#because the story arc here is SO good and full

[leejenowrld]

my love letter for ‘back to you’ and to all of you

it’s been two days since i posted the final chapter of back to you, and i still don’t think there are words big enough for what this feels like. maybe there never will be. i’ve been sitting with it, letting it echo in the quiet spaces, feeling every laugh, every scar, every stolen sunrise this story gave me. i’m emotional, i’ll be honest. my eyes sting every time i think about these characters, this universe, and the way you all held it with me. it feels impossible to say goodbye, so i won’t. i can’t. this was never meant to be a farewell.

writing this story was never gentle. it was never easy. it was born from everything i never said, everything i was too afraid to feel out loud. every single word is a piece of my heart, sometimes splintered, sometimes sewn back together. i didn’t plan for the pain to go so deep, or for the joy to bloom so bright. i didn’t know mark and areum’s loss would shatter me as i wrote it, or that healing would look the way it did, broken, slow, then suddenly full of light again. i didn’t expect the weight of taeyong’s death to ripple out the way it did, or that the story would linger so long in the ache of four years lost between jeno and y/n, the stretch of silence and distance that almost became forever. i didn’t foresee taesun’s brief, beautiful life breaking me open on the page, or how writing those tiny hands and bright hopes would change what i thought grief could hold. if you wept, i wept first. if you felt seen, it’s because i wrote until i saw myself in every crack, across every long night, every family dinner, every fight and forgiveness and trembling reunion, every goodbye that became a second chance. every character, every heartbreak, every moment of joy, i lived it all alongside you.

please, take this series gently, let it move through you slow and soft, and let it be a kindness to yourself. this world is heavy with all the truths i never wanted to leave unsaid, full of every secret and every quiet hope i tucked into its corners. it’s the gentle closing of so many arcs, and the windows thrown open for whatever your own story holds next. these characters are as real to me as anyone i’ve ever known; they changed me, and i hope in some small way they change you too. more than anything, i hope back to you becomes a place of comfort, a story you can return to on any night you need softness, a universe that welcomes you home for as many rereads as you ever want. let it be your safe place, always.

the universe outgrew me. it became a wild garden i just tried to keep up with, a universe too alive to control. what started as a single story spun into a constellation, families tangled, lovers lost and found, betrayals forgiven and not, and second chances blooming where nothing else would grow. if you find loose threads, if you still have questions, good. the ask box is open for a reason. please, fill it. ask about the ones who slipped between the lines, nahyun and her haunted legacy, the cold shadow of her father, jihyo’s quiet courage, how the babies love and how they receive love, yangyang’s mystery and the love that almost slipped through his fingers. i want every question, every theory, every ache. this world isn’t done growing, not even now.

this universe has become so much more than a story. it’s a home. every time you reread, every time you think about the characters that are so adored and loved, please keep the story alive. please, don’t let it end. keep coming back, even if i’m posting new things, even if years pass and the world feels different. back to you will always be here, exland, infinite and welcoming, waiting for you to find your way home. and please believe me when i say: this is not goodbye. i refuse to close the door on this world. message me, comment, reblog, send asks, tell me what you’re feeling every time you reread, what you’re wondering, what you want to see. reread, fall in love again, help me keep every heartbeat alive. if you keep loving it, it will never die. even if you don’t reread and curiosity gets the best of you, you know where my inbox is !!!

to every single character—this is my love letter to you.

y/n: a lighthouse singing to every lost ship, you carve melodies into silence and turn your scars into stars, a mother who builds kingdoms out of tenderness and flame. your voice is a key, unlocking doors for every soul shut out in the cold, a verse that turns loneliness into legacy. your love—bold, unyielding, eternal—makes every dark room brighter, every broken piece holy.

jeno: the storm that learned to kneel in a sunbeam, hands inked with old numbers and new vows, you run until the world bends soft around you. your heart, stitched together from splinters and sweat, beats like thunder for every child who never knew safety until you. on the court or in the quiet, you choose gentleness again and again, turning old pain into new devotion.

junseo: sunrise in a boy’s body, gold-lashed and wide-eyed, you are hope made tangible, the fresh page every family aches to write on. you give away your heart with every small kindness, every hand you hold, every giggle echoing down the hall. you are the future—sweet and unafraid, the answer to every prayer that was whispered in the dark.

serin: a comet in baby form, wild light and honeyed laughter, you spin chaos into joy and make rebellion look holy. your hands are full of glitter, your pockets full of dare, always pulling the others into your orbit. forgiveness tumbles from your mouth faster than anger; you burn and rebuild every day.

mark: the oak tree grown from a single, stubborn acorn, you anchor everyone in a storm, roots tangled in the old ache of loyalty. your laugh is the sound of doors opening, your silence the shelter that keeps everyone safe. you choose love, every day, even when your heart cracks open to let the light in.

areum: the lens through which every broken thing finds its beauty, you gather shattered light and thread it into stories worth keeping. your hands know the shape of grief and how to soften it, arranging loss into bouquets for the living. you are the archivist of hope, memory’s gentle keeper, forever making space for love that never dies.

taesun: the wish whispered between breaths, a heartbeat too brief, you live on in lullabies and the empty space at the table. every dream your family has is a doorway you left open, every sky a canvas you painted with invisible stars. you are absence that aches, presence that soothes, the reason the night always feels a little warmer.

chaeun: the petal that never wilts, gentle as morning dew, you cry when laughter gets too loud, then reach for a hand to hold. your sweetness is the balm, your patience the quiet spell that makes every storm pass softer. you are the thread that mends, the hush between heartbeats, loving with the kind of sincerity that makes the world slow down.

jaemin: the sunrise dad, all honeyed warmth and gentle teasing, arms always open for every lost child and every new beginning. your laughter builds a home before the bricks are even set, your patience a harbor for every small soul who drifts your way. in every bedtime story, you stitch hope into sleep and give your daughter a forever place to land.

haeun: moonbeam in a yellow dress, laughter like windchimes, you walk through the world with impossible wonder, loving until you overflow. you speak in a language of light, healing wounds you can’t see, kissing the air for brothers you never met. your spirit is made of gold ribbon and second chances, every day a new beginning, every night a wish sent to the stars.

karina: the prism girl, reflecting everyone’s secret colors, you move like poetry through a crowded room, unafraid to burn or be burned. every look is a secret shared, every word a door left ajar, you gather broken pieces and call them art. loyalty is your backbone; you are the storm and the shelter all at once.

shotaro: the heartbeat of the dance floor, a sunbeam in sneakers, every joy you feel is contagious, every sorrow short-lived. you build family in circles and song, laughter your native tongue, forgiveness your fallback. when you move, you teach everyone else how to fly.

ryujin: steel spun into grace, you cut through silence with a single look, never letting fear be the end of your story. you are a hand on a trembling back, the first to leap, the last to leave, always carrying fire in your gaze. loyalty is your compass; rebellion, your inheritance.

donghyuck: the spark in the dark room, chaos and comfort knotted into one, you make every secret worth telling. you speak in riddles, love in jokes, and cry when no one’s watching—your devotion never in question. the world is brighter for your noise, safer for your softness.

chenle: the golden thread through every tangled friendship, a grin that undoes a day’s worth of pain, you turn trouble into tradition. you’re a mapmaker for the lost, a lighthouse for the restless, always louder, always loving. when you laugh, even the grownups become children again.

ningning: the melody that lingers after the music stops, you carry every heartache like a verse in a song. your joy is infectious, your anger dazzling, your love a wild, necessary thing. you are always the last to give up and the first to forgive.

yangyang: the horizon always just out of reach, you are the reason adventure never ends, the friend who turns exile into home. your laughter bridges continents, your arms the softest place for the broken. change is your dance partner; hope, your oldest friend.

irene: the mother of second chances, spine like silk and iron, you built a family out of fragments and loved them into wholeness. your wisdom is a shield, your embrace a refuge, your legacy the space you made for everyone to start again. when you love, you leave the door open for anyone who needs to come home.

doyoung: the steady flame in the storm, voice of reason and mercy, you are the quiet that follows chaos. your hands have learned the shape of forgiveness, your patience the foundation on which futures are built. with every gentle word, you mend what fear tries to break.

seulgi: the morning after the hardest night, eyes always searching for the light, you turn sorrow into foundation and survival into beauty. your kindness is the house everyone gathers in, your resilience the thread that weaves every family back together. you forgive more than most, and in doing so, teach everyone how to begin again.

taeyong: the ghost at the edge of every family photo, a storm that taught everyone the cost of silence. your shadow stretches long, but your story is a lesson in breaking the chain, in becoming more than what hurt you. even in your absence, you are the warning, the line drawn, the vow never to repeat the past.

nahyun: a lesson carved in glass and shadow, you are the mirror that shatters and wounds at once. you are the venom in every secret, the storm behind a perfect smile; chaos in silk, cruelty with a crown. your name is a warning, a bruise, a chapter closed—proof that not every ghost deserves a home in the light.

jihyo: the quiet architect of safe places, a healer’s soul hidden in laughter, you make every gathering feel like a homecoming. your patience is endless, your strength quiet but fierce, a backbone for those who think they have none. with every kindness, you teach the world that gentleness survives, that love can be the loudest voice in the room.

coach suh: the architect of second chances, a storm in a whistle, you are the reason lost boys come home whole. your voice is gravel and gospel, tough love with tenderness folded in; every hard lesson a secret blessing, every win and loss a place to grow. you build teams the way others build families: brick by brick, heart by heart, believing fiercely that every kid deserves someone in their corner—no matter how many times they fall.

every minor character, every parent, every coach, every friend: you are the secret constellation behind every hero’s journey, the background music that never fades. you’re the dinner table set for too many, the hallway echoing with laughter, the quiet voice reminding us that no one is too small to matter, no one too lost to be found. the adults are roots and branches—some scarred, some blossoming—holding up the wild tangle of children who spin around them like planets. coaches, with their whistle prayers and patience, are guardians of second chances; parents, both living and gone, are the ghosts who tuck us in, the legends who teach us how to stay or how to leave. even those who broke us are inked in the story’s veins, teaching that family is made of blood, yes, but mostly of choice—chosen, fought for, grieved, forgiven. every soul who passed through this world leaves a shadow, a kindness, a warning, or a welcome. found family is the myth we write together, the kind that says: you are seen, you are held, you are never truly alone. every story belongs to all of us, in the end.

the core themes of this fic—the heartbeat at its center—are the things i hope you’ll carry with you:

• not abandoning what’s broken. like jeno’s childhood jersey, the story refuses to give up on things frayed at the edges. it’s about loving what’s been hurt, honoring scars, seeing value in what others cast aside.

• second chances are real. even when the world tries to convince you that you’ve missed your shot, there’s always a way back. you can build a new ending.

• love survives silence, distance, even betrayal. no matter how many miles or years stand between you, if it’s real, it will find a way to persist. love outlasts what tries to break it.

• family is chosen, built, and fought for every day. this universe is full of found family, the kind that sticks around even when blood doesn’t, the kind that picks you up and patches you together.

• healing is not linear. progress is messy. sometimes you spiral backwards before moving forward. it’s still healing.

• there’s power in vulnerability. the bravest thing any character does is let themselves be seen—messy, raw, afraid. the moments of honesty are the moments of freedom.

• grief and joy can coexist. the story doesn’t erase pain, it folds it in—shows that new life, new laughter, can exist right beside old aches.

• redemption is for everyone, even those you least expect. forgiveness is never easy, but it’s never out of reach. every character has the chance to choose better, to reach for light, even if they’ve spent years in darkness.

and above all, love is always worth the risk. always.

i poured my heart out here, truly. back to you taught me it’s okay to be vulnerable, to be broken, to let myself be seen. now i want to hear from you, please, pour your hearts out, too. tell me in the comments, send me an ask, leave a reblog on this post: what did back to you teach you? how will you remember it? what lines will echo? what scenes live in your heart? this is a love letter where we’re all the authors. this is a shared universe, i welcome you with an open heart to share and confess whatever you crave to tell.

this story saved me. it healed parts of me i didn’t know i was allowed to mend. it brought me friends from every corner of the world, and i know it did the same for others. this universe is where i learned to put language to pain, where i found community, where i could be as vulnerable as i dared. i will always treasure that. i can’t wait to share more with you. below are pinterest boards, playlists, a community you can find home in, the masterlist so you can keep reliving your favourite moments, here’s magic that built this universe. you’ll have the links to the soundtracks and visuals that made every scene shimmer for me. please use them, share them, fall deeper in love. this story belongs to you now, just as much as it ever did to me.

♬ 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 ✎ 𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐁𝐎𝐀𝐑𝐃 🎧 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓

to every soul who ever commented, screamed in the tags, left a little heart or a thousand words, who laughed, raged, or wept with these people—thank you. you didn’t just read these chapters, you breathed life into them. every whisper, every reaction, every late-night message made this universe real, gave it gravity, made it feel like coming home. you made this world bigger, brighter, softer, truer. you made me braver. you gave these characters their legacy. this is never a goodbye—how could it be, when you’ve sewn your own love into every line? the universe will always be here, lights on, arms open, waiting for you to return. i promise, i will always find my way back to you. thank you, with everything i am, for loving all of this so fiercely, so tenderly. please—stay, talk to me, help me keep this heartbeat alive. i’m endlessly grateful you’re here, and always will be.

and to my orbi—the keeper of secrets (she knew what the ending would be from the very start hehe, the exclusive perks you get if you become one of my closest friends... joking), the guardian of the best plot twists, the genius behind so many of the moments you all hold closest. none of this would exist the way it does without you. you held my hand through every tangled brainstorm, sat up for hours as we picked apart endings and rewrote beginnings, and somehow always saw the story’s heart before i did. so many of the things readers adore—those gasp-worthy reveals, the aching resolutions, even the fic name back to you—they were born from your mind first. you’ve held every secret, protected every unfinished arc, believed in every wild direction i wanted to go. you loved this universe with me when it was still just scattered notes and unspoken longing, and you gave me courage to write with my whole chest. thank you for your devotion, your ideas, your laughter, your honesty, your unwavering belief. you’re in every line, every scene, every heartbeat of this world. i love you, endlessly. @hyperbolicheart

with all my love, sophie 🫶.

[inafieldofstarflowers]

There are so many reasons that I love Star Wars, but I think that the biggest one is the centrality of hope in the story. Obviously, you have that at center stage in A New Hope, as the rebellion is having a breakthrough, and I think it’s a pretty clear thread through the original trilogy as a whole: Luke and Leia and Han enter the rebellion and all of them bring a determination to cause change which is, ultimately, as much a cause of hope as the information about a weak point in the Death Star was.

And the prequel materials are, to me, a beautifully tragic picture of how the galaxy got to a point of such desperation for hope. Throughout the prequel trilogy, as well as in Clone Wars, you see the decline of hope in the galaxy as they get sucked into a war, and we, the audience, get the extra kick of the dramatic irony: that Palpatine is playing both sides, that all the violence and death and loss are pointless, totally avoidable. And yet, especially in Clone Wars, everyone is working SO hard to not only hold onto hope, but also to provide it—the jedi, the clones, and even the handful of upright politicians.

And, of course, RotS ends on the lowest of points, a place without hope: the jedi order is destroyed, the clones lose their sense of identity, and the senate falls. The horror of this moment is not subtle: it is brutal and repeatedly shown, because it MATTERS. It is not just an event, it is something personal—we have Ahsoka and Rex burying brothers we know the names of, Bly shooting Aayla, the wolfpack firing on Plo, Jaro Tapal and Depa Billaba giving their lives to get their padawans—who are children— to safety. And at the heart of it all is the very person who was proclaimed the chosen one, cutting down children and playing a role in his wife’s death and giving into his darkest side. For me, Obi-wan’s confrontation of Anakin embodies this more than anything else: he cannot fathom how things have come to this point. And so RotS ends with a lack of hope that is nearly all-encompassing, though we can hold onto Luke and Leia, who we KNOW will grow up to save the galaxy.

Which brings us to the time in between—and, in particular, to Obi-wan Kenobi, Rebels, Andor, and Rogue One. For me, the whole Obi-wan show was about Obi-wan being reminded that hope existed in the galaxy, not just through Leia, but through all the ordinary people who stepped up and were working to make things better. And that is EXACTLY what Rebels and Andor and Rogue One are about, on an even grander scale. They show that, even in a galaxy in which hope seemed so impossible, there are people willing to fight for it. The prequels era has such a focus on the people who are fighting and doing the protecting of the galaxy, and the rebellion era shows the people who had been under their protection stepping into their shoes, refusing to give up as lost the goal they fought for just because they are now gone.

The message of Star Wars is HOPE, enduring even in the face of nearly incomprehensible and utterly senseless tragedy, and that’s such an enormously beautiful message.

[oldtvandcomics]

I know that it is silly nonsense, but part of me seems to not have given up all hope yet regarding a repeat of the 2020 US Election Miracle, complete with random ships that no-one in their right mind would expect to go canon to actually go canon. Except that things really seem quite desperate, regarding the levels of apathy I keep seeing here. So, like, maybe Destiel is not strong enough to save us from this one.

No, we need something even more powerful. We need Stucky.

CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW FUNNY THAT WOULD BE?!

Save us, Captain America.

[longagoitwastuesday]

Every day I am haunted by the fact JJK could be amazing but it will be just idk Bleach or something

[quibbs126]

You can wrap them in gold, but you’re still bound in chains

So I was stressing over a project today (I’m going to be dealing with it with my professor tomorrow, I may have ended up writing a very long email about the whole mess), and in the midst of me trying to calm down, I had this idea, specifically with my AU Sentinel Prime

The line was one of the first things I thought of, and unfortunately I don’t remember the line exactly, but I think this is the cool enough equivalent of it

Admittedly maybe I should have done more with the lighting and background (I’m still not good at them, sorry), like trying to make the colors more vivid and really emphasize the gold more. But it’s serviceable as is

The focal point was supposed to just be the neck, but I went a bit ham with the other gold accents, so maybe it loses its intent a bit

But yeah anyways, I made a new design for Sentinel in my AU some days ago, on paper at work, and one of the things I gave him was that large neck thing he has in Animated, with this sort of idea that it would also look like a brace or chain around his neck. And then that spiraled into the chain line that led to this drawing

I’m still a bit unsure if this will be the design I’m sticking with, but I do prefer it over the original, at least in the head area. It might just need some tweaks here and there

I’ve also tweaked Sentinel’s story a bit, mostly because of my new Alpha Trion backstory. Sentinel here was still created to essentially be the better Prime to Optimus, and while maybe some of his origins lie in pettiness, there’s also more political involvement in his creation and role

Alpha Trion is a very respected individual on Cybertron, but he’s never been particularly fond of authority and can’t really be pushed around by the politicians. And then he created Optimus Prime, who was given the Matrix of Leadership, something he had been keeping out of government hands. And while Optimus is more willing to work with the government, as seen in his position in the Autobots, he’s associated with several wild cards in the higher-ups’ eyes, notably his own family, and his own actions on occasion have shown that he is still something out of their control

Sentinel is meant to be the “better Prime” because he was made for their political schemes, they can control him. He’s more favored by higher ups than Optimus (and gets to be shinier), and ultimately they want it to be proven that Sentinel should be entrusted the Matrix over Optimus, being his superior. Unfortunately, Sentinel doesn’t do that great a job of this, usually ending up 2nd place to the original, but he is determined to best Optimus, and hopefully with time, he will eventually succeed and the Matrix will be in the government’s hands

I’m not sure how aware of this role Sentinel is. Like I’m not sure he’s 100% aware of his status as just a poltical pawn, though he probably knows at least on some level, something he may try to avoid thinking about and shield with his bravado. But his goal to be better than Optimus is more personal than for the ultimate purpose of it, he just wants to be better than him. He wants the Matrix, but only because he thinks he wants it, because it’s a marker he’s better. He has no idea what he’d actually do with the thing and really it’s just a trinket to him

It isn’t really Sentinel’s fault for being in this position, he was created to be this. I think that might be something Alpha Trion is aware of (like AT probably knows this guy exists, due to being basically a ripoff version of his basically son), which might color his interactions with Sentinel. Like he’s an asshole and Optimus is clearly the better choice for the Matrix, both in the role and in their characters, and he may find it a bit satisfying to see Sentinel get put in his place, but he also knows Sentinel never asked for this, and feels a bit sorry for him

His role might also have to do with his undefined angst, though I’m not sure. Like for example, his lost partner could have instead of a lover, been his twin (made to sort of be the answer to Elita-1), but something happened, possibly internal malfunctioning, and they died horribly. And Sentinel cried out about this, wanting to get them fixed and just genuinely being torn up about the situation, but those same higher ups that once praised the pair and treated him like something special completely discarded his partner as little more than a failure, gave him replacements and wanted him to be over this. And this would have been the moment Sentinel got more of an understanding of his real place in everything, even if he later chooses to just push it down and ignore it

Sentinel here isn’t supposed to be a truly bad person, but he is an antagonist in the sense that he’s an ass, and what he wants (to get the Matrix as a sign of being “the better Prime”) would ultimately be a bad thing overall. What he’s probably going to get is instead some form of redemption, in which he realizes he can be something outside of the shadow of Optimus, and that the people who say care for him truly don’t, and that he needs to carve out his own path in life. Though granted, that’s probably going to come with some more pain for him, because he must suffer

And yeah, I think that about covers things for now. I had another idea this afternoon regarding this AU, specifically a scene after Megatron, and also Optimus and their Autobot team, learn the truth about him and the origin of the Decepticon virus. But it's supposed to be pretty dramatic (and probably a bit dark in subject matter, Megatron does not take this information well), so I think I should save it for like a comic or something rather than just text

[pumpkinrootbeer]

Aang being a shitty dad is fine, but it's the way tlok makes Aang a shitty I have a problem with. You're telling me a guy who's entire culture was whipped out and whole family was massacred wasn't overjoyed at the possibility of sharing his culture with his entire family?

Would Aang have given more attention to Tenzin? Probably, them being the only airbenders would have almost certainly fostered a complex dynamic between the two— even to the extent that it would damage the father/son relationship. I think it's also worth pointing out that Aang was raised in a culture without the nuclear family dynamic we see him participarting in with Katara and their kids, and it's not out of the realm of possibility that Aang would fall short of the expectations and responibilities being a typical father figure brings especially when he himself never experienced that dynamic. Especially, especially compounded with the task of rebuilding a struggling world and maintaining peace.

However, do I think he would neglect to show his kids his culture? Their culture? No. Certainly not the extent he did, and especially not when we see how excited he is to share it with his friends in the show. Why wouldn't he be excited to share it with his kids? With all his kids? How the writers of The Legend of Korra make him a bad dad is a complex series of failures not the least of which stem from racism, the unwillingness to even attempt an understanding of multicultural families, TLOK originally being a 12 episode miniseries that then got greenlit for another season and was suddenly taxed with building upon a world that was never intended to exist beyond its original scope, and a fundamental misunderstanding of Aang as a character.

tldr: see

[paddockletters]

redeemed | lando norris part 4

masterlist | previous part | next part summary: we all needed dome drama

years ago 2021

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yourusername: When in Milan… 🇮🇹☕

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user: She’s out here living her best life while Lando’s life is a whole soap opera 💀

bestfriend: hello??? 😍

user: Meanwhile, Lando is getting cooked on twitter because of his new girl… girl, you won fr 😭

user: The way she looks unbothered and stunning? As she should

user: Milan fits you SO WELL omg

user: She’s glowing, she’s thriving, she’s in Milan… a win is a win 🫡

user: Girl, are you even aware of what’s happening back home? Or are you just eating pasta and ignoring the chaos? 😭

user: I just know she’s sipping espresso peacefully while Lando is fighting for his life 😭😭

user: Lando is in the trenches and Y/N is taking aesthetic pics in Italy 💀

user: The way she’s out here minding her business >>>> everyone in the comments needs to take notes

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user: Not Max flying out to Milan… I just know they had a gossip session

user: lando somewhere punching the air rn 😭😭

user: She replaced Lando so fast, I respect it 😂

user: we need the full tea. What did they talk about?? Who’s the mystery girl?? I HAVE QUESTIONS

user: max in Milan??? Oh, this is about to be messy 👀

user: right??? Max is there to spill the tea…

user: Imagine if Lando sees this… the way he’s gonna feel that one lmao 💀

lando: Wow. Didn’t even get an invite

user: NOT HIM SHOWING UP IN THE COMMENTS HELPPP 😭😭 User: Lando, blink twice if you’re mad user: Someone check on him. He’s definitely spiraling user: Bro, she left and immediately upgraded to a new best friend user: Lando, you were busy in Croatia, remember? 👀

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[fahye]

book recs: may 2025

first recs post in nearly a year! I plead: having a baby. turns out they surgically remove all your free time, who knew?? but I've been reading in tiny doses and now am able to read in LARGER doses so let's do this. highlights from the past year.

*means not yet released; read as an ARC.

FLOWERS FROM THE STORM by laura kinsale - I only discovered kinsale recently but I was electrified. halfway between georgette heyer and dorothy dunnett. this book in particular is bonkers intense and absolutely wonderful. the hero has had an aphasic stroke and the heroine is a quaker. yes I know. read it anyway. life-changing.

THE SENTENCE by louise erdrich - literary fiction about a year in the life of a native american ex-felon bookseller haunted by a dead customer. I fucking adored this. it's like taking a big bite of a perfectly cooked steak: rich, meaty, satisfying, self-indulgent. a perfect treat for book nerds.

SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY by alexis hall - this is kind of a comedic romance novel about an aromantic woman who semi-kidnaps and marries her gay friend for Regency Reasons, and kind of a cross-country romp in which they collect sex partners, and very full of long grown-up discussions about feelings and family and priorities. it shouldn't work and yet I was HOOKED. the third in a series; I do recommend reading the other two for context.

*AN ACADEMIC AFFAIR by jodi mcalister - marriage of convenience for the extremely valid reason of academic partner employment clauses. I am obsessed with jodi's romances and this one is very sharp about how fucked up academia is while also being blissfully swoony and bantery. can't wait for the others in this series, too.

YOU ARE HERE: NINE MORE STORIES by iona datt sharma - I will sing iona's praises with my dying breath. deft, devastating, delicious. every one of these stories is a jewel. I will also throw in a rec for BLOOD SWEAT GLITTER, their recent romance novella about roller derby and trauma recovery.

WOOING THE WITCH QUEEN by stephanie burgis - romantasy girlies, assemble! this is a fun & satisfying story about a powerful woman trying to hold her kingdom together and the hot archduke she accidentally hires to be her magical librarian. found family! secret identities! a heartwarming banger.

*LADIES IN HATING by alexandra vasti - what if we were rival gothic novelists with a secret shared past and we got stuck in a Haunted Manor and had to have a lot of feelings about it while in surprising amounts of peril? sapphic histrom doesn't get better than this.

I SHALL NEVER FALL IN LOVE by hari conner - a graphic novel queer retelling of emma, which is one of my favourite austens. this is thoughtfully researched and grounded in history, has lovely and very funny art, and was a shot of pure joy.

*THE EVERLASTING by alix harrow - can't believe alix is out here grinding my heart into little pieces YET AGAIN. a tired lady knight and the historian trying to chronicle her life and control her ending get stuck in a time loop. this is about the violence of history and empire and narrative. it's brutal. it's romantic. it's so so so so SO good.

THUS WAS ADONIS MURDERED by sarah caudwell - I almost don't want to give too much away about this, because I went in with zero knowledge and had a blast. it's a murder mystery. it's extremely funny. go forth, enjoy.

EUPHORIA by lily king - not funny at all but a perfectly crafted, fairly short gem of a historical litfic novel. it's about the relationships between three anthropologists. it's very hard to describe. but I can't stop thinking about this book.

THE SAFEKEEP by yael van der wouden. also historical litfic and even shorter! even less funny! even more amazing! a bitter, repressed woman plays reluctant host to her brother's girlfriend; history, yearning, secrets and denial create a crucible of emotion and lust.

*THE DUKE by anna cowan - what if the rich, rakish, unrepentant duke of every regency romance was a woman? what if her love interest was a french courtesan who's blackmailing her? anna cowan's first book was WAY ahead of its time when it comes to fucky delicious gender stuff, and this one is equally great.

[curtis-brothers-hug]

Look. Darry hitting Ponyboy is obviously, unequivocally wrong, and we shouldn’t make excuses for it or justify it.

But outbursts of aggression or violence can be a symptom of trauma and PTSD. And we really need to stop completely leaving that out of the debates of “is Darry a good or bad guardian/person?”

Something many in the fandom forget, despite it being a central aspect of Darry’s character, despite it being a central aspect of Pony’s character arc, despite Pony reminding us explicitly and repeatedly in his narration - is that Darry’s behaviour when we see him in canon is out of character.

Ponyboy could not be more clear about this. “Me and Darry got along before mom and dad died.” “Nobody in our family ever hit me before. Nobody.” The palpable shock of all three brothers, including Darry himself, after Darry hit Pony.

One of the main reasons why Pony finds Darry’s behaviour so distressing is because it’s new. It’s different. It’s unexpected. It came seemingly out of nowhere. He’s not used to it and it’s caught him horribly off guard. It’s yet another cataclysmic change that Pony’s had to deal with as an unexpected byproduct of his parents’ deaths. He hasn’t had a lifetime to inoculate himself against Darry yelling at him or hitting him, like Johnny or Dally or Steve with their parents. If Darry was an abusive person, Pony would be used to these behaviors. He might say something like, “Darry was always like this but now mom and dad aren’t here to protect me.” But no. Darry yelling at Pony all the time is out of character. Darry hitting Pony is out of character. Again, it doesn’t excuse the behavior, but it does raise alarm bells and give us some very important clues.

You have some acting violently in a way that is recent, sudden, and out of character. That’s the profile of someone who is suffering from trauma.

All three brothers suffered their parents’ deaths, but it’s safe to assume Darry was the one who had to identify their mangled bodies. Darry was the one who had to prepare those bodies for burial. Do you think Darry doesn’t see that image when he closes his eyes? Do you think he let Soda and Pony see that? If Pony had seen his parents’ dead bodies, he would have mentioned it. The whole point of the story is that even after his parents’ death, Pony doesn’t see the full extent of death and violence and dead bodies with his own eyes. Because Darry took care of it for him.

Darry is not only acting out of character during canon, but he’s most likely also acting on impulses that he can’t fully control and hasn’t been given the tools to do so. Mental health and trauma therapy were not really a thing in the 1960s, and even if the Curtis’ lived in the modern era, they still wouldn’t have the money and resources to access that help. Maybe a modern Darry Curtis could self diagnose through Google searches, if he ever found time, but that’s about it.

Not to mention the societal and material circumstances at play. You can’t insist that the story is about class and socioeconomics - which it is - but make Darry the sole exception, and act like his wrongdoings alone exist in a vacuum.

The whole point of Darry hitting Pony is that it’s the culmination of events, a breaking point, that is a direct result of their class and their poverty. Darry would never have hit Pony if he wasn’t at the end of his rope, not just due to their parents’ death, but all the socioeconomic conditions resulting from it.

Darry hit his breaking point when Pony came home late, not because he was mad that Pony broke his tyrannical rule, but because Pony breaking curfew could have disastrous, life altering consequences. He was worried sick not knowing where Pony was, but he couldn’t do anything about that, because if he called the police, Pony and Soda would be taken away and tossed in the system. Because Darry’s custody is constantly under threat, because they’re low class and poor. And he’s already running on fumes from the financial ruin and precarious custody that he’s had to deal with every minute of every day since their parents died. If soc kids lost their parents it would still be a tragedy and a trauma, but money and custody and college and future would not be a concern. They’d just access their trust funds and be adopted by any number of other wealthy relatives or family friends.

If anything, I think it’s damn impressive that Darry improves his behaviour toward Ponyboy as much as he does, considering he has no more resources or support system by the end than he does at the beginning. His efforts to be more gentle and patient and communicative are sheer willpower. In essence, he’s trying to override his triggers while still living in survival mode, and he manages to make progress. That’s hard enough for people who know those terms and have that vocabulary, let alone someone who very much does not.

So is Darry’s treatment of Pony wrong? Of course. Is he inherently a bad person? The narrative is very clear that he is not, that his negative behavior is an anomaly. Is there a hell of a lot of context to Darry’s mistakes that should be taken into account? Yes. Is said context literally the whole point of the story? Also yes. Would you do any better in his position - his exact position, including his age and living in his time period? Sorry, no. If you are an adult in 2025 who can’t bother to understand Darry, there is no way you would have done a better job of understanding Ponyboy or caring for Ponyboy if you were Darry in 1965. If you write off Darry as just an abuser, just an inherently bad person, I guarantee that if you lived in the 1960s, you’re the one who would think Ponyboy was just an ungrateful brat who needs a good smack to whip him into shape.

[casscainmainly]

Tate Brombal AMA Recap!!

He'd love to explore Cass + Bruce's relationship in the future (he's the parent she chose 😭)

Shiva is important to the book overall

More about Talia and Nyssa's relationship will be revealed

Cass and Steph are each other's rock + Cass feels safest and most comfortable with her + they share the Batgirl mantle like sharing a hoodie 😭

He loves Lady Shiva a lot!!

Batgirl 2024 was made an ongoing because of strong sales ❤️

Cass with bandage wraps is his fav outfit besides the main Batgirl one! He also loves the black lenses

David Cain may be showing up soon...

Cass' struggle with words is based on his own experiences

"Hm... a sidekick...somebody for Cass to mentor....would be a good idea, wouldn't it.....?" 👀

If the series continues Cass will definitely return to Gotham and interact with Batman and co!

He reads Cass as in her early to mid twenties

He's interested in writing for another Batfam member

He'd love to see stories from Cass' lost days!!! (between running away and NML), but he doesn't have plans for that right now

He says not to rule anyone out from upcoming stories

Arcs will vary in length

If you like Batgirl, check out his other work Christopher Chaos!

He hasn't forgotten about Marque

He likes Cass' relationships to Barda, Xanthe, Clayface, and Tai'Darshan!!!! He also wants to write Onyx.

In her spare time Cass likes to go on food tours of cities she's in

Cass wasn't raised on spicy food but because she loves a challenge, she's trained her spice tolerance to high levels since then

He also answered questions about Green Lantern Dark and some other stuff, so I'd recommend checking out the full thing here (plus I may have paraphrased some of this wrong). Shoutout to @stephexmachina for the Steph question, @intraterrestriall for the Lost Days/side character question, @getthembees for the age/returning to Gotham question, and anyone else who participated!!!!

[fuckyeahchinesefashion]

Everyone you gotta check out this amazing Chinese xianxia fantasy donghua Xian Ni仙逆 /Renegade Immortal 

The pacing is so good. I skipped the first few minutes (some big battle scene, but turns out it’s just backstory for the MC’s future master). Instead, I started when the protagonist, Wang Lin, is just a kid getting bullied in his village. His parents are forced to pay ‘protection money’ to local thugs, and if they can’t, their house gets trashed. Wang Lin's uncle secured him a chance to take the cultivation sect's trial—because if he succeeds, his family will finally be safe.

And then I was hooked. Binged it all weekend. It’s got 80+ episodes out now (rumored to end at 120+), and the writing is tight. The anime cut all the weird/illogical stuff from the original novel and fixed the OOC moments. Now the plot flows smoothly, the characters actually make sense, and the romance is pure (no harem thank you rare for a male-led xianxia adaptation).

That’s why it’s blowing up, everyone’s watching it, not just novel fans, all ages. If you like underdog stories with heart, give it a shot.

Another captivating aspect of this anime is Wang Lin’s strong personal integrity. In the ruthless world of cultivation, where stealing treasures and killing for profit are commonplace, Wang Lin refuses to follow the crowd. He has his own principles: To those who show him kindness, he remains deeply loyal—repaying even the smallest favor tenfold. To those who harm him, he doesn’t cower but retaliates decisively (no frustrating ‘doormat’ MC here).

He’s intelligent, level-headed, and humble—never abusing his power. His calm, unwavering demeanor makes it easy for viewers to empathize with and respect him.

One of his most iconic lines when he was young before he met Li Muwan perfectly sums up his philosophy: "In this life, I, Wang Lin, bow to neither heaven nor earth. I revere no gods or ghosts. The only ones I honor are my parents… and Situ (his master)."

Oh and the story’s really gripping, full of tight spots where the hero seems doomed, but he always finds a clever way out. He’s the quiet, ruthless type who follows his own rule: "I shall not offend unless offended; if provoked, I'll yield some ground. But cross me twice, and roots and all shall be undone." His bond with the love of his life (who’s sharp as a tack) is just so solid—they protect each other no matter what. Everyone watching ends up rooting for them. Wang Lin's love for his wife Li Muwan is really moving. Everything he does later is basically for her. (But I won't spoil too much).

The previous plot was already very exciting, and the "Mortal Enlightenment化凡" arc took it to another level, with even more gripping storytelling and nuanced emotions. The protagonist, in order to break through his mental barriers, lived an entire lifetime as an ordinary person, and the bond he formed with his neighbor, the blacksmith's family, was truly moving. However, the original novel's later stages suffered from character and plot breakdowns, which angered a large number of readers and led to a mass exodus. The main issue was the mishandling of the protagonist's romantic relationships, which deviated from the pure love tone established earlier (Chinese readers are particular about this—if you're writing pure love, stick to pure love; if you're writing a harem, make it clear from the start. Don’t market it as pure love only to later introduce ambiguous, harem-like elements, or even break up beloved couples. For example, Detective Conan faced backlash when the production team seemingly pushed a female side character in a movie, creating the impression of breaking up the iconic couple Shinichi and Ran. This sparked outrage among Chinese netizens, trending atop multiple platforms. The side character, Ai Haibara, was labeled a "homewrecker""green tea bitch" "and the producers are all "老登creepy old fart", and her reputation was ruined. The incident even drew responses from Shogakukan, the original author, and the movie producers. The author clarified it was the producers' idea, but by then, Haibara’s portrayal had completely fallen from grace in China, and the movie flopped there, anyway cnetizens are brutal when you get on their nerves like how they react to the whole kimsoohyun lol).

Now, the Renegade Immortal has reached over 80 episodes and seems to be following a pure love route, outright removing the harem elements that discomforted readers. However, there’s an upcoming plot point tied to a controversial storyline from the original novel that angered pure love fans. It’s tricky to cut entirely, so the scriptwriters will likely revise it. Many fans are demanding the director completely alter or remove this plotline. If the July-August episodes don’t address these changes, they’ve vowed to drop the show entirely. Cnetizens say "Just sticking around to watch the War of Heaven arc and the movie for WangLin×LiMuwan's sake, then I'm out. I'll check back when the Vermilion Bird Tomb arc drops, but if they follow the novel's icky vibes or keep toeing that line in the adaptation, I'm done for good. Ain't gonna force myself to watch something that pisses me off." Right now, the vast majority of fans are fiercely protective of Wang Lin and Li Muwan's love story (affectionately called 'Lin Wan' by shippers). They're cautiously optimistic, though honestly, many are already frustrated that Li Muwan hasn't gotten any updated character models or new outfits in over 70 episodes. If the Vermilion Bird Tomb arc follows the original novel’s mess? The backlash will be nuclear. #RenegadeImmortalDirector would trend within minutes.

Some viewers who've experienced both the novel and anime have pointed out that the original novel isn't actually among the best xianxia works - many plot points could even be considered poorly written. However, the anime adaptation has made remarkable improvements. While the novel's protagonist is essentially more of a villain - behaving like a demonic cultivator with outrageous actions - the anime's version has a much more appealing personality and moral compass. Fans hope the anime will maintain this improved characterization consistently. As for romance, it actually occupies very little of the overall story. But the Lin Wan-related arcs that have been adapted so far are genuinely moving and well-executed.

Anyway, so far, the Renegade Immortal 3D donghua(chinese 3D anime) has been absolutely fantastic, with plenty of episodes to binge. Highly recommend giving it a watch.

(video cr by 满世界种香菜)

[mariuspompom]

Idk. The way I personally see it, the sUbvErSiOn in Rhaegar's storyline is NoT that a hot blonde twink who plays the harp is actually a Machiavellian rapist who single-handedly destroyed Westeros instead of saving it. The subversion isn't even that the prophecy that was supposed to save people actually killed them. The subversion, imo, is that Rhaegar, having the typical fantasy attributes of a hero (his idiosyncrasy and his gender), instead of saving Westeros as he was supposed to, died. He died.

He died. Without accomplishing anything.

He was the only one who knew and gave a fuck about the prophecy, the only one who had the bigger picture and wasn't so deep into the political game, the only one who was trying to figure out a possible solution. He was good, people loved him, he should have succeeded, he would have succeeded if this was a different story, a more predictable sorry. It should have been him.

And he got killed. And instead of that guy, who was decent and good and idealistic, the only one who was, the kingdom is left to Robert, Tywin and the twins. You are yapping day and night about Rhaegar only looking after his cock when in reality, Rhaegar was the only major male character in the rebellion's timeline, with the exception of Ned, that gave fuck about sth that wasn't his own cock. And he lies dead while Robert the actual rapist, Tywin, the actual murderer and the twins, the actual murderers/schemers, aka all your faves, are doing whatever the fuck they please with the power they very unjustly possess.

In some media, subversion is a question of morality, a plot twist, a "the tragic fallen hero is actually the villain" arc. I don't think that's the case with that character. The way I see it, subversion here is about narrative progression. We would normally expect a classic high fantasy hero like Rhaegar to succeed in his quest or at the very least to achieve his purpose after sacrificing himself in a blaze of glory. Not here. Here the hero both fails and falls, and we are struck by the ruthless realism of the game, intentions don't matter, ideals don't matter, everything is shot to hell because the other guy was simply better with the sword. And when we think it's all over and this world is literally doomed to be eaten alive by the corrupted traitors that govern it long before the long night comes, here comes Rhaegar's younger, exiled, uneducated, powerless, enslaved, forgotten sister and suddenly it's not over. It is her who brings the dragons back, it is her who is going to fulfill the prophecy along with his forgotten bastard son Jon (not gonna go into TPTWP debate let's assume it's both of them). That is the subversion. That's the full extent of it. I think that's a substantially richer take than treating him like fucking Griffith from Berserk or sth but whatever.

[lordeasriel]

I think what I really like about SWTOR — compared to other stuff in Star Wars that I've seen — is that you get to see the Sith Empire in a way that allows for very complex characters to exist without needing to redeem them because you can play as an Imperial.

And yes, I know that down the line they sort of resort to little redemption arcs here and there, but for the most part, all four Imperial side stories are full of very complex evil characters and I think it's interesting that we get to see the Empire through these lenses.

It also allows you to play within that setting in different ways than standard Star Wars content usually is (good vs bad and the bad is usually a sad sob story about some padawan-turned-inquisitor or something in that line), making the stories much more compelling, in my opinion.

Overall, you also see the intricacies of everything bad within the Empire and you see how it is such a well-oiled machine created by the Emperor for his own plans, yet there is something so wrong with their meritocracy that the Empire ultimately falls due to its own infighting.

I've played the Sith Warrior origins a million times and I never get tired of the politics it entails. You see these side quests full of Imps and Sith struggling to keep the Empire afloat and you get these companions that show you what it means to be Sith outside of the Empire's bubble.

I wish more Star Wars content showed evil under more detailed lighting, because there is a lot of interesting things that could have been explored with the new content except every single story either has evil that is beyond reasonable or evil that has to be redeemed because they were good once upon a time (and that is booooring).

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Aaaaa Yuuna is so cuuutee 💗😆 Her hair is so prettyyy. But with the addition of the new Yuu I’ve come up with a theory that with the pattern the mangas have taken so far, they’ll start switching back and fourth between male and female yuus for the rest of the dorms:

Heartslabyul - Yuuken (Male)

Savanaclaw - Yuuka (Female)

Octavinelle - Yuuta (Male)

Scarabia - Yuuna (Female)

Pomefiore - Male

Ignihyde - Female

Diasomnia - Male

Just something I came up with that i wanted to share with you ^^ Also who is the manga artist for Scarabia 🤔

[Referencing the Episode of Scarabia!]

Lots of Yuuna-related asks recently (and for good reason!) so I decided to lump them all into one post :DD

Yes, Yuuna is very cute~ The alternating genders of the manga!Yuus has actually been a pretty popular theory for a while now, actually! Some believe this is meant to be the Yuus having the opposite genders as the Great Seven member of their respective books/dorms. But yeah, the pattern seems likely at this point.

The mangaka for the Episode of Scarabia is Majiko-sensei! They have previously contributed a chapter to the manga anthology. You can read more about their past works here.

I'm not sure if "[taking] care of [one's] appearance" is the right phrase to use (as it unintentionally implies other Yuus are slobs/don't care about how they present themselves, when that's definitely not the case)? Maybe it would be more accurate to say, "Yuuna has stereotypically feminine aesthetic tastes", though it's more immature and preppy than Vil's is. I think Yuuna has a cuteness that's more characteristic of Cater than Vil--but all three of them definitely have overlap in their interests in makeup, fashion, social media, etc. I feel like Yuuna would get along with them both!! We do technically see her interacting with Cater (they take a selfie before he departs for winter break) and are assumed to have already known each other due to the events of books 1 and 2. Too bad we don't really get to see them interact in those books... and that we won't see Yuuna interact with Vil for the Episode of Pomefiore. We'll have a new Yuu by then (which gets into my disappointment with never being able to fully follow a single manga!Yuu and their character arc through to the end of the main story...)💦

Yeah, it's nice to have variety in the manga!Yuus' personalities, skillsets, and interests! ^^ It makes them a lot of fun to follow, even if we know they'll only be with us for the length of one book/dorm.

I've personally really been loving Yuuta and Yuuna a lot. Yuuken and Yuuka are also nice, but I find that their general characters are kind of similar (athletic and level-headed) and don't differ enough to result in interactions unique from game!Yuu (with perhaps the exception of them being able to physically contribute to battles). This is not true of Yuuta and Yuuna, whose abilities extend to other areas and therefore have a larger impact on the world and its characters. For example, Yuuta's love of food + cooking skill has him shouting at Grim sometimes for not appreciating food, but it also becomes excellent leverage for sleeping over at Savanaclaw later in book 3. You can also see how Yuuna's outgoing personality would draw people to her and allow her to make connections.

The manga!Yuus also speak to the diversity of Yuus we see in the fandom. I know a lot of us were waiting for a girl Yuu (which we got with Yuuka), a Yuu of different body type (which we got with Yuuta), and a very femme presenting Yuu (which we got with Yuuna). Yuuken is also great because he was the first Yuu we got that actually had the ability and the confidence in his fighting capabilities to charge head-on into an OB fight.

As I state in my pinned post, manga raws generally come from Monthy GFantasy, which publishes new chapters of the Twst manga online each month. You must PAY to access those raws.

In the case of the Episode of Scarabia, the full first volume was released in today. It is avaliable on Kindle through the Amazon JP store. This is still something you would need to PAY for if you're interested in seeing the full thing right away.

I cannot provide full chapters to the public, as this is paid content that I receive from my own friends who subscribe to GFantasy and/or who bought the first volume of Scarabia on Kindle. You can make your own decision whether or not you wish to purchase for yourself; however, there is most likely a scanlation team that will put out an English version sooner or later. Again though, this would surely take some time to get done, especially when there's 4 chapters of Scarabia to translate.

[c0nn0rsseur]

Can we take a moment to appreciate Bryan Dechart’s performance as Cyberlife Tower Connor aka Sixty and Sixty as a character? 🤌

Though Sixty and deviant Connor are physically identical (minus their demeanors, e.g. the way they stand and walk, like wow, Bryan, wow) and their voices technically aren’t different from each other, the distinction is still clearly there, at the same time it’s so nuanced too. Sixty sounds condescending, imperious and callous compared to deviant Connor whose voice is empathetic, curious and sincere. I’m not even talking about their lexicon, their choice of words here (there’s of course a difference too). Even when Sixty tries to convince Hank he’s the real Connor, you can hear how he’s failing to sound exactly like his counterpart because he can’t replicate deviant Connor’s voice and speech pattern just so. Sixty’s also being very commanding when trying to fool Hank into shooting the real Connor (Hank even gets irritated because of it). Damn that’s brilliant acting, all hats off to Bryan. His performance in this game never fails to impress me. (I wish there were dialogue for RK900 too, I would’ve loved to see Bryan’s take on his voice and presence.)

Also also I have to mention I love the take that Sixty really was a deviant all along too, an ”evil” version of Connor if you will; cold, calculating and even enjoying the situation he had Connor (and Hank) in. You know, doing all of it because he wanted to, because he liked it. Why else would he deliver a whole ass villain monologue before executing deviant Connor, gloating about how he knows what he is and that he is the obedient, favorite child, plus calling Connor a disappointment (and a disappointment to him especially, like how Connor should care in his final moments that Sixty despises him for not being a good little robot)? AND shooting him several times non-lethally before landing that final shot (if the story goes there), like savoring the situation. Of course he also has to ask if Connor has any last words too. That’s definitely not what an efficient machine would have done to make sure it accomplished its mission. In some outcomes his stalling costs him the victory.

Top that off with the ending where deviant Connor dies but the androids still wake up, Sixty is scared and emotional because he failed, scared to be deactivated because of his failure. Then there’s this scene where he shoots deviant Connor eleven times in front of his friend. After that Sixty takes in Hank’s reaction and even torments him by saying Connor’s death was his fault. Still doesn’t sound like a machine much, huh? More like a sadistic psychopath.

Man, I wish we could’ve seen more Sixty, it would’ve been chilling to see if he went full-on rogue, maybe being Markus’ right hand/attack dog on a leash in the violent revolution arc, maybe with his own agenda of taking Markus’ place and wanting to subjugate humanity. Or maybe deviant Connor could’ve persuaded him to their side by making Sixty to see he was nothing but a tool, unintentionally prompting him to seek revenge and to reduce Amanda and Cyberlife to atoms (not what Connor intended haha). There could’ve even been a redemption arc for him, like in a ”what’ve I done?” type way. You know, a bit of an internal moral struggle. And of course, our fave ”sack of shit” (as Hank so eloquently put it) demanding answers from his maker, Kamski, in a not-so, uh, conventional manner. Let them measure their respective arrogance and wit and see who comes out on top. Or would they team up?

Such a delicious character, so many delicious what-ifs.

[bellametre]

Some Ultimate G/T Favourites

I've wanted to do this ever since I saw @gullivertravelstowonderland post the idea. I added a category or two because there's some media I just had to include, but here we go:

Favourite Tiny: Spiller

This shy, wild, golden-hearted dreamboat catalyzed everything for me. I became utterly smitten at the age of nine and went on to watch him in every Borrowers adaptation ever—an obsession that’s still going strong.

Favourite Giant: Optimus Prime

I was so jealous of Shia LaBeouf back in 2007. I don’t even have the toys, but I’ve consumed nearly every comic, show, and movie Optimus Fine appears in. When June Darby in Transformers: Prime says, “And I wore heels and everything”? Same, girl.

Favourite G/T Movie: Ultraman: Rising

If you haven’t seen this movie yet, why are you still here? Go watch it. It’s about a snarky, size-changing superhero who has to look after a baby kaiju. If you need more convincing, just look up a picture of Kenji Sato.

Favourite G/T Show: George Shrinks

Fellow Canadians know this was the show back in the day. Banging intro, unique plot, confident little genius of a protagonist—seriously, this kid made me covet being four inches tall like nobody else. And no, his Zoopercar was not cheating.

Favourite G/T Book: Valiant

Sarah McGuire delivers here: a host of giants, a kick-butt heroine, a villain with a superiority complex, and an attractive lord who gets injured so badly that one of the giants has to “cradle him like an infant” to carry him to safety. Good stuff.

Favourite G/T Manga: Godaigo Daigo

For yet another story about giant heroes protecting cities from monsters, this was a pleasant surprise. Kounosuke showcases all kinds of G/T relationships—coworkers, friends, parents, and romance—and every arc absolutely slaps.

Favourite G/T Webcomic: Piper

The fact that Dr5spectre has been on hiatus for almost two years now is one of the greatest tragedies of our time. But I beg you—check out this comic, especially the AUs. The Goblin of Dornenholtz is so soul-filling it hurts.

Favourite G/T Song: Touchy Feely Fool

It definitely has to be AJR. Not only did I grin like a maniac when I watched the music video, but I like to think the lyrics are about a tiny person who wishes they didn’t have feelings for a giant anymore but simply can’t help themselves.

Favourite G/T Magical World: Roshar *Art by Rocío Sogas

This is probably one that isn’t very well known in the community, but Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive is full of great G/T moments, particularly between the main character Kaladin and his companion Syl, a shapeshifting spren.

Character I Would Like to Shrink/Grow: Loki (MCU) *Art by keiidakamya

Guys, we were robbed. He’s literally part Frost Giant! Yes, we got a taste of it in What If…?, but imagine how the movies could have gone if this had been a form he took when he gained or lost control of himself. Robbed, I tell you.

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Ahh this was so much fun! I hope some of you feel inspired to try this; I think it would be a great way to find more quality (or not-so-quality) G/T content. There’s so little of it out there, after all.