#but boy am I way too invested in that storyline

[thebardscipher]

*Watches Rats SMP* *Get hit upside the head with a Shadow Hunters reference*

[cdroloisms]

always absolutely fucking hilarious when sbiers in their self-righteous need to assert themselves as better than everyone else in the same way they've done since 2020 even when they're apparently 'out of the fandom' and consider the whole thing cringe and dead (skill issue, methinks) go all um acktually no one cared abt any of the lore except for c!sbi. like well for one thing i don't know of a c!sbi personally speaking i'd like for you to point out to me where character sleepy boys inc ever like, existed, because it certainly wasn't in any dream smp i watched like is there even a single moment where the four of them interact together alone??? and secondly, it's always reeeeeeally obvious when they mean this as a diss on The Other Side Of The Fandom (read, dream team and co) when two-thirds of the dream team just did nawt have any interest in being part of the 'main characters' in the first place and would much rather do their own thing and roleplay in ways that wouldn't get picked apart for ages on twitter dot com, and the other member of the dream team played a character so integral to the lore that even c!inniters will often name him before they name their own goddamn guy because they cannot keep his name out of their mouths (see, the meme i saw like literally just yesterday that boiled down to me, after learning the dream smp lore: i need to kill c!dream). like bro yall are c!inniters you're not fooling anyone you think that the entire story revolves around this one teenager being abused and then completely ignore the months of abuse that was shown on screen for us before exile. "c!sbi" like cmon now guys the ao3 pages are like, right there, we all know who ends up being the villain for ur sbi fanfic that has its foundations in a dynamic that literally never existed in canon.

like "no one cared about anyone's lore except for wilbur and tommy--" well yes they were in fact some of the main fucking characters. imagine someone going up to you and going "well no one cared about the lore in the star wars original trilogy except for luke and leia" like damn really?? (now imagine this same person trying to convince you that darth vader's role was unimportant, actually.) like yeah the dream smp involved a lot of separate storylines and each of those storylines might've had their own "main cast" of characters but i'm also not blind bro, the story that started at the start of the fucking server and the start of the fucking lore was ABSOLUTELY the "wilbur-dream-tommy" triangle that is, in fact, the story that the l'manburg revolution was built on and the story that remains the throughline literally until tommy and dream have their confrontation with a nuke coming down over their heads, something that the characters themselves acknowledge with the repetition of the idea of tommy and tubbo against dream. LIKE ALKJSDFKJSADF yeah bro there were main characters in the tommy-dream-wilbur story an that's also the story that people tended to be invested in in the beginning, to the point where even other self-contained stories in the dream smp absolutely referenced and emulated it (cough cough, las nevadas). like, why are we acting like it's at all groundbreaking for people to be invested in THEEE fucking story the one that first started to exist because at the time basically no one else was part of The Roleplaying Trio and then slowly got padded out and developed as the server developed more and more into the lore server?

and it's the fact that none of these people, too, would deny that they care about ex. c!schlatt in manberg, right, or c!quackity in relation to c!wilbur's deal, etc etc whatever. like breaking news you gaf about The Story as a dream smp fan wow am i supposed to be like, surprised. do you want a medal. LIKE LKJASDJF

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

This was the hardest monthly wrap up I ever had to do because I forgot about it until like two days ago and my brain is not at its best and I'm tired so I can't really write a lot. So anyway as usual, spoilers and opinions below, read at your own risk.

QL - Currently Watching

🇹🇼 Blue Canvas of Youthful Days [2/12] - I really like the look of this show and all the art. I'm not yet sold on the main couple as a possible item but I really like the characters individually. I adore the second couple. The scene with the hearing aid was beautiful and I like the fact that it's not about the couple. Perhaps in a bl from a different country this would be about them finally being able to communicate, but because Liu knows sign language, it's simply about helping Tan Yin. Don't know why but I really liked this.

🇰🇷🇹🇭 Eccentric Romance [8/12] - It's not the worst thing ever but at several points during the episodes I find myself asking, what am I watching?

🇹🇭 Every You, Every Me [4/8] - This show constantly surprises me. The different stories every week and the aspec rep was how they got me at first but now I'm invested in the meta and the absolutely adorable mains. And this show is just so gorgeous to watch.

🇹🇭 Fourever You [5/16] - Beautiful Pond. Cute Earth. I'm annoyed. Hopefully the next couple is better in terms of storyline.

🇹🇭 Jack & Joker [8/12] - Can they just get together first and then give me all the drama? I'm okay with that. I actually liked Love Mechanics, so give it to me. But Jack is all over the place with his behaviour, he says Joke is family and they seem to have a shared view of the future, and they sure behave as if they're a couple, but then he hides things from Joke, supposedly 'for his own good'. I feel for Joke, because he's being jerked around by Jack.

🇹🇭 Kidnap [8/12] - I love Ohm. And that is the one and only reason I'm still here.

🇰🇷 Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo [6/8] - I'm obsessed. I think about this show way too much. It's painful and beautiful, brilliant writing and visuals and I need it to be over but I don't want it to end. I think we're gonna have a second time skip since they are not in our present yet and I just want to see them happy.

🇰🇷 Love in the Big City [4/8] - Obsessed in a total different way. This story is like an open tab in my brain at all times. I'm dreaming of edits and gifsets. I think of Young and my chest tightens. I'm having a hard time writing about the second part of the show because it's just so much, although it feels lighter than the novel. I'm dreading the next part.

🇯🇵 Love is a Poison [7/10] - I love it here. Everything about it. This being Shiba's first love sure explains a lot, and the onsen date was amazing. I think the actors are nailing this.

🇹🇭 Peaceful Property [10/12] - I've said enough about it. I'm here for TayNew and trying to just ignore everything else.

🇹🇭 Perfect 10 Liners [1/24] - And so it begins. Every gmmtv boy is here and they are all playing engineers. They got two Flukes and everything. I wish Force wasn't once again an asshole jock and Book the clueless fool but I guess that's too much to ask. This is the couple I'm least interested here so I want to see the rest.

🇹🇼 See Your Love [3/13] - Taiwan just doing giving all the rep with disabled characters and as usual a parade of bl actors. It's fine for now.

🇯🇵 Smells like Green Spirit [6/9] - I love Mishima. I think the scenes with him and Kirino are always great. I'm still not totally on board with the romance but I'm somewhat fascinated with Yumeno.

QL - Finished

🇹🇼 First Note of Love - I feel like I need to rewatch this as a binge because I think this format didn't help this particular show. Although I like the mains and I really liked the actors, their romance never truly clicked for me. I need more of the sides. The language banter was my favourite thing about this.

🇹🇭 I Saw You In My Dream - This is super cute. They are all adorable and they actually communicate. Ultimately I was a little underwhelmed about the concept.

🇹🇭 Monster Next Door - It's fine. I like Big and he was great here. But I've already forgotten everything about this.

🇭🇰 Our Golden Times - I watched it. It was okay.

🇹🇭 Reverse 4 You - Pretty show. Good concept. Not great execution all the way through.

Dropped / On Hold

Waiting to binge - 🇹🇭 The Loyal Pin | 🇹🇭 Apple | 🇻🇳 Teenager Judge

Rose Watches OJBL

Same Difference aka Docchi mo Docchi (2014) - I don't even know what to say. It's not good. That's it.

Others - Watched

🇯🇵Densetsu no Head Sho| 🇰🇷Black Out | 🇯🇵Double

Upcoming Shows - November

As usual my ask box is open. Have a wonderful weekend💜

[matan4il]

911 ep 705 first watch reactions

Of course 911 would "punish" the "You are the boss of you!" guy with an alien hand that attacks him, and does what it wants. Pooor Buck and Eddie paying the price for that...

Okay, love the storyline with Hen and Karen possibly eventually adopting an older girl. Too many shows just find easy, unrealistic ways to give their same sex couples kids, and I am really glad that 911 shows the reality of it, and that it is a more complex struggle for many, that it's an act of continuously choosing to be parents. That's actually an amazing, difficult thing, and it should be faithfully depicted and respected, for all of its heartache, and the little moments of triumph.

Buck and Tommy on a date, and Eddie comes along with Marisol? Love how Buck's bisexual awakening and coming out continues to involve Eddie so much. Tell me they're end game, even if they're not gonna get together right now, without telling me they're...

I did not need to learn Marisol is moving in with Eddie like this, with any build up, or even any sort of insight into the relationship, and nope, that does not bode well for them. IDK how 911 managed to do it, but they have somehow managed to give Eddie a love interest the show is even less invested in than Ana.

And the funniest bit, is that Marisol and Eddie's big development is only there to further Buck's journey anyway.

"You can never have too much closet space" LMAO the way 911 both made me laugh, and feel sorry for poor, baby bi Buck. XD

Hmmm. Were parts of this scene cut out? We don't get to see Eddie on his own date with Marisol, but constantly looking over at Tommy and Buck? Boo. I'm glad we at least got the BTS photos, then. But seriously, why!? That was gonna be so delicious.

Oh, Tommy's breaking up with Buck. I mean, good for him, and he ain't wrong after Buck's "after this, we're gonna go out looking for chicks" reaction, but man do I feel sorry for Buck. Him and Tommy might not be my end game (Buddie forever will be), but I do think this relationship could be good for our baby bi. Tommy being in the same profession, knowing what it's like to have this gap between who you are and the image of guys in your line of work, plus he's got more experience than Buck, is sure of himself, can help our boy figure himself out, and also Buck obviously does like his vibe. He deserves to be with someone he actually likes, not just the first woman willing to be with him that the plot pushed in his way.

Oh, baby Buck. :( You didn't even tell Maddie about Tommy. You really aren't ready it. But also (and as a Buddie shipper, more importantly), Tommy broke things off with Buck, but what is eating him up, is that he lied to Eddie. XD Yeah, this gonna end with wedding bells, sooner or later. On screen, off screen after the show ends with canon Buddie, or only in my head if 911 never dares make Buddie canon, I don't care. That kind of emotional devotion is not something that my hopelessly romantic heart can ignore.

OMG, this is how Buck comes out to Maddie? XD Via random pronoun mention, and as a by product of trying to figure out how to tell Eddie the truth? This is hilarious. lol It really makes it clear that, after all, the issue for Buck really isn't people knowing he is also dating guys (or checking their asses), even when it's the other closest person in the world for him, it's Eddie. Specifically. Buck's ready, even if he doesn't have the exact clear words yet, he's just not ready to tell Eddie. Can't imagine why. XDDD

What was that awkward post-sex scene with Eddie and Marisol? And the issues with her moving in are popping up a second after she has. But yeah, we have no idea who this woman is as a person, she's been a cardboard cut out so far, and then one of the first things we do learn about her, is that she would call her stuff better than Eddie's? Once again, this is not the stuff great romance is made of. Or... even just the stuff any kind of romance is made of.

Wait, Marisol was a nun, and Eddie didn't even know!? This whole ep is telegraphing in the news of how weird and awkward and underdeveloped this r/s is, not just for us as viewers who know nothing about Marisol, but apparently for Eddie as well.

And of course his Catholic guilt is gonna kick in now. I'd care, except 911 has given me absolutely no reason to. Seriously, I care more about Buck and Tommy after just 2 eps, than Eddie and Marisol, even though this is technically her 2nd season on the show.

Of course Buck went to find Eddie, and spotted him at the gym. Forever 201 vibes, with Eddie being the focus of Buck's attention. ^u^

I couldn't care less about Eddie's Catholic guilt crisis, and how it's actually a projection of what his real issues are with Marisol, but it's nice to see that as always, Buck's the one who can tell when something's off, and offer Eddie exactly what he needs (even when that's to talk to someone else, but Buck figures out immediately who the right person to address is), and then they just very naturally switch, because Eddie can also tell when something's off with Buck, and he wants to tell him something. Soulmates. THAT is the stuff that great romance IS made of.

:/ The imagery of Catholic nuns has not been around for over 2,000 years, please stop being ignorant about your own religion, and the very different way it looked in its early days.

Bobby is forgiven, he does give good advice, and his "her ex, the Lord" bit, which prompted that reaction from Eddie, is hilarious. XD

So... when Eddie is having issues with Marisol, he already knows he has to figure out how he feels about her, but instead of doing so, he goes to his safe place... Buck's loft.

Man, Eddie being into Tommy's choice of avoidning relationships with women, and hanging out with boys, after in the past, Eddie had dealt with his Shannon issues by running away from her, and re-enlisting in the army, where he gets to hang out with boys, when we all (Buck included) know why Tommy's "hanging out with boys"... I do like that if they want to (and hopefully they do), this further lays the groundwork for Eddie's own queer realization.

Buck and Eddie helping each other with their respective romantic problems, without realizing they are each other's respective romantic solution is gonna make me chew on my own fists. Again. But I'm not even a little bit surprised that Eddie was totally fine and accepting of Buck being bi, or that the first thing he thought of is how this reflects on them. Because their friendship IS way deeper and closer than normal for platonic friends, and Eddie's little reassurance is also an admission of that.

Man, for a second I was worried they also cut out Eddie in the loft, once more putting his thumb on Buck's pulse point possessively, in a perfect parallel to 303. I would have sued for emotional damages. But yeah, it says so much that the peak of emotional meaningfulness for Buck when coming out is in relation to Eddie, and that the scene itself peaks with Eddie, instead of finishing rushing out to take care of his own romantic business, hurries back to Buck first, to hug him, place his hand on Buck and give him orders. "Sure, you're gonna be dating this guy, but I'm still your real husband."

Well, at least Eddie amitted to himself and Marisol that he doesn't actually know her. But... I have never seen two people being both being so happy about not moving in together, and I'm supposed to think this r/s has a chance? Okay. Suuuure.

The scene with Buck going to Tommy to set things straight ready for something was lovely, it was nice seeing him excited, and get to choose, and hear he's wanted. But since the note Tommy and Buck's storyline in this ep should have ended on, is Buck showing Tommy he's ready enough to let others know he's dating a guy by inviting Tommy to come with Buck to Madney's wedding, then why is the very next scene playing the romantic switch again, making us think Buck's car just arrived at the wedding with him and Tommy, only for Buck and Eddie to walk in together? I see what you did there, 911.

Thank you for reading! If you're looking for more, you can find my s7 reactions tag here, and more of my Buddie meta and content in my pinned post. xoxox

[foundfam2754]

S17e7 live reactions!

spoilers...obviously

am i the only one who's always nervous before a new episode? i just might too invested in this show after all

i have avoided spoilers all day, let's do this thing

why hasn't this FBI director ever come back into the storyline? i feel like it means a big twist might come back in the season finale...

is this unsub connected to gold star???

oh my god his skin jfc

man you know the quiet unsubs are the scariest

WHAT THE FUCK HIS SKULL

this guy is just saying what he needs to isn't he to get out

holy crap okay what a start to this episode

i'm closing my eyes omg

how do you even build something like that in your apartment - WITHOUT getting hurt

OMG WHAT. THE. FUCK. holy crap aisha did you direct this to scare the bejeesus out of me THAT IS HIS ACTUAL SKULL

OH I JUST SAW FELICITY'S NAME COME UP - welcome, dr. jill gideon!!

damn damn damn PG's outfits this ep!! damn

where are tara and dave? and tyler? and everyone else lol

wait also is my favorite friendship group - penelope, her best friends, and her boyfriend

HAHA emily, poor tyler

ok I kinda love tyler the profiler

"flex" lol why did that sound so wrong coming out of paget's mouth

"mr. sensitive" lol buddy's getting hit left and right

i feel like....that's not a lot of files for 4 years

anyone getting "don't 'Emily' me" vibes

not sure you can say that dave - emily "died", and you were buried underground

lol "that's adorable!"

"i don't have asthma" "you will in a minute" lmao i love their friendship

that's an incredible shot omg (of them turned back from each other, holding hands in bed)

okay as a psych major, this whitepaper stuff is really intellectually interesting

OH THE STARE TO MR GREEN

"of course I am, but not with this" lol i love chaotic emily

"Garcia" ah so he's not so in love anymore is he

aww i never really connected with gideon, but I do miss him <3

EMILY YOU WERE FORBIDDEN

aww road trip!

ergh... smarmy lawyer

elias does love a good contingency

man sicarius is a good profiler

holy crap elias you are straight up horrifyingly evil

"polite. nonviolent" lol i love how funny this season is

YOU ARE NOT FRIENDS YOU LOVE HIM HE LOVES YOU PENELOPE YOU ARE KILLING ME

also don't tell me "it's why you and i are finally friends" ISN'T flirting

"thanks, friend!" "you're welcome, friend!" okay they are straight up flirting, listen to the tone, her facial expression, his facial expression, THEY ARE FLIRTING

also calm down kids, jj's right there

"how's hotch?" "what about derek morgan?" "spencer?" lol they're really honing in that our bois are gone :(

AW BB JASON IN THE CORNER IN THE PHOTO FRAME

oh there's a difference between fiancé and fianceé? i didn't think there was

"has a goatee he thinks makes him look very distinguished" lmao

oh my god he slept with her didn't he

HOW WERE GIDEON AND HE FRIENDS AFTER THAT

lol rossi was such a player

HAHA omg EMILY YOU ARE SO BAD. i love how chaotic she's being

why do i have a feeling emma may be a figment of his imagination?

sir, she's bleeding

damn luke's so hot as he's profiling

WHAT? Okay I did not see that coming

BRO I KNEW IT EMMA'S A FIGMENT

luke and the megaphone!! i repeat, luke and the megaphone!!

lol i just realized this show is always sending luke and jj into very dangerous situations

wait this ep is so good man, the plot's amazing and heartbreaking at the same time, we got garvez nuggets, em's hilarious, and aisha's directing is goddamn incredible

NO WAY, THERE'S ANOTHER KIT?

elias is such a good villain, damn

lawyer man, maybe listen to the scary man? don't open it?

and as jill walks in, we continue the trend in this show of david rossi's ex-girlfriends showing up years later to shock him (oh god they’re gonna get married, aren’t they)

tara and luke be like "who's this lady?"

OKAY I'M SO EXCITED FOR NEXT WEEK LFG

[braxiatel]

Goodtimeswithscar is a sexyman and I will prove it to you

If you are still on the fence I encourage you to look at the sexypedia - a wikipedia dedicated to tumblr sexymen - and checking out their tropes page. Scar meets 35/62 on a list where recent winner of the tumblr sexyman poll Cecil Palmer of WTNW fame only has 8 listed on his character page!

35!

Scar is Textbook, and if you need proof I have gone through all the tropes and explained why they apply to him!

VOTE SCAR!

4th Wall Blurring: This one is arguable due to the nature of the medium but I’ll include it

Animal Theming: See: animal hybrid headcanons and designs. Cat Scar, panda Scar, hyena Scar, avian Scar - they’re everywhere!

Angst: That cactus ring… magic mountain. need I say more? This boy has angst. 

Bait: *gestures at the shirtless skins*

Capitalist: she sells sea shells on the sea shore but the value of these shells will fall due to the laws of supply and demand no one wants to buy shells cause there’s loads on the sand step one you must create a sense of scarcity 

Chaoslord: HotGuy! [snipes you for no good reason]

Criminal: shells will sell much better if the people think they’re rare you see bear with me take as many shells as you can find and hide them on an island stockpile them high until they’re rarer than the price of diamond

Con Artist: step two gotta make the people think that they want them really fucking want them hit ‘em like Bronson influencers product placement if you haven’t got a shell then you’re just a fucking waste man

Dealmaker: three it’s monopoly invest inside some property start a corporation make a logo do it properly shells must sell that will be your new philosophy swallow all your morals they’re a poor man’s quality

Distinctive Voice: I do not need to make any arguments here. Have you heard him???

Quotable Catchphrase(s): well hello there, scarred for life, “a-ma-zing”, etc.

Distinctive Laugh: I think I autism stole Scar’s laughter (whoops) so I’m giving him this one too, but also that gigle is just very good and we all know it, right?

Dominating: from the trope description: “Characters who assert their power over others. Could be through manipulation, magic, smugness, or force of personality.” Yes. 

Duality: Convex did not put their whole entire vexussies into that possession storyline for us to forget about it. 

Egotistical: This one is arguable and a question of characterisation, but I think that we can all agree that on some levels, yes. 

Eldritch: From the trope description: “Since the typical sexyman is a tall mostly human looking pale twink, in a vast majority of the cases the eldritch is a heavy implication lying just under the surface.” Hello? Vex Scar?? 

Gay: See subsection: 

LGBTQ+ Coded: That cactus ring. Mumbo “eye candy” Jumbo. The season 7 mayoral race. Concorp. His jolly rancher arc. This man has so many boyfriends. 

Girlboss: listen I think a lot of characters who aren’t traditional girlbosses get called so, but with Scar I think it’s accurate okay. Did Scar utilize girl power effectively when he and Cub were blatant war profetiers during the season 6 civil war? yes. Absolutely. Girlboss. 

Glowing Neon: vex blue anyone?

Hot-headed: Don’t let his calm exterior fool you. Remember. Scar when someone steals his horse: *sets their whole entire house on fire*. 

Intelligence: yes but also see subsection

Smartdumb: Okay listen. Scar is Smart. Scar is very smart. And I specifically have to make sure you know I am talking character only here because cc!Scar seems to me to be a Very intelligent person with a wide field of knowledge. But uhm. c!Scar dies so much and so often in ways that are completely unavoidable. He does silly things without thinking of the consequences. I have seen enough people calling him a himbo (beloathed term) enough times that I do not need to argue this point. He is smart but also babygirl Why are you like this.

Johnlocked: “When two characters are shipped extensively by fans despite the pairing not necessarily being canon (or even present) in the original work.” it started out with a cactus ring how did it end up like this, it was only a cactus ring, it was only a cactus ring

Knifemurder: Hotguy! [snipes you a second time] 

Magnificent Bastard: This Is The Whole Point. Scar oozes charisma even when he is the villain and that’s why he is so beloved. He is smart, he is stylish, he is charming, even while he is killng you. This is the point. 

Marked Canon/Fanon Divergence: “Sexymen with a large gap between how they are in the original work (Canon) and how they are commonly portrayed in fanworks (Fanon)” see : the fake crystals vs Scar actually having magic, the abs being painted on vs shirtless Scar everywhere, etc.

Monster Features: vex scar vex scar vex scar

Nonhuman: like the vex thing is literally canon it’s not fanon those cons sure did vex 

Pale Twink: We could have done many things with this collection of blocks people, and yet my dash is full of shirtless twinks/twunks every day ending with a y. Curious. 

Perpetual Smiler: Okay listen this is partially the nature of the medium but also 1) that is a distinctive smile and 2) have you see the fanworks? 

Power: This man tried to sell fake magic crystals and we all just decided he can do magic. He was an elf once and now fae/elf Scar headcanons are everywhere. 

Scars: I- I’m not explaining myself here. yes??? 

Tall: I can think of one, maybe two portrayals of Scar that have made him short. 

Theme Song: four expand, expand, expand clear forest make land fresh blood on hands five why just shells why limit yourself she sells seashells sell oil as well six guns sell stocks sell diamonds sell rocks sell water to a fish sell the time to a clock seven press on the gas take your foot off the brakes then run to be the president of the united states eight big smile mate big wave that's great now the truth is overrated tell lies out the gate nine polarise the people controversy is the game it don't matter if they hate you if they all say your name ten the world is yours step out on a stage to a round of applause uou're a liar a cheat a devil a whore and you sell seashells on the seashore

Unkempt: so those rugged life series Scars, huh? 

Villain: Scar has been the villain several times and has a Long list of crimes to his name

Technically Antagonist: see 3rd life

Villain Protagonist: unreliable narrator Scar my beloved. I love how he just *does terrible things edited to make him look like he’s just a silly little guy having some harmless fun*

Well-Dressed: Hmmm I wonder why waggon/tycoon Scar routinely wins every Scar skin poll. Also he has enough outfits to include these sub categories too: 

Suitguy: “Characters who typically wear formalwear, specifically suits. Often includes waistcoats, top hats, bowties, and pinstripes. Other neckwear may also be worn.” Again. The tycoon skin really lives rent free in all out minds, huh?

Long Coat/Cape/Robe/Etc: bathrobe wizard Scar my beloved but also do you know how many thirst trap last life Scars I’ve seen?? 

White Twink Humanization: He is made out of blocks in canon. We did not need to make him like this and yet we did. 

White Hair: last life Scar beloved by many <3

VOTE SCAR!

[thenightshadowqueen]

What are your top 5 (or top 7) favorite media ever (can be anime/manga, tv series, books, movies, games, etc)? Why love them? Thanks ⭐

Thank you for the ask! I love lists. Also, sorry for the delay in answering; it’s been a week.

(Also I’m going to assume that YouTube videos count for the sake of this list; if they don’t, let me know and I can redo the list.)

5. Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (book and movie)

This isn’t one of my four core fandoms, but I genuinely really love it. I think the book was better, but the movie adaptation was really good! It’s definitely one of the better adaptations I’ve seen. I think the main reason I love it is because I genuinely really like the characters (which is rare for me). Alex and Henry both have flaws, which I think is super important, and their dynamic has so much potential and is played out so gorgeously in their story.

4. Vicious by V. E. Schwab (book)

This is my second favourite book, but it lives rent-free in my head in a way that no other characters ever have. I relate so deeply to Victor, and I’m so fundamentally intrigued by Victor and Eli’s dynamic. I’ve made a fair few posts about that, so I think I might leave it here for the sake of not repeating myself, but just… yeah.

3. All of Our Demise by Amanda Foody and C. L. Herman (book)

This is the second book in the duology, and it is my favourite book of all time. I love the first book, but the second one??? Gavin and Alastair are my babies, and I adore them individually and together with all my heart. I remember thinking they had chemistry in the first book, but Alastair was with Isobel, so I didn’t think it would happen… and then I read book two. And I don’t think I’ll ever be over how fucking delighted I was. I think that specific feeling of not being queerbaited is part of why this book has stuck with me, but it’s also just so genuinely fun to read. I love this book so much.

2. BBC Merlin (TV)

This has been my favourite show since I was twelve years old, and I am not changing that now. (Sometimes I wonder if part of the reason I love it so much is because of the person who recommended it to me, but we don’t have time to get into all of that.) Look, I’m not saying that Merlin was the best show ever made, but I genuinely enjoy it so much. (And that’s not just me; everyone I’ve ever introduced it to has loved it.) Honestly, for me, a lot of it comes down to the characters again: Merlin and Arthur, obviously, but also Morgana, and I’m so intrigued by Mordred’s storyline, and the side characters are great, and I could just go on and on. But seriously, it’s my comfort show, and I just enjoy watching it so much.

1. Shoot from the Hip videos (YouTube)

Honestly, I spend so much of my day watching these men that it’s a little concerning. (In my defence, my chronic illness means that I have a whole lot of time.) The thing is, there have, historically, been very few things that genuinely make me laugh. And they manage it every time. I just genuinely really enjoy watching their videos, and I get so invested in their stories, too, because their characters are so well developed (especially considering they’re making it all up on the spot). Also, not to get all serious, but they’ve genuinely been so good for my mental health. I’d been struggling since I got ill (I’m doing somewhat better now), and finding the boys genuinely saved my life, and I’ll leave it there to avoid getting depressing, but… yeah.

Also, I got a second ask more recently that was the same thing, so I’m just going to consider this the answer to both instead of typing this all out twice. I hope that’s all right!

[blackfairy312]

Snuppeteer Post 🐍🎭

INFODUMP BELOW just talking about these characters and their dynamic with themselves and the other characters in this AU

🍷 posting right now heehh

okay, so. Vincent Pietro Allard and Komi Tchaikovsky. this Five Nights at Candy's AU. let's talk about it.

so the Puppeteer's name in this AU is Vincent Pietro Allard. he met a guy in college and the two of them decided to start a theater together. they confounded the Rat & Cat Theater and hired some actors. Vincent wanted to use the theater to get a start on his acting career, to put his name out there so he'd be discovered by some actung scouts and whatever. his partner was more invested in the business opportunities of the place. Vincent's partner and fellow co-founder is currently unnamed, so Founder 2 (F2) is what we'll call him. he's involved in the franchise after the Puppeteer quits to star in Psychopath. F2 eventually makes the Candy and Cindy stuff... F2 is involved with Robotics Corp in this AU.

anyway, Vincent is obsessed with being successful as an actor. so much so that he basically always has to act. Vinnie, his puppet, is a bad-mouthed rude character that plays off of Vincent ("Puppeteer" as his character) who teaches Vinnie to be nice. cause Vinnie is 😠🙁 and the Puppeteer is 😀🙂. like the drama 🎭 masks. or something. i'm a little high typing all of this so i really hope my thoughts are coming across properly. basically, Vincent thinks too deeply about things. he put so much effort into his and Vinnie's characters, and he feels like he deserves praise and appreciation. he doesn't know WHY the kids are so scared of Vinnie, and he doesn't know why they don't like his thought provoking shows. he doesn't understand why the kids like the campy and comical Rat & Cat Show. why doesn't anyone like the Puppeteer & Vinnie Show?

a little inside joke with my circle is that the Puppeteer is a pervert. do you guys know that scene in Helluva Boss where Moxxie points at the mascot and says "i KNOW you're a pervert under there!" and the mascot goes "...yeah." that's it. you guys know Robbie and Rex from Victorious? yeah. so Vincent likes to approach single parents and will use Vinnie to flirt with them. he plays it off like the puppet is doing it and Vincent will go, "Oh, I'm sorry. Vinnie, be respectful!!" and it's just weird and uncomfortable. he's just playing it off like he needs to project through the puppet, there are so many layers as to WHY he's committed to playing a character all the time. do you guys know that image of the tindr conversation where the guys sends three dog emojis and texts "come here boy! leave that beautiful lady alone!" yeah that's Vincent. that's the kind of pervert he is.

with that out of the way, we can smoothly transition into Komi's section. i am now talking about myself in the third person. Komi picked her last name out for a reference. after her last two ventures (Marvel and DC back to back), and the previous four before those, Komi has finally decided that she needs a break from all this 'end of the world' nonsense. she goes back to the FNAFverse at a different point in time, to purposefully avoid being there during the Afton storyline. she settles into her 'human' life and picks up a job flier for a pianist, or just someone who knows how to play piano. Komi hasn't even allowed herself to do one of her hobbies is so long, and she immediately takes the flier home and dials the number.

then she meets Vincent, and she can immediately tell that he's weird. but it's kind of endearing to her, in a way. this woman has been in relationships with so many overly cartoony villains that nothing really phases her too much at this point. i mean, she dated Albert Wesker and almost married him until some asshole named Chris Redfield decided he HATES love and blew the guy up in a volcano 😒 the only thing about Vincent that unnerves Komi is Vinnie. just the way that the puppet looks unsettles her, like some uncanny valley. Komi was a doll in one of her previous lives (and a snake in the other one, it's a long story), so of course she's feeling uncanny valley from Vinnie. he has a puppet face with HUMAN EYES. you'll never see any of us draw in-game Vinnie unless it's Monster Vinnie or for comedic effect. the Vinnie design we draw is specifically for our AU.

at work, Komi likes to spend time with the children. some kids may be scared of the Rat and Cat costumes, so Komi provides activities for them to do. in this AU, Komi sets up an area for the kids to color and draw in books and with paper. an Arts & Crafts area. Vincent almost opposed to this because he has a huge ego and is a control freak and cannot stand the thought of someone making a decision without his permission or knowledge... but because it has good outcomes (parents happy, kids happy, actors get fanart), he allows it. the kids call Komi "Snake Lady" because of her eyes.

during shows, Komi has a small piano set up on the stage so she can play music, of course. i forget the specific theater terms for the stage setup, but backstage but not BACKstage. Komi also likes to help the Rat and Cat actors (Antonio and Richard in this AU) with practicing for the shows. they write scripts for every show and rehearse them all. a LOT of work goes into this place now that i think about it. i was in theater once. what a nightmare.

i have actually lost my entite train of thought. i'm going to put random Snuppeteer scenarios for the rest of the post.

Vincent thinks Komi is really pretty. But instead of telling her that, he says something about how she looks like she just crawled out of bed and didn't even bother looking in the mirror. this is somewhat true. Komi is depressed and she doesn't really have the energy to play a role.

Komi has a stoic expression most of the time and only ever really shows emotion when's she under the influence of something. she's affectionate and attentive when she's high. sometimes when she's stressed out, she'll get high and hang out with Vincent at his apartment, and he'll put on a movie and talk over the entire thing while she listens to him. Vincent is a cinema geek, he gets so passionate about movies (especially horror ones) and has so much to say, and Komi finds that so endearing. she loves his voice and she enjoys listening to how passionate he is about something he cares about. oh that's so sappy! and this is when they're dating! they were so awkward before that, you know? Vincent being weird towards her and Komi being a little curt back towards him. you'd think that she HATED him! but unfortunately Komi likes him BECAUSE he is a freak. did i mention she dated Jonathan Crane? very specifically our DC AU version who is similar to Danny Johnson Ghostface where he SEEKS fear and purposefully carries incriminating evidence on him to satiate his fear of getting caught. Komi dated THAT KIND OF GUY. she's a freak too. don't let that face fool you.

they're like James Sunderland and Maria. Vincent can't take responsibility for his crime and Komi thinks he's lame and pathetic. that means Vinnie is like Pyramid Head. because that fucking puppet probably HAUNTS him now after the incident. why do you think they never reused that character in the Candy's Burgers and Fries joints?

if you managed to read this entire thing, i'm sorry. i live in absolute delusion. cringe is not a concept to me. i have overwhelming confidence, and crippling insecurity. let me live in my palace of dreams.

[indigoraysoflight]

Hiiiii!!! Recently finished TWD and gotta say Carol and Daryl have given me brain rot and have taken up so much space in my head (like all I want is for those two idiots to just declare their undying romantic love for each other and kiss - so that I can get on with my life) Anyway - I am here to say that I love the work you and your friend (Laura, I believe - sorry for not tagging - new to all this) have been doing with the podcast - it has helped me discover new layers of these wonderful characters and see things from a different perspective and to appreciate them more. I have this ritual (especially for s10) where I wait for your podcast updates to rewatch the episodes every week (and oh boy - s10 is already so painful to watch - then combined with all your analysis - I think I just like torturing myself). I love both the characters individually as well. The reason I got to tracking down Caryl enthusiasts on Tumblr and Twitter is because I think you guys just have a deeper understanding of the characters individually as well. The sort of metas I see here breaking down the symbolism and stuff - its phenomenal. Unfortunately I don't think the GA has that depth of awareness about these characters - especially Carol (again just based on my experience of viewing all these reaction videos of YouTubers and reddit posts and all.) Carylers are incredibly perceptive and I am loving it.

Also I recently found out that you are the author of my favorite Caryl fic "Saudade" - The way you have written it to read like an episode on the show - with descriptions of these small minsicule moments between Daryl and Carol (the stolen glances and the yearning...the staring into each other's souls) and also the incorporation and focus on the rest of the characters that feels real - I don't know - just the whole ambiance of the fic feels canon - I just always go back to re-read it whenever I start missing these two too much - and I think I have convinced myself that this is canon now. Hopeful that you will continue the fic.

Also - since I have already overcome my social anxiety to interact this much - I would just like to ask you...

Besides Daryl and Carol coming together and reuniting - what else would you like to see when it comes to Carol's arc particularly? (I think I am really excited for her to interact with new characters and form strong bonds with them - bcoz unfortunately the main show sort of failed to give us a lot of that when it came to Carol - Like I always felt like Daryl got the opportunity to build substantial relationships with a loot of other characters and Carol didn't.)

My Dear Anon!

First of all, oh my goodness, thank you for this beautiful message. I appreciate you very much for taking the time to write this.

Congratulations on acquiring the Caryl brain rot. Yay. It's a lot. Thank you for all your kind words. It makes me happy to hear that you listen to the podcast while watching the episodes. I hope it brings out more value for you on the rewatch. ❤️

Twitter can be an experience 😬 But I appreciate all the meta on Tumblr because people have more room to express their thoughts without any character limit constraints. So I hope you're able to find what you're looking for.

I love Carol and Daryl deeply. I fell in love with Daryl first, but I must admit, I fell for Carol harder — almost like Daryl did. I tumbled down like a wobbly cat and pretended it was the plan all along.

Thoughts on the general audience

The general audience doesn't have the emotional investment the core audience does. They lean on impactful stories with a healthy amount of subtext, which is where a showrunner with a clear vision, love for the characters, and creative freedom can work wonders. The rich subtext appeals to the ride-or-die audience, and the clear story hooks appeal to the GA. And an intricate storyline with a strong emotional core is important for the show's success.

TWD is well recognized even today, but the more missteps they make, the more it affects how word of mouth spreads. You want people to say, "It's a must-watch," not "It's a dying franchise." When GA says the latter, it's time for a reassessment that doesn't lean on recycling stories for fan favourite characters like Carol and Daryl.

The spinoff has a bright future in the right hands because Carol and Daryl have strong roots in the flagship show. A showrunner who can recognize the goldmine on their hands will know precisely how to position and leverage it. We need an emotionally indulgent narrative and explicit storytelling (sprinkled with some badass moments) to move this show into a bright future. They have an in-built audience and can pull more viewers if the cards are played right. I just hope they make the right call.

And by "the right call" I mean I hope they give us a cathartic canon moment for Daryl and Carol. I want it to be explicit, indulgent, and undeniable.

Saudade

You're reading Saudade? 🙈 Aww thank you. I haven't abandoned it, I promise. The podcast takes up a lot of my time so it's difficult to make time for it. But I will continue it and finish it. ❤️ Thanks so much for reading. I tried to make it as canon compliant as possible while maintaining the integrity of the characters involved so you feel like you're watching the show in your mind's eye. So I'm glad you were able to "see" what I was trying to do.

Carol's arc

Many story nodes were left unresolved for Carol. Some are about Daryl, but many link back to losing Sophia. I love the idea of a deep exploration of Carol's psyche. Melissa's creative input helps, but I hope her vision for Carol is allowed to flourish because it will feel disjointed if things change in post-production.

As I've mentioned many times on the podcast, I love the idea of Carol having more female friendships — more friendships in general — so we can see the difference in the way she interacts with her friends and the way she interacts with Daryl.

🥹 Thank you for your courage and vulnerability. I appreciate you very much. Don't be a stranger! My askbox is always open.

I hope this space is kind to you. ❤️

[gffa]

THE HIGH REPUBLIC READING PROJECT UPDATE: Since I finished Phases I and II (aside from Young Jedi Adventures previously), in the interests of not having a mile long post, I'm just doing Phase III stuff now. I've also decided against including The Vow of Silver Dawn since I don't think there's an official English translation--though, I am reading the fan translation. (Slowly, I've been reading ORV when I do have time to read.) Look how close I am! I'm even an hour and half into Defy the Storm and I've started the Phase III comics and I'd guess I have about ten issues left in total to catch up on and I finished Young Jedi Adventures. I can totally do this over the next week and a half!

MAIN STORYLINE NOVELS - PHASE III:

The High Republic: The Eye of Darkness

The High Republic: Escape from Valo

The High Republic: Defy The Storm

MAIN STORYLINE COMICS - PHASE III:

The High Republic: Shadows of Starlight - 4 issues

The High Republic (2023) - 7 issues [ONGOING]

The High Republic Adventures (2023) - 5 issues [ONGOING]

The High Republic - Saber for Hire (2023) - 1 issue [ONGOING]

ONESHOT COMIC ISSUES - PHASE III:

The High Republic Adventures: Crash Landing

EVERYTHING ELSE:

Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures - 25 episodes + 6 shorts

I enjoyed Escape from Valo a lot more than I thought I would, Older's and Wong's books usually just aren't my jam, but when they got in a bunch of new characters, I found myself more intrigued this time around. Part of that is probably that Phase III feels a lot tighter and more impactful now that they've had time to really get in gear as an initiative, but also I think maybe it feels like Older and Wong are spreading the story around to more characters and ones that resonate better with me. A lot of it is that I feel like Older is a little too close to Ram's character and winds up making him feel like The Most Specialest Boy Ever, but putting him into smaller chunks made him go down a lot better for me and I found his struggle to connect with the Jedi younglings versus becoming attached to them (in the way the Jedi mean it/more Buddhist-aligned) worked well for me. I think the book still fits into the overall trend for me--mostly one of my lesser faves of the Phase, but with 2-3 absolutely BANGER scenes about Jedi philosophy that make it worth reading for. Now, on to Defy the Storm and I'm curious how this will go, I like both Ireland and Gratton's work, but I do get a little "...." at Ireland's writing for Avon, who I thought worked well enough in the first book but starts to feel like she's not allowed any real flaws because she's too special. I just want a little more variety with the heroes, to let them have some genuinely unlikeable moments to be relatable. (This is personal preference, I might feel different if these were established characters or I was more in the target range.) I also finished Young Jedi Adventures and I honestly enjoyed having it on in the background! It's very much aimed at a preschool audience, but it does so with charisma and charm radiating out of it in every scene. The voice acting is top notch, the animation is gorgeous, the character/setting designs are stunning, and I admit, I got a little invested in the characters over the time spent with them. To the point I'm kind of genuinely champing at the bit for a second season because I NEED Taborr resolution, YOU CANNOT END IT THERE??? I NEED TO KNOW HOW THIS TURNS OUT???? I NEED ANOTHER SEASON!!!! At least tell me that someone else is in the same hell that I'm in of wanting to see how that conflict plays out and getting weirdly invested in that little shit that just wants real friends. ;__;

[dorothytv10]

A love letter to Bughead shippers!

*Warning: this is very very long, so only continue reading if you have time to spare 😜

I haven’t been part of the Bughead fandom since the beginning of 2019. I watched the show in chronological order until the end of season 3, then binged season 4 during covid lockdowns, but refused to continue with season 5 onwards. But over the past few years, I have kept up with spoilers and watched s5-7 episodes sporadically. I just couldn’t take the show seriously when they had Betty cheat on Jughead, then do a random time jump and turn the show supernatural. It was jarring!

I still remember the first time I started shipping Bughead. Let’s start from the beginning:

I had seen ads for Riverdale about a week before it aired, and decided to give it a watch purely because I am such a sucker for murder mystery style shows. That was the catalyst. I also have a tendency to invest in CW shows because of how heavily they push shipping, and romance is another genre that I cannot get enough of. I remember watching the pilot episode and thinking this whole Betty & Archie storyline is just NOT compelling nor did I feel the actors and their characters had any romantic chemistry. It just felt forced and awkward, especially watching Betty get rejected. I thought she was way too good for him, and if he couldn’t see that in all the years they were friends, then he ain’t the right guy for her. But some part of me just expected them to be the main love story of the show because that’s such a predictable trope in teen dramas. So even though I didn’t feel any part of my shipping senses tingling, I decided to continue with the show for the mystery part, and accepted that the romance would just not play a factor in my interest. But boy was I wrong! The following week, I watched episode 2, and the show just felt different. Jughead was featured more heavily and finally shared the screen with Betty, even though no dialogue was exchanged. But I remember thinking to myself, “Jughead and Betty would be so cute together”. During the week after episode 2 aired, I remember their season 1 kiss from episode 8 leaked online: the one outside FP’s trailer. I saw that one scene on Twitter and was instantly a Bughead shipper. I couldn’t believe that I got my wish and Betty and Jughead were going to have a romance. Riverdale went from “a show I’ll watch when I can be bothered to a must watch show that I will not dare miss an episode of”. Episode 3 started getting promoted online a lot, and Betty and Jughead were shown to interact in the trailer; I was hooked. I couldn’t wait for the next episode! It became an obsession. I even joined tumblr and met so many amazing fellow Bughead shippers. It was such an exciting time, waiting every week for a new episode to drop to finally see them get to that ep8 kiss, which I foolishly believed was going to be their first kiss. But episode 6 threw us all a curveball and had Jughead kiss Betty and call her Juliet in the same scene. I literally had butterflies. I hadn't felt that strongly about a ship in so long!

I was a big part of the early Bughead tumblr days. We were a force to be reckoned with. Each episode, our fanbase grew bigger to the point where we were the most popular ship out of every show airing at the time.

But as much as I wanted Bughead to be endgame, there was always this part of me that worried she’d inevitably get with Archie because that was so clearly what RAS shipped in the comics. I do believe Bughead lasted as long as they did because of how big and strong their fanbase was. Also, the real life romance between Cole and Lili always played a huge role in their onscreen coupling, too. That doesn’t diminish how beautiful their love story was in the show. But unfortunately, I think it is the truth. I have seen it so many times in teen drama shows. The head writers always seem to ship the pilot episode ship: Dawson and Joey, Stefan and Elena, Lucas and Peyton etc. I’m using examples of previous teen love triangles.

As much as RAS loved Bughead, and wrote them such beautiful content, he always had one foot pedalling on B*rchie. It was inevitable that at some point they’d want to explore them, especially because they had placed little clues all throughout the first few seasons. But as long as Cole and Lili were together, the show was never going to be daring enough to go full steam ahead with B*archie. Bughead was too popular and so was the real life romance. It would have caused riots. But alas, like every CW actors who date, they broke up. And what happened? They were kept apart for the remainder of the show. It was Delena all over again :(

Whether the rumours are true about the two not being able to work together, only they truly know. But I think it’s a mix of a lot of things, including new writers who were clearly all for the other ship, or in this case, the other shit. I don’t want to insult anyone, but the Riverdale writers are some of the most incompetent writers in the industry. Their inability to maintain continuity, and all the contradictions and character assassinations they created, we had no hope in s5-7. It became a whole new show. It simply lost its spark, which was already quite dim after how they handled the cheating arc in season 4. There was a huge tonal shift, and our favourite characters acted OOC.

So here’s what I really want to say:

I officially stopped watching Riverdale when they decided to jump the gun and have Betty cheat on Jughead with Archie. If you’re a Bughead shipper, it’s completely justifiable to be disappointed and sad about the way Riverdale ended. It’s like when people talk about that one person who got away, that’s how Bughead is to us: it’s the ship that got away, and never came back. To be fair, the show was no longer what it started out as. When you start off as a teen drama show promoting thriller/mystery as your main genre, only to shift gears in later seasons and become supernatural and sci-fi, there’s really only one way to explain the show in a cohesive and logical manner: it’s either all inside one of the character’s imaginations or it’s a multiverse with totally new characters who are the doppelgänger/counterparts of the original characters we knew in the beginning. So it no longer really counts. I don’t think we will ever get any definitive answers and closure from RAS nor the cast about why Bughead was completely abandoned after they broke up on the show, but I’m going to give you my take on how I think the last episode played out. Take it as you want, but I am a budding writer myself, and from a writer’s point of view, this is my theory on what really happened to Bughead in the end…

Consider the show a multiverse at this point. Remember that line Jughead said to Betty in 4x17? “in what future are we not together?”

It’s the same episode she cheats on Jughead. My theory is that the show shifted into another universe/timeline (whatever you want to call it) to show us the versions of Betty and Jughead that don’t have a future together. By her kissing Archie, she irrevocably changes the course of her relationship with Jughead. So that’s what we are shown, a new world where Betty kisses Archie and she and Jughead split and don’t end up back together again. And what is this new world? It’s really dark!

Bughead had been referred to as Romeo & Juliet, soul mates and endgame in the earlier seasons. That’s exactly what they are. But what are Romeo and Juliet referred to? Star-crossed lovers. No matter what, they could never be together. But I’ll get back to that later on.

In my opinion, there are 3 universes shown to us in the show’s run:

1 is the prime universe and original timeline in which Bughead are together and endgame. No cheating takes place. They are still in high school and will continue to date after it and make it work. But we’ll never get to see it unfold because from the end of s4 onwards we are in the other universes.

The second universe is the one where she ends up with Archie — Rivervale or Riverdale 2, but they all die in the end when the comet wipes them out of existence 👀

And the third universe is Riverdale 3.

Seasons 1-4 are set in the prime Riverdale universe.

Then season 5-6 are set in the second universe— Rivervale/Riverdale 2. My opinion is that even after 6x05, they never really left rivervale. Bunker Jughead just wrote it differently and called it Riverdale.

Then season 7 is set in the Riverdale 3 universe.

The Rivervale universe has all the magic and supernatural elements to it, which technically began in s5 with Cheryl performing magic. Rivervale is the darkest universe and timeline of the 3. Riverdale 3 universe is the most tame and fun of all the 3 universes. It’s the one where the characters behave like actual teens and don’t have serial killer fathers, cults, gargoyle kings and evil warlocks tormenting them. Riverdale 1 universe is the most realistic and grounded of the lot, albeit some weird storylines did occur during seasons 3 and 4, but it’s the universe that has both light and dark inside it like real life. Tabitha confirmed there is a multiverse in 7x19 when she said she couldn’t untangle “all” the timelines and instead made them into a single one. But even though she gave them back their memories, these versions existing in the 50s/Riverdale 3 universe are really not the original characters. This theory is proven by how a lot of dead characters are alive in this universe and how Tabitha has another version of herself living in this one.

The one single timeline she is talking about is that she gave them all the memories from every universe so they can live their lives with the knowledge of their other selves. Especially when having to navigate the 50s. They are variants (Loki reference) of the originals who now have the same memories (not all the memories) but haven’t actually lived the same lives. That’s why none of them aged and are still teens in high school; it’s also why they no longer have super powers and magical abilities. Same memories, but different bodies and souls.

So going back to endgame talk: in Riverdale 3, the universe which all of season 7 takes place in, including the final, Betty and Jughead weren’t technically endgame, but they were treated as star-crossed, just like Romeo & Juliet. They couldn’t be together because all of their memories from every other universe/timeline they existed in were now a part of them and it was too convoluted of a situation to actually make sense of in their heads, so they just all dated one another. In this new Riverdale 3 universe, Betty has feelings for both Archie and Jughead because she has the memories of both universe 1 and universe 2 Betty inside her, so she can never really choose between them. Instead, she chooses herself.

Jughead never marries because the girl he has always loved in every universe didn’t want to get married, so he didn’t want to settle for just anyone. Archie moved on because Betty was never the love of his life in all 3 universes.

Ask yourself this, why did Betty tell Reggie that she remembered what being with Jughead felt like, and that’s why she chose to be a part of the quad? Why didn’t she feel this way about Jughead in s6 (Rivervale/Riverdale 2 universe)? Wasn’t it strange that she just seemed to forget she was ever with him? It’s because it was a different timeline/universe, one in which Betty only loves Archie. That is why Jughead has that moment in season 6 episode 14 with that flashback montage of him and Betty, it’s him remembering their relationship from universe 1, something he isn’t really aware of in the Rivervale/Riverdale 2 timeline. The reason for them not remembering is because Bunker Jughead from Rivervale has written them to forget their past together. My theory for why he did that, is after the bomb went off in 6x05, part of the deal was that bunker Jughead make Betty forget being with him completely just like she had to forget that he sacrificed himself to save the universes. He retconned their story so she could move on and he could continue writing away from her with no distractions. Rivervale’s Bunker Jughead loves Betty, as confirmed by Ethel. Which brings me to the final part of this theory…

I think bunker Jughead is the same Jughead that appears to Betty in the final episode as her guardian Angel. He’s OG Jughead and has been writing an anthology all along. There is a reason the show is so heavily focused on Betty. She is the main character in Jughead’s story! In S1-4 he is chronicling his love story with Betty, kind of like an autobiography or diary of them and how they’re an investigative duo. In S5-6 he ventures into writing sci-fi and supernatural stories. Finishing up in s7 with historical fiction.

The angel Jughead in the series finale is the writer, the narrator and the version of Jughead that Betty loved most as evidenced by what he wore. He exists in all 3 universes, like a time-traveller of sorts. He’s the writer and narrator in Universe 1, the bunker writer in universe 2 and the guardian Angel in universe 3. But he took his version out of the story these last few seasons to show the audience a future with no Bughead, and instead wrote a version of Jughead that doesn’t pine after Betty and one that had a different girlfriend. That’s why when universe 3 Betty asks him on the park bench if he regrets never getting married, he says sometimes. Because he sometimes regrets never writing the two of them getting married in this universe. But he couldn’t because his version of Jughead wasn’t the main Jughead he was writing about in this story.

In the end, his universe 3 story wasn’t about Bughead, it was about Betty and wanting to give her everything she dreamed of, even if that didn’t include him. He wrote her a world where she didn’t have a serial killer father, where her sister was still alive, where she and Veronica were best friends, where Betty could enjoy her youth and explore her sexuality without having to choose between the two boys she was always torn between. He wrote her as a writer and a successful career woman rather than an FBI agent chasing down murderers and putting herself in danger. He wrote her as adopting a daughter that wasn’t at risk of inheriting the serial killer gene. He wrote a world where she got to be a normal teen and not have to investigate homicidal maniacs all the time. She got to go to school dances, drink milk shakes at Pops and hang out with her friends. She was able to repair her damaged relationship with her mum and find peace. She was a liberated woman with a strong voice who made a difference in the world.

So why did the show end with this version of her? Because it’s a way to show Betty finding peace and strength, and also not having to choose between Jughead and Archie. It makes her more than just a girlfriend who goes back and forth between two best friends.

This whole theory is further evidenced by beanie Jughead appearing outside Pops in the final scene and then hearing his typewriter as the show fades out. This was Jughead’s story all along, and the main character was Betty. It’s always been about Betty. The reason Jughead and Betty didn’t have any romantic scene in the series finale is because this wasn’t beanie Jughead’s Betty. This was the version of Betty that ends up with no one. It’s the last version of her that Jughead wrote in his book. The version of her that’s truly happy and at peace with herself and her life. He wrote her saying goodbye to Archie because that was not her endgame. Archie was just a childhood crush that existed in a fantasy world filled with magic and unrealistic scenarios like sewing on decapitated heads and bringing people back from the dead. Rivervale universe was never real and never made sense, just like Betty and Archie never made sense. And guess what happened to Betty in universe 2? She died, just like B*rchie did in the finale 😉

The only version of her that is still alive is the original one from Universe 1 that ends up with Jughead. We didn’t need to see their endgame on screen to know it happened. Their endgame is in the subtext. Jughead always loved Betty, and his story was about her. In universe 1 they are endgame, in universe 2 they are soul mates as bunker Jughead is able to do the impossible and contact her in Riverdale from Rivervale. And in universe 3 they are Romeo and Juliet. She spent her last day on earth with him, and died the day after finding out he died. They were star-crossed and couldn’t be together. The writing is on the wall.

As much as I would have loved an I love you, a kiss or even just a conversation discussing their history in the last episode, I take comfort in knowing that the characters I fell in love with in season 1 were completely different people in season 7. And from where I stand, the only explanation is it’s one big multiverse of madness concocted by a sardonic writer who was always in love with the girl next door, and spent most of his youth writing about her only to end the story with them both forever being 17. That is the same age they were when they were together and in love. It’s the same age their iconic duet is about. They just wanted to be 17, and that’s exactly how the show ends for them. Screams endgame to me :)

Just remember, nothing lasts forever. The greatest moments in life are the ones that don’t last long but leave a lasting impression. It’s the reason why we are so enthralled when we see a shooting star. It’s something so beautiful, yet so rare, so fleeting and near impossible to see with the naked eye that we stare in sheer wonderment at a dark sky full of dead stars waiting and hoping that such a spectacle will reveal itself to us again. So don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened. And never lose hope; it’s the only voice inside of you strong enough to silence fear.

Thanks for the memories, Bughead family! Even though I haven’t been around the last few years, it’s an experience I’ll never forget, and I’ve made met people on here that I will be friends with for life ❤️❤️❤️

[ygsunflower]

Another unpopular Station 19 opinion of mine-

Contrary to many who have taken a liking on Chief Ross, I still dislike her. Mostly for her “hypocritical” views on sexism and double standards within the SFD system. I loved seeing her handling the SPD in the police brutality episode, and what she said to the SFD union about “the boys club ways” was absolutely on point. But with how she treated Maya, especially what she said to Maya about being insubordinate yet praising Andy for the exact same quality… I’m just failing to understand that both Andy’s and Sullivan’s actions were clearly against the rule/protocol, but how come Ross was oaky with them but not with Maya breaking rules to save a child?! [Excuse me for going on a tangent here, but Maya freaking saved a child’s life and helped taking down a trafficking ring breaking the rules while Ross offering Andy the captaincy for leading a mutiny, and Sullivan, who she promoted, was a drug addict who overdosed on drugs he stole from the PRT. I’m not here disagreeing with Andy’s action, nor to say that drug addiction makes Sullivan a bad person and thus forever irredeemable. Absolutely not.]

I know Maya also went on blackmailing her, but to my knowledge, that happened long after she got shut down by Ross about her demotion hearing? Not defending Maya, that girl clearly went off the wagon, and I’m glad she’s finally getting some professional help. She acknowledged how she went about the issue wrong and it almost cost her her life. That is a character growths I love seeing.

Anyways, with all these previous records, I have a hard time truly believing that this current Ross is sincerely advocating for SFD systemic change about racism, sexism, etc. All I see is a person who uses these arguments to benefit herself. Clearly I am biased, and I’m not all that invested in Ross’ storyline, so I could be totally off on reading the character. However, I just started rewatching the show, so maybe I’ll change my view on her after the rewatch?!

As much as I can’t stand Ross talking about the double standards she faced from the SFD system [again, not discrediting her being treated unfairly by the system], I still hope this character sticks around on the show. Even though I don’t like her, I still want to see more imperfect characters, especially imperfect or hard to like complex female of color characters. In my eyes, Natasha Ross is someone who’s been in the unjust and unfair system for way too long. Even though she’s aware of herself being treated as less than an equal most of her career and wants to change the system because of it, she still has a hard time actually follow through with that when her personal interests weren’t on the line. She’s a victim of the unjust system, but in a way, she’s also an enforcer/subscriber to the said system. And on top of that, Ross is a proud & ambitious woman who will do what it takes to get what she wants. I so appreciate having this type of complex “grey” characters on television.

With how the story goes, I hope as she struggles to fight her own battle against the SFD patriarchy, she’d eventually come to the realization that how she treated Maya was also perpetuating the same toxic old ways. I hope to see them both apologizing, and reconcile to the point that Ross can stop being hostile to Maya. [I’m only saying this because in 6x15, Maya seems to know that she crossed a line blackmailing her and was nervous about seeing Ross while Ross still didn’t think much of Maya and was very harsh on her. Not blaming Ross because of Maya’s previous actions and Ross might not necessarily aware of Maya’s change of heart. But so far Maya has done all the apologizing and self loathing/guilt confessions, she deserves to have her being treated and bullied unfairly apologized or at least acknowledged by the enforcer/enabler.] I hope to see Ross reinstate Maya somehow. Maya was a good captain to be in such leadership positions. I also want her and Ross to become a healthy pair of nemeses. Their ambitious and disciplined natures are a lot alike, and seeing more women in leadership respecting while competing against each other in a healthy way on tv can never hurt. I’d like to think that Maya and Ross can keep each other on their toes on the job. And once in a while when they have to work together, they’d form a solid work partnership because of their no-bullshit/get-the-job-done work ethic.

[I didn’t include Andy in this conversation because the current writings of the show only focused on building up the drama and conflicts between Maya and Ross.]

[the-bi-space-ace]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ SPEECH SPEECH SPEECH SPEECH ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

(for the “directors cut” ask thing lol, any wip ya want :D (although i’m particularly invested in The World Tumbles Down ofc))

OOOOOOH BOY. Thanks for asking 🩶

Okay I have been really excited to share some more stuff about The World Tumbles Down so I’m sorry this is going to be long 😅😅😅

I think the best way to start this is to open it up with dialogue from a later chapter that came to me randomly that I wrote down the other day:

“Has anyone seen Rex?”//“It’s okay. It’s okay to cry, Rex.”

Both said by Echo….have fun deciding when (and why) that’s going to happen!

This fic means a lot to me. For a lot of reasons. Calling Me Home was the first fic of mine that I put any serious planning into. It has a storyline I’m particularly interested in. It’s about a lot of things but at its core it’s about Echo learning to grieve Fives and start sharing his life with the rest of the batch. Yes, it’s an order 66 fix it, but it’s Echo intentionally finishing what Fives started and learning to not let his grief ruin his memory of Fives.

He started opening up, he really has. It really started with Hunter and I spent a lot of time building him up to that. Hunter asks for the first time way back in the third chapter of the first story and Echo doesn’t even give in until chapter 14 of the second one. He puts walls back up pretty fast bc of… well… everything. In the chapter I’m going to post today he’s going to let that wall down a little more with another batch member. It’s a somber moment but it’s also heartfelt and he really needs it. He’s slowly opening up to them. He’s learning. It’s just taking a lot of time. It’ll be worth it, though.

The World Tumbles Down is the struggle era of this fic. Everything they know is getting torn down and typically strong characters are going to be broken down throughout this. everything else has been more or less in their wheelhouse. It’s a mission. They’re used to missions. This is different and they’re struggling to reconcile everything.

Especially after this next chapter. I hate to say that things have been easy so far but… things have been easy. Chapter 7 is when everything falls apart/together so we’re almost to the most intense parts of the fic.

I want to touch on Trick for a moment because he’s going to become important as we move forward and… his life is really irreversible changed after all of this. He’s my sweet, lovely, snarky boy and I love him dearly but oof. He doesn’t come out of this unscathed. I’m not going to kill him don’t worry don’t worry. But he is going to suffer :)

Lastly I think I want to touch on how I go about writing this fic. I have a goal of writing the first draft of two full chapters plus one new fic idea each month. I’m currently up to writing chapter… 12? I think it’s 12. That’s my last writing goal for the month of May. I write veryyyyyy far in advance. Mainly because if I don’t have concrete goals I likely won’t write and I’ll get overwhelmed. It’s also to give my partner time to edit and make suggestions. We’ve changed the timeline of major events in the middle of the fic and we only caught those plot holes from me writing this far ahead. This plot is more complicated than I’ve written before and I was incredibly anxious about it leading up to posting it. Writing ahead like this gives me the time to see how a decision in chapter 3 impacts chapter 13. I am almost constantly writing, along with working on new stuff too. It’s fun, I enjoy doing it like this. It works for me! All of that to say that I’m working very hard to make this fic great for everyone and I am excited that it has been getting so much love <3

Thanks for sending this ask I will never pass up a chance to talk about this fic 🩶🤍🩶🤍

Link for the ask 😊

[majoringinsarcasm]

I Love You Relationship Parallels Let’s Talk About This Bad Boy Right Here

Someone already said but I am Really glad the Nina and Maggie storyline didn’t end with them as a couple just yet. As soon as we found out Nina had a partner I was like oooo this is gonna be messy. And it is because you have two beings who are only trying to set them up to cover their own tracks.

Of course Aziraphale does care about Maggie and Crowley does get invested in getting them together BUT it’s not an act of altruism. It’s messy both bc Nina is taken even if that relationship is rocky AND because Aziraphale and Crowley don’t. Talk about it. They have only loved each other and only wanted each other so knowing Maggie is in love, well it’s easy to think the solution is to just put them under some gentle rain and vavoom they kiss and fall in love and it’s all perfect.

Lindsay, or the notion of a toxic relationship that is hindering someone from moving on to something healthier or even just healing from that kind of relationship, is the true parallel to Crowley / Aziraphale/ working in Heaven. Crowley is tired of acting like they aren’t a group of two people and he wants Aziraphale to love him back the exact same way WITH the exact same negative feelings towards Heaven that he has. Aziraphale, like Nina, knows his relationship to Heaven / a long standing partner, is not healthy. Or rather he knows Heaven and the other angels have acted Badly. Nina says getting locked in the shop was the last straw because Lindsay assumed she was having an affair and while it wasn’t True, Nina in the end is resigned with how it ends. It was a long time coming, she doesn’t know if Lindsay even really liked her. She needs to heal before she can even entertain being with Maggie even if she does think she could like a relationship with her.

The flip side to this is that, in this mixed up parallel, Aziraphale is Nina and Heaven is Lindsay. But worse, because Heaven does not break up with him. Heaven calls him a traitor and dropped in twice to spy on him and demand an explanation and to punish him if they found out he did anything wrong In Their Eyes. Having an illicit bond with that demon despite having giving him stern talks about his frivolous miracles. They Never liked Aziraphale but never cast him down. Never took him off of earth duty. Didn’t even replace him as the earth angel the way Shax replaced Crowley EVEN THOUGH Aziraphale seems to have cut ties with Heaven in the last four years too. He’s not as bold about it as Crowley but I gathered that until Gabriel showed up he was just going about his own business without worrying.

And then Metatron showed up. He reprimanded Aziraphale’s bullies so to speak, he was kind to him. He’s the mouthpiece for God and he’s praising him. After years of feeling like he’s a bad angel and not being able to talk to God, a higher up not only singling him out after he almost started a war but also saying exactly what he wants to hear? Aziraphale could fix Heaven, could show the others how to truly be Good. And he would get to bring Crowley with him. Aziraphale can let go of the bookshop because Crowley can come with him. He can be an Angel again. They can be on the same side and in a position of power where No One can hurt them. Nobody can punish them for being together AND he can do his job and actually Help and be Good.

Aziraphale wants to make things work with the toxic ex because he believes with enough love and hard work he can change it for the better. But Heaven never liked him to begin with no matter how loving and good he was.

Also Nina saying there’s no guarantee that Maggie will still want her after she’s done healing, and Maggie being like “yes there is” and then “not helping angel”

Once time has passed and Aziraphale reconciles with his bad ex and finally Finally sees himself AS himself and not just an Angel made to do artificial good, he’ll apologize to Crowley for real. No more panicked “I forgive yous” because he doesn’t know how to handle his feelings. He’ll put his cards in the table and accept both of them for who they are not What they are or what they were Made to do.

And Crowley will be there for him when he’s done healing and can bring all of himself to their relationship, when they can truly be in their own side without fear of backing out or second guessing. Because some things don’t last forever, but the important things are worth fighting for. And I really hope we get to see Aziraphale rescuing Crowley this time.

ALSO JIST REMEMBERED

Maggie: I would never do that (entice you to have an affair)

Nina: I know. I’m not your type

Maggie: You have no idea

VS

Shax: I heard that you two were an item. I didn’t believe it at first. You’re not really his type

Aziraphale: the shortest bitchiest eyebrow lift ever filmed

[therhythmafterthesummer]

hai hai haiii it's been sosoos long :((

life has been..... intense heh but i'm okay now!! i remember that the last thing you posted was that cute oneshot of our wr!binnie and the bestest autumn and the stress about their wedding!! and i loved it so much!! i keep coming to re read wereroomies all the time because i truly enjoy how you created their little world, and also because it's a great inspiration!! the last instalement i read was the one about hyunlix and moss because i really really miss them :(

but it's okay. i'm really curious about the boys you haven't posted about in that universe, and also about second and even third parts to some of the fics (even if they're standalones i'm super invested and it feels like the kind of series where every episode has its own story but somehow when you put them all together you see the development and... i just need more kajhkajshaks)

i won't ask for spoilers of your top secret wr!projects on docs (👀) buuut i'll sit here and wait for the next update. i was thinking about coming off anon too akjshkajsd (could you guess who am i??) but for the mean time, are there any of your fav works you would recommend rn? no context, just fun. the ones you have a great memory of, or you're really proud about

have a super super nice day rhythm, - ❤️‍🩹 anon

hi hi hi!!

i'm glad you're okay now! and i hope it continues being that way💜

makes my heart warm to think that you come and reread wereroomies often. it's still shocking to me that people do that sdkjnskjdnfsd

i think that's actually a good way to describe the structure of wereroomies... "a series where every episode has its own story but somehow when you put them all together you see the development", i like that~

i can't wait for the day i get to show you all all the stuff that's partially cooked in my docs jkdfnskjdfn i always wonder how y'all would feel with the storylines and personalities i've given to the other boys... but since i've been struggling to write these days, i'm just taking my time, so i won't be able to share anything any time soon i think ):

as for coming off anon... do what's most comfortable for you!

it's hard for me to figure out who's an anon unless they make it really really obvious, so i've got no idea honestly skdjfhnsjfdn

and finally, recommendations... i think Safe Haven is one of the pieces i'm most proud of. i poured a lot of love and work into it. it's something that still makes me smile when i think about anything related to it (be it the characters or the lore or the story itself...). i'm glad i got to rework it last year so i could make it an even better version of itself. i think it's a fun read for anyone that enjoys long stories that involve fantasy and that bit of sci-fi.

also, Five-Point Star is another one i'm proud of. especially the second part. i just loved coming up with it sdkjsdf

[silostosstuff]

Ayeeee, let's start with a bit of critique, shall we?

(Because I definitely have nothing else to do... nooooo...)

Btw this contains spoilers, I guess

.

The things that I liked:

First of all: I love the actors. They did a really good job. Especially the portrayal of teenagers. In a lot of shows, they look like 25 year-olds, and they act like 25 year-olds, but I really had the feeling of "Yes, these are the 16/17-year-old idiots they're supposed to be".

I also liked the sets. You can see the details in the background and the little nods to their characters.

I love how Lucy can feel what Annie felt while touching the ring, and I love her exploring her powers.

Their. Bodylanguage. Like how George is switching sides and stands next to Lucy when he agrees with her. The "we look at each other like oblivious idiots".

The bonding moments between George and Lucy and George and Lockwood. It shows that he is also important to them even tho he doubts it during the events of the last episodes.

The manipulation from Joplin towards George was on point and her obsession with knowledge.

I loved Kipps (even he had robbed screen time) and the way the showed his insecurities.

I am also invested in the story-line with Norrie. She seemed like a very nice character that could be important later. Especially since they made the coma/ghost-locked thing an important aspect of the show.

The scene in the hospital where Lucy finds all the people in the coma was actually pretty fitting. I really liked the danger the ghosts can have.

And of course his whole team. Kat being an icon, Bobby being the little smart boy he is and Ned also being an active agent.

And the sarcasm was on point.

Things that could've been better:

I kinda miss some scenes that were in the book. Like the scene at the beginning of the second book (I know they didn't have the time or money for it but still). I also missed some scenes to calm down. Like them sitting together after a job and just chatting a bit. I know it's way easier to put that in a book than a show but one or two scenes wouldn't have hurt.

I also miss the ghost in Bickerstaff's house. Like how creepy it actually was and I kinda miss that Kipps' team wasn't there cause it took away their effort to win this bet.

I also think at some points in the show Lucy is a bit out of character. I mean how she actually likes working at Jacob & Co and how and during the scenes with the ghost she... didn't really fight? Cause she is a trained agent and she is talented. And I dislike that she wants the world to know about the skull cause it's more like a secret.

I also think George should've been with them at some points (like Lucy at the DEPRAC headquarters or the ball).

I also missed that Ned was the kind of guy who punches the info out of you.

And of course: the storyline with Annie was way too fast, especially the Combe Carey Hall bit. I also missed the tour and Lockwood's intelligence and Fairfax deep regret of killing Annie. That it was an accident that was made out of jealousy rather than an act of brutality and hate.

Things, where I don't know how to feel:

I'm not sure about the changes with Annie. Especially with the ring. It doesn't make a difference, but it wouldn't have changed anything to stay with the necklace.

What is going on with the skull?? Like I have to know. I hope they didn't "destroy" him.

Winkman being an absolute psycho instead of a business man. I like him as a maniac but I also miss his shop and Lucy and Lockwood's "shopping trip"

What I think overall:

I genuinely liked the show. Of course, they can't make it "perfect" but considering their budget (that we don't know) I think they did the best they could've done.

I really hope for a second season, considering it didn't have that much of a budget and only a few big actors on the show it's possible. Also considering that Netflix renews book adaptations more often than original shows we might have a chance (?)