#beach episode i'll get more opportunity

[writingjjfics]

Pogues to the rescue!

Pairing: JJ Maybank x kook!reader, Platonic!Pogues x kook!reader

Summary: JJ and the Pogues come to rescue Y/n from her Kook family party.

Warnings: Kooks

Requested?: Yes! See request here!

Word count: 1.4k

A/N: Guess who's back? back again? It's moi! I apologize for how extremely long this took, life got in the way 🙂 also I did change the request a bit, and got some inspiration from the midsummers episode, hope that's okay! Oh and Sarah is not part of the Pogues for the sake of the story (not my gif)

The last few hours of your life have been a bore. You were stuck at this table with egocentric old kook people who could only talk about their 'perfect' lives and their well-succeeded grandchildren. You tried your best to show interest, but your mind kept drifting off. You nodded politely at them, and every so often, you mustered up a fake smile to make them think that you were listening to their boring stories.

When you noticed that their attention was no longer on you, which was hardly surprising considering how egocentric they all are, you quietly got up from the table and left. After quickly scanning the backyard in search of your mother, you, fortunately, spotted her in a conversation with her best friends. Taking advantage of the opportunity, you made your way inside the house to use the bathroom.

As you sat down on the toilet, you felt relieved. Not only because you could finally pee, but also after hours of miserably pretending to be anything close to a Kook, you could let your guard down here, even if it was just for a few minutes.

Taking your phone from your clutch, you check for any notifications that you might have missed in the last few hours. While scrolling through Instagram, you noticed your boyfriend had posted a video on his story. In the video, JJ was smoking his Juul, surrounded by the rest of the Pogues who were dancing and singing to some song in the background.

JJ's happy smile, as he hung out with the Pogues, made you feel a sense of joy for him. The Pogues are his true family and he deserves to be this happy and comfortable all the time. Sometimes you were jealous of their relationship. Even though your family has money and shows their love and care for you in their own, unique way, you've always felt like you don't quite fit in with them. It's as if you're the odd one out. At least the Pogues always have each other and their bond is unbreakable.

You snapped a quick selfie and sent it to JJ, showing him how extremely bored you were. After putting your phone back in your clutch bag, you let out a deep sigh, realizing you had to get back to the party before your mom would put up 'missing child' posters. However, as you reached for the door handle, you heard your ringtone go off. A picture you had taken of JJ at the beach during sunset a few weeks ago, filled your phone screen. A warm feeling spread through your chest as you answered the phone, grateful that he had taken the time to call you back.

"Party that bad, huh?", JJ chuckled as he spoke.

"If I have to listen to these fake people for a minute longer, I'll pull a van Gogh myself"

You could hear JJ snickering. "That's one way to answer that question"

"Can't you just hack into a system and send some emergency alert or something?", you whined.

"Honey, I'm definitely not as smart as Pope, but what I can do is try to sneak you away?"

"Tempting as that sounds, my mom would kill me"

"C'mon baby, we both know your mom loves her reputation too much to kill her daughter", JJ joked.

You rolled your eyes. "Very funny JJ, besides I don't want to be a burden to the rest of the Pogues."

You heard JJ scoff. Since knowing JJ, you've met the Pogues a few times, yet each meeting seemed to grow more awkward than the previous one. JJ always reassures you that the rest of the Pogues just have a hard time getting comfortable around the idea that he is dating a kook, or well just kooks in general, and that it's never because of your personality. "Before you know it, they will love you as much as I do", was what he told you occasionally. But you just can't help taking it personal.

"Y/n, stop being so stubborn, and let us help you. I want you here as much as you want to leave that party. Be ready in ten. I won't take no for an answer."

You were about to protest, but before you could, the distant chatter of the other Pogues in the background went silent, indicating that JJ had already ended the call.

After giving yourself a final look in the mirror and letting out another heavy breath, you opened the door and made your way back to the party outside.

Everyone was still engrossed in conversation, and it appeared that no one noticed you had been gone. It gives you a glimmer of hope that you might be able to slip away from the party without your parents noticing. However, at the same time, you can't help but recall a few years ago when you did the same thing, only to receive a month-long grounding from them.

After nervously looking ahead for a while, and making up different scenarios in your head, you suddenly feel a tap on your shoulder. Irritated, thinking it's one of your parents wanting to remind you to be more social, you turn around.

"You look like you could use another drink. Can I maybe offer you this one?"

In front of you stood JJ, dressed up as a waiter, holding a champagne glass. He gave you that annoying but charming smirk of his.

You took the champagne from him and chugged the entire drink, making JJ chuckle.

"Thanks, you always know exactly what I need babe"

You and JJ both laughed and you turned around looking for your parents. Your mother was still talking to her friends, while your father discussed work matters as usual.

"C'mon, let's go before my parents see us leaving". You were still nervous about the consequences, but decided that, that would be a problem for later. There's nothing you want more than to be with JJ right now.

JJ took your hand and quickly led you to the front of the house. Before reaching the gate, he suddenly stopped and gave you a kiss.

"Hi baby", he spoke softly.

You smiled. "Hi, Jay".

JJ gestured with his head towards the gate. "The others are right outside waiting for us." He squeezed your hand to reassure you that it was going to be okay. You nodded and followed him.

As you turned the corner, you saw the rest of the Pogues waiting next to the Twinkie. They were talking, but stopped abruptly when they saw the two of you approaching. Pope waved shyly towards you, while John B approached you enthusiastically. "That was quick"

"Yeah, I thought those kooks would give you more trouble", Kie said, rolling her eyes and emphasizing the words 'those kooks'. You saw Pope nudge Kiara. “Sorry, no offense to you of course”, she quickly realized her mistake. You smiled weakly and shrugged your shoulder. 'Well, luckily I don't see myself as a Kook'.

There was an awkward silence until JJ cleared his throat and walked over to the Twinkie to open the door. "Let's go back to the Chateau shall we?"

You got into the back of the Twinkie first, expecting JJ to follow you, but instead, it was Kie and Pope as John B and JJ got into the front seats having their own conversation. Kie sat beside you and turned toward you.

"Hey, I want to apologize if we ever made you feel unwelcome. We just had to get used to a new person in the group, but we see how happy you make JJ and that is the most important thing for us."

"Yeah, and you're real nice and fun to hang out with Y/n", Pope added.

You smiled, "Thanks, that means a lot to me."

"And I'm actually happy there is finally a girl in this group, I love these boys but I also really need some girl time", Kiara said making everyone laugh.

You locked eyes with JJ who was already smiling and gave you a wink. A few seconds later you heard your phone go off and saw that you received a text from JJ that said "I told you they were going to love you." You rolled your eyes at him, but chuckled nonetheless. You finally felt like you belonged there.

The rest of the night was spent hanging out at the Chateau, laughing, dancing, and getting to know the Pogues better.

As for your parents, you later found out that they had tried to call you many times that night, so you ended up being grounded again, but you really couldn't care less because JJ and the Pogues were helping you through it. They would always be there for you.

aaaah the end!! so so happy I finally finished a fic again. I was busy with my graduation project and had massive writers block, but I'm back! So if you have any requests or you just want to talk to me? LMK ❤️ Okay, love you byee x

[wackulart]

Reader goes into the tide pools and meets Belos like with Lilith and Luz in that one episode

giving me an excuse to rewatch Elsewhere Elsewhen AND write 1600s Philip? IM ON IT.

Part 2

Philip Wittebane x Reader

----------------------------

You didn't think the time pools would actually work.

The topic of them came up during a conversation you were having with a store owner and reminded you of the days you used to pretend to find them. You had some makeshift toy that didn't really work, you would crawl into one side of a hollow log and exit out the other side acting like you were in the future.

It was fun as a kid so you thought to go back to that place and revisit those memories. You didn't expect to fall into the sand and end up centuries into the past. Your immediate reaction was to hop right back in and back away. As you scrambled out of the time pool you took a second to breathe.

Once the initial anxiety had died down a bit, a thought crossed your mind.. why not?

How many witches could really say they had been in a time pool? Most demons you knew didn't even believe in them and that included you until now. You had considered the risks, but the tide wouldn't be coming quite some time.

...Fuck it.

You stood up and peeked your head back in. The beach hadn't seemed to different too the one you were currently on, yet you had spotted a group of witches celebrating something. With what you remembered from your days at school you recognized the outfits as those from the Deadwardian era.

Then you realized you'd probably stick out a bit with your modern clothing, not to mention the bloody fly effect.

After you pulled yourself through the portal, you moved to the trees to grab a few large leaves and makeshift yourself a hat. Once you adjusted your clothes to look a little more aged and you were satisfied, you headed into the town.

It was so surreal to see things that you had only read in history books. What was even stranger was how calm and kind things were in this era. You were pretty sure that these were considered the savage ages, wasn't wild magic dangerously rampant?

Before you could dwell too much on the thought, the sound of a door slamming made you turn swiftly in the direction. You looked to see a man kick at the door before stumbling back and yelling at the person inside. He adjusted his jacket and began stomping off, too angry to notice that he had dropped something.

You rushed over to pick it up and tap his shoulder. The man audibly groaned before turning to you and as you held out the pen that he had nearly lost, your eyes widened.

"You're human." You spoke before you could stop yourself.

He paused before sighing and taking his pen from you harshly. "Here to poke fun? I'll have you know that I have no intention in wasting my time-"

You waved your hands panickedly. "No, I've just never met a human before." You couldn't help but have a genuine fascination in meeting someone from a completely different world.

There was a look of confusion, maybe conflict before it fell and he turned away. He wasn't sure what you were looking for from him but he wasn't going to fall for those sparkling eyes. There was clearly ill intent behind them, even if he couldn't see it just yet.

The man forced a smile and turned to leave, not expecting you to follow him. He looked over to you as you shoved your hands towards him and told him your name.

The human stopped, staring at you hard. He could see a determination in your eyes that told him he wasn't getting out of this easy.

He sighed before taking your hand and shaking it. "My name is Philip Wittebane."

You two had begun walking together, you were mostly taking in the sights while pointing at things you found interesting. He had tried several times to sneak off from you but you had stayed resilient.

Philip had decided to not waste his opportunity by asking you questions and you had plenty for him as well.

He wouldn't admit that he was sort of enjoying the company, it was simply a by product from traveling alone for as long as he had been.

That was it.

Philip had sat on a bench with you joining in the seat right beside him. You leaned into him and peeked at his journal, then you noticed that he was drawing the bird a few feet in front of the two of you.

You looked back and forth between it and then pointed excitedly at his sketch. "Hey, that's really good!"

He shot up and his voice stuttered. "Oh, uhm- Thank you."

It was a challenge trying not to react at how close you had gotten, he tried to force his focus onto his journal.

You seemed to be rather comfortable around him, the whole walk you spoke so passionately about everything you told him. He was trying to understand why you were so excited around him even when his answers had been cold and short.

Then he heard you gasp lightly and looked up to see what the issue was. He followed your eyes to a sketch he had done while you two had been walking. It wasn't anything impressive by his standards, a simple silhouette drawing of you and him.

"Is that me?" You questioned.

He nodded and felt his face grow red at the genuine smile on your face.

What is this?

What were you doing to him?

This curse that you had plagued him with forced words out of his mouth. "Do you.. like it?"

He didn't understand why he cared, in fact he shouldn't care what a witch had to say about his work. He didn't care.

He didn't have to force down a smile when you nodded and asked to see more drawings, he didn't purposefully scoot closer to you while you two looked through his book and he definitely did not sneak peeks at that adorable look on your face as you awed over his things.

Then came nightfall and you explained that you had to go and that you weren't sure that you could come back.

Philip nodded and held out his hand, he ignored the twist in his stomach and realized that it was for the best. Lest he fall to the temptation that had twisted his brother.

Instead of taking it, you pulled him in for a hug since you probably wouldn't see him again. The chance that you could find another time pool was incredibly rare and not to mention that this was four hundred years in the past.

You felt him slowly put his arms around you until you pulled away.

"Goodbye, Philip." You called out as you began to run towards the beach before the tide came in.

He waved to you, memorizing the sound of your voice and the look in your eyes. Perhaps he could not have you, as you were a demon and he would never see you again, but he could have your memory.

You made it to the time pools and took a couple tries before you had found your time and hopped back into it. As you got out to the other side and landed on top of the sand, you felt the tide hit your ankles. That was it then. You wondered if you could find something about Philip in the library somewhere.

Just to check if things had fared well for him.

The next week had been much calmer for you compared to the adventure you had gone on, but you still smiled at the fact that not only had you met a human but you befriended him.

No one would believe it.

As you carried your goods to the Emperor's castle and helped unloaded packages with a few other workers, you felt eyes on you. You looked behind you to see the Emperor himself, the fact that he had been there at all had surprised you.

It had even surprised you enough to miss the recognition in his eyes as he whispered your name under his breath.

[starryalpacasstuff]

Last Twilight Ep 8; Thoughts

We're at the 2/3 mark of the show, and the episode honestly felt surreal. Last Twilight is continuing to parallel iconic moments of Bad Buddy, this time with running away and scenes on the beach. However, it never feels like it's boring or repetitive, because while the parallels are clear, the shows are also distinct. It's clear that the characters in the two shows are pushed by different things.

I was yelling at the screen when I realized Mhok and Day were going off on their own, because ditching Night = recipe for disater (he'd obviously call Day's mom!?!)

But then this happened, and I had to pause and take a moment, now that my fears had been resolved. We know so little about Night, and yet so much. Understanding his character requires a lot of reading in between the lines, and until we know what happened between the brothers, the picture won't be complete. I did, in fact, breathe a huge sigh of relief when I realized that Night was in on it, because while Mhok and Day are capable of handling themselves, if Day's mother found out, we all know that it wouldn't make for a pretty situation.

Which calls in something else I'm curious about. Is Day really naive enough to believe that they can ditch Night with no consequences? Or is there some trust left in Day, that Night will let them go. Has he figured that Night is likely in on it, and is choosing to remain quiet?

There's a number of possibilities, and I'm curious to see how it plays out. It's highly likely that his anxiousness to get away from Night, and trust in Mhok meant that the though simply hasn't crossed his mind too.

On that topic, if we rewind to the beginning of the ep

I just love how much Day trusts Mhok. It's obvious, but I felt it was worth pointing out. Mhok tells Day that there's no one there, and Day accepts. Mhok having played the caregiver role for Day for so long is definitely the main reason for this, and it's beautiful to watch.

Speaking of transparency in their relationship, can I take a moment to talk about just how much I loved this scene? Mhok was upset about the prank, and Day wasn't taking it seriously. Mhok could have clammed up, creating tension between the two. It would even be expected, given his role as Day's caretaker and the 'put Day first' mentality that we've seen so far. But he doesn't, and oh my god, this calls for aplause. He calls Day out on it, and gives Day a taste of his own medicine. And, this is something that perfectly shows that things are not the same now that they're boyfriends. Mhok gets more agency, more say, because he's one half of the relationship. I've said thia before about the subversion of faen fatale, and I'll say it again; Last Twilight has a very strong identity as a show, and a very strong grasp on what it's doing. Time and time again, it has shown us opportunities that it could have taken to create drama, and veered in the opposite direction entirely. The subversion is intentional, and clearly so.

While we're talking about characters standing up for their feelings..

I feel like someone should create a masterpost of everything we know about Night, and we can add on every bit of new info we get and compare it to the rest, because everything tells us so little yet so much. It seems that Night is still willing to push against Day's hatred. But of course, he's more willing to allow Day to live happily, as we see him letting the two go off on their own. It seems that every time Night does something for Day, he prefers to do it anonymously, such as showing up to the race. We've seen that he's accepted the villain image. Is this why he seems keen on upholding that villain image in front of Day, while helping him behind his back? P'Aof isn't one to write conflict for small or petty reason, so I'm starting to be more and more convinced that Night genuinely did something wrong to Day. He regrets it, but he also knows he can't take it back or heal their bond, so he's simply keeping the status quo, helping his brother behind his back, while only allowing himself to be selfish on occasion, like this one. I'm so intrigued by Night and his mannerisms, his actions.

Back tracking a bit again, (this is a mess)

This scene was a pivotal moment. I've previously mentioned that Day was living in a fantasy, and I've also briefly touched on Day's sence of normalcy in a post, how he was relying on things to go back to 'normal' and how he's been able to build a new normal with Mhok. He'd get the transplant eventually, and things would go back to 'normal'. Mhok helped Day redefine his 'normal', but the hope that his sight would return one day was still present. Here, it's shattered. Up till now, Day was living his life as if he were biding his time till he got his eyesight back. Now he's going to be living as if he has to wrap up a lifetime of memories in three months. He's feeling as though time is running out.

I think this is one of the first times I've seen Day talk back to his mom, which is fair, because it's ingrained in asian kids to not talk back to your elders. Day is, in the end, a rich kid. On top of that, he has a single mom. 1+1=2, Day didn't get to see much of his mom growing up. @waitmyturtles talked about this a bit in a post, mentioning how Day's mom's career always came first. She didn't have time to attend a game because she had an event, she couldn't come to school for something because she had a meeting, etc etc. (I don't know how much of an age gap there is between Day and Night, but anyone thinking that Night had to fill in on occasion..?) He's making a jab at his mom, that she's far to busy to be there with him for stuff, and she's far too overprotective to let another be there with him for it. Again, typical rich family dysfunction. Day and his mother's dynamic will be an interesting thing to watch as the episodes progress, that's for sure.

Alright, onto the last one

When I'm not sure if there's a deeper meaning behind a scene, music is always a great clue that there is something greater behind it. As episodes progress, we've seen Day slowly reassimilate himself in society. This is such an important theme, because being a part of and engaging with society is a huge part of asian culture. I view this dance as a sort of culmination of the progress that Day has made over time with Mhok. Would the Day at the beginning of the series have danced with a stranger at a party while having worse eyesight that before? No way in hell. Also, paying respect and interactling with older people is, again, a HUGE part of asian culture, so this was essentially the perfect way to depict this culmination. When the first episode had aired, @twig-tea had first introduced in a post the theme of liminality in Last Twilight. One of the definitions given was "of, relating to, or being an intermediate state, phase, or condition : IN-BETWEEN, TRANSITIONAL". Since Mhok entered Day's life, he's been in a liminal (transitional) state, as he moves closer to rejoing society. In this scene, we see what I'd like to say is the end of this liminal state. Of course, this isn't to say that Day is no longer in a state of liminality. Liminality presents itself in various ways throughout the show. This is simply a culmination of Day and Mhok's efforts to reintegrate Day into society. While the battle is far from over; disable people often find themselves outcasted and removed from society; it's a sign of hope, a sign of growth, a sign that their efforts have a result.

[asirensrequiem]

Why are Anthony and husk living with alastor and why hasn’t he killed em yet?

I’m sensing he has a soft spot for nifty, Anthony and husk

Anthony and Husk live next door in their apartment complex! Husk in this universe has simply seen too much and Alastor is aware of this. Husk, knowing that Al is a threat, obeys his requests without question and isn't afraid of getting his hands a bit dirty.

Niffty lives on the bottom floor of the building and works as a maid/room service. I imagine she found traces of Alastors nightly activities while cleaning his apartment and spoke up about it. Alastor attempted to threaten her, but she seemed unfazed and almost excited. So in turn she offered her services to assist him for... whatever Niffty's reasons are haha!

I definitely feel that over the years, Alastor has grown quite fond of the both of them and would definitely be torn if something were to happen to them.

I haven't had much of an opportunity to show the layout of the buildings, rooms, and the town in general, nor do I think I will since I want to focus more on that sweet sweet romance and lore, but I may post a map or layout picture at some point for different locations in between chapters~

I'll provide a brief description of some of the places we've visited thus far: Alastor lives on the top floor of an apartment complex. The unit itself consists of 3 rooms (4 if you count a bathroom). The first room is the combined kitchen and living room directly when you walk in the door as shown in "Meet".

Pretty everything in the unit is connected to this room. I have never been too great at backgrounds but hopefully this comic will slowly change that lol.

The next room would be the bedroom. This room is located in the attic. The ladder that Lucifer fell down can be folded up and closed like an attic. The way the ladder goes into the kitchen is similar to how it is in Miraculous Ladybug if any of y'all get me--

The roof of the bedroom is slightly slanted and there is a window above a desk that was positioned out of frame from the already shown shot of this room. There is a queen-sized bed, a bedside table, and a closet in the corner, also out of show from what has been shown thus far.

The rest of the apartment has not shown up yet, but it will be where a lot of scenes take place so that will be shown more and more throughout the chapters~ The remaining rooms are the obligatory bathroom and Alastor's radio studio. I will not share too much about said studio since it will be making an appearance next chapter ;) I WILL however share that there is a step-out balcony attached to the apartment as well.

More information about Husk and Anthony will pop up here and there and I do want to do a few Huskerdust mini-episodes ;) The town layout will be a project and a half if I am to solidify it, but I am more concerned about the fluff, angst, and ROMANCE!! I think the most solidified part of the town layout is that it is slightly elevated above the ocean shore with rock walls around the beach so you take stairs to get on and off of the beach. This gives me a bit more freedom in some plot points is all :))

ANYWAY thank you for the questions, I kinda went on a rant, but hopefully, this answers some unspoken questions as well. It's hard to convey EVERYTHING I want to in each panel and chapter so I am always open to clarification post releases! This is the kind of stuff that keeps motivating me and I frikkin love you guys for that! TvT

<3<3<3

[nabi-unveiled]

Kant's Plan: The Path to Acceptance

My roller coaster of thoughts about "Kant's plan" to help Fadel and Style patch things up.

Stage 1: I hate this plan!

Seriously, your "big plan" is to LIE to the person that is absolutely sick of all of the lies. Can we please stop lying to each other?

Stage 2: Does this even count as a plan?

The "plan" is to get them alone on the beach together. They've been alone together for days. That's not a plan.

Stage 3: Wait. This might have been necessary.

Style has just been shot and then openly supported Kant. Fadel is retreating. Kant actually understands retreating. It's something we've seen him do on several occasions. Both of them retreat into their shells when conflicted and stew in their thoughts. But as Bison said, Fadel has an ego. He's not just going to willingly approach Style at this point. Fine, I'll begrudgingly allow this.

Stage 4: Ok. There are some positives.

As someone who retreats himself (he really does parallel Fadel in some ways), Kant knows that Style is great at bringing people out of their shells. He trusts Style to make the most of any opportunity. He's smart enough to know that Fadel doesn't like him. He also trusts that Fadel cares about and trusts Bison despite all the recent events. I do love someone who trusts their friends, and if nothing else, Kant does that in spades in this friendship. It also allowed him to explain to Fadel more about Style's actual role which I really wanted to happen.

Stage 5: I give up. I'll accept the plan.

I mean - look at the results. By the end of the episode, we have a joyous quartet who are very much in harmony.

Can I really argue when the plan met its measurable outcomes? Yes, I can.

[kabutoraiger]

have been watching galileo with mom and went "no way" out loud seeing that they totally excised episode 4 from existence bc that guy from smap guest stars in it... saw something about this happening but assumed it was jpn netflix only bc like. who among US netflix viewers even knows who that guy is?? i barely know who he is! guess it's just easier to make it uniform internationally but still. wild

relatedly i keep wondering what the current implosion of fuji tv might mean for all their dramas on netflix. like i don't know the chances of such a company folding altogether but maybe not impossible at this point. and if the rights to their shows get snatched up by other networks less interested in global expansion... feel like i need to beg people to please watch beach boys (1997) as quickly as humanly possible 😭

on the flip side if fuji tv keeps limping along they might be reliant on licensing their dramas to streaming services for revenue more than ever, so. could also be a golden opportunity to get eng subs for more obscure shows that never even got fansubs. i'll hold this optimistic thought in my heart going forward

[dipplinduo]

I read the "big reveal" and it was AMAZING, I was kind of wondering about if you were going to pull the trigger you did, and there was DELIVERY. One time you talked about scrapped content for Sweet and Sour Dipplins. Was there any related to the "big reveal?" :3

(Context: Sweet & Sour Dipplins, Chapter 21)

NOTE: I am withholding on answering asks/talking freely about the big reveal for a bit so people have time to read it without being spoiled. I am answering this ask without any obvious references to the spoiler.

So the big reveal was always locked in to happen the way it did scene & action-wise (I had a lot of time to visualize the moment xD). There's been some changes to the emotional aspects of it, as well as other parts of the story, though, so I'll just answer specifically and generally:

Kieran confiding to Carmine & Juliana about the curse in the beach episode chapters was entirely unplanned, and it resulted in a major tone shift with a ton of characterizations, dynamics, and plot points. The original plan was to have Juliana and the others discover that Kieran has been cursed as their own "big reveal" (as Kieran would never confide, and they would simply just be studying his behaviors), which later would've fed into the breakdown of the actual big reveal being triggered in itself. Given that I had the mechanisms of the curse pre-planned, it just required me to take a slightly different approach with how some things were ultimately written. The reveal itself & its aftermath in Chapter 22 are unchanged.

The scene between Juliana & Kieran in Chapter 21 was actually meant to be much more angsty with a LOT more relational repercussions. But I ultimately reframed the idea to what went down instead because I personally found it to be a disservice to Kieran's character progression and the progression of their relationship in itself (which are both at different points than I originally envisioned for this part in the story).

On a similar note: I have developed a different plan for how I will be handling Kieran's progression/resolution, ultimately because Ribombee was originally not intended to be captured by Briar. This event has and will continue to have a lot of implications for him.

Ribombee being captured by Briar has ultimately shaped end game storylining, and I lowkey love it. My plans for things moving beyond the big reveal have been much more loose, and my approach has been "I will figure out how to tie things in later" xD But ngl, I am tying in much more than I originally envisioned because of the change and I'm excited to share it soon!! Thanks Ribombee!!

Amarys's conversation with Kieran in Chapter 21 was not planned at all. I have wanted to give each of the E4 individual moments of bonding with Kieran, though, so it ended up happening. I am honestly happy it did happen, though, because it was an unexpected opportunity for me to revisit something I personally would've written better/scrapped altogether if I were writing this more like a book and less like a fic I have been adapting as I have been writing.

On a similar note: the silly yet touchy-feely friendship moments between Crispin & Kieran have also been spontaneously written as I was like "hmm, Crispin could be in this scene, how can we make him bond with Kieran".

There is a specific theory that has emerged from something that was not meant to be deep at all. But many readers have been subscribing to it despite its unseriousneess, and it's one that still gets brought up to me from time to to time. xDD Now that I've finally had the chance to mull over end game stuff that has been coming into place, I have inadvertently come up with a response to said theory. It ultimately adds to the plot in a way I wasn't planning for at all LOL, but I'm actually a big fan of it, and the only reason it's happening is because of you guys!! So thank you & stay tuned!

Hmmm...okay I think that's all I'll say for now. Don't wanna give too much away. B) <3

[distortedclouds]

I'm here for the writer's ask game :)

1, 2, 3, 4, 5,6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 15, 16, 27, 28, 29, 30, 37, 39

Well, hello there! :D

Questions 1,3,5,6,7:

Answered here

2. Is there a trope you’ve yet to try your hand at, but really want to?

Memory loss, but also growing old together. I think both tropes would require a lot of care and nuance to go into characterization that'd be very interesting to me

4. How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Care to share one of them?

Quite a few, actually! A couple of one-shots I'm working on, but also long-fics that I'm not sure whether I'll have the time or energy to tackle

The one most likely (still unlikely) to see the light of day is a post-rumbling, fake-dating fic because everyone's trying to get the new ambassador of peace to marry their daughter and Armin is (and Annie) just getting sick of it all

I mostly want it to be Armin-centric, everything that "Take my hand" fic was meant to be but couldn't (sorry Moon)

8. Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

This probably wont' be the most honest/accurate answer, but since my brain has been flooded with ch 20 for the past 2 weeks-ish straight, it's gotta be this:

“I knew it, you and your plans,” Annie breathes with a small laugh, and it’s enough to make him smile, too. It always is. “What? You’re planning on marrying me on a remote beach somewhere?” “I will,” he promises. “You’ll get sand in your shoes.” She smiles. “Our friends will all be there.” He hopes. “The cake will get dirty.” She frowns. “I’ll promise to love you,” he vows. “We’ll spend the whole night brushing sand out of our hair instead of anything fun.” she pouts. “Yeah.” “I think I’d like that, Armin,” she murmurs, voice soft in his ears as she shuffles closer.

Dialogue is already not my strongest suit, so whenever I find myself writing bits that just flow between the two characters, I'm immediately pleased!

11. Is writing your passion or just a fun hobby?

Is there a difference between the two? I've been writing stuff and imagining worlds and scenarios since as far back as I could remember. I find writing to be an excellent practice of empathy and compassion, for not only people I may otherwise not fully understand, but also extending it to myself and how I may be feeling at specific times but having a hard time realize

definitely a passion!

12. Is there an episode above all others that inspires you just a little bit more?

I wouldn't say an episode/chapter, since I'm mostly consuming aot as whole arcs. But definitely the final arc, not only for aruani, but also as a life philosophy, if that makes sense lol

15. If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose?

I mean... I wanna saw BW, since that's the apple of my eye, but I also fail to see how so much internal monologue and emotional writing can be distilled into an image (but then again, I'm not well versed in the visual arts)

It's gonna have to be I'm begging for you to take my hand

16. If you only could write one pairing for the rest of your life, which pairing would it be?

I may be biased to my current writing, but I can totally see myself exploring a wide variety of human emotions and circumstances with Armin and Annie in the aot universe and outside it

27. How do you feel about collaborations?

Never been in one before. It's intriguing but also the perfect opportunity for my imposter syndrome to step in and fear of disappointing other writers I may be working alongside

28. Share three of your favorite fic writers and why you like them so much.

It'd be hypocritical not to mention @/you first! Not only is your writing incredibly poetic and artistic in nature, it also delves into the very depths of a character's emotions. It feels like I'm writing something that should be categorized as literary, instead of just writing or fiction

@moonspirit (come get yo praise!)

It's the movement and animation in your writing that always captures me. Everything always feels so vivid and alive even if it's inanimate! You're like of Ghibli studio was a literary publishing house

@/ackermom on AO3

the emotional pull is out of this world HOLLY FUCK! I can't just casually read any of their fics, I need to mentally prepare (maybe even have a full day off :| )

29. If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose?

@dudewhy3 give us more of deep cuts!! (no pressure :) )

30. Do you accept prompts?

Yes and no. When I do I usually only do it for very short drabbles just as an exercise in writing and have some "mindless" fun so I don't have to stress over every single word I write

37. Talk about your current wips.

Well, I wanna finish BW sometime within the next month or so, A couple of... one-shots that I wanna write (IYKYK) but I also really wanna get back into Slow and Steady

39. Do you ever get rude reviews and how do you deal with them?

If it's on tumblr:

Similarly on AO3, I just don't give them the time of day. People like that 99% of the time are just looking for a reaction because they have nothing better to do IRL and want to feel important online. I just don't engage

[nessietessie]

RULES: answer all questions, add one question of your own and tag as many people as there are questions.

thanks for the tag, @menkhu!

coke or pepsi: i don't like soda lol

disney or dreamworks: disney i GUESS but like specifically pixar just because as a kid i watched both toy stories and also the incredibles over and over again

coffee or tea: i don't like either. i'll take milk though

books or movies: i guess movies, though i should read more.

windows or mac: unfortunately i'm a mac guy. it's what my family used when i was growing up and it's what i know how to use.

dc or marvel: neither lol. though i guess gun to my head i'd choose dc. i liked shazam.

x-box or playstation: playstation of the two of these, but i'm more of a nintendo guy

dragon age or mass effect: i haven't played either of them, nor do i have any desire to

night owl or early riser: kinda neither? i'm at peak power midday. but i do like to stay up kinda late sometimes. if 11:30 counts as late lol

cards or chess: cards. i'm not smart enough for chess, but i LOVE me some solitaire

chocolate or vanilla: tough choice. kinda depends on how i'm feeling but i do tend to lean vanilla more often

vans or converse: chacos. i love sandals

Lavellan, Trevelyan, Cadash, or Adaar: idk what this is lol

fluff or angst: i don't really have a strong opinion on this one

beach or forest: maybe beach, if only for the novelty of it. landlocked gang rise up!

dogs or cats: dogs! i haven't had many good experiences with cats

clear skies or rain: clear skies these days

cooking or eating out: depends on the mood. oftentimes i'm too lazy to cook lol

spicy food or mild food: i'm kind of a weenie when it comes to spice, so mild. but i'm getting better!

halloween/samhain or solstice/yule/christmas: christmas, just because i have the opportunity to hang out with my fam and not be at work for a little while

would you rather forever be a little too cold or a little too hot: a little too hot

if you could have a superpower, what would it be: like. shapeshifting. or teleportation.

animation or live action: animation for the most part, HOWEVER the live action one piece slaps so. points for that i think.

paragon or renegade: assuming this is one of those games i didn't play. so idk

baths or showers: showers

team cap or team ironman: don't care. i don't like marvel

fantasy or sci-fi: fantasy

do you have three or four favourite quotes, if so what are they: i have no idea at the moment. trying to think of what i frequently quote. a lot of opla these days. one of my faves is luffy's little "mutiny..." in the beginning of episode one lol.

youtube or netflix: well. i'm pretty selective either way. so both and neither i guess.

harry potter or percy jackson: percy jackson, though i only read like. the original five books and half of the first book in heroes of olympus

when do you feel accomplished: uuuuh don't ask me that lol. felt pretty good about getting 100 notes on a drawing i posted a few days back lol

star wars or star trek: don't care really

paperback books or hardcover books: prob hardcover because of my careless ass. harder to ruin a hardcover

to live in a world without literature or without music?: writing and reading are neat and all, but i think i would literally lose my mind if i had to drive the 5 hours to my parents house without music.

who was the last person to make you laugh? probably kat

city or countryside? small city? does that count?

favorite chips? sour cream and onion lays

pants or dresses? shorts, but also pants.

libraries or museums? libraries, because i respect what they do but also museums are really neato

character driven stories or plot driven stories? character driven

bookmarks or folding pages? bookmarks

Dream job? voice actor. i would also love to get paid to play video games, which i guess can happen if you're a letsplayer or a twitch streamer or something

What gives you comfort? recently, watching one piece lmao. also sorry i guess for all the one piece on this blog but it's my house.

what are some of your favorite song lyrics? i don't often listen to songs with lyrics so this is kind of a hard question lol. but how about all of the lyrics in "We Can" which is team Sonic's theme in Sonic Heroes. Love that. lol

favorite video game?

Tagging: lol. uh. anyone who wants to do this? i don't actually interact with people much on here, but if you see this on your dash and would like to take part, i say go for it!

[minyard-05]

For character impressions

Aaron

send me a character!

AARONNNNNN MY BOY MY FAVOURITEST GUY OF ALL TIME <333 blorbo, even.

First Impression:

if anybody deserves a beach episode, it's this guy

Impression Now:

god's strongest soldier and i mean that 100%. he is going to get that picket fence scrapbook perfect future that people write stories about and he's going to fucking deserve it because god aaron has been fighting since day one to stay the fuck alive and take what he's earned from a world that time and again tried to take it away from him. he has been beaten and broken and weathered the storm and he has hung the fuck on that whole time and he's tired but he's not going to give up. he's come this far.

if i talk too long about how i feel about aaron minyard i Do start getting very sad so i'll stop here by saying He's my boy and i love him

Favorite Moment:

when he gets to reunite with katelyn after.thanksgiving. when andrew's in easthaven, and katelyn starts sitting with the foxes for meals, neil says "She was so enthusiastic about seemingly everything [...] but Aaron looked so alive in her presence, Neil couldn't hold it against her." when he runs to her after the game once the deal is broken. in the bonus chapter for TKM when he says he'd take any opportunity to talk about her. my man is so in love with his girlfriend it makes me cry i love him

Idea for a story:

dangerous question to ask me, the Putting Aaron Minyard In Situations Guy™. right now i'm thinking about my CIA/FBI au where he and katelyn are investigating andrews disappearance its a whole thing (you can read the pitch here)

Unpopular opinion:

this is more related to the fandom rather than him as a character, but i think aaron's addiction is something that gets overlooked. like a lot. obviously he's been clean for a while by the time canon happens, but like. he was a teenage addict. he was possibly addicted before he was even a teenager. he never went to rehab– he got clean after he was locked inside a bathroom for days. like i know it's a detail that very much gets chucked around in canon (neil mentions it in passing and immediately goes back to explaining how beautiful andrew is) but like. that would've fucked him up Badly. i think we should talk about it more.

Favourite relationship:

you're asking me??? the guy who can and will ship aaron minyard with just about anybody under the sun???

CAN I REALLY SAY ANYBODY OTHER THAN KATELYN THOUGH. they're soulmates. it doesn't even matter what universe theyre in, what ship, whatever the fuck happens, they are and have always been soulmates and they will always find each other and they will always love each other and it won't always work and that's okay because they'll try again and again and again and again and no matter how many things or forces tear them apart they were always going to come back to each other because they're meant to be. i can't explain it in any other way i love them

Favourite headcanon:

HIS FAVOURITE ANIMALS ARE SHARKS. he hates Jaws (1975) with a passion. bad shark representation. for his 20th birthday katelyn got him a blue hoodie that has eyes and a dorsal fin on the hood and he loves it to pieces.

[businesstiramisu]

#*vibrates intensely* do you want fic recs#<- also Yes™

OKAY

so one great thing for you and me is that (on ao3) this fandom is mostly about genfic. And trends towards short works -- I would say there's only maybe a dozen chaptered fics & longshots that I like, but hundreds of <5k oneshots.

(I've heard there's more longfic on FFN -- The Human Mask is one I've seen people rec a lot -- but i haven't gotten around to reading any of them yet)

Some good authors to check out are taizi, WerewolvesAreReal, darkcyan, adventureboots, eoree, riverdaze, ncfan

My absolute FAVORITE longfic in this fandom is darkcyan's Finding Home -- since your first post requested no spoilers I'll point out that this story references a lot of episode plots & some manga-only content. I first read it while I was about halfway through the anime and didn't feel like it ruined any later episodes, but I'm pretty blase about spoilers myself. If you don't want to be spoiled about, for example, Natori's family background (most of which is manga-only content right now, I think?) or Takuma and his shiki (s6e5/manga chapter 61) then wait to read this.

but that said it's an amazing adventure fic with some neat worldbuilding and *really excellent* characterization (of so many of the side characters but particularly Taki. Taki doesn't get enough opportunities to shine in the anime IMHO & darkcyan is the AO3 author doing the most to make up for that). definitely give it a look (and darkcyan's other works) at some point!

taizi is the reigning queen of Natsuyu fanfic as you can tell if you sort by kudos in the tag, LOL. I would say the smallest things is a great one to start w/ & probably no spoilers? but i've also got to mention the second hand unwinds -- spoilers again for Natori's family & maybe some others but I really love it, okay. (Taizi has several dozen natsume fics & they're all fabulous but those are the two I reread the most)

WerewolvesAreReal's fics are probably less in "spoilers" territory -- they write a lot of AUs or stuff that deals with the basic premise. Tow of my favorites are and Haunting, Softly and Paper Magic (hopefully the existence and general creepiness of Matoba isn't a spoiler?). OH AND ALSO the one where Nishimura and Kitamoto explore a haunted house and Natsume's weird cat tags along (just to be a nuisance & for no other reason, obviously)

For darkcyan as well as the longfic i'll point out the Avatar (TLA) AU and the beach party one and and Teamwork (in which Taki & Tanuma help a youkai w/o being able to properly see it)

Finally I'll note Thin Air by riverdaze takes a really interesting interpretation/AU, of what if it was genuinely ambigous whether youkai exist or are all in Natsume's head.

I wrote up another list with 20 more fics a while ago so I can just link that instead of making this tumblr post even longer :P

started watching natsume yuujinchou. currently: ep 6

[orcelito]

honestly i find it hilarious that discacc has gotten so big and continues to grow, like. it is by Far the longest soulmate fic in the fandom. and im getting up there in kudos. eventually, i feel like it’s gonna become The Thing to read if u want a soulmate au for this pairing (if it isnt already)

and i find that hilarious bc it was just a passing fucking whim to write a soulmate au that’s just blown up into this WHOLE big thing. i dont even care That much about soulmate aus. 

[chocolatemilksmoothie]

O Titan, Where Art Thou

aka pain, confusion, dread, and ultimately, hope. I felt like this episode ended so fast but also it had a LOT going on huh, this'll be long

King's strange dream seems to take place in that weird in between. Interesting that Luz was able to make it in there, kinda, through the unfinished door

Looks like the Collector is trapped there, in that weird orb thingy

remembering from Hollow Mind, to me who's trapped beneath these bones hmm how does the Titan's body connect to this place?

And he doesn't seem to have noticed the weird connection created between them and King back when he lit the Round Boi on fire (yes I'll keep calling it that, sue me). they were surprised to hear someone else there

He sounded so desperate... I won't be alone, don't leave, come back. huh, how long you been there you little chaos goblin?

(EDIT because I wonder if the Round Boi being a reflective surface is connected to Luz being able to see through mirrors/glass when she was in there)

god, poor King. he's supposed to grow to a gigantic size, and how long does a titan even live??? will he outlive everyone. depressing thoughts, too much, he is just a little kid why must we hurt him

Luz and King are siblings!!! she is concerned about him!!

HELP THEY LOOK SO COOL AJSKDA LILITH

I want all of these posters on my wall asap

"I still haven't recovered from that tea party, ugh" amazing callback, Hooty you absolute menace

heartbreaking to see the Owl House all broken and messy. Well, messier than usual

Loving Lily's winter look work it girl

I support putting snorse glue in Belos' shampoo!

"someone had to bury our bones" LILITH NO

Perfect merch opportunity

everyone's got a lot to process, especially King. wait til they remember the titan blood oh boy

oh Lily, once again trying to treat King like some deity. I think by the end she understood but old habits die hard

"I'm a god's aunt!" her dialogue is killing me this episode I swear

Luz wants to get him his bunny back Imma go cry

I liked the parallel of Eda lying to Luz, wanting to keep her safe but ultimately harming her and their relationship, and Raine doing the same to Eda. thank god we had honesty at the end

"I wanna go on a heist" "of course you do"

"I'd kill for you. please ask me to kill for you" _ Lilith at King, probably

"wouldn't you rather have a beach day?" "maybe if we had time for 20 more adventures, but we don't!" (oh man it's almost like our 20 episodes third season was unexpectedly shortened to just 3 specials so now we get no time for beach filler episodes, DISNEY)

everyone ominously marching to the Head *shudders*

obsessed with the shitty bootleg coven scout uniforms

STEVE MY BELOVED

why is he lowkey cool as hell. chillest dude ever. the voice of reason. wisest man alive. questioning authority and his beliefs. shoulder pats for Steve

Steve and King bonding on a soul searching motorcycle adventure helping people all over the Isles was not what I expected but it is what I NEEDED

Hooty consistently being Lilith's common sense is the funniest thing ever

I'm cackling

and he made a little origami demon with the pages later he is perfect

bro he is just a little kid who wanted to know where he came from and have his Owl Family meet his Demon Family don't touch me

Helihooty? Hootycopter? whatever

I too, cry when I see old sapphics in love, Steve

"this. is for my kids" GOD

and Raine has such a kind heart too, and they're a quick thinker!

no YOU look like a pile of compost, Terra!

this whole part was heartbreaking. Eda just wants them to get away, to be safe, she doesn't care what happens to her and has no plan to stop the Day of Unity from happening, and Luz is so sad and feels betrayed, after all they've been through, after how much she's grown, she refuses to give up without a fight

shout out to the acting, the music, the boarding, the colors, the everything this whole episode

remembering season 1 King wanting to be seen as a huge powerful demon and now it terrifies him, he has grown a lot. poor little guy

STEVE FACE REVEAL oh I love his design he is just a Guy with a gentle face and a mismatched horn. best boy

"hey girl, I've been there. I can recommend a good therapist" I love him your honor

also therapy coven confirmed? is it a branch of the healing coven? lmao

also also maybe give the therapist contact to uh. everyone else too. they need it

help him

I support Darius insulting Alador any chance he gets because his abomatrons keep hurting my children

"please try not to bite anybody" reluctant dad energy

Raine meeting Luz made me extremely happy thanks for the serotonin Owl Crew

I ADORE this Raine-Darius friendship they are so funny. gay on gay violence (affectionate)

"I'm starting to think I wasn't very good at my job" I think you were probably better than Kiki if that's any consolation

"PLEASE tell me you have a cool rebel name!" my brain immediately: " gasp, the LGBTs"

PLEASE MORE DARIUS AND RAINE SCENES. BESTIES

EVERYTHING'S COME FULL CIRCLE BABEY YEAAAAAHH

so many callbacks this episode we really are in the endgame now

Hopefully next week the Hexside team can reunite with the CATS (meowmeow!!) so we can all work together in the season finale

Also I'd like for Darius to have an honest chat with Hunter about the previous guard...

THE PALISTROM WOOD I love Eda so much

so by next week we will get to see Luz's palisman at last. I suspected she'd carve it during this season

I think a bat is still my favorite option at the moment. Amity already has a cat so I don't think they'd repeat that, and a bat is not a bird but can fly, she is a Clawthorne but also comes from somewhere else, she is between worlds!

a snake and a bird are also popular guesses. whatever it is, can't wait to see! and learn their name of course

Wonderful episode, packed with feelings, character relationships and plot development. it really hit me hard that we don't have a lot of the Owl House left... let's enjoy what we can together

[mangosimoothie]

The Bachelorette: Episode 17 - The Same Language

On her final hometown date, Aja goes with Ryan to his beautiful island hometown in Hawaii where they spend an exciting day with an important family member. Meanwhile, the boys back at the Bachelorette Mansion are getting up to some trouble of their own. Only one day away from the elimination that will bring us to our top three, the stakes are higher than ever.  [soundtrack]

"Dude, get the fuck off me." "No way. Bring it in, bro."

Ryan: Eric, this is Aja. Aja, this court jester is my twin, Eric. Aja: I didn't know you have a TWIN! That's so cool!!! Ryan: It's alright. Eric: Ryan's just being modest. Having me as a twin RULES and he loves me very much.

After introductions were over everyone heads to a secluded beach that, per Ryan and Eric's request, we won't be revealing the location of. Eric: The haoles haven't found this one yet, so it's still a really cool spot.

Eric: Aja, welcome to Kama'āina Wale Nō! Ryan: Which translates to Locals Only. But obviously I’d make an exception for you.  Aja: Wow, what an honor!

[soundtrack] Ryan and Eric complain that the waves today were pretty weak, but Ryan’s still able to show off his skills, and it gives Aja a good opportunity to get a mini lesson.

To Aja's surprise, it doesn’t take too much convincing from Ryan's brother to get him to do some cliff jumping. They explain that they'd been coming here since they were kids, and since then there'd only been ONE broken ankle, so it's pretty safe.

Ryan and Eric share stories of their antics growing up. Aja: So, I'm guessing Ryan you were “good” one? Very well behaved and all that? Eric: Are you kidding?? Ryan is Dark Mode. I'M the good one. I had to cut my hair so I'd stop getting in trouble for his school pranks. Ryan: Wow, ok. In my defense, you happily took credit for some of my BEST work. And I wear the long hair better than you do.

After the beach, they hit a local bar for some drinks. Aja notices that Ryan and Eric can't help but crack each other up wherever they go. She doesn’t feel like a third wheel though, especially since it’s so entertaining. Ryan warns Aja not to get any drinks with pineapple in them. Ryan: Rookie mistake here. It tastes like a juice box, so you'll get WAY too fucked up. I think they do it just to fuck with tourists. Aja: Aw but they have little umbrellas...ok, fine.

Eric: Not gonna lie, I definitely gave Ryan a lot of shit for going on a reality show, but he seems...really happy. It's kinda weird. Aja: Honestly, he hasn't really been this animated! Maybe he was a little homesick? I think he's excited to see you. Eric: Awww, you think he missed me?? I'm gonna take your word for it, cuz he'd never say that out loud. Also I'm gonna get two more of those pineapple things, you want? Aja: Didn't Ryan say nobody gets those?" Eric: Ryan's no fun since he left the island! The Kato family alcohol tolerance is top tier, I'll be good.

After a few too many drinks on Eric's part, Ryan decides it was time to wind down at home. "He calls me Dark Mode but he's always the one that blacks out..."

Aja: Is he gonna be ok? Ryan: He's slept off worse under my influence. He'll be good. Aja: Sorry if it's a sore subject, but do your parents not live here on the island? I was hoping I'd get to meet them! Ryan: They split up a while ago. Dad moved back to Japan, mom’s off gallivanting somewhere and hard to keep track of. To tell the truth I haven't spoken to them in a few years now. We're kind of...estranged, I guess. It's complicated. Aja: I get it. You know, me and my mom are the same way. She left when I was little. I'm not even sure what city she lives in. But she always sends me a birthday gift though, which is nice I guess... Ryan: Ahhh the classic “I'm gonna send you a gift instead of an apology!” I used to get those! Aja: Works like a charm, right? Ryan: I don’t let it eat me up too much. I’ve got Eric, and he’s been my rock since literally day one. We speak the same language, you know? He’s always been able to snap me out of it when I’m kind of spiraling. I think you just need that person that gets you. Um, so thanks for getting me to vent a little. Even though I guess it’s not like, the romantic vibe we’re supposed to be going for. [soundtrack] 

Aja: You know what? It kinda is. I like getting to know you know you. I'm really glad you're opening up to me, Ryan. I can't believe I almost sent you home. Ryan: You did?? Aja: I guess I shouldn't have said that, but yeah. You're hard to read! It's confusing! But now that you're letting me in I can tell how sweet you actually are. Atticus kinda saved your ass sending himself home. Ryan: Yeah, I guess he did...but there is something I really have to tell you. Aja: What is it? Ryan: ...Uh...well...actually, nevermind. Aja: Oh come on. Ryan: I...think I'm about to crash. That’s what I wanted to say. Been a long night. But, Aja, I'm really glad I'm still here.

"Feels a little cryptic but ok. I'm glad you're here too."

"Who knew prickly Ryan was actually such a softie? It's really cute. I'm glad he's got Eric to bring this fun, open side of him out a little. Hopefully I get to see more of that. Also, tell him to wear his hair down more. It’s super hot."

Meanwhile back at the Bachelorette mansion, Cooper's heading downstairs for a midnight snack when he spots Bastien having what seems like a lighthearted conversation (we can only assume, since we don't have anyone to translate French) on the phone

After a little bit of hesitation, Cooper decides to confront Bastien! Whatever he says in French, it’s super heated! Bastien: I do not understand Canadian. What are you talking about? Cooper: I'm literally speaking French; you KNOW what I'm saying! And I know what YOU were saying! How could you do that?! There's no way you're gonna get away with this; I'm telling Aja. Bastien: Perhaps there is a language barrier issue, because I truthfully still do not understand. Cooper: It's the same language!!

Bastien: Ahh...I see what you're doing. Well played. I'm surprised; I didn't think you'd be the tricky one. I assumed Ryan would be the snake, but he's actually quite likable. Cooper: What are you talking about? Bastien: You're trying to make me the villain. It's smart. You are the only other person that (technically) speaks French so if you pretend you heard me saying something that would send me home, you think everyone would take your word over mine. Sweet, non-threatening, fan favorite, underdog Cooper versus arrogant, wildcard, too good to be true, superstar Bastien. So you interrupt me talking with my agent about my upcoming tour and decide to make up something else to say that I said to make me look bad and get Aja to send me away. Cooper: What? No! That's what YOU’RE doing! You're making that up.

Cooper: Why are you laughing?? Stop it! Bastien: Because this is a dumb plan! You realize if you go to Aja with more lies you're sending yourself home, no? Aja does not trust you. She knows me. Cooper: I don't care if I lose, as long as you don't win. Bastien: I always win. You'd really risk being eliminated from such a foolish move? Cooper: It's the right thing to do.

"Very noble. I can see you're very committed to this act. Bonne nuit, Coopet! I guess we’ll meet again at the reunion episode."

"I need to talk to Aja the SECOND she gets off that plane." What the hell is going on? Who of the four will be sent home in the elimination?? Will Cooper's revelation (or trick??) influence the decision?? And what was up with Ryan's whole "I need to tell you something - actually nevermind" thing??? And are French and Canadian French the same language???? Guess we'll have to wait until the next episode to find out!

NEXT | PREVIOUS | BEGINNING 

[dribs-and-drabbles]

Hey! Before the last episode of bad buddy airs i would like to add one more thing. I've been breaking my head on the significance of the color orange. Not Inks burnt bronzy orange. But the extremely bright orange that is most present in episodes 5 and 8. I think i have finally cracked the code. Orange is about music.

In episode 5 not only is the backdrop for the freshy day contest is orange. But also Wai's raincoat, because he is the person who convinced Pran to pick up the guitar again.

Also in the same episode, Pat remembers that moment in high school, when he and Pran wrote a song together. The collars on their uniforms are orange, even though in all the other high school scenes they have different uniforms.

Now in episode 8 Pran wears the lovely orange shirt with a yellow patch over the heart while listening to the new song in the OST.

But also, when we switch to Pat in this scene, his bed sheets are also mostly orange

(Maybe it's a stretch but Pat also wears a dark shade of orange in the car when he's singing along to love score.)

Pran and Pat are both wearing orange when they are rehearsing the play together, which involves playing the xylophone together.

Now maybe Pat is wearing orange here to emphasize Pran's love for music. Or it could be about Pat's love for theater, since he wears the same shirt while his dad tells him to quit the play. In the next scene we see Pat sulking in his room, in a white shirt. Perhaps he took the orange one off, because he was told to "take off" his love of the play?

Now that i'm writing this i realize orange isn't really so much about music, but it's about the arts the boys do that their parents don't approve of.

Hi @karometeenk! Ah, thank you so much for writing and sending this to me! And what a lovely theory. There hasn't been a lot of this bright orange in the series...and when it has appeared it's been in scenes where Pat and Pran have connected though music (or the theatre). Of course, there have been a few other moments where music has been included in the scene where this colour isn't present...for example the guitar in the corridor at the end of ep 3...but perhaps in those scenes the music has been a secondary aspect, something that helps drive the primary focus in that moment. (I'm also thinking of when Pran plays Our Song at the bar on the beach...but in that scene I think the red was more important...but I'll go into more detail about that in my costume post for the ep).

I'm going to use this opportunity to say that I really hope we get some kind of 'resolution' to the desire Pran has shown through the series to play music...like, I hope music has become part of his life properly and that he didn't abandon it again. And I'd really like another moment when he plays...and, going back to the subject of this ask, I guess it would be cool if bright orange was included somehow!

[phoukanamedpookie]

Does Azula really measure her self-worth against Zuko?

So, sorry fellow Azula fans. I have to do this.

It's a widely accepted bit of fanon that Azula measures her self-worth by being better than Zuko. But does the show suggest that?

I'll have to rewatch certain episodes, but from what I recall, there's only three instances when she compares herself to Zuko.

Zuko Alone: After her firebending display for Fire Lord Azulon, she teases Zuko with, "You'll never catch up," prompting him to embarrass himself trying to demonstrate what he can do.

The Beach: While the Fire Nation teens have their bonfire heart-to-heart, Azula mentions her mother liking Zuko more than her then adds, "But I don't really care," in an attempt to sound nonchalant.

Sozin's Comet, Part 1: The Phoenix King: After Ozai tells her he's leaving her behind, she yells, "You can't do this! You can't treat me like Zuko! [...] But was my idea to burn everything to the ground! I deserve to be by your side!"

I won't deny that Azula's a fiercely competitive person. Nobody lights up a kuai ball game quite like her. And, if you take the Lost Adventures comics as canon, she enjoys beating the crap out of kids at arcade games. In fact, her competitive nature can turn really nasty, as when she shoves Ty Lee for doing a somersault better than her, or verbally cutting Ty Lee down when she attracts more attention from boys.

But does this means she builds her entire self-worth on being better than Zuko? There's not much she says or does on the show that indicates such. If being better than Zuko was such a dominant aspect of her psyche, it would've shown up during the mirror scene. She also would've made different choices when given the opportunity, such as when Zuko challenges her to an Agni Kai in Ba Sing Se. In fact, she seems delighted when his firebending skill gets a boost and puts up a better fight.

By contrast, there's plenty of evidence that Zuko measures his own self-worth against meeting or surpassing what Azula can do. Just off the top of my head:

"Everything always came easy to her. She's a firebending prodigy, and everyone adores her."

"I'd like to demonstrate what I've learned!"

"I'm tired of running. It's time I faced Azula!"

"What would Azula do?"

Suki: "This is a rematch I've been waiting for." Zuko: "Me too."

"How would you like to help me put Azula in her place?"

So who's really measuring themselves against who?