#but they SURE WOULD WORK TOGETHER especially in 2009

[landfilloftrash]

(balloon boy voice) ʰⁱ

[dear-ao3]

new to f1 - can i ask for some team history? have red bull always been so dominant? how often do the cycles change??

yes yes ok So who’s dominant depends on a lot of things, drivers yea but mostly the car and who can make the regulations work for them. you can be the best driver but if you’re in a shit box you’re Fucked.

so presently red bull is dominating, max won in 2021 but they properly started dominating in 2022. this was cause of the big change in regulations mostly.

they change the regulations all the time but big changes are every few years for a variety of things: driver safety sometimes, making the cars have a lesser environmental impact, making things just plain more interesting, putting people on a level playing field etc etc. the last batch of regulations that caused mercedes fall from grace was i believe the cost cap. previously you could spend whatever the hell you wanted on the car and everything else. and Now there is a cost cap. this was done to try and bring the teams all closer together because previously it was all the top four or so teams that had all the money and would win things and then the back marker teams were just there. i don’t remember offhand what the cost cap is but i do know you can’t spend more than that each year on Everything (including crash repairs i’m Pretty sure) which keeps things interesting. anyway that and the other changes that got implemented in 2021 (?) caused red bulls rise to dominance.

mercedes had been dominating before then and won the constructors (team championship) from 2014-2021 (max won the drivers in 2021) and lewis hamilton won in 14 and 15 and then 17-20. nico rosberg won in 2016 (lewis’s teammate. he then retired after his first win. no one has ever done it like him and no one ever will again but we do Not have time for that). mercedes i believe only became a team in 2010 (?) they had been on the grid previously like Years ago but made a return in 2010 and had a few shit years before, surprise surprise, a regulation change went in their favor and they built a rocket ship.

prior to mercedes it was back at red bull. they won in 2010-2013 both constructors and drivers with sebastian vettel winning the drivers championships all 4 years. and i’m pretty sure it was another regulation change that caused them to rise to the top. red bull had been doing Okay prior to then but they i think only entered the grid in 2004(????) after buying the jaguar team

prior to 2010 there were several years where there wasn’t really multi year dominance by any one team.

jenson button won in 2009 with brawn (???) and that was a surprise to everyone especially the team and turns out they just so happened to build a good car that year.

lewis hamilton won at mclaren in 2008 at the end of a very very close season. i believe he won in the last race and it was a matter of a few points separating him and felipe massa at ferrari

2007 was won by kimi raikkonen at ferrari in yet another close season, lewis hamilton nearly won this season and it was his rookie season

then we had two years of fernando alonso at i think it was renault (which is now alpine) in 2005 and 2006.

prior to that was the real era of dominance from 2000-2004 with michael schumacher at ferrari

prior to that i’m not really sure of the teams and i’m in a car and not fact checking Any of this so i could be totally wrong about what i’m saying lol. but there were several years of williams dominance in the 90s and mclaren again had another few years i Think.

anyway. to answer your question. yes there are eras of dominance but it is far more interesting when it’s not because then multiple people are winning the races. like this season is the first time since 2021 there’s a proper title fight (at least for the constructors) since 2021 and we’ve had something like 7 i think different race winners, which hasn’t happened in A While

i hope this was helpful? if not feel free to ask me more questions

[teatreeoilll]

|| Temptation (Satoru Gojo X Reader) ||

(Reposted from my old blog which I don't have access to anymore (thanks Tumblr), if you liked it reblogs or likes would be appreciated to get me back on track since I've lost all my followers and half my work :(

While hoping to be reinstated in the Jujutsu world, you meet with the teacher you had a crush on in your school days.

I wrote this while drunk, I think that says it all.

Image credits to user blueparadis.

"Why'd you call me Sensei?" Gojo chuckled, his long fingers reaching his blindfold, holding it up to let one eye peek from under it. You take a seat across from him. "I was only your teacher for a year, and that was ages ago."

He was right, of course, but the air of his office and the familiar smell of the chrysanthemum bushes outside the window had brought back too many memories of your last year at Jujutsu High; your mind had no trouble flashing the images of late nights and talks with your then best friends.

2009

"I think I might fail this year," you'd laugh, covering your mouth with your hand, thinking it would hush your uncalled-for remarks you'd whisper in the middle of training sessions, "I mean what is he, a few years older than us?"

On weekend nights, the few students in your grade would gather in one of the rooms, trying to muffle the 'tsssk' sound the opening of the drinks they managed to smuggle for these occasions would produce. At most of these gatherings, the tougher subjects would be tactfully avoided, no talk about missions and curses, or mentions of horrible past incidents were allowed.

There wasn't much left to chat about after the rules were unanimously established, and so most nights your classmates would group together laughing at the feelings you've managed to develop for your new teacher. The running joke had always made your cheeks flush red. "Oh, Gojo-Sensei, your eyes are so blue!" A boy from your class would make a lousy impression of your voice that would always elicit laughter from the group, "Oh, Gojo-Sensei, could you tutor me?"

Even at that age, you liked to think that no one apart from your friends could observe the crush you've steadily developed. However, especially when hearing your whispers, your teacher had always felt that was an insult to his self-proclaimed skills of deduction. Gojo would make sure to pause his enthusiastic explanations to put a large hand on your shoulder just to watch you blush, and your classmates giggle. He was far too determined to take advantage of each lesson to bask in the feeling of your attentive gaze.

present day

"I'm sorry," you mutter, "Old habits." His limbs are sprawled on the shiny leather of the chair as he talks ; "Are you thinking of returning to the Jujutsu world? If so, I think there are more suitable people to talk to." He noticed your gaze shifting downwards, he didn't mean any harm with his words, but you couldn't help but feel unwanted in the room.

"I'm sorry to be a bother, I just thought that -" "Ah, I'm sorry. You probably just came to visit your old Sensei you used to crush on." He snickers. Getting up from his seat, he walks around the large desk, just to put a hand on your shoulder the way he remembered would make you blush. "What? I -," You struggle to find the words, your gaze still fixed on your fingers fidgeting with the hem of your dress. "I - I never had a crush on you."

Your words seemed to him as a personal challenge. The determination to make you admit it excited every cell in his body as he kneeled before you, the grin widening on his face when he grabbed your fidgeting hand to hold gently, the sudden touch making you raise your eyes to glance at him.

He hardly changed, you thought, his mannerisms still as shameless as they were back then, his touch still making your stomach flutter. "Nothing to be ashamed about," He declares, "It was your last year, and this young, attractive man comes in -" "Gojo Se-" you stop yourself from saying the word that so easily excited him to go down this path, "Gojo, I'm really only here to talk my reinstatement."

His thumb moves slightly over the back of your hand, the walls of the room closed in on you when the heat from his hand runs straight to your head. "Sure," He lets out another small chuckle before putting on a serious expression, "Just as soon as you'll admit it."

He watches your brows furrow. "I see you've learned nothing. The first rule of Jujutsu is that honesty makes you more powerful," The snarky comment makes you cross your arms. You yank your hand back, and the chair scratches the floor under you when you get up.

"That's childish," You inhale a sharp breath, but his immaturity, as most spiteful characteristics, rubs off on you. "Might you be so stubborn because you're the one who had a crush on me?" You spew, stunned at your own unsophisticated comment.

"Who says I didn't?" He gets up from his knee to face you once again, his unwavering enthusiasm makes it hard to control your pent-up urge to both pull him to you, and shove him away. Huh?

"Never mind that," He suddenly says.

"What do you mean, never mind that?" You cock your head to the side, confused at the sudden change of heart he displayed. "I don't need you to admit it anymore," You watch the corners of his mouth twitch lightly before widening back to a broad grin, "You already did, little tomato."

Your hands shot up to feel your own cheeks, the heat radiating to the palms of your hands. You were sure you looked like you'd just run a marathon. "Alright, little tomato, you can ask about the other things now," He smiles, leaning back on his desk. A thought crosses your head that even Alexander the Great didn't beam like that when bringing the Persian Empire to its knees.

"Don't call me that," you protest. With each response he'd evoke from you, he'd find himself more captivated, seizing the moment to push himself off of the desk only to stand closer to you. "Why not, little tomato?" He'd found himself too fond of the new nickname, his face so close to yours you couldn't ignore it if you tried. His blindfold sat peacefully at the crook of his neck, his hair splayed on his forehead, eyes agonizing to look at; looking half at you and half through you.

The childish-like oblivious manner of your feelings had disappeared as soon as his lips brushed on yours, the pit of your stomach spinning and swirling at the fantasies you thought you'd left behind years ago. He snorted a little when you pressed your lips against his, his hands impulsively gripping your thighs.

He groans between the kisses; "I really see I've taught you nothing, little tomato," He murmured, "The second rule is never letting your opponent know he's got the upper hand."

[tgmsunmontue]

Online & Anonymous 16/16

Hangster. Explicit. Years before they meet in person Bradley and Jake strike up a friends-with-benefits relationship online. And then something more like an actual relationship.

>>Bradley chatting (bold and italics)

>>Jake chatting (italics)

2005/2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2019-redux

Many thanks AGAIN to @celandinebergerac, @phisworld14, @redfurrycat and @nevergettingoverit for being my sounding boards as I hashed this out. First chapter was 2nd April, and four months later it's all done. THANK YOU.

EPILOGUE

                The last year has been good. Bits of it absolutely great and he no longer keeps second guessing or waiting for something terrible or bad to happen. Maybe he’s finally used up his allotted lifetime amount of bad things. He and Mav have mended their relationship, definitely helped along by Penny, Amelia and Jake, carrying conversation and easing lingering awkwardness when it happens. Then Mav had asked him to be his best man at his wedding to Penny and that had been a whole other experience. It had been a December wedding, their leave period finally not getting sabotaged by new assignments or natural disasters. Instead they’d found themselves working together at the Hard Deck for two weeks while Mav and Penny had a honeymoon and then spending their first Christmas together.

                His morning coffee cup now has a photo of his original morning coffee cup on it. Everyone had thought it was a gag gift at Christmas, but it hadn’t been. A picture of a cup just says I’m thinking of you, Wish you were here, I’m sorry, I miss you. It covers a multitude of things and it’s one of his most prized possessions. Jake’s family has become his family; Mav, Penny and Amelia are an extension of that for Jake as well. Amelia has helped stop Jake almost hero-worshipping Mav at least, calling Mav out on his stupid shit and then looking to Jake for back-up, clearly not expecting it from Bradley. Despite the fact that Bradley agrees with her all of the time his relationship with Mav still feels a little too fragile to withstand constant poking and prodding like what Amelia seems to take joy in.

                Amelia and Susie get on almost too well, something that terrifies Jake. Amelia had said she’d always wanted a sister; Bradley had been dumb enough to ask if she’d ever wanted a brother. She’d just rolled her eyes, asked why she’d ever want one of those and he’d shut his mouth, ignored the silent laughing coming from Mav’s corner of the living room. Why indeed. His life feels full to brimming, and he cannot wait to get back to them now, but especially Jake.

                Although he’s a little confused and more disappointed that Jake isn’t there to meet him when he gets off his flight, but he’d told Bradley he’d be waiting for him at home. He’s tired, has missed him and cannot wait to crawl into bed with him. He doesn’t care if it’s for sex or sleep right now, although he does hope it’s sex and then sleep. It’s been a three-month separation, definitely not the longest they might be apart, but definitely the longest so far since they started afresh with all cards on the table and no more secrets between them. Or simply things they’ve never mentioned, like names.

                He drags himself toward Jake’s condo, his own house filled with Daggers. They’re still a squadron, however they’re often used in training exercises now and split in half as and when needed. He’s been in the middle of the Atlantic along with Phoenix and Bob, Halo and Omaha and Fritz. He knows his next deployment is with Jake and he cannot wait, and it’s not only to prove to the higher ups that their relationship isn’t of any more concern than Javy and Natasha’s, or Bob, Rueben and Fritz. Although he’s not sure if the higher ups are aware of that one or are taking a very firm head-in-sand approach because they don’t have the forms and paperwork that would encompass what they have. Not his problem he reminds himself as he turns the key and pushes the door open.

                Jake is standing there in his dress whites, looking absolutely fucking gorgeous, well rested and suddenly every nerve in his body is wide awake, sloughed off and away with the sight in front of him. They’ve talked about this, not recently, but in the last year it’s definitely been raised, usually when they were apart, but sometimes when they’ve been wearing them, Jake has given him a slow sly look. The fantasy of fucking in their dress whites, well, more Jake being fucked while wearing them. He thinks he might have swallowed his tongue, ability to talk completely gone as he takes in the sight; he’s into it more than he thought he would be, the time since he’s been with Jake definitely adding to his arousal. He’s not in his whites, definitely not his blues, just his khakis, but Jake knew that and he’s pretty sure Jake doesn’t give a fuck about what Bradley is wearing, it’s all about him.

                “Welcome home.”

                The door swings shut behind him as he steps forward and drops his duffle, the peak of Jake’s hat bumping his head and they’re kissing, hands grasping at each other with the desperation that only separation or danger brings. Holy shit it’s just as well he didn’t come and pick him up, they’d both have ended up under review and facing disciplinary action for ungentlemanly behavior. Fucking your boyfriend in public is definitely not allowed.

                “Jake…”

                “Please.”

                “Fuck. Don’t need to tell me twice.”

                His cock is already half-hard, and if he’s developing a conditioned response to seeing Jake in his whites then that’s going to be a terrible problem for future-Bradley. Then Jake drops to his knees, his mouth already pressing against the fly of his pants and Bradley groans. He takes off Jake’s hat and tosses it toward the sofa, and they’re definitely going to need to pay special attention to cleaning everything later but right now there are more pressing matters at hand.

                “What do you want?”

                “Going to get you hard with my mouth, then I want you to bend me over the sofa and fuck me. Okay?”

                “Yes sir…” Bradley says with a smirk, because Jake’s acting all demanding but nothing he’s said is a hardship in any way. He is so onboard with everything, and Jake isn’t going to have to work to get him fully hard at all. “God I’ve missed you.”

                Jake’s crinkling eyes tell him he’s smiling against his cock, his fingers working the zip of Bradley’s fly down and Bradley works at his belt buckle, carefully pulling it free and undoing the button, shoving his pants and underwear down, his cock springing free and Jake simply opens his mouth and starts sucking. No tease, no finesse or any slow introduction. Not that he needs or wants it, more than okay with Jake directing the show, just runs his fingers through Jake’s hair and lets himself enjoy the hot tight suction for what it is; a means to an end that Jake has been fantasizing about for years. It’s not even a couple of minutes before Jake in rising to his feet, his hand curling around Bradley’s cock and he’s leading Bradley by his cock toward the sofa. He can’t help the little laugh, loves that they can be silly with each other like this, his awkward shuffling walk because his pants are still on, although they’re slowly falling with each step.

                He takes in the throw over the back of the sofa with a smirk, already knows it’s there to cover up stains and to stop more stains. Like they already know exactly how the height of the back of the sofa is perfect for being bent over, a happy coincidence considering Jake’s sister had bought it. Jake is reaching for something, coming back with lube but no condom. They still use them occasionally, have stashes of the latex-free type in the glove boxes of their vehicles, wallets, bathroom, bedroom… he’s probably never without one except when he’s in his flight suit now that he thinks about it. At home like this though…

                “We making a mess Jake?”

                “Yes. Yes we are. You leave those pants around your ankles. I want it hard. Want to feel it later.”

                “Yeah?” Bradley asks, and his cock jumps at the thought and Jake’s hand squeezes around him in response.

                “Yeah. Think you can manage that? Not too tired?”

                Bradley rolls his eyes, reaches to slap him on the ass over his pants but then grabs a cheek firmly, rubbing his palm in a circle and then grabbing again and pulls him in closer

                “Never too tired for you.”

                “Promise?”

              �� “Promise.”

                Then he’s pushing his hands under the jacket to get to Jake’s buckle, flicks it open and reaches his hand inside, runs his fingers over the hard flesh of his erection, rolling the underwear down slightly. Steps forward to capture Jake’s mouth in a filthy slide of lips, wants to get in as much kissing as he can while they’re facing each other like this, Jake pushed up against the sofa but not yet bent over it. Then Jake is spreading lube on his cock and Bradley groans, feels the head of his cock rub against the rougher fabric of Jake’s pants and god he must really not care about getting them messy. He pulls them down carefully, easing the tailored fabric over the bulge of his erection and swell of his ass cheeks. Jake rolls his hips and Bradley shifts forward, wraps his hand around Jake’s erection and his own, encourages Jake’s fingers to do the same and swallows the gasping breath made against his mouth.

                He’d prefer to be naked, to have Jake naked, but he is also all about fulfilling all of Jake’s wants and needs. Is glad Jake’s not holding back going for what he wants and knows it’s because they’ve got a decade of open and honest communication as a foundation even if their few later years of communication weren’t quite up to the same standard. He thinks they’re both there now. He runs his other hand over Jake’s ass, glad it’s bare now, runs a teasing finger between the cheeks, fully expects to feel lube but more surprised by the feel of firm silicon. A plug. He groans and pushes on it, feels Jake’s body jerk against him, his smile against his lips.

                “Oh my god Jake…”

                “Told you. Want it hard.”

                “Yeah. Okay. Fuck. Turn around.”

                He pushes Jake so he’s bracing himself on his forearms, ass sticking out, a strip of flesh framed by his jacket on his torso and covering his flank and most of his ass, the pants tight around his thighs where Jake has spread his legs to stop them from falling but also to give Bradley some room to just look. The plug is dark blue and he taps at it, wonders how long Jake’s has had it in. Waiting for him to come home.

                “Fuck.”

                He tugs on the plug, pulling it so the broadest bit is stretching Jake’s hole, then he pushes it back in, rubs his cock against the swell of Jake’s ass cheek and swallows roughly.

                “Fuck you’re gorgeous like this.”

                “Want to be gorgeous on your cock, come on…”

                He huffs in amusement but he’s achingly hard now, wants to press into the tight heat and give Jake exactly what he wants. Just because he needs to, for his own peace of mind, he drags the plug all the way out and then pushes it back in, over and over, watching with hypnotized fascination as Jake’s body opens and then closes around it, all while Jake swears at him and thrusts against nothing. He grabs the lube, uses it on the plug and spreads more on his cock, isn’t going to give Jake any warning.

                On the next pull out he presses in with his cock, feels the resistance give way to slick tight heat and he moans Jake’s name as he pushes forward, fingers digging into Jake’s ass, little circles of white looking like halos around each fingertip as he just keeps pushing and pushing. He pulls back slowly, controlled, and Jake lets out a shuddering breath that is partly his name. He presses forward again, leaning forward with his entire body so he can kiss the side of his head, whisper into his ear.

                "Going to mess you up…"

                "Please…"

                He moves firmly, not slow and soft, but it’s also not as fast as Jake likely wants, not yet. There’s a difference between hurting him and making sure he feels this later though. He curls one of his hands in Jake’s hair, the other squeezing an ass cheek possessively, Jake’s legs spread as far as they can within the confines of his pants, probably stretching the limit of the cotton holding the seams together. He knows Jake probably won’t care if the pants rip a little, not at the seams. Those can be mended.

                It’s only five or six firm slides, his pelvis pressed tight against Jake’s ass, balls catching on his bunched up pants than Jake jerks and presses back with more force, little grunting sound the tell that Bradley was waiting for. He’s glad Jake can’t see the smug grin on his face, wouldn’t at all work in his favor right now. He pulls back and snaps his hips forward, knows that this is what Jake was angling for, digs his fingers into the flesh of his ass and hips, pulls him toward him as he thrusts forward. Knows he’s likely leaving little bruising marks, that’s also part of what Jake wants.

                He lets himself lose it a little, the feeling of Jake around him and under his fingers, the sight of his cock sliding into his ass and the ass almost hidden by the crisp white fabric, doesn’t know if he’s imagining the smell of starch used to make them stiff, the sound of flesh slapping but also muffled by the fabric. His khakis are sticking but he doesn’t care, can feel his orgasm approaching in the tight twirling sensation in his gut, building heat. Sex with Jake always makes him feel so good, glad to be alive all over again and that they found each other.

                Jake is making little gasping sobs, none of the half-formed words he’s managing are coherent. He’s dropped to his chest against the back of the sofa, pressing his ass back and Bradley knows he’s close, his body taut with pressure. He's gorgeous. His. He moves faster, pace increasing as he watches and feels Jake’s body tighten, tighten, tighten. He moves a hand around to Jake’s chest, presses his fingers into the ribbons there. He pulls back and thrusts in deeper, repeating the movement, using the full range available without pulling out completely.

                “Bradley… ah…ah…"

                “Come on Jake. Make a mess.”

                He increases his pace, can see Jake’s arm jerking, meaning his hand is working his cock, pumping furiously, and then he's coming, hand still moving as he comes and Bradley doesn't stop, keeps thrusting as he watches Jake’s body jolt and twitch and then feels the sudden crest of his own orgasm wash through him and he groans loudly, presses against Jake and moves in slow grinding circles as it shudders through him. He kisses the side of Jake’s face, wraps an arm around him and he smiles, lets them have the quiet for now. Know the snark will start back soon enough, although if he’s fucked Jake well enough he might be spared a few hours or even a day.

                “You know, if this is the welcome I get every time I get back from being deployed I’m going to start looking forward to leaving you. Only so I get to come back to you.”

                “Mmm,” Jake says and Bradley grins so wide he has to smash his lips together to hold back the little bubble of laughter that wants to escape.

                “Sleepy huh?”

                “Yeah. I’ve been looking forward to that for weeks and been fantasizing about it for years.”

                “Oh… sorry I made you wait so long. You think we should invest in a set of uniforms solely for fucking around in?”

                “No. I want you to look at me and know you’ve fucked me in it.”

                Bradley groans, his groan echoed by Jake as he slowly pulls out. He steps out of his pants after toeing off his shoes, feels weird being half-dressed. Then he rubs his hands down Jake’s back and thighs, gathers him up and directs him toward the bedroom. Yeah, he’s definitely going to end up with a conditioned response to seeing Jake in his whites.

                “I might need to invest in some sewing lessons.”

                He bullies Jake into the shower with him, amused that he’s so soft and tired, kisses him and lets his hands roam everywhere under the guise of getting clean. It’s nice and reaffirming after their months apart and feels like a type of homecoming.

                “Thank you…” Jake murmurs, forehead resting against his neck and Bradley doesn’t hesitate in kissing him again.

                “Mmm, such a hardship. You really put me out having me do all that.”

                “That was so good.”

                “Come on, bed…”

                They dry off, and he’s well aware that there are pieces of various uniforms strewn through the house, but it’s a tomorrow problem. He lies down and pulls Jake into his arms, lets himself be bullied into rolling so Jake can spoon up behind him and hold him, reaches over to turn off the bedside light.

                “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever thanked you,” Jake says quietly against his neck, voice so quiet like he doesn’t want to wake him. As if he’s ever fallen asleep that quickly.

                “You literally just thanked me…” Bradley says, amusement lacing his voice because Jake gets loopy when he’s tired and he’s not the one who has been deployed.

                “Shut up. I’m being serious. I mean back in the beginning. Like when we first started chatting online. I’m thanking you for that.”

                “Oh.”

                “Yeah. You were… nice. And good. You made me feel less alone in the world. So thank you.”

                “You’re welcome,” Bradley replies quietly, because they’ve spoken about it obviously, often and it’s something that they sometimes fall back on, writing things down when they’re feeling especially vulnerable. Written words carry more meaning for them, heavier with more thought and intent. Their tempers making spoken words too harsh, spoken too quickly. They know this about each other now and it fills him with confidence that they can overcome anything and everything thrown their way.

                “You look really good in your dress whites.”

                “Mmm. So do you,” Jake says and Bradley has to grin again, because he wasn’t even wearing his whites.

                “Thought you didn’t have a uniform kink.”

                “I don’t. I have a you kink.”

                “Oh. I see. Good to know.”

                “Next time we’re both in our whites will you fuck me again?”

                He groans, yeah, definitely going to have a conditioned response.

                “You don’t want to fuck me instead?”

                “I don’t care, just… can we?”

                “Of course. You know that.”

                God, he’s never going to be able to say no to him.

                “Promise?”

                “Promise.”

THE END

[silverview]

🏆 achievement unlocked: ben wheatley feature completist 🎉 i’m not going to rank them but i am going to talk about them a bit!

down terrace (2009) ☕️

v impressive debut. the key pillars of the idiom are already here, and that’s why it’s good. unglamorous low-level organised crime and violence; family dysfunction/parent-child trauma; and – less obviously, but it’s there – folk sensibility. and michael smiley is there. he totally steals the show, as he does every time he pops up in one of these (with one exception obviously). not to get ahead of myself but my main takeaway from this whole exercise is that michael smiley is a genius

kill list (2011) 🔨

like down terrace, but MORE. more violent organised crime, more overt folk horror, more smiley. same amount of family dysfunction. if down terrace is the seed from which you can extrapolate the rest of the filmography, kill list is a perfectly condensed smoothie, all the key themes fully realised but blended together. i love it. i think you can draw a clear line from this to mother's ruin. reece says that after seeing this, he turned to wheatley and asked “why did you make that?” which i think is a fair question. i relayed the anecdote to my bf who spluttered indignantly and said “i don’t know, reece, why do we do anything? why did you black up?”

sightseers (2012) 🚗

all these films are at least a little bit funny, but sightseers is probably the most overt comedy, and it REALLY works for me. alice lowe is fantastic and i wish they’d work together more. her performance suits wheatley’s style. again, gestures to all the key pillars, but none of them actually take centre stage here. it ends up being about… love, i guess. a successful departure. dark, depressing, very funny. the dog lives

a field in england (2013) 🍄

i’ve probably made my thoughts on this one clear enough for the time being. one of the best modern folk horror films, one of reece’s best performances, one of the best british films ever. the interesting thing to note here is that for the first time, wheatley takes one of his key pillars (in this case, folk horror) and runs with it as far as possible, to the exclusion of everything else. he’ll do this again with his other pillars later, and it will be successful every time

high rise (2015) 🏢

i’ve seen high rise twice this year, and the second time i was really hoping it would turn out to be good after all. it’s not, though. it’s a huge mess. the ending is particularly baffling and stupid. some actors are good in it, especially reece, but he’s not even in it enough to make it really worth rewatching. thematically, a huge departure for wheatley, but unlike sightseers, it doesn’t come up with anything else to latch onto. it does have a brief psychedelic sequence which feels very tacked-on and underwhelming. further points deducted for michael smiley not being there

free fire (2016) 🔫

speak of the devil!! who’s that, it’s michael smiley!! and he crushes in this!! as does EVERYBODY in this wonderful cast!! oh man. another exercise in taking one pillar of the idiom and running with it as hard as possible. this time, it’s unglamorous low-level organised crime and violence. and it’s JUST THAT. it’s insane and weird and it rules. it’s also a metaphor for the troubles. i miss armie hammer unfortunately, he was really good at playing total bastards and he looked good in this

happy new year, colin burstead (2018) 🥂

another ‘one pillar to its logical extreme’ exercise, this time revolving entirely around family dysfunction. again, very successful. funny, sad, absolutely wonderful ending. made me think about my sister’s wedding lmao

rebecca (2020) 👗

rebecca is alright, but the fun for me mostly came from looking for little ways wheatley snuck his idiom into it around the edges of the studio. it’s really about gender roles/femininity and womanhood in particular; i’m sure plenty has been written about that wrt the source material and the more famous film

in the earth (2021) 🌳

zach is babie. what else can i say? if he was in this more, and/or if the film was a lot more violent, i would like it more. if it dropped the pandemic angle, i would like it more. it’s not a worthy successor to field, but nothing could be. it’s fine. it’s got some good stuff in it. i like it, and i’d probably like it more if it had no relationship to field whatsoever, or if it leaned hard into being an overt sequel / continuation of that story. can you even imagine? i think my issue is just that it doesn't commit hard enough to being any one particular thing

meg 2: the trench (2023) 🦈

fuck this movie fr. and i’m not saying that because i’m a snob. i actually liked the first one okay! i thought it succeeded on its own terms! meg 2 does not succeed at fucking anything. it has brief flashes of being good, like when that chick’s head implodes, or the shot from inside the shark’s mouth, or when statham kicks a man into a shark’s mouth and says “see you later, chum.” and then for the whole rest of the time it’s complete balls. the dialogue is so clunky. the bits that are just humans interacting with each other about non-shark business should be good or at least NOT SHIT, like… i’ve SEEN happy new year colin burstead i KNOW wheatley can do humans. except he forgot how, apparently. baffling. heartbreaking. i used to work with reality tv ip, and we used to say “just because it’s trash, that doesn’t mean it has to be bad.” meg 2 had to be trash but it didn’t have to be bad. at least, not this bad. rip

[emwheezie]

Re-uploading character lore with name change updates!

This story follows the friendship of Lennon and Tony as they take the world head on, trying to make music together. The story is based in Cambridge/Somerville Massachusetts in 2009.

Tony Wretzky (born October 3 1983) studied law at Boston University. After college, he didn't do anything with his degree and moved to Somerville, MA with his girlfriend Meg. (He's the type of person who constantly needs attention and is almost never without a girlfriend or boyfriend. (He's Bi). 

Tony grew up in Lowell, MA and attended a Catholic high school, Unlike Lennon, Tony has a pretty decent relationship with his parents.

He's super smart, book smart and emotionally smart. He is a talented writer and poet and great at marketing himself and bringing ideas to life. He's big into punk and hardcore music, (though his parents think this means he only really listens to Green Day). Tony picked up the bass guitar cause he thought it'd be the easiest to learn... it was not easy. Lennon tries to help him out a lot and he's supposed to improve throughout the comic. While Lennon really cares about the music, Tony just hyped up to be in a band and live that kind of life.

Tony believes nothing is accidental and everything he does has purpose. Everything has a reason behind it, even if he has to look a little deeper to find it's meaning.

Tony world is shook when he meets Oli LaBlanc by accident one day. (I'm not gonna get too much into Oli right now, but just know he's a photographer/videographer and graphic designer from NY who is living in the Boston area for work)

The two hit it off right away and become quick friends... Maybe even more...

In a group of friends, Tony would probably be called the mom friend. He's kind and caring and his emotional intelligence gets him far. People love Tony for his friendly and upbeat demeanor and think he's the best looking of the group. He's the type of dude that could really get anything he wants out of life. Unfortunately, Tony has a streak of self sabotage.

Tony often puts others before him. His main priority is making sure his friends are happy and doing well, especially his best friend Lennon. The two of them work really well together, they're like perfect fitting but opposite puzzle pieces. They're two dudes you probably wouldn't expect to be friends by appearance alone.

Tony also picks up crochet at one point... But that's getting into spoiler territory. Heheheh

[likeadevils]

I think her parents separating led to Mine more than JM????

so this is what she said about mine when she released the album

Lately I've had this bad habit of running away from love. Kind of getting to the place where it's about to commit, and then you just, like, run in the opposite direction. "Mine" is about the idea that I could find someone who would be the exception to that, someone who would be so sturdy and so much of a sure thing that I wouldn't run from it. Sometimes I look back on a lot of examples that I've seen of love, long term, and a lot of times it doesn't work out. There are goodbyes and people get really hurt, so I tend to be a little 'run-awayish.' But I'm never past hoping that at some point that could change.

so, she’s clearly aware it’s something she gets from her parents, but it’s also something she recognizes in herself.

i’m sure she had many experiences that caused her to see herself as a bolter, but i think it’s fair to say the taylor lautner-john mayer situation of fall 2009 was one of them. her and taylor lautner went on a few dates in october and then returned to their respective cities, taylor swift gave taylor lautner a shout out on snl, taylor swift and john started getting closer throughout november as their collaboration was released, taylor wrote ours right before her 20th birthday, and then on dec 12 taylor lautner returned taylor swift’s shout out on snl before surprising her at her birthday party. the next morning the taylor’s were spotted getting breakfast together, and two weeks later it was announced they’d broken up. and then, in january, taylor and john mayer were everywhere together, before taylor left for tour in february and started making jokes about being single again.

we don’t know exactly when she broke up with john mayer, but she said she wrote it mine in texas, which she was playing in from march 10-12, 2010 (scott borchetta said she wrote it in february 2010, btw, but that’s the same interview where he says he told her not to name the album enchanted, which her journal from that day disputes). two weeks later, on march 24, her and taylor lautner meet up to talk three months after they broke up, likely inspiring back to december, which she writes two months later.

so i wouldn’t be surprised if she started thinking of the fall 2009 roster as her having a boy who was ready to commit, and chosing a man who she knew never would, especially because mine was written so soon after her and john fell apart. but you’re right, it’s also clearly in conversation with her parents separation.

[triplexdoublex]

We cannot say Megan was the first celebrity he linked up with but while before all he cared about was NETWORKING and living the glory - to one day tell the story-, with Megan he started putting into consideration the clout he can instantly get.... and for this I really BLAME TRAVIS BARKER, that man.

All this circus for pop punk and his 'has-been' drummer career to come back AND for his label mogul career to take off. I'm sure he was in Kells ears telling him how this would benefit his rebrand and help him get away from 'Bad Boys' as Interscope would be more willing to focus on him and back him up (yes, he was always signed with them, but he REALLY started teaming up with them around 2018 and it was only for that staged Eminem beef, allegedly).

I also believe with Sommer Ray, something NEW about celebrities 'hook ups' like never before must have clicked and that is EGO. During that time, as many IG 'fitness' 'models' were out there, Sommer was the ONE no teenage boy or young man in America- black, white or other - could shut up about. Notice how even the guys were so invested in her- especially Rook who would later advice him to be in that Z-list movie with Megan. Sommer situationship really walked so Megan's could run; her 2009 role was peek 'young average male' fantasy woman.

Usually PR main gain is an UPGRADED image: Jay Z himself, R. Kelly associate, was only allowed to seat at certain tables after he associate himself with somebody so GREAT it over-shadowed the image of the crack dealer from Marshall project who shot his own biological brother at 12 yo over some deal. What's odd about the whole Twin Flame PR scheme is that it achieved the exact OPPOSITE for Kells. Megan is too insecure and talentless to team up with her partner to build eachother up.

The hate he gets on the daily has nothing to do with any sense of social envy but has anything to do with HER. That woman made sure to latch onto him as she won't land anything better (I'm sure his 'size' and looks helped and sponsoring vitamins on IG won't pay the bills, three CS checks and the divorce settlement). And to really secure him, she had to destroy his image from the start: gain levarage on him - so that, if he ever was to leave- she would be the victim.

In the private sphere she made sure to discover all weaknesses, feed his addictions (lines of coke on plastic tits and ayahuasca trips) and dig into his childhood (disgusting for her to use a poetry book to out 'one of her pretty boys' as a childhood S Assault survivor and blame their absent parents for everything and upbringing, yuck).

His last project gave me hope maybe he finally realized SHE is his BIGGEST enemy. Hopefully he's toxic enough to actually make run her away: for once in his life RUNNING AWAY PEOPLE MIGHT actually BE his BIGGEST BLESSING! Otherwise I don't see her ever letting go. She is too clingy. She's the type of person you actively need to cut off from your life.

HARD DISAGREE about Travis!! Especially saying he’s a “has been” that man is a fucking LEGEND!! I was a Blink girl wayyyy before I was a MGK girl. He’s always been drumming and producing and working on something. The only times he’s probably even has a break when when he was he was recovering from a plane crash he somehow survived despite having 3rd degree burns over 65% of his body , and he still came back strong!

The rest …in a nutshell, yeah this PR bullshit definitely hasn’t worked in his favor at all but let’s be honest he was already getting hate before she came along too , but she’s definitely increased it by playing victim. And yeah she’s an absolute trash human being for outing the SA in her “poetry book” especially since it heavily suggested it was kells who was abused because she mentioned the “history of family curses” he’s always said his family was cursed and even says in new songs how his family is cursed for 7 generations.

Yeah I had hope too until the were at stagecoach together, whether it be a pr stunt or them actually getting back together who knows? I just want her gone for good .

[cinematicnomad]

i'm 32. i've never had an abortion. i grew up moving around the world. at all points of my life, i have always, always, considered in the back of my mind what i would do if i needed one. college in particular stressed me out—from 2009–2013, i lived in a rural small town that didn't have an abortion provider, just one of those malicious "crisis pregnancy centers" that PRETEND to provide options but really guilt and shame and lie to people with uteruses to deny them care.

so i always made sure to know where the closest abortion provider was. my friends and i talked about this, shared our individual plans with each other. at the time, it was a good 2 hour drive away, and i didn't have a license, let alone a car. but i did have older siblings and friends that i knew i could rely on. people i could turn to if i really needed help. my fears at the time mostly surrounded potentially having to reveal any personal details about my private life to them—i have a hard time asking for help, and tend not to share my thoughts or emotions with others, especially family (case in point, i almost posted this on twitter but then DIDN'T bc my sister and brother follow me). i'm in therapy, i'm working on it!!—but i never worried about being able to access abortion care.

i've never had an abortion, but i did have a miscarriage. i was 18 and i didn't even realize i was pregnant. my miscarriage was, thankfully, early and painless and i didn't know what it was until my period came for real and i spoke with my OBGYN about what happened.

i think about that 18 year old version of me all the time. i had just finished my freshman year of college. i had ended things with the guy bc i was hoping to (and would shortly) get back together with my other ex. i was more concerned with watching the latest true blood episode and meeting up with my friends still in high school at their after-prom, than with worrying about whether or not the guy at college had knocked me up.

abortion in austria (where i was at the time) has been fully legalized since 1975. if i had not had a miscarriage, i would have had options. if i had not realized until later in that summer, once we were back in the states, i would have had to have an incredibly uncomfortable and upsetting conversation with my conservative parents. but even then, i know, i would have had options. miscarriage for many people is a traumatic event. a painful loss, both emotionally and physically. for me, it was a blessing. but even if it hadn't have happened, i know i would have an abortion.

reading the latest NYT article (free link!!) about the dobbs decision fucking kills me. i keep having to stop. i keep welling up with tears. these 5 justices calculatingly (and at least some of of them, i believe, maliciously) stripped the country of roe v. wade. they turned back the clock and denied millions of people access to safe abortion, to their right to choose, to their bodily autonomy. just because i never had an abortion does not mean that this loss is felt any less keenly.

i find, time and time again, that i do not understand how some people go through this world and their life seemingly looking for ways to harm others. seeking to strip them of their rights. to deny them their humanity. i cannot comprehend how they seem to take glee in punishing people they view as other for the v basic fact that they exist.

this is long and i don't even know what point i'm making except for: i am so grateful for the fact that when i was 18, i had options, and i am so very, very, very fucking sad for the fact that there are 18 year olds today (and 20 year olds, and 28 year olds, and 15 year olds, and 36 year olds, and WHATEVER) who are being denied their right to choose. it's not fair. it isn't right. i want, so desperately, to change this.

and now the plea: please vote. please care. please advocate and donate and protest and be loud and be heard and demand better rights for yourself and others. please consider the courts when you cast your ballot: not just the supreme court, but the lower courts as well. if you don't, there will only be more decisions like this, the consequences of which will continue to ripple out for years on end causing harm to untold numbers of people.

[sunskate]

VM show ep 3 Chiddy and Weapo

Patrick had moved to the Detroit Skating Club in the summer of 2013 so was nearby to cameo on the show. one of the few lighter sequences with Scott (this might be the first time he smiles big or laughs for real without any trace of discomfort so far). they go cart race, Patrick says he realized he doesn't have to be absolutely perfect, that eating crap one day instead of eating the perfect meal the perfect way doesn't have to affect his Olympics (in contrast to Tessa wondering whether eating a grape before PYC will affect hers)

Patrick says it's hard to find time to talk to his gf especially at the end of the day when he's tired, and Scott says "they always get the worst of you, right? you gave all your energy to everyone else, i get home, you have nothing left, and that's what they get. god, we should get together and talk more often. making me feel all good. Scott and Patrick" - i know it’s on camera but him making such a heavy statement then being like glad we talked, go us! 😅💀this makes them seem close, but at the same time, he's saying they don't see each other much. maybe when you're an athlete at this level, you have "pick up where you left off" friendships, because you don't have time

the Weapo dinner is at Shiro's restaurant in Novi (which is supposedly haunted by the ghost of the man who built the mansion it's in)

T: (VO) our Canadian teammates, Kaitlyn and Andrew, have invited us to dinner (and VM asked if their camera crew could come? this feels so contrived 😅)

Kaitlyn says: "it feels so cool, i don't know how many other people have this kind of connection we have all together"

but this is cut so that VM look surprised that Weapo make it work being together 24/7 - even though Tessa later says "i often marvel at that fact." Weapo have lived nearby since 2009, so it shouldn't be a revelation 😬 this might be the editors massaging this storyline to say "VM aren't getting along!" and just not doing a great job of it - like the editing here-- the reactions and length of the silences after Kaitlyn asks "how about you?" feel tweaked - the way the background noise drops out for a few beats as soon as Kaitlyn asks the question to make it feel more like crickets and how they add humorous music at the end -

but can you think of another time in their history where either one of them says something like this?

S: we get on each other's nerves until one of us snaps!

T: they literally spend all of their time together, and i often marvel at that fact because i'm not sure Scott and i would survive that sort of setup

how much is Scott joking? are they being more truthful here than other times? what's odd to me is that it's Tessa who's doing the commenting on how they're not getting along, and we're not seeing Scott. just from how uncomfortable he looks throughout this show, i wonder if he was really reticent to talk about Tessa and didn't give them anything they could use. so he gets thrown under the bus by a one sided narrative. we're almost at the end of this storyline, thank goodness

[be-the-glenn-to-my-maggie]

What interests me most in Quaritch’s and Spider’s relationship is The Tragedy. Quaritch is an asshole who wants to kill Na’vi but he also has nothing else going for him, so he does what he’s told because without the mission he has no purpose. Spider is a kid who was neglected by EVERYBODY and never had an adult care for him. Then BOOM, they meet and are forced to work together. The movie had not given them a lot of screen time but the fact that Spider felt safe enough around the recoms to crack jokes and be playful says a lot. The scene where he teaches Miles Na’vi and puts a hand on his knee, unafraid of physical contact also shows that they’ve grown quite close in the past months.

And then Quaritch fucks it up. He goes back into his old ways and only cuts corners out of fear that Spider will hate him until the end of days, but he already does so because after months of camping out in the forest and having their Disney found family arc, the poor kid is confronted with the fact that his not-dad-dad had not changed in any way that matters. The only thing that changed about Q is the fact that he now has one (1) person he cares about. Spider got taken away from his home, somehow experienced what it was like to be loved (even if said love was the bare minimum) and then was brutally reminded that the person who loves him is an actual demon.

In the end, a happy ending was never meant to be. They are enemies, and could never support the other’s cause and yet they still love one another, and they fucking hate that they love one another, which is my favorite part. In separate interviews, both Slang and Jack had confirmed that both characters have a mighty soft spot for one another, even if they resent it. The bond they have built is there and not Spider, nor Quaritch can shake it off.

I've let this sit in my asks for a while now cause I knew I would get fired up. Yeah from the get go in your post you are already being extremely charitable to Quaritch in a way that sits really poorly with me.

-"Quaritch has nothing else going for him if he's not fulfilling his mission and killing Na'vi." I don't understand where you guys fabricate this tragic past for Quartich from, in the first movie he literally says he chose to extend his tour on Pandora because of his hatred for the Na'vi. He was going back to Earth, where who knows who was waiting for him? Saying he has no family or friends is entirely made up, especially when we know he had a girlfriend and a child at the time.

-"They were forced to work together" HUGE fucking reach dude. Spider is sure forced to work for Quaritch. But Quaritch kidnapped him, took him as a prisoner of war, brought him to be tortured for informatin, uses him as a forced teacher and translator as he burns down and threatens civilian villages. These are all decisions he makes intentionally (not forced!) and are all fun little war crimes.

-I think calling Spider playful around the recoms for that one scene where he mocks Quaritch's Na'vi is rather crazy. Saying they've grown quite close, that they've had a 'Disney family arc,' I really hope you are really young and you'll mature. YOU CAN'T DEVELOP A GOOD AND HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP WITH SOMEONE UNDER DURESS. Spider is a prisoner! The entire time! Any relationship basis is stockholm syndrome, because every interaction is colored with the fact that any of the recoms, Quaritch, could hurt him or kill him at any time. They could take him back to be tortured. He can't do what he wants. He cannot leave. So every action that isn't harmful feels ten times better because he knows it COULD BE and might be at any second. It's why the cycle of abuse is so powerful, when the norm is pain, kindness feels so unexpected and undeserved. It's really harmful to paint these relationships as good.

-"Quaritch has changed because now he has someone he cares about." Well fuck me, I guess Spider didn't matter when he god damn existed in the 2009 movie??

-The bond that is built is a toxic one based on abuse and manipulation. It's stockholm syndrome, it's lima syndrome. It will definitely be interesting, but you are right about that one thing: it will never work out.

[compacflt]

Fully support your desire to cut down on the extras as they're already so long, but as someone who was also looking forward to the sickfic section and is sad to hear it's been taken out, I will simply have to ask you about it instead! First off the discussion of home in the snippet you shared was delicious - when do you think Mav started thinking of the house as 'their' home? And Ice taking Mav to the hospital has a lot of crunch there around how they're seen and how they act in public, especially if Ice was worried and Mav was kind of out of it. Do you think Ice would have taken Mav in to the hospital if he'd really been spiking a fever and decided he needed it? How would he explain themselves? And I suppose a separate, related question: who are their official next of kin/emergency contacts?

the reason i got rid of the sickfic is cause all those questions were answered better elsewhere in the extras ❤️

i was kind of annoyed that the house inconsistently appears to be the property of whomever the plot calls for at the moment -> another reason to cut the sickfic

Yes Ice would take mav to the hospital. it happens elsewhere LOL, maverick is extremely incident-prone

obviously a fun surfing injury with friends != the sickfic’s ice taking “a friend” to the hospital in the middle of the night for dangerous levels of illness-related dehydration… implies familiarity, intimacy above everyone else… the hospital staff would probably assume they’re together, yes, & i don’t think ice would challenge that at all, especially if he had to make sure all the paperwork was filled out right. just not worth the effort. “is there anyone else we should call for mr mitchell?” / “Um no. Just me.” Yeah i took him to the hospital at 4am bc i love him and im worried about him what r u gonna do about it 🤨 violate his hipaa rights? It’s 2009 gay people exist grow up🙄 hospital staff isn’t gonna tell anyone, so who cares

(Luckily for ice in the sickfic he didn’t have to take mav to the hospital)

the point of the sickfic was to establish a precedent for one of them voluntarily taking care of the other who is unable to take care of himself, to set up the parallel of maverick taking care of Ice when he Really gets capital-s Sick. but then i still can’t bring myself to write ice actually being capital-s Sick because i have some weird neurosis where i simply dislike thinking about ice (powerful guy) being helpless or incapacitated or, um, dead. so the mav-sickfic isn’t really relevant anymore because i haven’t written (and never plan on writing, besides that one half-assed one-shot) the corollary ice-sickfic. so the sickfic became the Nixed-fic ❌

And according to this wip wednesday snippet, they are each other’s emergency contacts. don’t ask me how that works or how they figured that out, idk. some stuff you do have to talk about for logistics purposes i guess. which is kind of the point of all the house-related/money-related discussions I’ve written throughout my fics—they Have to talk about the logistics because that’s real life. But they don’t INTERPRET those logistics or assign them a normative value.

for instance debriefing presents (maverick’s) death & taxes as the only two things that ever get them to actually talk to each other lol. logistics become a vessel through which they can talk about their situation without actually talking about it. The state of being each others emergency contacts might be a death-and-taxes discussion—acknowledging permanence without acknowledging permanence

[theimaginatrix27]

I've been in the Star Trek fandom spaces long enough, time to talk publicly about a thing that I am injecting into every fic where it is relevant

So if you've been paying attention to my blog the last couple months, you will know I am a huge fan of @enbygesserit 's work. They write the absolute best Dominion lore and fic I have ever had the pleasure of reading/encountering, and I eat up each new piece like my favourite confectionery.

What I am about to discuss predates any exposure I had to their work by at least thirteen years.

And the ship it surrounds was my DS9 OTP for two entire decades (before I discovered the O'Brien polycule and now my DS9 otp is a "One True Polyamorous tangle", but moving on).

That ship being Kiraodo. My heart broke when Odo confessed his love to an apparently dying Kira, she said she loved him back, and that was the clue for him to realise she was not Kira at all. And then when the Female Changeling Voice of the Link told him Kira would never love him because he was a Changeling, I was a tiny sad twelve-yo who thought, "But I love him!" And then I wanted it to be a thing.

And when I found out it was a thing in canon but they had to part ways at the end of the series, I was happy and sad at the same time.

I was a teenager, I didn't know the relationship felt awkward to some (though to be fair I still hated Children of Time and what the alternate/Gaia Odo did, but I address that in another fic so it's fine). I just wanted the sad Changeling and the fiery Bajoran to prove the mean Changeling wrong.

But also, I acknowledged to myself, even in 2009-10, that it would not be fair to Odo at all to make him leave his people again so quickly. I felt sympathetic toward the Changelings/Founders even as a teenager who had not and would not see DS9 in its entirety (curse you, cable TV! You with your reruns and exorbitant prices making it so hard for us to keep you for more than a few months at a time!) Anyways, I knew even then that I didn't want to take Odo away from his people again, even for him and Kira to be together.

So what was my solution?

Here were the canon points I considered at age nineteen (I was creating the bare bones of the Galactic Warp AU at the time and also had a strict must-adhere-to-canon policy for any fanfic ideas I'd had at the time):

The Great Link turned Odo into a solid.

The baby Changeling in The Begotten turned him back, at the cost of its life (but maybe not if it hadn't already been dying).

Therefore, it is canonically possible for a solid to become a Changeling.

What if Kira had been Changelinged?

WHY IS THAT NOT CANON?

I have this as a significant plot point in any Kiraodo content I'm going to write, so if you see Kiraodo becoming a thing in any fic, expect to see Changeling Kira show up somewhere.

"But wait!" someone yells. "You just said you didn't want to take Odo from his people, and Kira's Bajoranness is a huge part of her identity! And you're gonna just take that away from her?"

No, actually. You think the Prophets give a shit whether or not Kira's corporeal form is solid? Fuck no, they're not corporeal and time is not linear for them! The Kira is always the Kira. The Kira is always of Bajor. The Kira is always beloved of the Prophets.

This holds true in every single fic in which I have inserted this. Kira doesn't always become a Changeling full time (some of my AUs have magic), but more importantly, She never stops being Bajoran in the ways that really matter.

Which, if this had been a canon episode, would have been emphasised by the Prophets themselves and I am not taking critique on this.

"But the Founders would never do this in canon!" I hear you cry. "They hate solids and the Voice doesn't like Kira especially!"

First of all, the convoluted love triangle between Odo, Kira and the Voice was stupid.

Second of all, it doesn't even have to be them who do it, we got other more powerful entities around! Q was basically banned from DS9, sure, but what if Kira and Odo weren't on DS9?

Here's my idea for how this could have happened in canon, if the writers had really wanted to sell us the ship.

Odo and Kira have been away on a mission together (doesn't matter where, they just have to be off the station). It's sometime in Season 6, post the Dominion occupation of DS9. When the runabout returns, Odo coms the station and says he needs to give them warning about something, and they're going to have to take him at his word, however hard that may be.

"What's wrong?" Sisko asks. "And where's Major Kira?"

In response, Odo holds up his bucket. There is a Changeling in goo form inside.

"There was an—incident while we were returning from our mission. It was successful, by the way."

Sisko stares at the screen intently for a moment.

"Are you saying," he asks slowly, "that Major Kira was replaced by a Changeling?"

"No, Captain," Odo responds. "I am saying this Changeling is Major Kira."

Cue opening theme!

And possibly this would be a two-parter! I feel that with the whole theme of DS9 being nuance, and with the Dominion being such a big deal, it deserves to be!

Basically the plot would first involve a flashback to Q popping in while Kira and Odo are arguing about something Changeling-related or whatever, going "You know, I've been watching you and yours for a while now—from a safe distance of course—and frankly, I've been surprised by the lack of nuance with regard to the Founders."

And Kira's all, "Oh come on, don't you start with this high-and-mighty attitude! I read all the records about you after your last visit to Deep Space 9, you don't have any room to talk!"

"And neither do you," Q fires back. "You think your terrible acts were justified, don't you? Oh, you know they were dreadful, the fact that you could be so violent distressed you so! But when it comes down to it, you can sleep at night, because you helped drive out the Cardassians and set Bajor free. But when the Dominion imposes their order on their part of the galaxy because they used to be oppressed and were traumatised, you sit there on what moral high ground you have and pass judgment on them!"

"I don't need to hear this! Especially not from you! Sisko made you stay away from the station—from us! Now get off this runabout and leave us alone."

"Oh, you do need to hear it, Nerys. But if you insist on me leaving, let me do so on my terms. Don't worry, my little firework, I'll make sure you don't need my help undoing this." And he snaps his fingers and disappears.

And Kira's form begins to melt and she barely has time to call Odo's name before she dissolves into Changeling goo.

Back on DS9, everyone's a bit frantic after seeing the runabout footage, which confirms Odo's story. He links with her and is able to help her reform after a little time, during which we get to hear panicked Kira thoughts and some cool visuals of what the link is like for her. We get a scene after she's able to shift back into herself where Jadzia quips that she's got purple hair and Cardassian neck ridges or something, which is not amusing to her at all.

Then there's a whole discussion on how they're going to fix her before the rest of the Federation finds out, because "Are they going to believe the testimony of one rogue Changeling and the footage from a runabout computer? What if they decide Kira's a threat and take her into custody?"

And the answer is pretty obvious, especially after Julian examines a sample of her matrix and discovers traces of her dna are still in it.

They have to take her to the Great Link so she can be restored to solidity. The Founders are rather good at genetic manipulation, after all. It'll be fine!

Except they're at war, and the Voice does not like Kira, which forms the majority of the conflict, as they have to convince any Dominion forces they meet that "Seriously, we are not here to fight, please don't blow us up, we just want to help our friend, yes we mean it, don't fire!"

And in the end Kira has to pretend to be a Founder just to get the various ships to leave them alone, and it's weird as fuck for her but she makes it to the Great Link and the Voice is there and doesn't believe her at first until they link and she gets proof from her memories.

Which leads to Kira finding out about the morphogenic virus early, and being incensed, because "Look, I don't like you, but that's crossing multiple lines! I'd never have signed off on that if it were up to me, and I know Sisko wouldn't either! Doctor Bashir's brilliant—he can help you, I'm sure of it."

"Even if we did not help you right away?"

"I can wait, if I have to. I'm kind of getting used to this whole thing. It's been—an interesting experience."

And after another link to confirm that yes, she means that and it's not even in a bad way, the Voice consents to help her regain her solid status and she goes into the Great Link, gets a small taste of the Founders' collective trauma and is deeply moved by it, bursting into tears when she emerges, once more humanoid. There's a whole final scene about how she wishes more people in the Federation could have experienced what she did, and then she goes to write a log entry on the whole thing or something.

But this would absolutely change the trajectory of the war because that's how DS9 works, so it wouldn't just be handwaved away. in subsequent episodes, Julian is able to find a cure—possibly with help from within the Dominion itself because the Founders would very much like to not die and Julian is being Julian at them and they're taking a real liking to him.

And the galaxy is saved because Q did a thing! But also Kira understands Odo better after this and their relationship is all the richer for it.

*Starts chanting* It should've been canon, it should've been canon, it should've been canon, IT SHOULD'VE BEEN CANON!

[despair-to-future-arcs]

So you used to be friends with Juu?

Okay, well what about Juu Kinjo? You him and were best friends?

Of course, he was my partner and best friend; we always work together on cases - back in the day, he was quite the stickler for the rules, always had a stick up his ass and his social awkwardness was hilarious - especially with women as I was the one that pushed him to get with Chisato.

But what happen to him after he became Police Commissioner... I'm not sure what happen, I'm not sure how he fell for someone like Junko Enoshima or sided with Despair, I just didn't get it he didn't seem like the type to do all this...

Did you... interact with him again? After you resigned...?

Yeah... once, it was back in 2009, I was leaving for work and was going to the bar but then he walk in...

...

...

...

Date: December 23rd, 2009

*In a bar, Takaaki walk in*

BARTENDER: Oh hey, Mr. Ishimaru; do you want the usual?

*Walks over and goes to the chair* Usual...

???: Make that 2...

!!! *he looks over and sees Juu standing there*

*sits down next to him* So... your drinking, huh? I guess I expected you to be here, Takaaki, shouldn't you be spending time with your son and wife?

I can say the same for you as well... what do you want?

Just a chat, I figure I can see how you been and wanted to suggest-.

If your asking me to joint he police force then I'm sorry but no, you were there when he say he doesn't want me to be commissioner.

Still going on about that, Taka? It's been years nearly a decade, so what if your dad screw up. I know well enough that you were better fit to be the police commissioner, I'm just saying...

Look, you need to stop with this damn self-pity party and just work for the police again; what your dad did, shouldn't reflect on you or your kid.

Juu... that's enough, I've already accepted that I was never to be trusted as a commissioner, they wanted you there so just... stop assuming people would want me there, okay? Just... leave me alone. *drinks the booze*

...Fine, if that's how you feel then sorry to bother you; I guess I expected too much from you; your a stubborn fool, Takaaki Ishimaru. *Juu sits down as he drinks as well...*

'After that me and Juu sat in silence, I think he gave up; I suppose he knew that there was no convincing me but I suppose that be when he sided with Junko...'

[thisaintascenereviews]

The Black Dahlia Murder - Servitude

Starting off a review of the new Black Dahlia Murder album is tough, because there’s some context that’s needed for this record to understand why this album is a big deal. Maybe not for the overall music world, but for death metal and for this band specifically, this is an album that marks a new era for them, as well as a triumph, so to speak. Former vocalist Trevor Strnad passed away two years ago from taking his own life, and that shook up the metal community quite a bit. People are still torn up about it today, but people were wondering if and how the band would go on. Stepping up to the plate was Brian Eschbach, their longtime rhythm guitarist and only founding member remaining, but people were skeptical how they would sound with him on vocals.

The Black Dahlia Murder is one of the most beloved bands in all of metal, not merely just death metal, so they would have to tread lightly if they replaced their vocalist. I waited until the entirety of Servitude came out to check out his debut with the band on vocals, but this record is quite good, honestly, and I would even say it’s a great addition to their body of work. Does this album sound like everything else they’ve done? Sure, but Eschbach does a great job here, evoking Trevor on many occasions but also doing something new with his performance. He still has that venom and bite, but he’s not trying to sound just like him.

If anything, this album needed to be a reintroduction to the band after the last couple of years, and it works perfectly for what it is. Servitude is a short and sweet album, only 33 minutes, and it breezes by quite nicely. This record is a lot of fun, and while it’s a straightforward melodic death metal album, it also packs a punch. Because Eschbach was moving to vocals, the band also got new-ish rhythm guitarist Ryan Knight (who was in the band previously from 2009 to 2016), and the pairing of him with longtime guitarist Brandon Ellis is a match made in Heaven. Both of them sound great together, and the riffs and solos just ooze out of them, but it sounds wonderful.

I don’t have a ton to say about this record, but it’s a solid addition to their body of work. It won’t win you over if you’re not a fan, and if you are a fan, you’ll either appreciate it for what it is, or you’ll think it sucks because it’s not Trevor, which is a pretty close minded way of thinking. Yeah, Trevor was one of the best vocalists in extreme music, but the band can definitely go on if they choose to do so. I’ve been surprisingly coming back to this album quite a lot, especially when the last couple of weeks have had a handful of releases come out, but the fact that this one has gotten my attention is a good sign, all things considered. Give it a spin if you want a good and consistent melodic death metal album, even if it doesn’t necessarily do anything you haven’t heard before.

[drowsygoose]

I have such a GRIPE about the mwiii campaign and I've been mentally stewing over it since I finished with no one to talk to :'(

(spoilers under the cut for those who wanna avoid them)

OKAY SO: in the middle of playing through it, something felt...off. like when I played the campaign for mwii, I was engaged! I enjoyed the game play, especially the stealth element they seemed to be adding to the series! I LOVED the characters and how the reboot balanced legacy with fresh takes: seeing 141's personalities and dynamics was fantastic, Johnny being the youngest/greenest showed in his interactions with Ghost and the way Price and Gaz worked as Captain and Sergeant was perfect, knowing Shepherd's betrayal was coming but not quite how only to learn that Graves and his Shadow Company was also in on it—all chef's kiss)!!!

And a lot of that seemed to be missing from mwiii. I recently replayed mwii's campaign, just to confirm, and the disparity between the two was blatant. imo mwii's story remains top tier.

After intially playing it a year ago, I knew they'd kill one of the 141 off in iii. In the original games, Gaz is Price's right hand in mw (2007) and he dies. Ghost sort of replaces him in mw2 (2009) under Soap's captainship and he dies. And, finally, as Price and Soap go after Makarov in mw3 (2011) Soap ends up dying. I wasn't sure where the reboot series would go with this, but it felt inevitable and I chalked it up to either Ghost or Soap being the unlucky bastard—while I was hoping they wouldn't kill any of them off in a pleasant surprise, it ended up being Johnny :'(

And it felt forced! A lot of the interaction/dynamics we see between the 141 in mwii that make the story so great felt minimized in mwiii: the banter between Soap and Ghost seemed to be missing, Gaz's rationality wasn't accompanied by the cheekiness we saw on his missions with Price, the closeness we see Ghost invite in between them all at the end of mwii (which felt like a pretty big deal for him, character arc-wise) didn't feel fully there. The only time it did was at the end when chasing Makarov, but by that point the game was done: Johnny was killed and they failed to deal with Makarov, leaving a sort of cliffhanger meant to be addressed in the next game. I'm sure Ghost and Gaz knew that Price intended to take care of Shepherd (likely because of losing Soap, as we see them mourn him) in that final scene but, again, players don't see that.

Even in the flashbacks, this felt a bit lacking. Throughout mwii, Soap actively works to chip away at Ghost's massive fucking cement walls he's put in place, which made sense (working with a small, highly specialized team and keeping those walls up sounds exhausting and, as seen in "Alone", could be a hindrance). Gaz cracks jokes with Price and Price reciprocates with ease (cough like a dad cough), even in serious situations. Both Price and Ghost seem to teach/mentor Gaz and Soap, respectively, during their missions (which, again, bolsters their characterization and enriches the overall story imo). But then finding out in mwiii that Soap's been part of the 141 for at least four years—suggesting that Price, Ghost, and Gaz have been working together for longer since Soap is the youngest and, therefore, still has a ton to learn—seemed to undermine the awesome dynamics we saw between the team in mwii just a bit, especially the teachable moments we see between Price/Gaz and Ghost/Soap that highlight their positions, ages, and personalities.

I think killing Soap off was dumb (choosing to kill any of them off was a dumb decision imo), and I'd really like to see him "brought back to life"—they did it with Graves! Let him be a pawn in Makarov's game or something (maybe to purposely fuck with Price/141 if they wanna follow the same vein as the original series: it essentially boiled down to a showdown between Price and Makarov that was meant to be personal, to an extent) and breathe some fucking life back into the 141 (and, for the love of GOD, include Los Vaqueros; I just know that Alejandro and Rodolfo would be heartbroken upon learning about what happened to Soap). Let them save Soap from whatever fucked up mind games Makarov would be playing with him and figure out a way to have Makarov's Soap return to 141's Soap, and then take care of Makarov—I think that would make for a compelling end to the rebooted series: stopping a war and saving innocents while also tackling some (necessary) personal revenge!

idk, I'm probably looking too deeply into this lmao but I figured what better place to cry about it than here!