

[liliplayschoices]

Friday nights (Noah Harris x mc)

rating: not really any, gonna say 15+ as a basis

warnings: I’d say hurt/comfort and fluff :) also, MC’s dad is a jerk but what else is new?

word count: 1,5 k

author’s note: Tthis is my first time writing for this so please tell me what ypu think!

tagging @averysheart-raleighsdick

I am so angry when I leave the house, slamming the door behind me, that I walk for about twenty minutes without even knowing where I'm headed.

Dad and I fought again. It started as something stupid, like it always does, And then he ended up bringing up mom again, and I snapped.

So now here I am, at almost midnight, walking aimlessly and trying to calm down the best I can.

I feel bad for leaving Mackenzie alone with Dad, but she was already asleep. I'll text her in a while, once I know where to spend the night.

Except that for now I'm alone in the street, with no idea where to go. I refuse to go back home and face him right now. Ava and I still aren't talking, so I don't want to call her out of the blue. I think about calling Mason and taking him up on the offer to sleep in his guest bedroom, but then I remember he's out of town for the weekend, visiting colleges in Connecticut, so he's not an option.

That leaves me Noah. Noah, who always told me to call him if I ever needed help. Noah, who picked us up from the police station without judgement. Noah, who told me he'd rather get me home than knowing I was walking alone at night.

I get my phone out of my pocket and look for his number. He picks up quickly, his voice groggy as if he was sleeping.

"Ana Lucia? What's up?"

He sounds concerned, and I immediately feel better from hearing his voice.

"Hey. Were you sleeping? I'm sorry, I…" I trail off, not knowing what to say.

"Not really, I dozed off while studying. Everything okay?"

I hesitate one last time, but I really don't want to go back home, and now that I'm hearing him, all I want is to be with him.

"Not really, no. I had a big fight with my dad. I'm… I left and now I don't know where to go."

I feel ridiculous saying it, as if I'm overreacting, but he's answering before I have time to dwell on this.

"Where are you?"

I give him the name of the street and he hangs up after telling me to wait for him. I sit down on a bench, already regretting going out without a jacket, and wait.

Maybe I shouldn't have gotten this angry. Dad hasn't been the best these last few months, but I haven't been the perfect daughter, either.

But… bringing up Mom is a cheap shot. He knows that as long as he's saying that she would be disappointed in me, he's got the high ground, and he always, always does this.

I don't even know who I am becoming anymore, and all he cares about is how I live up to his expectations.

I don't have time to dwell on this more as I hear a motorcycle approaching, and get up to meet Noah on the road. He doesn't take off his helmet, just hands me a second one and waits for me to climb on behind him.

Soon enough, we're riding through the city at high speed, towards a district I don't know very well. I let myself hold on to him, the warmth of his body already calming, despite the noise and the wind around us.

Finally, we make it to a quiet street, And he stops in front of a decrepit house, with a small front yard and a porch.

We climb down and he takes the helmet back, until finally, we're standing together in the quiet street, no noise apart from the distant sound of a tv coming from another house. I look up at him, and as I take in the look of concern in his eyes, I suddenly feel exhausted.

He must feel it, because he closes the distance between us and wraps me in his arms, not saying anything, just holding me. I can feel his heartbeat against my chest, and I slip my hands around his neck to tighten our embrace.

I don't know how long we stay like this, but when he gently lets go, I feel much better than before.

"Come on, let's get you inside."

I suddenly realize that his family is probably here.

"Are you sure I'm not… imposing?"

He smiles and shakes his head. "My sister's at a sleepover, and my mom is working nights. You're not imposing, and you wouldn't be imposing even if they were here. Now come on before you freeze to death out here without a jacket."

He takes my hand and I let him lead me inside, watching as he closes the front door. We're standing in the living room, and I can see Noah's school books scattered across the coffee table. He closes them up and piles them up in a corner of the table, before we sit down on the couch.

I lean against his shoulder and he slides an arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him. After all the yelling at home, I'm grateful for the silence wrapping itself around us, and I let myself get lost in it.

"It might help to talk about it," he whispers against me, and I only realize I closed my eyes once I have to open them to look up at him.

I don't think I'll ever get over the softness in his eyes when he looks at me, the way his presence always seems to bring me back to the ground when I think I've lost my footing.

"It was just a stupid fight. We were talking about college applications, and my dad got mad when I told him I didn't want to make a decision about my major now. But then it somehow landed on how my behavior with the cheer squad was 'unacceptable' and i said that maybe I didn't want to be in the cheer squad anymore, so he brought up my mom and I just… i snapped. I was so mad at him for using her just to get me to do what he wanted, I couldn't take it anymore. So I told him to stop trying to control my life and I left."

It seems silly now, like I overreacted, like I bothered him for nothing. But he just holds me tighter, brushes a strand of hair away from my face, and says:

"I'm sorry this happened. I wish there was more I could do to help."

I chuckle. "You mean, apart from picking me up on a Friday night and letting me crash on your couch? You're already doing more than enough."

He raises an eyebrow at that.

"Crash on my couch? Do you really think I'm letting you sleep on my couch? You're sleeping in my bed."

"Noah, you don't need to -"

"I know I don't. Come on."

He pushes me away just enough to get up, and I follow after him in the small corridor. We reach the last door and he opens it, letting me into his bedroom. It's a foreign place, but it's also so clearly Noah's that I immediately feel at ease. A football in the corner, his leather jacket hanging out of a closet, a few mechanic magazines on the nightstand, a few photos taped on the wall,... it's all familiar, despite it being the first time I'm setting foot in here. He lets go of my hand and I sit on the bed as he rummages through the closet, until he finds a sweatshirt and a pair of sweatpants to hand to me.

"I thought this might be more comfortable to sleep in than tight jeans." He looks me over with a smirk. "Not that I don't appreciate the view." 

I snort and go to the bathroom. His clothes are much too big for me, but they're comforting, too. They smell like him, they're soft, and they feel like home.

When I come  back to the bedroom, Noah has gathered a blanket and a pillow in his arms, and he's about to leave.

But as I watch him, this boy who has done so much for me, I realize that I don't want to be away from him just yet. So I lay a hand on his arm.

"Stay?"

He bites his lip slightly, but nods and drops the blanket at the foot of the bed.

And soon enough, we are cuddling under the blankets, my back against his chest, his arms wrapped around me, our fingers interlaced.

We don't speak, but I know he's not sleeping either, I know he's enjoying the peace of the night, just as I am. And as I feel the steady rhythm of his chest rising and falling against me, I wonder how it's possible for him to have taken such a large place in my heart so quickly. I realize that I would be content to spend all my other nights wrapped in his embrace.

And as I start to drift off to sleep, I can't help but think, maybe this is what they call love.

[thesocialpariahtable]

FP lies on his bed with his fraying Chuck Taylors still on, his Letterman sitting adjacent to the Serpents jacket in some sort of light versus dark battle that Hermione knows he fights internally. His room has peeling wallpaper, holes in the walls that she only notices when she squints her eyes because they’re all covered by three things: Guns n Roses, photos that Mary had developed of FP and Fred and Gladys’ handwriting. Poems. Of people she loves disguised as musicians.

The kitchen had no cupboard doors, there was a steady snoring in the room next to his that hadn’t let up in the entire hour she was there and judging by the amount of beer bottles scattered in what she assumed was the living room, the snoring wasn’t going to end any time soon.

Hermione sits with her knees to her chin, her skirt pulled up between her thighs and cardigan draped over her legs. She hadn’t stopped frowning since she arrived, she hadn’t let go of the tension in her jaw and she didn’t want to.

She enjoys the feeling. It fuels whatever hate she has towards Hiram’s smugness.

“Princess,” FP says without breathing, holding in his draw of smoke. He coughs through his nose for a second before exhaling loudly, shoulders slumping at the same time. A smile creeps on his lips with closed eyes before letting them open slowly, looking at her through heavy lids. “You gonna tell me why you insisted on going anywhere but home?”

Home . Home would be overrun with her sisters screaming for attention. Ana fighting with Mariana, the twins Lucia and Josephine arguing over who gets the luxury of thanking the Lord before dinner. Home reminds her that she’s the good girl that Hiram keeps reminding her she is. She didn’t want to go home.

She doesn’t want to be good.

“What does it matter to you?” she snaps.

FP throws his hands up in the air, blunt still between his long fingers. “Woah, woah, woah,” he says slowly. “Maybe because I give a fuck about you?”

She shoots him a glare, she wants it to hurt. She doesn’t say anything but; “Hiram thinks I’m a goody two shoes. But it still doesn’t matter.”

Even with the high hitting him, his eyes turn serious. “We’re friends, ‘Mione. That’s why I give a fuck.”

Hermione doesn’t want to talk about how Hiram makes her wild, shake and want him even more. She feels all enveloped in the cold room that’s only warmed by the fact that FP told her she’s his friend. Maybe the good in her did appreciate the friendship. The bad in her notices the way FP’s tongue runs over his teeth. She smiles softly, kissing her hand, she blows it to the wind. “What is that?” he asks.

“A kiss to the wind,” she tells him, smiling at her feet.

“Why do you do that?”

“For different reasons,” she shrugs. “This one was for friendship. For the vending machine bringing us together.”

He nods. Kissing his hand, he blows it to the wind. “For two people who really fucking want to escape.”

When she’s in his room, she doesn’t see an escape. All she sees is the foundation for history to repeat itself.

Exactly the same as what she sees when she’s staring at the crucifix that hangs above the bed in her own room.

He offers her the blunt that’s between his fingers, and even though the smell is familiar, sometimes wafting through his beat up pick up when they run the powder that pays her, she eyes it suspiciously. “You ever smoked weed before?” The way she stares at it makes him laugh with understanding. “Well, you wanna try?”

Hermione takes it from between his fingers, placing it to her lips, she sucks it in straight, the heat burning on the tip of her tongue. She coughs as it seems to fill her, travelling up her nose, hitting the back of her throat. “Shit!” she hisses.

FP laughs, taking it from her fingers. “Ah, Princess, you’ll get it eventually.”

After a few more tokes, they’re both laughing on his bed, face to face. She traces a scar on the corner of his mouth and he smiles against her touch. Before she has a chance to think about what she’s doing, her lips are on the corner of his mouth where the scar is and his fingers are playing with the bottom hem of her skirt.

He stops and so does she. They both stare at the ceiling.

He blows a kiss to the wind, “For dumb shit when you’re high,” he laughs.

She follows suit. Her kiss is silent. For something in the pit of her stomach that wants the touch that the hem of her skirt felt all over her fucking skin. In the exact way FP’s eyes are all over her skin when she’s on top of his sheets.

discard my friends (to change the scenery) a Formione fic

- read chapter 1 here on AO3!

[aurorawest]

ten faves

Rules: name ten favorite characters from ten different things (tv, movies, books, etc.).

Thank you for the tag @thegirlwholied!

Loki (Thor, The Avengers, general MCU)

I mean...obviously, right? He’s got it all. A sympathetic villain with a tragic backstory, a snarky, sarcastic sense of humor, The Smart One, but also, complete and utter trash fire, emotional wreck; just wants to be loved. His redemption arc hits me right in the feels and I’m here for the disaster of a relationship that he has with his big brother. His angst and dramatics make him an utter joy to watch and write about. V pretty, too; makes me wonder if I am in fact just a little bisexual. 

King Candy (Wreck-It Ralph)

YMMV but another villain with a sympathetic backstory. The way he turns on a dime from goofy and fun to kind of straight-up murderous is great. Another one where there’s a rich trove of angst and pain to explore in fic. Alan Tudyk’s spot-on Ed Wynn imitation made me fall in love with this guy before three words had left his mouth the first time I saw Wreck-It Ralph.

Stephen Strange (Doctor Strange, general MCU, yes I’m cheating because this is 2 MCU characters)

Okay, so my soft spot for Strange admittedly came about because I ship him with Loki, but I’ve come to love him in his own right. He’s a smartass and a jerk—plus magic! How can I not like a guy who has all the terrible qualities I love in a character, but who dies over and over and over again to save humanity? And in a weird twist, I vastly prefer Benedict Cumberbatch’s American accent to his actual English accent.

George Weasley (Harry Potter)

Though I came to be a huge Snape fan later, my first loves in Harry Potter were the Weasley twins. And George is the one I keep coming back to. Who doesn’t love the Weasley twins, right? But I appreciate kinder, gentler George, and imagining his life after Fred’s death has resulted in thousands and thousands of words of fanfiction.

Weyoun (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

We stan one Vorta clone who presided over a genocide, got his neck snapped by Worf, eats pizza with chopsticks, and had to put up with both Dukat and Damar. Another villain for the list here. Weyoun (and the Vorta in general) are fascinating and it’s a crime that we never got to learn that much about them. The DS9 writers seemed to think we all wanted to know more about the Jem’Hadar, but I just wanted more of these weird, purple-eyed gremlins. Weyoun trying to appreciate art despite his lack of aesthetics? A+ moment from a guest star in a series that was full of them (both A+ moments and guest stars).

Megavolt (Darkwing Duck)

Ah Megavolt, the character that I’ve loved since 1991. He’s crazy! He’s definitely committed murder (he’s been sent to the electric chair multiple times)! And yet there’s something kind of sad about Megavolt; high school bullies turned into who he is, his memory problems are...a hindrance. He’s not all bad either—he has a friend group and sometimes he even works with Darkwing Duck.

Vinny Santorini (Atlantis: The Lost Empire)

(with bonus Audrey Ramirez, because I’m not going to lie to you, it was hard to choose between the two of them)

Vinny is the snarkiest on this team of looters and he blows stuff up, so how can I not love him? Atlantis does its best to give us character development for its ensemble cast but it can only give us the broad strokes (its runtime is only 96 minutes. 96 minutes!), but it’s hard not to see Vinny as someone who uses sarcasm and humor to cover up a pretty big heart. In a way, a character with a minor redemptive arc, since the team betrays Milo.

Benjamin Linus (Lost)

The first thing you need to know about Ben is that he spent the majority of Lost looking beat up, which is a really attractive quality in a character. Ben is another one of those villains with a sympathetic past and a redemption arc—though unlike many of the villains I love, he actually survived! So he’s an exception to redemption=death. I loved Ben, I think, from the moment he hypothetically detailed how, if he were an evil Other, he would have tricked Sayid, Ana Lucia, and Charlie and lured them to their deaths, and then looked up at Locke and asked with that dead-eyed stare over his cereal, “Got any milk?” He was the one character who continued to get interesting on Lost as the rest of the show was falling apart.

Telemain (The Enchanted Forest Chronicles)

So I couldn’t find a photo of the back cover of Calling on Dragons, which actually features an illustration of Telemain, so you’ll all have to trust me that he’s My Type. His description from the Enchanted Forest Chronicles wiki: 

Blue eyes, dark hair, and neatly trimmed beard and mustache

Plus he wears knee-high black boots and a giant, useless belt with a bunch of stuff hanging off it? Might I point you to another wizard on my favorite characters list. Telemain is a know-it-all wizard who doesn’t understand how to talk to others like a normal person. He’s very smart, fiercely solitary, and very snarky. Hm.

Éowyn (The Lord of the Rings)

How can you not love her? The absolute shit this woman has been through. Her parents are dead. Her brother is banished. Her cousin is killed. And her uncle looks like a ghoul and is going crazier by the day, all while she’s got freaking Grima Wormtongue undressing her with his eyes at every opportunity. I love Éowyn because she’s basically in the process of having a constant meltdown but dammit, she’s going to keep it together because what else can she do? And I mean, obviously, “I am no man.”

I’ll tag...ummm @iamanartichoke, @mareebird​, and @thelightofthingshopedfor​ but no pressure! And anyone else who wants to do this definitely should! Consider yourself tagged, I’m always interested to know what characters other people like!

[phantomqueen]

Ana Lucia for the NSFW ask meme? :O

idk if u meant all of them but...i will do all of them. under the cut bc its long lmao

{nsfw oc asks}

Preference for top or bottom?

no strong preference but shes a fun top

Favorite type, looks and personality wise?

UM i legitimately dont think she has one. the witch is her first & only serious gf, and the witch is like...mean and technically kinda femme but in a fancy gremlin way

Get up and shower after or bask in the afterglow all sticky and wet?

basking. she wants to admire her work

Monogamous? Open relationship? Polyamorous?

as of rn (or as of like, at some crucial point in the story) she’s monogamous w the witch but i think they would have an open relationship at some point

Deep and slow? Hard and fast? What’s your character’s preference?

deep n slow. she likes to drag it out

Favorite sex position?

cowgirl🤠

What’s your character’s favorite kink?

UM probably edging

How active in bed is your character? Do they like to lie there and take it or do they like to get the most bang for their buck?

oh she bangs for her buck

Kissing during sex, yes or no?

big yes

Clothes off or on during sex?

half off bc they r impatient

Lingerie? Yes or no?

no interest in it but she’ll appreciate it if/when her gf wears it bc she has manners

that shits getting RUINED tho

Would your character join a threesome if given a chance?

probably yeah

Your character’s Penis size?

she has a decent strap like it doesnt look too crazy but its all about how u swing it right

Preference for penis size?

she likes taking a big strap tho

Does your character like to roleplay? If so, what?

god they probably have like a corny mostly-joking vampire/ vampire’s victim roleplay bit

Does your character prefer condoms or bareback?

uh bareback BUT they do have supernatural privilege on this one they are immune to infections

Your character’s most private sexual fantasy?

thats private

um i think she wants to fuck somewhere fancy like in a ballroom after a masquerade is over but they dont really throw masquerades anymore. maybe they’ll rent out a high end hotel event room for a party just so they can fuck in it afterwards

How sexually active is your character?

probably not that active before she gets together w her gf. after that tho..

When did your character lose their virginity?

UH i never thought about it but probably when she was a teenager in her punk days

Kinks your character would participate in?

idc if vampire blood kink is corny & trite...they ARE gonna mix sex & (technically) food and u cant stop them. 

Kinks your character would not participate in?

not a fan of choking. probably can enjoy some spanking or biting but nothing too rough

A character that yours fantasizes about coupling with?

i think for the time being she p much just has eyes for her gf lol

[ninewheels]

NineWheels Rewatches Lost 2x07 “The Other 48 Days”

I appreciate how much worse the Tailies had it than our original gang. It’s both an interesting motivating factor for them as characters (especially Ana Lucia), and it makes this episode more interesting than just a condensed version of season one featuring different faces.

I’m not blogging to catalog firsts, but there are quite a few in this episode. It’s the first episode to not feature Jack, Kate, or Hurley--who up until this point were the only characters to have appeared in every single episode. It’s also the first episode to take place entirely in flashbacks, and the first where those flashbacks, and therefore the entire episode, is set on the island.

[whitewolfofwinterfell]

Thoughts from my recent LOST re-watch

There is absolutely no coherence to this, so please forgive me. It’s just a very long list of all of the random thoughts I’ve had throughout my re-watch of LOST about my opinions on characters, ships, plot lines etc. and how they’ve changed or stayed the same. Feel free to send me an ask if you want me to expand on any of these points. 

Season 1 is perfection. Literal perfection. I can’t find a single criticism for it. The mystery, the suspense, the anticipation, the characterisation, the plot, the build-up. Just everything. It doesn’t matter how many times I watch it, it’s still so impactful and the pilot is one of the best pilots of any show I’ve ever seen

It’s still so funny that all of the characters so happen to have the perfect combination of skills to survive - Jack the Doctor, Locke the Hunter, Sayid the Soldier and Kate the Tracker

I always knew it anyway, but the Jack/Kate/Sawyer triangle really is awful. And the fact that they (attempted) to bring Ana Lucia into it and then actually did bring Juliet in to make it a love square is even worse. 

Jack and Juliet actually kind of make sense as a romantic pairing and have good chemistry (but Suliet still rule all) 

Kate is the worst character on the show. I’m sorry, I’ve tried to like her but I never have. She doesn’t undergo any development until around the time she gets Aaron in season 5 - she kills her father in cold blood and justifies it by saying he was a violent drunk (hello, there’s nothing that can justify murder with maybe the exception of self defence), she then goes on the run where she constantly lies, schemes and manipulates to get what she wants, which ultimately leads to her best friend getting killed in the crossfire. From the second she lands on the island she consistently plays Sawyer and Jack off one another by taking advantage of their feelings for her without any consideration to how that impacts them 

John Locke is an asshole a majority of the time and I really don’t like him (this doesn’t include pre-island and flash-sideways John, who’s a sweetheart) 

Charlie Pace is also an asshole and I don’t know how I didn’t see this sooner

I’ll never be over Boone’s death or the fact that he died for nothing because of Locke

Walt getting taken from the raft is still one of the most shocking and haunting moments of the series

Hugo Reyes is the definition of cinnamon roll, I love him with every fibre of my being and LOST wouldn’t be what is is without him

Kate treats Sawyer like shit from the beginning and he deserves so much better. I’m not gonna lie, I still don’t understand how or why Sawyer falls in love with her

Also what is that bullshit with them having sex in the cage? I know it’s supposed to be this hot-we-could-die-at-any-moment raw sex but it just comes across as very weird?? Even if they don’t know there’s cameras on them, they’re outside in the open where anybody could see them at any time

Shannon is a very misunderstood character who deserved better. So. much. better.

I still hate Ben, but he’s one of the best written villains in television I’ve ever seen

Charlie/Claire is the worst romance in the world. They have no chemistry, Charlie develops an obsession with her and practically stalks her, forces her to do what he wants her to do, constantly tries to take over with Aaron despite having absolutely no right to. There is just nothing even remotely redeeming about this ship and I still don’t get it

Locke’s musical theme makes me cry every single time 

And following on from that, as much as I dislike Locke, his flashbacks always make me cry. “Don’t tell me what I can’t do, ever!”, when he gets in the wheelchair in the hospital after his father has pushed him out of the window and when he cries in the car after his father tells him he’s not wanted. It’s heartbreaking 

I still can’t get over all the amazing character connections - Charlie saving Nadia, Sayid meeting Kate’s father and Kelvin during the war, Jack meeting Desmond before the island, Christian being Claire’s father, Christian and Ana Lucia going to Australia together, Sawyer meeting Christian in the bar etc. - it’s all so beautifully done in a way that feels authentic and links the characters (even the ones with more superficial ties) together so well

Michael is not a bad person and is unfairly hated. He’s just a father that did what any parent would do to keep their child safe 

Hurley and Libby are sweet but severely underdeveloped

I actually really dig the episode about Paulo and Nikki

Eko has such a touching and emotional arc, which although short, is very well rounded

The Other 48 Days is still one of the most chilling episodes of the series

It’s sad that the Tailies were all killed off so prematurely, I feel like they all had potential to be more

Jin’s development is so unappreciated. He’s probably the character that goes through the most amount of growth from the pilot to the finale

I know I should feel sorry for Claire (and part of me does), but I still find her too annoying to feel anything but dislike for her

Desmond and Penny’s love story is freakin’ beautiful and nothing can compare

Also how cute are Rose and Bernard? I’ve come to appreciate their relationship so much. They’re literally just two people who love each other in the purest way and want to be together. It’s so beautiful

Sayid is one of the best characters on the show and my love for him has been reaffirmed 

I understand the appeal of Sayid and Shannon but Nadia was Sayid’s soul mate and no one can tell me otherwise

Jack is probably the most unstable character on the show but it’s never acknowledged

Am I the only one that notices that Charlie flat-out lies about not being able to swim? In season 1 when Joanna is drowning Charlie tells Jack he can’t go in to help her because he can’t swim, but he consistently dreams about swimming to save Aaron, Desmond has a vision of him saving Claire from drowning and in season 2 he flat out tells everyone he’s swimming junior champion and swims down to the Looking Glass. Is this Charlie being a liar or simply a fault of the writers, I wonder? 

The episode where Sawyer, Jin and Hurley fix up the Dharma car still makes me so happy

Sun and Jin’s relationship is one of the best developed fictional ships I’ve ever seen. It’s so rare that we actually get to see a married couple who are on the verge of breaking up actually love each other enough to work their asses off to make it work and end up being happier and more in love with each other more than ever before

The Others are still absolutely terrifying in seasons 1 and 2 before we find out who they are

Charlie and Hurley’s friendship is overrated 

Adding to that some underrated dynamics are - Sayid and Desmond (in The Constant Sayid blindly does everything in his power to help Desmond despite not understanding what the hell is going on with him), Kate and Sayid, Hurley and Sayid, Michael, Sawyer and Jin, Shannon and Walt, Boone and Shannon, Eko and Ana.

Jack is by far the most flawed protagonist I’ve seen in any show

I’m intrigued to know what direction Ana Lucia’s character would’ve gone in if she’d survived

The musical themes are still the best of any show I’ve ever seen. I love that each character has their own theme which perfectly encapsulates them

The way that everyone just forgets about Claire after she goes missing and don’t even attempt to find her is so bad. Particularly when you consider the fact that whenever anyone else has gone missing or were kidnapped - Jack, Kate, Michael, Hurley - they’ve gone on a rescue mission immediately 

I’ve always been indifferent to Sun but I realise now that I don’t like her. She’s very hard to connect with and in the last seasons she becomes completely irrelevant and has no personality what-so-ever

Jack reacts so coldly to finding out that Claire is his sister. Like he finds out, he’s shocked, has tears in his eyes but nothing changes in how he behaves and thinks about Claire and Aaron, which makes no sense (but I’m glad we got to see this explored in the Flash Sideways)

Danielle and Alex Rousseau deserved better. So much better

All these people that accuse the show of having an abundance of plot-holes just aren’t paying attention or want everything to be spoon fed to them. There’s actually only about 1 or 2 inconsistencies big enough to be considered a plot-hole (the main one being that Danielle actually sees Ben face-to-face when he kidnaps Alex, but later on doesn’t recognise him when she captures him in a net) and everything is tied together perfectly

I didn’t realise before but season 5 is actually a pretty bad season. The most redeeming aspect is Suliet

Did anyone else notice that Naveen’s (Sayid) accent regresses into his own English accent in season 5 and 6? 

I actually hate the entire concept of Jacob and the MIB and what was done with them

Jack really does become Locke in seasons 5 and 6 

Following on from that, I really can’t blame Sawyer for wanting to murder Jack in season 5/6. He saunters back onto the island like he’s King of the Island thinking he’s some hero who’s going to save everyone he left behind whilst also fixing himself without any consideration to the repercussions. He completely destroys the life Sawyer and Juliet have spent 3 damn years building which results in a lot of people dying, including Juliet and he doesn’t even really seem that aware of how badly he’s fucked up 

We were robbed of a Frank Lapidus centric episode and flashbacks. Robbed, I tell you

I love Jack and Kate as a ship, but when they get back to the island in season 5 they’re very OOC (which is a writing problem imo). Kate wanders off and leaves Jack behind all the time and they don’t really stick together which is just not like Jack and Kate at all. No matter what they always stick together 

Sawyer’s character development is amazing. I love him so much 

The Temple is dumb. The concept of it, the people we’re introduced to - everything. It should’ve just been scrapped 

I also don’t understand what the hell happens to Sayid when he’s drowned in The Temple???? It’s so random and inconsistent, it makes no sense

I still love the concept of the Flash Sideways and don’t understand how people can hate on it or claim it doesn’t matter. It’s so important in so many ways 

But I still don’t quite understand why Jack and Juliet have a son in the Flash Sideways? I understand why Jack has a son, because it makes sense for him to work out his ‘daddy issues’, but I don’t understand why Juliet is the mother and what the significance is of that

We really should’ve got more Desmond centric episodes

The Constant is still one of the best episodes of television ever made

The older I get the more I understand and appreciate the religious and theological meanings of the show

I still don’t understand how or why Hurley starts being able to see ghosts. Like that ability just comes out of no where with little to no explanation 

It also gets very confusing trying to distinguish between literal ghosts and when the MIB has taken on a dead person’s form

I understand now that one of the many reasons LOST speaks to me on a personal level, and always has, is that I too have felt lost (both metaphorically and literally) throughout my life and I’m able to connect to every character on that basis regardless of whether I like them or not

The characterisation on this show is still second to none. The way each character has distinct lives that are fully fleshed out by flashbacks and that we get to understand every intimate detail about them - the worst thing they’ve ever done, their happiest moment, their greatest fear, the person they love most - I’m yet to find another show that writes its characters in such a complex and fulfilling way

I will always love the show and stand by it being one of the best shows ever, but as the seasons progress it does decline in quality, especially seasons 5 and 6 

The finale is still perfect though. I cry like a baby every single time - the church, the way Jack cries in his dad’s arms, it’s just too much

[sulietsexual]

Your opinion of the best and worst Lost characters?

Best

Juliet Burke - one of the best characters in existence, Juliet is nuanced, layered, mutlifaceted and utterly endearing. I love watching her journey from abused wife to certified badass. Her moral ambiguity over the course of Season 3 is utterly fascinating, as is her eventual joining of the Losties and then her and Sawyer’s arc in Season 5 where they finally find home and become co-leaders. She is at once guarded, open, compassionate, cold, resilient, soft, kind, hard, undecided and steadfast. She’s made up almost entirely of contradictions until you really get to know her character and the amazing person she is. I only wish she had received a better ending.

*sits back and waits for my anti-juliet anon to surface and start talking about how she’s smug and arrogant*

James “Sawyer” Ford - such an incredible character with one of the best arcs on the entire show. Watching him go from a broken, self-loathing, self-sabotaging conman to a settled, confident, self-accepting leader and partner was one of the most amazing things on the show. I’ve never seen a character hate themselves more than James Ford hated himself but he overcomes this, grows and evolves, learns that he is worth loving and just evolves into this incredible man. I love him so much and his journey is so endearing.

Ben Linus - one of the best Chessmasters I’ve ever come across, Ben is always five steps ahead of everyone, sometimes ten steps on a good day. He has a tragic backstory which is never used an excuse for his behaviour, a complex and multi-faceted personality, he is a master manipulator, an arrogant power-hungry leader, a broken, self-loathing man, all at once. He is such a great character, such an amazing villain, such an interesting and untrustworthy ally. Honestly one of my favourite characters in the entire series.

Hugo “Hurley” Reyes - Hurley is one of those characters for whom the term precious cinnamon roll, too good for this world, too pure is completely fitting. Hurley is a pure ray of sunshine on a show where characters are often morally ambiguous or just flat-out evil. He is optimistic and compassionate and he has an uncanny ability to know what people need in the moment, to read situations and give people hope, such as when he builds the golf course to help everyone relax. He was the perfect Candidate to become keeper of the Island.

Worst

Charlie Pace - Charlie is such an arrogant, annoying, useless little prick. He acts entitled to Claire’s feelings and assumes the role of father in Aaron’s life, without Claire’s consent or blessing. He’s a rude prick to pretty much everyone, in particular Hurley and Locke. He gets insanely obsessed with both Claire and Aaron, to terrifying degrees. And he’s rarely called on his bad behaviour and Claire ends up returning to him despite him putting both her and Aaron in danger. Charlie’s only shining moment is the Not Penny’s Boat message. Aside from that, he’s just useless.

Ana Lucia - the thing with Ana Lucia is she could have been a great character had she just been written a little differently and possibly played by a different actress. I understand what they were trying to do with her character, presenting her as the tough, show-no-emotion leader of the Tailies, extreme because she has to be, hard and violent because of trauma. But she just comes across as psychotic and unhinged most of the time. Even her backstory does little to endear her, as we see her execute a man in cold blood. She does improve somewhat towards the end of her run, before she is unceremoniously killed off but overall, I wish her character had been handled better.

John Locke - I understand why people like John, I even liked him initially. But with more re-watches I just found Locke more and more pathetic with every turn. His extreme over-zealousness regarding the Island comes across as cult-ish and somewhat alarming, the fact that he’s constantly taking matters into his own hands without considering the consequences to other people is horrible (such as when he blows up the sub or sabotages the distress signal), he’s never right about anything, which just make his actions come across as desperate and ridiculous and he never appreciates what he has, always reaching for what he doesn’t. I just can’t with him.

[whatmoredoyouwant]

I was tagged by @laufire (okay like, not really, but it said whoever wants to do it! lol)

Rules: choose any three fandoms (in random order) and answer the questions, then tag some friends

Fandoms:

The 100

Grey’s Anatomy

Lost

The First Character You Loved:

Oh wow. Hard one. Hmm...it’s especially hard cause I just rewatched the whole show, so my “first impressions” are a little skewed. I don’t know if it’s more Octavia Blake or Clarke Griffin tbh. I’m like horribly in love with Eliza Taylor, so that’s a big factor, but Octavia’s character is so dynamic and fun. I loved her from that first, “We’re back, bitches!”

This is even harder because the characters have changed so much! I think it would have to be Cristina Yang, even though she’s not in the show anymore. I miss her so much!

100% without a doubt, Charlie Pace. When I watched the show when I was younger, when it was still on TV, I bawled my friggin’ eyes out every near-death and then his eventual death. It’s funny because now I don’t like him nearly as much.

The Character You Never Expected To Love So Much:

Just based on how she was first introduced, Lexa kom Trikru. We get introduced to this badass warrior Commander, twirling a knife and ordering the deaths of Skaikru for burning her warriors, and she turns out to be the biggest gay softie in the world.

A L E X K A R E V. Holy shit, dude. If you told me that Alex Karev would be one of my favourite characters of all time during the first few seasons, I would have laughed. He’s such an asshole, he doesn’t care about anyone, he’s all about machismo and sleeping with the ladies. And then all of a sudden he does this 180 and the whole macho tough guy is just an act, and he’s just this SWEET SOFT TEDDY BEAR UNDERNEATH.

It’s actually crazy how much of a Sun-Hwa Kwon stan I became after rewatching. She’s just such a fucking badass??? Like, nothing gets her down. And the people that disagree with me that Sun is a Slytherin are just WRONG. Like, the woman learns an entirely different language to get away from her murderous, tyrannical father and arguably abusive husband, and plans to just disappear off into a different country. And then, in the flash forwards, she BUYS OUT HER FATHER’S COMPANY? Slytherin. SUCH a Slytherin.

The Character You Relate To The Most:

Hmm...it’s hard to relate to characters in a post-apocalyptic setting, to be honest, cause I just don’t deal with their issues lol. I feel like I would have to say Clarke Griffin, if only for the fact that she’s a headstrong, stubborn bisexual who tries her best to do the right thing, even if sometimes she’s wrong. That’s the closest similarity I can draw from the characters.

Hands down, Cristina Yang. The commitment issues, the aversion to having a baby, the total 100% dedication and obsession with her job and working? Oh, please, I AM Cristina Yang.

Let’s see, Kate’s a runaway, Claire’s pregnant, Shannon’s a rich kid, Sun is too, I don’t know that I can necessarily relate to any of the women. And the men, like, not at all. Everyone seems to have daddy issues and I don’t have those lol. I have “mommy issues.” Does anyone have mom issues? Ooh ooh! Ana Lucia Cortez! Totally had mom issues. Again, that’s really the closest similarity that I can draw from these characters.

The Character You’d Slap:

Ooh man, so many. Thelonious Jaha, for starters. Like, why are you even here anymore? All you do is cause chaos. They should have locked him out of the bunker.

I don’t know that I’d necessarily slap him, but I really don’t like Richard Webber. He has such anger issues and I feel like he just causes unnecessary tension and drama all the time. And his and Catherine Avery’s relationship is so tumultuous and at times, borderline toxic, I’m just sick of seeing the two of them.

Haha, I feel like my first instinct is James Ford aka Sawyer, just because he’s an ass most of the time, but I love him too much. So I’m saying John Locke, because holy shit, dude, can you cause any more trouble?? Just like I said with Jaha, ALL YOU CAUSE IS CHAOS.

Three Favourite Characters (In Order Of Preference):

Raven Reyes, Clarke Griffin, and John Murphy.

Cristina Yang, Stephanie Edwards, and April Kepner

Desmond Hume, Juliet Burke, and Sun-Hwa Kwon

A Character You Liked At First But Don’t Anymore:

Jasper Jordan. This show did you so dirty, my poor child. They should have made him go up in the rocket into space with the rest of them. Can you imagine, crazy alcoholic Jasper Jordan, basically being forced into rehab and made to face his demons? Anyway, yeah, he just went a little too crazy for me, and then he just became a nuisance.

I can’t really think of a character that I liked but don’t anymore. If I had to pick someone, maybe Izzy Stevens? I think she got kind of selfish after living through her cancer death, and then she treated Alex really horribly. I was really happy when he told her he deserved more. But like, it’s honestly me nitpicking a character. I certainly don’t hate Izzy, not even close, I just have to pick SOMEONE.

I already mentioned her, but Ana Lucia Cortez was my first girl crush. When I was young, when the show first came out, I was nine years old and didn’t have any idea I was bisexual. I was IN LOVE with Ana Lucia, I was so upset when she died. Years later, when I rewatched it, it dawned on me just how much I hated her character, and I was like, “Why was she my favourite??” And my gay ass was like, “Ohhhh, it’s cause she’s hot as fuck. Got it.”

A Character You Did Not Like At First But Now Do:

They kind of already asked this? But well, I guess it’s a little bit different. For this one, I’ll say John Murphy. He was SUCH an ass, and I mean, he still is, but now he’s a little more human. And even when you watch him being an ass in the first season, you kind of understand it a little bit more now. Certain things can’t be excused, obviously, but at least they’re better explained.

Ooh, wait, another good one! I couldn’t STAND Arizona Robbins when she was introduced. My boss at the time, Ricky, I was talking to him when I first started watching it (when we were in season 12 I think) and he kept asking me to tell him when I’d met Arizona. And when I finally did, I didn’t get it at all. I was like, “Why do you like her? She’s awful??” And now I LOVE HER SO MUCH.

Benjamin Linus. God, I HATED him when I first watched the show, because obviously, he was the “big bad guy.” Now...well, he’s still a bad guy, but I appreciate his character so much more. Especially in the last few episodes! He really redeems himself.

Three OTPs: (I decided to read this as 3 OTPs for each fandom because I can) (I’m following suit, 3 OTPS per show!)

Oh man. Don’t even get me staaaaarted. Linctavia will forever be like, my most painful OTP. Followed of course, by Clexa. The third one is hard though? Honestly, I just wanted to ship Roan with someone, just cause I found him so effing hot. Any time he was on screen with someone, anyone at all, I went, “I ship it.” But realistically, like a real ship, I guess I would say Memori. Even though Emori is hard for me to like. I’m hoping she’ll be more likeable in season 5.

This is so painful. Mark Sloan/Lexie Grey, again, my most painful OTP and oh GOD, I miss them so much. Alex Karev/Meredith Grey, don’t JUDGE ME OKAY? And again, the last one is hard. I think it’s a tie between Calzona and Japril. Calzona really fell apart, and fell apart hard, whereas Japril is still kind of being hinted at? (Even though this awful Maggie/Jackson thing is being pushed now, I can’t staaaand this.) 

I was a total Sawyer/Kate shipper as opposed to Jack/Kate, and I stand by that. But on that note, Sawyer/Juliet is my I WILL GO DOWN WITH THIS SHIP ship. THEY BELONGED TOGETHER. When I was younger, I shipped the hell out of Claire and Charlie but now I kind of hate them together. And now I ship the hell out of Desmond/Charlie lol. Oh, and of course Desmond and Penny, but still, the Desmond/Charlie ship has sailed and I am the captain.

I don’t think I really have any friends on this site who would actually do this if I tagged them...so I’m just gonna say anyone who wants to do it should, just tag @sassybrowsreyes in your post!

[megsblackfirewrites]

Names Are Important

Names Are Important

“They’re so tiny,” Jesse whispered as he stared at the kittens suckling against Jack’s stomach.

“They’re newborns,” Gabriel chuckled as he kept the bottle in his hand carefully angled.

He didn’t want to put air into his daughter’s belly as he fed her. The less she threw up after burping, the better it would be in the long run. Then she wouldn’t have to be fed again for a few hours and she wasn’t going to whimper with hunger.

“They’ll grow,” Jack purred as his tail tapped lightly against the bed. “They won’t stay tiny forever.”

Everyone was taking turns looking at the babies, oohing and awing over how tiny they were. The kittens were snuggled into Jack’s belly fur with just their white little triangle tails poking out. Gabriel was feeding the runt, keeping her head carefully elevated as she pulled angrily on the rubber nipple, squeaking angrily at Gabriel every time the milk flow stopped for even a moment. She had to be bottle fed because her sisters kept laying on her and squishing her when they fed. She’d be fine when she was a little bigger, but for now, the twins were jerks to their runt.

“And you still haven’t thought of names?” Ana asked as one of the kittens pulled away and sneezed. “Bless you.”

“Sneezy is Estella,” Jack smiled. “The piggy is Reina. We...haven’t agreed on a good name for the baby yet.”

“I still think Sarah is good,” Gabriel smirked. “Since the twins are named after my mother and grandmother.”

“My mother would have my hide if I named my runt after her,” Jack shook his head.

Estella threw up on the bed, coughing and crying as she fumbled blindly. Jack leaned forward and licked over her fur soothingly, nosing her back into his belly fur before he lapped the vomit up without hesitating. Angela, Ana, and Jesse looked disgusted, but Torbjörn and Reinhardt let out similar ‘aws’ of approval.

“What a good momma,” Torbjörn cooed.

“Cats are weird,” Jesse whined.

“You don’t want to know what he did with the placenta,” Gabriel teased as he set the empty bottle down and started patting the runt’s back.

“Ew! Ew, you ate it?!” Jesse stared at Jack in horror.

“Well, what else am I supposed to do with it?” Jack blushed. “Throw it out? That’s a good source of vitamins there!”

“Most people don’t eat the placenta raw,” Angela grumbled. “And the research on the dietary benefits are sketchy.”

Jack folded his ears down and yanked his pillow over his head. “Don’t judge me! I was on postpartum mentality!”

“Do not worry, Jack; my mates have always eaten the placenta,” Reinhardt soothed.

“As has my wife,” Torbjörn smiled. “Don’t worry; Jesse’ll eat his too.”

“Hey! I’m an Alpha, thank you!” Jesse glared at Torbjörn.

“Uh huh,” the Spitz smirked at him. “Whatever makes you feel better, kid.”

Jack peeked out from under the pillow before curling around his kittens. “Gabe?”

Gabriel set the runt down against Jack’s belly and the pup snuggled into the soft fur with a faint squeak. Jack purred and ran his tongue over his babies’ back, curling them in close to his belly. Gabriel pulled the blanket up and over his hips, hiding the babies from sight.

Everyone took that as their sign to leave the new mother in peace. Angela closed the privacy curtain, smiling as Gabriel settled down near his mate’s head and gently nuzzled him.

Jack nuzzled his nameless baby close. The twins were sleeping peacefully, curled up over each other with their little noses buried in his belly fur. The runt, however, was up near his chest, pressing her cheek against his shoulder. She was squeaking softly, experiencing whatever nightmares plague newborn.

“Ssh,” he soothed. “Ssh, my little one.”

The runt’s eyelids fluttered and he saw a faint line of blue behind the dark flesh before she curled up closer and buried her nose in his jaw. He purred softly and ran his tongue soothingly over her belly. His poor little baby; so young and already having nightmares.

“Hey,” Gabriel cooed as he walked around the privacy curtain. “Angie thinks we can move back to the apartment. When you’re ready.”

Jack nodded his head as he curled himself around his babies. Gabriel set their supper down on the nightstand and slowly started picking up bite-sized pieces. Jack smiled and lifted his head, opening his mouth for the offering. Gabriel set the piece into Jack’s mouth, smiling as Jack eagerly chewed and swallowed it.

“Think of anything while I was gone?” Gabriel asked.

Jack shook his head. “I don’t like any of the names I thought of,” he sighed as he let Gabriel pick their runt up and slip her into his hoodie.

She squeaked softly, curling up against her father’s chest and opening her mouth to breathe. Her dog features were most prominent when she did that, the big tongue poking out just enough to be seen past her lips. Gabriel nuzzled her gently before offering another piece of food.

“So, do we go with all those names that were submitted to us?” he asked.

“No,” Jack bared his fangs. “My babies are not part of some stupid popularity contest.”

Gabriel raised his hands. “I was joking,” he soothed. “I don’t like the fact that we were sent thousands of names even though we said we weren’t going to use civilian input.”

Jack took a deep breath and flicked his tail. “Sorry,” he whispered.

He watched Gabriel cradle their runt close to his chest. She was so tiny, covered in black and tan fur, just like her Papi. The fur would fall out as she got older, just like all babies with Cat or Dog features, but for now, it would give her a small bit of protection against the world.

“Would you…be insulted if I used a name from a movie?” Jack asked as he watched his daughter.

“Depends on the name,” Gabriel replied. “What did you have in mind?”

Jack smiled and hummed as he reached out to stroke over his daughter’s head. “I ask for nothing; I can get by. But I know there’s others less lucky than I.”

Gabriel stared at him in awe before he grinned. “Esmeralda,” he growled and looked down at his softly squeaking baby. “Esmeralda Sarah Maria Reyes-Morrison.”

Jack purred, nodding his head in approval. “Perfect,” he sighed and rested his cheek against Gabriel’s thigh. “Perfect.”

Jack settled down on the couch with his litter and smiled as they stared around them curiously. Their bright blue eyes took the world in with rapt attention, watching curiously as the photographers set up their equipment. The interviewer was cooing over them, his stubby little Boxer tail wagging rapidly.

“They’re so precious,” the interviewer whined. “Oh, just lookit their little tails and ears.”

Gabriel settled down beside Jack and Esmeralda immediately squirmed towards him. He scooped her up and nuzzled her, growling softly in his best imitation of a purr. She purred back, snuggling in against his chest before falling asleep immediately. The twins let out synchronized yawns before immediately passing out and snuggling against Jack’s belly fur.

“They are beautiful, Strike Commander,” the interviewer said as he sat down. “Okay, let’s get this interview started.” He tapped a few spots on his tablet before one of the floating cameras came to life and zipped in front of his face. “Hello, everyone! Tian White here with our exclusive interview with Strike Commander Jack Morrison after a month into his maternity leave, as well as his mate, Commander Gabriel Reyes. How are you both?”

“Good,” Jack smiled as the camera whipped around and zipped off to get a wide-angle shot of them. “Still waiting for the uterus to contract back to its normal size, but it’s going.”

Gabriel leaned over and nuzzled him, smiling lovingly as they shared a chaste kiss. “I have never been so happy in my life,” he said.

“Not even on your wedding day?” Tian teased.

“We signed papers in the UN building; it was hardly a wedding,” Gabriel shook his head. “But yes, happier than that. I have Jack and our babies. What could be better?”

“Good point,” Tian grinned. “You had a relatively small litter, correct?”

“Fairly small, all things considered,” Jack shrugged. “I’m an only child, so that doesn’t say much for my family’s reproductive capabilities.”

“I come from a huge family; sorry, honey,” Gabriel chuckled.

Jack stuck his tongue out playfully before he ran his thumb down Reina’s cheek. She squirmed closer, squeaking softly as she hid in the soft white fur on Jack’s belly.

“How have they been sleeping?”

“Pretty well,” Gabriel nodded his head. “Although, to be fair, Jack wakes up more than I do. He sort of has the necessary anatomy to deal with their hungry bellies. I just change diapers.”

“Which is appreciated,” Jack smiled at him. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Gabe.”

They shared another kiss and Tian squirmed happily in his seat. “You two are adorable! Ah, I wish I had gotten to interview you sooner! Okay, but, real talk. You haven’t released the names of your daughters yet and the world is dying to know who the first official Overwatch babies are!”

Jack glanced at Gabriel before setting a hand on Reina’s head. “Our oldest; Reina Lucia Reyes-Morrison,” he said with a smile.

“Named after my mother and one of my sisters,” Gabriel purred.

“This is Estella Isadore Reyes-Morrison,” Jack smiled and scratched gently at Estella’s white cheek.

“Named after my grandmother and other sister,” Gabriel laughed.

“And the runt,” Jack smiled lovingly at his daughter. “Esmeralda Sarah Maria Reyes-Morrison.”

“Those are beautiful names!” Tian grinned widely. “And I’m sure they’re going to grow up into beautiful girls!”

“They’d better with genetics like his,” Gabriel jerked a thumb at Jack. “Lookit that face; it’s angelic!”

“Gabriel,” Jack scolded, but he felt his face heating up anyways.

“You know it’s true, Jack,” Gabriel grinned and kissed his cheek. “Although, we might have to visit your parents a lot so that they all get those adorable farmer freckles.”

“I’m going to hurt you,” Jack growled as he flicked his tail.

“Love you,” Gabriel teased and nuzzled him.

Tian laughed as Jack huffed at his mate and kissed him. Esmeralda started squirming, chirping hungrily for food. Jack quickly scooped her up and set her against his left side, helping her latch onto the nipple hidden by his thick fur. She suckled happily, burying her face into the soft fur and wagging her little stub of a tail.

“Is it difficult feeding all three of them?” Tian asked as he watched.

“Sometimes; Esmeralda’s still small compared to her sisters so they tend to just lie on her,” Jack smiled. “That’s where Gabriel comes in.”

“Bottle feeding; my other contribution to raising our babies,” Gabriel smiled.

“So it’s formula?” Tian asked.

“No; pumped milk that’s been refrigerated,” Jack shook his head. “I’m feeding them and producing more than enough milk to keep them healthy.”

“Are you looking forward to your maternity leave?” Tian asked. “A nice long vacation to get to know your babies.”

“Well, I don’t know about ‘long’, but it’s been nice being able to focus on the girls rather than worrying about my job,” Jack admitted.

“He says that while hiding a thousand datapads in the room so he can keep up to date on everything,” Gabriel teased. “The man doesn’t know what ‘relax’ means.”

“There is no such word; you made it up,” Jack stuck his tongue out at his mate.

Tian giggled before he shook his head. “Well, I wish you both the best and good health for your babies.”

Jack and Gabriel smiled, thanking Tian for his time. They bundled their babies up and carried them out of the room, Esmeralda still cradled to Jack’s stomach as she suckled.

[woozapooza]

Lost thoughts

Any memorable show will have those Things that it does, those Things that make you go wow, these writers really put some good thought into this. I’m not talking about particularly interesting plot developments, although obviously a good show needs those. I’m talking about things that allow the characters to come alive, things that people do in real life but that, for whatever reason, aren’t taken for granted as things that must happen on TV. Off the top of my head, some examples are the ways that the characters on Black Sails show concern for other people’s feelings or the ways that the dead characters on Downton Abbey remain relevant at all times, not just at key moments.

One such Thing that Lost does is the ongoing presence of cliques, of social hierarchy and (and this is the really important part) how people react to it. I don’t think that when the show was first being written, it was inevitable that the island would essentially function as an allegory for middle school. It’s not hard to imagine a show where the background characters (referring both to the minor characters and to the major characters who just aren’t part of a particular plotline) stay in their lane. But realistically, if you’re going to have 48 survivors, some of them are going to emerge as leaders, and once the hierarchy forms, people are going to get resentful. The most obvious embodiment of this resentment is Arzt, who acts as the voice not only of everyone who isn’t included in the Dynamite Clique but also of the 34 survivors who didn’t become main characters. (Honestly, the fact that he dies not just shortly after rebelling against the established hierarchy of characters but as a direct result of that action feels like the narrative is laying down the law.) It’s not just that Arzt is annoyed that his knowledge isn’t being properly appreciated. His annoyance is explicitly framed as jealousy over being deemed “not cool enough” and excluded from what he literally describes as a “clique” and compares to his high school students.

But the hierarchy isn’t just main characters vs. non-main characters, either. It was to Hurley that Arzt made the “clique” comment, but in 2x17, Jack asks Hurley if he knows where Ana Lucia, Charlie, and Sayid have gone, and Hurley responds, “That would, assume that anyone actually tells me anything. Maybe if I were in the loop I could be more helpful.” Jack responds “there is no loop,” which is an easy thing to say when you are already in the loop, which you almost always are, Jack. I feel like Charlie has had some similar moments of frustration, though I can’t think when.

(On the flip side, you have that line [no idea which episode it was in] where Jack complains about how people expect him to be the leader but then get mad at him for trying to do the job he’s been assigned. It’s so wonderfully, realistically petty, both on his end and on the end of the people he’s complaining about.)

This might say more about me than about the show, but I feel like the Others fit perfectly into all this. So far (I’m two episodes into season 3) they give the impression of being all-knowing, infallible, invincible (not as individuals, obviously, but as a group), and having little to no actual respect for their captives. Obviously there are some major differences between this and a middle school/high school clique, but honestly I think they’re...kind of comparable? I know it sounds weird, but I think the way Jack, Sawyer, and Kate must feel when they’re imprisoned and ordered around is not a entirely different experience from the way Arzt’s students must feel when they see their classmates whispering and giggling. Did any of you guys ever have that feeling where you wonder if the whole rest world is in on some Truman Show-esque plan/joke/experiment while you’re the one idiot who’s in the dark? Lost often recalls that feeling for me. These themes of hierarchy, of exclusion, of feeling like you’ve been deemed less worthy of respect than other people, the resulting frustration which is both super petty and super reasonable—it all feels so natural while I’m watching, but then I think about other shows and realize that Lost stands out for having engaged with this particular aspect of human nature.

[yang22strickland-blog]

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[ylanisalcedo]

#WEALLGROW: Summit 2018

It’s been a whole week that I’ve been back home from #WeAllGrow’s 2018 Summit. I’m on a high, to say the least. From a Thursday to Sunday in Long Beach, California I spent an amazing time with like-minded, bad ass, powerful, insightful, inspirational, and down-right amazing Latina women. The tribe is strong and I’m beyond blessed to have been able to attend such an influential weekend. 

As a blogger, I’ve never been confused as to what I want to cover here but as a lifestyle blogger your mind gets so caught up in writing about everything, that sometimes that makes you lose focus. I’ve always been conscious of finding my voice here and covering things that really fall under what my blog is about, but this Summit spoke out to me in ways I didn’t know I needed to be spoken to.

It opened my eyes to what I really want. It cleared my vision as to how I want to move forward. And all-in-all, it gave me such incredible vibes that there’s no way I couldn’t be inspired.

Those vibes transitioned into the week that I came back home. It has set such an amazing tone these past few days with the things that have come my way and other things that are just evolving. Even people I’ve encountered and had conversations with have been impactful. It’s a time where everything that God wants me to notice is really right in front of me and being noticed.

If you ever get the chance to attend a Summit, please do! Even if it isn’t with #WeAllGrow Latina Network. Find one that’s in your field, or interest, and go. It will be beneficial for your well-being, your personal life, and professional life. 

In this post though, I’ll be sharing a recap of my weekend and hopefully, it’s a push for a fellow Latina to make a move, stay connected, and be motivated to attend one of their Summits.

Thursday, March 1st - 1st Night

This year’s theme was The Beauty of Evolution. To kick off the amazing weekend, presented by Neutrogena, there was a silver carpet welcome party. It was filled with appetizers, drinks, a fashion show to enjoy, and Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost line and other amazing cleansing products.

Here I am grabbing my seat and waiting for the show to begin.

Founder Ana Flores, in the middle, comes out to say hi to everyone alongside Melissa Bailey, #WeAllGrow’s Event Director, and Roxanna Sarmiento, #WeAllGrow’s COO. Such beautiful ladies!

The night was hosted by Erick Cuesta and Karla Birbragher. They both were great at making us laugh and made the night even more enjoyable. The runway included influencers from all walks of life and special guests that set the tone for the weekend.

Across from where I was sitting there were cute sections that had Neutrogena products like these Hydro Boost, Acne Proofing, Deep Clean lines. I’m a sucker for products, but when it comes to skincare I’m all for it. If you’re not taking care of your skin, what are you really doing?

I was excited to take some of these masks because I definitely used them every night before bed.

Friday, March 2nd - 1st Full Day

The 1st full day was really exciting. It was time to get inspired by the keynotes, panels, and stories that influential women were going to share with us. It first started off with a Master Makeup Class taught by Erick Cuesta. We did a day look and transitioned it into a night look.

And do you see what’s on this table? We were able to keep everything!

As the day went along there were panels I went to and had time to network with the other women at the Summit, but through this blog post, I’ll be sharing the keynotes that went on in the main room first and then the panels.

We had a keynote lunch with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. During this keynote, Bertha Lopez, this young beautiful girl to the left, spoke about her story and how she lives her life in a positive way despite her condition. Alongside her is the phenomenal woman, Alejandra Espinoza. She shared her support to St. Jude and a personal family story that touched us all.

Later on in the evening was Red Bull Amaphiko’s: The Power of Storytelling. Oh my goodness - these storytellers were beyond amazing. The things they spoke about had a little voice in my head saying, “Yes, girl. Yaaass!”

The moderator Lucy Flores, a politician and VP of Public Affairs at Mítu, started this off by telling her story. There’s only one word that comes to mind to describe her and that’s badass, with a capital B! She’s honestly a woman that knowing or even just being in the same room as her is moving. Get to know her a bit more here.

The other women that came out to tell their stories were activist Rosa Clemente who is so worth to get to know about for her powerful voice in the Black and Latinx community, artist and attorney Carolina Rubio MacWright who escaped the Colombian conflict by moving to the United States at 20 years old, and film director Paola Mendoza who was part of the Women’s March organizers.

All of these talks rose a fire in me and I was so empowered by each of them. They all brought their story to be understood on a human level that connected with me, even if it wasn’t something I personally had been through. That’s the power of sharing your stories and voice to others; it will always resonate and inspire in some way.

The Fierce lounge by Mítu was one of my favorite spots during the Summit. Naturally, as a blogger, I’m always looking for great picture moments and with this pretty set up there’s more than an opportunity to get some.

This area was open throughout the day so if you were walking through to get to a panel or something, stopping for a drink in these cute glasses were a must.

During a time frame, there were multiple panels going. This left you with a choice to go to whichever one you wanted to go to. I attended the Culture As Content: How to Engage Latinx Millennials.

This panel included the moderator Zoila Darton Word Creative’s Head Dot Connector, Wendy Barba Head of Content for Fierce by Mítu, Mariela Rosario co-founder of Galchemism + Founding Editor of VIVALA and Mamas Latinas, and Andrea Gompf Editor in Chief of Remezcla.

It was great to hear from women who are in roles that I admire. They all have a different voice, based off of what they work on, but the common thread was how to reach the Latinx population through their work. Their advice to us is something I really loved and found very eye-opening. It also got me thinking about how I would want to implement some of them within my own work.

The next panel that I went to was Harness The Power Self Doubt to Reclaim Your Ideas and Push You Foward with Breonna Rodriguez, Director of Digital Design for Sesame Street.

This woman was phenomenal! Not only was she insightful and motivating but her approach was so relatable. It felt like I was having a heart to heart with one of my girls. She made you truly see how getting out of your own way and pushing through your self-doubt is possible; as soon as we take initiative to make moves.

The last panel I went for the day was The Way U Talk is the Way U Walk with Sky Gaven Chief Visionary of Kon Rob.

This woman is a hustler in the best way possible. She shared her story as she grew up and found herself where she is today. Not only did she motivate me to continue pursuing my dreams but she got me thinking how to really use the resources I have surrounding me. Key tip: “Use your coupons.” 

We sometimes don’t notice what we’re able to achieve because we don’t try, but like many others during this weekend, Sky makes you believe so much is possible.

Saturday, March 3rd - 2nd Full Day

This day started off with yoga. My absolute favorite thing. It was taught by Leah Rose Gallegos from People’s Yoga. I loved the way she taught the class. It was hard work but worth the time. Putting the Chi in Chingona is exactly what we did.

Then as the morning went on it was back to the main room for breakfast and keynotes by amazing women. The 1st one was from California Strawberries’s farmworker, Norma.

She shared her story working in the field of strawberries and how she came to have such a great opportunity throughout her life. If it wasn’t for people like Norma we wouldn’t be able to enjoy strawberries the way we do today, so she’s very much appreciated.

This keynote Do Less, Fear More by Michelle Poler, founder of Hello Fears, was very unique and an inspiring story. 

Her humorous style was captivating and her story to push beyond comfort levels was unbelievable. She went 100 Days Without Fear doing things that she probably would never imagine of if it wasn’t for her determination to overcome them and just do it. The rest is history.

Author, 3-time Daytime Emmy winner, SuperLatina host on VmeTV, Gaby Natale’s El Circulo Virtuoso: Awakening Your Potential in Uncertain Times, is a keynote to really learn from. She believed in her own dreams and made them come to life. Her way of looking at your path in life is to look at it as a virtuous circle. The answer is already in you and with her book El Circulo Virtuoso she helps those who need that extra push find it in themselves.

Ana Lucia Cottone, creative at Knack Talent, spoke on the Anatomy of a Thought. She was one of the speakers that really spoke out to me. Thoughts are powerful and sometimes the thoughts we have aren’t our own. They’re thoughts that are put into our minds by others and we don’t even notice them, especially when we’re so young. Thoughts can shape out your life and Ana was able to speak so well on it through a piece she wrote.

Head of Multicultural Marketing at Google Eliana Murillo’s How to Find Your Light When the World Thinks You’re Shining, was a keynote I was really looking forward to hearing. Her keynote focused on the hard times we have when we look “okay” to the rest of the world. After sharing her own story it made me think a lot about how mindful we have to be of others. No one ever knows what’s truly going on in front of the “I’m okay.” we oftentimes easily give as an answer to others.

We had lunch with Disney! Disneyland and Walt Disney World graced us with these cute hats, delicious food, and exciting things coming to the Disney Parks. Anywhere there’s Disney, it’s a happy time.

Just like the other day I attended panels. The two I’ll be sharing were my favorite ones. This 1st one was the So You Want to Publish Your Book - Insider Tips You Need to Know Before Approaching a Book Publisher with Senior Acquisition Editor from HarperCollins Español, Edward Benitez, and author Gaby Natale.

As a writer and book lover, this panel was an exciting one for me. In the future, no one knows what ideas might pop into my head and having as much information as possible, in all areas, is beneficial. Edward gave an insight on how a writer can approach publishers and the process that goes into publishing a book. Hearing it from a direct contact from a publisher was affirming of how possible it is to make anything happen.

The last panel of this day was the Podcast 101: Cómo se Podcast?

People that are in an area that you’ve always wondered about are so great to encounter. This panel included Justin Favela and Emmanuel Ortega from Latinos Who Lunch, Jessica Molina and Yarel Ramos from Wait, Hold Up!, and moderator Linda Garcia from Let There Be Luz. To me, they gave me a reassuring feeling that not knowing exactly how you’re doing things can still make you successful, or that no matter the time, you can still make an impact.

These podcasters haven’t been in the game too long but they’ve made their impact loud and clear with everything they have to say.

If I didn’t say this enough, this Summit was amazing! What I shared is really just a snippet of a lot more. The physical presence of being at something like this really has no words, but I hope that this translated as best as possible.

Want to read more posts like this? Visit my Experience tab.