#because she thinks there are other ways to deal with the situation

[heartmix]

My Girls - MV1

Pairing: Max Verstappen x singlemom!reader

Word Count: 1.4k+

Warning: poking fun at max, dad!max, no use of y/n but daughters name is Aria

A/N: dad max content. I have a part 2 in mind so that will be coming soon

F1 Masterlist / Masterlist

"Can I ask you a question, it's totally okay if you say no."

"What is it?"

"When do you think I'll be able to meet her?" the question caught you off guard. 

You knew what he was asking, he was asking when he'd be able to meet your daughter. Being a young single mom was not in the books for you. With her father leaving before she was even born you quickly tossed out the idea of finding a relationship. Sure, there have been many instances where people dated single parents, but since you had her when you were young, the idea did seem impossible. You've been preparing for the moment for months, but it still caught you off guard. Coming up on a year of being together it was bound to happen. 

Noticing your silence he quickly tried to defuse the tension, "I mean it's totally up to you. I don't mean to rush you or anything, I want to let you know that I'm committed to you and I'm not going anywhere. I want to be there for both of you."

"Sure." 

"Sure?" He clarified, a smile spreading across his face quickly, one you matched instantly. A simple nod was all he needed to take you into his arms and give you the most bone-crushing hug. Seeing him make a big deal settled all your nerves.

Max's hand was shaking way too much to be meeting a 2-year-old. From the stories you told about the little one, he saw that she was friendly and was willing to meet new people so the fact that he was shaking so much was comical. He's had meetings with some of the richest people in the world and met world leaders, hell people would have this reaction meeting him and he would laugh it off saying he was just a normal person. So why was this little one making him more nervous than a race day? 

It had to do with the fact that she was yours—the light of your life and the only person in your life you prioritized. The more he thought about it, the more that person became you to him, and this was just the final step to make everything feel real. If the little girl didn't like you, he knew you wouldn't hesitate to break it off, and he couldn't blame you.

With one final head shake to try and get rid of the nervousness he knocked on the front door. Did he knock too hard that he startled the little one? Should he have knocked? Maybe he should have texted you he was outside. It's been months since he knocked on your door, having his own key to the place. Before he could think of any other ridiculous thoughts the door opened the reveal you, standing in all your glory with that welcoming gorgeous smile he fell in love with. 

"I can't believe meeting my kid got you out of wearing a Red Bull kit. I can't even get you to do that." Your teasing tone snapped him out of the trance. Max couldn't help but laugh at that being your comment in a situation like this. 

"It's just a black shirt schatje. I can hardly say I dressed up." he glanced looking down at his black shirt and some jeans. He would be lying if he said he didn't think about what to wear today. 

"Oh please, Max Verstappen outside of anything Red Bull is dressing up." 

"You're not helping." he groaned seeing as you were enjoying every minute of this. He was going to get payback, if everything went okay after all.

"Why are you so nervous?"

"How are you not?" He asked not seeing any concerning features. He expected you to be more worried and in a worse state than him actually.

"Because I know you, I know how great you are, and that my baby will love you." You smiled while wrapping your arms around his neck, Max immediately circling his around your waist. Maybe if you weren't worried he shouldn't be either. "Come on, she's expecting you." Grabbing his hand and pulling him further into the house.

Before he rounded the corner to the living room he heard the sound of what to be a Disney song playing on the speakers and toys clashing with one another. He's been to your house enough times to know how much toys littered the living room. When the living room came into view he saw the little girl sitting on the ground surrounded by blocks and little toys he didn't recognize. 

"Aria, baby. I want you to meet Mommy's friend. This is max. Can you say hi?" Max didn't leave your side as you leaned down to grab the girl's attention. Her eyes immediately locked onto his the second she recognized there was a stranger in her house.

"Hi!" She beamed up at the tall Dutchman with the biggest smile on her face. Seeing that smile every last bit of nerves washed away. Just like seeing your smile for the first time, he knew he was screwed in the best way possible. 

"Hi, Aria. Lovely to meet you."

"Can Max spend the day with us?" you then asked although, with one look at the smirk on your face, he knew the answer. 

"Play with me?" In the cutest voice Max ever heard, he wasted no time sitting next to the girl who held a stuffed cat up to his face.

"Of course. I would love to!"

"Baby, why don't you show Max your cars."

"My cars!" She excitedly said before running to her room to retrieve her cars. Not a second later she came back with a bag filled with a few cars. Max was expecting Hot Wheels or toys from the cars movie, in no way was he prepared for the girl to pull out a replica of his car. 

"Do you know the cars we watch every week? That's Max and that's his car." You pointed out watching the girl's face turn into shock. 

"You 1?" Turning to Max who held the same shock expression as hers.

"I am. You like cars?" At this, she let out a little squeal and pushed the car into his hand. 

One by one she pulled out every car she had even the names she gave each of them. Max was 1, the McLarens were orange, and more specifically Lando was 4. The Ferraris were horsey and the one Mercedes car being Lewis of course was pretty due to the fact that she could only point out Lewis out of his racing gear. 

By the end of the day, Aria was all tired out. After all day playing with Max and telling stories at dinner, she passed out beside Max on the couch while watching cars. Your choice of movie just to poke fun at Max more. Taking her to bed you saw that Max pulled out wine from the fridge and handed you a glass before settling on the couch. The stark contrast from the noise-filled day to the quietness of just you two was a reality check for Max. He made it through and from the way you were cuddled up into his side, he knew that he was right where he needed to be. 

"Thank you. For being so good with her, she loved you so much, probably just as much as me. You made her day and she is going to be excited to see you in the morning."

"You don't need to thank me for anything. I should be thanking you for letting me into the biggest part of your life. You are doing such a wonderful job with her, you're an amazing mother." At his confession, you couldn't help but feel tears brim your eyes.

"I'm sorry, silly thing to get emotional about but that means a lot. I'm just happy you accept me and her with everything we have going on." Before your hands could wipe the tears streaming down your cheek his hands wiped them away. 

"I meant it when I said I'm with you through everything. I wouldn't change anything about you or her. I want you to know I love you both and I'm not going anywhere."

"You're such a freaking sap Max Verstappen. If your fans could see you now." You teased making him chuckle. 

"The duality of you to turn a heartfelt moment into teasing me." 

"You signed up for it when you agreed to date me."  

"And I wouldn't have it any other way." He smiled as he pulled you in for a kiss. 

[divinedelusional]

how rafe would treat his gf on her period

rafe cameron x fem reader

word count: 796

warnings: menstruation, mentions of toxic relationship and period sex

a/n: yeah this is how rafe treats his girl on her period but also how he would be like in a relationship throughout the seasons? i got carried away, sorry not sorry

s1 rafe: sooo i feel like fratboy!rafe genuinely doesn't give a fuck, i don't even know if he would be capable of being in a relationship. i see him being involved with a girl but only for sex and he would only know she's on her period bc she would just text him that they can't meet today bc of it and he'd be like "uh huh cool" and would go jerk off

s2 rafe: here i think situation would be slightly different. i think our psycho bby could acc develop feelings for a girl, it would mostly be just sex but he could start falling for someone. so i think he'd fight a battle in his mind if he should come over to the girl's house and be there for her on her period or to completely neglect her. it's just he doesn't have a clue what to do and tbh he's occupied with other shit, he uses sex with her to forget. i think it's very similar to s1 rafe but with guilt and feelings creeping in (and obvious denial for this emotions)

s3 rafe: so okay we all know the shift from curtain bangs psycho rafey to buzz cut man of the house rafe who looked like he's getting his shit together. of course that means he's different when it comes to relationships. he still deals with a lot, but he finds you. and he kinda sees you as this light. a small light who he has to be very careful with so it won't go out. he is attentive to you. treats you right, but with some sort of distance and you don't blame him. he doesn't spend every day with you, he didn't even ask you to be his girlfriend yet, didn't make it official but he will and somehow you know it. when you're on your period you become quiet. you don't text him, but he finds out as he had a feeling that he should drop by your house. he finds you on your couch with a heating bag and cookies. you told him you weren't feeling well and he ordered you hot soup and made a quick run to pharmacy for some medicine. he still was clueless and thought you caught a cold. "rafe im not sick im just on my period" "oh" it's not like he avoids you, no. he visits you everday for the next four days but doesn't stay for long, always excusing himself with some meeting or business. you know he means the best for you but wish that he's going to be able to let you in soon. you're really patient with him, but start having doubts.

s4 rafe: is now fully committed to you. you talked to him how you really felt about this relationship. that you really cared and wanted to give him as much time as he needed, but also you couldn't waste it anymore waiting for him. and rafe realized that nobody else would have such patience for him. he was thinking about you a lot and he admitted to himself that you were the one. he made your relationship official and two months later you were living together. he was spoiling you, really. taking you on dates, buying you gifts and most importantly giving you his time. getting to know you, observing your daily habits, remembering stuff you said. your likes and dislikes. no wonder he became pussy whipped. and started to feel like he knows you better than yourself.

that's why when it's that time of the month you don't have to say anything. rafe knows. just by the way you whine when you wake up, he knows if you'd be able to get out of bed and get on with your day or you'd want to stay in bed cuddling, because he's your personal heater, makes back pain go away. gives you massages. cuddles with you all morning untill your stomach start to signal that it's time for some food. oh and he doesn't care about his schedule. he could clear it off, cancel the meetings, but he doesn't bother. his girl is the most important, his business associates don't even deserve a phone call on a day his girl is in pain. also he's not opposed to period sex at. all. orgasm is a great way to reduce cramps, so if that works for you and you want him to help you, he is the happiest to do so. if you're not comfortable with having sex these days he totally understands. wouldn't even thought of forcing you to do something, on your period or not. when he discovered that he has so much love in him, his only interest is to give it to you♡

dividers by: @bernardsbendystraws

tagging: @sugaraanddiesel @cherrylipglossss hope they'll enjoy it and @cameronsprincess bc maybe it will put a smile on her face♡

[brown-little-robin]

I think I'm in the "conscious incompetence" stage of being a social animal in the real world and it sucks so majorly. bro what do you do after you realize you're bad at socializing and then in-person interaction gets harder because you know you're failing at it now.

[horsechestnut]

I think my ideal Steph, Cass, and Tim dynamic would be that they're all best friends, but they can not all hang out together. Like, if you ask any one of them who their best friend is they genuinely will not be able to pick between the other two, but all three of them together triggers each of their insecurities in the worst way and always leads to a fight.

Like, Steph and Cass are so affectionate with each other, and constantly flirting and Tim assumes their teasing, but what if they're not, and oh god is he third wheeling on a date between his ex-girlfriend and his sister? They don't actually want him here, they invited him to be nice and he was to oblivious to realize it wasn't genuine. He should leave. But before he can come up with a believable excuse they've changed topics and... hang on, did Steph just say her dad threw a book at her once? Because so much of Steph and Cass's relationship is built on an understanding that they won't make a big deal when they mention something messed up about their past that they just say stuff like that, but Tim does not have that same understanding. So Tim hears that and instead of rolling with it, it's "Steph you can't just say that like it's not a big deal... why is Cass laughing? You can't laugh at that it's fucked up! I don't care that it was a long time ago!" And now Cass is confused and Steph is angry and Tim feels like shit for probably ruining what they wanted to be a date and frustrated that he's being treated like he's overreacting despite being the only one with a normal reaction to child abuse. Mostly he's terrified that he screwed this whole thing up somehow and neither of them is going to want to hang out with him again.

Meanwhile Steph and Tim are so intrinsically linked to each other. They've shared things they will never share with anyone else, they were each others first love. And Cass understands that, she does, but it's hard sometimes seeing how easy they are with each other. The way Steph knows Tim's upset without having to read his body langue the way Cass does or Tim can predict exactly how late Steph will be to any given situation. More than that though, what truly makes her want to hide away from them, is the history they both had but didn't share. The sly comments about Tim looking like a character Cass has never heard of or jokes that make no sense but send Steph into laughing fits. The kind that when she asks are brushed off with "it was an old meme" or "just a show from when we were kids". The reminders that she isn't normal, she can never really be like them. If she doesn't ask most of the time it doesn't occur to them to explain, it seems so obvious to them. They start doing a synchronized dance from some movie that came out when they were in middle school and Cass slips away into the shadows. Later she gets a string of concerned text that slowly turn angry when she doesn't answer. Cass never tells them what was wrong.

And it's hard for Steph to look at Cass and Tim and not feel jealous, because more than just being friends, they're siblings. They are full members of the club, Bruce's children, let into the fold in a way she never can be. She doesn't even want to be anymore if she's being honest, but it still stings. They'll casually mention family dinner or reference inside jokes from the last Wayne charity whatever and Steph will feel the growing desire in her chest that she can not, under any circumstances, let anyone see. The desire that has caused her so much pain, she will not give it control over her again. And Cass calls Tim Robin sometimes, and he calls Cass Batgirl in return, and Steph has to bite back the urge to scream at them that she was Robin too! She is also a Batgirl! But it doesn't matter because she wasn't Cass's Robin or Tim's Batgirl, and it drives her insane that they're romanticizing that time, because don't they remember how much of an asshole Bruce was back then? And now Tim is mad at her for bring up the past as if they're not the ones who started it, and Cass is assuring her that Bruce has changed, and maybe he has, but it's to fucking late! He already ruined any chance of Steph every feeling fully comfortable with her place in their lives. So she storms off, fuming, leaving a baffled Tim and Cass to go enjoy their stupid family dinner.

So yeah, they are best friends. They all love each other more than they know how to say, and trust each other more than anyone else in the world. But they can never all hang out together. That only ever ends in disaster.

[hephaestuscrew]

I relistened to Ep4 Cataracts And Hurricanoes the other day and I'm thinking about the similarities between the events of that episode and the events of Fisher's death (as heard in the recordings from Lovelace's mission in Ep18 Happy To Be Of Assistance).

In both cases, a Hephaestus crew member - a man who doesn't know that the Decima virus is running through his veins - is on a spacewalk. It should have been fairly routine, just adjusting something on the outside of the station. But weather in space can be unpredictable. There is a sudden unexpected emergency. Solar flares or meteors are about to hit the station - and the officer outside of it. The commander orders the officer to get inside immediately. He protests at first, not appreciating the danger (Eiffel: "What’s the big deal? There’s been like a hundred flares since we got here." / Fisher: "I'm almost done with the-") But soon it is clear that the situation is life-threatening. So the commander puts on a spacesuit and goes out into the danger, because she wouldn't even consider leaving her crew member out there to die.

One commander comes back with her unconscious officer in her arms. The other comes back with a broken arm and the weight of grief. Fisher dies, and it's the first of many deaths on Lovelace's Hephaestus mission. Eiffel survives, and it's the first of many life-or-death situations that we hear him making it through against the odds. And really it's just down to luck. Both Eiffel and Fisher had a skilled Commander willing to risk their life to save them. Both of them just needed to make it inside, and one did, and the other didn't. 

Eiffel almost died the way Fisher did. Later he'll almost die the way Lambert and Hui did. It's another echo between the two Hephaestus missions, like the comparisons Lovelace reflects on in Variations on a Theme: "New people [...] Same hell. Same star." / "the new gang. [...] Same as the old gang."  / "The more things change, the more they stay the same." Fisher's death reinforces how close Eiffel comes to dying in Cataracts and Hurricanoes; like all the deaths of Lovelace's crew, it reinforces the idea of the Hephaestus as a place of danger and chance and ghosts, a place that holds cycles of suffering.

[delusion-is-back]

supernatural but Sam and Dean find out there's a quite popular true crime podcast about their "crimes" all over the states, being referred to as the Demon Brothers — the irony is not lost of them — they are in the top most wanted criminals of America.

At first Dean is getting a kick out of it of course, he plays it in the radio of Baby while they're on the road to Sam's annoyance. He thinks it makes them sound badass being the criminals that have eluded police for so long, but he quickly sides with Sam that this podcast sucks ass when the girl narrating their lives —or at least, the public records available of them— starts to get it all wrong, accusing their father of somehow bring involved in the mysterious death of his wife, saying that the traumatic experience of losing their mother and being raised by an abusive alcoholic may have contributed to their depravity and devil worshiping, Dean refused to keep listening after that and just mumbled that it's a stupid podcast, Sam doesn't fight it on that.

You'd think that would be it right? Of course not, nothing is that easy for the Winchesters.

Some supernatural shenanigans make it so Sam and Dean are called over to a case in a nearby city, and oh how irony works that the girl being tormented by a vengeful ghost is none other than the author of their podcast.

They don't recognize her at first since she uses a fake name online, but she definitely recognized them when they came knocking at her down dresses as a repair man to check on a "gas leak" at her house, because had they listened a couple more episodes of the pod they may have heard were she went into detail about their MO of pretending to be government / city workers to get into the houses of their victims.

So she, understandably, freaks the fuck out.

She screams bloody murder and starts throwing things at them like her life depends on it — because it kinda does — until the commotion is so big the neighbors get involved and the brothers are forced to flee.

Now the brothers have to regroup and think of how they're going to solve this case when the authorities have already been informed that these extremely dangerous criminals are lurking around.

Dean feels tempted for a second to just leave and let her deal with this on her own, since she's made a living out of shit talking them online, painting them as these horrible sadistic murders when all they've done — all they've sacrificed — has been to protect the innocent. Sam and Dean always knew theirs was a thankless job but this time it was hitting closer to home than before.

In the end the brothers decide to do the right thing and find a way to help this girl whether she wants it or not, and it takes them sneaking into her house in the middle of the night, when they know the vengeful spirit of going to strike, and almost getting shot at by the girl —because america, she for a gun— and Sam being tossed around like a rag doll by said spirit before the girl starts to understand they're not what she needs to be worried about in this situation.

By the next day there's one vengeful spirit less to be worried about, another case solved, another live saved and maybe even a friend and ally.

The girl apologizes profusely once she understands the nature of their job and the reality of their actions, the brothers laugh about it a little, they can't blame her for being afraid, they know how it looks like from the outside, they only ask her to get her facts right before she starts misinforming the public about them in her podcast.

They know they can't change the way the world sees them and they're made peace with it, but it's still a nice surprise when a couple weeks later they can't find that true crime podcast of them online anymore, instead the girl starts a new series about supernatural beings and how to handle them. It's labeled as 'fantasy' as not to be taken too seriously but it seems to be an even bigger success than the true crime stories and it gets a laugh out of Sam, specially because this time she actually got her facts right.

[laurasimonsdaughter]

What’s your preferred way of portraying lycanthropy and werewolves in your works & media?

For me I love having lycanthropy being like a chronic illness. Having it be a serious, but manageable condition that werewolves must deal with in their daily lives. The symptoms and transformation causing them a lot of inconvenience/ stress/ and if ill managed serious risk to their health and those around them. But it’s not a death sentence or condemnation, a werewolf can live a safe and fulfilling life as long as they manage their lycanthropy properly.

As for their wolf form, I like my werewolves more akin to a dangerous wild animal rather then a bloodthirsty murder machine. Their wolf form can be hazardous but isn’t beyond reproach, attacks being avoidable as long as the werewolf isn’t antagonized or threatened. And one of the big things I like to focus on is that a unrestrained werewolf is a bigger risk to themselves then to others, as in their animalistic state their prone to getting into dangerous situations like getting hit by cars or shot by Hunter or law enforcement.

For me it depends entirely on the kind of story I'm telling!

I like your approach, I think it would work particularly well in an urban fantasy setting that isn't too dark, but still grounded in realism.

For my generally lighthearted fiction, I usually prefer writing werewolfism as something genetic that people are born with, that is neither a curse nor an infection that can be passed on. This allows me to dive into ways to manage living as a werewolf without all the fear and tragedy:

Like parents advising kids on clothes that are good to wear around the full moon.

And werewolf families having pack instincts that include humans.

Or human parents adopting a dog to keep their werewolf kid company.

While I do sometimes write werewolves that can transform at any time at will (because it's funny) I do think that weakens the werewolf-ness of it all a bit. Loss of control and animal instincts are a big part of the appeal of werewolves for me and shifting because of the moon (or because of strong emotions) belongs to that. But how the transformation works and how in control they are once in wolf form, again depends on the type of story I'm telling:

So I might write a werewolf that can be taken by surprise by their transformation and end up locked in their apartment, looks fully animal, but does retain human intelligence.

Or a werewolf who has trouble changing back to human form if they get a little too lost in the wolf part while the moon is out.

Or a werewolf who gets progressively hairier and more wolflike the closer it gets to the full moon. (I'm very fond of this concept, because I get to have my wolfish human and my majestic fully transformed animal.)

Or a werewolf that starts shifting just a little when she gets a little too distracted by her girlfriend because emotions and instincts get tangled up.

But all my werewolves are generally mostly non-violent (unless provoked) and not murderous, even if their animal instincts tend to take over from the humans side sometimes. While I appreciate that a complete loss of control and (threat of) violence is a big part of werewolves for many people, it's just not something I enjoy writing. I also think that side of werewolf stories fit better with the "lycanthropy as a violent infection or curse" concept.

And the only time I've written a werewolf that was infected and considers the transformation a curse was for a fanfic, because my friend and I needed an excuse for copious angst and hurt/comfort that could slowly be turned into self-acceptance and happiness~

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

What do you think is the nature of the relationship between Tyler Perry and Meghan? Friends or just business? I thought it was weird he didn’t appear in the teaser for her new show. He still might be in it, who knows. What are your thoughts?

Just business.

Tyler Perry is someone who’s very much of the mindset that “black people lift each other up because if we don’t do it, no one else will.” This will upset some people, but that mindset is really fair and very accurate about American society.

From what we’ve heard about how he came “into” the Sussexes’ space, it’s via Oprah. Meghan fretted to Oprah, Oprah fretted to Tyler, and Tyler - with “if we don’t help each other no one will help” mindset - offered to help. The Sussexes accepted.

And while Meghan couldn’t read a room if her life depended on it, she can absolutely read a person. I think once they were here and living in Tyler’s world, Meghan read Tyler Perry so perfectly that she knew exactly how to exploit his compassion for her situation to her own personal advantage insofar as racism, race-based criticism, and harassment.

I do think Tyler Perry wised up to her game sometime in 2022-2023 because he’s distanced from Meghan. Yes, he appeared in Netflix and yes, she was at the Paley Center thing, but I’m betting he recorded for Netflix before he wised up and I’m betting Meghan just threw money at the Paley Center and Tyler didn’t actually have a say in Paley taking her check.

So I guess this is a long roundabout way of saying I don’t believe they were ever friends and this is/was all business.

There are a lot of rumors about Meghan and Tyler, though. YMMV on the accuracy or credibility.

Meghan allegedly pushed one of Tyler Perry's staff into the pool during an argument.

Sussex fight at Tyler Perry's house where Meghan told Harry he'd never be bigger or better than his brother if he didn't do what she said. Tyler Perry overheard and it immediately chilled his friendship with Meghan.

Meghan will be sued by Tyler Perry over alleged treatment of staff.

Tyler Perry has never met and does not know Meghan and Harry. His connection to them is through Oprah, who was using them for money and the interview.

When Meghan and Harry first moved to the US, they stayed in a cottage on Oprah's estate before moving into Tyler Perry's home, which Oprah brokered for them.

Tyler Perry being Lili's godfather was allegedly a peace offering and a bribe to keep him from speaking the truth about what happened at his home.

Lili's christening on 3/3 was allegedly to solidify and permanentize relationship with Tyler Perry.

Meghan to allegedly call in favors with Tyler Perry as Lili's godfather to protect her/them during fallout in divorce or public reckoning.

Meghan to use Tyler Perry to push Lili into acting

Meghan allegedly has gossip/dirt on Tyler Perry that could end his career or result in scandal, discovered while snooping and used this to blackmail him into being Lili's godfather.

Tyler Perry allegedly walked out of Lili’s christening when he discovered it wasn’t real and isn’t really her godfather.

Lili’s christening pics will never be released because neither Tyler Perry nor Harry are in them and she isn’t wearing the BRF’s christening gown.

Sussexes working with Tyler Perry on new content deal/upcoming projects.

Tyler Perry allegedly pays for Lili’s super-expensive private preschool.

Tyler Perry allegedly put up the money for someone to hack Kate’s medical records.

Meghan’s connection to P. Diddy and his freakout parties is allegedly through Tyler Perry and they are both freaking out.

I know this is rotten of me to say. But I don’t think Meghan knows true friendship anymore. Most of her relationships these days seem based on quid pro quo or they’re very superficial - look at how she approached friendship with Kate. She went into meeting her with an expectation of “I’m here, I’m your new bestie, I’m all you need” and when Kate rejected that, well, it turned into a dumpster fire.

[roseganymede95]

I get it's likely too late for the ask game but can we talk abt Tabitha? Ever since we knew she's a dream I'm worried abt her and what happens after Morpheus gets back, I don't want the boys to lose such a lovely friend!

Never too late to talk about Tabitha.

I’ve known she was a dream since I wrote her into Fool’s Gold, so I’ve been aware the whole time that we’re gonna have to deal with what happens to her when Morpheus gets back and rounds up all the runaway dreams. She has a part to play in the next longfic I’m writing.

To answer a question you DIDN’T ask, though, it is interesting to crack open the issues of the boys losing friends.

They’ve been detectiving for 30+ years, but their stated plan is to keep doing this forever. They’re functionally immortal, which isn’t true for most characters they’re likely to encounter. If all goes well for them, they’re going to outlive the Constantines, and Crystal, and virtually everyone else they meet. Even entities like Tabitha and other ghosts don’t usually plan to hang around the earth forever.

I think there’s a price to pay for choosing to stay together, frozen in time the way they are. They get to keep each other, and only each other. Everyone else is going to grow up, grow old, and eventually move on.

It’s part of why I write them the way I do. I feel like the show didn’t do much to explore the fact that they boys’ relationship is actually completely impossible for normal people the have. They have spent such an unbelievable amount of time with the other as their best friend, roommate, sole coworker, and sole confidant.

They’re not a married couple, because married couples sleep and go to work and understand that they will eventually be parted by death. These two have a whole other situation. They have chosen to spent an eternity of sleepless nights together while the world slowly moves on without them.

[the-crooked-library]

Okay I wanted to tell you that I'm literally drinking your posts about Nosferatu, thank you so much for sharing all your thoughts! You're helping me better shaping my own opinions.

And I have another thing that can't leave my mind so I thought to share: Ellen is in perfect control of Orlok, and it's never the other way round.

She is the one that summons him first, and after their first encounters (I got the feeling that they met more than once before her father discovered her and the encounters got unpleasant, but I might be wrong), when she rejects him out of fear and disgust, *he leaves her be*. Okay, he visits her in her dreams, but dreams are manageable, right? In fact Ellen moves on, she tries to build a reasonable life, she falls in love, and Orlok just leaves her be. It's only when she marries that he acts: because the vows of marriage can break the oath they took years ago.

And even if moved by jealousy and rage, even if he is so powerful that he can control animals, weather and human minds, even if he can bring the plague to a whole city, even if he kills and tortures everyone, he can't touch her unless she gives her permission, her consent. He barely even look at her without her permission.

And in the end he knows the dawn is approaching, he knows he's gonna die, he is more than satisfied, more than fulfilled, but she says "more" and so he stays. And he dies. Because she wanted for him to die.

I don't think Ellen is fully aware of her power and control over him since the beginning, because to admit to herself this much is too much for her. A part of her still wants and impossible normal life. But surely she knows. She places her hair in the lock...

And in the end she fully embraces this power, to the extent of her own death too.

I think this is what hit me the most in this movie. How big a role the girl plays in the action of the vampire.

hi - and thank you so so much! I am delighted to hear that you've been enjoying my posts about this film, because, quite frankly, I haven't been able to shut up about it at any point since I saw it.

Regarding Ellen's control of Orlok: this might be just my opinion, but I think it is strongly reminiscent of the dynamic between Sarah and Jareth in Labyrinth (1986)! Sarah's situation is, naturally, less traumatic than Ellen's - but she is the heroine of a coming-of-age fantasy film, rather than a gothic horror, so that comes with the territory. The point is, their stories share the same essential plot beats and deal with a similar subject matter, and Sarah's story is punctuated by her interactions with the Goblin King. Like Orlok, he is ancient and in some ways immortal; he is obsessive, dangerous, and magical in a way that does not fit in with the Normal World - which provides a point of endless fascination for Sarah, who also feels like an outsider in it. As such, the Goblin King both excites and terrifies her, he adores her and menaces her at the same time - and, crucially, he has no power over her. Here's how the story develops:

the loneliness, the frustration with her life

the summons, however accidental

friends/family in danger

at the same time - thrill, excitement, seduction, obsession

fairy tale time limit - 13 hours or 3 nights

confrontation/declaration of love, offer of eternity

the evil is defeated because he isn't actually in control.

The Goblin King begs Sarah to just fear him, love him, and vows to be her slave if she does; Orlok does much the same, insisting time and time again that Ellen isn't meant for the human world - that he would give her the companionship she wanted for all eternity; and the same pattern repeats in a plethora of other media as well, vampire, fairytale, and various derivations thereof.

Just to throw a few examples into the mix - Ellen Hutter, Christine Daaé, Sarah Williams, Will Graham, and Louis de Pointe du Lac all follow that specific dance. Each one of their respective monsters seduces, threatens, adores, coerces, rages - and eventually submits. Orlok is reverent as he stays with Ellen past the sunrise; Erik releases Christine in the finale; the Goblin Kingdom crumbles, Hannibal kneels in the snow and falls from the cliff, and Lestat allows Louis to slit his throat. For the pursued, this is, first and foremost, a story of self-actualization; and a fantasy of being loved so deeply that it supersedes all other possible concerns. None of these characters have ever felt loved by another human being - and so it's not surprising that the thing that wants them so much isn't human. It's really more of a reasonable assumption than a leap.

I absolutely agree that Ellen's actions are often very subtly questionable, in a way that almost feels like reaching; and I think that this is likely the intention - though that could be debated until the cows come home, given a contrary enough group of people. Still, in the film itself, she is indeed torn between Morality and Desire. Lines are inevitably blurred. The locket miniature for Thomas, the perfumed lock of hair for Orlok; a sacrifice for the city, a night of passion for her.

One proper, sane; the other invariably personal, close to the skin - clinging, like the scent of lilacs; and it could be said that this dilemma is best encapsulated by her description of a dream she had in the very beginning of the movie. In it, she is wedded to Death. None of the witnesses survive it. She is horrified, she has never been happier in her life, and it's rooted in the very core of her anguish. Because what sort of thing is she, if the only person that loves her wholly is a monster?..

[stupidlittlespirit]

You asked for some cute fun asks, so I've appeared to help!

If you've ever played (or watched someone else play) the Swooning Over Stans game, there's a scene in Stan's route where you go to a 70s dance night with him. It's very fun and flirty~

Ever since then, I've wondered if Ford would enjoy going for a dance like that with his s/o. I can definitely see him getting SUPER nervous about it beforehand because he's having flashbacks of his prom night disaster and thinking he's going to totally bomb it. But maybe his date would coax him to just have a little fun, let loose.

I agree with your thought that he'd be the kind of guy to like old classic crooner music (and now I'm swooning for real just thinking abt it), but maybe some 70s funk can get him going, too. Now every time I listen to that stuff, I can't help but picture Ford trying to teach his date how the dances really went (and possibly failing miserably but laughing over it)

GOD yes, I played Swooning when it first released and it was wonderful. I've played it through on both routes about 10 times each lol. I still can't believe we were gifted such a gorgeous game by all of those talented people for free.

I know exactly what scene you mean. That was such a nice touch.

I daydream about this fucking scenario with Ford a lot. It's so silly but I do it when I listen to that kind of music and it's really nice haha Very normal of me, I know, so expect a long answer to this under the cut:

I'm going to set this within GF, but at a function beyond the town he might struggle a little more unless he knew the people there.

I think Ford would be (naturally) nervous beforehand for the reasons you mentioned. He's not very fond of social interaction that isn't super necessary, though post portal he is definitely better at that than he was, and the thought of doing something that holds bad memories would be very daunting for him, to the point that he'd probably refuse at first. More so with the excuse that he doesn't have time or doesn't care about stuff like that than admitting he's nervous.

Mabel would definitely encourage him to go and Reader would mention that they'd enjoy having some fun/seeing him have fun as well, plus they'd certainly miss Ford if he stayed at home. They would understand his hesitation around the event but a little gentle comforting from them around the knowledge that they'd be there to support him would go a long way, I think.

"There's no pressure to stay if you get there and don't like it," and "We can just go home, you're in control of the situation and I'll be by your side no matter what," kind of thing. I think he'd find that very soothing and helpful, just to be reminded that no one will force him. Eventually, he'd give a little and agree on those terms. Plus, Mabel would guilt him a bit because she wants to see him to be included haha.

Once he got there, he'd be a wallflower to begin with. That's fine, obviously. He needs time to settle in. Maybe a drink or two, as well (I know how he feels LMAO) before he can really get comfortable. He'd look to Reader for comfort but he'd also not want to prevent them from enjoying themselves, so he wouldn't insist they stay with him all the time.

I don't think he'd refuse to engage with other people; he'd be reasonably accustomed with the townsfolk anyway so he'd know them and their demeanours a bit more than if he was at a totally new function or with people he had never met. He wouldn't start general conversation (unless it was with Fiddleford), though.

He'd definitely be more inclined to hover around the edge of the party rather than step straight in like Stan would, but if people came up to see him and say hi (and they would because the family is known and liked) then he'd be able to hold good conversation. Post-Portal!Ford is going to have developed his social skills a great deal from his time away and I think he'd be more willing to hear what other people have to say and engage with them.

When he was younger, I think he might have only really been interested in talking about the topics he knew about because they felt safer for him, they were something he was good at talking about, but obviously when you're that smart it's nigh on impossible to find that level of conversation with others so he would have considered himself a failure in terms of social ability purely because he struggled to connect on that aspect, when really he'd just be expecting a bit too much from the general populous. That, combined with general awkwardness and a lack of knowledge on how to make menial conversation would have made it really hard for him. He does talk about that in TBoB, actually, with the joke he makes about pie in the diner. It doesn't land because the waitress doesn't have that level of understanding. It's a funny joke though! He is good at talking to people, he just comes at it from a unique angle.

So, anyway, I digress. He'd be a bit shy but he'd be open to chatting to others, and eventually he'd warm up. He'd realise he's been overthinking everything a bit too much and getting in his own way, and then start to ease up without even realising.

Reader, meanwhile, would have to strike a balance on making sure he was okay and also giving him the space to bloom on his own. Maybe making eye contact with him from across the room and giving him a little thumbs up-thumbs down gesture to check in, only for him to return a thumbs up and big, warm smile, much to their relief. They'd have known he was capable of it, he just needed to remember his capability himself.

So after a bit of time and a bit of space to find his feet, he might overhear that they're playing the kind of music he used to listen to in his youth. I'm going to project here (because you guys know my affinity for 70's music) and say maybe some Baccara (Yes Sir, I can Boogie is a banger), some Bee Gees (duh), just anything fun.

Ford would know the words by heart and once you'd returned to his side, he'd be singing them under his breath or tapping his foot or whatever, and you'd ask him if he wanted to dance. He'd say no because dancing requires a level of self-humiliation and he'd be too self conscious initially, but again, you would coax him a little.

I think you could ease him into it (I think that's the trick with Ford generally anyway). Maybe Reader would take one of his hands and he'd twirl them around, just indulging them a bit because he'd think it's endearing even if he won't do it himself.

I think seeing someone else be a bit silly puts other people at ease and makes them a bit more willing to be silly themselves, so he'd kind of get a little more into it as the music went on and once things changed to those slower, crooning songs, he might just take Reader's other hand and (much to their absolute joy) slow dance with them a bit. He'd prefer to stay tucked into a corner rather than make a show of being out on the dance floor like his brother, but I think he'd be inclined to sing a little bit, just quietly, privately, and lead Reader in a dance.

He wouldn't be a practised dancer but he'd be able to keep time and count beats (it's math!) and although he'd still fuck it up, as would Reader because I doubt many of us are classically trained dancers, he'd be able to laugh along with you and have fun. He'd forget the room, as would you, and you'd be able to really have an intimate, joyful moment together.

God fuck I am so normal about this old man. This is the kind of shit they put you on medication for if you tell the therapist too much LMAO

Also shameless self plug but here is my playlist for this exact scenario. 'Misty' by Lesley Gore is my personal favourite Ford song. Don't judge me, I beg.

[cripplecharacters]

Do you have any advice on what i should take into consideration to not accidentally fall into ableism when writing about a character dealing with the trauma of causing someone a disability (? My main struggle is to not pass off character's personal bias (that they fall into in their psychological struggle with guilt) as some sort of narrative truth and statements about disabilitily. But also I feel like there must be other nuances I should take into consideration. The character who got disabled is very important to the story and is an active character and not just a plot device, but since the story isn't really written from their perspective, i feel that i should be extra careful in how i treat the whole situation

Hi asker,

I think something to take into consideration is: How did they cause the disability? By which I mean, if for example, they injured someone else, was it something semi-purposeful (like a fight), completely accidental that they could not have prevented (like tripping and falling while holding something that, upon breaking, caused a disabling injury), or accidental but preventable (like giving them the wrong medication)? Or something else?

All of those can be traumatic, but perhaps for different reasons. Scenario A can lead to a lot of guilt but maybe justification; "I didn't mean to do it but I was doing what I otherwise felt I needed to do." Scenario B can lead to a lot of survivor's guilt, and scenario C can lead to different types of guilt depending on if and how they take responsibility for it.

It also depends on the kind of disability. Causing someone a terminal disability is going to feel pretty different than causing someone a disability that, while disabling, allows them to still keep living their life. Causing a more severe disability will also probably feel worse than causing them a milder one, because the impact will feel more obvious to the person who caused it and the change in the newly-disabled person's life will be more drastic. Which can be a huge part of the grieving process in becoming disabled, just the fact that it is a large change in a person's life, especially if it's completely unexpected.

My main struggle is to not pass off character's personal bias (that they fall into in their psychological struggle with guilt) as some sort of narrative truth and statements about disabilitily.

Maybe for this, you could present a view on disability by other characters that contradicts the main character's view. Perhaps they share their thoughts with another character, and she says something like "Man, I don't know. That's a weird thing to say. Not everyone who [is disabled / has specific disability the newly disabled character has] is going to feel that way." Or maybe they meet someone else with that same or a similar disability. Or they end up actually talking to the character who they disabled at some point.

Anything that poses an opposing view to the way the main character views it, and is treated by the narrative as being something worth hearing out, will help.

It's completely understandable that the character will feel guilty and worried and upset and even traumatized. But I think the fact that you are concerned about the nuances involved is a good sign.

Hope this helps,

mod sparrow

[wlwsoccerfics]

Communication is Key (Sydney LohmannxGwinnReader!)

(Part 2 of Knocked Out)

Warnings: mentions of epilepsy, mental health struggles, relationship arguements

It has been 2 months since you had to give up your soccer career. It sucked and you still weren't over it. But now there was no secret in the way of you moving in with Sydney. Honestly there was no way that she would let you live on your own and neither was your sister Giulia. The two and your friends have learned how to deal with your epilepsy and what to do in case of an emergency. And now you were an Assistent Coach for the team. It wasn't the same as playing and being so close to the field still stung a bit but it was better then anything else you could have imagined for yourself. You also apologized for your behavior because snapping at the people that love and care about you isn't it. Probably wasn't gonna be the last time though. Cause you are only human.

Sydney walked to her car with you. Holding hands. You always were a Passanger princess so the fact that you weren't allowed to drive with your health issues wasn't bothering you at all. "Did you take your meds, babe?" She asked you. "Yes my love. Don't worry about me. Things are fine!" You told her but of course she was gonna worry. It was her duty as your girlfriend. And in all honesty you always were worried about her as well when she wasn't feeling so great. Even when it was just a cold. That what love is all about, caring about the other Person. "I am gonna worry no matter what! Cause you are the love of my life! You are stuck with me!" Sydney answered with a smile. "Is this a threat?" You asked jokingly and pulled her close. "Just kidding, you are the love of my life too. I sincerly believe what we have is for forever!" You told her, kissing her softly. She kissed you back before opening the car door for you. You thank her and sat down in the passenger seat. She closed it and walked around the car to get into the drivers seat. "For the record i sincerly believe what we have is for forever as well!" Sydney replied and started the car. You put on some music, connecting your Phone to the Bluetooth of the car. The two of you drove in comfortable silence, Sydneys hand resting on your knee for the most part of the 15 minute car ride.

You walked inside together once Sydney parked her car. You two kissed eachother before going your seperate ways. She got changed while you went to meet up with Alex to have a little chat about today's practice. "Hey y/n!" He said. "Hey Alex! So last practice before the game against Wolfsburg. Which we need to win! It's important that we work on standards cause those will be really important. Given that is how we can Score since out of the usual Play it will be hard to get even slightly close to the goal or even make it into their half of the field." You said and he chuckled softly. He appreciated how focused you were and how important this all was to you. Even though you had to give up playing.

At the same time with most of the team getting changed...

Giulia was talking to Sydney about you. Being the concerned big sister she always was. "Syd is she actually okay? I feel like she is not actually dealing with the situation. It has me worried. The fact that she said 'no' to therapy after her dreams were crushed. And the fact that she tried to hide it from us before...i don't think she is dealing with it like she should!" Your sister told your girlfriend. "I do think the same sometimes. But she always keeps promising that things are fine!" Sydney stated. "Maybe we should try and talk to her together!" Giulia suggested. Lea who was sitting next to them, putting her hair into a ponytail. "Guys she might think that it's an intervention if you try to sit her down to talk about that! I mean it is ... but still...she might be even more closed off if you go on about it like that. It needs to be in a more causal way!" Lea told them. "Yes, listen to Lea! I am not a child and i decide when i need therapy...no one else!" You said from the doorway of the changing room. all eyes were on you now. "Babe..." Sydney tried to talk to you but you were quite upset so you stopped her, holding your hand up. "I don't want to hear it, Sydney! You two just could have talked to me when we would hang out with one another and make it sound like you are just checking in and not discussing my business at work. In front of our friends! I am so upset and angry with both of you! Sydney and Giulia!" They knew they messed up because you never used their legal names. It was always: Syd, Babe, Baby, SydBear or something cute like that. For Giulia it was always : Giuli, G, Sis, Things like that. Neither of them had the chance of saying anything else. Because you left. Walking towards your office on Bayern Campus.

Your head was pounding and you didn't feel great at all after that argument or confrontation whatever you wanted to call it. Tears in your eyes. You couldn't even see where you were going at this point, which is why you almost ran into Lena who just got back from physiotherapy. She quickly stopped you. "Y/n? What's wrong?" She asked. "Lena?... Nothing, well...i had an argument with Syd & my sister! They talked about my mental health in front of the entire team. I hate that they talk behind my back about me that way!" You explained to her. She opened her arms to offer you a hug which you gladly took. Stepping into her arms. "They just worry about you! We all do! You mean so much to us! Especially to Syd & Giuli! Your sister loves you so much and would do whatever for you and Syd is so madly in love with you that she still blushes when someone mentions your name." Lena told you. "I know Obi i know. Maybe i was a bit unfair but since they knew about my diagnosis they watch me like Hawks. And sometines when Syd does it then it feels like she is my Care Giver and not my girlfriend! I Love both of them too! With all of my Heart and Sydney for sure is the love of my life!" You told your friend. "Maybe talk to them about how you feel?" Obi suggested as the two of you let go of eachother. "Good Idea! Thank you, Obi! Means alot to me!" Lena smiled at you. "That's what friends are for!" She answered. The two of you said your 'see you later' and that you would soon meet on the field. You just had to grab something from your office.

You sat down in your office chair, opening your Laptop to print Out some statistics. A knock on the door interrupted you though. "Yes? Please come in!" You said and looked up from your laptop. Both Giulia and Sydney walked in, looking like kicked puppies. "Can we Talk?" Your sister asked which you agreed to with a nod of your head. "Please sit." You told them. Giulia sat down on one of the chairs that stood in front of your desk Sydney sat down in your lap. "I am sorry, Angel face!" Your girlfriend whispered out, kissing your cheeks gently. "That's mean, Syd! I am trying to be mad at you!" You replied but couldn't help yourself, you just have to smile. "I am sorry as well, sis!" Giulia told you. "Fine i forgive the two of you! But please next time you are worried just talk to me! It has been two weeks since my last seizure and it was a minor one! Just an absence seizure. I get that you worry! I worry about the two of you as well when you get hurt or are not feeling well. But maybe we start to communicate better? Cause i really want things to be normal between us! And not like i am a helpless toddler. You worry more than Mom & Dad!" You explained, altough your parents do worry alot and you know they often would asked Giulia about how you are doing. Sometimes they would also call Syd to get an update on you cause you often would just say you are fine so they wouldn't worry. It was a circle of emotions really. "We are sorry! We both gonna try to be more chill, right Giuli?" Sydney promised you. "Yes right!" She agreed, nodding her head softly. "Good! And i promise i will also talk to my therapist about everything that happened in the last couple of months." You just wanted to let them know that you were dealing with it in a healthy way!

Around a month later Sydney proposed to you after they won the Champions League finale. Which of course you said yes to.

The following summer you got married, your teammates, families & some friends were there to celebrate with the two of you.

You officially were y/n Lohmann now and you couldn't be happier about it.

(There will be a part three and maybe a Part four)

[newwavesylviaplath]

HI HI IT'S-A ME THE TAROT MF

(For legal purposes take this with a grain of salt. This reading is allegedly and for entertainment purposes only)

Sorry it took me a while to get back at y'all but I was busy with life and all but now I can tell y'all about the reading.

Okay so I did 5 cards for each and His were the 2 of swords, the Chariot, moon rx, ace of swords, 4 pentacles.

Hers were the magician, 2 wands rx, star rx and ace of wands rx. (I don’t remember the fifth card, my memory decided to be a bitch).

This is what I remember bc I was livin' it up with craft beer and my guns and roses playlist:

So basically, my interpretation is that he's determined to make this work (big Chariot vibes) He's like, fuck it. Let them throw shit, we’ll dodge it.

However, we have the 2 of swords (the image it depicts… its not looking good bruv) which means he might regret this situation later on; the vibe it gives off is like /did i do this right? was it worth it?". Uncertainty.

The moon in reverse talks about releasing fears/anxieties (the pap walk - "hey so yeah we're a thing, the cat's out of the bag") OR he might see S in a new light after he sees or notices her inner turmoil (more on this later).

The 4 of pentacles in a love reading is not it fr. It talks about one party being too controlling (“listen, we’re in this together, right?? RIGHT??), there are feelings of instability.

Finally, the Ace of swords in a ♥ reading talks about facing challenges. He feels he needs clarity to know which way to go (again, 2 of swords - two options, to stay or not to stay) in order to come up with a way to deal with said challenges (which could be the public opinion and his tarnished Good Guy image).

Now… Miss S:

The magician card makes me think that she “manifested” or more like pursued this connection. The image shows a man pointing up to the sky with one hand and pointing down to the floor with the other (as above so below): I have this wish, I want X thing and I’ll make it happen in the material world. This is not to say she’s the one to blame completely bc it takes 2 to tango but let’s just say that she kind of ignited the spark.

Now here’s where it gets hazy.

The 2 of wands in reverse talks about seeing that the grass greener on the other side; not being fully content about the new situation but staying because it’s familiar. The way I saw it was like ”well, people don’t really like us together, things are not ideal or the way I wanted them to be but I cant leave bc I have to make this count”. And I mean… two marriages ended for this? Yeah, she wants to make sure the mess wasn’t for nothing. (“It’s either this or nothing sigh”).

The star is a card of hope and inspiration, but when it’s upside down (rx) it talks about hopelessness, deception, lack of inspiration and boredom. (“All this circus, just to end up with This???”) Finally, the Ace of wands rx talks about delays, missed opportunities, boredom, predictability. In a love reading it represents setbacks and lack of progress.

SUMMARY: They’re in a rs, yeah, we know. But She’s doubting the progress (or lack thereof), and it makes herself question the situation. This, in turn, makes Him anxious and gives him a sense of loss (“what happened? What do we do now? How can I fix this? Was this worth it??”) Things are not what they seem, besties. There’s a lot of anxiety and uncertainty between this two. I’ll give them a year because sometimes “love” is not enough to make a relationship work.

Again, these are the vibes for now. I can check again in two weeks/a month just to see if the vibes are the same or not.

tarot anon has spoken! thanks babe

[flastar13]

I think a Netflix Live Action series would be interesting. As for the change of nationality, my opinion is most certainly extremely unpopular but please don't crucify me, it would be very interesting and perhaps necessary. Something that caught my attention in the first anime and Crystal, is that all the operations of the dark kingdom are in Tokyo-Japan, despite the fact that: 1) Each general has a specific area assigned to work in, only Jadeite deals with Asia, and the rest should deal with other places like Europe, America and the Middle East. 2) It is not smart to keep attacking the same area in search of energy, even if you have already searched in other places for a mystical magic crystal, stealing energy from a specific place would attract unwanted attention from the sailor senshis. On the other hand, collecting energy from different places makes it harder for them to locate you.

Also it's pretty weird that they all reincarnate in the same place, maybe it makes sense with the sailor senshis, but as soon as the shitennou Another History hinted that they were reborn in other countries. I don't think Queen Serenity would be so dumb to make her enemies reincarnate near her daughter, so they must have been born in other countries. One Piece introduced a diverse cast even though the characters were considered Japanese, although in its favor the world in which the plot takes place doesn't have fixed ethnicities, so everyone can be multiethnic. Going back to the previous point, I think it's more realistic that the characters come from different places, I always found it too convenient for the plot that all the sailor senshis live in the same city, in the same country and that three of the five attend the same school. In other shows it's because a higher entity transferred them to the same class cough Evangelion. I think each Sailor Senshi awakening their powers in a different country, fighting the general that controls the neighborhood, and then reuniting with the rest of the team is great cough Evangelion again but it makes sense and is realistic that the chosen ones are not born in the same place neglecting the land, only Rei and Shinji are Japanese, Asuka and Mari are foreigners, okay Asuka has a half Japanese mother but her father is American and she herself was raised in Germany. I really liked PGSM, its plot twists were spectacular. It is the adaptation that best develops the cast, taking their backstories which were rarely or never touched on in the manga or any of the anime. We really see the family situation of Rei, Ami, and Makoto, and how that affected them so much that they were very lonely people until Usagi arrived. We really see the Shitennou interact with Mamoru, and remembering the past does not turn everyone into perfect soldiers loyal to their respective master. Each side and character takes information in a different way and acts according to their personality and character arc. It shows that a good live-action adaptation with its own plot development is possible. Its flaws aside from the special effects are the lack of information about the Shitennou’s second life pre-dark kingdom and Minako’s characterization. I love that Mina is an idol but can we have a flashback to her Sailor V days based on her prequel manga please? The Minako from the manga has been fighting the dark kingdom since she was thirteen, destroyed the dark agency on her own, worked with the Tokyo police, killed her first love in her first transformation and then had to kill her almost boyfriend Ace, only to remember how all her friends died and how her real boyfriend turned evil and joined the bad guys. I hate how the first anime makes up some absurd love triangle story, where Minako makes her surrogate older sister believe that she died just because the boy she likes is said surrogate older sister's boyfriend and that's her big tragedy. What the hell? Not only did they take away any depth from Minako but in my opinion they made her seem mean for traumatizing Katarina just because Alan loved her instead of Minako. The Minako of Damn Sailor V, disguised herself as the love of a boy she liked just to help him not get expelled. As for PGSM giving Minako a nameless deadly disease just to increase the angst is unnecessary when Minako's backstory written by Naoko is so rich and interesting, it's inexplicable why it wasn't used in PGSM given the darker and more serious approach, it was the perfect setting to show how screwed Minako is after the events of Damn Me Sailor V, as well as being an opportunity to explain how Minako became an idol, she had to participate in dark agency idol events and the Kaito Ace movie, attracting attention from the media and idol recruiters.

I didn't like that she was so serious, granted Minako is actually quite serious but she always wears a mask of perpetual happiness, I felt that Minako from PGSM was missing that, they made her an expy of the outers. I love the outers but they are their own characters. I think Minako is more of a joker type teacher like Gojo. At least that's how I see her. I think Minako is an idol who acts like a clone of Usagi but as Rei gets closer to her, she realizes that she is the opposite of Sailor Moon.Sailor Moon Crystal was a missed opportunity to develop the Dark Kingdom arc more with a bigger budget than PGSM, especially if they decided to make SenshiXShitennou canon, but sadly while it was fairly faithful to the manga, it didn't develop the themes that the original work introduced. We get more development of the SenshiXShitennou ship in the musicals than in a TV adaptation. Rei and Ami's family life was not given any screen time, even though Naoko had already published "Casablanca Memory" a short story that chronologically takes place in the Dark Kingdom arc, it deals with Rei's past and why she distrusts men. Why wasn't it adapted in Crystal? But it was used in PGSM, it wasn't 100% faithful but it was used to develop Rei's arc. As for Ami, while her family life was introduced in the Dream arc in the manga, a slight glimpse would help give her more depth, the same as her friendless state before she met Usagi.I think any change of nationality isn't that important as long as the plot is good.

If Hollywood was able to get their hands on a Sailor Moon Live action movie who would you want to do it?

TBH, I would be super nervous about Hollywood touching Sailor Moon. They don’t have a great track record with adapting anime of any kind, and the extremely small handful of female-dominated ensemble movies I can think of are nothing like Sailor Moon. Hollywood is pretty familiar with superhero films by now, but magical girls and superheroes have very distinct flavors and conventions despite their similarities, and I think a lot of the charm that makes Sailor Moon what it is would be lost in an effort to make it recognizable for an American audience. Plus, it would be pretty much guaranteed to be whitewashed, what with Usagi being blonde. 

I seem to recall a Japanese live action Full Metal Alchemist movie that looked amazing. I’d be way more interested in something like that, or a Japanese-produced Netflix collab. 

[duusheen]

Meanwhile, in the Pollock household, things aren't getting better for Jay, and now Daphne and Leif are arguing as well 😩