#and I don't know what to do for the plot because it's not supposed to focus on the event

[gypsi-kat01]

Is anyone else kind of dreading the release of the Good Omens Finale? Because it's not going to be the sequel that Terry and Neil imagined when they were wide awake with jet lag in the middle of the night in that shared hotel room. That story was part of the planned 3 part series that Neil wrote/was writing. That would have accounted for all of the loose ends that were still being woven together, but weren't actually a complete thing, yet. It would have given us all the bits (or most of them, barring budgetary constraints) that were foreshadowed in the first 2 parts of the series. That was planned to be 6 episodes, approximately 45 minutes each. It would have had multiple storylines interweaving with each other, much like the first season. It would have been complicated. In order to reduce all of that to 90 minutes, major parts of the plot development would have to be cut entirely, or at best, reduced to a short summary by one of the characters referring to something that happened off screen, that we don't actually see. Some of the characters that would have been in scenes in the 6 episode version of Season 3 may not actually appear on screen, but only be referenced obliquely. So not only will we not get to see those scenes, but since they weren't filmed the actors who would have been portraying those characters will not be paid, for a scene that was planned but not actually filmed. Amazon did not have to do this. Most (if not all) of the episodes were already written and paid for. Cutting those episodes did not hurt the writer (well, not financially, anyway, as they had already been paid), but did cut expenses for Amazon. The actors and crew had already planned for their time to be available to film all 6 episodes of Season 3, after it was officially greenlighted. After Rob and Rhianna talked Amazon into at least filming a final episode (after the show had been actually cancelled by Amazon), only some of the cast and crew were re-hired. A new writer was hired to create a new script, and we have no way of knowing if that script even includes any of the scenes that Neil had already written, and that David and Michael had read and given their approval of. I'm sure that David and Michael and everyone else have done their best with what they were given, but it's just not going to be what we had originally expected, or hoped for. At best, it will be a severely truncated summarized outline of what was supposed to take place over 6 episodes. At worst, the writer may have come up with ideas and situations out of whole cloth, that have little or nothing to do with the first 2 seasons of the show, just in order to get the main characters to an ending with some semblance of closure. David and Michael and the new director will have to work with the new script; they aren't really allowed to rewrite their own parts just to get the dialogue closer to what they think their characters would say in any given situation.

After Season 2 was released, I (along with many others) immersed myself in fanfiction, mostly on AO3, just to keep my brain from imploding with "what if's". By now I have read thousands of fanfics, bookmarked and downloaded most of them, as well as any accompanying art that I found. It's all saved in a rather complicated nest of folders on my computer. I really need to save it to a separate drive as well, just in case my computer unexpectedly decides to stop functioning correctly. (I bought a drive for this, I just need to copy all those files to it.) With everything that has happened (which I am not going into, as that info has been posted all over social media for months), I am so, SO grateful to all of the amazing wonderful writers of fanfiction who have imagined millions of different scenarios involving Crowley, Aziraphale, and other Good Omens characters, in storylines that are similar to canon; totally dissimilar to canon; depict Crowley & Aziraphale as angels, demons, humans, and all sorts of other creatures; and basically have been acting out that joke about the millions of monkeys with typewriters recreating the works of Shakespeare. Except that, rather than recreating what Neil might have written for Season 3, they are writing all of the possible versions of Season 3 that might have been written in all possible worlds, and in all possible situations. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Regardless of how the "official" Season 3 Finale turns out, we will have almost infinite versions of Crowley and Aziraphale (and their world) to read and re-read, for as long as AO3 shall exist. I don't know the specifics of how AO3 stores the data saved on their site, but I hope that they have multiple servers in multiple countries, so that if they get taken down in one location, they will still continue to exist elsewhere. Long live AO3, Good Omens fanfiction, and all of the amazing writers and artists out there who are contributing in any way to keeping our favorite characters alive in our collective imaginations. Sending virtual hugs out to everyone who is invested in Crowley & Aziraphale's story. Best wishes to all of you.

🌟💖❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍💖🌟

Good Omens 2 + Text Posts

[lahbarsaglini]

haven’t shot your heart yet

pairing: matt sturniolo x oc!youtuber

summary: in a world curated for the screen, matt and kylie stumble into something real. their first encounter was something passed off as chemistry for the cameras. but there’s this new feeling going on, quieter, deeper—an off-script connection in an online world that rarely pauses for breath. this is how everything started.

notes: first one, don't really now how writing or editing here works, but i swear i'm trying my best. this turn out to be bigger than what i expected. slow burn, getting to know each other type of thing. maybe i'll end up doing a series for this plot, don't know. oh, idk how big the pictures turn out to be. i'm nervous af.

wc: 2.7k maybe?

It wasn’t supposed to be a date. Not officially, at least. 

Kylie Rose had 3.5 million subscribers on her channel now, more than when they first met. 

She was finally back in Boston after a weekend at her hometown. She had this quick modeling job with AllSaints that required her attention, a shoot drenched in dark layers and sharp eyeliner — her kind of thing.

He saw her Instagram Story, a blurry shot of the Boston skyline at dusk with the caption: “back in the city. hi again”. That was enough. He paused on it longer than he should have. 

Matt didn’t rush. He didn’t double-tap. He just thought — about how funny she was when they met each other on Cut The Camera, how sharp and honest she’d been in her answers, and how she never once tried to impress anyone. She just was. So he DMed her. 

“saw you’re in Boston. we can hang out if you have time, just us.”

That was something he almost regretted texting. No “me and my brothers”. Just us. No group thing. He second-guessed because maybe she wouldn’t be down to. But he just shook it off and tried not to think too much about it, occupying his mind with something else. 

See, tried is the key word. Because something shifted when they met.

When Kylie walked into the studio for the episode, Matt felt it in his chest first, a weird mix of calm and chaos. She had this quiet confidence. Like she knew herself and didn’t need anyone else to verify that. 

During filming, she’d answered a question about vulnerability, saying: “I’m not afraid to be real. If you’ve seen what I’ve been through, you’d know that pretending is way more exhausting.” 

Matt looked at her then — really looked. Not the public figure, not the curated YouTuber. Just her. 

It stuck with him. He noticed the way she would play with a specific ring on her finger, turning it around every now and then. Combined with the look on her face, it seemed like she was getting ready to fight someone. But if you blinked, maybe it was just a grounding technique. He noticed how she didn’t put her loose strands of hair behind her ear in a discreet way, but instead, switched her posture while placing the entirety of her hand on top of her head, fingers going in between her roots, pushing her hair out of the way and sliding it down. Like an effortless bold statement. 

After the podcast ended, he and his brothers went home talking about how easy she was to talk to, even when the subjects were not. He took a very quick minute to visualize her in front of his eyes when the traffic stopped because of a red light. 

It wasn’t about attraction alone — although, yeah, she was gorgeous. He didn’t really believe in love at first sight.

It was interest. Curiosity. That pull toward someone who feels like a mirror you didn’t know existed. 

So when he saw she was in Boston, 7 months later, he didn’t want to lose the chance. He’d been so busy in LA, going back home was a relief. And she was there as well. He wanted to meet her off-camera. Without edits. Without Nick and Chris. Just them. He felt like there was more to know.

Kylie accepted Matt’s invitation for one simple reason: she wanted to. No overthinking, no asking for anyone’s permission. No making a pro/con list like she normally would. When she saw the message, she read it twice, and then smiled. Because even though their first interaction on Cut The Camera was short, it stayed with her. 

Matt had really listened to her. He didn’t interrupt, he didn’t talk over her. Not that Chris or Nick had been disrespectful, but Matt really made space for her voice. 

Of course she caught the way he glanced at her sometimes, or whenever she said something gallant — not judgemental, not surprised, just… Intrigued. And his laugh? It wasn’t loud, it was real, honest. 

On the other hand, Kylie’s life was loud. Cameras, opinions, clickbait. 

But Matt? Matt was quiet intention. 

He wasn’t asking for a post or a collab. He wasn’t looking for clout. He just wanted to see her. That was kinda rare. Plus, she’d caught herself wondering what he was like without the other two, no triplet dynamic or shared punchlines. Just Matt. So when he reached out, her answer came naturally: 

“i’m down. you better like milkshakes.”

And that was it. She didn’t know what it would be, didn’t even expect anything big. She would go for a milkshake and hang out with someone she knew because of work. For her, it was about letting herself say yes without armor. 

And maybe — just maybe — because she wanted to know him too. 

“i can pick you up, if you want. i just thought i’d offer”. 

Kylie stared at it, amused. She could easily drive. I mean, she had her car with her right there, parked outside her place. It was really no problem. But something about the offer made her pause. 

It’s old school. Gentle. Hinting that he actually wants to spend time with her, not just meet up. So she typed back:

“bold of you to assume i trust anyone’s driving but my own 😎

but okay, come pick me up

let’s risk it.”

He showed up ten minutes early. 

Not that he told her that, of course. He waited outside, leaning against his car trying not to look like his mind had been pacing inside the vehicle. He stared at the floor, holding back a smile because of the situation back at his parents place.

“Why does Matt look like he's walking into a GQ shoot when we’re just ordering fucking pizza?” Nick even dropped down his phone when he saw his brother. “I’m going out for a bit,” he replied, grabbing the car keys.

When Kylie walked out in a dark denim jacket, boots, and her pretty dark hair pulled into a ponytail, he goes:

"Wow, you look like you're about to kill someone," he'd meant it as a compliment.

Her response, however, was pure Kylie—quick and witty. “Really? I haven’t shot your heart just yet.”

Matt's breath hitched, just for a second. Kylie's retort, delivered with that effortless, bold grin, landed oh, so precisely. He tried to play it cool, a casual shrug, a slight tilt of his head. But inside, a small, involuntary part of him was doing a backflip. 

He remembered her playing around with Nick, tossing out a pick-up line during the podcast. It had been funny then, a casual, performative flirtation. But this? This felt different. More direct. More... pointedly at him.

Matt forced a light laugh, trying to keep his composure. "Well, let's hope my heart survives this then," he quipped back, hoping his voice didn't betray the sudden flutter in his chest. He shoved his hands into his pockets, a subtle movement to ground himself. He told himself it was just Kylie being Kylie, just her natural charisma. But as she walked closer, the scent of something alluring, like vanilla, maybe something floral reaching him, he found himself thinking about that "just us" text again. And suddenly, the idea of hanging out with her felt a lot more significant than he'd anticipated.

Matt’s car pulled away from her street, the hum of the engine a low counterpoint to the quiet anticipation between them. "How was the photoshoot, by the way? I saw the behind the scenes that you posted yesterday" he asked, glancing at her. "AllSaints, right? Sounds intense."

Kylie leaned back, her hand resting on the window sill. "Yeah, it was... my kind of intense," she chuckled. "Very moody, you know? Felt less like modeling and more like acting out a vibe. The creative director was cool. We shot mostly around Beacon Hill and a few old brick alleys. Felt very 'Kylie Rose' before I even showed up." She paused, a small smile playing on her lips. "It's funny, sometimes I think I accidentally built a brand that just fits me, instead of the other way around."

Matt nodded, his eyes on the road. "I get that. Sometimes it feels like the content just... becomes who you are." He made a turn, heading towards the narrow, bustling streets of the North End. "Speaking of brands, I scouted a place. Hope it's moody enough for you."

They found a parking spot a few blocks away and walked, the afternoon air carrying the scent of Italian pastries and old brick. The café was called Thinking Cup on Hanover Street, precisely the kind of place Kylie imagined. Vintage wooden chairs and small, mismatched tables were bathed in the warm glow of Edison bulbs, while soft, jazzy lo-fi music drifted from unseen speakers. It was cozy, unpretentious, and immediately inviting.

"Perfect," Kylie murmured, taking in the vibe.

They approached the counter, the menu board looming above them. Kylie scanned it, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Milkshake, please," she said, her voice clear. "Strawberry."

Matt blinked. He'd half-expected her to go for something complex and dark, like a double chocolate mocha or a salted caramel concoction – something that matched the depth of her online persona. But strawberry milkshake? It was simple, sweet, almost... innocent. He found himself smiling.

"You know," she commented, turning to him after placing her order, "Do people even drink coffee anymore?"

"Only people trying to prove something," Matt deadpanned, and they both laughed, the sound easy and genuine in the low hum of the café. "I'll take a vanilla milkshake, please," he told the barista, leaning in slightly. "I don’t drink coffee.”

“You kidding,” she turns, her ponytail spinning around in a dramatic way. “I hate coffee.”

They grabbed their frosty glasses, condensation already beading on the sides, and found a small table by the window. The clinking of ceramic mugs and hushed conversations formed a comfortable backdrop. Kylie took a long sip of her vibrant pink drink, a satisfied sigh escaping her lips. "This is exactly what I needed."

Matt watched her, the simple pleasure on her face a stark contrast to the complexities he often perceived in her videos. They sat in a comfortable silence for a moment, letting the warmth of the café and the soft hum of conversation wrap around them like a blanket. Kylie leaned back in her chair, eyes scanning the view outside the window—graffiti-tagged walls, narrow alleyways, and weathered brick buildings soaked in late afternoon light while he asked her about how it was moving to Boston, her favorite places and all that jazz.

...grit,” she finished, swirling her straw lazily in her milkshake. “Like, it’s rough around the edges, but in a way that feels earned. Like a city with good stories.”

Matt nodded slowly, elbow resting on the table as he watched her. “That’s how you describe cities?” he asked, amused. “With character assessments?”

Kylie raised an eyebrow and leaned in slightly. “Would you rather I described it by square mileage and architectural stats?”

“No, I like your version better,” he admitted, chuckling. “Makes me wonder what you’d say about people.”

She paused, that familiar glint sparking behind her eyes again. “Well, you, for example,” she began, tracing a finger along the rim of her glass. “I think you’re like one of those old radios, you know? Quiet until someone tunes in just right. And when they do… there’s music. Unexpected, layered, kind of addictive. But not everyone takes the time to listen properly.”

Matt blinked, a little thrown off. “That’s… oddly poetic.”

“Poetic is my second language,” Kylie quipped with a small shrug, though there was something soft behind her tone, like she wasn’t just joking. She tilted her head. “What about me?”

He glanced down at his drink, swirling the melted rim with his straw as he considered. Then: “You’re like a fire alarm with lipstick on.”

Kylie snorted. “Wow.”

“Wait, hear me out,” he said, laughing along with her. “You’re bold. Sharp. You say what people don’t want to hear, even if it makes them flinch. But you’re also… deliberate. You know how you affect a room, and you don’t waste that.”

She looked at him for a moment longer than necessary. Not with amusement, but with intrigue. Maybe even appreciation. “Okay, that was good. I’ll allow it.”

They sat in a silence that wasn’t awkward, just full —the kind that held weight because both were thinking the same thing but neither wanted to break it too fast. Outside, people passed by the window, some rushing, some strolling. The city moved on without them, but neither of them seemed in any hurry to rejoin it.

“Hey,” Matt said suddenly, “can I ask something kinda random?”

“Always,” Kylie replied, sipping again.

“Do you ever just… wish you could shut it all off? Like, all of it. The comments, the posts, the numbers. Just go somewhere where no one knows your name?”

She leaned back, milkshake halfway to her lips. Her expression shifted. Not darker, but more grounded. Real.

“All the time,” she said quietly. “But then I remember... if no one knows my name, maybe I forget it too.”

Matt’s gaze didn’t leave her. “So what do you do instead?”

She gave a small, lopsided smile. “I try to find people who don’t care about the numbers. Who see me anyway. But try is exaggerating a bit. I don’t really chase people.”

Matt’s chest tightened just slightly. “I think that’s a pretty fair plan.”

Kylie looked down at her almost-empty glass and then back at him. “Good. ’Cause I think I just found one.”

Neither said anything after that. They didn’t have to. The milkshakes were almost gone. But the silence between them? Still sweet. Matt was the one who interrupted that break.

"So, what's next on the Boston agenda for you? Any more shoots, or are you free for a bit?" Matt asked, trying to sound casual, but hoping she was free.

Kylie smirked. "Nope, all done. Just chilling until tomorrow. Then I gotta start thinking about work again. Why, you got something in mind?"

Matt's smile widened. "Maybe. How about we just... drive?”

Kylie's eyes lit up. "Deal. But I'm DJ."

Minutes later, they were back in Matt's car, the windows cracked just enough to let the cool evening air flow in. 

Matt, a creature of habit when it came to his music, found himself surprised to hand over the aux cord without a second thought. Kylie, seizing the moment, queued up a mix that perfectly encapsulated her own eclectic taste: the raw energy of Arctic Monkeys flowed into the dreamy, lo-fi vibes of Hotel Ugly, before abruptly shifting to that one Doja Cat remix she remembered and swore "goes stupid in the car”.

He stole a few looks at her as she sang along, completely unfiltered. Her voice was pretty and free. She wasn't trying to impress him; she was just being. He liked that. More than liked it, he felt a pull towards that unapologetic authenticity.

The city lights eventually thinned, giving way to quieter, tree-lined streets. Matt navigated instinctively, pulling into what looked like a hidden entrance to a local park, like the kind only residents knew about, almost empty at this hour. The dusk was deepening into twilight, casting long, soft shadows across the open spaces. She read “Danehy Park”.

Kylie hopped out first, her boots hitting the gravel with a soft crunch.

"We're walking?" he asked, a hint of playful disbelief in his voice. He didn’t think she would like nature. 

"We're existing," she corrected, already moving towards a path that wound into the trees. "Just come on."

They walked, not rushing, just letting the conversation flow. The topics drifted far beyond the usual first-date pleasantries. They talked about childhood memories, the raw, unedited moments that shaped them. They spoke about what truly scared them, the anxieties and quiet fears that YouTube rarely saw. They even touched on who they were before the cameras, before the subscriber counts and the public gaze.

Matt found himself telling her about his favorite place to think, where the world felt vast and his problems small. Kylie, in turn, shared a more tender, poignant memory: the exact day she realized her childhood ended too early, a quiet admission that hung in the air, heavy with unspoken understanding. Matt didn't pry; he just listened, truly listened, the same way he did on the podcast.

Then, tucked away amidst some older trees, they stumbled upon it: a small, forgotten playground. Swings hung still, slides gleamed faintly in the dim light, and a merry-go-round sat patiently.

Kylie's eyes lit up, a spark of childlike mischief igniting within her. "Race you to the swings?" she challenged, already taking a step back, ready to sprint.

Matt laughed, a genuine, unrestrained sound. "That's not fair. You're in boots!"

"Exactly," she shot back, already halfway to a running start. "I'll still win."

And she did.

While he pushed himself on the swing, Kylie sat sideways so that she could see him. 

“Come on, Matt! You can do better than that, go higher!”

Matt laughed, a genuine, unburdened sound. She went behind him to give him a push and then stood in front of him from a safe distance. Looking at her, a profound sense of ease settled in. "You're something, you know that?" he said, the words coming out unbidden.

Kylie's smile softened, turning reflective. "Only when I let myself be," she replied, her gaze meeting him across the now small distance between his swing and her. "It's… quieter here. With you."

"Yeah," Matt agreed, the word barely a whisper. "It is." He felt it too. A rare peace, a sense of belonging that was both unexpected and deeply comforting. It wasn't about the cameras. In the quiet of the park, under the fading light, it was just them. The air between them hummed with an unspoken understanding, a gentle current of connection.

Eventually, Kylie’s laughter died down, replaced by a soft sigh. "Okay, Cinderella, playtime's over," she said, her voice tinged with a familiar, reluctant resignation. "I really should head back home."

Matt's heart sank a little at the mention of her leaving, but he nodded. "Right, reality calls."

They walked towards the edge of the playground, the silence comfortable between them. Just as they were about to leave, Kylie spotted the slide. With a sudden burst of energy, she climbed the short steps. "Wait, one more for the road," she announced, and instead of sliding down forward, she sat, faced the sky, and pushed off to slide backwards.

"Kylie, don't—" Matt started, but it was too late. Her boots caught on the edge, and she wobbled precariously as she reached the bottom. With a small yelp, she almost toppled over. In an instant, Matt was there. His hand shot out, catching her arm just as she lost her balance at the end of the freaking slide. 

“Are you good?” he asked, kinda preoccupied, but she was too busy laughing her ass off to answer the question. Her head was thrown back, a bright, uninhibited sound bubbling out of her that echoed through the quiet park. He couldn't help but crack a smile, then a full-blown laugh himself, caught by the sheer absurdity and her contagious joy.

"I'm okay, it’s okay!" she finally gasped between giggles, pushing herself upright with his help. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes, sparkling with mirth, met his. She straightened her denim jacket, adjusting her hair.

“Really? I just had to save you from yourself,” Matt retorted, a playful smirk tugging at his lips as he released her arm.

Kylie rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “Thanks, hero. My pride is slightly bruised.”

They ambled back to his car, the previous comfortable silence now replaced by a lighter, more animated hum. The near-tumble on the slide, instead of being an awkward moment, had simply become another shared laugh, solidifying the easy camaraderie that had blossomed between them.

Once they were settled back in the car, the engine a soft purr, Matt took control of the music. "Alright, since you nearly broke your neck on my watch, I'm taking back DJ duties for moral support," he announced, scrolling through his phone.

Kylie scoffed playfully. "Fine, but if it's country, I'm calling an Uber."

He grinned, selecting a Mac Miller track, its “chill but cool” beats filling the space. "Relax, I know your vibe. We're going with something that screams 'I just narrowly avoided a playground injury, but I'm still cool enough.'"

The drive back to her apartment was easy. The earlier, deeper discussions about fears and childhoods had laid a powerful foundation, but now, it was simply the joy of sharing a quiet moment, of existing together without pressure. The city lights began to brighten again as they approached her neighborhood, and the unspoken realization that their time together was nearing its end hung gently in the air.

The mellow notes faded as Matt pulled up to the curb outside Kylie’s place. The city, though still awake, felt hushed, as if in deference to the quiet understanding that had grown between them. He cut the engine, and the sudden silence in the car felt both profound and entirely comfortable.

Neither of them made an immediate move to get out. The vibe between them was thick with a new, unspoken awareness, a delicate tension that was both exhilarating and just a little bit daunting. It wasn't the kind of tension that needed breaking, but one that promised something more.

Finally, Kylie unbuckled her seatbelt. "Well, this was... not what I expected," she said, a small smile playing on her lips as she turned to face him. "But in the best way." She paused, her gaze steady. "It was actually really nice to see you without your brothers, I wasn't expecting that."

Matt's smile softened, a genuine warmth spreading across his face. "Good unexpected, I hope?"

"The best kind," she confirmed, her eyes twinkling. She opened the car door, but didn't immediately step out. Instead, she paused, a genuine softness in her expression. "Thanks for not being weird," she offered, the words sincere.

Matt chuckled, a warm sound in the cool night. "Thanks for not being… Hollywood," he replied, a playful jab at the work community they were used to.

They shared a smile, a silent acknowledgment of the authenticity they'd found in each other, away from the glare of cameras and expectations. It was a shared secret, a small victory in a world that often felt performative.

"Next time," Matt said, his voice a low rumble, the words holding a weight that transcended a casual suggestion. "You're picking me up. I see your car."

Kylie's smile widened into a full grin, a flash of her inherent confidence returning. "Bet," she nodded, her eyes bright with a challenge he was more than willing to accept. "But I’m still picking the music."

He didn’t mind one bit.

tagging: @sturns-mermaid @a103-chris-mm @zenithsturniolo @cayleeuhithinknott

[statementlou]

Tbh i am not surprised that a person who openly talked about having drinking problems since 1d days, because of how crazy 1d worked has been agressive. What surprises me is people being surprised (they never seriously saw drunk person?). But i am also confused about this whole book. Apparently Maya said that that book is not fully bout Liam but compilation about her exes and some of the worst parts are not about him. But recently she said that the book is “ofc about him” so what is true then? Or did she meant it that ofc some parts are about him or that whole book is about him?

Sorry, just confused

I also am not surprised- we've learned so much more about the real stories of things and about the guys' actual lives over the last years, and the story that has unfolded around Liam has been totally consistent throughout if you've been following it, and so the information Maya is telling us is shocking and upsetting but not difficult to believe. I got an anon yesterday saying they were worried about getting similar revelations about the other boys, like "if Liam could be doing this we just don't know, any of them could", and while in a way that's always true I guess, anyone could be doing anything in private like... that doesn't really concern me. Because none of these Liam revelations are coming out of nowhere, there have been many MANY steps along the way leading us here if you've been watching, and he has talked openly about both his mental health struggles and his addiction issues. So to answer that anon... to find out something similar about Louis would in contrast contradict everything we know about him and no I'm not worried about it. Is he an abuser or a loose cannon, well that news would truly shock me to my core, I will be honest. But anyway as for the book I don't find it strange that she was nervous when it came out and treading lightly and later decided, fuck it. In the absolutely on point tiktok she dropped today (YES👏GIRL👏FUCKING TELL THEM👏) she even mentions attempts to keep her from publishing the book, presumably by Liam's team, that I am riveted by and cannot WAIT to hear more details about actually- like I said I don't find it at all strange that she was nervous and downplayed it a bit then. But if she says now that it's just about Liam, well, I would say it's been clear from the beginning that the book is their story. Maya herself brought up the parallel of songs being written about stuff and I think it's the same thing; it's true (she was in an abusive relationship that involved certain kinds of events) but maybe not 100% literal (I'm sure details were changed to make the story work, it's not like a word for word timeline of their interactions or whatever).

[vulpinesaint]

kind of unfortunate that so many fantasy epics are also war novels because i will be honest i just do not like war novels that much... the grand clashing of forces is compelling obviously but it requires characters to talk about so much practical battle strategy and while i can get my brain to comprehend all these fantasy maps and kingdoms and borders and battalions and front lines and army movements it takes up. so much space in the book. feels like i'm fighting a war of my own trying to get through it sometimes

[anendoandfriendo]

CN/TLDR: long-winded and discusses how we feel about media rep in general. Headmate murder, especially in the context of psychiatry.

Disclaimer here that we don't think media representation will solve everything 100% but it's had. A noticeable affect on us, just from a singular book. Because now we know people CAN do better, but feel as if they simply choose not to on purpose.

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We supposed we're of two minds about this (to add on our two cents) because:

On the one hand...yeah. Many many movies and stuff do do this.

On the other...if the complaint is (and we are not saying OP is like this, because there is no indication here — but we were, and still are depending on the headmate, like this) "I want queer representation I can see in the mainstream and I Am Tired and I Am Romance-Repulsed and/or Sex-Repulsed. We're queer too just for being repulsed by the thing, which turns expectations upside down" then like...people deserve more mainstream rep, we ALSO agree with that.

We completely understand this because it's the same exact issue we take when every system is assumed to be traumagenic in mainstream media (or just media in general), like, we want one, ONE, Blatantly Endogenic Non-Created System PLEASE, something we've definitely discussed before.

The book the changed our minds on this then. It's called What's Left Of Me, by Kat Zhang. It's a YA novel that's part of a trilogy. Basic right.

Except. It's not.

We don't know if she is actually aware that psychiatry is that horrific or if she knows endogenics and protogenics like actually exist but it is the singular novel ever to feature blatantly endogenic systems, and the whole plot is around having to hide multiplicity because theyll literally operate on you and kill off one of uour headmates — and it's somehow considered YA section instead of the adults section in spite of that being like. HORRIFIC. Because people just straight up erase endogenics exist.

But because the plural system (the two headmates narrating at least) is/are the main character& — if course they escape. Ther is a love interest which would have put us off, but somehow a system falling in love is seen as this radical thing so we can let that slide. There's a preview to the second book that talks about switching and (co)consciousness and learning to control those things.

We really want to write a thank you letter/email to Kat Zhang one day if we're ever brave enough, even if we don't know how it ends yet. Because she decided to write about a neurotype that's like us we have never seen. And if we end up disappointed somehow? She's done okay so far and the books are kinda old so....we can give it a pass because plurality like ours is radical NOW??? What about the 2000s and such?

So we actually kind of understand where OP is coming from.

People deserve to be seen.

So, again: we're of two minds when it comes to just saying to "expand your horizons a little" and similar topics, we guess. For the time being we do think people will need to expand their horizons a little, but the erasure of specific marginalized groups doesn't seem, like, entirely coincidental to us either.

why isn’t there a single god damn movie that doesn’t have a romantic subplot. why is everything centred around romance. a story can be still be interesting if the boy and the girl don’t kiss at the end ??

i’ll be enjoying a movie and then BAM the male and female leads just admitted feelings for each other. it’s not even a trope at this point because it’s literally EVERY film. what the hell is going on?

is that not like. a major flaw in the film writing industry if every film does like same thing like i am actually so confused about this

[mildcicada]

[yoinkschief]

Yeahh there is definitely more that should've been said about Gene's past actions that just don't get acknowledged, but sexual harassment in the series has unfortunately never really been taken seriously (see Zane + Ghost/Emmalyn and Laurance/Aaron + Michi, which gets played up for jokes a ton cause haha ! silly ! women can't be sexual harassers ! (/sarc)

So it is very sad and damaging to see this kind of content being produced to kids, and I don't think Jess had any ill intent with it but it definitely felt like an oversight of the "state of the internet at the time it was being uploaded" with that kind of ""humor"" being normalized and no one really seriously critiquing the tropes of anime at the time as being into anime was only just beginning to be "cool", it was still in the throes of being a weird kid thing from school so no one had any serious discussion about it yet because it wasn't in mainstream (at least for America)

I totally get what you mean tho - I too had grown to actually kinda appreciate the ship between Aph and Aaron, for MyStreet anyway, I mean their relationship in Diaries was cute too I was just frustrated that most of it was off screen and we only saw bits and pieces of them growing closer and it was mostly framed as like "we're just co-parenting so we should get to know each other better" which is cute n all but again happened mostly off screen

When it comes to the characters having like nothing or a lot of story it's kinda frustrating, yeah, especially because a lot of the story elements they did have when they were apart of their MCD counterpart was like completely ignored, which I mean like I get it this is a completely different story that wasn't supposed to technically be a story, it was just a silly spin off series of MCD that got more popular than it did, and so they started adding story elements to it

But because it was originally just a spinoff there's a lot of retconning that has to happen of like original iterations, rewrites and work arounds that get annoying really quick, and I really really hope they can expand upon the characters in Season 7 in some way, I think it would be fun and cute to bring back Jess's original intention with the series as a simple slice of life series but give it like plot

I mean it would make sense to do that in my head where like, if I'm reading the trailer correctly, it'll be a thing of returning Aaron's memories to him, so a nice way to do that is to make it a slice of life series once again with wacky hijinks and silly things, especially since the last season was so devastatingly traumatizing for pretty much everyone involved

Me personally I think it would be fun to play around with ideas with the different characters finding their support groups in different ways, like the different ways they work through everything that happened to them, maybe some will go to an actual anonymous support group, some will go to therapy and counselling, others confide in their significant other/close friends, so on

but that's just me LOL I like small world building bits like that, I'd like for everyone to get their character plot lines tied up nicely with a pretty bow, everyone goes through the healing process of trauma in their own ways, just because it'd be a nice way to end the series. Aphmau and Aaron get back together and whatnot and everyone is happy and it leaves the ending satisfying and yet open enough for people to still have fun writing silly one-shots/continuations/spin-offs,,, not sure if that'll be what it actually is tho seeing as we've gotten no trailers/teasers for the actual animated series, only small things to essentially tide the fans over while we wait LOL

I like Mystreet as much as the next person, I was a MCD person, and I'll always be a MCD person...with that being said, from time to time, I think about the comparisons for characters between the two properties...you know the usual, like the Mystreet Laurance and MCD Laurance, or sometimes Garroth, or even Katelyn...this rambling session isn't about them though, it's about Dante.

By far, Dante is one of my favorites in MCD. At first glance, he can be forgettable. He's not apart of the Aphmau love triangle, nor is he apart every adventure in season 2, but when you get the whole picture of MCD, he's character is amazing.

I mean, there's so much to him. His personality, his morals, his history...his family. Dante is a character that is easily expandable.

By far, one of the most important things about Dante, is his loyalty. This man, stayed 15 years in the same place because his Lord told him to, no matter how many offers for him to leave came up, he didn't, and that is extremely compelling.

With that said, it's time for Mystreet Dante...anyways! Dante in Mystreet (+ Phoenix Drop High) is quite different. First off, Dante in Mystreet is extremely flirty, to the point he's creepy and disrespectful. In Phoenix Drop High(mostly effecting Mystreet later on), Dante taught Travis creepy behaviors, such as touching others without their permission. Of course, this is all played for humor, Dante in Mystreet is all played for humor...even when his behaviors are far from it.

To add to this behavior, it's very obvious from the first episode of Mystreet, that Dante is supposed to be seen in a more love interest route, a route that Mystreet Aphmau realistically, doesn't chose. I find this odd, comparably, in MCD, Dante views Aphmau as a sister, and I'd like to believe Aphmau views Dante as brother, or at least as someone who is family...this really makes me wonder, why did Jessica, in Season 1 of Mystreet, put Dante in a love interest light? When she makes it very clear In MCD, that Dante doesn't view Aphmau in that way.

Another thing about Dante, that reloves around love, is his relationships, romantic relationships that is. In season 1 of Phoenix Drop, Dante not only dates Kawaii~Chan, but Nicole(An obvious reference to MCD). In MCD, The Kawaii~Chan and Nicole situation is taken as a situation that is sad and complicated. I'm not exactly sure on times, but Dante does Date Nicole for awhile, before she must go back to Scaleswind, and if I remember correctly, Nicole does ask Dante to go with her, but he refuses, because of his commitment to Phoenix Drop. After Nicole gets to Scaleswind, she finds she is with child, but then there's Kawaii~Chan. During the 15 year time skip, Kawaii~Chan travels a bit before settling back in Phoenix Drop. Dante and Kawaii~Chan only date after Dante and Nicole breakup...but eventually, Nicole comes for a visit. When Nicole visits, Kawaii~Chan is three months pregnant, while Nicole is also obviously pregnant. There is a very important thing to this situation, Dante doesn't know he is the father of Nicole's child. So for years after, Dante, lives unaware, until the child (Or Dimitri) sneaks away from Nicole, but after that gets sorted out, Dante steps up, he takes responsibility for Dimitri.

Now, none of that happens in Phoenix Drop High. It's just Dante dating Nicole and Kawaii~Chan at the same time. Of course, Dante deals with consequences of being a jerk to these two girls, because if I remember correctly, they dump him. I just can't help but think about it, since the two situations are very different in the priorities, one, doesn't make anyone a villain, it was a situation of major miscommunication, and as soon as every communicated, the situation turned into taking care of everyone and becoming a family. While in Phoenix Drop High, the situation is there to paint Dante as a major jerk, rightfully so, because he shouldn't be dating two people at the same time, but I just can't help but notice the two situations...and how they paint everyone in it.

There is only a few redeeming qualities of Mystreet Dante. He is funny sometimes, like in Dante and Travis the show. The changes between MCD Dante and Mystreet Dante, just makes me think about why...why did they change him so drastically? Was it just fit a trope, was it something deeper, or was it nothing at all, and I'm just thinking too deep?

(If I get any facts about MCD Dante wrong, please tell me, I haven't watched MCD in awhile)

[icewindandboringhorror]

One of the interesting bits of trying to resume working on the game after so long is looking back at my ancient Draft Placeholder versions of an image from 4 yrs ago trying to remember what the hell I meant back then, to hopefully interpret it into some more final (ish..) form of the same thing .. making slow progress lol

[bookshelf-in-progress]

Daughter of the House of Dreams: A Fragment

Author's Note: This is the opening to a long-abandoned "Sleeping Beauty" retelling that I no longer plan to write, but I still like it as a piece of prose, and it sparked my enduring interest in second-person narration, so it feels relevant, and why should long-dead authors be the only ones who get to have their unfinished fragments published?

If you ever travel to Monetta City, be sure to visit Faraway Lane. Walk past the glittering new shops, and the shoppers in their bright silk dresses and top hats, and you'll find a cozy stone shop at the end of the street. This shop isn't grand and mighty like the other shops. It won't sniff and turn you away if your clothes aren't the latest fashion. It's a grandmotherly old shop that shakes its head at the prancing and preening of the younger shops, and invites you in instead. It holds no wares in its windows; it hardly has windows at all. But it has a warm and wide wooden door, with a shingle hanging above—Alessia Day, maker of dreams.

Don't ponder the sign's message too long—it means exactly what it says. Just slip inside, shut the door behind you, and look. Don't breathe too deeply, unless you want a week of crazy dreams, but allow yourself one gasp of astonishment. You won't be able to stop yourself. No living person has failed to feel awe toward the rows and rows of shelves, longer than streets and taller than palaces, filled to bursting with glass bottles in such bright colors that the dresses in the other shops' windows would weep in envy. Some bottles are the size of thumbnails. Most fit comfortably in the palm. Some are as large as breadboxes or steamer trunks or carriage horses, but the shelves manage to fit them all. And each bottle is filled to the brim with dreams.

If you don't understand, ask Alessia Day. You'll find her at a counter half a mile from the door, polishing bottles and humming a song you've heard but can't remember. She's an old woman now, and proud of it, but squint your eyes and start to daydream, and you'll see her as I remember her—a willow-wand girl with shining brown hair and eyes that sparkle with half-formed jokes.

Tell this girl how pretty she is (she'll laugh and call you crazy) and ask about her dreams. She'll tell you of her stock and sell you any dream you ask for—daydreams and pipe dreams, dreams of love, dreams of adventure, dreams of loved ones lost and loved ones found and people you've never met but wish you had. She'll show you dreams of lush and perfect islands, dreams where fishes fly through the air, and dreams where people swim the seas with fishes' tails. She'll pull down dreams that last a second but linger a lifetime, dreams that fill a month of stormy nights, dreams that fade on waking and dreams that drown out memories. If you let her, she'll talk of dreams until you drift off, and she'll bottle up your dream while you doze.

But if you're smart (I know you are) you'll step to the counter with a clear glass bottle, empty of everything but air, and ask for her story instead. She'd distill it in a dream for you, and be glad to do it—I once saw her whip it up in half a minute, and I'll bet she's even faster now. Buy the dream, but don't drink it right away. You won't be ready for it. Linger in the shop a while. Hear the story first from Alessia Day's lips, in that voice of hers that's sweeter than singing.

You won't believe half of it, but when you stagger from the shop and wander the empty, starlit streets, you'll ponder over passages until you stumble into bed at sunrise. And when you wake, the world will be different—you'll see tiny footprints on the windowsills, know things about the shadows on the walls, tip your hat to creatures in the corner of your eye, and realize there is another color no one else can see. You'll laugh and call it your imagination, but every second Tuesday, you'll start to wonder if the old woman was right, if the things she told you were true.

If you drink the dream she made, you'll know. I'll understand if you don't—some things are easier not to know. But if you do, and dream through her story, come to my house and ring the bell. My man will let you in—he'll know you by the wonder on your face. He'll bring you to my study, set you in my oldest, softest chair, and get us both settled with a steaming pot of tea. Then, once you've finished babbling, I'll close my eyes and tell you my part in the tale.

[hilacopter]

guys sonic 3 was kinda bad

[cuteniarose]

Why is my brain coming up with much more Kuvira lore for the modern AU than Suiren lore??

[subway-boss-jericho]

I don't think I'll ever be a proper Content Creator because of the way my brain works, but my biggest goal is to somehow make a story that makes someone so mentally ill about a thing that they can't think straight. As I do. Every couple weeks or so. Someday it will happen and I will do skitter around dancing and cheering wildly on the subway platform in my brain

[bitegore]

baru cormorant seems to me to be a series that suffers miserably for me having read machineries of empire first. unfortunately everything BC is doing strikes me as something MoE did better and more believably and with much a greater and more grounded eye for how systems, complex system interaction, and oppression like. work

[whom-to-kill-whom-to-let-live]

Random TriStamp thoughts of the day:

(Note: this is just me rambling and might be completely entirely off mark, I’m sure others have much more accurate analyses about this subject than me.)

So! 

A lot of people have pointed out already that while Knives aligns himself with plants he is more like a human, and how Vash is kind of the opposite.

That made me think about how Knives claims to want a better existence for his sisters, but we only ever see Vash actually heal/’help’ dependent plants.

Which in turn makes me wonder, is it that Knives chooses not to heal them or that he can’t? Because that distinction says a lot about his character methinks (Burdened by his inability to help and how that might shape his choices VS he can very much ‘help’ but chooses not to because he’s past the point where he can see any other solutions but his ‘master plan’).

Like, Tristamp sort of went out of its way to bonk us on the head about how different Knives’ and Vash’s powers are in this version (that whole scene where Rem tells Knives to hide his natural abilities away and for Vash to proudly be himself (side note: Rem accidentally taught Knives a very bad lesson there didn’t she)).

I really got the impression that after Tesla was a ‘failure’ in integrating with humans- getting turned into a butchered experiment instead- whatever is causing independent plants to be born went “ok, let’s try that again but lets send a bodyguard along this time”.

Like, baby Knives makes fun of baby Vash for being ‘just like a human’ but isn’t that by design? Vash can blend in with humans easily and thus in theory avoid ending up like Tesla. Meanwhile Knives doesn’t require a lot of resources to live but he is really only good at stabbing things (and making snugly blankets) (Again makes me wonder if it is an active choice Knives is making or if he’s just a very specialized plant in this version. Something that inform a lot about his character depending on which one is the case).

Another thing that’s been constantly bugging me since I first watched Tristamp is how between the two of them, Vash is the one who instinctively(?) knows the song of the plants, while Knives doesn’t. Vash has to teach it to him, which really emphasizes the disconnect between Knives and plants. 

So, what gives?

[torgawl]

a bit obsessed with the idea of kusakabe dying as a form of sacrifice to specifically protect/save somebody else. it's consistent enough with the theme of the past generation achieving no meaningful feats against significant threats but it's also ironic enough that someone without a technique and who claims their philosophy is primarily self-sacrificial - although he tends to stay from his own ideals in critical moments, proving he's not only brave when necessary but he does have a sense of responsabilty and guilt - ultimately redeems themselves through death resulting in the achievement of something his colleagues have failed to do. not that i'm wishing for him to die, i hope he doesn't. but it would also make a clear-cut distinction between him and a character like mei mei, who narratively serves a very similar purpose (besides her being a foil to nanami). to have someone be awarded by their selfishness just for it to not be worth much within a world and system that runs and sustains itself due to the sorcerer's labour power, whose only means of subsistence is to sell themselves away. a class of people who is doomed no matter what path they choose to take, as long as they do not break free from their duties and as long as the system doesn't collapse. a death that could serve as a symbol of punishment towards solidarity and altruism but a win for revolution.

[opalthea]

also, hello padisarah nonnie !! it's good to see you again :>

i decided to not answer your ask regarding the wholeeee stuff.. because i don't really care what they want to do anymore. i've done my part of speaking up about their behaviours and calling them out - which made a lot of people open their eyes for once instead of ignoring the warnings they got from me or other people. and i think that's all i want to do.

THIS WILL FORMALLY BE THE LAST POST ABOUT THEM. I will not answer any asks regarding it anymore, so if you want to make your own posts regarding those users, please use your own platforms, thank you.

as much as i encourage speaking up, i also don't want to give a flying duck about them anymore. y'know, like, i spoke up because i couldn't tolerate them and their behaviours anymore - couldn't just keep quiet when my mutuals are knowingly or unknowingly talking to shitty people like that. if they started a new blog, just let them. i don't really care anymore 😭 all i hope is that my mutuals and those that see this are more aware of internet safety and who you surround yourself with. it was already exhausting trying to warn others about them and not being listened to until i made this shit public — i'm not going to start becoming a blog that runs on discourse just so some can finally realise that this person was shitty and that person was the devil.

thanks for also caring abt me and informing me of their new url, i appreciate that a lot! it's on my blocklist now + the mutuals they've tagged on that post too 💀 if, however, i blocked you without a good reason why, or if i blocked you before you knew of this and had already cut ties with them, feel free to send me a message or ask on a different blog! i took precautionary blocks when it comes to having those kind of people as mutuals so .. yeah.