#also another post is gonna be a better intro for the characters : | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

endermaybe · 9 months ago

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I loved reading the "From Eden" story, written by @aquaquadrant and the accompanying art by @lunarcrown. I keep thinking about the story/world, so I decided to be kind to myself and write it out, so at least my thoughts will be organized.

Or so I thought. It turned out to be more of a ramble than a coherent piece of text. I'm not gonna do it to myself to check and clear up everything, it's supposed to be a fun write, not a chore. I've made a lot of (obvious) observations and asked a lot of questions, but that's me just 'thinking out loud'. And I knew it would be long, but I hadn't expected it to be this long. I'm not sure if anyone will be interested in reading all of it, but here it is anyway.

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I love it, and everything about it.

I love the whole "Hells to Pay" universe. I love how alive the universe feels while at the same time it still feels very much like Minecraft. I love how it has very much game logic while at the same time having very real stakes and dangers.

I love the characters, both the ones based on youtubers and the original ones. The first category are clearly recognizable with their way of speaking and mannerisms and the latter seem just as well developed. I love how everyone has depth. Everyone has strengths and weakness, even if it's not always obvious. No one is fully good and even the worst characters have some good qualities. And everyone has the ability to change and learn, for better or for worse, but only if they choose so.

I love the writing. The way it's structured makes it fun and easy to read. The wording very much supports the world and it's characters. I love how it lingers on some moments and quickly goes over others, it feels very natural. And though I am the kind of person that wants to know anything about a universe/story they love, I do think that the amounts of exposition and explanation are great. More would probably hinder the telling of the story itself. And I love all the extra bits of the world told through answering other peoples asks.

I love the art. Everyone is unique and easy recognizable. The bodylanguage and faces are really expressive. It's great to see. Beside that, it's also an artstyle that I just really enjoy.

So onto more details of the story. A LOT more details, I basically did another deep read to make sure I didn't miss anything. Spoilers I guess for anyone who hasn't read the story but somehow did find this post.

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Lunarcrown's into comic looks amazing. It also wonderfully shows what kind of world Hels can be and the nightmare that is Tango's life. When I found the story, this intro was enough to get me hooked.

I think it's funny that the first part of an eleven chapter story (of which two are two-parters) is called a one-shot in the authors notes. I mean, I'm not a native English speaker and all that, but I don't think that's correct. Was it intended to be a stand-alone story? Had it been the plan for the AU to be told through short stories?

It's a small thing but I like how every new chapter/place is introduced by "Somewhere in [insert world], a player [is introduced, doing something]", with very minimal variations. It's a nice returning bit, through the whole story.

The way Tango's imprisonment is described is chillingly beautiful. It's horrific, but at the same time almost casual. But that's what is has become for Tango: just another day. In the same way, the manner of escaping is grueling, showing clearly his desperation. Well done.

It's so clearly noticeable, even through the immediate relief of escaping Hells Tek, that he's been through so much and that it impacted him so much. And then he decides to hide it and pretend it didn't happen for another decade. Even if he didn't fool people nearly as much as he thinks he did, it's so sad he though he needed to do that. Not to say that I can't understand it. Sadly, it probably stopped him from openly enjoying what he had: his freedom, all the wonderful experiences of the overworld and his friends. It's an amazing first chapter.

Also I love the way you write Xisuma.

And hello Bravo. I don't really like him as a character, too arrogant and snobbish. But at the same time, I love his journey and it's fun to follow him. He didn't deserve to be stranded here. But then again, that was kinda the point of the Universe's little experiment. I wonder, if he would one day learn about that, would it make him feel better or worse?

It's interesting to see his outside view of Hermitcraft. And them being considered a private bunch in this universe, while we see them pretty much place every block of their megabases, through streams and timelapses. Then again, in-story Hermitcraft is only in it's second world/season. I haven't been following Hermitcraft for THAT long, but it probably isn't a fair comparison. I wonder which of the Hermits Bravo was familiar with. Some of the redstoners, probably.

Timmy leaving his save spot to talk to Bravo wasn't something I noticed om my first read, and it's sweet of him. I love Timmy, and at the same time I want to yell at him for taking such poor care of himself. It's nice to see that through all he experienced he hasn't lost his kindness.

I've been definitely overthinking this, but while rereading Timmy explaining what Hels is to Bravo I was wondering how he knew the difference between Hells and a normal world. The logical explanation would be that some other player told him. But I remembered a post were there was mentioned Timmy was a Listener and I am a sucker for any Watcher Lore (and your version is great), so my mind came to the conclusion that a Watcher told Timmy. After all, he seems so lonely and so attention starved, that he would probably love it when the Watchers are around him. Maybe he tries to talk to them, make them stay a little longer. Most Watchers wouldn't be interested in him, since they can't make him leave. They would only be at spawn if someone more interesting has died without a respawn point. But maybe... Maybe some of the nicer Watchers decide to humor him, and talk for a moment. Maybe after a few times, they discover it's nice to sometimes just have a conversation with a player and just... start telling him things. Random bits of trivia, events that they've Watched somewhere else, things about their old lives. They would still be mostly doing other Watcher stuff, but when they are bored, or were about to visit Hels' spawn anyway, they stop by a certain avian.

Like I said, I've been overthinking this. It probably doesn't fit your story, but it has been fun to imagine. I like the idea that Timmy is one of the few players that is completely comfortable with being a Listener. And I like the idea of someone that people don't spend a second thought on casually having conversations with literal deities.

Back to Bravo for a moment. The stretchend out death-loop that is his way out of spawn is interesting to see. He starts out relatively optimistic but get's a hard and painful lesson on what life in Hels is like. By the time he meets the Arena recruiters he seems to understand why Timmy doesn't leave spawn. Bravo is glad with the resources he has, even though in any other world a second-day player would probably put him to shame. His first instinct on seeing players approach him is now to hide. He's already changed a lot, probably without even realizing it. And that is before he snaps.

The symmetry between the ending of one chapter and the start of the other is well done. One duo dies and Bravo finally gets a break in his struggle to survive. Another duo dies and Tango has a big setback in the game he's participating in.

The tone of chapter 3 is very different from the previous chapters. For a big part, it is an adaptation of Jimmy's and Tango's first episodes of the Double Life series. It's impressive how that part is both true to the source and a good adaptation. And then it smoothly transforms in your own work. Well done.

"They have only one bed." Look, I am very new to fanfiction, but even I know that this is a classic. I don't mind. Classics are classics for a reason, and you've written it good. I love the awkwardness here between the two of them.

Somehow the thing that's hardest to believe is that Grian would be the one to propose an end to the death-game, and it's funny that other characters seem to find that hard to believe as well. But it's a fun set-up to change mid-way in a death game to a survival world.

The addition that the soulbound can make you aware of your partners feelings and that it amplifies whatever is already between them. And thank you Impulse, for sharing your wisdom and for talking some sense into Tango. All the things Tango worries Jimmy will hate about him, seem to be the things he hates himself for. No wonder he feels unlovable. And thank you Pearl, for giving Tango some perspective.

So much of this chapter is just lovely and wholesome. After the Ranches have one good conversation, things just organically develop. Their relations grows closer and stronger. Tango learns to love and how it feels to be loved, he learns to be vulnerable, he slowly starts lowering his walls. There are still mountains of old pain, but there are new pieces that are healing as well. Thank you Jimmy, for being the healer that Tango needs. If only it would last.

Back to Hels. It's a nice detail that beds are a high end item. I guess that means making wool from string isn't possible (4 string into wool never felt right anyway). Though an anchor would prevent a long death loop by running out.

The inner workings of Hels Tek are a nice bit of information, though the place itself definitely is not. How does it compare to other redstone labs, like iRaid? Many workers probably only tolerate the restricting of their freedom because it's still better inside than being alone on the outside.

Clear is a fun character, especially when interacting with Atlas. He can get away with almost anything because he is just to valuable to loose in Atlas' eyes. He is a tragic mess but highly intelligent and takes pride in his work.

It's very telling that young Atlas, with just two minutes of life experience, already assumed the worst of others. That is not something he learned. Why would someone bother to plug a hole at spawn? Ease of traveling? And it's wood, valuable and burnable, it could have been part of a make-shift bridge, or something. Atlas really is the worst. Oh, and rule number one of Minecraft: don't dig straight down, smart guy.

It felt strange to me that Timmy lied to Atlas about Bravo, while pointing them in the direction that Tango want, the guy Atlas is actually looking for. But now I realize that Tango could "still see spawn in the distance", just before the portal spawned. Did Timmy in turn actually see Tango leaving and Bravo joining, from his higher vantage point? That would mean he probably did protect Tango, by not telling the full truth. Also, he's seen both of them. Has he noticed their likeness?

I hadn't caught on to Timmy casually lying Bravo in the first few times I read this chapter. It's sweet. And that he is able to do so while sounding casual surprises me. It feels like a stark contrast with his counterpart, who seems to be a bad liar and with an very emotive voice. And Timmy managed to do so in the face of a powerful man who has already subtilty threatened him and his with minions around. A quiet display of (inner) strength.

Timmy has delayed Atlas and Bravo meeting for five years, half the time Bravo spend in Hels. Five years without answers, five years without any hope of returning. If Atlas had found him the next time Bravo respawned (shot by a skeleton, if matched up chapter II and V correctly) Atlas would have put things together. Bravo would probably have jumped at the chance to get to Hels Tek, to civilisation, and he hadn't learned the "healthy Hels skepticism" yet. Atlas would be his savior! And would have been able to fully shape Bravo's image of Hels. Now, Bravo had to build his own image. Would he think it would have been worth those five years? Maybe, after he finally escaped Hels. I hope so, for Timmy's sake.

Tango had five more years on the overworld because of Timmy's lie. Five years of healing, but also five years of hiding and festering. He would have been in the fifth or sixth world of Hermitcraft, which would have had more resources than Double life. But the Hermit are more thinly spread and not focused on pvp. And on Hermitcraft, Tango probably would have been alone, when Hels Tek came for him. Others would have probably too far away to reach him in time, if they even knew were to go. Or maybe Tango would have been lucky and Hels Tek would have entered minutes before the final battle of the season 6 Prank War. Probably not but that would have been funny. There is a chance that the five extra years were unnecessary and only stopt him from fully healing but I think its way more likely that it saved him. On Double Life and with Jimmy at his side it seems that everything was exactly right for Tango being saved and to make sure his past won't come back to hound him anymore.

I truly hope that Timmy's little lie made things better in the end. I didn't realize that I had so much to say about one sentence in the story. I hope you didn't mind the sidetrack.

Atlas looking for Tango in the Arena seems to be the reason that the recruiters that made Bravo snap ran into him in the first place. Credits were it's due, thank you Atlas, for giving Bravo the means to gain things like good food, end-game armor and weapons. I still don't like you.

Considering Alisker has a spy in Hels Tek, and doesn't actually want hybrid farming to succeed, could the failing of respawn anchor be due to sabotage? Or maybe it was just the will of the Universe. Also, Alisker humiliating Atlas is very satisfying.

The downward spiral of Hels Tek is also very satisfying. It seems that Atlas never bothered to make any protocol for things taking a turn for the worst. I guess that just would be unimaginable for him. And then dr. Clear manages to halt that spiral in one lucid peptalk. That makes me sad that his lucid moments seem to be so rare and frustrated that he uses his skills and talents for Hels Tek. Clear Cut's mental health issues could be some form of heavy depression. That would be treatable. Earlier in the chapter it was mention he has to use potions of swiftness to be functional, but that sounds like management to me, not treatment.

The difference between Atlas meeting Bravo, and Atlas meeting a young Tango is interesting. Tango's base is hidden, while Bravo's is not. Bravo asks questions before deciding whether to attack, while Tango does not. Both of them are wary, but Tango seems eager to work in a redstone lab, while Bravo only sees it as a way home. All of these differences seem to be learned, though. And young Tango is cute.

Bravo at the start of chapter VI has plenty of Hels experience, but without Atlas having manipulated his worldview yet. Still, it's not a pretty picture. He thinks Atlas is probably dangerous because "he’s from Hels, after all". As if overworlders can't be dangerous. Does he know how players on anarchy servers can be? Does he know how an UHC works?

Overworld players gain the ability to travel between world as teenagers, and Bravo mentions next chapter that he probably stopped aging while still looking young. Tango was recruited as a teen, and spent only a few years in Hels Tek. He is the same age as Bravo. In other words, Bravo probably didn't have that much of a window between gaining access to multiverse travel and getting trapped in Hels. Maybe Bravo is just naive when it comes to overworld players.

You know, I really thought Atlas was the one to bring out the worst in Bravo, but perhaps all he did was stop Bravo from examining his own biases. I know Hels is a though place but I can't believe Bravo is that special for having a grand total of three pieces of furniture. He also already considers hybrid players part monster. One of his first thoughts on hearing Hels is an actual prisonworld is that the players that have spawned here must deserve it. And when Atlas guesses that Tango managed "to utilize [Bravo's] connection to leave Hels", Bravo interprets that as Tango willingly trapping him.

Bravo's early days in Hels Tek probably mirror those of Tango. A rundown of practices and procedures of the place, other scientist gathering information about him, leaving the communicator with other scientist to let them figure out the data. Probably to work with the same iron farm scientist Bravo talked to. But Bravo is aware what it's actually for, Tango was fed lies. And Tango was a teenager that had probably grown up feral and just entered a community for the first time.

Hels!Keralis is another fun character. I love that one of the extreme traits that he got from his counterpart is more eyes. How does he know that Bravo isn't from Hels? With the number of eyes he has it somehow wouldn't surprise me if he has some sort of special sight. Or it could be corporate spionage.

I haven't mentioned it before but the way you write the passage of time, with short snippits to show significant moments or changes, is very good. It really gets across how not everything happens in short order, how events can have far reaching effects and how change can happen slowly. It also helps you feel that time has passed and the world isn't static.

Once Bravo had his first impression of Patho, he really didn't bother updating his opinion unless other players made him. Bravo wonders what it could take to loose an eye, and there is something that can do that. In some of the worldbuilding posts it's mentioned that Martyn lost one eye, and Grian both of them, to Watchers. It would make sense that an experienced player would be recruited, but it could also just be an coincident. Bravo disapproves of the fangirling towards Patho, but I wouldn't be surprised if he once was a big fan of Etho. Legendary overworld redstoner and all that. (IRL during April Fools 2013, Etho was famous enough to get his own Minecraft block) The manner Patho let's Bravo know that he doesn't like to be touched is way over the top. Patho is another interesting character, but one of those that I'm very glad of that he's fictional. At the same time it's sweet of Patho that he is very much willing to educate others and share his knowledge.

I like the touch that the first two times the portal is lit, it has everchanging colours. Like the Hermitcraft portal Tango went trough. And it's later explained that inter-world portals have unique color-paterns, depending on their destination. So Tango is still on Hermitcraft in the early attempts. After that it switches to the red-yellow-green of the Traffic SMP/Life Series.

Bravo almost shows some critical thinking and empathy when he finds the Tango Tek farm, but it's immediately ruined when Atlas shows up. I hope Bravo gets nightmares about this when he finally learns how to self-reflect. Bravo's sarcastic reply on whether he has said his goodbyes is telling. He could have made friends if he had wanted to, I'm sure. The scientist had been welcoming and curious about him, and as a redstoner himself it's not as if they had nothing in common. That's a good base to build upon.

His first moments in ten years in the overworld are beautiful. Though Bravo has very many flaws, I do have sympathy for him gotten trapped in Hels. But not for anything else at the moment.

Jimmy reflecting on getting to know the Hermits is fun and wholesome. The little things he has learned about Tango, the thing he seems to love most about him, seem to be mainly related to being a blaze hybrid. All the things that are just Tango. That makes Bravo's claim that he should have been Jimmy's soulmate just plain wrong.

The whole conversation between Jimmy, Tango and Bravo is amazing. Jimmy is trying to figure out what is going on and all is knows for certain is that the person he loves is scared and hurting. And once again Bravo almost seem to realize the universe isn't as black and white as he though it was.

And then the fight! Tango's terror and fight response. Jimmy's terror. Tango's shutdown when he realized that he hurt Jimmy. Just wow. And Jimmy's reaction to seeing Tango freezing up is pretty much forgetting he is on fire because Tango needs him! Poor, poor Tango. Bravo clearly sees himself as a good guy by taking back his rightful place and trying to help Jimmy, not realizing that for Jimmy he is the villain and the leader of the group that invaded the Ranch and is kidnapping his boyfriend. And Jimmy placing himself between the invaders and the portal, knowing he can't win is a beautiful show of his care, courage and determination. These guys have very shallow definitions of strength and weakness.

The Cavalry arrives! And the announcing their presence with the horns is very much Double Life. I know that battles are hard to write, but you did an amazing job with it. It's definitely chaotic with much going on, but it's clear to read and good to follow. Every Lifer does their part in the battle and everyone has their own fighting style.

Was Bravo so angry of Atlas that he tried to follow him back to Hels? The place that he tried to leave for ten years? The moment the portal breaks he is surrounded by overworlders. He can blame the battle going wrong and the mistrust of the players on Atlas, but they give Bravo a chance to explain himself and he messed that up all on his own. And Bravo has seen they are pretty much what he thinks overworlders should be. It's a server where they don't grief bases, where they work/fight together, where they defend each other, where they ask questions and don't immediately attack. (Outside the battle, but that doesn't count, they saw their servermates in trouble.) But they don't welcome Bravo as one of their own. They restrain him and mistrust him. They don't see him as different from the other players that came trough the portal. ("What did you guys do to him", emphasis mine) They hear his explanation but don't believe him. They dislike it so much they kill him, meaning this time he is send to Hels and it's not a fluke or mistake. It's overworld players wanting him gone.

I don't think he realizes this, not at first at least, he has his mind on other things. But once he has time to process what happened? It has got to hurt, even if he doesn't admit to himself he was wrong. I think it all does help later with Tango's words finally reaching him.

Jimmy's fear of not knowing were Tango is when the portal is broken is so real. So is the relief on knowing he's still (physically) with them. Scar being the one to shoot Bravo feels right. Scar has a goofy and easygoing demeanor, but he is very capably and not someone who you should cross, and Bravo did that by saying nasty things about his friend.

It's a relief that Bravo has finally up enough to stop working with Atlas. Progress? His fight against the hired muscle parallels the fight Tango had in brutality, as much as he might deny it. and slicing his own neck is brutal as well.

I'm still not sure how to feel about the Bravo/Timmy reunion. I'm happy that Timmy isn't alone anymore, that he is with someone who has been, not quite nice, but at least polite towards him. At the same time Bravo isn't doing this for the right reasons, he later admits as much himself. He is using Timmy as a substitute for Jimmy. Thing is, he doesn't know Jimmy. Is he really so hung op over the whole 'should-be-soulmates' thing over a stranger? I don't get it, and that could very wel just be a me problem. But he does want Timmy around, even if he's not Bravo's first choice. Since Bravo stepped through the portal that was supposingly taking him to Hermitcraft, Timmy might have been the only one that has been there for him. Timmy was the one who explained Hells to him, without trying to manipulate him. He has been welcoming to him. He has been the one who showed sympathy when Bravo died. The only thing Timmy wanted was not to be alone, but he didn't force that. I hope Bravo's biases don't blind him towards all that.

And that final sentence. If he can’t have the sun, he’ll learn to love its shadow. I know I haven't been the only one going crazy over that. That one sentence it saying so much. I've also have been (over)thinking what that makes Timmy, symbolism wise. The sun doesn't actually have a shadow, being a light source. But there is one thing, it isn't a real shadow, but there is something that is a lack of sunlight. If Jimmy is the sun, Timmy is the night sky. Both are beautiful on their own.

Back to Double life and their aftermath of the battle. I like that you fully wrote the aftermath. Things like this often get skipped or summarized. Now things have calmed down a little, the players have room to feel their exhaustion, their fear, their pain, to become more aware of their wider surroundings and to start figuring out what actually happend. It seems that no matter the universe, the Ranch is destined to burn down. It's sad to see, especially with how warm and cosy you had written the place. And ofcourse Etho and Joel have water buckets, with that clutching trick they love doing.

The state Tango is in, is heartbreaking. No one seems to be sure how to handle that situation, except Impulse, but that might just be appearances. Impulse and Jimmy have a very similar comforting warmth around them, I'm not sure how to call it. So, while Jimmy might feel useless (and the 'intrusive thoughts' aren't helping), I don't think he would have done a bad job with helping Tango. But Impulse has known Tango for years, and has some experience. And he didn't just went through the things that Tango or Jimmy just did. Jimmy's comment about the lights show that he does know Tango, no matter what he thinks. It's interesting that the comments from the Watchers right after are ambiguous in whether they are directed at Jimmy or Impulse.

You cannot sleep, there are monsters nearby. That sentence fills me with dread ever time I read it. It's a dread probably every survival minecrafter knows. And for that sentence to be directed towards Tango is devastating. Luckily Jimmy knows just wat to say to pull Tango out of it. The whole conversation after feels beautifully sad and vulnerable and raw. And it's once again devastating that Tango still feels that he has to be strong in front of Jimmy and only let's himself cry when he thinks there's no one to see it. But Jimmy is not doing nothing, he is being Tango's shoulder to cry on, an that is worth a lot.

The game-chat log of the battle is a fun read. It's very bare-bones, due to it's nature but it gives a good overview and a good indication of how the other Lifers reacted. You have a very good grasp of how you can use the chat in the story. Also, good job Bravo, you did the impossible and make Jimmy hate someone.

Tango's desperate attempt to avoid talking about what happend is painful, and it doesn't exactly work when other players were actually there to witness it. He's still afraid of being rejected because of the truth. And when de finally talks about his past he uses the word 'evil' to describe the players of Hells multiple times, he really believes it. Of course, his friends know better. I like how mad the Lifers are about Tango's past, how offended they are for his sake. And Tango's fear of they kicking him out never crossed their minds.

Whether or not it makes sense for this AU to have a concept of years, I'm glad they exists because it makes it much easier as a reader to keep track of time and of a player maturity. Gradual growth isn't really a thing in Minecraft, so it could even work as kind of sub-growth-stages between player children, teens and adults.

Another vulnerable conversation between Tango and Jimmy, with Tango admitting things he probably never said out loud before. But how bad is it really if he found a healthy way indulge in his questionable desires? And it's not like death is permanent. I can't argue with Tango saying he's messed up, but that's the trauma, not an inherent part of him.

I don't think he has deceived and lied as much as he thinks he has. His friends seemed to realize that Tango had a traumatic past and that some things set him of. They knew Tango didn't want to talk about it so they didn't ask. And he may have hidden his past and a part of his personality, but that was mostly lying by omission. Were the parts of his personality he did show false? Did he not want people to have fun with his games? I highly doubt that.

And it's not as if he's the only one with questionable personality traits on this server. In chapter IV Pearl gave him a bucket of powdered snow so she wouldn't succumb to the temptation of torturing her own soulmate, for example. Nobody is perfect, don't try to live up to an impossible standard.

The good thing about Tango saying all his insecurities aloud is that others can point out he's wrong, and Jimmy let's him know very clearly. Tango seems to be so surprised about it. He never considered his fears being wrong.

All things considered the Ranchers seem to handle the burned out ranch well. They're sad about it and Tango feels guilty, and that makes sense, but no anger or panic or deeply repressed feelings. Progress? Jimmy's comment about liking to wear the gloves is cute. Him not giving them back to Tango is also saying that Tango doesn't need to hide his claws, or himself. I thinks Tango is starting to understand that, even if he has trouble believing it. Same with all the players showing up, Tango sees that the truth about him hasn't scared them off.

I guess that there have been times that all the hiding was too overwhelming at times. Those probably moments Tango looked for Hels. If he was there wouldn't have to keep lying to his friends. He would have felt so much guilt, especially after learning that he had a counterpart that was probably trapped there. So it's a good thing it doesn't show up.

The similarities and differences between Patho and Etho explaining the portals stuff are fun. They have different experience with portals and different tools to work with, but they figured it out. And Patho isn't willing to give up one redstone ore block, while Etho is willing to get up and look for one with a friend.

Every time Tango mentions something about his past in Hels, Impulse seems to be in conflict to be a comforting presence or to be in righteous furry. It's hard to blame him. It's nice to see Impulse and Jimmy kind of team up to try to help Tango work trough everything.

I'm not sure how firewalls and whitelists work (or don't work) in combination with hacked portals. I'm also not sure how those exactly work. Then again, I know it's more important that they work than how they work. My brain just wants to understand it.

Tango, I get that you want to protect your friends but going into Hels alone isn't the solution. That way they at least get hurt by your actions and you actually encourage them to make unprepared, desperate attempts to get you back. If Tango had succeeded in breaking the portal, the Double Lifers would still try to follow. Since they know Bravo met Etho's counterpart, they would probably open a portal with his data. That would definitely have been interesting, but that would not have been good.

Thankfully, Jimmy is there to prevent all that. It's good to see that he stands his ground when Tango wants to cut others out, even though Jimmy has his own insecurities to deal with. And he already followed him to Hels, so of course Jimmy wouldn't think twice about following Tango into a trap.

Bravo has so many villainous vibes. It's a miracle he hasn't noticed it yet. He has figured out why they are here, but at the same time doesn't seem to realize they are here to help. And the hypocrite is calling Tango a monster for his temper, while he started the fight because of his anger. Bravo is a very good fighter, we've already seen, he's been in much tougher fights against much more experienced fighters. So it's not that surprising that the Ranchers lose.

Even after they lose Bravo keeps on hurting Tango with actions and words. It's no wonder that Tango realizes that the personality trait he hates so much about himself -a thing that makes him believe that he deserves all the bad stuff- is something he inherited from Bravo. It's something he only has because it comes from his 'better' counterpart. And that realisation gives him wat he needs to get through to Bravo.

Bravo's breakdown is beautiful to watch. You can see his whole beliefsystem falling apart and him having nothing to keep up his mental strength. It's so well written. For all the wrongs he's done, I never saw him as an evil person. Arrogant, biased and misguided, yes. Even so, he came to Hels with a strong sense of justice but he had to spend so much energy on just surviving that somewhere along the way he had to give it up. One can only have a survival mentality for so long before things have to give.

Tango understanding what Bravo must have been trough heartwarming. And I'm very much with him on this. Him embracing and accepting Bravo and Bravo finally accepting him is great. And now it's time for Bravo to begin his redemption arc. I absolutely love redemption arcs and -though I don't think Bravo's finished at the end of the story- this is a good one.

Timmy and Jimmy meeting each other is pretty much the opposite of Bravo and Tango meeting. No mistrust or hostility at all but mostly awe. It's nice how Tango describes it in his point of view. Timmy admitting he understand why he isn't good enough is just so sad. He knew Bravo couldn't fully accept him as he was, and he sees that his doppelgänger looks much better than him (rather objectively, being healthy beats being unkept and skin-over-bones). Jimmy basically goes all 'protective big brother' over Timmy, it's great. It's a relief that Bravo learned to (or at least started to) see Timmy as his own person.

The last scene of chapter X. It was so frustrating to wait to see wat happened next. Bravo seemed to be on Tango's side, so it would probably be a ruse. At the same time, it wouldn't have been the first time if Bravo had lost his temper and stopped being smart. I'm rather new in the fandom side of Minecraft Youtubers, so this was the first chapter I came across and the first time I had to wait for an update. I found it after someone reblogged some of Lunarcorwn's art (along with a tiny excerpt) about this chapter. I was immediately fascinated, and after the intro comic, I was sold.

The start of the next chapter doesn't give immediate resolution to a first time reader. Bravo is definitely convincing. He has to be, Atlas is not easily fooled. But knowing what's going on there seem to be small tells in how Bravo acts. Or maybe I'm just imagining things. Bravo's aggression looks like anger but is probably his newfound guilt and insecurity. He only talks to answer Atlas' questions, his speech seems more to the point while at the same time he uses more filler words.

It's interesting to see Bravo trying to trust Tango and Jimmy, while at the same time having learned to be distrustful of everything. He's really going back and forth between the two. Thankfully, Tango is understanding and shows him grace. Why does Bravo tense up when Tango mentions his friends won't attack on sight? Had he forgotten that overworld players don't tend to do that? It would probably be painful for him to realize there are things he has unlearned or forgotten.

Poor Timmy probably hasn't interacted with more that one person in ages. The Double Lifers must be very much overwhelming, especially since many of them aren't exactly low-energy players.

It's Tango's job to make sure his friends don't go with a bad -but easier- plan? Talk about role reversal.

The conversation between Bravo and Timmy by the portal is nice. I like whatever kind of relation they have, messy as it is. I'm not saying it's good, but it's interesting to read about. They each have many issues. Bravo is now aware of that, but I'm not sure if Timmy is. I'm not even sure Timmy knows what a healthy relationship looks like. They both care about each other and I think they could help each other out. But at the same time, Bravo has anger issues and biases against Hels players and hybrids and Timmy is both and probably wouldn't set any boundaries. At this moment them being together could either be healing or toxic. So I get Bravo's hesitance.

Jimmy's hostility towards Bravo is so odd to see. It's so unlike him, though it's fully earned. Tango and Bravo sharing their braincells while coming up with a plan is fun, especially since Tango has to tell his friends that every time that, yes, he is on board with what Bravo says.

I admire Tango's courtage to enact the plan. Then again it's in a way a variant on Tango's earlier plan to sacrifice himself, now it's only temporary. It's no wonder he looses his nerves and fully panics at the last moment when he is actually faced with the machine that caused most of his suffering. Once again: poor guy.

Bdubs has a point about Bravo calling others bad, but Patho literally disemboweled him so I think Bravo is being fair in his case. As for instinctSV, he barely appears in the story, so that's hard to say. But I don't think you get to lead a company in Hels by being trusting and charitable.

Grian and his Watcher abilities! This is a great moment to use his powers, especially since he so hesitant to use them. And he and Jimmy are right, this is not the moment to explain it all. This is the second time that Grian uses his silent 'Watcher voice' in a group meeting and this time there is an extra Listener around. Grian's secret is all but out.

Grian getting Mumbo to come with him with some crazy but true explanation somehow sounds like a very Grian thing to do. I love your portrayal of Mumbo. It's been a lot so it's no surprise that he needs a moment to wrap his head around it. Mumbo is a good friend, keeping how he helped/helps with Grian's eyes a secret. And Grian turned up on his redstone world? Wouldn't that be single-player? How did Grian manage that? And it's good to know that Grian told Mumbo what happend over time.

Something that stood out was that Mumbo stopped himself from tugging his mustache. The way it was worded was like a habit he tries to unlearn. It was also something Clear did but didn't seem to mind.

Tango finally understands he doesn't have to do this on his own and that he can rely on his friends. The warmth he has for the people around him here is so sweet. And he finally doesn't just want to confront his past, but actually wants to put it behind him. He still thinks that the "entire mess is solely his fault" (as if he asked for it) but he knows they will do whatever it takes to help him. "Is it really any wonder he learned how to be a good person just by knowing them?" Just beautiful! Though, is he seriously gonna give Jimmy a lecture about self-blame? That's just funny.

It's promising that Bravo corrects himself about the burned Ranch. Especially since nothing about it is even spoken out loud. He might have had a change of view, fully ingrained change requires more than that. But Bravo is willing to work on it. He does note himself that he wouldn't have been able to see Tango's influence on the interior.

It's entertaining to see how Bravo describes the Lifers, and Mumbo. The sentiment of wanting to kill Atlas is very understandable. Though Bravo is the Plan Guy, Jimmy is the leader here. He listens to Bravo because Bravo has the most expertise. But Jimmy is the one who the rest listens to, the one who keeps the conversation on track and the one who validates the plan.

Tango and Bravo realizing how much they both have changed due to were they have been living feels like something they needed. I like how they are now that they're not hostile towards each other. Bravo and Timmy's realisation neither of them is a builder is a fun parallel of Tango and Jimmy, and I'm glad Tango is there to watch it. It feels promising somehow.

Once again, Jimmy is being a leader here. Checking in, helping, dispelling fears. I highly doubt that Jimmy sees himself as a leader, though. The talk between Jimmy and Bravo is amazing. It just radiates growth and caring.

Tango in the farm. Oof. It's amazing how he is so close to drowning in despair, but still manages to find something to hold on to. And then he realizes he was strong enough to survive it all before, and that he is stronger now. It's wonderful how he let his good memories strengthen him, and that while he is currently living through his worst nightmare.

Clear not realizing Hels Tek is being invaded and said invaders being fine with Clear just continuing to do his own thing is really amusing. Clear 'recognizing' Grian is so sad. But Grian doesn't seem to have the instinctive recognition of his counterparts name, and later when said counterpart realizes Grians name, it's not his player name. That's interesting. I appreciate that Grian stays with Clear and I wonder what is said between them off screen. I hope Clear eventually realizes Grian is not Scáil.

The invasion of Hels Tak is a fun read. Overpowering the first guard went so smooth! Then the ravager just had to shake things up. It's nice that during everything, Pearl and Scott seem to have patched things up and are flawlessly working together now. Jimmy seems to notice a 'intrusive thought' cutting another off, noticing how odd that is, even if he doesn't understand wat it means. Bravo and Jimmy fighting in sync is awesome! What's also a difference between this fight and the previous is that Jimmy uses his wings while fighting. Something that wouldn't be fair in a friendly fight. Tango notices later that he fights way better when he does use his non-human-side, for Jimmy it might be the same.

It's so nice that Jimmy notices that Tango lost the fear he always carried with him. He handled the last hours in the farm well. The first time I read this part I was so worried that there wasn't any mention of breaking the respawn anchor. I couldn't imagine that they would forget while standing right in front of it. Luckily there was no need for a respawn. I had also been a little nervous about Timmy and Bravo, had they made sure they would respawn at Double Life if their spawn point got reset? (Is that even possible for Timmy with his Hells-comm?)

Sweet Jimmy does not tolerate his boyfriend being name-called. And sweet Tango won't stand for his boyfriend being hurt. They're cute like that. It's good to see that Tango being called a monster has lost its power to hurt him, no matter how hard Atlas tries. He's finally able to fully accept his mob-side. It feels good that the three of them manage to piss of Atlas so much that he finally cracks, giving Tango the closure he needs. And then what's probably the most satisfying punch in Hels' history, even inflecting permanent damage.

This is the first time Tango consciously reached out for his own fire, isn't it? His own firestorm is a beautiful thing. And powerful. I'm so happy for Tango! Atlas having to helplessly watch how Tango casually strolls to the portal is extra satisfying.

Atlas just sitting outside and letting his laboratory burn really shows how defeated he is. If he was any other person I would probably feel sorry for him. And why is he so surprised that Tango and Bravo are the ones that beat him? They're both smart people that know how he works and with plenty of reasons to hate him. Are they really that unlikely to bring him down? Or did he underestimate them because they don't have the authority to boss others around? Good thing Tango had his friends on his side and that Bravo understood the power of friendship.

And then bX has the pleasure of kicking Atlas while he's down. Must have been a great relief too, to let the hybrid-farmer know his life's work was done for.

Even for the Hermits that had known something was 'off' about Tango, finally hearing what happened must have been a shock, for the ones that didn't know yet. And for Tango it must be nice to be able to tell it on his own terms, this time. He probably knew by now that the Hermits wouldn't abandon him after telling the truth, but having conformation must still feel great. It's also great that talking about it is becoming easier.

Alisker and xB are very sweet together. Very different from how they interact with other people. I admire Alisker's long term plan and how successfully it played out. He really made sure Atlas' damage stayed limited. I just wish his plans hadn't required for Tango to be locked in the farm in the first place.

I think it's a wise choice for Bravo to take some time for himself. Processing and healing from everything that happened can be nasty, and at those times it's nice not needing to mindful of others. At the same time, part of me is worried he's gonna overcorrect himself or close himself off. I'm not sure how excluded different worlds are, and how much contact players can have through the multi-net, but I hope that Bravo stays in contact with at least Timmy. It's sweet that Bravo clearly cares about Timmy's progress as well and that he regrets they both have to take different roads to heal.

The progress Timmy has already made is wonderful to see. Not only physically, he questions Bravo's decision to go and voices his discontent. Gently, but still. It feels like he's learning how to stand up for himself. Timmy himself really wanting to grow as a person is very promising, especially as someone who represents his counterparts (*checks external authors posts*) passiveness and victimhood.

Dbubs first appearance in the main story! His and Patho's relationship is both so warm and unhealty. I love complex people and I love complex people being even more complex together, and this story is full of them! I also love it every time when players are having that instinctual recognition at the proof of existence of their counterpart on page, whether is just the name or meeting face to face.

I wonder why exactly Patho wants to leave. It's not he didn't know about them having counterparts. Why does it suddenly matter? Is it because they visited Hells? Because they visited Hells together? Because of the recognition Patho felt? Or is it something else?

False, seriously? I don't think having someone chained up like an animal is keeping you in Tango's good graces. And you basically told him it could wait until he got back, while you're holding your twin prisoner! There might be something wrong with Sym, but what's wrong with you? It sounds like an interesting story, and I definitely have questions.

Poor Scáil. His suffering might actually surpass that of Tango in the farm. And if he's been like this since he left Hels Tek, it's been more than a decade, considering they never met. How did he become like this? I know it's related to Grian almost becoming a (full) Watcher, but this can't be how this is supposed to go. And even Grian has control of his abilities. Scáil using Grian's Watcher name makes me wonder how how much player vs Watches they actually are. Grian, please check in on your counterpart.

Stress' way of talking is always fun. Her and Doc's origin is cool. And I'm curious what your interpretation of the Hivemind is. Doc not having a Hels is a big relief, considering Doc himself already loves creating game-breaking machines. That trait would be terrifying on someone with a Hels mentality, let alone an amplified version of that trait. I understand why they are conflicted about it, though.

I'm glad we finally see Instinct in person. I like him and the vibe he gives off. Atlas working for him is amazing, how far he has fallen! I hope Instinct enjoys bossing him around.

Tango making the video about Hels and how to get there surprised me when I first read it, even though it makes sense. A lot of Hels players will probably change for the better because of it. It might also wreck the Hels economy. Overworld players could give their counterparts a way out, or provide them with resources that are easy to get in a normal world.

I have so many questions about it all. Can mobs travel through portals? How would it work when someone creates a portal in a creative world? Could they just spawn in rare items (elytra's or even things like spawn eggs) and bring them to Hels? Can counterparts create hacked portals when both of them are at different places in Hels? If so, that would create fast-travel. That would be especially valuable in such a giant world.

It would probably kind of sting for Bravo to see the video. Everything he needed to know and took him a decade to figure out, quickly explained in one video, uploaded not long after he finally escaped. Not that I think he woud disagree with uploading it, it's just, where was that when he needed it?

The idea of Bravo seeing Tango's video is interesting. Bravo could see all the videos Tango made while he was trapped in Hels. All the inventions and games (first Decked Out) that Tango created, all the projects he worked on with other Hermits. Tango could see the ones that Bravo made before they switched places. He could see how Bravo acted before Hels crushed him, the friends he had back in the day and how young he was when he got trapped. I wonder if they do that, and how it influences how they see each other.

It's very nice how you worked Steve, Herobrine and Alex in this universe. Does the Hels firewall being down also mean that overworld comms now work there properly? Herobrine being Hels former admin makes sense, as the first counterpart, though I hadn't expected it. It's nice that there won't be new player condemned to spawning in Hels.

The scene with Jimmy and Tango is just lovely. The cuffs and everything they stood for were so loaded for Tango. I'm glad he's finally able to take them off, and that Jimmy understood how much it meant for his soulmate.

I love how the last paragraph is inspired by the end credits poem. And I love how it both does and does not breaks the forth wall, and the things it explains. It's a nice touch that it's in-story explained by Aqua and Lunar.

-----

And that was it. For the main story anyway. I've also read the short stories from the Hels To Pay universe, but I leave that for another time. Maybe. I liked writing this but I've had enough for now. If you actually read all of this, you have my uttermost respect.

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call-of-ishmael · 1 year ago

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The Last Ishmael OCD Post

One of my first times that i dabbled into character analysis was about Ishmael's OCD, people like that post but i really feel i could have done better

Canto V was my last major chapter i was willing to read. As i put more distance between me and the story, i want one final farewell in the form of finally fixing up my analysis

PART I: THE META-TEXTUAL

Before i delve into the writing itself, here is some pointers the story gives to her OCD in the form of flavor text and descriptions.

Firstly we have her Bio

This is easy to miss as its just a tiny blurb above her whole intro blurb.

Now, "obsessive compulsive neurosis" is a very weird way to phrase it, "obsessive compulsive" is clear enough but "neurosis" is odd, this is not TOO odd though, as "neurotic" used to be how OCD was classified as a disorder.

However if we look at her bio in Korean, the particulars do simply straight up say "OCD" very clearly, you'd need to MTL but this was also confirmed to me by a friend from SK

The sinner bios are biased though, and are written through a very corporate lens, so lets see if there's any other pointers elsewhere

Her base EGO, Snagharpoon, actually does just that

Her passives name is called "Compulsion" and in its gameplay design its a very interesting way to also point to it

Ishmael is a very all or nothing person, you do it well or you don't do it at all, and this is reflected on how this passive aids you to play

This passive is excellent for boosting the consistency of playing by only going for "Favored" or "Dominating" clashes, while punishing you for taking chances on clashes you MIGHT win

Base ID Ishmael is also a unit with all single coins, rolling tails puts her in a very unfavorable position so this also adds an extra safety net on top. Worth noting being all single coins is also a high risk high reward type of play style.

Finally we see two more pointers id like to note, both from Canto V

The Compulsive`s Knot, an ego gift themed after a naval rope, one of many in the dungeon all alluding to her struggles.

Most obviously though

Her exclusive status effect, Compulsion. This is in direct reference to her EGO passive, providing an attack boost at the same time it provides a drawback in the form of low SP.

We are gonna talk a bit more about this passive since it ties into another gameplay oriented way to point towards her OCD

During the story dungeon we have an event where a noise is heard, you are given two choices, check, gain SP, don't check, lose SP.

Compulsive checking is probably the most well known (to the conditions detriment we will talk about it later) hallmark of OCD

Notably, this doesn't aid Ishmael, while checking can avoid the combat encounter, not checking only has a chance of triggering it, and most interestingly, her SP will always start at -25 during combat encounters. Meaning the temporary boost in her sanity will just get reset next battle, should you decide to check. Checking wont satisfy her anxiety for more than a brief moment.

Lastly the most obvious ones are all the references to Obsession. These are so abundant i feel if you are familiar with the Canto its redundant to have them, i wanted to draw more attention to the allusions to compulsion, as they are less common.

PART II: BEFORE THE STORM

Even since before her own Canto, we can see Ishmael's ruminating and anxious tendencies pop up during previous chapters, which for OCD is important to explore as OCD is an anxious and ruminating disorder.

So lets talk a little bit about OCD! Its a disorder characterized by repetitive and constant intrusive urges to perform a task or a thought (lets keep this in mind for later)

These thoughts or actions are used to try to relieve stress from an anxiety inducing thought or situation. The most common example is OCD exacerbating germ phobia, and causing people who have it to wash their hands in excess.

While OCD is usually described as "irrational thoughts" i feel that's a pretty limited way to view it in my own experience with it. OCD compulsions and thoughts can be informed by very real worries, the worry of getting sick, of making the wrong moral choices, of hurting others. Being clean is a normal and a good practice to stave off getting sick, its the frequency and intensity that turns it maladaptive, OCD turns your own lived fears and traumas against you, and those might very well be real things to worry about, which makes dealing with it very hard.

Enough of that off to the writing!

Lets start with Canto II

This is the first example of her constant need for a lack of ambiguity, previous to this we see her complain about the treatment the sinners are receiving from Effie and Saude, skeptical of the whole deal.

Until shes shown the plans, they are so well crafted shes able to anchor to that and calm down.

This by itself is not really much other than being very detail oriented, lets look a bit further into the chapter

Here we see that aspect elaborated upon more, this moment is framed as a very important one between Dante and Ishmael in their dynamic later on, Ishmael is incredibly upset at the plan having fallen apart so quickly, while yes this is not unreasonable to be upset at, her anger is remarked on by Dante and Gregor as very intense and unusual. This in my opinion is a minor but clear indication her need for planning and considering every option is due to a deep anxiety, but don't take it from me, lets look at Canto III

Here we are told pretty explicitly, Ishmael moving quickly and asking lots of questions is something Dante has noted as an anxious habit.

And here we have more elaboration on what exactly that moment at the Casino meant for Ishmael, it was enough anger and disappointment she has stopped expecting Dante to perform well and instead taken it upon herself to see things go according to plan, this is VERY important to her.

And her worries, are repetitive enough to annoy others, and to be remarked upon by Dante.

This is perhaps the more notable chain of events to point out previous to her chapters aside from 4.5, as it helps contextualize all her usual ways of acting in a more complete light, showing a lot of this is driven by a deep anxiety

And this all makes S.E.A all the more interesting as it pays off on this.

Something i quite enjoy about Limbus is how it re-contextualizes things characters have previously done and said. And the events of S.E.A and Canto V bring a lot of interesting stuff to the table

Lets get cracking with this chapter

In general shes extremely confrontational, and tense, more than usual

But its her anxious outbursts i wanna focus on, what she puts

emphasis on.

This chapter is so crucial in this whole analysis. We see some behaviors way more clearly now, firstly we see her emphasize her need to be absolutely 100% prepared for this, no ambiguity no risks she wants certainty.

But we see something even more clearly and that's her ruminating behaviors, shes brought up things like this to a smaller extent before like commenting on a lot of aspects but here we see in full display her inner world become externalized, shes started voicing worries shes never voiced before can Dante turn them back always? What if Dante dies? What if the sinners get eaten can that be turned back?

And these don't all get brought up immediately, she mentions them in different conversations, pointing to the fact shes constantly going over the subject in her head with no pause, and she gets frustrated when she cannot work on these worries when she cant do anything to quell the anxiety.

And the last part, when Dante finds her so fixated in her planning its impossible to even talk to her. She has to perform some action do something to stave off the disaster she can see coming in her head

As someone with OCD inevitably i have to mention the personal component that drew me to analyze this was how real this feels to when you spiral

A lot of the times OCD is explained as the compulsions being something you do cause you feel its a sort of ritual to stave off disaster. Its in this way i see it reflected in this moment.

As we see with Heathcliff acting as her foil, he points out her worrying is really not doing much other than just her talking and talking, and by the state shes in when Dante checks in on her, aimless not even paying attention to anything else we see the main objective of the planning really isn't practical as much as a compulsive coping mechanism.

She has to do something

PART III: INTO THE DARK

Lots to cover and honestly i will make a companion post to this with all the examples, so for this section i wanna cover some highlights instead, as well as a general discussion of the tone.

The way this chapter is structured is very interesting, its really reflective of the mental state of Ishmael. The chapter feels really aimless, they wander around not really ever finding what they need, which drives Ishmael more and more tense and frustrate

Its a good continuation to how we see her by the end of S.E.A fixated on one goal one thing

As previously stated shes inflicted with a constant special and unique to her status effect called "Compulsion" as covered in Part I

Her behavior is also reflective of this

For a good part of the first third of the chapter shes in her room, the whole time whetting her harpoon, nonstop

However you might notice compulsion is not as present as obsession, and compulsion is also important to OCD its in the acronym! And i have seen others point to it too

However id like you to remember, in the post earlier i said thoughts can fit into OCD, compulsions can be mental and sometimes almost exclusively or mostly mental. Its even in the DSM noted that for diagnosis the compulsions to count you for a diagnosis can be mental in nature

Its in this aspect that i feel Ishmael shines a lot

In general OCD in media is lacking in representation and is often a trait given to assholes or villains

The normal conception of OCD in movies or TV is of neat freaks or control freaks, Compulsion is usually heavily emphasized when it isn't the whole picture

Often ignored though is the aspect of Obsession, some people can have Purely Obsessional OCD (Pure O), this isn't a formal diagnosis or term but its colloquially used by people who have it. Its a bit of a misnomer, as compulsions are present but internalized as mental rituals or rumination

Usually its harder to diagnose, its harder to treat as there's no apparent compulsions others can see, and the people having it seem pretty high functioning to the people around them.

This can be noticed though in people avoiding certain subjects, avoidant behaviors can be the clearest external behavior.

I personally read Ishmael as having more mental compulsions, the way she tends to be a more ruminating and anxious character than outwardly compulsive

During S.E.A and Canto V we see outward compulsions more but from the examples from previous Cantos we can see that's not her usual and she operates more on anxious overthinking most of the time.

However another aspect that ties into mental compulsions is in the previously mentioned avoidant behaviors, we see her isolate and try to stave of having to deal with her worries in both S.E.A and the beginning of Canto V when shes in her room, in both cases doing some excessive preparation in a compulsive way.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

As previously stated Canto V deserves its own companion post, and ill work on that later, i feel this encapsulates what i wanted to say well enough.

I wanted to discuss the previous signs of her behaviors that make me certain her OCD is an intended textual read, and in my opinion a well executed one

Canto V was hard to read as it felt very real and very familiar to the worst times i have had due to my OCD.

Shes a character that despite my distaste i have developed for the franchise, it will never stop meaning a lot to me same as her chapter will always be a piece of storytelling that affected me deeply in ways others haven't

To close i want to leave off what i feel encapsulates the feeling pretty well, in my favorite moment with the membrane consuming her as a metaphor for letting fear, anger, obsessions and compulsions cloud your mind until you forget why you were even there

To you, dear reader, Bon Voyage

#ishmael lcb #ishmael limbus company #project moon #lcb ishmael #canto V #canto v spoilers #limbus company #lcb

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valentinafoxr · 5 months ago

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Illustrhater was good

I had some time to let my thoughts marinate and watched the episode again, and I would say we're off to a good start! Some things I liked or noticed:

What it is with Lila's notebooks in the opening scene. Is she writing a novel. Is all of this just a ploy to get clout on ao3

Love love LOVE Marinette's room and all the little details - her room has always been so cool, but I feel like it's elevated by the redesign. She has a Molly Ringwald-Teen Movie Bedroom-Windowsill now ❤

RE: The intro - I DO like that they kept the song! Would've been very jarring to have a new tune, but I feel like keeping the music wraps it up really nicely. Love the Adrinette cuteness and OUGH OUGH OUGH the shot with Gabriel in the background. Sinister, I love it. I won't lie, I WILL miss the shot that's now the LadyNoir fist bump and Adrinette kiss when it used to be Chat Noir going in for a kiss and then the two of them tumbling over each other, mostly because it used to be the essence of the Lovesquare and thus the show. I totally get though why they had to change it up -different premise with Adrinette in a relationship and all- and the way the still kept the switcheroo was nicely done.

on, and they kept the black cat in the intro. points for that.

Marinette being a disaster is so, so comforting to me. Yes, give us the statistics about Hawkmoth, order shrimp macarons, hide your face in your tiny purse girl, I love you!!!! And her cat ear slippers <3

I need a moment to gush about the new animation, because, DAMN. It's both the small details (the pattern and texture of Alya's glasses) and and the scenery (Paris actually looking like a populated city with a beautiful variety of both people and unique buildings????). Idk it's just really, really nice. The character models are mostly an upgrade and look a tad older while still keeping the original vibe. The expressions are also better, especially for the supporting cast. The lighting is gorgeous! AND THE AKUMATIZATIONS!!!! HELLO!!! THEY LOOK SO COOL

Adrien is a sad exception to my praise but I think the less we talk about it the faster we will all collectively get used to it lol

I also think the direction and camera work has gotten a lot better - the fighting scenes looked cool and we got interesting camera angles.

The integration of 2D animation is neat! The chibis are very cute and serve a purpose. I do hope they keep adding 2D elements and not just as illustrations as they used to do in former seasons. I mean, this is such a fun shot:

Storywise it was a decent episode! not much to say here tbh, I liked the DJ Wifi sideplot (and THEM overall, bestest couple).

Loooooved the trash collecting scene, reminded me of Gang of Secrets Ladynoir after their break-ups. I need them to talk/gossip to each other about their relationship(s) in every episode hehe. I do miss flirty Ladynoir but seeing them again is auauauuaghhh. Adrien seeing Ladybug out and about and he's smiling!!!!!!!!!! I love Ladynoir so much

We didn't get much about Adrien's situation from this (apart from the fact that he's allowed to leave the house lol) but the sadness in his eyes…. and him taking the blame for Adrinette's communication issues…. my sweet, sweet boy 🙁

Referring back to this post - yeah, that's Lila/Cerise/Iris in the café, drinking a diabolo menthe (Diabolo -> diabolos in Greek: slanderous, libellous -> Girliepop is ready to stir up things). She's gonna be wherever Marinette goes, causing trouble, I assume.

things I'm curious about:

the timeline: is it still summer vacation? I would assume so, since Marinette and Alya have yet another sleepover and they're meeting the boys in the morning (?). School probably hasn't started yet this season.

Kagami and Marinette: Their (very, very brief) interaction seemed normal. I expected Kagami to be conflicted due to their conversation in the London Special, tbh, but then again, it was a very brief interaction. We'll see.

Carapace using shelter twice in one battle: Did all heroes "grow up"? Did it happen on-screen in episode 1 or should we just assume they all have unlimited powers?

the Kwagatama: I mean, we don't need to talk about the obvious implication (memory loss, Tales-of-LB-and-CN-theory), but I'm kinda wondering about other possible scenarios this may lead to.

And oh. The saved cat got an animation upgrade. Can’t wait to see Baby August in the new animation style lol

#this took way too long to write up but I needed to sum it all up lol #ml illustrhater #illustrhater spoilers #ml #ml season 6 #ml s6 #ml s6 spoilers #ml season 6 spoilers #miraculous spoilers

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mulders-too-large-shirt · 19 days ago

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s8 episode 2 “without” thoughts

we are back for the second episode of season 8!!! i am very excited!! i wonder how our friend gibson has been in the time since we last saw him. probably not doing very well, tbh.

curious about this doggett fellow, but more than that, i am invested in the skinner and scully dynamic. and the alien stuff… eh. i don’t really care that much. just free my boy mulder.

okay! let us begin!

(post-episode thoughts: special agent john doggett is working overtime to get out of the doghouse with me. and for the last 2 interactions he had with scully during this episode, i am proud to share that he is making immense strides in leaving behind the ranks of bitch-dom.

he was wavering back and forth during the whole episode, but him coming in with a stupid "get well soon" card and a stupid saying from his dad... oh. okay. well. maybe we WILL grow to understand each other.

which is to say: thank you for treating our beloved scully with kindness. him holding her... FUCK. that look on his face... i'm foaming at the mouth rabies-style

now, is he my new best friend? no. but perhaps he could become a fellow i laugh with over drinks. let me see beneath his brooding exterior...

also, he's a detective. i can't imagine she can keep her secret from him very long- i'd bet like $5 he's already onto her. and it sure is going to be juicy when it breaks. he better keep his ruggedly pretty lips shut)

previously, on the x files….

augh, i do not want to see mulder's mouth surgery again!! that may or may not be actually happening!

OOOO, we begin with a scully monologue. it’s been a while since we have gotten one of those. or at least it feels like it’s been a while to me. she’s talking about aliens… ooo, the UFO disappears into the desert!

intro time!! i’m still gonna need some time to get used to this!! mulder's new headshot looks so strange…. maybe it is because it is in color. or the weird hairdo he has going on, haha.

we just got this new intro and they have already shortened it!!! come onnnn bro, they won’t even let me get in my rhythm!

back to where we left off. gibson is asking fake mulder to let him go. doggett says he will use his weapon. “now i don’t wanna DO that agent mulder, i don’t wanna SHOOT” <- what is that accent he has going on?

i know doggett the character is from the US south, but i'm not really getting that vibe linguistically, LMAO

fake mulder lets the kid go and he runs away. he is still not saying a word. doggett tells him to lay on the ground. he just starts to back away…. then walks off the cliff!!!

“he went ovah!” <- now why did he sound like he was from boston in that line, lmaoooo!!!

they look down at the body….. ewww, that arm angle is nasty. doggett says he will talk to scully.

scully and skinner are here and she wants to know where mulder is NOW!!! but… he isn’t there! even though they watched his body fall.

skinner is talking about how that is not possible… but doggett gestures to a point of impact from the body's fall and the footprint trail leading away. scully is looking around the desert.

she says it was NOT really mulder, even if it looked like him. yeah, and doggett admits he didn’t know him well, but he did know what he looked like. deeply curious to learn if they even liked each other for the 2 seconds it seems they crossed paths.

“i’ve told you that i’ve seen things… things that i can’t explain. well, i have seen what looks like a man transform into another man” “what looks like a man but who’s not a man?” <- doggett is confused af... and can you blame him? he was doing normie cop and FBI stuff until 2 business days ago. “so what is he?”

“you don’t want to know” she walks away. she's tired. it's hot af. read between the lines

“he’s not a man? what the hell is he? hey don’t turn your back on me, i’m asking you a legitimate question”

interesting… that line reads very hostile, but the way he delivered it wasn’t. like he actually does want to know and would be open to hearing her explanation. like he’s sorry, almost.

meanwhile, skinner is watching all of this go down like 👀 lmaooo

scully admits that this is the alien bounty hunter. “looking to collect a bounty on…?” a good question, agent doggett! he is looking to collect a bounty on gibson praise. who is part alien.

hehehe, these sort of lines do make my giggle. takes me out of how focused i was to remind me that this is, in fact, an alien show

“so this alien bounty hunter… he disguised himself as mulder to come out here and grab the boy?” “to take him back to his ship… where we believe mulder is” <- oooo, how is doggett gonna take this….

have i mentioned that scully’s desert outfit is adorable? the open shirt and the pearl earrings… god. mulder, come home and tell her how cute she looks. at once.

doggett settles on “you know, agent scully, you’re uh, you’re starting to remind me a lot of agent mulder yourself” which. you know. it isn't great. but it isn’t an outright rejection. so it could be worse, i guess? he walks back to his car.

skinner is freaked tf out because this bounty hunter can just… shapeshift into anyone! which is terrifying!! they need a secret code word, i’m telling you.

“wherever mulder is right now… he better damn well be smiling” :((( ohhhhh... perhaps he can sense the cosmic shifts of your beliefs

back at the school for the deaf, there are tons of task force agents. the poor kids are all outside in the heat! let them in with the AC!

doggett says they must search the school again, because he has to be here somewhere. of course, we know that he could be any of those kids or their teachers.

BLEUGH, fake mulder IS in the school with his nasty broken arm!! that he snaps back into place!!! nasty nasty!! and he shifts into his typical bounty hunter form. and then into the form of a teacher. as doggett comes in. remarks they thought they cleared him out of here. then leaves him. no, doggett! you were supposed to realize you just saw that guy outside! and i'm laughing at that clunky little alien bounty hunter sound effect, lmaooo

skinner and scully return to the school, too, with skinner asking why doggett is out here in the first place- they think he was following them. and where tf is gibson? scully says he’s long gone. nooo, i wanted to see their reunion and hear him reading their thoughts :(

skinner points out one of the kids grabbing a bike and leaving. and then says not to look now, but someone is watching them- “just start walking, i’ll be right behind you” <- okayyyyy, mister assistant director!!! do your FBI stuff!!!

skinner cuts the spy off!! while the kid is going somewhere on the bike… scully is following. in the desert. it’s soooo hot!!! where is she going?!! get her some water!!! eventually, she finds a bike that has been thrown to the ground… serve that hands-on-the-hips pose of bafflement, doctor scully. oh! is this the UFO that she saw shimmering before?

what! the ground is bouncy. a secret door…!

oh my god, and she’s in heels. they had her ass running in the desert pregnant and in heels. GIVE AGENT SCULLY A RAISE!!

but she finds gibson!!! who declares she shouldn’t have come here. good to see you too, pal.

aww. i know he's all angsty because everyone wants to kill him and he's scared and he can't have a normal childhood. it really *is* good to see him.

we meet his friend from school who was riding the bike! her name is thea, and she is the only one he has told about his alien identity. she is afraid and scully says she has a right to be. you know she is going to keep it real.

and poor gibson might have broken his leg!!! luckily there is a doctor here. she starts to make a splint- just breaking his furniture, okay, love- and says she won’t let anything bad happen to him, reminding him that he can read her thoughts. “you said that to me once before” <- OHHHHH, OUCH… gibson, you KNOW she is trying :(

kersh is calling doggett… he wants to know what he means when he says he saw mulder. “how does the FBI find a man and then lose him in the middle of the desert?” <- so kersh is losing his only friend, it seems. skinner smiles looking at him taking the phone call.

oh, doggett did NOT like that. “this amuse you? i amuse you?” “no. it just made sense to me. how you found your way out here. how you knew about gibson praise” “think i was spying on you?” “no, but i think our new deputy director was” <- oOOOO!! “you’re being made a pawn in a rigged game”

OOOO... skinner says that doggett is the best of the best, could even end up director someday- “which is why you’ve been set up to fail”. and he tells him he has to listen to scully to find mulder… but if he does, he will still lose! if he mentions aliens, they’ll have him gone. (angry doggett glare)

skinner has effectively clocked the tea. but who is behind kersh, calling those shots?

doggett decides to yell out for scully. everyone is looking for her… but no one knows where she is. OH SHIT!!! she is here. but it isn’t really her…. there are 2 of her!!!

doggett is looking at one scully…. another is in the dorm… AUGH, fake scully chokes a guy!!!! real scully is chasing her fake self!!! but he could shapeshift into anyone!!! this is so confusing!!! but then… she is gone. “i saw her! you saw her!” real scully runs away…. oh :(

she is doing some doctoring on the guy fake her tried to kill, and he’s freaked tf out, because he thinks she choked him and then came back to save him. she turns to doggett and says it is someone in this room. do NOT frame my girl for attempted murder!

ooo, can we make them cut their fingers until someone has green goop…?

oh, i guess not, because we get the alien bounty hunter music sting over a shot of a dude with normal red blood coming from his hands. it’s one of the schoolteachers!!! thea runs away.

mulder is getting tortured over in goopland or wherever tf he is. oh! gibson was dreaming about it!

sooo… he has some sort of connection to mulder, too? alien DNA lets him see this? and maybe scully has some of this too if the baby also has mulder's alien DNA?

i thought his alien DNA got removed, though... maybe it's more of a soul bond between him and scully. maybe you can't actually remove DNA as easily as this show proposes. maybe nothing makes sense.

the agent who was choked is being taken in an ambulance. this is very bad for scully. doggett scowls as this goes on.

ohhhh, is this a fake scully?! she’s trying to get into the car, but skinner has the keys. she isn't saying anything, which is suspicious... but she thinks skinner is the fake!!!

she says she knows how it works: kill shot to the back of the neck. “scully, you’re pointing your weapon at a friend” but how can they prove this?!

they’re pointing guns…. and he drops his. OOOO, he says he can prove it. “i know your secret, who else knows it?” OHHH NOOO… this is so tense.

“okay… then tell me” “you tell me… how do i know it’s you?”

OOOO, HE STRIKES QUICKLY AND GRABS HER GUN….

“i don’t LIKE pointing guns at pregnant women anymore than i like them pointing guns at me” <- WELL! skinner has been marked as real. this is verified skinner. unless… can all the aliens read minds? or is that just gibson? the rules of this aren’t super fleshed out.

the way he said that makes it sound like he has experience in the art of pointing guns at pregnant women and vice versa. tell this story, skinner. the people want to know what you have seen.

she seems to accept that this is Real Skinner. he gives her the gun back. and declares that this has gone too far. but she says that is what is wrong: it hasn’t gone far enough. “look, we are being hampered here by the FBI, by john doggett, by doubt, by our own mistrust. whatever it is, it is working… as long as we let it” <- is she proposing going rogue? is this Real Scully? if it’s fake scully, he just told her secret, which could be Very Bad

“you told me mulder wouldn’t allow it. wouldn’t let me ruin my career over this. over him. but what about you, scully? i mean, my god, you’ve got even more at stake” OHHHHHHH…. it isn't gonna get any less painful every time they tiptoe around the elephant in the room, is it?

i am overcome with a longing for scully’s mom to appear in this episode.

she starts to cry. “i can’t take the chance that i’m never going to see him again”

hey guys. i think i need to call in sick with. uh. sorrow. because FUCKKKKKKK. i need to pace. and contemplate. SHE NEEDS TO SEE HIM AGAIN. LIFE AND LIMB BE DAMNED.

she tells him they have one last chance waiting out in the desert: gibson. it may be just who gets to him first. he tells her to get in the car. he will drive.

thea sees them leaving. is it really her??? these episodes with visual deception are so hard to write DOWN

they arrive at gibson's hideout. but he isn’t down there. scully’s calling for him. he’s laying out in the desert.

he says he’s here. he hears him. who is here? she reaches out and touches his head…. gibson says he hears mulder. scully proclaims he has a very bad fever. “all right, we got to get you to the hospital, okay, buddy?” <- ohhh, skinner must deal with a child. he never has to deal with kids like our agents do! but now he has left his fancy tasks behind and must work with The People, alien boy included.

he tells scully he is so close. and skinner hauls him up.

scully tells him to take gibson to the hospital. she stays out in the desert. without a car...?

skinner finds a hospital and brings gibson in…. he yells that he has a boy who needs emergency medical attention! and with a voice like that, you better listen to him.

they get him in a room, and skinner is watching over him. but the alien bounty hunter sound!!! what is going on? gibson is panting! it’s thea… but not really. she shuts the door behind her….

scully’s still in the desert. calling out for mulder. oh my GOD, it’s so sad. the desperation. her howling into nothingness. the sad music… she sees something. what is it?? a bright light in the sky!!! is there hope?? is it him!? are they coming for her??

the light in the sky approaches her… but it is a helicopter. not any sort of UFO. doggett? yeah, it is, and he runs out after her!

“for someone who claims he’s not following me, you sure have a knack” “hey, you’re where the action is” he seems like he feels bad for his first impression… and to that i say he SHOULD!

scully still is not having it. “what does that tell you? that i’m crazy or that i’m right?” <- listen girl, you know i always have your back, but you were wandering around in the desert with no way of getting out, so maybe it is a good thing he found you!

ohhhh, maybe he doesn’t feel bad……. because now they’re fighting in the desert. about aliens.

OHHHH, SHIT HE ACCUSES HER OF LYING… how did skinner know where the kid was? silence. scully approaches. “how do you know that?” OHHH she is SCARY when she gets quiet.

NOOOOO, HE SENT HIS TEAM TO FOLLOW SKINNER… “how do you know that they’re your men?” NOOOOOOO, GIBSON…

the air still shimmers… they were so close to the UFO…. but they have to leave to save gibson…. oh man…… they were so close. AND MULDER IS CRYING OUT FOR HER!!!

does that mean he really is in this fancy alien torture chamber? all naked and stuffed with needles? and he could hear her yelling for him? or is that just how he calls for help even when he doesn’t think she’s around? not sure which option hurts worse to think about.

scully is at the hospital… the men won’t let them into gibson’s room. doggett gets them past. scully grabs her gun. “hey, if someone tries to rip your throat out, i’ve got you covered” <- LMAO, you have to respect the dedication to getting his ass at all times.

doggett knocks on the door… calls for skinner… but the room is empty!!! she runs around to ask where he ended up.

ohhhh, did they crawl up through the ceiling????

skinner!!!! she finds him!!! he says they went up through the ceiling. she has her gun drawn. he says he has gibson with him right there.

GAHHH, BUT THERE IS ANOTHER SKINNER IN THE CEILING WITH EYES ALL BURNED UP!! don’t trust this false skinner, scully!!

she has her gun on him. gibson shakes his head- it isn’t real skinner. and he grabs her throat! throws her against the wall. NO, DON'T DO THAT TO HER????

she shoots at fake skinner. and starts to cry. gasping for air. all the alien flesh of the bounty hunter melting away in front of her.

doggett arrives… holds her. crying. while gibson looks on.

oh my GOD, i need to watch that again. that got so unexpectedly intense.

she shoots him right at the base of the neck and manages to kill the bounty hunter… because she is a sharpshooter. at all times. it's impressive even while the moment is so sad.

but he THREW her, she must be so scared… and then she starts to sob as she drops the gun. falls to the ground. gasping for air as the body melts away. doggett calls for help, stepping over the alien goo. puts his gun away. cradles her close while she covers her face and sobs. yells again: "I SAID AN AGENT NEEDS HELP!"

poor gibson in his cast with his broken leg… and doggett realizes he has been thrust into something very serious and beyond his depth at this moment. his hand on her back….

well. that was heavy as fuck.

back in D.C. kersh is looking at the photos of the alien body and skinner’s eyes. AND HE ASSUMES THE HAZARDOUS MATERIALS MUST HAVE BEEN MEDICAL. his denial is quite impressive. doggett says that fact is undetermined. kersh starts to tear into him. “you mean it reads like an x file. but that’s what you intended, wasn’t it, sir? when you assigned me to the case” <- OHHHH….! gasp! john doggett!!! is he a real one? standing up to the big man?

kersh tells him not to come back until he has some answers.

scully is in the hospital. someone puts a get well soon card in her hand. OH IT’S DOGGETT. OH MY GOD???

“my dad always said it’s not who wins or loses… it’s who takes the worst beating that counts” “that supposed to cheer me up?” “thought so” LMAOOO, OH, HE’S TRYING….

but… is she okay?? is he going to learn the forbidden information?

poor thing... her whole face is bruised up and she thinks doggett still won’t believe her. “what i don’t believe is how long they’re keeping you here” OHHH…. she looks away “oh, it’s just some things they have to check out… make sure of” OH GIRL. please be okay…

(she is such a bad liar, i'm crying. "some things they have to check out" ohhh yes, that clears it up 👍 he is going to piece this together so quickly)

((really, though, jokes aside, i need to know if she is okay. the way she was crying broke me. GOD, to lose that, too...))

doggett reports that skinner is stable, and so is the guy who got his throat ripped out by fake scully. gibson has been taken in by the state, but he asked for special protections, as he imagined she would. that is an endearing addition to me.

“what are you doing here, agent doggett?” “keeping you apprised of the case”

“that’s not your job”

“it is, actually. and officially” he stands up. she looks so confused. “i’m… assigned now to the x files”

she looks sort of horrified. as if hearing this means that mulder is really gone. and he seems to understand this, because he averts his eyes and starts to leave.

“whatever you and i may differ on, i’ll find him, agent scully” oh…. and you can tell he means it. but she doesn’t know what to think.

back to mulderland. goopland? aliencam? tortureview? i need to come up with a term for this cutting back and forth to his suffering. someone is watching him. maybe lots of someones? in a circle? they all look like the alien bounty hunter. and watch as he gets his face poked.

the end….

GIRL!

what do i think… i think i want to watch the next fucking episode. DAMN. why do i do this to myself?! no new episodes until the first writeup is completed! it is the law! the ancient law which i think i only broke that one time! and that was a special case! it was the emily arc. you can't blame me.

my first thought… not sure if gibson will be safe with the state. but i sure hope he is.

my second thought… doggett. scully’s partner. woah…

i think they probably won’t be besties, but they will grow to trust each other. i also think that he has some suspicions about wtf is going on with her after holding her sobbing and her being kept in the hospital for a long time. scully has a reputation for not being the sort of person who cries at every case or attack. although, i must say i would have been mad as FUCK to have seen this when it aired and have to wait a week and see if she is okay. god. poor scully…

and gibson must have been able to read her mind when she was being attacked, and feel how absolutely horrified she was, and that must have been terrifying for him, too… poor little dude with his leg broken. and his family who tf knows where.

i will get really pissed at this show if he ends up getting hurt… like, the kids ought to be off limits!! at least the ones we get to know!

and skinner’s eyeballs got all fried... but it seems he is okay? which is good! i just didn’t think it would work like that. i guess i assumed that it wouldn’t be possible to recover from that, but again, this show makes No Fucking Sense so. yay! good! you can get your eyes back.

WHEW, that moment where scully and skinner held each other at gunpoint… and she said that line about not being who you are… the ice flashbacks were STRONG! and i enjoyed it. i was really worried that she wasn’t who she was, and that he told her secret to the aliens, because they’re gonna want to know about that for sure and it would put her in so much MORE danger. and the amount of danger she is already in is WILD. but she said she can’t risk not seeing him again… i guess she thinks it is worth it. or maybe it has to be, because she is the type of person that considers it selfish to not do everything she can to help someone else, even if that brings her great personal danger.

i’m bummed that we saw her calling her mom in the last episode but then never got to see any follow through from that. maybe it was cut for time. hopefully soon...

so if kersh was telling doggett everything about where skinner was… did he get put on the x files just to follow her and report back to him? and if so, will he actually do that? is the x files assignment in addition to his task force assignment? why would kersh put him on there if he hates the whole concept of the x files and will reject anything that isn’t conclusive?

or do you think skinner moved him on there and he is rejecting kersh’s assignments… kersh handed him a file and said don’t come back until you have answers. is that him getting “let go”? or his assignment being moved? or is he now the assigned x files debunker guy like scully first was? confused as to exactly who they are reporting to and why.

and also… are doggett and scully going to go around solving crimes now? or are they going to strategically investigate things that could lead to clues for mulder? and will they get to investigate anything they want, or will the audit guy tell them they can only do this case or that one? and will skinner come along, too, or is he back to AD duties? something tells me he won‘t just let it go. bro is gonna place a GPS on scully, lmaooooo

oh, scully. i just got sad for her all over again. i hope the gunmen are keeping her company. and that her mom comes up right away. i don’t see skinner hanging out with her outside of work, and doggett doesn’t know her that well yet. i guess maybe they could get there but i really don’t see it happening quickly. and she isn’t going to want anyone to pity her, so she’ll be hyper aware on that front, but she needs a friend!!!

doggett is TRYING, and for that i must give him credit. coming in with a cheesy get well soon card and a line from his dad… oh! well. maybe my heart melted a LITTLE. and him holding her… well. he’s not out of the woods yet, that is for sure, but he can begin his atonement arc. i will allow it.

what a strange relationship for the two of them to have… him filling mulder’s spot until he returns- if he returns- both working together to find him, both knowing that doggett will never be him, or even come close… having to work with someone else on the x files after 7 years… it’s gonna be so uncomfortable, and scully is going to do her best to not resent him because he isn’t mulder, but these things happen without anyone trying to have them happen. and he’s going to probably try and not say anything when he feels her resentment of him, but i can imagine that it will build up…

SIGH. wonderful angst, i must admit. i do want my boy mulder home. and UGH, they were so close, gibson was telling the truth- but it isn’t like they could just waltz up to the alien ship and ask him to please come back, so maybe they were not actually THAT close…

so i guess he really is getting alien tortured. do we know why? i guess to see how he is doing after he became part alien and then they tried to undo that? is he still dying? or are they fixing him? do they not care at all? if the earthside agents think he’s dying, they’re probably thinking that they are racing against time… and each day that passes will bring more and more stress… and fear and hopelessness… ohohohoho….

i wonder how long it will take for doggett to disclose his Tragic Secret Backstory and if they’ll have a bonding moment over their Sadness.

WAIT, you don’t think they writers are gonna try and ship them, do you? no… they probably wouldn’t do that.

and there is another agent coming soon, yes? i assume they might get a little ship-baity with doggett and scully but then lean headfirst into that dynamic. WHERE IS SHE? WHEN CAN I MEET HER? will she and scully be friends? scully, with a consistently on-camera female friend? it seems impossible, but maybe it could be…?

mrs. scully, PLEASE answer your phone. your daughter needs your help.

have i commented on the scully and skinner angst again today? because MMMM! once again, delicious. when he grabbed the gun from her…. OH! yes yes yes. AND HE CARRIED POOR FEVERED GIBSON AND CALLED HIM BUDDY... OH… skinner :( such a fascinating relationship to have with your boss… you think he’s gonna get all misty-eyed when mulder inevitably comes back and he inevitably realizes those two are going to be together forever. hmm. yeah. a lot to ponder there. and ponder i shall.

well! a mytharc episode with the usual nonsensical trimmings, but some very interesting character stuff going on here, so i cannot complain. you have to kind of get used to what the genre brings you, i suppose. even if i want teary heartfelt conversations about what people mean to each other every so often, i’ve come to the conclusion that is not on the menu and asking for it will just lead to disappointment. ALTHOUGH, we did get some of that in requiem… so i guess you never know.

i am pleased! so far, s8 is very interesting to me. i’m glad i’ve gotten to see the first 2 episodes so far, and i hope life won’t keep me so busy that i can’t sit down to do an episode a week. even if it takes 1 night to watch it and then another to edit the notes, that is 2 nights a week of free time, which hopefully isn’t TOO much to ask for. but if i’m too tired to do the whole note taking process on nights when i just want to turn my brain off and not pay attention to anything, i can fill my time with fanfic, which is good, too. so don’t forget to keep sharing your recs!! my list of fave fics keeps getting longer!!!

#bouncing around with excitement. i wonder if i'll get to watch episode 3 and get the notes posted tomorrow... love having a day off!#i feel that you can really read the enthusiasm in this one. let me know if you also get that sense.#doggett and i have a complicated relationship... but if he can be good to scully we will go a long way.#8x02 #juni's x files liveblog #the x files #txf

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sacredswords · 1 month ago

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Hello. Welcome to the blog, sacredswords. Wish I could've gotten us a better url but. Look where we are. hh. So anyways— this blog is dedicated to me and my friends who happen to be chosens of the Swords of Justice. Like. From Unova . We all share this blog so everyone will be posting.

Um, please specify who you're sending parcel to! I'm a little scared how it'll work, and I don't want someones mail to get mixed up— so please just specify! It's me— Sunday— writing this, but everyone else will have intros.

⚔️ Hi. Yeah. Speaking of, Sunday. That's me. Cobalion chose me. No cool powers come from it, I've actually felt worse since then. He/him. 19. Not in college right now, not interested... I'm still a busy guy though.

⚔️ Oh, uhh. My posts are tagged with #slice and dice / legends. watch me. If that isn't obvious, I start my posts with the first two words in blue.

Hiya! My name is Sabre, lovely to meet you!

Pronouns are she/they, I'm 20, and I'm the chosen of Virizion! The best sword, of course! In my very humble opinion anyways <3

You don't get to know about my personal life though. You have to find that out yourself, hehe! Do know my posts are in green though, and if you just do happen to have bad eyes, my posts are tagged with #As leaves fall. Excited to meet you all! ✨

YO! What’s up I’m Finnick chosen of Terrakion and use He/Him pronouns! I’m 18 years old, and definitely the strongest here!

I actually did get a big of super strength from Terrakion which rules! Fresh out of highschool as well! My posts will be tagged with #Finn says

HI. MY NAME IS. Well. uh. ACTUALLY JUST CALL ME SOMETHING TO DO WITH SWORDS!! or like. KEldeo kid. OR somethin. I DUNNO. I HAVE A KELDEO THOUGH SO THATS COOL. workin on. other things. FINNY SAYS THAT HES THE STRONGEST BUT ITS ME. Oh pronouns are. They and them. Or. YEAH THAT. my posts are gonna beee in blue 'n red!

Well. MY tags are gonna beee. something. #Keldeo kicks

open below

hello chat, adon here

welcome to group blog with my friends!!

we wanted to make chosen ocs and look where we are. please keep in mind that some things on a group blog are finicky and i dont exactly expect this to act functional on a website like this. additionally, remember that this is a pkmn irl/rotomblr blog! please keep ( post ) interactions limited to said community

before you interact, each mun is going to specify exactly what interaction or boundaries they have. pleassseee read through them and actually pay mind to them!!!

adon/sunday - hi!! all interaction (mail, malice, m!a) are allowed ... i may be picky with m!a on here though. nothing too nsfw/explicit, im a minor. any trigger warnings for sunday are just terrible/abusive parenting. my hub is @adonverse

castor/sabre - Hello!! I'm Castor, he/they/it, and I run @psn-stalling!!! I'm accepting most mail and whatnot, but will be rather picky with magic anons! Uhhh suggestive stuff is okay, but use common sense and whatnot. :3 Also I will note Sabre's personality is loosely based on another character's from a totally different franchise for sillies so if you end up noticing that that's why <3

somnus/finnick -hallo, so first all interactions are welcome. Suggestive asks will be okay but nothing to bad. If you’re ever unsure on what to say just send an ask :) my main is @somnussayz

Lane/Keldeo Kid - Hullo!!! I except most interaction (mail & malice) but I'm gonna say no on Magic anons, unless they're particularly funny (AND NON-PERMANENT!!) No nsfw/explicit, the kid is. Well. A kid. Haven't decided exactly what is Up with them yet, but there'll probably be some trigger warnings eventually. If something goes untagged and it should be tagged, please let me know, I'm not good at judging that sort of thing. My main is @wandering-lane!

extra notes

them, in the order they were introduced

#pkmn irl #pokemon irl #rotomblr #rotumblr #pokeblogging #pokeblr #roleplay #intro post

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skidtheperson · 11 months ago

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Will Finley be evil??

Some things I noticed about Indigo Park...

With the character designs, something I had noticed about them was that while Finley is one of the main people in the group with Rambley, Lloyd, and Mollie, strangely enough, he's the only one without white pupils.

In fact, the only other person who has them is Salem, who is speculated to be bad, or at least IS bad in the cartoon/games. Why would Finley share this small detail with the villain?

At first, I thought it was because eye color was too close to white, but that isn't the case with Salem. Her eyes are a vibrant pink, so white would be fine against it. Maybe Finley has a better chance at this explanation, but there's still OTHER similarities the two share.

They're the only two not really looking at the camera, looking instead to the right. They both have yellow tinted sclera, and are also the only two with rounded highlights in their eyes.

Along with this, there are things in the intro I at least haven't seen people point out.

Firstly, on a sticky note, although it's difficult to read, the words "Power in Park?" are written out.

This does align with the game, as somehow the park still has access to electricity and power, even after being shut down for 8 years. Why they'd keep supplying an empty and abandoned theme park with power is beyond me, but it could show that maybe someone is keeping the place running, or at least on.

Another thing I noticed is that when we're shown the Oceanic Oddesy poster, next to it is a sticky note with "Replaced?" on it.

This could mean multiple different things. Finley got replaced, Finley replaced someone, or there was a replacement of some sort with the mascots. Sone of these could be possible (with Finley being replaced the least possible since he's still here), and fans have already speculated a replacement did happen with Lloyd and Rambley.

This is a Finley post, so I'm not gonna go into detail about that, but you can find the multiple posts about that theory by yourself.

But anyways, Finley replacing someone could make sense on why he shares similarities to Salem. He could have been the right hand man to Salem, helping her out, but being more of a shy and quiet follower/minion before the creators decided to put him in the main gang, replacing someone else in the process.

Anything could have happened, but overall, I think all of this evidence could point to Finley being evil in this. Almost everyone else who has white eyes has been confirmed to be good (Example : Rambley being confirmed by UniqueGeese to not be an plot twist evil character, and UQ also confirmed Lloyd will be an important/good character), thus filled in/black eyes could be a sign the character shown will be a bad character in the future.

Anyways, that's my two cents about things no one else has pointed out yet. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

#indigo park #rambley the raccoon #indigo park rambley #finley the sea serpent #indigo park finley #lloyd the lion #indigo park lloyd #mollie macaw #indigo park mollie macaw #salem the skunk #indigo park salem #theory #long post #indigo park chapter 1 #indigo park theory

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connan-l · 1 year ago

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Now that Season 7's first trailer is out, it slightly validated some of my theories about which chapters is going to be adapted — so I decided to make a prediction of what Seasons 7 & 8 could looks like (I mean, we still don't have any confirmation for Season 8, but there's no way we don't get it, right?) I'm probably going to be very wrong but it was fun to try and think about!

I'm going to make the assumption that we'll get 13 episode instead of 11 because of something fun I found out: so far there's been 74 episodes of NatsuYuu (OVAs notwithstanding), which means that if we add two seasons of 13 episodes we'll reach the 100 :) So I hope we actually do get 13 episodes this time (I've also seen some people wondering if we'll exceptionnally get a 22 or 26 episodes season because of the 15th/20th years anniversary, which could be fun but I doubt they'll do that sadly).

Season 7:

Episode 1: Chapter 84 (Mini-Nyanko) Episode 2: Chapter 80 (Yorishima intro) Episode 3: Chapter 77 (Hakozaki 2) Episode 4: Chapter 83 (Kitamoto bookstore) Episode 5: Special 17/84.5 (Teen Matonato 2) Episode 6: Chapters 95 & 96 (Isamu arc) Episode 7: Chapter 81 (Flower bed) Episode 8: Chapters 92-94 (Miharu arc) Episode 9: Chapters 92-94 (Miharu arc) Episode 10: Chapter 87 (Nishimura) Episode 11: Special 8/31.5 (Chobi special) Episode 12: Chapters 88 & 89 (Souko arc) Episode 13: Chapters 88 & 89 (Souko arc)

Season 8:

Episode 1: Chapter 71 (Ake & Shiro) Episode 2: Special 14/67.5 (Birds & Reiko) Episode 3: Chapters 106 & 107 (Yorishima arc 2) Episode 4: Chapters 90 & 91 (Tenjou-san/painting arc) Episode 5: Special 19/89.5 (Matoba station) Episode 6: Chapters 85 & 86 (Tanatsutaki inn arc) Episode 7: Chapters 85 & 86 (Tanatsutaki inn arc) Episode 8: Chapter 99 (Origami) Episode 9: Chapter 108 (Chobi) Episode 10: Chapters 100-104 Homura arc Episode 11: Chapters 100-104 Homura arc Episode 12: Chapters 100-104 Homura arc Episode 13: Chapter 105 (Post-Homura)

For Season 7: I know some people wish the season could start with the exorcist chapters, but I think it makes more sense we begin with a ‘normal’ slice-of-life Natsuyuu episode rather than the more heavy stuff. It’s been seven years, after all; they need to reestablish the series’ characters and world properly, and I think chapter 84 with the clay mini-nyanko is th best one for that. I mean, in this chapter we have: Natsume returning a name, mentions of Reiko & the book, cameos of Tanuma and the Fujiwaras (the anime could probably briefly add Kitanishi, Taki & Sasada too), and a bittersweet story about a yokai Natsume befriends — so I think it’s perfect for a new start to a new season. Then it makes sense to follow this up with the exorcist stuffs in episodes 2 & 3. I'm hesitating which one would go first though; if we follow the manga chronologically then it would be the Hakozaki one, but I think they'll likely choose to reintroduce Natori first... I do believe it's important to introduce Yorishima early on too so that they can later adapt the second Yorishima arc in Season 8, to really establishes him as this new important recurrent character. (Though I wonder if 2 exorcist episodes side-by-side would be too much, so maybe they'll adapt Yorishima intro for ep2, then have another slice-of-life episode, then have the Hakozaki chapter.... who knows)

After that I’m no sure on the order, but there must also be the Taki brother arc for a Taki-focused episode, then the Kitamoto & Nishimura chapters. I think it’d makes sense to adapt both of the Kitanishi chapters in season 7 so that then in season 8 they could adapt the Tenjou-san/painting arc in order to make it feel balanced (or they could do the reverse and adapt Tenjou-san arc before in season 7, but I think it's better if it comes after). And then have the flower bed chapter as another slice-of-life episode (which I think is important to have before the Souko arc thematically). Not gonna lie it really frustrates me that they decided to adapt the Tanuma & Misuzu chapters in a movie, because now Tanuma doesn’t have his own arc like Taki has :( At least he still appears more than her in other arcs, but they’re not focused on him so it’s not the same.

So the Chobi special from Volume 8 might seems weird to be in season 7, and admittedly I doubt it'll ever be adapted (maybe in an OAV?? But who knows) - but I thought about it because of Chapter 108 which is also centered on Chobi. Having the Chobi special before Chapter 108 seemed logical to me, though there's more chance we'll get another special like Special 14 or 18. (UNLESS they manage to adapt the Chobi special with Chapter 108 in a single episode... I dunno).

And there's no way they don't adapt the second teen Natori special, which has to be before Miharu arc. I think the Miharu arc will happens either in the middle or towards the end of the season, but I believe having Souko's arc as the final would be pretty emotionally impactful, with ideally 2 episodes. It’s the origin of the Book of Friends after all, so it’s important to really highlight it (though I doubt they'll do that unfortunately, I think they'll likely try to cram everything into a single episode as usual with the 2 chapters arcs -_-).

For Season 8: I think it makes sense to start with slice-of-life chapters with this season too, but admittedly I wasn't really sure which one. The Ake & Shiro or the origami chapters seems the more likely. Then there's still Special 14, which could also make a fun slife-of-life episode.

The Tenjou-san/painting arc and then the Noren inn arc in this season was more fitting than the last in order to balance the focus on Natsume's school friends - and like I said earlier, even though chronologically it happens later in the manga I think they will adapt the second Yorishima arc as well here. I think it’d make sense they decide to adapt the special with Matoba here too (It could be in Season 7 I suppose? But then it would a wayyy too exorcist-focused season).

What I’m the most confident in is that they’ll decide to end Season 8 with the Homura arc, and that it’ll take 3 episodes. This is such a long, important arc, and if they don’t mess it up it would make an amazing final; especially if after that we don’t get another new season until at least a few years.

(Hopefully we won’t have to wait 6 years for Season 9 afterwards… There was 2 years between Season 2 and Season 3, and then 4 years between Season 4 and Season 5, so if Season 8 is released in 2025 then I hope we’ll get Season 9 in like. 2028-2029. please.)

Anyway, just for fun I tried to imagine what a Season 9 could look like too:

Season 9:

Episode 1: Chapters 109 & 110 (Kaka arc) Episode 2: Chapters 117 & 118 (Occult salon arc) Episode 3: Chapter 112 (Taki Matoba tea party) Episode 4: Chapters 113-116 (Younger Cousin arc) Episode 5: Chapters 113-116 (Younger Cousin arc) Episode 6: Chapters 113-116 (Younger Cousin arc) Episode 7: Chapter 111 (Tanatsukitanishi beach) Episode 8: Chapter 120 (Hakozaki 3) Episode 9: Chapters 121-126 (Portrait of a Girl arc) Episode 10: Chapters 121-126 (Portrait of a Girl arc) Episode 11: Chapters 121-126 (Portrait of a Girl arc) Episode 12: Chapters 121-126 (Portrait of a Girl arc) Episode 13: Chapters 127 (Homura cats returns)

This would make for a super plot-heavy season, but well all the recent arcs ARE very plot-focused lol. I initially thought that maybe the Portrait of a Girl arc could make it more to a potential Season 10 while the younger cousin arc could the final for Season 9, but ending the season on such a personal, Natori-focused arc like that would be a bit... strange. So! If we have Portrait of a Girl as a final, I think it makes sense for the occult salon arc to be at the very start of the season to introduce Shinobu and Clara (I vaguely thought it would be fun if they introduced them in Season 8, but the idea of a whole season where we start with the looming threat of Matoba's mysterious sister only to have her identity revealed at the very end is really cool too). I think the beach chapter too could be nice after the Natori arc as a sort of break before we got back into the heavy plot stuff with the 3rd Hakozaki chapter. I gave Portrait of a Girl 4 episodes here because I think it's what it wolud need to be properly adapted (it IS the longest arc to date after all, with 6 chapters!) but because of that I had to scrap the Hinoe chapter (which could then be adapted into Season 10). However I think it's more likely they adapt it into a three-episodes arc sadly (same thing with the Younger Cousin arc, they'll probably cram it into 2 episodes rather than three...)

And here it is haha. Can't wait to see how completely false my predictions will be lol.

Following this, the still unadapted chapters would include: Chapter 119 (Hinoe/Natsume crossdressing), Chapter 128 (current arc) that would fit into Season 10, then Special 18 (Nyanko meets little boy), Special 20 (movie special), Special 21 (little traveling yokai), Special 22 (Ribbon Nyanko & Mana Kitamoto), all of which could either fit in Season 10 or in an OAV.

#Natsume Yuujinchou #NatsuYuu #Natsume's Book of Friends #Natsuchou #Natsume Takashi #Nyanko-sensei #Natsume

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otakusheep15 · 1 year ago

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Ranking Hazbin Hotel Songs (S1)

I’m seeing people do this on TT, but I don’t like posting on there, so I’m posting my list here instead. Obvious warning, but these are my own personal opinions. I think all of the songs are absolute bangers, but there are some that are better than others, so keep that in mind.

16. Welcome to Heaven

Pretty much the general fandom consensus. It’s not a bad song, and I like Darren Criss as a singer, but it’s too short and doesn’t do a whole lot for the plot.

15. Finale

This might be a pretty hot take, but I’m not that big of a fan of the finale. There are some parts that I like individually, but as a whole song, it doesn’t do it for me. It’s still good though.

14. Hell’s Greatest Dad

I think this one is the one that’s gonna upset a lot of people, but I really don’t vibe with this one. No, it has nothing to do with Mimzy. In fact, I actually like her a lot, but that’s besides the point. I’m not a huge fan of talk singing, and that’s what both of Alestor’s songs are, so they aren’t going to be very high. Not even Jeremy Jordan can save this song.

13. Stayed Gone

Again, I’m just not big on talk singing. I like this one just a bit more because I like Christian Borle’s voice as a talk-singer just a bit more than Jeremy Jordan.

12. More Than Anything (Reprise)

This is a really cute song! I wish we had more Chaggie moments in the show, but I’m glad we got this. It would be much higher, but I don’t like how short it is.

11. It Starts With Sorry

Idk why so many people hate this song. It’s so cute! Charlie’s voice is so good, and I like the lesson Sir Pentious learns. It gives off children’s show song, but in a very good way.

10. Out for Love

Carmilla my beloved! I am obsessed with her. I like how she taught Vaggie in this song. Again, my only real problem with it is how short it is. Idk why they made some of their best songs so short, but I need a longer version.

9. Happy Day in Hell

I am a big fan of introduction songs in musicals, and this is a perfect example of why. It’s a nice way to see Hell, especially through the optimism of someone like Charlie. It’s silly and upbeat, and I like that a lot.

8. Poison

I love this song so much! Blake Roman did such a fantastic job with his performance as Angel. I’m not usually a big fan of this particular type of pop, which is why I have it a bit lower, but I think it fits well with what they were going for in writing this song. It’s absolutely perfect.

7. Whatever it Takes

I need these two to have another duet at some point. Their voices fit so well together. Both of their individual parts are also very solid. All around just a good song.

6. You Didn’t Know

I blast this song at least once a day. My fave part is Lute, and I wish we got more of her singing voice this season. Jessica Vosk is so talented, so I hope we get more in season two. Obviously, Charlie and Emily’s part is also amazing, and I like Sera’s parts as well.

5. Hell is Forever

Ah yes, my favorite Christian rock song. Seriously though, this song is so good. It’s most similar to the actual kind of music I listen to, so of course it’d be pretty high on this list. It’s a good intro to Adam and the angels in general, and it slaps.

4. Respectless

Velvette might actually be one of my favorite characters. She, for sure, has my favorite design of any character, and she might have my favorite female voice as well (tied with Lute). Also, she was so real for what she said to Carmilla. Her voice is just very fun to listen to.

3. More than Anything

Jeremy Jordan is the reason I live and breathe. His voice is literal honey. He and Erika Henningsen harmonizing has brought new meaning into my life. I may not have daddy issues, but I think this song healed them anyway. It’s so cute.

2. Ready for This

I’m a sucker for a good rally song, and this is exactly that. Cannibal Town is also my favorite location of any place we’ve seen, both in Hazbin and Hellava Boss, and I adore Rosie. The cannibals were very funny in this number, and I like that Charlie was able to gain some confidence.

1. Loser, Baby

I’m officially changing my brand to the #1 Huskerdust shipper ever. I’m so obsessed with them. This episode is tied for my favorite with Hello, Rosie! Keith David needs another song immediately, and so does Blake Roman. They sound so good together, and I can’t wait to hear more of them!

#Hazbin hotel #charlie morningstar #angel dust #alastor #vaggie #sir pentious #hazbin hotel lute #hazbin hotel adam #lucifer morningstar #carmilla carmine #hazbin hotel rosie #hazbin hotel husk #hazbin hotel vox #hazbin hotel velvette

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icegirl2772 · 1 year ago

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My Intro and Fics

Note: This will be edited as I continue working on my stories.

I've been lurking on Tumblr on and off for years now. But I've been getting more active on here that I've really gotten back into writing fanfiction. So, it may seem silly, but I felt an intro was in order.

I'm IceGirl2772. You can call me Ice or Icey. I've been writing fanfiction since I was 10 or 11. If you look at my FFN stuff... be prepared for the cringe. But nowadays, I am much more active on AO3.

Here is my profile link (AO3). Since the post is gonna be lengthy, as I provide a bit of background for the fandoms I write for and the stories I have, I'm adding a Read More. But in short, I write for the following fandoms (in alphabetical order): Big Time Rush (TV Series), CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Criminal Case (video game), Harry Potter, Hawaii Five-0 (2010 series), Loonatics Unleashed, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012 series), Thunderbirds (1965 series) and Transformers: Prime. Everything is fandom blind friendly.

Just a fair warning: I list a lot of the tags my fics have, and a few of them are NSFW. I'm also gonna be updating this as I go, so it's subject to constant change.

I'm gonna do my fandoms in alphabetical order for simplicity's sake.

Big Time Rush

I have six fics in this fandom to date:

Take a Shot in the Dark | Teen and Up | No Archive Warnings Apply | James Diamond/Original Female Character, Background Kendall Knight/Jo Taylor, Background Logan Mitchell/Camille Roberts, Brief Original Male Character/Original Female Character | Kendall Knight, Kaelyn Knight (OC), James Diamond, Logan Mitchell, Carlos Garcia, Katie Knight, Gustavo Rocque, Kelly Wainwright, Palm Woods Kids, Jennifer Knight | Kendall Has a Twin Sister, Songwriting, Childhood Friends, Male-Female Friendship, Childhood Friends to Lovers, Chaos, Other Additional Tags to Be Added | 19/29 Chapters | 158k Words | WIP

She was always along for the ride. The twin sister. The best friend. But now, Kaelyn Knight was about to become the heart and soul of Big Time Rush as Gustavo takes her under his wing.

Going to Hollywood is certain to change the boys. But how will it change Kaelyn?

This fic holds a special place in my heart because I went back and forth on this idea for years, and it was actually through some of the friends I met here on Tumblr that I got the courage to post it. So... thanks.

Better Than Neil | Teen and Up | No Archive Warnings Apply | James Diamond/Original Female Character | James Diamond, Kaelyn Knight (OC), Original Male Character(s), Background & Cameo Characters | Teen Romance, Teenagers, Can Be Read Standalone, Snippets, Not Beta Read, One Shot, Fade to Black (kinda), James Diamond is Actually a Great Boyfriend | 1.4k Words | Complete

Kaelyn thinks of all the ways James is a better boyfriend than her ex.

aka an idea that would not leave me alone. :P I also wanted to gift this to @myloveforhergoeson because she's been a massive support to me as I write Take a Shot in the Dark. Thanks for everything, mate. :)

We Do (But Friends Don't) | Explicit | Underage | James Diamond/Original Female Character | James Knight, Kaelyn Knight (OC), Kendall Knight, Carlos Garcia, Logan Mitchell, Jennifer Knight, Gustavo Rocque, Kelly Wainwright, Palm Woods Kids | Horny Teenagers, Adolescent Sexuality, Teenagers Having Sex, First Time, Safe Sex, Multiple Sex Positions, Multiple Orgasms, Blow Jobs, Oral Sex, Jealous James Diamond, Friends with Benefits, Idiots in Love, Characters Are 16 Years Old, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Might Be Out of Character | 6/24 Chapters | 19k Words | WIP

Neither of them meant for this to happen. For James Diamond and Kaelyn Knight, the rules were clear. It was meant to be just sex. They were best friends first and foremost. It would stay between them. No feelings.

But neither of them considered the feelings that were already there.

Yet another idea that wouldn't leave me alone. I was about to let this idea wither away and die, but I met some... very corrupting influences. (You know who you are. ;)) And here we are. Special shoutout to @partiallypearl for helping me with the title. :)

It's a Wonderful Life | General Audiences | No Archive Warnings Apply | Kendall Knight/Lucy Stone | Kendall Knight, Lucy Stone | Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Cuteness Overload, Big Time Secret Santa 2024, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Limited Dialogue, I've Softened Lucy with Age, Just a Whole Bunch of Kucy Cuteness, My First Work for This Pairing | 1.2k Words | Complete

One Christmas Eve, Lucy reflects on how much her life has changed since first moving to Hollywood, and just how wonderful it is.

This was my entry in the @bigtimesecretsanta and I was assigned @partiallypearl. Still hope you loved this, mate. :)

Wanna Be Your Only One | Explicit | No Archive Warnings Apply | James Diamond/Original Female Character | James Diamond, Kaelyn Knight (OC) | Jaelyn, Aged-Up Characters, Reunion Sex, Making Love, Oral Sex, Tenderness, Lots of Love, Something Special at the End, My Fingers Slipped, No Beta We Go Down Like Superclog, The Author Regrets Nothing, The Author Regrets Everything, No ConCrit Please | 4.7k Words | Complete

Those two little words sent jolts through his body. Only one. It was a phrase that really stirred through his mind during their two weeks apart. It served to reinforce something to him. Something he always knew to be true.

She was the only one for him. And he hoped (because there was always the slightest voice of doubt creeping into his head) that he was the only one for her.

OR: When Kaelyn returns after a two-week business trip, James is eager to show her how much he missed her and what he's realized in her absence.

Like I mentioned in my post about this, my fingers slipped. But I think it turned out great, so... here ya go.

Ask You Tonight | General Audiences | No Archive Warnings Apply | Carlos Garcia/Alexa Vega, James Diamond/Original Female Character, Logan Mitchell/Camille Roberts, Kendall Knight/Lucy Stone | Carlos Garcia, Alexa Vega, James Diamond, Kaelyn Knight (OC), Logan Mitchell, Camille Roberts, Kendall Knight, Lucy Stone | Marriage Proposal, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Aged-Up Character(s), Four-Chaptered Story, No Beta We Go Down Like Superclog, No ConCrit Please, Might Be Out of Character, My Fingers Slipped (again), Inspired by Music, Inspired by Real Events | 4/4 Chapters | 7.8k Words | Complete

The four moments in time when the four members of Big Time Rush propose to their soulmates.

So... I woke up this morning to the news that James Maslow (aka James Diamond) was engaged to his long-time girlfriend Caitlin, and I was so delighted (still am). But it also got my creative juices flowing. Hence, Ask You Tonight - a four-chaptered story featuring the four dogs proposing to their soulmates. And yes, I named it after the song because why not? My fingers slipped again, but if we're being honest... I have zero regrets.

Planned Fics in This Fandom:

First Sequel to Take a Shot in the Dark - takes place during Season 2 of Big Time Rush

Second Sequel to Take a Shot in the Dark - takes place during Big Time Movie

Third Sequel to Take a Shot in the Dark - takes place during Seasons 3 and 4 of Big Time Rush

Odd one-shots

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

I only have one fic in this fandom to date:

Butterfly | Teen and Up | Creator Chose Not to Use Archive Warnings | Past Nick Stokes/Original Female Character | Nick Stokes, Kadelyn 'Kady' Stokes (OC), Original Characters, Warrick Brown, Gil Grissom, Catherine Willows, Sara Side, Greg Sanders, Jim Brass | Nick Stokes Whump, Nick Stokes as a Single Father, Father-Daughter Relationship, Family Feels, Family Bonding, Season/Series 01, Past Character Death, Other Additional Tags to Be Added | 10/24 Chapters | 15k Words | WIP

There was no denying the life of a CSI is a hard one. Different horrors every night shift. Different monsters emerging from the shadows. Always a new crime - some more horrific than others. Nick Stokes has always been one of the most empathetic CSIs, so he was often one of the most affected on the night shift.

But then, he thinks of a little girl waiting for him at home, and remembers his determination to make the world a better place for her. For his daughter. For Kadelyn. And the weight of the world is instantly lifted off his shoulders when he says two words: 'Hey, butterfly.'

This fic is a rewrite of a very old, very cringey fic I had up on my FFN. All of the chapters are very short and focus on a moment between Nick and his young daughter before, during or after an episode.

Planned Fics for This Fandom:

Stories of a similar vain to this one - all focusing on each season of the show. All named after butterfly in different languages.

Criminal Case (video game)

(There's literally no GIF for the fandom)

I have five fics in this fandom to date:

The Adventures of Avery Samuels: Welcome to Grimsborough | Mature | Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death | David Jones/Player Character | Avery Samuels (Player Character substitute), David Jones, Samuel King, Nathan Pandit, Grace Delaney, Alex Turner, Eduardo Ramirez | Season 1: Grimsborough, Police Procedural, POV First Person, Co-Workers to Lovers, Male-Female Friendship, Friends to Lovers, Minor Character Death, Canon-Typical Violence, Miscarriage, Implied Sexual Content, Innuendo, Suicide, Bombs, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Heteroromantic Bisexual Character, Implied/Referenced Cannibalism, Implied/Referenced Torture, Racism, Past Character Death, Death of a Child (referenced), Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Sad Ending, Other Additional Tags to Be Added | 80/122 Chapters | 677k Words | WIP

After completing her education at the police academy, Avery Samuels is ready for her career as a police officer in the Grimsborough Police Department to begin. She is assigned to work with David Jones, her older brother's childhood best friend. How will things unfold between the two of them as Avery navigates her new job and her new life?

This is something I originally wrote on Wattpad, and I wanted to save it when I deactivated my Wattpad account. So, I transferred it to AO3 and kept it going. It is certainly going to be a wild ride.

Nothing For You Here | Teen and Up | Past David Jones/Charlotte Jones, Brief David Jones/Player Character at the End | David Jones, Charlotte Jones, Background Original Character, Cameo from Player Character at the End | Set After the Conspiracy, Regrets, Rejection, Whumptober 2024, r/FanfictionExchange, Rated T Because This Author is Paranoid About Ratings | 2.6 Words | Complete

Charlotte had always feared rejection. It was why she waited this long to go to Jones and tell him she wanted him back. But even if a small part of her was prepared for the rejection, it didn't make it hurt any less.

r/FanfictionExchange Whumptober 2024 Fic. Prompt: Rejection

I'm taking part in the r/FanfictionExchange -tober fest because I wanted to challenge myself. I'm doing four one-shots responding to Whump, Fluff, Kink and OC. This is my Whump Entry.

Something Right | Explicit | David Jones/Player Character | David Jones, Avery Samuels (OC/Player Character) | POV First Person, Porn with Feelings, Porn with Plot, Oral Sex, Couch Sex, Penis in Vagina Sex, Missionary Sex, Friends to Lovers, My First Attempt at First Person POV Smut, Female Perspective, r/FanfictionExchange, OCTober 2024 | 4.5k Words | Complete

When Avery comes home from a trip, she wonders if she did something wrong leaving Jones with easy access to her journals to tell him what she couldn't. But she finds that she did something right.

AKA when Jones and Avery would finally get together if The Adventures of Avery Samuels unfolded differently.

r/FanfictionExchange OCtober 2024 fic. Prompt: Friends to Lovers

I'm taking part in the r/FanfictionExchange -tober fest because I wanted to challenge myself. I'm doing four one-shots responding to Whump, Fluff, Kink and OC. This is my OC Entry.

Welcome to the Rest of Your Life, David Jones | Explicit | David Jones/Player Character | David Jones, Avery Samuels (OC/Player Character) | Minor Character Death, POV First Person, Friends to Lovers, Retelling of a Story Through Someone Else's Eyes, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, BDSM Scene, Eventual Smut, Eventual Romance | 3 Chapters | 18k Words | In Progress

It was meant to be a punishment. At least, that was how Chief King had described being assigned a rookie officer to David Jones. But then, he walked into the office and saw not a punishment, but the beginning of the rest of his life.

Or 'The Adventures of Avery Samuels: Welcome to Grimsborough' told from Jones' POV.

This was something I was toying with for a while now, and I just finally decided to take the plunge. Besides, I had a lot of fun doing the couple of chapters from Jones' POV. So, I thought to myself, 'Why not?'

Properly Improper | Explicit | Arthur Wright/Player Character | Arthur Wright, Emily Campbell (OC/Player Character) | 1890s, Season 4: Mysteries of the Past (Criminal Case), Older Man/Younger Woman, Office Sex, Alternate History, Somewhat Quickie, Not Beta Read, The Author Regrets Everything | 3.3k Words | Complete

Alone in the chief’s office aboard the airship, the usually uptight Chief Arthur Wright finds it can be fun to be properly improper with his young bride.

This is me making a very interesting introduction to my new Criminal Case OC. This is Emily Campbell, and she is Avery’s ancestor. I’m setting her up for when I start writing a fanfiction for Mysteries of the Past. I was planning to wait until I finish Avery’s story in World Edition, but I could end up bringing it forward because I’ve basically got everything set in stone for the whole series. I’ll decide in the New Year. :)

Planned Fics for This Fandom:

The Adventures of Avery Samuels: Welcome to Pacific Bay - Title subject to change. Sequel to Welcome to Grimsborough. Follows Avery in Pacific Bay.

The Adventures of Avery Samuels: Save the World - Title subject to change. Sequel to Grimsborough and Pacific Bay. Follows Avery during her tenure in the Bureau.

Mysteries of the Past: The Adventures of Emily Campbell - Spin-off focusing on Avery's ancestor Emily Campbell as she moves from England to Concordia. Based on Season 4 of Criminal Case. (Might end up starting to write and post this before I do Avery in Pacific Bay and World Edition)

The Adventures of Avery Samuels: A Final Conspiracy - Follows Avery as she returns to Grimsborough. Will be the final story in the series. (I'm not doing Seasons 6-8.)

Some one-shots of varying ratings.

Harry Potter

I have two works in this fandom:

Just a Man | Teen and Up | Creator Chose Not to Use Archive Warnings | No Romantic Relationships | Unnamed Hufflepuff Student, Background & Cameo Characters, Various Characters Mentioned But Not Seen | Voldemort Dies, Past Character Death, Second Wizarding War with Voldemort, Battle of Hogwarts Aftermath, More Book Than Film Based, POV First Person | 575 Words | Complete

The thoughts of an unidentified Hufflepuff student in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Hogwarts.

This is my very first work in the Harry Potter fandom. I'm a Hufflepuff, so this was born out of me wanting to shine a bit more of a spotlight on the house.

It was a question that many Hogwarts students asked, regardless of whether they were planed in Gryffindor or another house. It was certainly asked as the dark days loomed. When certain events brought that question to the forefront more than ever.

What did it mean to be brave?

I wrote this thinking of a message by a local antibullying organisation: Speak - even if your voice shakes.

Planned Fics for This Fandom:

My plans are very fluid. I am hoping to write more one-shots. I don't see myself writing a mutli-chaptered story in this fandom.

Hawaii Five-0 (2010 series)

I have seven fics in this fandom to date:

Snow Angels | Explicit | No Archive Warnings Apply | Danny "Danno" Williams/Original Female Character(s) | Danny "Danno" Williams, Felicity "Flick" McGarrett (OC) | Winterfest 2024, Cabin Fic, Snow, Smut, Danno Loves HIs Wife, McGarrett Sister OC, Oral Sex, Sex in Front of a Fireplace, Penis in Vagina Sex, My First Work in This Fandom, Not Beta Read, No ConCrit Please, Possibly Out of Character, r/FanfictionExchange, Orgasm Denial, Fluffy Ending | 5.4k Words | Complete

Recalling how his wife has never seen snow, Danny decides to see if he can turn his beach girl into a snow angel.

AKA Snow. Cabin. Smut.

Written for r/FanfictionExchange Winterfest 2024-25.

I wrote this for a fest that is currently being run on the r/FanfictionExchange subreddit. I decided to do a thing involving snow, cabin and smut. As it says in the summary. I've been toying with the idea for a while of doing a series of fics involving Danno falling in love with my OC, aka Steve's sister. Saw this as an opportunity to get that off the ground.

Last First Kiss | Teen and Up | No Archive Warnings Apply | Danny "Danno" Williams/Original Female Character(s), Danny "Danno" Williams & Grace Williams | Danny "Danno" Williams, Felicity "Flick" McGarrett (OC), Grace Williams | First Kiss, Feelings Realization, Love, Touch of Action, Grace Helps Her Dad, Wholesome, Year of the OTP 2025, Somewhat Rewrite of 1x03, No ConCrit Please | 2.4k Words | Complete

But the words had a greater affect on him than Grace could realize. It was as though his mind finally caught up with his heart. He realized what he had been feeling all along. Those sparks he felt when he and Flick kissed during the assignment weren’t a simple side effect of the adrenaline coursing through them. It was love.

It was Danny realizing that he wanted to be Flick’s last first kiss.

Written for the Year of the OTP Event. Prompt: First Kiss.

As I mentioned in the summary, I wrote this for @yearoftheotpevent. It's my first time participating in an event like this and I am so excited for the challenge it'll bring me. I've already gotten all my other fics planned out and I can't wait to write them when their respective months come along.

Let's Stay Together | General Audiences | No Archive Warnings Apply | Danny "Danno" Williams/Original Female Character(s) | Danny "Danno" Williams, Felicity "Flick" McGarrett (OC) | Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff, Gift Giving, Love, Whole Lotta Fluff, Year of the OTP 2025, No Dialogue, Short & Sweet, No ConCrit Please, Under 1k Words | 890 Words | Complete

It's Danny and Flick's first Valentine's Day together, and the couple exchange some rather cute gifts. It makes Danny reflect on how right it feels this time.

Written for the Year of the OTP Event. Prompt: Valentine's Day

This is just a short and sweet one-shot that's my second entry for @yearoftheotpevent. Since it was February, I went with Valentine's Day as the prompt, and this came out.

Kiss Me Through the Phone | Explicit | No Archive Warnings Apply | Danny "Danno" Williams/Original Female Character(s) | Danny "Danno" Williams, Felicity "Flick" McGarrett (OC) | Phone Sex, Dirty Talk, Masturbation, Temporary Separation, Year of the OTP 2025, This Author Sucks at Dirty Talk, My First (and Possibly Last) Attempt at Phone Sex, Not Beta Read, Might Be Out of Character | 2k Words | Complete

Danny has to go back to New Jersey to testify when one of his old cases finally goes to trial. Flick, who stayed back in Hawaii, has a long day. But a phone call leaves them both feeling better.

Written for Year of the OTP 2025. Prompt: Phone Sex.

My third entry for @yearoftheotpevent. This is one where I really challenged myself as I had never written a phone sex scene before. Hence the first and possibly last tag. ;)

Running From My Shadow | Mature | Creator Chose Not to Use Archive Warnings | Danny "Danno" Williams/Original Female Character(s) | Danny "Danno" Williams, Felicity "Flick" McGarrett (OC), Background & Cameo Characters | Past Character Death, Killers AU, Raised to Be a Killer, Running Away Together, Tragedies, Angst with a Happy Ending, I Think, Year of the OTP 2025, I'm Bad at Tagging, Three-Chaptered Fic | 3/3 Chapters | 5.2k Words | Complete

Killers AU

For the McGarretts, killing was all they knew. It was all they were raised to be. They didn't know how to be anything else. But then Felicity "Flick" McGarrett fell in love with the person she was meant to kill.

For Danny Williams, he wasn't raised to be a killer. But he still became a force to be reckoned with. He only killed bad guys. He could be described as a vigilante. Then, he fell in love with the woman sent to kill him.

It became clear what they would have to do. They would have to run from their shadows.

Year of the OTP 2025. Prompts: Running Away Together & Raised to Be a Killer.

My fourth entry for @yearoftheotpevent. Just like with Kiss Me Through the Phone, I really wanted to challenge myself and do something I had never done before. I hadn't really done an AU before, even though it's only a three-shot. Might revisit doing an AU down the road. (Actually, make that will because I've already planned out what I'm doing for the rest of my Year of the OTP fics - just have to write them in their respective months.)

Good Parts | Teen and Up | No Archive Warnings Apply | Past Rachel Edwards/Danny "Danno" Williams, Danny "Danno" Williams/Original Female Character(s) | Rachel Edwards, Danny "Danno" Williams, Felicity "Flick" McGarrett (OC), Steve McGarrett (brief appearance), Grace Williams (mentioned) | Year of the OTP 2025, Friendly Exes (eventually), Rachel Edwards Friendly, Somewhat Rewrite of 1x10, Mentions Other Events in Season 1, Some Canon Divergence, Danny and Rachel Work Things Out and Become Amicable, Teen and Up Because I'm Paranoid | 4.8k Words | Complete

Danny's ex-wife catches onto the fact that he is dating his partner. Even before they do. Now, all Rachel needs to do is make them realize that not only are they dating, but they have her blessing.

Year of the OTP 2025. Prompt: "We're dating? Since when?"

My fifth entry for @yearoftheotpevent. Admittedly, I found this one harder to write believe it or not. But I'm really happy to have gotten something out in the end. I'm really looking forward to next month's entry. I've got it all planned out.

Mobster AU

If you owe a debt to the Williams mob - originally from New Jersey but had been staking their claim nationwide - you needed to pay it.

When dance instructor Felicity “Flick” McGarrett is forced to go to the Williams mob for help, she is forced to agree to the terms of the head of the mob. She would need to pay with her body.

Year of the OTP 2025. Prompt: Paying a Debt with Your Body

My sixth entry for @yearoftheotpevent. This is one where I really wanted to challenge myself and do something I haven't done before. And for me it's been worth it so far. This event has really helped me stretch myself as a writer.

Planned Fics for This Fandom:

Come Sail Away - Vacation fic. Seventh Year of the OTP entry based off prompt "Vacation Together". (Trying to decide if I include the Mutual Masturbation prompt as well.)

Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch - Fluffy couple cooking together one-shot. Eighth Year of the OTP entry based off prompt "Cooking Together".

The Sweetest Gift - Fluffy pregnancy one-shot. Ninth Year of the OTP entry based off prompt "Come here". Could be a drabble.

I Put a Spell on You - Fluffy couple costume one-shot. Tenth Year of the OTP entry based off prompt "Costumes".

Face Down - Jersey Cop AU. Eleventh Year of the OTP entry based off prompts "Are You Sure", "Touch-Starved" and "Abusive Relationship".

Christmas in the Sand - Fluffy Christmas one-shot. Twelfth and final Year of the OTP entry based off prompt "Holiday Traditions".

Possibly other one-shots or a main story. TBD

Loonatics Unleashed

I have two fics in this fandom so far:

A Million Things | Teen and Up | Creator Chose Not to Use Archive Warnings | No Romantic Relationships | Ace Bunny, Brylee Bunny (OC), Lexi Bunny, Danger Duck, Slam Tasmanian, Tech E. Coyote, Rev Runner, Zadavia, Various Character(s) | Childbirth, Character Adopted at Birth, Interspecies Family, Found Family, Ace Bunny as a Big Brother, Diabetes, Menstruation, Coming-of-Age, Canon-Typical Violence, Bullying, Other Additional Tags to Be Added | 23/27 Chapters | 120k Words | WIP

Brylee Bunny is a million things. An orphan. A teenage girl. An aspiring photographer. A diabetic. An outcast. A... superhero? Brylee is thrust into her new life: a life where she has superpowers and she, along with her adoptive brother Ace and five other individuals, save the world from evil on a daily basis. How will she adapt to her new life as a superhero? Especially when it brings up even more questions about the family who abandoned her at birth?

I started writing this on FFN several years ago and decided to bring it over to AO3 when I decided to make AO3 my main fanfic site.

After certain events unfolded (re: defeating your boss's evil brother), Brylee decided that two certain bunnies need to pull their heads out and tell each other how they feel.

r/FanfictionExchange Flufftober 2024 Fic. Prompt: Love Confessions

I'm taking part in the r/FanfictionExchange -tober fest because I wanted to challenge myself. I'm doing four one-shots responding to Whump, Fluff, Kink and OC. This is my Fluff Entry, and I decided to use this opportunity to pay tribute to my original OTP.

Planned Fics for This Fandom:

A Million and One Things - Sequel to A Million Things. Follows Brylee during the events of season two.

A Million More Things - Sequel to A Million Things and A Million and One Things. The final story in the Brylee Bunny trilogy.

Some other one-shots. Maybe a chaptered story.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012 series)

I have three fics in this fandom so far:

In the Darkness | Teen and Up | Creator Chose Not to Use Archive Warnings | Leonardo/Original Female Character | Leonardo, Alina Herber (OC), Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo, Hamato Yoshi / Splinter, April O'Neil | Canon-Typical Violence, Interspecies Relationship, Interspecies Romance, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Other Additional Tags to Be Added | 21/33 Chapters | 98k Words | WIP

They introduced her to their world, now she can introduce them to hers.

What can possibly go wrong?

Something I started writing eight years ago and originally got abandoned, but renewed interest thanks to review exchanges on Reddit (along with rewatching the show) got me back into this.

Mine | Explicit | No Archive Warnings Apply | Leonardo/Original Female Character | Leonardo, Alina Herber (OC) | Mating Cycles/In Heat, Porn, Knifeplay, Aged-Up Characters, Leo in Heat, Yeah I'm Doing My Own Take on This, Interspecies Relationship(s), Interspecies Sex, Oral Sex, Multiple Sex Positions, Multiple Orgasms, Does This Count As Rough Sex?, Characters Are 18 Years Old, Pussy Slapping, My First Attempt at Interspecies Sex, First Time, Light BDSM, dom!leo, I'm Bad at Tagging, No Concrit Please | 4.6k Words | Complete

Usually, Alina stayed away when the Turtles were in heat. Well, at least from Leo, who was most affected by her presence. That changed in their eighteenth year.

Same ol' story. An idea wouldn't leave me alone. Met some bad influences who encouraged this. I wanted to see if this was something I could explore down the line in my current Leo/Alina series, so this also served as a... test balloon of sorts.

Leo and Alina sequester themselves away from the world as they work through Leo's heat together, making some surprising discoveries about each other.

Somewhat sequel to 'Mine', but can be read standalone.

r/FanfictionExchange Kinktober 2024 Fix. Prompt: Praise Kink.

I'm taking part in the r/FanfictionExchange -tober fest because I wanted to challenge myself. I'm doing four one-shots responding to Whump, Fluff, Kink and OC. This is my Kink Entry, and I decided to use this opportunity to do a somewhat sequel to Mine.

Planned Fics in This Fandom:

First In the Darkness Sequel - follows season 2 of TMNT 2012

Second In the Darkness Sequel - follows season 3 of TMNT 2012

Third In the Darkness Sequel - follows first half of season 4 of TMNT 2012

Fourth In the Darkness Sequel - follows second half of season 4 of TMNT 2012

Fifth In the Darkness Sequel - follows some of season 5 of TMNT

Potential for various one-shots focusing on Leo and Alina

Thunderbirds (1965 series)

I have six stories in this fandom. It's by far my most active:

The Thunderbird and the Doctor | Mature | Graphic Descriptions of Violence | Scott Tracy/Original Female Character, Background Alan Tracy/Tin-Tin Kyrano, Background Virgil Tracy/Original Female Character | Scott Tracy, Tracy Family, Indiana Evans (OC) | Based on Original Series, Scott Needs Some Loving, They Need a Doctor, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Narcissism, Angst and Romance, Angst with a Happy Ending, Attempted Murder, Kidnapping, Birth Control (one chapter), Pregnancy, Brief Descriptions of Labour | 50/50 Chapters | 292k Words | Complete

There was a missing component to International Rescue, Jeff Tracy felt. They needed a doctor. So, he found one. Dr. Indiana Evans was one of the best-known trauma surgeons. She wants to make a difference. Little did she know how much her life would change along the way.

This baby was what got me back into fanfiction writing full time. So, seeing this complete felt very bittersweet. In many ways, it's my first baby.

The Thunderbird and the Doctor After Dark | Explicit | No Archive Warnings Apply | Scott Tracy/Original Female Character | Scott Tracy, Indiana Evans (OC) | Porn, Porn with Feelings, Some Plot, Blow Jobs, Oral Sex, One Shot Collection, Additional Warnings in Author's Note, Unprotected Sex, Masturbation, Multiple Sex Positions, Hand Jobs, No Dialogue (some chapters), Cunnilingus, Mutual Masturbation, Medical Kink, Sexual Roleplay, 5+1 Things, Cockblocking, This Author Sucks at Dirty Talk, Temperature Play, Restraints, Blindfolds, Aftercare, Bathtub Sex, Light BDSM, Couch Sex, Birthday Sex | 25/25 Chapters | 64k Words | Complete

The missing scenes from The Thunderbird and the Doctor. What exactly do Scott and Indiana get up to behind closed doors?

This is my smut collection. It's the missing sex scenes from the main story, but you can read it without reading the main story. Especially if you're just looking for some smut.

The Thunderbird and the Geologist | Teen and Up | Creator Chose Not to Use Archive Warnings | Virgil Tracy/Original Female Character, Background Scott Tracy/Original Female Character, Background Alan Tracy/Tin-Tin Kyrano | Virgil Tracy, Arizona Adams (OC), Tracy Family | Sequel, References to Previous Story, Past Character Death, Falling in Love, Happy Ending, Might Contain Inaccuracies, Child of Death Adults (CODA), American Sign Language, Other Additional Tags to Be Added | 10 Chapters | 30k Words | WIP

Sequel to 'The Thunderbird and the Doctor'.

We saw Scott find his missing piece. How about Virgil? It was pure fate that saw Virgil meeting Dr. Arizona Adams, a world-renowned geologist who also happens to be Indiana's childhood best friend. Will their road to happily ever after be smooth sailing?

This is the second story in a series I'm planning focusing on each Tracy brother and their love story. It's early days, but I'm happy with it so far.

Jeff reflects on the sacrifices he's asking his sons to make for his dreams, and is resolved to do what he can to rectify that.

I wrote this one-shot on a plane trip actually (personal note: never write on an iPad again). I actually posted it on the anniversary I started posting The Thunderbird and the Doctor, which made it even more special.

A Tropical White Christmas | General Audiences | No Archive Warnings Apply | Tracy Family, Original Characters, Penelope Creighton-Ward, Tin-Tin Kyrano, Background & Cameo Characters | Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Snowball Fight, Snow on a Tropical Island, References to Canon, Pregnant Character | 1.5k Words | Complete

Brains had given the Tracy family a great gift this Christmas. One they were determined to make use of.

This is written in reference to the Thunderbirds episode Give or Take a Million, where Brains made it snow on Tracy Island. So, the boys enjoy it the old-fashioned way. This was written as part of the Winter Fest on the FanfictionExchange subreddit and gifted to @kristylime, a good friend of mine and co-mod who gave me the idea. Thanks, mate.

Two people experiencing an unlucky day meet at a train station, and their day looks up.

I wrote this in response to the Fate and Luck Fest on the FanfictionExchange subreddit.

Planned Fics in This Fandom:

The Thunderbird and the Photographer - Gordon's love story with photographer Mirabel Marks.

The Thunderbird and the Author - John's love story with author Adalyn Rowe.

The Thunderbird and His Sweetheart - Alan's love story with Tin-Tin

Odd one-shots

Not in this fandom, but I am thinking of doing a fic based on the reboot with a new OC, but similar to The Thunderbird and the Doctor

Transformers: Prime

I have two fics in this fandom:

Save You | Explicit | Graphic Descriptions of Violence | Jack Darby/Original Female Character, Optimus Prime/Arcee | Talida Prime, Jack Darby, Optimus Prime, Arcee, Ratchet, Cliffjumper, Bumblebee, Bulkhead, William Fowler, Starscream, Decepticons | Kidnapping, Torture, Teen Romance, Rewrite, Amputation, Aftermath of Torture, Psychological Torture, Implied Sexual Content, Pre-Canon, Might Contain Medical Inaccuracies, Angst with a Happy Ending, Is This a Dead Dove Fic? | 23/23 Chapters | 64k Words | Complete

What if Jack somehow discovered the existence of the Autobots earlier than planned? His best friend has disappeared and he soon discovers that there is more to her disappearance than meets the eye.

This is a rewrite of a story I brought over from FFN, which is in turn a rewrite of my original Talida Prime series. I wasn't happy with what I was doing and had done, so it led to this.

Zombie | Explicit | Graphic Descriptions of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage | Jack Darby/Original Female Character, Optimus Prime/Arcee | Jack Darby, Talida Prime, Original Characters, Optimus Prime, Arcee, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Ratchet, Cliffjumper, Miko Nakadai, Rafael "Raf" Esquivel, William Fowler, June Darby, Megatron, Starscream, Soundwave, Other Character Tags to Be Added | Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Past Torture, Past Abuse, Flashbacks, Season/Series 01, Amputee Character, Teen Romance, Eventual Smut, Characters Are 16 Years Old, Is This a Dead Dove?, Slight Alteration to Canon, Other Additional Tags to Be Added | 11 Chapters | 54k Words | WIP

Sequel to 'Save You'.

It's been two years. The Decepticons have retreated into the shadows. Talida is haunted by her experiences, but is slowly moving forward with the help of her loved ones. But the tranquility is disrupted when the Decepticons make a dramatic return to the scene, causing a significant blow to the Autobot forces and marking the resumption of a war that has haunted Talida since birth. The Autobots gear up for another fight alongside old and new allies, but will they all emerge unscathed?

As mentioned, this is a sequel to Save You. This follows season one of the show, but some changes will have to be made because, in this series, Jack knew about the Autobots before the show's canon.

Planned Fics in This Fandom:

Sequels to Save You and Zombie. Unknown titles. Unknown if any other fics will crop up.

25 notes · View notes

mermaidsirennikita · 10 months ago

Note

Hi! Do you by chance have any kind of reading list for newbies to romance who want good examples of common tropes & an understanding of how the genre has evolved over time? Or recs for iconic titles and pioneer authors in the genre? I know Nora Roberts and Danielle Steele are everywhere but are they really the best place to start?

I can offer some recs/guidance! My word definitely isn't gospel and I have my blind spots—I try to read diversely, but I can always do better and am a white, cis, physically abled woman.

Soooo in terms of Nora and Danielle, I'd say yes to trying Nora, no to her necessarily being the best START, and personally I don't care for Danielle's books. But that's a pure taste issue, and the big thing is that the vast majority of Nora's books are romance (more recently, she's been published some dystopia/fantasy-bent stuff with romantic subplots while still publishing romance, I believe, and she's been publishing her In Death series, which is romantic suspense with some sci-fi elements, for years as J.D. Robb) whereas a lot of Danielle's books aren't. The first Danielle Steel book I ever read as a kid was pitched as a romance. It wasn't, and I hated it.

Nora is very good, but I do think she can be a bit overwhelming for new readers just because she's been through so many eras. She also has a very distinct voice, and you're either gonna be into it or you aren't. Nora writes a lot of trilogies, which will sometimes offer standalones and sometimes reeeeally read as interconnected series that happen to focus more on one of three couples per book (while the other couples still stay on as strong supporting characters). See my favorite books I've read by her, the Circle Trilogy. It's paranormal romance with a strong fantasy element. While each book centers one of of three couples, the books must be read in order and all feed into this overarching "save the day" storyline.

But to cut to the chase... Here are some books that can offer you an intro "sampler".

Iconique Classiques

A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught. This medieval romance is enemies to lovers where they're LEGIT enemies to lovers, with a delightfully complicated heroine. It's a great example of Judith McNaught, who is a foundational author, and despite being written in the 80s (with all that entails) it holds up really well.

The Bride by Julie Garwood. Another foundational medieval with a "oh, this is 80s but it hjolds up" vibe. Arranged marriage with a classic medieval setup: the Border Marriage! (Scotland x England marriage for political purposes.) Alec Kincaid is an EXTREMELY influential hero, and this is just such a fun book.

Indigo by Beverly Jenkins. Beverly Jenkins isn't by any means the only author who's written historical romances about Black characters, but she's perhaps the most influential and probably the historical romance novelist wh does the most research in general. Her writing is gorgeous, and this book focused on a practical heroine who ends up in over her head after she nurses an infamously rakish Underground Railroad conductor back to health is just so romantic.

A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux. This is a really interesting romance, again very 80s but still good (imo). It focuses on a heroine in the 80s who goes to a church to cry wishing for a knight in shining armor after being abandoned by her douchey fiance. Then a literal medieval knight literally time travels right before her eyes. And he's also a douche lol. But a hot one!

Johanna Lindsey is also a very influential author in the genre, but a lot of her big CLASSICS are more noncon-leaning. A big one is Prisoner of My Desire, in which the heroine is forced to rape the hero in order to get pregnant (he later does the same to her in revenge... and then they fall in love). Kathleen E. Woodiwiss's The Flame and the Flower also features the hero raping the heroine, and it's also a classic. I won't get into it on a request post, but if you want to explore the genre more academically~ and are okay with reading noncon, I'd encourage checking out these and/or McNaught's Whitney, My Love. They're good books, imo, but the reality is that consent issues are a part of the genre's history, and that books with consent issues did and DO appeal to many romance readers for reasons that I think relate to the genre's appeal in a big way.

Kiss an Angel by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Susan Elizabeth Phillips did a lot to work towards the contemporary romcoms of today, except her books are often a lot more romantic and a lot funnier. This one is also generally WILD with a super dickish alpha hero who takes the heroine (who was forced to marry him by her dad) on a jaunt around the country with a TRAVELING CIRCUS. It's crazy. It's extremely fun. It's WILD.

To Love a Dark Lord by Anne Stuart. This is another historical, and to me it shows a lot of the early seeds of dark romance. You have a shady hero, a deal with the devil, and high stakes throughout. Stuart writes the biggest assholes for heroes, but this one is on the softer side for her.

Contemporary

Reel by Kennedy Ryan. Kennedy is one of the best in the biz! This book focuses on a famous director who falls for the up and coming actress he's chosen to star in his passion project. But she has a secret that could come between them. It also has a unique quality in that it goes back and forth between their story and the movie "script", which tells its own love story.

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert. The first in Hibbert's funny, feelings-y, and hot Brown Sisters trilogy. Showcases a heroine with chronic pain who decides to get a life (as the title suggests) witht he help of her hot neighbor.

Lush Money by Angelina M. Lopez. A super unique billionaire romance with a Latina heroine who is in fact the billionaire, making a very unique deal with a prince in need...

How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang. A successful author sets out to have her books adapted into a TV show, only to find out that one of the writers on the show is a man who was pulled into her sister's suicide when they were teens. (Basically: her sister jumped in front of his car, it was by no means his fault but the heroine and her parents hated him for it.) They can't resist their chemistry as adults, and begin a short-term no-strings thing that obviously... is a lot more. SUPER emotional, super hot, would recommend 100000%. READ THIS OVER EMILY HENRY. IMO.

Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid. A great way to try sports romance, and a particular niche of sports romance called hockey romance, and a particular niche of hockey romance called GAY hockey romance. One of the only hockey romances I'm into, about a pair of longtime rivals who've secretly had a FWB situationship for years and are clearly in love but can't handle admitting it. SO. GOOD.

Chef's Choice by T.J. Alexander. A classic fake dating setup with a lot of cooking when a down on her luck woman agrees to pretend to date the French heir to a famous cooking family while he takes on a cooking... challenge...? To lock in his inheritance. A book with a trans hero and a trans heroine, rare (unfortunately) in romance.

Managed by Kristen Callihan. This is a great example of a rockstar romance, albeit one that focuses more on the manager of the band who's sooo uptight, and the social media girl/photographer he can't live without.

Lead by Kylie Scott. And if you want a rockstar romance that's about, well, the rockstar side... Here's a book about a recovering addict frontman whose world is turned upside down when his hard-ass assistant/sober living companion/unintentional best friend quits her job (because she just realized that somehow she's fallen in love with him).

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang. A woman on the spectrum who's convinced that she's bad in bed (and wants to get married to please her family) hires a sex worker to get her out of her funk. Definitely recommend!

Historical

Again the Magic by Lisa Kleypas. This is the prequel to Kleypas's Wallflowers series. By and large, I generally recommend trying to read older editions of Lisa's earlier books—she's been making a lot of edits since 2015ish that I don't... love.... I haven't heard of any edits being made to this one, though, and she's one of the greatest historical romance authors of all time. This is a dual romance, with a second chance/revenge interclass romance as the main story, with an age gap sort of redemption romance in the second story. Both are excellent.

Thief of Shadows by Elizabeth Hoyt. Hoyt's entire Maiden Lane series is sooo good, but if you're going to read one book by her, go for the one with the virgin vigilante hero who finds love with a jaded society widow.

The Duke Gets Even by Joanna Shupe. This is a standalone that's even better when you read the prior books in its series first. However, I think it's a great sendup of historical romance tropes—you get a rakish heroine, a hero who likes some rough sex (giving AND receiving bites and bruises) and a lot of HIGH OCTANE EMOTION with a feminist streak.

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall. A friends to lovers romance between a PTSD-ridden duke and a woman who, unbeknownst to him, is his best friend from before the war, who faked her death after the Battle of Waterloo in order to live as her true self. A rare historical romance with a trans heroine.

The Dragon and The Pearl by Jeannie Lin. A cat and mouse villain/kidnapping romance set in Tang Dynasty China. Super tense in the best possible way.

An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera. A sapphic romance set in 1800s Paris, with one heroine being forced to show the other the secrets of the lesbian art community as a part of a business deal.

Princess by Gaelen Foley. To me, this is a great example of CAMPY 90s bodice ripper vibes in the best possible way. A bodyguard! A princess! An age gap! It can't be! She lactates when he sucks on her tits (she's a virgin).

The Mistress Experience by Scarlett Peckham. A sex work-positive romance with a shy hero and a bold heroine, a super modern and exciting look at historicals.

Devil's Bride by Stephanie Laurens. This is one I would definitely recommend to see a throwback—it's a great example of the campy historicals focused on one big family, with a solid dose of humor. And I mean... you kind of need to read a book with a hero named Devil.

Unmasked by the Marquess by Cat Sebastian. A super lovely friends to lovers romance with a nonbinary protagonist. It definitely broke new ground in historical romance.

Waking Up with the Duke by Lorraine Heath. Lorraine is one of the best historical romance writers in the game and is known for turning bonkers plots (in this case, local man agrees to impregnate his impotent best friend's wife) into suuuuuuper emotional love stories. A must-read.

Paranormal Romance

Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh. A really interesting, influential shifter romance with a heroine who's literally incapable of feeling emotion... falling for a hero who's a literal panther shifter that feels ALL the emotion.

A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole. A CLASSIC paranormal romance and the first full-length installment of Immortals After Dark, the best PNR series I've ever read. Very classic hyper alpha werewolf book, with the "feminine but headstrong" heroine type Kresley's so good at. I would also make your way to Lothaire, which is later in the series but probably the BEST vampire romance novel I've ever read. A true example of a villain romance, which can be hard to find.

Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison. Another Big Alpha romance with mating bond stuff, this time featuring a dragon shifter who hunts the heroine down after she steals from him.

Morning Glory Milking Farm by C.M. Nascosta. Not MY favorite book, but it's cute, and if you want an example of the modern "soft monster" romance, this... is it. (Run, Run Rabbit is my Nascosta of choice, but it's definitely a darker bite and feels a bit less "monster romance" to me as the leads are werewolves. To me, a monster should be less... humanoid.)

Bride by Ali Hazelwood. I really liked this, but I also think it's good to read to see the contrast between currently lite paranormals and paranormals from the height of the early 2000s wave. Plus, it's a tradpub book with knotting, which... shows how far we've come lmao

Moonglow by Kristen Callihan. Another KCallihan, but she writes across so many subgenres! This one I'm recommending to illustrate a particular niche we don't get enough of—historical paranormals. A werewolf/witch book set in Victorian London? And he's a Scottish rake? HELL YEAH.

A Long Time Dead by Samara Breger. A recent release that offers more gothic approach, with a romance between sapphic vampires spanning centuries. You can totally see an Interview with the Vampire call and response thing going on, but as a true romance novel with more explicit queerness (referring to the Interview book, not the show).

Erotic Romance

Priest by Sierra Simone. Good for dipping your toes into the Sierra Simone waters, a very classic "taboo" (but the taboo is religious, so it's light for a lot of people) romance between a Catholic priest and a woman seeking to unburden herself. With unique usages for holy oils. For Simone, I'll also recommend..............

The New Camelot Trilogy. This is for people who are ready to expand a bit and explore poly romance—I personally don't think anyone writes poly as well as Simone. An MMF triad retelling of the King Arthur myth, with the president, vice president, and first lady in a tangled, semi-dark-but-more-emotionally-speaking-not-violently-speaking triangle. Her writing is MAGNIFIQUE.

Praise by Sara Cate. Sara Cate is hit or miss for me, but this one is a great way to try her out while getting a good example of a "sex club" romance. The heroine ends up in a light D/s relationship with her ex-boyfriend's dad, with a good bit of praise involved. ;)

The Master by Kresley Cole. Another author who has to be featured multiple times due to her expansiveness. This one is a Russian mafia book that involves some truuuuuuly interesting... devices. But also, a lot of heart, as Kresley Cole is so good at making everything work. An interesting contrast to Lothaire, which I maintain is the paranormal version of this book in a lot of ways.

Mafia Mistress by Mila Finelli. A great example of an Italian mafia romance, with a massive age gap and some daddy stuff. I will also say—it does end on a cliffhanger and you need to read Mafia Darling to get the full story. Mafia Madman is actually my favorite in this series and is about a different couple, but they're ALL super good.

His Valet by S.M. LaViolette. A historical erotic romance with boss/employee stuff, secret identity stuff, a great grovel, and a nonbinary protagonist. Gorgeously written, daring, and a must.

Preferential Treatment by Heather Guerre. A billionaire romance that critiques the very concept of billionaires, and a great example of a soft femdom romance.

Act Your Age by Eve Dangerfield. An interesting and again self-analytical daddy age gap romance.

Fantasy Romance

A Heart of Blood and Ashes by Milla Vane. An amazing barbarian-type romance with a big fantasy world and a ton of heat and swoony passion. A must!

The Witch Collector by Charissa Weaks. I just think this series is everything people tell you ACOTAR is, and I would absolutely recommend for multiple great romances (m/f and m/m), complex characters, and amazing dynamics throughout.

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco. This kicks off Maniscalco's Kingdom of the Wicked series, with witchcraft, demons, and more. This series began with a YA tone (the heroine was never underage, though) but in the second book Maniscalco transitioned to a fully adult sphere (and content...). You could also begin with the "adult from the start" spinoff Throne of the Fallen, it's up to you.

The Wisteria Society for Lady Scoundrels by India Holton. A whimsical and super romantic book kicking off a series with thieves, flying pirates, witches, and a ton of humor with a historical romance bent.

The Winter King by C.L. Wilson. Another high fantasy type romance with a conquering winter king marrying a summer princess in a true-making arrangement. Ice sculptures, war, and enemies to lovers goodness ensues.

Aaaand I don't read a lot of alien/sci-fi romance, but I'd definitely say that everyone should give Ruby Dixon's Ice Planet Barbarians series a try for the culture! Barbarian's Mate is my favorite, but Barbarian Alien might be a good place for newbies to start.

#romance novel blogging #romance novels #book recs

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mapplesand · 9 months ago

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okay so i'm gonna make an actual post about my story so everything make sense

MORBID MINDS

Themes : Bullying, growing up as an outcast, neurodiversity, morally weird teens, healing from trauma and becoming a better person, exploring sexuality (and trying to be healthy with it)

Multiple POV, character driven

WIP, as of today (september 7th 2024) the story has 17 chapters and 122k words

WIP, as of today (november 24th 2024) has 21 chapters and 172k words

Synopsis

Marco is a freshman in high school, judged and bullied by his classmates for his military like clothing and “school shooter looks”, he’s considered a troubled teen and is not really trying to change that either. Even if he doesn’t want to admit it, his ostracization from people is taking a toll on him and he grows more annoyed and depressed until he meets another lonely teen called Tristan.

Morbid Minds is set in Grundale, Connecticut and begins in 2022, it follows the characters during their high school years.

Content Warnings

Violence, bullying, fatphobia, homophobia, ableism, self harm, suicide attempt, overdose attempt, sexual discussion/sex talk, school shooting discussion

Characters

Marco Klein-Valdez, troubled teen with ADHD bullied by his peers for his strange behaviors and clothing style, he enjoys dark stuff and dark humor, often talking back to people in obscene ways

Marco's character intro

Tristan Lambert, autistic teenager with a passion for music and horror stories, he loves literature and poety, he tends to go along with things because he doesn't really like being the center of attention

Tristan's character intro

Joshua Roberts, popular kid and part of the people that bully Marco, he believes that since he's not actively participating in mockery he's fine and has nothing to be guilty for

Josh's character intro

Tyler Giesler, autistic artsy kid with a special interest for psychology and explosives, often talks in a monotone voice, he becomes a POV character in part 2 of the story

Tyler's character intro

Secondary Characters

Klara Klein, Marco's cousin one year younger than him

Kip Mercado, friend of Klara when they start their freshman year

Carmen Diaz, best friend of Tyler when they both lived in Texas

Maria Venturi, ex middle school crush of Marco

Dalisay Valdez, Marco's mother, born in the Philippines she moved in the US when she was 15

Bernhard Klein, Marco's father, born in Germany, his family moved to the US in 1974 when he was 6

Michael Lambert, Tristan's father, born in France, his family moved to the US when he was 12, he still has an heavy french accent and speak french with his son

(more about the characters in the links below)

Worth Noting about the story

Morbid Minds, as the title suggests is a deep dive into the minds of teens and how they can often have morbid interests and how growing up lonely and bullied can affect someone. Most of the characters are socially awkward and not your typical perfect and nice protagonist, all the characters are portrayed as complex individual with the wrong coping mechanisms. There's also a big commentary about how being perceived as a problem child and the imperfect victim can truly fuck you up.

The sexual themes of the story are meant to show and portray teenagers navigating their relationship between love, how they view sex and how they interact with it. Most of the things are not explicit unless it's in a dialogue (sometimes they say horny stuff is what it means)

This is a story about growing up and learning how to be better when no one believe in you because you're seen as a problem.

feel free to ask questions and idk everything you want because there's a lot to talk about here

Links

link to the story on AO3

Strawpage : https://morbid-minds.straw.page/

tag : https://mapplesand.tumblr.com/tagged/morbid%20minds

Characters list : https://www.tumblr.com/mapplesand/762971118636335105/morbid-minds-characters-list?source=share

Masterlist of the dumb quotes

List of every AU

Some posts

themes and important things I tackle in the story

headcanon game

headcanon game 2

vibe of the story but with very dumb tumblr post

marco's redflag list

Marco's clothes

Tristan's clothes

Tristan's clothes in college

Josh's clothes

Tyler's clothes

Kip's clothes

Klara's clothes

every chapter title and their explanation

dumb twitter posts with my ocs

about Josh and Tyler's relationship (might expand on that in other post)

about Dalisay (Marco's mom)

Marco, Tristan, Josh and Tyler and going through puberty

how they text

tw child sexual abuse for Tyler's backstory

Tyler and Carmen crazy friendship

height difference between Marco, Tristan Josh and Tyler

this one post about what movie they like

Marco, Tristan, Josh and Tyler's digital footprint

Marco and Tristan different take on being trans allies

Gender chart AU feat Marco and Tristan

Tyler and his weird tendencies towards physical touch

hygiene of the main characters because they all stink

Marco and Tristan picrew

Josh and Tyler picrew

dumb post about Marco and Tristan dressing up as their traditional clothes cultural background

Marco's cultural background

on fat characters in Morbid Minds

Non exhaustive list of everything Marco did before realizing he had a crush on Tristan

Josh and how he's an hypocrite

the characters and their relationship to sex

pokemon smash or pass with Marco and Tristan

winter dumbassery with Marco and Tristan

representation in Morbid Minds

Marco's vibe part 1

Marco's vibe part 2

Tristan's vibe part 1

Tristan's vibe part 2

Marco, Tristan, Josh and Tyler and Christmas

How Morbid Minds characters would react if you asked their pronouns

Marco and Tristan's relationship

Marco's playlist but I explain why the songs are in the playlist

Tristan's playlist but I also explain why there's songs here

Stuff that changed in the story in between 2023 and 2025

Morbid Minds' inspiration

Writing and Excerpts from chapters

chapter 18, Josh and Tyler, about how Tyler autistic rizz can turn a straight man gay

chapter 18, Marco and Tristan, about struggling to say "i love you"

Marco and Tristan's first kiss in chapter 10

Excerpt from the short story Guilty Bodies

Josh and Tyler's kiss in the short story Guilty Bodies

oc kiss week - stolen kiss (Josh x Tyler)

oc kiss week - desperate (Marco x Tristan)

Short Story on AO3

Short Story about how Prom went for Marco and Tristan on AO3

Short Story about Josh and Tyler's relationship after prom on AO3, warning for sex

Drawings

portrait of Marco and Tristan

portrait of Josh and Tyler

portrait of Kip and Klara

Marco and Tristan commission by Wormspoodle

Josh and Tyler commission by Wormspoodle

Marco and Tristan commission 2 by Wormspoodle

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multifandombullshitbabes · 1 year ago

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Random Merlin Rewatch: Where a random number generator gives me a season and an episode from BBC Merlin; and then I comment on it as I go.

Today's episode: Season 4 Episode 7 - The Secret Sharer

Before I start, let me just say and I have done my uni exam and that's why I haven't been posting these even though I really wanted to. Not joking, I had to let my fingers rest 'cause I wrote all my notes and shit. It was a lot. Anyways, let's fucking do this.

LET'S GO INTRO!!!! YOUNG MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOH

EWWWWW WHY IS AGRAVAINE TOUCHING MORGANA LIKE THAT I'M GONNA PUKE BRO

Damn, Morgana's eyes are so GREEN, that makeup really does it for her. Kinda funny she's wearing it to bed though. Girl.

GOOD LORD MAMA, HELLO

Agravaine needs to chill the fuck out. Every time he's on screen he gives me the ick. Ugh. Also Morgana looked so damn paranoid talking about Emrys. "He knows everything. All our plans, all our secrets." Girl.... RIP Morgana you would've loved therapy (or not).

Ohhh... interesting Morgana's reaction to Agravaine's accusation of Gaius, saying that he's the ones working with Emrys. She almost looks... hurt? Like. She really doesn't want to face the reality that Gaius exists, in the sense that she's just so hurt by everything these people that "loved" her have done. She just feels so betrayed by everyone, so hurt, so ANGRY. It's so tragic.

Oh my GOD. I NEED PEOPLE TO STOP MANIPULATING MORGANA!!! I'M SICK OF IT!!!! The way she hesitates!!! When she knows that it means that they're going to use Gaius or maybe even kill him!!! The way that she moves away from Agravaine, processing this, the way he INTERRUPTS THIS and insists, again, that it has to be Gaius, they have to do something. And for a second she almost looks so fucking scared, like!!

LOOK AT HER!!! ANOTHER PERSON THAT'S BETRAYED HER!!! SHE'S SO HURT AND SCARED!!! OH GOD HER AND ARTHUR ARE SO SIMILAR.

She even blinks her eyes after that line from Agravaine, like blinking away tears, her eyes are so shiny bro, I'm gonna cry :((. And after blinking she turns all smirky and "evil" and shit. Jesus Christ. I could write a whole thesis about Morgana and her character progression holy shit.

LET'S GO MUSICCCCCCC

AHHHHHH the iconic breakfast in bed scene!!! Yay!!!

I don't blame Arthur for spitting that out, shit looked dry as FUCK. Also there's a bunch of crumbs on the bed, Merlin, YOU'LL have to clean that up!!! Don't give yourself more work!!

"I don't know anything about Polishing." We really need more appreciation about how Bradley delivers his lines, this one is just too funny, only hearing it, bro. Also. Merlin writes Arthur's speeches. One of the best pieces of canon in my opinion. It's just so comical, for some reason. And they must be good too, 'cause no one's questioning them. It's just such a subtle way to show that Merlin IS smart. Sometimes. A little bit.

Merlin, babe, you cannot be serious. You writing the new bible or something, what the fuck is this.

"You don't have hours." Most threatening and terrifying Merlin's ever sounded. Arthur's better than me, I would've have an anxiety attack so bad it'd send me straight to hell.

THIS INTRO IS EVERYTHING!!! WHY ARE THEY SAYING THINGS SO PERFECTLY SILLY!! I LOVE IT!!! Also, damn, Arthur's BUSY. I guess we do forget that kings had to, y'know. Do basically everything, like be a judge sometimes. Hello??

Ah yes, what I've been waiting for: the wrestling Arthur out of the bed scene. Love it. No notes, really.

"You're doing very well, Arthur." WHAT IF I CRY???

"I don't think so."???? ARTHUR WHAT IF I SMACK SOME SENSE INTO YOU, SHUT UP!!! YOU'RE DOING PRETTY GREAT IN MY OPINION, LISTEN TO YOUR MANSERVANT FOR ONCE.

A tiny bit of appreciation for Arthur's chest hair.

Thank you.

Love that Agravaine just. Ignores that it's Merlin writing Arthur's shit. He must have gotten such a shock right at the start and now nothing's surprising anymore.

The fact that Morgana, all in black, has a white horse is so fucking cool to me. Work that shit, queen.

OK GORGEOUS?????

Hate the way Agravaine speaks. Shut the FUCK UP.

Arthur. Arthur, honey. Yeah, you've got to stop being so easy to manipulate. I know it's hard, but your uncle is so fucking obvious doing it, please, please, just. Please. Holy shit.

Morgana's dress (cloak?? hood?? idk) is so pretty.

Morgana being the last of her kind, High Priestess of the Triple Goddess. Merlin being the last Dragonlord. Something something...

Also. Some obvious orientalism is this episode. Kinda icky, but unsurprising giving it's BBC and also like. 2011 or whatever. But still. Ugh.

Welp. Welp, welp. Can't really say much about that, can I??

I can't remember, but I'm assuming that bracelet she gives to the Catha is from Morgause, simply by the look of pain in her face when it's out of her grasp. Literally, when will my wife's suffering end?

I wonder just how many different kinds of magic beings and users there are in JUST the five kingdoms. What about the rest of the world?? Like. that's just so cool!! I love world building, maybe one day I'll waste away some days just building up lore and lore, probably some made up, but mostly from all cultures and countries. That would be cool as fuck actually.

Agravaine's smile is so FAKE, FUCK OFFFFFFF

Ew, why does he just touch everybody. Weird uncle vibes, for sure.

Oh, I just don't like how Arthur's so quiet. I bet Agravaine's just gotten in his head so bad. He already looks ready to cry, like Gaius has already betrayed him. He's so used to that, what's one more?

Jesus, this hurts to watch. The fact that Gaius knows exactly what's happening, and he's trying to be as truthful as he can but Agravaine's just. making it all worse and horrible. This is so bad.

Ok, Gaius, I know you're better at lying than this. Fucking damnit.

EW. Agravaine's little smirk?? What the fuck is wrong with him? Jesus, I feel so sick watching this, knowing that he's just basically sentenced Gaius as a liar!! Fuck!!!

Well, at least Arthur noticed that Agravaine was being a fucking bitch. Not all is lost.

"... we might find some (proof)." Oh, ok, so you're just admitting that you're going to fabricated evidence against Gaius? Oh ok.

JESUS THESE MAN'S TITTIES ARE JIGGLING GOOD LORD

OH MY GOD, NOT THE PECS FLEXING??? I'm assuming normally you don't see that when you're on a horse adjusting yourself 'cause you got clothes on but this guy DOESN'T and you can SEE EVERYTHING.

The way that Merlin opens the door is so funny. He is NOT amused to be called upon by Agravaine. Mood.

Why is Agravaine's smile literally so disgusting, I cannot.

EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW WHY DOES HE SMILE SO MUCH???? VERY MUCH WEIRD UNCLE VIBES. VERY MUCH "PUT SOME CLOTHES ON, YOUR UNCLE'S COMING." VIBES. EW. EW EW EWWWW

Love seeing Agravaine getting humbled, thank you big titty man.

Really? Really??? A book boldly proclaiming that it's about magic and sorcery, kinda hidden by one (1) sheet of paper as your proof? Really??? Are you for real right now?? Fuck off.

It is actually so upsetting seeing Agravaine in Merlin and Gaius's space. Like that's not for you, disgusting bitch.

Not Merlin finishing polishing the dagger and setting it on Arthur's nightstand JUST as the warning bells start to sound. Lol. Lmao even.

OH MY GOD THEY'RE DESTROYING GAIUS' SHIT??? WHAT THE FUCK

No no no. I hate this. The fact that Merlin now get's why Agravaine made him polish that dagger. He's fucking blaming himself right away, oh I can't do this.

Merlin literally looks like a baby in this shot, holy shit. My baby :(((.

Agravaine's acting (not the actor's, is the actor acting the character acting!! which is so fucking cool) is so fucking annoying. It's so obvious, dammit, Arthur, you're a king, how can you not see it!!! I know he's family, but you barely know him!!! I know he's from your mother's side and you want THAT side to be good unlike your father's side that's brought you so much pain, I know, but come ON!!!

Oh, Merlin's so mad, not at Arthur, at Agravaine and himself, but he's so hurt, so scared, so pained that it comes across as quietly, restrained angry, and it's fucking heart breaking.

Oh god. This is one of their most painful fights in my opinion. I think they get so fucking heart breaking when it's Merlin just. trying to show his side, trying to get Arthur to understand but Arthur just cannot because he's been given a certain information that WOULD make his actions sensible, but WE know they're lies!!! We do, Merlin does, but he can't just say that 'cause it might reveal HIS lie, and it's just UGH!!!!!!!!!! FUCK

MERLIN IS FUCKING TEARING UP I CAN'T. "He would not leave without saying goodbye to me." I AM GOING TO PUKE.

The way Merlin turns away when he's close to crying, ohhhhh. Oh BBC Merlin writers when I catch you. Colin Morgan when I catch you.

"I don't wanna lose another friend." I think these are the moments that really make me wanna chortle Arthur. I truly feel like he cannot understand the depth of the power that he has compared to Merlin. 'Cause what does that threat mean? Just them stop being friends but Merlin's still employed? Arthur sacking Merlin? Arthur treating Merlin how he's treating Gaius right now? Because, truthfully, with the power that Arthur has, any of these options is viable. I think this is what scares me, Arthur just cannot comprehend that he just cannot threaten his friends, his loved ones, like this just because he's king now. He simply cannot. The weight of it is different. Even if he would never hurt them, it doesn't matter, he has the POWER to. That's what's so scary. And then he wonders why Merlin doesn't tell him things. How can he?

The way things just. Change between the early seasons and now. The way Gaius talks to Morgana, knowing she wants to kill him, when he saw her grow up. I'm gonna be so fucking sick, y'all, what the fuck.

Does she braid some of her hair with leaves?? Or a green ribbon? What is that in her hair??

Not gonna lie, Morgana is so hot in this scene. Jesus. Love that voice, and that's all I'm gonna say.

HE LOOKS SO BABY!!!!!!!!!!1

I love that Gwen doesn't even question that Agravaine's behind it. She's like "I'll use my charms to get Arthur to see reason, don't worry bestie."

ICONICCCC GAIUS USING MAGIC!!!!!!!!

Oh, I love when Merlin doesn't even use words. Just golden eyes and BOOM. Magic.

MERLIN FOR FUCK'S SAKE BRO YOU CAN'T EVEN SNEAK OUT CORRECTLY WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!!!!!! That's so fucking funny though, I'm losing it-

GWAINE!!!! MY BABY!!! You look like a puppy :,).

Oop. Cock blocked.

Merlin is just in a fucking mood and honestly he deserves to be. But it is interesting how differently he acted with Gwaine and Gwen. I wonder if he's being shorter with Gwaine 'cause he's a knight now, and he knows that knights talk and are closer to the king's views than the servants. Classic class division and such, even if Gwaine is not like other knights. He just cannot be sure now. Also 'cause he almost got found out my Agravaine which does not good for your nerves I bet.

WOW. Gwaine, baby, STAND UP. Get some self-respect. Good god. At Merlin's back and call, it's really ridiculous bro.

Immediately on a secret mission, love these boys.

Not Agravaine seeing his plans fall apart, GET REKT LOSER.

I wonder if Morgana's a good cook. I think she isn't actually. Just never gets recipes right. Burns things, undercooks others.

Oh, poor Gaius... he really tried to fight it but...

It's really fun watching the series and recognizing common clips used in edits.

The way Gaius speaks about Merlin with such wonder and pride... crying rn.

LMAO NOT MERLIN JUST COMPLETELY TRIPPING BOTH OF THE GUY'S FEET. ALSO THE WAY THE CATH TURNED??? HELLO??? HE LOOKED LIKE A SQUIRREL.

"We should split up." "Yeah." two dumb bitches saying "exactlyyyy"

"If you find him, don't wait for me." Gwaine IMMEDIATELY disagreed with that, Merlin dearest, he's not gonna let that happen.

Oh my god, Morgana hasn't met Gwaine yet. All she knows, from Agravaine, is that he's a "hothead". Lmao. lol even.

I love how Agravaine, literal dagger to Gaius' neck, is disagreeing with Gwaine's very keen observation, that he's the kidnapper and traitor. Girl, shut the fuck up.

Gwaine is so handsome. Also, yes, not completely stupid because, if Agravaine didn't kidnap Gaius, how did he know where he was, hm?? Bitchass.

Jesus. Credit when credit's due, he can be a good liar. Also, I feel like Gwaine's acting like he believes Agravaine's innocent, mainly because he can sense something fishy about him. His question, "So you agree he was abducted then?" is so SMART. 'Cause what else can Agravaine do but agree and declare Gaius an innocent man? Yeah that's fucking right, bitch.

Morgana is literally so hot and tragic when evil, good lord.

UGH, Morgana using magic without words, YES!!! Love her being powerful.

Face card never declines for either one of them, good god. Y'know what, more and more I understand Mergana. Just. Look at them!!!

OH THE WAY MERLIN KNOWS THAT ALATOR KNOWS HE'S EMRYS. OH MY GOD?????

Oh jesus, the way Morgana's just RELIEVED to finally know who Emrys is, she's so scared of him she just doesn't want to be scared anymore. Her voice is so soft here :(.

HOLY FUCKING SHIT HE YEETED THE FUCK OUT OF MORGANA WHAT THE FUCK, WOAH!!!!!!!!1

Oh wow that scene just gave me chills, holy shit holy shit. The way Alator just kneels and allies himself to Merlin. Jesus Christ, that's my drug bro.

Gwaine and Arthur interacting. Gwaine being so soft about Gaius, so worried :(. Arthur too :(((.

I really do love how royals just think the servants can't fucking hear. Gwen is right there as they speak very sensitive matters. Like bitch?? They have ears I promise??

The way Gaius and Merlin communicate their fears and anxieties :((( I'm so emotional bro.

"My worry is Arthur." and THOSE are your loyalties, while Alator and other's loyalties are to YOU, Merlin, 'cause you're supposed to bring forth Albion, but you're too busy having a fucking CRUSH TO DO IT!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, the way Arthur walks into the room and Merlin cannot even BEAR to look at him. He's HURT. As is his right.

The way Merlin immediately lightens the mood, 'cause he wants things to be easy as possible, even if it gets hurts swept under the rug like this. UGH. AGHHHHHHHHH.

Boys. Stop eye fucking. You're supposed to at least be a little mad at him, Merlin, you kinda deserve that, y'know.

Love that Arthur believes without a doubt that Gaius withstood torture for him and Camelot and won. Like. He truly sees Gaius as this strong figure. Just always there since he was born, bro. Even before, while he was being made!! That's bonkers.

I love how Arthur understood Gaius' lied even though Agravaine talks in the "evil manipulative guy" voice all the time. Fuck off bro, I swear.

The Gaius is trying to teach Arthur to understand the complexities of magic, that it's all evil or all good, it's all different. I love this scene so much.

Pretty boy.

And that is it!!! God, what an episode!! I feel like this episode is a good starting point for a show rewrite, in which Arthur gets more and more curious about magic and tries to understand, and maybe we'd get a magic reveal and shit like. I like that a lot.

#bbc merlin #merlin #arthur pendragon #gaius #morgana pendragon #hey look i posted a thing #Merlin Random Rewatch #good ass episode

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