#anon you are so brave for all those rewatches

[gentil-minou]

YOUR 2521 ASK REPLY, YES TO ALL OF IT. god, this drama could've been top 3 dramas of all time if it wasn't for the ending. never going to forgive them giving us a story about hope and love, and friendship only to end it that way. like you said, if they wanted me to BELIEVE these characters would do this to each other, you shouldn't save it for the last 2 episodes. they were literally not wanting to let go of each other at the bus stop. the writer could've easily fixed the story then. they couldn't be apart or not care about the other that they RAN TO FIND EACH OTHER, CRYING, HOLDING ON TO EACH OTHER, THEY DID NOT WANT TO LET GO. also... when people say its realistic... not for them, it made no sense for them. like you said, they built such an amazing foundation as friends and suddenly they break up and suddenly, they can't ever speak to the other again apparently??? how is that realistic? even if they did break up, u cant convince me heedo and yijin wouldn't have kept in touch. also, heedo carrying yijin everywhere with her, from the rainbow chairs to writing what she did on her daughter's ballet shoes, to her looking like she still feels grief about them not being together. btw idk if you know but they were planning to add a shot of heedo's husband with their daughter when she was younger getting on a bus, and im glad they didnt use it cus where have you even been? the way heedo's face lights up when she talks about him or when her mom mentions him. the way shes constantly saying 'thats life.. nothing lasts forever' god i hate it. like yeah but how do you not remember a trip you took with someone you cared deeply about and also your new friends. for the first time in your life, these were your actual friends. things dont last bc you dont put effort into them anymore, obviously sometimes life gets in the way but we started this show in the time of the pandemic... would've been so nice to see them still connect with each other at the end on video call or something. i knew the show was based off this song about lost love, but i actually thought the writer was way too hopeful with her characters to actually end it on a bad note. i thought it wouldve been the same intentions til the end but the last 2 eps felt like they threw darts to pick an ending. 9/11?? bro come on. anyways sorry this is so long, i have lots of feels about it but ironically i miss the characters so much im on my like 4th rewatch (where i skip older heedo and the last 2 eps) but ngl, it never feels right when i end it there :'(

E X A C T L Y

Literally yes to all of this. None of it made any damn sense and it had to be that the director and writer were telling two different stories. In kdrama land, I think the writer only needs to have the first few scripts ready for the production to pick it up and that's why the director and actors chose it cause those first few eps are like among the best episodes over ever watched. I feel like they starred the drama thinking it would end a certain way and when it didn't the writer didn't want to change her story to adapt to the characters (which to be fair I get that it's her story). It just feels like a major disconnect between the production team and God I will never be okay

[a-memory-a-distant-echo]

ok, i'm being so brave and making the rec post that i told anon i would do like three days ago.

the obligatory caveats. this is not comprehensive—i haven't read all the fic in this fandom, and i've barely looked at anything not in english. my reading habits are pretty broad—i'll read almost any pairing, and am generally willing to suspend my disbelief to do so. i am not usually an au person, though this fandom is doing its absolute damndest to prove me wrong on that point.

also i have…more…fics that i felt i should rec somewhere, so probably this is rec post one, but ten felt like enough and also saying things in public where people can hear me is, it turns out, absolutely excruciating. please no one be mean to me about this post, especially if you wrote one of these fics, because if you are i will simply fill my pockets with rocks and take to the sea, ok? ok.

excited to find out what i manage to do that ruins the formatting, links the wrong fics and/or people, or otherwise breaks things in this post. please tell me if i've fucked up, or if your fic is on this list and you would rather i keep your name out of my mouth, or whatever.

first, a very special mention to the mlc reference guide by @yletylyf. this is such an incredibly comprehensive and generous resource. you want a timeline for this show that does an incredibly poor job of maintaining its own timeline? it's here. you want episode summaries? they're here. you want all the people and places? they're here. if you're writing fic, you want this guide, because it's so much easier and faster than scanning episodes or subs files to figure out the name of one specific guy or whatever. it also means that at least occasionally you work on the thing rather than accidentally rewatching the same scene five times, or hypothetically watching two to four episodes without even really thinking about what you're doing. the reference guide is the unsung mvp of fandom.

beyond porch and portal, difanghua, teen, by willowdream. this is the vampire au that i didn't know i wanted? the author posted it and their note was like 'i'm trying to be the change i want to see in the world,' and i was like ok sure, i'm not really convinced that the change i need is vampire aus, but i'll give it a go, and then i did and was like, oh shit, i'm eating fucking glass about this vampire au, i'm chewing on my own fucking fingers, i'm so fucking normal about this, i need another hundred thousand words of this and also seventeen more vampire aus in my inbox by monday morning. i literally finished reading it and scrolled right back to the top to read it again. i have no idea why this fic hits so hard, but it took me out at the knees. the voices are perfect. something about it is just impossibly compelling.

不安的遠離，再无歸期 | restless distance, without return, fang duobing/qiao wanmian, mature and teen, by @difeisheng. this is technically two fics but they're short and you should read both of them because they're such a brutal, perfect encapsulation of grief, and a really beautiful acknowledgement of the ways that fang duobing and qiao wanmian can be read as reflections of each other, separated by a decade, and it just fucking guts me. i dunno. it's about the grief! it's about the yearning! it's about someone who understands parts of you that you wish didn't exist! i think i've reread this like once a week for the last six weeks and i feel like it gets overlooked because it's not A Ship but like. it could be. it should be.

dance the silence down, fanghua and feihua, explicit, by @momosandlemonsoda. this fic. ugh. ok. i'm breaking my own rules. i had two when i started writing this post: no works in progress, and no reccing things that i haven't left a comment on, like a goddamn grownup. this one fic is breaking both of those rules and i feel bad about it and will hopefully spend like, all day tomorrow just commenting on every chapter or something, but i have to do this. this fic is so good. this fic ruins me. this fic is 63k, still a work in progress, and also if i were losing the whole internet tomorrow and i got to keep one fic in all the world and it was the only fic i could have for the rest of time, it might have to be this one, even as a work in progress. i ignored this fic for so long—by which i mean probably two of the four months since i first watched mysterious lotus casebook—because i was like, i don't like aus, and i especially don't like rock star aus. (or sex work aus, and you're never gonna fucking believe what else this author is writing and what else i absolutely cannot get enough of—this is a sneaky bonus rec for all i wanna do is wrong, another fic that i feel so so so normal about!) but then i was like okkkkkkk but. maybe i'll try it. people seem to be nuts for it. and then i read it and i was like OH HOLY SHIT PEOPLE ARE FULLY CORRECT TO BE ABSOLUTELY UNHINGED ABOUT THIS and normally, honestly, i wouldn't bother posting a rec like this because it's like 'oh haha have you read the five most popular fics in this fandom?' and it feels so redundant, but i know for a fact that a friend of mine who finished watching the show yesterday is reading this post, and even if everyone else has read it, she has not! anyhow as a former music person and a former diner cook, this fic like. i don't know. i feel like it broke me but also fixed me? i literally criticise writing professionally and every time i try to talk about this fic i find myself speechless because it's so perfect to me. i am deeply unwell about this fic. every time a new chapter comes out i sit down and read the whole thing again, yes, all sixty-thousand-plus words of it. some nights you go to bed and you're like 'what's the fucking point?' and then you're like 'no wait, there will eventually be more of dance the silence down,' and somehow that makes things suck a tiny bit less. my wife has made me take out like six sentences from this rec because they're too intense and too weird about it but i need you to understand: you have to read this fic.

in this dream, there is a lover to share this life with, fanghua, g, by @lianhuajing. alternative ending for the end of episode 27, in which li lianhua—precious man who has yet to discover a hill he's not willing to die on—apologises to fang duobing the only way he knows how, and it's wildly upsetting for everyone (but it's ok and it doesn't end miserably, no one panic). this is a delightfully angsty treat, and i love how conflicted fang duobing is in it—i feel like it's not something that i've seen explored a lot, but this poor boy really fuckin goes through it—his best friend and his childhood idol are the same person but are lying to him about it, and his dad's not actually his father and has been lying to him about it, and his best friend/childhood idol may have killed his father, and—yeah, is lying to him about it. like? someone give this poor man a hug and a cup of tea and a snack and a blankie. i love that we get to see some of his internal conflict in this.

quintessence of dust, feihua, teen, by justthereforit. this plays with one of my very most favourite tropes in the world, which is the one where the heart is a physical object and a physical form of trust and control and surrender and—like. this is so good. it's set in episode 13, which is, for me, one of the absolute peak angst points, and it absolutely nails it. di feisheng who's upset and vulnerable and frustrated and angry, li lianhua who knows he's going to die and can't bear the thought that he's going to take anyone else down with him, and they're both just so fucked up. chef kiss. i love it when everyone is emotionally wrecked and continually like 'ok no, i can take one more knife in my soul to protect someone else', and this absolutely delivers on that.

under moonlight, we change our futures yet again, feihua, explicit, by @thesilversun. the wedding room! obviously we have to have a wedding room fic, right? i'm not going to lie: i'm willing to suspend a lot of disbelief for wedding room fics, but in this one, it's actually a wonderfully, horrifyingly plausible setup. it walks a really fine line of keeping people in character, and acknowledging the inherent horror and seriousness of the situation, and also providing some desperately hot sex, and also managing to get the emotional beats of it, too. it has a sequel, which imo really has to be read as the conclusion to this fic, and it's just as good. it's possible that some of what i'm saying here is 'i love vulnerable-inside crusty-outside di feisheng' but like. i do. i love it so much.

what's sealed away, feihua, teen, by @bbcphile. AMNESIA FIC yessssss, a-fei my beloved, fics that handle brain damage/memory issues/amnesia well my beloveddddd. i love the a-fei arc, but i also have had a number of brain injuries and some other stuff that means that my own memory is…not so great, so i sometimes really struggle with how often amnesia in fiction is played off either as nothing to worry about or as a funny thing where everyone's in on the joke except the person who has amnesia. this fic is a great and sometimes very visceral exploration of a horrifying experience, and a really fantastic study of a-fei/di feisheng as a character, as well as the relationship that he has with li lianhua. a-fei trying to balance the trust he has in the sense memory of his body with his understanding of his relationship with li lianhua with li lianhua's reaction to—everything, really—is really well done and wonderful/terrible to read.

我只愿面朝大海 | i wish only to face the sea, g, by foreverstudent. ok so you wanna fuck yourself up some more? go read this. this is canon divergence from episode 39, and fang duobing has learned too well the lessons he's been taught, and sees the shape of things before li lianhua ever touches the wangchuan flower—so he sets about making sure that he won't be able to throw it away. this is agonising and gorgeous and maintains the canon relationships while developing the narrative differently. i wept literal tears. i was like 'ok that's it the worst part is over!' and then i remembered that there was another part coming and then i started crying. anyhow, it is—as ever, with me—about the devotion.

我住長江頭, 君住長江尾 -- i live upstream, you live downstream, fanghua, teen, by @rimbaudofficial. ok so this is Not a fic that i should like, because i am a massive academic failure and despite being in my forties have regular nightmares about having to re-engage with academia for like. any reason. HOWEVER. as noted, i read indiscriminately, even when i'm like 'reading this is a terrible idea and will be upsetting for me personally!', so i was like 'well, how bad of an idea can it possibly be?' and then instead! it was. incredibly charming? it was so fucking cute? the fang duobing characterisation in this is somehow just perfect to me—he's simultaneously confident and vulnerable, and also just so deeply committed to the weird clueless guy who he's decided is meant for him. di feisheng and li lianhua have a perfect weird-bros friendship. i would read another ten chapters of this and i would love it.

[unclewaynemunson]

( 🥐 anon )

i'm rewatching season one and tommy is yelling at steve for "running away". it just made me think of eddie and how he criticized himself for running when chrissy got vecna'd.

what if eddie survived the upside down and steve is like "why didn't you run?" and eddie explains that he didn't know why, he just felt like he should fight. it reminds steve of that time he stopped running (when jonathan and nancy were attacked in the house).

i don't know where i am going with this, but i figured you might have something to add if you wanted. :D

Hello again :D

Oh my beloved parallel <333 I thought about this all day and ended up writing a lil something about it :)

---

'I've been meaning to ask you something for a while,' Steve says. He's sitting right next to Eddie's hospital bed, like he has been often these past days, keeping him company and making him laugh and helping him with every little thing. It sounds oddly serious and Eddie just frowns at him in response.

'Why didn't you run?'

The question hangs in the air between them for a couple of seconds. Then, Eddie scoffs. 'Says the guy who insisted on being the one at the front lines,' he retorts.

Instead of bickering back, Steve stares at him, seemingly taking his time to carefully consider what Eddie had meant to be a throwaway remark.

'You know, the first time all this shit went down... I kinda did the same,' he finally admits. 'It was Tommy, of all people, who got in my head. Told me that I was always running away. And that's exactly what I did when I saw what was going on at the Byers' house.'

Steve had told Eddie all about it, earlier: about how he showed up to apologize to Jonathan and instead got robed into that whole Upside Down shitshow.

'Nance told me to leave. She pointed a fucking gun at my face and told me to get the hell out. And then the lights started doing their freaky flashy stuff and I - I ran.' He sighs. 'And then I came back,' he adds quietly. 'So that's why you didn't run, too?'

'I kept thinking about Chrissy,' Eddie says, his voice barely more than a whisper. 'How I left her there to die. I couldn't - I just couldn't run away again. Simple as that.'

Steve keeps looking into his eyes intently, holding his gaze, as if he's searching for something. Eddie almost forgets to breathe, feeling exposed and vulnerable with those soft brown eyes on him and the silence around the two of them.

'I guess this is where I should say "please don't do that again next time",' Steve says, his voice sounding strangely choked as he cuts through the silence. 'But apparently we both know it's not that simple, huh?'

Eddie nods, still stunned under the intensity of Steve's gaze. He thinks back to how it felt when he thought he was dying. It had been terrifying and awful and goddamn painful more than anything else, obviously. But there had also been something that almost felt like relief. He knew, in that moment, that he could never go back to being a coward again. That he had faced it all and didn't regret trying to be better, trying to protect his people.

Maybe he should also be brave in a different way, he thinks. So he stretches out his hand, rests it on Steve's, and gently squeezes.

[paperstorm]

The recent anon about fandom recovery after controversy made me want to ask something I’ve never been brave enough to but feel like you’ll give me an honest answer even if you don’t agree you’ll be respectful. Is it ok to like (love) Harry Potter? I know JK Rowling is problematic these days but those books, the films, the world she created meant (still mean) a lot to me but people say I shouldn’t be giving her money by buying merchandise and I shouldn’t like Harry Potter because she’s a terrible person etc. What do you think?

As for the Tarlos/Lonestar fandom I hope it will be ok. The majority of people I saw seem to be able to separate actors and characters so there is still a lot of TK love out there. As long as it doesn’t affect the acting and chemistry, and thus the characters we love then I think we’ll be ok. I don’t think it will (people have speculated they hate each other for years, or they’d lose the chemistry after Ronen got married and none of that has come to pass) so fingers crossed.

PS it would help if they went back soon. Has anyone been able to find out when they’ll start filming. I got hopeful when Ronen posted about getting in shape for S5 but that’s disappeared so I don’t know if they are still months away from going back. Natacha seems to be in the UK.

I am not any kind of authority on whether it's 'okay' to like anything honestly, I have my opinions but that doesn't mean I get to tell other people what they're allowed to like. Personally, as someone who grew up with Harry Potter and loved it to pieces and still has so much fondness for the story and the characters, I think that what matters in a boycott is not giving new money to the thing. The BDS movement as an example is very clear about like, if you already own an HP laptop (which I do), it doesn't make any sense to throw it out and buy a new one made by a different company. You already have it, you can't un-spend money on it. I think the principle holds for something like the Harry Potter franchise. I own the books, I own DVDs of all 8 movies. I have owned them for years, rereading them or rewatching them is not giving Joanne anything that she doesn't already have. That's very different from purchasing the new video games, and that, for me, is where I draw the line. I see no problem in continuing to love something that you already loved, my boundary is giving new money to it.

I do think it's important also to be able to recognize problematic content within media that you love. Again, I'm nobody's mother, I have no right to demand that everybody do this. But an important step that I take in my media consumption is looking with a critical eye at the things I'm consuming and recognizing where there are elements that are problematic that I need to be able to identify so that I don't let harmful ideas creep into my brain and make themselves at home without realizing it. Her portrayal of the goblins is incredibly antisemitic. Other problematic things exist like naming the Chinese character Cho Chang and having a 'race' of slaves that only one character seems to have an issue with. Harry Potter isn't the first medium to feature harmful tropes and it isn't the last either, and part of being an ethical consumer of any show/movie/book is putting in even a bit of work recognizing that and understanding that nobody is immune to propaganda. I still love Lone Star even though there is an element of copaganda to it. It doesn't mean you have to only consume content that is ethically pure - because that doesn't exist. It just means being willing to put in some work recognizing the harmful parts.

[ummyesisthisjasongrace]

What's your top 5 Harry Potter favourite characters and favourite book?

Thank you so much for this amazing ask, anon!!

This is a really hard question for me to answer. I think I'll go with the following:

1. Harry Potter. I just love him so much. The more I reread the books and rewatch the movies, the more I appreciate him and his sass and his entire character. I feel like he's often underlooked and overhated!

2. George Weasley (the Weasley twins in general, but I like George a little bit more). He's just so iconic and I always love whenever he's on screen/on the page, it always brightens up everything.

3. Oliver Wood. My love. He's so iconic and hilarious 😂 it doesn't show quite as much in the movies but still

4. Cedric Diggory. My boy!! Cedric was honestly such an amazing character, kind, handsome, brave, talented, what more could you want? (For him to live 😪) He deserved so much better than what he got and I wish we'd seen more of him!

5. I'm tying this between McGonagall and Hermione. I like them both but both of them have traits that really really annoy me. McGonagall is just an iconic character with some of the most badass lines in the whole franchise, but she's also too strict in my opinion. And Hermione used to be my favourite but the more I reread/rewatch HP, the less I like her, sadly. She's just so narrow-minded and arrogant and lawful lmao, it's a bit tiring at times. And those parts of her aren't portrayed that much in the films where she's more of this hyper-intellectual, infallible genius and Ron's the dumb comic relief character. But she very much shaped me and is still a big part of who I am so she definitely deserves to be on this list!

But those are just the canon characters, as for fanfiction characterisations I have a whole bunch of other characters that have too little appearances in the books to have a canonically shaped out personality :D

As for my favourite book, that's tough too cause I really love them all. It's one of those rare franchises where the books don't get worse but stay consistently good or even get better. I'd go with Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban or Goblet of Fire (but gahh OotP!! Deathly Hallows!! 1 and 6 are amazing too) so yeah it's really hard to narrow down 🤣 but yes I'd say 2, 3 and 4, they're my comfort books

Thanks again, I enjoyed this so much! Hope you have a nice day <3

[gyllenhaalstories]

Hey :D I watched a few movies with Jake and I was wondering what are your fave movies and your least fave? Just curious!

hi anon!!! i hope you've enjoyed the movies you've watched so far!!! 💖 i've made it through almost his entire filmography, i think i'm missing 2 of them? yeah, that's about right. i'm avoiding nocturnal animals like the plague so maybe one day i will be brave enough to watch it and complete jake's whole filmography. it was pretty easy to select my 3 least favourites, but my top 3 had me questioning everything. i just love so many of his movies, it's not my fault! thank you so much for asking this question! i love rambling.

TOP 3 FAVOURITE MOVIES

Demolition (i remember watching this movie and i loved it so much that i watched it a second time right away. it holds such a special place in my heart and it always will!)

Brokeback Mountain and Love & Other Drugs (it feels criminal to put them at the same level but i just love them too much okay!!! they both make me cry a river)

Road House (yeah <3 jake has so many amazing movies but the rewatchability factor is very important to me and i've watched the movies mentioned above SO MANY TIMES and what's the other one that i also watched an alarming amount of times? road house. it's funny, it's pretty, it's not boring, it's not too long, it's got some depth, it's just so good. ambulance would also qualify, i love it so much too. if i was smart i would put wildlife because it gave me a similar gut punch as demolition did the first time i watched it, but i'm not smart so my vote goes for the gyllentitties)

TOP 3 LEAST FAVOURITE MOVIES

The Sisters Brothers (i love john morris & his multiple accents so much and there are elements of the movie i liked, but... it's so long... it's so boring... it's so yeehaw gold rush... it's one of the few movies of jake i have on DVD and i can assure you it won't be played very often <3)

Highway (call me boring and lame and everything you want, but i don't like alcohol and weed and stuff centered around those topics so it's kind of obvious that this movie wasn't for me. pilot's cute, i like him, but yeah. it took me forever to find this movie online in english and not spanish or russian? for some reason? so the intensive research was not all that worth it. if i ever watch it again, it's for pilot)

Life (i love david jordan and his yo-yo!!! i love him so much!!! i watched 2 alien movies in my life and they were essentially the same and i did not like them. why do they always let the aliens inside the spaceship??? aren't astronauts supposed to be smart? it's so stupid that they just think it will end well. it never ends well! so yeah i'd rather watch accidental love than life and that says A LOT.)

honourable mention for spirit untamed. i will never watch spirit untamed. i grew up watching spirit: stallion of the cimarron and my spirit would never!!! i can tell that jake's voice acting improved a lot between this movie and strange world and that's all that matters.

as a bonus, i'll give you the 3 movies that pleasantly surprised me! moonlight mile (i wasn't expecting much? i don't know, i thought it would be pretty meh but it was so good! i really liked it and it's definitely one of my rare comfort watches because jake hates me and doesn't do enough movies i can just watch easily), end of watch (it's so... intense. i almost threw up because of a certain scene, i thought i would have stopped watching before the end but i loved brian taylor so much) and stronger (one of jake's most underrated performances like woah this was so painful and so good and so yeah! i really liked it. you can tell that jake was passionate about telling this story and it deserves a lot more recognition). i'm done rambling now, thank you again for sending this! 💖

[ailendolin]

Yes! Absolutely about the humanitarian mission! After everything Buck had been through the first time he flies again it’s to bring help to people. And the same for Rosie after what he had just saw. It just lifted their spirits so much! And the adorable wonder and joy on Kenny’s face! Their smiles were great. Probably my favorite seen in the whole series.

And Doc Roe has always been my fave on BoB along with Winters. Bastogne is my most rewatched episode because of Gene. I think I like Winters for the same reason I like Buck. They have such shy and quiet demeanors(which I can personally relate too) but they are amazing leaders(which I cannot relate to! LOL!) And they both care so much about the people around them. Buck agreeing to escape just to keep Bucky from doing something even more dangerous. Winters trying to run out into the battle to lead Easy Company when the incompetent leader was getting so many of the people he still saw as his men killed. Was so relieved when he sent Spiers out to lead them and they had a good leader again.

Embarrassingly enough I’ve never seen the Pacific. As far as I know it’s never been available anywhere for free to watch it.

Again, thank you for taking the time to reply! I’ve really enjoyed talking to you! I don’t know if I will ever be brave enough to come off anon or interact more but it has been a pleasure discussing MOTA and BoB with you!

I'm still so glad they gave Ken that moment in the final episode! Ever since I've read that part in Crosby's book where he's talking about basically everyone who wanted to getting to fly by the end of the war, I was hoping they would use that to show us Ken flying. It was a beautiful way to bring his little character arc full circle.

I can definitely see the Winters and Buck parallels though I personally think BoB did a better job at setting up Winters & Nixon's friendship than MotA did with the Buckys. Then again, many things in MotA were rushed and all characters' relationships suffered from that (except Crosby and Sandra's, and I'll never understand why they devoted so much time to that when Jean 'I'll write my husband extra letters so he'll never have to go a day without one' Crosby was right there ...).

You should give The Pacific a try, anon! I know many people never really got into it because it was so different from BoB but personally, I think it's worth watching for the Peleliu arc alone. Those three episodes are absolutely incredible (and if you like Winters and Buck, wait till you meet Andy Haldane). I have to admit I struggled a lot with following the plot the first time I watched it because I had next to no knowledge about the PTO at the time. But rather than getting frustrated by that I took it as an incentive to learn about that part of the war - and for that reason alone it will always have a special place in my heart because it opened a whole new chapter of history for me. The show "suffers" from the same problems MotA does - time jumps, focusing on a handful of characters from different units rather than a whole group, battles being hard to distinguish from each other - but it's incredibly well made and definitely worth a watch.

I've been enjoying talking to you too, anon! Doesn't matter if you'll ever come off anon or not - the important thing is that you have a good time in fandom :)

[renlyslittlerose]

As someone who rewatches BtVS every few months or so and was thrilled to discover you enjoy the show too, I would love to know your fave episodes.

Also, super excited for your vampire obikin fic!!

Oh man, the noise I made when I saw this ask. Someone actually asking me to talk about my hyperfixation? Without me having to direct them towards it? My lucky day, indeed! I'm tempted to say every episode is my favourite (except for maybe 'Where the Wild Things Are'), but I will limit myself to five!

Fool for Love - Really enjoy the ride we go through in terms of Spike's character arc throughout the series, and I thought this episode really did him, his relationships, and his background a lot of justice. The scene where he's explaining the 'lesson' to Buffy in the alleyway, spliced with his fight with Nicky in the subway, is absolute perfection. And I really thought they did a great job mixing the flashbacks on Buffy with the sister episode on Angel.

Becoming Part 1/2 - Not the biggest Angel fan when he's on Buffy (it took his own show for me to warm to him), but his flashbacks did a lot to inform us of who he was, whereas before we didn't get a lot of that? Plus, Buffy determined to save the world despite knowing that it'll destroy hers, is both heartbreaking and inspiring. And the part where Angelus has Buffy cornered and is about to take the final blow, when Buffy catches the blade and shows us why she's the slayer??? Gets me every. damn. time.

The Zeppo - I know, I know, Xander is... a piece of work, to put it lightly. But the whimsy, the self-effacing humour, the genuine character growth that Xander goes through (and then seemingly loses come season six but whatever), all makes it really stand out to me.

I Only Have Eyes for You - LISTEN, again, it's not a ground-breaking episode, but I fucking love it. Flashbacks to the 1950s? A ghost story??? Placing the traditionally 'masculine' male character in the role of a vulnerable, scared woman??? THE FLAMINGO'S 'I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU' PLAYING IN THE BACKGROUND???? Not to mention the development of Buffy and her grief and guilt is really beautifully done.

The Gift. What more is there to say? And while I enjoyed season 6 and, to a lesser extent season 7, I really do think this would have been the perfect finale for the show. "Be brave. Live." <- this has gotten me through a lot of tough spots, for sure.

But I honestly adore almost every episode. Just as you do, I re-watch Buffy an obsessive amount of times - it's my comfort show! What are your favourites, anon?

And you didn't ask this but here is my quick top five list for Angel: 'Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been' , 'Five by Five', 'Lullaby', 'A Hole in the World', 'Not Fade Away' ✨ (and I'm so glad you're excited for the fic! Almost done the first draft, then it's time to comb through it all and hope it makes sense. And for those who don't watch Buffy, don't worry, the story should still make sense - it's mostly me mashing together Star Wars lore with basic Buffy stuff and hoping it works?)

[sketchguk]

Hiii it's soulmate anon again!! i'm so excited to talk to you ehehe , i read some of my old asks and i've been sending you asks for like a year! thats so crazy hahahha!! anyway here's the scene for the fic!!! do you know that scenne in q charlotte when george confesses and he goes " i love you . from the moment i saw you go try to go across the wall ...." THATS MY FAVE SCENE IN THE SERIES it's soooo raw and that actor looked soooo torn omg. i need soonyoung to say those exact line way into his marriage ! so as a backstory it will go like this . soonyoung and mc see other all the time at royal events etc ,, and once when they're like ... 23 or 24 , mc tries to get out the event by climbing a wall haha . soonyoung always thought she's so pretty and smart and he kind offf was attracted to her already but in a very insignificant way you know???? but seeing her be that bold and quirky made me be like ,,,, hmmmm i like her LOL . and then when his parents fix a marriage with her to strengthen alliance between their kingdoms, he's soooo happy and he thinks she's ok with it too ! there's no reason to belive she's not!! But she's only agreeing to the marrige for the kingdom, ( they're kingdoms have always been rivals and this is the only way to solve and avoid wars ) She thinks what her parents do is wrong because they're not seeing her as a woman and just like a pawn . but they love her !!!! they just dont think anything is more important that the kingdom! and they hope she gets along with soonyoung too ... How mc treats sponyoung ohhh hahahaha i make him suffer just like gryff soonyoung sskssksksksk . On the day of the marriege , before they get married she tells him she thinks this is a farce LOL and she tells him she doesnt like that he didnt even think to ask her anything before the marriage. but he's like?? how will i know your parents did it without asking you ?????? so she tells him she takes her responbilities srsly but she cant treat him like a husband. s if he wants he can end it now lol .... she selfishly hopes he ends it, but on the other hand she doesnt want him to because it's really important to the kingdom .... but he doesnt end it cus really both of them dont have a choice LOL i cant decide why mc doesnt like the marriage .... i dont her to hate it just because ots arranged! like she's smarter than that .... i thought maybe she loves someone else ?? and it has to be someone she cant tell her parents about . because thats what they think. that she's single , so they make the alliance ... anyway thats all for now!!! it's already such a long ask haha sorry!! also that club hc for soonyoung you said is sooooo cute. i love that mc defends him !!!! honestly none of my mc's will compare to the hogwarts ones, theyre soooo close to my heart <33333

a whole year !!! omg thank you for sticking through all my shenanigans 🫶🏼

that scene from queen charlotte is soo iconic !!! everyone is in love with the line "i will stand with you between the heavens and the earth." yes, that's beautiful but i think we all need a king george who cannot breathe when we are not near -- someone whose heart will call our name !!!! i just rewatched the clip on youtube and now i'm tearing up ahaha

i love a mc who is so brave and outspoken <3 we need a girlie who would jump over walls to fulfill her desires !!! an arranged marriage is definitely frustrating when she doesn't agree !!! surely, she'd want to rebel against her parents and soonyoung faces the brunt of her anger !!!

mc is ripping out soonyoung's heart before they're even officially together LOL. he just wants to have one chance please !!!! 👐🏼 how does mc eventually warm up to soonyoung?? does he treat her well, and she decides that this guy isn't half bad?? or maybe she starts noticing the little things about him and she genuinely falls for him??

a love triangle 😭😭😭 don't do this to me !!!!!! 😭 it hurts too much >.< but it always makes for an interesting plot ahaha. is she making an alliance with soonyoung so that she could pursue her real lover?? that is so heartbreaking LOL. who do you picture has her forbidden lover?!! and what's her relationship with them? maybe a childhood friend or a member of the staff?

this reminds me of a book i read a few months ago called six crimson cranes !!! the main character is a princess who has an arranged marriage, and on the day she's supposed to meet her future husband, she jumps into a lake 😭 her gown is ruined, everything is postponed, and she has to begrudgingly make a tapestry as an apology to the man and his family 😭 it's a fantasy novel, so she ends up getting cursed, losing her ability to speak. she's wisped away from the castle, her identity is hidden because of the curse, and the whole nation is looking for her. she comes across her future prince !!!! but obviously they never met, so they have no idea who the other person is. she lowkey hates the guy because he gave her a bad first impression. there's a second book i have yet to read, so i can't even tell you how it ends LOL but i would recommend it if you want to check it out!

gryffindor soonyoung would kiss you if he wasn't so in love with ravenclaw mc. as for ravenclaw mc, she would definitely give you a kiss <33 mwah. thank you for loving them !!!!

[drabbles-mc]

I Like Me Better

Nestor Oceteva x F!Reader

Request from Anon: Hi! If you’re doing requests can I get a short fic based on the song I like me better by Lauv with Nestor🥺

Part 2 can be found Here

Warnings: language, lots of softness and pining

Word Count: 3.5k

A/N: (I know I’ve posted this story like 5 times today alone. So sorry to everyone who has been getting bombarded with it while I figure out my posting/tagging issues. Love y’all and I owe you xo) This story definitely took on a life of its own once I sat down and started writing it. I love me some Soft Nestor and the whole “almost relationship” type of deal. Hope you enjoy!

General Mayans Taglist: @mayans-sauce​ @thesandbeneathmytoes​ @paintballkid711​ @tomhardydallasstarsgirl​ @queenbeered​ @sillygoose6969​ @sesamepancakes​ @yourwonkywriter​ @chibsytelford​ @gemini0410​ @multiyfandomgirl40​ @behindmyeyes-insidemyhead​  @plentyoffandoms @georgiaaintnopeach​ @twistnet​ @garbinge​ @themoonandthewicked​ @bucky-iss-bae​ @encounterthepast​ @everyhowlmarksthedead​ @rosieposie0624​ @mylittlelonelyappreciationtoo​ @mijop​ @xladymacbethx​ @blessedboo​ @holl2712​

You were laughing as you watched snowflakes get stuck in Nestor’s facial hair and braids as he talked to you on the phone. Ever since you moved, the two of you had one weekly scheduled phone call, and one video chat. No matter what either of you were doing, you always made time for those two things. Even if for the rest of the week you didn’t really get to talk to each other, you always had those two things.

When Nestor said he was going to have to talk to you on the go before he called, you didn’t expect it to be quite so literal. You figured maybe he’d be driving, but wherever he was, he was walking, and it was snowing. He didn’t look thrilled about either of those things.

“I’m not made for the fucking snow,” he was trying to sound annoyed but you could see the laughter building up inside him.

“Good thing you didn’t move with me to New York then,” you laughed as you watched him brush snowflakes off of his eyelashes, “You’d never last out here.”

“Why would you voluntarily put up with this every year?”

“It’s pretty when you’re not being a baby about it,” you laughed, “Where did Miguel send you anyway?”

“Into the cold, that’s where,” he kept a serious expression for a moment before laughing.

“Next time you wanna experience the cold, come do it with me! My door is always open.”

“You’re the only person worth braving this shit for, Y/N,” he chuckled.

“Well,” you smiled at him from the warmth and comfort of your couch, “me and Miguel, apparently.” There was a knock at your door and you sighed, “Hold on a sec, I gotta grab that,” you got up and walked over to the door.

When you unlocked and pulled the door open, the phone dropped from your hands as you took in the sight of Nestor standing on your front step. You squealed, throwing your arms around him in a hug that swept you off the ground. He laughed as he held you tight against him.

He gently set you back down, making sure that your feet didn’t land in the snow on your steps, or on top of your discarded phone, “I told you, you’re the only one worth braving this shit for.”

“I can’t believe you’re really here!” without thinking better of it, you reached and cupped his face in your hands, still trying to wrap your head around the fact that he was actually standing right there in front of you. He let out a slight shiver and it snapped you back to the situation at hand. You laughed as you waved him inside, “Shit, come inside. Get out of the cold.”

You grabbed your phone off the ground before you shut and locked the door behind the both of you, mind reeling from the fact that Nestor was at your house. You’d been back home to visit a couple times since you moved away, but he’d never made the trek to New York. You couldn’t blame him—you knew what his life with Galindo was like. You were surprised that he was able to be that far away from the family without it causing some kind of issue.

“What brings you out my way?” you took his coat from him and hung it up, chuckling as the snow fell off of it onto the floor.

“You,” he replied, looking up at you with a smile as he took his shoes off, “I wanted to see you, and not just through a phone screen.”

His words made your entire body feel warm. You motioned for him to follow you into the kitchen, nodding towards the counter for him to sit while you got the both of you a cup of coffee. He needed it more to warm up than anything else. He looked around your house with an approving smile. You’d given him the video tour after you had moved all of your stuff in, but it looked so much better in person. It felt so homey. Your walls were covered with photographs and artwork that you’d brought from home. Nestor smiled to himself when he saw that he’d made it up on the wall in a few pictures, along with the rest of your family and friends back in California.

You set the hug down in front of him, and he chuckled when he saw I ❤ NY printed on the side of it. He cupped his hands around it, letting the warmth seep into his fingers from the ceramic, “Fitting.”

You sipped from your own mug with a smile, “Gotta manifest it, Nes.”

The two of you existed in silence for a minute while he thawed out. You watched him as he looked around your small home. It wasn’t much, especially compared to the homes of all the people in his circles back in California, but it was yours and you loved it. You had never been someone who needed much. You just needed to feel comfortable and safe, and this house did more than just that for you.

You noticed him staring at the photos on the walls and the fridge, and you smiled. A little bit of weight settled over your heart as you watched him study them, knowing that he was looking at the ones of the two of you. It was all bittersweet to look back on. The two of you hadn’t ever dated, but you danced around the outskirts of it for a long time. There were times when the lines felt a little fuzzy, but nothing ever really happened. You were best friends, and you knew that he’d do anything for you, and you for him. But the timing was just never quite right, life was just never quite calm enough to try and make it work.

When you had told him that you had accepted a job offer on the other side of the country, he was trying so hard to be happy for you, but it wasn’t easy. You were a port in the storm for him, and he had no idea what he was going to do without you around. But he was supportive. He helped you pack, scrolled through apartment and housing listings with you, and found the best deal on a plane ticket. He never let you see how much it had hurt him—those were feelings that he processed in private. He’d thought about coming out to visit you every day since you left, but he worried that if he did, he wouldn’t come back home.

Before either of you could spiral too far into the past, you spoke up with a smile, “So, how long are you in town for?” he didn’t have any bags, so you assumed that he couldn’t be in town for long.

“I’m not sure,” he rested a hand on the back of his neck, “Told Mikey I needed to take some time. And this was the first place I thought to come to.”

You couldn’t hide your surprise—work had always been a priority for Nestor. Miguel was at the forefront of his decisions, always. “Really?” you raised your eyebrows, “You…you can take a leave of absence with…what you do?” you couldn’t quite wrap your head around it.

He shrugged, “Apparently,” he chuckled, “He said alright. So, here I am.”

You could feel that it wasn’t what he wanted to talk about, so you let the topic drop, “Well, you know you’re more than welcome to stay for however long you want to. Although your lack of luggage is a little concerning.”

He laughed, “Got lost in the shuffle. Airline said they’ll mail it here.”

You shook your head, unable to contain your laughter, “Damn, that sucks. Welcome to New York.”

You were on the opposite side of the counter from him, leaning forward onto it, propped up by your elbows. The two of you started to catch up about things that slipped from your minds when you called each other. He told you about some of the chaos that he wasn’t allowed to say over an unsecure phoneline. You listened intently, fighting the urge to reach out and entwine your fingers with his. Everything felt so right with him there with you.

“Sorry,” he chuckled as he took another sip of his coffee, “I don’t mean to do all the talking. I’ve just…I’ve missed having you to talk to.”

You nodded, “I know the feeling,” you drummed your fingers on the surface of the counter, “Well, now that you’re here, normally I’d say we should go do touristy things. But something tells me you’ve had your required dose of snow for the day?”

He laughed, “What’ve you got in mind?”

You shook your head, “Nothing that can’t wait until tomorrow. I’m sure you’ve had a long enough day. We can camp out at least until your luggage gets here. Or I can take you shopping, whichever you prefer.”

He smiled at you, “I think I’m alright with staying in.”

“That’s what I figured,” you chuckled, “Well, I was not expecting company. I’m assuming you’ll be alright with ordering in?”

“Sounds perfect.”

“I know this really great Chinese place. Their wonton soup is…perfection.”

The two of you made your way to your living room and sprawled onto the couch. You leaned up against Nestor’s side as you got your phone out to place the order. You picked a few things that you wanted to eat before handing it to him so he could pick stuff as well. While he was looking through the menu, you turned on the television and pulled the blanket off the back of your couch so it covered the both of you.

Nestor handed your phone back to you so you could place the order. He’d hardly noticed how you tucked the both of you in. He smiled as he rested his arm against your side, hand brushing lightly against your stomach.

“Is this…”

“I decided last week that I was going to rewatch all of Law & Order SVU from the very beginning,” you laughed.

He shook his head with a laugh, “Do you have a moral objection to happy shows or…?”

“It’s a good show!” you snuggled into him a little more.

“What has New York done to you?”

You smiled and shook your head, “Given me time to do shit like this.”

“You like it here though?” his eyes were watching the television, but one hand was gently massaging circles into the side of your neck.

“Yea, I do. It’s a nice change of pace—I think it was the right move for me,” you glanced up at him and smiled, unbelievably happy about the fact that he was really laying on your couch in New York with you. Never in a million years did you think that would happen.

Once the food got there the two of you switched up your positions a little bit. The TV was still on but neither of you were paying attention to it. You were each sitting cross-legged facing each other on the couch. You were laughing as you watched him fumble with his chopsticks. You had forks, obviously, but it was a matter of pride whenever you two ate together because he knew that you were extremely good at using them and he didn’t want to be left out.

“Almost two years since we got Chinese together and you didn’t use any of that time to teach yourself how to use chopsticks?”

He chuckled as he struggled with his noodles, “Didn’t make it to the top of my priority list, I apologize.”

“I’ll teach you before you leave. Way better than taking back a cheesy souvenir,” you smiled at him as you picked up a piece of chicken.

As the night wore on, your coffee table became covered in takeout food boxes, and a couple empty bottles of wine that the two of you had managed to drink your way through. You were sprawled across his lap, wine glass lightly hanging from your fingertips as you rambled on about what you had been up to since you moved. Nestor couldn’t take his eyes off of you, soaking up the fact that he was able to be so close to you.

“I’ve missed you,” you veered off your current story completely as you felt the warmth from his hand soak into your leg.

He looked at you, laughing quietly at the sudden admission, “I’ve missed you too.”

“Were you ever mad at me for leaving?”

He shook his head, no hesitation in his answer at all, “Of course not,” he studied your face, the way your skin glowed whenever you drank, the way your eyes got a little glassy when you had more than just one glass of wine, “Doesn’t mean that I don’t miss you, though.”

You hummed in quiet contentment as he reassuringly rubbed his hand up and down your leg, “I think about you all the time.”

His hand stilled for a moment and you were afraid that maybe you were saying too much. Maybe the reason that things worked so well was because everything was in limbo. Before you could worry too much he gave your leg a light squeeze, “I think about you too.”

The two of you fell into a comfortable silence after that, resituating yourself so that your head was resting against his chest. It was hard to focus on much of anything when all you could think about was the way your body was pressed up against his. The steadiness of his breathing felt like the only thing that was still grounding you. Your entire body felt warm from the wine, but deep down you knew it was more than just that.

“If you’re tired,” he spoke up after a few minutes of silence, “you can go to bed. Don’t exhaust yourself on my account,” there was a smile on his face.

You stretched, fighting back a yawn, “Come with me,” you sat upright and looked over at him, “I won’t lie to you, my guest room is empty because I have been putting off buying furniture for it,” you chuckled, “And my bed is way more comfortable than the couch, believe me.”

“Yea,” he nodded, his voice soft as he bit back a laugh, “okay.”

He followed you up the stairs and into your room, looking around the house as he did. It was hard for him to wrap his head around what your life was like now that you were so far away from everything that you had grown up with, everyone you had grown up with. It seemed like you had created such a cozy little life for yourself, and it couldn’t help but to think that you might never have had that if you hadn’t taken the plunge to move across the country.

“Don’t mind the clothes,” you apologized as you flicked on the light to your bedroom, “I promise they’re clean—I just hate folding laundry.”

He laughed, shaking his head, “It’s fine.”

You changed into a baggy long-sleeve shirt and a pair of shorts, immediately crawling underneath your blankets. You nestled back against your pillow and looked over at Nestor, who was unbuttoning his shirt, eyes cast down at the floor.

You were lying on your side, scrolling on your phone when you felt the mattress dip as Nestor climbed into bed beside you. He pulled the blanket up over himself and rolled onto his side so he could look over at you. You looked up from your phone, a smile starting to take over your features as you took in how close he was to you. You set your phone off to the side and rested your cheek against the palm of your hand.

“I still can’t believe you’re here,” you said with a laugh.

“Give it a couple days,” he joked, “Soon you’ll be begging for me to go back home.”

You snuggled closer to him, resting your face against his chest, “I doubt it.”

You woke up the next morning to the feeling of Nestor’s arms wrapped tightly around you, keeping you snug against his chest. Taking a slow, deep bre ath you took in the fact that this was really happening. He shifted slightly, arms squeezing you for a moment before he settled back into his sleep. The selfish part of you never wanted him to go home because you would love to wake up like this every morning. The warmth trapped underneath the blanket made you forget about the fact that there was a considerable amount of snow covering the ground outside.

You let your eyes close again as you focused on the steady beat of his heart. You slowly slid your legs and tangled them up with his. A few moments later you felt his fingers sliding lightly up and down your back. You glanced up at him and smiled when you saw that his eyes were still closed, but there was a peaceful smile on his face. You don’t ever remember seeing him so calm, so relaxed.

“Good morning,” he mumbled as he pressed his hand flat against your back, pushing you against him.

You chuckled as you rested your hands against his chest, “Good morning. You sleep okay?”

“Mhm,” he finally opened his eyes, “like a fucking rock,” he laughed.

You smiled up at him, “Good.”

The two of you laid there, soaking up the quiet peacefulness of the morning. You hadn’t woken up wrapped up in someone’s arms in a very long time, and there was something about the clinginess of Nestor’s grasp that told you he was in the same boat. You smiled to yourself as you felt his fingers lazily massaging between your shoulder blades.

“I’m sorry I didn’t come visit sooner,” he said.

You pulled back away from him so you could get a better look at his face, “You don’t have to be sorry—I know your life doesn’t make it easy. It’s hard to find the time.”

“I should’ve made the time.”

“Nes, don’t—”

He cut you off as he shook his head, “I’m not trying to make excuses. I know that I should’ve come out to see you. I just, I knew that it was going to be hard to convince myself to go back home once I did. I like me so much better when I’m with you,” he gently cupped your face in his hand.

You rested your hand over his, “Well, I like you all the time,” you smiled, “And no matter what, I’ll always be here whenever you need a break to recharge and get away from everything for a little while. But listen,” you waited for him to look at you, “don’t spend all of your time here thinking about the fact that you think you should’ve made it out here sooner. None of that matters. You’re here now, and that’s what matters.”

He rested his forehead against yours, “See? That’s what I mean—how am I supposed to go back home after that?” you could see the hint of a smile on his face.

You laughed, “Just remember how much you hate the snow. Short vacations out this way will be just right for you.”

He chuckled and shook his head, “Yea, maybe.”

You gave his hand a light squeeze, “C’mon, let’s go make breakfast and see if your luggage will come in today or if I get to take you shopping.”

He laughed, rolling his eyes, “Can’t wait for that.”

You flung the blanket off the both of you and hopped out of bed. Walking around to Nestor’s side, you held out your hands and pulled him up, laughing as he exaggeratedly stumbled into you and wrapped you in a hug. Your laughter was muffled against his chest but he reveled in the way it all felt.

While you were measuring out grounds into the coffee maker, you saw Nestor out of the corner of your eye looking through your fridge, trying to see what he could salvage to make breakfast with. You smiled to yourself as you set the pot to brew. You leaned back against the counter and watched him pulling things out from the drawers of your refrigerator.

“Playing chef today?” you asked with a smile.

“Better me than you,” he laughed.

You feigned offence, “Excuse you, I am an amazing cook.”

He smiled as he set everything out on the counter, “You are, but I’m better.”

“But I’m better,” you mocked with a laugh, “Cocky.”

“Doesn’t mean it’s not true.”

“How long did you say you were staying again?” you laughed.

“At least until I learn how to use chopsticks,” he chuckled as he looked through your cabinets for a frying pan, “So it might be a while.”

You couldn’t make yourself take your eyes off him, “Good.”

He heard the softness in your tone and looked over at you from his food prep on the counter. He smiled, tilting his head slightly as if to ask if there was something that you wanted to say. You shook your head with a small smile before walking over and wrapping your arms around his middle, the side of your face resting against his back. You didn’t know how long he was going to be staying, but you knew that regardless you were going to be making the most of it.

[zalrb]

What’s a movie or show that everyone loves that you don’t think thats good

Those are a lot of movies, lmao.

I remember when everyone was gushing about The Town and I was like, it's a typical bank robber movie, why is this getting lauded?

Honestly, kind of anything from Guillermo del Toro, which I know is blasphemy but every time I watch a movie of his I'm like, I expected to be way more moved than I was, the only movie that has stayed with me was Pan's Labyrinth but I remember everyone going OFF about Shape of Water and I was like .... I guess? I just feel like it's pretty.

I haven't spoken about this in years because it created this whole thing on my blog but I really fucking hate Frozen and I think Tangled was better.

I expected Brave to be much better.

Any Marvel movie that isn't Black Panther, Ragnarok and even though most of the cast is shitty the first GotG.

I didn't think American Hustle was that great and I was disappointed because I went in expecting to love it.

In the Jennifer Lawrence vein, I don't dislike Silver Linings Playbook, I just think it was way overhyped for something that was, at most, decent.

OK this one is different because unless you're racist, you don't love Birth of a Nation but I'm including it because I'm tired of film school/cinema programs including it in the syllabus. I had to watch that movie at least once a year in undergrad because every film class played it.

I found Inglorious Basterds to be pretty forgettable tbh and while I actually do like Christoph Waltz's performance and his other performances, I think Hans Landa is an overrated villain.

The Harry Potter movies are like, it's not that I don't love them because I have so much childhood nostalgia wrapped up in them and me and my friends were kind of a mess about the last movie coming out because it meant the end of something for us, but after I would say the third movie, they're not good movies and I feel like we should be honest about that. There was a slight return to form in Part 1 of the Deathly Hallows although people got bored with the camping sequences but yeah.

I didn't see La La Land but I just know in my bones that if I ever did see it I would just be like, oh.

I haven't watched much Hitchcock but I feel like I'm just not a fan based on what I have seen i.e. North by Northwest, I wanted to riot in my class. That stupid fucking plane.

I should rewatch Black Swan but I remember when I did watch it I was like THIS is what everyone is freaking out over? Anyway.

I concede that Mad Max Fury Road is a visual spectacle but that's all it is so everyone freaking out about it had me like, it just does some cool things here and there, why is this an AMAZING movie?

Avatar is just a horrible movie.

Crash is so extremely racist while pretending not to be racist and it was SO lauded.

I think Spencer was a pretty film but I think people overhyped Kristen's performance in it, so much work seemed to be trying to sound like Diana and it just became a breathy mess imo.

And finally, Encanto. I went back and forth with a lot of anons about this one, but the structure and narrative of this movie was a complete mess.

And just in case this becomes another Frozen incident, I'm just linking the back-and-forths I did with anons here so people can read them if they want:

[bioshoook]

Oh my GOD there was so much about that special I loved. General points, its always great to see Christian, I liked how honest and genuine the whole thing felt, not all dramatic and yelling at ghosts, just a bunch of scared boys in the dark. They were all so supportive of each other, it was so nice! And Trey and Fredo are so giggly together, its so cute. Like even in regular AH things, you can always see the two of them giggling together somewhere, they make each other laugh so easily, love it

(2) As for more Alfreyco-y things, oh my God so much fuel in this. I love how when he gets scared, Fredo always sticks so close to Trevor (same with the Weird Place/ IT/ Dr Sleep things), but when they first went into the basement, Fredo practically had his back pressed up against Trevor. Trevor is always the first one Fredo looks to, especially in scary situations, oh my heart. They're both very tactile with each other too, which is wonderful (3) I love Trevor deciding to be the brave one, but saying hes only brave as long as Fredo is there. I love him deciding that the best way for Fredo not to get overwhelmed is to have a safe word XD I love Trey being protective of Fredo, like how multiple times through the episode, he quietly told Fredo he didn't have to do something when Fredo was looking like he was close to freaking out. I love how in the basement, there was a noise and Fredo's first reaction was to pull Trevor away from it (4) (Last ask I promise, I think I've sent you 4 ^.^;) I just really love the energy of them both together, they're really sweet and they make each other laugh so much but they also look out for each other and I'm proud of Alfredo for facing his fears and I love that Trevor took his fear seriously and didn't make fun of him. I just have a powerful need for more videos like this, I love those idiots (5) Oh! Sorry last thing, I adore how when Fredo is having a brave moment and pushing ahead, Trevor calls him 'Braveheart'. Hes done it in a few other videos and it comes across as completely genuine and very sweet, not mocking at all, but the thing I loved even more in this video was you could heard Fredo quietly repeating "I'm braveheart" in the background afterwards

Oh my gosh I don't think I've ever gotten this many messages at once?? I'm so grateful, thank you anon!! This honestly made my day ssoo much better! Ok I'm gonna try and answer all this now.

First of all YES i love how authentic this special felt, usually with ghost shows it can be a big production (Haunter included) and it was nice to just get these 4 dudes facing the spooks on their own! I love how they weren't punking on each other about being scared or try to pull any prank stuff like Alfredo was talking about at the beginning. It was just all so wholesome while also being spooky! Would love to see if they do other stuff like this in the future.

BRO - BBRROO the alfreyco fuel this gave me!! Like i'm going to be running on this fuel for a while and also thank you for reminding me about the IT scare and the Doctor Sleep one (I need to go rewatch those ASAP). And totally agree it was so lovely to see how those two gravitated towards each other at the beginning, especially in the basement. All the back touches and arm bumps just AGH MY HEART.

Oh my gosh when Trevor said that at the beginning about having to be brave for Fredo was some GOOODD SHIT! 10/10!!! Love me some protective boys! I loved how Trevor kept reassuring Alfredo because he was probably really freaked for the first part of the video and then how Trevor kept playing up Alfredo's debunking logic even if it was an actual ghost or not. Just EXCELLENT. Also I love the fond if a little exasperated faces Fredo made whenever Trevor would talk or antagonize the ghosts. Also love how proud Trevor was of Alfredo at the ending there!

Totally agree that Alfredo being brave was so good and Trevor being sincere with how freaked out he was and not pushing him to do something he didn't want to do, and checking in with him. Just love the energy these two have, it's so GOOD.

Man you've made me want to rewatch the special now so that I can see all the little things you pointed out, the braveheart thing especially! And I'm so here for the inspo this special has given me to write Alfreyco spooky stuff too! Like!! I need to write it!! Thank you for sending me all these messages anon, I could talk all day about this special and Alfreyco and my heart is all just fuzzy and happy now :) please if you have anymore ideas or need someone to yell to PLEASE send an ask my way.

[ellitx]

It stuck out to me that Dain specified that "the gods descended and destroyed Khaenri'ah" cuz Barbatos and Morax were never in Celestia (I can't remember if Barbatos briefly went with Venessa but even then he was for what ten minutes lol) ANNNNND the only power we see in the destruction of it (in that one trailer) is the Sustainer's. I highly doubt the god of freedom (and love) and a god who knows when to let humanity do its own thing were even remotely part of that destruction- I'm quite sure the gods Dain spoke of were the Celestial gods, not the ones in Teyvat. And if you think about it, Khaenri'ah being destroyed could be why the majority of the Archons we know about oppose/don't care about Celestia

My guess is Dain is assuming all gods are the same, but they're very much not. Also, while I'm at it I wanna point out that ppl in game insist on calling Venti useless and lazy or even imply he's bad... meanwhile Baal is over there blocking off her entire region and taking away Visions and no one (in canon) says a single word against that. How is Venti always talked about like he's some huge problem when Baal and even Tsaritsa are right there being actual menaces (from what we understand so far)... it makes no sense. Ppl are so mean to Venti even if he's not around and for what... what has the god who's always fought for humanity's freedom and happiness done to hurt anyone I just do not understand, I cannot see Venti doing anything of what Dain said. That goes against his entire being...

Dain even contradicts himself multiple times and kept the fact he knows the sibling a secret... for what??? Why is he so sketchy?? Frankly I don't trust him, especially if this theory holds any merit

All this being said, if Venti is actually evil somehow I'll take it I love villains😅😂 But it could also be true that Khaenri'ah was not as great as Dain made it sound... coulda been evil or plotting smth terrible for all we know. He was cursed after all (if I'm understanding right), and literally no one else that we're aware of has been cursed. If Visions are divine blessings then curses are divine punishments... Visions are given to extraordinary ppl and/or those who have suffered greatly; they're given to help ppl. Curses tho... you gotta really fuck up to be cursed I assume.

Last thing before I'm done rambling I am so so sorry I just have a lot of thoughts about all this: in the chapter outline video Dain literally tells us to 'defeat him and command him to step aside' after saying "we (humanity) will defy this world with a power from beyond". Idk about anyone else but that kinda sounds like "sure I wanna destroy the world, but you can stop me". And isn't changing the world what Tsaritsa and the Fatui (and the Abyss Order??) are doing... Dain why are you against the gods who seemingly have the same goal as you

Okay I'm sorry that's so long but I'm done now BYE GIDHWHGEJFJE

-🌧 anon

I'm quite sure the gods Dain spoke of were the Celestial gods, not the ones in Teyvat. And if you think about it, Khaenri'ah being destroyed could be why the majority of the Archons we know about oppose/don't care about Celestia

Yep yep, as ive said before i havent thought the gods dain had mentioned can also be referred to the gods of celestia so it’s my fault for not understanding it well. And iirc venti isnt really fond of celestia which is why he gave his gnosis to the tsaritsa who is going against them

Also, while I'm at it I wanna point out that ppl in game insist on calling Venti useless and lazy or even imply he's bad...

Ppl are so mean to Venti even if he's not around and for what... what has the god who's always fought for humanity's freedom and happiness done to hurt anyone I just do not understand, I cannot see Venti doing anything of what Dain said. That goes against his entire being...

This really saddens me a lot that they view venti as an irresponsible archon when in fact he has done lots of things to keep his nation safe

Rebelling against the aristocracy to stop it during the time of Vennessa, waking up when he heard the cries of his people when Durin was attacking Mond, and even helping out in stopping Dvalin’s corruption

When they say Venti's "irresponsible" it's.. scary

He was given responsibility for the whole nation and was brave enough to accept it. He worked hard for years,sacrificed his power for people's freedom. He still risks his life regularly

source: @/Genshin_Kineli

Venti has more to it than meets the eye and it just needs a better understanding of him yet they keep looking on his current state. Like how often he goes to the tavern for a drink or laze around. Venti’s done lots of things okay T^T even during the Windblume, he helped us out in assisting his students from afar.

Dain literally tells us to 'defeat him and command him to step aside' after saying "we (humanity) will defy this world with a power from beyond". Idk about anyone else but that kinda sounds like "sure I wanna destroy the world, but you can stop me".

Now this is something that piqued my interest as i was reading theories in the subreddit.

In his outro, it seems that the Traveller will be forced to fight him in the future, to save the Traveller's Sibling--"Defeat me, command me to step aside, show me that you are worthier than I to rescue her.

Then, the threads of all fate will be yours to re-weave." It's unclear who the hero or the villain is in this situation. Is it Dainsleif, holding the Traveller's Sibling hostage? Or is it the Traveller's Sibling, who is about to set the world into ruin with Dainsleif wanting to stop them?

Only time will tell but if anything's for certain, things are not as black and white as it may seem.

source: u/hrcmstrbl

Dainsleif really be suspicious and acting mysterious. His dislikeness towards the gods is what got my interest so much. There must be a reason why he doesn’t like them. Even towards the archons of Teyvat, Dain doesn’t seem to be so fond of them and we can see that when were about to go the Favonius Church to ask Barbara

Anyways— my brain is still processing all of these informations and im just reading all the lores i can find LMAO for now i still have to rewatch all cutscenes then go back to these theories and continue to dig some more

[wiypt-writes]

hi, i have to apologize in advance because this is going to be a loooong message and because I wish I were brave enough to not use anon to text you.

first of all, you are an amazing writer and you deserve a lot more on here.

i'm loving the series about Paul Diskant so so much and I literally devoured it in three days (also, here should be more about him on tumblr).

so, here goes the rant 🤧

-> i think I started watching thriller/action/crime movies around the age of 12 and "Street Kings" was one of the first films i watched. my parents were out for dinner with their friends and my 19 years old cousin came to watch over me for the night. my parents were going to come back home in 5 hours so we had plenty of time. he knew from my aunt that I was interested in this kind of movies so he brought the DVD with him. we watched it while having dinner and I immediately fell in love with the plot. I decided to rewatch it again alone a year after and let's say that the plot i was so interested in the year before became the two cops who did everything for their city. Paul has been kinda the first character not-disney-prince-like i fell in love with and i am still very attached to him (my mother calls him her 'son in law' because 12 years have passed since I watched the movie and he's still one of my comfort characters and because I get jealous if someone other than me or her calls him 'Disco' or if I hear someone saying that he/she is in love with him 😂❤).

We all know he deserved a better character development and ending, but this series is helping me imagining what could have happened and I mirror myself a lot in everything you write. Also, he's freaking cute!!🥺 (and those 18+ scenes are sooo good. Not being a writer I don't know how it feels but I can imagine that writing smut is not easy. You are one of the few who make it look like it's kind of domestic and I love it!)

ok end of the rant, i'm going to restart reading the series, ily <3

Awwww Nonnie!!! Thank you! I’m so glad you feel this way! Street Kings is one of my fave roles Chris was in and I had to save Paul!

Smut…well it can be tricky and that’s why it has to add to the plot, if it doesn’t it’s just…meh in my view, so I’m pleased abs happy it comes across that way!

Thank you for this!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[tenebrius-excellium]

Douxie for the character ask meme, please? (If he's already been done, I'd love to hear your thoughts on Hiccup!)

Why not both? Let's do it!!!

Douxie

What I love about him: How this boy is so confident, charming, smug, stylish, reckless, cool, adventurous on one hand and yet so profoundly humble, deeply caring, super kind, considerate, weak, and hurting on the other hand. You don't see those two go together often and it's attractive. So often people are using the first persona as a facade to mask the vulnerability of the second. But with Douxie you know that he's openly both. He's honest to the core and, as so many have said about him before, wears his heart on his sleeve. He's real. I love his careless, free-spirited, figure-it-out-as-we-go attitude towards life, the quick wit he uses to come up with spontaneous ideas and solutions, and it's absolutely mesmerizing to see him have fun. I would trust him with my life, and I want to meet an irl version of him one day!

What I hate about him: His eagerness to please Merlin becomes annoying fairly quickly upon the occasional Wizards rewatch, but it's bearable knowing you're obviously only supposed to go through the same issue once in life. And because you know he gets better. Other than that, I...um...I have to confess that I don't really like moppet. I would have liked to see him have at least one (1) good idea to show us that the wits of the older and smarter Douxie were already slumbering in his younger version. Or, alternatively, something to show us that his tiny, moppety problems were ALSO valid. But all we got was the dead stupid apprentice. There, I said it. Jail for Mother for One Thousand Years from all moppet lovers XD

Favorite Moment/Quote: You're making me pick? Impossible. I'll narrow it down! Um... the unexpected guitar is a classic favorite, then the "Eternal Time Trap/I am Hisirdoux Casperan!" speech and "That was kind of the plan." Yup. That's about it :)

What I would like to see more focus on: moppet, I guess, as stated above, Ash Dispersal Pattern and his relationship with Zoe and Arch. You could basically have given me a 5-hour documentary about his ordinary life and I'd have watched it.

What I would like to see less focus on: Nothing. We all wanted more, not less, and rightfully so! :)

Favorite pairing with: ...................me, please? Haha <3 oh, to cuddle with a bf in a hoodie as comfy as that...nahh, not really. I'm in love with his personality but I'm not sure I'd like the goth aesthetic every day of the week. Also, he's just a teeny-tiny bit too skinny and pale for my taste...and he prefers Zoe anyway. So that's that. To be honest, I can imagine him just staying single as well. He's got too much great big brother energy!

Favorite friendship: Claire and Steve. To watch both friendships grow and improve in their own unique ways is super satisfying to watch. I'm still 100% convinced that Douxie had no choice but to look at Steve one day and go "welp. I'm stuck with this idiot, so I might as well be his friend." Steve values it deeply, though.

NOTP: With anyone else but Zoe.

Favorite headcanon: That famous Ash Dispersal Pattern concert in New York City I just won't shut up about. Somewhere, in some universe, it happened and he had lots of fun and carried the smile of a child in his happy place :)

Thanks for asking, anon! Doing Hiccup under the Read More because this is getting a bit long :)

Lots of love <3

Reddie

Hiccup

What I love about him: Oof. He wears his heart on his sleeve as well, but introverted haha. He's quietly observant, incredibly smart, daring and brave. He's honest to himself too, playing only to his strengths and not even remotely trying to be someone else than he already is. He's very handsome, beautiful and a deep thinker.

What I hate about him: Hey, remember the other ask meme? The one where it said "if you could, which character would you whack over the head"? Yeah that's HICCUP. HOW CAN YOU BE SO STUPID. HOW CAN YOU WHO WERE PRAISED FOR YOUR SOPHISTICATION DENY EVERY SINGLE BIT OF LOGICAL THINKING UTTERED BY YOUR FATHER AND WALK INTO THAT STUPID TRAP SET BY DRAGO. AND HOW CAN YOU NOT REALIZE THAT IN HTTYD 3, YOU NEEDED AN ACTUAL PLAN BOY; BECAUSE YOU'RE CHIEF NOW AND YOU'RE DEFINITELY, UNDOUBTEDLY RESPONSIBLE FOR LIKE 700 PEOPLE AND 2000 DRAGONS. No seriously, his development in the later movies drives me mad as heck. I projected a lot onto him when I was younger, and felt highly insulted when his character turned dumb. My greatest fear is that people will think that I'm that way. I'm all for spontaneity and taking chances, but NOT without thinking logically first.

Favorite Moment/Quote: Pheww...you're making it impossible to choose again. First one: That "Yes" after Astrid asks him whether he'd sacrifice it all for his pet dragon. Second: "Yesterday...when we flew together...it's like I got back something I didn't know I'd lost. And that's the part I'll choose to remember" (taken from a deleted Httyd 2 scene where Valka was still the villain). Third...the "Toothless made it easier" - "What are you going to do about it?" - "Probably something stupid" line from the last movie. Man, that scene was good.

What I would like to see more focus on: Frankly, the rest of his life. Because Httyd tells so much of his story, and well, life doesn't end as soon as you're married. I would have liked to see him be a great Chief. I wouldn't even want a Httyd 4 to be about his kids or something. Just him. I believe there's still more to him, you know.

What I would like to see less focus on: HIS OUTRIGHT STUPIDITY PLEASE AND THANK YOU

Favorite pairing with: Astrid.

Favorite friendship: Dagur. I just love how they were written to become brothers.

NOTP: Heather??? Whoever thought that was a good idea????

Favorite headcanon: Another happy flying scene where it's just him and Toothless in Httyd 3. And oh, yeah. The shield he brought to the cove in the first movie? It's still stuck between the two rocks. You bet.

[ddarker-dreams]

I mostly came here to read and lick your genshin writings,,, read everything you had for genshin but I am but a starving animal in need and in love with your writing,,, so I looked into your HxH writing, specifically for Chrollo and Hajakjsqkshjwisis I read EVERYTHING in your blog, going back to 2019, with the word Chrollo in it ajshwjjskw I’m rewatching the phantom troupe arc in both the 1999 and 2011 version bc of you lol, it’s so so so so so good and just amazing and thrilling and I have a MILLION words I want to say to you, I just love it so much and qhsiwuisjssj absolutely HOOKED and I’m looking forward to more of your Chrollo writings! I love that smug self assured bastard! I love your writing more though!! Thank you!!!!

ANON YOU HAVE BRAVED THE ELEMENTS,, my old stories are something else. i keep them around so i never forget where i started gldlgkskfks but AAHH?? my heart??? chrollo is one of those characters that you can never fall out of love with once you’re in deep. i think i watched hxh for the first time around 2016 and i’ve been smitten since... there is no escape. and i think i’m fine with that ngl.

chrollo can be attributed for getting me back into writing in the first place, now that i think about it. i started this blog because i had been writing lots of darker hxh content and it made me want to give that a shot. i hadn’t written in years before then but chrollo ended the hiatus with how hot he is. the power that man has...

thank you for taking all the time to read my stories!!! tbh it’s still surreal to me that people enjoy the stuff i come up with and work on. i have no shortage of ideas for chrollo or genshin for that matter, so be on the look out hehe ❤️❤️