#also happy 1 year since I met robin :')

[robntunney]

ROBIN TUNNEY as TERESA LISBON The Mentalist | 5.03 Not One Red Cent

[pooks]

back on my straw hat!Ichiji bullshit and i am cooking

here's some headcanons i've got;

headcanon number 1 imagine Classy Trio (Ichiji, Robin and Brook) just casually having tea and watching the usual Zoro and Sanji bickering/sparring session

Ichiji: I can't believe that my brother in law will be a ball of sentient moss. But as long as he makes my little brother happy.

and the kicker is that Robin and Brook just agrees (especially Brook, who probably the biggest ZoSan shipper XD). the classy trio is a very sophisticated group, they have teatime with biscuits and discuss various topics

no one understands how it works and no one bothers to. post-timeskip, they're the second strongest fighting group after the Monster Trio. in fact, during Wano Arc, Ichiji joins Robin and Brook to save Sanji from Black Maria (Ichiji is bi and demiromantic, so he's kinda immune to female enemies trying to seduce him. he's already given away his heart for Robin and Franky.)

second headcanon Ichiji reminding certain pirates of Red-Haired Shanks is a running gag. even better when poor Ichiji doesn't even know who the guy is.

the first time Luffy put his hat on Ichiji's head to comfort him (he had a bad mental health day and nearly resorted to self-harm), Luffy went still for a moment or two because he instantly got reminded of Shanks. Ichiji isn't complaining about the hug he got from his captain, but it was nice and a little confusing.

(then later at Loguetown, Buggy nearly flipped his shit because he thought Shanks came back to haunt his ass XD)

it went so far that Ichiji got called "Shanks" by some pirates who has met the guy and poor Ichiji is like "who?"

(once Ichiji gets to meet the actual guy, it's gonna such a spiderman meme)

headcanon 3 Ichiji canonically likes whiskey, but i decided to add rum to his favorite drinks. he drinks sometimes with Zoro, but is unable to outdrink him (he comes third in alcohol tolerance, behind Zoro and Nami). Ichiji likes rum because he believes "a real pirate should like rum"

post-WCI and he turns to alcohol to deal with it. he doesn't gave good trauma responses and it goes far enough to make Chopper worry for his health. enough that Nami threats to throw the rum overboard if he doesn't square up.

this prompts him to nearly fight Nami for the sake of rum

Ichiji: you would dare to challenge me?! Nami: bring it on, bitch boy!

Sanji puts an end to it by locking all alcohol behind five locks in the galley. he's the cook, after all, and the galley is his dominion. Zoro and Ichiji has to wait until dinner to get their sake resp. rum

headcanon four Ichiji is tall and very muscular in canon, but in this au, he's slightly different

he's still taller than Sanji and while he has a little more distinct muscular structure, he's also a little more slender. this is a side effect from starving on the rock with Sanji and Zeff, so it has affected him in his later years. he's not a buff hunk, but he's not a slender twink either (google the english diver Tom Daley, that's sorta his body physique).

Ichiji also have a more androgynous face and dresses himself in a non-binary way. this is the reason why Brook mistook him for a woman at their first meeting, but Ichiji set him straight (lmao) after that. he's aware that gender is fluid and isn't always strictly male or female.

post timeskip and he's more comfortable in who he is. he did a lot of soul-searching for the two years he trained on an unknown canyon island and officially comes out as bisexual, demiromantic and genderqueer. he still uses he/him pronouns since he feels most comfortable with them.

headcanon 5 Ichiji keeps Zeff on the loop of most things and he does it whenever he gets a chance. he has the dial number to the Baratie memorized in his head and he gets his chance whenever he comes across a den-den mushi (for public use, often found in most inns at the islands they dock)

he informs Zeff where they are, what kind of adventures they've had so far, how he and Sanji are doing and asks how things are at the Baratie. he's sorta like a "dutiful son" (he canonically are, but it's very debated if it's because of his modifications)

the relationship between Zeff and Ichiji is portraited in a more mature-ish way. Ichiji is the older son, so he knows and understands more while Sanji is a little more bratty.

the minute there's total radio silence from Ichiji during WCI and there's shady people around the Baratie, that's when Zeff knows something is wrong

headcanon 6 Ichiji has the worst potty mouth. we all know that Sanji is foul-mouthed, but Ichiji is worse.

believe me, when they grew up on the Baratie, Ichiji listened to the cooks around him swearing and cursing up to a storm in the kitchens. everyone thought that he didn't care, compared to Sanji who mimicked them constantly (and got a pegleg on his head). but now, Ichiji was quiet because he was learning and memorizing from his surroundings until he got old enough to swear casually.

Ichiji isn't allowed around Chopper when he's in a bad mood, because his curses are so crude that neither Zoro or Sanji wants the little doctor to learn that.

no, he doesn't care if he's a bad influence. Ichiji has always done whatever he wanted. XD

[eskawrites]

cfdau secret lore!

y'all voted for secret lore from the celebrity fake dating au notes on the valentine's day poll, so here ya go! these are notes i wrote up between finishing the base fic and starting the nancy pov

there's some random thoughts on side characters and such:

Chrissy knew who Robin was. She thought she looked kinda familiar in the bar, but with the low lights and the crowd and the fact that she was also drunk she didn’t think about it too much. But somewhere between leaving and getting to Chrissy’s apartment she finds out Robin’s name, and it all sort of clicks into place.

She doesn’t want to do anything to make Robin uncomfortable, so she sort of tries to get her to admit it or at least realize Chrissy knows, but she’s drunk and Robin is too so it kind of ends up being something like “So what do you do for a living, Robin?” and Robin shakes her head and says don’t worry about it. So, Chrissy doesn’t. She doesn’t tell a soul—not even her closest friends—and she and Robin never see each other again. But she does read the interview when it comes out, and she sends a letter to Robin telling her she’s happy for her and hopes she can find peace and happiness.

-

Vickie sees the interview, too. She’s in a bad relationship at the time, sticking around with an asshole guy because he’s one of the few people who has ever known she’s bi and accepted her for it. Well, it’s not really acceptance, but he hasn’t dumped her or asked for a threesome yet, so she supposes this is probably as good as she’ll ever get. She thinks, sometimes, about what happened to Robin last spring. She knows that could’ve easily been her. She tells herself she’s content to just stick with what she has, thinks she’s selfish for wanting anything more.

But then the interview comes out. She hears about it on the news when she’s out with her boyfriend and his friends, and they all make awful comments about it. Vickie nods along with them, but the next time she’s alone, she rushes to buy a copy to see it for herself. She reads it three times in a row. Starts crying halfway through her first read. She thinks about Robin—she’s thought about her a lot, actually, over the years. Thinks about her loving Vickie like it’s the last chance she’ll ever get. Thinks about the gentle, resigned way she let Vickie break her heart. Thinks about all the rumors and awful tabloids she’s seen about her since that spring in Ireland. But she lingers on the ending, on the way Robin talks about healing, and she decides she deserves it, too.

She breaks up with her boyfriend and spends time on her own. Goes to a couple gay bars for the first time in her life. Learns to accept herself wholly and truly. Finds happiness the way that Robin did, and for the first time since she was 18, she can look back on that year and smile.

-

Erica moved to NYC shortly after high school and started her own business. She’s not in the fic because 1) she never trauma bonded with the party so she doesn’t hang out with them and 2) she’s one of New York’s most successful businesswomen, so she’s very very busy. But she does live with Lucas for a few months when she first moves to the city, which is the early 90s, kind of just before Steve and Robin reunite with Max and Dustin. As a result, Erica knows the younger party members a bit, and she and Max are pretty close, but her and Robin never really met.

-

Dustin and Suzie are the first of the group to get married. Will meets his future husband at their wedding.

-

Nancy and Robin go on another trip upstate a few months after they go public with their relationship. It’s very much a ‘third time’s the charm’ kind of thing. The first weekend getaway Robin is still pretending to be in love with Steve. The second weekend getaway they pretend is completely platonic. On the third, everyone knows exactly what’s up. And if that four-day weekend ends up lasting two weeks, well, no one says anything.

-

i also have an entire section of notes titled 'marriage drabbles' that i don't want to post too much of because i'm still undecided on whether i'll actually turn it into something one day. but for now here are a couple excerpts:

If you’re not counting Robin and Steve—and none of them do these days—Dustin is the first of the Erathia cast to get married.

He tells Steve first, but Robin is the one he asks to help him pick out a ring and set up the proposal. Suzie says yes, of course, and it’s all perfectly romantic and adorably cliché.

They have a fantasy-themed wedding. Dustin tells them the venue looks like Rivendell, with beautiful arches and delicate, hanging greenery and an abundance of natural light. A year later, Dustin, Mike, Lucas, and Will drag the entire group to see The Fellowship of the Ring, and Robin is amazed to find that, yeah, the elf city looks a lot like Dustin’s wedding.

Suzie walks down the aisle to the song from Princess Bride. Dustin cries when he sees her. Steve cries when Dustin cries. Robin does, too, but Nancy sneaks her a tissue and no one else notices.

-

Mike and El are next. It’s a quiet affair, close family and friends. Neither Mike nor El stress about any of the details, though Mrs. Wheeler frets over both of them for a solid month leading up to the wedding.

Max is the maid of honor. Nancy is a bridesmaid, too, which means Robin spends the ceremony sitting beside Steve, trying not to stare at her.

They’re especially affectionate at the reception. Mike calls them gross. El calls them sweet. Mrs. Wheeler kisses Robin’s hair and asks them when their turn will be. Robin stammers and blushes while Nancy watches her, fond and amused, the most beautiful thing Robin has ever seen.

[celaenaeiln]

Do you think (I hope this doesn't sound as if I hate the batkids but im just genuinely curious), if the bat kids (Jason, Tim, Damian, Steph, etc) came earlier, like Robin Dick and Batman when they have still a rather good(?) relationship and before Dick leaving and before canon time of Bruce meeting Jason) met Bruce, will he take them in and/or adopt them?

Tbf, Dami is biological son so Bruce might take him in either way, but what do you think?

No it doesn't sound like that at all! :)

Honestly I don't think it would've mattered if any of the robins had met Dick and Bruce when they had a good relationship. First of all, Bruce only took in Jason because he missed Dick and wanted a Robin. So if Dick was still with Bruce, Bruce would feel no desire or thought to take in anyone. Furthermore, Jason isn't the first troubled talented kid that Bruce has met over the years. Bruce and Dick have been solving cases and helping such kids for years so Bruce taking in Jason during Dick's absence was more of a "right place at the right time" sort of thing.

For similar reasons, that's also why he wouldn't have taken in Tim. Bruce took in Tim under Alfred and Dick's encouraging and also because Tim made a good point about Batman needing a Robin. B was literally killing himself through self-destructive techniques because Jason died and grief does that to people. He lost a robin. If Dick had been the one that died during his Robin years, then Tim might have ended up Robin but it's debatable because he would've been younger than 13 at the time. But if he waited until he was old enough, then Bruce would've killed himself in grief by then. However since Dick is still alive, healthy, and on great terms, Tim wouldn't have entered the picture. Although, if he worked up the nerve to reach out to Dick sooner, Dick would've had a new baby brother a lot earlier.

Stephanie only became Robin because Bruce was trying to manipulate Tim to come back. He knew that Tim would hate him if he endangered his loved ones so by making Stephanie robin, Tim would have to return because he knows the dangers of being Robin. So no Tim, no Stephanie.

Damian. Damian would become Robin and that's canon! THERE'S ACTUALLY A SAME AGE DICK AND DAMIAN STORY!!!!

In this story, Talia suddenly drops off Damian with Bruce and he finds out that his father has another kid-Dick. It's a heart warming story of them getting to know each other with Raven, Gar, and Maxine.

Teen Titans: Robin Issue #1

Teen Titans: Robin Issue #1

When the tracker doesn't work he gets really worried so he calls Bruce about it. And Bruce is just like, "Whatever, it'll be fine, Dick. He was raised by assassins, he can take care of himself. I need to go."

But Dick is in full Big Brother Mode. So what does he do? He spies on Damian through CCTV cameras and then gets even more worried that Damian might be kidnapped or involved in something dangerous because oh my god there's random people whose identification don't come up with Damian.

So Dick then rushes out of the manor and goes on a road trip, tracking him down. Damian's friends are surprised and creeped out to see a guy and when Damian looks, he is not happy. Damian does not like Dick. But Dick in any universe will always be a responsible older brother.

Teen Titans: Robin Issue #1

At this point Dick is fed up.

Is that what Damian wants? Fine.

Teen Titans: Robin Issue #1

So they have a bunch of mini-competitions from archery to hacking to parkour to fighting to etc and Damian's getting more and more frustrated that he keeps tying while Dick is in it for a good time. I think Dick's genuinely happy about this because he's viewing it as a bonding experience but everything comes to head when Damian reaches his limit

Teen Titans: Robin Issue #2

Things don't get better but the event progresses because Slade's wife Adeline (to whom he's still married to) is working with an evil organisation that collects metas and non-humans is searching for Gar so they need to do something fast. There are also flashbacks from Damian's side of him being jealous that Bruce trusts Dick so much and how perfect he is which don't help. It makes Damian really furious that Dick doesn't even realize how Bruce trusts him and instead acts like he's best friends with Damian which just serves to tick him off more.

Dick and Damian end up working together, find out about Kori, escape Slade, and all's great in the end. They become the brothers they were always meant to be.

Teen Titans: Robin Issue #2

Teen Titans: Robin Issue #2

And then it becomes the real formation of the teen titans. Dick and Damian - brothers for life.

I wish there was an entire series on this! I want to see the continuation.

Putting aside the logistics of whether they would meet or not, if Dick had met any of the robins at any age, he would've adored the heck out of them. I think they all would've ended up in Damian's position but they would definitely warm up to him by the end because it's impossible not to love Dick, especially if he loves you.

There's also a canon comic moment where Robin! Tim meets Robin! Dick, and they get along far better than Damian and Dick here but still the same emotions run in the scenes.

Robin (1993) Issue #10

While Dick and Tim solve a case, Tim is just amazed by Dick.

Robin (1993) Issue #10

Robin (1993) Issue #10

He's a little salty too. "Dick's going to beat me to the punch. I'm older than him. At this point I've got more experience than him. And he's got me playing catch-up. The little gloryhound..."

Robin (1993) Issue #10

"Like I need him to remind me."

Robin (1993) Issue #10

The way Tim and Damian feel the same way - it's two different comics, but they both feel stressed by Dick for the same reasons.

Teen Titans: Robin Issue #2

They feel like the need to live up to Dick but Dick doesn't feel that they have anything to prove because he just genuinely likes them for who they are. This feeling is a source of friction on the Robins' side, but it's also important they have this because you can't really know someone if you don't overcome your differences. The fact that they have to learn about each other brings out both of their greatest strengths.

Like in the Robin comic, Tim suspects something is off and Dick goes along with it. Tim's right and in the end they catch the bad guy and figure out the escape plan.

Robin (1993) Issue #10

To which Dick says, "Oh yeah! I can see how you got your job. Robin."

Robin (1993) Issue #10

Tim's happy face <3333

Overall, I'd say that Bruce wouldn't take any of the Robin in during Dick's younger days. But if he did, Dick and the Robins would become the best of brothers.

Oh but you know what'd be exciting? Dick and Stephanie's same age Robin au! Tim, Damian, and Jason's would all be sort of the same. They would struggle with Dick's standing but love him possessively in the end. But I have no idea how Stephanie and Dick would go. Of course they would love each other but same age brother and sister?! I WANT THAT SO BAD!!! Their dynamic would be crazy!! The amount of grey hairs Bruce would have? The ultimate chaos duo, they'd feed into each others' energies! Gotham would be a goner.

[hyperfixatedcatlover]

The Beauty's Rebirth - Chapter 2: Mother Agent

Hey y'all! Sorry this took so long to get out! Please cast your votes! I will write all paths but I will write them one at a time so I want to know what you all would want!

TW: Child abuse, starvation, mentions of being trafficked, MDNI

I do not support or condone such behaviors in real life, this is purely fiction.

Prologue - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2(You are here)

In modeling, there is a term models are aware of. This term is "Mother agent." The mother agent is the agency or the person that discovered you.

'It's funny,' you think to yourself on the way to your house ship - as one of, if not, the most famous models in the galaxy, having a nice apartment that can also travel the stars was exceedingly helpful - 'my mother agent is more of a mother than my actual one.'

The craft driving you home is silent on the inside, but the silence is thick. The typical post-filming headache has set in, restarting the typical routine of these gigs. You smiled, you waved as you went to the dressing room, you took the expensive dress off and put on another nice, semi-less stifling outfit, waved as you went to the car, continued to wave out the window as the car drives away until you were finally out of sight. In these moments of traveling while the pressure in your skull causes the intense desire for pure, uninterrupted quiet, your mind can't help but drift. And drift it does, into the dark recesses of your brain where the memories of your childhood are.

'Mother always hated my beauty, I wonder what she thinks of it now.' Your mother was always jealous. At just five years old, the curls in your hair and the smile that shone seemed to tell her that you were much more beautiful, something she couldn't be. Of course it had to be your fault, of course she needed to punish you for it, of course she needed to starve you when you were seven to keep your figure, of course she needed to train you in acting docile and submissive, though that may have been the malnourishment that caused you to not ever speak up. Mistakes were met with harsh punishment,

"It's for your own good, you ungrateful spawn!"

You shake the memory out of your head, instead choosing to remember the kind woman at the modeling agency, which was small and didn't have that much money who took a chance on you. Poor, starving, freezing you, who she gave a roof over your head and a job, who listened to the story of your parents selling you off to become a concubine to a man thrice your age on another planet, how they faked your death at home. The woman who taught you what you needed to know. In your reminiscence, you to see something out of the corner of your eye. You catch sight of a light blue planet with golden swirls in various parts. Gold and blue… The colors cause your brain to remember someone, someone you miss dearly. I wonder how those two are doing.

The Halovian boy who was only a year older than you, and his sister who was two years your junior, the Oak Branch of The Family. They were the only two people who ever made you happy. At one of the events you were allowed to go to at just nine years of age, you got lost and began to cry no matter how hard you tried to resist it. It was at that point when a boy of slightly shorter height than yours and his much smaller sister found you. When I looked into the young boy's eyes, I felt seen. You were friends ever since, though your meetings were few and far between from how your families kept you busy.

Mr. Wood must have given him some freedom now, I know Robin is a singer, and Sunny most likely is in charge of something back home. If I can even call such a place home.

Childhood friend musings aside, your aircraft has landed in your garage, and you step out waving Charles, your Chauffer, goodbye as you scan your fingerprint to unlock the door. As you step into the home, the mewls of your cherry pie and lemon merengue pie snacks cause you to giggle as the hop towards you like they haven't seen you in months, despite only having been gone for five hours. You pat their heads and go to the master bathroom and shower, scrubbing the makeup, hair spray, and whatever else they put on your skin and in your hair. As you exit the bathroom, now wearing a satin nightgown, you see the snacks waiting for you on the bed.

Oh those cuties, I wish I could stay with them all day.

You join them on the bed when you get a message, your mother agent.

'Hey, you have a couple days off but before you go to bed, you need to hear the options to decide what your next shoot is. I'll get your answer tomorrow so you can think about it.'

'I get to decide?'

'My assistant's system glitched out and crashed, causing three events to be scheduled at the same time. I'll handle the fallout, but you should pick what you want to do.'

'Oh, okay! What are my options?'

'First option is that you could go to a planet, called Belobog, which recently made contact with the IPC and do a shoot there to increase tourism.'

'I guess I wouldn't need heavy security as most people there won't know who I am.'

'True, but you'll still have some. The next option is a shoot on the Xianzhou Loufu. An indie designer you've modeled for in the past is launching a line of traditional hanfu-inspired nightgowns and wants you to model a few, some are a smidge risqué, however.'

'I think I've shown more skin than was you're implying, I'll be fine if I go that route, but what is the last option?'

'You don't have to go to this one, I will make sure your reputation with this brand doesn't sink.'

'What do you mean? You're freaking me out a little bit.'

'The last option is with a major brand, they have a new clothing line with vintage clothes with a modern twist. The shoot will be in Penacony.'

'Oh.'

'My thoughts exactly. I'll let you think about what you want and talk to you tomorrow. Goodnight, sleep well!'

Mother Agent has gone offline

You set the phone on the nightstand and ponder.

Do I go somewhere new and help a planet's economy? Do I go to a smaller designer and give them more reputation? Or, do I go home? Where do I go?

After some tossing and turning, you fall asleep, dreams not reaching you, just a voice telling you to fly free. When you wake up, the snacks are ready for food. As the coffee brews and the snacks munch, you pick up your phone, having made your decision.

'I want to go to…'

[theyellowhedgehog]

Tim and Bruce Part 1

Ripple Effect Au

An AU of reverse robin where Damian is the oldest, and became a hero Gotham need. Tim is the second oldest that became the Grandmaster of Court of Owl. Jason in the middle and Dick the youngest. None of them became robin, except for Dick.This is the a parallel universe of reverse robin.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

How do they met?

Tim deliberately approached Bruce with intention of his cars. He was 10 then.

Does Bruce think of Tim as his son?

No. Tim is more of a close neighbor than a son. The thought of settling down hasn't cross Bruce mind ever since the breakup with Talia. So when Damina came into his life and saw Tim hanging out with him, Bruce was brought back to a certain part of his life.

As a child after his parents died, Bruce had a hard time making any friends as all the people in his social cycle kept distance thinking he would lose the fortune to the city.

When he saw Damian laughing and getting into shenanigans with Tim, that was the first time he felt like his inner child healing. He knew he wasn't fitted to be a father. He was too broken to father a son to become a better person than himself. But he will always watch over them.

If you ask Alfred, he would tell you that,

"If there's a mud puddle, Master Bruce would rather join in than scold them. I was the one who have to drag them back inside scrub all the mud off them."

"Instead of fathering them, Master Bruce is more like a comrade. It's like...He was himself before his parents died."

Do you know where I'm heading with this? Bruce treated Damian and Tim more like a reflection of his past than sons. More like siblings than sons.

And with this modern timeline, I feel that being a 27 years old might not be mature enough yet. That what I feel tho, I'm already in my twenties, I still feel so lost and small when I walk out there.

What do Bruce feel when he realised Tim was taken hostage by Joker?

Bruce was horrified. Tim was apart of the family Bruce has. Imagine his horror when he found out that Damian was responsible for Tim's capturement. It was all the alley, his parents and the mugger once again.

This time he searched and searched, not daring to be late. No, he couldn't let Tim meet the end for himself. Why? Because if he let Tim down, Bruce felt that his past is the same once more. Tim and Damian were like age regression therapy for Bruce.

Bruce checked up on Tim after he was rescued and hospitalised. Tim just looked at Bruce through laugh and tears. Although the Bruce shouldn't be happy about it, he was. He was so glad that Tim was just alive. That he hasn't fail himself.

You guys might be mad, cus I made Bruce not as close to Tim as the comics. But don't worry, Tim is still an important person to Bruce.

Before the morning Tim left with his parents to Montana, Bruce gave the boy his personal number to call him whenever and whatever he need.

Bruce would set a different ringtone for Tim. The first message he received from Tim was 2 months after Tim's left Gotham.

"Is Damian okay?"

Bruce smiled and reply. "He feel guilty .." Bruce paused, Bruce knew that Tim knew. So he pressed send. Tim didn't reply after that.

How does Bruce know Tim knows?

After Tim was rescued and hospitalised, Bruce reviewed the cowl footage from Damian's Batboy suit. The camera might not be clear but the mic picked up everything.

Bruce saw everything, from where Joker choke Tim to where Damian facing a Tim sitting in front of a fire. Bruce could hear everything. However, he never questioned Damian or Tim about it.

Does Damian know Bruce kept contact with Tim?

Yes, Bruce never intended to hid it from Damian. Bruce was the reason Damian took the major of Toxicology and Biochemistry could make the pills to help Tim fight off the nightmares of Joker. All because Bruce mention it to Damian in a passing conversation.

Bruce was also the reason Damian and Tim doesn't have that bad of a fall out. Bruce found it funny that Damian, even though knew Tim's number, never contact him directly but always come to Bruce when he wanted update on Tim. Bruce couldn't blame him, after what Tim said to Damian in front of that fire, Damian is cautious about mentioning himself in front of Tim.

It's funny how Tim also doesn't dare contact Damian directly. Bruce thinks he felt guilty of how he spoke to Damian that night too.

Part 2 Bruce met Tim during his trip to Montana

Part 1, Part 2

[foxes-that-run]

Do you have a post with a Hamille timeline?

I don't, because like Hendall there are lots of detailed fan timelines on it. But I did post about Hendall so here we go. And sorry for the delay.

Firstly, congratulations to Camille who recently got engaged to Theo. a billionaire heir who works in art. Theo is name dropped in Part of Me. I think Harry would be happy for them.

I liked Hamille for him. I also think she really suffered for how soon after 1D she dated Harry.. though she also clearly sought and did benefit from them dating.

Hamille - Harry Styles & Camille Rowe Relationship Timeline

It's unknown when they actually met, except that Alexa Chung introduced them. Alexa has known Harry since 2013 when Nick Grimshaw introduced them. I have to share this amazing photo from the 2019 Met Gala afterparty of Harry and Alexa. Alexa was a long term friend of Camille's before this. Interestingly Alexa unfollowed Camille in 2018 after Hamille broke up. Alexa and Camille have continued to seem friendly at industry functions.

2 July 2015 - Camille was a fan of 1989 and posted a tour shirt with IKYWT lyrics in the caption.

2016

23 May - 2 July - Harry filming Dunkirk in France

[14 June - Hiddleswift beach make-out photos drop.]

15 June- Harry follows Camille on Instagram.

18 June - Makeup artist, and friend of Camille's shares this photo and tags Harry (the photo is still up but tags removed) Camille was dating Devendra Banhart.

26 June - Camille was immediately horribly trolled by his fans as a model tagging him in things to get attention. This continued when they officially dated, which.. it seems significantly more likely they were together when those photos were taken given he did date her. In response to trolling by fans Camille posted this video and didn't follow him back for a year. Queen.

Camille disappears from Harry’s timeline for a year (as far as we know). In that time, he finishes filming Dunkirk, records HS1 in Jamaica. He is seen with Kendall (and Taylor Swift), goes on the well documented date with Tones that inspires Carolina. In the start of 2017 he starts the promo for HS1. He dates Tess Ward a chef.

Camille was still dating musician Devendra Banhart (for 2 years) seen in April 2017 in LA and posted photos in Japan for his tour 19 May 2017. It was serious, she talked about marriage to Paris Match.

2017

[1 June - Joe and Taylor first papped]

20 June - Camille followed Harry back while she was in London

22 June - Robin passed away

17 July - Nick Grimshaw asked about her on BBC Radio – Harry said “I don’t know her” – however he laughs and jokes he hates his team

30 July - they were seen at a Fleetwood Mac concert in New York City in July 2017, and were “all over each other.” (X) Us weekly “Has Harry Styles found his only angel?”

August 2017 - Harry seen in Corsica, rumours Camille there also late also on Part of me. Camille has been to Corsica many times

August - Harry in Holmes Chapel, Camille in UK and fans see Camille in background of photos

14 September - Camille and Harry dinner Beverly Hills Hotel. Paparazzi photos. Harry carries Camille’s bag. Camille told Glamour Paris that when midnight struck she’d text “my boyfriend.”

2018

September 2017 - April 2018 - Camille goes to shows, social media. Etc. there are good timelines, it’s repetitive so I won’t repeat.

16 April: Camille is seen at Harry’s show in Dublin, Ireland. Fans report her dancing in the crowd. Some think they broke up here as she only comes for 2 shows and is said to not go backstage.

14 June - Camille and Alexander Skarsgard go to event at Hollywood Hotel and dating rumours widely shared.

22 June - Camille attends Harry’s MSG show on the anniversary of Robins passing. She comes with friends and leaves. Harry plays Still the one.

31 July (Break Up Announced): Harry’s tour ends, Page Six and others reported that Harry and Camille had broken up “shortly after” his tour ended. The day the break up with Harry was announced the sun reported an insider saying Camille was dating Alexander Skarsgård “for weeks” also that same day, Harry is photographed on a yacht in Italy with Karlie Kloss with sunflowers, this felt pointed. Maybe it was just an event but interesting choice of person to be photographed with. Nothing came of Alex Skarsgard if it was still ongoing.

2 September -Camille is seen with Theo very soon and went instagram official with a holiday 2 sept. Harry didn’t publicly date for years.

After

Nov 2019 (Apple Music on “Cherry”): Harry confirmed that the French voicemail at the end of the song “Cherry” came from an ex-girlfriend and that he’d asked her permission to include it: “It felt so part of the song,” he told Beats 1’s Zane Lowe. He explained “Cherry is about… I was feeling not great. It’s all about being not great” after a breakup.

January 2020 - Camille tells Paris Match magazine her perspective on the voice note and relationship was different. She also confirms she had dated Theo a year and a half which is July 2018 (before the break up announced)

In 2017, her relationship with British singer Harry Styles thrust her into a public role she didn’t want: that of the “girlfriend.” “Suddenly, I was getting a lot of attention for all the wrong reasons.” Their story should have ended with their breakup the following year. But in December, Harry released an album that touched on their breakup—without much grace. “It makes me want to write an album and say, ‘Here’s my version.’ In ten years, it’ll be funny. But for now, it’s mostly invasive.” Camille has since found love with Theo Niarchos, an art dealer and grandson of Greek magnate Stavros Niarchos, rival of Aristotle Onassis. “We’ve been together for a year and a half, but we’ve been friends for a long time.”

[dustdeepsea]

20 Questions for Fanfiction Writers

Thank you for the tag @vorchagirl! and @graysparrowao3 <3 I've answered some of these in 2024, so I'll also reproduce some answers from there!

1) How many works do you have on AO3?

14 works written by myself, to date

2) What’s your total AO3 word count?

66,569 words, not counting words I've written collaboratively.

3) What are your top five fics by kudos?

Benediction (Tav/Zevlor, BG3, explicit)

aqua vitae (Rugan/Tav, BG3, explicit)

castling (Lucanis/Rook/Spite, DA: Veilguard, explicit)

Night Swimming/Delay (Vincent/Jerome, Gattaca, explicit)

Nine Lives (Rugan/Tav, BG3, explicit)

4) What fandoms do you write for?

I started writing in earnest in late 2023 for BG3, mostly for rarepairs. I write for older, smaller fandoms as well, depending on my mood. The most popular ship I've written for is from Dragon Age.

5) Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes! I'm from Ye Olde Fandom days on LJ and FF.net as well. I always make sure to thank the readers who leave a note, and I'm always happy to chat in the comments!

6) What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Hmm I would say gambit (Lucanis/Rook, utterly chaste), simply because of the choice made at the end. I was also in a pensive mood when I wrote most it, and I think it shows.

I'm not very good at writing straight up whump; I generally write things for sheer escapism, but I've been told my writing is generally on the more somber side, unless it's straight up fluff.

7) What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

walking to rivain (Zevran/Warden) as a straight up epilogue to my Origins playthrough. Otherwise, Nine Lives (Tav/Rugan) is rather hopeful, before everything goes to pieces in the sequel.

8) Do you get hate on fics?

Fortunately not. I have turned on "AO3 users only" for comments since I started writing for more popular pairings, out of an abundance of caution, but everyone has been lovely.

9) Do you write smut?

Lol see my list of top 5 fics by kudos!

I remember writing my first smut scene and being so embarrassed to ask my beta reader to proof read it. A year and change later, and I've become completely shameless.

10) Do you write crossovers?

I haven't written any, but I love reading a good AU. I basically fangirled at @feelslikepants until she wrote a flower shop AU for Bellara and Lucanis (Birds of Paradise), and I regret nothing.

11) Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of, fortunately!

12) Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope, but I would be very flattered if anyone wanted to :) Please share it with me if you do!

13) Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

I used to moderate a BG3 Zhentarim NPC-focused server, and I wrote a series of unhinged round robin fics with the folks there, who were the sweetest and kindest people I ever met in all my years of fandom. You can check them all out here: The Zhentarim Learning Library

14) What’s your all-time favorite ship?

I haven't written anything for them, strangely, but my favourite pairing of all time is Garrus/Shepard from Mass Effect <3 (By the transitive property of his VA, I also wholeheartedly love Kai/The Envoy in Avowed.)

The pairing I've read the most for is Rugan/Tav, while we were all in the Discord server :)

15) What’s the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I have one Dammon/Tav WIP that I've officially left behind me, but I have faith that I'll return to my other WIP longfic (Gods and Monsters) someday. 2025 might be the year that Tav and Rugan get to hold hands again??

16) What are your writing strengths?

I can write you a scorching smut scene while only obliquely referring to any naughty bits :3 Honestly, it started out because of embarrassment, but I've come to accept it's just part of my writing style.

17) What are your writing weaknesses?

I write extremely slowly. I'm also usually bouncing between drawing and writing, so that makes it doubly so. I usually prefer writing oneshots over series, but I did finally break my abandoned longfic curse by finishing castling!

18) Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in a fic?

My second and third languages (Mandarin, German) are not as popular in English-language fics, so I don't get to use them. If I do use another language (Elven), I'll put translations in the end notes.

19) First fandom you wrote for?

I wrote my first fanwork at age 12. It was self-insert fanfiction with myself and 2 of my friends in the Slayers anime universe, which meant it was several comedic sketches strung together with with lots of actions denoted by asterisks and emoticons. You know the ones ^_^ ^____^ @_@ T_T *slaps you gently with a trout*

We printed it out on someone’s home printer and bound copies in plastic school folders with a two-hole punch. I’ve lost the original file ages ago, but I would love to read it again.

20). Favorite fic you’ve ever written?

This is a hard question! I love all my stories for different reasons. Anything with Octavia (Tav) in it is dear to me, because they are the OC archetype I always return to.

Chapter 5 of castling (the body) is one of my personal favourite things I've written in recent memory. The fic itself is really a series of vignettes stitched together, but I genuinely had a eureka moment when I figured out what I wanted to do for my "bottle episode".

This was lot of fun to answer and reminds me that I should probably write a bit more soon! I'm tagging @feelslikepants @ofcrowsanddragons @headofporridge @littleplasticrat (as always, no pressure!)

[blog-de-una-persona-bi]

New fanfic idea: Zoro is an alpha, Sanji is a beta, still somehow zoro can't stop thinking about him in his heat.

~Zoro: Tiger alpha, met Sanji when they were 8 (I love childhood friends, ok? 😭) . Mihawk took him to a restaurant after getting his custody. Zoro got lost and ended up meeting Sanji at the port. He was dirty, and all skinny, yet Zoro thought he was pretty, he liked the color of his eyes. Mihawk and Zeff ended up finding them, Zoro was next to him, hearing him talk about the all blue while eating a sandwich that zoro had in his haramaki (he had it even as a kid). Zeff adopted Sanji (idk how, he didn't have any legal papers w him, but it worked somehow), and became his legal guardian, Zoro goes every few days to visit them. At 16 his first routine arrive, proving that he is an alpha (they get to know it once they are 5-7, bc they start to slowly loose their milky and parents scent and start to acquire their owm, but the routines arrive after that. At 12-13 they loose they epper ears and tails). He had Sanji in mind during his whole routine, he knew he liked Sanji, he knew it since they first met, but he didn't know his alpha also liked him. Now he is 25, lives with Snji as his roomate and doesn't know how to avoid the awkward conversation on how his alpha begs for his presence.

~Sanji: Beta fox (Ik he is supposed to be a goat, but meh) after his mother's death (at 5) his father locked him in their basement (idk, I just live that idea, even if is cruel) and kept him there for a whole year, his sister and brothers (they felt very petty for him, in this AU they did intimidated Sanji, but bc Sanji wasn't an alpha like them. Is actually after some years that Judge started to manipulate their hormones so they can be emotionless) freed him to the streets, his father found out he escaped, and somehow threw him to a poor neighbourhood. Sanji, a 6-year-old, remained homeless for 2 years until Zoro found him. At 16 he had a huge crush on Zoro, but he knew Zoro was an alpha and deserves better. In this AU Sanji doesn't hat men that much, bc just 1 men has been that mean to him (his father). Sanji starts dating different people, but his relationships never last. He is 25, living with Zoro as his roomate, and doesn't have any idea of why when Zoro is at his routine he keeps looking for him and during anytime he is near.

•They can transform into their animal forms once a month (otherwise they'll get tired, is also recommended to do it at least once a month).

•Sanji does ice skating in his free time, has a tiktok account dedicated at him cooking, he gives classes on Wednesday, and he also works at his father's restaurant.

•Zoro is a hockey player. He accompanied every single class of ice skating just to watch him be free. in his free time, he gives classes at a dojo on Wednesday. He planned to be the word's greatest swordman as kid (along with his friend Kuina, SHE IS ALIVE BTW), but as he grew up he realised that he wanted to be the word's greatest hockey player.

•The whole Strawhat crew is actually the hockey and ice skating team. The girls (including vivi ofc) are Sanji's ice skating partners, beibg Robin and Jimbei, their couch. The boys (including Ace, Sabo and Law somehow) are Zoro's hockey team ates, being Franky and Brook their couch. Chopper is a little boy (he is 19 😭) that helps him anytime they get injured.

•Chopper has a disease that makes him combine his human and animal form, which is a very uncommon disease, but he is not the only person in the world (let's say 5% of the poblation has this disease.

•betas DO feel pheromones, they are just not as alphas and omegas.

•they get a happy ending and they get a lit of puppies (make it happen, I BEG YOU, MAKE THEM HAVE PUPPIES).

To be something that I made on by writing it, ir is VERY detailed lol.

Anyways, if someone does this, reply this with the link, love y'all

[kaerwrites]

Get to know me?

I wasn't tagged anywhere; I've just been threatening for a while to do a master post of things I like. This will be super long so I will add a cut eventually.

Please note you may not like or agree with everything I name. I have a curious brain that collects a lot of things. I am old and don't buy into purity culture. I think it's important to collect lots of different perspectives and to understand why you believe what you believe and how you came to stand where you stand.

Favorite Books: Captive Prince is an obvious one. Ginn Hale's Rifter series (10 ebooks, starting with The Shattered Glass, or an impossible-to-find paperback trilogy). Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones is a "happy place" book I go back to when I need to remind myself of some things. Did you know there was a book for that? It's a bit different from the movie. Robin McKinley's The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown are the books that made me start writing. I used to read them every year.

Anyone who has read or will in the future read anything original from me will see a lot of my influences here. Funny enough, while some of the mechanics for the Grey Cloaks and the Shadow Lanes came from Hale's books, they were a lot more influenced by a few different things in the Wheel of Time series, which I actually DON'T recommend because 1. I never finished the series and 2. Despite all the praise Jordan got for his strong female characters (and recognizing how influential and important those characters were for there time) I HATE the way Jordan wrote women and often wondered if he had ever met one.

Classics: Frankenstein, The Picture of Dorian Grey, I really loved both Bronte sisters. Yes, I did enjoy Pride and Prejudice but I also love Mark Twain. I love Tennyson and Shakespeare. I actually enjoyed As I Lay Dying in High School English. Ulysses can burn in a fucking fire, fuck that.

Nonfiction: In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick was one of the books that got me through 2020. It's about the wreck of the Essex, which inspired the writing of Moby Dick. The peek at whaling culture and the situation the men got into was so fucked up. I read a lot of memoirs from people who have escaped cults and difficult other life events - so I've read a lot of things like that if anyone wants specifics. I loved Grandma Gatewoods Walk by Ben Montgomery, about the first woman to walk the Appalachian Trail. Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi is not only beautifully written but incredibly thought provoking. The idea of looking at how others put their ideas of who you should be onto you and try to force you to comply was so shattering for me. I could keep going. Let me know if you want more nonfiction recs. I also read a lot of self-development/ management/ customer service type books due to my job, so if you want to be pointed in that direction, I gotchu.

Honorable Mention: The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. This series is just neat. I haven't finished it, because I don't want to reach the end. Pacat's Dark Rise series will probably move up to the favorites once it's finished. Wicked by Gregory Maguire got me through college during the worst of my self-hatred. I am a big fan of the entire Hannibal IP, from the books to the movies to the TV series, and I definitely found Thomas Harris's writing style to be very beautiful. (More on that IP later.)

I'll put Nora Sakavic's All for the Game series here since I just finished them and even though the plot is so silly I am obsessed with the characters. A few years back, I went on a big K.J Charles kick and read a TON of their books. Definitely recommend for some gay romance that is well written and the author clearly did lots of research. I was SO obsessed with Julius in A Fashionable Indulgence. I know someone will roll their eyes, but I actually did adore The Fault in Our Stars and bawled my fucking eyes out, but I don't really like anything else I've read from Green though. Jeanine Cummins' American Dirt was very good.

Less honorable mention: Laurel K. Hamilton's Anita Blake books were very influential on me in a lot of ways and I still think the first 2-3 books are very strong, but then they...devolved. I have not finished this series, either. Last time I tried to get through them all, I gave up in fury at the revelation that Micah and Nathaniel had fucked off screen. These books became nothing but gratuitous reverse-harem sex but you're going to leave the gay stuff off screen? Anita became very self-righteous and off-putting, but I liked a lot of her boyfriends. Except Richard. Anyway, I stuck around longer than I should have.

Problematic Mention: I've read Gone with the Wind more than once and I do enjoy both the story and the writing style. I'm a grown up with an English degree and the ability to separate things in my head, and I'm a history nerd who knows Mitchell grew up speaking to people who lived through those times, and perspective is fascinating. (The Civil War is not a particular interest of mine... not much of American history is tbh, but I still love history.) Because of Nafisi's book, I've also read Lolita, which is horrific content-wise and rage-inducing for the way people read it as a romance, but the actual language/writing/technical skill was very good and Nabokov wanted you to be disgusted reading it; he did NOT intend for people to think he was supporting or romanticizing this story.

As you can tell, I am ALL over the place in what I like.

I need more LGBTQ books so send me your recs if you think you've found something special. I a, EXTREMELY picky about writing style and language use though.

Want more rambling? Up next, TV shows.

Favorite TV Shows: Absolute number one is The Good Place. This is a happy place series, and I genuinely think that it's made me a better person while it was at it. I am rewatching it right now. Hannibal is another favorite; it is brutal and fucked up but it is fucking beautiful. I guess The Magicians is up on the list under favorites, HOWEVER, only up until the episode "All that Hard, Glossy Armor" which is one of my FAVORITE EPISODES of anything ever, but then after that episode they ruined everything. I do think the latter half of the series had some good moments, but I never finished it because of how shitty the showrunners were acting. I truly believe they threw away something incredible in favor of shock value and I will always be a little bitter. The story they could and should have been telling would have been so powerful and there is a reason they were cancelled so soon after, but up until then it is still special to me and worth watching.

I will also say that, so far, the new Interview with a Vampire series is fucking spectacular. (I have not started the second season yet because I know I will rush through it and I like knowing it is waiting for me.) I LOVE the changes that were made and feel like they only added to the canon. I'll put Good Omens up here, too. I am very far behind, but Doctor Who goes on the list, because it, and 11 in particular, helped me through a very hard time in my life.

I'm a millennial, so Friends, The Office, and Parks and Rec are on here. So is Buffy the Vampire Slayer because even though Whedon turned out to be a fuckass, Buffy was SO IMPORTANT.

Honorable Mention: this goes to very undervalued shows you may have never heard of such as My Name is Earl (which I also took too seriously and credit with making me a better person) and Better off Ted, which is SO funny but died to a Writer's Strike. The miniseries The 10th Kingdom only played on tv once, I think, but I loved it and found it so inspiring nonetheless. I rewatched it a few years ago and still had a good time.

Dishonorable mention: I hate to admit it, but I like Bridgerton (couldn't read the books though, didn't like the writing.) I don't really care for reality television, but Love is Blind is a weird guilty pleasure when I'm in the right mood. I also really loved Sci Fi's Face Off and Project Runway. When I was younger, I liked America's Next Top Model and also The Girls Next Door and if you go back and rewatch either of those you will a. be absolutely horrified and b. after the horror, find fascination in the glimpse of the pop culture we have all tried to forget.

Favorite Movies: This is always a hard one because it depends on my mood. Yes, there are musicals on it. 1986 Little Shop of Horrors makes me fucking happy and I adore the use of practical effects. One of the song writers also worked on the music for The Little Mermaid. You can 100% tell during "Somewhere that's Green." I actually really love the 2005 The Producers and the 2012 Les Mis. I'm trying to think of favorite movies that are not musicals. I think I like tv more than movies because you have more time with the characters. So maybe it's more "honorable mention" for those?

Honorable Mention/Influential/Important movies? Stranger than Fiction is one I really liked. It's funny that I cannot fucking stand Will Ferrell but two of his movies are on my list. I'm not a big horror girlie, but I do like the Scream franchise and I like Teeth more than I think you're supposed to. (Watch it in mixed company and note how the women think it's a comedy and the men are terrified. It's great.) 2017's Wonder Woman was so empowering and amazing, but the sequel kind of soured me on it. Pitch Perfect, Notting Hill, and 1988's Satisfaction are all movies I share with my dad, so they are special to me. I love The Silence of the Lambs and I like the other movies in the franchise. I really liked The Girl on the Train.

A lot of movies from my childhood and high school are important for me just because of nostalgia. My entire drama team was obsessed with Pirates of the Carribean together. I grew up during the Disney Renaissance and it's so hard to choose a favorite. (I saw The Little Mermaid in theaters and always played mermaid in the pool/at the beach. The Princess and the Frog is fucking underrated and reminds me of my childhood, so it's up there for my favorites. Aladdin is one of them, too.)

Classic movies: I LOVE old movies. I love the language. I love the fashion. I love the way people speak. Errol Flynn was a piece of shit but Captain Blood, 1935, is a fun time. I think Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and How to Marry a Millionaire are so much fun. I really like the original Planet of the Apes.

Guilty Pleasures: when in the right mood, I used to be able to really enjoy a Tarantino movie, but the older I get the more violence bothers me. I legit think that Idiocracy is hysterical. I have had MANY conversations with customers that feel like "you should put water on the plants."

Favorite colors: dark red has always been my favorite, but I also like mauve-y dusty reds and pinks, and I love teals.

Favorite foods: I'm pescetarian. I will eat seafood, eggs, dairy, but I don't eat things like beef, chicken, pork. And I choose almond milk over cow milk more often than not because I live alone and it lasts longer. For someone who doesn't eat land meat, I am a pretty adventurous eater and love trying new things. On a group trip, one of my less adventurous friends has had to beg me to go somewhere "normal" before.

I actually know how to cook tofu in a way that tastes good. I love sushi, pho, paneer. Tuna and salmon are my favorite fish but I am very picky about the salmon. I love pasta and rice and cheese. For veggies, I love brussel sprouts and asparagus, potatoes, mushrooms, broccoli... I don't care for raw veg but otherwise there aren't a lot I avoid (I don't love biting into onion or pepper but I like them to season things and don't mind picking around them. (Cucumber or celery will literally make me gag though.) I like most fruits, but don't care for watermelon. I don't love banana either, but I will eat one if I need to. I like chocolate on it's own, but I don't like it in muffins or pancakes. I prefer vanilla when it comes to cake or ice cream if the choice is chocolate or vanilla.

I actually do like kombucha. I like most sodas but try to avoid them. I finally learned how to like carbonated water. I like tea any way I can get it (hot, cold, sweet, unsweet, herbal, black, fruit). If I drink plain water, I want it super cold.

Everyone who knows anything about wine says I have shit taste in wine. (I like moscato/roscato). I like a light beer on tap in the summer but only occasionally and it takes me a long time to drink it. I do not have any bad experiences with tequila so I will willingly drink it. I am a big bourbon/whiskey drinker though, so if you want to get me ranting at you in giant walls of text, bring that up.

I don't like gin or scotch.

I do love desserts. There are not many I will turn down.

Music. This is a difficult subject for me. I don't know a lot about a lot of the bands everyone else does. I listened to a lot of country and Christian growing up and I don't listen to either now (there are a few country artists I will still allow on my playlist, but not many.) I'm also just as eclectic with music as I am with everything else. I find something I like and then I wear it out.

Some musicians/bands I like pretty consistently are Queen, Florence and the Machine, Halestorm, The Chicks, Pink, Hozier, Elton John. I love musicals; Hadestown and Epic are my current obsession there. I can't write poetry to save my soul, so it's very fascinating to me when someone can tell a story that way.

Podcasts: Morbid, Redhanded, and Cult Liter for true crime. Obitchuary for fun. Eckhart Tolle, Unf*ck Your Brain, Mel Robbins for when I need a little self help boost. Leaving Eden is very interesting but I have to be in the right mood.

Video Games: Dragon Age, obviously, particularly DA2. I romanced Alistair and Zevran in 1, Fenris in 2, and Dorian in 3. I hope 4 can give me someone up to these high standards. Mass Effect, even though I'm not a sci fi girlie. I always swore I would never fuck an alien but I am currently sitting here with a Garrus Vakarian tshirt stretched across my tits, so guess how that turned out?

I think the Dishonored games have an amazing aesthetic and I love the Outsider. The Kingdom Hearts games make so sense whatsoever but will always have a special place in my heart. I was really enjoying Baldur's Gate but I haven't picked it up again since I got my laptop back from the stop. Hades was suuuuper fun even though I sucked at it.

Every once in a while, I go into a Sims spiral.

I used to play WoW for years but I think I am finally free. I did recently get to attend a talk given by some members of the Activision/Blizzard L&D team though, so that was neat.

--

Some context to who I am, because if you got this far, you deserve it: I'm 38, libra, biromantic demisexual in the southern US. Growing up, my family was very conservative, but I've been a good influence since my own deconstruction/dark night of the soul in my early 20s. I teach new hires at a financial institution. Terminally single, I am sex positive and think everyone deserves a good vibrator.

I write romances that focus on the connection and friendship between the characters. I have 4 cats and a labrador retriever. I am the oldest of 3. I'm 5'9", blonde, green eyed, and unattractive enough to be invisible. My favorite characters are always bitches.

I need to go to the store and mow the backyard but I am still on the couch in my pajamas.

[tortoisewithoutashell]

Dancing with Shadows: Chapter 3

Chapter 2: https://www.tumblr.com/tortoisewithoutashell/769313060765810689/dancing-with-shadows-chapter-2?source=share

Hi William,

Thank you for reaching out! Ballet is difficult; sometimes I wish I had decided to become an electrician or something that wouldn't wear on me so much. I think I’m having a mental breakdown—this profession sucks! My instructor is making me take time off to get my head in the game, and I cried in his office like a baby! Imagine that, a 23-year-old man crying in his boss's office!

Steve rubbed his eyes with his knuckles and pressed the delete button. Don’t overshare in your first message, you freak! You’re going to scare him away! He leaned back in his chair and thought about what he loved most about his job.

Hi William,

There are many things I love about this art form: when I try for ages to get something and it finally clicks, seeing my maître smile after doing a routine a million times and being finally happy with it, doing my makeup backstage, the backstage camaraderie during a performance, hearing people call my dancing 'beautiful', and the way the sun shines through the window of our studio on a summer’s day.

Tell me more about surfing. How long have you been doing it?

I’ve never been to California.

Steve felt satisfied with this response; he sounded normal, less like a crazed lunatic than in his first message. He pressed the send button and shut down his desktop. Needing a walk, he called Robin.

**

Robin came bounding down the street with a cup of coffee in each hand. How she wasn’t spilling them onto the concrete was a mystery, but so was Robin. They had met when Steve first moved to New York. She was one of the most elegant dancers he’d ever met, but off stage, she was somehow the clumsiest person. The juxtaposition of man, Steve supposed. Once she reached him, she put her arms out for a hug, but Steve feared being burned by the hot drinks, so he backed away. “Put the coffees down, Jesus, Robin!” Steve exclaimed before he grabbed one of the cups, and gave her a quick side hug.

“How come you complain when I’m mean to you and also when I’m nice?” she rolled her eyes, and they began walking. “I ran into Vickie last week,” Robin sighed, her shoulders slumping. “She told me that she’s seeing someone—a blonde.” The word "blonde" came out with a venomous bite. Steve nodded along, careful with his words. Robin had been chasing Vickie for years, but he was always too afraid to tell her to give it up; he was exhausted from constantly talking about her.“Well, maybe it's time to move on,” he said under his breath, and Robin smacked his shoulder. “People who’ve had 1 failed high school relationship, and haven’t dated since should not be giving others love advice. ” Robin rolled her eyes for what seemed like the hundredth time in 15 minutes and picked up her pace. She wasn’t upset with him, but she sure was good at faking it.  He kept a couple of paces back; they hadn’t talked about Eddie in a while, and he was kind of shocked that Robin had even mentioned him—even if not by name—she knew he was a sore spot for Steve.  She quickly turned around when she noticed that Steve was no longer beside her and stopped to wait for him to catch up. “I’m sorry, that was mean. I know what happened with Eddie wasn’t—er—ideal.” Steve shrugged; no harm was truly done. Sticks and stones. 

Robin threw her empty coffee cup in a nearby trash can and clapped her hands together quite loudly. How did she drink her coffee so quickly between her constant talking? Steve had no idea how she managed that. Before he could ask, a devious grin appeared on her face. “So you remember Nancy Wheeler?” Steve’s eyebrows raised.

How could he forget Ballet darling Nancy Wheeler, the next best thing since Galina Ulanova had graced the stage! “She asked about you!” Robin exclaimed gleefully.  Steve’s face went red. “What do you mean she asked about me?” He was dumbfounded; how did Nancy Wheeler know who he was?

His studio wasn’t unknown per se, but it's not like he was one of the more well-known dancers in it. “I don’t know; I went to this party this past weekend, and a bunch of dancers were there. I was talking about you, and she pulled me aside and asked me for your number. It was insane! I mean, she could have any guy in New York, maybe even the country, but she’s interested in you—” Robin froze for a second. “No offense.” She studied Steve’s face quickly to make sure he wasn't actually offended before continuing, “I know you typically date men, and you lean more towards men, but at the end of the day, you’re bisexual, and I don’t know, I sort of maybe kind of gave her your number.” 

Steve stopped in his tracks. Nancy Wheeler knew who he was and had his number. No fucking way.

**

It’s not that Steve had expected Nancy to call, but he had kind of, sort of gotten his hopes up and anticipated her call. He kept glancing at his phone every five minutes to ensure he wouldn’t miss it! It was excruciating! Without ballet in his life, he had nothing to distract him from his thoughts. He tried watching a movie, he tried playing a video game, and he even tried both at the same time, but nothing worked. He couldn’t rely on Robin either because she had the studio, and yearning for Vickie took up a lot of her time too. He scrolled through their most recent messages: 

Robin: I never thought this day would come, but I miss you at the studio; Luc is driving me nuts!  

Steve: Lol, what’s going on?  

Robin: I wanna try something new for Arabian Princess, but he’s all like, “No, tradition is tradition!” Tradition, my ass!!  

Steve: If you didn’t like tradition, you should’ve done hip-hop.  

Robin: Never mind, I don’t miss you! 

He needed a hobby. It had been a week since Robin told him about her conversation with Nancy. He’d made sure his phone was always charged, which was usually a difficult thing for him. God, he was so pathetic and so starved for affection that when some girl he’d never met showed a little interest, he lost his mind. He was currently lying on his bed, trying to figure out how he would spend his day. He was supposed to spend this month finding inspiration, but he had found none; in fact, he wasn’t even sure where he should start! He stared off into space and got lost in his thoughts, then his desktop lit up and made a pinging noise. He had received new ballet slippers and was hoping they had been delivered. He walked over to his desk, sat down on his mahogany chair, and opened his mail app, but instead of seeing a delivery email from Move Dancewear, it was a message from the pen pal website. He had completely forgotten about it.

Subject: Sorry  

From: WilliamH1999  

Message: Hey dude, I totally apologize for taking so long to respond. I help take care of my little sister, Maxine, and it was the last week of the school year, and it’s been hectic. I’ve been driving her everywhere and helping her with her end-of-the-year projects. Ballet sounds awesome; I can tell that you love it.  

I love catching a wave; it’s the most addicting feeling in the world!  

I’ve always loved the water. My mom and I would go to the beach all the time when I was a kid. She’s actually the person who taught me how to surf. I've tried to teach Maxine, but she’s a skater girl through and through.  

P.S. I kind of went down the ballet rabbit hole online. I learned that it’s Nutcracker season, which is a crazy time for ballerinas!  

I hope you’re holding up!  

Holy shit, Steve thought. William had responded and very thoughtfully too. Should he wait to reply? He didn’t want to come off as desperate, but he was also so bored and frankly had nothing better to do. Oh well, forget it! If William found it weird, then he wasn't the pen pal for Steve.  

Hey William, no problem! Family comes first!  

Oh Jesus, Steve, could you get any more corny? He hit the backspace and started over. Be normal.  

Hey bro, I totally understand. I used to babysit for extra cash back home, and I know that kids can be a handful. This one kid, Dustin, talked a mile a minute! But somehow, I miss him, lol.  

Maxine sounds badass; any skater girl is a cool girl in my mind.  

I’ll tell you an embarrassing secret: I don’t know how to swim; I like having both feet on the ground at all times. That and I’ve dedicated my entire life to ballet and have been doing it since I was three, and never picked up any other skills. Although freshman year, I begged my parents to learn the drums, and I took about three lessons before my mom forced me to quit. I guess the drums weren’t “proper” enough for my mom. It didn’t fit the image of our family.

Was that too personal? Steve didn’t care; he kept typing. It felt good to express his feelings.  

My cousin left home when he was 18 and cut off all contact. We haven’t heard from him in years! To be honest, I’m kind of jealous of him.  

No nutcracker for me this year (I’m being punished), which feels really weird because I’ve participated in the nutcracker every year since I was 8. It feels strange to take this much time off from ballet; the last time I did was in middle school when I twisted my ankle. I genuinely thought my career was over. Silly me!  

I’m going to assume you were born and raised in California?  

Tell me more about that!  

Steve pressed the send button and then started to panic. Shit! He had totally overshared in his message; what the heck was he thinking? William would probably not respond. Gosh, he should think about getting a therapist instead of oversharing with strangers on the internet. He put his head down on his desk and began mourning the loss of his pen pal. Then his desktop dinged. He shot his head up, and to his surprise, another message from Billy appeared.  

From: WilliamH1999  

That sucks, dude! You don’t live with your parents anymore, do you? You should start playing the drums. A ballerina-drummer combo would be badass; trust me! :)  

You should also take swim lessons; most YMCA’s offer them. I'm saying this because it could save your life one day; trust me on that too!  

Bummer about the Nutcracker! Hopefully, it’ll be back on next year, haha.  

Listen, Steve, I don’t know you well, and you don’t have to take my unsolicited advice, but you’ve got to be true to yourself, man. I used to be so afraid to be myself and so scared of my dad’s opinion, but you’ve got to live; at the end of the day, it's YOUR life. 

Steve’s jaw dropped; Billy didn’t think he was weird. He smiled at that, unable to contain his happiness. 

He Googled the YMCA closest to him and signed up for swim lessons. William was right, he had to live his life. 

[leasstories]

Lea’s advent calendar day 9 –  1987 is Gonna Be Our Year

@writerthreads writing prompt for Christmas (2022), prompt 25:

[New Years countdown/party]

Eddie x gn!reader

No trigger warning.

WC: ≈0.7k

December 31st, 1986

You and Eddie got invited to a small New Year Party organized by Steve Harrington. He decided that after the year you had, after fighting Vecna, after Eddie and Max spent months in the hospital, you deserved to get loose for a night. You and Eddie are currently living at yours since your parents decided to leave Hawkins. You’re in your bathroom, getting ready, while Eddie stands up before the wardrobe, his left hand clutching his cane to stay upright. He is pondering on which long sleeve to wear. Yes, since the Upside-Down incident, Eddie hides most of his body. Even from you and it hurts. It hurts because you’ve seen it all when you changed his bandages, it hurts because it would never change anything about the fact that you love and worship Eddie, and you told him, but he doesn’t believe you and it hurts.

When you get out of the bathroom, Eddie walks towards your shared bedroom door to close it.

“Wait Eds!” You speak.

“Yes Sweetheart?” He asks.

“Can I borrow your Iron Maiden sweater for tonight pretty please?” you ask, pouting.

Eddie walks closer to you, gently kisses your lips before saying. “How could I deny you?”. You smile and kiss Eddie’s cheek. “Thank you!” You tell him.

“Besides, I love when you’re wearing my clothes, and the idea that you will enter 1987 in my hoodie, no matter how cheesy it sounds really warms my heart. You let Eddie some privacy to change and once he is ready you leave. You help Eddie climb into your car, take his cane and put it in the back of the car.; %Eddie still can’t drive so you’re the one driving to Steve’s house.

You park your car in Steve’s driveway get out of the car, take Eddie’s cane from the backseat, and open the passenger door for him. You help Eddie out of the car.

“Go ahead, go get war, inside Steve’s house, I’m gonna take the little appetizers I cooked.” You tell Eddie while opening the trunk. Eddie doesn’t protest and gets inside. You get inside a little while after Eddie and you all seat on Steve’s sofa. You seat next to Eddie and you all start drinking, alcohol for the oldest and sodas for the younger kids. You all make small talks, checking up on everything. Your hand and Eddie’s stay intertwined all night. When midnight approaches, you all go outside. Eddie and you decide to take a little moment just for the two of you. You sit on the grass and look at the stars, in silence, holding hands.

After a while, you hear Robin telling you “Hey lovebirds! The countdown is going to start!”.

You start getting up, but Eddie pulls you back down. “Please, can we begin 1987 just the two of us.”

You nod. The countdown starts.

10

“I’m grateful to be alive” Eddie starts.

9

“I’m grateful to be your partner” you continue.

8

“Thank you for taking care of me.” Eddie says.

7

“I’ll do it forever” you answer smiling.

6

Eddie brings your hand to his lips.

5

“I love you” he earnestly tell you.

4

“I love you too.” You answer, blushing.

3

Eddie starts getting up and gets on one knee despite how much it hurts him. You gasp.

2

“My Sweetheart. I’m so grateful I met you, and I love you so much” Eddie starts.

1

“I also want to thank you for taking such good care of me and I promise to do the same for the rest of my life” he continues while you start tearing up.

HAPPY NEW YEAR ! You hear from your friends on the other side of Steve backyard.

“Will you do me the honor of marrying me? Will you do me the honor to start all of the next years of my life by your side?” You’re now fully crying.

You manage to choke out. “Yes Eddie…”. Eddie slips the engagement ring on your trembling hand, gets up with the help of his cane and kisses you like if there was no tomorrow. 1987 is going to be your year. Eddie’s and yours.

[firethekitty]

okay you reblog a lot of albums ive never heard of and am curious about but it’s hard to get myself to sit down and listen to a whole album so please please, Top Ten-ish Songs To Get To Know You kind of list? pretty please?

i literally daydream about people asking me stuff like this LOL. so this is hardly a comprehensive list of all my favorite songs ever but here are some songs that are really important to me!!! this got REALLY long so i put it under a read more

1. meet me in the woods by lord huron

my absolute favorite song Ever like of all time. means everything to me. i could listen to this every single day and never get tired of it. INSANELY fun, incredible vibes, makes me want to go outside and shoot a beam into somebody. lord huron is an Experience. all their albums are concept albums and there’s actually a fair amount of lore going on. on the physical CD for strange trails it actually has the characters’ names next to their respective songs

for meet me in the woods, it sounds very upbeat and happy, but listen closely and you’ll realize it’s not quite as it seems… in-universe, it’s narrated by a woman named francine lu, and the song has the same chords as the first track of the album (and another of her songs) “love like ghosts”. she also narrates “the night we met”, easily LH’s most famous song. francine lu is not having a normal one. what’s her problem? listen to find out…..

2. crystals by of monsters and men

this was my favorite song ever for about 6 years until meet me in the woods ranked just a tiny bit higher. sooo fucking fun, itches a part of my brain that’s only accessible via icelandic stomp & holler. makes me very happy and always cheers me up! of monsters and men was the first new (at the time) band i ever really discovered on my own without hearing about from my parents or other people, and i’ve been listening to them ever since (almost 13 years!!) they are incredibly important to me and i highly recommend all of their albums

3. sunblind by fleet foxes

relatively new but became a favorite as soon as i heard it. this is also one of the most Me songs i can think of on top of just being so fucking gorgeous and raw and heartfelt. this song is a tribute to deceased musicians who influenced robin pecknold (the lead singer and songwriter for fleet foxes) and how their music is pretty much the reason he’s even alive today. my favorite lines are “only way that i made it for a long time / but i’m loud and alive, singing you all night”. this entire album is sincerely a masterpiece and i highly recommend listening to it all. fleet foxes have really beautiful and unique lyrics, they remind me of mitski’s lyrics in that they’re very poetic and personal and emotional but still subjective enough that you can connect them to your own life

4. this must be the place by talking heads

specifically the stop making sense live recording, which i still half-refuse to believe is a live recording because it’s just THAT fucking good. whenever someone says david byrne can’t sing i direct them here, because he does sincerely have an incredible voice and he simply Chooses to sing weirdly bc he’s a quirked up white boy with autistic swag.

this is just a really sweet and romantic song from a band that otherwise stays far away from love songs and it works extremely well. this entire album is fucking incredible and easily the best live album of all time. half of them are BETTER than the studio recordings, and you can also watch david byrne leap straight up backwards like a full 4 feet

highly recommend watching stop making sense just the entire film

5. vein of stars by the flaming lips

back in 2014, i watched a very beloved streamer play a game called “space engine”, in which you explore as much of the universe as we’ve theorized to exist. this was a little before copyright laws got so fucking strict on youtube and twitch, so mr. vinny vinesauce could play any music he wanted while planet-hopping. one of those songs was vein of stars, and it’s been one of my absolute favorites ever since.

the flaming lips are definitely an acquired taste. wayne coyne does Not have a very good voice and it can get extremely grating, especially to someone who hasn't heard them before. but when it works, god it works. this song is so pretty and nostalgic to me, always calms me down whenever i’m In A Mood. it’s nihilistic but not in a depressing way, more like “yeah maybe we aren’t here for any particular reason, maybe there’s nothing after this life. there’s nothing we can do about that, so why worry?”. very peaceful. REQUIRED listening when stargazing

6. good old-fashioned lover boy by queen

one of the first songs i ever truly hyperfixated on. unfortunately i listened to it SO fucking much it kind of ruined it for me, but i still do really love it. i may not listen to it that often anymore but i felt obligated to put it here bc it had a Profound Effect on my developing brain

7. too much time by john vanderslice

the year is 2012 and you're halfway through the newest episode of the hit podcast welcome to nightvale. cecil announces the weather. little do you know that you will carry the next 3 and a half minutes with you for the rest of your life. this one is just absurdly nostalgic to me (and not to mention incredibly vash the stampede coded). beloved song!!!

8. waltz for zizi & the real folk blues by the seatbelts & mai yamane

well it’s no secret that i think cowboy bebop has the greatest anime soundtrack of all time and one of THE greatest soundtracks of all time Ever. this is just an objective fact actually.

i believe this is because the seatbelts and specifically the composer yoko kanno studied real jazz, blues, and bebop to make the ost. like it's not just "jazz-flavored", there is genuine, deep respect and you can hear it in every single track. waltz for zizi gives me physical goosebumps every single time i listen to it, it's absolutely perfect. i've made it a ritual to listen to every time i visit the shore at night and go stargazing. sincerely transcendent experience

9. cuckoo song by cosmo sheldrake

hhhhhrrr this entire fucking albummmm hhhhhhhrhhhhrhhhaauuuuUUUUOOOGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHH!!! AHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

back during my final semesters of college, i had to take a course for art degree seniors. we’d pick something we were passionate about, make art for it, and it would be hung up for a week in the exhibition room. i chose birds of course, but wake-up calls inspired me to shift that choice to something more important than just random funny bird drawings. i focused on bird species that have gone extinct within the last 60 years because wake-up calls is made almost entirely out of endangered bird songs.

i’ll be honest i can barely listen to this song or anything on the album because i WILL literally start sobbing like in real life. cuckoo song in particular just makes me start crying every single time i listen to it, it’s like a magic spell. it’s not even necessarily sad but just viscerally bittersweet. the art for the album is made by flora wallace. here’s the spotify canvas i made a gif just for you 👍

10. take you back by orville peck

and finally………….. the song that made me realize that i actually DO love real country music a lot, and that the derivative “bro country” sub-genre that developed in the early 2000s has absolutely destroyed any positive opinion of country music in society. we NEED to go back, and orville peck is more than doing his part. this is the first song i ever heard by him and it's just so goddamn fun. i am completely unable to not sing along to this when it comes on

not only do i highly recommend orville peck but also any country music from the 50s and 60s, especially marty robbins, charley pride, conway twitty, and of course mrs. dolly parton. and later country rock/folk rock bands like america and creedence clearwater revival. it’s SO good i’m so serious

orville peck is the only modern country singer i can think of who's not afraid to bring back the harmonicas and whistling and steel guitars and whip cracks and yeehaws. it's fantastic. he's also gay and an outspoken trans ally. i believe this gives him the power to revive country music from the dead 🙏

[jackiestarsister]

OUAT Rewatch: Season 4

Episode 4x01 “A Tale of Two Sisters”

~ While the inclusion of Frozen may have been a questionable direction overall, there is no denying the brilliant casting and in-character writing of Elsa and Anna. Kristoff, though, is underwhelming.

~ Regina’s light-colored outfit suggests that she is still ultimately good.

~ Regina and Robin having their conversation in the same room where they were so romantic and intimate two episodes ago is so awkward and sad.

~ I like Belle’s yellow dress in this episode much more than the one she wore when first introduced!

~ It seems that Gold gave Belle the dagger before they began their honeymoon, possibly before they even consummated their marriage. His actions in this episode seem to ring true for the image of him being “addicted” to magic, trying to quit and maybe succeeding for a while before giving in to temptation when presented an opportunity.

Episode 4x02 “White Out”

~ The episode starts with Anna knocking on someone’s door!

~ How do David and Kristoff know each other? Neither of them seem like the sort to travel much, and apparently there is an ocean between their lands. Did the rock trolls take Kristoff on a trip to the Enchanted Forest?

~ Henry is the Anna to Regina’s Elsa in this episode. Oddly enough, Emma seems to understand Regina’s point of view, because pushing away the people she cares about is her own tendency.

~ Emma and David’s conversation in the car is a sweet and realistic moment between them as father and daughter. And David talks about walls as they’re on their way to a literal wall!

~ Grumpy/Leroy’s assertion that Snow/Mary Margaret is now the ruler sounds kind of like fanservice, like the writers listened to fans who said that should be the case.

~ Where did Anna and David get their swords? He made it clear that swordfighting was not something he practiced; did she bring them with her while traveling?

~ For David to have such a detailed backstory with his father, it seems like it should have been mentioned at some point earlier in the show. It could have tied in with his insecurities about being a good father in the previous season—especially since he turned to secretly drinking in order to deal with his nerves, when drinking was what caused his father’s downfall.

~ Out of all the dwarves, why is Happy one of those spouting complaints?

~ Why isn’t Leroy using the blackout as an opportunity to sell the nuns’ candles, like in the blackout he caused in season 1?

~ Since Snow wasn’t really present in the previous episode and has a minimal role in this one, it’s nice to see her have an outburst and stick up for herself! They really shouldn’t be bothering her when she is getting used to caring for an infant for the first time.

~ Emma and Elsa’s level of connection is great, only it seems to escalate very quickly, along with Emma’s freezing.

~ When did Emma mention Henry to Elsa? Did they talk more between scenes?

~ Despite apparently being aware of her situation, Emma doesn’t seem very concerned about the fact that she is in danger of death. I would imagine her having more fear and concern about her family, asking Elsa to tell them that she loves them and that kind of thing.

~ After lamenting that Henry would not hug her earlier, Emma gets a hug from him in the end!

~ David saying that the people in their family “really don’t like to give up” is even more significant after seeing what he was like before he met Anna!

Episode 4x03 “Rocky Road”

~ This episode’s title is pretty apt: multiple pairs of characters are on both physical and metaphorical roads.

~ The name of Ingrid’s ice cream parlor, Any Given Sundae, is not only a pun but also refers to how she gives away Marian’s ice cream.

~ Snow and David had a court jester named Rupert?! He couldn’t have worked for them very long, since they seem to have been married for less than a year before the Dark Curse was cast.

~ Regina’s outfit and hairstyle in her first scene are way more casual than anything we’ve seen her wear before! And she’s suddenly in short sleeves though just days earlier it seemed to be winter.

~ I think Operation Mongoose and Operation Cobra together allude to “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” by Rudyard Kipling. In that story, the hero is a mongoose and the villain is a cobra. So both names refer to Regina, first to expose her as a villain, then to prove her a hero.

~ The bird painting is funny, and in line with Mary Margaret/Snow’s interests; but how is Regina so indifferent/accepting of Snow taking over her mayoral office, like she did her kingdom?

~ If they wanted Elsa to keep a low profile, the least they could do was get her some clothes from this world. Why is her only outfit the one from the movie, when this show gives so many outfits to the other characters in each world?

~ The scene of Hans and his brothers is so horribly written; the only good thing about it is that it is short. But it could have been omitted since Kristoff recaps it to Elsa.

~ How can Granny be part of the mob blaming Elsa, after everything Red/Ruby went through? If Ruby were still in Storybrooke at this point (her absence isn’t explained until later), she and Elsa could have bonded over their experiences as magical beings whose powers are triggered/amplified by fear.

~ It’s nice to see Elsa and Kristoff interact so much, since they don’t in the movie.

~ Will Scarlet must have been in Storybrooke (or elsewhere in the Land Without Magic) for some time before this curse, if he knew that blackouts were the time for a thief to go to work.

~ What was that scene with Archie about? The decent thing for him to do in that situation would have been to offer to help Mary Margaret get the carriage into the car, and/or tell her about the danger Elsa was in from the townsfolk. It doesn’t seem to me like Snow needs to let go of her newborn; what she needs is support from other people, instead of trying to handle everything about mayorhood and motherhood herself! And they gave Archie a “Let It Go” reference?!

~ Regina and David’s words to Emma, and her saying she doesn’t feel able to save anyone, seem like telling rather than showing a conflict. There’s no real support for it onscreen.

~ Elsa and Hook’s conversation is great!

~ Ingrid does the same thing to Elsa that Cora did to Regina, framing her in order to make people turn on her so she’ll think she can never gain their trust.

~ Regina casually sending Henry to fetch something from her vault shows that they’ve come a long way from the time Henry almost got himself killed while sneaking in there.

~ Why is Emma at Granny’s at the end of the day? She seemed to be living with her parents again, not staying at the B&B. Did she go there to get dinner by herself, or to talk to someone?

~ Throughout the show, Hook and his acquaintances refer to his knack for survival, yet he has many close brushes with death. This kind of goes along with how the ticking crocodile, a symbol of inevitable death, stalks him in Peter Pan.

~ This episode has some good storylines in it, but there are extra scenes that make it feel scattered or convoluted. It could have been streamlined by deleting some scenes, like the ones about hunting for Elsa and Archie talking to Snow.

Episode 4x04 “The Apprentice”

~ Why is the Sorcerer’s Apprentice so old? Is there no way to graduate from that role?

~ If the Apprentice has faced other Dark Ones before, he should know that a sword would not kill them. So either his sword was enchanted, or it was just an act to stall him.

~ This is the second time anyone has asked Henry what he thinks about Emma’s love interests, and both times, he prioritizes her happiness over his own feelings. This is even more impressive now, since he just recently lost his father. With both Walsh and Hook, he encourages Emma to pursue love and happiness.

~ Did Henry go off somewhere else while Emma asked Hook out?

~ Anna in the flashbacks and Hook in the present both make deals that they shouldn’t with Rumplestiltskin.

~ What I want to know is, what did Emma and Hook talk about over dinner? Was he able to calm down enough to carry a normal conversation? What do they talk about when they’re not solving a mystery or handling a crisis? Evidently they enjoy each other’s company enough to want more of it, but it would be nice to see them connect when they have time and space to themselves.

~ The scene of Regina and Henry … doesn’t really make sense. It’s like they chose him at random to verbalize what Regina and the audience are thinking, and then she just dismisses it based on his young age.

~ The Storybrooke radio mentions Rip Van Winkle wanting music “to wake up to”!

~ Did Hook spend the whole night drinking and/or sleeping on the docks? Poor guy!

~ How would someone in the Enchanted Forest know the phrase “fully charged”? Did Rumplestiltskin have foreknowledge of this world’s technology?

~ The fact that Henry doesn’t simply ask Gold directly about the Author suggests that he does not actually trust him.

Episode 4x05 “Breaking Glass”

~ Is Emma the judge and jury for all criminals in Storybrooke? It’s a bit autocratic for her to be the one person to decide someone’s sentence, and for it to be so arbitrary.

~ When Hook says he is taking Henry sailing, he obviously doesn’t mean the Jolly Roger since he no longer has it. What kind of craft do they sail instead, and to whom does it belong?

~ I’m glad to see they at least got Elsa a decent cloak … or maybe she made it for herself with her magic, since it’s the same style as her signature dress.

~ “You screw someone over, there’s no getting them back.” This sounds contrary to some of Emma’s experience: she and Hook ended up together despite all the times they betrayed each other.

~ When did Regina and Robin have time for someone to take their picture?!

~ Josh Dallas’ character mentioning Asgard offhandedly is hilarious, since he played Fandral in Thor!

~ This episode almost feels like Frozen II in that most of the characters end up lost in the woods.

~ Lily soliciting that promise from Emma feels pretty contrived, considering they’ve only known each other for about a day. I guess the reasoning behind it was that Lily didn’t want Emma to think badly of her if they were caught and her secret was revealed.

~ “I’m going to build a snowman” never sounded so ominous!

~ It makes sense for Snow to suspect that David set up an adventure for her, because that’s exactly what he did in Episode 3x2.

~ Regina says “before it’s actually winter,” but it seemed like they were in winter just a few weeks earlier.

~ It’s great to see Sidney finally stand up to Regina’s abuse, but it happens at the least convenient time for Emma!

~ How is Elsa able to break her chains of fear so easily?

~ Part of what I dislike about Emma’s backstory with Lily is that it kind of lessens the importance/impact of her backstory with Neal. It means that Lily was the first person she was on the run with and who let her down, rather than Neal.

~ Force choking? Really?

~ It’s a bit odd that Regina’s bad feelings toward Emma are now fixated on Marian, when she had plenty of grievances prior to that.

~ What Elsa says to Emma about never giving up on people sounds like how Hook never gave up on Emma despite her friendzoning him and trying to leave.

~ “I don’t want to kill you.” “See? That’s a start.” That’s actually a great bit of dialogue, only it might have done better for an enemies-to-lovers storyline like Emma and Hook’s.

~ When did Emma learn about Will’s escape, and how did she react? I’m guessing David probably told her via text or phone call.

~ Why does Emma have her box of childhood belongings at the sheriff’s station? Is the loft too crowded with Elsa staying there? Where was the box when Emma was on the run with Neal and serving time in Phoenix? Did she bring it with her to New York, or did it disappear and reappear with the curses?

~ “Reflective today, are we?” is more true than Hook realizes, considering the mirrors in this episode!

~ (Spoiler:) “I’d love to know more about your beginnings" is funny when you know the name of their song in the musical episode!

Episode 4x06 “Family Business”

~ David said they searched Ingrid’s business and home. If Ingrid wanted Emma to find that file, why didn’t she simply leave it in her home so they would find it sooner?

~ That lacy version of Belle’s blue and white outfit is so pretty!

~ Belle is doing the same thing to Elsa about Anna that Hook did to Ariel about Eric in Episode 3x17, withholding information about a newcomer’s missing loved one because they are ashamed of what they did to them.

~ Anna’s suspicion of Ingrid is similar to Amethyst’s suspicion of Bismuth in Steven Universe: they both question why a long-lost relative was never mentioned by their family’s leader.

~ It’s a little odd how various princesses in this show meet and become friends without ever mentioning to each other that they are princesses!

~ It seems that Belle learned about Rumplestiltskin’s existence and power from Anna, but Anna did not reveal his name, so Belle “did some reading” and learned more about him before returning to her home.

~ In the scene where Belle pulls out Rumple’s (fake) dagger, her scarf has a pattern of daggers printed on it!

~ Emma saying that the longest she ever stayed in a foster home was six months contradicts what she said in Episode 3x05 about counting the days in each new home until it seemed pointless.

~ Looks like Emma has had fair artistic abilities since she was a kid. Does that make art something she had in common with Milah and Baelfire/Neal?

~ Did Emma start her file of Henry’s projects in Storybrooke, or during their time in New York? The latter would probably make more sense, but the former would have been a huge sign of growth in her relationship with him.

~ Why does Belle not even tell Gold that she met Anna? He can probably piece it together since Belle mentions the hat, which Anna took from him.

~ Why does Belle need to go to the rock trolls in Arendelle to get her memories back? Why not find someone more local to make her a remembering potion, like the one Zelena made?

~ Watching Belle and Rumple’s scenes when she is so emotional and trusting of him is downright painful.

~ How could that heraldry record exist if the royal family wiped out all records of Ingrid’s existence?

~ Hearing Ingrid’s plan laid out at the end really makes her seem like a psychopath. Is she supposed to be mentally ill, like a stalker going after someone they’re convinced they are in love with?

Episode 4x07 “The Snow Queen”

~ The opening flashback is way too saccharine, and the dialogue in the second half is way too fast.

~ Is Regina’s vault just open for anyone to walk into?

~ What went wrong with Emma and Elsa testing the candle? Did they mean to neutralize Elsa’s powers as a test?

~ It’s canon that Emma babysits her brother!

~ I love that the local/OG princesses—Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella—are all in the same mother-baby group! And I love Aurora’s modern outfit!

~ Ashley making a joke out of the “Cinderella” story is a bit odd since Rumplestiltskin was the one who served the role of fairy godmother. Did she even have a pumpkin carriage?

~ The dialogue and drama in that scene is just so contrived. Up to this point, Emma hasn’t expressed anything like jealousy or anger toward her parents for wanting/having another kid. It seems random for it to come out now, without any prior setup.

~ Emma telling Elsa not to let emotions get the better of her, when she is about to do just that …

~ Emma jokingly/casually calling Ingrid “sister” really isn’t appropriate given the context!

~ I love the scene with Regina and Henry, but why has it taken this many episodes for him to begin his job in Gold’s shop?

~ Emma says her family spans three generations in 400 years. Where does that number come from?

~ David and Hook look at each other as they reach the same conclusion and realize the danger Emma is in. Like in “White Out,” they are on the same page when it comes to Emma’s safety.

~ Robin Hood missing his target? Even if it’s darts instead of archery, that’s hard to believe!

~ Robin and Will’s conversation is … interesting. It sounds like it could fit multiple characters and relationships in the show, which makes me wonder how much it needed to be them.

~ The story of how Robin and Marian met sounds like it could have been its own flashback episode.

~ Gold shows a lot of trust in Henry’s self-control. Putting that particular kid in a shop full of magical items is like having an ordinary kid watch over a candy shop!

~ Young Ingrid’s fear of hurting others doesn’t hold as much weight as Elsa’s. Ingrid is only shown losing control when a bad person was threatening her loved ones; it was self-defense. Elsa on the other hand hurt her sister because they were careless while playing.

~ Did Emma even realize that she was trapped inside the sheriff’s station? Did she not hear the others calling out to her? And why was she left to interrogate Ingrid alone, without any other witnesses or magical backup?

~ Ingrid taunting Emma is totally like Satan, playing on people’s deepest insecurities, talking them into despair. Her words are probably things Emma has thought herself, only she might not have let herself dwell on them.

~ Emma’s internal, emotional conflict about struggling to control her magic seems to come out of nowhere. She and the other characters have talked about her need to learn more about it and/or embrace it, but that has usually been about her underutilizing it, not being able to tap into it. There has been little to no setup to establish her not being able to keep it in check.

~ David pushes Hook out of harm’s way! But Snow … how could you say “Emma” in such a “how could you” tone?

~ Why is young Ingrid dressed in that over-the-top sparkly outfit in this flashback? It visually conveys her ice magic, but at that point she is still trying to suppress her powers.

~ Ingrid barely displayed any of her magic in front of Wesselton. Why does he automatically assume everyone would hate her for her magic? Do they not have any good practitioners of it in Arendelle or the surrounding lands?

~ Helga’s end is pretty horrifying. Is it supposed to have happened more quickly than Anna’s freezing because Ingrid’s powers are greater?

~ How can Gerda suddenly slap such a dehumanizing label as “monster” on Ingrid? She must realize that it was not ill will that caused the accident. Maybe Ingrid giving up the ribbons made her think Ingrid did not care as much about their bond as she once did?

~ Overall, the relationships between sisters in this show—mostly Ingrid, Helga and Gerda, but also Elsa and Anna, and Zelena and Regina—feel shallow, like they were written by men who don’t really understand the dynamics of sisterhood.

~ Robin’s conclusion, and his decision to throw his morals to the wind and go to Regina, doesn’t really make sense.

~ That shot of Ingrid admiring her magic mirror—or admiring her reflection in it, I can’t tell—isn’t needed. It would have been a more fitting transition to show Emma alone and guilty, then cut to young Ingrid alone and guilty.

~ What does “we’ve looked everywhere” mean? Even for a small town, that would be difficult to achieve and would require a coordinated search with many people.

~ This whole episode feels somewhat haphazard. Then again, so does this half of this season.

~ The absence of the usual supporting/minor characters is also noticeable. Why doesn’t Archie offer his services to help Emma work through her sudden fear of her powers?

Episode 4x08 “Smash the Mirror – Part 1”

~ It makes sense for Henry to be the one to approach Emma, have no fear of her, and even deny the significance of any injury she causes. But him running away without a word doesn’t sit right; he would have at least said something like “I’m not giving up on you.”

~ Why couldn’t Emma ask Gold for something like the cuff that neutralizes one’s magic temporarily? That would be a much better way, since she does occasionally (but with increasing frequency) need her powers in order to protect her loved ones and defeat her enemies.

~ Even if she trusts Gold now due to him being Henry’s grandfather, Emma should know better than to think he would help her without asking something in return.

~ Why is Elsa wearing her gloves (apparently given to Ingrid by Rumplestiltskin) in these flashbacks? She didn’t have them in the earlier ones.

~ Cool use of the broken mirror in the cinematography, having Anna and Elsa appear in different pieces of the glass.

~ Why is frozen Hans still intact, whereas frozen Helga disintegrated?

~ This is the second time Robin has mentioned Friar Tuck. I want to see this Merry Man! On that note: Sundays would be the least likely day of the week for a Christian to be sober, since Sunday is a day of celebration like Easter; even people who are fasting may break their fast on that day.

~ Did Hook ride in the back of David’s pickup truck while they searched for Emma? That’s kind of amusing to imagine!

~ David couldn’t have taken that picture, because he’s in it!

~ Is “Anton the Giant” an homage to Andre the Giant? If so, I approve!

~ While Emma is trying to get rid of her powers, Henry bemoans the fact that he has none. He really should have had a larger role in trying to convince her to embrace her magic rather than run from it; that has been his role ever since he came into her life.

~ What kind of queen has to sneak around her own castle? Does Elsa not have as much political/legal power as Ingrid now?

~ Hook’s phone message scene is heartbreaking, in the best way possible! His emotions are so raw, yet his integrity and good heart shine through. And I loved the way his music theme played at the end as he realizes where he has to go!

Episode 4x09 “Smash the Mirror – Part 2”

~ Does Elsa just walk in those high heels everywhere? Even over a distance most others would drive?

~ Snow and Regina’s conversation is interesting, but it feels wrong for them to be discussing that when they should be urgently searching for Emma.

~ “If you do good hoping to be redeemed, is it really good?” That’s a very good question, probably one of the better points of reflection in this show!

~ Of course Will “gets” the Evil Queen type!

~ Gold and Emma’s scene is fascinating, but also painful to watch. There’s so much vulnerability but also so much manipulation. They are much like Pan and Henry in season 3, with the villain trying to convince the hero to give up their power to them. Gold seems to be making a confession to Emma, since he thinks she won’t be around much longer. Emma actually thanks him, something she’s never done before.

~ The scene of Elsa talking down Emma and explaining the necessity of self-love is so beautiful and powerful.

~ It’s great to see Elsa being proactive and heroic, rather than just being the cause of a crisis as in Frozen and the first few episodes of this season.

~ “I’ll take that risk if you will.” That scene has way more sisterly love than all the mentions of “my sister” between the Arendellian royals.

~ This is the second time Rumple attempts to take Killian’s heart; the first time, Milah stopped him. He also experienced Cora controlling him via his heart.

~ I don’t really buy the worldbuilding they tried to make around the storybook, but Robin and Regina’s scene in the library is quite good, especially as she says she owes Snow a quarter!

~ Emma’s smile after she makes the fireworks is so sweet: she’s proud that she was able to use her magic that way! That’s a great shot of the five of them looking up at the fireworks. The only odd thing is that Emma does not notice Hook’s absence from that lineup.

~ How could the Sorcerer’s Apprentice just conjure a doorway to the Land Without Magic? If it were that easy, why did it take Rumplestiltskin centuries to create a Dark Curse for the same purpose?

Episode 4x10 “Fall”

~ A whole episode is a pretty long time between a curse being enacted and taking effect, especially since they keep looking at the coming cloud.

~ It’s a small thing, but I like how Emma delegates everyone’s tasks, and finds one for Hook that is suited to his area of expertise.

~ What was it that caused Arendelle to thaw out in the present day, after being frozen for 30 years?

~ Gold’s words about choosing himself over everyone else sounds exactly like Hook’s attitude up until the end of season 2. That probably makes it even more detestable to Hook, because it reminds him of how he used to be.

~ This episode totally rehashes the stakes and twist of the season 2 finale, where the heroes have to decide whether to risk the town to save one person, and someone does a sleight-of-hand/bait-and-switch passing off an empty pouch while withholding the item that their fates depend on.

~ Shouldn’t Tinker Bell be among the fairies? She was in Storybrooke after the second curse, and after that no one could leave due to the flying monkeys. There was only a small window of time between Zelena’s defeat and the appearance of the ice wall; might she have left Storybrooke then to take her chances in the Land Without Magic?

~ Hiding and crawling on her hands and knees seems unbecoming of the Blue Fairy. Even if her magic is not comparable to that of the hat, I would at least expect her to fight in defense of her fairies. As Mother Superior, the other nuns are her spiritual daughters.

~ Hook feels so guilty and ashamed of doing that to the fairies and having to hide it from Emma!

~ Hook is so genuinely indignant and disgusted with Gold for Belle’s sake, seeing how dishonest he is with his loving wife. I think it may point to their different priorities: Hook is self-sacrificing and would choose love over power any day, whereas Gold either chooses power over love, or tries (and fails) to have both.

~ Gold explicitly goes against his own advice to Regina in Episode 2x17, that “You can’t have everything.”

~ Snow’s “both of you” means she was addressing both Emma and Elsa about their magic!

~ When told that he is going to die, Hook’s last voluntary action is to see Emma again!

~ Regina telling Henry “I wish I was as brave as you” is beautiful!

~ If Regina really wanted to keep herself contained for others’ safety, her vault would not be the best place, as she would be surrounded by powerful objects there that she could then use to free herself and harm others.

~ That montage at the end, showing the various ensemble characters waiting/watching in different places, is great!

Episode 4x11 “Shattered Sight”

~ They completely gloss over the fact that Ingrid made a life for herself in the Land Without Magic. What was it like for her to finally be like other people, without the powers she had feared for so long? And why did she expect Emma’s magic to come out in such a land?

~ In a show where the power of love is so often the solution to problems, it seems dissonant for the heroes to seek out strong hatred as a means to counteract such magic.

~ Emma compares her relationship with Hook to the relationship Regina could have had with Robin!

~ Hook’s fall is so fake!

~ Even while under the Shattered Sight spell, Mary Margaret and David still love their baby!

~ Did the sorcerer’s scroll allow Ingrid to get past Storybrooke’s magical protection?

~ One of the biggest plot holes: Why did Ingrid wait so long after Emma came to Storybrooke before enacting her plan?

~ Is David still trying to help Mary Margaret when she fights Regina?

~ That letter is waaay too long and too neatly written for Gerda to have drafted it in that scene of the storm at sea.

~ The role Anna plays in this climax is similar to that of Frozen: when the magical sister cannot stop the storm, she comes in and risks her own life to show love.

~ The fact that the spell can only be broken by killing the person who cast it … just doesn’t sound or feel right for this show. Ingrid’s death is completely unnecessary, and even contradictory, from a thematic standpoint.

~ Ingrid’s “conversion” moment and her decision to reverse the spell are way too rushed.

~ The fact that Snow White and the Evil Queen can laugh at themselves for fighting each other is pretty remarkable, considering their history.

~ The reunion scene is lovely, but why doesn’t Emma think of Hook? The last she knew, he was going to chain himself to the docks; shouldn’t she think to check on him?

~ Did Belle just sleep through the entire spell?

~ Gold’s parting words to Hook make him realize just how terrible a scourge the Dark One would be on that world.

Episode 4x12 “Heroes and Villains”

~ Emma sounds like a Jedi saying “I sense …”

~ Regina is back to wearing vivid primary colors! I love her blue coat and cable-knit sweater.

~ When has Marian had time, since waking up, to see the way Robin and Regina look at one another?

~ Hook speaks as though he believes in reincarnation, while Gold alludes to Hell and/or the Underworld.

~ Is that a Winnie-the-Pooh bear that Henry picks up in Gold’s shop?

~ Why did Henry bring the book to Gold’s shop, other than to remind the audience of Operation Mongoose? Was he finally going to ask Gold directly about how it works? That interaction with Belle really feels like it doesn’t have any foundation.

~ An animal leading a heroine off the path, into the woods, feels very fairy tale-esque.

~ Emma’s surprise at Hook makes sense: while he is resourceful, magic is not his area of expertise, and the idea of Gold helping his old enemy without a price is bizarre.

~ Hook wants so much to warn Emma, or just to hold her one last time, he manages to squeeze her hand despite Gold controlling his words and most of his actions!

~ When Rumplestiltskin looks for Belle in the flashbacks, was that the first time he called her by name? And was that message in the shell the first time she called him “Rumple”?

~ This probably wasn’t intentional, but Rumplestiltskin’s outfit in this episode is similar to Hook’s old style, with a black coat and red vest.

~ Until now, Gold and Regina have hardly seen each other this season! They’ve had maybe one scene where they were in the same place with a bunch of other people, but this is their first one-on-one. It may have been primarily to find out why Henry was snooping in his shop, but it also seems evidence that on some level he truly cares about Henry and Regina. That hand squeeze at the end is sweet.

~ Gold’s hubris is on full display in his monologue to Regina.

~ How can Robin leave behind his Merry Men? Are they disbanded now? The Sheriff of Nottingham is in Storybrooke, but are there poor people to steal for? Would Emma let them?

~ Regina ripping up the page underscores her despair of her happiness. Yet, she still chooses to do the good/right thing. Her willingness to do what’s right despite still having a “villain’s fate” may make her one of the most heroic characters in this show.

~ Cruella being in the Enchanted Forest and allied with Maleficent and Ursula makes no sense whatsoever. She came from a 20th-century Land Without Magic, not a magical medieval land.

~ “If anyone’s going to crush your heart, it’s gonna be me.” Such sad foreshadowing!

~ Emma should be thanking Elsa, not just the other way around! Elsa helped her learn to love herself and embrace what makes her unique.

~ Rumple/Gold did choose Belle over power when he exchanged the gauntlet for her.

~ Gold is left in a pretty pathetic condition, without even a cane to support his now-returned limp.

~ The “chocolate” in unison is a cute tribute to Frozen, but feels out of place in that conversation.

~ It seems strange for Anna to be wearing gloves as part of her outfit. They’re a symbol of Elsa’s repression, and Anna has always been openhearted.

~ They cut from a wedding to Emma restoring Hook’s heart!

~ Considering how much time was spent on Gold having Hook’s heart and planning to kill him, and what a big deal Emma made about the possibility of losing him, their recovery of his heart and their reunion kiss are way too fast. And how can Emma leave him behind so quickly to hang out with Regina and Henry?

~ If Emma truly believes that “everyone deserves their happy ending,” why did she just toast Gold’s misery?

~ I imagine Henry, inspired by movies like Young Frankenstein, must have tried turning every sconce in the manor in order to find the secret passage!

~ How could the fairy-tale characters be aware of their being in stories in a book, even as their stories were still unfolding?

Episode 4x13 “Darkness on the Edge of Town”

~ I really don’t like how the characters suddenly own up to labels of “villain.” It would make more sense, and not change the script much, if they instead said “people consider us villains.”

~ Throughout the show, it seems as though the writers reinforce the labels of “hero” and “villain” even as they try to transcend them. It’s confusing and inconsistent.

~ The montage at the start of this episode is a nice way to show what the characters have been up to during the six-week time jump. This, apparently, is when Regina and Snow go back to being mayor and teacher respectively.

~ I wish more of the show took place during periods of peace, just showing the characters’ lives and mini-adventures when they aren’t being threatened by “big bad” villains.

~ Where is David in the first half of this episode? He’s the only main character not shown in the opening montage. If he’s not working for the sheriff’s department or taking care of baby Neal, how is he spending his time?

~ While I like both scenes, there isn’t much emotional transition from the peace and happiness of the montage to Hook’s intense frustration in the following scene.

~ While some parts could have been better written, I really like that Hook and Belle have a scene together, talking about the guilt they feel in connection to Rumple/Gold. Despite their messy histories, they’ve actually become friends, who understand and encourage each other.

~ What does Belle think Gold could possibly have found, after being stripped away from her and from his power?

~ That scene of Rumple and the trifecta was really unnecessary. No new information was given, nothing developed in the plot or relationships.

~ After all that talk about needing a translation, Regina doesn’t even speak any incantation. And why is she trembling so much while clutching the Dark One dagger afterwards?

~ How do none of them notice the dark thing that comes out of the hat/box?

~ This episode suggests that Rumple didn’t make the Dark Curse himself, just modified one that already existed.

~ Rumple in flashbacks sounds less like his old, impish self, and more like his Gold counterpart.

~ It makes sense for Hook to be shown harboring insecurities, uncertain of whether he belongs with the “heroes,” even after the fairies are freed. While it is not resolved in this episode, it shows continuity throughout the season (and into the next two).

~ It seems a little insensitive to have the welcome-back party for the fairies in the same place where they were captured.

~ I really like Regina’s line about “what’s killing property values this time.” They’re so used to magical mayhem, it’s no longer a complete shock when something happens!

~ It is funny, and fitting, that they all have their roles figured out for when crisis strikes. Mary Margaret’s line about “getting everyone to safety” makes me wonder if they have actual evacuation plans in case of emergencies.

~ Why was Ursula needed for Rumple’s heist? Just to reach over a distance with her tentacles?

~ Trust is a big theme in this episode, but it’s murky when the villains are the ones throwing the word around. Emma also says “Trust me” to both Hook and Regina.

~ There should be some kind of system or protocol for when a “villain” wants to enter Storybrooke. No one is really held accountable for their past crimes, and there could be people already in town who have history with newcomers. Maybe there could be some sort of probation process?

~ Mary Margaret’s lines at the end of the episode are blatantly out-of-character. I know that’s the point, but … come on.

Episode 4x14 “Unforgiven”

~ I can’t decide what’s more OOC for Snow and David: the fact that they did something horrible in the first place, or the fact that they are so focused on hiding it afterwards.

~ I don’t like it when drama is pinned on characters hiding some secret, and there is too much of that going on here.

~ Flashback Snow and David already show their willingness to compromise their values, when they don’t do anything about Maleficent killing those guards.

~ Hook is so sweet and supportive, bringing Emma the lunch she was craving! Oddly, their music theme plays over the ending of the scene, when they’re in an awkward stalemate over him not wanting to share about his past with Ursula.

~ Honestly, given Hook’s reputation and his evasiveness on the subject, I’d expect Emma to suspect him of having a romantic history with Ursula sooner.

~ “Is this really the right thing to do?” David’s response doesn’t actually answer the question. Keeping the truth from Emma is their goal, and may be in their best interests, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do. And Snow asks another version of the very same question in the next scene.

~ Regina and Marco’s scenes are great! It’s a wonder that she hasn’t had more interactions like that with the various townspeople. And when she apologizes, showing empathy and humility, she receives kindness and encouragement in return, just like a heroic protagonist would.

~ Does Belle now run both the library and the pawnshop? How does she balance both jobs? And why would she keep the pawnshop running? I can understand having a sort of custodian since it’s full of magical objects, but aren’t many of them really the belongings of other people in the town?

~ It’s great to see Belle immediately assert herself when her former enemies show up! She wants so much not to be a pushover. I just wish she succeeded more often, instead of so easily being hoodwinked by other characters.

~ I’m not a fan of the whole trope of the heroes playing into the villains’ hands through an elaborate ruse. In this case, Cruella had no guarantee that David would search her car, find the trinket, and decide to go after Maleficent’s ashes.

~ “I only care about one thing: your pain.” The following episodes disprove this.

~ Emma shows a lot of maturity and growth in her second scene with Hook. It’s heartbreaking that that newfound optimism and confidence in her loved ones is what prompts her parents to persist in lying to her, in order to preserve that image.

~ Mary Margaret’s voiceover monologue overlapping scenes of various other characters feels like one of Jenny Lee’s voiceovers in Call the Midwife.

~ Where the heck did Belle and Will’s romance come from? The only time they saw each other onscreen before this was when she found him passed out in the library. And how can she be so quick to open herself to a new relationship after her short-lived marriage to Gold?

~ Mary Margaret asking Regina to keep a secret from Emma could have been a real test of friendship and integrity, but it doesn’t really amount to anything over the later episodes.

Episode 4x15 “Enter the Dragon”

~ The timeline of this episode does not fit with what Aurora described in Episode 2x01.

~ Does Storybrooke have its own railway system? Or did Cruella drive them somewhere outside the town to find that train crossing?

~ The whole test seems like something out of Rebel Without a Cause.

~ It’s interesting to see Regina have a “never meet your heroes” storyline with Maleficent in the flashbacks. Usually that kind of interaction is used for heroic characters who need to be called back into a fight.

~ The question that seems to be emerging from this half-season is: How far are the characters willing to compromise their values in order to preserve their reputation (either for good or for evil)? Snow and David cross lines in order to protect Emma’s goodness and their own image; and Regina goes along with the witches’ schemes, even going so far as to kidnap Pinocchio, in order to maintain trust with them.

~ Did King Stephen not recognize Regina as King Leopold’s wife?

~ It’s interesting that Gold uses a ruse that relies on Belle trusting Hook, who he hates. It’s so sad to see Gold take advantage of their newfound friendship.

~ I wonder if Gold/Rumple impersonating Hook is meant to show how similar they are. The cinematography cutting between the two of them is great, conveying the transformation without any special effects.

~ Gold (disguised as Hook) and Belle echo the vow they made when she agreed to stay with him: “You have my word” / “You have mine.”

Episode 4x16 “Poor Unfortunate Soul”

~ This show basically splits the (back)story of The Little Mermaid in half, giving the romance to Ariel and the father-daughter/human-merpeople conflict to Ursula. It’s interesting that Hook betrays both of them in some way, but reconciles with them later.

~ It seems that Hook and his crew didn’t just stay in Neverland for however many years; Pan allowed them to leave in order to pick up supplies for him.

~ Hook is justifiably angry about how Gold used his likeness and deceived Belle.

~ (Spoiler alert:) The episode drops the first hints that either Hook or Emma could become the Dark One!

~ I LOVE the version of “Fathoms Below” that Ursula sings! As fun as it is in its sea shanty version, it sounds beautiful as a ballad, and could even be a lullaby.

~ It took me a long time to figure out that Hook finding the Jolly Roger in a bottle was a nod to Jack Sparrow finding the Black Pearl in a similar condition! I guess that’s what happens when Blackbeard takes over your ship.

~ You can see the shift in young Ursula’s demeanor when she and Hook strike a new, less charitable bargain.

~ Hook’s decision to take Ursula’s voice … doesn’t really make sense.

~ Snow White pulled a Rapunzel, using a frying pan to knock out Cruella!

~ Emma looks at Hook with such pride, like, “You did that! You caused a happy ending!”

~ Hook’s final conversation with Emma is so beautiful! He is still full of insecurities about his past, his hero/villain identity, and his future. Him telling Emma that she is his happy ending is just like Flynn Rider telling Rapunzel that she is his new dream. For as long as it takes Emma and Hook to say “I love you,” they find many other wonderful ways to make their feelings clear to each other.

~ If Ursula and Ariel never met, how did Ursula gain her reputation as a villain? Did she ever actually do anything bad?

~ Does Ursula keep her tentacles, or return to a mermaid tail after reconciling with her father?

Episode 4x17 “Best Laid Plans”

~ This is the episode that is most self-contradictory about the theme of free will.

~ The fact that Snow refers to their child as “it” instead of “she,” even after seeing that the baby will be a girl, is very telling.

~ Parents afraid of their child growing up to be a threat to them is very mythical. In Greek mythology this happens with Ouranos, Kronos, and Zeus, as well as Laius, the father of Oedipus.

~ Putting a whole town under a sleeping curse seems to be Maleficent’s MO

~ What makes Isaac’s introduction so convincing is that he seems to serve the kind of role that is typical of folk tales and episodes alike: the guide providing exposition and offering advice to the protagonist(s).

~ “We’ve gone too far own this path.” = The rationale for most characters who start down a dark path and persist because they think the can’t go back.

~ How did they not see any potential danger in banishing darkness into the offspring of a villain/part-time monster? Wouldn’t that make them an even more dangerous threat?

~ Maleficent is far too nice in this show. She’s supposed to be the mistress of all evil, but she seems like a softie.

~ I find it hard to believe Maleficent couldn’t overpower Snow and Charming as they fled. And why would she not go after them during the months remaining before the Dark Curse was cast?

~ Gold and Belle’s scene is so bittersweet. What else does Gold refer to as “changing”?

~ Although they throw around semi-religious terms rather clumsily, the scene of Snow and Charming resolving to do better in the future is pretty beautiful.

~ It’s nice to see Mary Margaret acknowledge that Regina is becoming their friend. That has been increasingly evident this season, mostly in small moments like that one.

~ How long was that sleeping spell in effect? Did David and Mary Margaret come home to find Emma asleep on top of Hook?

~ Mary Margaret saying “I’m your mother” is kind of out of nowhere.

~ Even though it’s a small thing, it’s nice to see Hook have an arc of accepting August as Emma’s friend. Being comfortable with your significant other having friends of the opposite sex shows trust and maturity.

~ Is no one concerned about Regina apparently missing? And where is Henry when his grandparents come clean?

~ Why are none of the Authors that August alludes to female? They could have easily included Scheherazade, which would have provided a connection to Aladdin and the other Arabian Nights tales.

~ Apparently despite all the time they’ve spent looking for the Author, none of the heroic protagonists considered that he might have his own agenda, and that it might not align with theirs.

Episode 4x18 “Heart of Gold”

~ A title with multiple meanings—I like it!

~ This is the first episode that really focuses on Robin Hood as a protagonist, apart from Belle, Baelfire/Neal, or Regina (though she is still very much present in his thoughts). I wish we got to see more of him in action like this.

~ How would Marian have known so much about Baelfire?

~ For all that I dislike about this episode, Robin Hood chasing a thief on horseback down the streets of New York is pretty hilarious!

~ Apparently Robin knows this world’s emergency procedure: call 911. Maybe he learned this when they brought Little John to the hospital in Storybrooke?

~ Robin and Will met in Oz? Just how many lands/realms/worlds did Will traverse? If Robin’s mission were in Wonderland that would make more sense.

~ Walsh turns out to be relevant for something! And there’s a Hidden Mickey in his drawer!

~ Perhaps the biggest plot hole: Why did Zelena’s shapeshifting stay intact when they left Storybrooke and entered the Land Without Magic? That lifted the impact of the Snow Queen’s magic.

~ Zelena is basically playing the same role that Walsh did, trying to ensnare a hero into a false marriage.

~ Will’s backstory is kind of huge, and his words, “Doesn’t seem fair to ask somebody for their heart until I can fix me own,” holds a lot of truth; yet they seem to gloss over it.

~ I totally thought Will was playing up the nice act and trying to pick Robin’s pocket; having Robin instead slip the potion to him is a good twist!

~ The Genie poster for Aladdin is visible behind Robin outside the hospital!

~ The scene of Robin and Gold outside the hospital starts out so sweet and sincere, but then becomes so twisted and manipulative. Gold’s advice sounds like it would actually be good in real life, but he’s using it to play into Zelena’s deception.

~ Robin doesn’t really make the distinction that he only steals from the corrupt, unjustly wealthy. The way he talks about stealing for yourself or for others makes it sound like any kind of thievery done for others is morally justified. That could be taken in dangerous directions.

~ The real Marian is so sweet and supportive when Robin becomes an outlaw! No wonder he was so surprised by her apparent reaction to his behavior in New York.

~ There is a very plausible reason for Robin to have Regina’s number: she helped them get their start in New York, and she could help them again if they were ever in need.

~ Does Robin find a way to make a living in the modern world? What jobs would he qualify for, outside of crime?

~ Regina being protective of Emma is beautiful, and a sign of true character growth. Instead of wishing for Emma to share the same horrible experiences she did, she wants to spare her from them.

Episode 4x19 “Sympathy for the De Vil”

~ I get that Gold threatened Regina’s love, but for her to take Belle’s heart, like Belle isn’t even a person with agency of her own, is such a regression back into darkness.

~ “A person obsessed with vengeance is easy to manipulate.” Gold knows this because Hook demonstrated it earlier this season.

~ It’s nice to see Emma and Regina interact as concerned friends. Emma wants to protect Regina just as much as Regina wants to protect Emma.

~ Light brown is an interesting color on Regina. It’s one of the lighter colors we’ve seen her in.

~ I like Emma’s conversation with Hook and Regina, but searching for Henry seems like an odd time for them to get on her case about forgiving her parents.

~ This whole episode seems to stigmatize mental illness. Or maybe it’s supposed to be a commentary on poor treatment? The way it’s written off at the end as Cruella just opening herself to darkness is … unsettling, and not in a good way.

Episode 4x20 “Lily”

~ Who arranged Cruella’s interment? And why is Emma just watching Gold and Isaac from a distance, neither of them hiding from the other? Are they at a stalemate in terms of power?

~ Why would the Storybrooke library have microfiche records of births in Minnesota? Or did Lily enter this world closer to Maine, like Emma?

~ Abby Ross does a great job playing teenage Emma. It could also be a directing thing, but she seems to mimic Emma’s way of talking and moving very well.

~ Regina implicitly criticizes Snow and David for “messing with” fate, but then encourages Emma to push against fate.

~ Hook and Emma’s conversation is nicely placed at a time in between the major ups and downs of their relationship. He confirms what the audience could already deduce about how she influenced him to change.

~ I love Regina’s purple dress!

~ Emma seems to blame herself a lot for pushing Lily away, but Lily was a pretty awful friend to her.

~ Regina says she “went to the trouble to create Storybrooke.” That raises a lot of questions I’ve wondered about: how much of the town did she design, and how much was Rumplestiltskin’s handiwork?

~ It’s weird and ironic to see Regina be the one restraining Emma’s temper.

~ It feels like the show’s writers are using fate as an excuse for tropey, formulaic writing. Like, of course the wolf is fate intervening. The funny thing is how self-aware the characters are about it, even as Regina tries to deny it.

~ Lily really asked Emma to put herself in danger, approaching her gun-owning boyfriend.

~ Did that kid’s parents never warn her about strangers luring her with food? That is so creepy for Lily to do!

~ Was that even Lily’s car that Emma stole?

~ Even though Emma is mad at her parents, she still fiercely wants to protect them.

~ While the script is painfully unsubtle, Lily’s monologue raises a big real-life question: if it seems like the world is against you, and bad things happen no matter what you do, what is the point of trying to make better choices?

~ Lily’s tirade at gunpoint is confusing, like Palpatine urging Anakin or Luke to kill him. Does she really want Emma to kill her?

~ The fact that Regina gets to talk down someone about to make the same kinds of mistakes she made is beautiful.

~ Was Regina talking to Maleficent, Lily’s mother, practically standing next to her, without even telling her?

~ Emma and Regina don’t actually tell Lily that they want to introduce her to her mother. That could have changed her whole attitude toward them from the start. If she wanted to go to Storybrooke, she should have just heard them out and gone along with them.

~ Gold finally shows some contrition for deceiving Belle, and enough selflessness to let go of her and let Will take his place.

~ I don’t have words for how messed up the Robin/Zelena thing is.

Episode 4x21 “Mother”

~ Motherhood is a central theme of this entire show, but this episode zones in on it in both old and new ways: Snow reconciling with Emma, Maleficent trying to bond with Lily, Regina contending with Cora, Regina destroying her own fertility, and Zelena expecting a baby. That’s five mother-child relationships being juggled in this episode!

~ It’s interesting to see Regina at a stage on her way to becoming the Evil Queen.

~ It's so good to see Cora this season! She is my favorite OUAT villain, because she is the most frightening. She is so convincing, it's always tricky to tell when she is sincere and when she is lying or manipulating the truth.

~ Is the color yellow significant for the rose? As the Queen of Hearts, Cora would have favored red or white roses.

~ They use a forgetting potion as an easy solution for Roland, whereas when Snow White used it to forget Charming it had a huge impact on her personality. This is one example of the show losing its “All magic comes with a price” theme.

~ Bringing the Wicked Witch back to Storybrooke, where she would have more access to magic, is a questionable move. And why doesn’t that ice curse resume its course when she returns?

~ When they’re shown together, Maleficent and Lily really do resemble each other!

~ Where and when could Cora and Tinker Bell have met? That would have been an interesting interaction!

~ The Queen of Hearts and the Sheriff of Nottingham are actually allies in the Sisters Grimm books, another series that sets fairy-tale characters in a modern-day town.

~ Lily and Maleficent are oddly similar to Emma and Henry at the start of the series, except this time it’s the parent that wants the child to stay in town.

~ “Things could change in a week.” This is true: a lot can happen quickly in Storybrooke!

~ Cora and Zelena both tried to use imposture to trick someone into having a child with someone they didn’t love.

~ Snow corrects David by calling Lily “she” instead of “it,” a nice callback correcting the way they talked about her in the egg!

~ The look David and Hook exchange carries a whole conversation. “You did this, didn’t you? Thank you.” “No problem, mate.”

~ Why/how did Lily calm down enough to revert to human form?

~ Isaac is right about Regina being self-destructive, and it’s most evident in this episode! Sterilizing herself in order to keep Cora from using her (or her future child?) to get more power is so painful to see. But Regina being infertile, and immediately seeming to regret it, helps to explain why she has such a soft spot for children and tried so hard to get one of her own in earlier seasons.

~ “My happy ending is finally feeling at home in the world.” That actually sounds like every person’s happy ending, the final step in the Hero’s Journey.

~ Is Isaac just playing Regina the whole episode? Did he ever intend to help her?

~ The series really goes in the direction of the Inkheart trilogy, with the Author able to conjure or alter realities simply by writing a few sentences.

Episode 4x22 “Operation Mongoose Part 1”

~ I’m confused about Isaac’s true motives. Is he just out for himself? Does he really care who gets a happy ending?

~ The characters really can’t seem to decide whether “villains getting happy endings” is a good or bad thing.

~ The intro/teaser about Isaac becoming the Author is cool! The test to identify the Author is much like the test to identify the Avatar in The Last Airbender, which is based on the search for the Dalai Lama in real life.

~ Probably the most unrealistic aspect of the Author is how quickly he can write a bestselling novel!

~ Henry seems to be going back to his first-episode roots, running away to find his family. The only difference is that this time someone tries to call the cops on him!

~ I wonder if Isaac’s press tour event resembles actual Once Upon a Time fan events. It looks like there are Disney cosplayers in the audience, including Jack Sparrow!

~ I love Henry in this season finale! After being absent or on the sidelines for a lot of this season, he finally gets to be a protagonist and hero. I only wish there had been a little more setup for his arc.

~ I think this is Henry’s first time in the Enchanted Forest, or at least some version of it. No wonder he is so excited when he arrives!

~ What an amazing, hilarious, unexpected yet fitting callback to Henry’s famous line to Emma!

~ Dwarves serving as Black Knights is so funny and disturbing at the same time!

~ Snow’s hair looks like it might be Ginnifer Goodwin’s natural hair, only styled differently!

~ This two-part episode is basically like the show’s own fan fiction of itself, and it’s hilarious!

~ Henry refers to “his plan.” Was he the one who sent Robin to rescue Regina? Was there some deleted scene of them?

~ Was Emma really locked up for years, as Regina says? Or did she just wake up in that tower and start screaming, as shown onscreen? If it was the former, that could have had a huge toll on her mental state from then on.

Episode 4x23 “Operation Mongoose Part 2”

~ It seems that in this reality, Baelfire has been replaced by his namesake baby Neal. His presence with Belle and Rumple could also be foreshadowing of them having a baby of their own, something first hinted at by Peter Pan in season 3!

~ Isaac says Baelfire died because of Rumplestiltskin’s cowardice, but that’s not really true.

~ It’s so good to see Hook and Henry working together, Henry demonstrating how much he learned from Hook, and Hook learning about the ways of Star Wars!

~ Emma’s dress is beautiful, but way too extravagant for a prisoner.

~ “My schedule’s pretty clear.” = subtle callback to Hook telling Emma “I’ve all the time in the world” at the start of this season.

~ I hope Snow apologized to the dwarf she killed (I’m guessing Doc due to the glasses) after they returned to Storybrooke!

~ I LOVE Emma’s new Enchanted Forest outfit! Not that her dresses aren’t lovely, but the vest and pants fit her style and personality much better.

~ Even in this adventure, Emma shows hints of darkness, yelling at Grumpy and threatening him. She also shows how fiercely protective she is of Hook in that moment.

~ In the background, Hook picks up the sword and holds it up, so clumsy and uncertain, yet ready and willing to fight for Emma.

~ “Is she worth your life, pirate?” “I’m willing to find out.” That’s really been Hook’s attitude since becoming Emma’s ally at the start of season 3!

~ After all their animosity in seasons 2-3A, which gave way to friendship and alliance in seasons 3B-4, it’s strange to see Hook and David have an all-out duel.

~ I think the writers/directors specifically blocked that scene so Emma would see Hook’s face as he died!

~ Belle paraphrases Mrs. Potts in Beauty and the Beast!

~ “What does your heart tell you?” = another Star Wars reference?

~ I bet Emma has wanted to cross blades with Rumplestiltskin for a LONG time!

~ Regina choosing to protect Henry, even at the cost of her supposed happy ending, is completely in-character, yet also shows how much she has grown since the first season, where she put Henry in danger while pursuing her goal of a happy ending for herself.

~ It’s hard to believe that after everything that happened, Emma is still too afraid to tell Hook “I love you.” Colin O’Donoghue’s acting in that scene is incredible. And apparently Hook finally considers himself a hero!

~ Great lines from Snow about what makes a hero or villain!

~ “The best way to show your love for those that are gone is to tell their stories.” True words!

~ Henry is a lot like Harry Potter in his scene with the Apprentice: he wonders about the possibility of resurrecting a dead parent, and he breaks the Author’s quill the way Harry breaks the Elder Wand in the film version of Deathly Hallows. But how can he still be the Author if he does not have the quill?

~ Apparently Will is Roland’s baby-sitter! Not sure how wise that is, but it could make for fun shenanigans!

~ Why does the darkness target Regina? It can’t be because she has the greatest potential for darkness, since that was shown to be Emma earlier this season. Is it because she is now so full of light, as Henry and Emma hint?

[demonic0angel]

Since it’s been a week after I made this post, I wanted to talk about the details and ideas that I put into this drawing :3

(Quite long notes below:)

+ This idea was lowkey inspired by the thought of soulmates. A lot of people thought of reincarnation, and that’s also something I like and agree with :D ultimately, it’s your interpretation of this drawing and I’m happy with anything!

+ Each section (the two panels with Jason and Jazz are each 1 section) are all different versions of Jazz and Jason.

In the first section is Jazz as Penelope and Jason as Odysseus, both of them aged 20 years from being separated. Both are weathered from fighting and conflict, but are now reunited.

In the second section is still them as Penelope and Odysseus, but they are younger, back to when they first met and fell in love. This is definitely inspired by Jorge’s cut songs.

In the third section, Jazz and Jason are adults in the modern world. Jazz is a civilian while Jason is the Red Hood. Jason is unmasked, showing how vulnerable he is with her.

In the fourth section, they are in their ‘original’ forms as children. Jazz is 16, Jason is 15, and both are untouched and unknowing of their future fates.

In the last section, both of them are back to being Odysseus and Penelope, husband and wife who were separated by seas and storms and gods and time, who have now been reunited for the first time in two decades.

+ Some of the pictures I drew were deliberately drawn with the lyrics in mind. For example, in the 3rd section, Jazz sings ‘No matter how long it’s been, you’re mine’. This kind of shows the dynamics that I usually write with them in mind in the modern world. In my hcs, Jazz and Jason follow the invisible string theory and often meet over and over without knowing each other’s faces before finally reuniting.

Another prominent example is in the 4th section, Jazz sings ‘Don’t tell me you’re not the same person’ and I purposefully made Jason Robin in this scene to show that despite how he’s changed as a person into the Red Hood, he is still that same boy who desperately wanted love and was killed due to his own kind nature and selflessness. Even the way I separated the words is intentional >:) Jazz sings the words ‘Don’t tell me/you’re not ; the same/person’. The last line is placed with Jason bc he ultimately hasn’t changed.

He may be just a man now, but he has never changed from the person she loved and knew :,)

A final example is the last section, where Jazz sings ‘You’re always my husband ; And I’ve been/waiting, waiting’. In this version, they are in their oldest forms, both in Ancient Greek and also as people who have waited 20 years. The line ‘You’re always my husband’ is what I was thinking of when I talked about them being soulmates :3

+ Older Odysseus! Jason has a scar that is shaped like a J *cough cough Arkham Knight cough* He also has the white strand of hair, just like the version of him that is Red Hood.

+ Older Penelope! Jazz wears jewelry and gems that are the same color as Jason’s eyes. It’s probably not that noticeable (bc she wears turquoise anyways), but it’s a detail that I like.

+ Both Jazz and Jason have conflicting colors. Some examples are silver vs gold, bright turquoise vs dark blue, white vs brown, black vs yellow.

+ Jazz and Jason both start progressively crying more and more as they sing. Jazz’s tears is what makes Jason cry as well, since he cries after seeing her own tears.

+ Jazz kind of ‘moves’ throughout the pictures. It is only Jason who is frozen in disbelief and sorrow as Jazz pours her heart out and cries for him. She’s the one singing to and soothing him, while he needs to be comforted after 20 years of killing and almost dying.

+ In the last scene, Jason touches Jazz because he cannot believe that she is real. Meanwhile, Jazz touches him to both see the damage of his scar, wipe away his tears, and reassure him that she is still in love with him.

Over and Over Again (click for clarity)

Inspired by ‘Would You Fall in Love with Me Again’ by Jorge Rivera-Herrans.

Or what if Jason was Odysseus and was forced to be away from his loved ones for 20 years while Jazz was his Penelope, who faithfully keeps the throne secure for him until he returns?

Fresh off the printing press, @gilbirda 🫡 I thought to post it on Monday, but I had a schedule and nothing else to post so… here you go :3

[24worldnewsnet]

Champions League winners PSG beat fellow European heavyweights Atletico Madrid at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, the US.Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain opened their Club World Cup campaign with an impressive 4-0 victory over Atletico Madrid, underlining to their rivals that they will likely be the team to beat in this tournament. PSG largely dominated Atletico at the Rose Bowl on Sunday in their first match since trouncing Inter Milan 5-0 to win its first Champions League title on May 31. Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha scored in the first half, while Senny Mayulu and Lee Kang-in scored against 10-man Atletico in the second half of their Group B clash. The European giants met at the venue of the 1994 World Cup final for one of the highest-profile matches in the group stage of the first 32-team edition of the Club World Cup. Ousmane Dembele did not feature for PSG after reportedly injuring a quadricep while playing for France on June 6. Goncalo Ramos replaced Dembele in Luis Enrique’s only change to the starting lineup from the Champions League final. Enrique wore shorts and a training shirt on the sideline while coaching PSG in 31 Celsius (88 Fahrenheit) midday California heat. Advertisement PSG controlled possession early, and Ruiz capitalised from just outside the penalty area in the 19th minute. The Spanish midfielder long coveted by Atletico beat Jan Oblak with a clever strike into the far corner. Atletico got a golden chance to tie it in first-half injury time, but Gianluigi Donnarumma swallowed up Antoine Griezmann’s chance in the box. Moments later, Vitinha slipped through the Atletico defence and scored on the break. Julian Alvarez appeared to pull one back for Atletico in the second half, but his goal was chalked off after VAR determined Koke had fouled Desire Doue in the build-up. Atletico’s Clement Lenglet was sent off in the 78th minute with his second yellow card on a frustrating day that left coach Diego Simeone visibly furious at both the referees and his players’ mistakes. Alexander Sorloth somehow missed an open net in the 82nd minute for Atletico in a move that made Simeone fall to his knees in disbelief. Mayulu secured PSG’s victory five minutes later, and Lee converted a penalty with the final kick of the match from the spot after a handball by Robin Le Normand in the box. Man of the match Vitinha told DAZN it was a “very good performance” by his side. “We did a very good game, it is difficult with this temperature. We did well against a tough team, we controlled all of the game. We are happy with the result,” he said. “The toughest thing to do in football is to maintain the level, and that is what I try to do.” PSG coach Enrique also hailed his side’s performance. Advertisement “I think every single player showed their best quality to the team,” he told DAZN. “As a coach, I am happy. Really great to feel that love [from the stadium]. We are happy and want to continue with our ways.” In Sunday’s earlier game, Bayern Munich romped to a 10-0 victory over Auckland City as Jamal Musiala had a hat-trick in a 17-minute span of the second half in front of a crowd that unfurled a banner urging to “Smash FIFA!” while accusing the governing body of mismanagement. Thomas Muller, Kingsley Coman and Michael Olise scored two goals each for the Bundesliga champions, who went ahead on Coman’s goal six minutes in. Bayern had a 17-1 advantage in shots on target. Musiala, a 22-year-old midfielder, replaced Harry Kane in the 61st minute, making his first appearance since April 4 after recovering from a hamstring injury. He scored in the 67th minute, converted a penalty kick in the 73rd and scored again in the 84th. Before a crowd of 21,152 at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, fans displayed a red-and-white banner referring to the 2015 raid by US law enforcement at a Zurich hotel that led to the arrest of many football officials over corruption allegations: “10 Years Baur Au Lac – World Footb