#anyway the scene recycling is so????

[fadetouchedsilk]

I think something else that kind of puts me off the neve/lucanis thing is the fact that this appears to be the one NPC romance that re-uses the same lock in scene we get as the player?

To the best of my knowledge this isn’t the case with Taash or Harding’s romance scenes, Emmerich & Strife happens mostly off screen so that’s exempt too. But for some reason with Lucanis it’s basically the same scene with Rook model-swapped for Neve.

Like, some of the vitriol towards this ship can definitely just be marked down as garden variety biphobia & the occasional side of character related possessiveness (no judgement we’re all mentally ill I’ve been there lmao) but I’m also just seeing this overwhelming sense of… idk how to explain it exactly, it’s almost like an energy of depressively resigned rejection across platforms? Was the decision to not have this be a unique scene for the player a budget issue/cut content? You can argue him remembering what your favourite dessert is makes it unique but honestly that’s just a few dialogue flags of difference.

It still comes across as a shortcut for the player’s story. Realism in relationships aside, I actually don’t think it’s a bad look for us as consumers to assume we’re going to get a certain level of indulgence here for that reason. I don’t think everyone needs to be falling over themselves to kiss Rook’s feet, but I think it’s okay for our chosen li to be a bit more of a fantasy, yknow?

If it was a given from the start that the npcs were going to pair off, I think it would have been better if this only happened after your romance of choice was locked in, or at least past the point in the game where you would get a lock in scene (correct me if I’m wrong, but those all seem to trigger around the same time for everyone). Because of how the game is paced, we’d get to avoid spending the first 40 hours listening to ambient flirting when we’re exploring, which imo would also help npcs being received. There’s a distinct lack of interpersonal reactivity Veilguard whenever it comes to Rook (genuinely, why is this such a lonely protagonist?) but the relationships between companions seem to chug along nicely. Seems like a bit of a design flaw to have pre-romance flags active but to still be hearing how much your chosen li is apparently into this other person?

I don’t see the same amount of pushback towards the other NPC romances as I do Neve/Lucanis, which honestly looks like it comes down to how his romance specifically was executed & how the narrative likes to prioritize relationships between other people vs. ones with Rook. I don’t expect writers to not have favourites because that’d be hypocritical of me lmao, but I do expect a professional studio to be more adept at either covering it up better or giving your players enough attention to offset it. I haven’t seen anyone reflecting on how comparatively empty Neve’s romance felt to other companions the way I have with Lucanis, so I have to assume it isn’t. But with his route, it just feels extra :/ that one of maybe three scenes we get is just recycled content for his other possible partner.

(Obligatory disclaimer: I see the vision behind the ship and I don’t hate it nor am I jealous, I just feel like with those two characters in particular it should have unfolded much slower than one game would have allowed & also I expect a certain degree of wish fulfillment when it comes to these games, not feeling like the player character is the writers’ afterthought. Hating Neve for this is a bit much because 1. She’s not real and 2. She’s also not responsible for writing decisions so I think taking jabs at the female character involved is kind of a waste of energy [once again I get the jealousy thing, but still.])

[aroaceleovaldez]

the show chb logo was also ripped from fandom, like in the past decade all the official chb shirt had the logo without the circle and then the fandom started doing and the show went for it, sorry your tags reminded me of that

[Link to post/tags in question]

Yeah, I know Delphi Strawberry Service has done more circular-based CHB shirt designs for ages, and I've seen the more circular-based designs floating around for awhile. I think Magicbysab's circular-based CHB shirt designs also predate the show design? Those are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head. I understand on a level that if they did base it off fandom designs, particularly if they're basing anything on widespread fanon or fandom-based concepts, it can be difficult to pin down credit or may even seen unnecessary. But if they're going to be doing that I feel like at least they could hire like, a fandom consultant of sorts? Instead of just ripping off from the fandom, hire someone from the community who produces that already so at least there's some recognition and acknowledgement of where it originated.

Heck, in some instances if you ask around in the fandom it's not hard to pinpoint who specifically popularized certain concepts! I could talk for ages about Cherryandsisters being a driving force behind photokinesis!Will, or Saberghatz with plague!Will (tbh between the two they spearheaded a ton of early Will/Solangelo fanon), and I swear Drksanctuary alone is behind like 50% of Alabaster fanon, etc etc etc. People in the fandom know these things! Heck, we know ReadRiordan company knows how to do that kind of thing! They commissioned Viria for the official art, and the UK Riordan newsletter reaches out to fans all the time to feature their work (with credit, they're one of the better ones)! Though in Rick's book tours he did showcase Viria's art (at least with credit) without asking before she got commissioned, and during the Tower of Nero book tours they actually straight up stole a solangelo edit from Pervysloth with completely zero credit (link is to my canon url readriordan parody blog).

I think it doesn't help as well that Rick and his editor allegedly use the fandom wiki in place of a series bible. The PJO wiki is notorious for putting inaccurate information or fanon onto pages at random and having no sources. (What I wouldn't give for the PJO wiki to have frequent book/page sources a la Warrior Cats wiki...) There are what, now almost 18 books in the main series alone? Of an extremely renowned best-selling series that's 20 years old and now being adapted for TV? And they STILL don't have a series bible? That's like, step 1 of writing a series. This kind of reliance of the fandom for resources and concepts definitely isn't new for them.

It just feels so bizarre as to what it says about how the ReadRiordan company views the fandom and the creatives within it. I understand that trying to figure out how to give credit to the concept of "CHB shirt design, but circular!" is difficult, if you even can find out who did that first or popularized it. But if you're going to rip things from fandom, at least find somebody to try and credit? Show that you put in even the tiniest amount of effort? And if you get it wrong and people know, they'll correct you and that's that! But ReadRiordan just keeps trying to actively obscure these kinds of things, even with their own media, not ripped from the fandom, which makes it feel all the worse when it gets pointed out. And a lot of the time the whole reason those concepts get popular is because they're filtered through big names in the fandom! The fandom is a community! We know these people! We can point to them and explain exactly what they popularized! Remember how Velinxi popularized long haired Piper with the heart-shaped flyaways? Goodness only knows how many fandom designs are heavily influenced by Viria and Minuiko and Burdge (and Indigonite and Fuocogo and Ikimaru and Thecottonproject and Joker-ace and Sixofclovers and Vikingmera and Saber and Cherry and and and-). If you are in the community this stuff is easy to find. But Rick and the ReadRiordan company clearly being ~5 years behind with fanon pretty obviously tells me that they're not in the community at all, and aren't bothering trying.

[meriishungry]

I fear Julia Quinn. She is simultaneously a very good and very questionable author. The Bridgerton books have so many points where they start getting good and then miss Quinn just pulls out the strangest poorly disguised fetish thing or randomly very sexist thing or like disturbingly modern turn of phrase and like the whole emersion is ruined.

[nemesis-is-my-middle-name]

Thou art sufficient. Thou wilt be chosen.

He tried to open his mouth to speak, but—since none of this was truly real, or truly words—no sound came through.

Something raised into the air above him, which was the first time he was able to conceptualize his position—the object itself was indistinct, white and gold– 

–and then it slammed down, cutting straight through his chest, and if he could move, he would have gasped and seized. It wasn’t pain exactly—or, it wasn’t just physical pain—it was something knifing through his heart and mind, tearing it open, a wave of screaming, howling emotion– 

The spear of white and gold removed itself, somehow, but it left something behind. A golden spike, still impaling him, the area around it rapidly soaking through with crimson.

What was not needed hast been removed. It would only have serve to upset thee.

What… was he… he fought to claw back the shreds of whatever-it-was being taken from him, but it was like grabbing at smoke. He’d been… trying to say something… he was… what was… going on…? He couldn’t recall… how had he gotten here? Why was he here?

This must be… what was meant to happen. If… he couldn’t remember being anywhere else… this must be where he was supposed to be.

He ceased fighting.

—

YOU: What does it think it’s doing! Look at what a mess it’s made, here! This is why you leave these things to the experts—and look at this! These edges are so ragged, it’s a wonder anything’s still there—

US: Well, leave it. There is something there. Mess around with it more and you’re just going to make it worse.

ME: No, no, you can’t just leave it like that… he’s going to be so miserable.

YOU: Let’s tidy up what’s left, at least.

More piercing stabs, these almost surgical in nature, cleaning the ragged edges of the wound, sewing it closed to stop the bleeding—

ME: Hey, don’t just throw that out—

–adding a certain finality to the missing piece.

ME: I don’t think this is a good idea… I think you might do more harm than…

US: Well, it’s done now. You should stop fussing and let him go.

YOU: The Creator better have a very good reason for doing all this. Or else, we, you and I will have words with it.

[fourmoony]

𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞

james potter x f!reader

fluff. 1.5k.

Summary: James brings home a baby. A baby that is not kidnapped.

part 2 - part 3 - part 4 - masterlist

...

James is standing in the doorway with a baby in his arms.

You’re so grateful he’s even there, that he’s made it back alive – albeit a little bloody and battered, glasses askew and his face covered in dirt – but alive nonetheless, that you don’t even notice the baby, bundled in a warm, fluffy blanket, wrapped safely in his arms. He’s bouncing his arms gently, probably trying to soothe the baby who’s making soft noises, and it’s really a sight to behold. It’s not until he steps through the doorway and gives you a nervous, lopsided smile that you fully register your boyfriend is holding a baby.

You blink. Once, twice. A third time.

James grows progressively more antsy. He chews his busted lip, winces, and then shifts back and forth on his feet. You have no idea where he could even have procured a baby. He’s been on an order mission for the past four days, scouting possible allies with the vampires whilst simultaneously moving important potions ingredients from one safe house to another, making sure the Death Eaters are always two steps behind order movements. Realistically, there’s been zero opportunity for James to come across a baby that he could just – take home.

“You’re home,” You breathe, because truly, that’s the most important part of the whole ordeal. James is here. He’s safe. He’s alive. Another mission down, and James has returned home. So, you’re glad. Grateful, unbelievably so. But also confused. Deeply confused.

“You have questions,” James is arguably calm about the situation, like he’d expected you to be eyeing him with hesitation – he was right – and he’s already rehearsed this in his head. “That’s normal.”

“Normal,” You repeat, the word tasting foreign on your tongue because nothing about this is normal. “Jamie, you’re holding a baby. Tell me we’re just like, babysitting, or something and you haven’t kidnapped someone’s child!”

James winces at your – albeit, quiet – yelling. The baby whimpers in his arms and immediately James shushes it, bouncing slightly on the spot with a desperate look in his eyes. He’s out of his depth, it’s obvious by the panicked way he’s looking between you and the baby, something pleading in his eyes.

“I didn’t kidnap her,” James argues childishly.

Okay, so, the baby is a girl. And James didn’t kidnap her. You turn and walk towards the kitchen, James follows, hot on your heels. The kitchen is a bit of a mess. There are your dishes from dinner, the bin is full, and there’s a couple of empty cartons for the recycling dotted on the counter closest to the back garden door. But James doesn’t flinch, he surveys his surroundings, but ultimately ignores the mess you’ve allowed to take over the small space in the days he’s been away.

“We were flying over Surrey when Marls spotted the dark mark over a muggle area,” James launches into explanation while you busy yourself with leaning over the sink and running the warm water. “We stopped to assess damage, but the Aurors were already there. Her family was killed, baby. The muggle government won’t touch the scene with a ten-foot pole – not that the baby had any other family, anyway, Alice already checked – and the Ministry won’t do anything except send her to an orphanage.”

The suds around your hands suddenly feel too much. The soup crusted around the side of your dinner bowl won’t come off and you scrub aggressively at it, focussing on that instead of the fact that your boyfriend has essentially just told you he’s informally adopted a child at random, without discussing it with you first.

Well, you know there was no time for him to discuss it. You can’t be mad at him for that. And, really, you can’t be angry at him, either, for bringing her to your home. She’s safe here. She’s already suffered an incredible amount of trauma, and she barely looks more than three months old. Your heart softens with your resolve, and you lift your head to look out of the window above the sink. The cottage you and James live in was a gift from his parents – a gift that had made you incredibly overwhelmed until you found out it had been under their ownership since before James was born, anyway – and has enough room for a swing set and a slide, maybe a trampoline. There’s a spare room, upstairs. Sirius will grumble about giving up his room for when he visits, but you’re sure he’ll get over it with some encouragement from Remus. The cottage is pretty much baby proof for James and Sirius’ sake, anyway. You have enough expendable income to completely kit out an emergency nursery necessary.

The argument isn’t really that you can’t afford to have a baby, or that you don’t have space for a baby. It’s that you’re nineteen, a year out of Hogwarts and in the middle of a war. Things are bad, times are scary, James is gone at least a week out of every month, you spend most of your days confined to the inside of a potions lab with Lily, making key potions that the Order need to work efficiently. You’re still kids yourselves, fighting a war that is taking everything from you.

But the way James is holding her like she’s the most precious thing he’s ever seen, rocking her, and cooing at her, you melt when you turn to face them, and it just feels – right, you suppose.

James looks up, smiles tentatively. You’ve always known he’ll be a great dad. He’s so full of light and love. When he loves, he loves with his entire heart. He loves dotingly and loyally. He’s so sure, standing there. Even though you can tell he’s trying to respect you, waiting to show his excitement until he knows how you feel, you can also see how much love he already has for this little girl, how sure he is that here, with him and with you, is the best place for her.

You take a step towards him, around the kitchen island, and hold your arms out wordlessly. He places her in your arms so gently and then watches as your eyes meet hers. They’re big and round and so blue you feel the breath hitch in your throat. She’s gorgeous. Big puffy cheeks and tufts of dark hair on her small little head. Her tiny lips are curved into a tired pout. You can’t help the smile that overcomes you. When your eyes lift – reluctantly – James is staring at you both. There’s something sickly sweet about the look in his eyes, warm like coffee, sweet like honey.

“We’re at war, Jamie,” You tell him, “Having a baby is a bad idea.”

James nods, “I know.”

A beat of silence passes. An understanding, maybe. It’s a bad time to be two nineteen-year-olds having a baby. But it’s there, in the way James looks at you. He’s never been one to have perfect timing. He asked you to be his girlfriend in the middle of an argument. He asked you to move in with him after school when the first Daily Prophet announcement about the war being confirmed happened. He’s brought a baby home out of nowhere, in the middle of said war. But it feels right. Holding her in your arms, James standing so close you can feel his warmth.

“What’s her name?” You ask, smiling sweetly at James.

He beams. He just – he beams. You know that he knows, then. You’re in. For better or worse.

“No idea. Alice had the muggle police contact the muggle social workers, who had no idea of anything about her. Bit of a mystery, really. But we get to keep her. Keep her safe, love her, raise her. So, I think it worked out. Is that bad?" James whips his head up, like his words surprised himself.

You chuckle lightly, "A little."

"What do you think we should name her?" You ask, eyes flitting back down to her. She's fallen over into sleep, blue irises gone from the world and you feel a tinge of sadness. You miss the bright blue of them, already. She's huffing softly, lips parted cutely. There's something magical about the way she's captured your heart in ten minutes flat. She might have magical powers, after all.

"Not sure. We can think on it. Our meeting with the ministry to officially adopt isn't until Monday." James speaks softly, in awe of the sight of you both.

You nod, "We better ring for Sirius and Remus, send them off for a cot, and then coax them into helping us build it."

You hand her over to James, he takes her, and then make for the phone. James stops you when he speaks, voice an amused whisper, lips pressed to her head, "They're already on their way."

"You knew I'd say yes."

"I knew you'd say yes. How could you not? Look at her." James is all honey voiced as he coos and holds the baby up for you to see and you melt.

She's the cutest thing you've ever seen. You're in awe. She's got your heart, well and truly. It's a strange feeling, to have such adoration for a human so small, who you've only just met. But you know you'll lay your life down to protect her. You'd do anything to make sure she's safe. She promises love, in the darkest time. You can already see the difference in James since returning home. He's lighter, full of smiles, gentle, happy. Usually, after missions, James is dark and brooding. He's filled with a darkness that only being a soldier can bring about.

James is looking at her so lovingly it makes you want to cry. She's happiness, and love. She's-

"Hope." You say, the ghost of a smile on your lips.

James looks up, brows furrowed, a question.

"Hope Potter." You affirm, tears in your eyes.

Your heart fills when James leans forward, presses a kiss to your lips, careful not to jostle Hope, "I love it. I love you."

"I love you. Both."

[gayeddieagenda]

scene prompt game - 41: sitting close and knees touching + 😈🍻🎇

for @eddiesgaymustache <3

--

“Whoa,” Buck said. “Someone’s late.”

He tilted his head back to take in the burst of light as the firework exploded overhead. Midnight had come and gone a while ago. The bar wasn’t empty yet, but it had been clearing out slowly, since the countdown and the cheering and the champagne an hour and change ago.

Hen and Karen left minutes after midnight, barely giving Buck enough time to kiss them both on the cheek. Bobby and Athena didn’t even wait for midnight; Athena announced they were celebrating on central time, kissed her husband, and said good-bye. Chimney and Maddie lasted slightly longer, but only because Buck kept trying to buy Maddie drinks and whining when she tried to remind him she had a kid to pick up from the Lees’ in the morning.

Buck and Eddie hadn’t made a move to leave.

“The year’s still new, I guess,” Eddie said.

Buck looked at him. Another firework soared through the sky and Buck watched it burst in the reflection in Eddie’s eyes.

They were the first two to the bar. After their shift let out in the afternoon, Buck drove himself home, then to Eddie’s after a shower and changing into his outfit for tonight. Eddie wasn’t dressed when Buck showed up, so Buck followed him around the house, helping him tidy and making sure Chris was actually packing his backpack for his sleepover, Buck in his dress pants and silky green button-up shirt and Eddie in his socks and t-shirt.

Buck didn’t remember the last time they had a New Year’s Eve off. The bar was Maddie’s idea, a cute rooftop bar she and Chimney found for a date night. Buck and Eddie showed up early, Eddie grabbing them a couple beers and Buck laying claim to the big booth in the corner. Eddie slid in to sit next to him, tilting one of the beers at Buck.

As the rest of the 118 and partners arrived, Buck and Eddie found themselves scooting closer and closer together to squeeze everyone in. By the time the countdown started, they were pressed together, shoulder to hip to thigh. Eddie bumped Buck’s knee with his when Buck made him laugh.

It was a fun, loud night. It was too hard for Buck or Eddie to get out of the booth once they were in it, so everyone kept bringing them drinks, more beer and complicated cocktails with fruit and umbrellas sticking out of them that Chimney insisted they try. They were a pair: Buck and Eddie, stuck together shoulder to toe, served the same drinks and answering questions for each other, Buck explaining the fight with Eddie’s neighbors about the recycling bins and Eddie answering when Karen asked why Buck texted her asking what the deal was with some article about the Webb telescope (Chris was looking for a science project).

And when everyone started to filter out, Buck and Eddie didn’t make a move to separate from each other.

Eddie knocked his knee into Buck’s. It wasn’t a particularly cool night, but Buck leaned into the warm line of Eddie’s body against his anyway.

Buck bumped his knee back. “Are you tired?”

“Nah,” Eddie said. “Not really.”

“Me neither,” Buck said.

It was a late night, but they had a lot of late nights together. Sitting in the loft at the station and waiting for something, anything to happen. Driving to a night call, when it was late enough for the traffic to finally take a break for the day. Sitting on Eddie’s couch, credits rolling across the screen, playing chicken with who would admit they needed to go to sleep first.

“I can’t believe they all went home,” Eddie said. He nodded at the empty chairs around the table without taking his eyes off Buck.

“They’re all old,” Buck said. He pressed his knee into Eddie’s again. “Not like us, right?”

Eddie laughed, low and quiet in his throat. “Not like us,” he repeated.

His smile was small, a private thing between them. His eyes were lit up with something bright and amused. Buck couldn’t stop looking at them.

The only funny moment of the evening was when the New Year’s countdown finished and the (replay) of the ball dropping played on the bar TVs and the fireworks started exploding over the heads. It was only then that Buck remembered, with sudden, startling clarity, that he and Eddie were the only single ones at this little party. Everyone yelled zero and screamed and cheered and the couples at the table all turned to kiss each other—all except Buck and Eddie.

It was fine. It was minute, not even, and then Buck was smacking a kiss on Hen’s cheek and trying to get Chimney lean close enough for him to kiss him on the forehead. It was nothing, except, for a second, everyone was kissing and Buck and Eddie were looking at each other. For a second, it was just the two of them.

Kind of like now.

“It freaks me out sometimes,” Buck said quietly. “New Year’s. I get this feeling like, I don’t know. Like I’m waiting for something.”

“Waiting for wait?”

Buck shook his head. “I don’t know.”

Eddie was so warm against him. They were both in short sleeves. Their elbows were touching, bare skin on bare skin.

“The future?” Eddie offered.

“I guess,” Buck said. “Sometimes it’s like, I know it’s all right around the corner. But I don’t know what it is, or where the corner is, or how I’m going to get there.”

Eddie hums. “I get that,” he said. “Sometimes—sometimes, there’s things I want, but they feel so far away. I want them, and I don’t know how I’m ever going to get to them.”

“Things like what?” Buck said.

“Lots of things,” Eddie said quietly.

"Name one," Buck insisted.

Buck looked at him. Eddie looked back. Somewhere out in the bar, someone was calling for their friend over the music. Buck didn’t hear it at all.

"Buck," Eddie said quietly.

"Eddie," Buck parroted.

Eddie pressed his knee into Buck’s. He had a look in his eyes that Buck couldn’t read at all—unless he just meant what it looked like. Unless he just meant, this.

“What kind of things, Eddie?” Buck asked.

Overhead, a firework burst into sparkling blues and golds. Buck felt the boom in his chest. Eddie’s eyes flicked up to the sky, then back to Buck’s.

“Happy New Year, Buck,” he said, and leaned in.

Eddie kissed him. Under the dark sky of the new year, at an empty table an hour and change after midnight—Eddie set one hand on the back of Buck’s neck, gentle. 

Buck kissed him back. He got lost in it in a second, in all the places Eddie was touching him, the press of his fingertips on Buck’s neck and his mouth on Buck’s mouth and their knees, knocking close under the table. He’d chosen Eddie’s cologne for him tonight, a task Eddie set to keep him busy while he second-guessed his outfit, picking through the options on the top of his dresser until he found one he liked. Buck could smell it now.

Buck blinked his eyes open when they separated. He wouldn’t have been surprised if the bar had closed around them, or the sun had come up. They could have been kissing for an hour, two hours, a day. Instead, he just saw Eddie, looking back at him with something bright in his eyes.

Eddie took a slow breath in. Quietly, he asked, "Am I too late?"

“No,” Buck said. He didn’t know when this started—a week ago, six months, seven years, longer. He couldn’t remember when he’d started hoping for this, and he couldn’t imagine ever stopping wanting it. “Never.”

[astrobei]

update just scrapped a 3k scene and i’m so sad abt it but at least i like the fic again 🥳

almost done w this lokius scene when it hits me that this is maybe the most stupid scene i have ever written in my entire life and i just have to sit here staring at the screen like Whereeeeeeeee did this idea even come from. how did we get here.

[johnbrand]

Catch! (βΓΦ)

Have you ever taken a moment to consider how fraternities are still alive these days? We have seen them featured in movies, television, and more recently across social media, but what do they even stand for? Originally, they were built around the concept of brotherhood among younger men entering adulthood, inspiring “fraternal” bonds that could remain strong throughout their lifetimes. Now however, they seem to be constantly embroiled in controversy. Whether it pertains issues of hazing, rapid partying, or the classic sexual harassment, fraternities should be on their way out.

But somehow, they are still sticking around. And worse yet, they appear to be stronger than ever. Young men from around the country are flocking to these institutions–and with no common reason either. Everyone wants to find parties, but you can do that anywhere on a college campus. Everyone wants to make new adult friends, so why not join an extracurricular? Or hit up a peer in your class? There seems to be no valid excuse for all these students to be flocking towards an organized brotherhood. So that raises the question again, how are fraternities still around?

One may guess it is in the marketing. The rampant partying, the buff shirtless men, the fraternal bonds; all of these are enticing to the viewer. And to be granted all three in a package together is even more appealing. But it is much simpler than that. Thanks to modern technology–and fraternities' centuries-old bank accounts–brothers are able to recruit faster and easier than ever. Even if the public is hankering down on initiation rites, fraternities have grown past the point of lengthy periods. Their new members can join in under a minute.

Let us draw out an example. A few of fraternities sponsor a trip out to a private beach. They provide drinks, snacks, and entertainment. It is a common event, showcasing to new students some of the best aspects of being a brother. One of the fraternal brothers, Clay, is holding a football and searching for his next recipient.

A member of Beta Gamma Phi (βΓΦ), Clay is tall, buff, and hairy, a perfect image of masculinity. From his chiseled jaw and strong stance, one can tell he has it all (like every fraternal brother does). Eventually, he spots his target: a junior specializing in mathematics.

“Catch!”

It is a simple command, and quickly the football is flying through the air. The pigskin itself appears rather ordinary, but as was mentioned before, technological and hefty financial advancements have made it anything but. Once activated by a brother’s touch, the leather absorbs the genetic print, the internal system downloading an almost identical copy. Of course, that copy cannot be completely accurate, otherwise fraternities would be running around with a bunch of clones (although some argue they already do). The imprint is just a base code, enough to replace the recipient’s genetic mainframe. The fine details are then adjusted accordingly by utilizing and recycling the remaining DNA.

Anyway, returning back to the scene, the enhanced initiation object flies toward the lonely junior. Christopher had only come here because his friend had begged him too, stating there was no reason not to partake in the festivities. A smaller-than-average lad lacking a strong will, he could often be a pushover, both in physical and social regards. So when he heard the strapping brother’s command, he did not think twice about turning around. And to his own shock, Christopher was able to catch the football, surprising himself as the leather made contact with his skin.

Once the contact is made, the fate is sealed: Beta Gamma Phi has secured its next brother. Clay’s genetic code is then rapidly installed into Christopher’s mainframe, his biological firewalls useless against the technology. Over the span of seconds, Clay is able to watch as his program is rescripted for Christopher’s body. The junior’s height soars up, easily passing the pseudo-mandatory "six feet and over" rule that all brothers silently abide by. Once that is secure, the muscles begin to inflate.

Firm pectorals, sculpted abdominals, arms that appeared engraved into stone. Christopher’s hands bloat around the football as his bare feet bloat out into the sand. Thick calves, beefy thighs, a plumper pouch and plumper rear. As Clay gets closer, he can visibly examine the flurries of hair that arise across Christopher’s previously-naked skin. Wider neck to support a deeper register, wider jaw to support a more masculine facial structure. Even Christopher’s hair, although a blonder brown compared to Clay’s almost-black, gels up into Clay’s signature hairstyle (although it was often hidden beneath a backwards baseball cap, as it was currently).

By the time Clay approaches βΓΦ’s newest brother, his genetic print had successfully completed installation. Christopher, or Chris as he would now insist to go by, held a near-identical copy of Clay’s mainframe. He displayed Clay’s musculature and masculinity, just in his own genetic font. And his mindset, values, and goals now mimicked the fraternal brother’s too. Chris would find his new purpose relishing in sports, sex, bonding with his brothers, and continuing this pattern through a career in exercise sciences. 

With a broad, pearly white smile and the football still in his right hand, Chris would then accept Clay’s invitation to join Beta Gamma Phi. Thanks to the technology, Chris would never know that he had had not once dreamed of becoming a fraternal brother, that his whole life had not been dedicated to upholding traditional masculinity. And eventually, it would be Chris and his fellow brothers’ turn to keep the fraternities alive by financing any options that would help them gain new members.

[goldfades]

Could you write something where booker and reader meet for the first time at a random party?

yesss babe!!! here you go, i hope you enjoy! i wanted to make this a little more entertaining so i added some drama lol

The party wasn’t supposed to be anything special. Just another night, another house packed with people who smelled like expensive cologne, tequila, and bad decisions. You hadn’t even planned on going. But your best friend swore up and down that you needed to "get out" more, and somehow, after minimal convincing, you found yourself stepping into the chaos of a mansion you’d never been to, surrounded by faces you didn’t recognize.

The place was ridiculous. High ceilings, a chandelier that probably cost more than your rent for the year, and a backyard that stretched out to a view of the city lights, the infinity pool glowing a deep blue under the night sky.

You weren’t sure who owned the house, but it didn’t really matter. You were here now, moving through the crowd, your drink cold against your palm as you took in the scene. The usual. Girls laughing too loud, guys acting like they owned the place, music shaking the walls. You leaned against the marble counter of the kitchen, half-listening to your friend rant about something that, frankly, you weren’t paying attention to.

And then—him.

Devin Booker wasn’t someone you just ran into at a party. He was the type of guy you saw in commercials, on courtside highlight reels, in photos with models on yachts. He wasn’t supposed to be real, standing a few feet away, talking to someone like he wasn’t the most recognizable person in the room. But there he was, in a plain black tee and a watch that caught the light every time he moved his wrist. Effortlessly cool, relaxed in the way that only people who have nothing to prove could be.

You weren’t staring. Not really. But your gaze must’ve lingered just long enough because, suddenly, he was looking right back at you.

And he smirked. Like he knew something you didn’t.

It was the kind of smirk that made your fingers tighten around your drink. The kind that made you want to look away but also made it impossible to.

“Okay,” your friend whispered, grabbing your wrist. “Why is Devin Booker looking at you like that?”

“Like what?” you asked, too casually.

“Like he’s already decided how this night is gonna go.”

--

Devin hadn’t planned on being here either.

It was one of those nights—one where he let his boy talk him into stepping out, even though he wasn’t in the mood for a scene. It was always the same anyway. The same recycled conversations, the same desperate energy from people who wanted something from him—clout, a name drop, a story to tell later. He could already predict how the night would go: a few drinks, some forced small talk, and leaving before anything got too fun.

But then there was you.

He hadn’t noticed you right away. Not until you shifted against the counter, the dim lighting catching the soft sheen of your skin, the shape of your lips as you sipped your drink. Something about the way you carried yourself—like you weren’t trying too hard, like you weren’t there for them—caught his attention.

And then you looked at him.

It wasn’t the usual look he got. It wasn’t the kind of stare that came with recognition or expectation, like you were already piecing together an Instagram caption in your head. No, this was different.

This was intrigue.

And that smirk? That was instinct.

Because suddenly, the night felt less predictable.

He wasn’t sure what he expected from you, but he knew one thing—he wanted to find out why you looked at him like that. Like you weren’t impressed, but you weren’t indifferent either. Like you were still deciding if he was worth your time.

He shifted his weight, absently swirling the amber liquid in his glass before taking a slow sip, eyes still on you. The noise around him faded a little, the energy of the party dulling in comparison to whatever was happening between the two of you from across the room.

His boy, J, caught on. “You see something you like?”

Devin didn’t respond right away, just let out a breath of amusement, setting his drink down on the counter beside him.

“Nah,” he murmured, but the way he was still watching you told a different story.

J chuckled. “Sure. That’s why you haven’t blinked in, like, a minute.”

Devin exhaled through his nose, shaking his head, but he couldn’t even lie to himself. Something about you had his attention in a way that nothing else in this house did.

Then, just as quickly as you’d looked at him, you turned away, back to your friend, back to your conversation—like he was just another guy in the room.

And that? That was new.

People noticed him. They watched him, they angled themselves toward him, they tried to create opportunities to be seen by him. But you? You had looked, and then you had looked away. Like you weren’t waiting for him to do something about it.

And now, suddenly, he wanted to do something about it.

So he moved.

Not right away. Not obviously. But he casually stepped away from where he was posted, taking his time as he made his way through the crowd. People stopped him here and there—someone dapping him up, a girl reaching for his arm with a too-sweet, “Didn’t think I’d see you here.”

He nodded, threw a small smile, but he wasn’t stopping. His focus was on you, on closing that space between you without it being too obvious.

He could hear the tail end of your conversation as he got closer. Something about how your friend had been hyping up this party all week, and now you were wondering why. He almost smirked again at that.

“Bad time?” he asked, finally inserting himself into your orbit.

The way you turned to look at him, your expression unreadable for a beat, made something tug at the corner of his mouth.

“That depends,” you said, tilting your head slightly. “You here to make it better or worse?”

Oh, you were good.

J was right—he did see something he liked.

But before he could respond, before he could make some smooth comment to match your energy, someone else joined the mix.

And suddenly, the moment shifted.

“Seriously?”

The new voice was sharp, familiar. And when Devin turned, he realized why.

It was her.

An ex. One of the situations he hadn’t tied up as neatly as he thought. The kind of ex who had taken his silence as a “maybe,” rather than the firm “we’re done” he had meant it to be.

And judging by the way she was glaring at you, then back at him, it was clear she had some thoughts about what was happening right now.

Your brows lifted slightly, amused, but you didn’t say anything. You just took another sip of your drink, waiting to see how this was going to play out.

Devin sighed, dragging a hand down his face.

Yeah.

This night just got a whole lot more interesting.

You barely had time to process the look Devin gave you before he was moving—suddenly, smoothly, like he’d done this before.

And maybe he had, because before you could react, his arm was snaking around your waist, his body pulling you into his chest with a kind of easy confidence that made it seem like this wasn’t your first time wrapped up in him.

It was an automatic thing, the way you braced a hand against his chest, your drink sloshing slightly in the other. He was solid, warm, and despite the chaos of the moment, you could feel the steady rhythm of his breathing beneath your palm.

His ex was still staring, her eyes narrowing, mouth parting slightly like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

And Devin? Oh, he was really selling it now.

His other hand landed on your hip, his fingers spreading slightly as he looked down at you with a smirk so casual, so convincing, that for a second, you almost forgot this was for show.

“Damn,” he murmured just loud enough for her to hear, eyes locked on yours. “You really tryna start something tonight?”

You blinked up at him, pulse ticking faster than you wanted to admit. You could feel the weight of his ex’s stare burning into the side of your face. Devin had thrown the ball into your court, waiting to see if you’d play along.

So you did.

“Me?” You let your fingers drag down slightly against his shirt, eyes playful. “You’re the one who pulled me in.”

Devin chuckled, tilting his head. “Did I?”

“You did,” you said, pressing your lips together like you were trying not to smile.

You could feel the ex getting more annoyed by the second, and that was really what made you commit.

You relaxed into him, settling against his chest like you belonged there, like this wasn’t completely unhinged. His hand on your waist tightened slightly—just for a second, like he hadn’t expected you to really lean in—but he recovered fast.

“Unbelievable,” his ex finally snapped, her arms crossing tight.

“What?” Devin asked, deadpan. “You good?”

“I’m great,” she bit out. “Just didn’t think you’d move on so quickly.”

At that, Devin let out a short, amused breath and turned back to you, like he was checking in, like he was making sure you were still on board.

So, naturally, you doubled down.

You let your fingers toy with the chain around his neck, a gesture so natural that it surprised even you. “You really have exes still checking in on you like this?” you mused, shaking your head slightly. “I thought you were the cool type.”

Devin laughed at that—actually laughed, head tilting slightly back for a second before he looked down at you again, eyes glinting with something new. “Guess I got a few ghosts,” he admitted, tapping his fingers against your side absentmindedly.

Your skin burned where he touched, but you didn’t move.

His ex huffed, clearly done with whatever this was.

“You’re an asshole,” she said, voice cutting, before turning on her heel and stomping off, her friends trailing behind her.

And just like that, she was gone.

A pause settled between you and Devin. You were still close, his hand still resting on your hip, your fingers still curled around the chain at his collarbone.

Then, at the same time, you both broke.

A laugh bubbled out of you, and Devin shook his head, his deep chuckle vibrating through his chest. He let his hand drop, finally giving you some space, though his body was still angled toward yours.

“Well, that was—”

“Completely unnecessary,” you finished, pressing a hand to your forehead, still laughing.

Devin grinned, licking his lips as he glanced over his shoulder, making sure the ex was actually gone. “Hey, you played along.”

“You started it.”

“Yeah, but you took it to the next level.”

You tilted your head at him. “Oh, so you weren’t about to fake-kiss me if she stuck around another second?”

Devin’s smirk deepened. “You don’t know that.”

You rolled your eyes, still amused, still feeling the heat of his hands even though he wasn’t touching you anymore. “Well, congrats. You officially have one less ex to deal with.”

“And you officially have people thinking you’re my new girl.”

You scoffed. “Yeah, because that’s what I need in my life.”

He gave you a look. “You say that like I’m bad for your health.”

You smirked, raising a brow. “Aren’t you?”

Devin huffed a laugh, shaking his head. “Damn. You really don’t hold back.”

“Nope.”

He studied you for a second, like he was trying to figure you out. Like he was trying to decide if this was something he should let go or hold onto.

Then he pulled out his phone and held it out to you.

You blinked. “What?”

“Put your number in,” he said simply.

You stared at him, searching his expression for any sign of hesitation. But there was none.

“I just fake-dated you for all of thirty seconds, and now you think you deserve my number?”

Devin shrugged. “I think I at least earned a conversation outside of this loud-ass party.”

You hesitated for just a second, but then, before you could talk yourself out of it, you plucked the phone from his hand, tapped your number in, and passed it back.

He glanced down at the screen, lips pressing together like he was satisfied with himself. “Good choice.”

You rolled your eyes. “Just don’t start another fake relationship with me via text.”

Devin smirked, stepping back slightly, finally putting some space between you two. “No promises.”

And with that, he walked off, disappearing into the party, leaving you standing there—still buzzing, still processing, and maybe, just maybe—already kind of looking forward to what came next.

[izalith-witch]

I think it would be so boring and one note of Sauron was just manipulate all the time and couldn’t form a connection and he was just manipulating Galadriel from the beginning.

Even if people don’t see Galadriel/Sauron as romantic, they still have the “cosmic connection” and are two halves of the same coin.

Sauron is not the incarnation of evil, he started out good and believes he’s doing good and that’s what makes him fascinating.

He needs a person to center on with a push and pull dynamic through out the show (Galadriel) or we’ll just keep seeing the same thing recycled with Celebrimbor 2.0. While that was great to see him actually girlboss, gatekeep, gaslight someone, I don’t want see him stuck in a room with a new victim repeating the same thing again. Yes, that’s what he does but as a viewer, it’s not what I want to watch.

Thus Galadriel, who knows his mind and he knows hers and whom he can have an evolving deeper dynamic with (as long as the writers aren’t cowards and don’t go the boring safe route) over the course of the show and allow us to see more than the Great Deceiver.

And personal interpretation is up in the air about the raft scene in the last episode of season 1 but the Forge Scene and Binding Scene after the battle in the Southlands are Sauron being honest and not manipulating cause otherwise how utterly tedious and makes a fascinating character so monotonous.

My two cents anyways.

[atamascolily]

A few more observations on the second Walpurgis no Kaiten trailer, building on my earlier post. This trailer is so detailed and so intricate, I can really only watch it shot by shot in slow motion, otherwise I miss too much, otherwise it all goes by too fast.

The scallop shells on the handbag look similar to the scallop shell hand mirror that Homura is holding.

I can't decide if teapot on the table has the same pattern/design as the cup in this other shot. There are at least 2 tea parties in this trailer, and possibly more that we haven't seen yet.

Speaking of which, the angle on the stabbing shot suggests that the person is stabbing themselves in the arm--it looks like the salamander, representing Devil Homura's power, is trying to get to them, only to get stabbed by what appears to be a box cutter blade (??) and then it morphs into a cuff to try and control the person anyway. So I think perhaps Devil Homura will have a tea party of her own, though it's not clear to me yet if she's meeting with the green-haired girl in the glass dome or not. Or maybe someone else is meeting for tea and the salamander tries to sneak up on them when Devil Homura is not present. TBD.

Before the salamander becomes a cuff, though, it forms this lattice network first:

Oh, and you know where else the box cutter turns up? The box fan shot, of course. There is something sticking out of the middle left side of the box that looks suspiciously like a handle. And given that the box is all cut up enough to be taped together... well, that certainly seems like some kind of sabotage, doesn't it?

(SHAFT, are you giving us a magical girl whose weapon is a box cutter?? Or is this the Doppelganger Homura's answer to the salamander/dark orb? Either way, I'm here for it.)

The "fragile, handle with care logo" looks an awful lot like the cracked glass in this shot, too. Things are holding together, what is damaged is being repaired, but for how long??

Sayaka in the theater is literally experiencing a flash of insight, likely heralding a return of the memories Homura took from her at the end of Rebellion.

It seems like Sayaka is going to be in a unique position in this movie, since she is both magical girl and witch, and it sure looks like the witches are coming back (along with Walpurgisnacht!) It begs the question of whose side is she going to be on, and I suspect she'll be conflicted about that.

This other shot also suggests some kind of soul-searching, given that mirrors/portraits/stained glass on the walls were used to symbolize Homura regaining her memory in Rebellion. However, the books that are frozen specifically appear to be associated with the "book of witches" in another shot and the books piled up in the background behind Kyubey:

You can see one of the Anthonies (Gertrud's puffballs) in this shot along with other witches. Each page looks like an illuminated manuscript and/or possibly a card (?). You can tell Inu Curry had a lot of fun with this one!

There are madeleines in one of the jars behind Mami, which are associated with memory (cf. Proust's A la recherche du temps perdu) but the jar is closed and they are out of reach.

I'm really leaning towards this girl being an alternate Nagisa given the similarities between this shot and an early character design from Rebellion. (Either that or they just recycled the design, lol.) I can see the resemblance to the bear girl from episode 12, but somehow I think SHAFT is gonna stick to established characters/witches, especially given the witch book shot.

I think the exploding white feathers are from the same scene as Madoka-Doppelganger Homura waltz, and either represent Madoka regaining her memories or something going out of control and/or an interruption. TBD.

Anyway, that's all I got for the moment.

[sorenphelps]

ink-redible artistry on display

i drew this scene of post-coital bliss for the sole purpose of listing Sirius' tattoos and giving James a chance to memorise all of them, because it will have some plot relevance later! Tagging @goldenlionprince, @neverenoughmarauders, @lovelymasks & @diamondmeadow as usual!

The Bodyguard AU has started out as fanarts for Maddie's fic Kiss me tonight, so I mostly kept the tattoo designs I did for that version of Sirius (and those ones are also recycled from previous fanarts for Maddie's version of Sirius' tattoos). But as the AU evolved into its own universe, I've made some changes, his tattoos are not completely consistent on all of my artwork. For example, the bone was a wrench, and he has the phases of the moon on some pieces. The dinosaurs are also a later addition, and his phoenix tattoo is sometimes colourful, sometimes not - it depends on how lazy i am when I draw it. I am also generally very bad at actually drawing tattoos, so I wanted to come up with a simple enough design for all of them, so I don't go crazy drawing them over and over again 😅 Anyways, withouth further ado, have the reference sheet with all of Sirius' tattoos and the backstory/meaning of them below!

1) Stars: He has multiple 4-pointed stars on his body, his first tattoo was the little star on the side of his right wrist. He has 2 larger black stars on his neck, and some more on his left bicep. They represent motivation and goals that are difficult to achieve. The stars also mean that one must endure great difficulties in order to attain divine height, as they're a symbol of good luck in your career. These tatooes symbolize the light in the darkness, hope, truth and eternity, embodying the idea of ​​spiritual revelation. And they are obviously a reference to his name.

2) Astrology signs: He has the symbol of Scorpio on his right ringfinger, the symbol of the Sun on his left bicep, the symbol of Pluto on his left arm and the symbol of the moon on his right shoulder. Additionally, he also has the full moon on his left arm.

3) Runes: He has multiple runes on his body. The biggest one is the rune of transformation (Hagal) on his right arm, which brings disruption and destruction from outside forces beyond his control. It is also connected to his birthday. He has a rune on his left elbow, and multiple under his pecks, most of their meanings are related to protection and motivation. (And they are a reference to his movie tattoos.)

4) Lines: He has four lines on his left arm, and three on his right bicep, representing his time spent in the military (12 years total).

5) Celtic band: He has a Centic band around his right bicep, which stands as a symbol of unity, strength, courage, protection and resiliency. The knots have no beginning or end, reflecting the cyclical nature of life and how life and death are always connected.  He got this tattoo when he enrolled in the military as this design is also a symbol of armor which keeps the person wearing it safe.

6) Norse Compass: The Vegvisir symbolizes the pursuit of discovering one's true path and serves as a tangible reminder of one's inner strength, resilience, and the inherent human capacity to face and surmount challenges, providing guidance. The symbol is also considered to create a protective barrier, warding off negativity, sickness, and various forms of harm. Sirius also has wings around the compass, which represents his independent nature and longing to break free from limitations.

7) Phoenix: A quite literal visual representation of his ability to be reborn from the flames and ashes. It was one of his last tattoos he got (so far!), as a way of processing what happened to him during his last mission which resulted in him having to burn his old identity. It is on his chest and it is the largest tattoo he has.

8) Broken arrow: He has a single broken arrow on his left arm, which he got not long after he left the forces, again as a quite literal symbol of what happened to him, as a broken arrow represents the idea of burying the hatchet, or putting aside a quarrel for the greater good (representing his reconciliation with Remus). It's also a military code phrase meaning that a unit on the ground is facing imminent destruction from enemy attack and all available air forces within range should provide air support immediately (representing his unit being massacred).

9) Other things: He has a bone on his left bicep, which represents his initial childhood dream of becoming a paleontologist, and also how he's nicknamed 'the omen of death'. He also has the outline of four dinosaurs on his left arm, which he got as a gift from Remus, who booked the appointment and gave hints to the artist. He has a cog on his left bicep too, which represents the Royal Engineers, the military unit he would have joined if he was not selected to be a part of the secret covert operation instead.

He will eventually get a tattoo to represent James... The question is, what should it be and where he should have it? 😉

[electronicclowncollector]

STINGUE ESSAY

(Credit to @lilacharbour for providing me with the screenshots for evidence)

(^Yours (and your cat’s) reaction to seeing this post)

That’s right, in this essay, I will be persuading you, and any of the doubters out there, that the ship stingue is undeniably canon, and not the sort of canon you can just headcanon away. I will present several pieces of evidence with my vast knowledge of the Fairy Tail franchise (really vast) that can completely prove that stingue is a real ship (also known as Ring, stogue, the sabretooth boys, strong, but for the sake of keeping track of it, I’ll use the most obscure name for it, stingue). P.S. if you haven’t read my Rogue post, go do it, this won’t make any sense without a firm understanding of my analysis of Rogue’s character, and it's way shorter than this so there’s no reason not to.

Exhibit A: In this manga panel, we can see that sting is wearing a cat outfit. Many of the doubters would dismiss this, saying that this was all a part of his character development in the Saber Tooth arc, where he *Allegedly* wanted to become true to his guild name and become a sabretooth tiger (with cool dragon powers). I propose a different idea. He was doing this to impress Rogue. We all know the entire Fairy Tail franchise loves cats, it’s common knowledge, if you didn’t know that then you did inadequate research in preparation for this essay. But what makes this specific to rogue is that he’s wearing a cat COSTUME. NOT CAT EARS. NOT A CAT TAIL. AN ENTIRE COSTUME. You know who else is a cool cat in costume?!?!? THAT’S RIGHT, FRESH! ROGUES CAT. CLEARLY, sting was doing this in a bid to replace Rogue’s beloved cat Fresh, and you can CLEARLY SEE Rogue blushing, however, the blushing is only in the colored version of the director cut of the manga, and its top secret (only I have a copy), so you’ll have to trust the experts on this one. Also is the girl on the right single? If so, send her my way.

I’m sure the manga readers In the crowd are reacting just like Sting and Rogue did in exhibit B. But OP, I hear you ask, what about the anime only viewers? They won’t have this part of the manga adapted for years! And I must say, what an astute observation, I completely respect your question and you have earned a red heart, you can redeem it at the bottom of the post, or if you want to pass it to a friend press the two arrows button next to it to recycle the heart. ANYWAY, this shot here, was taken directly from the seen during the the raids on the beaches of Akane, when both Sting and Rogue had been caught in a quicksand trap by the SINISTER Bickslow. Where does Stingue apply to this? You may ask. Well, just outside the frame, we can’t see (but we know its true) that everyone is running around them to get ahead, because even the background characters like Natsu and Gajeel (may the dragons bless his sacrifice for the sins of fairy tail) know that they are romantically involved, but the scene cuts to black to see fresh teaming up with stings cat whatever its name (Bradley or doug or something) to save them, but off screen, they literally reach out and HOLD HANDS in the scene. THEY THOUGHT THEY WOULD DIE but their only thoughts were their mutual love for eachother. If that story didn’t make you cry, then I don’t know what did.

But OP I hear some of you asking, if they’re in a relationship, WHY havent they been openly talking about the more intimate side of their relationship? First of all, go reread the manga, second of all, this point is for you. Read Exibit C. Now, I’m sure this doesn’t need any explanation, it’s a completely self-explanatory point. But for some It is necessary, and I shall provide. These two were getting very lovey dovey during a date together, they were going on a walk in the forest and oh my, a river, and how did they get across? Stepping stones! The reason why it says a “Person stepping contest” rather than a “Stepping stones constest” is because of a translation error, no need to elaborate further. Another point to be made, more specific to this panel, is the character in the background, that very few people noticed on their first few reads, is Gandalf! Now, I’ll give you a chance to pick up your phone/ipad/PC/book after you all dropped it in shock, because that’s a lot to take in. But how does it relate to the ship? Well, Gandalf is a very close word to Gander, the word for an adult male goose, which in fairy tail culture is an animal associated with passion and romance, so Gandalfs presence obviously correlates with that. He has appeared in every single manga panel with rogue and sting in the background, further proof that they have a romantic, passionate relationship.

My next point relates to the games, which I have played time and time again just for this one cutscene. During the Mt. Hakobe chapter, the two were forced to travel up the mountain to obtain the fabled dragonberry from the mountain, in order to save Rogues adoptive mother/auntie dragon. The following dialogue ensued, starting with rogue: “Heya fresh, do you think you could pass me the beans? They’re in the backpack” (fresh was in rogues backpack at the time), fresh responded with a mix between a meow and a ribbet, and sting responded with the following: “Hahah, not more beans! It’ll stink both of our sleeping bags up for when we’re cuddled up in the tent!”. Rogue proceeded to blush and a quick time event occurred. Their obvious lovers banter shows more then enough to prove that in the games, both characters are incredibly infatuated with eachother, because as Dr Seuss (with help from me) said: “You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because” “Rogue keeps eating all the beans before sleeping”.

Now my final point in this essay is how syncronised they are. Besides the obvious romantic tension when they do their special move where their massive balls touch (obvious gay symbolism), they’re also syncronised in many other things. Most notably, finishing eachothers sentences, read exhibit D. The example above shows this, where Sting says “Ah!!!” and Rogue finishes it off by saying “!!”, a reference to Stings famous catchphrase, “Ah!!!!!”, but this time rogue added on the last 2 exclamation marks, showing a clear understanding of eachothers speech patterns and mannerisms.

In conclusion, Sting and Rogue are the love of eachothers life, which has been clearly seen throughout the Manga, Anime and Game (s)(?) If you have yet to be convinced by this essay, then I thoroughly recommend you to reread the essay if you aren’t. but if you have been convinced, congratulations, you are officially a stingue shipper, welcome to the club, no, the family. I myself am an honorary member of  the fairy tail community, according to a friend of mine, so I’m qualified to tell you that you will fit right in.

(There was another point to be made about some random person drawing art of the two of them looking at eachothers balls and blushing, but they were mere amateurs without proper understanding of fairy tail as a franchise, so I left it out.)

[physalian]

Making your scenes pull 'double duty'

Something that helps me with keeping steady story progression, by making every scene pull double duty, is to make sure the location characters are talking in also services the story.

Quick reminder that pulling “double duty” like this is when a scene both delivers exposition, but also pulls some foreshadowing. Or, it’s character backstory, but also a big emotional moment for the speaker opening up to their listener. Or, it’s dialogue, but it’s also establishing the setting and details that will be important later.

The opposite of this being two characters doing nothing but talking exposition and walking in a nondescript or irrelevant location. Or backstory, but it’s delivered like a textbook and doesn’t do anything for the characters’ relationship. Or it’s scene descriptors, but no character reactions to the new environment.

One of those “I know what’s wrong but not what it is” editing problems.

Anyway! I usually see this pop up most when you have a dialogue-heavy scene and nowhere important to put it.

I just had one and I’ll explain the layers I worked into it. Basically: A has to explain to B the history that B is unaware of. Straight-up exposition.

Layer 1: The dialogue. The cadence, verbiage, and tone of A’s speech is specific to his character. How he says things, especially when talking about a controversial event, says something about both his character and how he sees B, and anticipating B’s potential reactionary response to what he’s saying.

Layer 2: The timing. This exposition isn’t coming out of nowhere just for the sake of the reader. This is part of a question left over from book 1 finally getting answered and is important information for B to contextualize his loyalties and the history of his side and the other side in this ongoing conflict. This talk is the effect of the cause of a little scuffle where B forgot which side he was supposed to be on.

Layer 3: The movement. I don’t want the action to distract too much from the important exposition, so it’s a classic “two characters walking and talking” but with some added details. A has a lantern they need to see with, B eventually has to carry a stack of blankets. They’re interacting with the environment, not just pasted over it. Also motion to break up the dialogue and the occasional emphatic facial expression or gesture to get B’s nonverbal reactions.

Layer 4: The purpose. Beyond the exposition, A and B are with a group having to make an unplanned pitstop to camp, and A knows this fort to hold emergency supplies, keeping the scene grounded with the rest of the ongoing story. They’re not just walking and talking, they’re on a quick mission to get blankets for their friends, justifying this need to walk in the first place.

Layer 5: The location. A is expositing about a war, standing in a fort that was used to fight in it. In between the dialogue, A’s narration is describing both the decay of the fort and the remnants of a battle, that his side won gruesomely. The location is adding mood and ambiance to what he’s saying. A’s lantern is also illuminating those gruesome details, interacting with the environment.

Layer 6: Sensory details. Using the location, I’ve included sensory bits for the biting cold, the loud echoes of gravel under their boots, a metallic, mildewy smell, the harsh shadows from the lantern, the cramped, decaying walls. This also helps provide mood and ambiance, and also reflects on what the narrator, A, chooses to notice, as a veteran of this very battle.

It’s a short bit of the overall scene, 621 words, but with those layers, I hope it’s engaging to read all the way through.

To summarize and recycle points I've made before, to make effective and compelling exposition:

Make it timely

Make it relevant

Make it grounded in the setting

Make it important to the cast

Make it earned by the cast

Make it entertaining

[createserenity]

Reunions and the sound of glass

I don't often analyse scenes in Good Omens, I much prefer talking about their character dynamics, like I do here (and I have several other posts in the works along similar themes) but there’s a scene in episode 4 that I really want to talk about because it has both relationship stuff and a mystery – specifically the sound of breaking glass (that's not really glass breaking as such).

So let's talk about the scene when Aziraphale arrives back from Edinburgh. How adorable is Aziraphale’s face when he sees Crowley? They’ve literally been apart for a day and he’s so flippin’ delighted to see him. He’s missed him. He had fun investigating, but it wasn’t nearly so much fun without Crowley there. Now he’s back, he’s so very happy about it and he can’t wait to see Crowley. See how excited his face is? And he’s literally leaning forward to peer around the door columns as he approaches the shop.

Then Crowley appears and Aziraphale beams, he literally lights up with so much joy the moment he sees him and hears his voice. There’s even this split second when he sees Crowley where he opens his arms like he really wants to embrace him.

Then he gets a face full of plants and my goodness the look of absolute dejection is heartbreaking. I just want to shake Crowley for being so ridiculous here. Just show your angel some love, you silly demon!

Also I think the disappointment is partly why Aziraphale tells such a silly lie about the journey being uneventful. Crowley has just smacked him in the face literally and figuratively. Literally with a bunch of plants and figuratively with the message, “I’m not really that bothered whether you’re here or not.” Unsurprisingly Aziraphale doesn’t feel like sharing anything with someone who has just done that.

Now let’s take a detour here and talk about the weird sound we hear as they go towards the car. That’s not a pure breaking glass sound as such (like you’d get from a smashed window), it’s the sound of the pub doing its recycling. It’s the noise you get when someone takes out the internal glass bottle bin and empties it into the outside glass recycling bin. It’s why Crowley doesn’t react and Aziraphale simply looks around and then turns back looking unconcerned. They’ll hear that noise all the time, it’s not the noise of something bad happening.

So why is that sound used here? I have no idea. Presumably it’s not just ambiance, although since it’s a noise that could serve that purpose it could very well be that it’s a red herring. It also happens at an odd moment. One thing breaking glass signals is the breaking of trust. Aziraphale has just told a lie, but by the time we hear the noise Crowley is several seconds into his description of ‘Jim’ singing and sleeping. It seems too far removed to be to do with Aziraphale’s lie specifically. So that leaves us with three possibilities – we should ignore the noise because it’s only ambiance, it’s to do with something other than lies, or Crowley is lying about what he and Jim have been up to. I have no idea why this last one might be or what might have happened. Anyone want to speculate? To be honest he doesn’t look or sound like he’s lying to me and Crowley actually lies very very rarely, especially not to Aziraphale (when he does it tends to be by omission rather than a direct lie) so I’m inclined to think the sound is supposed to clue us into something else. But what? And if so why not actual glass breaking, why the weird recycling sound?

Anyway back to Aziraphale and Crowley’s interaction. Crowley manages to piss Aziraphale off even more by being all lovey-dovey towards his car.  After checking out Crowley’s arse (!) as he bends over to put the plants in the car Aziraphale then seems to become anxious as they talk about whether he has anymore clues, even glancing over his shoulder nervously as he talks. Why? No idea. Maybe he just knows that he didn’t really find out all that much on his trip and is worried Crowley is expecting more of him?

What’s quite sweet is that he only completely regains his balance and perkiness after Crowley shuts the car door and Aziraphale is able to step up close to him again. There’s no real need for him to step forward, they’re already at conversation distance, but Aziraphale feels most comfortable when he’s right up in Crowley’s space. Also Crowley admits to his own failure and doesn’t seem inclined to say anything about Aziraphale’s lack of information, so that probably helps too. Symbollically speaking a barrier between them (the car door) has been removed.

Anyway the scene ends with them heading back to the bookshop and I really hope Aziraphale finally gets that hug he wants. I mean, I know he doesn’t, but I feel so bad for him in this scene and it would be nice for the poor lovestruck angel if he did.

[my-mt-heart]

Why Explicit Caryl Canon Matters

Daryl and Carol (Caryl) fans make up a large portion of the spinoff's audience, and this audience wholeheartedly believes that Daryl and Carol are each other's only choice. It's in the writing. It's also reinforced by cast, crew, and EPs. For example, Norman has repeatedly said “If Daryl falls in love, it's forever."

There's a misconception that Carylers are a bunch of hysterical saps – fans who only want their ship "fucking under the stars" and only care about Daryl because of Carol, but that’s not true. In reality, Caryl fans are the deepest, most intuitive thinkers in the TWD community. To them, story matters. While they recognize and adore all of the subtext, they understand that it's supposed to lead to something worth the 13-year wait. They're expecting that major sense of relief and joy from watching explicit, undeniable, canon.

Explicit canon respects Carol's and Daryl's character development – individually and together. They started out way behind everybody else in life, convinced they weren't worthy of love. Daryl thought he was better off alone and Carol thought she was just a burden, but then they showed each other their true potential. Carol told Daryl he was a "man of honor" and Daryl taught Carol to have hope for a better future. They've struggled and suffered and strived to be good enough for each other. So, where's the payoff?

I understand not all fans want the same things, and maybe there's pressure to “keep everyone happy." Maybe it feels like a lose-lose situation. But from a marketing perspective, Caryl fans are a very reliable source of revenue for the show, so keeping them happy secures a reliable audience for future seasons of the show. They'll show up with their wallets out and their enthusiasm turned all the way up for Norman's and Melissa's nuanced performances. They'll create more fanart and other content. They'll make the show trend on Twitter constantly. Fans already adore Norman and Melissa, but explicit canon will amplify it further whereas keeping things ambiguous will cause a significant decline in viewership.

Ambiguity is the reason that the "I love you" scene in the flagship's finale got mixed reactions. For the fans who also struggle with their self-image, it was important to see Daryl and Carol overcome their own insecurities and finally "take whatever happiness they could get." But instead, many saw Carol's lighthearted "I love you too" and Daryl's departure as if they were both forfeiting what they always wanted. Daryl was submitting to his solitary nature again while Carol assumed she still owed a debt to her community and Daryl would be happier without her anyway. Both of them deserved a happy ending, or at least a piece of happiness to launch them into the next part of their journey. As far as many fans were concerned, neither of them got that.

That's why a lot of fans had a hard time watching S1 of the spinoff or opted out of watching all together. There were so many moments that teased the "possibility" of Daryl getting together with a younger, blonder woman nun while hints of Caryl's relationship were buried under more subtext. Keeping Daryl's feelings ambiguous just for the "fun" of shipbaiting cheapens Caryl's one-of-a-kind relationship, falsely indicating that their iconic beats can be recycled with someone else and still evoke the same passionate response from fans.

Ambiguity also perpetuates ageism and gives non-Caryl fans the excuse to say hurtful things to or about Melissa. Whether or not she's online to see it makes no difference because it still degrades her and it damages other women's perceptions of beauty and worth. Explicit canon on the other hand raises both Melissa and Norman up as two powerhouse actors utilizing their unparalleled chemistry to celebrate mature romances. It brings Daryl’s defining character traits to the forefront – the nurturing traits and the epic ones. It positions Daryl and Carol as equals, and it helps drown out the harmful comments against Melissa. 

Hopes for season 2 of the spinoff are high. Confirmation of Carol's and Daryl's romantic relationship in a way that needs no interpretation and no explanation from anyone offscreen is a dealbreaker. I know in terms of explicit canon, post-production can make all the difference, so it's crucial someone in a position of power pushes for canon that fully and unapologetically lives up to the fans' expectations, does right by the characters, and respects what Melissa wants.