#and like plotting stuff is hard for me so I plotted this and it was very funny in my notes

[revelboo]

Ma'am, I keep reading and keep falling in love with all your plots, could we pretty please have some more hangman? m(_ _)m

Also, it really cracks me up when the photos of the decepticon house pop up, they look so silly and cute

Sure! 🔞 🌶️

Hangman Pt 9

Swindle x Reader

• Uploading your latest episode as he sips at his energon, he pulls up his inbox, looking for deals to be made. And stops short seeing a fragging summons from the DJD. Fans kicking on high as he stares at the time stamp, he sees a new notification pop up. A proximity alert. Frag him. Swearing, he knocks over his chair, running into the main hold where you’re sorting through the bins, making a pile of stuff you’re claiming as yours. “We’re fragged,” he groans and you still, holding up a sheer bit of lace to yourself that he might not live long enough to see you wear. That in itself compounding this tragedy.

• “What’s going on?” You ask, but he’s lunging to scoop you into the bin and running for his habsuite with it, peds loud in the hallway. Struggling as you slide in the pile of clothes, you yelp when he stumbles with you and clutches the bin to his chassis. ‘We’re getting raided, so you have to be quiet. Stay hidden,’ he says and the tension in his voice raises goosebumps along your arms, because nothing worries him. He’s always got a plan, an angle to exploit. So whatever this is? It’s bad. ‘Okay,’ you whisper.

• Spark constricting as his servos tremble on the controls, he can’t believe that a translator chip and human stuff was all Tarn wanted. Can’t trust that. Keeps waiting for it. For the DJD to open fire on his ship even though he’d cooperated and given them everything they asked for. Because mechs like them? They hide behind a list and the trappings of official capacity, but they’re just killers. Taking advantage of honest, hard working entrepreneurs like himself. But they’re actually letting him go, their ship leaving as he stares in disbelief. He’s always been lucky, but this? This almost makes him feel like he should be thanking some higher power.

• Hiding in the bin under a thin layer of clothes, your breath catches hearing peds. And you gasp when the bin’s tipped over to spill you out and big hands scoop you up. Relaxing as you realize it’s just him and he’s cupping you against the warm mesh of his neck, servos trembling to drive home that he was actually afraid. “They’re gone, right?” You ask and his mouth brushes against you as he mutters alien nonsense. Big servos stroking over you like he’s reassuring himself that you’re okay and seeing him shaken is worrying you.

• Can’t get it together. His life had flashed before his optics staring up at Tarn. Knowing he was about to cash in his chips one last time. And he’d wished he’d had time to make more shanix and spent more time spike deep rutting in you. Feels your little hand on his servos as he vents to pull your scent into himself. “Maybe you could help me warm up for tonight?” You ask softly, leaning your head against him, the offer breaking through the anxiety. Because you’re fragging amazing. Know just what to say. ‘Anything for you, babe.’

Previous

[curlysswirlywirly]

WHO’S THE BIRTHDAY GIRL?

⋆ MAINSTREAM!MARK has been plotting since eight months prior. he’s the first one to wish you happy birthday, bc he remembered, he counted down, he has a post-it in his locker and he woke up with an alarm titled KISS HER FOR GOD’S SAKE. he acts nonchalant about it though, sitting on the edge of your bed, with his sneakers still on, birthday balloon bobbing behind his dumb head. asks, “you’re not one of those girls who cries when she turns a year older, right?” then he stares and he stares some more and then he shifts forward and kisses you too softly for someone who’s a biological weapon. it smells like whatever cinnamon body mist you sprayed under your shirt. he won’t stop kissing you for a while. your birthday gift is him taking a half-day from superhero stuff and letting you rant about your friends over ice cream. thrilling. he picks a piece of lint out of your hair while you talk and never tells you what it was.

⋆ MOHAWK!MARK shoves your window up with the butt of his fist at exactly 11:47pm a day BEFORE your birthday, he’s holding a paper bakery box, it’s tilted, and there’s definitely frosting on his hand. “don’t freak,” he mutters, balancing it with his elbow while peeling the blinds out of his face. “some old lady saw me in the street with this and called the cops. they might show up. just ignore it.” he pushes the box into your arms with a crooked smirk. “happy whatever.” inside is a vaguely round cake, a little dented from his less than gentle handling, but fully intact. your favorite flavor, dead-on. pink and white swirled icing, strawberries on the sides. and in the middle, in smeared red frosting written like a threat: “HOTTER THIS YEAR (BARELY).” you shove his shoulder and he snickers. you ask him if he made it himself. he pulls out a lighter and shrugs. “maybe. maybe i threatened a bakery boy to do it while i hovered. who knows.” then he lights a single candle and jerks his chin at it. “go on. do your wish thing.” you close your eyes and wish something stupid, blowing it out with a big smile. he remembered, awww! when you open them, he’s closer. right in front of you now, licking frosting off the corner of his thumb, watching your mouth. “so…” he says, “birthday kiss or what?” he drags you to the couch and mashes his mouth before you can reply. he kisses so rough, you’re nearly folded over the throw pillows, and his hand has already tugged your shorts halfway down your thigh before you even register the moment. he grins into it, then he tries to act smug when you’re breathless. he’s disgusting, but he’s also the best kisser you’ve ever had. he mumbles “tastes good,” into your lips, “gonna be hard to top this next year.”

⋆ SINISTER!MARK sits beside your bed in the morning. you wake up with your wrists marked up with faint red lines in the shape of his hands, red ribbon wrapped once, twice, knotted around your throat (his doing). the mirror he mounted across from the bed is tilted to reflect the imprint of his hand on your hip. your phone’s dead, but there’s no notifications to anticipate from it anyway. nobody remembered because he made sure of it. he’s vaporized every version of anyone who would’ve texted you. he kisses you while you’re mid-sentence. his mouth tastes off. coppery, maybe. he hums a little birthday melody that doesn’t exist in any human language. you whisper that you want space and he appears in your shower five seconds later. “do you really think you belong to yourself?” he whispers, “on your birthday? after the gift i gave you?” you cry once and he kisses your eyes and says “thank you for being born. i would’ve burned every planet just to find you.” but he gets you a tiara so :p

⋆ SHEISTY!MARK literally FORGETS. then he panics. then lies and says he “DID NOT.” then he sends a mass invite on a burner phone and ends up throwing a party in the back of a karaoke bar that may or may not have been legally shut down. there’s a stripper pole and there’s at least two girls named “vanessa” who claim they’re seeing him. one of them brought your gift. he invites exes, he invites people who think they’re dating you. he gets mad about the latter. has the audacity to act sulky when you get kissed on your birthday. but then corners you in the stairwell and presses his palm to your throat and goes, “you like all this attention? you want me to remind you who did it first?” he gifted you lip gloss, lingerie, and a star with your name on it. all stolen and all perfect. his best kiss is the one he gives you at 3am, when everyone’s gone and he just stares at you like you hung the sky. “next year,” he says, “i’m gonna do it right. promise.” you believe him for no reason at all.

⋆ OMNI!MARK gives no sign or acknowledgment towards your special day until you actually ask him if he remembered and he confirms with one singular nod of his stiff head. then turns around and hands you a tiny box. so blasé. is the rarest piece of viltrumite crystal in existence. “it took thirty years to form. i waited for it.” you and him blink simultaneously. then he reaches for you slowly, and when he kisses you, it’s unbearably tender. his mouth trembles. he makes a soft noise like he’s been struck. you feel him inhale you. finally. he doesn’t touch you again for an hour. you realize later it’s because he was overwhelmed. he gets flustered when you straddle him and say it’s your birthday and you can ask for anything you want. he complies. he says your name three times like a wish. it’s your best birthday yet. you think it might break him.

⋆ VILTRUMITE!MARK has established rituals for this. and traditions. an entire series of customs that he adapted from both his human half and his militarized nobility. your bed is strewn with flower petals. there’s a feast being prepped. his uniform is cleaned and pressed. he’s been practicing his little “human serenade” to make you laugh. he sings off-key and you fall into him giggling and he catches you before you land. he kisses you with two hands framing your face, happily lets your lip gloss ruin his collar. it is your special day, after all. he recites your favorite poem. then kisses the inside of your palm and places it over his heart. he doesn’t let you lift a finger all day. you take five bubble baths and he washes your hair in one of them. he carries you from room to room, just because it makes him happy. your birthday is a holy day to him, he treats it like sacred ground.

⋆ LENSLESS!MARK refuses to let anyone else acknowledge your birthday before him. he climbs in your window at midnight and licks frosting off your collarbone. he says “happy birthday, baby” with a giddy laugh and eyes that don’t blink. he brings you twenty-seven mismatched gifts. some are alive but one is breathing. you kiss him and he whimpers. he kisses back too long. he gets on his knees for a while. he makes you cry a little by saying “i would’ve still loved you if you were born wrong. doesn’t matter. you belong to me.” you slap his chest and tell him he’s insane. he tells you it’s your birthday and you can hit him harder :( you wouldn’t, he’s been so sweet. he writes your name in frosting across his chest to make you eat it off. he’s the only one you see.

[vort3x]

#and also the 'reprogramming' scene was so awful#first of all it's an afterthought to the story. and it's completely forced on k-2 with absolutely no agency#he was fully dead and they bring him back literally like frankenstein's monster. with NO thought to the implications in that#and also instead of the explanation 'imperial programming hampers the droid's ability to express themselves and forces them to obey'#we got 'actually murder and emptiness is this guy's natural state but we can SUPPRESS this so he'll work for us'#which is a) a horrifying implication. like explore that deeply invasive kinda bioessentialist story or don't give it to your 'good' guys???#and b) it doesn't even make sense. why does he have 200 percent MORE personality when he's being suppressed than when he's not?#and taking away Cassian's personal connection to him is also a giant plot hole. Because why are they even partnered then??#why did you give the assassin and spy the big clunky murder droid who could assist ground troops. Cassian doesn't even seem to want him#if Cassian is the one who reprogrammed him and personally likes him we understand that he simply insisted he keep this droid#because likely nobody else would trust K2 anyway and draven would be like hey. keep your emotional support murderbot just get results

Not gonna leave all this in the tags since this is also an important point too. K2's inclusion in Andor was ultimately a checkbox move and it was painfully obvious.

Also wanna add Tony Gilroy outright says 1. he didn't watch Star Wars materials when doing Andor and 2. they worked backwards when it came to writing Andor. They'd write something then they were told if it clashed too hard w/ established canon or not. It's all in the context of not wanting to take inspiration from it, but it would also mean that they weren't researching canon.

Excerpt for point 1:

SCRIPT Magazine: That's exactly the kind of stuff I'm interested in. There's this mistake people have in looking at Star Wars and going, “Star Wars is what you need to look at to figure out how to make Star Wars.” And that's not the case.

Tony Gilroy: Never. No, I never watched any Star Wars. I couldn't watch the other shows. In the beginning, because "Mandalorian" was so great when it started and I was watching it and and then as I got into my show, it was really unsettling for me to watch other Star Wars. I just always had the continual feeling I was doing something wrong. So I just stopped. I just couldn't do it. So I didn't watch any Star Wars.

Source Excerpt for point 2:

Script Magazine: How do you balance that sort of thing with the bare bones of the carpentry as you call it with juggling something like the Star Wars timeline?

Tony Gilroy: We work it from the negative side, not the positive side - I suppose that's the easiest way to say it. I know what the calendar is, I know what the general rules are, I know I have a pretty good handle on the cosmology of what's out there and the canon somewhat. And I know the places where there's potential conflicts. I've also been cleared from the very beginning. We're using that as cannon fodder as we go forward. And you hear it in Maarva’s speech.

We raise it on the show several times. Saw says “Oh, you know, what are you Luthen, and there's human cultists and separatists,” and we've established that there's a great variety of rebel movements that are happening. When Nemik gives this manifesto that Cassian listens to the night before the funeral, he talks about all of the little seedlings of revolution that are sprouting up independently all over the place. There’s an established idea that a lot of people could be working at doing things at the same time and be completely unaware of what's going on and/or be conceivably in conflict with one another.

But I do not go back and look at the materials [like Star Wars Rebels and the novels Catalyst and Tarkin] to figure out what I should do. We do what we want to do and if we bump or we hit a guardrail or we get a high sign or we get a flashing yellow light or sometimes we change and do something else. We have one or two things coming up that have been pretty articulated in that way in the second half. We have to tiptoe around some things.

I’m not out digging through that material looking for inspiration. In fact, I have to stay away from that, so it works the other way. We decide what we want to do within what we know, they tell us if we've gone too far or not far enough.

Source

I'll never forgive Andor for how it has seemingly changed how a lot of people see Kay and Cassian's relationship.

How it has become standoffish and distrusting when it was supposed to be the exact opposite. Really, it just IS a valid reading with the backstory Andor provided and what little we were shown of their relationship. If you had to pick Cassian's best friend and trusted partner in the days before Rogue One, it's NOT Kay when it originally is. It's incredibly sad that history has been changed.

[cybermannete]

Any kind of trans male reader x Chance smut..? Maybe?

-Guy that has fallen for that D20 so hard

havent we all fallen for this d20? im this close to buying a red d20 just so i can carry it with me ;;

(contains: porn with somewhat plot, obviously smut, chance ofc being a sweetheart, reader is a trans male, and has had top surgery. whether they have had bottom surgery is up to you, my dear reader. this is my first time ever writing a trans reader so please correct me if i do anything wrong.)

He meant it when he told you you were perfect. No matter what you looked like, no matter what your name was. He loved you. Your smile, your creativity, how eager you seemed to play G&G with him, and how you let him sit and do his fun little villain monologues that he worked so hard on.

When you told him you were exploring your gender identity, he was immediately supportive and accommodating for you. He fired off numerous questions for you, asking if you wanted him to call you by a different name, if you wanted him to change your character to fit whatever you were envisioning, etc. He even offered to come with you the first time you cut your hair.

He started calling you "handsome" instead of beautiful, he started calling you his boyfriend, anything he could to make you feel comfortable and happy.

After your top surgery, he was all over you. He refused to let you get up for anything during recovery. He'd run down to the kitchen to get water, he'd grab any snack from the pantry, and he even moved all of his tabletop stuff to your bed so you both could play games. Hell, he even rolled your dice for you!

When it came time to remove your bandages, Chance didn't' want to do anything unless you asked him to. After all, this was your thing. He didn't want to intrude in any way on letting you have your time to yourself. But, you asked him to come with you and help.

He saw the look in your eyes, the sheer nervousness and anticipation as you look in your bathroom mirror. He gave you a soft smile, leaning in and pressing a kiss to your cheek. "Take all the time you need.. I'm right here."

You gave him the go ahead, and he tenderly helped you remove your bandages. Slowly but surely, your chest was coming to view. You blinked, feeling emotions well up in your eyes and lodge in your throat as you got a look at you. The you you loved, and the you that you had dreamed of for so long. Chance couldn't stop his smiles as he removed the last of the bandages, sighing as he rubbed your arms.

He wanted to stay strong, be supportive and emotionally strong. But seeing how happy you were, how perfect you looked. He noticed that the sparkle in your eyes came back. He hadn't seen you sparkle like that in so long. It was just like when you first met him.

He pressed a kiss to the side of your neck. "Well..? How do you feel?"

You nod, a smile quirking at your lips. ".. I feel.. so happy. Look at me." You laugh, looking over at Chance, who's eyes were filled with warmth and pure adoration.

"I am.. I always am. I will never stop looking at you." He put his hand on your cheek. "You look so happy." He pressed a kiss to your forehead.

You bring your arms around his neck, pulling him in for a sweet kiss. Chance's hands immediately found your waist, sliding around your back and touching your bare skin. You were warm and soft to the touch, and touching you would never, ever get old. He touched you like he would never touch you again.

Your fingers brushed over the hair on the nape of his neck, eliciting a soft groan against your lips. You breathlessly laugh, as Chance's kisses began to grow more hasty and desperate. He couldn't help it. He loved you. He pushed you up against the bathroom counter, pulling away from the kiss. "Uhm.. is this okay? I-I don't want to hurt you or.."

You nodded, "Nono.. it's okay.. it's okay.." You whisper, pulling him back in for another kiss. His hands tighten on your waist, and he grew more desperate with his lips. Nervously, he trailed kisses to the skin of your jaw, before latching onto the skin of your neck. Your fingers grip onto the back of his shirt, biting your lip to suppress the noises that came from your lips.

"You can be loud.. if you want to, that is.. I don't think anyone's listening in.." Sure Chance, surely the other 100 people in the house wouldn't have eyes or ears everywhere. Your eyes glance over to the toilet. Jean Loo, you will never speak of what you saw in this bathroom. Right when you snapped out of your thoughts, Chance bit down onto your neck, causing you to jump and make a small yelping sound. Chance murmured, "S-Sorry.. I couldn't help it." He rutted his hips into your thigh, the tent in his pants growing more noticeable. He whimpered at the back of his throat, humping your thigh like some kind of puppy. It was cute to watch, really. How he fell apart at your mercy.

His lips began to trail further and further down, before they kissed the space where your top surgery had taken place. He gazed up at you through dark lashes and hooded eyes.. He then pressed a featherlight kiss on the scar, and he murmured. "I love you so much.. you look perfect.. and so happy.." You curl your fingers in his hair, a silent praise for him. His breathing hitched, and he hooked his strong arms under your thigh to hoist you up onto the edge of the counter. He whispered. ".. n-need to fuck you now.. please? Can I do that..?"

You nodded, your fingers working sloppily to tug down your pajama pants, Chance struggling (and failing) to take off his own. Your legs were shaking, and your heart pounded in pure anticipation. Chance's nerves were through the roof. No matter how many times you've had sex, he always treated it like the first time..

He tugged you closer, before hoisting your legs higher up. He whispered, "If this hurts.. let me know.. and I'll be careful.." He swallowed your lips in a kiss as he angled himself juuust right.. and with a push of his hips, he slipped comfortably into you. The head was enough to make you tense up and whine. You still had.. what, 6 more inches to go? Might as well be a foot long.

He pushed more and more into you, his kisses muffling your simultaneous moans and quiet grunts the more he nestled himself into you. He pulled away from the kiss, dropping his forehead onto your shoulder as he gripped your waist so tight his fingers dug into your skin. "Oh my God.." He whispered, like a passionate prayer. His puppy dog eyes looked at you. "Can I move..? Is that okay?" He whispered, his cock already twitching inside of you.

Before you can even say yes, his cock slipped in and out of you painfully slow..

mm i love cliffhangers for smut.. :)

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

Hope you all had a lovely pride month! There are so many shows airing right now and more to come. Some tough decisions will need to be made. But Japan has finally woke up from its slumber and I'm thrilled. As usual, spoilers and opinions below, read at your own risk.

QL - Currently Watching

🇯🇵 Ayaka Is in Love with Hiroko 2nd Stage [1/6] - I like these characters but I’m not crazy about this storyline. 

🇹🇭 Boys in Love [11/12] - I really liked this one until about halfway through but now it feels a bit repetitive, the two young couples just seem to be repeating patterns, which I guess since they’re young it kinda makes sense but it’s boring me now. I wished we had more of the teachers but to be fair I'm glad we have as much as we do.

🇯🇵 Depth of Field [3/6] - Welcome back angsty Japan. How I missed you… I like everything about this show except the length. Only six episodes??? Why must you be this way? I love Hayakawa. The way he puts on those fake smiles wrecks me every time. I wanna know more about Konno, so please Japan, do not let me down and give me the change in POV that you do so well.

🇯🇵 Even Though We're Adults [10/12] - This continues to be such a weird show. I wouldn’t call it a ql, more like a family drama and I can never tell what the characters will do next and what their motivations are. 

🇯🇵I Became the Main Role of a BL Drama S2 [3/6] - I love that I get to see Robin be funny and chaotic. This show continues to be a blast, but I really wish the couple would actually couple.

🇹🇭 Knock Out [8/12] - It’s fine. I don’t wanna rain on anyone’s parade so it’s fine.

🇹🇭 Memoir of Rati [2/12] - This could be such a good show if only gmmtv spent some money and cared about things like historical accuracy and a plot that goes beyond couple moments. Since that's not the case, I'm here for the actors and the scenery. It's all very pretty.

🇹🇭 Reset [5/10] - Armin, you are really pretty but you need to chill. Like, we get it, you have your reasons but be careful that your future this time doesn’t become a self fulfilling prophecy. Ok, so here’s the thing, I love the concept here and lord knows I am shallow enough to watch just for the pretty, but I’m getting increasingly convinced that the reset bit was nothing but the trigger and this is going the way of other high concept thai bls where it doesn’t take its concept seriously enough and instead will focus only on developing the romance and the timey wimey stuff is just flavour.

🇨🇳 Revenged Love [4/24] - Unhinged, everything and everyone. This cannot be overstated. But I am not bored. I am partial to the side couple though. 

🇹🇭 Suntiny [3/10] - I am living for Max in this. He looks incredible. This is just a fun show and I don't expect them to go too deep into the bigger stuff, but the body swap is actually a clever way for our couple to get closer, literally putting them in each other's shoes to understand one another.

🇰🇷 Sweetheart Service [8/12] - It’s cute but ultimately kinda shallow and uneventful.

🇹🇭 The Bangkok Boy [10/12] - Not that there aren't enough of those, but if ever a BL boy needed to kill their father, it's Peace. That man should be taken from the earth. I feel rage emanating from me whenever he's on screen. I love our mains and when they are tender with each other, it's like I can breathe again. But that never lasts long. I need them to be happy. Like really, it's a need at this point.

🇹🇭 The Ex-Morning [5/10] - Not a fan of the fact that they got back together already. It's really hard for me to root for them without knowing what happened. Phi apparently forgave him but I don't have to, not yet. I need an explanation before I'm fully on board.

🇹🇭 The Next Prince [8/12] - What a mess. The show has lost the plot and I am getting increasingly bored by whatever is happening every week. There's too much happening, so threads are dropped and picked up randomly, and I'm losing whatever connection I have with any of it.

🇹🇼 The Promise of the Soul [2/12] - If anyone had told me I would love this one and even be lowkey obsessed with it, I would have called them as bonkers as the premise of this show. And yet, here we are. I adore them an unreasonable amount. And I mean that. There's no reason I should like this show as much as I do, but they are so precious to me already and I am completely ignoring the bonkers bit and just shutting my brain off because they are so freaking cute and I wanna see more of them.

QL - Finished

🇰🇷 Ball Boy Tactics - First four episodes I was ready to put this one next to Semantic Error and Dating Sim as one of the better kblss out there, and then they dropped the ball. The conflicts felt contrived, we never had any insight into Jiwon's internal monologue, and so the resolutions felt rushed. I love them but I don't know if they actually will make it in the long run. I can appreciate the fact that people love a long nc scene, and to be fair, it was beautifully executed on all sides, but in a show with this length those seven minutes could've been used to just make the story a bit tighter. Or you know, let the sides make out. Whichever.

🇹🇼 Fight For You - It was good. It wasn't perfect but it was good. The mains had amazing chemistry and I'm happy I got them happy for a full episode complete with proposals and oh so many kisses. I wish we got a bit more on the sides just because it felt like an afterthought.

🇨🇳 Moon and Dust -  It’s all just so chinese bl. But at least nobody died. Small victories. 

🇹🇭 Sweet Tooth, Good Dentist - A mess all the way through. This show never really knew what it wanted to be and I feel bad we finally got Mark in a main role just to have it wasted here. He did a good job all things considered, but this was very disappointing. Honestly I already forgot most of it.

🇨🇳 Trapped in Osaka - I need them in a full show this instant! I know it was short but the ever-present tension was delicious. They were very good together and broken boys are my weakness, and these two were so beautifully broken.

QL - Dropped / On Hold Will binge when finished - 🇹🇭 My Sweetheart Jom [4/12] 🇹🇭 My Stubborn [6/12]

Non QL - Finished

🇯🇵 Tengu's Kitchen S2 | 🇰🇷 Mercy for None | 🇰🇷One: High School Heroes | 🇰🇷 Oh My Ghost Clients | 🇰🇷 Squid Game S3 Upcoming - July 03/07 - 🇯🇵 Stay By My Side After The Rain MDL | Teaser 05/07 - 🇯🇵 10 things I want to do Before I Turn 40 MDL | Trailer 12/07 - 🇨🇳 Desire MDL | Trailer 13/07 - 🇯🇵 The Proper Way To Write Love Trailer [no eng subs] 14/07 - 🇹🇭 Dating Game MDL | Trailer 18/07 - 🇹🇭 Only You [GL] MDL | Teaser 20/07 - 🇹🇭 Doctor's Mine MDL | Trailer 25/06 - 🇹🇼 Secret Lover MDL | Trailer

That's all for now. Will update if there are more announcements. My inbox is always open. Happy watching!💜

[mulders-too-large-shirt]

s8 episode 15 “deadalive” thoughts

somehow, i survived waiting 24-ish hours between watching the last episode and starting this one. no idea how i found the strength.

but here we are. and i think i’m probably going to cry again today. 

i am interested to see if we’ll get doggett and reyes time or if this will be scully and skinner only. and i am interested to see, uh… well… how this stuff happens.

it has the plot RIGHT THERE in the episode description, so it’s hard for me to feign surprise 💀 i know what happens, but i don’t know how!!

oh, i can feel my tears kicking into gear already. 

let’s go.

(post-episode thoughts: waughhhhh…. waughhhhhh…. awooooooooo <- those are the sounds of me howling and moaning

actually, vague noises of pain aside, i tried to really articulate WHY everything hurt so much in this writeup, so i hope you appreciate that 🙏

certain parts of this episode made little sense, but overall, there was some REALLY good stuff. REALLY, REALLY good stuff.

and while all of our characters had very important moments in their journey here, the one who sticks out to me the most is skinner. he did not hesitate to do either of those Very Risky Things he did for a SECOND. there was no doubt in his mind at all. he would throw everything away for them. and, wow… that’s just…. so much. he’s so much.

and doggett, too……. we got the whole range of him in this episode. he was so sweet!!! and then he was in a rage because he’s so worried about scully and thinks she’s off the deep end, making everything worse for herself. and he’s reliving his worst moments, thinks she’s trying to get rid of him, leaves in a fury… then he goes back, gets roped into the krycek nonsense, slammed around in the car, comes back for scully, always… walks away from a career, from a FUTURE…. and then the last scene. him standing there. walking in. and then realizing it is a private moment and leaving. WAHHHHH.

and scully…. where to even begin? her collapsing into skinner, then bursting into the hospital, slamming her hands into his chest, yelling, i need to see him, i need to see him… doggett trying to protect her but Setting Her Off. going into Doctor Mode. sitting by his bed, holding his hand………..

also, i will never hear you krycek apologists out AGAIN. that is a SICK FUCK!!!! before he was evil, but it was kinda camp, but now??? i’m putting a bounty on his pretty head. we need to hunt him with lasers and stun guns and all other methods of cruel and unusual punishment. i want him eviscerated AT ONCE!!!)

“previously on the x files” <- girl, i don’t think we forgot what happened last time, LMAOOOOOO

are we getting more absalom lore? because he is featuring heavily in this recap

okay, back to the current plot.

oh my GOD, mulder really is getting buried in raleigh with his mother. we open at a winter funeral. winter… how long after may is this… (doing mental calculations) eh, i can’t do math rn.

doggett is here too, as are the gunmen. OHHHH MY GOD, the gunmen…. them being here makes it feel real

whoever is doing the funeral is asking for them to pray for his eternal soul and all that, and i’m not sure he would want that, but it might bring the guests some peace, i suppose. i doubt he had any funeral plans arranged in terms of like, who would do the talking and the burying and all that. just his headstone and plot.

and scully’s mom is here, too :( scully closes her eyes as they pray. takes a deep breath.

i was hoping we would see mrs. scully soon… but not like this :(

and then everyone else has left- it is just scully and skinner, watching the casket.

“he was the last” she says. “his father and mother… his sister. all gone” <- oh my god. i’m just gonna keep saying that a lot today.

“i think the real tragedy… is that for all of his pain and searching… the truth that he worked so hard to find was never truly revealed to him” her voice breaking, oh my god. 

“i don’t truly believe that mulder’s the last” <- oh my god. can someone please hit me with a truck? skinner coming in with the one hit KO. oh my god. fuck me. 

he said “i know he’s the father of that baby”, i’m cryingggggg. jokes aside though. wow. him trying to hold onto hope for her, give her something to cling onto… wow.

she kneels down. sprinkles some dirt over the casket. crying. oh, SHE FALLS INTO SKINNER’S CHEST LIKE A TON OF BRICKS… OH, THIS HURTS.

(the way their relationship has changed over these last few months has been absolutely fascinating. both bound together by grief of different kinds… and again, him being the very first to know about her big secret…

i assume she told him before her mother, because we see her call her later and say she has things she needs to talk about… and boy, i wish we could have seen that conversation…

but the red string of fate tying them together in ways only they can understand. going from being one of the very few people the other could trust in this terrifying world to much more than that, an actual lifeline… their mutual grief and guilt opening up doors that previously both of them would have kept boxed up and locked away. wow. so impactful)

and then the intro. BITCH! i don’t want the spooky song right now!!!

i need time to process this……. poor scully… poor gunmen…. 

allegedly mulder is here today 🤨🤨

so what now? where do we go from here? just… another case or something?

chris carter, when i catch you…

THREE MONTHS LATER. 

(BIG ASS TIMESKIP!!!!)

doggett comes into kersh’s office with skinner. “smile, john. you look tense” <- now, what is kersh planning…. and why is doggett his favorite?

he’s getting something? “a letter to the director citing your meritorious efforts in the recovery of agent fox mulder”

oh no…. he’s going to lose it…

“AND a recommendation that you be considered for advancement” damn, skinner was right about him being on a fast track to the directorship… what is he going to say!

skinner is quiet. doggett looks at him. “sir, the assistant director here deserves more credit than i…” <- oh :( a gentleman :(

but skinner says he wrote a letter too, transferring him off of the x files and “to a division more suited to your talents” <- which one?? violent crimes or something? idk the FBI areas 💔

skinner won’t look at him, but kersh smiles. says he is a man of his word. but doggett wants to give any transfer some thought. “fish while they’re biting, john”

omg…. what will he do???

scully is in the office, looking for a file, and there is no hiding her secret now, because she is very visibly pregnant. i thought she was going to go on leave, but i guess that plan changed, because she is still here.

i wonder what all the coworkers think… i bet all the gossip is very isolating.

and doggett comes in. OHHHH, he says good morning, asks how she’s feeling… she says she’s fine and asks him the same: “me? good. but then i don’t got a little j edgar to lug around” <- SCULLY :( doggett :( he’s such a dork…

she is not smiling. says skinner just called. “well, whatever he told you, i’m still going to be here to drive you crazy with questions and nagging doubt” <- he SMILES, AWWWWW, once again i point out: he likes her!!!!!!!!!

she tells him he’d be crazy to stay, but he says it’s not his career kersh has in mind. “in six weeks, you go on maternity leave. kersh transfers me out, guess what? he gets to lock that door over there for good” <- oh………. and his glance at her while saying that…

“you don’t owe me anything, agent doggett” <- OH…….. does she think he feels guilty that mulder was found dead... or like he has to protect her in some way???

“they put me down here to find mulder. i found him. so what? we still got an open file on this case, and i got big questions” 

i just had to look up from taking notes and sigh really deeply. just wanted everyone to know. he is a Good Man. a little cocky. but we'll keep him around.

she laughs a little. “what?” “i heard the same speech come out of my mouth 7 years ago” oh, way back in s2 when they shut the x files down for the very first time :( and things still felt so new and possible

she sits down… “get out while you can, agent doggett… or you may never get out at all” OHHHHHHHHHHHHH

implying that the x files bring only pain and suffering and death. wow.

i wish i could see those photos on the side of the wall better…….. 

he does not seem pleased she said that. perhaps he is pondering….

so much to unpack there already. doggett trying so hard to be gentle with her. aughhhh, she looked like it hurt to walk around :( and she still has to be there for 6 more weeks! that is fucked up.

although, something tells me that she would keep working no matter what, physical discomfort and emotional agony be damned. she has to keep moving or she'll break down.

it must really extremely suck to be a pregnant FBI agent. damn. pour one out for scully.

and he really thinks they might shut down the x files… so he says he’ll stay. scully seems like she doesn't want him to stay and throw away his career for her sake. like she thinks she's a lost cause or something. like she hates his gentlemanly pity. i wonder what she plans on doing if they shut the x files down. 

okay, let us jump to a ship off the coast of north carolina. loud rain and thunder. it’s fishing time. guys in bright yellow slickers haul things up. and then someone screams they have to stop. something is in the net!

but what? probably not a dolphin. i don’t think they have those in north carolina. lemme look that up real quick. oh shit, there are dolphins in north carolina!!! the more you know.

well, it doesn't matter, because it is not a dolphin we are dealing with today. it is... a body? they call for the coast guard. a floating naked body.

and someone comes in to do an autopsy. the doctor notes linear pattern scarring on the cheeks. BLEH, the assistant sees the mouth move?? the doctor starts to joke, but then he sees it, too!!!

doggett gets a phone call in the middle of the night! answers with a groggy “yeah?” it’s skinner, who wants him at the bureau right now. but i want to analyze his bedroom.

well, there isn’t much to look at. very wooden. blankets look cozy, though. seems like the type of guy who would be into living in a cabin in the woods.

(i didn't even see any decor, like his racing posters downstairs... if redrum gave us one thing, it was the gift of analyzing doggett's interior design prowess or lack thereof)

the fisherman found a dead body and it was billy miles!!! doggett doesn’t know who that is, so skinner explains. what is the big hurry? “now he’s alive” <- OKAY! now we're cooking!!!

what happened to our friend billy????

he gets in the car with skinner and asks if he’s told scully. doggett strongly recommends that he doesn’t. it’ll reopen old wounds and she’s had a difficult pregnancy.

aughhhhh :( poor scully... the fact that he knows this, and you KNOW she did not want to tell him about that... with all the damn spine slugs and hospital visits... it must have been pretty fucking rough considering one of her trademark catchphrases is "i'm fine" (which generally means she is Not)

skinner says he wouldn’t have told her anyway… not where we’re going. and where is that??

the graveyard??? are they gonna dig mulder up?

doggett does NOT want to do it.

“i’ll say it again, we’re opening up more than a grave here”

“i respect that, agent doggett, but under the circumstances, i think not digging it up would be far more regrettable, don’t you?”

“NO!” LMAO, he has strong feelings on this. “i think this is insanity” <- the boston came out on that line!!! he’s pissed!!

“yeah, well, personally, i couldn’t live with the doubt” <- skinnnnneeer :( willing to do anything, absolutely ANYTHING, to make sure his agents always get a chance... trying to avoid more of the guilt that already haunts him... and his ability to recognize that. damn. i'm having many thoughts.

remember when i thought he was evil in like, s2? LMAO. how wrong i was… sometimes i like being wrong, though. this was best case scenario. now that is my friend skinner

“we saw da same body!” yells doggett, his accent continuing to vex and intrigue me

but there is a crew of people here digging the body up. and they take it in for an investigation. where a whole bunch of people are watching. skinner declares he wants them gone. 

doggett gets ‘em gone: “alright, listen up ladies and gentlemen. as much as you’re here to see the horror show, i’m not letting that casket open up until we get some privacy. it’s a private matter. thank you” <- love a man that gets results!!!

skinner is staring like he might have made a giant mistake. also, he asked for a specific pathologist…. who could that be?? we only really know of one…

this must be the doctor that analyzed billy. and it is! along with his assistant. he tells skinner it’s a totally different situation. doggett reminds skinner again that he is insane. they lift it open. 

he looks dead… but so did billy. who knows? skinner peers in.

OH! they’re at a new hospital now. and scully is here. how did she hear about this? she is striding in with purpose.

“is it true?” skinner tells her to slow down. “no. i want to see him” he gets closer. “i know you do”

“no, i need to see him, damn it!” she slams his chest. ohhhhhhh....... the physical manifestations of grief... i cannot imagine how she feels

he grabs her: “you’re not going in there! scully, you can’t”

“tell me it’s true. tell me” 

doggett is standing next to mulder’s bed, where he is hooked up to a machine. a doctor remarks that it is so improbable “i would have said impossible before this” 

doggett must be thinking: damn. wtf. 

and frankly, so am i. bro had no food or water for 3 months. hello?

his tissue and all other systems are in a state of decomposition, the doctor explains. effectively, he’s dead. 

scully is waiting outside, her hands crossed- is she praying? doggett steps out.

she sees doggett. steps closer. says she needs to see mulder. “i know, but i wish you wouldn’t” <- WAUGHHHHHHGGGHHHH

him recognizing her need but wanting to shield her from the pain. yeah.

she slips by him very slowly while skinner stares. she approaches the hospital bed, also very slowly. is that a smile? yes, she’s smiling. touches his arm. feels his chest move up and down. rests her head on his heart. cries into his chest. 

at 5:35 am, kersh summons doggett. i think he’s about to get yelled at. kersh says something about not having seen the sunrise from his office yet. “i believe the sunrise isn't for another hour and six minutes, sir” <- now, why does he know that?

i love that for him. love it when a character knows weird facts.

kersh is being spooky….. “i know you look forward to a future at the FBI, john” <- OHHHH he seems to be making a threat….

he got a call about this mulder thing. he wants him to drop it. “you know the tune: if it looks bad, it’s bad for the FBI” <- HUH??? he wants him to just ignore it??? or leave him to die?? can you imagine that happening after he has spent MONTHS trying to find him? doggett, the loyal one, just walking away??

kersh says he’s throwing him a rope. tells him not to hang himself with it.

uhhhh…. okay. idk what to do with that information.

scully comes back in the hospital room. did she go home at all? wait, different hospital room! is this billy? covered in dead and peeling skin? yes, it is!

but he starts thrashing about! the monitor has a question mark on it! and then he goes back to normal?!! what is that about?? 

a nurse comes in, looks at scully, and asks who tf are you, LMAO. she says she was just looking in and he went into seizure (?) but he’s fine… and then she says she’s a doctor with the FBI. bahaha, awwww. poor thing got caught sneaking about and has to explain herself on the spot. you know she struggles with that!

“the man down the hall was my… is my partner” <- OHHHH, THAT CORRECTION.

she says they knew billy. she hoped there was some indication he was doing better. and then she leaves. but before she does, she says to tell the doctor about the seizure and also check the equipment - it might have malfunctioned. and then she is gone. the nurse is probably so confused, lmao.

skinner is back at the office…. is kersh summoning him??? WTF, he stumbles and falls over?? AUGH!!!! is it his digital disease that krycek controls?? some people pick him up, but like wtf..…

IT IS FUCKING KRYCEK IN THE ELEVATOR, OMFGGGGG THE RAT BASTARD… 

he tells him that he doesn't know how he got in this building, but he can to go to hell, LMAOOOOOO as he should!!!

but then krycek makes the thingy go off again. and skinner’s on the ground grasping his shoulder. so he comes back to krycek. who says it's time to take a ride

krycek is sitting in mulder’s desk, perverting it with his foul presence. says he heard mulder came back from the dead - he’s a regular houdini. he claims he’ll give skinner a chance to save his life. you never want something that simple, devil boy. and skinner tells him as much. 

oh. he says he wants to use his robot tech that is in skinner right now to save mulder? uh... that sounds like he'll just use it to manipulate him the way he is currently with skinner. seems like a terrible idea

“i don’t think his life can be saved” oh :(

and now krycek claims he has a vaccine. mulder's father developed it. “you found him, and you don’t even know what you’ve got”

skinner lunges for the remote. but krycek is quicker. 

man. i really dislike that guy. is he the head of the syndicate now? or is he doing his own thing? maybe a little bit of both? fuck him though, fr.

billy looks nasty and dead. but he opens an eye! and his mouth! takes out his mouth tube! how did they do all that makeup?!

he gets up…. starts to walk… the monitors are going crazy. he’s showering?? AUGH, the dead flesh falling off of him is disgusting, oh my GOD. all the blood in the drain. BLEAUGH, the little THUNKS it makes at it falls off. man, i don’t wanna see that shit. but underneath is… clean skin?

that makeup looked thick and nasty af; shoutout to the makeup team and the dude playing billy for enduring that

doggett comes in to find scully sitting with mulder, one hand holding his and one on her belly. “you can’t do this to yourself” “you asked me not to come in here, agent doggett. i hope you’re not asking me to leave” <- she'll sit there forever...

ohhhh, he set her off. “concern’s for your well-being, agent scully. that’s all it’s ever for” he is worried about her :(

he tells her he was against the idea of digging him up, worried about what effect it might have on her, what mulder’s chances are, and she shoots up.

“agent doggett… however i felt about you when we first met, you changed my opinion with the quality of your character and of your work. now, i am thankful to know you, and i am thankful for your concern… but no matter what mulder’s chances are, the choice not to open up that grave was wrong”

he opens his mouth to say something, but stops. “and not because of me personally, but as my partner on the x files. now the truth may hurt, but it’s all that matters.”

“what truth?”

“about what caused this” 

she must feel frustrated by his concern but the fact he said he was against the idea was Not the best move on his part. BUT! she said she respects him :( and is glad to know him :( and her opinion of him changed :(

at the end of the day, it is all about the Truth... he needs to be initiated into its search...

the nurse comes to fetch scully, saying she has to come quick, it’s billy miles!!! he’s just… standing there…. menacingly!!!

then he turns to look at scully and doggett! all his dead skin seems to be washed away!!! he's totally naked!!!

he says he doesn’t remember much of anything. he's wrapped in a blanket while scully talks to him. he says he remembers water. and being on the ship. “you were found on a fishing boat”, doggett explains. but scully interjects: “that’s not what you mean, is it billy? you mean… a spacecraft”

he says they took so many, but now he understands: they’re here to save us. and he smiles. 

doggett says that’s great news and he’ll let them talk. he walks away.

“agent doggett, where are you going?” ohhh, the girls are fighting!!! “back to the real world. why?”

“you just won’t believe it, will you? not even for a minute. not even with it staring you right in the face”

“is that so important to you? what i believe or don’t believe?” OHHH… “i’m not really up to this assignment anyway, as you so gently put it” <- THAT’S NOT WHAT SHE MEANT AND YOU KNOW THAT… he's sensitive

“i underestimated you, agent doggett. i thought this was just simple resistance to extreme possibilities, when, in fact, you’re just downright bullheaded” <- well, scully, you have done some time in the bullheaded trenches yourself... but i understand her frustration with everything on the line

“do you believe it, agent scully? i mean, that stuff he said about aliens coming to save the world?” this, in fact, shuts her up. 

he leaves. ohhhh, he can be a menace when he wants. 

but he won’t really go to kersh and get reassigned… right?

so she’s marking up prints of brain scans now when in comes skinner. no one told him about billy. she says she’s sorry.

but it’s too incredible. everything about him is normal. it doesn’t make sense. there should be something wrong with him. it’s like he became a new person… and not the same one. 

skinner asks if this could be alien- a virus. does he know something? 

he says there may be a vaccine. “it doesn't come without a price” “this is about saving a man’s life” “yes…. it is”

what…. is krycek going to bargain skinner’s life for mulder’s? i feel like he'll take that deal and then scully will hate him for it...

jump to... somewhere else. doggett is at a prison. visiting absalom! who greets doggett as brother.

“how they treating you?”, he asks. like a prophet, absalom replies.

which is why doggett came: to ask about the prophecies. about the men and women left for dead. “you’re here to receive the word…. and yet you can’t bring yourself to say my name. say it.” 

doggett smiles. “absalom”

(the vibes here were crazyyyy, omg)

i am the resurrection and the life. do you know the words? “they’re from the bible” <- yes, doggett, this is true 👍

(this made me laugh in a way i cannot quite articulate. yeah, they are from the bible! you did it, buddy! he may not know which book, but he knows the source text! i appreciate that he isn't giving this dude an inch, though)

what is the bible? this dude is craaaaazy. doggett wants to know how he healed those people. he needs his help. “you ask for my help… but you refuse to believe in me”

bro, you didn't even heal those people. how are you gonna take credit for it? that's stolen valor.

skinner walks back through the hospital. stops outside a room. peers in. sees mulder hooked up to all those tubes. and krycek stands next to him!!!!!!! “i need the vaccine, alex”. he asks what he has to do. 

“oh, it’s simple, really: make sure scully doesn’t come to term” <- WHAT?????

that is NOT what i thought he would say, omfg…. yeah, he is not doing that shit dawg. can you imagine…? the mere thought is impossible to comprehend.

and how is that SIMPLE? wtf is skinner gonna do to make that happen? is this something krycek has done before and can give him a tutorial on? i don't even WANT to know.

he says she can’t have that baby. WHAT IS IT TO YOU, ALEX?

skinner flatly says no. krycek points out they all have a life in their hands: mulder's is in skinner's hands, skinner's is in krycek's, and scully has the baby. it’s all about who is willing to sacrifice. 

we need to kill that guy. with roach spray.

doggett walks by krycek in the hall, then eyes him suspiciously. he detected his terrible vibes. looks in at skinner. then he sees scully. 

doggett asks where she’s going. “look, i don’t have time to waste debating our differences, agent doggett. i strongly believe that agent mulder is infected with a virus” <- fair enough

now hold on, i’m still comprehending: why the actual fuck does krycek want to keep her from having a baby???????????????

how is skinner gonna tell her that?

anyway. she thinks that this virus he has will keep him alive just long enough for him to transform into an alien.

and doggett replies that he isn’t here to argue. absalom said the same thing would happen: that if he hadn’t resurrected them, they would have come back as aliens and taken over the world.

ohhhh, so that is why the aliens are doing that. i guess that sort of makes sense? idk, they left them mostly for dead though! if they’re dead, how does that help anyone? billy recovered, but gary didn’t. there is very little a dead-dead, actually, fully dead, guy can do to help the alien cause. unless, of course, he was actually still alive somehow, too.....

scully remembers that she saw the two heartbeats on the monitor while billy was having a seizure, but she thought it was a glitch. it must have been an alien taking over...

she is off to get a surgical team and needs to keep mulder's body stabilized to administer the vaccine. the one he asked skinner to get.

doggett is confused af. he is locked out of the room he just saw skinner in. pounds on the door. tells him to open up. the monitor starts to beep.

DOGGETT KICKS DOWN THE DOOR and SKINNER IS TAKING MULDER OFF OF ALL HIS VARIOUS LIFE SUPPORT TUBES!!!

doggett SLAMS him against the wall: “you’re killing him!”

“i had no choice! he wanted me to kill scully’s baby” oh my god. doggett just walked into something extreme.

“where is he?” 

i appreciate that his first reaction isn't even "who" or "why" or "wtf does scully's baby have to do with any of this" and "who would gain anything from killing it", all of which are very good questions. but he simply does not have them time for them. as such, he goes straight to find him on his own. i have immense respect for that.

krycek is waiting in a car in a parking garage. doggett has his gun... but krycek sees him in the mirror on his car door.

krycek BACKS INTO HIM, but doggett gets up and PUNCHES HIM IN THE FACE, telling him to stop the car. he climbs in the window!!! doggett is being whipped around!! krycek knocks him out of the car window!!!!

and krycek speeds away!!! but he comes back!! shows him the vaccine. he's gonna drop it, omg. and he does. it shatters. the liquid spills on the ground. i half wondered if he'd go find a pipette somewhere and try to suck it up.

krycek kinda looks turned on by this whole thing. i'd say "new crack ship just dropped", but i don't even want to give krycek the pleasure of shipping him with anybody. he wipes the blood from his lips. doggett charges, but he zips away. his face covered in bruises.

back in the hospital, skinner asks him for the vaccine. mulder is in the OR. he tells him he wasn’t wrong: krycek wasn’t to be trusted.

he peeks in as the doctors get ready. asks scully if he’ll make it. OH! she says that by keeping him on life support, they were incubating the virus. when skinner pulled him off of life support, his temperature dropped without impacting his vital signs.

WAIT, so she knows skinner tried to kill mulder to save her???? she knows krycek said she can't have her baby? and she is just moving on with surgery??? or was that not explained to her and she thinks skinner just went sicko mode on mulder for no reason?

damn. either way, that’s impressive. i would have broken down. but she has to be working to keep it together.

“you mean skinner saved him?” she nods. 

they’ll give him some antivirals. it might work. 

doggett’s phone rings. he steps out of the operating room. kersh has summoned him. doggett stands before him with his bruised face. tells him he was with scully. “it’s going to be awful crowded down in that x files office”

kersh sits. puts on his glasses. “maybe you didn’t hear me. i said you’re on the wrong floor” “yes sir”

so he’s letting him stay on the x files???? why would he do that???? what is kersh’s motivation???

i have sooooo many questions about this guy.

mulder is back in a hospital bed post-treatment. scully grabs his hand. runs her thumb over it. it jerks. he moves his head. she calls his name. he opens his eyes!

“hi!” she says, sounding so happy. he asks who she is. her face falls. but he smiles. “oh my god. don’t do that to me!” she laughs, and tears pour down her face.

she asks if he knows what he’s been through. “only what i see in your face” (OUGHHHHH, that is arguably the most painful response. he can tell she is Suffering Immensely)

she brushes his hair. sets her head on his chest. “anybody miss me?” she laughs. 

doggett starts to come in, but he sees scully crying into mulder. he looks like he’s seen something he isn’t supposed to. and walks away.

AHHHHH (rips my shirt off in grief)

the end.

presses rewind.

doggett…………… 

i need to go lay down.

this episode was CRAZY. we need to hunt alex krycek DOWN. what the fuck does he want with her baby? what kind of SICK FUCK?! i mean, i knew he was sick, but that is supervillain evil shit. i will NEVER hear y’all out about that man again. he wanted HER BABY DEAD??????

so skinner said fuck that and was gonna KILL MULDER!!!!! he said ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!! ripped all those life support tubes out himself!!!! if someone had to die, he knew who it would be. which is... wow. scully always comes first.

and doggett coming to stop him, KICKING THAT DOOR DOWN, WHEW. i'll say it: it was kinda hot.

but poor skinner explained why he was doing it, and even though everything he was saying sounded like the ramblings of a madman, doggett said okay. i’ll go kill him myself. unfortunately, krycek is a slippery weasel and cannot be killed through normal means. he’s gonna have to die by solving some sort of riddle or a prophecy technicality.

okay, some favorite parts of this episode:

doggett arguing to skinner that he shouldn’t tell scully because it’ll be too hard on her, because he WORRIES ABOUT HER

scully coming in at the hospital and slamming her hands into skinner's chest because she needs to see him. he says she can’t, and sends doggett in instead. she tells him she needs to see him, and doggett says he knows... he just wishes she wouldn’t. because he recognizes that no matter how much he worries over her or sees himself in her grief, he can't control her

when scully shows up to work and doggett asks how she is feeling ☹️☹️☹️☹️ that man is uncle material

and then he says he plans on staying on the x files because if he doesn’t they’ll close them down ☹️☹️ which scully says is foolish because he'll be throwing his career away 💔💔 how far would his loyalty and sense of duty to her extend when his future is on the line? does he miss life before all of this? does he know there is no life after?

i didn’t like their fight, but it was thematically interesting. her calling him bullheaded; him saying he’ll leave like she told him too… it all makes so much more sense now in the context of losing his son. having a new skeptic on the block is frustrating, but positioning it within the context of his grief makes it a lot more interesting. i guess i wish they had revealed that a little earlier. without that context he kinda just comes off as a hater, lmao.

and then he sees mulder and scully at the end, reunited, and it is like he walked into something he shouldn’t have seen, so he just… walks away.

Mulder and Scully. Scully and Mulder. back together. after he has heard so much about them. after they have ascended to myth. their reunion has very strange implications for him. i wonder if he'll feel he can leave now if they're both back, or if he'll feel like he has to stay because he is invested and loyal to scully, and maybe if he stays on, kersh won't shut them down, since he is kersh's golden boy...

scully telling him she appreciates him and is glad to know him, but also telling him off because they need to find The Truth, whatever that may be, because it is the only thing that matters… it hurt my heart.

i still cannot fucking believe krycek said “kill her baby” to SKINNER, like what the FUCK??????? and i assume she knows that because she knew he ripped out all of mulder’s medical equipment??? how is she going to react to that when there is time to process it?

and mulder being a little BASTARD and asking who she was, LMAOOOOO, oh her poor face… but she she starts to laugh and rests her head on his chest…. 

and god, at the beginning, when she said the saddest thing was that he never got answers… maybe now they can get answers. and how she collapsed into skinner, like her body just couldn't stay upright any longer……….. fuck.

maybe now he won't be the last one. maybe now they can start over. and start a family.

so doggett is allowed to stay on the x files. but for what purpose? what cards is kersh holding? i assumed he was in line with krycek somehow… is he hoping to keep him on as some sort of a spy, like scully originally was? or is he actually a decent guy deep down and we’re just now seeing that?

i don’t even want to try and unpack the alien lore, because it doesn’t make sense. they test on the bodies and then drop them nearly dead. and then jeremiah heals the ones he can for… what purpose? out of guilt? or is he actually aiding the alien mission? no, that can’t be it, because they took him back… unless that was also a cover story.

but gary died, so why did billy live? because he was dropped in the ocean? then why wouldn’t they drop everyone in the ocean? because why would some of them live and get better through the power of the virus and some of them just die? it doesn’t make sense to me… unless, of course, gary is also alive, just buried in a coffin somewhere and waiting to be dug up... but if they just leave him there what will happen?

doggett seeing scully and mulder reunited and knowing that he will never be reunited with his son. yeah. that’s fucked up. 

wow. my brain…

the roadtrip with skinner and doggett where doggett tells his boss over and over again he is insane for digging up their dead coworker... i wonder what doggett was thinking in that moment.

i mean, we do kinda need a straight man (in the comedy sense - i don’t claim to speak for doggett’s orientation) in these sorts of things, which scully served the role of for a while (although she had her moments of making everything crazier, which i love about her!!!).

we need a guy to look at the camera and be like “isn’t this plot fucked up? we’re catching dracula and also robbing graves. that’s fucked up” to ground us, the non-supernatural audience. so now that scully is more open to extreme possibilities… maybe that will be his role.

i can’t wait to see how he gets along with mulder, omg, or if he’ll feel terribly left out as some sort of third wheel… or will there be some awkward dance as the rhythm scully and doggett got into is disrupted… will they even like each other?!

oh my god, mulder’s gonna be so sad when he learns she is pregnant and he wasn’t there for the majority of it, but also he is just going to be GAGGED in general.

that is going to be an interesting conversation because… he is still mostly pretty dead at the moment and probably not very observant, but the minute she stands up he’s gonna realize and be like hey. scully. wtf.

and then she’s gonna have to explain that it might actually be an alien, and also krycek wants to kill her. and it’s been really hard in the normal ways that these things are hard as well, with normal non-slug related complications and her grief and being alone. he’s gonna feel all guilty for being dead and not being there for her, and it’ll probably take them some time to get back in a rhythm, and also now doggett is here… 

what about reyes? where was she today? will she come back? what for? i want to see her more often!! let me see her with mulder, too

and now he will be an x file, omg…

i feel like doggett will be really weirded out being the metaphorical third in this and like he might end up leaving, but idk… maybe i’m all wrong. he’s sensitive!!!!

i want to know what happened in those 3 months. so yeah, full disclosure, i did know this was going to happen and that there is the three month time skip WHICH i found out while looking at the fics by my fave txt author and accidentally coming across a blurb for a fic that explores this exact premise.

but the good news is i already know that person wrote a fic on the exact thing i want to read, which means tomorrow there is plenty to look forward to.

fuck. can’t believe we have to deal with krycek again and scully is in danger. maybe they can run away and live in a cabin in the woods and be happy. well, maybe not THE WOODS, as in an actual cabin and hunting moose and stuff... but maybe some sort of rural area. somewhere quiet. without aliens. where scully can be a doctor and mulder can get a PhD and teach at a local community college, or a masters and go into practice, or whatever it is that mulders do in an alternate reality where things are safer. although, i somehow think the aliens and ghouls will continue to find them forever. they have an aura the aliens love. and raise a spooky little kid.

i told you, i’m brainstorming the “they all lived happily-ish ever after” au. i’m serious about it… if i could draw, i already know what i would be drawing. but i can't. so here we are. me, stuck imagining things in my head.

oh man, i just realized we didn't get to see the skinner and mulder reunion... i CANNOT WAIT for that. it'll be so charged. ahhh!

as always, i ask that you please tell me EVERYTHING about your initial reaction to seeing this!!!!!!! where did you cry/scream/yell the most? whose arc made you the most emo? did you have a feeling he was coming back? did you also want to beat krycek with a brick? share it all! i love hearing your reactions!!! it makes me so happy!!!

[twilightmalachite]

winkWINK - Prologue

Characters: Yuuta, Hinata

Translation: Mika Enstars

"Who cares that stupid Aniki was late for such an important meeting?"

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Season: Summer

Location: Saison Avenue

ES’ second year of establishment, in June…

Yuuta: (…How did it turn out like this?)

(I told myself I’d do whatever I could to make things work, but… In the end, I can’t even find a lead.)

Yuuta: (To be honest, the venue should have been long-decided by now. So what's with Aniki singing me praises exaggeratedly and all that?)

(All about what kind of performance we can do here and stuff… I know he’s supposed to be the optimistic one, but…)

(The planning for our Fan ThanX Festival is…)

It’s all messed up, and it’s all my fault.

(So much for someone who was talking big to his Aniki. All determined to do a better job than if it were him, and all that…)

(Really, it’s pathetic.)

(What do I do… Is there even anything I can do at this point?)

(But I have to do something. At this rate, 2wink will be the only unit unable to hold it’s Fan ThanX Festival. And I can’t allow that.)

(The reason we were able to become idols is because of our fans and the support they gave us.)

(I can’t let down the very people who made us shine.)

(I can’t let a future like that happen. …So, what can I do to ensure that?)

Yuuta: I’ll use whatever means necessary. I’ll do it if it means getting back what was lost.

—I don’t care what happens to me.

Location: CosPro Office Meeting Space

A couple weeks ago, at the CosPro office…

—Sounds of running

Hinata: —Sorry I’m late, Yuuta-kun!

Yuuta: Ah, you’ve finally arrived.

Hurry up and sit down. Let’s get this meeting going as quickly as possible to make up for your delay.

Hinata: (…Huh. Yuuta-kun is acting surprisingly normal.)

(When I messaged him I’d be late, he didn’t reply, so I assumed he was definitely super-duper angry…)

Umm, I’m really sorry, okay~…?

Yuuta: So what? I don’t care, so it’s fine.

Yuuta: (quietly) Who cares that stupid Aniki was late for such an important meeting?

Hinata: No, you care, don’t you? You really are angry, aren’t you?! But I’m really sorry, okay~!

I know this is a meeting I shouldn't run late to! I was really looking forward to it, after all!

But I didn’t expect that the kids before me would have to do so many retakes for their photos!

And it just wasn't the kind of atmosphere where I could ask them if I could go first, and~…

Yuuta: Yeah, yeah. I get it enough.

Isn’t that great~, you’re such a popular idol, Aniki. You’re in such high demand, good job~.

Hinata: You aren’t getting it at a~ll! Why does it feel like the more I explain myself, the more you hate me?!

Is silence really golden? But, I just can’t keep quiet from you, Yuuta-kun!

Just what is it you want from me? Tell me, dear brother!

Yuuta: Quiet. Would you just back off? You’re being more annoying than usual.

I mean, we’re already behind schedule because you came late, Aniki. We don’t have time to waste like this.

Hinata: I suppose you’re right… Well, let’s get started then—The meeting for 2wink’s Fan ThanX Festival!

According to the proposal, this is an “event for each of ES’ units to express their gratitude to their respective fans”.

Yuuta: Yup. No plot-twists, nothing. The content is just as the title says.

It looks like our budget is pretty big, since it’s a large-scale project that’ll be promoted by the entirety of ES.

Hinata: What’s more, the details of each event is up to the discretion of each unit, making this an unusually generous event!

Yuuta: From what I’ve heard, Anzu-san’s the one overseeing the Fan ThanX Festival projects. If we ask for it, it looks like we have access to a lot of support.

Hinata: Seems so. …But, won’t all units underneath ES be holding Fan ThanX Festivals?

It sounds like it’d be hard enough just keeping track of every single one of them. I wonder if Anzu-san will be alright…

Yuuta: Okay, but that’s Anzu-san’s job. …If you’re worried, do you want to do our project with minimal support from her?

Well, I presume we’ll still have to have a couple of meetings with her, but… It might ease her burden a little.

Hinata: Hmm… It’ll be sad in its own way, but… I think so.

We’ll get to show her how much we’ve grown as 2wink, and we’ll get to test our own limits, too.

In that case, the first thing I gotta do is…

Yuuta: Wait a sec.

I know it’s the Fan ThanX Festival, but could you let me lead this project?

Hinata: You want to? Things like booking the venue, and heading stage construction… You mean you want to be in charge of that sorta work?

I mean, it’s fine with me, but… I’m a little curious as to why.

Yuuta: It’s not like I have a big sorta reason or anything, but…

See, you know how we’ve started to show our personalities as individuals since last year?

Hinata: You say “we”, but you mean mostly “you”, right? We’ve split from the united mind of 2wink and began pursuing goals as separate idols.

Yuuta: You say “pursuing”, but I’d say it’s still in the “exploration” stage…

Well, I can’t say that just growing hair out is all that big a deal, but…

Even though 2wink has been changing in these small ways, all of our fans are still supporting us.

When I think of it that way, I just feel that I absolutely have to make this Fan ThanX Festival a success if I’m to properly give back to our fans.

Hinata: You’ve been thinking about that, Yuuta-kun…?

Uu, your big brother’s tears just won’t stop at how much his little brother has grown!

Yuuta: That’s enough of that.

Hinata: Yessir~. But you know, I feel the same in terms of giving back to our fans.

So I think it’d be best if we worked together, that way it doesn’t all fall on you, Yuuta-kun.

Yuuta: I get what you mean. But, I still think that I should be the one to proceed with this project.

Hinata: Huh? Do you have another reason for that?

Yuuta: It’s a simple one. I’m just worried about leavin’ such a big event in your hands, Aniki. ♪

Hinata: What a cruel thing to just say like it's nothing?!

Yuuta: I mean, you were late today, were you not? And looking at your schedule, it looks like you’ll be real busy for a while, too. Unlike me.

And I’m not being sarcastic about this. I’m really just simply worried you’ll end up overwhelmed with too much work.

Hinata: Ack, you do raise a good point…

Yuuta: It’s just a delegation of duties. Right now, the one with more time is without a doubt me, so it’d be better for you if I handled the project, Aniki.

But even though I’ll be the one leading the efforts, that doesn’t mean I won’t consult with you or anything, okay, Aniki?

Hinata: …You’re right. And you’re genuinely showing concern for me, Yuuta-kun.

But, will you be alright? Looking at it, It seems the Fan ThanX Festival will be a bigger project than most. Your big brother’s worried about whether you'll be able to carry it through.

Yuuta: Well, leave it to me, okay? I’ll show you how skillfully I can handle it, to the point your socks will be knocked off! ♪

[ ☆ ]

story directory | next →

[corseque]

I honestly just wanted one single plot step that I could not predict given the 10 year wait. More behind the cut, I talk about Emet too, and I'm comparing his writing favorably to Solas' writing and why it worked better for me personally, but I am just talking about the writing skill that went into the games and not the dudes themselves, I love them both dearly of course. idk this is a mess and I am not going to edit it for clarity

For me, the game was a series of me saying

"ok I knew that. cool."

"oh yeah, I knew that. I guess it's good that the larger fandom knows about that now."

"nice, but yeah I already knew that too"

"that was something we've been talking about a lot for years"

"this thing they are acting like is a huge enormous reveal that the characters could not possibly have deduced through simply thinking about it in depth over the 10 years... the fans easily figured out by thinking about it in depth 10 years ago. So you would think his girlfriend would be able to figure it out more easily than we did. Like, why couldn't the game have been like 'oh lavellan already figured that out a while ago' it would have cost them nothing"

"this is something I've been thinking about for years, and now that it's being revealed, the companions' reactions to it are very irritating and jarring and unnecessary and I really dislike the experience I'm having right now, in this, the hour of my greatest triumph"

"this thing that is happening on my screen right now is something that I wrote an essay about 2 years ago describing how it would be a letdown if it happened without the correct setup"

"this way that they're characterizing Solas makes him less likable and less interesting than I have been finding him for all these years, and I have had people tell me 'no, he's simpler than you think' for years but I guess I was wrong, he really is simpler than I thought, so that fucking sucks. I wish I could take that information out of my brain."

"this thing is a retcon of information I have been thinking about for 10 years, and so I don't know how to follow along with this new direction, and I'm not sure if I even want to because it's not particularly interesting anyway"

"aw that was sweet"

"why is it like, so very impossible to have an honest back-and-forth with my favorite character about the dilemma that was most interesting to me about the previous game"

and then, as soon as, like, the other fans had caught up to the Solas lore that was really obvious from the other games, the game was.... over without anything surprising happening, or introducing a new element or plot point or perspective, or a real true twist (or two, or three) for those of us who have thought about it too hard for too long. It was very simple and easy, much, much, much, much easier than I was imagining. It all felt sort of like that Nicholson quote:

The thing was, the whole story was so interesting to think about because in 10 years, I couldn't figure out a good solution to it!!!!! It's why I was never able to write post-game fanfic about it. So I was stoked to find out some reveal we never knew about, some new information, in maybe a SERIES of steps of new information, that made the situation more complicated but also something that could be navigated by everyone involved. I know it was asking for a lot, but they had TEN YEARS, and they seemingly had set up the things they did in DAI on purpose, so surely they had some idea of a complex and satisfying narrative that would reconcile everyone.

The reason why I was expecting this is because FFXIV did a very similar story arc, which was started AND concluded WITHIN those 10 years (so it took the FFXIV team far less time to deliver as well). And the conclusion to the story in FFXIV did what I was expecting Dragon Age to do. So I thought, "holy shit, if this is the FFXIV version of this plot, how much more complicated is DA4 going to be!?!?" The DA devs also PLAYED FFXIV so they were completely aware, several years ago, of a satisfying story ending that was pretty darn similar.

People are probably going to think "oh, well Chelsea was disappointed because she spent too much time building it up in her head" but that's exactly it - I actually speculated and thought about FFXIV's story IN DEPTH NONSTOP for a year+ before its ending came out, and the ending absolutely blew me away. FFXIV Endwalker managed to introduce information and new story elements that I was not able to figure out in the YEAR I spent speculating on the ending of FFXIV's story. It took a complicated situation and revealed several several more facets to it that I was not able to predict, but were very interesting and thematically compelling, and took us all to surprising and climactic places that we could not have predicted.

Endwalker ("end" is in the title on purpose) too, was written to be THE ULTIMATE SATISFYING ENDING for a very long-running story in the exactly way that Veilguard SHOULD HAVE for Dragon Age, so while this complexity is being explored, FFXIV also gave catharsis to many different plot threads that have been built up through the previous expansions, until finally it ends with a bang. The story is desperately good to me, I loved it, it gave me closure for Dragon Age long before Veilguard was even revealed, and going back and looking at its story has made this whole thing far less painful for me.

So, I actually did not have a picture in my mind for how things SHOULD go. I just had the thought "I hope it's complicated and there are points of view or facts that we haven't before been exposed to, and the situation is resolved respectfully for Solas, not making him look like a fucking idiot (lol, the only thing I asked for). I don't even care what happens to Solas and Lavellan, I just need the story to be complicated and interesting to think about. Please, god, don't let it be "solas is wrong and he just needs to be convinced" because that's like the simplest story you could tell with this setup"

(btw they managed to tell Emet-Selch's story without making him seem like he's being an idiot on purpose or can never get anything right, and in fact the more the story goes on, the more you think of him as smart and capable and cool, so it is possible to write.... I wasn't asking for the entire moon)

And I played it and... yeah. Most of the story beats were more simple than I wanted them to be, a lot of them didn't make sense in my heart given the writing from Inquisition. (This is another essay, but if Solas' thematic story arc was always about him needing to let go of regrets, why was his personal quest the way it was? After that quest, doesn't he end up regretting not doing more....? Why did he never really talk about regret during Inquisition? If he was so trapped by regret, why was he able to do so many actions? It doesn't mesh well to me. The whole regret thing was very quarter-baked to me, I don't even like thinking about it.) His story never seemed like one that was as simple as being about one man's regrets, but then, I guess, it was always just about one man's regrets.

Emet-Selch's personal storyline (and the way it interacts with and affects the larger story) is very similar but much more cohesive and satisfying to me. It would be difficult to explain why without the aforementioned 5-hour essay. Emet-Selch's story IS about grief and anguish on a world-shaping scale in a similar way that Solas' was apparently always about letting go of regret, but Emet's story was also very pointedly and beautifully about that one theme for the entirety of his story from every tiny detail, from beginning to end - meanwhile, it seemed to me that they tried to introduce 'regret' as the main thrust of Solas' story only in the short story with the Regret demon onward.

From Inquisition just by itself, the closest I personally could get to a story theme for Solas was his inability to trust others hurting him and the world, but his trusting others in DA4 wasn't really addressed to my satisfaction. He is never required to trust anyone before the ending, he never opens up or makes himself vulnerable at all. People find out information about him, he never really dynamically opens himself. So the personal story I thought he had was never addressed at all, while a new one about regret was introduced that never made a ton of sense to me. And I don't think this is just because of my expectations - my reaction to FFXIV proves that I am able to meet good writing where it goes in surprising directions, as long as it's interesting and thoughtful and clear.

And I think this might be part of what people felt was off about the ending - Solas is sort of uninvolved in the revelations that are about him, and doesn't do much to be part of his own ending. Part of what I loved about Solas in Inquisition is that he is not controlled by you in any way, and so he feels like his own person with a very strong sense of character.

Anyway, Emet-Selch, in a very comparable and arguably more extreme plot position, is very involved in the revelations about himself, he always feels like a very strong character who cannot be affected by the player, and the whole situation is handled with deft emotion and care and delicacy. The story is comparatively very uninterested in litigating Emet-Selch or putting him on trial - the story allows you to simply feel the way that you feel in an organic way, and Emet's story spends that energy instead actually exploring his thematic material about grief and legacy, and the larger story theme of existentialism instead, in a way that is very refreshing and interesting. I've seen a lot of western stories tie themselves in knots over "redemption" and frankly it's almost never been interesting at all. Who cares about any of that. lol

(Now, I guess this is a matter of preference, because some people really like being able to shape a character's story, but idk I rewatched the ending of FFXIV and even though there wasn't a choice with Emet, because it isn't a branching story, his story felt more satisfying to me, maybe because there isn't a patronizing choice to be made for him. He is who he is, and he fulfills a very beautiful narrative role and purpose that no other character could in the story.)

I don't know how this could have been improved to me and still allowed players to choose Solas' ending for him, but I can actually think of a few different methods, none of which involve Rook condescendingly and patronizingly lecturing Solas as if Solas had never thought about a single aspect of this horrible situation he's in before that very moment that Rook lectures him lmfao.

All this to say... idk I'm writing this and I am not going back to edit it so it's stream-of-consciousness. But yeah

I just wanted the story to be complicated on a few more levels than I could have predicted. I genuinely don't care what happened, but I thought of a few twists like the Veil coming down and yeah, I was expecting A Single Twist or reveal to happen. In a Dragon Age game.

I wanted Solas to seem cool and capable and noble and smart, and actually feel like he was as old and experienced as he is.

I wanted a clear theme I could sink my teeth into

Like notice I didn't even say anything about Solavellan. Like I never in 100 years thought they were getting a happy ending where they were both alive in bodies, and I like that we got that, but I would honestly trade it for a more complicated story. To me, if a story is sad you can always write fanfic, but if a story isn't COMPLICATED, that's a much more urgent issue.

These 3 things DA4 didn't give me in a way that satisfied me but FFXIV did. anyway idk the way my hyperfixations work, I completely switch to a new subject so talking about Dragon Age is actually hard for me right now.

[jerrythebug]

The movie outfits are so awful because Max('s intern) designed them himself

[creative-robot]

I know The Founders Cut, generally, is the edited scrubbed over version of genloss from Showfall in-universe (as well as a not-8-hour-long-three-stream-binge-night whenever we want to watch it again) but something that struck me as odd and I haven’t seen anyone mention yet, is this warning

It shows up right at the junction where the third act starts, where it appears the Hero is breaking free of Showfall thanks to Hetch. But here’s the thing, while a LOT less than the previous acts the audience still played a significant role in this act, even when really only given two audience interaction choices. Which makes me wonder, how real is this warning, and who is it for? Obviously the audience involved knows what happens past this point, but the audience is also implied to be an integral part of the Social Experiments, which is part of why things start to tweak out when the Founder removes them in the Founder Cut as the Generation Loss generation loses.

My first thought, was that obviously this is another bait and switch, a way to draw the audiences attention, seeing something that’s secret, something that’s not “meant for them”, which is a tactic I could see Showfall using in universe to keep people’s attention and add an air of mystery to their shows.

But

Showfall is doing all their experiments and these shows with a LOT of help from their censors to show it off, displaying a fun silly show that is definitely not uber fucked up and that is 100% just slime don’t worry about it, it’s kid friendly if it’s green! And I don’t think they’d want to bet all their cards on this one experiment doing well enough to their audience to not question the sudden shift in tone that follows this warning. Which makes me wonder.

They did their test, they did their experiment, and the evidence of this last act? I think it was a one time run, they don’t want anyone seeing this, it isn’t for the audience. Act three is specifically to both test and play with their Hero, Hetch’s new lines add a level to this, never once does he call the Hero by their name, just refers to Ranboo as their Role, and he’s not exactly. Nice? About literally any of Ranboos concerns, which wouldn’t really seem conductive to making an audience trust him, especially with his monologue at the end. Ranboo has escaped before, possibly right before act 1 started, they tightened the security on his mask to be unremovably part of them, Hetch doesn’t like the Hero but they’re a fan favorite so he can’t just get rid of them.

Act three is the cumulation of Ranboo being punished for things they don’t remember, for daring to break free from Showfalls control, this is Hetch taking the Hero and essentially majorly fucking and manipulating them to take his frustration out on a fan favorite they can’t otherwise get rid of or give a smaller role like Slimecicle. which is exemplified by the fact that we now know Charlie most likely was never able to actually able to fully snap out of the control, that even in act three in panic and confusion there was at least still a part of him being influenced by Showfall.

So the first two acts are the usual show, they have their posters, they have Squiggles to introduce them, they have goofs and silliness and only a couple slip ups that’re quickly dealt with, the usual rose tinted curtains. Act three?

Do not watch the following material

[jojo-schmo]

I wish I could tell the original artist that this drawing permanently changed the entire direction of my life in 2009. I want to shake their hand, look them in the eye, and admit I would not be who I am today if this drawing didn’t exist.

EDIT: Original artist is @ivynajspyder !!!!

[umbraastaff]

so is abnimals good

[xxplastic-cubexx]

not to be myself on main but im still here

[welcometogrouchland]

Noticing that TV and film will often have a character either have had an abortion in the past that isn't showcased on screen (and just used as part of the character's ~fucked up and twisted backstory~) OR contemplate getting an abortion in the present day but not to through with it. Just once I want to see someone delete that fetus within the events of the plot and not be like. Extremely majorly punished for it and/or be in the wrong

[baphometsss]

if i see one more post about how solas/mythal/elgar'nan had a weird love triangle thing going on i'm gonna scream

[emioliravioli]

hear me out on this, imagine a blazamy good luck babe au, yk how people normally would think oh blaze is the one singing and the one sleeping next to him would be amy WELL WHAT IF I REVERSED THE ROLES. WHAT IF AMY’s THE ONE SINGING AND THE ONE SLEEPING NEXT TO HIM IS BLAZE :3

hey so sweet? could you hold this stick of dynamite for me real quick? yeah just for a little bit- 💥💥💥💥💥💥