#at this point anything i write that's good omens related is inspired by my fic

[fearandhatred]

the devil entered me at 3am last night and i came up with this so here have a post-s2 crowley pov poem. pls be nice to me i don't even write poetry i have no idea what's going on

anyway i imagine this being read like an analog horror video

[inastarlesssky]

About Me

Hi! Name's Ella. Pronouns are She/Her. You can call me Ella, Starless or Star. I'm 28, currently studying a difficult foreign language, writing fics in my free time and pining after fictional characters. I'm into more fandoms than are listed here, but these are mostly my main ones. Currently obsessing over The Umbrella Academy.

(Basically the fandoms I'm a part of and my respective ships)

⚜ The Sandman ❦ ➵ Dream x Calliope (OTP, I love them, your honour.) ➵ Dream x Johanna Constantine (Doomed to fail but I just love the idea of them, alright. Let me.) ➵ Dream & Hob Gadling (Do I even need to say why I love them?) ➵ I'm currently working on write-ups/analyses of the episodes as I re-watch them. If you're interested, you can find those under #the sandman write-ups ⚜ Dead Boy Detectives ➵ Charles Rowland x Crystal Palace ➵ Charles Rowland x Edwin Payne ➵ Edwin Payne & Niko Sasaki ⚜ Doctor Who ➵ Ten x Rose ➵ Ten x Clara ➵ Eleven x Clara ➵ Twelve & Clara ⚜ Good Omens ➵ Crowley x Aziraphale ➵ Eric the Disposable Demon & Muriel (I don't really legit ship them, but come on, they'd be kinda cute) ⚜ Harry Potter ❦ ➵ Draco x Hermione ➵ Harry x Hermione ⚜ Marvel

About Me

Firstly, if you're running a blog that's The Sandman, Good Omens, Dead Boy Detectives or The Umbrella Academy and you see among your followers but realize I don't really post any of that stuff, this is my main blog and where I can follow from. You'll see below but I do have seperate sideblogs for those fandoms and am posting stuff there for such content, so just to keep in mind. C: ❦ Tags & Their Uses ❦ It's pretty self-explanatory. Fanart, fic recs are what it says on the tin. I usually tag fandom specific with the particular fandom, so by topic, my tags are: Fandoms - (really it's mostly the Sandman here fyi) The Sandman - #the sandman netflix #the sandman Harry Potter - #dramione #harry potter (though I post about this very rarely now) Personal Stuff - me and life stuff, #my ramblings #public service announcement (I know, not very creative but whatever) Art - #fanart (for art from shows, movies etc) #my art (MY art as you can see below)

❦ My Stuff ❦ Fanfiction: I'm an author, so I'll occasionally post links to my works here though I post firstly and primarily on AO3 which can be found here. I always tag my fics with #ella writes stuff and #my fic: [insert title of the fic here] so anything related to a particular fic can be found under that tag. You can also find a list of my current projects organized by in-progress and completed here organized by in-progress and completed. (But that particular spot needs to be updated bc it's been a hell of a long time since I updated it and things have changed since) Art: I use a pencil sometimes when I'm so inspired. I tag that with #ella draws stuff. Meta: I sometimes write this when I have strong emotions about things I've seen or have really big unanswered questions or wonder things. It'll be tagged mostly with #my ramblings and the respective fandom it pertains to, though you'll find it's mostly The Sandman right here. So until I find a better tag, #the sandman meta will be that for now.

❦ My Sideblogs ❦

Good Omens: ineffablenlghtingales

Dead Boy Detectives: ghost-husbands

Marvel/Spiderman-related stuff (somewhat inactive now): peterpcrkcrs

The Umbrella Academy: snarkyfivehargeeves

I do have discord! If we're mutuals, you can definitely ask for it via message. :]

Lastly (if you've come to this point, wow, you're amazing], I am not a minor and I do not take special care with the things I post here. That being said, I don't post much content that's explicitly adult, but if you are a minor, please be aware I am not.

Note: If you'd like to translate my work into another language, I think that's awesome and that would make me super happy, but please do ask first. C: There's currently a Russian translation of When the Day Loved the Night in progress, so I'll have a link to that on the original work on AO3

That's about it. Come say hi if you like, I'm into a lot more fandoms than the ones I've just listed, so if you're curious, ask.

By the way, my messages ARE open, but maybe just gimme a heads up or something or ask before if you wanna chat about any of these above fandoms. Sometimes I get random ass messages and I'm a little bit confused about them...you're welcome to! Don't be afraid, I love chatting about my fixations, just gimme a heads-up, eh? ^^

[scary-grace]

Ask Game please. 🙏

2, 4, 8, 9, 12, 14, 15, 16, 21, 26 and 35.

It's alot I know but the list is full of great questions.

Thank you for the ask! Some of these were answered elsewhere, but you gave me a lot to work from <3

2. Why do you write fanfiction?

Answered here!

4. Are there any writers that inspire you?

Answered here!

8. Which character(s) do you find easiest to write?

Answered here!

9. Which character(s) do you find most difficult to write?

Answered here!

12. Tell us about a WIP you’re excited about.

Currently I'm working on a bunch of Halloween fics! The ones I'm most excited about are an Erasermic Train to Busan AU and a Barduil fic where the Bowmans are about to fall victim to an ancient omen of death -- and have to seek help from an unorthodox source. Here's a little snippet:

14. What’s your favorite fandom to write for?

Answered here!

15. What’s the weirdest fandom you’ve ever written for?

I have done a lot of writing for the Redwall fandom! For one specific character in the Redwall fandom, to the point where that character's tag consists almost entirely of my fics. They're not bad fics, but there's a reason I made a new Ao3 when I started posting Tolkien.

16. Any guilty pleasure trope(s)?

Anything hurt/comfort, verging on whump. I'm also into anti-hero/anti-villain characters and sometime in the last six months I became a repentant villain simp. But my favorite trope is always going to be good old mutual pining/it's requited, they're both stupid.

21. Favorite pairing to write for? (platonic or romantic!)

Barduil, although I doubt that surprises anybody. I never run out of ideas for them!

26. Is there anything you’ve wanted to write, but you’ve been too scared to try?

I've always wanted to write a mystery, but I'm not very familiar with the genre! Plus I tend to blend genres a bit, and I worry I would get sucked into romance or horror or action and forget that I'm supposed to be writing a whodunit.

35. Ramble about any fic-related thing you want!

My biggest flaw as a fic writer is my inability to let stories go. Almost everything I write turns into an expanded universe of some kind, up to and including my recent venture in to villain-simping x reader fic. I think I don't like saying goodbye to settings and characters I've enjoyed, and my mind can basically always generate new nonsense to put in a word document. I've been thankful with how patient everyone has been with my inability to just leave things alone!

35 questions for fanfic writers

[pnf-lover98]

A “The Stanley Parable” (mini) playlist

Whenever I pick up a new fandom and I start making fanarts for it, I always like to build a sort of musical library of songs that I associate with that fandom or that I use as inspo to get the moods for the fanarts/fics I make. (If you follow me, you may have seen I already made some posts of this sort for other fandoms like Miraculous Ladybug and Good Omens).

In TSP’s case it was a bit more complex for me to find songs I could associate with the game’s canon plot because, well... This game’s storyline and plot can be everything and anything, and even nothing at all. Each ending can confirm or contradict the lore of the others. But having written a total of four fanfics so far, I did gather a few songs to put in a mini playlist I could share with you guys.

These are the ones I associate with the game as a whole, and I’m going to quote the parts that better express the vibes:

“Bones” (Imagine Dragons)

“My patience is waning, is this entertaining? My patience is waning, is this entertaining?

I-I-I got this feeling, yeah, you know, where I'm losing all control 'cause there's magic in my bones!”

[A.k.a. ‘don’t we all love to make Narry mad, every now and then?’] 

“This is Gospel” (Panic! At the Disco)

“This is Gospel for the fallen ones locked away in permanent slumber, assembling their philosophies from pieces of broken memories. [...]

 If you love me let me go! (x2) Cause these words are knives that often leave scars. The fear of falling apart. Truth be told, I never was yours. The fear, the fear of falling apart.”

“Mad Hatter” (Melanie Martinez)

“Over the bend, entirely bonkers, you like me best when I'm off my rocker. Tell you a secret: I'm not alarmed. So what if I'm crazy? The best people are.

You think I'm crazy, you think I'm gone. So what if I'm crazy? All the best people are. And I think you're crazy too, I know you're gone. It's probably the reason that we get along.”

Then, there are a couple of the songs I used while I was writing my fics. 

Some of you may remember “The Drought”, the first thing I wrote for this fandom, tied to the Skip Button Ending, in which I quoted a few lines from “Clean” by Taylor Swift:

“The dought was the very worst when the flowers that we’d grown together died of thirst.”

There is another song I’ve used as inspo for my stories, and that I rerlate to the way I envision Stanley and Narry’s relationship - specifically, the way our dear Narry would want to linger forever in the adventures he created in order not to feel lonely (as mentioned in the Figurines Ending)

“See you in my dreams” (We the Kings)

“I wanna close my eyes and sleep, run to the place we used to meet, cause I’d rather have you in my dreams than wake up without you.

I’d sleep forever if you’d leave, give up the world, so you would see that I’d rather have you in my dreams than wake up without you.”

The last lyrics I bring to you today are from a song I really like, and that I used as a general mood for my Zending-related fic. It’s a nostalgic kind of song, with slower rhythms that match the pacing of the fic. And there’s one line, “don’t waste your time/cause you’re not mine”, that inspired me in specific points of the fic.

“Unspoken” (Aaron Smith)

“Don't hold your breath like, I'm not scared. Like, I want you to trust me. Don't waste your time cause you're not mine. I wish that you could touch me”

[peri-helia]

Tagged by: @morallygreywaren - thank you! I always enjoy tag games.

Name(s): Alex (I’ve never really had like a nickname I could use so I’m just Alex) But I’m meet-the-girl-who-can on here and on AO3

Fandom(s): Essentially right now it’s the Old Guard, all the time. I live here now. But there’s been Good Omens, The Vampire Diaries, Once Upon a Time and lots of other shows and things I love but haven’t written anything for.

Where you post: AO3, because I love the format. I have got a complete of little drabbles on tumblr but not many 

Most Popular One Shot (by kudos) this year:  (and of all time apparently!) Lost and Found I had seen a post by @rudderless-in-an-ocean-of-stars about Joe stealing something back from a museum for Andy. Nile is scandalised and can’t supervise three other immortals at once and couldn’t get the idea out of my head

Most Popular Multi-Chapter (by kudos) this year:  Some Other Metal  I watched Hartenstraat and saw Marwan being an adorable single father and thought ‘I want that with Joe x Nicky’ and started scribbling. 

Favorite story you’ve written so far: Hmm. I love SOM a whole lot because I get to write Immortal Husbands and Wives and Book of Nile all in one and I’ve found that each chapter has the best narrator out of the six of them, there’s a lot of things I love I’ve put in there. BUT that said I think it would have to be a tie between Through yonder window without a break  which is the team taking care of Nile after she has a breakdown and was inspired by the phrase ‘Kindness costs nothing’ and me having a bad week. The other fic would be Exquisite Things which is a pre-canon Victorian piece about Joe and Nicky meeting Oscar Wilde and enjoying how scrummy their husband looks in the clothing of the day and was inspired by A Dangerous Fortune, Mickey Miranda and Luca looking like that. 

Fic you were nervous to post:  Some Other Metal for a lot of reasons - I actually deleted it after I posted it for the first time! I thought it might not have much potential and I’ve never written a Kid! fic before, but the first chapter ended where it ended and I knew I wasn’t going to write anymore and go onto Chapter 2 so I put it back up. Everyone’s been so kind and lovely about so publish your self indulgence fics! It’s what fanfiction is for!

How do you choose your titles?: It can be anything; song lyrics, Shakespeare, quotes by historical figures or random quotes that fit the bill. Contextual puns mainly, I love a funny easter egg. 

Do you outline?: Not really. I get an idea of where the story is going or specific scenes/ dialogue and scribble those down but if I outline I feel like I’ve given myself something too rigid even though I’m the author and could completely change it and that would be fine.   and have told the story when I’m excited to find out what crops up as I go. 

A teacher once told me I’m better when I ad-lib and he’s right. 

Complete: There are 38 finished works on my AO3 right now, but I’ve deleted fics from when I was younger and most of them are not The Old Guard related

In-Progress: Erm. A lot. There’s half scribbled scenes for stuff but of what I’m actually jumping around between to amuse myself and feed my inner writer in her garret and will definitely finish is Some Other Metal, A holiday romance fic, A Cinderella AU, and maybe a flower language au but Andy and Booker are messing that up rn. 

Coming soon/not yet started: Hopefully coming soon is my Olympics AU! Based off a prompt kindly lent by @eurythmix which has turned into a 4,000 pining atm and they’ve essentially just shook hands at this point (although Nicky was shirtless at the time)

Prompts?: Yeah, if you like! I may decline due to lack of imagination or time but I’m always here for prompts I think it’s incredibly flattering 

Upcoming work you’re most excited about: The Olympics AU - its Olympics lite in terms of the actual sports but there’s miscommunication, Pining with a capital P for Paris, Saint Sebastian, [I knew he’d turn up at one point I didn’t think it would be here] Baklava, a sexually charged swordfight and that’s before we talk about all the articles I’ve read about Olympians having sex in the Village haha

Tagging should they be so inclined: @petersock @kiaya  @silvyri @dracosollicitus and as ever anyone who sees this post and would like to do it too

[justlikeeddie]

C! H! Q! S!

It’s fun to stay at the…!

C: What character do you identify with most?

This is a good question, in that it is not something I think about all that much in most fandoms. I tend to prefer to write from the point of view of the less emotionally articulate character in a pairing, but I think that’s more because I’m interested in fic in which the narrating character can’t or won’t express everything that’s happening, even to themselves. I like reading and writing between the lines of things. Subtext in the subtext, I guess.

But it actually is something I’ve thought about specifically in relation to Good Omens, partly because I was fascinated by how many people in fandom have talked about identifying with Crowley, which I don’t, particularly. Which I suppose means I recognise more of Aziraphale. The desire for a quiet life that doesn’t mean putting too much on the line; a lack of interest in keeping up with any kind of fashion at the expense of things I actually like; a natural disposition to play by the rules, unless very convincingly persuaded that breaking them won’t mean getting into trouble. But also, obviously, we’re all a bit like both of them, in that we’re human.

H: How would you describe your style?

I honestly have no idea if I have one. Not consciously, anyway. In fact, one of the things I most enjoy about writing fic is the technical challenge of trying to emulate someone else’s style or voice that the reader will recognise, though I guess this is more obviously the case for book fandoms— Jonathan Strange, Raffles, etc. I suppose that for TV and film fandoms, that technical challenge is more about getting character voices right, and then the style of a fic will be very heavily influenced by the voice of the point-of-view character, and the way in which they express their thoughts to themselves.

The two writers whose prose I find most consistently enjoyable on a micro level are Pat Barker, whose writing can be spare and sparse to the point of brutality, and Michael Chabon, who can build a whole city out of a single spiralling sentence. In trying to write a bit like both of them, I expect I come out somewhere in the middle, and so neither influence is probably very visible.

Q: Do you have any discarded scenes/storylines/projects?

I mean, I have a WIP folder on my hard drive that contains 63 Word documents, and at a quick count, around 10 of those have any likelihood of ever progressing to the ’completed’ folder. The oldest of the remaining 53 date back to 2007, and are password-protected, because I created them on a shared family computer in the kitchen. (And if we hadn’t had a bad hard drive crash around that time, there would be more, dating back to 2004-ish, probably.)

I’m still in an early enough flush of Good Omens optimism to genuinely believe I’m going to finish all the WIPs I currently have in that fandom, but a random sample of more definitively discarded stories includes:

A would-be comic Randall & Hopkirk Deceased-inspired due South fic, in which Fraser dies and comes back to continue working with Ray K as a ghost, but which turned out to be inescapably depressing because Ray was too sad about it;

What appears to be some Monty Python RPF about everyone fighting over who loves Michael Palin the most;

An X-Men First Class Big Gay Mutant Road Trip story (classic) about Charles desperately trying not to read Erik’s mind while they’re holed up in cars and bars and motels together, but being unable to avoid picking up on his increasing sexual frustration, and yet not managing to realise it might be anything to do with him;

A Merlin fic that @the-omnishambles and I regularly proclaim to each other is the best idea we’ve ever had, and which we wrote 17,000 words of in 2008-9, about Merlin and Arthur waking up in 2008 London while Colin Morgan and Bradley James wake up in the actual world of the TV show Merlin. Colin and Bradley have to navigate the fact that Colin can now do real magic, and that Bradley keeps being expected to fight people. Merlin and Arthur have to navigate a Tesco self-checkout machine, specifically, for some reason. The end of the story (spoilers!) reveals that this swap was the doing of the actual immortal wizard, Merlin, because he was disappointed by the inaccuracies of Merlin, the TV show, and wanted to express his displeasure.

S: Any fandom tropes you can’t resist?

Answered here!

[ineffablebookseller]

Rules & Information

Info

No gifs or icons were created by mun unless otherwise stated.

If credit has not been given for any icons, please contact mun and I will do my best to give credit where I can.

This version of Aziraphale will be portrayed as male/bisexual. Mun loves reading fics/threads/etc where Aziraphale is portrayed as otherwise, but I do not feel that I can personally write him this way due to reasons I may or may not get into on this blog at some point. I do not have any issues with muses/muns of any gender identification or sexual orientation. You play your version of Aziraphale however you wish to. Please respect mine.

Mun has sadly been unable to read the original book version, though I do own it. This is due to my having trouble beginning and continuing to read books. It is something that I plan to do and I may add elements in if/when I do.

This blog will contain spoilers for 'Good Omens' (TV adaptation).Canon divergent threads welcomed.

Resources: DeviantArt / Tumblr Tag / HollowArt

Rules & Guidelines

Mun is in the GMT timezone.

Both mun and muse are 21+.

If you do not have a rules page (and preferably an about page), I will not follow you back & probably will not interact either. I’m sorry if this seems harsh, but I find it difficult to interact/write with a muse when I do not know any rules/guidelines that the other mun has. The only exception to this rule will be if I have previously interacted with the mun & I already know the rules that they use.

Please do not reblog an rp thread if you are not involved in it. Liking a thread is fine, it actually makes me smile as it means someone is appreciating what myself and the other mun involved are creating (though do check if the other mun is okay with it as well). Reblogging though is a big peeve of mine and it happens far too often. It makes it difficult for us rpers to keep track of things. If you do this, i’m really sorry but you will be blocked. It’s nothing particularly personal, but it really makes it difficult for me if you do this.

There will be nsfw content found within, which will all be tagged with ‘nsfw’. If mun misses something, please let them know so that it can be tagged.

Aziraphale will not participate in smut immediately with anyone, unless through a meme. Mun prefers to have things develop naturally.

Under no circumstance will there be smut with anyone under the age of 18. It doesn’t matter if you are of legal age in my country and not yours, it won’t be happening, sorry. It’s best for everyone that way.

Aziraphale will enter into relationships &/or smut with both women and men.

Aziraphale is open to rping with most OC characters and crossovers, though mun may find it more difficult to write with crossover muses. If you aren’t sure, please send an ask to check. Mun reserves the right to say no if they don’t feel they can rp with your muse.

No animated/comic FCs please as mun has difficulty rping with them (for reasons they are not sure of, lol).

Do not assume that Aziraphale knows you without checking with mun first by sending an ask. I’m sure we can work something out if we talk it through.

Also, if your muse is related to Aziraphale someway for you, do not assume that muns interpretation of Aziraphale will accept it. Please contact mun through an ask and they will consider it.

Mun will do their best to tag triggers, but they are still learning which tags are most used so some may be missed. If something triggers you, or you feel something Aziraphale posts should be tagged, please let mun know.

Mun reserves the right to not respond to every meme and/or ask. If they don’t feel inspiration for it or feel they can not do it justice, they won’t reply. This isn’t because of you, it’s solely because muns head can’t think of anything for it and wouldn’t want to put out a reply they aren’t completely pleased with.

Mun has a real life outside of Tumblr, including have a child, so Aziraphale/mun may not respond straight away. Please respect this.

Mun also has something called ’Hypermobility Syndrome’ which affects their typing sometimes (the worst part of their body is their right hand & they are right handed). This may lead to some spelling mistakes and they do their best to correct any. Despite this, some may get through to a final post. It isn’t intended and they are sorry if it happens but please be patient with them.

[archangelfngabriel]

Rules & Information

Info

No gifs or icons were created by mun unless otherwise stated.

If credit has not been given for any icons, please contact mun and I will do my best to give credit where I can.

This version of Gabriel will be portrayed as male/bisexual. Mun loves reading fics/threads/etc where Gabriel is portrayed as otherwise, but I do not feel that I can personally write him this way due to reasons I may or may not get into on this blog at some point. I do not have any issues with muses/muns of any gender identification or sexual orientation. You play your version of Gabriel however you wish to. Please respect mine.

This blog will contain spoilers for 'Good Omens' (TV adaptation). Canon divergent threads welcomed.

Resources: DeviantArt / Tumblr Tag / HollowArt

Rules & Guidelines

Mun is in the GMT timezone.

Both mun and muse are 21+.

If you do not have a rules page (and preferably an about page), I will not follow you back & probably will not interact either. I’m sorry if this seems harsh, but I find it difficult to interact/write with a muse when I do not know any rules/guidelines that the other mun has. The only exception to this rule will be if I have previously interacted with the mun & I already know the rules that they use.

Please do not reblog an rp thread if you are not involved in it. Liking a thread is fine, it actually makes me smile as it means someone is appreciating what myself and the other mun involved are creating (though do check if the other mun is okay with it as well). Reblogging though is a big peeve of mine and it happens far too often. It makes it difficult for us rpers to keep track of things. If you do this, i’m really sorry but you will be blocked. It’s nothing particularly personal, but it really makes it difficult for me if you do this.

There will be nsfw content found within, which will all be tagged with ‘nsfw’. If mun misses something, please let them know so that it can be tagged.

Gabriel will not participate in smut immediately with anyone, unless through a meme. Mun prefers to have things develop naturally.

Under no circumstance will there be smut with anyone under the age of 18. It doesn’t matter if you are of legal age in my country and not yours, it won’t be happening, sorry. It’s best for everyone that way.

Gabriel will enter into relationships &/or smut with both women and men.

Gabriel is open to rping with most OC characters and crossovers, though mun may find it more difficult to write with crossover muses. If you aren’t sure, please send an ask to check. Mun reserves the right to say no if they don’t feel they can rp with your muse.

No animated/comic FCs please as mun has difficulty rping with them (for reasons they are not sure of, lol).

Do not assume that Gabriel knows you without checking with mun first by sending an ask. I’m sure we can work something out if we talk it through.

Also, if your muse is related to Gabriel someway for you, do not assume that muns interpretation of Gabriel will accept it. Please contact mun through an ask and they will consider it.

Mun will do their best to tag triggers, but they are still learning which tags are most used so some may be missed. If something triggers you, or you feel something Gabriel posts should be tagged, please let mun know.

Mun reserves the right to not respond to every meme and/or ask. If they don’t feel inspiration for it or feel they can not do it justice, they won’t reply. This isn’t because of you, it’s solely because muns head can’t think of anything for it and wouldn’t want to put out a reply they aren’t completely pleased with.

Mun has a real life outside of Tumblr, including have a child, so Gabriel/mun may not respond straight away. Please respect this.

Mun also has something called ’Hypermobility Syndrome’ which affects their typing sometimes (the worst part of their body is their right hand & they are right handed). This may lead to some spelling mistakes and they do their best to correct any. Despite this, some may get through to a final post. It isn’t intended and they are sorry if it happens but please be patient with them.

[theonceoverthinker]

OUAT 2X10 - The Cricket Game

I’m loving this Season’s villains! I think they’re...CORA-upting me!!! XD

It’s okay, Reggie! You know I’m PUN-OMENAL at these!

If you want to read my actual thoughts on this episode (And BOY do I have some opinions), hit me up by going down below the cut!

Press Release Regina is accused of murdering one of the town’s most beloved fairytale characters – but only Emma senses that she may be innocent. Meanwhile, back in the fairytale land that was, after capturing the Evil Queen, Snow White and Prince Charming set about planning her public execution in order to rid the land of her murderous tyranny. General Thoughts - Characters/Stories/Themes and Their Effectiveness Past The trapping Regina scene in the flashback captivates Snow’s character in essence. Snow is not a stupid woman. She knows from experience what Regina is capable of, so she took the precaution of bringing reinforcements. However, she still has the kindness and love that the world (Both in and out of universe) came to know and love her for by attempting for diplomacy with Regina and later mourning the fact that Regina didn’t take it after the fact.

Apart from that, this is honestly a very frustrating segment. That’s because from where I stand, Regina at this point in her life absolutely deserved to die, and it was moronic of Snow not to let that happen.

And I get that that’s the point of the segment. Snow learns what everyone else already knew: Regina can’t change. However, the problem comes where this episode tries to make Snow and Charming’s debate one of equal merit to try to play up to a level of ambiguity. The episode is trying so hard to convince me that Snow might be in the right for wanting to spare Regina from execution, but is actually giving the explanation and diligence of dialogue to Charming. Charming’s coming across as barely ruthless, and his words are those that make sense and are given truth by the fact that we have seen what Regina is capable of. Hell, Regina, in the moments before the execution says that she regrets not having caused more pain.

And if they’re not going for an ambiguous plot and Snow is unabashedly supposed to be wrong in this flashback, then it’s just an honestly boring flashback. The segment itself doesn’t explore anything or lead to any unique character moments. While it’s nice to see Regina and Henry Sr. talk again, their conversation is pointless and gives us nothing that we haven’t gotten before. It honestly shouldn’t have existed because it paints Snow and Charming’s rule, something that was supposed to be fair and strong, albeit stuck in a conflict with Regina’s kingdom, into a bit of a joke. Now, in relation to the present, is it better that Regina lives? Yes, but this flashback is so fresh off the boat of detailing all of the harm that she caused in Season 1 that it would’ve had more effectiveness had it aired in a later season where present Regina could’ve had a lot more goodness at her back and her past been more distanced. As it stands, it’s a flashback that works semi effectively for Regina, but at the cost of reinforcing Regina’s more evil qualities and making Snow seem like not only a detrimental pacifist (And to be frank, an idiot), but an unjust ruler to all of her friends who lost what and who they cared for at Regina’s hands. It was actually painful to watch the scene between Snow and Charming after the failed execution, and not in the good way (It’s made even worse by the fact that Snow is so much smarter in the present). Snow’s not presenting a good enough argument to spare Regina against someone who is framed semi-negatively who has every reasonable reason to want to kill her, and it’s even revealed during her conversation with Rumple (“I don’t even know if it’s possible.”) that she doesn’t even have complete confidence in her decision while it risks the safety of her entire kingdom. How am I supposed to retain my confidence that Snow has what it takes to rule when this is how she handles such a big decision? Present I love the story here. It feels like the logical continuation of the story for out mains: What do we do with Regina now? Emma feels mixed, but her love for Henry and after dealing with Cora for an extended amount of time paints her as more willing to at least hear Regina out going forward (Though with understandable limits) while Snow and Charming who have encountered Regina at her worst for far longer are far more reluctant, and that conflict of feelings is the driving point behind the story. Now, do I consider Emma a touch too forgiving? Somewhat, but I also feel like said experiences with Cora paired with an understanding of the path bad parenting can turn on onto and genuine gratefulness for her return home makes it work well enough, especially with their argument during the party!

If I had a complaint about this segment (And it’s honestly a nitpick), it would be at Emma trying to pretend that there’s this connection between her and Regina about trying to change. Now, it’s effective enough, showing how Emma wants to be a mother to Henry while Regina’s trying to change her life, but I feel like the balance of that comparison never quite felt as strong as it could’ve.

Also, let’s talk about the “my son” line. I take no issue with it and actually applaud the line. It’s appropriately framed as the moment where Emma’s gone too far when she says it, but because as far as she knows, Regina has just squandered her own redemption, something she was trying to do for Henry’s sake, and then had the nerve to lie about it. It’s supposed to be a frustrating yet understandable response and it annoys me how so many refuse to accept that there are layers to this line and conversation that are delivered through framing and think that this is some issue where sides need to be definitively taken on who was “right.” That’s not how this works. Also, it had an appropriate level of setup because Emma was definitely responsive to Regina’s snipe at her during the party as to her skills as a mother. We see that throughout the episode, Emma’s been taking more steps to take on a direct motherly role to Henry after that conversation at the party. It culminates so well so at the moment she’s lost faith in Regina’s innocence, she’s lost faith in her ability to be a mother too. Insights - Stream of Consciousness -The opening shot of this episode is the most underrated shot in the entire series. It’s cool, dark, and Killian’s standing in the moonlight like a badass. It’s the first frame we see without even a recap or intro, but it pulls me in like nothing else in the world! And as the moment intensifies and we here Killian’s theme as he looks upon an unsuspecting Storybrooke and later jumps off his ship, it only gets better. Gif makers, make more gifs of this because I don’t see these shota on my dash at all and that’s a fucking problem! Like, it’s badass Hook! How is this not the centerpiece art or inspiration for like a dozen fics, no matter what you ship?! Like, Killian could either be a good guy or a bad guy in that! So please, just use this gif more! -Cora and Killian have a great rapport. While Killian’s not dumb by any means, we see how his vengeance tends to blind him and how someone more reserved in her thinking like Cora (EFor as INCREDIBLY fucked up as she is) can keep his thoughts in check. -Cora! Don’t kill the nice tackle shop employee! Rude af, ya bitch! And thank you, Killian for at least having the decency not to kill him. -I talk a LOT more about the tacos scene in the “Flip My Ship” section of this reviews (Or should I say, I TACO bout it), but the aftermath with Henry and Emma is hysterical and it only gets better with time. The line that brings the joke home (“It’s impressive that we can still provide her with a few traumatic childhood memories at this stage of the game”) just cements it as one of OUAT’s eternal shining moments. -Why did we not see Snow and Charming take down King George? At risk of dipping my toe into the salt pool, I feel like King George was really done dirty in the name of getting more characters when he was dripping with nuance. I’m not mad, per se seeing as we got that great castle storming last season, but there were more than a couple of eyes rolled when that bit of exposition was delivered to Regina. -It is just too cute to see Snow and Emma walking into a party only to be cheered by all their friends. Like, that just warms my heart. -On a sadder note, I realized how Emma’s name on the sign is smaller and not of the same material, almost like an add on. I don’t know if that was supposed to be read as a subtle hint from the set designers that Emma doesn’t fully fit in yet or what, but that hurts so much! -”I cannot tell you the relief of cooking something that I didn’t have to kill first.” “Don’t I know it. Meat loaf back home? What a bitch.” Another great set of funny lines! -On another funny note, I’m just imagining somewhere in town, Killian and Cora are walking around with ALL of the modern world jokes happening in the background! Fic writers (Maybe just me): GET ON THIS! -Charming’s speech is just so great here! It’s funny (“Here’s to hopefully not having to look for a while), adorable, and creates this very at-home mood. -Leroy, way to rush for the knife! XD And “What’s the secret ingredient? Poison?” is just a riot! -Mad props to Regina for her respect for the new paradigm of her standings with Henry’s custody. Like, look at Season 1 Regina, and there’s this big change! BUT also, I like how the writing shows how she’s not suddenly a goody-two shoes. Regina has anger issues and that comes out in a nasty and petty way. This was a good decision, especially given how fast she realizes her mistake and apologizes! And that real sincere apology is accepted, but the nastiness and pettiness doesn’t fully go away either, as evidenced by her talk with Dr. Hopper shortly afterwards! The character work at here is just gorgeous! -Cora is terrifying. She knows from just one look at Regina how “broken” she is. (As a side not, I’m now thinking of the title of the Season 1 premiere, “Broken” and how it relates to Regina. -”Reminding them of my past?” Archie told Emma nothing about your past and even you know that! -”I fear the Queen will never change.” I like this line, not only because it contrasts between Jiminy’s resolve in the past and present towards Regina, but how it speaks to the impact that Henry has had on Regina, as he’s made her someone who he believes could be saved. -”We must dispense justice.” Jiminy, for once in your life, you are making sense! -LIsten to the fluffy baby! -”Corgina’s” outfit is just so cool! -I like how Emma, though knowing that Regina’s words were said out of anger, still takes an aspect of them to heart by trying to be a more involved mother. -”How can I blame the one I love most?” A more cynical side of me is saying that this line is purposely over the top, but the side of me seeing Regina and Henry Sr. having a moment is crying too hard at said moment to care! -Rumple shows up for the execution. I wonder, did he actually fear that Regina would die, and if so, was he coming just to see if it would happen, or was his motivation more out of concern. Also, love the pan to him when Regina says, “even caused death.” Twice! -”We let her go. Then, we find the truth.” YES! Give me “Emma Swan: Investigations” on the 3DS, please! -If I ever decide to make a drinking game out of this show, I need to make sure that I take a BIG gulp every time Rumple is interrupted while or right before eating. -Rumple cooing at Pongo turns out to be all I need. Best episode ever! -”Well a long time ago in another life, I got to know a sheepdog or two.” WHY. WAS. THIS. NEVER. SHOWN?! -”It won’t allow us to communicate [With Pongo].” If magic won’t let you communicate with animals, then what’s the fucking point of it? -”Couldn’t you just use magic to fool us?” Give it time, Emma. -I LOVE those looks Snow and Charming give when Rumple reveals that Emma has magic and the follow-up reluctance when Rumple goads her into using it. -Love the Neal hint with that dream catcher! Prop Department, you guys deserve a retroactive raise! XD -Why did Pongo’s dream catcher only start glowing around his back/stomach? XD -I like how Emma immediately adopts and understands the concept of “all magic comes with a price.” -”He’s not [your son]! He’s mine.” I love the buildup to this fight. Like a cup of tea, it was brewing to the point of a perfect outburst. That having been said, Emma’s dialogue gets a little...weird after Regina magically pushes her. It sounds like how Snow or Charming would talk, not her, and character voice is an important thing. And why did what Emma say during that bit of the fight change her attitude from fighting Emma to leaving? It’s not like Henry showed up and saw her attack. I guess it’s a matter of credibility? -How the hell did Cora and Killian travel through Storybrooke with any manner of subtlety?! They’re Mr. and Ms. Drama! -Killian says “mom�� too! I know it’s stupid, but what was up with the weird colloquialism in the Enchanted Forest?! Like, 98% of the citizens use the “mother/father” designation, and these instances where they use “mom” really pop out! -”If that’s him, who did you kill?” “How should I know? It’s my first day in town!” The humor in this episode is just the best! XD Arcs - How are These Storylines Progressing? Regina’s Redemption - Regina’s redemption is appropriately challenged here and instead of Henry doing the challenging, it’s Henry’s heroes, who are far less forgiving of Regina’s misgivings. Well, partially because of Emma. I said this before, but I think how they handled Regina in the present part of the story was just genius! She’s really trying to fit in, but no one forgives her barring Henry, Emma, and Archie. Understandable. But what makes this so good is that Regina’s doesn’t just flip characters into someone nice but unrecognizable. The nasty, petty, and savage side to her is still very much alive, suppressed until she gets angry. That goes such a long way to showing that this redemption is a fight within herself. It’s a show of how self aware she can be depending on if she can apologize or not and sticks with the other characters as they investigate Archie’s murder. Cora in Storybrooke - Cora’s here and she’s corrupting shit! Cora immediately starts acting like a heat-seeking missile. She gets basic intel about her situation and then set out about destroying Regina’s life. And just like said missile, she destroys it pretty much on sight. Killian’s Revenge/Redemption - We’re starting to get into the “how” of how Killian takes his revenge. And Killian saves a fish guy! Rumple’s Redemption - Granted while all but forced because of Belle’s presence, Rumple does help Emma and co. to the best of his abilities. Favorite Dynamic Emma and Regina -  What I love about this dynamic here is just its sincerity. Emma is blatantly unsure of how much Regina has changed, but she knows that she wants to and is being supportive. And even though this builds to an unhappy ending between the two of them, that sticks with Emma the whole time. She gives Regina the benefit of the doubt because she both believes in Regina and she wants Henry to have her in his life until plausible deniability goes out the window (As far as she knows). Emma works herself to the bone trying to examine each and every possibility that could prove Regina’s innocence and I feel like she doesn’t get enough credit for that. Regina herself is also being sincere, both in her defense for herself in the murder mystery and with her emotions and wants. She’s very honest as to her opinions on why she’s innocent and she’s open about her hopes to spend more time with Henry. And you honestly feel her trying to be more self aware, especially with the apology at the party. Writer Goodman and Hull are back in this episode, and unfortunately, so is Goodman’s sanctimony. This episode is so annoyingly on the nose with its laurels and in the past, it has nothing to show for it. Additionally, there’s no sense of framing in the flashback. While Snow ultimately decides that trying to redeem Regina was wrong, the entire amount of buildup towards that conclusion gives all the good points to David while making Snow our focal character. In the present, things are much better, for the framing is dependent on the effective shows of work into her redemption that Regina’s gone through and the audience has the crucial point of reference that Cora is in town and she can transform herself. I feel like I need to attribute this to Hull. Rating 6/10. I’m so torn about this episode. The quality of the content in the present is out of this world. Half the lines had me in stitches because the comedy hit a bullseye each and every time. And story wise? What a great one! The conflicts between Emma and her parents, Emma and Regina, and Emma with herself are all delivered masterfully and they were written so intricately that no one is left without sympathy. On the other side of the coin though, the flashback is a profound waste of time. It serves to grant a single point of exposition, but unlike other episodes that try for the same thing, nothing of interest is even attempted barring a genuine though completely useless conversation between Regina and Henry Sr.. We know Regina wasn’t about to switch sides in this flashback, and without the attempt of pretense to entertain that, the writing ends up making Snow a complete idiot. Flip My Ship - Home of All Things “Shippy Goodness” Snowing - TACOSSSSSSSSSSS!!!! *ahem* That is all. Okay, I’ve got more to say because the taco scene is just adorable and sexy, and it’s rare that we get a scene like this without unfortunate implications behind it. The chemistry between Ginny and Josh is as hot as it’s ever been and it’s a perfect bout of payoff for their separation. Seeing Snow and Charming cradle each other and have such fluffy pillow talk that you’d think the scene happened in heaven itself is just flawless. Rumbelle - Seeing Belle coo over Rumple cooing at Pongo brings the biggest smile to my face on this Earth! ()()()()()()()()() Thank you all for reading and to the fine folks at @watchingfairytales! Next time, let’s examine one of our outsiders, okay? See you then!

Season 2 Tally (92/220) Writer Tally for Season 2: Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis: (29/60) Jane Espenson (17/50) Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg (20/50) David Goodman (16/30) Robert Hull (16/30) Christine Boylan (7/30) Kalinda Vazquez (10/30) Daniel Thomsen (10/20)

Operation Rewatch Archives

[overthinkingfeathers]

@hollyand-writes tagged me in the writer process meme (thanks!), so let’s get to it. Even though Hellbeast 2 managed to briefly break my keyboard partway through this, so presumably he’s trying to prevent some kind of terrible, meme related catastrophe. 

Short stories, novels, or poems?

Short stories, short stories, short stories. I have no patience to write anything longer than a brief one shot these days. I occasionally dabble in poetry, and I’ve written longer form things in the distant past. 

What genre do you prefer reading?

At this point, I’m pretty sure I read fanfic the most. Outside of that, I find it’s difficult for me to enjoy any one genre; I want to like fantasy and mystery and horror, but picking books up randomly within genres doesn’t tend to work out for me. I’ll be like this looks interesting! based on the cover and blurb, and then two chapters in it’s all boob plate sexy bathing, and I’m done. 

What genre do you prefer writing?

Does fanfic count? Look, I’m a lazy writer. I don’t want to world build. I enjoy some parts of it, but the overall scale is more than I want to deal with. I want to make a cool looking map, not actually think about how rivers work. Also, I enjoy writing one shots, and that really works best with characters and settings people are already familiar with. 

If I have to pick a different genre, unreality. You can’t argue the rules of reality when reality isn’t the same. 

Are you a planner or a write-as-I-go kind of person?

Write as I go, mostly. I usually have a rough idea of what I want - usually a few specific sentences, an overall plot - but I don’t make outlines or anything like that. My most well received fics have always been the ones where I do 0 planning and haven’t even considered writing them until that day. 

What music do you listen to while writing?

I don’t have any specific playlists or even a consistent stance on music while writing. Sometimes I just keep whatever I’m looping in the background going, sometimes I turn it off entirely. Once I tried using one of those ambient setting playlists but got distracted by it instead. 

Fave books/movies?

Books-wise, I love The Hogfather and Good Omens. Movies is a little harder, because I legitimately forget most movies within two weeks, but Constantine is my go-to (possibly mainly for the angel and demon depictions, but that’s not the point). 

Any current WIPs?

My endlessly in limbo Merribela one, Sten directly after becoming Arishok, Mahariel visiting Merrill post DA2, Mahariel and the one time she tried blood magic (without being a mage)... My WIPs are numerous and doomed to never be released. 

If someone were to make a cartoon out of you, what would your standard outfit be? 

A cute dress and black flats outside of work, scrubs and sneakers inside. 

Create a character description for yourself:

Moving on, I considered the position of my breasts. Women would never die of jealousy, but the men didn’t seem to dislike them. 

CURED? Social anxiety claimant wears THIS in public! [12 Photos]  (The photos are all me, in floral, paint spattered jeggings, dragging improbably large weeds and rogue tree branches around the yard. Half of my hair is in a ponytail so off center that it’s basically a pigtail, but rather than commit, the other half is nominally held back by a bobby pin. Mosquitos loom. A sapling conks me on the shoulder.) 

In seriousness, a wash. Dress that suggests going somewhere nice but with untamed hair and no makeup that suggests staying home. Soft spoken and polite but prone to swearing and absolutely confrontational when pushed. Comes across hyper competent and intelligent but actually only remembers things to keep out of trouble and is completely forgetful about everything else. 

Do you like incorporating people you actually know into your writing?

Nooooo. I am super no about that. I generally try to not even know who voices the characters in games I play, because that means there is a real person attached to them (in a way, even though I mean obviously there always is - even without a voice, someone(s) wrote them), and I cannot do anything that even remotely veers into real person fic. And that’s for people that I know only as a concept, a theory of personality based on public appearances. A person I actually know? Jesus fuck no. 

Are you kill-happy with characters? 

Nope. I want them all to be happy. If a character dies in canon, they’ll probably stay dead in my writing, but I usually don’t write much about that. 

Coffee or tea while writing?

Neither. Soda all the way. 

Slow or fast writer?

Fast typer who occasionally gets caught up on a specific line and will stop for a while to rework it. I also works in spurts; I’ll go months at a time without publishing anything, then abruptly write and share three things within two weeks. 

Where/who/what do you find inspiration from?

For actual inspiration, recent personal experiences, mostly. It’s not necessarily always obvious what did it though (the Mahariel talking to Zevran about why he lived fic, for instance, came from a night I spent at a campfire in the mountains, because the embers and the smoke were things I hadn’t experienced in a long time, but you wouldn’t know that).

Otherwise, prompts mostly. Lazy lazy, prefer to have a premade idea (or sentence or feeling or whatever) to spark an actual idea.  

If you were put into a fantasy world, what would you be? 

I mean, probably dead. Confrontational dumbfuck with extremely poor eyesight walks directly into dragon attacking town while shouting profanities, promptly gets incinerated. 

Most fave book cliche? Least fave book cliche?

Yay equally competent characters caring for each other and falling in love. Boo heavy sexualization. 

Fave scenes to write?

I actually prefer writing dialogue. I usually end up writing it first, because it flows much more naturally for me, and then going back and filling in around it. 

Most productive time of day for writing?

I would love to say night, because that’s when I’m awake 95% of the time, but I feel like most of my fics are written between like 8AM to 12PM, bleary eyed and exhausted. 

Reason for writing:

Words fun. Explore new concepts. Flesh out scenes that can’t make it into a necessarily shortened game. Create art without having to draw, which I personally suck at. 

I have no idea how many people I’m actually supposed to tag, nor do I remember exactly who hollyand tagged, so a random sampling of people who can do this if they want: @carabas, @mikkeneko, @thejourneymaninn, @emberkeelty, and @deviantdragons. 

[outlikethat]

FOURTEEN PEOPLE I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW BETTER

no one:

@drawlight: I did this thing, please consider yourself tagged

still absolutely no one:

me: YES YES I’M PROCRASTINATING HERE MY DOZEN BELOVED FOLLOWERS HAVE SOME RANDOM PERSONAL DETAILS!

(honestly I must sleep more, I can’t focus at all today)

ONE / name: whatever it says on the platform I’m in. Kai. Katharine. (Someone at the grocery store asked if I was doing a “Men in Black thing” because my points card just said “K Lastname. Honestly if I was cooler maybe I would’ve thought of that. It would certainly save the perpetual spelling problems everyone seems to have with my actual name.)

TWO / birthday: March 14

THREE / zodiac sign: Pisces sun, Aquarius moon and rising. I don’t necessarily credit astrology on a given day but I will say I never related to the Pisces stuff much, but adding in the Aquarius in those placements made me go “ohhhhhh. Oh dear.”

FOUR / height: five three but I walk taller

FIVE / hobbies: Long-standing ones: writing. Planning to write. Theatre — acting, plus a bit of costume design. Reading. Drawing. Sewing (sometimes). Calligraphy. Messing around with acrylic paint trying to make it do things that would ideally be accomplished with other media. Finding new hobbies to take up in expensive brief flares of enthusiasm. Scrolling through some part of the internet for hours thinking guiltily about the many useful/creative things I should be doing.

SIX / favourite colour: Either somber black/grey monochromes, OR blinding combinations of neon/rainbow. Favourite paint colour: Payne’s grey. My clothes are a general background of black but as accents I like chartreuse and that cat-puke ochre yellow that comes into fashion every now and then, also red plaid.

SEVEN / favourite book: I really really can’t answer this question. Last book I read and loved: Lara Elena Donnelly’s Amnesty

EIGHT / last song I listened to: The Opus/Aesop Rock - Take Me to the Basement

NINE / last film I watched: Spider-Man: Far From Home. I hated it a lot

TEN / inspiration for muse: usually weird fragments of obscure facts or incidents

ELEVEN / dream job: I expected that like my favourite literary heroes as a child, my annual income of a couple thousand pounds a year would just show up. It might be a little scant, but would suffice to keep the roof on my little house in a village, and food on the table. Where is it, I ask you?

TWELVE / meaning behind your URL: I have literally no idea what I was thinking when I picked it. I sometimes worry it sounds patronising

THIRTEEN / top 3 ships: Based on reading spreadsheet, Harry/Draco, Steve/Bucky, Aziraphale/Crowley. Mostly just supply and availability, that; I don’t care and I’ll read whatever someone who seems to have taste recommends. Apart from the A/C I suppose... but no, I’m not even really that invested in them, just Good Omens as a whole right now —and there’s a FIREHOSE of A/C and very little anything else, and hardly anyone is reccing the anything else so if I want it I have to pick through the ... works of varying quality ... myself

FOURTEEN / lipstick or lip balm: BITE agave lip mask

FIFTEEN / currently reading: Good Omens (re-reading for the first time in several years). The Good Omens script book. T. Kingfisher’s Minor Mage. Ivo Andríc’s Bosnian Chronicles. About 8 fics, all Good Omens, open in tabs on my phone — wait, no, that’s a fib, there’s also a Grand Budapest Hotel and a Harry Potter one too

SIXTEEN / work: graphic design

SEVENTEEN / fiction: What about it? I said something very Deep in therapy yesterday about how fiction always shaped my life and influenced me more than mundane realities, but I don’t remember what my point was

EIGHTEEN / fanfiction: fandom is my fandom. I don’t write much of it though, and what I have written pretty much fails on both the fic and the original works axis.

I wouldn’t presume to tag but please consider yourself invited to tag yourself.