#blargh the brilliant

[star-ocean-peahen]

SHE HAS A SANTA HAT!!!

YEEEE SHE HAS A SANTA HAT!!!!

[kpchrs]

KRIS ON CRACK AGAIN - SCOTTSCOTT

So *PFFFFFT*

I was talking to @riverinkfics today that the ship name Caulscott could apply to Max and Brooke too and then they giggled for a hot minute because "Omg, is Nathan and Brooke ScottScott?!"

So I thought about how that ship would work and I made this shit up on the spot. Rewriting it properly for this post tho. For some reason, my brain works too smoothly with this after it stops working for months, why the hell.

Oh right, this is in the "Tornado? What tornado? Jefferson? Jefferson who?" AU.

If you wonder why "again", that's because I've written something else while being high on crack on sleep deprivation. Not this long and proper tho.

Crack fics are so dumb. Crack ships are so dumb. Credits to the two of us lol

Enjoy, whothefuckever you are.

(***)

Building a drone for Ms. Grant's project is not easy, Brooke thinks.

It's not easy because something else is occupying her spacious, brilliant mind. Something that starts with the letters W and M and those two letters going on a drive to see Ape movies together.

It's okay, Brooke thinks, in contrast to the bitterness oozing out from her heart. It's not like she doesn't have the Ape movies. It's not like she doesn't have all the original CDs in her room. It's not like Warren knows that.

But the problem is he knows. He knows, he sees her collection, and he still invites Max Caulfield. When she was the one who showed the drive-in flier to him. She was the one who helped choose the vintage car for him.

But maybe this is her fault. She chickened out trying to invite him first.

Wai-wait, Warrbrlgh, she bit (her tongue) that day, cocking an eyebrow on his face.

What's up, Brookes? he said.

And like some cliche girl, she panicked, a jumble of thoughts and word combinations in her mind, and instead blurted out, N-nothing.

Uh, okay, Warren said, rubbing the back of his neck. Then… I'll go back to my room.

Just like that, Brooke let him go. Let her chance go too, apparently, because the next day, Warren swooped in, showed off his car, and fumbled over his own tongue asking Max Caulfield out. And she accepted.

Max accepted.

So, yep, this heartbreak is nothing. It's nothing.

Like hell it's nothing. What if that was her last chance? What if at the end of the drive-in tomorrow, Warren will hold her hand, stare at her with those warm brown eyes of his, and then they will mack on each other's mouth and blargh, stop, stop, she doesn't want to imagine that. Gross. (It's a gross thing that would stop being one if she replaced Max with herself, though.)

Tears prickle her eyes and she harshly blinks it away. No, Brooke Scott won't cry like some cliche, plain Jane girls. Like a certain cliche, plain Jane girl. But maybe… maybe Warren likes that kind of girl…

Biting the insides of her mouth, Brooke grabs an apple, a stronger grip than necessary, attaching it to the drone. This drone will be a transport drone, just like the proposal she presented to Ms. Grant in class a month ago, and she will test it out now. To get it over with this annoying project so she can quickly go back to her room (and secretly weep to her pillow).

Controlling the drone with the controller she handmade herself, she watches as the drone smoothly flies and brings the apple. Good. Good. She can see clunks and kinks here and there, but she can fix that later. How about moving it away?

Her thumb pushes the joystick. The drone flies away towards the tree. Good, good. That's smoother than she expected. Maybe she can take a week to perfect it and then submit it to Ms. Grant early. What about flying it faster?

For a moment, she forgets about W, M, and apes. Brooke is all lemon and sea salt at the surface, but deep down she's still a geek who thrives on her sweet robotics passion. The excitement continues to bloom in her chest, but that stops when a flash of red passes by as her drone intersects.

Nathan Prescott is the red, somehow escaping her line of sight, and by some split of chance, the apple smacks one of his eyes when he whips his head at the whirling sound. As if that presses an invisible curse button, he lets out a plethora of swear words.

"Shit! Fuck! Fucking shit!" he yells, clenching his eye and doubling down. Brooke's stupid fingers unconsciously turn off the drone and it also falls on his head with a crashing sound. "AGH! GOD. FUCKING. DAMMIT!"

That should be my words, she grits out in her head. She messes up, colliding her drone - and her life and death - with Nathan Prescott, the entitled King of Blackwell. Brooke won't admit it, but she is terrified. She is going to run away or something, but Nathan clocks her first and yells, "WHAT THE FUCK, BITCH?"

It's just so like her, letting go of her chance again. For some reason, that upsets her so much, so she hardens her gaze and claps back, "You in the way is what the fuck, Nathan Prescott."

Passive-aggressive sarcasm is one of her greatest fortes. This time, she turns down the passiveness to 0 and turns up the aggressiveness to 11.

"What did you say?!"

"You were in the way when I was testing my drone."

"Your dumbass drone was in the way when I was minding my own business!" he hisses.

That's true. She should have just apologized and begone, because that's what Brooke who prides on her intelligence would do, but nope, apparently Max and Warren lower her IQ.

"Maybe if you were smarter you would've taken your dumbass Prescott business somewhere else."

Look at that, saying another person should be smarter? That's so ironic of her.

Nathan maroons, imitating the color of his jacket. "You-!"

Aw, what luck. Now she has done it.

Nathan grabs her drone on the ground and stomps stomps stomps his feet towards her. Brooke takes a step back and a hand swipes at hers.

"I'm taking this."

It takes her a second to realize Nathan has stolen her controller. "You can't. That's my science project!"

"And you should've thought of that before forgetting the Prescotts own this town and your ass and this shitty drone. Fuck off."

The flash of red goes away as fast as it came. And all that Brooke can think of is that she wouldn't be able to submit the project earlier to Ms. Grant now.

This is all because of the plain Jane Doe Max Caulfield.

(***)

Brooke didn't follow her plan yesterday, weeping to her pillow, and she was so proud of herself. So proud of herself for not being weak.

Instead, she replaced it with some good scream which thus why she wakes up with a hoarse throat. Just when she pushes her body from bed, she remembers what day it is (Max and Warren's date) and she just wants to go back to sleep.

Max and Warren.

Max and Warren.

Max and Warren.

Brooke never thinks she will say this, but at that point, she hates her brain for getting stuck in a spiral.

Holing up in her room in the dark is not good for human psyche. The journals she reads are right. So she forces herself to come out of the dorm two hours before the sun dips completely in the west and drops her body on the bench, facing the dorm.

Ah. The dorm. The dorm which is owned by a certain family whose family asshole is one of the students. Why, why, why everything reminds her of the shitty yesterday.

Whirlwhirlwhirlwhirlwhirlwhirl-

Wait, that sounds familiar. And fast, like so fast. And right behind her.

On reflex, Brooke turns around and just like a weird deja vu, an apple smacks her glasses. She loses her balance on the bench, falls on her butt, and the drone, her drone, smashes to the dorm wall in a loud crash.

Brooke bites a whimper, removing her glasses to rub the aching nose bridge and not trying to move from her position because her butt cheek numbs.

The sounds of steps approaching her are slow and quiet. Brooke puts on her glasses, snaps her head at the figure, and meets with a constipated Nathan Prescott. Constipated as in he looks like he can't decide between smirking or grimacing. Like he wants to say something but fighting to keep his mouth shut.

"H-hell yeah, fucking revenge," Nathan decides to say in the end, sounding unsure. He still wears a constipated face.

Brooke's vision blurs so she puts on her glasses, but it's on already. Her cheeks are warm and wet. When she realizes what happens, the embarrassment and dread pain her more than the gravity pulling her butt cheek to the ground.

"Wh-wh-wh-why the fuck are you crying???" said Nathan, his tone shrill. He's so entitled he thinks he can panic when it SHOULD be her right. "OKAY, OKAY, SHIT. I'M SORRY, OKAY."

"That hurts, you asshole!" she screams, letting go of her tears and her pride finally. "And this hurts too!"

Maybe Nathan thinks she's talking about her butt or her nose or whatever, but she means this, as in the organ beating in her chest. A vital organ that for some reason has a brain on its own.

Max and Warren.

It hurts.

(***)

"That's bullshit!" Leaning on the wall, Nathan chomps the bruised apple after rubbing it for a moment on his prized jacket.

That's so gross. Boys are gross. That apple has rolled on the ground several times. It's hardly fresh anymore. But whatever. If Nathan ends up with the opposite of constipation, that's not her problem.

"I bet my ass he knows."

"Knows what." Brooke stared at him, bored. Fingers fiddle her ransacked drone.

"That guy knows your goddamn feelings, that's what!"

Oh yeah, Brooke told him everything. She'll admit it now for once. She's an idiot.

"He," Nathan starts, chewing another bite, "pretends not to know."

Mm, yeah, that stings.

"Why?"

"Dunno. Just my guts."

Brooke can't help it. She stares him down. And sitting on the bench while him on the grass, that's easy.

He glares back, though. Tch, Prescott scrub.

"Inviting Max Caulfield?" Nathan spits Jane Doe's name as if it's insect. "Shitty choice."

Oh. Oh! Max Caulfield is shitty. They agree on something.

"And Warren Graham? Double shitty choice."

Wait. "Are you saying my tastes are bad?"

"Oh, c'mon. Warren? Graham? Seriously? My eyes fucking burn every time I come out of my room and see him and his dumb Tee. Do you know he plays games in the toilet? Yikes."

"And you are eating a filthy-ass apple. You're not any better than him with that logic, Prescott," Brooke hisses low.

"Don't challenge me, Scott. You don't know who you are messing with." Nathan squinted. "I'm saying that maybe they deserve the shittiness of each other. That's all."

"You think I'm not shitty?"

"Who the fuck says that?"

It sounds like that, to be honest. But she doesn't really care about his opinion, so Brooke shrugs.

Nathan stops chomping on his apple. Brooke wants to think he gets self-conscious after she calls him out eating the gross apple. He proceeds to toss it, like it's a ball.

Up. Down. Up. Down.

Gravity.

"The apple bonks both our heads. We should have gotten some sort of epiphany by now."

Nathan raises his brow.

"Isaac Newton."

"Ah, that dude."

"Newton got the idea of the theory of gravity because an apple hit his head," Brooke said, in a reflective tone. "What's ours?"

Nathan shrugs. "Who cares."

Well. That's fine. She will think of her own.

Warren pretending not to know. That feels so shitty. So shitty. But if what Nathan says is true…

Brooke tries to imagine Warren's face that day when she tries to ask him out. Yeah, she can see that. She sees the air of relief coming out of his mouth when Brooke backed off. She just didn't see it because her brain selected what she wanted to see.

And that means, she really doesn't have any chance with Warren.

Or maybe... Warren… doesn't deserve her. If Warren likes his girl plain, then maybe Brooke shouldn't stoop low to that level. Wait, what if, what if he is a John Doe himself?!

Oh, wow, the apple really works. She really gets an epiphany. She needs help but yeah, she gets it.

Nathan watches her, but she's busy thinking. He tosses the apple to the air one last time and then throws it far. Right to the trash bin.

"Well, glad to be your Newton service." He stands up, clapping sticky hands. "I'm bored. I'm going."

"Get your own epiphany," Brooke says, surprisingly sincere, when he's leaving. "Whatever it is."

Nathan smirks across his shoulder. "Mind your own Scott business." For a second there, she thinks she sees his gaze go brittle, but it must be her own imagination.

Brooke stays to watch as the sun dips and the hemisphere goes absent of light.

The next week, she hears something about Max Caulfield and some punk girl. And nothing, nothing about Warren and Max goes official, or some kiss, or whatever it is.

Maybe, Max Caulfield is not the Jane Doe she initially thought. Maybe, she also doesn't want to settle for a John Doe.

She exhales, as she gets another epiphany. Huh. Max Caulfield. Interesting.

But, Nathan is right, she thinks as she fixes and gives improvements on her drone.

That's not Scott business.

[jeaniechibi]

Made the mistake of looking at the notes of an MXTX anti post and now i have a headache

There is really no point trying to argue with the kind of people that feel proud and progressive by hating on a poc woman writer living under an oppressive, homophobic government and somehow think that sending her to jail (which is as of now only a fucking rumor based on a vague weibo post) because she wrote or said a thing they don't like is funny and something to wish for

I can't wrap my head around it - they see nothing wrong with their hypocritical behavior.

Do they actually believe they are bringing a significant, positive change to the world by hating on a poc woman writer who they know nothing about (while still consuming her content ofc! 🙃) and that that sort of attitude makes them an interesting or likeable person? Pathetic 🤡

[spock-smokes-weed]

top 5 comic characters, storylines (can do one for marvel and one for dc or mix them ;))

BLARGH THIS IS SO HARD!!!!

Imma have to keep this to just DC because I can’t narrow it down that much. Also be aware that this isn’t a set list and who my faves are change basically every week depending on my hyperfixation.

5. Superman- I know Clark gets clowned on for being boring, but I think he’s honestly such a deeply interesting character. Having a character who’s all about just being a good person, and using the power you have to help instead of destroy is very comforting to me. Clark could crush the world into dust if he chose to, but he wouldn’t, and everyone knows he wouldn’t, and I love that about him so much. I also have such a deep love for the Jewish religion, and the character of Superman is basically a giant love letter to judaism and that makes me so 💕💕 

4. Oracle- I’ve had a big ol crush on Babs since I was in middle school, and I just think shes such a badass. She’s still extremely capable while still distinctly disable and I just love her so much??? She was the backbone of the old batfamily and she kept everyone grounded. She survived so much and came out on the other end a magnificent and brilliant woman and I just wanna give her such big smooches. 

3. Batgirl (Cassandra Cain)- I love Cass so much, okay??? I love her so much. I think she one of the most interesting and complex Batman characters ever created. She was sculpted by pain and tragedy, but she refused to let that hold her down and said “no I deserve to live, I deserve to be happy.” Cass carried such a heavy burden of self loathing and thought she had to constantly sacrifice her life to ever have worth, but seeing her grow from that and learn to love herself was so freaking beautiful man. I also love how stubborn and crass she is!!! She’s so wild and isn’t afraid to let things get a little crazy and I just adore her 💕

2. Robin (Tim Drake)- we all knew this one was coming, lads. My blog is basically just “oops! all Tim!” at this point, but I really do love this boy with all my heart and soul. With our getting too personal, I relate to Tim a lot and I think he was such a fantastic Robin. Robin the character is someone who I’ve loved since I was a kid, and Tim really made robin into something that was his. He’s so kind, and feels so deeply for other people, he likes to have fun and can still be what Robin is supposed to be, but high lights all of the best parts of Batman and always encouraged Bruce to be better. He’s been through so much heartbreak, but never lost sight of his compassion and I love him so much for it. I would love to see him step into the role of the bat some day because I think he would evolve Batman into something that’s uniquely his. 

1. Batman- so I know most ppl would think Tim would be my number one, but nope!! It’s Bruce!!!! Batman was probably the first fictional character that I ever really latched onto, and I’ve been a fan of him for as long as I can remember, so he gets nostalgia points. But one of the things that keeps him as my number one is that he’s so deeply human. He’s a person who’s fueled by compassion for life and became who he is because he never wanted anyone to go through what he went through. He can be difficult, mean, or even down right cruel, but that doesn’t chance the fact that fundamentally he’s a good man. And a good man who loves his city and doesn’t want to see anyone else in pain. He drapes himself in fear and darkness, but that’s all it is, an aesthetic. The real Batman is someone who can see the humanity in everyone and thinks that no one is past saving. He’s also an amazing father and loves his kids and I just abajshajeje love Bruce Wayne so much.

[mizufae]

just skimmed the frasier tag to remind myself why i should not tag my posts with it. people be out there idolizing niles when like, he’s an outstanding character played by a brilliant actor and he’s cute as a button but he’s SO FLAWED. like that’s why i get all worked up about him, but people are out there conveniently forgetting that he was out there perving on his employee who, i might add, was in a tenuous immigration situation, for years, as a married man. he’s a snob and a privileged brat with no real concept of hardship until a couple seasons in and even then he has a full compliment of familial support system, professional accolades, and generous brother. we all have our own journeys and such but the dismissive way he treats service people - and people he deems forgettable, like Roz for nearly a year - never really changes; Daphne is the exception to his unspoken rule. The one time a black person had a line in season one Niles has a bogglingly racist response and the way he treats his minority filled staff at Maris�� mansion is snidely colonial. But oh, he’s an anglophile, and dreeeadfully continental! Blargh. Insufferable. The beauty is of course that over the seasons he’s kind of broken down and built back up as a character in his own right and not just the worst of old Frasier plus money. Without Niles there wouldn’t have been a show; there’s just no growth otherwise. But to be a fan of a character and to have a bit of a crush on him as a whole is quite a few steps away from looking at season one Niles staring at Daphne’s butt and going “yes, he’s flawless, i’ll take him”

[twinklecupcake]

FNAF the Movie (not really)

Just woke up from a dream that there was a FNAF movie trailer playing in theaters...

Except here's the thing. The movie was animation, not live-action. And the humans were all kids.

The art style looked like a cross between the humans in 'Home' (round heads, cute faces, wide expressive eyes) and 'Monster House' (textures, darkness, motion, etc.)

The plot was that there was a new Freddy theme park opening up, but there was a contest to be the first group of kids to get in? It was like a treasure hunt kind of thing, the kids had to all look for the items in a junkyard/construction area?

And these five kids got the brilliant idea to look around for the prizes a day early, and at night, so they could have an easier chance. (This is how you end up in a horror movie, kiddos.)

The scene revealing the animatronics went thusly: one of the girls was hiding in the backseat of a car in the junkyard, and popped up in the window to go "BLARGH" and scare one of the guys outside. He laughs, shines his flashlight at her face, they have a 'you were scared!'/'was not!' back and forth that gets louder and more laugh-filled... And then suddenly there's a groan of machinery, and with a loud screechy-roar, something that looks like an in-between of Bonnie and Nightmare Bonnie slowly leans over the passenger seat right into the girl's face. Cue the screaming.

Speaking of the Nightmare Animatronics, it was implied the kids weren't in danger of being stuffed into suits, but rather getting their heads bit off.

The animatronics were smart. They locked the gate - which the kids had left open when they came in.

And yeah, for some reason the animatronics were like a fusion of two designs? You never got a clear look at them, but they looked mostly like their first game selves, but way bigger, except they could unsheathe huge-ass fangs and claws and remove their faces???

Phone Guy was there! Or rather, his voice, ofc. This time he was on a taped recording in a trailer where the junkyard’s employees would stay during the day. Like canon, he was the night guard, and he was leaving what he feared would be his last message, a warning to whoever found it - in this case, the kids.

THERE WAS A GIANT ANIMATRONIC SERPENTINE THING NEAR THE END? idk if it was a result of all the animatronics coming together, or a totally new one, but it was like the Endgame Villain or something and it also wanted to eat the kids.

I woke up thinking "....okay, not going to lie here, I would watch that."

[star-ocean-peahen]

🍓🍎🌲🐷🦋💧

🍓 if I give off feminine vibes

🍎 if I give off androgynous vibes

🌲 if I give off teen vibes

🐷 if I give off friendly vibes

🦋 if I give off soft vibes

💧 if I give off medium vibes

aaaaaaaaaa thank you!!!! honestly i get the "ur friendly" answer all the time with ask games and it is a HUGE compliment and i wear it with so much pride!!!! thank you guys so much!!!

[elizabethrobertajones]

elizabethrobertajones I watched the whole saving people hunting things speech and I want to talk about it blaaargh :P BLARGH I'm sending Dabb hate mail

elizabethrobertajones Dean goes over to comfort Sam after Sam snaps at Roy in a way where it seemed like Dean was going to snap at him, even using the same "you don't hunt real monsters" POSING that Dean was doing like Dean was just peacocking, Sam FELT it and lashed out with it

mittensmorgul yep

elizabethrobertajones and then he's sitting there and Dean's like, "I'm supposed to be the belligerent one" SUPPOSED TO BE ARGH

- Yeah, these lines got to me and Dean's still sitting down next to Sam and I'm already going off:

DEAN You wanna tell me what's going on in that freaky head of yours? SAM Dean— DEAN No, you're not fine. You're like a powder keg, man, it's not like you. I'm supposed to be the belligerent one, remember?

Like Sam seeing through Dean saying he can't do this alone, and seeing the vulnerability Dean had in the previous episode to do with all his big themes, Dean won't let Sam say he's fine (he does twice in the previous episode, to Jess before he leaves and Dean at the end)... Sam is the original Winchester to use "fine" this way and he is a master of repression and burying things down and moving on... But here he's still learning to get hurt this way. He's obviously showing that he's not fine for the entire episode - it opens on him not being fine and Dean seeing through it. But Dean calls it out here, in a mirror to Sam calling out his attempt to blow off needing actual human contact instead of being stoic and able to do anything on his own without getting lonely or needy. (Dean is so needy. It's a good trait, honestly. He would hate to hear it but... In his life?)

Anywho Dean has this idea of their dynamic - I think it's important the show essentially restarts their relationship after time away, and I think the length of the show IS their meaningful relationship. They shared stuff and were both brothers and the miserable parent/child dynamic in the past, and of course they have memories of stuff together, but the gap comes right at a critical age for Sam especially. Right as he is hitting adulthood and can begin an adult relationship with Dean that will stop him thinking of Sam as a kid, and let them maybe begin to make things equal, he leaves. 1x01 is the first time they see each other after that, and it's a long gap with head-clearing space and now they're both adults and Dean at least when it comes to the job and respecting Sam as a hunter and so on, lets him be an adult. And his advice here is somewhat protective because he cares and he's a protective mother bear, but he speaks to Sam as an adult and lets him choose to stay as an adult. So I think it's a good start over...

And it's really interesting to me that Dean has ideas of what their dynamic is or should be. That he is belligerent and Sam is sweet and well-mannered (well, he can be, but Dean might act crude or whatever to break the tension but he's likewise perfectly capable of being kind, and this VERY SCENE approaches Sam as a concerned friend and it's extremely honest about their feelings on both sides when it comes to revenge and the job.) Anyway Dean's ideas of what they are/who they're supposed to be runs counter to the facts, and the way Sam blows up at Roy in the way Dean was only poking him I think shows Dean was kind of just needling him not for his own ego, while Sam is genuinely furious with him. It looks like the same thing on the surface, but Roy does save Dean from the bear trap and as sour a face as Dean makes about that, he has to concede Roy is a decent woodsman and passed a test, even if they think he's a liability for monsters... Sam, though, flips on him and nearly tells him it's a wendigo (*takes a shot*) and Dean has to stop HIM from blurting everything, like Roy stopped him stepping on the trap. Something kind of telling that Dean had a surface level reaction to Roy but Sam really deeply FELT it. I don't think Dean would ever LIKE Roy but I feel that outward bitterness aside, he would respect him after the bear trap thing, and even in the first place, he'd had more of a need to dance around Roy sizing him up, mentally, as someone else acting like an authority figure when Dean often assumes the leadership role and in this case genuinely knows more about what they're hunting, but not about the woods.

And, to move on at last, it always gets me how much this is a confession:

SAM Dad's not here. I mean, that much we know for sure, right? He would have left us a message, a sign, right? DEAN Yeah, you're probably right. Tell you the truth, I don't think Dad's ever been to Lost Creek. [...] DEAN This book. This is Dad's single most valuable possession—everything he knows about every evil thing is in here. And he's passed it on to us. I think he wants us to pick up where he left off. You know, saving people, hunting things. The family business.

This is their same fight from 1x01 but approached in a way they can work through the emotions and Dean can get Sam on board with John being gone by giving him something real to deal with. Sam always does this thing where he doesn't want to do a hunt but he goes along with it in a token way, but he's such a sharp brilliant hunter he ends up applying himself really well to it anyway. Like in the delete scene for this episode, he's already gone and found the petroglyphs that suggest it's a wendigo *takes a shot* and was therefore engaging in this hunt despite being upset about dead ends on revenge and finding John and angrily resisting it being a case earlier.

Dean confesses like he's known all along John isn't there, like he's breaking it gently to Sam. Sam got rather dragged along on the hunt last time - he was forced to by Dean being arrested, and then Constance even goes and takes over the car, to prove further than Sam is being taken on a ride really when it came to the hunt, even if he had some input on solving it. But this time he has a one track mind and has walked her all by himself. Dean, though, took on the burden last episode, taking the journal and finishing the hunt John left behind, and he's perfectly content to keep following orders for breadcrumb trails (or... M&M trails) of where to go next and what is expected of them. John has ABANDONED the job ("left off" Dean says, when they know he's purposefully left things behind to go on his revenge mission. John isn't a hunter any more in the sense of taking cases and HELPING people. He's ONLY out to get Azazel, and his sons have a coming of age here to go into his shoes... And Dean KNOWS it and knew that this was going to be a job, this was how it was going to be now, and was probably waiting until they were deep in the woods where Sam couldn't exactly leave to break it to him that yeah it's exactly what it looks like...)

Anywya after that he offers the inspirational hero idea of what they do to entice Sam over to working peacefully. I think it's an interesting combination of this being portrayed as the right way over revenge, but Dean's issues with being a loyal son are all messed up in it, which Sam sees often as too much of the motivation, and bounces off that back onto the revenge thing in their ongoing arguments...

I like, though, that while Sam is complicated and doing the angsty main character manpain main arc thingy, Dean has his own traditional heroic ideals - the sort of thing that when you strip him right down, it's NOT because John made him do it, but he earnestly believes it. In 12x11 he forgets who he is, and that last list of important people in his life has Sam, Cas and Mary, but no mention that John raised him or whatever. He hunts instinctively. But though it's through killing, it's heroic motivations - bone deep interest in feeling like he should go help, that he's needed somewhere, and when he gets into the conflict, to protect the one he sees as innocent... And yeah, Dean truly, utterly believes it when he explains what their life is, what this job entails... What good he gets to do and who he does it for, and it IS for random humanity. Dean immediately is Dean "Humanity" Winchester. In season 8, Dabb killing Tommy off for making the point that Crowley is undermining their life work, is very much about this being the exact thing which Dean made the speech for that defines his entire life. He can repeat it to Mary in 12x01, in a similar scenario to this one (but so different) and callbacks to 1x02 happened so much in season 12 I honestly had a moment of madness earlier that, as the second of the season it was a Dabb episode, but he definitely likes going back to it.

[miniwolfsbane]

Copied from @andalite-angel post. Edited slightly.

A - Ships that you currently like a lot. (They don’t have to be OTPs because not everyone has OTPs.) Friendships, pairings, etc. are allowed.

Biospecialist, Marco/Rachel, Sam/Rahne, all cannon Disney Princess pairings, the two young kids Pacific Rim Uprising,  Lancitty, Evo Kurt/ Amanda,  Jott in Evo. Skyward??

B - A pairing–platonic, romantic or ***** that you initially didn’t consider, but someone changed your mind.

Fanfic writers and Evo romy, adult Jubilee x Gambit, others.

C - A ship you have never liked and probably never will.

Never gonna be big on Evo Romy ever again, will forever hate Rahne x Roberto, Sam and Rahne with anyone but each other!!

D - A pairing you wish you liked but just can’t.

Evo Romy...somtimes. Because it does sorta make sense IN FANNON, but not in cannon. And Jean x Scott, because it’s so iconic, but I only like them in Evo, so...yah.

E - Have you added anything cracky crazy/hilarious to your fandom? If so, what? 

See my fan fiction.

F - What’s the longest you’ve ever been in a fandom?

The Little Mermaid and Star Trek have been there for 95% of my life.

G - Have you ever had an OTP? If so, do you remember your first one? Who was in it?

Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask, Sam/Rahne, Ariel and Eric (first when I was 5, even though I wanted to be Ariel), Rachel Tobias (first when I was actually gettin into fandom), Jake/Cassie (Animorphs), Clark/Lana, Clark/Lois (I think??) and Chloe/Ollie, Romy (even in Evo at a point!), and now Eliza and Goliath in Gargoyles. I keep saying I’m not a shipper, but I think I’m just a subtle one that pines and doesn’t read a lot of fanfic, but my heart swells over seeing my OTP on screen

H - What is your favorite source text for fandom stuff (e.g., TV shows, movies, books, anime, Western animation, etc.)?

TV Shows and Western (superhero) Animation mostly, but also a few animes.

I - Has Tumblr caused you to stop liking any fandoms, if so, which and why?

I was annoyed by the Agents Of Shield fandoms behavior for a while, but I’ve never stopped liking any fandoms because of Tumblr. 

J - Name a fandom you didn’t think about until you saw it all over Tumblr. (You don’t have to care about it or follow it; it just has to be something that Tumblr made you aware of.)

SuperWhoLock, Riverdale...some other popular teen shows.

K - What character has your favorite development arc/the best development arc?

Tie between Sailor Moon and Gambit I guess, but I’m sure there are lots of others. Sailor Jupiter has a good arc as well, even though she doesn’t have a lot of character development TBH.

L - Say something genuinely nice about a character who isn’t one of your faves. (Characters you’re neutral about are fair game, as are characters you merely dislike. Characters that you absolutely loathe with the fire of ten thousand suns are exempt, as there is no point in giving yourself an aneurysm over a character that you hate.)

Roberto Dacosta’s super strength power is pretty cool and he’s a chill guy. And rich. (I just realized that a lot of X-Men characters are rich, actually. Gambit, Xavier, Warren and him. Holy crap.)

M - Name a character that you’d like to have for a friend.

Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Moon. TAS Rogue too, because she seems fun to hang with, and who wouldn’t like to be called “Sugah” all the time?

N - Name three things you wish you saw more or in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice).

MORE GAMBIT (and comic Nightcrawler) IMAGINES!! And just more love and less fan wars across all fandoms, really.

O - Choose a song at random. Which ship or character does it remind you of?

Hero by Chad Kroger. Ship: Romy or Mollyx Remy. Character: Gambit or Angel.

P - Invent a random AU for any fandom (we always need more ideas).

For any fandom? A mad scientist and a famous baker get together after the scientist contacts aliens, resulting in a warring invasion on earth.

Q - A fandom you’ve abandoned and why.

To be perfectly honest, The Smurfs because we’re a Christain household and we found it had stuff in it we didn’t agree with. I was three.  Other than that, I’ve only given up one other fandom permenantly that wasn’t what I thought it was and chosen at a bad time. 

R - Which friendship/platonic relationship is your favorite in fandom?

Kurt and Kitty in Evo, and Logan and Kurt is cool, but I don’t actually pay much attention to it.

S - Show us an example of your personal headcanon (prompts optional but encouraged)

Hmmm. One that isn’t too boring? Remy isn’t (wasn’t? He is married now) particular about a woman’s height and is comfortable enough with himself to date a woman much taller or shorter than he is. (Remember, Frenzy was freaking 6′7 before she got rebooted to a normal height and it was implied they had history.) For a while it was a wish of mine they’d pair him with a short gal, because all X-women are physically clones of each other, minus Rahne, Kitty and Jubilee. Blargh. Oooh, just had an idea for a new art project to make the girls look individual! ^_^

T - Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending?

Besides the above? Uh...headcannon that Remy smells good and his hair is silky to the touch and yes I’m a sick, weird little person, I know. Haha, not really. I’m not much of a headcannon person. 

U - Three favorite characters from three different fandoms, and why they’re your favorites.

* Gambit: Hot, suave, lit, accent, good cook, romantic, my fictional ideal man (told you, I’m sick and weird). * Sailor Jupiter: Sweet, loyal, living on her own at bloody 14 years old, strong physically and emotionally, had trouble believing/finding her feminity like me, tall (not like me!), brunette character, thunder powers. * Tuvok (Star Trek): My second crush ever, calm, reflective, hot grandpa, sarcasm galore, strong, suffers emotionally and physically, POC and like the only black vulcan that I know of, cute little boy chest, that butt (XD), frakin’ hot.

V - Which character do you relate to most?

Surprisingly, one I haven’t talked about yet and that I’m not really fandom-y about. Rapunzel from Tangled. When I saw the movie, I was attached to her immediately. I’d grown up homeschooled and at that point I’d been caregiving for one of my parents for six years at that point, unable to move out and get married and have much of a life, so I was always metaphorically in a tower too. I have childish interests, am artistic and creative, have done LOTS of self-insert art like her, and am a generally happy person (even if I don’t always show it and don’t smile enough). So, out of every character in my many fandoms, I relate to Rapunzel the most. Also, I have only 2 things of Tangled merch-the movie, the soundtrack, and a gorgeous bedspread that’s actually based on the show, but doesn’t look like it. (I don’t like it’s animation/character designs, so it’s been hard to get into it.)

W - A trope which you are virtually certain to hate in any fandom.

OMG, do we have to go here? Anything over-sexualized or kinky or just plain gross/weird. (v***, gore, ect.) There’s this one X-Men:Evo artist on DA that would be brilliant, but I can’t stomach their gallery because they feel the need to do a few  v*** and bondage pics amongst otherwise G-rated pictures. *throws up* IT’S A SHOW FOR 7-YEAR OLDS!! 

X - A trope which you are almost certain to love in any fandom.

Huge guy, Tiny girl! (but it looks...weird...in live action. *Good Luck Charlie flashbacks*.) Also age differences. Some people are put off by Usagi and Mamo’s age difference in Classic, but I think it’s cute and they were really chaste about it. Specifically, I liked the part where he told her to do well in school for some reason. 

Y - What are your secondhand fandoms (i.e., fandoms you aren’t in personally but are tangentially familiar with because your friends/people on your dash are in them)? Holy crap, Pride and Prejudice and Anne of Green Gables. No one on my dash is into them though, it’s a real life thing. Long story.

Z - Just ramble about something fan-related, go go go! (Prompts optional but encouraged.)

I have written more self-inserts than is probably healthy, but at least I’ve mostly gotten past my teenage phase of thinking anime guys are hot and it’s extended to Gambit as well. I’d much rather see him be portrayed by a living, breathing actor semi-bringing my fantasies to life than as a drawn character. Well, not that I’m not happy seeing him animated and his voice in Evo is still super hot, but that’s another thing. Anyway, on that note, I wish XM:E weren’t a dead fandom and I could get more reviews instead of just faves/follows. I get so frustrated, because I’m not writing my fics for myself, I’m writing them to finish the story and for the fans. I know OCs/SI aren’t everyones bread and butter, but when you work hard on something, you want people to enjoy and appreciate it on it’s own merits. My regulars dropped off the planet and the fandom is just not that active online. (It’s still kind of active though, otherwise the Gambit and other prints on Steven Gordon’s online store wouldn’t have sold out so fast.) I wish it had been as creative as the MLP fandom, but even that wouldn’t have saved it. Thankfully, there are a few people “keeping the faith”, like Coldfusion180 and some others. They haven’t abandoned it and people have made AMVs for it in recent years, long after the shows cancellation. I know we’ve all moved on in one way or another, but it’s still nice to see the love for the show and it’s characters going strong, even if we’re now a niche fandom, tiny, but there. And even if I don’t get another single review up until the last in the series, at least I can say I finished it, if nothing else. Even if your fandom is dead, keep supporting it. If we don’t keep the characters alive, they die and are forgotten. They need us.

https://fanfiction.net/~miniwolfsbane

[timsim26]

Hey Tim - Whatcha Playin?

So I am in the middle of a whole bunch of games right now and haven’t had a chance to review them. However, I do want to share a few thoughts on them. Thanks for the title Ash.

Mass Effect Andromeda

No doubt this will be my next full review, as I am well on the way with this game now. It took me a lot to get into the story of Andromeda and I can’t put my finger on why. It may have a lot to do with the huge amount of negative press, middling reviews and heaps of bugs that were reported.

A heads up I am playing with the current 1.06 patch and this has made the game look and run much better apparently.

I am absolutely loving this game. I adore Mass Effect 1-3 and love the story, characters, gameplay and world. So many brilliant moments are highly ranked from the original trilogy and so far Andromeda is delivering this same feel and connection. While Female Ryder is so far pretty blargh, the universe and mystery of the new galaxy are fascinating. Discovering new worlds, new enemies, building weapons and having great freedom in terms of combat choice is really refreshing. So many times in previous games I would hate it, if I had made a poor squad choice due to enemy types and lacking the appropriate abilities to take down shields or armour. Now you are free to enhance whatever ability you like, choose and change classes and take on combat situations.

This game is also huge. My goodness, I thought there was a lot to do on the first main planet (not to mention the beginning hub world that sets the tone of the enemies), but that was nothing after the game opens up. Heaps of sidequests, which so far have been mostly entertaining, but very fetch quest heavy, are keeping me highly engaged with the world and character building and then there is a lot of other great exploration throughout the planets. Each world I have visited so far is unique and makes each journey to a new section of the map feel as if I am the pathfinder that the game continues to tell me I am.

The only thing that has surprised me so far is that some of the writing and character building as been very cringe worthy. Mass Effect 1 and 2 in particular are so well written, that this really stands out. The fact that Ryder reacts so strangely to an early traumatic experience so soon after the event really threw me from the believability of the whole situation. I am really looking forward to exploring more of the world, upgrading my character and developing the promising relationships with my squad. There is a lot to like in Andromeda and I am really keen to dive into the multiplayer if it is as good as people are saying it is.

Zelda: Breath of the Wild

One day I will be ready to say goodbye to this game. But that would mean saying goodbye to potentially the best video game I have played in my life. Zelda: Breath of the Wild surprises me, engages me and challenges me with every new step. The world is gorgeous, the characters are interesting, the combat is rewarding, the level design is fantastic, the secrets are plentiful, but it is the world that continually stops me in my path and makes me reflect on every other open world game.

This is the standard from now on. Nintendo have looked at what other developers are doing well, taken everything and made it better in each and every way. The huge open worlds of Rockstar, the unpredictability and emergent narrative of Ubisoft games like Far Cry and Assassins Creed, the outstanding level design and creature encounters that From Software provide with Dark Souls and Bloodborne, the deep and open environments of Bethesda games, that surprise you with lore or a new quest at every turn, the creativity of a game like Just Cause, encouraging traversal in weird and wonderful ways and add in Cd Projekt’s world design of a deep and dense forest terrain and you have Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Some big statements, but this game does everything better than those games and adds in its own quirky flavour and of course the deep lore and passion of the Zelda universe. Whether you are a new or old fan this game is a must play. Every opportunity to experiment with the systems to solve a puzzle, take down an enemy of find a new part of the map is an absolute joy. The controls are simple and intuitive and the fact that this level of game can be played on the go, still astonishes me.

This is the future of open world games. Great exploration is encouraged by having the ability to traverse the world in a huge number of ways and this is what so many other games lack.

This is going to be hard to beat as Game of the Year. All eyes are on you Rockstar and Red Dead Redemption 2.

Walking Dead: A New Frontier

Telltale’s latest entry to the Walking Dead episodic series is right there with some of the best work they have ever produced. Once again the future is bleak for all characters involved, Telltale have done another fantastic job of introducing great characters, building them with solid foundations and tearing them away based on the choices that you make, the mistakes that occur and the general terrifying nature of the world. Every episode has ended making me want more. There have been a number of solid twists and turns that have been more predictable than Season 1 and 2, however they are still leaving me, mouth wide open in some form of horror and shock. Clementine makes a return and builds already on her impressive variety and depth as a character. God you feel for this poor girl and now the issues of being a young teenager are mixed well with the Zombie Apocalypse issues that she faces on a day to day bases.

While this is far and away from the level of quality that Season 1 was when it released in 2012, the enhanced performance, quality of visuals and the great integration of new characters in Clementine’s world makes this well worth dipping into if you were a fan of Season 1 and 2. I really hope Telltale stick the landing of episode 5, as they have certainly set up an intriguing series of events.

More Modern Warfare Remastered

It may as well be 2007 again. I cannot stop playing Modern Warfare Remastered. The same gameplay loop has be absolutely and completely hooked and the little tweaks and additions that are being added by Raven Software really have added extra reparability without radically shifting the experience one way or the other.

I haven’t yet purchased the map pack, as I am unsure how this will divide the player base at the moment, but I am really hoping Activision release the game as a standalone and get as many people as possible playing. The same gun on gun gameplay that really made me fall in love with Call of Duty returns and while there is plenty of bullshit remaining in the game, it doesn’t bother me as much as the absolutely ridiculous flying and jet-packing that irks me even more.

This is the definitive multiplayer experience for me and the additions made to new camos, updated visuals and now the new weapons, have been the icing on the cake to making this game just as fun as it was years and years ago. The fact that a 10 year old multiplayer game has its hooks in me again is utterly remarkable.

[star-ocean-peahen]

I hope you feel better soon, and make sure you hydrate and get lots of rest!!! <3

Thanks <3333

[wearesorcerer]

ALL RIGHT! Having gone through every spell in the game, I've narrowed down my selection. I'm giving you two honorable mentions because they're cool but a bit strange. I've come across several spells that I have questions or thoughts™ about, but I'll save those for later.

#5: Walk the Plank

As create pit, but it's filled with water. And sharps. Hashtag piratical nonsense.

(I really wish Tumblr would get over the "sharks are smooth" meme because I like calling them sharps, 'cuz they are.)

#4: Chains of Light and Shadow Trap

These are higher and lower (respectively) level ways of rooting a target, which is very nice.

Chains of light is pretty much the ultimate root, combining full paralysis with a dimensional anchor effect. However, it's fairly high level.

Shadow trap tethers an opponent to a square, preventing them from moving more than 5 ft. from it. It's significant because it's an anime/ninjutsu reference (if at lower power) and (more importantly) it's one of the few 1st-level roots.

#3: Temporal Regression and Akashic Form

Despite the names, these are essentially the same spell: create save state. They both have you note the condition of your body when you cast the spell and then let you reset to that body later on.

Temporal regression sets your save state to a save point (a location you return to when you trigger the effect). It only lasts one round/level, has a costly material component, and only works at close range (25 ft. + 5 ft./two levels).

Akashic form triggers when you die (well, are reduced to 0 or fewer HP) from something non-mental. Your old body is destroyed once you create your new one. You get the option of returning to the spot where your body was (and having all your gear on you) or to another spot within 500 feet (completely naked).

These are only listed here because I love timey-wimey and the idea of getting to restart from a save point (complete with universe reset) is tremendously appealing, even if that's solely within the purview of wish/miracle.

#2: Bilocation

"Isn't that how project image works?" Well, kinda. This literally lets you occupy two places at once, rather than creating a shadow duplicate. The downside is that it's overly, needlessly restricted in how it works -- much like how time stop is not as good as ZA WARUDO! because you can't interact with other creatures.

#1: Death Candle

This is just cool. It works like death knell, but instead of siphoning life from a dying creature all vampire-like, it conjures a fire elemental that looks suspiciously like their screaming ghost. That last part is key: the spell does not interact with any other spell that affects corpses or souls.

In short, it's kill opponent - gain minion.

The one downside is that it's a Racial spell for Ifrits (PF Fire Genasi), meaning that in theory it's a closely-guarded secret that casters of other races have to jump through hoops (i.e., get DM permission) to take. I think that's stupid, especially since the mixed fire and necromancy themes suit Tieflings and several other races equally or better than Ifrits. I'd figure a sane DM would ignore the requirement.

The metamagic feat Fell Animate works similarly (but with animate dead options), so I'd love to turn this into a feat. On the other hand, a fell animate death candle would be quite kyuul (and the only better version would be one that also binds the soul somehow, but I don't know any metamagic for that).

Honorable Mentions

Blazing Rainbow: This is here because it lets you make a rainbow bridge (that dazzles anyone on it; blargh) or conjure a bow that fires brilliant energy arrows. These were two separate spells in 3.5. I feel like they're only merged because someone couldn't decide on which they preferred and wanted to equivocate.

Vengeful Comets: Everyone loves things orbiting their heads (dancing lights, Melf's minute meteors, crown of stars, ioun stones, etc.), so have this one. The downside is that you only get to fire the comets against enemy casters that affected you with a spell.

Top 5 Pathfinder spells?

Oh dear, this will take a minute. Pathfinder introduced nearly as many spells as 3.0 and 3.5 combined did -- and many of them are weirdly niche spells which no one in their right mind should ever take (because other spells do the same thing). Gimme, like, a day to go through all of them. I can already think of two.